2008 Year in Review

This year started out with a bang as I ran my first marathon in January, Relay race in March, and ultra in April.

As I set my sights on longer distances, the old bones gave out and I sat sidelined like my Ike-battered fence for 12 weeks.

All in all, it wasn't a bad year. I am trying to look at the gains I made towards becoming a runner. I am about 55 miles short of my mileage goal this year. I doubt I'll run a 50+ miler today.

I did run close to 700 miles in 2008. I bought at least 5 pairs of shoes and that has to count for something. I mean having a closet full of the coolest running gear and attire gives a few bonus points, doesn't it?? Ok, maybe not, but it was worth a shot.

The forced running sabbatical gave me an opportunity to reflect on what is really important in the scheme of running and life overall. I've had the chance to decide on a few goals and hopefully they are more realistic. My ultimate goal is that no matter what running goals I set and achieve, they allow me the balance that I strive for between the family and business.

Balance is one of those things I constantly struggle with. This may mean letting go of other things that I enjoy and even some I don't (in particular, laundry, dusting, bathroom cleaning would be my pick!)

Goals for 2009 are as follows:

1. Strengthening of core.
2. Increasing endurance.
3. 1000 miles.
4. Run my first 50 miler.
5. Train smarter.
6. Maintain healthy eating.

I pray for a safe, happy, and healthy 2009 for you all!

The Season May Still Have a Reason!

(this post also appears on my regular blog)
I am just as guilty as the next person of getting caught up the all of the craziness of the season. We don't usually go overboard with the cost of gifts, but we do try to give something to most everyone we know.

We also try to do enough baking that could, honestly, feed lots of hungry people.

Add to that the special moments I've tried to "create" (aka as contrive) over the years, the perfect Christmas card picture, the 400 Christmas cards I try to mail out, the traditions I try to instill, and I end up one stressed out mom who is not much fun to be around.

This year is different. Perhaps it's the fact that the economy is slow and more of us are trying to conserve that which we have. Perhaps I'm finally realizing that I really don't have to run myself into the ground. Perhaps I have really, truly, and honestly found the real reason for the season.

I have always known the reason, and I've always talked about how we should always remember the reason, but what I did was contrary to what I was saying. My heart is in a different place this year.

Just like everyone else I know, we have cut back quite a bit this year. We've been moving in this direction for a few years now and this is the year that we finally have made Christmas more about what it is and less about ourselves.

I know that there are many people suffering this Christmas season, and for those people I pray that times get better and life gets easier, but for those of us who have not gone without very often, if ever, I pray that this year, we embrace the true meaning of Christmas, and that we hold onto it the whole year through.

In an effort to really be family-centered for the remainder of the Advent season and the Christmas season, I am restricting my computer time to only that which is necessary. I will not be blogging until 2009. I will be snuggling with the kids and finishing up our home made projects. We will be worshiping Christ and thanking Him for His gift to us. We will be reflecting on our baptismal call and what that means to us as a family.

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jingle Bell Fun Run

Bean was given the task of taking pictures at tonight's run, but she was a bit distracted by the bookstore...

Here is a view of my costume



I had fun running along the Waterway, seeing the other runners and enjoying the decorations.

I've been battling a bit of a stomach bug the last 2 days, so it was nice to get out and breathe in some fresh air.

Marathoner, aka, Father

Saw this article on the web tonight and had to share it! I'm thinking the thief probably needed that money in a bad way, but still a great story!

Here is a brief snippet:

Money Stolen, D.C. Priest Hot on Heels Of Suspect

As he bounded out of through the church door just 20 minutes before Mass, the Rev. Bill Hegedusich was greeted by confused looks from his parishioners at St. Peter's on Capitol Hill. He offered them a simple explanation.

"I said, 'Hey, I'm going to go catch a thief,' " he said.

Then, in his black shirt and white clerical collar, Hegedusich, a marathon runner, darted after the man who had just swiped the church's collection money.

Still Here!

I am slowly getting myself back out there again. I loved running on Thanksgiving, but I didn't like the fact that my HR hit a whopping 215! This gave me reason to take some time to figure out what direction to head in right now.

My running goals for the time being are not to a specific race, but rather, to my general overall running health. I am working on strengthening the core and getting better working knowledge of training by HR. HR training is by far very different than anything I've ever tried before.

If you haven't checked out Facebook, you may want to give it a try. There are quite a few runners hanging out there!

Enjoy the season of Advent!

Run Thru The Woods 2008

My Thanksgiving was lived out in such a surreal way yesterday. After so many weeks (seemed like years!) of not running, I was able to put my first "race" in the books. Of course, I was only racing against myself, not the true winners of the race.

I was able to run with Mike, Boo's godfather, which made the event even better. I know many people like to run races alone so that they can "run their own race", and if I was in top shape, I may have decided to do that as well, but yesterday, just being able to run, to run in my town surrounded by so many people that I know, (and even more that I don't know), was a real gift.

I will admit, over the last few weeks, I have seriously wondered if I would ever really be able to run again. I had to weigh the benefit over the cost. I would hurt so much after the runs I did do, that it impacted how I lived the rest of my daily life. Playing with the kids, walking around, sleeping, etc., were all painful as a result of running. My attempts to be "healthy" were not amounting to an overall health that I could accept.

For whatever reason, last weekend when I ran in Huntsville, all of my pains disappeared. Maybe it was because I ran on dirt, maybe it was just finally time to be healed, or maybe it was something bigger than myself that intervened. All I know is that I was in a fair amount of discomfort before even beginning the run and at the end of the run, all pain was gone and has not come back.

I decided to run yesterday not really to race, but to test the waters on concrete. I really expected to have the pain return, but to my great joy, it has not. And I am so grateful for that.

This is the 3rd time I have run this race. The first time, I had only been running about 6 weeks. I was insane to even consider running it, but I ran it on pure emotion. My mom had passed away the year prior to that race and I ran it in her honor (as I do all of my races). I recall many years prior to beginning running, I had envied people who could run that race. I never believed that it would be something that I could ever do. When Rick convinced me that I could run it and he would help me, I believed him. He did help me cross that finish line and I will always cherish that moment.

Last year was the second year I ran it. In spite of some nasty weather and very cold temps, I was able to run that race with a dear friend (now soon-to-be brother-in-law as of yesterday!) and finished at a pace that I was happy with.

Two weeks ago, I registered for the race not really knowing if I could run it. I knew I could probably finish the thing, but how much discomfort I would be in afterward was my primary concern. I don't mind the typical muscle aches, but stress fractures and muscle spasms that last for weeks at a time are not my idea of fun.

Running yesterday was a gift and I understand this. Why should I be able to run, to do something that brings me such personal joy? Others in this life have so many struggles and my issue is whether or not I will be running? I don't want to go to deep here, but I'm sure you can see where this leads me when I enter that classroom of silence.



I finished the race with my son's Godfather and enjoyed every step (well, ok, not the ones coming back over the 45 overpass...) My spirit was renewed and I felt reconnected with myself.

He's Back!!

Doesn't Chelsey look happy?!


We can't believe it, but Chelsey is back! He was found by some wonderful folks who noticed something swimming in their pool last night. Funny, Chelsey is terrified of water, avoiding it at all costs.

