Building and another new baby (soon)

Been a busy few weeks here in the fitdad household.  We listed our house at the end of May, were under contract in 3 days and closed on the sale June 28th.

We officially became homeless that day and were graciously taken in by my in-laws until our new house is built in October.  We are building with Ryan Homes here in Pittsburgh so expect to be bombarded with posts along the way as we build.

I have been seriously negligent in posting regularly but life has been terribly hectic and given the opportunity to blog or be outside with Noah and the family I will always take the latter.  

We have been doing some of this:

Constantly this:

and, I have squeezed in a few of these:

Grampa has strong affection for ice cream so I think I am going to be doing much more running in the coming weeks...Who can say no to grampa and ice cream...I can't.

Then again if Christine gets around to having a baby in the next few weeks I am going to be doing more feeding, changing, and sleeping than running.

In that case if I continue with my ice cream habit I am going to be a fair bit more Fat Dad in the coming weeks.

Stay Hydrated and get outside!

Thanks for reading.

The Moments,

"You will never have this day with your children again.  Today is a GIFT.  Breathe and notice.  Study their little faces and feet.  Relish the charms of the present.  Enjoy TODAY...it will be gone before you know it." -Jan Hatmaker.

The moments we have with our kids are fleeting.  Sure the long nights seem like they drag on forever, the temper tantrums frustrate and annoy us but really when it all comes down to it we love our kids.  Part of me wants them to just stay young and innocent forever, part of me can't wait to see what they will become.

I take a fair amount of photos and videos of my kid, (ok who am I kidding...it's excessive).  But I make sure that when I am taking those pictures that I am not missing out on the quality time I need to spend with him.  I don't want my kid to grow up and think my face looks like the lens on my Canon.  Most of my photo shoots with Noah when he is posed in an outfit mom picked out last all of 20 minutes.  I wait until he is asleep to edit the pictures and the rest of my time is dedicated to "Daddy Noah time."

I consider myself pretty lucky because I don't have a job that requires me to travel.  I may work long days, but I get just as many days off in return.  When I spend the day with my son we spend the whole day together.  We play chase and hide and seek.  We play with trucks and trains.  We read countless books and we sometimes nap on the couch.  We eat together and we learn together.  Sometime I learn as much from him as I hope he learns from me.

Noah is slowly picking up the pace when it comes to talking.  He has a handful of words that we understand and the rest is just babble.  But the other day while playing in the tub I caught this video of him that I had to share.   If you have ever seen Mickey Mouse Clubhouse you will know what he is saying...even if you haven't I think the video is pretty adorable. 

It's the moments like these that i don't ever want to forget.  These are the moments I could watch on replay in my head forever.  They never cease to make me smile.

A Sad Day for Running...and our country.

Finishing a marathon is an accomplishment regardless of whether you are first or last.  Runners regardless of speed are a surprisingly tight bunch.  We get each other, we understand why we run, we all understand joy and suffering we feel in a race.  Many of us feel a connection to each other as soon as we know that another "runs."  Today that connection makes many of our hearts heavy and saddens us.

I am sure you have already heard about the absolutely cowardly act that was committed at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  I don't need to go into details about how terrible this act was or how my heart breaks for anyone killed or injured by such a cowardly act.  I hope that the authorities find who did this and make him/her pay for their cowardice.  Attacking innocent people is by far the weakest thing a human can do and right now my blood is boiling with anger and pain.

My thoughts and prayers go out to any and all affected by this tragedy.  The running communities around the world feel your pain, and are praying for you.

Today, when I saw the coverage what I really looked for was the people helping.  Those public servants as well as citizens who turned towards the explosion and ran to help.  Those are the heroes today.  The people who without second thought ran to those who could no longer run.  Many of our public servants (fire, police, EMT, etc)...will have a busy and tiring night ahead of them.  If you see them, thank them and offer them support...today they need you more than ever.

Be safe if you are in the city, and report anything suspicious to the proper authorities.

