Christmas, Training, and Happy New Year

Some pictures from Christmas:

Christmas Eve before dinner

Santa came!

 On Wednesday Sophie woke up with a horrible cough, some wheezing and labored breathing. It seemed like, at times, she was struggling to catch her breath. Scared the crap out of me so I called in sick to work and made a doctor appointment. They didn't have one till 12:30!! Lots of sick kids out there right now. So by mid morning she seemed to be doing a little better and was running around and playing, so I cancelled the doctor appointment.

Because I'm not a doctor, I self diagnosed her with Croup. Actually I read about it, my sister's kids have had it and when she heard her cough and breathing we were both pretty sure it was croup. Of course if she seemed to not be doing well I was going to call the doctor back, but croup is a virus and just like with all viruses you have to let it run it's course.

Luckily that night she slept very well and sounded so much better the next morning. Poor kid, I hate it when she's sick.

Running has been going well this week, I've mostly forgotten about that horrible run and am moving forward. I am scheduled to do 12 miles tomorrow but will possibly do a couple extra. Just to make sure my base is strong and to make way for the crap ton of calories I will be eating and drinking for New Years. We are having some friends at our house and I am going all out.

In typical Jennifer fashion I have a lot going on in the next few weeks. Charleston Marathon is only 2 weeks away!! I can't believe it!! I'm super excited (because I'm no longer going to think negatively).

Aside from wrapping up training I will be painting Sophie's new room (she'll be "moving in" sometime in Feb.). I will also be re-painting our kitchen because we are getting granite counter tops installed today!! Now I just have to find the time to do it all!!

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be an awesome year, I can feel it.

Santa Hangover

It's been a busy busy weekend. And it will be like this till the end of the year. We have something planned every weekend between now and New Year's Day. I'm going to be exhausted by the time this race comes around. I'm almost looking forward to being pregnant again so I can take it easy. However relax is not in my vocabulary, even when pregnant. 

Friday I finished all my painting. Well, not all. I still have other items I need to get done but the bulk of Sophie's furniture is DONE! Headboard, bookcase and a mirror. Whew! All I need to do is the clear coat but it's been a little humid with this rain that moved in, and I didn't want it to dry funky so the furniture is still sitting in the garage till I can do this last step. Pictures to come.

Saturday I ran 12 miles, 1:46, avg pace 8:54. Getting better with this distance. Would love to run just one more before I get pregnant so I can PR again. There is a 15k (Charlie Post Classic) at the end of January and a no frills half marathon (Save The Light Half Marathon) first weekend of Feb. that I'm thinking about doing. We'll see, I don't want to jump hard core into running after my marathon. Body would probably like to recover and we'll pretty much go from marathon to "trying" to get pregnant.

Sunday we woke up and got ready for a Brunch with Santa with a friend of mine at her neighborhood country club. It was a nice spread of food, they had a mini pancake station for the kids and I topped Sophie's pancakes with yummy strawberries, chocolate chips, whipped cream. She only ate the chocolate chips. And some bacon. Mom of the year, right here! 

We even got her to sit on Santa's lap for a few minutes. The look she gave him the whole time was priceless.

Not so sure about this guy. 

There's a high 5, she's warming up....slightly

After brunch we walked down to a little area near the clubhouse that was on a marsh to take some pictures. They actually turned out really nice and I have to credit my good hair day to my friend who spend 2 hours highlighting my mass of hair on Saturday. Actually my hair is not very thick, just long.

A rare moment - I'm usually behind the camera

My favorite! Love this little girl!! This is a keeper.

Another keeper!! Even if we all aren't looking at the camera we are all smiling.

My loves!

On the way home, little bit feel asleep so we sat through the Starbucks drive through for about 20 minutes. Apparently everyone in our town decided to go to Starbucks at exactly 12:20 Sunday afternoon. We got home and rested/relaxed for a few hours until it was time to head back out for the James Island County Park Festival of Lights. 

All the 6 years I've lived here and we've never been. Mainly because it gets packed, there's traffic, a ton of people and I hate all of that. I'm probably the world's most impatient person. But since Sophie is getting older I want to start doing traditions so I decided to suck it up and deal with the mass of people. And we went on a Sunday which was less crowded than Saturday. And we got there right when it opened so we didn't sit in too much traffic.

