Mileage Reporting 7th Week of 2013

Wednesday afternoon
Lite shoulders-n-lats st
.3 mi micro run around the block, bare in slush

Another going-through-the-motions strength-training session. Just didn't feel like exerting myself after a long day of work. It's been weeks now since I was properly pumped.

I didn't bring any back-ups on my micro-run because the distance was so short--my feet would get just as cold stopping to put on shoes or mocassins as they would continuing to huff it home. But my feet did kind of hurt for five minutes once I got back inside. I think I must have been running around 7mm pace! Slush is a great motivator.

Thursday afternoon
5.76 mi /9.27 km, total
5.11 mi / 8.2 km, running
1.65 mi / 2.65 km, bare running
29 F / -1.7 C
20 F / -6.7 C windchill

We got 2-3 inches of wet snow overnight. Still, the micro-loop section in the fairgrounds that I ran two days ago was almost completely dry by the end of the afternoon. So I once again took off my shoes, put them in the bus shelter, and ran bare laps. I added a bit more than a half mile to my last bare run. I'm trying to build up the new calluses slowly. Plus my feet were starting to get pretty numb. The Neo Trails' lugs were once again annoying on the other dry sections of the run, but pretty useful on the snowy and slushy sections.

Overall, I ran 10 secs per mile faster than on my last run, and ran 15 seconds per mile faster than that while bare. So I wonder if for me anyway, I do run faster bare than shod. Now that I've been running mostly shod for a whole month, I'm somewhat habituated to shoes, but still feel far more comfortable bare, and seem to have a more economical form. But the tiny boost in speed could just be the exuberance of feeling the ground again. Could be more psychological than biomechanical, in other words. Only more poorly conducted studies with small sample sizes will be able to draw more inconclusive conclusions.

I ran a mile less than the other day. I think whenever I reach a new distance, it's a good idea to back down a mile or more on the next run, and never add more than a mile to my longest run in any given week. Trying to keep the ITBS demon away, and so far it's working. I'll never forget that day last fall when it came on all-of-a-sudden and left me barely able to walk within about 10 steps. Other good news: the calf cramp is completely gone now. And today marks two weeks of consecutive-day running. Woohoo! I'm convinced the consistent running is helping to keep my legs loose. So anyhow, next week I'll try seven miles as my longest run, and hopefully get over 20 mpw for the first time since I don't know when.

After putting my shoes back on, I ran to my daughter's school and picked her up. Just leaving the school, going up a hill, I slipped on an ice patch and half-fell with her up on my shoulders. She didn't hit the ground, but wanted to walk the rest of the way home by herself. I really hate this time of year, when it's not yet spring and the temps are always hoovering around freezing. Too much ice.

The Vapor Gloves arrived sometime while I was out on my run. I just put them on now. Initial impressions: they do seem to be about a half-size too big, but otherwise, they're great! And they seem to have more traction than either the Moc3s or the Aqua Lites, which was my main reason for getting them. And since I'll mainly be using them when it's too cold to run barefoot, and thus with socks, having them be a bit big might not matter. I'll have to think about it, walk around the house a bit, try them with socks on, and decide whether to keep them or return them.
 
Only more poorly conducted studies with small sample sizes will be able to draw more inconclusive conclusions.
Following the recent trend, clearly your research is ready for presentation at a national conference and publication in a journal with thinning readership. After which, it will be immediately picked up by rags nationwide, also with thinning readership. A nice sensational title proclaiming your results as gospel will ensure that it gets many webhits to generate ad revenue, which really was the whole purpose of it all anyway.
 
Nice one Lee! Lol

Just did 13 more or less uneventful km with Leni. No climbs, 1:45 er, 1:15 lol oops

Only whacky moment was when a big field rabbit hopped out right in front of us and took off for the woods, Leni in hot pursuit till they were both out of sight. At those times all I can really do is wait for her return, or for the retort of the winchester, whichever comes first...

I do love watching her run, wow! She stayed with the hare the whole way.

