YMCA membership... Was this a good idea?

Have I mentioned that we joined the Y? For a family membership, it's $82 a month. There is a warm pool, an indoor track, lots of fancy exercise equipment, and child care. Two hours of child care per visit! Since I started running I had been wanting to add strength training, and the kids love to swim, so we joined.

The cool thing is that during the summer our YMCA also has a little water park for the kids. I've never been, but it looks fun, and Suzi is excited. It'd be a great way to spend some of those hot summer days we'd otherwise be stuck in the house. There are yoga classes, which are included in the monthly membership cost. And did I mention they watch your kids for two hours?

It sounds magical, doesn't it? But with three kids, it's somewhat complicated. First I have to get them rounded up and dressed and out the door. I dress the girls in their swimsuits and cover-ups so I don't have to do that at the gym. I also make sandwiches and cut up fruit to take for lunch. Robert doesn't get why I can't hold him while I do all this. There is usually screaming and crying before we make it to the van.

Once we are at the gym, I take the kids to the Child Watch area. The girls enjoy it; Robert screams. He usually only does it for a minute, but it makes me feel awful. There's a sign in sheet and a sticker tracking system to deal with at drop-off, but I know they are safe and happy there. Only once so far have I been called back to get Robert because he was crying and wouldn't calm down. Being called back derails our whole plan, though, because before I go for the kids I take a few minutes to shower and get my bathing suit on. There is no way I can do that while holding Robert, and there is nowhere to sit him, either. At home we have the jumperoo and the floor is clean enough for him to play in. When he can stand up and sort of listen to directions this won't be so much of a problem.

The locker room situation ticks me off. Children are not welcome in the nice adult locker rooms with TVs and saunas and steam rooms and all. I'm not sure why. I guess I can see how this could be unsafe if a child ended up in there alone with a sexual predator, but I think the problem is really that the adults get annoyed with kids. Or maybe they don't like kids looking at them naked. (Let me just suggest, if this is you, that you could go into a stall to dress. They are readily available and only a few yards away. Just saying!) Anyway, since we are not welcome in there, we have to walk wayyy down the hall to the special needs locker room, where there are two showers and two toilets behind locking doors, and the lockers are only half as big. I have to carry a diaper bag, a gym bag, a lunch box, shoes, and the Ergo. Our stuff takes up two lockers.

Once I've gotten Robert into his swim diaper and trunks and helped the girls use the bathroom and asked them fifteen times to remove their cover-ups and shoes, we walk to the pool. It's a long and rather slippery walk past the nine-foot-deep lap pool, because the special needs locker room is further away from everything, including the pool. I keep having to remind the girls to walk, not run. Then it's into life jackets and finally we can swim. Sometimes there's not much space in the shallow end. Today there were two swim lessons going on and I felt like we were in the way. Robert splashes, kicks, and whines. We are not allowed to use a baby float because it might block the lifeguard's view of another swimmer. It's really no fun holding him with both hands the whole time while he struggles.

When we are out, Robert is thoroughly irritated that he is wet and cold and needs changing yet again. I put him in a fresh diaper and outfit, but let the girls ride home wet. I've tried showering and changing them there and it is a total nightmare. They hate the shower and I only have one hand anyway because I have to hold Robert.

The cherry on top of this mess is that they decided to put the massage therapy room right inside the special needs locker room where they send all the toddlers! So as my children are singing loud, repetitive songs and whining at top volume about how no they will not put their shoes on and running noisily back and forth over the tile, I can rest secure in the knowledge that the people on the other side of that door are totally pissed.

Once we finally make it back to the car, I absolutely love the ride home. Peace and quiet! Ahhh! And once we are home, naptime! Even better! Of course, by the time we reach this final stage I am totally exhausted and hardly good for anything the rest of the day. Plus the kids still need baths.