So basically you drive around the county park and look at all the light displays. The have a Santa's Village you can park and walk to. Includes fire pits for marshmallow roasting, a carousel, Santa of course, food and beverages and a climbing wall (??) Not sure about that last one but people looked to be having a good time.

Getting ready for the lights

Sophie got to ride on the carousel, almost caught my hair on fire roasting marshmallows. Again, letting my child play near fire = mom of the year. Actually she's becoming quite the Miss Independent so I let her try it out. Teach em young, that's what I say!

Fun with Daddy!

Waving at us every time she passed by. It was too cute and I'm so happy she loved it.

All good things must come to and end and she started getting upset and fussy and we knew it was time to go. Sleepy Sophie is not a fun thing to deal with. Luckily we made it back to the car, saw the rest of the lights, and got home before a full meltdown occurred. So I call it a success.

However this morning she was NOT a happy camper to be woken up. Thus I call it a Santa hangover. Poor girl could barely keep her eyes open and fell back asleep in the car. These are the days I feel guilty to be a working mom. Clearly she needs to sleep longer and I felt so bad having to get her out of bed. One day, one day I won't have to do this to her. Hopefully. That's the plan anyway. In the meantime there's money to be made and bills we gotta pay.

Because I didn't get to workout and do my cross training I dragged myself out of bed and went to the gym. Ran 4 miles, 33:49, avg pace 8:27 or something like that. Did some legs, chest and back.

It's a very rainy, cold and dreary day today so I'm anxious to get this Monday over with.

Thunder Road Half Marathon, Charlotte, NC

Saturday morning I ran the Thunder Road Half Marathon in Charlotte. It was rather cold out, I think at the starting line temps were about 30 degrees. I had a great race. Another PR! We're back home and I'm worn out. No cross training today because by the time we got home and unpacked the car I wasn't feeling it. Plus my knee has been bothering me since about mile 6 yesterday so I'm resting today. And eating. Can't seem to stop eating, and that would be things that I shouldn't be eating (cookies damn you!).

Friday was a whirlwind of packing in the morning, potty training (2 for 2 - two accidents and two tinkles on the potty). By Noon I was tired and ready for a nap. Same for Sophie.

We got to Uptown Charlotte, the Charlotte Convention Center, about 3 pm. We parked at the Nascar Hall of Fame and I went accross the street to get our race packets (Ricky was running the 5k). Ricky stayed in the car with Sophie and the dogs.

The expo wasn't very busy at all so I got our packets right away. I even lingered to buy a few items. I wanted to browse longer but I knew our dogs were probably barking at every person that walked within 15 feet of our car so I cut it short.

Then we were off to my sisters house in Stanley, NC (which is a small town outside of Charlotte). I have no pictures of anyone in my family because I suck at remembering my camera and it was somewhere at the bottom of my bag.

It was a hectic night of trying to get Sophie to sleep in a bed that wasn't hers but she eventually fell asleep with me and Ricky. We didn't attempt to move her.

5 am my alarm went off and I was getting ready. We needed to leave the house about 6:15 to make it downtown (it's really uptown), park and get to the starting line. Weren't sure about traffic and finding a place to park.

It ended up being very easy to find a parking spot at the Westin Hotel parking garage. They even opened up their lobby for runners to find warmth and use the facilites. Thanks Westin!

We made it to the starting line and I got into my corral. I chose the 2 hour pace time because I just wasn't sure how this was going to go. Charlotte has hills and I didn't have the greatest week so I was playing it safe.

I tossed my fleece and the gun went off. As usual the start is very crowded so I had a hard time getting around people. I even ran past my old office building. I miss it. I used to work for Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) in one of the high rise buidlings uptown. They've done a lot to the area, it's so nice and clean, I really miss it (did I mention I miss it?).

Mile 1 - 9:02
Mile 2 - 9:10
Mile 3 - 8:51

I have to say I was worried about hills but at the start we went downhill a ton. This was nice but I knew those hills were coming at some point. I felt good at the start.

Mile 4 - 8:48
Mile 5 - 9:08
Mile 6 - 8:55

Somewhere between mile 5 and 6 I tried to side step some water cups and I felt something funky in my left knee that had me slowing down. Didn't hurt as much as it felt like I twisted something so it felt....tender I guess is a good word.

Mile 7 - 8:48
Mile 8 - 8:59
Mile 9 - 8:36

I ate some of my engery chews early on, I think about mile 4 because we encountered some hills. I ate two more at mile 7 to help me with getting over the hills.

