I don't normally blog on the weekends, but I missed so many days lately that I feel like I owe my blog an extra post or two. Cole is in the bathtub. Kelly is napping. Leda is sitting on the couch playing with my house keys while I watch hockey.
We spent the morning at Morton Arboretum and it's an absolutely gorgeous day in Chicago. Warm, sunny, flowers and trees in full bloom, birds chirping. We arrived just at opening and they now offer member's only hours for the Children's Garden before the general public on Saturdays. So we had the area nearly to ourselves. We saw tadpoles, turtles, a robin in her nest, ducks. Had a snack in the Visitor Center before heading out on a walk to see some of the giant bug carvings made of wood that are scattered around Meadow Lake. Think "3 foot long grasshopper." The kids had a blast, were soaking wet from playing in the fountains, and Cole was a very polite little man asking ever-so-nicely for both "special treat" cookie and more time to play afterwards before going home. And we quietly mocked the parents who refused to let their kids get wet...on a bright day they dried fast. To each their own, but I guess we're just not the uptight types. I've been following a local news story lately about a group of parents trying to get a "controversial" book removed from the middle school reading curriculum. It boggles my mind. Different parenting philosophies and goals...Kelly and I see our job as turning our kids into responsible, thinking members of adult society one day. I don't understand the overprotective, overly sensitive attitude some parents have. I think it leaves your children ill-prepared for the world they will face when they turn 18. Heck, I'm already teaching Cole to not be so eager to ask for help if he can do things by himself and he's not yet 3!
Sooooo...last night I went to the gym and swam a rather grueling 33 laps. That's my race distance (our 25m pool is really more like 22.3m due to the interior edges). I broke it up into 16ish and 16ish thanking the heavens when I reached single digits counting backwards for the second set. Not exactly a thrilling confidence. But I also remember my 2009 first long runs when I started doing marathons. The burning, the strange sensations I wasn't used to at putting my body through that. But fast forward to last night and I was definitely not "endurance" tired, but my arm muscles were sore from never having been used so much. And I definitely experienced the dizzy, tired feeling that leaves most people stumbling out of the water after being horizontal for so long. It's very odd--that's all I can say. More like the sleepy, exhausted tired where you can't quite see straight. Then again, a good night's sleep and I'm also not overly in-need of recovery today.
I'll leave it at a break-even. I know my body can physically handle swimming 1500m in a reasonable time. So big win, yay me, confidence boost. But I also feel like a total newbie and got taken back to a time when I couldn't run more than 4 miles without being sore. Now, I go 8 like it's nothing for an easy run and don't consider it really pushing myself until over 15. So some of it is about perspective. I just need to remind myself I'm trying something new and purposefully picked a challenge. One that I am clearly up for but will need to continue to work hard to achieve.
One month until Race Day.
We spent the morning at Morton Arboretum and it's an absolutely gorgeous day in Chicago. Warm, sunny, flowers and trees in full bloom, birds chirping. We arrived just at opening and they now offer member's only hours for the Children's Garden before the general public on Saturdays. So we had the area nearly to ourselves. We saw tadpoles, turtles, a robin in her nest, ducks. Had a snack in the Visitor Center before heading out on a walk to see some of the giant bug carvings made of wood that are scattered around Meadow Lake. Think "3 foot long grasshopper." The kids had a blast, were soaking wet from playing in the fountains, and Cole was a very polite little man asking ever-so-nicely for both "special treat" cookie and more time to play afterwards before going home. And we quietly mocked the parents who refused to let their kids get wet...on a bright day they dried fast. To each their own, but I guess we're just not the uptight types. I've been following a local news story lately about a group of parents trying to get a "controversial" book removed from the middle school reading curriculum. It boggles my mind. Different parenting philosophies and goals...Kelly and I see our job as turning our kids into responsible, thinking members of adult society one day. I don't understand the overprotective, overly sensitive attitude some parents have. I think it leaves your children ill-prepared for the world they will face when they turn 18. Heck, I'm already teaching Cole to not be so eager to ask for help if he can do things by himself and he's not yet 3!
Sooooo...last night I went to the gym and swam a rather grueling 33 laps. That's my race distance (our 25m pool is really more like 22.3m due to the interior edges). I broke it up into 16ish and 16ish thanking the heavens when I reached single digits counting backwards for the second set. Not exactly a thrilling confidence. But I also remember my 2009 first long runs when I started doing marathons. The burning, the strange sensations I wasn't used to at putting my body through that. But fast forward to last night and I was definitely not "endurance" tired, but my arm muscles were sore from never having been used so much. And I definitely experienced the dizzy, tired feeling that leaves most people stumbling out of the water after being horizontal for so long. It's very odd--that's all I can say. More like the sleepy, exhausted tired where you can't quite see straight. Then again, a good night's sleep and I'm also not overly in-need of recovery today.
I'll leave it at a break-even. I know my body can physically handle swimming 1500m in a reasonable time. So big win, yay me, confidence boost. But I also feel like a total newbie and got taken back to a time when I couldn't run more than 4 miles without being sore. Now, I go 8 like it's nothing for an easy run and don't consider it really pushing myself until over 15. So some of it is about perspective. I just need to remind myself I'm trying something new and purposefully picked a challenge. One that I am clearly up for but will need to continue to work hard to achieve.
One month until Race Day.