Then they took him to the vet to see if he was "chipped", which he is not. He doesn't ride in our car much because the stress of it causes him to, well, shall we say, "loose control?!"

Apparently, the people that adopted him for the night are also dog-sitters and happen to have 3 dogs of their own, plus another 2 that were visiting for the weekend. Chelsey was apparently the most well-behaved. I have a hard time believing that!!

The kids went out for another ride to see if they could find him, and were fortunate enough to see a FOUND sign.

It's nice to know that there are still people in this world who care...

Update

We still can't find Chelsey. I hope to find a picture of him, but I'm a bad puppy mama. All of our pictures are old of him and in the non-digital format.

On a lighter note, Fish has been sick with a stomach bug the past few days. Last night he felt hungry so I made him some dry toast with a side of apple-sauce. He began to eat it and yelled out, "What is this??!!" I informed him that he was eating toast. "There's no butter on this toast!" he replied. I explained that he needed to eat dry toast without butter because of his stomach virus.

"Mom, that's not called toast...that's called bread!"

I haven't had a Fishism in awhile.

This morning he gave us another...

Mark asked him to go upstairs to wake his siblings to which he replied, "I can't, remember, I'm sick!" Mark firmly asked, "What are your legs broken?" Fish responded "Yes!" Mark said, "uh, huh!" To which Fish said, "Seriously, they just broke!"

Yep, life is a non-stop laugh-fest around here!

A small prayer request

*This is the only picture on the computer of Chelsey. I think it was taken by one of the young children. His face is covered with fur right now. He doesn't like to be groomed and has become very difficult to groom, so we don't do that very often. It freaks him out too much. I guess he really is a crotchety old man...
Our fence is currently is a state of disarray as it is being replaced after the damage from good Ol' Ike.

Our elderly dog has gone missing. He is very old (16 years!) and I know he probably won't have enough sight or hearing left to help him find his way back.

Not to mention how chilly it will be tonight. He is a mostly indoor doggie. His name is Chelsey. Please pray he returns soon.

8 Miles

I was able to spend sometime this morning in the classroom of silence. It was wonderful. I haven't run trails in over 3 months. I have really missed them, but today, I finally felt back at home.

The legs felt great. The hip doesn't hurt at all. I did forget to use my inhaler before my run and that gave me some problems, but after a few miles, I was able to watch my HR and keep my breathing in check. A great exercise in asthma control.

I am planning to run on Thanksgiving, not racing, but a nice run. It will be nice to be out there again.

Ten for Texas

Oh, glorious day! What perfect running weather God blessed us with this morning! Brisk and breezy, yet sunny and bright! I felt like I was back in Colorado!

Today did not mean a run for me, however. I debated giving it a go, but I heard Bill's words of wisdom in the back of my mind telling me to be patient. Not my strongest virtue. Not by a long shot. But I listened and I instead headed out the door this morning to support those who did run. Lem and I met up with Jon, Bill, Holden, Debbie, Waverly, and Natalia for a fun morning of handing out hydration. We were the last fueling station on the route. It was great seeing so many runners that I know and even more that I don't!

Everyone looked like they were feeling good and having fun, and that is the most important thing, well except for winning, but only a few get that treat!

Tonight I am enjoying pancakes for dinner and Pink Panther..."I would like to buy a damburger!"

To all of my friends running in San Antonio, I wish you well. I will try to get 7 or 8 miles in myself depending upon how the hip feels. I can't wait to hear the race reports!

It might be nice to be 13 again...

My son, Foo, is 13. His appetite is huge, but usually consists of a fairly healthy selection of foods. This weekend found some exceptions.

At the Children's Festival at our Church, the boy ate 4 or 5 hot dogs and then was served 3 more after LifeTeen! He also ingested 2 servings of blue cotton candy, some nachos, and a few tacquitos. Gross. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.

Today he topped it all... literally. As I was finishing up with one of my students (a 14 year old boy), I noticed Foo was making a snack. I warned him that it was close to dinner time. He said it was a healthy snack, peanut butter and wheat bread. Not too bad... until he topped it off with whipped cream!! We are talking completely covered the thing in cream!! My student was quite impressed and I think he would have loved a bite or two!

I might be jealous if I wasn't so nauseated by it all...

Could it be?

I actually was able to run on a Fit run today? Yes, I did! I considered crying, but sucked it up and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the great company, and the blessing of being able to put one foot in front of the other, if only for 5 miles.

The hip feels great, it's the muscle spasms that continue. Tonight I took a large dose of Advil. I've been doing stretches all day. The Advil wins.

Bean had an interview with her college of choice today. It was a great experience, minus the very long car ride which only exacerbated the muscle spasms.

For a mere 26,000/year, we can be assured a wonderful college experience. I appreciate that this is a well-priced college, but OUCH!

My plan is this....

Get 1,000 of my closest friend to donate 1 dollar for each mile I run at the next marathon... BAM 26,000 good to go!! Should I set up my paypal button now?? LOL


Lem and I went to a volleyball game yesterday and she is so on fire to play. We are a week too late to sign up at the Y, unless I want to coach. Looks like we'll have to wait until the spring.

We also visited Luke's for her first official pair of running shoes. She is so excited! She got a mile in last night and wanted to get another in tonight. She already had plans to see a play, so that won out, but I will try to get her out there tomorrow.

Even Bean mentioned today that she is seriously thinking about trying to run. I love how teenagers consider things. It takes more energy to think of excuses not to do something rather than to just do it... oh, wait, that's my approach to laundry!! Dang, I guess she comes by it honestly.

Not-so-active Recovery

In running news, I've had 3 fairly decent runs this week. The fracture appears to be healed, however, with each run the psoas muscle appears to go into a spasm that takes awhile to work out. This is concerning because I believe that my stress fracture was partly caused by the psoas spasm that I couldn't control in the first place.

I've tried numerous stretches with little relief. The best I can do is return to the massage therapist, but honestly, I can't afford to pay 80.00 after each run! There must be something else I can do. She has shown me some stretches and I will try them. I will admit, it is frustrating.

I bought some new shoes to see if that helps as well. I invested in a pair of Mizuno Alchemy 8s. They feel wonderful and during the runs, I didn't feel them at all. A good thing!

I plan to run tomorrow with Fit. It is the last run before San Antonio. I will not be running their mileage, but my own. Hopefully, next week, as they run San Antonio, I can be somewhat helpful here at the Ten for Texas.

I restarted the 100 Push-up challenge. This time I was able to start at the mid-level rather than the 1st one. Definitely progress from my first attempt at the challenge. I finished week 1 today. It was tough to get the last set of 12 in, but I did it. Total push-ups today, 45.

The People have Spoken

Congratulations to Mr. Obama, our president-elect, on his historic campaign and election to the White House. Politics aside, I can not help but feel such joy for his accomplishments and sorrow that his grandmother, mother, and father were not here to see this day. I do know what it is like to lose those closest to you and to miss them so terribly during times of great emotion.

I am proud to be American, proud to be living in a time when race does not determine your ability to become president, finally.