Ron

The Knee story, and my achilles (ugh)

Throughout my "athletic" career...mostly high school sports followed by limited activity in college I have been mostly injury free.  Aside from a broken wrist in high school, I haven't broken any other bones that I know of and my joints have been basically injury free.

When I first started getting back to running I was in sorry shape, my best description of that shape was blobular...or maybe roundish.  (Those are shapes right?)

My fitness level was probably a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10.  So getting back into the swing of things was definitely a shock to my system.  I had the usual soreness due to lactic acid buildup and using muscles that I had not used in years.  Once our mileage for the half marathon training began to ramp up I started noticing that my right knee really hurt on impact, like a sharp stabbing pain.  It got so bad that I actually broke down and went to see Dr. Stone at UPMC Sports Medicine here in Pittsburgh.  After a battery of tests he confirmed to me that I didn't have anything terribly wrong that a little stretching and physical therapy couldn't fix.

Basically as it was described to me there were muscles in my legs that were much stronger than others.  The stronger muscles were pulling stronger than the weaker muscles and then pulling my knee out of alignment, which in turn was causing my pain.  Dr. Stone asked me how flexible I was and how often I stretched after working out.  To which my answer was..uhhh I don't stretch much.  I think if he could have he would have whapped me upside the back of my head.

I took my new exercises home as well as a new stretching regimen and within 7 days the pain in my knee was nearly gone.   I resumed my half marathon training and continued on.

Since I started this new running program I am really beginning to test the extremes to which my body can handle a stressful workout.  I have been very diligent with stretching and adding to my overall flexibility.  The problem I run into is working 12 hour days on my feet.  I don't have a great deal of time  to stretch those days so I find that I am coming home very tight and strained.

About two or three weeks ago I noticed the pain returning in my knee around the same time as I was having some hamstring and calf cramping issues (while sleeping).  I took a few days off from running at the request of my coach and used the foam roller and stretched constantly throughout the day.  Within about 5 days the pain had subsided and things began to return to normal.  I eased back into a few runs and then resumed the more intense and long workouts.

Fast forward now to this past thursday, I was walking downstairs to the gameroom to squeeze in a speed workout while Noah napped.  I stepped awkwardly near the bottom of the steps and felt what could best be described as a twinge in my calf right above the achilles.  I didn't really think much of it and begin to warmup for a pretty intense progression run.  My goal was to run 4 miles at 8:00/mi pace followed by a progression of 7:40, 7:30, 7:20, 7:10...then warm down and stretch.

The first 4 miles felt ok, with occasional pain shooting up from my calf, but nothing consistent or serious.  By the end of the 7:30 mile the pain was a lot more frequent and by the end of the 7:20 mile every step sent a jarring pain up my leg.  I decided to heed coach Ross' advice and stop when pain like that happens because, 1.  I am not a hero, and 2. Pain usually causes you to alter your form therefore ending up with additional injury.

I struggled (more like hopped) up the steps, stretched and showered.  I walked around all day Thursday and Friday with quite a hitch in my get-a-long.  I continued to stretch and massage my calf all day on Friday.  The pain was only noticeable Friday when I would walk down steps or up hills.  I made a mental note to make a Dr. appointment Monday if the pain had not resolved.  I personally felt like this pain was again associated with tight muscles as opposed to an actual tear or more grievous injury.  I woke up this morning nearly pain free, still mildly noticeable when I walk down stairs though so I will continue to monitor myself and see a Dr if this persists.  I work all day Today, Sunday, and Monday so hopefully by Tuesday I will feel well enough to give an easy run a shot.  I am three weeks out from the marathon relay and I really don't want to miss this event.

So the lesson today readers?  Stretch.  Stretch A LOT!  Become more flexible and don't be a hero, if you have pain stop doing what you are doing and fix the problem don't just run through the pain and hope it gets better.  A good rule of thumb for stretching is 1 second for every year of age.  I try to do multiple stretches after every workout of each muscle group that was used during the workout.

If the pain lingers any longer than a few days or you cannot perform normal day to day functions without suffering it's time to go see a doctor.

Thanks for reading!  Happy Running!