I've figured out how to use most of the machines in the gym, and I love running on the indoor track. It's great being able to run without worrying about getting hit by a car or attacked by a dog. I'd like to take a yoga class. Swimming lessons for the kids will be discounted. It's a great way to get out of the house and get some exercise and a change of scenery, especially on a rainy day. And the Splash Zone water park will be open soon, so membership is not without its benefits. It's just... $82 a month, plus the gas money we use driving out there. We probably spend around $120 a month on this. We could use that to sign Suzi up for karate classes and buy some new homeschool goodies I've had my eye on! Besides, the days I go are days that hardly any work gets done at home. If it were relaxing and refreshing that would be one thing, but three little kids plus the kajillion rules make it super stressful. They think they are family friendly, what with their giant mural of kids emblazoned with scripture about children being a blessing. But all these rules.

As I was walking out today, there was a woman complaining to the front desk people that there were children! Showering in the ladies' locker room!!! I'm sorry. I don't get it. It hurts my feelings and brings ugly, mean thoughts about how this is exactly why there are neglected elderly people in nursing homes. We are taught from birth that people who are inconvenient or annoying do not matter and should be put away somewhere so they can't bother anyone.

Anyway. There are a couple of ways we could possibly solve this. Jordan and I could take the kids together after he gets off work or on the weekends. It may be crowded then, but I don't know for sure. Also, they open at 5:00 AM, so I've thought about going alone then, while the children are still in bed and Jordan wouldn't have to watch them. Haven't made it yet, though. Besides, the rare days I get up at 5:00, there is always housework to be done and I just can't see leaving that to go work out, knowing I'll return tired to kids who are ready to party and a house that's a disaster.

We will probably keep our membership through the summer because of the Splash Zone, although because it is outdoors, sunscreen application will add an extra degree of difficulty. Sigh. I am getting spray-on.

After writing all this out I am still not sure what to do. Hmm. It's quite the first world dilemma.

How we did at the Cooper River Bridge Run

The bridge, from a distance. It actually only makes up a couple of miles of the 6.2 mile race.

I meant to blog about this weeks ago, as it happened March 31, but I figure it's better late than never.

Jordan and my parents and I decided we'd get a condo in Isle of Palms to share for several days so we could enjoy visiting the beach while we were in Charleston for the Bridge Run. We love the beach! At least my mom and I do. The children love it too.

We took sunrise walks, played in the sand and took lots of pictures. We did not go swimming, though--there were way too many jellyfish and the water was cold. Jordan and I took the kids to the market and we went out for seafood with my parents.

Saturday morning we left the condo at about 4:45 to go to the race. I'm glad we left early, because even trying to park at 5 AM for a race that was supposed to start at 8 was pretty difficult! We finally parked in a garage and got in line for a bus ride to the beginning of the course. Riding the bus felt kind of like being a kid in school again.

When they dropped us off, I started to wonder, as I always do, when my last chance to pee would be. That is constantly on my mind if I am in a place where bathrooms are scarce. And on this particular day, well, I certainly didn't want to run 6.2 miles having to pee the whole time! Luckily, there were tons of portable bathrooms. The first potty station was located nearby the bus drop-off. So we stood in line for that one. Then we walked for a few minutes on our way to the start line, saw another potty station and decided to stop there, too! It was getting closer to 7 AM, at which time we were supposed to be in corral H waiting for the race to begin. We ended up stopping to pee a couple more times, just because each time we thought it might be our last chance. They even had one potty station right behind a Starbucks, where hundreds of people were going for a quick cup of pre-race coffee. Perfect place for a bathroom. So we got some coffee and hit that one, too while we were at it.

We were in line on time, but the race (which was supposed to start at 8) was delayed. We stood there for a couple of hours. There was no room to stretch or move around, and I was just so glad I had Jordan to talk to or I would've been awfully bored! They kept telling us the race would start in five minutes! One minute! Okay, really, just 30 seconds now!!! But they were lying. When it finally did start, I don't think we had ever been so excited to begin a run. Unfortunately, corrals A-G had to go before us and there were so many people that they spaced them a few minutes apart.

We passed another potty station on our way up to the start line, after we'd been standing in line for well over an hour. Of course we jumped out of line and went one more time, with plenty of time to spare! And then, finally, we were on our way. I've never seen so many people running/walking at one time before. It was awesome. They did their best to keep it safely organized, telling people they were not allowed to have jogging strollers except in the last corral, placing large signs that instructed walkers to stay to the right, and things like that. But people do not listen. One guy had a jogging stroller with no baby in it, just a sound system. He blasted tunes while he ran.