Mr. Obama is our president. He is my president. He will have my prayers as he enters into the White House during a very uncertain time in our country's history. This will not be a picnic for him. I pray that he can surround himself with the best of the best and glean from their wisdom and experience. This country can turn around, but one party can not do it alone.

So I will watch. I will stay informed. I will pray. I will not lose sight of the dream of our forefathers. And I will thank God that I live in the United States of America, where to disagree represents the truest form of our freedom and democracy.

Election Night Festivities

No news. None. Nada. That is first and foremost. We've had it with watching people tear people apart. I voted early and have no intention of watching the coverage until sometime tomorrow, after all the expected lawsuits begin to get filed.

I can't stand polls. I hate being a prediction, a number, a non-issue. When I start to lose hope in the electoral process, something is definitely wrong.

My prayer is that all that have been so energized by this election season continue to stay involved in holding our government accountable.




So tonight we've rented movies, cooked up some mean tacos, some even meaner chocolate pumpkin cupcakes (thanks Tiggs!), and plan to enjoy the freedom that we take for granted most days. Oh, and I ran. Again. More on that later...

Stranger things have happened!

(stolen from Nancy's blog)

All Hallow's Eve

I had to post this for Barbara today. My godson came to visit last night...



What was scarier? Today, my neighbor, not the sharpest crayons in the box I might add, decided to power wash their area rug today...
***You must enlarge this picture to get the full effect, cigarette hanging out of the mouth, crap falling out of the garage, etc. Is this really an approved means of cleaning an area rug?



The best part is that the beloved truck she is standing upon has been broken down for about 6 months now. Gotta love The Woods!

Painful

I am not sure which is more painful...

A hip stress fracture

Not being able to run during this unbelievable weather

or

Receiving a race confirmation card for the now sold out San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon the day after I've canceled my accommodations


Definitely the latter.

On a lighter note...

I surprised Lem this morning with a pair of tickets to see High School Musical 3! It was a great movie, which surprised me. I enjoyed the music, the dancing, and the outfits. Joelle brought her girls as well. We had a great time and laughed an awful lot.

***Disclaimer*** I am a sucker for a sappy, happy-ending movies complete with nerd factor all over it.

Going out on a limb

I don't usually feel comfortable posting about my political decisions on a running blog. It's not because I'm terribly secretive about where I stand, I think it is pretty obvious being a Catholic mom of 6 kids. It's more because I'm not full of wit and wonderful words about the current state of our election process. I am definitely not a political pundit by any stretch of the imagination.

I have been the recipient of several nights without sleep thinking about the type of country my children will be living in. The bottom line is this. As much as we'd all love to believe that they can, NEITHER of these candidates is able save our country. The Savior has already come and until He comes again, we will continue to battle the sin of our world. The Good News is that He left us with a wonderful road map on how to live. If only we would follow it.


There are many issues to be concerned with during this time in our country's history, and I do study as much as I can to understand them, but in the end, there is truly only one issue that determines where my vote goes. I vote Pro-Life. (surprise, surprise) That of course means that Mr. Obama will not be getting my vote. I am not excited about McCain, but he is willing to defend the right to life, and from where I stand, if there is no life, there are no other "issues" to worry about.

I recall Obama talking about his daughters during his acceptance speech. He stated that he would not want his daughters punished with a baby if they "made a mistake." He is saying, without any misunderstanding, that he would approve of the abortion of his grandchild.

Remembering that his mother was a single mom and raised him with the help of his grandparents, I wonder if she ever felt that she had been saddled with a mistake? And if she had had the legal option, would she have chosen to abort him? And if she did, would we be looking at the possibility of electing the first Afro-American into office this year?

Yesterday, Mark mentioned to me that 50% of Catholics are voting for Obama. I know many other people of the Christian faith that are voting for him as well. I understand the frustration with the government. I wish I could vote a real change in. But the only real issue, again, is the issue of life.

The Bishops of the American Catholic Church issued a document last year called Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. I encourage all to read this. It is 42 pages, but worth the time. It helps to guide the Christian voter through this maze of decisions that we must make.

The Bishops of Dallas and Fort Worth issued a letter this month during the Respect Life month. You can read the joint statement here and while the letter has drawn some negative criticism for "attempting to endorse a particular candidate", I believe it is an attempt on the behalf of the Church to educate the faithful in what exactly our baptismal call obligates us to do, and that is to reject the "intrinsic evil" that attacks human life.

The letter from the Bishops states:

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship clearly teaches that not all issues have the same moral
equivalence. Some issues involve “intrinsic evils”; that is, they can never under any circumstance or
condition be morally justified. Preeminent among these intrinsic evils are legalized abortion, the promotion
of same sex unions and “marriages”, repression of religious liberty, as well as public policies permitting
euthanasia, racial discrimination or destructive human embryonic stem cell research

The document Forming Conscience of Faithful Citizenship states:

“There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always
incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are
always opposed to the authentic good of persons. These are called ‘intrinsically evil’ actions. They
must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned.

So while I agree that things are a mess in Washington and we do need a change, we also need real HOPE. The hope of life. The hope that all life is protected, especially the most vulnerable and the most unable to defend itself.

Some will call me a one-issue voter, and I suppose I would have to agree with them. However, after reading this letter and the document issued by the Conference of Bishoops, I have a better understanding of why this "one-issue" is the most important issue. If voting on this one issue causes me to pay higher taxes (which I doubt it will) it is a price I am willing to pay. It is certainly less of a price than that which 48 million innocent lives have paid since 1973.


I can't wait for this election to be over. I have been sickened by what I have seen from both parties especially over the last few years which are now coming back to haunt us. My biggest hope is that some of them, and I can not which party they are affiliated with, stand up, accept responsibility for the mess they have created and set their hearts and minds to fix it.

I promise to get back to running soon and hopefully that will inspire some running posts again.

PERFECT!

That is the only word to describe this beautiful weather! So what can one do when one isn't running...

We go visit Thomas!



These pictures are for Tiggs... A future cupcake maker??




Let me just say, these tasted awesome!

Huntsville Half

What a great day for a race! Lem and I headed out this morning to help at the Huntsville Half Marathon.

It was a bit chilly this morning and I couldn't help but say a big "Thank you" to the man upstairs for great temps for my running friends.

We were placed at Ave I and 14th Street to help direct the runners around the prison yard. It was a bit spooky when we first got there. Lem had never seen a prison before nor a guard tower complete with an armed guard. I convinced her that we were completely safe and had personal body guards watching over us.

There was an abandoned building on the opposite side of the street which apparently had a very bad smell coming from it. Lem and I couldn't smell it thanks to being on the good side of the downwind, however, I saw many runners covering their mouths and noses as they passed by. It must have been bad!

The runners were so awesome! I loved seeing the determination, the smiles, the effort that they had. Runner #1 had the appropriate bib number, #1. I don't know yet if he won overall, but I would bet that he did. He was so fast! Of course Adrienne was certainly amazing and a true inspiration to watch! That is one quick lady!! Lem was totally impressed! I wonder if she'll get the running bug again.

Pete was burning up the road and I believe he broke his own personal PR! Way to go, Pete!

I saw so many great folks today. In no certain order, Jon, Bill, Evan, Debbie, Misty, Joe M., Carlos O., Norman, Lavonne, and of course, Ken. I know I am leaving someone out, so accept my apologies if I have.