Ron

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my fathers birthday.  Happy Birthday Dad!!

Growing up I think we all at some point revolt, push back, and fight our parents.  We as humans are growing up and growing into who we will be some day.  In that self exploration and development there is a great amount of revolution and turmoil against the establishment.  In this case, the establishment being my parents.  I am sure there are plenty of times where we clashed and where my anger spilled over into boiling teenage angst, only to be told just wait till you get older.  Wait till you have kids...

My parents are the loving supportive type that I am sure at the time were frustrated and angry at us for pushing back so hard...but at the same time forgiving enough to understand that we were kids and we still had a great deal to learn.

Life can be a powerful teacher.

Of course without my dad I wouldn't know the value of hard work, an ethos that he preached and practiced.  I wouldn't know the value of saving money (I think he might still have his communion money stashed away somewhere).  I wouldn't know the value of laughter and the strength of a strong family bond.  Without that I wouldn't be the man I am today, I wouldn't be the parent I am today.

Now that I have a child (soon to be children) of my own I find myself saying "I am becoming my parents..."  OR..."Man, I sound just like my dad."  I look in the mirror and see him telling me just wait till you have kids.

I may not have ever said it enough as a teenager dad, but even when I was a little sh*t and mouthed off deep down I knew you were right.  Deep down in my core I hated that you were right and now I look back and realize that I am glad you were so damn correct.  I am happy that you stuck it out and pushed us to go to college, you taught us patience, and also made us humble.  I am glad I had a strong male influence in my life to guide me and mold me.  Not many people are that lucky, for that I am blessed.

I hope some day I can do that for my sons.

Love you Dad, Happy Birthday,

Ron

(P.S. Sorry for causing you to have so much gray hair... :)

Happy Easter!

Good Afternoon friends,

It's been close to 2 months since my last post.  Life in the fitdad house has been very busy.  Preparations are under way for the new nursery for baby number 2 due in August.  Work has been insanely busy and run training has been taking up a good deal of my free time.  I have been seeing great strides in my times and mile splits.  This has definitely been a worthwhile endeavor!  The mix of recovery workouts and stressful speed and tempo workouts has reminded me of my days in high school running cross country.  My fitness level has improved drastically.

I have learned a very important lesson about flexibility, stretching and proper recovery as well.  I had a bit of a knee issue a few weeks back.  More on that in a future post.

Any additional free time I do have has been spent playing chase with Noah, building duplo castles for him to smash or playing with trucks.  Noah is all boy anymore, trucks, cars, trucks, and more trucks.  If it has wheels it gets driven around the house...heck if he can pretend it has wheels it gets driven around the house.  These past few months have been so fun with our little man.  He has such an endearing and wonderful personality.

Today we are going to spending our time with family enjoying the holiday and relaxing.   If you celebrate Easter I hope you and your family have a wonderful and happy holiday.  Enjoy the time with family and friends!

Happy Easter! Thank you for reading!

Week Three review.

It's been a hectic week and my running suffered a bit.  I was only able to get 3 workouts in this week instead of my recent 4.

-Thursday I had an easy 6 on the schedule 48:30.
-Friday was a 4 mile progression run with a 1 mile warmup and 1 mile cool down, I knocked out the 4 mile progression in 30:58.  (Started at 8:00 miles, very happy with this run).
-Saturday I was going to do 5 easy, but my legs were just feeling heavy and tired, so I opted to rest them.
-Sunday I did an "easy" 8 in 65:23.  At mile seven I was feeling whooped really had to dig deep to finish this one I did, and I am happy I did.

Now I am off to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins hopefully shellac the Washington Capitals and then catch the SuperBowl this afternoon.

Happy Running, Thanks for reading.

Valentine's Photo Shoot.

Haven't done a photo shoot with Noah in a bit.  Wife needed some pictures for the scrapbook...queue the cute outfit and nearly impossible to get to sit still kid.

Here are the photos and some of the outtakes.

