Two Hot Ones

Well, it's been hot and thunderstorms - typical for July in North Carolina - but the Princess and Turtle don't mind sweat!

Before our trip on July 31, Evan and I managed to squeeze in two brief runs on Sunday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 26.

Evan keeps telling me that he is not going to wear his pedometer with me until I reach my goal of two miles. Well, it has yet to be reached but (there always is one), I think HIS pedometer calculates faster than MY pedometer! We reached nearly two miles the first time we used HIS pedometer.

And honestly, while I enjoy the time with Evan, I think my body is made for walking while Evan's is totally made for running. Regardless, as Evan says, "I'm hanging in there with you, mommy" (until I reach my two miles)!

And "hanging" he did on Sunday, July 24 with stats from MY pedometer:
Time: 27:04
Distance: 1.212
Calories: 71.7
Steps: 2970
Pace: 0.6

The photo was taken a bit after our run since Evan quickly discovered his little brother playing a new Wii game as soon as we walked in the door; hence his "awwww, do we haaave to take a picture" face.

Our second run of the week on Tuesday, July 26 included a guest since Daddy was busy getting things together for our trip.

I keep telling Evan that Eric is too short to run with us (aside from the fact that the running is our time together) but of course kids are smart, especially mine :), and the bike sort of worked. Actually it would have worked well had Eric kept pedaling and stopped talking!

This run was a lot of stop and start and Evan, as usual, ahead of us most of the time but it did give Daddy a few minutes alone to collect his thoughts!

Again, stats from MY pedometer came in at:
Time: 20:19
Distance: 1.072
Calories: 80.9
Steps: 2207
Pace: 0.6

Happy Running!

Summer update

This Monday, July 25 will mark two weeks since Evan and I have done a run together.

Besides the very hot weather or the storms (like right now), our other reasons are: vacation, although we did lots of hot-weather walking at Hershey Park, Pennsylvania and Vacation Bible School.

But - we have to get back to it (in between the storms) since I just registered us for our next 5k on August 13. My goal is to always complete the race, no matter the time! Evan is the complete opposite - to win - but he is learning and I keep running!

Happy Running!

Hello, Maryland!

Since all of us were awake before 7am on Monday, July 11 while on vacation, I made Evan explore Westminster, Md. for our one and only run the whole week! It is vacation, remember?

Our hotel happened to be at a rather busy intersection so it was twice around the huge parking lot, across the side street, down the hill and back up to the strip mall lot where we found two interesting things:

Starbucks - I totally managed to avoid the entire week and...

Car charging stations - lots of questions followed from Evan:

"What is that?"

Me, jogging in place: Well, I think it is a car charger for electric cars.

Evan: Well, gas hurts the environment more than electric, so why don't we have electric?

Me: Electric cars are a fairly new concept which is why we don't see many of these around North Carolina yet.

Evan: So, it's like my DS (handheld video game), you have to plug it in to charge it?

Me: Yes, I think so.

Evan: Oh, I know, we can plug in your car here.

Me: No, mine doesn't need charging because it is a Hybrid.

Evan: Why is that?

Me: Hmm, good question. I don't understand quite how it works except that over 44mph, it runs on a battery - electric. Perhaps when that battery gets old or stops working, it is replaced.

From there, we head down the hill to a restaurant that we want to try so my bribe to Evan was to go get a menu. Imagine his face and reaction when the restaurant is still closed - not quite 7:30 am when it opens for breakfast!

"Why did we come here if it isn't open yet? I don't wanna back up the hill."

Me: Well, I didn't know it was still closed and we have to go back up the hill. Besides, we have to get ready for Gettysburg (yes the real battle field in Pennsylvania).

Evan: Fine!

We do make it back up the steep but short hill in the very nice weather - a balmy, breezy 70 degrees with little humidity. I could have stayed out longer, but alas, Gettysburg was calling us!

A grumpy Evan in the hotel room after the run:

And of course, our stats:

Time: 24:29
Distance: 1.078
Calories: 65.3
Steps:2632
Pace: 2.6

Happy Running!

Red Flags = No Outlet?

To keep the interest, I changed the scenery a bit for our first July run on Sunday, July 3 at 7:30pm.

We had already been to church, ate brunch, waited out a storm playing with friends, swimming and cooking out with friends. It was hot and my headache was finally gone so tired was definitely in our vocabulary this evening.

Dad and little brother dropped us off at another neighborhood down the "big" road since this one was too far to cross and walk.

Here we are before our run and I told Evan to remember this sign so we don't get lost but it is rather ironic now:

He already looks nervous, doesn't he?

We head down the road, turning right and start talking about the different houses. I keep Evan on the inside since cars drive faster through here than our neighborhood = red flag one!

Meanwhile, Evan stops and leans over with a side stitch = red flag two! Unfortunately, I am "in the groove" at a most awesome pace and no headache! I jog in place, turn around and jog in place. Evan is still standing there.

I tell him to walk a little, run a little. He stops again. I jog in place again. The lady that was way behind us catches up and passes so I start walking with Evan while he starts imagining that we are at...

Bristol Motor Speedway but then decides it must be more like Pocono Speedway since I estimate that the road we are on circles about 1.5 miles. He quickly points out that neither have the hills that this road has until he sees dog number one = red flag three!

Dog number one has a collar but it is wandering back and forth across the street. We turn around and head back the way we came. In between speedway talk, we see more speedy cars, one sheriff's deputy car, one city police car = red flag four.

We arrive back at the sign, i.e. pickup location, with no sign of Dad and little brother. Not wanting to wait, we start walking along the "big" road where dogs number two and three greet us = red flag five.