I was certainly renewed with the fever to run watching the race today! I can't wait to get back to business, but I am not going to rush it. As much as I would like to start next week, I am going to obey the rules and hold off at least one more week before I start up again. I have had lots of time to re-evaluate my goals and I am looking forward to setting up a new schedule of races that reflect quality running instead of quantity.

Lem and I had so much fun today. It was a great experience for both of us and we even got to have a nice breakfast afterwards. In a house with many siblings, having one on one time is hard to come by, so I treasure these moments very much.

Thank you to all who put the race together and those who ran it. Your spirit is amazing!

Small Steps!

I have been relatively pain-free the last two days. No need for Advil. No running in close to 4 weeks.

I drove the stick shift today with no pain. Maybe next week, I'll take the legs for a small spin around the block. We'll see how the weekend goes.

I am hoping to help at the Huntsville Half this Saturday. Maybe I'll see some of you there.

JD... I can't access your blog. Have you gone private?

Finally!

Finally, something I CAN do!

I was able to contact my Financial guy today and let him know that we will be canceling our life insurance policies with AIG. I figure 60 - 85 billion of our money is enough. No more monthly premiums.

Then I found this...

Living Large At AIG

Dorks.

I HATE CANCER!

I am feeling kind of beside myself tonight. Not sorry for myself, because I know my life is so full of blessings. But here it is, Breast Cancer awareness month, a month that I could be training to run for those who are fighting not only breast cancer, but all cancer.

A young mom in our homeschooling group had a double mastectomy today. Her mom and grandmother died from breast cancer.

Everyday, it seems, I hear of someone else that is taking on the cancer fight.

I know I can pray, and believe me I do, but I am the kind of person that needs to DO something. Even if it doesn't really "help", kind of like sweeping the floor when dealing with a family crisis, it doesn't help the crisis, but it does help feel like I am doing something.

If I can run and raise money, raise awareness, offer my physical discomforts on behalf of someone else (the Catholic in me), I feel like I am doing something.

I don't really know what this post is about other than being a vent of sorts. I just want cancer to make like the stupid politicians in Washington and GO AWAY!

No running, lots of time to think about 700 BILLION!

Are you kidding me??

I read this today on Yahoo News.

The gist of the article is this:

1. Richard Fuld, exec of Lehman Brothers was paid 350 million dollars in salary between 2000 -2007. This is when the company was having their troubles. Do ya think they could have cut those salaries a bit and saved the company? No... that wouldn't have been the right thing to do because this man DESERVED all of that cash for all his hard work, investing OUR money!!

2. He and his cronies also spent several days coming up with millions of dollars in severance pay for some company executives while at the same time, asking US and the GOVERNMENT for HELP for his POOR LITTLE COMPANY!!?? And he also whines, "Till they put me in the ground, I'll never understand why we didn't get the help but the others did." Wah. Wah, wah, wah. Get over it buddy. Go spend some of that 350 million you've made in the last 7 years and feel better. Invest in our dying economy. Imagine.

I am really trying to work on my peace of mind whilst not running. This political stuff isn't helping. Obama's plan will put my business in the toilet and McCain has gone from Maverick to Marshmallow. I want a do-over!

The weirdness is starting to take over

Almost three weeks with no running. The insanity is starting to take over. I was up until 2 am shredding files that were over 10 years old. I am also having lots of crazy dreams and I am starting to let some curse words slip...

It's getting ugly...

Leadville

I had hoped to run in Leadville, but it wasn't to be this time. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to.

We did a walking tour of the quaint little town. It was a great trip. We ate at a great restaurant, The Golden Burro Cafe.

Here are a few shots of the town.



The local watering hole.



The Tabor Opera House




I am not a big fan of giving sugar to my kids, but these lollipops really did give us all peace of mind during the long drives!

A few more pictures from Colorado

Since I have some time on my hands, I thought it might be worthy to put up a few more shots from our trip to Colorado. These are from our trip up to the Summit of Pike's Peak. I was pretty freaked out most of the trip up and down because of my intense fear of heights, and my brother-in-law's obsession with driving too fast, but once I was on the Summit, I was strangely calm, as long as I didn't look over the edge or get close to it...



Notice the SLIGHT hint of FEAR in my expression?? I think it looks like I am in a small engine aircraft rather than an SUV!



This view made the day!



The girls, Bean and Lem. Lem is holding snow. I was holding my breath hoping they didn't step backwards!!! I get queasy just seeing this picture!!




I've seen Pike's Peak from the Garden of the Gods several times. This was the first time I was able to see Garden of the Gods from above. It looks so very small!



Bean, Foo, and Fish at the Summit. Boo was in the car asleep and Lem was playing with the snow. I was getting hot chocolate and donuts!!

The Official Unofficial Diagnosis

Because stress fractures don't typically show up on an x-ray, and because I can't justify paying 1000.00 for an MRI, I am going to rely on my wonderful doctor's opinion that I am indeed dealing with a hip stress fracture.

It looks like the role of JD will now be played by me... at least for 6 to 8 weeks. San Antonio is out. Sunmart is questionable, Rocky, probable, but not 100 miles. TIR is safe, baring any more unforseen difficulties.

I'm ok with this. I figure I need to learn to train smarter and this will certainly show me how.

In the end, this is about being healthy to be there for my family. Now I just get to spend some more time with them and try more bike riding and maybe even swimming (e-gads!)

Here's who I'll be spending more time with....



And these will be waiting for me, oh so patiently, in their box, in my closet...gently calling my name...



aren't they purty???

Ready for September to end

We started the month with the dreaded 7 day stomach virus of our two-year old, followed by a visit from Hurricane Ike. As soon as the debris was cleared, well actually, the debris has yet to be cleared, the power has yet to be restored to many of our friends, we packed up and headed for our trip to Colorado.

While we have been in Colorado, my dear husband has developed a very scary condition, HAPE. While he is okay now, it was a very scary experience and until we leave, he must use oxygen. (the embarrassing pictures will follow...)


We did make it to Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak yesterday. It was beautiful and exciting, minus the treacherous driving of my beloved brother-in-law who seems to think that because he can drive well in Grand Turismo, this translates over into the real world.

At the top of Pike's Peak, I was able to take in the site that Katherine Lee Bates did before she was inspired to write America the Beautiful.
.

I had to pause and wonder if anyone in Washington even cares about America anymore. Or are we just an opportunity for the corrupt politicians to become wealthier and more corrupt leaving the good people behind to deal with their messes.

We, as a country, are more concerned with who is left on the island, who is in the semi-finals of American Idol, or who is going to dance themselves to a trophy on Dancing with the Stars. How much do we know about what is destined to be the possible end of our economic freedom as we have known it?

I don't pretend to have the answers or even to understand it all, but I do get that this is serious. When lawmakers agree to work through a weekend, it is serious.

We need leadership in a big way. Instead of telling us about the change you are going to impart, why not show us? Why not show us that you care enough to have a say in the very issue that will be first on your plate when you take office? Let's stop pointing fingers and start working together, please!

Obviously, I am not running, so I have lots of time to let things stir in my mind. Too much. I have an appointment on Monday to find out what is going on with my hip. I think it may be a stress fracture.