Hey, you know it was a great run when you look like this when you get home:

841290_572436979434617_320325486_o.jpg

:D:D:D:D
 
Anyway, picked up my daughter on the way back, but slipped and half fell with her up on my shoulders. She didn't hit the ground, but wanted to walk the rest of the way home by herself. I really hate this time of year, when it's not yet spring and the temps are always hoovering around freezing. Too much ice.
oh no! NOT fun!
 
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oh no! NOT fun!
Yah, I felt so bad. But I was able to keep her from tumbling forward with my neck and head, and broke my fall by dropping to one knee and then letting go of one of her legs so that I could use one arm to break the fall of my torso coming forward. Still, it shattered her confidence in me a bit. Oh well, I guess she's discovered daddy's fallibility. Perhaps now she'll stop kicking my legs to see if she can get me to admit it hurts!

Hey one question. What do you do when your kids play with other kids whose parents are much laxer with discipline? Our daughter plays with a neighbor girl three years older and she's kind of a neglected child, and a real potty mouth, and is constantly challenging my wife's authority. It's difficult for my wife to negotiate this behavior because this isn't her culture and English isn't her first language. Still, we know the girl really likes playing over here, and is fond of us. Any suggestions? We usually just tell her she'll have to go home, but it would be nice to foment a more permanent attitude adjustment.

How's your cold doing btw? I thought mine was gone, but today I feel just a little bit draggy again, despite having slept a good seven hours.

Following the recent trend, clearly your research is ready for presentation at a national conference and publication in a journal with thinning readership. After which, it will be immediately picked up by rags nationwide, also with thinning readership. A nice sensational title proclaiming your results as gospel will ensure that it gets many webhits to generate ad revenue, which really was the whole purpose of it all anyway.
Of course, as a pro-bare advocate, I won't mention that the micro-loop was on mostly flat, dry asphalt, whereas the rest of the run had minor inclines, declines, and a fair bit of slush and snow. Plus I was good and warmed up by that point. These factors probably account for the 15-second difference, but why let facts get in the way of ideology?
 
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[quote="Bare Lee, post: 120348, member: 2949"]

After putting my shoes back on, I ran to my daughter's school and picked her up. Just leaving the school, going up a hill, I slipped on an ice patch and half-fell with her up on my shoulders. She didn't hit the ground, but wanted to walk the rest of the way home by herself. I really hate this time of year, when it's not yet spring and the temps are always hoovering around freezing. Too much ice.
[/quote]


Oh no!
Too bad you couldn't fake like dad was just playing earthquake. ;)
 
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Hey one question. What do you do when your kids play with other kids whose parents are much laxer with discipline? Our daughter plays with a neighbor girl three years older and she's kind of a neglected child, and a real potty mouth, and is constantly challenging my wife's authority. It's difficult for my wife to negotiate this behavior because this isn't her culture and English isn't her first language. Still, we know the girl really likes playing over here, and is fond of us. Any suggestions? We usually just tell her she'll have to go home, but it would be nice to foment a more permanent attitude adjustment.
If the kid is 3 years older, then perhaps she's in school or goes to church or someplace where she isn't allowed to use naughty words? I recall that you're an anthropologist, but don't know if you're a professor or something. You could tell the kid that you're a teacher and while she is over, she has to use her school voice or church voice or guest voice or whatever. Basically, your house, your rules. You could even enact a three strikes, you're out, go home until tomorrow rule, or whatever. Once you set the rules, that will make it easier for your wife to enforce.
 
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Thursday: 10 min kettlebell video am, 55 min workout at gym (elliptical plus a little st), about 20 more min kettlebell before dinner.

Friday morning:
Swim!
Woke up late (5:46, slept straight through alarm set for 4:45----I have a small but fluffy cat who lately sleeps on my nightstand, and has been known to sleep curled up on top of my phone while it is going off---the alarm is crickets and vibrate so who knows it must not bother her---anyways, we blame her for my oversleeping why not), got out the door in 15 with no coffee in hand, to make it to the locker room only by about 6:50 (swim starts at 6:30).
Ah well.

