Monday Brain Dump

on October 1, 2012
in All Posts

Thought #1:  Everything tastes better with pumpkin.

IMG_1883

Stovetop oatmeal:

 

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup water

Big dash of cinnamon

A sliced banana

1/4 cup pureed pumpkin

On top: Cashews

 

Thought #2:  They need to invent some sort of sensing device that tells parents whether a baby’s diaper is poopy and how poopy exactly.  Because you know what?  After a 2 AM feed, the last thing you want to do is take off a baby’s diaper because you heard a little toot, freak him out and make him cold, and discover it was a ghost poop.

IMG_1353

Thought #3:  SO CLOSE TO ROLLING FRONT TO BACK.  See above!  So close.

 

Thought #4:  While I am not sore from Saturday’s 5 mile race, I did wake up this morning with killer IT band symptoms.  (The IT band is a tendon that runs from your hip to your knee on the outside of your leg.)  I sleep on my side with a thin pillow wedged in between my knees, and I think one of the unfortunate side affects of pregnancy is that either 1) my hips are wider; 2) my joints are looser; or 3) a combo of those fun little facts, which results in my IT band being easily irritated.  Time to stretch-stretch-stretch.

photo 3 (2)

Thought #5:  Does not being sore after a race mean 1) you trained well and raced intelligently or 2) you could’ve tried harder?  Discuss.

 

Thought #6:  My neighbor, who has triplets that are gestationally Henry’s age (they had Henry’s due date but were born two months earlier) WON a half marathon this weekend.  Yes, a women who just had triplets WON a half marathon.  Talk about serious dedication and overall awesomeness.  Whatever potion she’s drinking – she should package it up and sell it.

{ 45 comments }

 

  • Courtney @ Journey of a Dreamer October 1, 2012, 9:19 am

    wow. I’m impressed by # 6!! Crazy!!

  • Natalie @ Free Range Human October 1, 2012, 9:25 am

    Wow! I’m in awe of your neighbor! That is super impressive!

  • Hannah October 1, 2012, 9:27 am

    I just always did the old-fashioned sniff test– gross, but effective.

    Nicole looks painfully thin in that photo; I hope she’s not ill.

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 9:32 am

      Naw, she’s fine.

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) October 1, 2012, 9:29 am

    People like your neighbor totally rock my world! I love hearing things like that! Definitely stretch, stretch and more stretching. I used to slack on that, but now that I’m running, I no longer slack on stretching! I hope you have a great week Caitlin!

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More October 1, 2012, 9:30 am

    You know, I ran my first race yesterday (a 5k) and followed it up with an additional 2 miles to meet my 5 mile training run and I’m not really sore. My knee is a bit cracky but I think some stretching will put me in a good place. So could I have gone harder? Maybe. I finished 5th in my age group which definitely makes me wish I pushed just a BIT harder to place…SO CLOSE!

    • michelle October 1, 2012, 4:40 pm

      Congrats on your first race! Way to go!

  • Ruby Leigh October 1, 2012, 9:32 am

    In regards to Thought #6…. I mean really – who are these people anyway?

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 9:33 am

      Crazy superheroes?!

      • Kristy October 1, 2012, 11:19 pm

        Seriously.. Because normals humans don’t even get out there and WALK a half marathon (or compete in a triathlon…he give yourself some credit). But WIN it? That’s insane.

        • Kristy October 1, 2012, 11:20 pm

          hey*

  • Shelly October 1, 2012, 9:38 am

    I typically don’t get sore after races until I hit the double digits. I think that what limits my speed in shorter races is my cardiovascular system so I don’t think that my legs staying fresh means I’m not giving it my all. On the other hand, for more endurance type events, my cardio is fine, but my legs wear out by the end!

    • Kathy October 1, 2012, 11:05 am

      I am the exact opposite! For endurance races, my lungs give out way before my legs do. I enjoy short sprints more than long distance, though. Maybe try sprint training? How do you train to improve your lung capacity because I need all the help I can get! 🙂

      • Shelly October 1, 2012, 1:45 pm

        Honestly, I think yoga helps my lung capacity a lot. I find I’m able to breathe much more deeply at the end of a class than at the beginning, at any rate. As for increasing it over distance, I think you should practice running more slowly for a longer way and just slowly work your way up and once you can run as far as you want, then incorporate in some speed trials to begin running faster over that same distance.
        I could probably do some more speed exercises personally. Aside from the occasional Fartlek when running with friends, I never sprint! 🙂

    • Margaret October 1, 2012, 1:05 pm

      I’m the same as Shelly, my speed in generally limited by cardio, not my leg muscles, so I’m rarely sore after single-digit runs. But after my half marathons, it’s hard to walk 24 hours later!

  • KatieTX October 1, 2012, 9:38 am

    To thought #2 – my grandma sticks her hand in the diaper to see if its poopy…I guess that’s how it was done back in the day. You can guess the unfortunate side effect of using this approach.

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 9:42 am

      hahah that is too gross for me. i hate getting poop on me.

  • Army Amy* October 1, 2012, 9:42 am

    I think not being sore means that you were well-trained! Even if you could have gone harder, no point in worrying about it now since the race is over.*

  • Amanda K. October 1, 2012, 10:00 am

    I think being REALLY sore means you raced faster than you trained. That’s usually what it means for me anyway. (Like, once I was so sore after a half marathon that I FELL DOWN THE STAIRS. I ran 9 minute miles and trained MUCH slower…)
    But I think just being moderately sore means you ran a good, hard race that you were ready for — who’s NOT sore after running hard?