At this point, I am just ready to get home. The owner calls for the dogs who didn't touch us, thankfully. Dad and little brother pick up Evan at the bottom of the first hill in our neighborhood and I sprint home.

Side stitches, dogs, police cars, speedy cars = five red flags = one wild run at:

Time: 33:09
Distance: 1.465
Calories: 88.9
Steps: 3576
Pace: 0.6


Happy Running!

Double the Handsome

The Turtle ran without his shell. Well, really without his shirt on Thursday evening, June 30. He enjoyed a bit of swimming and then he hit the road in his shoes, socks and swimsuit - watch out young ladies!

Of course Turtle's little brother had to get in on the act - so double the handsome!

E: Mommy, this is just like at the beach except - uh - what is this again? (pointing to the ground). Oh, I remember, this is asphalt.

D: Yes, and I'm running on the concrete, but how is this like the beach?

E: Well, except that this is asphalt and that is concrete and I have my shoes on but I ran in my swimsuit at the beach.

D: Yes, you did so it is similar to the beach and I bet your suit will be dry when we get home.

E: Yeah, probably.

Perhaps from swimming or seeing Cars 2 with his summer camp, but again, Evan was tired before me. He stopped and started.

His rest was checking out a house being built in the neighborhood - walls and sheet rock were in so we could label the rooms. And since the house is sold, there wasn't much debris to wade through.

A short and dry-swimsuit run but we ended with:

Time: 23:43
Distance: 1.048
Calories: 65.7
Steps: 2549
Pace: 2.7

Happy Running!

One for Two

It's a combo! I'm writing one post for two runs, well, two for me, that is! Yep, the Princess did not wimp out on the second run but the Turtle did :(!

First one was Saturday morning, June 25.

Evan and I enjoyed half a bagel each, fake sausage, orange juice and then headed out in 75-degree weather. We ventured into the neighborhood across the street where Evan counted:
Bunnies: 4
Birds: 18
Dragonfly?: 1

As usual, the Turtle did not live up to his name by running fast! But like the figure in my Wii Fit Plus running, he kept turning his head back to make sure I was still behind him. We did end up together at the edge of the neighborhood to cross the big road.

Before that though, we talked about what sport he wants to do in the Fall (since it is registration time). I was thinking baseball since he hasn't tried it yet and he has been watching it on TV but no baseball and no soccer. He wants to do golf. I explained that there is no organized recreational golf team for his age but being the planner like me, he had already thought his dad would take him to the "golf place." Hmm ... good idea - it really is especially since he has a whole set of clubs for his size/age, but how do we make that happen is what I was thinking!

So after some discussion including dad and again emphasizing that he cannot change his mind when the other sports start, I'm going to continue being the planner and put " Saturday golf dates" on his calendar and our family calendar!

Evan scored/hit/shot? a "hole-in-one" with this run at:
Time: 3:49
Distance: 2.29

And Dianne at:
Time: 33:49
Distance: 1.424
Calories: 85.5
Steps: 3494
Pace: 2.6

The second run on Monday, June 27 in the evening was not quite a "hole-in-one" for the Turtle, who only lasted perhaps half a mile. I guess he was tired or, as he stated: MaaaaMom, I am not in the mood to run!

Here we are before the run (he does look happy, just not run-happy):

He wasn't which meant I got to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of nature - pretty flowers, fresh grass and talkative birds! Evan even went inside before me. But I enjoyed a brief walk, i.e. cool down, with a neighbor and her children - I raced the oldest child on his bike back to his house. He had to get back somehow and why not make it fun! Yes, he won but I did sprint!

My stats were pretty decent at:
Time: 34:14
Distance: 1.552
Calories: 94.2
Steps: 3797
Pace: 2.7

Happy Running!

Fashionable Run

On Wednesday, June 22 before dinner, Evan and I were back in the 'hood armed with our very own pedometers!

Evan's, on the left, clips to his clothing and measures his steps and distance. He loved it! Mine is on the right - the All in One pedometer - for the iPhone which has tons of bells and whistles but I use it for distance, pace, calories and steps. I have noticed that it measures differently, as in slower, than others, including Evan's Curves one.

Before Evan got ahead of me (he was jogging around the cul-de-sac at the end of the neighborhood when I got there), we actually talked about fashion!

E: Does Aunt Dawn have these socks like ours? (Those special ones that absorb the sweat).

D: No, I don't think so but she can still run with you. 

E: Oh, I know. She could borrow one of mine, I guess.

D: Actually, your socks might fit her better than mine.

E: Doesn't Aunt Dawn like it hot anyway?

D: Yes, she does prefer hot weather but she does not like to be sweaty.

E: Well, my blue socks go better with my shoes.

D: Yeah they do.

E: And your white socks look better with your shoes.

D: Again, I would agree. That's pretty observant.

E: Oh, mom, my blue socks really match my pedometer. Do you still here it clicking?

D: Yes, your blue socks do match your pedometer. Yes I hear it clicking, just try to ignore or forget about it.

Since our photographer was busy fixing dinner, we photographed each other after our run. Our cheerleader had to be with the Turtle:

So the Turtle came in at:

Time: 24:14 min
Distance: 1.80 miles
Calories: 66.7
Steps: 3819

And then there's me:

Time: 24:14
Distance: 1.077
Calories: 66.7
Steps: 2621
Pace: 2.6
Notice the difference in our distance and steps. Evan did get ahead of me and he did jog in place quite a bit but not that much! Wonder if I should try another pedometer!


Happy Running!