January Recap 2015

Carly loves her ballet class and her teacher Miss Kelly. It is hilarious watching them dance, but even doing common things - like skipping (as shown above). 

 I love seeing my kids accomplish things together. They don't always play well together, but I thought it was sweet that they both helped carry a basket of toys from Benson's room to the living room.

Carly has never been able to pronounce "milk". She has always called it "nook". Here is the proof. 

 The other night, we had some friends over for dinner. Clearly while I thought I was preparing the meal, someone else was taking care of what she and her friends would eat at the little table.

 Basketball time with Daddy. Carly didn't love the slam dunk as much as Benson.

Carly loves wearing her "backpack" in the pool. I'm not all about flotation devices that give a sense of false confidence, but she has been liking her preschool lessons more than a couple of months ago. We'll let it slide for a little while.... 

 We took the kids to the park and let Carly ride her bike around. I didn't anticipate it lasting long, but wanted her to have a chance to ride around on a flat, safe area. It was fun for both kids.

We spontaneously went to the zoo last week. We don't usually go by ourselves, but it was fun to let the kids pick the pace and choose where we went. Benson was growling and making noises at most animals he noticed. He especially liked the meerkats and was growling and yelling at them. He also enjoyed the fish. Carly always enjoys looking at the fish - especially finding Nemo & Dori. Then she likes to ask where Nemo's Daddy is. She was excited to see the tigers too.  

 And when we go up to see the sting-rays, this is the favorite place to play - at a little waterfall area... where there are no fish.... :) 

 A sunny day outside! Yes this is a rare occurrence, so I'm glad we took advantage of it. 

 Then when we were here we met a lady who looked a little odd and was carrying a stuffed animal dog. She tried to follow us home. Awkward. I was glad Morgan was home that day because he came and picked us up after we lost her. I would like to thank Annie Walker for my covert skills :)

 We had pretty good timing and got to see a train while we were at the lookout point!

Gearing up for my first MARATHON!!!

Running a marathon is something I've always wanted to do. I recall specifically being in English class in High School and writing out short-term and long-term goals. A marathon was always something I thought I would want to do in the future. Well, people, the future is here. It's time to start checking things off my bucket list and long-term goal list.

I recently listened to most of "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. Besides the language, I really enjoyed listening to it. It made me think that I could love running these really long distances, and potentially consider an ultra marathon in the future. It was really motivating and fun to hear about how much these people loved to run and the positive influence it can have on your life. My plan is to run a full marathon mid June.

I've read Daniels Running Formula and Hansons Marathon Method these past couple of weeks. I'll be following Hanson's 18 week Marathon plan to prepare. I start tomorrow!!! 

So here is fair warning to all my friends & family. 

Beware of... 

Tuesdays (long run), 

Thursdays (tempo) & 

Saturdays (speed) 

starting mid March. 

When I trained for my half marathon this past fall, my long run day was on Thursdays. I felt bad because we had a few different family members visit us over various weekends that included Thursday - I was not the nicest or most patient person on Thursdays. I hope to be better this time around. I'm planning to at least take a power nap (everyday, but at least Tues/Thurs/Sat) and I'm hoping that will do the trick - to keep me in check and a little more balanced throughout the day. 

I have been reading a lot of different running books lately and totally loving all of them. I wish I had all of these great books earlier on in life. Packed full of great stuff!!

