A Morning Run?

I'm not really sure if you can call what I did this morning a run or not.  It was "cold"  (by next year, I'm guessing I won't be using quotation marks, but don't worry Rockstar Tri I will definitely seek an intervention if the Marquis graces our driveway) this morning - 48 degrees.  In my running shorts, my legs were really cold while I got the kiddies in the car.  So I decided to go to the Y. 

I had to laugh a few minutes ago because I read another blog where they were finding a way to do their run because it was in the 20's and there was a lot of snow on the ground, so they too went to the Y.  I guess for Florida, this is sort of the equivalent of that.  The Christmas forecast has rain, which is like a White Christmas around here - it's snow, just melted.

Anyway.  The Y.  I hate the treadmill.  Not just a little bit of hate.  I. HATE. IT.  I think it's why I hated running all those years because in Atlanta I was so allergic to the smog (per my doctor that's why every time I ran outside during the spring or summer I would have an asthma attack), that I could only run on the treadmill.  There is no scenery and as the treadmill's nature, you don't go anywhere.  What is the point?  How is that fun?  For, me it's not.  If there is someone who likes the treadmill out there, please explain what it is that you like so I can try to find it too.

So, I decided it's Christmas week why not give myself a little present and run on the elliptical machine instead?  I seem to run slower on the elliptical machine though.  I'm not sure if that's true or if it just feels that way because it's a slightly different position.  I put the incline on the highest level that still allowed you to work all of the muscle groups like you do when you run.  And I set to work.  I did the 1st 7/1 Galloway on the elliptical but without holding on to the handrails except for the 1 minute walk when I really slowed my pace.  But I felt like I was just going too slow, so I switched to the treadmill for the next 7/1 and decided I really could not take the treadmill today.  It wasn't too hard (which I was slightly fearful of since I didn't really get to train at all last week), but it sure wasn't fun.  So at the end of that 7/1, I went back to the elliptical so I could have a more enjoyable run.  Once I finished the 45th minute, I stopped.    Between all my machines, I did 4.0 miles in 45 minutes.  Not the fastest, but not too shabby.  11:15 average mile pace.  I figured for using the elliptical machine, that wasn't too bad. 

But now I'm wondering if it really counts as running?

I think it does because it's cardiovascular and used all the same running muscles (not to mention I had to keep my core relatively tight so I could balance since I wasn't using the bars to rest my arms on and used them like I do when running), and it's pretty close to the pace that I tend to fall into when I do longer runs. (Not that 4 miles is all that far, but hopefully you know what I mean.)  Of course, it doesn't put as much pressure on your joints and stuff and there's probably more resistance when you run on the treadmill.  Well, I'm going to say it was a run.  I think.

In other news, they didn't take out Mom's drain yesterday because she's still having around 40mL of drainage a day.  So, they're not coming over for Christmas and don't want us to come there (not even for the day) because they say it is too much for them to deal with and that we all need to rest.  I can see their point this time around.  It will be Mr. Darcy, the Little Ladies and I for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then the Darcy Seniors will come after Christmas for a couple of days.  I am plotting to shake sleigh bells outside of the girls' bedroom window around midnight (or after we get the battery powered, age appropriate pink motorcycles put together that the Darcy Senior Santas provided for Christmas - whichever is later).

Last night I made the Mexican Wedding Cake cookies and had to fend off Ladybug from the Polish Ginger Cookies I made on my lunch break yesterday.  She wanted to decorate them with icing and sprinkles, which might be fun but wouldn't taste too good.  Ladybug did help roll some of the Mexican Wedding Cake cookies, but she was also taken with the Strawberry Shortcake Christmas video that her godmother and godfather sent her so when she realized that all 3 dozen cookies were already rolled and she had only done about 3 she was a little upset at first.  I told her that she was watching tv so I had to do them.  She was okay with that at least.

I also made the dough for the sugar cookies that we're going to make tonight and refrigerated it.  I hope it didn't dry it out.... if it did, we'll have to make another batch of dough and chill it.  The idea of having to endure 20-30 minutes of dough chilling with little girls who want to bake and decorate the cookies is not overly enticing.

