Nesting for Type A's is...an every day occurrence

Nesting. Apparently that's all the rage when you're thisclose to delivering. This involves heavy cleaning, organizing, baking - anything involving crossing things off a list and getting things ready for baby.

My problem is in determining whether I'm nesting or not - and in turn, close to delivery - because I always have lists. I always get in moments of deep cleaning. I always try to organize here and there randomly.

I'm Type A. It's what I do.

So how do I differentiate? I've been wondering it for the last couple of weeks after reading all the pregnancy sites. Over the last few days, I've baked, we got both cars cleaned and detailed, installed the car seat, got the lawn mowed, finished the baby room...

Hmm, looking back maybe we are in nesting mode. And I'm definitely in nesting mode at work. With deadlines this week, I'm nervous at the possibility of leaving something left undone for someone else to have to scrap up and finish. It's a logistical nightmare for my Type A, common sense-based, logical brain.

I always figured this last part of pregnancy would throw me for a loop and leave me filling completely helpless, but I really don't know how much longer I can stand it! Aside from the uncomfortableness, of course, too.

Twelve days and counting. Unless she would like to decide to grace us with her presence sooner.

Mid-week check up

It's Wednesday and I'm emotionally drained. Work the last two and a half days have been rough, to say the least. However, I have been able to do a couple good workouts so far this week that have helped me release some of the stress.

Tuesday was swim - my lane got in 3,000m! It was hard but absolutely great - and needed due to the above statement. The workout went like this:

Warm-up:
100, 200, 300, 400, 300, 200, 100 = 1600m

Set:
100 (1:55)
200 (4:20)
300 (1:55x3)
400 (2:10x4)
*had to skip 300 for time reasons*
200 (4:20)
100 (1:55)
=1300m
100 cool down

Wednesday (today) Bryon and I did our heart rate test for Coach Jason for our 70.3 schedule that starts (officially) on Sunday. It was 10 minute warm up in 140-150 heart rate zone. Then 20 minutes all out to get average and maximum heart rates during that 20 minutes. Man, was I feeling that not only during the last 3-4 minutes of the all out, but also mid-day today at the office! But - I hope it will help me get faster. Plus, I saw that the average pace for that 20 minutes was 7:56/mile I believe which means I could possibly do a sub-24 minute 5k...that would be HUGE! So, maybe I'll work on that. Hopefully I can get rid of the puke feeling though... I'll try to work on that too.

Also, we're nearly done with our floor! It's starting to get a little more difficult since we have to cut the boards now to fit the other wall, but, soon enough it will be done. WOOHOO! I'll post photos of before and after eventually...

Flying these days

I returned from NYC last night. It was a whirlwind trip - it was a one-night stay. However, 21 hours of the 36-hour business trip was spent in either DFW or La Guardia or on a plane. I didn't get to my Midtown hotel until midnight and I had a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call, followed by a 7 hour media tour. It was tough, but the traveling was killer...

Air travel has gotten seriously tripped up and horrible. Sunday and Monday, American Airlines canceled flights left and right. At one point, my flight on Sunday (after being rebooked after a canceled flight) had 150+ people on stand-by. 150 people! Monday was no better - my original flight was delayed two hours and the two left-over flights back to Dallas had 50+ people on stand-by. I was even accused by a flight attendant on the way up to NYC that I didn't know how to turn off my iPod - we were getting ready to land and she walked by twice as I was trying to turn it off. She then continued to stand over me and saying she could turn it off because obviously I was having issues. Excuse me, but I know how to work my own devices that I've owned for years and I'm telling her this as I'm showing her that I'm pressing down on the button and nothing is happening. She then proceeds to take the iPod and "work her magic" thinking she'd get it to work b/c she worked at Apple, yet she couldn't. No shit! Frustrated the hell out of me. Don't tell me I don't know what I'm doing without knowing my situation while embarassing me in front of the other passengers. Of course, I was a little more sensitive at that point - I had been traveling (or, going nowhere in an airport) for 12 hours already.

It's not bad enough that my flight, booked two weeks in advance, was nearly $1300.

But, NYC is fun. It was hot, but it was fun even if I only had 2 hours to walk around to shop. Surprisingly, I didn't buy a thing! (Bryon's shocked!)

Hump Day

It's Wednesday, and I couldn't be more happier as that means it's closer to the weekend and shopping with my mom! Luckily this week has flown by, but now that I say that, it'll slow down of course.

I have been super busy at work - 10+ hour days consecutively and it's not going to slow down for at least another month. I guess that's what happens when you're working to get to the next level in your career. So, no biggie - I can get through it. At least it's different and exciting and challenging, all at the same time.

Made it to track this morning, for the first time in a while! Yay me and Bryon! :) Did pretty good, too, although I think my legs nearly stopped moving forward during the 1 mile+ run back to the Y. I swear I was about to fall flat on my face had I not started walking.

Worked till 7:45 or so tonight, and came home to dinner started and an ice cold margarita! Thank you Bryon! :) So, I'm feeling good right now. Storms are rolling in, so I hope I can get a good night's sleep - I don't do so well with storms at night! Let's hope I'm out cold...

Swimming with kiddos - not a good idea

Didn't make it to tri swim this morning as I got a head-start on work at about 5:50 this morning, got 1.5 hours in, showered, quickly ate, and got to the office.

