July 30, 2013

Grossology

Well, I survived another six-day workout week! I'm kind of surprised at how much I like this Hansons' method of training. It's a lot of miles, but it doesn't really feel like it for some reason. Probably because my longest run was only 10 miles. After the marathon, I'll probably go back to five days a week, but for now, it's fun to change things up.

Yesterday, I did a six-mile easy run outside. Today I had intervals on the schedule: 6 x 800's at 10K pace with 400's recovery (basically, that means after a one-mile warm-up, I would run 1/2 mile at 8:00/mi pace, then jog 1/4 mile to recover, and repeat for a total of 6 times). I like to do intervals on the treadmill, because it's easier to control the pace and keep it consistent. Today, I set the incline at 1.5% instead of my usual 1%, hoping that my heart rate and calorie burn would be closer to what it is outside.

After my warm-up mile and my first interval, I felt really tired. I honestly didn't think I could manage to do five more intervals, so I told myself I could run one more interval, then a mile recovery, and be done. I ran the second interval, and planned to just run easy for a mile, but after my quarter-mile recovery, I decided to do "just one more" interval.

And so it went. After each interval, I truly felt like I was done, but then after the recovery, I thought I could manage one more. So I ended up doing all six, and was so happy with myself afterward!


The extra 0.5% incline definitely made a difference in my heart rate. It felt more like running outside that way. Next time, I may even bump the incline up to 2%.

After my run, I quickly showered so that I could take the boys out today. I really felt like I needed to get out of the house, so I decided to take the boys someplace we've never been: Imagination Station in Toledo, a hands-on museum. When I looked up the website, I saw that they have a Grossology exhibit going on for the summer, and thought that would be PERFECT for my boys.

Getting there was a nightmare. I get really anxious driving in unfamiliar places, and the GPS was off. I finally found the place, but they didn't have parking there. I was driving back and forth on the road, trying to figure out what to do. I was starting to feel really panicky, and I called Jerry, who calmed me down. I finally found a parking garage a couple of blocks away and parked there.

The kids had a blast inside, which totally made up for the bad drive getting there. I was intrigued with all of the anatomy stuff in the Grossology exhibit. There was one display that I was not at all fond of, and I think I will have nightmares tonight about it...


Each of those holes contained a plastic bottle that you would squeeze so that a little puff of air would come up and out through the green nubs on top. You were supposed to take a whiff of the air, and guess what part of the body you were smelling. THESE were the choices:


I thought, "Okay, they can't be that bad. How do you even bottle a smell like that?" So I took a whiff of one, and seriously almost puked on the spot. SO GROSS. It ended up being "Foot"; after that, I couldn't bring myself to try the other three. That smell was stuck in my nostrils for a long time afterward!

Some other fun stuff at Imagination Station:
Eli sitting inside of a stomach

Noah coming out of the colon ;)

A life-size version of Operation

A "skin" wall, complete with warts, pimples, and other gross things

The boys were so well-behaved and so much fun to hang out with today. It made me look forward to taking them to Cedar Point on Thursday!


I totally forgot about Taste Test Tuesday this week!

10 comments:

  1. Wow looks like a super fun day! I would love to take my boys to an exhibit like that. Maybe someday! Don't you just love those days when it is all about the fun with the kids?
    Enjoy your trip on Thursday :)

    Becky

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  2. I just ran across a website that you might be interested in since you like to try new foods. It's https://www.goodies.co/ and for $7/month you get a box of new snack type foods delivered to your doorstep each month. They also have a kids version for the same price. I signed up today and am so excited for my first box!

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  3. Stephanie O'NeillJuly 31, 2013

    Good job on finishing your intervals yesterday!! you should be super proud of yourself :)

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  4. My son's 2nd grade class took a field trip to the Imagination Station this past school year. From what I heard (over and over!) it's the best place EVER! Big Mama points for that one, stressful drive and all!

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  5. AnonymousJuly 31, 2013

    Wow, those are awesome intervals! I had my first day of interval training yesterday too for my half marathon - 6 x 400 ... which I thought would be awful. And then I saw your workout - wow! Way to go!
    PS - I go to Toledo for work a lot, I'll definitely have to check out the Imagination Station! It looks awesome! Is it fun for adults as well? (well, adults who feel like kids)

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  6. I have been following you for a LONG time. Like since you had 100 followers and I am still proud of you every time you push through. Just know with each step you inspire your readers!

    That place looks so gross-my kids would love it too! LOL. I am terrible with directions and get panicky too. There is this place in downtown KC called Crown Center. It has all this amazing and fun kids stuff to do and I've been a million times-but the parking, one way streets, shady neighborhoods to get lost in all around it make me inwardly freak every single time we go.

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  7. That place looks fun! My kids are gross, so they'd love it. This is extremely weird and embarrassing, but my 6 year old daughter loves to smell farts! LOL She is such a weirdo, so she'd love that one. haha

    I get the same way when driving somewhere like that where I don't know my way around. Driving is one of my major anxieties. I am fine going to places I know well or that are near the house, but other than that I get extremely nervous.

    Great job on the 6 days of exercise! I have been doing 5 and feel like a truck has run me over. I don't know what my problem is lately, I just feel like crap a lot for some reason.

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  8. This week you can substitute Smell Test Tuesday for your usual Taste Test Tuesday. And from what you say, I don't think I'll take a big whiff of hubby's feet anytime soon.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 31, 2013

    You should look for the books - I LOVED the grossology books as a kid. They had ones for the human body, animals, etc. etc. It was a fun way to learn and read at the same time :)

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  10. Wow thanks for the share. I did not know this was in Toledo. I m going to have to take my girls.

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