June 26, 2008

The Evil Plan

Each year we come down to the beach at Fripp Island, SC. Two years ago we invited our close friends Ryan and Lynne with their two girls who are of similar age to our boys. But then, they had to beg off when Lynne gave birth to their third girl (yikes #1) two months early (yikes #2) - some excuse!

Life and craziness got in the way last year but this year we all made it down together for some quality relaxation and playtime for our kids at the beach. Originally, Jeff and I thought it would be a great way to have our friends be able to get away for some R&R and have our kids enjoy great beach memories together.

BUT, what developed in the past year was my evil plan. . . .(insert evil laugh here). All I could dream of on the 13 hour car-ride down was that Ryan and Lynne were two nice warm responsible adult bodies. Two adult bodies that could sit in the beach house no matter the time of day and be the "responsible parties" for our boys (you know, while getting some R&R). In the past year, because of my riding, I have been able to interest Jeff in riding. He bought a bike. I have a bike. Trouble is we never are riding together. Try as I might, I have yet to be able to convince any teenager in their right mind to come to our house at say 7 AM on a Saturday. So, Jeff and I have been passing bikes in the night, if you will.

But, with two other adults captive in the same house with us there is nothing stopping us from riding together this week. . . . (perhaps another evil laugh here. . . .)

Finally riding together,

-Jen

June 23, 2008

Student Teaching

My sister teaches second grade. I remember when she was in college and had to student teach. That's where all that you have learned in books and lectures meets with your ability to actually get the point across to living breathing small people.

I got my student teaching opportunity for bike-speak a couple of days ago. My kids are getting big enough no that biking is no longer just the up-and back on the sidewalk. They want to go somewhere, signal turns and be "big boys" who bike like mom. So, we hauled out the bikes and I offered a lesson on gears and gear shifting. Luckily, at the time, one was interested and the other gave a pass for just straight-up riding, which gave me one on one teaching time.

I have learned a lot about bikes in the past two years but this put me to the test. If I could successfully get across the key points and teach gear shifting to a seven and eight year old (without them giving me the exasperated "I just don't get it!" look) then I would know I was doing something right.

I have to say, we started out with just calling everything, "See this circle here? and how the chain goes on it?" down to the kids saying later on in the day, "Yeah, over here on the derailleur. . . ." We did a lesson on shifting the back and then a lesson on shifting the front chain rings." Each time I taught them how it worked I sent them down the street with the assignment to just try it out and then report back on their observations.

They caught on quickly and, I think because their kids, were able to not get totally caught up in the concept of gear ratios etc. . .and purely went on feel, deciding what gears worked best for them and where. More bike shop owners need to get back to student teaching and teach us all like second graders - the language is simplified and we can just go on the feel of the bike and the wind on our face rather than all the technical mumbo-jumbo that often makes a beginner (or even me) intimidated.

The best part is that I know the adage "See it, do it, teach it" will apply here and my kids will be showing other kids about gear shifting and bike parts in no time. I know know that I have passes my student-teaching experience and will be able to use the right language and the right steps in teaching others the same thing. What a wholly satisfying afternoon of biking - and I never even left my driveway. . . .

-Jen

PS. I also gave them a "Ride" guide of their very own and told them lesson #2 was tire changing. . .

June 19, 2008

The "face" of Advertising

Even with a Tivo to speed through advertising my kids are completely susceptible to the advertising and product placement that is everywhere pretty much all the time.

When tucking Cam in last night, after I had a particularly rough day, we had a moment. I bent to hug him, in a way a mom can tenderly do while simultaneously thinking, "please sleep quickly so I can collapse in my own bed."

Cam tenderly reached up and touched me on the face near the corner of my eye. "Mom," he said gently. ". . .you know the tired line under your eyes? It looks like the Nike symbol."

Maybe my "tired lines, " "mommy-wrinkles" or whatever are trying to indicate that I'm "Just doing it - the best I can."

Swimming, Biking, Running and "Just Doing It - The Best I Can" with an all too honest 8-year-old. . .

-Jen

May 19, 2008

Plan A, Plan B

Plan A today consisted of the following: Get up at 5:15 to say goodbye to my dad as he headed to the airport to fly home. Get the boys up and off to school by 7:45. Eat breakfast, check e-mail, run a couple of errands, work on organizing my Michigan photos and getting them posted for all of you, taking a nice 31 mile ride that I planned out last night, homework with the boys and then their baseball game. . . .

What really happened today was Plan B. Get up and say goodbye to my dad - check. Get the boys up and off to school - check. Breakfast, e-mail, errands, check, check, check. It was the next part where the wheels pretty much fell off the wagon.

In the midst of organizing my Michigan trip photos and working on a blog posting, loud angry barking erupted from my back yard. I ran to the window to find our dog Kodi, a Siberian Husky who rarely barks, going toe-to-toe (or in this case, bared teeth) with a groundhog. This groundhog was NASTY. It had some fierce looking teeth and kept making strange noises and jumping at Kodi. Kodi wasn't helping the situation by barking right at it and trying to, essentially, attack it. I was FREAKED out. Kodi is fast and we've had our share of rabbit and squirrel nabbings (even a couple of possums) but they don't usually fight back. Plus, yard-kill is so NOT my department.

I yelled, I threw baseballs at Kodi to try and distract her. I tried coaxing with some leftover steak. I tried banging a big metal rake. I turned the hose on full force. Finally it was over and Kodi was bloodied for it. I then spent 3 hours round trip taking Kodi (who left my car with that wet-dog smell) to see my brother-in-law Scott, who is a vet in South New Jersey. One rabies booster and some antibiotics later I returned home.

When I got home the garage door wouldn't work. I had no house key. I had to go through the fence, pull open the glass doors to the porch and then let myself in. Turns out the garage door wasn't broken, we had a power outage.

I'm really working hard on taking things with a grain of salt, but man, today my salt shaker overflowed. The bright spot was Brendan making his pitching debut at baseball tonight and striking out two batters. Later in the game he hit a home-run. We're back home now and I'm in my pajamas. The power is finally back on and I promise you will have pictures of my Michigan trip tomorrow morning. . . .

-Jen

May 12, 2008

Bikes, Carrots and a Stick

My Mother's Day weekend was great. On Saturday we only had baseball and Cameron made his pitching debut in the first game of kid pitching ever. He did a great job, had fun and quickly adopted his pitching stare-down look along with his official pitching stance. We spent the rest of the weekend planting our enormous garden - cleaning out the strawberry beds, adding way to many tomatoes (we do this every year), peppers, cauliflower, eggplant, cukes, radishes, cantaloupes, and tending the already planted asparagus, lettuce, peas and broccoli. As you can tell this is where I like to highlight how much we love our garden. It's an odd dichotomy that I have a husband who doesn't love dirt and yet this monster garden is mostly his. It is at this point I should put in the disclaimer that I am the one who has overdone the tomatoes this year - usually it is Jeff but I must admit there were too many fun varieties this year. (Who doesn't want to plant a tomato variety called Mr. Stripey?)

On Sunday, where I knew I could pretty much pull out the "You have to do what I want because it's Mother's Day" card, I suggested a bike ride down into Yardley for my favorite (and their too) Yardley Ice House. Sure enough, everyone got on bikes and we meandered down into town. It was windy and actually a bit cold but we made it while teaching the kids that on bikes you sometimes need to take the indirect route and how to ride on the roads. I've been working on getting the kids on their bikes more and I knew that Mother's Day, and the carrot and stick of Italian ice at the end would be enough to lure them into my biking web. The only tough part was the ride home - if you noticed I used the word down a lot for our ride into town. Coming home involved some hills - one seriously steep one. There was some bike walking but I have to say they did a great job. It was a Mother's Day well spent.

