Santa Cruz Wharf to Wharf

I signed up for the Santa Cruz Wharf to Wharf 6 mile run this summer. I'm excited, but a little nervous. I've mostly just been walking - a lot - but mostly walking - and I want to at least jog the majority of this race. I still have a few months to train for it, so it could happen - either way, it's a great excuse to escape the heat and head out to the coast this summer, don't you think?

Exercise Log

Monday – Treadmill for 5 miles

Tuesday – 2.5 miles on the treadmill + 20 minutes of Eliptical machine level 3/2 distance of 4… I’m thinking maybe it’s kilometers. Blisters from new shoes. L

Wednesday – off

Thursday – 5.5 miles on the treadmill. Blisters. L

Friday – 5.5 walking around the neighborhood in my hiking boots

Saturday – 4 miles on the treadmill in the morning + 5 mile stroller walk with Toby and Oliver = 9 miles total

Sunday – 3 mile stroller walk with Toby and Oliver

Total = 34.5 miles

35 pounds lost

Anthony's 4th Birthday Party

We went to our friend Anthony's 4th birthday party yesterday. They had a pinata, cake, trains to play with, and the boys played T-ball outside. It was a lot of fun.

Toby Learns How to Shoot Hoops

A Rainy Day at the Bounce House with Matina and Anthony

Matina and I were going to take the boys for a stroller walk along the river yesterday, but then it rained, so Matina suggested that we go to the bounce house in Elk Grove instead. It's actually called "Laguna's Awesome Party Place", but it's best known for it's giant inflatable bounce houses. Toby and I hadn't been there before yesterday, so it was a real treat. My favorite part was watching the boys shoot hoops and play air hockey! Super fun.

Matina and Anthony going down the slide

A Weekend in Exeter, Fresno, and Clovis

We visited my mother-in-law this weekend in Exeter and she watched Toby so that Oliver and I could go to the movies. We haven't had a date night in almost six months, so it was pretty great. Unfortunately, it's a long drive now. I think that time spent in the car with a soon-to-be-3 year old should be measured in dog years. For example, 3 hours x 7 + what it really feels like. I sat in the back with him on the way back and that helped a lot. I don't like sitting in the back because the seat belt cuts into my neck, but the whining was a lot less, so ultimately, it was well worth it.

Are we there yet?

We went to a Vegan restaurant in Fresno and stopped in Tom's Trains across the street. It is a model train store run by a man who can talk your ear off about trains if you give him the slightest opportunity to do so. We learned a lot about model trains. If you are ever in the Fresno area in need of Vegan food or model trains, I'd recommend the Loving Hut and Tom's Trains, across the street, any day. We went to see Avatar at a theatre in Clovis and it was awesome too.

My mother-in-law dressed Toby in this orange and blue polyester get up that used to be Oliver's when he was a baby.

And look who's hiding in the baskets on top of the refrigerator!

In the morning, we went to the Whistle Stop Cafe for breakfast in Exeter. They have model trains running throughout the place.

Louise and her boyfriend Mike at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Exeter

After breakfast, we headed out to Fresno and I met up with a few folks from the knitting group while Toby and Oliver hung out at Borders.

Then we went to Clovis to see our friends Dee, Orlando, and their son, Marco, and daughter Sarah. I gave Dee and Sarah a re-fresher course on knitting while we were there too.

It was a fantastic weekend.

Today is going to be a lot less exciting in comparison. Today, I have a lot of laundry to catch up on and grocery shopping to do.

The weekend goes by so quickly, doesn't it? Aside from the driving part, that is. ;o)

Pictures to follow...

We went to Exeter and Fresno this weekend, and I have a bunch of photos to upload - so stay tuned for pictures and a post about this weekend's adventures.

In the meantime, even though I ate junk food on the road with Oliver this weekend - A Taco Bell 7 layer burrito minus the cheese and sour cream is Vegan, right? So is Subway's Veggie Delight sandwiches without the cheese and mayo, right? Not the steamed kale and brown rice I eat at home, but... somehow, miraculously, the weight loss continues. I have lost 32 pounds so far.

I have not been counting calories, but I've been keeping a daily milage log to track my fitness progress. Here's this week's log, in case anyone isn't bored to tears by this kind of thing:

Monday – treadmill 1.5 miles + Eliptical level 3, 40 minutes, distance of 7, whatever that means. (20 minutes on the Eliptical, 20 minutes on the Treadmill, 20 minutes on the Eliptical.)

Tuesday – 5.5 miles on the treadmill @ Golds Gym + walking at the mall = estimated 6 miles total

Wednesday – 5 mile loop + 3 miles on the treadmill = 8 miles

Thursday – 5 mile loop + 2 mile walk to mom’s club meeting

Friday – 6 miles

Saturday – off

Sunday - 1 mile of walking + 4 miles on the treadmill.

Total: 1.5 + 6 + 8 + 7 + 6 +5 = 33.5 miles and 40 minutes of an Eliptical machine.

"I'm a sock. I'm a sock. I'm a sock." Sock Puppet Show

The Gym/Kid's Club

My new friend from the mom's club in our neighborhood has a son who is just a year older than Toby. We have all become friends and hang out together once a week now. She has a membership to Gold's Gym in Elk Grove and invited us along today.

I left Toby at a daycare for the first time since I tried to go back to work when he was 5 months old. I worked out with my friend - in the middle of the day - for an hour and a half.

I was shaking when I left him and my friend had to repeatably reassure me, that, no really, this would be okay.