• Build Your Running Body. This book has a lot of good info all around. I would recommend this book to any beginner, but I think any runner could benefit from it.
• I love this book because it goes into the physiology of your body and what running does for it. It discusses many of your body systems and the way it adapts. 
• It has lots of pictures! It shows various dynamic stretches to do before you run - to increase your range of motion and warm up your body safely. Gives different strength and weight training to improve your running muscles, stretching, technique drills, etc. 
• Different training plans - race/distance specific (5K, 10K, etc.) and level specific (beginner, intermediate, etc.). 
• Various running workouts with pace training tables for each type of workout. 
• Daniel's Running Formula and Hansons Marathon Method. These books support each other pretty well. I think anyone could read these and glean great running principles. Obviously Hansons is focused on a marathon. From these books I've learned about:
• Easy runs. This is the topic that has probably caught me by surprise. I think I have always assumed, if you want to get fast, you run fast. I have had this idea that all of my runs should be getting faster as I'm getting faster. Surprisingly, with every book (4-5 over the past 2 months) I've been reading - there aren't any that support that thinking. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I am learning that easy runs are SOOO important. I have loved reading about the physiology of the body and the changes that occur with running. Many of these great changes come from consistent, easy runs. These changes include: increased capillaries to your muscles, stronger heart = increased stroke volume (lower pulse & blood pressure), increased mitochondria (size & # = more energy utilized by muscles), more effective burning of energy (this pace of running teaches your body to utilize fat instead of carbs), and pushing the limit of your aerobic threshold ("hitting the wall"). You are also developing your slow twitch muscles at this pace (mainly training your intermediate fibers to take on qualities of slow twitch muscles). 
• Increasing mileage: The rule for increasing mileage is by about 10%. Meaning if you are running 20 miles each week, it would be safe to increase your total mileage to 22 miles the following week, then to 24 miles the next week. The other rule of thumb is in keeping your mileage consistent for 3 weeks and then doing a bigger jump (usually the # of times you are running each week is the amount of miles you add to your weekly mileage) and then maintain that for 3 weeks. For example if you're running 5 days each week and completing 20 miles - you would maintain that weekly mileage for 3 weeks and then jump up to 25 miles for the next 3 weeks, then to 30 miles for 3 weeks after that. 
• Training Phases. Both Daniel's Running Formula & Hansons Marathon Method have different phases of training. Daniel's discusses 4 different phases of training (ideally a total of 24 weeks, 6 weeks/phase): Foundation/Injury Prevention, Early quality, Transition quality, Final quality. I didn't notice Hanson's going into as much detail about phases of training, but based on their marathon training plan - they have found success with similar planning. Basically the plans start off with just weeks of easy runs. Later, they add in higher quality workouts. These are called: Quality Training/Something of Substance = Long runs, Speed, Tempo, Strength, Repetitions, Intervals, etc. Usually 3 higher quality workouts and 3 easy runs throughout the week until it's time to taper for the race.
• Intensity: For each type of run, there are paces given. It's tempting to want to go all out and - sprint if it's speedwork, for example. I'm beginning to understand that just like easy running has an important place in training, it is important that when doing quality workouts - to run the proper pace. "Speed workouts develop aerobic capacity and should be run just under max aerobic capacity, not beyond it" (Hansons Marathon Method). "If you are not performing better, then realize that the harder work you are doing is not producing the desired results" (Daniel's Running Formula). 
• Consistency. Hanson's says this beautifully: "Physiologically - inconsistency makes for a never-ending struggle to maintain even a baseline of fitness. If life intervenes, modify training, but don’t skip it. Something is always better than nothing. Establish attainable goals & plan ahead. Plan your weekly running schedule in advance also aids in commitment. When you schedule your runs, you are far more likely to stick to the plan and remain consistent in your training."

I have been learning a lot from all of these running books. I love running and know it is doing great things for my body and for keeping a good balance in my life. I'm excited to train and see how I like running marathons... 

Seattle Rock 'n' Roll HERE I COME!!!

"Your training should be enjoyed, not just endured" (Daniel's Running Formula).

Storage Space Makeover: Playroom

When we looked at this home for the first time - we imagined turning this storage space into a playroom for the kids. We were very excited about the idea, but after moving in, the storage space was needed for storage. It was disappointing. Morgan beefed up our attic space by adding boards and making it more user friendly. The possibility for a playroom is now a reality!!!

Here are the BEFORE pics: 2 access "doors" to the storage space on each end, with a cabinet in the middle. 

While Morgan was contemplating the next step, Carly climbed onto his lap, laid down, then let out some "little tooties" as she calls them. 

Well, when you are in a short, little room, it only seems appropriate to sit in little, tiny chairs...

A lightswitch!!!

Insulation.

Sometimes when you deal with an awkward space, you get a little creative with the framework...

This is happening - it will be so nice to have a light in here.

Benson felt very valuable. He legitimately thought he was helping. It was awesome.

Drywall baby.

Do you see that? We have a light. 

I am always amazed to see Morgan in project mode. He is a hard worker and really gets things done. This is by far our biggest project yet. It's going to be a lot of work, but I know it's going to turn out great :) 

My husband is amazing. 

Side note: I used a jig saw for the first time today!!! Woot! Check that off the bucket list!

The Odenwalder's in WA!!!

So let's be real for a minute. We totally miss all of our Florida friends. We especially have deep friendships with those families who were attending dental school the same time as us. It's been 2 1/2 yrs since we've seen our friends - since we lived in Florida. So last month when we heard our friends would be coming up in the area - we were ecstatic!!! Not the happiest of circumstances, but we were thrilled we got to see them.

It was a crazy weekend, but so fun. My favorite part was our date night at Duke's Chowder House. It was so great & relaxing that I didn't even think of taking a picture - bummer! I got "Off the Hook Stuffed Salmon" and had some of the award winning Clam Chowder. It was really good. Not to mention - blueberry lemonade! Sean & Amy ordered one and kept saying how good it was after every drink. Needless to say, I ordered one and it was awesome.

Can you guess which are my favorite? I love doing crazy poses :D

One of the things I learned from Amy during their stay (that I want to incorporate) is quiet-time at bedtime. On Friday night - she had the kids get ready for bed at 7 and then they had time to read books. I loved that. I guess I've thought of reading & quiet time during the day, but not at night. For myself it's been the most successful way for me to fall asleep. So one of my goals this week is to incorporate this into the bedtime routine. I'm really excited & tonight it went well.

We discussed a Nova-dental reunion/rendezvous in Florida. Perhaps we need to start planning & getting the word out.... Until next time Odenwalder's!!!

2014 The Year of Change for Me.

I loved all the time capsule ideas I was seeing on Pinterest. I decided to type up a document reflecting on the year of 2014. These were the first thoughts that came to my mind...

