Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Size does matter sometimes and the "Walking" police

Is it August yet?....No?  Crap....
I love my boys more than anything.  I love them no matter what.
I do not LIKE them when they fight over the air that they breath.  It is driving me nuts.  They are just 18 mos apart so they should get along perfectly...yeah not so much.  My older one has decided he is his brother's third parent and my younger son is not having it.  His solution?  To punch his older brother on the nose.  I cannot say I blame him for being mad but I am not a fan of the hitting part.

They are taking swimming lessons this week.  I got a really good deal for private lessons, it was buy one get one free.  Cannot pass on that.  Is it me or all swimming instructors are good looking guys...not that I am complaining or anything :)  It is like they are coming out of GQ Magazine or something!

I am heading back home in a few weeks and I went shopping for clothes.  Now I hate shopping.  I had to go because most of my clothes are too big again.  I am OK spending $ on running clothes because I use them every day but regular clothes...it does not matter much to me if they are old or too big but I do want to look OK while I am visiting my family and friends..I  do have some pride in me! :)  Went to Old Navy and tried on some summer skirts. 

 I first picked up the MEDIUM size..put it on and it fell on the floor!  So I went down to Small.  It was OK but it looked funny so I tried the XS just to see and that is the one I bought!  Extra Small.  That is crazy for me.  I used to wear XL..sometimes even XXL.  I would never had to try a smaller size on..it was always a bigger size.  This skirts may be made bigger than normal..I don't know.   XS is not my "normal" size.  It is when I buy clothes like that, that I realized I have come a long way from being the sad gal who was sitting on the sofa with 2 babies letting herself go not knowing how to get back to who she was before being a mom.  Because of that, that day size did matter.   It reminds me that I  am healthier, stronger and happier.  Not because I have a skirt with a XS tag in my closet...because of what it represents. 

Speaking of skirt, I have a Gym Girl Ultra Skirt by Skirt Sports for sale.
It is black and size MEDIUM.  I wore it 3 times.  Paid $65 plus tx, selling for $30 including shipping.  If you are interested let me know. 



Just one more run to do before my 10th half marathon!
Have you ever ran a race where walking is forbidden?  It is at that race. 
Not just no walkers allowed.  NO WALKING.
They even have a "walking police" on the course; a car who will stop and "evaluate" situations where runners are walking on the course.
On the website it did say no walkers allowed and that runners must keep a 13 min / mile pace but it did not say no walking allowed for water or for people who use the Galloway method.  Now some people are freaking out on the Facebook page and are not happy to learn they actually have to run the whole thing.
This is a downhill race and I think I understand the no walking rule, it would be dangerous to have many people stop to walk while others are flying down the hill.  I am pretty sure they will not pull the people who are stopping to grab water at the stations out of the race.  This should be interesting.   Have you ever ran a race with a no walking policy?


22 comments:

Kate Geisen said...

My older boys are 18 months apart, and I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. Oh my gosh...they drove me crazy when they were little. And some now that they're big, too.

Very cool about the changes you've made!

Corey said...

First, I have to say, that is a super cute skirt! You will have to share pics of you wearing it!

I have never, ever heard of a race saying that no walkers are allowed! That is crazy! But I guess I can understand it! What if you get a cramp or something? I guess it is good motivation to keep running though, right?!

Kathy said...

That's bizarre - I can't imagine they would harass anyone taking a walk break - just trying to avoid people walking the bulk of the race ... I hope!
I've got a boy and girl and they just egg each other on - I've arranged for separate summer programs to split them up part of the week - good for sanity!
Hoorah on XS! You earned it!

XLMIC said...

I've never heard of that! That seems kind of nuts to me.

The kids thing...all. the. time. My middle two seem to be at each other constantly :(

Boston Bound Brunette said...

I have never heard of the "no walking" rule. That is kind of scary especially if you are not feeling well or simply need a break to catch your breath! Good luck on your race!!

Unknown said...

I find that clothes at Old Navy usually run "small". Hmmm....you've come a long way. Lucky that you can shop at Old Navy, too. Do you find the skirts too short because you are tall? I have that problem as well.

Tricia said...

The no walking rule seems a bit extreme -- but if they were up front about it. But geeze, the pressure. That would totally be the run I'd die on and need to walk. Just because I couldn't.

RockStarTri said...

My girls are 21 months apart. They war in their own way.

I think the walking police is a bit silly. If they say you need to keep a 13 minute/mile pace (which is their right as long as they are clear about it before people sign up), that is something enforceable. For example, Disney requires a 16 minute/mile pace since they need to get everyone off the roads to open the park. The way they do it is by having a bus at the mile markers. If you don't make the cutoff, you are on the bus for free transport to the finish line. Cruel, perhaps, but effective.

Terzah said...

My twins fight a lot, and my daughter (believe it or not) is the one who hits. But they also play together a lot (and thus leave me alone), so I mostly stay out of their fights. If they bring me in, they know they'll get separated and sent to their rooms.