Now I need to go figure out if I have any money left in my Washington Mutual account...

Photo Essay

A few photos from today.



We are staying at a lumberjack's abode!





Yes, this is a stuffed, fake moose.



Boo and I



From the back porch


Playing in the woods! Foo, my 13 year old, is officially taller than me!

We Survived - part 2

As you all know, we survived Ike and now I can report that we have survived the 22 hour journey to Copper Mountain, Colorado. 5 kids, 2 adults, not much sleep, yucky food, but we had a great time getting here! The only drawback was the excessive gas problem two of the boys had... Bean was not very happy about that as she was stuck sitting next to them!

Lem took great care of Boo and Fish for most of the journey. She is such a great helper. Actually, all of the kids were fantastic. Boo sat in his seat for almost 10 hours straight yesterday without one complaint.

The house we are staying in is incredibly beautiful. I will post pictures later, but for now, take my word for it. Breathtaking views of the Rockies out the windows, dirt trails to run on out the back door.

Now about the running. This is my 3rd trip to Colorado in 2 years. The past two times I came, there was no time to run as I was in seminars all day and had an injury that prevented my from really getting out there. I had high hopes of running lots while here this time.

I've been battling lots of hip pain for several weeks now. I finally got the spasms in my psoas muscle worked out and now realized that it isn't just muscular. I believe I may have a hip stress fracture. I am trying to be in denial about this. But typing it here will serve to remind me that I need to listen to my body and rest the hip to see if it gets better. The consequences of not doing so are great. I haven't run since Tuesday and the hip doesn't feel much better. I am taking 1500 mg of calcium to help heal the fracture if it is indeed there.

If I feel like I can run later this week, that is, if I have no hip pain, I will run. If the pain comes back, I'll know that there really is a problem and will investigate it further once I get home.

I had many goals for this running season and it looks like they may be squashed. If that is the case, I'll accept it and spend some time reading and listening to what His will is right now. I vascillate between acceptance and frustration, but I need to count my blessings. There are too many to name, too many to count.

Running is something I enjoy, but I fear I may have let it become something that I am and that is not good. Perhaps this bump in the road will serve a higher purpose.

As a side note, I have a fake Moose head hanging over my bed... yes, pictures will follow...

We survived!

We just got the internet back and I have much I'd like to share about the past few days, but for now, just a quick update to let you all know that we are okay.

We had minor damage compared to others around town. We are grateful to have power back, especially after only 4 days. We were expecting 2 - 4 weeks.

I'll post pictures and more thoughts later. Right now, we are packing to head out on our family retreat.

Hurricane Check In

After hearing that some of our family was coming to stay with us to ride out the storm, I made a mad dash to the bedrooms and bathrooms to get them in order. With as much running and working as I have been doing, dusting hasn't been high on the priority list.

We are also taking full advantage of this time at home to catch up on laundry. It's truly amazing how much of the stuff our home creates. We wash clothes every single day. I mean, every single day. And yet, we still managed to get in about 6 loads today and I still have 3 more to go. This is all of our towels, all of our sheets, shower curtains, rugs, etc.

I think we have most things secured. I guess we'll know how well it was secured soon enough. I didn't take down the trampoline. We used our bike locks to chain it to a pretty large tree. My theory is that if that tree goes, our house is toast anyway, so the extra trampoline in my kitchen won't make a big difference.

I was even able to get a nice 10 miles in today. My hip has been really giving me trouble. The psoas muscle to be exact. I've done the chiropractor, massages, advil, rest, and nothing was helping. I finally looked up Julie Donnely's number and made an appointment to see her. It was scheduled for today, so unfortunately it got canceled. I did download her ebook, however, and was able to carry out the stretches on my own. I was shocked at how easy yet how effective these stretches are! I highly recommend getting a copy of her book, Pain-free living. It's worth every cent.

My psoas started spasming again after the run. I did the stretches, and it feel fine now. I am sure I'll be having to do this for a while, but just having that kind of control over my own pain and health is very empowering!

Now we are settling in for a long, bumpy night. We have the 5 kids, Mark and I, and my Mother in Law (who is folding all of my laundry!!) and her sister. My father in law is staying in Spring for now. His brother in law, Ted, drew his last breath this evening. He had been very ill with cancer and now, he is resting in the arms of Our Lord.

May you all be safe tonight and tomorrow.

Out of one storm, heading into another

It looks like we are heading out of the storm of the stomach virus and straight into the path of another pain in the butt, Ike.

Boo is looking better, though his poor backside is still reeling from it all, it seems the worst is over. Unfortunately, Fish is headed down the same track. Good news, he doesn't wear diapers! Plenty of Cottonelle on hand though.

Speaking of Cottonelle, good luck trying to find any right now. It's flown off the shelves of the stores along with water, bread, and other necessities required in the aftermath of a hurricane. And why is it that the lemmings seem to ingest way too much of the stupid pill before heading out to prepare for the dreaded storm.

I swear, the most dangerous part of the storm occurs way before the thing ever makes landfall. Rather, it is most deadly when the Land Rovers, the Land Cruisers, and other Land Yachts decide to make their projected tracks to the local markets, running over anything in their paths, leaving no stone unturned, no stop light paused at, no grocery clerk left verbally un-assualted! I just want to bring along my megaphone and shout out,

BREATHE, PEOPLE, BREATHE!!!

We are staying put for the storm. No sense in getting out in the traffic and going nowhere fast.

If you are unsure of what to have on hand to prepare for Ike, check our Mr. JD's blog. He's got your back...

On to more important issues, today is Patriot Day, certainly not to be confused with Patriots' Day, which is what I grew up with in Massachusetts.

I pray that all the families truly feel the support of our nation behind them today and everyday, that our troops know how much they are appreciated and admired, and that those who hate America understand that we will never forget!

32 diaper changes and climbing

32 diaper changes, best we can remember. The hours between 2 and 5 am this morning are a bit foggy.

Stomach bugs stink. Literally and figuratively. Boo has learned two 5-word sentences though...

"Mommy, NO MORE DIAPER CHANGES!!!"

and

"Daddy, NO MORE DIAPER CHANGES!!!"

He also know say with great ease...

"Me no like it!"
"Oh, no! Poopie again!!"

I'd say he is very advanced for his 35 months of age...

I am off to the ol' chiropractor. I've had enough of this resting business. I wish I could get a chiropractor to go. Do they even offer that? I mean how hard can it be to figure out how to put my child-bearing hips back into place??

And has anyone see the special on Fox News about Sarah Palin?? She is quite the go-getter! She was back in office 1 day after giving birth to her daughter, Piper, and 3 days after her son, Twig. Normally, that type of woman would drive me crazy. She makes me look bad! I like to take my first 6 years, er I mean 6 weeks, post-partum period very seriously. No driving, no activities out of the house. I know once I start back up again, all bets are off and I am on my own.

Seriously, the woman has some drive. She has even run a sub-4 hour marathon. Not that this guarantees my vote, but it is an admirable quality. And one I hope to attain someday.

Off to the chiro. For the sake of my family, it better work.

Thanks to JD for the Petty Mix. I have some new tunes to download for our trip coming up in a few weeks to Colorado!