Transformational Treadmill Run

Saturday's training block brought me to the transformational treadmill run.  That's just a fancy name for a run I did on the treadmill while watching Transformers Dark of the Moon.  Really all it entailed was running 8 miles on the treadmill because it was too cold to be outside running.

Transformational treadmill run 8 miles 63:50.  (barely sub 8:00mi pace..I'll take it!)

Bored out of my mind on this one, but happy with the result.

Progression Treadmill Run.

Thursday was my first Progression Treadmill Run ( I like to think of them as negative splits runs ).

I had 6 miles scheduled for today, here is how they broke down.

Mile 0-1 warmup (7.0mph)
Mile 1-2 Steady (7.4mph)
Mile 2-2.5 (7.5mph) -8:00 mile pace
Mile 2.5-3 (7.6mph)
Mile 3-3.5 (7.7mph)
Mile 3.5-4 (7.8mph)
Mile 4-4.5 (7.9mph)
Mile 4.5-5 (8.0mph)
Mile 5-5.5 (8.1mph)
Mile 5.5-6 (8.2mph)--10k pace (if we are estimating numbers)
I got really bored by about mile 5, so at 5.75mile I bumped the speed up to 8.5, and at 5.9 miles I bumped it up again to 9mph and sprinted to the finish.
Total time 47:17

Not a shabby run at all, felt strong the whole time.  Lungs felt good.  Was able to squeeze the whole workout in while Noah napped.  Got out of the shower only to hear the prince himself summoning me to his room.  DA! DA! DAAAAA!!!!

We spent the rest of the day laughing, chasing, and playing trucks.  I would say that is about the perfect day.

Have a great weekend all!

Be Safe! Get out and Run!!

Week 2 training update.

This update isn't terribly exciting, I have been keeping up with my runs but at a much slower pace.  Noah and I have been stricken with this wonderful bronchitis/coughing/chest thing going around.  So my lungs are a little sluggish getting oxygen to the rest of my body.  I have been pounding fluids, zinc, and getting plenty of sleep, thank you Nyquil.  Now if only I could get them to sponsor me for a commercial like Drew Brees has.

Noah has been relatively unaffected by the virus in our house.  He is still as fun as ever, albeit a little stuffier and a little sleepier.

Since this update is boring...here is some added cuteness to make up for it.

Thanks for reading!

Training day 3.

Technically according to my program today is supposed to be an off day, a day of rest as they say.  But that doesn't play nice with my work schedule this week.  I was supposed to have 8 miles scheduled for Saturday this week but I am also scheduled to work for 12 hours.  It's hard enough for me to run 3 or 4 miles on days like that let alone 8.  By process of elimination Wednesday became long run day.

My original plan was to run outside, but overnight we received a light dusting of snow, ice, rain and sleet.  So it it a bit treacherous on the side roads and sidewalks today.  I was relegated to pounding out those miles on the treadmill.  Lucky for my I have been stockpiling shows on the DVR that the wife doesn't also enjoy so I had some viewing to catch up on.

8 relatively uneventful pain free miles.  1:03:30.  This was supposed to be an easy run (same as yesterday...it should feel "easy"), I set the treadmill at 8:00 miles and started running.  Around mile 5 or 6 I started to get really bored by mile 7 I felt like I was just slogging along.  I decided to try to pick up the pace and finish a bit faster so I bumped the treadmill down to 7:30 miles and finished strong.

I was sweating like a champ, feeling really good, and am definitely over my weekly average miles now.  One more run this week then I will be resting a few days this week and recovering.

Happy Running

Training Day 2.

Training day 2 has arrived.  This program is definitely putting me out of my comfort zone of 12 to 15 miles a week.  That is by no means a bad thing, my running needed direction and I needed some spice added to my workouts to keep them from being redundant.

On tap for today was an easy 5 miles.  A definition for easy 5 miles would be a run that you can comfortably maintain pace while carrying a brief conversation with a running partner.  Seeing as my run would take place on the treadmill while Noah napped today means that the only person I would be talking to would be myself.  (as long as I don't answer myself it means I am not crazy right?).

