Night Runs

Now that autumn is officially upon us, I'm running (Hah! Get it?) out of daylight for my runs. As hard as I tried, I'm just not a morning runner yet. Between the Things' constantly evolving schedules and the need to get ready and out the door for work, there's just not enough time to try to squeeze a run into my mornings. Plus, the Things are definitely at their best in the mornings! They're alert and happy, they want to cuddle and play and laugh, and I don't want to miss those times if I can help it. When they're surly teenagers, I'm sure it will be easier to get out the door in the mornings. Right?

So, that leaves me with the post-baby-bedtime hours for my runs. Totally no big deal in the summer, when it's light FOREVER. I could head out for a 3, 4, 5 miler after 6:30 bedtime and be fine! All of a sudden, though, I'm noticing that it gets hard to see the ground in front of me by the end of my runs. I don't want to run on my trail anymore, in case there are creatures more dangerous than deer and squirrels in the woods. (Hubby thinks there might be coyotes, and I know for a fact that there are skunks.) I've been wearing my bright yellow cap with lights on the brim for the past week or so, but it's getting dark enough that it's just not cutting it. You lose something of the joy and freedom of running when you have to stare directly at the ground in front of you to make sure you don't trip over anything.

Last night, I may have found a solution to my problems. It turns out there's a local fitness center that has an indoor track that's free to the public! Admittedly, it's only 1/8 mile, but it's inside (where I don't have to worry about the weather, marauding skunks, traffic, etc), it's well-lit (no more tripping over my own feet), it's open late (so I can get my runs in on my own time), and everyone always talks about how good tracks are for speed work--maybe I'll get to try that myself! I managed 4 miles last night pretty well. Sure, I was bored, and I may have lost count of my laps more than once, but I had my music to keep me occupied, and my Nike+ app to tell me how far I'd run. In my mind, it beats running on a treadmill, since I can generate my own wind on the track. I'm supposed to do 6 miles tonight--that may be stretching my ability to run in a circle without going crazy, but I'm gonna give it a try!

I have to say: I'm pretty proud of my training efforts so far! I've only missed one run, and that was for the birthday festivities, so I won't feel bad about that! I think I'm doing a good job of pushing myself hard enough, but being smart enough to not hurt myself. It's definitely harder training this time, since I'm feeling pretty worn out already (thanks, babies!), but I'm working through it and getting my miles in. I have absolutely no idea what to expect with my half next month (YIKES!), but I know I'll be able to get through it. I don't know whether to shoot for a new PR, or to set a safer goal, since this will be my first real test since the babies. I'm afraid to admit it, but I've been training at similar speeds to my October, 2012 PR, so I'm wondering if a PR might be in reach. Mostly, I just want to run and have fun, and feel better about the race than I did last time I ran it. I've been doing lots more hill work than last time, so I'm hoping to be a lot stronger on the nasty hill at mile 9 (that sucker almost made me cry before). I want to run strong, run smart, and maybe run fast. Sounds good, right?

For the Things' first birthday, we had some pictures taken by a professional photographer. We got some

We're so cute!

great pictures out of it, including this gem:

The Things were a little...difficult during parts of the shoot, but I think it turned out well. It's still hard to believe that they're so big, but I'm proud and amazed every day that I get to call these beautiful babies mine.

Keeping Busy!

Well, things have been a little busy recently, so we've got some catching up to do!

We are currently a mere 11 away from the Things' Birthday! I can't believe it! My babies will be turning ONE is just 13 days! It's totally crazy to think about, and it seems like the past year has gone by so quickly. Our pediatrician says the twin parents he knows have a dazed look and don't really remember the first year. That's not true for me. I remember the first year, and all the awesome stuff that has happened so far. Admittedly, the year has absolutely flown by, and I do find myself wondering where it went, but it has been filled with so much fun, and so many new experiences for all of us.

So much fun at the park!

Since the last update, we had a great visit with my family in Indianapolis. There were ball pit balls, swings, a visit to the park, and lots of family fun! The Things really enjoyed themselves, and we were excited to celebrate Aunt Sarah's birthday and their 11 month birthday over the weekend.


The next weekend, we celebrated Hubby's Grandma's 90th birthday. The kids got to really play with their (second) cousins for the first time, and it was awesome to watch! Thing 2 in particular fell in love with the big girls, and loved following them everywhere. She had so much fun that she actually slept an extra hour longer than usual the next morning!

And, what have the things been working on recently? Well, we have two essentially free-standing babies! They will both let go and stand on their own for a few seconds at a time. Thing 1 likes to do it while clapping. Clearly, he's very proud of himself! We're also working on our walking. They've both taken a few steps at a time on their own. It's so cool to watch them figure all of this out together. It's so amazing to see them interact and play together. They both like to give hugs now, and they're figuring out kisses. For Thing 2, it involves her 6 teeth, and tends to hurt! I'll be glad when she figures out the difference between kissing and biting, and I think

Oh, I also got Thing 2 her first tutu!