-Jen

PS. Ironically, I used Italian ice as my carrot and stick for biking but we did not plant any carrots in our garden :)

April 22, 2008

Where Rubber Meets the Road

When I was in eighth grade, our social studies class was assigned some type of project. My project was entirely about pollution and the environment. I became insistent that we cut apart each link of the plastic that held 6-packs of soda (then "pop" because I grew up in Colorado) so that fish wouldn't get stuck in them when the plastic got in the ocean. I didn't seem to consider that Colorado was completely landlocked and I couldn't make the connection for anyone of how those plastic rings would get to the ocean. I was clearly green before it was cool to be green.

But, idealism of youth has eventually fallen prey to the conveniences of adulthood and the liberty of a car that will take me where I wish, any time of day, with no forethought. I am still green, don't get me wrong - I choose products wisely, I recycle, I conserve energy and water, but, I am guilty of ignoring my car-crutch. So, when Trek rolled out the 1 World 2 Wheels program encouraging me to "Go by Bike," it stopped me in my four wheeled tracks. What blew me away the most were these facts: 1) 60% of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operation . . . and 2) 25% of all trips are made within a mile of the home, 40% of all trips are within two miles of the home, and 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work.

It hit me right where the stay at home mom rubber meets the road. My job starts at home but on any given day could lead to: the bank, the drugstore, the dry cleaner, the grocery store, the post office, Target, Starbucks, a local friends house, the doctor, the dentist. . . The knot of balled up pollution in my stomach comes from the realization that all of those errands are mostly within that 2-5 mile radius of my house. So, while now it has become cool to be green, I don't want to get lost in all the hype. I've realized where I'm mostly likely to make a change that will work for me - use my car less, use my bike more. So, I thought today would be the perfect day to start. Could I do my day-to-day without the car?

The idea started last night with the planning. I had to plan what routes I could use to get from one place to the other and how much time I needed to allow. Here's what the day was:

Stop#1: Physical Therapy - distance 4.3 miles. I left from my kids bus stop once they headed to school. Arrived only 2 minutes later than had I gone by car. I actually had to slow for a school zone. Success! Was able to get people talking. . .

Stop#2: Blue Lotus Salon - distance from PT 8.5 miles. Left PT a bit early to head for a haircut at a new salon. Hoping they understand my helmet head when I arrive. They do and I get to talk "Go by Bike."

Stop #3: Township Building to Vote - distance from salon - 6.0 miles. Left the salon with perfectly coiffed hair and then promptly put a helmet on over it (safety first!). Enjoyed a nice ride along the river and learned exactly which way the wind comes off the river - right at me. Got told I had a nice bike and that one of the polling volunteers would guard it while I voted. Excellent!

Stop #4: Home - distance from voting - 1.0 miles. Back at home! Car is still right where I left it. My car odometer remains unchanged. My bike odometer reads 19.8 miles. I feel victorious, somewhat sweaty but proud that my "regular" plan for the day turned into a decent training session, and RAVENOUS. On to lunch. . . .

Was it pretty? Was it effortless? No, but maybe that's the point. Do I have some learning to do? Definitely yes. But, just because I can't figure out how I would transport a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread home from the grocery store without them ending up looking like freshly dripping battered french toast, shouldn't mean I'm unwilling to consider the change. But, I do know that often I am guilty of that being the case. So, here's my chance to learn. Will this work all the time? - no, but, starting with a small change is better than ignoring the effort. Sometimes a little less convenience can lead to more thought, more appreciation and a little global cooling. I hope you will laugh, maybe learn and join me in my misadventures as I try to "Go By Bike." Happy Earth Day. . . -Jen

April 15, 2008

"That's What We're About. . ."

We've just started the Little League baseball season. Technically, it's not even Little League right now. The boys are in "transition league" which means that they have coach pitching which will transition into some kid pitching later in the season (oh boy, that should be interesting).

So, in our first game Cam (who, as I believe I have mentioned before is intense about his sports) hit a good hit and barreled down the line toward first. Now, as kids are still learning about position play, the first basemen for the opposing team decided to stand/block first base. Cameron, didn't slow up for an instant. He ran all the way through first base, even though part of that was on his knee and face as he tripped over the cleats of the first baseman. He was down. I sat in the far bleachers, unconcerned while the coaches checked him out. This is one of those things that sometimes has separated me from other parents. We have always taught our kids the philosophy of "get up and shake it off." We would never be unconcerned about any serious injury or gushing blood or anything but I think somewhere in us Jeff and I understand that kids bounce. The more we don't react in a "bring in the stretcher" way, our kids do too. Cameron got up, limped a bit and then took his base position, ready to run when the next kid came to bat - I know in part because, while we don't keep score officially, he does and he knew his team was down.

After the game, in the car on the way home, I told him he played well - even when he went down on first base. With professional-sports like seriousness he said to me, "Mom, they almost had to bring in a pinch runner for me." I said, "Yeah, well you got up. You were tough out there." He then replied, again very seriously, "Well, that's what we're about. Our family. Being tough." He paused and continued, "Being tough, being smart, being intelligent which means the same thing as smart (here is where I wonder if this means he thinks we are twice as smart), and being good at sports. That's what we're about." I bit my lip to stifle the slight laugh and agreed with him in a seriousness that I thought matched his explanation to me.

Later, after he was fed and tucked into bed, I reflected on the wisdom that this seven-almost-eight-year-old had offered me. As a parent I have often wondered if I am really bestowing upon my kids the values that I would like them to have. With Cam's birthday coming up soon, I have been stunned by how fast the first 7 years has flown by, 3 of those years containing an up close and personal view with cancer that I wish he didn't have to have. Right now I worry that more than a third of his childhood has eclipsed me while I still am often trying to "get it together" with my perception of the "right" parenting skills. But, in being who we are, in facing every battle as it comes, and as we "just keep putting one foot in front of the other, " somehow Cameron has found and spoke an eloquent mission statement for our family. Within all his words, and the actions in living them, I know he is internalizing what I hope will become everlasting values. Next time I need a gut check on my parenting I know that the easiest thing to do will be to ask my kids, "What are we all about?"

Gotta run (literally). . .

-Jen

PS. I also secretly enjoyed being broadly included in the "good at sports" definition for our family. That will get me through the next tough workout. :)

March 26, 2008

A Long Way From The Pull-Up

One of the things I love about the Trek website is that I never know what I'm going to get each day when I log on. The homepage is constantly changing and I always am learning (and clicking) something new. So, a couple of days ago the Trek site was encouraging me to sign up for The President's Challenge, part of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Whoa nelly!!! . . . I was clicking away. Was this part of the same thing that I remembered from my youth? You know, the days of bad gym shorts and reversible gym shirts? The days of the run one mile in a certain time? The days of the pull-up? I know that it wasn't just my junior high that participated in this challenge that somehow tied overall fitness to whether or not you could do a hanging pull-up (which was next to impossible when you were a seventh grade girl). Hmmm. . .now that I think about it, probably also not that possible as a 33 year old mom.

So, I clicked and discovered that yes, this is one and the same. But, it's come a long way, baby. There are now at least 100 activities in which you can participate for the challenge. Trek is doing it's part by providing info on cycling as an activity no matter what your fitness level. You can sign-up yourself, or with a group of friends, your family, a school, and even your kids. The cool part is that you can log your activities. I say this is the cool part for a couple of reasons: 1) because I am a big fan of logs - I love being able to see where I was and how far I have come and progress I have made and 2) give my kids a challenge with a log and they will go above and beyond.

Considering that more than 12.5 million (yes, million) kids and teens are overweight and 40% of adults participate in zero leisure-time physical activity, according to the office of the Surgeon General, we are clearly on a crash course with our couches, bag of chips and remote in hand. If those statistics can't get you to drop the McDonald's (see Laura's blog for some scary stats on the big M's latest culinary masterpiece), I don't know what will.

So, let's get off the couch (I know, if you are reading this I'm probably preaching to the choir), and grab our families, or co-workers and friends and get them biking, hiking, skydiving (yes, skydiving counts) or anything else physical. I'm sure we all know someone who has a bike in their garage that needs the dust blown off it. Let's just leave those bad gym shorts and pull-ups behind. . . .