16 freestyle laps! Plus about 9 times or so kicking across and back, usually in between laps.
And I could have done more, but the pool really cleared out at 7:30 and I didn't want to keep my daughter's dive teacher sitting around lifeguarding for little ole me. My form definitely feels better the more tired I am, as I think I start to relax into the water and use my strokes more efficiently---that's the idea anyways.
New lap suit was nice (yes, lots of new gear for every new activity!), but the new goggles just never got adjusted right and water kept getting into one side or another.

Want to run later. Promised myself to wait a few more days for ankle. Hmmm. "micro-run" with kids perhaps???

Maybe I can do more kettlebell. Whew! Sore arms, butt, legs, hamstrings from that yesterday. Lots of those squat swing thingies.
 
Basically, your house, your rules. You could even enact a three strikes, you're out, go home until tomorrow rule, or whatever. Once you set the rules, that will make it easier for your wife to enforce.

Yep.
You'd be amazed how normally naughty kids who seem to have no sense of discipline manage to pull it together for the friend's mom who doesn't cotton to that and makes it really clear.

That is, depending on the age of the kid. Seems like old enough to know better from what you wrote, so old enough to figure out the rules and follow them or lose out.
 
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Hey one question. What do you do when your kids play with other kids whose parents are much laxer with discipline? Our daughter plays with a neighbor girl three years older and she's kind of a neglected child, and a real potty mouth, and is constantly challenging my wife's authority. It's difficult for my wife to negotiate this behavior because this isn't her culture and English isn't her first language. Still, we know the girl really likes playing over here, and is fond of us. Any suggestions? We usually just tell her she'll have to go home, but it would be nice to foment a more permanent attitude adjustment.

How's your cold doing btw? I thought mine was gone, but today I feel just a little bit draggy again, despite having slept a good seven hours.
I am much better, thank you. There is definitely an advantage to having kids now old enough to both run the house and take care of me while I'm sick. :) And I'm not too proud or idiotic to tell them I don't want to be a burden. We all burden each other sometimes and its good for everyone.

As for neighbor kids, I think they fall into 2 categories at that age. There are those who respond well to a more disciplined environment, no matter how much they get away with at home. Even in this case, close supervision is key. The only times I've seen this work is if the real parent is actually supportive of others (you) being firm, and shows some significant signs of learning from observing the more confident parent.

If the child is disrespectful, cannot seem to control their conversation or vocabulary, or can't be trusted, you just have to say "no" to them coming over, as nicely as you can. It is hard seeing the other kids suffer, but your first responsibility is to your kids and wife, as you well know. Your kids do need to be protected from those of bad or damaging influence; and your wife doesn't need the stress of attempting the impossible job of being mother to kids that will not respond to her as such. It can seem hard, especially at first, but the other child(ren) will move on. They and their parents will either decide to change and try again later, or they will find others of the same habits. You just don't want that to be your kids in the long run, from exposure!

We've even subconsciously limited exposure to kids of people who have remained friends of ours, and over the years have seen the problems they have faced with their kids, then realized why that was such a natural choice for us.

Hope that helps, though it is not the politically correct or warm fuzzy answer.
 
Laura, that is a great answer. My daughter has a friend who bounces around from shelter to shelter to shelter because of bad parents. We and my daughters mom really wish we could help the girl, but as the state won't step in yet we really can't. Unfortunately as the years have gone on she has started to act like her drug addled parents and we have had to tell her no, you can't come over anymore. I truly think she is a good kid at heart but with parents like hers she is starting to act out. We laid out rules at first but it became clear that she was not going to follow them and then would try to talk my daughter into stuff. I feel really bad for her and wish we could help her as I think stability would do her a huge benefit, but unfortunately we can't and we can't have her keep doing the things she's doing around our family. This is an extreme case, but we apply this to other lesser extremes as well. We have to think of our family first and have even stopped hanging out with some of our friends because we don't believe they are good influences to our children.
 
Hey one question. What do you do when your kids play with other kids whose parents are much laxer with discipline?