The worst was that people just walked wherever they wanted, some of them in a row several people across. Maybe they thought well, I'm not really a walker; I'm just walking for a little while and then I'll start running again. But this is the worst, because instead of falling into a rhythm and finding a comfortable spot in the pack, they stop in front of you and then after you maneuver around them, they start running again and dart back in front, forcing you to repeat the process numerous times. I get that we are all doing our best, but is it really necessary to trip so many people up in the process? Walk on the right! It's easy! Also, the corrals were organized by speed starting with the fastest, yet some people who clearly should have been in D or so ended up running in our corral or behind us with the walkers, darting around all the slow people.

There were also costumes to entertain us while we ran for over an hour. A group dressed as the Flintstones ran the race in a homemade Flintstones car. There were men in skimpy prom dresses. But the best was a huge yellow Pac Man, followed by several pastel-colored ghosts. I can't believe they ran 6.2 miles in those things! I am trying to think of something fun to dress up in next year that won't make the running harder.

We trained for this with an awesome group called First Flight, and had successfully run 6+ miles without walking at least once or twice back home. However, Jordan and I had not run in a long time due to a foot injury for him, a busy schedule (my mom's party), and awful pollen, so for me especially, this was not my best run. It was also warm and humid, and extremely aggravating having to weave in and out of the run-walk-run-walk-run-walkers. On top of all that, I depend on my iPod to zone me out and my earphones would not stay in! I had no music. We made it over the big hill without much of a problem, and I am proud of that. I eventually started feeling sick, though. We made it four miles, and that's when I told Jordan I had to walk. We walked a mile (over on the right, of course) and then ran the last 1.2. Jordan could have run the whole thing easily. I wanted to run the whole thing, but considering that I couldn't have run this race in my wildest dreams this time last year, I'll take it.

A few yards shy of the finish line, there were a bunch of people cheering and holding signs that said things like "the end is near," "chafe now, glory later," and my favorite, "run like you stole something." They made me smile. We crossed the finish line holding hands, and I heard a splash. The guy behind me had puked on the street, just a couple feet from my leg. Maybe walking a little was the right decision for me after all. I make it a point to never throw up if I can avoid it!

The after party was insane. It was hard to even find a bottle of water, but we eventually did. And a muffin. And then finally we found this enormous grill and got free Johnsonville Brats. The guy handed us a hotdog bun and said "This is YOUR bratwurst. You EARNED this bratwurst." Ha ha. It was a fun day, overall.

We'll probably do it again next year... Because, you know, we'd hate to miss out on a beach trip! Maybe in 2013 I'll be able to run all of it!

High on running

I haven't posted much about it, but I am still running, and Jordan is too. After the New Year's Eve 5K, others in the group started talking about an upcoming 10K. 6.2 miles. I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit myself to that or not! But my awesome parents said they'd go with us to the race and keep the kids for us, so we are doing it--Jordan and I together. We've been doing some long training runs--longer than I ever thought I'd be running, anyway! Today we ran about 6.3 miles, and it took us about 1:18. It was an eventful run, especially for Jordan, who was nearly backed over by a truck and hurt his foot. I had previously been struggling with knee pain, but that is better, and Jordan has had on-and-off ankle issues. It's not perfect, and we are not fast. Our division in the 10K is near the end, in the crowd that expects to run the whole thing, but will probably take over an hour to do it.

Just running for an hour at any speed is such a monumental accomplishment for me, and I can feel myself getting stronger. I've come to a place where running is an almost comfortable state for me, and I can speed up temporarily and slow back down to recover. Finishing a six-mile run is amazing. And running is doing so many good things for me.

I looked at my legs in the mirror the other day and they are looking almost like they did in college. I can fit into my "skinny clothes," including some that haven't fit since before I got pregnant with Suzi (my firstborn). I used to get winded easily while walking up hills, and now hills are no big deal unless I am running up them. I am able to wear Robert on my back in the Ergo for hours at a time while doing housework, and I don't get tired like I used to. And, finally, after being stuck about ten pounds over my ideal weight, it is starting to come down. Our nutritional changes have had an impact on that too, I'm sure.

