Mom on the Run

In My Dreams I am a Kenyan

2008-04-28T14:54:00.001-05:00

I did it. I finished. And...I loved every darn second of the entire 2:48 it took me to run those 13.1 miles! Running with a sweet friend and enjoying "the ride" was more fun than I could have possibly imagined. I wanna do it again!
So here is the recap...photos will come as soon as they are available from the marathon.
Tara landed at the airport Friday morning and we headed over to the convention center for the expo. Oh, was that ever fun. I bought shirts, a bag (with the title of this post written on the front), earrings that say "13.1" and all kinds of cute running accessories...headbands, gel packet holders, etc. We found really fun tank tops that say "three months ago, this sounded like a good idea!" I got my bib, my chip, and t-shirt and still tried to process the fact that I was there, amongst athletes. And I was one of them. Shocking.
Friday evening, Donovan and Olivia completed the last mile of the Kids' Marathon. It was so much fun! They even got medals and goody bags, so they were quite happy. Olivia shot out in front of the other Kindergarteners and ran like the wind. She definitely has the bug. She'll be outrunning me by the time she is 10.
We had a late dinner, then went to the hotel to try and get some sleep. I didn't exactly succeed. I lay awake and thought, and prayed, and imagined, and prayed some more. I was as excited as a kid about to go to Disneyworld.
I woke up on my own at 4:53am and got dressed in a daze. I just wanted to savor every moment of the day. I put on my running shoes, laced them, re-laced them, adjusted my headband and visor, and looked at myself one more time in the mirror. I took a deep breath and walked out the door to meet Tara in the hallway. We headed downstairs to take the shuttle to the starting line. She grins, looks at me, and says "how do you feel?" I said, "Nervous and excited. I can't believe I'm about to do this."
Tara and I arrrived at the starting line. I looked around and realized, "Good grief, I am at the starting line of a MARATHON." Me! Here! Now! And I am about to run this thing!
The gun goes off and we start running. So far so good.
Mile 1: Should my legs already be hurting?
Mile 2: I knew Nashville was hilly. But I don't think I really comprehended the concept of hilly. But Tara and I employed the power of positive thinking and tackled each hill by saying to each other "I love hills!"
Mile 3: I love hills!
Mile 4: I love hills!
Mile 5: Thank GOD for water stations!
Mile 6: I love hills! And I need to go to the bathroom. But oh how I despise port-a-potties. I visited one before we started and SO hoped that was the only one I would have to endure. But NO, my tiny bladder refused to contain all that water and accelerade and I was feeling quite...um...burdened. We pass a set of port-a-potties but decided to try to hold out a bit longer. Then, to our amazement, we realize that a sweet woman who lived along the route had opened her home (and TWO bathrooms) to the runners! REAL bathrooms, y'all, with toilets that flush and a whole package of toilet paper! It was worth every minute we lost waiting in line. That lady was the most popular lady in Nashville on Saturday, I guarantee it. Bless her heart and somebody hire that woman a maid!
Mile 7: Good grief, are the hills ever gonna end? There's a man in a suit sipping champagne and eating strawberries as he cheers us on. He even shouts "I'm here 'til the bitter end!"
Mile 8: Ahh, I am in my happy place. The runner's high is addictive. In fact, it is the whole reason I keep doing it. What a feeling.
Mile 9: Getting closer...less hilly and even a few slopes downward. I like this part of the course. Love the bands. Love the cheers, I am even cheering back at them with Tara. It seems cheering on the spectators makes it easier on US!
Mile 10: Good grief, I think I am going to finish this thing! There is my happy place again! I hope I can hang on to it until the end.
Mile 11: The 1/2 marathon and full marathon split off here. 2 miles to go...I can SEE LP field! Tara turns to me and says "Jeanine, from this point forward every step you take is farther than you have ever run before." I feel myself choke up with emotions but manage to contain the tears.
Mile 12: Now I feel emotional. Tara starts yelling to the runners around us that this is my first 1/2 marathon and encourages them to give me a shout out! Is she not the best motivator ever?? She was my cheerleader the whole way!
Mile 13: Yes, thirteen. My eyes start welling up with tears as I hear the finish line crowd screaming. We round the corner, and there it is...The Finish Line!!!!! Now I am sobbing. But I do not want to be crying in my finish line photo so I try to smile and throw my arms up in the air as I scream WOO HOO! I spot Kyle and my kids in the crowd and wave through my tears. We cross the line and I throw my sweaty arms around my sweet friend and bawl.
I finished.
Not only did I finish, but I felt like I could have kept going! It's over...I can't believe I just ran a 1/2 marathon.
I did it. WE did it, and it was amazing!
So we made our way through the finish line crowd, Tara sweetly places my medal around my neck, (yes, I have a medal, y'all!) and encourages me to eat and drink the right stuff to replenish what I have lost. I grab a sport drink and a bag of pretzels, then look for my family.
Here they come...my oldest daughter comes running and I hold my arms out for a hug but she skids to a stop, holds her nose, and exclaims "whoa, mama, you STINK!"
Some things will never change. :)
I basked in the admiration of my family for a while, then we headed back to the hotel for showers. I take my shower then realize that every joint in my body just ran out of endorphins and I can hardly MOVE. It was quite a sight.
We got home and Tara was chuckling all evening because of the way I was walking! Once, when I bent over to pick something up off the floor, she starting laughing. "Jeanine, when you bent over your right knee didn't even move! You might want to put some ice on them."
I don't think I have ever iced anything in my life! But boy, am I ever a believer in it now. It helped so much. In fact, the next morning I woke up, looked at Kyle, and said "I wanna run another one!"
He said, "You do?"
I said, "yes, and I want to do the whole thing. I want to run a full marathon next year."
He thinks I'm crazy.
Maybe I am.
But I am hooked.