My sister and I are 18 months apart and I remember a lot of fighting with her, too. Now we love each other.

I hate shopping, too, but I might like it better if I wore XS. :6)

Amy @ Juice Boxes + Crayolas said...

Walking police??? That is craziness! I guess I understand the downhill issue and totally understand the time constraints, so the race isn't "walker friendly," but still! I use the Galloway method so I'm walking every three minutes or so, and can maintain well under a 12 minute pace! I'd be afraid to do this race for fear of getting pulled off by the walking police!

The Unexpected Runner said...

My boys are 26 months apart. Yes they fight and the younger one certainly knows how to push all the older ones buttons but they also get along ok. Not best friends or anything but they do think highly of each others opinion. I can turn myself blue in the face arguing with the younger one & all it takes is a word from his brother for him to be convinced. It has gotten better as they get older.

Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner said...

That's a strange policy! I understand why there is a time restraint but it shouldn't matter how you get there - walking or running or a combination of both!

Gracie said...

Cute skirt - it made me want to grab a few fun summery skirts myself! To wear with my Dansko clogs at work. yeah right.
That no walking policy is completely new to me! I wonder why? I understand the time limit for various reasons, but the no walking is just strange. Have an amazing race and visit home!

Anonymous said...

I could shop for running clothes ALL DAY, but have a really tough time to buy something to wear for work. I wish I could wear dry-fit all day :)

The walking is a little over the top. I understand they don't want walkers they walk the whole race, but you can't stop people from walking during water stations or even when they don't feel good! That's ridiculous!!

Jill said...

Very cute skirt, you will look adorable in all your xs skirts :). You've come a long way with your weight, you so deserve to celebrate your huge accomplishment by getting some tiny sized clothes! I hope you have a fantastic time home in Canada. I'm sure you will :).

My boys are TWINS and they fought all the time at that age (well, more so late elementary/early middle school)...not physically but verbally. Drove me insane! But they do grow out of that stage and I bet they'll be best friends again soon. Mine aren't there yet, but they definitely don't argue like the used to!

I get where the RD is concerned about walkers, but I've never heard of enforcing it. They should just enforce the 13 minute /mile rule and if they can't maintain that pace, THEN they are done with the race. Many people can run/walk a 13 mm pace. Crazy!

macnic said...

The no walking is a crazy pants rule that I doubt would ever happen here as most races are Running Room supported and they teach the Run 10 min, walk 1 min method (is that Galloway?). It really seems a bad policy. I have walked to take GUs and I'd be pissed if I got kicked out for that. Screw the downhill, any runner knows that when you're stopping to walk, you put your hand in the air, pull over to the right and then walk. I actually would reconsider that race if it was me, TBH. And for a half, I do tend to run the whole thing including GU breaks.

On the Right Track said...

Iv'e never heard of "walking Police" before...sounds kinda discriminitory to me!

The summer skirts are adorable and "cool" if you know what I mean. Kuddos to you for keeping yourself in such great shape, you should be proud!

The boys? I have 3...and they don't fight much, or for long...but when they do...waaatch out!

good thing for boys they are over it in a matter of minutes and playing with each other again ;)

Good Luck!

BabyWeightMyFatAss said...

I've never heard of a walk police. sigh. I get it but I also get that some people who do races who walk don't follow protocol or understand that they should move to the side and should not walk four abreast. Now I do walk when I run but I am very cognizant of the people who run it straight through. I know of a walker who did a half recently in record time at under 12 minute pace.

And my kids are 20 months apart. Summer is going to be hard. Today was the first day of vacation and I'm pretty sure it will get worse!

Christina said...

Ack! I think I would freak a bit with those rules, ha ha! I try not to walk much other than for my gel/water moments, but if there is a forbidding rule, I would probably stew on it. Many many good luck wishes to you on this race and congrats on the increasing high count of half marathons under your belt! :-)

I am going through the same thing with clothing now too. Nothing ever fits right anymore and I have no idea what size I really am. I am now buying most of my clothing in the Juniors section. Good lord!!! I feel like a fool, a pushing 40 year old in the Twilight and Hunger Games fans clothing sections, ha ha. But, it is all that fits now. It's very hard because you have to sift through obviously 16 year old styles to find something this 38 year old can wear without looking absurd. And forget all of those loosey flowy tops that are all in style now. They look like tents on me and make me look pregnant. My look lately is Nike fashion and the Juniors section. Nothing else works!

Big Daddy Diesel said...

I am ok with the rules, I always read everything about a race before I sign up, I would have seen the no walking rule and just moved on, I know I cant run 13.1 non stop, plenty of other races out there that I can do at my current ability

Teamarcia said...

Oh gosh the fighting. My girls are 4 years apart and fight like cats. But then they're so sweet. Go figure. I've never heard of no walking. Can't wait to hear how it went!

Lindsay said...

old navy runs a little big sometimes, but i've never been remotely an XS!!! that is exciting! :)