The run went very smoothly, I set the treadmill at an 8 minute mile to start.  After about 3/4 of a mile I felt like I could comfortable go faster without really straining so I bumped it up to a 7:45 mile.  That felt great for a while and I finished strong by bumping down again for the last mile to closer to a 7:20ish mile.

Final distance 5.01 time:  38:51.

Time to refuel

Plainville Sodium Free Turkey on whole wheat toast, with american cheese, spinach, spicy mustard and a dash or three of spicy pepper sauce.  Took the edge off my hunger but I am going to need something more...I just cooked over 700 calories on that run.  Going to go grab some blueberries and rasberries and maybe an apple.

Get out and run!

Ron

The plan for the next 6 months.

I'm back!

After a brief holiday break (too hectic in life and work to blog sorry), an extra 5 pounds around my waist, and a wonderful series of days spent with my family it's time to get back on track.

You know, if more people were like runners life would be a much nicer and healthier place.  I don't know the reason why, but in my experience runners are just happier people.  Maybe it's because they don't have as much stress in their lives because they take it out on the pavement.  Maybe it's because they eat what they want because they just cover more distance next time to make up for it.  Who knows, but for whatever reason I have to say that more and more runners are the people I enjoy being around most.  Seeing people out on the street in my runs I get more smiles and waves than I do at any other public spots.  I think runners just see life differently than the rest.

I decided to sign up for the City of Pittsburgh Marathon relay again this year.  It will probably be the last year I am able to participate in this event with this group of coworkers.  Most of my interns are graduating this year so getting out and sharing this event with them is important.  Otherwise I should probably have signed up for the half.

I have felt recently that my running lacks direction, that my training isn't helping me improve or increase distance.  So I decided to seek help. I signed up for a training program with Dave Ross of Ross Running.  Over the coming months I will update the blog occasionally with my training schedule and runs.

Today was the start of the program.  I had 7 easy miles on tap, considering my longest run in the last few months was about 5 miles.  This would be interesting, and pleasantly surprising.

Bicycling Magazine

A few months back I saw a tweet from Bicycling Magazine asking for readers/riders who have lost substantial weight from cycling.  I responded to the tweet and then received an email from them asking my story.  Another few weeks passed and I received another email asking me to sign a release and send in a head shot because some of my quotes may be used in a future issue.

That issue finally arrived this week and I flipped to the article and found that they used three of my quotes for the issue.  I finally have my 15 minutes of fame.  HAHA!  The article is really impressive, the 5 or 6 featured cyclists lost a profound amount of weight.  It really is motivating to see so many others having so much success.  I applaud everyone who was in the issue, great work!!!

Here are the few features where I sprung up in the magazine.

In case you were wondering, that's not me that is Patrick Dempsey, he made a much better cover model than I would have.

This is the first page of the article

"Create a system that helps you face facts about your progress.  Keep a journal to document sucess and failure. Be honest with yourself if you want the best results."

 "Try different types of riding.  Mountain biking is a better full body workout.  Road cycling is more about endurance, pace, and mental toughness, and nothing can replace the thrill of speed."

I am really excited about this magazine this really made my week!  Hopefully if you are reading and thinking about losing weight you can go pick up this issue and get some motivation of your own.

Get out there and get healthy and fit, it's the best gift you could ever give yourself.

Velocitoddler

I am sure many people my age have seen the movie Jurassic Park.  While I can usually pull funny movie quotes from thin air, movies like Jurassic Park usually are not immediately quotable.  Christine and I set up the Christmas decorations the other day and we wanted to try to prevent Noah the Destroyer from pulling all the ornaments off the tree...or worse pulling the tree down on himself.

To prevent that we set up our tree and then put up a portable play-yard around the outside of the tree.  While not the most beautiful setup, it has been moderately effective at keeping the tree upright and the ornaments in one piece.

This brings me back to my Jurassic Park reference.  In the movie when they first learn about them breeding Velociraptors the conversation turns to the reptiles intelligence and their ability to problem solve.