WHY do I have butterflies?

2008-04-24T21:43:00.002-05:00

It's not like I am going to WIN this thing. I just want to finish and enjoy the experience.
So, I ask again, why do I have butterflies?
I guess it is because this is so completely different than anything I have ever done in my life. I was never an athlete. I didn't even want to be an athlete. I would start an excercise program, go at it just long enough to start seeing results, then slack right back to my previous self. If anyone had told me at 21 that I would be running a 1/2 marathon at 35 I would have laughed out loud. My life has been changed by a pair of running shoes and a drawer full of high-tech wicking fabric. Words like pace, hydration, gel packets, and muscle repair were not even a part of my vocabulary. I have consumed more Gatorade in the past year than I had in my first 34 years combined. I find myself itching to run and relieved to be hitting the streets armed with my I-Pod full of "get up and move" music.
It is a new version of "me." And I have a feeling that crossing that finish line is going to forever change the way I see myself. I will have finished what I started. I will have experienced something that I always thought was for other people.
Not any more.
Now, it is for me.

Some last minute stuff:
Tara lands in Nashville in the morning. Please pray for a safe flight for her.
I am babying a tender right hamstring and Tara is nursing a sore left foot. We would like to avoid turning this into a 3-legged race, so pray for us to start the race pain-free!
My sweet hubby will be navigating a crowd of thousands with a double stroller and four kids. No need to elaborate...you get the picture. He could use a few prayers!
The marathon will be broadcast nationwide on the Fox Sports Network. Not sure if it will be live everywhere, but it might.
And thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the encouraging cards, comments, emails, and postcards (you know who you are!). I have been overwhelmed and blessed by every one of them.
This is it! Here I go! Be back asap to tell you how it went!

RUN MUSIC CITY!!!!

Oh yes, I did!

2008-04-15T21:58:00.002-05:00

Y'all, I ran ELEVEN miles on Sunday! Eleven! And, oh, did it ever hurt. But I did it! My goal was 10 and, after I got started I thought I might feel more confident next week if I could pull of eleven. So, I did.

Did I mention how much it hurt???

I am so happy that the "taper down" period has started. How you 26.2 milers do it is beyond me. I mean, these long runs have gotten REALLY long and, with 4 kids, it has become a real sacrifice to keep them up. Thank God my hubby is so sweet and supportive. He has been amazing. In fact, when I was on mile 3 the other day, I heard screaming and there was my hubby with the kids in the minivan...shouting and cheering me on as I cruised down the highway! I later told him that I wished he had driven by again around mile 10, as that was when I was really needing a boost.

But, I must say, I can hardly wait to see the look on their faces when I cross that finish line. I have a strong feeling that will make it worth every sore muscle I have tormented over the past year.

I can hardly wait!!

Gearing up for the double digits!

