Things are coming together on the sleep front! For three consecutive nights, I have slept peacefully 7, 9, and 8 hours respectively. I can’t even find words to describe the joy and peace and RELIEF this brings me. It’s a huge thing in my life and I’ll share the long story later on. I’m writing a book for Derek’s class, and I’ve got to finish that first!
Later!
Thanks to everyone who brought stuff for the potluck. You’re all such brainy folks, and I love learning from/ being inspired by all of you. 
Had a rotten run this morning. No one posts much about really rotten runs. Looking for feel-good inspiration? Not here today! Everything that went wrong did. My Forerunner crapped out … just me, forgetting to recharge the batteries. About 10 minutes in, I thought my right shoe felt peculiar, and indeed one of the insole thingys off my Saucony’s was missing. My daughter loves to try on everyone else’s shoes all day long, so I suspect she was the culprit. The shoe didn’t feel truly uncomfortable, it just felt different than the left, y’know? Irritating. I couldn’t get into the groove of a pace. I had a lot on my mind, and usually I can “run that off” and feel free, but this time, I couldn’t get it. The whole 35 minute ordeal was just annoying, and when I got home, it was one of the first times I truly felt as if I should’ve just stayed home in bed. (Note: Usually that is my feeling through the first couple of minutes of my run, not at all my feeling at the end.) I ran to my brother’s house and back, which I have calculated before is 4.9 k, so I’m guessing that was my time. And even that fact, the not knowing exactly what I’d done, truly annoyed me.
Anyone else wanna whine about a bad run?
Ahhhh. Tomorrow is another day.
(PS: I made the appointment about the insomnia. The iridologist may work on a referral to a sleep clinic. I’m thinking, if I can’t sleep in my bed, I’m supposed to sleep in a clinic?? Hmmmm.)
I long to be able to sleep like my daughter does. She falls asleep literally within a minute of entering her bed. As a parent, yay! As a person, I’m completely jealous.
Having insomnia drives me nuts. I swear that when I’m 80, I’ll have truly lived about 120 years because I sleep so little. For me, insomnia is not being able to initially fall asleep. Once I’m asleep, I am good for the night. This is completely opposite of my brother, who wakes up at 3 a.m. and completely roams the house. It’s not a wonder he’s a golfer who can actually enjoy a 5 a.m. tee time. If he were me … well, there are no tee times at midnight.
I’m considering going back to the iridologist to really LISTEN THIS TIME to his advice. He had a whole diet / detox plan , etc. to promote sleep. These days, I’m at my breaking point with it, and I’m pretty much willing to try anything. Am I tired throughout the day? Most days I don’t notice. Last Sunday, I had a complete meltdown. As in, I could’ve rivaled my 2-year-old daughter for how completely unreasonable I was being. My husband just looked at me in his I-am-a-rock way, and firmly said, “Go and have a nap.” Okay, point taken. And for the first time since Camryn was a newborn, I was able to have a nap and actually sleep soundly for 3 hours. I slept so hard that I dreamt and sleep-talked and drooled … and …. it was heavenly.
I don’t know if my insomnia has to do with the fact that 90% of my work is from home, so I always feel as if I could go and work on something. Or if it is these writing ideas that POP! into my head just as I’m drifting off. Or if it’s just the mega-lists I’m living off of as I manage dealings with my 3 kids, my house, my husband, our social life, extended families, my job, my writing projects …. Okay, rewind. I am NOT complaining about my life. Not in the least. I just want to sleep through some of it, that’s all.
I also have to wonder if the time of day I run / exercise isn’t influencing things. More and more, the evidence is pointing me to an early morning workout. Hmmmmm.
I envy you sleeping folks. That’s all I’m sayin’.
Yep, you read that right. Blog Potluck. It’s a potluck, where you all have to bring something. What?? You’re worried that you didn’t sign up to bring anything?? No worries!
In a blog potluck, everyone chooses to bring certain pieces of info / ideas / tips / links to the table. Choose what you’d like to bring by checking out the list of needs below! Bring your potluck “item” with your comments …. thank-you!
So here’s what I need:
– any tips on travelling to another climate for a (10 k) race … ie. how long you should let your body adjust to the temperature before the race, different preparation tips) …
OR
–to hear about that moment in your journey with running when your perserverence markedly changed who you are as a runner ….
OR
–some relatively low-fat really-fast or even crockpot supper recipes
So, whatcha gonna bring?
Ten writing projects in my brain, and not enough hours in the day. Yep, I’m up for awhile. I have to add this to the PHYSICAL section in my wellness plan: Learn how to fall asleep. Plain and simple.
The little girls went home today. It was a lot of fun having them around. I can’t imagine having six kids … simple tasks like going for a walk become a planning intracacy. They are great-natured girls, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed their company. Our house seems so quiet already! Although I did get lots of exercise running to the bathroom to provide assistance at least five times per hour, tomorrow, I shall run. And not in my hallway.