Mile 10 - 8:33
Mile 11 - 8:38
Mile 12 - 8:46

I took two more energy chews at mile 10 and then two more at mile 12. Miles 11-12 were mostly uphill and I think I possibly groaned out loud at some point. It really felt like it was never going to end. Mile 13 was tough too because you rounded a corner and went up again until you finally saw the finish line.

Mile 13 - 8:28
.1 - sprint to the finish - 7:31

Done!!

Garmin:
13.22
1:56:27
avg pace 8:48

Chip Time:
13.1
1:56:23
avg pace 8:53

Overall Place 868 / 2494

Gender Place 296 / 1353

Division Place 59 / 256

I'm thrilled to PR again. I really was shooting for 2 hours but when I hit 6 miles and still felt strong (aside from the knee thing) I knew I could beat my previous half marathon time.
 
Ricky and my dad were there at the finish (still no camera, darn). We walked through the victory village, grabbed some free stuff and food and then headed home to hang out with the family.
 
This is my last race till the marathon and I really want to try and find one more half to run because I'm having a great time with it. It almost, ALMOST, makes me want to change to the half marathon in January and really focus on running it faster. But I know I'll regret it if I do that.
 



Parking garage picture when I realized I had my camera.



Being a dork, or looking like I'm constipated.





Edisto Island 2011

It's been a little busy here the last week or so. After my last post we were getting packed up and ready for a 3 day weekend at Edisto Island. My in-laws rented a house for a week but due to time off from work and such we opted to just do a three day weekend. I typically use up most of my vacation during the summer. I took a week back in June and wanted to save the rest of my days for the Holidays and in case Sophie or I get sick. That's bound to happen and we aren't in the heart of sick season yet. Fingers crossed that we make it through at least until after my marathon.

When I arrived Thursday evening after work it was sunny and warm out.

When I woke up Friday morning it was cloudy, windy and cool.

Still I managed to get my 3 mile run that I missed on Thursday. I was a little bummed that the weather was so crappy but still determined to make the best of it. I did not want to be trapped in a house all day. We bundled up and went for a stroll on the beach and collected shells. Sophie manages to find the tiniest broken shells and she's so proud of them.

Sophie and Addison looking for sea shells.

Ready for a walk on this fine and cloudy day.

The sun was trying desperately to shine later in the afternoon so we sat outside in the sand for a bit till it was time to get my little heathen child to take a nap and then get ready for dinner.

Saturday morning was not much better but I was fine with this since I had an 11 mile long run to do. My in-laws watched Sophie while Ricky and I set out on the Island (Ricky with his bike). It was cool and windy, perfect running conditions if you ask me.

I felt pretty good overall, I started out a little rough because I had not slept well the night before but once I got to mile 4 and 5 I started to feel better and I guess got my 2nd wind. I ate some Sharkies and really have no idea if they work or not. At one point my stomach started to hurt and I just don't feel like I can eat stuff like that when I'm running. I wonder if good old candy will do the trick. I'm just not sure.

So 11.04 miles later and almost getting hit by a car I was done!

Finally after lunch the sun started to peak out ever so slightly. It was warmer too so I grabbed my bathing suit and we were out on the sand.

Sophie went down for a long nap (girl was tired!) and I got a good 3 hours in the sun to read a book. Bliss! Still a little cool but comfortable and relaxing.

Right before dinner we set up the camera and did some family pictures.

Then Sunday it was time to pack up, clean and head home. Weather still wasn't 100%, sun came out for a little while here and there but by the time we were ready to go it was cloudy, cool, and windy again.

Morning sunrise

Wish the weather would have been better but we had a good time overall. Looking forward to next year!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July from the Bell Family! We are getting ready to head over to our good friend's house for a pool party and cookout. Sophie is taking an early nap so just waiting for her to wake up....hopefully in a good mood!

Last week I was on vacation. A much needed vacation. The first part of the week was spent taking little bit to the beach and doing some shopping. Then Thursday we packed up kid and dogs and headed to Edisto Beach, SC. We found a small rental on the third row that had nightly rates, that weren't too shabby. It was nice to get away, if only for a few days. Yes money has been tight this past year but Ricky and I both work really hard and darn it, we earn a break too right?

A few pictures from the weekend:

Ready for the beach!





Our porch, great view of the road and a slight view of the ocean

Wylie people watching

Mommy and Sophie

Attempt at a family picture with the timer. Not too bad.

