what's in you wednesday

This past Saturday we took off on our "long" run.

The way it should work is that all the runs leading up to this past weekend, were gradually supposed to get longer and longer - until, we reach 20 miles, and then begin tapering down so our bodies have a chance to recover before we subject them to the brutality of running 26.2 miles on race day.

This weekend we covered a lot of ground. We pushed strollers full of children in temperatures that were in the high 80's and we covered almost 20 miles in just over six hours. Granted, we didn't break any speed records. But we're optimistic that if we can cover that kind of distance on that kind of terrain under those kind of circumstances, we can cover 26.2 miles in under the allotted seven hours.

Charlie is so strong I don't think he is going to have any problem at all finishing the course before they close it and send around the wagon to pick up all the stragglers. As for me ... my husband was so far ahead during our run this past weekend that he started sending text messages.

"Having Fun?"

"You OK?"

"Where UB@?"

Meanwhile, the two kids that were in the stroller I was pushing burst in to tears more than once when they could no longer see their father in front of us. Here I was desperately trying to push 80 pounds while telling the children, "No, we're NOT lost. Mommy actually has the HOUSE KEY and if Daddy doesn't slow down and WAIT for us he is going to find himself SLEEPING on the CURB!"

Midway through our run we stopped at McDonald's so the kids could get out and stretch their legs. I need to add here that Charlie recently finished reading Fast Food Nation and it seems that when he told me some of the things that were discussed in the book, the children were listening.

Which explains why this past weekend when we walked in to McDonald's, three of our four children were adamant that they didn't want to eat rat poop and Daddy said that there was rat poop in McDonald's hamburgers. So we ate french fries. And filet of fish. And while the kids ran around and played, Charlie and I tried to estimate the total amount of ground we'd covered.

Once the kids had burned off a significant amount of energy, we loaded them back in to the strollers and ran over to a yogurt bar.

Because it was really hot.

And then once the kids had procured huge cupfuls of yogurt on their laps, which almost immediately melted, we started running again while yogurt sloshed all over our children. And it wasn't long before both Charlie and I felt like hurling because we had just run 10 miles and we had 10 more to go and we had stomachs full of FRIED FISH.

Yeah. We'll want to skip McDonald's on race day.

(And quite possibly, for the rest of our lives.)

Now seeing as the triplets have pretty much outgrown their naps, it seems the only time they sleep during the day is when we push them in the stroller.

And once they wake up, they have more energy than I do and can actually run faster than me up the final hills home.

So we did it. We covered almost 20 miles in one day. And we didn't collapse. I'm happy about that. But what makes me even happier is the awesome comment I received on my post last week from Mommy Heather. Did anyone happen to catch her comment?

"I am officially down 60lbs in less than 4 months, and am training to do a 5k. I am kicking butt and am so proud of myself. I found inspiration in you training with four kids I can with three. I have no excuses to make. I hit the gym sometimes as early as 4am so I can workout 6 days a week. Thank you for the push and inspiration. I have 30lbs to go for my goal and feel AMAZING!!"

Way to go Heather!!

You are the inspiration!!

I think I read that comment right around the time I was consuming my second tray of O'Henry Bars in less than a week. But not before I baked and then consumed my THIRD tray of O'Henry Bars in less than a week. Notice how they are floating on air?

Those things are like magic!

Even though I've been "training" for a marathon, I feel like I could be doing so much better. Eating. Exercise. Sleeping. The whole deal.

Now because I think it's important to do a frequent assessment of your physical state and make adjustments as necessary, I am going to pose three simple questions to all of you.

1) Are you happy with the way that you look?

2) Are you happy with the way that you feel?

3) What are you going to do about it?

OK. Me first.

1) No. Not really.

2) No. Not really.

3) I'm going to stop baking O'Henry Bars because I cannot have them in the house (much like I cannot have chocolate cake in the house.) Beginning tomorrow, I am going to substitute a glass of FRESH juice (that I make) in place of my afternoon sugar binge. (Because I am TRULY addicted to sugar and recently ate four tablespoonfuls when I realized we had nothing sweet to eat.) I am going to go to the gym three days a week because I haven't been for almost two months since I flew off the treadmill. And, I am going to be in bed by 11:00 at night. Or 11:30.

(Definitely no later than 12.)

Now it's your turn.