The deMented Mom

With a vengence I might add. It's been a struggle, I won't lie. I have taken to logging my intake with an App on my iphone called 'Lose It' . Wow, if you haven't yet taken a couple of days and written down every single morsel that you shove into your gob hole, I highly recommend this humbling experience. Who knew that a single restaurant meal can add up to over 1200 calories or more? I have clearly been kidding myself about how much I've been eating. So, the mystery of the clinging weight has been solved...now it's up to me to try and get a handle on my intake. I am into Week 4 of my 1/2 marathon training and despite having to RICE after every run due to ongoing grumblings post-injury, it's starting to feel fantastic. I forgot how much I NEED to run. Not only do I need that endorphin rush, but with summer vacation (read: all four kids home all day), crappy weather, and a house that is seriously on the verge of being condemned by the health department, ge...

My husband just recently took up running. I guess the 'if you can't beat, join it' mantra became too much for him to resist. I have a running partner already. She has been with me from the very beginning when I was retching on the side of the road after my first 10 minute run (I'm not shitting you). We've been through days and nights of training that involved weather so freaking cold that I thought my nipples would pop off. We've slogged through the rain, the sleet, the snow, the fog and now the heat of summer. We've never let each other down, always showing for that scheduled run no matter how busy, tired, hungover or cranky we were. And now my husband wants to run with me...and just me. With four kids, two dogs, a household to maintain, and my new obsession with running, there really hasn't been that much time or energy left over to devote to our marriage. I have to give him credit. He's always been supportive and accommodating. Even when I w...

Image via Wikipedia I ran the 5k Twilight Shuffle in Chemainus last night and lived to tell (barely). My time wasn't great but I am standing by the assertion that this was due solely to the fact that I am 'rehabbing' my stress fractured leg. In that spirit, I ran with my 8 year old daughter. Thinking that this would force me to keep a slow pace AND take many walk breaks, I completely underestimated the Energizer Bunny that is Cam. Anybody who has a young child knows that 'keeping up' with same child is a marathon in and of itself. Instead of taking it easy last night, I ran 30% faster than my tempo pace and had to practically beg my daughter to take one minute walk breaks, lest my leg completely snap in two. Looks like I'll be back to water running and cycling for a bit longer. Lesson learned. I think we have a new runner in the family.

Well, tonight we shall see if I have rested this darn stress fracture enough. Training for my next 1/2 marathon starts tonight with the Running Room and while I am really looking forward to finally getting back out there, I'm terrified that my leg hasn't fully healed and I'll be faced with the prospect of putting my running on hold longer than I had anticipated. I've dutifully spent the last few weeks doing everything but lace on my Mizunos and let me tell you, my family is probably more eager to see the ass-end of me running out the door than I am. I am such a BITCH when I don't get that daily run. Biking and swimming just haven't cut it I'm afraid. I'm not sure what it is about running that seems to screw my head back on but I know that I'm not the only one who needs it like a drug. If anyone has any suggestions/ideas to ease the transition, I would love to hear from you. Happy Trails everyone!

So,I got the new Wii game EA Sports Active . It's one of the new fitness games out there that are supposed to justify time spent on gaming rather than the important stuff (like laundry?). Anyway, I'm really going stir crazy not being able to run (see below) and having the attention span of a six year old, I need to add new sh*t to my fitness regimen all the time. I have a couple of these fitness games, one of the first being Wii Fit. I was on the waitlist for that sucker for a couple of months before I finally scored one. It's been fun, but not quite as challenging as I would like. So, when I read about the 30 day Challenge for EA Sports Active, I had to check it out. Well, I've done it twice now and HOLY CRAP! It's super easy to set up. You just plug in a few numbers such as height, weight, and age; design a funky Mii (avatar); and voila, a personalized training regimen is put together for you. You have the option of taking the 30 Day Challenge or tailoring your o...