Dr. Alan Grant: [about the velociraptors] What kind of metabolism do they have? What's their growth rate?
Muldoon:  They're lethal at eight months, and I do mean lethal.  I've hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move
Dr. Alan Grant: Fast for a biped?
Muldoon: Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles an hour if they ever got out in the open, and they're astonishing jumpers...
John Hammond: yes, yes, yes. That's why we're taking extreme precautions.
Dr. Alan Grant: Do they show intelligence? With their brain cavity...
Muldoon they show extreme intelligence, even problem solving intelligence.  Especially the big one.  We bred eight originally, but when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others.  That one...when she looks at you, you can see she's working things out.  That's why we have to feed them like this.  She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came.
Dr. Ellie Sattler: But the fences they are electrified though, right?
Muldoon: That's right, but they never attack the same place twice.  They were testing the fences for weaknesses, systematically.  They remember.

Watching Noah "attack" the gate daily trying to find the weak spots makes me think my son is part velociraptor.  He systematically pushes, presses, and pulls at different spots of the gate each day trying to get to the ornaments.  He has found weak points in the setup and regularly exploits them to sneak behind the tree  or get in close enough to the hallmark ornaments that he can activate with a push button.

I really can't help but laugh when he does it because it's probably our fault that he wants to get to the tree.  He obviously probably realizes that he can't have what is behind the gate so therefore he will do everything he can to get behind the gate.

We are really getting excited to share our first real Christmas with Noah, sure last year was the first but this year will be the first year he will probably get excited about some of the presents.

Christmas at the Zoo:

Just keep on (g)rowing

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Moving is breathing and breathing is life, 

Stopping is dying, you'll be alright

Life is a hammer, waiting to drop.

Adrift in the shallows and the rowing won't stop.

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Can't see the sky, nothing on the horizon

Can't feel my hands and the water keeps rising.

Can't fall asleep cause I'll wake up dead.

I just keep pulling, I just keep rolling.

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Rowing is living and living is hard

But living beats losing all that we are.

And all that we know of and all that we feel

and all we remember imagined or real

All we remember imagined or real.

I heard and echo but the answer had changed

from the word I remember I started out saying.

Living is cheating if you're not pulling oars

But the current is leaving, I'll get mine, you'll get yours.

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Rowing is bleeding and bleeding is breathing

Breathing is feeling burning and freezing

Keep getting dirty but I started out clean

I keep on rowing, I keep on rowing (x4)

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Soundgarden "Rowing"  

I recently picked up the new Soundgarden Album "King Animal,"  I really enjoy the music but one song keeps resonating over and over in my head and that is Rowing.  Basically for the last month or two I feel like you could replace the word rowing with growing and you would have the story of my last eight weeks.

Having a toddler can really create some bad eating habits.  Noah gets a diet rich is yummy fats, because they are essential for his brain development and growth.  Things like whole milk, whole milk cheeses, butter, as well as healthier options like fruits and veggies.  He eats 3 squares a day as well as snacks which could be anything from cheez-its (a boy by my own heart), cheerios, kix, or yogurt.  While this doesn't sound terrible for me it does if you add that Noah loves to share his food.  He offers up handfuls of cheese and macaroni to me...how is a dad to say no?  Well, I don't usually and because of that I have been slowly creeping back up the fat dad path.  I by no means have fallen off the wagon, and thanksgiving didn't help much either.  I have put on about 5 or 6 pounds in the past 8 weeks.  My clothes don't fit worse, I don't feel less fit but I am heading in the wrong direction for meeting my goal weight.

Until Christmas I am back on the calorie counting and more intense workouts.  Ramping up running and cycling distances (albeit many miles will be on the treadmill or kurt kinetic trainer) should help improve those numbers.


Aside from working out and not losing weight I have been doing a vast amount of playing.  Something that is much more rewarding than anything a workout can provide.  So in the coming weeks, I will playing as much as I can with this guy:

Avoiding this as much as possible...empty calories really aren't what I need right now even if they are scotchy and delicious.

 And throwing in more of this:

Adding in a dash of this:

And by Christmas hopefully at my lowest weight yet.

