Lifestyle

Wow. It’s been a while, huh?

I haven’t written in this travel and running blog because well, I haven’t been traveling or running. Since my last post, we’ve finally met our little bundle of joy! July 11th this little peanut decided to join the real world after about 44 hours of labor! Yikes, is right.

Since then, it has definitely been a life change around here (not to mention the lack of sleep). I was on maternity leave from work (my main job) for about a month. During that time, I was learning how to care for this little life and work on our business, Golden Mountain Guides (because when you own your own business you can’t really take time off) AND recover myself … it was a bit of a challenge, but I really did like only taking care of my family and helping run our business.

Sorting some files while holding the baby because he didn’t want to be set dow!

During my month off, the most difficult thing was feeling cooped up but not feeling well enough (or put together enough) to get out of the house. I desperately want to start running/exercising again but wasn’t recovered. I also just wanted to get out and do something, ANYTHING, but didn’t always feel like going through the hassle of getting the baby together and everything that goes with that ready. I still am really craving a trip to the mountains, hiking, camping, hot springs …. basically something outdoorsy; we just haven’t had the time.

Then, mid-August, I made it more of a challenge by going back to work at my main job the same week that cross country season started.

Despite all challenges, we have been trying to adjust to our new life and have been taking small adventures out of the house… to breweries for example, where I can finally have a beer – or half a beer – and to small local festivities like the Buffalo Bill Festival in Golden.

As August finishes up, I’m still trying to make it all work and figure out how to work and take care of the kiddo! It’s definitely taken some creative thinking to get some hours in!

He fell asleep on me and I didn’t want to put him down, so I worked while holding him.

To pick up where we left off…

May
-Track season finished off with a handful of athletes making it to the state competition and the end of season banquet
-I continued to work at my main job and timed a race
-We took birth classes to get ready for the little one
-And we were showered with love at or baby shower(s); one presented by Ben’s Sister and my Mom and the other by the 3W Team of Ambassadors. We felt very loved and spoiled (well, Layton was spoiled)

June
-June brought weekly baby appointments as my due date neared
-I timed a race and race directed my last race before maternity leave (which was very challenging on my body).

This is what I looked like most days during the last month of pregnancy

July
-We started playing the waiting game.
-July 4th was my due date and when that came and went, I grew restless (and finished about 5 different cross stitch projects).
-I tried to work (and make some money) but was so caught up from all my preparation, I barely had anything to do.
-Finally, July 10th at 2am, labor started…and stopped….started again…and went and went and went. To save you ALL the details, basically labor started, paused, started again, and we finally went into the hospital 30 hours after contractions started to see what was going on and make sure all was well. I was admitted and labor augmentation was tried to see if we could speed things up.
-July 11th, we were admitted to the hospital around 11am and baby decided to finally arrive at 10:54pm.
-We were showered with love and tons of visitors during our two-ish days at the hospital and went home on July 13th in disbelief that we were now responsible for a tiny little life (that came with no instructions!)
-Since then, we’ve been figuring this thing out. Everyone talks about it, but you really don’t understand the sleep deprivation until you actually experienced it yourself. I have never been more tired in my life but I’ve also never been happier in my entire life.

August (in progress)
-I got two more weeks of paid maternity leave and then needed to go back to work (or we wouldn’t have any money to feed ourselves)
-Cross Country season started and we have about 40 kids on the team this year – and I have been promoted to HEAD COACH this year!
-I just race directed my first race since being back (August 25th)
-We have three cross country meets this month to start off the season
-Layton is growing and growing and gets to come with me to work a lot!

We’ll see what the last third of the year brings us… hopefully a vacation! 🙂

Well, my monthly update posts didn’t continue from 2018, but I’d like to keep my blog as updated as possible….

While this blog is supposed to a focus on my lifestyle with racing (running in general) and wandering (travel), this year hasn’t brought much of either of these things. However, 2019 is bringing a lot of different type of adventures, one in particular! This July we are expecting a baby boy to join us in this crazy household – whether we’re ready or not. 😉

If you missed my announcement from my end of the year post, SURPRISE! Yes, I am pregnant! We know it’s a boy and his due date is July 4th! We are busy preparing for this little one while stressing about what life will become and the changes to our jobs, finances and more. It has been quite a stressful start to the year trying to figure things out, get the house ready (yes, it’s still a construction zone around here), all while balancing my many jobs. With all that, I haven’t been writing in my blog, barely have been posting to social media, and haven’t had time to hang out with many of my friends socially.

