Ragnar Relay TN 2014

I like to run.  I've got more than a handful of half-marathons and even a couple of full marathons under my belt.  But when I first heard of the Ragnar Relay - running with a 12-person team approximately 200 total miles - I was definitely not interested.  At all.  I've had friends do it and rave about it, but the thought of being in a stinky van with runners for over 30 hours on no sleep really just did not sound appealing.

Then I thought about it a little more.  And, last year as I was driving from Cool Springs to my parents' house, I encountered a few Ragnar runners on their final stretch to Nashville, and I was starting to get more intrigued.

I did more research, talked to more friends, and decided that it was time for me to give this challenge a shot myself.  So, back in May we started to pull folks in to form a team - which, crazily enough also included my self-proclaimed non-runner husband - for the Ragnar Race TN in October.

Justin and I had gotten a double jogger in April, and we quickly eased into a routine of working out most days at nearby parks.  And, thankfully with my new employment at the Y, we also got to squeeze in some treadmill runs on icky days, as well.

Unfortunately, with all of the running, Justin's old knee injuries started to flare up and he ended up seeing an orthopedist and getting weekly physical therapy.  Even with help, he wasn't able to run more than a few miles without pain and throughout the course of training never made it past running the hilly Percy Warner 5.6 mile loop.  I was more than a little nervous about how he'd do running three legs through the mountainous terrain leading back to Nashville.

To make matters more interesting, our team started losing people and we were worried about having to run with only 10 runners - making the possibility of us having to run longer distances and more legs something very real.  Thankfully, down to the wire (pretty much literally) we were able to beg more friends to pull through and we were back to 12 folks - each running three legs for a total distance of between 10-21 miles.  Phew!  I signed up to run 18 total miles, and Justin took the easy 10.8 due to his knee issues.

The day of the race, our van (the first six runners) met bright and early at 5am to make the drive to Chattanooga for our 10am start time.  Everyone was half-asleep yet anxious for the race to start.

Team Caddywampus' Caddy Wagon

To check off each leg as we go.

We got to the starting point in time to get our gear, go to a safety briefing, and decorate our van before our first runner took off.  We cheered her on along the way, before making it to the next exchange for the next runner to take over once she arrived.

The second leg was, by far, the hardest leg of all: almost seven miles literally straight up  the infamous steep incline (over 1300 feet in elevation gain) of Suck Creek Mountain Road.  We gave that stretch to our veteran ultramarathoner, and he even had quite the time getting through that stretch.

Then it was my turn.  Luckily, what goes up, must come down.  And I had an easy-peasy 5.10 mile coast downhill at a fast 8:15 pace.  The best feeling was passing two runners along the way (known as a "kill").  But my favorite memory of the whole race was when I went head-to-head with this guy to the finish.  We were both fierce with determination to get there first, and thankfully lots of pictures were taken.  The stranger ended up winning by a nose, but he was a good sport and congratulated me on giving it my best effort, haha.

The relay continued on.  Justin had a great first leg, and we met up with the second van for them to take over while we grabbed a bite to eat at Cracker Barrel and rest up a bit before our turn was up again around 8pm.

Now, I've never run at night outdoors.  Much less on the road, wearing a reflective vest, a headlamp, and a tail light.  I'm also slightly afraid of the dark and having my fellow teammates talk about The Walking Dead and zombies, the movie/book Gone Girl, and bears made me all the more anxious about my turn to run MY LONGEST LEG, 6.8 miles, in the dark.

So, yeah, when it was my turn, my imagination got the best of me.  When my turn was up at around 10pm, I kept thinking about the scariest parts of Gone Girl, I got freaked out by any cars or fellow runners coming nearby, and when I had to run over a moonlit cemetery, a pitch black bridge, and near the entrance to a not-lit-at-all state park, I jetted out of there as fast as I could go.  My legs were starting to wear on me from fatigue, and I ran this stretch much slower at a 10:00 pace.

When it was Runner 5s turn, we waited at the end for quite some time before it came to everyone's attention that some vandals stole a few of the road signs so a bunch of runners - ours included - got lost.  Our runner ended up running 8 miles, when he was only supposed to run just over 4!  We were all pretty peeved about it, but he took it in stride saying simply that he kind of wanted a longer night run, anyway.  Better him than me, for sure.

Justin finished off the night run with an easy 2 miler, that he ran the fastest ever at an 8:29 pace.  We caught very little shuteye during our brief respite.  Sleeping in an uncomfortable minivan is never fun, much less when your legs are screaming for stretching out.  But we probably caught maybe an hour or so of snooze before we were up and at 'em for our final runs.

My last run - a 6.1 miler - was fairly unmemorable.  It was definitely my slowest, at a 10:25 pace, as I was getting pretty achy in the quads.  The country scenery was nice, and I did manage to pass a handful of other fatigued runners along the way.  But I finished strong and was ready to sit back and cheer on the rest of the team to their finishes.

Checking off the last of my legs.  Mission accomplished - 18 total miles done!