So, being 42 has definitely proved a challenge when it comes to getting in shape. I have been running steadily for one year now. I have competed in two 10K's, an 8K, a couple of 5k's and a 1/2 marathon in that year. My body has now decided that maybe I've been a bit ambitious. I have my first stress fracture of the lower tibia. How cool is that? Does this mean that I am officially a RUNNER? I now have battle scars to prove it too! Now what? I was not prepared for this screeching halt to my running career (temporary though it may be) and in the two weeks I've been sidelined, I've watched my weight begin the insidious creep that tells me I need to DO SOMETHING. So, just to keep me honest and on track, here is my plan: Monday: Pole dance class Tuesday: 20K bike Wednesday: 20k bike Thursday: Strength work and water running Friday: 20k bike Saturday: water running Sunday: Strength and bike with family Here's hoping my appetite stays relatively stable and I can resis...

I'm not going to do the standard "but I exercise regularly" thing. But seriously, WTF?? I get on the scale everyday--usually more than once a day. Yes, I know that's a bit excessive but it's my OCD, what can I say? Anyway, as I've been obsessively weighing myself, I've been watching that scale keep up ever so slowly until-POW--I'm now up 10lbs since starting my 1/2 marathon training in January. Obviously I'm eating too much. But I'm damn hungry. I run five days a week; bike two days a week; pole dance once a week; and strength train 2-3 times a week. Can I help it if I don't crave carrot sticks and tofu? Give me the beef, pasta, and bread. It could have something to do with the nightly glass (or three) of red wine. But heck, I only drink it for the healthy anti-oxidants. So what's a gal to do? I don't diet. It just doesn't work. Tell me I can't have something and I'll eat four of them. Basically it comes down to this...e...

I love my Sunday runs. There's nothing better; seriously. Non-runners shake their head when I tell them that I'm out of bed at 5:30 Sunday mornings so I can refuel and rehydrate in preparation for my LDS (long distance slow) run. Believe it on not, it's one of the most relaxing things I do for myself during the week. Running with a bunch of like-minded (some would say dumb-minded) women, chatting and laughing while running away the week's stresses is a treat that I look forward to. We talk about our errant children, our demanding jobs and our (mostly) understanding husbands. Each week at least one of us is having some sort of mini-crisis that is talked out and figured out by the end of the run. I really believe that running with a group is beneficial, even mandatory in so many ways. Not only do I get my socializing top-up, I also have a version of group therapy that not only keeps me running even when it's the last thing I want to do, but also supports and encourage...

I just crawled came back from an hour long run. My second run since completing my first half marathon on the 3rd. Yes, it's taken me that long to recover enough to put on another pair of sneakers and venture out the door. I'm 42, give me a break. Anyway, as I'm huffing and puffing my way up the hill (it's uphill both ways of this run..WTF? Don't ask me, it's some sick joke city engineers have been playing on us runners) I'm thinking "Why am I doing this? I can't breathe, I stink, people are giving me that 'look' as they drive by". That's when it dawns on me, running is like child birth-- you suffer through the torture again and again (if you're really stupid or fertile) because it feels so darn good when it's all over. After childbirth you have this little bundle of love and joy-wait until they're a teenager but that's for another post. After a good long run, you have this feeling of euphoria not unlike that glow y...

I just added this blog. I don't know why. It's not like I have a ton of time to be doing this and it's not like I am the most prolific writer with a ton to say. However, I find myself at this time of my life suddenly giving a shit about my health. It's dawned on me in my 43rd year that I can no longer take my body for granted. It's not quite as forgiving as it was when I was in my 20's and 30's. Hangovers are a week long rather than a day; I can no longer 'jump' out of bed in the morning for fear that I will land flat on my face due to mysterious aches and pains that have suddenly appeared...I swear I woke up with them on my 40th birthday..wtf?? Anyway, I think I'm going to use this blog to keep me honest. If I publish what I have or have not been doing then hopefully my innate fear of looking like a twit will keep me on track. I make it sound like I'm a newbie to this fitness thing but in reality I'm not. I've been running regu...