One of the best things ever is to run as far as you can, get all sweaty and gross, and then take a shower. I know that after we finish this 10K it'll be tempting to say "wheee! Let's train for a half marathon!" I can already feel the pull of that challenge. I don't know. I really never meant to do a 10K when I started! But I didn't realize how great it would feel to accomplish a six-mile run. I'm sure that eight miles, ten miles, thirteen would feel incredible. I definitely don't think I'll ever do a whole marathon, though.

No.

Probably not.

How the New Year's Eve 5K went

A few minutes after finishing, just before midnight!

I ran the whole thing! My official time was 32:34, and I finished about in the middle of the pack. It was great--definitely the coolest way I've ever spent New Year's Eve! I'm so thankful for First Flight. The hard part now will be staying motivated and continuing to run. The next race is not for a long time, and First Flight isn't meeting for a few weeks. I am also getting tired of running around my hilly little neighborhood, and need to find a better place to go. I want Jordan to run with me, but Robert makes that hard. We might buy another jogging stroller when we get our tax refund. We had one and weren't using it so we sold it. Oops!

Blurry pic of me crossing the finish line

My mom and dad kept the girls for the night, but Jordan came with me and held the baby. He had a bad cold, too. Poor sweet Jordy.

And, I wasn't going to write about this, but... Have you ever been in a race and realized you were the pacesetter for someone else? A lot of the people who ran the Resolution Run didn't run the whole thing. 30+ minutes is a long time to run if you aren't used to it, so some people alternated running and walking. There was this one (really skinny, taller, younger) girl who was ahead of me, and about a mile in she started taking walking breaks. I was running at a pretty constant pace. Whenever I'd get past her, two seconds later she'd start running again and would get ahead of me. This happened at least five times. Finally I think she got ahead of me by a minute or two and I didn't see her again, which was fine. It happened to a lesser extent with a pair of runners who finished a couple of minutes after I did. Anyway, it sort of psyched me out during the race. I'm not sure why. I mean, I was trying to run my own race but they were distracting! Also, I may have done this same thing to someone else a couple of months ago in a longer walk/run and now I feel like a jerk. Is this a common thing? I might need horse blinders or hypnosis for next time.

I'm running a 5K tonight!

You should see my "edit posts" list. It's full of half-finished things that I started to write because I was the only one awake and thought it'd be a good time to gather my thoughts. Then the kids woke up and started fighting, the baby wanted me to nurse him, I had to go fix breakfast and then clean up after it, the phone rang... When I come back to half-written posts I often start wondering why I started writing them at all. Who wants to read it anyway? Does anyone care? Should I feel guilty for sitting here writing when the chores I should be doing are absolutely endless? That is how this, the patchiest season of my blog since I started it in 2007, happened.

There are some things I really want to remember, though, like how nervous-excited I am about tonight. It's New Year's Eve and tonight I'm running a 5K! I've run one before. A few, actually, but I was 14 years old. At least one of them sucked, BIG TIME. The one that was really awful I ran as the slowest competing member of our high school cross country team. It was at a nearby school with a confusing course. It was like, "go around the track twice, through the nature trail, over that bridge, around the band field, back through the nature trail, around the school..." I can't find my way out of a wet paper bag. Damned if I can remember a bunch of detailed instructions when I am busy just trying to get enough oxygen to my muscles so I don't collapse. I lagged behind the other runners, and with no one to follow and no volunteers directing I had no idea where I was going. It was so sad. I cried. I'm not sure if I ever finished that one. If I did, it took me a ridiculously long time.

The races got better and eventually I was keeping up with the others. When the season was over I realized what good shape I was in. It was awesome. I didn't go back the next season because I wanted to devote my time to Junior ROTC activities instead, and I haven't run a 5K since.

