Finally a run

34 degrees outside.  Between the rain storms so it is misty and wet.  5 miles, 55 minutes.  Lovely.  Absolutely lovely. (That's not me but I thought the blog needed a picture...)

My new runner's world has a column  called "Hell Week: what happens when a runner-mother doesn't get to exercise her demons." "With a look of fear on his face my husband quipped to our 4-year-old, "What will happen to us now that mommy can't run?"  Ya, I know that feeling.  What am I going to do if this whole crazy schedule of working nights means that there is no time to run????????  Deep breaths, I'll figure it out...

Back to today's run...

Had a weird pain.  When I ran the half marathon in Nov. about mile 5 I got this weird crampy pain that started in my right hip went down the outside of my leg and even made my ankle hurt a little bit.  Never had it before.  Well, mile 5 is a bad place to start hurting when you are running 13.1.  Very bad.  Was really uncomfortable the last 2 or 3 miles but I finished in my goal time and it never happened again. Weird weird weird.  So yesterday I wake up wiht this shooting pain every now and hten in my hip and feeling like the right side of my back is really tight.  And today while running the pain like the half was back.  Sciatica maybe, I dunno.  Hoping it goes away and never comes back.  (I hope it is listening!)
 

At least I'm getting paid for this!

Ayyiyiyiyi.  ORIENTATION.  It's like nursings chool all over agin expect, get this, I'M GETTING PAID!  I keep reminding myself of that but after 2 and a half hours on wound care and ostomy I was ready to pay them to let me just go home!  Not that wound care isn't important and interesting because it really is.  But I just did that in school AND how may new moms have you met who got a pressure ulcer during their two days in the hospital.  So the mantra is, I'm getting paid for this, I'm getting paid for this. 

Tomorrow, a six hour assessment test to identify my strengths and weaknesses for use during my preceptorship.  Good times, good times.

Running update:  LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY!  Maybe if I finish the assessment early I'll trade my dansko's for running shoes and go for a run while everyone else finishes up.  Wouldn't that be cute, the scrub wearing runner!  Even better, the poor person who has to sit next to the scrub wearing runner for the rest of the afternoon sessions!!!!

First day (sort of)

Today I showed up on the floor for about 2 hours of computer training and other random orientation. Hubby reminded me that as an hourly employee it doesn't pay to be efficient and a fast learner.  Sad but true.  How bout this for a new policy.  The company measures how long it takes the slowest person to do computer training and we all get paid for as many hours as it takes that person, even if you learn it in say an hour and a half as opposed to two hours.  Just sayin'...
Met a few people, (who I won't actually be working with because that was all day shift and I'm nights) and got the gist of the computerized charting system.  Won't be hard once I get the hang of it but I like to know how to do things immediately and it gives me anxiety thinking that I might have to ask someone for help.  
Got a list of the classes I have to go to and dates so that's good.  Gives me a chance to have some sense of my schedule.  I'm sure the classes will be boring as can since I just did most of this in school but I will be getting PAID for it!!!!  That is still a lovely thing that I have not quite comprehended yet! 
One other thing I found out.  There are no dress code restrictions for scrubs except no all black and no all red.  The mommies don't like it.  I found that very humorous.  There's something really giggle worthy about letting a bunch of post-partum women dictate your attire especially in scrubs! (But you can wear black and red together. )

First night on the floor: Feb. 2. 

It's like the first day of school...

So tomorrow is the first day.  Although it is an easy first day.  I go in for 2 hours of computer training.  I like this easing in to work thing!  I got my new scrubs in the mail the other day.  I ordered them after seeing them posted on another blog, At your Cervix.  Isn't that the best name for a blog ever!!!!   I can't stand cutesy prints on scrubs, maybe if I were in peds just to make the kids happy but I don't know how you get adults to take you seriously when your scrubs are covered in hearts or shamrocks.  So these scrubs have a little more design than solid but not anywhere on the cutesy scale.  I did kind of go overboard on the pink theme without really realizing it.  Oh well, it goes with the baby-mama theme.  One negative is that scrubs just aren't designed for a very petite person.  I got them short enough buying a short but I even in the extra small top I feel like I am either playing dress up or wearing a maternity top.  Seeing as how they are scrubs, I will be working nights and I just don't care that much what I look like, it wasn't worth sending them back and trying a different size.  Priorities, priorities.  At this point the unit doesn't have a dress code.  However, the recruiter told me they've been talking about it for a while so with my luck in the next couple months they will decide all nurses need to wear lime green or better yet BURGUNDY just like nursing school!!!!! 

Running in the cold and fog

What a great day for a run. 40 degrees, foggy.  Fabulous!  I will say that cold weather running is great after the first 10 minutes.  The first 10 minutes I am cold cold cold and wishing for another layer or 10.  Then I start to warm up and find a rhythm and I forget that I'm cold.  Then after another ten minutes I start stripping off the layers I do have.  Off come the gloves, shove in pocket, unzip windbreaker, tuck hat into waistband.  That's me over there stripping down at mile 10 of the half marathon I ran in November.  Saw my family cheering on the sidelines and was thrilled at the opportunity to dump all my extra layers on them!  Little did I know that if you dumped your clothes on the course they had a reasonable chance of making in to the dumped clothes box at the finish line.  Would have done that a lot sooner!!!!!

Finishing up is a little shocking too because you get cold REALLY fast!!!!  So what do I do?  Go outside and work on cleaning up the pool from the freeze we had a week ago.  Cause sticking your hands in icy water is a great way to warm up.  Maybe the cold zapped my intelligence.

Did 6.45 miles in 1:10:36.  A year ago I would have said you were crazy if you said I would go out for a relatively normal run on a normal day and put in over 6 miles.  And even crazier if you had said I would love it so much. 

Welcome to Running with the Baby-Mama Drama

So here we are, new home, new career, new blog.  Seemed appropriate to move on from the old blog and start soemthing new.  I had been toying with the idea of a running blog, not really because my running is that interesting but just because I like to talk about it.  But then a new nurse blog seemed like there would be more variety to talk about.  but I was absolutely SURE I would not keep up with two.  So here we are Running with the Baby-Mama Drama.  Maybe this will also help me stay motivated to keep running while trying to juggle life on the night shift!

Running update:
Ran this morning on the treadmill for 30 minutes while watching Real Estate Intervention on the DVR.  Love that show.  Mental note: never buy a total fixer upper with a guy you aren't married to.  And if you do, don't let him live in the house while you are trying to sell it.  Oh an don't buy at the height of a real estate bubble.  Inflated my new balance ball and did some abs and some arms. 

New nurse update: START MONDAY!!!!!!!  Got new scrubs, got new black out curtains for my day sleeping area(but totally forgot the curtain rod!!!), got a new badge with a pink stripe that means I can hold a baby in the hospital, opened a new bank account to try and avoid the money fritter (you get money and it just fritters away, mainly at Target).   Found out today that as a new grad I have to do the new nurse residency program which is a series of 12 weeks of once a week classes designed to help me transition to my new role.  Only they didn't get my hire date in before the Spring class cutoff so I will have to join the summer class.  So I will work on the floor as an actual nurse for 4 months then join a class of brand new grads to help me transition.  Seriously?  Surely, between now and then I can find a way around this but if not, I did it in school, I'm sure I'll do it through out my career, just one more hoop to jump through...