This was the year of change for me. After having Benson in October 2013 I ever so slowly eased myself back into running. It was difficult because I realized that after your first baby, your body takes longer to heal. A midwife in my ward told me that is normal - that the pelvic floor takes longer to heal and get back to normal. After what seemed like quite a while of running on the elliptical, I finally made my way to the treadmill. I couldn’t last long at all before I needed to walk, but my friend Becky gave me the idea of alternating between running and walking. That really helped me ease back into running and gradually be able to run longer without stopping. I have to have a motivation or an incentive. In this case I planned to run the St Paddy’s Day 5K with Becky. We were both motivated to run consistently and work up to this race. 

At some point, I was disappointed that I was running, but not losing any weight. I seemed to keep gaining weight. I decided to try running 5 days a week and see if it made a difference. I didn’t see a difference. I was disappointed, but trying to accept that this was just what my body would be like. Not more than 1-2 months later a friend posted on Facebook about an app she loved - Myfitnesspal and how it helped her lose weight, etc. I downloaded it and began to use it. I already used mapmyrun to track my runs & other workouts, so I loved that I could “connect” the two apps. I began logging my food intake on Myfitnesspal and began to see that I wasn’t eating very well. I began to connect the dots that obviously if I’m eating more calories than my body needs - of course my body is going to store the extra calories and I’m going to gain weight. As I began tracking my intake - I began to notice certain things that were a lot of calories and unnecessary. I began to incorporate better choices into my diet and eventually came up with options that were well balanced. I eat so many more veggies & fruits than I have in the past. 

As the year went I had some interaction with a neighbor down the street. We began walking/running together and that lasted a couple of months. It was hard to time it right. Beginning in the summer, I began running with Tiffany. This has really been a turning point for me. This is when I began running consistently outside and really enjoying it. I’ve never really had a running buddy where we run and just talk about anything and everything. At first I remember thinking she was crazy when she told me they run at 6am. One week my neighbor went out of town, so I thought - ok I’m gonna go at 6am this week (Tues/Thurs) and see how it goes. At this point the most I had been running was like 3 miles. The first day I went we did 4.3 miles. It was killer. I told myself I could do it and just tried to tail them to the end. From there it got easier and I was able to keep up with the group. 

During the summer I decided I wanted to train for a half marathon - I found one in August, but then found out a friend was planning to put one together in October. I decided to do that for my first half marathon. My brother, Caleb, suggested different running workouts to do, and also recommended adding in strength & core training. I began doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred 1-2 times a week for my strength training. I also began doing this 30 day ab challenge. At this point I was running 5 days a week in addition to my strength/core training. With the diet changes I was making and the exercise, I have lost a lot of weight. It was gradual, but I have been so happy with the process. I never thought I could really be thin again and I love that I feel fast and strong too. I'm glad that the changes were gradual because I've been able to continue them and stick with them. 

Nov/Dec 2013 

Feb 2014 

Oct 2014 

Nov 2014

I am currently running 6 days a week, strength training 3 days a week, and core training 5-6 days a week. I love it. I am looking forward to doing some races in 2015 and feel like the possibilities are endless.

Other things from this year:
I did the St Paddy’s Day 5K March 2014.
I did my first garden this year. First things were planted (sugar snap peas, spinach & red leaf lettuce) March 2014. Favorite items: sugar snap peas, red leaf lettuce, squash and raspberries. (Unsuccessful: spinach, carrots, strawberries, bell peppers, chives didn’t get very big. Next year plant tomato starters & plant sooner. Plant less squash.)
Barb & Dan, Jacob, and Kirsten (my twin) visited us in June 2014.
Trip to Lewiston, ID in July 2014.
Benson began walking in August 2014 during Idaho Falls trip (My first time flying with 2 kids alone).
I completed my first half marathon in Oct 2014 in 2:07.
My Grandma Hoggatt passed away in Nov 2014. We attended a memorial service & graveside in Kent & Auburn, WA.
We spent Thanksgiving with the Scoville Family Nov 2014 in Idaho Falls, ID.
Carly took her first ballet class at the Morgan Family YMCA Dec 2014.

Caleb & Amy welcomed Oliver Harmon Scoville in Dec 2014

New Years Resolutions 2015

PHYSICAL

Exercise at least 5 days/week, strength train 3x/wk, abs 4-5 days/wk

Half marathon in less than 2 hrs

5K in less than 25 min

1 mile in less than 6:45

SPIRITUAL

Read Sunday School lesson in advance each week (Read full book we’re studying by the end of the year)

Pray 2x day

Family prayer & scriptures daily

FHE weekly

MENTAL

RN CE’s

Keep FL RN License up to date!

Read some new books (shoot for 1/mo - could be book club books or running books too)

HOME

Stay on top of meal plans & cleaning house

Sunday meal planning (Cook Sunday - Thurs & eat out or super easy meals Fri/Sat)

Clean at least once/week (bathroom, floors, kitchen)

KIDS

Library at least 2x month

Lessons at YMCA at least every other session

THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!!