When I came back to get him, the woman told me that she could tell that he wasn't used to babysitters or daycare. She said that he had a really hard time for the first 20 minutes or so, but then he seemed to really enjoy himself. She said he didn't want anyone anywhere near him at first, he insisted he didn't like bubbles, toys, or watching TV - and was pretty miserable - but then he was fine. She said that he'd probably have a tough time with it for a few more times, but that ultimately, he'd probably have a lot of fun --- and I suppose that, ultimately, it would be healthier for both of us - but, boy did I feel guilty leaving him.

The gym is a huge sea of workout equipment, a juice bar, and an Aveda salon and spa. The treadmills are amazing - with a built-in fan and a TV, the time just flew by. I talked to my friend most of the time, but still got 5.5 miles in on the treadmill.

It was pretty awesome.

I totally want a gym membership now.

A Park in Folsom

Rumor has it that Folsom is one of the safest suburbs of Sacramento - so we've been sort of courting it as a possible future place to move to, once our lease runs out in August -- and, also just exploring Folsom for the sake of exploring or new digs.

This weekend we almost checked out the shopping outlets in Folsom.

Toby fell asleep on the way, and a fight broke out in the parking lot between two families - cursing and hitting each other in front of their school-aged children. Very classy folks. My husband/hero - physically wedged himself into the middle of it and broke up the fight.

Then we got back into the car and drove to this park instead.

Can you believe this guy will be three years old next month?!! Three years old! Unbelievable.

I've lost over 30 pounds... so far.

I've been following a Dr. Joel Fuhrman "Eat for Health" weight loss / lifestyle inspired, whole foods, vegan diet for a few months now - and I've started jogging on the treadmill. Weather and child permitting, some days I go for long stroller walks with Toby during the day and spend the evenings cooking - mostly steamed vegetables, soups, and oil-free salads. Using "map my walk" (thanks again Justina!) I've mapped out a 4.5 mile loop to the park a half mile from our house, and ends up being 5 miles round trip.

Yesterday was the 50 mile mega-marathon in Sacramento. I've jogged and walked the equivalent of a marathon this week - I can't imagine doing twice that in one day - but you got to start somewhere, and even one mile is better than sitting at home on the couch, right?

Monday – off (Vegan dinner with my Dad)

Tuesday – 5.12 jogging on the treadmill

Wednesday – walked 6.44 miles (5 mile loop + green slide park)

Thursday – 5 mile walk (5 mile loop)

Friday – 5 mile walk (5 mile loop)

Saturday – day off - Family time during the day, and Oliver's night out.

Sunday – 5 miles jogging on the treadmill

Total 26.56

Easter Train Ride

The train museum has some old trains that they run in the Spring, Summer, and early Fall. Train rides are free for train museum members, but we haven't been able to take advantage of it until now. This weekend they started it up again, and we all went for a ride!

All aboard!

Dances with Wolves? No, Jogging with Pitbulls

Last night I achieved my goal of doing 5 miles of a combination of walking/jogging/and running in an hour.

Before that I have been doing 4 miles - sometimes a little less, every day, with a day of rest every few days.

Last night I did 5 - or 4.9 something --- but I'm calling it 5. Close enough right?

It was a busy day so I didn't get to the apartment's fitness center until 9 pm, an hour before they closed.

At 10 pm, I'm jogging on the treadmill at mile 4.9 something, and all of a sudden the door opens. An unleashed pitbull enters the room and I hear a man call out "closing time" or "time to leave" or something like that. I don't remember what it was he said exactly, but the point was made loud and clear with the introduction of the pitbull alone, and I was out of there in seconds flat. They don't mess around. But that's my excuse for leaving at mile 4.9: the unleashed pitbull exception.

I over did it though.

I went back home, played around on the internet for a while, and then I took a hot shower. I was hot and sweaty, and when I was getting out of the shower everything started to go dark and I almost fainted. I had to lie down on the bathroom floor. I think I must have been dehydrated. Oliver got me some water and that seemed to help.

Anyway, I'm two pounds away from being able to say that I've lost 30, but I may need to take it down a notch and work up to my goals at a little slower pace - and make it to the gym a little earlier in the evening, next time!

Fariytale Land Eggstravaganza

We went to the egg hunt at Faiytale Land this morning.

Toby, is admiring another boy's Easter egg basket in this picture - can you guess why? It's Thomas the Train, of course!

The kids got to collect eggs, and then exchange them for a gift at the end. Toby got to choose between candy, or a small thing of bubbles shaped like a bunny rabbit. He choose the bubbles, and LOOOOVED them. He insisted on holding it, and then spilled the bubble solution all over the carpet though, and I wasn't a fan of that. Of course, it is just soap, so maybe I should get him some more sometime. I'm thinking, next time, though, we'll blow bubbles outside.

Toby and I have been to Fairytale Land, but it was Oliver's first time. I think he had fun too.

A picture of my "boys" at the cutest men's room I've ever seen.

Toby, going down the rabbit hole.

And coming out the other side.

Bunnies, bunnies, and more bunnies

Toby liked seeing all the bunnies, even the giant Easter Bunny, but he thought the larger than life Humpty Dumpty was scary. I didn't get any pictures of him, but he was a little creepy looking. I thought he was a giant baseball with a baseball cap, but I was informed that it was Humpty Dumpty. The whole place is based upon classic children's stories.

Toby went down the slide at Owl's House this time. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures or not, but it is a really high climb, and then you go down a really steep slide! I was super impressed.

The boy is fearless... well, except for Humpty Dumpty, but you can't really blame him for that.