So, what's the summer going to look like? That's a good question.

Obviously, I stopped posting daily or every other day.  Hard to keep that up when every day is the same.  So, let's pick some topics!

1. Fitness

On the fitness topic, I'm holding steady. I had paid for a half marathon training program, to train for a 10 mile trail race (my first trail race!)  The program started on March 17.  The quarantine started on March 16.  The training became all virtual.  The race was postponed. 

I did the training anyway, with a few changes - I shortened the long run substantially (capping out at 7.15 miles).  I started capping the mid-week runs also - I've noticed if I get to where my speed work and Thursday runs are 5-6 miles each, things start to hurt (injuries).  It's happened several times in the last year and a half.  Achilles, hip, lower back.  Ah, aging.

Prior to COVID, I was also going to the gym a few times a week. Monday and Friday were hour long body pump classes.  These are lighter weights, more reps.  I don't necessarily LOVE that, but I like people.  So I was going.  I also swam occasionally in the YMCA pool.

I immediately replaced YMCA classes with LIIFT4 on Beachbody on Demand.  I've had BOD since it came out.  I did 5 weeks of LIIFT4 1.5 years ago after my face plant on a trail run hamstring injury.  I love all the choices on BOD but find the ONLY way I stick to it is to write out a schedule for a particular program.  LIIFT4 is 4 x a week.  I have only been doing 2 days a week.  The program takes a bit longer that way but I also skipped leg day while training for my non-race.  Well, my non-race was on 5/16 (I ran a 10k).  I'm in week 7 of LIIFT4, so I added back in the leg day for fun.

So not fun.

In any event, I used my copy of the book "The Complete Book of Running for Women" to set my next running program.  It is what I do between programs.  She has a 10-week speed workout schedule.  I use that for Tuesdays.  I used the Galloway book that I have for Thursdays - mostly easy runs, with occasional strides (for speed) and hills (for endurance).  Finally, I found a program on line for heart rate training for the long run.  It involves keeping your HR in zone 2-3, and slowly increasing mileage.  But then you also take breaks by dialing back the mileage every once in awhile.

When I finish LIIFT4, I am going to start Hammer and Chisel, another BOD program that my friend says is really good to use with running.  Also, I've been doing pushups 3x a day a few days a week.

Basically, I have my fitness program scheduled to August.

Well, what about the fam?  They've been slacking a bit, doing some jumping rope.  Big kid supposed to be keeping track of his workouts for PE, but he has been slacking a lot. Little kid does some things.  All 3 jump rope a few times a week for a few minutes.

So, I decided Big Kid had to run with me.  I added 4 days a week to finish a "Run Streak" until July 4.  Those days are 1 mile only, down to the bottom of our hill and back up.  A few days in, hubby joined.  Today, the little kid joined.  I am not sure I will get much faster if I have to stick with little kid the whole time.

I figure it's nice to do baby steps.  Hubby asked me to print out the schedule and program for LIIFT4, so he may start that soon.  I've told the kids they have to make a workout schedule for the summer and stick to it.

2. School and summer camp

Well, this is the shitty part.  We have been doing distance learning since March 16, and school is over next Weds.  Don't get me started on the shittiness that is working FT at home (ha) while sitting next to a 7 yo who will literally spend 2 hours complaining about 30 minutes of work.  SO fun.  I am counting the minutes but...

There are no summer camps.  There will be a few, eventually - but they will start late in the summer, have shorter days, have fewer slots, and there will be fewer of them.  So, my kids gonna be home all summer.

My summer camp spreadsheet now has a million links to online school, virtual summer camps, art museum tours, zoo tours, "how to draw and paint" videos, programming videos, exercise videos, etc.  We have come up with many weekly camp "ideas" so they aren't just playing Fortnite all summer long.  In a word: this sucks.  Okay that is 2 words.

3. Vacation

I cancelled my summer trip.  I never got the spring break trip.  I haven't had any time off since Christmas and I'm a fucking hot mess.  I NEED a week off every few months to function, and this anxiety really can't last much longer.

Bye bye 50th birthday trip to Hawaii.  But what instead?  Will staying home for a week and not working really help?  I doubt it.  I want to hike, go to the beach, relax.  I need to GO somewhere.  I NEED time off but how to make it special.  This fucking sucks.

4. Work

My work has been really great (hubs too) requiring people to work at home, and saying we are going to go really slow on the startup. 

There has been no general acknowledgment of people with kids though.  And by that I mean: people with YOUNG kids.  Your kids are 15 and 12?  Yeah, they can mostly get their own work done.  Your wife not work?  Great, she can monitor.  There are only a few of us though with YOUNG kids and spouses who work and ... it's been crickets.  My 7yo literally needs someone to sit next to him for 20-30 hours a week to get his school work done.  That is not going to change when school is out.

On one hand, company is flexible, that's great.  On the other, just a tiny bit of acknowledgment that this sucks, and it's not ending soon is needed.  I mean, we may open the state in July but I certainly can't leave a 7 yo at home all day with his big bro.  So this WFH is going to be a long term thing.  Argh, I just need a vacation.

Oh, and I'm frustrated with the increasing work, no more money, general work frustration that has been my life for a few years.

5.  FOOD

My grocery bill is OFF THE CHARTS yo!  Who knew a teen could eat so much.  Plus, prices are going up and we are shopping every 2 weeks.  We aren't price checking.

Pre-COVID weekly average: $177
Post-COVID weekly average: $219

(Both my kids were getting free lunch at school so...)

I have been using weekly menu plans so I can go back and come up with ideas.  I'm tired of coming up with ideas.  It's so exhausting.  My brain.  I just can't. I'm overwhelmed with my work schedule, the kids zoom schedules and homework needs, and blech.

Anyway, I've got pizza dough in the bread machine for tonight's dinner.  I eat gluten free frozen pizza from Costco.