I just added this blog. I don't know why. It's not like I have a ton of time to be doing this and it's not like I am the most prolific writer with a ton to say. However, I find myself at this time of my life suddenly giving a shit about my health. It's dawned on me in my 43rd year that I can no longer take my body for granted. It's not quite as forgiving as it was when I was in my 20's and 30's. Hangovers are a week long rather than a day; I can no longer 'jump' out of bed in the morning for fear that I will land flat on my face due to mysterious aches and pains that have suddenly appeared...I swear I woke up with them on my 40th birthday..wtf?? Anyway, I think I'm going to use this blog to keep me honest. If I publish what I have or have not been doing then hopefully my innate fear of looking like a twit will keep me on track. I make it sound like I'm a newbie to this fitness thing but in reality I'm not. I've been running regularly ...

It's funny. My mother and I have not had what you would consider the healthiest of relationships over the years. In fact, she has only met my youngest two children a couple of times and has only been to my home once in the ten years we have been here. It's a long story and one that may come out in dribs and drabs in this blogger expedition but I had to comment on this most ironic of situations. Despite this awkward, distant relationship, my mother forwards 'those' emails--the humorous, the touching, the chain letters. You get the idea. Well, the last two emails she sent me stuck with me in a way that surprised me. I have provided an edited version of one of those emails below. I'm not sure who is responsible for these words of wisdom and I truly hope they won't be offended by the liberties I have taken to change a few words here and there to more accurately represent moi. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I'...

All I can say is, I've had better days...and it' only 9:45am!

I just crawled came back from an hour long run. My second run since completing my first half marathon on the 3rd. Yes, it's taken me that long to recover enough to put on another pair of sneakers and venture out the door. I'm 42, give me a break. Anyway, as I'm huffing and puffing my way up the hill (it's uphill both ways of this run..WTF? Don't ask me, it's some sick joke city engineers have been playing on us runners) I'm thinking "Why am I doing this? I can't breathe, I stink, people are giving me that 'look' as they drive by". That's when it dawns on me, running is like child birth-- you suffer through the torture again and again (if you're really stupid or fertile) because it feels so darn good when it's all over. After childbirth you have this little bundle of love and joy-wait until they're a teenager but that's for another post. After a good long run, you have this feeling of euphoria not unlike that glow ...

I wasn't sure where this blog was going to take me...or for that matter, where I was going to take this blog. I have spent an inordinate amount of time over the past few weeks surfing around from blog to blog trying to get a sense of what it is that grabs us by the balls (so to speak) and makes us return again and again, anxious to devour postings made by other people not unlike ourselves. What is it about looking into the window of other people's lives that so fascinates? For myself, it's a relief to know that I'm not the only mother who occasionally (ok, frequently) asks myself how the hell I got here--two marriages, four kids, two dogs, three cats, and a guinea pig later. At the risk of bringing down the wrath of mothers everywhere, this life is NOT always magical, fulfilling or exciting. If I could do it all over again would I? To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. My eldest son (15) is on the Autism spectrum , one of the consequences of which, he can not to...

Why didn't anyone tell me how hard this would be? I think Dr. Laura might have mentioned it a few times...don't divorce, don't date if you have minor children, and for god's sake don't remarry until they hit the age of majority. OK, so I didn't do any of the above and sometimes, I really think Dr. Laura is up in the corner of my room pointing that finger at me saying "I told you so". What do you do when you have four children and two pairs are from different fathers? They're all from my loins so technically they are all the same right? But at times I have to admit that I feel overprotective of my children from my first marriage. After all, my children with my current husband have an intact family and both of their parents under the same roof. My other kids must cope with infrequent visits with their father who has relocated to a new province; who is recently engaged to be married; and who has a two year child with this new fiancee. I don'...

I thought this pic would be a great thing to present for my first attempt at blogging. I think it sums up my parenting skills beautifully. Which is really sad to say but nobody could accuse me of not having any insight. This is my life. No kidding. I found this sweet little note on my pillow the other day. It took me a moment to absorb the message and then another moment to decide whether I was pissed or not. Turns out that my sweet little six year old son left this delightful love note for me. To put this in context picture a three foot tall red-headed demon seed with a head so large that every time I look at him I hear that line from the movie So I Married An Axe Murderer. The kicker is that he left his sister's initials to implicate her and take the heat off of himself. After I realized that, I couldn't be mad. I had to hand it to the kid; very clever. I think he takes after me ;-)