-Jen

March 24, 2008

Try To Find This

I wanted to jump back in this week and get back to a bunch of biking topics that have been sitting on the back burner. But, it's not often that blog fodder just falls right into your lap. So, I hope you will indulge me in a story of weekend family hilarity.

Yesterday morning, Easter morning, I indulged the kids with eating some chocolate before breakfast in a trade-off that would let me sleep longer. Jeff finally got up with the boys and I continued to lounge in the bed, blissfully unaware of the Easter mess going on downstairs. When I came downstairs a little bit later, I was greeted with a mischievous smile - from my husband - who then told me he was about to cut a hole in the wall.

It seems that in Jeff's quest to come up with ever more creative hiding spots for Easter egg hunting, he had decided that balancing an egg in the return duct of the heating system would be fun - that was until it fell down into the wall beyond reach of any normal length arm. And so, Easter morning involved a reciprocating saw and a 5 inch square hole in the wall. I laughed, overtly pleased that this had happened to Jeff and not me and grabbed the camera for blog photos.

After cutting the hole in the wall, we discovered that the vibration from the reciprocating saw had knocked the egg out of its spotted place and it had now fallen to who-knows-where in the duct system. It was at this point that I think Jeff became displeased with my laughing and blog photography.

After dismantling a duct in the basement he was able to find the egg. Even funnier was that the egg was labeled "Dad" (We all have our own named and decorated eggs). The good thing was we were able to proceed with our egg hunt after that and I didn't have to endure a Monday morning of calls to find someone able to hunt out the egg in our heating system.

Back to biking tomorrow. . .

-Jen

March 21, 2008

Break for Who?

I should heed bad signs. Yesterday morning, after getting in late the night before because of a four hour air traffic control hold coming into Philly, I wanted a cup of coffee. I desperately wanted a cup of liquid sustenance to get me through the day with the boys. I went to wash out the pot and it literally shattered in my hands over the sink. Who does that happen to???? No coffee and about a half an hour picking little glass shards out of my hand. I should heed the signs. It was not a good day - even after the trip to Starbucks for a Venti. The boys were tired from the trip home. They felt cooped up and didn't feel like unpacking and doing laundry. (I didn't blame them - I really didn't feel like it either). The first day of Spring here in Philly didn't pay mind to what the calendar said and it was cold and very, very blustery. Brendan is convinced he is a dog and his new language is to punctuate everything with the words 'woof' and 'doggy' said in a babyish voice.

I'm not sure about this whole Spring Break thing. I'm thinking that when the day is all said and done the break might refer to the pieces I want to break my kids into because they are driving me crazy!!! I think moms go on Spring Break next week when the kids go back to school.

Here's hoping that by the end of the day this picture does not contain a chalk outline around the bodies of my kids :)

-Jen

PS. I really do love them, woof, woof.

March 18, 2008

Bike on the Brain

While here in Colorado, Jeff and I took the boys skiing. On the first day, we pointed and clicked our way to reservations for them in ski school. We got up, layered and drove to the mountains where we signed them away and said "Have fun!" at the sign stating "No Parents Beyond This Point" (seriously, it says that - how great is that?). We skied the day away, felt our sea level lungs gasping for air, and then picked the boys up at the end of the day.

Day 2 of skiing was an entirely different story which had me longing for my bike. We got the kids layered up, drove to the mountains, parked far enough away to call the distance to the slopes a small hike, had to rent the boys ski's (Where Jeff promptly declared over the head of one child (who shall remain nameless) "We HAVE to switch boys!"), buy lift tickets, get our ski's on and then wrangle them onto the lifts. This was all while wearing those massively clunky, walking impairing ski boots. I was so exhausted by this process alone - not to mention sweating buckets - that I think I had done the equivalent of a 2 hour bike ride by this point (which is exactly what I was calculating in my head.) And while it was fun, or so I keep telling myself, more than once I found myself wishing for the simplicity of wind on my face while alone on the bike. No bulky clothes, no bitter cold (well, you could have that biking but I choose not to), no tangled feet and crossed skis.

That whole second day I didn't confide my desire to be on bike. At the end of the day I collapsed exhausted back into the car for the drive back to my parents. And then, on the ride home, I examined the signs posted for the truckers about the grade of the hills and thought about biking in the mountains.

While at my parents I have seen groups of early spring cyclists and I have checked out their bikes. I have reviewed correct helmet fit with my mom. I have skied while dreaming of biking. Suffice it to say, I think I have bike on the brain. I think it's a permanent condition now and has infiltrated my being. Is there a cure though that will keep me from alienating all the non-bikers that I know? All I know is that I can't wait to get home and get training. . .

-Jen

March 13, 2008

Shhh.....Don't Tell

I am not usually a sneaky mom. We have a pretty open and honest household here but I have been hiding something. My kids have no idea - NONE - but I am showing up at school today right before lunch to pick them up and only telling them we are going to do something fun. I am then whisking them off to the airport where we will meet Jeff and jet off to Colorado to visit my parents, with whom my kids are close but don't get to see that often.

I love surprising my kids. I love the look on their faces - the excitement and the joy. It think there are a couple of reasons. As adults, not that much is surprising anymore. We have a pretty good handle on the day to day, the responsibilities and the mundane. So, to vicariously experience the true joy of a good surprise really does something wonderful for me. I know that I also am really loving this time as a parent and the ability to help create those lasting family memories with my kids. Years down the line I know I will love hearing my boys say, "Remember when you just came to school and took us to the airport. . .?"

So much of what we do as parents is for the long term. "Eat your vegetables", "say please and thank you," finish your homework," "If your friend jumped off the bridge, would you too?" You do all those things and let your kids say what they want of you behind your back mostly in hopes that twenty years from now they see the point (and move out for good.) But today, today is living for the moment - something we sometimes forget to do as adults. I'm hoping to elicit puzzlement and then tears - mine and theirs. Brendan actually has a history of crying when he is overjoyed - although in his words as a three year old - "Mom, I got the wet eyes." When he cries out of joy it makes me cry out of joy. It doesn't have to be something big like this. Declare pajama day, eat ice-cream for breakfast (maybe not on a school day). If you surprise your kids, you might be surprised at what it does for you.

I've got to go finish packing them up. Shhhhh.....don't tell . . .

-Jen

March 12, 2008

Endurance Playtime

So the boys baseball season has started - well, not officially. Little League opening day is April 5th but the teams are set and practices have begun. I took the boys to practice the yesterday, which consists of standing around playing catch and then practicing some hitting with the coach pitching. I know, you're thinking major sweat-fest, right? Okay, I'm being sarcastic (in case you hadn't picked up on that). So, here's the thing - I was shocked by how many kids brought Gatorade for practice. I'm all about hydration but when is it that playtime became an endurance event necessitating six year olds to ensure their proper electrolyte balance? I'm fond of sports drinks and gels - in their proper place. They definitely have made life easier for long distance runners, triathletes and tons of other athletes. Frankly, I didn't even learn about the use of any of those type of things until I ran a half-marathon and that was mostly because I was slow enough to have it be a true endurance event (2:30+.)

Here is where I digress into the kind of talk that perhaps marks me a pariah to other parents and definitely uncool to my own kids. . . Back in my day (see, right there - uncool), you played and played and played some more. You drank water - from drinking fountains, paper cups and shockingly, sometimes from a garden hose. Water wasn't filtered, mineralized, spring, bottled, or really anything. It was just plain old H20 and you drank it when you were thirsty. I know I sound crotchety and 80 there but it's just that I don't think kids NEED sports drinks - at least not at age 6 and 7. (Side note to all you moms out there - Believe me, I understand that kids try to make a great case about NEED ("But mom, pleeeeeeeessssse") when you are standing in line at the grocery store - been there, done that).

Let's just get back to letting kids get messy, invent rules to a made up game, bike with you for ice-cream, climb trees, beg to stay outside for "just 5 more minutes" and drink from garden hoses. It might just be a refreshing change. . .