We had one like that a while ago. I walked the little brat home, rang the doorbell and told her mother that her kid is no longer welcome at our house.

Done.

Our daughter has nothing to do with her anymore, by choice.
 
We had one like that a while ago. I walked the little brat home, rang the doorbell and told her mother that her kid is no longer welcome at our house.

Done.

Our daughter has nothing to do with her anymore, by choice.
Every encounter may require a different degree of getting the message across, this is true.
 
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I am much better, thank you. There is definitely an advantage to having kids now old enough to both run the house and take care of me while I'm sick. :) And I'm not too proud or idiotic to tell them I don't want to be a burden. We all burden each other sometimes and its good for everyone.

Yah, I can hardly wait for the kids to start helping out more. I want a dividend on my investment! Both kids are actually showing promising signs of being good helpers, they just aren't old enough to be competent, but I appreciate the effort!

Anyway, I can't believe I'm feeling draggy again. I guess I'll blow of my st workout today and just get in a quick mini-run, to keep the legs loose (and my pathetic streak alive).

As for neighbor kids, I think they fall into 2 categories at that age. There are those who respond well to a more disciplined environment, no matter how much they get away with at home. Even in this case, close supervision is key. The only times I've seen this work is if the real parent is actually supportive of others (you) being firm, and shows some significant signs of learning from observing the more confident parent.

Yah, that's the crux of the problem. The parents of the two neighbor kids our daughter plays with don't seem to see eye-to-eye with us, although nothing has ever been spoken. The parents of the girl I mentioned seem to be having a rough marriage, so I think the girl acts out her resentment here, and purposely tries to turn our daughter against our son, because she's an only child. We've never really conversed with the parents though, so it's kind of hard to get a feel for how to handle it. The father seems pretty nice, but the mother seems a bit neurotic. If I could get the father alone and bs over a couple of beers, I think I'd have a better idea of how to handle it. We could just send her home, and have done so, but I'd like to foment a more cooperative attitude with her, so that that's unnecessary. Right now her basic stance is oppositional.

The boy across the street is a real brat, and also an only child. The mother seems incapable of disciplining him and the father seems to think it's cute. Now he's going to occupational therapy after school one day a week. I don't know what for, but I would imagine it has something to do with him getting in trouble all the time at school. Our daughter and the other girl seem to be excluding him more and more and I told his mom I don't want to alternate days anymore for picking up the kids at school. It's just too much trouble to get him to put on his wraps. And, as you noted, when there's no sign of support from the parents for a more disciplinarian approach, it's hard to sanction that sort of behavior. This is such a liberal neighborhood, most people wouldn't understand. I do think a less disciplinarian approach can work when there's a lot of love and attention in the home, however, and a lot of neighbors just beyond our street seem to use this approach and have good kids, but these two nearest us seem to impede others from coming over to play. Oh well.

If the child is disrespectful, cannot seem to control their conversation or vocabulary, or can't be trusted, you just have to say "no" to them coming over, as nicely as you can.

Yah, that's basically what we've done with the boy. And he on his own no longer comes over, because he doesn't like hearing no. Our daughter still plays over there sometimes. I think the mom likes having a well-behaved girl to play with!

It is hard seeing the other kids suffer, but your first responsibility is to your kids and wife, as you well know. Your kids do need to be protected from those of bad or damaging influence; and your wife doesn't need the stress of attempting the impossible job of being mother to kids that will not respond to her as such. It can seem hard, especially at first, but the other child(ren) will move on. They and their parents will either decide to change and try again later, or they will find others of the same habits. You just don't want that to be your kids in the long run, from exposure!

Yah, for sure. I hope she can befriend some of the sweeter kids just beyond us, but I don't think that can happen as long as she's playing with the closer brats.

We've even subconsciously limited exposure to kids of people who have remained friends of ours, and over the years have seen the problems they have faced with their kids, then realized why that was such a natural choice for us.

Yep, they don't realize by avoiding confrontation at an early age, they're setting themselves up for worse ones later.