So here we are now. I am 27. I have had three babies and gained about 30 pounds since I was 14. If you had told me last year that my final act of 2011 would be to finish a 5K... No. That wasn't on my radar. I started running at the end of September because of a local running group called First Flight. The wonderful volunteers come out and run with us for free at a local track, leading us through a program similar to Couch to 5K. The first time I went was week three of the season. The longest we had to run without a walking break was three minutes, and I could barely do it. I started having bad knee pain, and though I finally did finish a 7K walk/run at the end of October, I had to take a long break after that. The chiropractor helped me get back to normal and I started back the next season. Two days ago I went to the track and ran almost exactly the length of the race, 3.1 miles, in under 36 minutes. Not fast. But when I think about what a struggle it was three months ago to run slow for just three minutes without stopping, this is a mountain I have climbed.

I want to do it so I can keep up with all the fun my kids want to have. I want to run with them someday. I want to be one of those 70-year-old women who is still running. It's also a challenge, something to be proud of, and a healthy addiction to replace the junk food that was there before. I've lost five pounds and a jean size since I started, and that's nice too, but my children are my main inspiration.

When I ran at 14 I had no frame of reference. It was pretty much the hardest thing I'd done up to that time. Now when I run I think about birth. I think, this is really hard. My legs are burning and my heart might beat out of my chest. I could just stop now and it would be a huge relief. But then I look at my watch. I remember the intensity of waiting for my babies, the amazing work looming ahead of me and not knowing how long it would last. I gazed off, zoned out, got it done. If I could do that, I know I can finish a run.

The race starts at 11:00 tonight. At the finish line there will be Jordan taking my picture and Baby Bobber ready to nurse and once I get home we will drink champagne and celebrate resolutions begun before the ball ever dropped. I will have done it and it's going to be amazing. Deep breaths. I can do this. And I'm not going to get lost this time, either.

When zoning out is a useful skill

A couple of friends posted on Facebook recently about First Flight, an organization that helps people who aren't necessarily athletic to become runners. I've tried running before. It never stuck. But when I saw my friends posting photos of themselves decked out in colorful running gear, grinning before a 5K, I thought maybe I did want to run again. I hate the idea that because I am no longer a child, and now have children of my own, I have missed a chance. I never lost all the weight I gained with Robert, and sometimes I feel weak and tired. I want to be able to keep up with my kids as they grow and ask me to play tag or go hiking. So I went to First Flight. They are starting us out slow and working us up to running a 5K.

The first night was hard, but good. Megan and I had jumped in on week 3 of training, and the most we ran without walking breaks was three minutes. I did all the running but struggled to keep up. When I started running on my own I tried using my iPod, and it helped. I could turn on my favorite fast-paced music and focus on it. I think this is why I've never liked talking to people while I run. It brings me back into the real world where I am tired and my legs hurt.

It made me think of Robert's birth, for which I had taken a class to, in a sophisticated way, perfect my oft-discouraged zoning talent. In Hypnobabies, we listened to scripts for relaxation and self-hypnosis. We practiced, and for various stages of the birth there were special scripts to listen to. We never played them, though. Robert was born without a lot of commotion--so unlike Suzi's hospital birth, at which I had yet to perfect my zoning and it was discouraged, anyway.

I am totally zoned out here, minutes away from meeting Robert.

This skill is quite helpful with running. I pick a tree or cloud to stare through and fall into a rhythm with whatever is playing on my iPod. It helps me run longer and a little faster. If I didn't have this capability I probably wouldn't run at all. When I am done running I feel great. I am happier and have more patience with my kids. I also think regular zoning-while-running will help me greatly if we ever have another baby.

So to all those teachers who got on my case for zoning, which is basically the only thing I ever did to get in trouble in school: See how wrong you were? In our homeschool, The Lost Art of Zoning will be a required class. We will do totally aimless painting, listen to music, walk, run, jump on the trampoline, and stare out the window at the pretty clouds and trees. I bet having a designated time to do it will improve focus when it is necessary, like during math. This is a God-given capability and we must have it for a reason. I know I am not the only one.

Do you zone? Has it ever been useful to you?


P.S. I'll be back soon with pictures of the kids and more about my new running adventure!