-Jen

PS. This was Cameron when he was a baby - as you can see, I also let my kids eat dirt and rocks. They're turning out surprisingly well. . .

February 29, 2008

What's Your Bling?

A number of shocking ground breaking things have happened this week. I finally got countertops and water in my kitchen. More surprising - drumroll please - is that Jeff and I went and saw a movie - in an actual theater! (Yes, I know to those of you without small kids at home this is not cause for shock).

While Jeff and I were walking through the mall prior to the movie we passed a jewelry store and Jeff said, "You don't need any of that, right?" Let me say this, Jeff and I have been married almost ten years. There's no need for mystery and subtlety anymore. Our time is limited, our brains are fried, and we are often operating on too little sleep. We cut to the chase. I laughed - hard. Jeff said, "Well, you know, I didn't think so but it's good to just check every once in awhile."

The thought of diamonds, in any form right now, seems like a waste. I don't know if it's being married long enough to know that there is no jinx if you don't wear the wedding band every day or if it has to do with my training. It's probably a little of both. If I actually kept my wedding band on when I was training and racing I would have lost my finger long ago because of lack of circulation. Besides, upon thinking about it, I have come up with a reuqest - no diamonds for racing. I could see (mostly because these types of odd things happen to me) getting cut up by someone's errant arm in the melee that is often the swim start.

My point - yes, I'm getting to one - is that diamonds are not ALL girl's best friend. When I dream of bling I see tri racing entries, speedy components for my bike, the latest and greatest gadgets and training gear, perhaps travel to exotic biking locations. . .

I'm not by any means saying that you can't be both - a tri/biker girl and a bling girl. I don't begrudge any woman that (again, just please no diamonds cutting me while swimming). So, here's what I want to know. What's your bling? What would you choose if offered the diamonds (and no you can't have both in this example.)

I see an Ironman race entry and the associated travel costs that go with it (Jeff doesn't know that yet - this is the subtle sneaky way to find out if my own husband reads my blog. . .). I can't wait to hear what I've stirred up now. . .

-Jen

February 26, 2008

Spinning in Place

I am getting nowhere. I was sitting on my bike trainer last night spinning in place and lamenting the feeling I have of being a mom on a hamster wheel. It seems like lately my world is just one big cycle of drink lots of coffee, put kids on bus, physical therapy, wash all the stupid dishes in the laundry sink so that I can proceed to, dry all the dishes that are on top of the washer so that I can proceed to, do the laundry, get kids off bus, cook dinner, do homework, ride my trainer . . . . REPEAT.

I feel like I am living the same day over and over and over again - even my kids squabbles are starting to be exactly the same each day. (Along with my sigh and utterance of "stop touching your brother".)

I don't know if this is a feeling that only stay-at-home moms feel (maybe it's because I never leave my "office") or if everyone gets this way from time to time. It doesn't help that my bike trainer encourages the spinning in place feeling. What is a girl to do to break out of the rut?

I guess I will try and mix it up today and get on the trainer earlier than the evening. But, I don't think I can stop those daydreams where I spin enough that the bike suddenly launches itself off the trainer and through the wall leaving behind the cutout of me (kinda like in the cartoons). . .

-Jen

PS. If you click on the picture you can actually watch the cartoon me circling the wheel :)

February 13, 2008

Headed Downhill

This was the view from the ski jump at the Olympic Training Center in Utah when Jeff and I were there in 2006. We both re-discovered skiing that year and had a great and exhausting trip skiing various mountains in the Salt Lake City area. We were all set to do the same trip again last year and chemo got in the way. Trip postponed. Bummer. Trip rescheduled (months ago) for this February. December comes, so does the cast on my leg. . . .

I've been diligent about my physical therapy for my foot and while the end goal is to make sure I'm riding and racing in good shape this summer, I still want to ski. (Or maybe I just want to go on this trip as a break from physical therapy and to erase the bad karma that having these plane tickets is bringing.) Either way, last week my physical therapists gave me the thumbs up. They say my ankle will be supported enough in the ski boot and they are fairly sure my leg is strong enough.

So, here it is 4 AM and I am posting to you before Jeff and I head to the airport. We're off for 3+ days of skiing. Here's hoping that I spend more time on the slopes than in the lodge and that I don't come back with any new things to rehab in PT.

-Jen

PS. I'll be checking in from Utah and will hopefully let you know how the view from the top is!

February 6, 2008

Is 30 the New 70?

Womanwithcane Glossy ads in magazines are constantly proclaiming, "40 is the new 30!" Actresses who are much older than my 33 years put me to shame with their youthful looking glow. (They also have the power of stylists, make-up artists, wardrobe consultants and Photo-shop). Everyone seems to be touting that youthfulness is not tied to the number of candles on your birthday cake - everyone that is except my in-laws. Let me first disclaim by saying that I love my in-laws and we agree on many things BUT, ever since I turned 30 (literally like the moment I blew out the candles on the cake) they have adamantly assured me that it's all downhill from here.

Now, I was psyched to get into my thirties originally. Months before my birthday I predicted that the thirties were going to be my decade. I felt it all coming together. Then I was diagnosed with cancer a couple of months after my thirtieth birthday. Okay, so let's exclude the past couple of years. Even excluding cancer, any ache, any pain, even simply the declaration of not a good nights sleep, my in-laws, especially my father-in-law, is quick to point out that it's all because I'm past 30. Seriously, I think their impression is that by next year I will be using a cane to walk to the garage to get my bike out. Example: My recent tendon injury - overuse injury by putting in 100+ miles of run training leading up to the Philly Half-Marathon? Nope. A sad shake of the head because I'm over 30.

I took up swimming, biking, running and a whole host of other adventurous physical activities in my thirties. . . .was I crazy? Am I past my prime?

So, I want to hear from you all out there - Is 30 the new 20 only if you are part of Hollywood? Should I book the OR now for my hip replacement next year? Can biking keep me young? How old do you feel? Please, help me dispel this myth. . .

-Jen

January 29, 2008

Tougher Than You Think

Hey blogosphere, meet Lisa. Lisa gets the honor of being the first person to respond to my post "All About You" and let me know what she has planned for 2008.

Without knowing it, I had "met" Lisa when I spoke to a Team in Training Group at their first group practice this past summer. Lisa undertook walking the Nike Women's Marathon last October (something I would love to do!). Here she is at mile 25 of that hilly course.

Lisa told me, "Nothing could have prepared me for what it felt like to be amongst 20,000 women and a few men at the start of the marathon in San Francisco. My emotions were all over the map that day and the experience is one that I'll never forget. I learned a lot about myself that day. One thing I learned is that I'm tougher than I thought."

While the marathon made Lisa a marathoner, her experience solidified other life goals for her.

"Since the age of three, I've had a camera and used it photograph my surroundings. . . Many people have suggested that I make photography my vocation rather than just an enjoyable hobby. My response has always been that earning money from taking pictures would somehow diminish the joy I experience in being a photographer. What's really going on is that I am afraid of failure. Making photography into a business venture puts it into the public realm. With that comes expectations..."

Lisa, I think, highlights something that is huge for all of us - FEAR. I can't tell you how much fear I have faced in the past three years. The problem with fear and fear of failure is that there is no amount of experiencing the feeling that diminishes it as we enter each new experience. What is more important, and much more easily said than done, is whether we choose to push ahead whether the fear is there or not. We are all tougher than we think.

This year, Lisa has decided to take her love of the camera from hobby to business. She also plans to add hang gliding to her goals for the year. Lisa also tells me that the "whole world of cycling is a bit of a mystery to me." Hmmmm....I now feel challenged to uncover that mystery for Lisa and have her riding with all of us by year's end.

-Jen

PS. Keep those dreams and goals coming, I'm loving hearing from you.

January 23, 2008

Cool? Me?