Tomorrow (today, really, as its late) is Remembrance Day. I’m always very struck by this day, due to my experience in working with geriatric clients. I feel privileged to live in Canada, and could never find proper words to express my thanks to people who have fought for my and my family’s freedom. It’s something we take for granted in this great country. I also feel privileged that in my line of work as a rec therapist, that I have been blessed by my clients sharing so many wartime stories over the years. Stories of tragedy, of passion, of dedication, of true love. The kinds of stories that transport you to a time that you can’t imagine. Stories you can’t listen to without your mouth hanging open. Mr. J. losing his sister for three years, and then finding her across from him in a concentration camp. B. being told, at gunpoint by the enemy, to blow off his comrade’s head … and instead choosing to grab his buddy and jump off a moving train. Sue being married for three exact hours before her husband left for the war. Too many stories to tell well, but I do know that when I stand with my kids tomorrow at the Remembrance Day Ceremony, I’ll be thinking of all of them. I’ll be thinking of my blessings and the people that have made them possible.
Running this week? Probably not, but that’s OK. I’ve entered a different type of marathon: The Potty Marathon!!
We are babysitting some friends’ children for four days this week (three sleepovers!). They have twin girls, age 3, and another daughter, age 2. These three gals are potty-trained, but still need help with the before and after pieces. Camryn has decided to completely mimick them, and use the big potty now too (YAHOO!!!). However, I spent ALL day today in the bathroom. Taking off pants, panties, wiping, making small talk and not-so-small talk, and putting back on pants and panties. Why do kids insist on stripping to go to the bathroom??? With four girls doing this all day, and each of them having an acute case of bathroom envy (“She has to go?? I have to go too!!!”) … it has been nuts!! I was grateful when the boys got home from school, and they could entertain the not-at-the-moment-pee-ers.
Should be an interesting week! I may have to get a laptop to keep in touch with all of you from the bathroom!
Another crazy week in my household. Stomach flu ran its course here, and then Halloween. I need to get pictures up soon of my vampire, werewolf, and princess-who-only-will-wear-her-crown-upside-down. Fun, fun stuff. And if you want the biggest Halloween laugh and haven’t seen this yet, go. He’s fast AND completely nuts.
I’d better honour my list in my previous post and address some stuff:
1. Why can kids be so flexible? When do we exactly lose that?
Flexibility is something I need to work on. As a kid, I was extraordinarily flexible. I was into gymnastics, growing up in the 70’s and wanting more than anything to be Nadia, and all. Now, I take my daughter to parent-and-tot gymnastics and when the coach has us “kiss our knees”, I wonder if I can’t just blow them a kiss. My flexibility sucks. My daughter? She can kiss her neighbours knees. Easily. It’s amazing. Ever watch a two-year-old examine their toenails??? They bring them right up to their eye level. Ahhhhh … to have that flexibility.
2. The principle of ?all the way? and how it applies to my running
I’m going to try and use the least amount of words to explain this in the easiest way possible. At my kid’s Adventureland (Sunday School program) the leader did a lesson on “obeying all the way.” Like, not just begrudgingly listening to God, but doing it with the right heart. She talked to the kids about how that applies to so many life things: ie. when your mom tells you to clean your room, you don’t just put out the minimum effort and shove everything in the closet. You do it right. With the right heart.
With my running, I need to go “all the way”. Not sluff off on my pace, because I have no concrete race to think about right now. Not cut it short because it’s getting uncomfortable. Some parenting expert once said, “We have to get comfortable with having our kids uncomfortable. It’s a life skill to work through discomfort.” I don’t mean pinching your kids, I mean having them be good copers and problem-solvers. So that they don’t grow up naturally taking the easy road all of the time. I need to get more comfortable with ME being uncomfortable, and pushing myself through discomfort. It builds character, and confidence as a runner. I know this from reading all of your marathon reports, people!!!!
3. My wellness plan (yep, I?ve got one)
Okay, this is huge and will be another post. The summary? I want to remember to work on my whole self. So, I’ve broken it into a plan or a list (shock of a lifetime, there) based on six domains. Here is the Cole’s Notes version:
PHYSICAL: To reach the “finish line” of my weight loss goal and not look back, to run a 10 k within the year, to improve my flexibility by pursuing yoga / some structured class
EMOTIONAL: to end a friendship in my life that depletes me and serves absolutely no purpose; to finally forgive someone in my life who has wronged me signifigantly but is far too old and ill to be able to make it right … and to be OK with that
COGNITIVE: to read more adult fiction, to invest time/resources into my writing
SOCIAL: To reconnect with a couple we’ve lost touch with for no reason at all; to continue to develop my home into a place where kids want to hang out
SENSORY: To convince my husband to get a pet again … one we can hold and love. This is probably more emotional than sensory, but it came up here. Short story: our dog has been gone for four years, and I miss her everyday. We have tree frogs, but …. ummmm … they’re just not very expressive. Gimme a dog already … Christmas is coming.
SPIRITUAL: To remember to pray about things before I vent/whine about them; to really take on a family service project this year, ie. devote a year to a particular charity that we choose as a family and raise money / pray for it / serve it with our time.
Whew. Are you still here?
Holy cow.
Bless you.
4. Why I Should Never Ever Open a Package of Halloween candy until the Trick-or-Treaters are knocking on my door
Oh my. Did the Kit Kats do me in this year! Mini-packaging is just MADE to fool me. It’s a quick bite … and then it’s another … and another. I’m sure Nestle has MY picture with a big target on it when have their marketing strategy meetings. Got a BIG wake-up call this Halloween. Enough, already.
5. How #4 Led Me to Creating #3
All kidding about chocolate aside, I need to control the eating. I invest a lot of time into my fitness, and I don’t want to blow that continually with these crazed binges. We’re back to writing down every mouthful. It’s tedious, it’s old news, but it works. Still have made no decision about w8 watchers.