2008-04-10T10:29:00.002-05:00

I just realized it has been a solid months since I posted! Good grief, have I ever been slacking. During the past month we have moved, the kids and I took a roadtrip to Texas, and I have fought to keep up the running as the Country Music Marathon is SIXTEEN days away! Whoa!
So I ran 9 miles last week, then 9 1/2 on this past Sunday. I was sore, but not miserable which just surprises me because...well, wouldn't you think a person wouldn't be able to walk after running that far?
So, this coming Sunday I plan to officially enter the world of double digit mileage! That's 10 miles...TEN miles! From a girl who once couldn't even run around the block! (I am not kidding...I was that weak.) My hubby is proud, my kids are excited, and I am...hmmm.
I am a crazy mix of excited, nervous, and ready. Yes, I am READY to run this thing. These long runs are, well, long and I will be ready for a break of sorts when this is all over. I will happily keep up the weekday runs, but I'll look forward to no long runs on the weekends for a while.
I will try to post one more time before the big day, then be back with lots of pictures. After that this little blog will have served it's purpose and I'll go back to my personal blog where I focus on faith, family, and all the sweet moments that fill my day.
If you live near Nashville, please come out and cheer us on! It is going to be more fun than you would ever expect, and you will leave inspired and encouraged. Plus, I could use some familiar faces out there when we top one of Nashville's many hills! (ugh) I believe there will be more than 40 thousand runners. Who knows how many spectators? But the atmosphere is electric! I can hardly wait!

Owie Zowie

2008-03-12T13:53:00.002-05:00

I ran 7.2 miles on Sunday and it was a bit painful. In fact I have been so sore since then that I have fallen into bed exhausted just from having to overcome the pain to unpack the house that we just moved into! Ugh!
It all started during my warmup. (Tara, you are going to crack up.) I always walk briskly for five minutes before I run. So I was walking down the street with Kody straining ahead in excitement when I stepped on a big stick. I teetered a bit, but would have recovered had Kody not suddenly lunged forward.
Yep, I bit the dust. Sprawled belly down on the road before I could blink, with a nice tear in my leggings and a kid-worthy scrape on my left knee. sigh. I was afraid that I had really hurt myself because my knee and right ankle were throbbing that I sat there for a second to evaluate. Once I realized I was ok I went ahead with my run. So I consider the fact that I ran despite injuries (albeit minor ones!) a major feat of determination from this once wimpy wanna-be athlete!
Here's hoping this weekend's run doesn't make me quite as sore as I'll be driving 13 hours to visit family with my kids on Sunday. That could result in some stiff legs.

3 in a row!

2008-03-04T22:12:00.003-06:00

So the past three Sundays have found me LOVING my long runs...first the 5.2 mile run, then a 6 mile run, then 6.5 this past Sunday. I was incredibly sore after the 6 mile run, but hardly sore at all after this last one! THAT is a good feeling. The weather has been perfect and I am enjoying watching the first signs of spring emerge as the daffodils have started their show. It is awesome. I have had the sweetest times with God this past week, and Kody is extremely happy to be able to join me. In fact, I think Kody would run til his paws bleed if I let him. That dog wants to run every single day, which is not exactly my routine, but he definitely holds me accountable! I don't believe I could stop now even if I wanted to. (which I don't!) It is really fun to have a "partner". The most fun, though, is when my 6 year old daughter joins me on a short run. That girl can run circles around every boy in her class and she LIVES for our next outing together! She can hardly wait to be 11 so we can run a 1/2 together. I'll be 40 then, and somehow I think having that to look forward to will make that milestone easier to swallow.

Warming up

2008-02-16T15:09:00.003-06:00

This morning I ran 5.2 miles and it felt absolutely, positively wonderful! I honestly felt like I could have done the whole 13.1 today, but every time I sit for a few minutes my legs remind me that I am not quite there yet! :)
I took Kody with me for the first 3.5 miles and figured he'd had enough, so I let him into the backyard as I passed my house. Boy was I wrong. He howled like a puppy when I ran off without him! I think he likes running, don't you?
I am so encouraged by today's run! I was well hydrated, so got no cramps in my side, and the weather was awesome...40 degrees. I had on a light jacket and leggings and it was just great. I can hardly wait til next week to go for 6!

Just for fun

2008-02-12T15:22:00.000-06:00

As I was running with Kody this morning I had an idea. I would love to see how many people respond to this!
What is the song on your Ipod that people would be most surprised to know you listen to when running?