Yesterday afternoon I was at the gym with my kids, who attend a kids "bootcamp" aerobic class. I figured I would head into the fitness center and do my "workout" of 10 minutes on the bike and some upper body stuff. Given that I don't have the okay to actually sweat yet I decided to forgo the actual workout clothes. I threw on some yoga pants and kept on the long-sleeved T-shirt I had been wearing all day - my brand new "NFC Champions NY Giants shirt" (newsflash for those non-football fans out there - the Giants, in overtime, won the NFC championship game and are now headed to the Superbowl. This is a BIG deal in our house).

Anyway, I did my 10 minutes on the bike, jamming to all of 3 songs on my iPod workout playlist. . . . I was just getting off the bike when this very in-shape, not older than twenty year old came up to me and held out his closed fist (you know, the new "cooler" way to give someone a high five). Because of my iPod I couldn't hear what he said. I looked around for the candid cameras thinking someone was calling me on the ridiculousness of my 10 minute "workout." I then did what every crazy mom would do. . .looked completely baffled, said "what?" too loudly and THEN thought to take my headphones off.

"Great shirt" he says and gives me the fist greeting along with the knowing nod that I supposes now substitutes for a wink. I stammered a thanks and then he walked off. I, however, remained flummoxed and slightly blushing (or so it felt). Someone younger, and presumably much cooler, thought I did something cool. Granted all I did was wear the shirt - it's not like I actually played the game.

Let's be clear here. I have never been cool (unless you count my coolness factor that exists solely in my mind). And while I can attend a black tie event with the best of them (and look darn good), I always relish my true, sweaty self. And while being restricted to 10 minutes on the bike has me feeling like I've lost my only friend, I suddenly felt as if I was home again. I am gym cool. (Which is COMPLETELY different than being PTA cool, grocery shopping cool, pajamas at the bus-stop cool. . . you get the idea.)

I relished the boost to my inner hot athlete self - (it's all about visualization and denial!) and then went and did some serious core work. . . in case anyone was looking :)

-Jen

January 22, 2008

"It's All About You"

Notebook3 "It's all about you." That is the phrase that my good friend Amy S. (to distinguish her from my other good friend Amy V.) kept repeating to me as a mantra during this time last year when I was "doing" chemo again. I have that typical woman thing and felt guilt at asking people to help me or my family during that time (as if there was ever a time one should NOT feel guilty that was it). She kept telling me that I needed to basically re-frame my thinking and say "It's all about me - what do I need?" Sometimes the only way I could do that was to write it down or send an e-mail because on paper it felt easier to write everyting without judgement (mostly my own) -the little, the big and the seemingly crazy.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the day to day activities, that days, weeks and then months pass with out us being able to stop and see if we are headed down the path on which we want to travel. I know I am guilty of this. Writing down what we want to do, or be or achieve helps us be accountable to ourselves. It's not a contract meant to create feelings of failure if we can't check the items off the list. Rather, it's a place to disclose our hopes and puzzle out how to get there.

I'm about ready to wish myself a Happy New Year and tackle those New Year's goals (which I will also tell you about this week). Note: If you are new to my blog, you may want to consult "Don't Rush My New Year." But, I am still tweaking some of my goals for the year and know that I could use some help exploring new stuff.

So, I am now going to do my darnedest to convince you all out there to get out some paper (or a computer) and say "it's all about ME!". So, the assignment for this week is this:

Tell me your goals for this year. Big, small, outlandish, crazy - I want to hear them all. This truly is about you. What do you want to be/achieve/explore/learn how to do this year? It might be something you already know how to do but want to push to new limits. It might be something you have no idea how to do and need resources. Even if it's one of those things you've only whispered in the back of your mind late at night, let me know. You can explain your reasons in great detail or just jot 'em down.

By the end of the week I want to feature a blog with all of you out there in it!

You can simply post a comment to this entry or, drop me a line at my new Trek e-mail address: Jen_Polo@trekwomenwhoride.com (Note: there's an underscore between my first and last name that's hard to see with the underlining.)

-Jen

January 16, 2008

Shuffle Game

It's been a workout. It involved feats of balance, skill, strategy and endurance. I have been determined. And now I have reached my goal - I have found my computer! Our house is in the middle of what amounts to an enormous shuffle game. In a true bout of "what were we thinking?", we decided to undergo a whole lot of house renovation all at once. So, our kitchen is being redone, while our upstairs hall bath is still not quite done, and a whole lot of painting and redoing of carpet is also being done. What this amounts to is a whole lot of coordination, flexibility and SHUFFLING. The kitchen is currently in the laundry room and garage. My "office/paperwork and all that is important" is in various laundry baskets in the family room. The contents of the bedroom, other than furniture, are in the spare/exercise room. The hall bathroom is in our master bathroom. The laundry, well, if it's clean it's somewhere piled up. If it's dirty, well, it requires doing the dishes in the laundry sink and then putting them away (where the heck is away?) so that I can then open the washer, which is doubling as my dish drying rack.

I keep reassuring myself that it's all going to come together. And I try to keep laughing - the funniest part of my day was yesterday when my physical therapist had to get creative with my leg exercises. The exercise she wanted me to do involved standing at the kitchen sink. . . . no kitchen sink!

Now that I have found my computer again, stay tuned. . I can't wait to tell you about physical therapy and then I have something that will need contribution from all of you out there.

-Jen

PS. Anyone have any easy dinner ideas other than pizza and fast food? We have a stove that is still hooked up in the middle of the room. . . .

January 11, 2008

"Does This Resolution Make Me Look Fat?"

Okay, so now I have your attention. Time for some thought about those pesky "resolutions" that come around each Jan 1. I can't tell you how many people (99% women), I have heard over the past ten days mention "lose weight" in the same sentence with resolution. Aaagghhh. We need a massive do-over here. I have yet to hear anyone say things like, "do a century ride, become stronger, learn to cook healthier, run a 5K, do a triathlon." It's all been about weight loss. Don't get me wrong, it's in the back of my brain too. I have a Santa cookie tummy right now thanks to the forced inactivity of my cast and the yumminess of holiday food. But, I will not bow to the industry.

When I first started tri-training, I always said it was to lose my "chemo-butt." The real truth, the challenge, to take control again of a body that betrayed me, felt too emotional, too raw to explain. So weight loss or fitness associated with that goal were secondary aims. But, surprisingly, when you put in that much work, learn to train and spend that much time with a swim, bike and run, you don't have to think about the fitness gains and inches lost - they take care of themselves. So does the strength and amazement at your will that follow. Let's rethink the goals for the year - I encourage you to pick your challenge, write it down, write the steps in getting there and then we'll all celebrate at the finish.

I'm working on my "plan of action 2008" and will share it soon. While you are working on yours take a look at this Dove ad called "Onslaught." We can do better - let's show other women, daughters, nieces, mothers and grandmothers that the impact is in celebrating what our bodies can do, not how thin they are! -Jen

January 1, 2008

Minor League Fun

Every year our family flies to Colorado the day after Christmas. My parents are still in Colorado, where I grew up and so my brother and sisters and family converges there after Christmas. Year after year we enjoy some of the same activities - from the kid-friendly bowling to the adult past-time of after Christmas sale mall shopping (not always so kid friendly). As the kids get older we look for new and interesting activities to do while here. This year, my dad hunted down "sporting events of interest." The Colorado Avalanche (the pro hockey team) was in town but instead we chose to attend a minor league hockey game - The Rocky Mountain Rage vs. the Oklahoma Blazers. Let me tell you this - minor league sports are major league fun. We got the cheapest seats available (under $20, which included parking!). We enjoyed great accessible seats up high (thanks to my lack of stadium stair hopping experience with a cast) where we could actually see everything going on without the players looking like ants, great cheap food and a boat-load of entertainment between periods (who doesn't love Chuck-a Puck - where kids and adults can buy foam pucks to throw, from the stands, at a target on the ice for prize money?). We even walked away with two kids team sweatshirts for under $25. Oh yeah - there was a hockey game we watched too!

