TTT

The beginning of this week felt like it was dragging but here we are again at Thursday!!  Here's your weekly dose of randomness!!

Softball Girl...Yesterday our oldest started playing softball.  It was her first practice of the year!

We have been practicing with her in the yard but of course this is much different.  It was very hard for me at the practice not to jump in and start helping out/coaching, but I promised my husband that I wouldn't get out on the field....you know 9 months pregnant and all...details!  I have mentioned it on here before but I played softball for over 15 years through college.  My springs, summers, and even winters were all about softball...travel teams, scouting, indoor teams...and I LOVED it!  It has been hard to not play!  I was excited when our daughter said she would like to play!  I thought she did great for her first time out there!  I did find myself making mental notes about drills we could do at home with her hitting and throwing...I couldn't help myself!  Rome wasn't built in a year and neither was Jennie Finch so I am trying to be a patient softball mom!!

I feel like if I show that I'm too excited then she may lose interest!  Maybe I'll just have her watch the College World Series with me coming up!!

Strength Training...Earlier this week I was listening to an AMR Podcast about the benefits of strength training for runners. It was an interview with Michelle Olsen and it was really interesting!

She gave a lot of tips on how to work in essential moves to help with stabalizing your body and to get the most benefit for your running.  I know that it is common for people to be either or...either they just run or they just lift.  I came into runner, especially distance running from a different angle.  As a teenager I ran to get in shape for the sports that I played.  Even soccer I played because it was fun but also to stay in shape for softball!  Running just to run was very foreign to me.  Additionally I lifted weights...especially legs...to help keep any injuries that I could possibly get away since all they say to catchers is how bad their knees are!  Thankfully my knees are good and my quads are too!  You can see then that when I started running just to run, that strength training was always present as well.  Even when I was training for Boston I still logged 3-4 days of strength training along with my miles.  As I get older and time is a premium, it obviously has become harder to ensure I get in strength training but I know I feel so much better when I do.  What do you do for strength training? 

Tired...Now that the weather is getting warmer and there are days when it isn't raining, we have been going out straight!  The girls come home and head directly out the door.  We've been at birthday parties and play dates.  We've been trying to do as much as we can as a family of 4 before we are a family of 5!  It has us feeling a little like this these days...

Last week mini-chickie passed out in the car multiple times which is rare for her....Miss I won't stop because I might miss something!  It has also led to some cranky ladies but I'm sure in a bit they will adjust to the increase in activity....it's at least making bedtime a lot easier!