However, I was quite taken aback when I realized that Justin was going to run the next leg - a 6.8 mile stretch - when a fellow teammate was feeling under the weather.  Remember, Justin has knee issues and has never run more than the 5.6, so I knew this could end pretty ugly.  But, I had nothing to worry about.  Justin trudged on like a champion and ran that leg faster than I definitely could have at a 9:42 pace.

This guy ended up running over 13 total miles.  I say this "non-runner" is half-marathon ready!

Our van finished in Cool Springs at around noon on Saturday, and we all headed home to shower and rest before we met up with our teammates in downtown Nashville as we finished the relay together.

Van 1 at the end of their run.  99 total kills, whoo-hoo!

Wow, were we achy and tired!  But we managed to make it to the finish with our teammates to relish in the fact that we collectively ran 200 miles.  Amazing.  But oh-so-sleepy.  We had grand plans to have a celebratory dinner, but we were all so wiped that we postponed it for a later date.

Running to the finish as a team.

Team Caddywampus sans Brent

We placed 99th out of 220 teams running the 200 miles at an average of a 9:29 pace.

But, man, what an accomplishment!  So many friends thought we were crazy - we have three nights without kids and this was how we were gonna spend it?  Running a crazy relay on no sleep?  My rationale is that I'm setting an example for my kids on how to be active and have fun.  Plus they had a blast with their weekend with the grandparents, so it was definitely a win-win for us all.
Will I do it again?  Most definitely.  Sign me up for Ragnar TN 2015!

Cheers!

Halloween 2014

Somehow, this past October has been much busier than previous years.  Sadly, we weren't able to squeeze in our annual trip to Gentry Farms' pumpkin patch.  We only saw the Cheekwood scarecrows once.  And Justin's two weekends off were jam-packed with activities and parties that nothing else fall-related could fit!

We did manage to make our annual trip to Oktoberfest, complete with yet another year of a child (begrudgingly) wearing lederhosen!

As far as Halloween goes, when we asked Lissie a month or so ago what she wanted to be, she immediately responded with an enthusiastic "PIZZA!"  Justin and I half-heartedly tried to talk her into something that could be store-bought, but after doing a Google image search on homemade pizza costumes, Justin was more than willing to give it his best shot.  All I had to do was supply the teacher discount card to Jo-Ann, haha.

I'll admit that I was a bit worried that this would be a big fail.  That it wouldn't look up to par.  Or that, with Justin's crazy schedule, he wouldn't finish what he started.

I should never have doubted, though.  Because when given a challenge, he doesn't give up.  And he ended up going above and beyond and creating the best looking pizza costumes ever!

Since Lissie was going to get a chance to wear her costume at her school Halloween party, we decided to even up the playing field and take Xavier to Goblins in the Garden at Cheekwood so he could enjoy some solo Halloween fun, as well.

It was X's first time trick-or-treating, and Cheekwood always does a great job keeping the children entertained with art projects and a stroll through the gardens with stops along the way to get candy.  Xavier had a great time showing off his costume and loved being a ham for all the admiring passersby.

Lissie, too, enjoyed trick-or-treating around the church at her school and had a blast at her class Halloween party.

But, the best fun was saved for Halloween day itself.  We started off with trick-or-treating around the Y so they could show their new friends their costumes and, really, to just whet their appetites for more - haha.  After nap time, we made our way to our friend's annual Halloween party and trick-or-treating.

Just some pizzas eating pizza.

The costumes were a huge hit everywhere we went.  Major props to daddy for making their costumes!  Lissie's already requested something special for next year.  We'll just have to wait and see....

Dear Xavier - 2.25

Dear Xavier,

You're just over a quarter past two now.  And, my how you've grown!  You're talking more, getting into mischief more, growing more, and, yes - discovering the art of tantrums more.

You definitely have an opinion about things, and you'll make it known when you don't agree with me.  You've got a mind of your own, that's for sure.

You love your sister so much -  You look up to her, you copy her, and you miss her when she's not there.

The biggest achievement is moving out of Mommy's class at school and into Art Camp across the hall.  You've taken the transition like a champ - way better than I expected!

You're also a little, tiny munchkin even though you can out-eat Lissie (a difficult feat) any day!  You're still comfortable in 12-month clothes, and the 18-month pants we bought you for winter are just swimming on you!

A few of your favorite things:

• Playing with your toy airplane set.
• Reading books.
• Being with Lissie.
• Eating crackers with Lolo.
• Being a goofball.

A few of your dislikes:

• Sharing with Lissie.
• Not getting your way.
• Tomatoes and bell peppers.
• Bouncy houses.

You're learning and soaking everything up like a sponge.  I love seeing the world through your eyes.

I love you very much.

Love,
Mommy

And here are a few fun pics:

You wanted it on, and it did look good on you.

This is where you hid during a round of hide-and-seek.

You rolled off of the red mat to the hard wood floor at school.

Loving getting dirty.

Dear Lissie - 3.5

Mommy/Lissie selfie at Laurel Falls

Dear Lissie,

I'm starting to slack a little - you're half-birthday was almost a month ago! It's crazy to think that you are closer to four than you are to three!