Another mileless day

We were up most of the night with a sick little Boo. He appears to have a stomach bug. Several diaper changes since early this morning, (up to 8 so far today!)

I'm sure there is a reason I am not supposed to be running right now, but I want to understand one thing. Why is it when I add an extra day or two of training in, it doesn't seem to make a difference, yet when I miss a day or two, or three, it seems devasting...

I know there are much bigger problems out there, so I can't allow myself to feel too bad about this.

Are you kidding me??

I walked out the door this morning and actually said, "Brrrrr!" The cruel joke for me today was the decision to not run and instead ride the bike for the planned 18 miles.

My hip and calf have been uncooperative this week. Not sure if it is the new shoes, the higher mileage, the faster pace, or the slope of the shoulder last weekend. Most likely it is a combination of all of these things, but trying to figure out the worst culprits may take some time.

I hope to run some trails tomorrow, in a neutral shoe, at a slower pace. If the hip holds up.

Fall is in the air! I pray it's here to stay, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is just "teaser" weather.

It was nice to ride this morning, but I would much rather have been hitting the road with my own two feet.

Another sign fall is here... Starbucks is now serving Spiced Pumpkin Lattes!! Woo Hoo! The only time of the year I step foot into Starbucks. It's worth the wait!!

I had a chance to meet Christy, today! What a sweet lady! Hopefully we can meet again at another run where I am actually running...

Labor Day Run

A nice night for a run with a few friends... I wasn't lucky enough to see the Bigfoots running around the Woods.

A little humid, but Gustav provided a nice breeze to cool us a bit.

A bit of a tempo run...

Total Miles: 4.92 Total Time: 46:50 Avg Pace: 9:31 Avg HR: 166

Mile 1: 9:16
Mile 2: 9:34
Mile 3: 9:08
Mile 4: 10:49 (walk break)
Mile 5: 8:44

SSHHPMR

Short, Slow, Hot, Humid, Painful, Miserable Run. Ok, not totally miserable. I was with Lem! We made it over to the new Smoothie Factory where she was able to get a nice smoothie. I passed on the smoothie today because I still had to run back. I did sneak a sip or two and it was delicious!


Lem on my new bike enjoying a sip of her smootie

A new favorite place, which took root in my old favorite place, which is right next door to my guilty pleasure place.



OK, I'll admit it. I am a very biased mom and I think she is cute!!

One of the owners was running the blenders today and what a sweet, sweet lady she is. She offered me a bottle of water anytime I need it and kindly filled my bottle with ice chips. You gotta love her! The only negative I could see was the number of muscle magazines and men's health magazines lying around. I was with my little girl and sometimes, those publications include articles and advertisements that she (nor anyone) should not view...

I only had 4 near misses today and one really ticked off lady honk at me because I stopped to let her pass. Go figure.

5 miles, 10:51 pace. Closing the month of August with 141 miles. It was so humid, I felt like I was inhaling pudding! Dramatic, aren't I???

What do you expect from the ghost runner??!!

Not Quite 50

It was an "off" week from Fit because of the holiday, but we still had 17 miles on the books. TWRC was kind enough to plan a run for all of us to enjoy, but I wanted to get out earlier than 6 am, so Pete and I ran from my house. Pete ran one loop with me and Dirt Runner, the second.

After my shower, I noticed that the mosquitoes enjoyed quite the breakfast... all over my legs!

Didn't make 50 miles this week, but I came close. I ran 45 miles over 5 days. Missing last Sunday's run and cutting Thursday's run short meant a shortfall on the mileage. 45 miles in a week is my top mileage so far and the legs feel surprisingly well.


Total Time: 2:47:50; Total Mileage: 16.01; Avg. Pace: 10:29; Avg HR: 159

Weight: 124; Calories Burned: 1580 today. 4330 for the week! Set me up with some OREOS!

Weekly Mileage: 45.3; Monthly Mileage: 136

Mile 1: 10:11
Mile 2: 10:15
Mile 3: 10:09
Mile 4: 12:26
Mile 5: 11:46
Mile 6: 10:01
Mile 7: 10:31
Mile 8: 10:29
Mile 9: 9:25
Mile 10: 11:11
Mile 11: 9:40
Mile 12: 9:40
Mile 13: 11:01
Mile 14: 11:04
Mile 15: 10:02
Mile 16: 9:42

The Thursday Run Returns...

I set out to run another 8 tonight, nice and slow. I went out fast and ran out of spunk pretty quick. I got 5 in at a 9:44 pace.

Not sure I'll make the 50 miles this week, but I'll do my darnedest.

Back to watching this crazy little rock show... er, I mean, acceptance speech.

Working on the Endurance

Trying to increase my endurance is going better than expected this week. I am feeling good overall, in spite of my troubles sleeping. I am continuing to have difficulty sleeping more than about 2 hours a night.

I've had restless legs since I was about 20. I never really let it get to me and have been able to control it through exercise. If I exercise, I can keep it in check. Well, for whatever reason, now, the exercise does not seem to be helping. I can't figure out why the legs are so irritated, but I am trying to focus on what I can do to alleviate the symptoms.

I found a homeopathic remedy yesterday and tried it last night. It seemed to work, so I am hoping that I'll get through this without much more difficulty. In doing research on RLS, I found this guy doing a 75 mile run solo to raise awareness about RLS.

The lack of sleep did catch up with me this weekend which gave me reason to look into this condition a bit more seriously.

I ran last night 8.5 miles at a 10:06 pace and 8.2 miles tonight at a nice and easy 10:43 pace.
Tonight, Lem and I saw many critters on the trail. It was dusk when we began to see fireflies! I hadn't seen those since I was a young child. It was so neat!! Then we saw a HUGE Water Moccasin!!
He was patiently waiting for his dinner to hop by... a cute little bunny that we saw about 100 feet from the snake. Needless to say, we were ready to get off the trail and get back home.

I am shooting for close to 50 miles this week. This is all in efforts to reach my goals this fall and winter.

Short and sweet

Post that is...

Lem and I headed out tonight for a beautiful 7.5 mile run together. She rode her bike and I ran beside her.

It was great to get out and just chat away about the day and girly things. At one point we saw some beautiful deer. 2 Adults and 3 fawns. They were so majestic looking. We watched them for several minutes as day gave way to night. I wish I had my camera, but perhaps this was one of those moments that was to be etched in my mind's eye instead. The deer and Lem's perfect little face. How much more wonderful can it get?

7.5 Miles; 9:58 pace.

Ahhh... sleep

After 3 days of little to no sleep, my body crashed last night and I didn't move a hair until 10:30 this morning. Crazy.

I've had a very difficult time sleeping this week. This happens sometimes, but this week was especially bad. Over 3 days, I had 2 hours of psuedo-sleep each night. On top of my over-active mind that tends to kick into high gear at 2 am, I also have had the pleasure of a screeching, barking dog right across the street from me.

This has led me to think extremely violent, let's say, un-Catholic-like thoughts. Not necessarily about the dog, but their owners.

Unfortunately, my sleeping in caused me to be a no-show for the Trail run this morning. I had promised someone that I would run with her at 7 and I didn't make it. That is very un-nice on my part. I hope she understands and she'll let me run again with her another day.