    • Carina October 1, 2012, 1:52 pm

      I think this is exactly right. If you actually race a 5k, you should be sore afterward. Same as if you race a marathon. Right now in marathon training, I can run a quick-for-me 5k, but it’s not close to my 5k race pace and wouldn’t leave me sore, but if you’re actually training for an event and RACING it — which means pushing yourself as hard as you can, going for a PR, not just running at a planned pace, or running to finish — you should be sore. Or at least that’s what I think!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats October 1, 2012, 10:21 am

    Is sleeping on your side like that bad for your IT band?? Lol because that’s how I sleep and I have IT Band issues all the time!

  • Rachel Starr October 1, 2012, 10:27 am

    To #1: your adoration of pumpkin is always so strange to me. I hate pumpkin! And cinnamon. Just…blech. But pumpkin seeds? Can’t get enough. I’ll destroy 6 pumpkins just to roast the seeds.

    #2: the good ole fashion sniff test works for us. My son is a little older now so we can, uh, feel when he’s pooped.

    #5: you trained perfectly if you’re not sore! That’s awesome!

    #6: no words. How do people do that???

  • Life's a Bowl October 1, 2012, 10:47 am

    I totally agree with #1 and #6 blows my mind- that’s amazing! Were they training throughout the pregnancy?!

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 10:48 am

      no!

  • Hayley October 1, 2012, 10:52 am

    I was thinking your Thought #1 right before I started reading this post as I dug into a bowl of pumpkin peanut butter overnight oats!

  • Carrie October 1, 2012, 11:27 am

    I think that if you are not sore, a 5 mile run/race is your “comfort zone”. I just started reading your blog (as I loved your book — The Healthy Tipping Point). I look forward to reading your words and advice!

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 11:49 am

      Thank you for reading my book!

  • Jess October 1, 2012, 11:40 am

    Lmao #2 been there

  • Mary October 1, 2012, 11:47 am

    Do you have any suggestions for IT band stretches that actually work? My hips are always so sore and achy. I think I’ve tried most of the stretches but just maybe you have a couple of “magic” ones??

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 11:50 am

      Have you tried Stretch #2: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099

      • Erin B October 1, 2012, 12:30 pm

        I use a foam roller and roll my IT band. Tight from my dancing days. I start at the hip area and roll down to near the knee. NOT to the knee though. If that doesn’t help you can always use a tennis ball.

  • Michelle October 1, 2012, 11:49 am

    I’d love to read a guest post from your neighbor! And if she says that she runs while pushing all 3 kiddos in a stroller, I’ll die. 🙂

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 11:50 am

      haha no, she does walk with them in a three baby stroller but no running (they are too young).

  • Sheryl October 1, 2012, 12:20 pm

    #6 – Oh. Em. Gee. I bow down to her. That is crazy awesome and impressive! (Also, if she has the time to train for that, she has a rockin’ support system in place too!)

  • Laura @ She Eats Well October 1, 2012, 12:29 pm

    Um she won the freaking half marathon? That is ridiculous and wow, amazing. How inspiring!

  • Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut October 1, 2012, 12:35 pm

    Fun fact: I’m a triplet! Although…my mom did not run a half marathon after giving birth, let alone with the race! She did, though, only gain about 30 pounds during pregnancy, which I think is pretty amazing. (and kind of crazy!)

  • Lisa October 1, 2012, 12:50 pm

    That’s cool about your neighbor! Good for her!!!

  • Coco October 1, 2012, 1:00 pm

    Hahaha.. Ghost poop.. I often wonder the same thing about DOMS.. most of the time when that happens to me I think maybe I didn’t push myself hard enough.. like it really doesn’t make any sense that I wasn’t sore otherwise.. In some cases though I’ll get REALLY sore when I didn’t even push myself at all (like when I’m leading fitness or yoga classes) It seems like the recovery process really makes a difference.. If I’m refueling correctly and resting enough it makes all the difference- less soreness!

  • Lauren October 1, 2012, 1:07 pm

    Couldn’t agree more with you on thought #1! And congrats on your race this weekend! I think I must have missed that you were racing but so glad to hear it went well (despite the IT band issues.)

  • Morgan October 1, 2012, 1:17 pm

    You’re neighbor is a superhuman! That is seriously incredible. Just thinking about triplets makes me feel absolutely exhausted.

    For #5, I think it really has to do with a combination of things. I practice Bikram and while I give it my all every single class, the next day is always different. Sometimes, I feel sore but mostly I don’t. It all depends on my hydration pre and post class, what I ate and how much I moved my body in the previous few days. I don’t think you can really pinpoint exactly how you’re body is going to react. And if you’re not sore that doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t push hard enough.

  • Katie H. October 1, 2012, 1:29 pm

    Wow! That’s amazing about your neighbor.

    As for the soreness–I am always surprised by when I do and don’t get sore. Sometimes a run that feels really tough, or that I push myself hard, leaves me with no residual soreness. Other times, I’ll run an easy five and be sore for days. Discuss that one!

  • K @ Finding a skinnier me October 1, 2012, 1:35 pm

    I am really amazed by # 6.. how cool!!!!

  • Gillian Forsyth October 1, 2012, 2:23 pm

    #5 – you trained right. If you train right your race should be a victory lap. You shouldn’t be any more sore than you feel while training.

    • Caitlin October 1, 2012, 2:24 pm

      nice!

  • Lindsay @ Fuel My Family October 1, 2012, 3:44 pm

    I ran a 5 K saturday and my lgs were not sore (my shoulders were from pushing my double stroller!) so i felt disappointed I didnt push myself harder. Especially considering I know I didnt train for it so i wasnt super well trained!

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