In this day of luxury box seats, $9 hot dogs and dollar signs that push even the nose-bleed seats out of the reach of the average pocketbook, it's nice that more and more minor league teams have family friendly stadiums. Cameron plays hockey and it was nice to take him to a game where he could actually see "big time" players in action (and get a souvenir to boot, plus an unexpected visit from the mascot!)

Last year, the boys came to the Philadelphia Women's Triathlon to cheer me on. They had a front row seat to all the action - they saw me swim, they saw me in the transition area and they saw me bike and run. This is how my kids came to say "I didn't know biking was a sport!"

While professional sports have a lot of glamour and advertising dollars, what is more priceless is kids being able to get hooked on a sport by seeing it in action and experiencing the thrill of a victory (not to mention the up-close and personal sweat), whether it be a goal, a home-run, or a finishers medal around their mom's neck. So for now, our family will be content to watch the pros from our family room but seek the experience of sport as a whole from the minor-leaguers - with me among them!

-Jen

December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Hopefully, you have successfully made it through the day with its wrapping and trimming, some assembly required (isn't it always), insert 12 double-A batteries here, and joyous meltdowns from those who may have gotten up too early to see what Santa left.

At the Polo house, we spent the day in our pajamas with no obligations other than to play, play, play. We enjoyed a pot of soup for dinner and now are packing up the suitcases for our trip to Colorado tomorrow where we will celebrate Christmas with my family. No white Christmas here in Pennsylvania but it's been snowing all day in Colorado. The kids can't wait.

As we continue our tradition of a week long Christmas celebration, I hope that you and yours enjoyed time with family and friends also.

-Jen

December 19, 2007

Because I Can

Being on crutches this holiday season has been an interesting social experiment. Some people are helpful and notice that I struggle to open doors while balancing on one foot. Lots of little kids notice my cast and want to know what is wrong. But, to be honest most people are completely oblivious. I don't blame it on them not wanting to be helpful to someone in need but mostly their focus on their own stress and long to-do lists.

But, needing to rely on others (like those nice baristas at Starbucks who have been providing me some nice car side service with my coffee these past couple of weeks) has taught me some lessons this holiday season.

One of the things our family decided to do this year was to adopt a family for Christmas. Back in November I volunteered one morning at a local food pantry. I was assigned the job of helping families fill out "Adopt-A-Family" forms that would list needs for Christmas. I was particularly taken with one woman with whom I spoke - she has 3 kids, one is a boy who is 7 years old. I knew that would be something my kids could understand. The other was that she reluctantly listed herself and wrote "haircut" as her wished for item. I asked her if there was anything else she wanted and she said, "No, just a haircut - I haven't had one in two years." I knew right away that we would adopt this family. I haven't had a haircut in two years either.

Two years ago, when I was first declared in remission, my hair started to grow back. I gained about 1/2" a month and felt that every month was a new hairstyle. (Not to mention that my hair came back dark, thick and curly whereas it used to be blondish brown, fine and straight). Losing my hair wasn't traumatic at the time but as it grew back, the thought of cutting it and styling it seemed perplexingly difficult. (Maybe it was that Dorothy Hamill bowl haircut I had as a child. . . ) Luckily, almost a year into growing back, I reached pony-tail stage which works perfect with my training/mom-athon lifestyle. But, lately, my hair has been on my mind. It is winter now and drying that much hair was getting a little tedious, not to mention the rat's nest texture the ends were starting to resemble.

When I went out last week to finish shopping for our adopt-a-family, I was really struggling with the cast. I stopped at a local salon to get a gift certificate for the mom, whose only wish was a haircut. On a whim, I asked the stylist if she had time to cut my hair. Shopping for someone who couldn't afford the cost of the haircut gave me the shove I needed to get back in the stylist chair. I lost 3-4" of hair that day - six plus months of growing. But, more than hair has been growing. I have been growing too and I decided it was time to cut my hair - just because I can.

-Jen

December 10, 2007

The Glass is Half Full

It's been a few months now and I guess that it's time to unleash my full potential on you all out there. And by that, I mean my full potential for freakishness. So, while last year I spent my birthday sitting in the chemo ward, this year I thought I would change it up a bit. No oncology for me this year. I went big time this year. Podiatry. Yes, I spent my birthday getting my left foot and leg up to my knee casted. Apparently I have two tendons that stubbornly need a month's vacation in the walking department. Luckily, my podiatrist happens to understand my athletic bent and we agreed that to prevent chronic nagging injury this was the best way to go.

So, for your laughing pleasure, I now present: "Tales from the Cast"

Day 1: Thought about getting a red and white striped cast to look like a candy cane for the season but ended up going with a glow-in-the dark cast. It is perfect as a night light when I hop to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I am also working on my spooky voice with the kids "Ah, ah, ah. . .mommy's foot is coming to get you . . . ."

Day 2: Sore butt - from having to slide down my fairly steep stairs to get downstairs each morning. Also, Jeff's office holds a holiday party and Jeff, a TOTAL non-dancer, thinks it's funny this year to ask me to dance.

Day 3: Christmas shopping at Target. I have to get one of those little motorized scooter carts - I can't shop for anything over 3 feet off the ground. I have one little "fender-bender" in the kids toy department. No one was hurt - luckily the cart I ran into was plastic - and they didn't take away the scooter. This was so stressful that I needed a cup of coffee after we paid. Jeff went to get the car and I had to give up the scooter. Hot coffee - woman who needs to hands to operate crutches - AAGGHHH.

Day 4: Chafing - should have used Body Glide where the crutches fit under my arms. I stand, like a true addict, gulping coffee in my laundry room (the counter location of my coffee pot) because when I tried to hop back to the kitchen with the cup of coffee - well, I lost a lot from the cup quickly.

There is a bright side to all of this. Right now this is the off-season and come January I will be working my way back into form. Given what I went through last off-season, having to rehab my foot back for biking and running seems easy. I will still maintain workouts with upper body and core work. I am also contemplating how I could mount my bike cleat onto the bottom of my cast and ride on an indoor trainer.

Sometimes you have to just laugh. Sometime you have to cry - I get that too. But, I try to laugh more than I cry and I try to find the outlook that show me the glass is half full. These days, for me, this is both literally and figuratively true - at least when it comes to my coffee cup.

-Jen

December 6, 2007

Happy Chemo-versary

365 days. That's the time that has passed since I sat in the oncology department and started chemo again. It's my chemo-versary. Today is also my 33rd birthday. Last year I sat attached to an IV pole and had a "surprise" party when my oncologist brought me a piece of birthday cake and sang to me. It was chemo with a personal touch. The funny part was thinking about how surprised some other doctor/nurse or oncology personnel was going to be when they found a piece of their birthday cake missing because my doctor had swiped it. Not so funny was thinking about whether or not I should eat the cake because I knew I didn't want to see it again later on the swells of chemo-induced nausea.

We mark dates in our lives as important for a variety of reasons. Some, like birthdays, are identifiable to all. Other dates are less recognizable to the masses. For me, I will always know when my cancer was diagnosed with certainty - May 2, 2005. I will always know when the first chemo IV made ready for battle with my body - June 23, 2005. First remission - November 1, 2005. Relapse - September 26, 2006. Second "first round" of chemo - December 6, 2006. These aren't dates remembered by even those closest to me. I don't mind they can't remember. Some would argue that to "get past" cancer, I should just try to forget. I don't mind remembering - these dates mark the passage of time and how far I have come. Who wouldn't remember the date their world was cleaved into parts that in the future could best be described as "the time before" and "the time after"?

Having a chemoversary tied to my birthday isn't such a bad thing after all. Each year I celebrate being older is a year I can commemorate distance from chemo and that life rolls on as a survivor. So, raise a glass and have a piece of cake with me. Let's see what 33 brings. . .