#justgorun #fitdad

Thankful.

It's been a while since my last post, life in the fitdad kingdom has been rather busy.  Changes at work, holiday planning, birthday parties, swim lessons, workouts, it all adds up so quick and my writing gets pushed aside because it is not a priority during the busy times.

I like every other blogger it seems feel compelled to write the obligatory and sometimes cliche thanksgiving post.

I am thankful every day for a wife the accepts me for who I am, loves me even when I am ornery, and forgives me when I fail.

I am thankful for a healthy, happy, and vibrant son.  Someone who brings life to me everyday with every smile and every laugh.  My life has never meant as much as it means now, because this little person depends so heavily on us to help him grow.

I am thankful for my parents and my in laws, who are both wonderful human beings as well as beautiful influences on Noah's life.  They have done more for us in the first year of his life than we could have ever asked for.

I am thankful for my siblings, all of whom are exceptional people, forgiving, and understanding.  I wish for more time to spend with them every day, but understand when our schedules just don't connect.

I am thankful for my friends who keep me grounded, keep me sane, and make me laugh.

I am thankful to live in the greatest country on earth.  I am thankful for my freedom and for the chance to live the life I choose to.  The worst struggles of my life would be heaven on earth for others, for that I am thankful and blessed.

I am thankful for turkey, for stuffing, for mashed potatoes, for corn and green bean casserole,  for bread and butter, gravy and pumpkin pie.

I am thankful for running and biking because without them I couldn't eat without some form of guilt.

I am thankful for those who can't be with us today because they are fighting for our freedom overseas, or protecting us from those that would do us harm.  I am thankful for the military, the police, firefighters, and emergency responders.

I am thankful for failure in my life because it makes me stronger, better, and keeps me humble.

I am thankful for an education, for the blessings it has bestowed on our family because of my career.

I am thankful for Noah's laughter because if you don't enjoy a childs laugh, you probably haven't heard one.

I am thankful for books that help me understand what I don't know about parenting.

I am thankful for the handful of people that read this blog, because you give me a reason to keep writing.

I am thankful for my health, my weightloss, and my will power that has kept me sane on the days I most wanted to just go back to my old ways.

I am grateful every day for the positive and the negative that comes with each passing sunset.  I try to live everyday like I should, do the right thing, and be a positive influence on those around me.   When I am not, I am sorry and beg for the forgiveness of those around me.

I hope all of you enjoy the time with your family and friends today.  I hope the day is full of laughter, full bellies, and the joys that you all deserve to have.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fork in the road.

“...And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh,

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---

I took the the one less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference”

-Robert Frost. The Road Not Taken (1920)

The stifling humidity hung around my skin like a jacket this morning.  I almost turned back to the sanctity of the air conditioned home I was leaving.  But instead I chose not to look back, turned on my favorite running mix and began my warm up.  

Once I was sufficiently warm I started my timer, turned up the music, and settled in to my stride.  I began cruising down the street, the sweat already beading and rolling across my scalp.  A slight breeze kicked up in my face, I closed my eyes and upon breathing in the sticky sweet air a slight chill made my hair stand on end.  I realized today was going to be a good day.  

I got to the top of the first hill on my normal route and turned right, only to turn back and run left.  Time to blaze a new trail, try a new road...a route less traveled.  I found a quaint and quiet street near a church, the pipe organ blaring through the windows.  A man and his dog out on a morning stroll, followed by a friendly wave.  A yard blanketed in leaves of the wrong seasons colors and the smell of fall in the air already.    

I approached a crossroad, straight ahead looked flat, to the left NO OUTLET, and to the right a steep old hill.  I shrugged my shoulders and hung the right powering up the hill  and cresting it just as the music in my ears reached a dynamic crescendo.    My breathing was in tune, my stride was strong and I could tell, today was going to be a good day.  

The bead of sweat hung from my nose for a bit longer than a normal breath, dropping off silently upon exhale as I rounded the corner for the stride home.   I crested a hill, bounded around a corner and came across a friendly face that I see on almost every run.  An older man and his young dog on their morning walk around the block.  For the first time ever he didn't just wave, he yelled out, "Hey! How far are you going?"  All I could reply was "as far as my legs can take me!"  He smiled, waved, and went about his day. 