Hope that helps, though it is not the politically correct or warm fuzzy answer.

No worries, neither my wife nor I are PC. My wife is actually much more disciplinarian (almost authoritarian!) than I am, but that's her culture. African parenting is still pretty 19th century by modern American standards. But it's a lot easier there because the village or neighborhood literally does raise the kids. There isn't so much focus on the parents doing everything.

If the kid is 3 years older, then perhaps she's in school or goes to church or someplace where she isn't allowed to use naughty words? I recall that you're an anthropologist, but don't know if you're a professor or something. You could tell the kid that you're a teacher and while she is over, she has to use her school voice or church voice or guest voice or whatever. Basically, your house, your rules. You could even enact a three strikes, you're out, go home until tomorrow rule, or whatever. Once you set the rules, that will make it easier for your wife to enforce.
I agree with this approach, if it comes to that, but I'm looking to try a little behavior modification before we kick her out.

But you're right, I do have to take on a more 'father knows best' role, and help my wife navigate the cultural differences. I'm kind of in-between the liberal 'anti-disciplinarian' stance and my wife's culture's 'the parents are always right, do what they say' stance. So it's tricky. But I like your idea of licensing my approach with the school or church's model. The girl goes to Catholic school, but it'd be easier if she went to our local school, where disciplinary issues are few.
 
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No worries, neither my wife nor I are PC. My wife is actually much more disciplinarian (almost authoritarian!) than I am, but that's her culture. African parenting is still pretty 19th century by modern American standards. But it's a lot easier there because the village or neighborhood literally does raise the kids. There isn't so much focus on the parents doing everything.
The crux of the matter is that there has to be a loving, but the parent is in charge, relationship in order for training/discipline to work the right way. And the child can only have that kind of relationship with so many people. Your ability to do that is going to be limited due to a variety of factors. You are already lower in the child's world than parents and teachers, where they spend most of their day.

I think your wife and I would get along just fine.
 
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The crux of the matter is that there has to be a loving, but the parent is in charge, relationship in order for training/discipline to work the right way. And the child can only have that kind of relationship with so many people. Your ability to do that is going to be limited due to a variety of factors. You are already lower in the child's world than parents and teachers, where they spend most of their day.
Excellent point, and I think that's exactly what she's seeking from us, and why she likes hanging out here so much, because it is a loving environment. But, from a psychoanalytic point of view, that would also be why she wants to tear it down, because she resents not having it in her own home. And like you say, we never will be her parents or school. I guess we'll just start acting more like her parents and if her real parents don't like the message that's too bad, we'll have to risk rocking the neighborhood boat a bit.
I think your wife and I would get along just fine.
:joyful:
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
 
Forget discipline. It's about structure. Rules prevent chaos. Kids appreciate rules, otherwise they start making up their own. Kids don't like chaos either. That's why they act out when home life is chaotic. Lay down a few rules for safety and to ensure priorities are met. Everything else is negotiable. Structure=love. Chaos=neglect.
 
Forget discipline. It's about structure. Rules prevent chaos. Kids appreciate rules, otherwise they start making up their own. Kids don't like chaos either. That's why they act out when home life is chaotic. Lay down a few rules for safety and to ensure priorities are met. Everything else is negotiable.

I agree with that up to a point, but part of a child's process of individuation is to rebel from time to time. We don't practice physical discipline though. It's never come to that. Just withdrawing privileges or grounding our daughter for a day does the trick. Our almost two-year-old toddler son, on the other hand, is in full testing mode these days though, trying to figure out what the rules and limits are. Luckily, he's still easily distractible and just picking him up and pointing or moving to something else usually diminishing his appetite for destruction.

Structure=love. Chaos=neglect.
Wonderfully put!

Anyway, just ran around the block in my Neo Trails. The roads down here are still covered in snow or slush and it's like 0 F windchill. So no bareful running. It's supposed to warm up again on Sunday. I was going to do my back st workout today, but after warming up with deadlifts doing light weights, I decided to put it off until tomorrow. I don't have the energy to do it right today.
 
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