As for running…
While there are tons of strong women out there that run all through pregnancy, that has NOT been in the cards for me. Frankly, it just feels weird for me and kinda hurts, plus my heart rate goes from 65 to 130 instantly (which isn’t a great thing for pregnancy)! So, as much as I imagined being that super cute, running pregnant lady, alas, I am not. I see lots of happy running women on my Instagram feed and they make it look so easy! But for me, it is just not working.

For the first half of pregnancy, I didn’t have much “morning sickness,” just a lot of nausea, and was trying to exercise regularly between walking, the elliptical and weight training, but as pregnancy progressed (and my work schedule got 100x more busy with the start of track season) I have not been exercising as much and it has been hard to start back up. Nevermind the fact that I am SO TIRED and UNCOMFORTABLE! In the past few weeks I have been trying to walk more and get some hikes in to stay somewhat healthy and as to not have to start from ground zero after the baby comes (because I do want to get back to running as soon as I can – I miss it).

As for the travel part of this blog…
That has also not been in the cards for us for a while; since last year really. We haven’t been able to take much time off with all our jobs, and with home renovations, pregnancy, and finances, it’s been pretty tough to get in any type of travel, even small local trips. We did get a chance to go to Florida for a wedding (thanks to Ben’s family) and snuck in a trip to Epcot, Disney World.

And for the rest….
Yes, I am still working three jobs (helping Ben with our own business, Golden Mountain Guides, marketing and race directing for 3W Races, and coaching high school track and cross country.). It was a tough end of the year in 2018 and into 2019 for Golden Mountain Guides as we try some new pricing and marketing things, but we’re figuring it out. My other main job has some troubles I won’t get into on this blog and track has been a little more stressful this year than it should be….but we’re making it through! We still have our priorities in sight and our minds on our goals and are working every day to keep positive! No matter how stressful homelife is and finances are, we know that it will get better as long as we keep working on it and wont give up.

The first third of the year was not how we expected 2019 to start, but we’re working through!

January:
-I worked every weekend day this month.
-Between timing and race directing (sometimes both on the same day!), that was 9 separate running events I worked. Woof! That was tiring.
-Pre-Season Track also started this month.
-I also got to attend the CHSCA (Colorado High School Coaches Association) clinic and listen to some cool speakers.

And a lot of those races were FREEZING cold to work!

February:
-The weekend working streak keeps going through February until the last weekend.
-We do get to go to Florida! Ben’s family helped us travel so we could attend his cousin’s wedding!
-While we’re there, we get to sneak a day at Disney World and we went to Epcot! We also visited the beach, Disney Springs, the town of Celebration and play some putt-putt golf. It was a much need break after working so much the previous two months.
-The end of February marks the official start of the Track season!

March:
-The running job scene starts to slow down this month, and I only work four events this month.
-Track season is well under swing and the meets start to ramp up!
-I get to hang out with some of my family members that involve dinners and maternity clothes shopping!

Sometimes this is want coaching looks like

April:
-We like to call this “angry April” in track because there are a TON of track meets.
-I race direct one event this month.
-And have lots of Golden Mountain Guides meetings.
-We celebrate both my birthday and Ben’s birthday
-And we also get to celebrate Ben’s sister new addition with her baby shower!
-Then, right at the end, Ben and I are both a part of our friend’s wedding celebration. We get to be part of bachelorette and bachelor parties, a bridal hike, rehearsal dinner and a wedding ceremony in the snow!

As we get into May, I’m a little over two months from baby boy being born and growing more and more nervous (as well as literally growing more and more). We are working on finishing up the nursery and getting prepared at work for maternity leave.

As for the blog, for now, you can probably expect random, sporadic posts, info on how pregnancy, work, and our house is going and probably posts that I have started and never finished as I go through my drafts folder of this blog! I hope you all stay along for the ride, even as Racing and Wandering turns into Less Racing and Wandering and adventures with a kiddo!