Me after a very hot morning run. No breeze but ran past a ton of pretty houses.



Daddy and his girl.

So tomorrow it'll be back to reality. Work and daycare but I think she'll actually enjoy being back with all her friends. Mommy and Daddy can only be so fun. She'll definitely need a sibling.

Last week I officially wrote out my Marathon Training Plan. It's Hal Higdon's novice 2. I chose this one because it coincides perfectly with the two half marathons that I have registered for in the fall. I have a few weeks at the end of December that will be sort of "open" so I might do another 20 miler or 22 miles but not sure. I'm planning on registering the end of July.

Hope everyone has a happy 4th. Eat and drink lots!

April Update

Here I go again, haven't updated in about a month! Honestly it's been super busy around here lately. Work has been busy, weekends have been busy, Sophie keeps us very busy. You get the idea.

So let's see....since the last time I posted....I'm trying to think of what's been going on. We are all doing really well, Sophie is doing fantastic! I can't believe she's going to be 2 years old in less than 2 months. Which means I need to start planning a birthday party because June will be here before I know it...just like April is almost over! I'm thinking we're going to throw her an art party. She loves to color so I've got a few ideas floating around in my head.

Sophie is a little miss Chatty Kathy, she says new words every day! She can count to 10, she repeats everything we say and really annunciates well. She is a happy girl who can turn in an instant and become she devil toddler. Girlfriend has a temper! I say she gets it from Ricky, he says she gets it from me and both our parents say she gets it from us. So there you have it, Sophie is a good combination of both our temperaments.

Weather has been warmer here but water temps are still cool so we haven't been to the beach at all, waiting for it to warm up just a little bit more. Ricky is chomping at the bit to get his boat in the water so hopefully this Saturday we can take it for a spin. 

Running is going really well. Ricky and I both ran the Cooper River bridge Run on April 2nd. This was Ricky's first 10k and he did awesome, he finished in 1:02 and some seconds. I beat last years time by 5 minutes 55:03. 

Last weekend I ran the Charlotte Race Fest half marathon. A little back story on this. I ran the Kiawah half marathon back in December. If you recall it was cold and rainy, pretty miserable conditions. Although I ran the pace I trained for, I was just getting over a cold and didn't feel like I did as well as I thought I could do. So the theory with this race in Charlotte was to run another half in nice spring temperatures. Yeah, I should know by now that my luck sucks. It was beautiful weather all week....until Saturday. They were calling for severe thunderstorms Saturday morning (rain, wind, thunder, lighting, hail....you get the picture). So needless to say I was less than thrilled to be running in the rain again. I woke up Saturday morning and watched the weather channel for about 30 minutes and decided to go on with it. They said severe weather would not hit until late morning/early afternoon. We got there with minutes to spare and I was off and running!

To make a long story short (too late) the weather overall wasn't too bad. Sure it sprinkled, and then it would downpour, but it wasn't cold and at times the sun would try and peak through. The course was very hilly. I'd forgotten how hilly Charlotte is, so this was a real challenge for me. I can proudly say that I ran the entire course, up hill and all, in 2:07:00, almost 3 minutes faster than Kiawah! I'm super proud of that accomplishment and have already signed up for the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon October 23rd. I guess you can say I'm addicted. One thing I did this time around that I did not do at Kiawah is I stopped for water and Gatorade the last 3 miles. I think this really helped me at mile 12 (that was 95% up hill).

I'm still up in the air about signing up for a marathon. There's the Thunder Road Race in Charlotte in November. I was thinking about doing that one but now I'm thinking I will just do the half marathon. There's always the Charleston Marathon in January so that may be the one for me. I don't want to try to get pregnant until January or February so this could work out perfectly.....stay tuned for that decision.

One problem that I seem to have when I do a long endurance run is I seem to retain a lot of water a few days after. I hear this is a common problem with the breakdown of muscle fibers and such but I seem to gain a good 3-4 pounds after a long run. Not sure what I can do about this except to increase my water intake but I swear I drink a TON of water so it's actually kind of frustrating. Then again as much as I swelled when I was pregnant, I'm not surprised. 

No more races until the fall, unless a small one pops up here and there. I'm going to continue running long runs on the weekends until it gets too hot and humid to do so. I'm looking forward to beach and boat time with my family. 

After the race

Crossing the finish line!