Mine is MmmBop by Hanson. Yes, that is what I was listening to when this idea came to me. :)

It's good to be sore

2008-01-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

Today I ran 4.8 miles, the first half with my ginormous Alaskan Malamute, Kody.

Isn't he cute? 100 pounds at 9 months old. He is a big ol' baby.

But I digress.

Running with Kody adds a new dimension to my runs...aka an upper body workout.

He spies a squirrel, I have to pull back on the leash. He wants to mark a fire hydrant, I have to yank him back in line. Once, as he darted after a small tree, he pulled me with him for about two feet and I turned my ankle. Oh boy, was I ever afraid that I had hurt it. After the whole tendonitis episode I would be really upset if I was sidelined for something so stupid. I was praying as I gingerly tested it, but it seemed ok and I think I got away without any swelling or tenderness! Whew. After a few more attempts to go his own way he seemed to realize that I was attempting to find some sort of pace and settled in, but not until my shoulders and arms had a workout! But boy that dog loves to run. He is still learning, and does better each time, so I look forward to a few weeks from now when he runs easily beside me from the beginning. He makes it much more fun to get through those first couple of miles when I am usually questioning my sanity in taking up this little hobby.

He ran the first 2.5 miles with me, then I dropped him off at home as he was starting to look tuckered out, and the second half of the run seemed SO much easier without having a leash in one hand. Our neighborhood has a few hills, so I took advantage of those today and it felt really good. This was the first day I started increasing mileage again as I train for the Country Music 1/2 Marathan. I am really happy to get back on schedule and feel my muscles gain strength.

So, tonight I am a bit sore, even through the shoulders thanks to Kody! But it's all good, and I know next week will be a little easier and more enjoyable as I settle into this routine.

Could use an early sunrise...

2008-01-16T13:17:00.000-06:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted!
Today I was at my Moms' Bible Study (which is my weekly lifeline...if you are a mom and don't have a supportive group of women around you, this is the perfect place to find it) and was asked by another mom, "How's your running going?"

ahem.

If ONLY the sun would come up earlier I would be FINE. On the weekends I am great...going 4 miles easily and enjoying every step. Getting ready to start training for the Country Music Marathon in Nashville has me a bit nervous, though. I cannot run well at night because my #1 priority, my 4 kids, leaves me pretty much exhausted by the time they are all in bed. I run MUCH better in the mornings. But the sun is not coming up til 6:30...my hubby leaves for work around 7...2 kids to get to school by 8:00...2 kids home during the day. The absolute best time to run for me is early, at 5:30am, so these late sunrises are not helping! Do y'all have any suggestions as to safety, etc, when running pre-dawn?

I do have a treadmill, but I cannot run more than 2 or 3 miles before dying of boredom and my legs want to fall off. I could not figure out why my legs get so tired so I went to Runnersworld.com and thankfully found out it is not all in my head! Here's the deal...when we run on the street our feet turn out slightly. On a treadmill they point straight ahead because of the narrow belt. The change causes strain on soft tissues. I was so glad to find out that tidbit. I know I can overcome the problem if I train on the treadmill more often when the weather is good, but at least I know the source.

Tara, this is for you!

2007-12-06T10:38:00.000-06:00

Well, not much is new this week. I continue the rebuilding process and am not in much of a hurry since the Country Music Marathon is not until the end of April. I ran 4 1/2 miles on Sunday and it felt wonderful! The weekday morning runs have been a bit inconsistent with rain, kids reluctant to get out of bed, and all the busyness of Christmas. But I continue to do them as often as I can. I'll begin the "crackdown" toward the end of January! Until then, if I can do a couple of miles 2-3 times per week and 4-5 miles on the weekends I feel pretty good. I downloaded Hal Higdon's training program (thanks Jillian!) and it looks very doable with the daily demands of my life....hubby, 4 kids, dog, and all the extra stuff that somehow presents itself! She said if I follow his program that a half marathon is a piece of cake...we'll see!