Thing 1 will too! These have to be the sweetest, most adorable babies in the world, and we're so lucky to have them both!

I'm keeping up with my training for the half marathon, and I'm so proud of myself! I haven't missed a single run yet! I'm almost halfway through the training, and still going strong. I honestly have no idea what my goal for the race is going to be. Part of me thinks I'm getting strong enough that I could set a new PR, but I'm not entirely sure. Today, in particular, was just a crappy run. It was my first 10-miler of the training, and it was BRUTAL! But, I survived. Sometimes, you just have to get through a run and move on to the next one. So, that's what I'm doing with this one: moving on, and trusting that the next will be better!

Our big plans for the long weekend include a party and hanging out together as a family. It will be a great way to end a fun summer!

When I Grow Up...

I've officially made it through my first week of half marathon training! Yay! I'm sticking with the same 4-run-per-week schedule that I've used before. It worked well for me in the past, so I'm hoping for more of the same this time. I'll admit that I haven't been the best about fitting in cross training in with my running, so my goal this time is to do better about that. I'd like to be more well-rounded in my fitness approach this time around.

But, enough about that--let's move on to what I really want to talk about this time!

Yesterday's training run was a 2.5 mile run. That's a distance that I'm totally capable of running, even on a bad day. So, I was pushing myself a little, to get some speed out of the workout. I was feeling really good on the run, when I passed this little old couple walking down the sidewalk, holding hands. I said "Coming up on your left," and they scooted to the side for me, and they smiled at me as a blasted past, so I said "Enjoy your evening!" What I really wanted to do was go back and tell them that I want to be them when I grow up. I want us to be the little old couple who still goes on walks together and holds hands, even when we're old and gray. Better yet, I want us to be the little old couple that still runs races together. If I manage to beat Hubby in these races, that's okay too! :-)

Seeing that couple really made me smile, and helped keep me motivated for the rest of the run. It's nice to see such a simple act of love and companionship, when it seems so easy now for people to fly off the handle into anger at the little things. Hubby and I both have great examples in our parents and grandparents, so I'm not exactly worried about the status of our relationship, but I still love to see other people being so simply happy.

So, thank you, random couple I passed on the sidewalk last night! You gave me a moment of peace on my run, and gave me something to look forward to for when Hubby and I grow up. I'm looking forward to every step with this man!

I love reading with Nana!

In case you were wondering, the Things are doing very well. They've had 2 great weekends in a row: my parents and sister visited last weekend, and then lots of activities this past weekend. While my parents were visiting, we all went to lunch at a local restaurant (Hubby and I don't take the kids out to eat by ourselves very often, since it's a little stressful). Since we had the extra hands, we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves more. The Things had a great time trying our food, and did really well. They also love the new water/sand table Nana and Grandad brought. These are two little waterbabies, so we've come home more than once over the past week to soaking wet babies! We haven't added sand to the mix yet, since we know they'll just end up eating it. That will have to be a fun new addition for later.

Just chattin'

July 20th was Moon Day (Hubby's family celebrates the Lunar landing as another holiday). For their first Moon Day, the babies got their very own swing set! They both loooooooooove to swing, so it's exciting for them to have one of their very own. Hubby and his dad set it up on Saturday, and we're all looking forward to lots and lots of fun on it!

Saturday was also the housewarming/engagement party of my sister-in-law and her fiancee. The Things were definitely a hit at the party! They were just the right mix of friendly and talkative, they explored everywhere without getting into too much trouble, and only committed minor acts of thievery. (Thing 2 was so taken with another guest's sunglasses that she attempted to, well, take them. We didn't let her.)

I'm so happy!

We encountered another fun aspect of live with twins this weekend: baby wrestling. Recently, Thing 1 has turned into a cuddler. He loves to come over and throw himself on your arm, or leg, or whatever part of you he can reach, and nuzzle you. Unfortunately, his nuzzling frequently involves him smashing his face into your nose--not too comfy, but it's so cute that I don't mind too much! He's also taken to cuddling Thing 2, but she doesn't like it as much. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he basically tackles her, knocks her flat, and then lays on top of her... Either way, it usually ends with her crying, but she's learning to fight back. She has teeth, and he doesn't...let's leave it at that....

So many snuggles!

Anyway, we're all keeping busy over here, enjoying the nice weather and trying lots of new things. I'm constantly amazed at how busy every day feels, when we don't really do all that much! I know as the Things get bigger and bigger, we'll be able to enjoy even more with them, and I'm really looking forward to all of the firsts we have coming up! In the meantime, I'm relishing every little hug and kiss and snuggle I get. These really are some special kids!