This morning Angelfish came running into the bedroom after Mr. Darcy had woken her up and I was finishing putting on my running gear. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! I want to stay home with you all morning and play with you and Daddy this afternoon."  The poor child thought it was Christmas Eve already.  We're letting them stay home tomorrow while I work until 1:30 and Mr. Darcy gets off work around noon.  Day care closes at noon, so we figured this would let me get off on Thursday at 1:30 instead of 2:30.  If I can find the wireless password, then I can even be in the same room as they are tommorrow... let's hope some little Christmas Elf (hint, hint Mr. Darcy - if you're reading) can help me with that.  Otherwise it's me in the office at the front of the house and them in the play room.

I took the girls shopping for Christmas presents last night (MR DARCY CHRISTMAS GIFT SPOILER ALERT - SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH).  The things they want to buy for people are definitely what they really want for themselves.  Angelfish wanted to buy Mr. Darcy "lipstick" (watermelon flavored chapstick) that was in a green container because "green is for boys."  Ladyfish at one point wanted to give him a necklace because as she said "some boys wear necklaces and some boys don't."  I agreed with her, but she finally relented that perhaps Daddy isn't one of the boys that wears necklaces.  Instead, they bought him a bright green mixing bowl, two I love Daddy picture frames so they can put pictures of themselves in it for him, and a tootsie roll ornament that has tootsie rolls inside (I tried for the Laffy Taffy one because Mr. Darcy likes Laffy Taffy, but they said hot pink was not a Daddy color.)  They also found a Superman t-shirt when we were walking around looking at things and decided that Daddy needed it.  I asked if Daddy was their Superman and they said "Yes, but he doesn't fly." It almost brought tears to my eyes.  I always thought of my Daddy as a superhero too.

They also bought each other presents, which was really funny.  They sat there in the dollar section picking out different things and showing it to each other and saying "I'm getting you this for Christmas but it's a surprise. Do you like it?"  My favorite exchange like this was when Ladybug decided she was getting farm stickers for Angelfish, showed them to her and said, "I'm getting you these farm stickers for Christmas because they are soooo cute.  I hope you like them!"  and Angelfish answered "I love them.  It is so sweet of you to do that for me!"  The trick is to wrap all the presents tonight between the time I pick them up from daycare and before Mr. Darcy gets home from work.  We'll have to have dinner a little later tonight, and it may be a sandwich night because I'll be cooking up a storm tomorrow night and a bit on Christmas Day too.

On the fashion front, Angelfish decided today that she was anti-jeans. "No jeans for me!" she told me.  So she is wearing pink tights with a green t-shirt that has a picture of a really cute cartoon reindeer wearing a scarf. The only saving grace is that the reindeer's striped scarf has a stripe the color of the pink tights in it.  Then she's wearing light pink socks that she pulled up so they go over the ankle cuff of the tights ala 1980's style, and a hot pink beaded necklace with a red and white beaded bracelet that has a pink heart.  She is quite the little thing.  Ladybug opted for a blue ruffled skort and a light purple long sleeve shirt that has a silver pear on it, light blue socks and her black "party shoes" as she calls them.  Oh and don't forget the turquoise blue headband.  I remember seeing kids in really mismatched clothes before I had children and used to wonder why their parents let them out in public like that, and now I am the parent who just thinks "oh well. I didn't have to fight to get them dressed this morning, everything's covered that needs to be covered, so now I'll just have to hope people realize they dressed themselves."  The best part of all is that they think that they are hot stuff!

Mr. Darcy and I are planning on having lunch today - a little bit of time alone before the family time of the coming week.  The girls will be home all next week and Mr. Darcy is only off next Monday, Tuesday and Friday, so it will be an adventure in both life and getting my training done.  I'm trying to think up some fun activities for us to do during the day Wednesday and Thursday... riding the motorcycles that Santa is bringing will be part of it, I'm sure!

That will be a run of a different sort - even from a run on the elliptical machine!