-Jen

November 28, 2007

The Freak Effect

It's beyond a little strange. It's beyond the odd coincidence. It sometimes defies explanation. In our house it's called The Freak Effect. Let me explain. When I told you about our time down at the beach in SC for Thanksgiving, I neglected to explain why I was forced to be the referee and game photographer in our beach football game. It was not because I dislike football or can't keep up. It was because of the lovely accessory pictured on my foot here. It all started with a ten mile run (I know, in hindsight we might argue that right there was the problem). I came home, took off my shoes, stretched and then went "OW!! Why does my foot hurt?" I knew it right away. It was The Freak Effect. The Freak Effect is a little known mathematical postulate, originally described by Jeff. It goes something like this: If there is anything, ANYTHING, freaky, weird, strange or completely unlikely to happen in the realm of possibility, it will in fact seek me out and happen in a strange confluence of events to me and to me only. (It's that last part that let's the rest of you out there in the normal world breathe a sigh of relief - this formula truly only applies to me - that's why it's not a well known theorem).

I know what you are thinking - "Jen, you must be exaggerating - that can't truly be true of you." Oh contraire my unsuspecting blog readers. Here are just a few fine examples from my life (don't worry this excludes cancer - that's a whole different ball of wax):

1) My local emergency room is probably still laughing about how a mother could possibly be cutting her toddler's fingernails and shoot a fingernail clipping into her eye and scratch her cornea (TRUE STORY).

2) The fine print that comes enclosed with prescriptions where only .0005% people suffer from a side-effect? Me. Had to visit an emergency room in Seattle when I developed the "no one ever gets this but if you develop a rash as a result of this medication do not pass go and go straight to the emergency room" rash.

3) When I was going through chemo the first time and was bald, I somehow fell down in my garage (while tripping over NOTHING) and sprained my ankle so badly I was on crutches for almost a month. I must have scared all the neighbors while I crutched my way down, bald, to the kindergarten bus stop each day.

These are just a few examples of The Freak Effect. So, today it will be a bone scan to determine the difference between a strained tendon or a stress fracture - we're rooting for the tendon thing. The good thing is that, because of The Freak Effect, I have a lot of practice working around these things. I'll keep you posted on the news and how we are going to work the off-season with this little change of plans.

-Jen

November 24, 2007

Just Beachy

For our Thanksgiving time this year we have been spending time at the beach - Fripp Island, South Carolina to be exact. We have been coming here for Thanksgiving since before Jeff and I were married. I don't have much to report because we have been doing NOTHING and having a great time at it. We've been down at the beach where despite cool air and colder waters we couldn't dissuade the boys from playing in the ocean. When they were little they somehow fell for our trick of saying "They said the ocean was closed." (as if we personally consulted some Atlantic Ocean manager - they're on to our tricks now.)

We have also have had quite the game of beach football. I ended up being game photographer (which turned into instant replay official when a couple of calls were disputed).

A while back I was shocked to read that most Americans don't use all their paid vacation time each year. The average American gets 14 days paid vacation a year and only uses 10 of them. We aren't using 29% of our vacation time!! I translate that into us all being 29% less relaxed. Basically we are all getting a C minus in vacationing. C'mon everyone, we can do better!

We are a family that firmly believes in vacationing. We need time to relax and recharge in a different environment. (I know - you say you relax - but paying your bills with a glass of wine doesn't really count). A vacation doesn't have to be far off or exotic but it does need to give you time to do nothing or, alternatively do something that you enjoy and don't have time for in your regular grind. (Seriously, when else would I have the time to do a 1,000 piece puzzle??)

So, when planning your vacations for next year don't just be 71% relaxed and recharged, aim for a perfect 100%. We do and it does wonders. In fact, right now, we are just beachy.

November 19, 2007

Kick the Can

Hi, my name is Jen and I am a Diet Coke addict. This has not been a life-long addiction. I think it may have started in college. I love that cold can of bubbly caffeine. . . it was tough to give up when I was pregnant with both of my kids but I did. I remember being in the hospital after delivering Cameron and being excited because I could have a nice cold diet coke again. This has been a serious affliction.

Well, the time has come for me to try and kick the can. My main motivation - I can't live with the questions anymore. "Mom, why is it okay for you to have Diet Coke but not me?" "Ummmmm, it's not that good for you." "So why do you drink it?" I don't have a good answer suitable for a 7 year old to that question.

Life was much easier when my kids were smaller and couldn't talk back. Then they started talking and I thought "Great, we can communicate now!" Then came whining. I made it through whining - barely. Then came the "But Why?" phase. That's when I understood the deep rooted primal phrase "Because I said so." I'm sure there were Cave-mothers who said this same thing. I thought I could get through that and then I'd be on the path to well-adjusted kids (ha!!, as if that really exists).

Now, I am in a much harder phase - the phase where my kids look at everything I do and say and judge it. They question the moral fiber of everything Jeff and I do and say and whether or not we follow all "rules" in life to a T. (Let me tell you how hard it is to drive with your own little speed-cops sitting in the back seat.) My guess is that "setting a good example" may well be the hardest phase that I endure as an adult and a parent. Not because I'm a bad person but because there are so many things that we, as adults, do without thinking that are cause for questioning by a kid. I guess it's not quite as simple as "Eat your vegetables" and "Because I said so!"

So, I am now entering my kick the can phase because being able to look your kid in the eye is sometimes more satisfying than the cold bubbly caffeine.

-Jen

November 12, 2007

Gray is So NOT My Color

It happens every year. I know it's coming and there's nothing I can do. You'd think I would learn to prepare, but I haven't ever been ready. It's coming, it's coming. . . and then it hits me -the end of Daylight Savings Time. November. Cold. Dark. Gray.

I moved to the East Coast over 14 years ago from Colorado. There were a ton of cultural adjustments that I had to make, which I did, but the one thing I still have not gotten used to is the endless GRAY that can occur here during the fall and winter. Colorado is the land of sun - seriously - weather data shows that Colorado has more than 300 days of sun a year. Yes, I'm not kidding about this. And while we're on the topic of Colorado weather, let me dispel another myth: Colorado is not blanketed in snow for most of the year. While growing up, I did not ski to and from school (I have actually had someone ask me this). So, the weather I grew up with included sun, sun, and sun. It also included a lot of temperature fluctuation - I had never heard the notion "putting away" your summer clothes. Colorado isn't real big on long, rainy days either - the 20 minute afternoon thunderstorm is really all I know. So, looking to add some fun to your day? Stop by my house on a gray, rainy, windy day and watch me try to use an umbrella - it's a laugh a minute.

Well, now I live here on the East Coast and it seems that each year the end of daylight savings seems to correspond with the plunging temperatures, chilly winds and gray, gray skies that may last a day or may last a week or longer. Pair that with dark mornings and darkness at 5 PM and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster in my book. I feel like I am trapped on the inside of a cardboard box - the sky and the road seem to be the same color and pressing at me from all sides. My body wants to go into hibernation mode, crawl in bed at 5 each evening and eat everything in sight. Here I am trapped in a calendar sandwich between November and March. I'm caught unprepared yet again. I am coping the only way I can - I have some delicious soup on the stove and every light on in the house!

-Jen

November 8, 2007

Confessions of an Unmade Bed

Yes, I have a confession to make. I don't make my bed - ever. Yes, this is truly a picture of my bed, taken just this morning. When Jeff and I took childbirth classes before the birth of Cameron, the teacher gave the class an assignment - Don't make your bed for a week. "Woo-hoo!", I thought, "I have this assignment nailed!" (Note to all of you out there - apparently getting an "A" in childbirth classes does not translate to less pain during the actual childbirth). Anyway, our instructor was trying to illustrate that once you become a parent, life is not all neat and tidy like before being a parent. Duh.

So, there you have it - I am a non-bed maker. It doesn't stop at the bed. I am just not a overall neat and tidy person. A white glove test would fail miserably in my house. Let me say this though - I do know where everything in my house is. I am extremely organized - unfortunately that organization is mostly trapped in my head. But, I digress. Here's what I am trying to illustrate. I've tried making those secret deals with myself before. You know the ones - "I'll get out for a bike ride after I clean the bathrooms/grocery shop/do the laundry/pay the bills etc. . ." They don't work. I would never train for my triathlon goals if I became wrapped up in making sure my house was in perfect order all the time. So, yes, my bed is unmade. But, if you add up all that time I have freed up for myself (along with that other stuff I have decided doesn't really matter in the grand scheme), you'll find that I'm able to fit in some serious fun. So, if you are saying to yourself "I don't have the time to bike", then I'm gonna tell you - "Stop making your bed!" I'll ignore your mess if you ignore mine - let's get out there together!