So I packed my swim bag to make sure I make it to the pool after my last meeting of the day, and got the workout from Coach Jason (thank you!). And Bryon actually met me up there! (He likes to swim with masters as he doesn't like swimming by himself.)

Swimming at the local Y is always an adventure, especially in the height of the day or after work - lots of kids swimming, splashing and running around, and lots of other 9-5ers trying to get laps in. I actually swimming at this time of day - I get to do a nice transition from work to home by numbing my mind with laps and get a little Vitamin D in at the same time.

What I don't enjoy about it is sitting at the end of my lap lane watching kids swim under the ropes, and today was no exception. Lap after lap, I kept eyeing kids peering under water, waiting for us to pass by and then make their escape from the shallow end of the pool to the deep end. I told one girl - passing under the ropes while on a NOODLE of all things - to not cross over, as she stops in front of Bryon coming in. I've yelled up to a lifeguard before about whether that's allowed or not (which it isn't), but he ignored me. Well this time, they couldn't ignore me.

I've been very worried about the liability I would be under if I were to not notice a kid passing through and happen to push them under during my stroke (or kick them or whatever) - what if they drowned because I whacked them in the head? The parents would yell at me, no doubt (although they should yell at themselves). I should not have to worry about that nor worry about my legal issues while churning out laps.

Well, it happened.

I was coming in to the last quarter of the 400 I was in the middle of (at this point, we were at about 2700m, trying to go 10-15 seconds faster than the last 400 we timed), and next thing I know I run into something, but it wasn't the wall - I wake up from my counting of laps from a scratch across my cheek.

I just got injured from a kid while swimming??

And that was it. I stop my set, turn around to find the nearest lifeguard sitting in her guard chair across the shallow end of the pool and YELLED. I can't remember what I said, but I know I got the attention of at least some of the parents nearby. I'm SHOCKED that they didn't even bother walking up to my lane to shoo the boy out as I was obviously coming in fast and not looking. Amusingly, I think it sounded almost like a shrill because of me being shocked and being nasaly at the same time. She finally blew her whistle, very quietly, and the boy left the lane (but not without swimming through the lane next to mine). Horrible.

Well, if you know me, I wouldn't let something like this slide and I let several people know, including the Director of Membership and Marketing, that this needs to be handled better. I even mentioned I'd donate $500 to buy a net or two to separate the sections of the pool so they can't swim below. (Bryon thinks that would be fine until a kid gets tangled up in it. Ugh - Mr. Negative.)

This has got to stop, or I'll take it to the Dallas Y office and complain more. I am not about to be put in a position whenever I swim laps of the possibility that I can injure a child. Signs should be put up and parents should receive flyers. I'm in PR damnit - let me handle this!

And parents - get your head out of your rear and start discplining and giving your children rules. Grow up!

This is my excuse

Since the beginning of the year, Bryon's been traveling nearly every week. While this is great most of the time - I finally get the house to myself! - it is a bit stressful especially on my training. He's usually here to make me breakfast in the morning after our workouts and feed the dogs - but when he's out, it means I have more to do in the same amount of time. Which means recovery drink while getting ready, feed the dogs and put Duke away, and breakfast at the office. And then I have to come home at lunch to let Duke out for a while before putting him back in the sunroom. I miss my hubby!

This morning I ran up to the gym (~1.5 miles) to meet the running group for track, ran to the track (~1 mile), did speed work but cut it short (2x200,4x400,2x800), run back to the gym and then back home. About 7 miles today which is really good for me. Feel much better than a couple weeks ago when I first attempted all that at once. Now to build on that consistently every week!

Has anyone out in SoCal done the following two races: Palos Verdes Mary, Half Mary, 5k (I would only do the half or 5k) or the Playa del Run aquathon? Bryon and I will be in LA for my sister's graduation from USC (GO SIS!) and thought we'd take delight in sharing company with fellow racers in the LA area. And we don't have to lug our bikes, which is tops! Are they worth to do both or is one better than the other?

Time to take care of the dogs before bed...

Energy tank = empty

My energy levels fluctuate on a continuous basis I have learned from my body over the years. And this week is one of the low, lazy times. Man, last week I was on a roll with three two-a-day workouts (9 workouts total!), and this week? I biked on Tuesday and that's it. Ugh. I feel so lethargic and can't get out of bed when my alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m. Maybe I'm still catching up from last weekend when I was up by 4:45 a.m. for three days straight.

So, in short: I'm slacking, and my first race of the season is next week!

Work has been busy, and in the last two days I've been added to two more accounts, so that's always nice to build the resume and experience. And it looks like we get to continue our work on the new frozen yogurt shop we just finished working on their first grand opening. That's exciting - this place is GOOD! You should check it out when in Dallas.

This weekend is almost as busy as last weekend, with work, a rehearsal dinner tomorrow night and turns out I have to volunteer at a Girls on the Run event this Saturday for TeamStayPut. Then there's a Catholic wedding to attend (Bryon's standing in. Poor guy - up there for more than an hour? At least I'll get to pack some snacks and water, or else I won't make it!), then their reception. When does training fit into that? I'm thinking of squeezing in a ride after my Saturday morning event and before the 2:00 p.m. wedding. We'll see how that goes.

P.S. I've upgraded my blog - I have RSS feed now! So for all my readers out there (the two of you - thanks Mom and Bryon!), you can subscribe instead of having to check back every time to see if I'm staying on top of this or not. Woohoo.