I'm soaked again, but it is not raining!

The humidity returned just in time for our 14 miles this morning. Even with all the rain we've had this week, I was hoping for a shower to cool us off about half-way through.

We had a good time jumping tree limbs, snakes, and attack squirrels on the path today. It was nice to be back with the group after missing last week's run. It was quite funny watching some of the girls experimenting with Gu and Beans. They had never used them before and watching the expressions on their faces was a real hoot! I remember when I thought I would never be able to eat that stuff. Now, I make sure I have plenty on hand!

I tried out some new sports beans today. Watermelon flavored with caffeine! They were quite tasty and the caffeine, while not something I usually indulge in, helped keep me going quite well. Most of the run, I had to pull the group back to a Long Run pace. We kept hitting just below tempo runs. I like to blame it on Pete, but I know I was guilty of running too fast as well.

The last few miles, we could feel the fatigue setting in. We took two short walk breaks and enjoyed the conversation with one another. A great run overall.

Total Time: 2:27:30; Total Mileage: 14.19; Avg. Pace: 10:24; Avg HR: 157!!

Weight: 125.5; Calories Burned: 1403 (guess I burned off some of that Burger I ate last night)

Weekly Mileage: 35.63; Monthly Mileage: 91

Mile 1: 9:58
Mile 2: 9:58
Mile 3: 10:21
Mile 4: 10:10
Mile 5: 10:10
Mile 6: 10:28
Mile 7: 9:58
Mile 8: 10:13
Mile 9: 9:51
Mile 10: 10:11
Mile 11: 11:15 walk break
Mile 12: 10:31
Mile 13: 12:12 walk break
Mile 14: 10:32
.19: 9:00/pace

Not a typical Thursday

Those of you have been reading my blog pretty regularly know how yucky my Thursday runs usually are. I suck wind bad. Plain and simple, I've come to accept it, and truthfully, I expect it. I don't know what it is about Thursdays, but they are usually my worst run of the week.

Tonight was different, however. Fully expecting the usual run, complete with several walking breaks over the 4.4 miles, I headed out with the Trail group. Pete is back in town and it was great to run with him again. Of course, he runs much quicker than me now, and I knew heading out that there would be no way to keep up with him.

I accepted that I would probably run a mile or so with him and then be on my own. I was even ok with that!

But something strange happened tonight. I ran a 9:00 pace over the 4.4 miles! No walking, no pain, no death awaiting me!

Mile 1: 9:21
Mile 2: 9:00
Mile 3: 8:56
Mile 4: 8:51
.41: 8:44 pace.

Pete left me in the dust for the last half mile, which gave me the perfect opportunity to take a walk break, but I didn't take it.

I have no explanation for tonight, but I did love how I felt afterwards! But this totally messes up my whole "what to expect on Thursday" notions.

I am considering a slight change in my racing (HA! I feel idiotic calling my events races, the only one I race against is myself!) this fall/winter.

I should make my decision pretty soon, so I'll post it when I do.

Happy running! And happy thoughts to JD and Barbara.

Stealth mode

Busy, busy, busy. Running, working, planning school for the kiddos, being mommy. Not much time for much else, so my blogging suffers.

I've been able to run Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I plan to run Thursday, rest Friday, and then run on Saturday and Sunday.

My endurance seems to be a bit low this week, but tonight was better than previous runs. Maybe because the kids were riding their bikes alongside me. I was sure to hit every puddle and try to splash them along the way. It was fun to get out and play while running. I was even able to get a few miles at mp tonight.


On another note, I've restarted my quest for 100 push-ups this week picking up on week 4, yet again. Tonight's set felt strong with 16-13-13-11-21. 74 total push-ups. Not bad for a skinny-armed gal that began this with a whopping 2 push-ups at my initial test!


Enjoy the cooler weather while we have this rain. It reminds me that fall is not that far away...

Finally!

I was finally able to get a run in this morning. It was late morning therefore the heat and sun were a major issue for me, but the neck felt good. 5.35 miles at a nice easy pace (10:30). Got to listen to some Third Day which always sounds great. I need to upload their new CD to the mp3.

I had a chance to try out my new shades and shoes and they were great! I couldn't even feel the glasses on my face. My calves and shins seemed out of whack. Not sure if they are just acting their age or if the new shoes will take some getting used to.

It felt great to get sweaty and stinky...

OK, Joe, Let's Do This Thing!

As JD knows better than I, what does one do when they can't run? They think about ways to run...

Some of you may remember my post about Stephanie Johnson and her Tri coming up on Sept. 7th. I've been hemming and hawing about whether or not I could do it. I know I could handle the bike and the run, it's the dang swimming. Let me just admit it here... IT FREAKS ME OUT! I'M SCARED TO SWIM! I've had lessons, I swim fine, I just can't get further than about 50 yards without feeling like my lungs are going to explode. I guess I'm not really afraid to swim, I'm afraid of not breathing. Maybe this has some relation to my own drowning when I was 2 years old, I don't know. I've always been a good swimmer, but never a confident one. I was even a swim instructor for young kids when I was a teen. I am not afraid of water. I am not afraid to learn new strokes. It's the whole breathing thing. I like the rhythm of breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out over the the breathe in, hold your breath til you think you might die then quickly try to catch a breath complete with a gulp of pool water and repeat. And don't forget to move fast through the water!!

Then, one of my student's families told me that "The Stef" was sold out. I leapt for joy! I'm so happy that the response has been so positive and that the race is a success. And of course, I WAS happy that I didn't have to worry about doing the race now. I mean afterall, it is sold out...

Then my inner voice got me in a quiet room and started on me... big time! "You wimp! How can you look at yourself in the mirror? (yes, I was in the bathroom) Did Stephanie have a choice to fight her cancer or not? Does Kelly? Does Greg have the choice of whether or not to accept his MS? Does Hans get to choose whether or not he'll pick up his cancer today? Wuss! Don't you hate cancer? Do you hate it more than swimming? You creep! You have a CHOICE to swim or not to swim..."

So, here's the deal. I have a choice. I can choose to swim this thing or not. I choose to swim. Because I can. Because others can't. On Sept. 7th, I will be swimming 200 yards, biking 6 miles, and running 2 in honor of Stephanie Johnson and all those everyday heroes that have fought or are currently fighting the good fight. I will send my money to the family just as though I registered for "The Stef".

The website does have the option to race as a Phantom racer, and I think that is a good thing. For some strange reason, I feel called to do this completely independently. I don't know why, but that's how it is going to be at this point.

If anyone is interested in joining me or another fellow blogger, Brother Joe, let us know. We'd love the company, even if it is just in spirit.

Julia Childs was a SPY?!

I can't wait to see this story made into a movie!

Running? What running?

No running this week, yet. No push-up challenge either. It seems my newly turned 43 year old body wants to give up the ghost.

Monday afternoon, I was re-enacting Michael Phelps victory pose and felt a slight twinge in my upper back. Weird.

Within the hour, my neck and upper back were in a complete and quite painful spasm. It hasn't let up very much since then. I did go to the Chiro yesterday, but I still can't move my head very well.

