Mother's Day treat!

Life has changed a little for me over the last 5 plus years with the arrival of my 3 little cherubs and the ensuing chaos that arrived with them. I am in a permanent state of sleep deprivation and have decided my grave stone ought to read 'perpetual motion' as I never seem to get to sit still.

So last night I decided mothers day would start early for me and I went to bed just after I put the kids down (I was sleeping by 8pm!) I had been up since 4:15am as I have to put my Saturday long run in extra early for the next couple of months. My 5 year old is taking part in his 1st ever swim summer league and that means galas starting at 7am so i need to be done/showered early. 

This solo, early morning 12 mile run was BLISS! I rarely get to run outside at all and even more rarely by myself. I had forgotten how nice it is to dictate the pace and I had the whole of Kingwood to myself. 'You are welcome' to all those other runners who ran the bridge on Saturday after me for breaking the gazillion spiders webs along its 1 mile span - yuch! Still, didn't spoil my run and gave me something else to think about during my threshold pace 3 miles. 

Back to Mothers day treats, so I decided not to set the alarm despite there being a tri near my house that I wanted to go watch the next morning. I rarely need the alarm (see 3 children) and I figured if I woke up/was woken up in time, I'd go. Roll on 10 1/2 hours, yes 10 1/2 hours of solid sleep!!!!!!!!! That hasn't happened in, I don't even know if that's ever happened, certainly not post kids! AND I woke up of my own accord, not jumped on, not having a torch shone in my eyes, not with a stinky nappy (diaper), ALL ON MY OWN! Happy Mothers Day! The clock said 6:30 so I threw on my clothes, told my husband I was going to watch the tri and wouldn't be long and sped to Deussen park just in time to see some friends taking part in the relay and watch the 1st wave start. I felt a bit guilty not taking the kids, but it is Mothers day and I figured they wouldn't mind, give them time to get my breakfast ready for my return (yeh right! :D)

The tri was fun to watch, a 'super sprint' that I did last year but I didn't feel any strong desire to be taking part myself. I am a runner, I think I've established that. It was cold, I wished I'd brought a jumper, and the lake was choppy but the hundreds of women who were there made it look fun - women at their best getting out there and making it happen - I  LOVE it! One woman shouted during the 1st transition "That's the best thing I've ever done in my life!" her daughter who was standing next to me said "well it took you 10 minutes to swim...." I stopped her "wowwwwwww, no abuse allowed" to which her mum said "yeh, no abuse in the transition zone!" ha, it was very funny! Her daughter laughed and told her she was awesome "but why didn't you enter the 1st timers wave?", me:"this is your 1st tri? because she's hard core that's why!" 'You're hard core mom!" :D 

I love these random interactions with these amazing people who sign up to do things that takes them out of their comfort zone, there is inspiration all around! 

After the tri I returned home to my favorite people and after breakfast and cards we headed up to the Woodlands for my big present, SHOPPING!!!! SHOE SHOPPING!!!! Not that kind of shoe shopping, I HATE that kind of shoe shopping, my kind of shopping takes place in Luke's Locker. I got helped by a great guy today who was even feeling my legs at one point :D. I have a wide foot and getting shoes is normally unpleasant but he had lots of options for me. I told him I needed spikes, go faster 5k type shoes and heavy high milage shoes. I got what I asked for. 

After I put the baby to bed and the other 2 were settled with dad and a movie my Brooks Launch and I went for an easy run round East End park. They feel great, full of bounce and I can feel that next 5k PR in there :D I have a feeling I have found my 'go faster' shoe and this is more than likely the 1st of many pairs of Brooks 'Launch' for me. 

A very good Mothers Day (and birthday - those shoes didn't come cheap :s). Looking forward to trying my spikes out this week during training and at the all comers meet at Rice uni on Thursday. I haven't worn spikes in around 17 years, wish me luck!