To these, I confess

This morning, I nearly had an accident on my run. Of the No. 2 variety.

(How's that for a blog lead?)

I was grateful that Tami let me rest a minute at a street crossing to let the muscles relax so we could make it the half mile to the cars. She assured me, though, that what happens on the trail stays on the trail and if I needed to duck away, I could.

Sing it with me: That's what best running friends are for ...

I've been feeling like a fail of a mom lately. There's a lot going on, and I just feel distracted. It's easy to let Miles play on his own or with the kids next door so I can do other things.

This morning, though, was good. I took Miles outside and played baseball with him. I tossed a few pitches before he opted for the tee. It was more fun for him this way, and a lot more work for me. He can hit that ball far!

Afterward, we headed back to the kitchen to make some applesauce. I still had a ton of apples from our trip to the orchard, and I wanted to get to them. Miles loves using the Pampered Chef peeler/corer/slicer that my mom gave me years ago. And I love that he is in the kitchen with me, having fun and learning something.

Note to anyone who eats the applesauce: Mile not only loves helping with the processing but the eating. He will grab a slice of apple, take a bite and throw it back in to the slow cooker. Repeat times 100. But, hey, he's eating apples!

I've gotten over some of my hang-ups with posting less-than-flattering race photos. Extra skin flailing? It goes up. Bad form? Meh. Wings flapping? That's fine. Nonetheless, I sometimes feel like I want to put an explanation/disclaimer that my legs look bad .... or I have bat wings ... or a bulge because of extra skin from weight loss, not because I'm not taking care of myself. It seems so silly because most people know my story and I am the one who notices it - not others. Or at least not a lot of others.

Even though I'm open about plans for a tummy tuck in the future, I know I won't do the legs or arms. So I either need to shut up about it or wear capris!

My Starbucks addiction is getting bad. Blame the pregnancy. I have one cup of coffee at home but stick to decaf the rest of the day. The work coffeemakers are stocked with regular so I could either bring my own decaf ... or go to Starbucks for decaf. It doesn't help that there's some star promotion for gold card members that encourages you to go every day for seven days starting today.

It is better than getting hyped up for the McDonald's Monopoly game, which started recently. The old me would get a bit ridiculous each time the promotion began, and I probably ate 3,000 Quarter Pounders and gained 100 pounds because of it.

What are your confessions?

Three Things Thursday: Observations from the gym

Between the hours of 9 and 10 this morning, I had to be at the YMCA. It wasn't to teach a class or to attend required seminar but an appointment with my sanity.

While Miles is breathing easier today, a toddler on steroids makes for some interesting days and more interesting nights. The shenanigans last night included hammering (with a toy hammer) an hour past bedtime, stripping down to color all over himself (his feet are still orange) and pile every toy into his bed.

So, this morning -- after a fight about staying downstairs, being told that I don't tell him no and being roared at because I informed him that, yes, I can tell him no -- I decided he needed to go to daycare early and I needed a good sweat session.

1. I ran Tuesday and Wednesday thus making today a cross-training day. I hopped on the upright bike and warmed up for 10 minutes before getting into the work.

• 1 minute at a hard resistance, RPMs max out at 50
• 2 minutes recovery at a moderate resistance
• 1 minute at moderate resistance with high RPMs, no lower than 100
• 2 minutes recovery at a moderate resistance
• Repeat as needed

The workout mimics a plateau, the geological one. You climb, spin on the flat and speed out on the downhill. Ride a bit to the next one. While it plays with resistance and speed, the workout was more about the intensity.

Note: While I am ACE certified personal trainer, I am not your trainer. Performing any workout on this page is at your own risk. Please consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.

2. If Judgy Wudgy was a bear, I am sad to say that I am the mama bear. I noticed several people walking at severe inclines on the treadmills but only being able to do so by holding onto the rails. I am not sure about you but I've never walked up a hill and got to support half my weight while doing so. A more effective workout would have utilized the maximum incline the exerciser could walk unassisted. The same goes for speed. It's the one time it's OK to say no to help.

3. Maybe I'm an antisocial asshole but if there are eight open pieces of equipment, please choose one that is not right next to me. I find it so odd that people cluster up. I can see where it would draw some competitive spirit to see someone go harder or faster than you but I find it distracting. I end up reading the person's magazine rather staying in the zone of my workout.

What's your gym pet peeve?