This totally throws a wrench into the training, but hopefully, I'll get back on track next week. Saturday, if I can't run, I'll ride the bike. I pray this lets up soon. I'm starting to drive my family crazy...

TAKE THAT, FRANCE!!!!!!

This had to be the most exciting thing I have ever seen! I don't care who you are, swimmer or not, this was AMAZING!

Way to go boys! Keep it up! You make us all proud!

I am so blessed!

Yes, today is my birthday. I don't know how everyone found out, but I think I have a good idea of who and who might be behind the scenes on this one.

The day had an early start at 4:45 this morning. Not much different than most Saturdays, in fact, I slept in an extra 15 minutes, but I didn't get to bed until after 1 am last night. I had the chance to take some of the kids to see another Shakespeare production at Winedale and it was a long ride home.

For any lovers of Shakespeare, and for those who have never seen his work, I highly recommend that you take the time to visit Winedale.

Thankfully, Pete and I did not have to add any extra miles on this morning. After Thursday night's disaster of a run, I wasn't sure how I was going to hold up this morning.

Wednesday, I had run a nice tempo run with some hills thrown in. My calves were burning afterwards! I had some pretty quick miles, one was 8:49! I iced them and put them to bed, but then on Thursday, I was only able to get 3 miles in before having to call home for a ride. I could have walked home, but I thought the quicker I could get some ice on the old legs, the better.

We had 13 miles on tap for today. I slathered the legs with some Bio-Freeze before the run and took a few Advil. This is against the rules as far as running through pain, so I don't recommend it. The old, do as I say, not as I do...

Upon arriving at the Y, I saw the usual suspects and then Jon and Holden! It was so good to see them. I must admit, I have a special fondness for my TIR mates! A sort of kinship that I hope never fades.

Before I could figure out what was going on, I heard Bill talking about a tail-gate party. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about but figured it had something to do with the Olympics. Quickly, I realized that somehow he knew it was my birthday. He pulled out a huge chocolate cake, implored the Fit folks to sing Happy Birthday to me and showered my with kind words. I was so humbled be it all. As outgoing as I am, I really don't like being the center of all attention. I'd rather be helping pull something like this off on someone else! God has blessed me with wonderful friends, and I am truly grateful.

We headed out into the dark for our run, me without the Garmin as she wasn't up for the challenge. Her battery was not charged. I informed Pete that he would be our pacer today.

The first 2 miles were quite painful. I was pretty sure I would have to cut off and head home to retrieve my bike to complete the route with my group. We stopped at the water stop and I tried stretching, but this only caused more pain. I decided to run a bit further, praying all the while that the discomfort would subside.

Thankfully, the pain did let up, almost immediately after starting the run up again. I decided to give the rest of the run a try and I am really glad that I did. I am running with some of the nicest people around. All from different walks of life, different points of view, but all with the same passion for what we love...running. We had a good time spotting the other sets of nice looking legs out on the road this morning. One of the runner's was hitting her highest mileage ever today and needed that kind of distraction to take her mind off of the physical discomfort.

We ran together almost the entire run, only splitting up the last mile or so. Pete and I walked a bit more at the end. He, unfortunately caught some of my calf problems. I was exhausted.

We finished the run in about 2 hours and 10 mins. The total miles ended up being 12.25 instead of 13, but I don't know if I could have made it the full 13. Based on this time guesstimate, I believe our pace was about 10:37. It was probably a bit quicker than that because Pete tends to run us faster.

Pete was kind enough to bring my older-self home and I came in to my wonderful family who let me take a shower and literally fall into bed for an hour while they prepared me a wonderful breakfast of blueberry pancakes! Yummy!

After breakfast, I was spoiled further with cards and gifts that were so thoughtful. Among the gifts, the new Third Day CD,(thank you Lord for Mac Powell's amazing voice!), a new running shirt and undergarment, some REAL sunglasses which are totally awesome and make me look extremely COOL! I'm also the proud owner of some new shoes!

As I type this, my oldest son is affixing my new pedals, lights, and seat to my bike as well as giving her a good cleaning. As I said, I am so blessed and a tad bit spoiled.

Thank you to all who have thought of me in a special way today. Your friendship means the world to me. I pray that each of you feel as blessed as I do - today and every day!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Running with Edouard and Pat

Today seemed like a perfectly good day to skip a scheduled run. And who would blame me? I mean; afterall; there was a tropical storm making his presence known.

And then I got that email from DirtRunner... 4 simple little words...

"Don't forget to run!" ugh


Thank goodness for those gentle kicks in the pants. That's a good friend for you.

I quickly dressed, packed the hydration, and headed out the door for a run on Flintridge Hills. I also through in a loop around the Nature Trail for good measure. I made 5.8 of my scheduled 6 miles.

I felt great hitting the hills. I was able to get one mile at marathon pace. I slowed myself down for the rest of the miles. Pat was kind enough to run the Nature Trail with me. We made sure to stay on the trail this time!

The best part about tonight's run was that I could see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. That tunnel called summer in Houston. With tonight's temperature being 20 degrees cooler than what we have been running in the last few weeks, I can see that once fall is truly here, things are going to get much easier and much more pleasant. And like JD pointed out, humidity has it's benefits!

I was able to do Day 1 of Week 4 for the Push-up challenge. I noticed tonight that there is now a nice little button I'll be able to put on my blog if/when I finish this challenge. I can't wait!! I was able to do 16-13-13-11-20. Not as many as JD, but a huge improvement from where I was just a few short weeks ago.

I must admit, I've noticed a difference in my core and my arms. That's a nice benefit!

Sunday Morning at HSP

I wasn't sure I would make it out of bed for a jaunt to Huntsville this morning. In fact, at about 4:30 this morning, I turned off the alarm and told myself that I should just stay local for my run.

At 6:15 I woke up, wide awake and decided to get myself up to HSP for a run with those who understand my insanity.


On the way up to the park, I saw lots of deer grazing on the grass along 45. It was so beautiful. They are so graceful. I could look at them all day.

We ran a nice 6.9 miles through the park. Aside from being run over by about 50 cyclists riding in a pack, it was quite a peaceful run. At some points, I was running alone worrying that I might get lost. Just when I was convinced that I was lost, I'd run into a member of the trail group who assured me I was on the right path. I really need to get a map and study the trails so I don't have to rely on good luck to get through them.

Most of the group ran a bit longer than me, but considering my run yesterday, I decided to take the shorter route. I think it took me just as long at my 12:33 pace. I walked every hill and each patch of sand. I hate running through sand. I twist my ankles so bad, I don't want to risk a real injury trying to run through it.

My legs felt great, I was just tired. Not exhausted, but tired. I enjoyed listening to the sounds of nature, minus the screaming band of cyclists.

Once I got home, I had a quick bite to eat and then Mark and I headed out for a bike ride. Mark got his new bike yesterday, so we needed to break it in. I took him on a 7 mile ride over the Flintridge Hills and into the Nature Preserve. It was a great ride, a tough little work-out on those hills. I think I heard Mark cursing me under his breath...

The afternoon I spent playing on the computer with the kids. I really need to be attending to our homeschooling curriculum, but how boring!

I'm hoping to get another 40+ miles in this week. Push-ups to be done later today.