-Jen

November 1, 2007

"Mmmmm, chocolate. . ."

Happy Halloween. You may notice that it is now the day after Halloween. In my house, at least for me, Halloween has so far been a ten day affair. No, I haven't been that busy with parties and the like - mostly just eating piece after piece of "fun size" chocolate that was meant for trick-or-treaters last night. In fact, you will see the evidence of my affair with chocolate by the small crumpled wrappers (notice the plural there) in all pockets of all pants and jackets that I have worn over the past week. Yes, I have even gone so far as to stow chocolate in the back pockets of my bike jersey. I was worried that it would melt but I found that frankly, I eat it fast enough that the warmth of my body while riding has absolutely no effect on it.

Yesterday, I had to send Jeff to go stock up on chocolate to actually give to the trick-or-treaters. All I could think to myself was thank goodness that by miracle of the calendar and seasonal Gods, Halloween falls out of triathlon season. Then I felt a pang of sadness as I realized training would be ramping up for any friends in Australia or any where in the Southern Hemisphere that celebrates Halloween - the horror!

I personally believe that a proper training diet will always include chocolate (I haven't yet found a professional source to back me up on that one but I am still searching). I am hoping next year to actually put some thought into nutrition and the role it plays in my training but for now. . . .I have to go clean up all the evidence of my chocolate love affair (before the boys realize that I have selectively raided their trick-or-treat bags!)

-Jen

PS. Don't gasp in shock - I know you do it too - in fact, I was done with trick-or-treating last night about the time I felt Cam and Brendan had built sufficient chocolate stock for me to pillage.

October 29, 2007

Courage for the 5th Grade

So, can any of you out there remember the 5th grade? It's a little murky to me. On Friday, I gave a presentation to some 5th graders at Groveland Elementary. The topic: Courage. Right there it's intimidating, right? A teacher heard me tell my story to a group at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society about 6 months ago and asked me to come speak to his students on courage. Well, because I can't remember 5th grade at all (except for some bad fashion choices) let me say that I needed some courage to go and speak to them.

My talk was part of a leadership series that their teacher created called Pillars of Leadership. The students had spent time in class thinking about courage. Over the past few years I have had many people tell me that I have been courageous in the way I have handled my cancer. I have always been puzzled by it because I would never apply that label to myself. Then again, I had never thought about how one might define it. Luckily, I had some 5th graders help me with a definition.

Here's what they thought - Courage: "the mastering of fear and the willingness to act in spite of it." They also added this: Things You Need in Order to Be Courageous: 1) Relax 2) Believe in yourself 3) Act according to your beliefs (don't give in to peer pressure) 4) Realize you are not alone. To their definition we discussed whether or not you could master fear or just be willing to acknowledge and accept your fears and then act in spite of them. I also added a couple of things I thought you needed to be courageous - 5) be honest and 6) be open to the unknown and growth.

I had a great time in their class! They asked great, intelligent questions and were great listeners. I can tell there are 22 leaders prepared to face anything they encounter in the 5th grade and beyond. I know that I am richer for the experience and now feel like I will recognize courage in myself and others more readily. (Plus, they thought my Trek posters were cool - I felt a lot cooler than I felt when I was in 5th grade!)

-Jen

PS. Remember Groveland 5th graders: Run Your Own Race and always be honest when someone asks "How are you?" I hope to see some of you as future triathletes!

October 23, 2007

63 Days

An announcer on my radio morning show announced this morning that it was only 63 days until Christmas. What????!!!! I checked my calendar - yup - it's still October. The leaves just started changing thanks to our unseasonably warm temps this month. My kids still haven't decided what to be for Halloween.

Last week I was shopping in a store that will remain unnamed. In a bizarre time warp feeling moment I was able to browse all the Halloween/fall decorative items on my left and also shop for a fake Christmas tree and all its trimmings to my right - all within arms reach.

I don't need the last quarter of the year to be all wrapped up into one big holiday extravaganza - a sort of Happy Hallo-Christ-a-Thanks-mas-iving. While it would save time if my kids could dress as Santa for Halloween and go house to house trick-or-treating for a full Thanksgiving meal, I think we will take one holiday at a time.

Training and riding brings different things each season. For right now I'm going to continue to take advantage of the sunny days, cooler temps and great fall scenery while I am out riding. Enjoy what's right in front of you, not what is 20, 30 or 63 days ahead.

-Jen

September 26, 2007

Winner!

Yesterday I went for my first run since the Danskin triathlon. Right after the tri I got a horrible cold and spent most of last week connected to a box of tissues, a bag of cough drops and Day-Quil. So, I had myself committed to a 5 mile run yesterday. I should have known it was going to be trouble from the moment I woke up to a weather forecast projecting August-like East Coast humidity. But, I was committed. I went and silently cursed every step of those 5 miles. I knew (or at least prayed) I would feel some kind of pride later on (maybe after a shower) that I got out there and did it and didn't wimp out.

When I got home, sweating profusely, my answering machine was blinking. The message was notifying me that I had won an award at a local 5K race I did in August and that I had not claimed my award yet. I almost fell over laughing. Me - curser of every footfall in my run - a race award winner? Turns out it was actually true. I won 3rd place in my age group in the local Race for Missy 5K and got the cool bobblehead runner statue pictured here. I'm trying to not let it go to my head lest my head become as big as the bobblehead.

What makes the story funnier is that I have spent the last year and a half having to explain to my kids each time I do a race that I didn't win. Each time they ask - "But Mom, what place did you get?" In their world they only know 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Even at age 7 and 6 they understand that the podiums don't have room for 675th place. What is even harder for them to get (particularly Cameron who even thinks getting your pajamas on fastest should be a competition) is that I'm not doing it to win. In his young kid mind he can't fathom why I would even be doing the race when I know that I'm not going to win. He has persisted often enough with, "But Mom, maybe if you really try your fastest you'll win" only for me to answer, "No, no I won't but that's not why I'm doing it."

Having to answer their questions has really kept me grounded in the answers about why I am out there biking, running and swimming. No, I don't enter these races to win - nor do I enter them to lose. I just don't see it in terms as black and white as those. There is a lot of gray area to what it means to win. The fact that I can get out there and have a body that can feel the breeze, the water and the sweat makes it a win for me. Being able to take 10 seconds off my running pace is a huge win, never mind that it doesn't garner podium coverage.

Don't let yourself be fooled into thinking there is only room in the world for winning to be defined with a 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Sport wouldn't have much room for most of us if that's truly all that mattered. I'm a winner for the experience, the challenge, the completion of a goal. Sometimes it is wholly satisfying to have moved up to the 500th-something place. It's why I love finishers medals. I don't fall for the trap of "oh, they give that to everyone." They don't give them to everyone. Only those who dare to step up to the start line so that they can feel the joy of the finish line get to wear the hardware. Fortieth place, 600th place, 999th place, last place - I'm a winner.

September 24, 2007

Laugh Out Loud

On Saturday night I had the pleasure of joining fellow Trek Woman Laura, and her sister Jen, for the final performance of Trek Woman Susan's one-woman show. I drove down to Baltimore and met Laura and her sister for a quick bite before we went to the Theatre Project stage. It was a laugh out loud good time as we saw Susan sing, dance and entertain us. I am still marveling at how she can possibly do a full splits on top of a piano, carry on a conversation and sing a song - pretty much all at the same time.

While I was driving home that night I had some time to ponder all the things that made the evening great. I was able to eat, drink and be merry with new friends and laugh A LOT (all while wearing a very unique nametag). Just