You're still my sweet, smart, smiley, and shy little lady.  I love our nightly Jungle Dances (thanks Daniel Tiger) and singing songs off-key into your hairbrush "microphone."  I also love your manners - especially when you thank me without prompting for fixing your meals or taking you somewhere.  Oh, and I love that you take your little purse with you on our daily walks with Rupert, and you fill them up with nature treasures to keep in a mason jar at the kitchen table.

Here are a few of your favorite things:

• Road trips.
• Sleepovers at Lolo and Lola's.
• School.
• Reading - especially the Tickle Monster book with Daddy.
• Watching Daniel Tiger and Team Umizoomi.
• And, of course, cooking in your play kitchen.  (You did tell me that you want to be a "cooker" when you grow up.)
• When Xavier goes to school and you can play together at recess.
• "Shower the People" by James Taylor
• Talking in Spanish (both real and pretend.)
• Putting together your U.S. map puzzle.

And some dislikes:

• Being woken up from nap (which makes picking you up from school challenging since I always have to wake you up!)
• Eggs.
• Unexpected changes in plans (like when Daddy got you up and ready for breakfast because Mommy wasn't feeling well, and it took you all morning to get over that.)
• When Xavier doesn't share.

I am enjoying watching you learn and grow.  I love you very, very much.

Love,
Mommy

And here are some random, silly pictures over the last six months:

A hair cut and a lollipop.

Training for your kid's race.

Pretending to be an altar server.

Dress-up mommy.

You found an old nursing bra, put it on, and declared yourself a nurse.

Pretending to be a pregnant mommy.

Getting all dolled up.

Getting Used to a New Schedule

I always knew that I wanted to take time off of teaching when I started having kids.  I wanted to be home with them during their first years. Plus, let's face it, the cost of daycare just about negates my meager teaching salary.

But, of course, the teacher in me missed the classroom.  Which is why, last year, I came upon a perfect solution: working at a starter hybrid homeschool.  As much as it was a perfect fit for me, unfortunately they are taking a "yearlong hiatus" to work on finding a better location, increase marketing, and up enrollment numbers.

I was looking forward to being able to spend more time with my kiddos -  but when I found out about a very-part-time easy-peasy position at a nearby YMCA to work in the Yplay, where I could bring my kids AND get a free membership (which would help greatly during the winter marathon training months) - I just couldn't resist!

At the same time, I felt compelled to tell the director of Lissie's preschool that I would love to be a substitute teacher, and lo and behold, I somehow end up teaching the supplemental Wednesday class for the two-year-olds - which now includes Xavier!  So far, I'm loving working with five little young'ens each week - playing, singing, and doing crafts.

So, let's just say that after a very loose and carefree summer, it's been an interesting transition to the new schedule and routine.  Lissie's often worn out after a long day at preschool, Xavier's starting to get used to school himself, Justin's having to do the always fun bedtime routine solo more often, and I'm trying to figure out how to juggle meals, chores, marathon training, and my two jobs.  It can definitely make for some long days for us all.

I know, I know.  I brought this on to myself.  And, for the most part, I think that this is a great thing. I love that I can bring my kids to both places of work, and that they also enjoy going with me.  

My primary concern now, of course, is when can I find time to sew?  Haha.

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary!

After spending the night at Lola's house over the weekend, Lissie informed me that Mama Mary's birthday was coming up.  I had totally forgotten about this special feast day, and since Lissie brought it up and wanted to celebrate, who was I to deny her?  I want my children to learn to love the Church and the saints and the feasts - especially since I truly believe that the heart of parenthood is to bring our children closer to God.  What better way to do this than to celebrate the Mother of Jesus' birthday?

We started the day by singing Mary songs and watching short videos about her.  We made birthday cards, and Lissie was thrilled to learn how to spell Mary's name!  We then went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for Mary's birthday cake (I'll admit that I'm sort of using this as an excuse to make a sweet potato cake to use up the sweet potatoes we got from our CSA share this past week), and of course we had to make a pitstop at the playground since today was a perfect fall day.

Watching a Mary video on the laptop.

Making birthday cards!

If you try really hard, you can sort of see "MArY" written in blue on the top right.
It's a little disjointed, but I think Mary would like it!

After lunch, the kids helped me make the cake....or rather, lick the bowls and spatulas clean.

We ended the day by saying a Hail Mary prayer for each of the ten candles (to represent a decade of the rosary) we placed on the cake.  And what's a party without singing Happy Birthday?  The kids LOVED it, and I loved that they were eagerly learning more about Jesus' mother.

Xavier wasn't exactly keen on having to pray a Hail Mary for each candle.

But he did enjoy having a turn putting a candle on the cake.

Singing Happy Birthday, Mama Mary

Blowing out the candles

And I just found this pic on my phone.  I guess daddy was more excited about Mary's birthday than I thought.  

Lissie told me that she really wishes that she could go to Heaven to celebrate the day with Mary, but I told her that celebrating with our family is the next best thing.  She was also a little sad that Mary wasn't able to eat the yummy cake, but we assured her that Mary's celebrating up in Heaven with her Holy Family and all of the saints.

Happy happy birthday, Mama Mary!

Queen of the family, Pray for us!