The final quarter mile was a blur as I opened my stride and paced my self in to home.  Powering hard down the sidewalk as if I was finishing a race where I was the only competitor.  Crossing the finish line that was really just a crosswalk in the street.  The only applause I heard was the rapid breathing from my mouth and the thumping of my heart.  

Today was a really good day.  

Eat this not..umm, that?

Watching Noah develop over the past year into the amazing little toddler he is now has been an eye opening experience.  One of the major milestones for him in the past few months has been switching from pureed food to whole form foods.  Once he started getting teeth we really began to progress into more and more variety for his meals.  What was once mushy and easily mashed foods (bananas, sweet potatoes, cheeses, yogurts) has worked it's way to crunchier and more tricky foods (cheerios, crackers, cookies, and meats).

Along with Noah's culinary experiences has come a propensity to use his pincer grasp to pick up any and all tiny objects he can find.  Usually those tiny objects, regardless of nutritional content will end up in his mouth only to be chewed to a pulp and swallowed.  We do our best to keep the house clean and prevent him from getting anything dangerous in his mouth but how long until I am asking, is my kid the one that ate the penny?

Just the other day I was sitting on the floor and playing with Noah, he meandered into the dining room and began to use the dining room table and chairs as an underground tunnel system to escape capture from the dad monster.  The giggling and chasing went on for a few minutes until he took up shop under one of the chairs.  I laid on the floor ten feet away and pretended to be exhausted.  I took my eyes off of him for about 5 seconds only to open them to see him chewing away on something he had picked up along the way.  I immediately ran over and put my hand out for him to spit it out.  But instead there was a gulp, a gag, a cough, and a swallow.  Whatever piece of magic carpet fuzz, spider, or crumb he had found had become a snack.  I was definitely freaked out, but knowing how much we vacuum and clean I doubt it was anything too dangerous.

Noah has a complete disregard for portion control, he will stuff his mouth until there is no more room, smile a toothy grin and then chew until everything is swallowed.  He had a chance to experience cheerios for the first time the other day and we had put 10 or 12 of them on his high chair tray.  He picked one up, nibbled, chewed, and smiled.  Suddenly he had a great idea and put another cheerio in his mouth.  He followed that up with a third, fourth, and then I grabbed his hand to slow him down.  But like buddy the elf eating cotton balls in the doctors office as soon as I let go, another cheerio went in his mouth.  I couldn't help but laugh on the inside watching Noah's delight at my panic as he chomped away on his cheerios.

This has become the norm with meals, so we have taken to portion control ourselves by only allowing a small amount of food on his tray at a time.  Unless it's watermelon, because Noah eats watermelon like a wood chipper.  He picks up one piece moves his jaw up and down and begins to feed the machine with sweet and juicy pieces.  There is a repetitive and constant sound of crunching and slurping as he devours the fleshy red meat of the defenseless watermelon.

I guess we should consider ourselves as pretty lucky because many kids struggle with feeding time.  Many don't eat that well.  Noah is easy in the sense that he will eat or at least try just about anything you put in front of him.  He eats a great variety of fruits and vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, avocado, peas, carrots, corn, bananas, mandarin oranges, watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew, mango, peaches...I could go on..).  He eats macaroni, pasta, cheeses, yogurt, crackers, cookies, cheese curls, chicken, kosher all beef hotdogs, spaghetti o's, cheerios, and more.  I hope as he grows up he continues to develop his palette for good foods.  I know there is going to be a time where he rebels and only wants his favorites like mac and cheese or chicken nuggets but I am hoping his experiences now will prevent that some.  Christine and I love to experience new and delicious foods and that is something I would love to be able to share with my children.  I would like for them to be able to enjoy healthy foods the way we do some day so that we can share in their delight when they try new and adventurous things.

I just pray my kid isn't the one that eats pennies.