moving forward

2007-11-19T21:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a good day! I went for a morning run outdoors and it felt so nice. It has been amazing to see how those three weeks off set me back, so it was good to feel strong and get a steady pace going. Oh, and not taking the dog along helped. (sigh) As much as I would like to bring him along, he is 90 pounds now at 6 months old and when he gets distracted by, oh, a squirrel it messes with my pace and I get a cramp every time. So, Kody is just going to have to wait til he is a bit older and less, um, flighty.
So, back to yesterday. I got in "the zone" and loved it, spent good quality time in prayer as I listened to music on my Shuffle, and arrived home with a smile to my daughters jumping up and down and the youngest saying "Mommy run REAL fast!" I'll let her think what she wants...hee hee! I only averaged an 11 minute mile, but it IS an improvement over the 11 1/2 to 12 minute miles I was running before the injury so I guess those grueling drills on the treadmill are paying off a little. I'll never be fast, and that is ok, but it is nice to shave off a few seconds here and there. I read about runners who average 8 and 9 minute miles and can quickly feel like a slacker, then I have to remember that I started this little hobby a bit late in life to expect any shocking feats of speed. The fact that I am running AT ALL is shocking in and of itself!
So...today I am sore. It feels good. Thanksgiving will find me not feeling quite so guilty when I have that extra helping of stuffing with cranberry sauce...in fact, I won't be feeling guilty at all.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving. We are blessed beyond measure to live the lives we live. If you are a Christian you are eternally blessed to have His presence in your life and the promise of Heaven awaiting. May the Lord fill your heart with gratitude as you sit down with family, friends, or even just a good football game with a friend. (In our house it will be the Cowboys occupying the afternoon!) Yes, indeed, we are blessed.

Getting back in the groove

2007-11-10T11:08:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems the tendonitis was stubborn and took three solid weeks to stop bugging me. Then we had two major trips this past month so running took a backseat, so to speak. Now that our routine is getting back to normal I am starting the buildup process again. I have run off and on the last couple of weeks but it is time to bring back the consistency. Yesterday I ran on the treadmill (which I HATE...I SO prefer the outdoors) and today I feel good. A bit sore, but in all the right places! Today I am going to start the search for winter running clothes...any suggestions? It is getting down in the 30's in the mornings around here! The treadmill is a lifesaver when I can't run outside, but boy it sure makes two miles seem like four when you are watching the numbers slowly tick by. I need some winter gear so I can run outdoors as much as possible.

Oh, and my latest music inspirations??? Burning Love by Elvis and 1973 by James Blunt...groovy!

Restin' and Reflectin'

2007-10-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm making friends with the Elliptical Trainer and circuit room at the gym as my attempt at a spin class after my disastrous run made my foot hurt again. (sigh) I hope to start building up again next week, but I just have to tell you I have been so humbled by all of this. It sounds trite for a running injury (a minor one at that) to affect me like this, but I have to confess...

I was all proud of my bad self.

Proud as in "pride comes before destruction" proud.

As in, God put me in my place. He gave me just enough "discipline" to stop me in my tracks.

You see, with Him, all things are possible.

When the runs became more about the distance and I spent less time with Him in order to achieve the next goal, well, He didn't like that.

Our God is a jealous God. And he loves me too much to let me get more excited about running 13.1 miles that about what He has to show me today. I still have the goal. I still plan on going the distance. I know I can do it, because He says I can. But ONLY if I do it hand-in-hand with Jesus.
There's a reason Paul used so many sports analogies in his writings, referring to running the race, going for the prize, etc. He knew we'd get it, and he was right. I got it. I want this personal goal to be a way to draw closer to the Lord...like the ropes courses we did in college...coming to the end of myself and trusting Him for the courage and strength to take the next step.

1 Corinthians 10:31
...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

WHATEVER you do.

BUMMER

2007-10-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I was all geared up to post about my NEW RUNNING SHOES because I was so stinking proud of myself for WEARING OUT THE FIRST PAIR! Yes, my friends, I actually wore out a pair of shoes by RUNNING in them! I was so excited that I considered having the first pair bronzed and mounted on the wall, but then I contained myself...

They wouldn't exactly go with my cottage style couches, y'know?

Anywho...so I have had this itty bitty pain in my left foot for a couple of weeks. No big deal, I thought. It'll work itself out, I told myself.

Yeah.

Tonight I set out and planned to run 3-4 miles. No biggie. Until about a mile into it the itty bitty pain got less itty and even less bitty.

It HURT. So I walked for a few minutes. It still hurt. So I tried running again and widening my stride to lessen the impact. Yes, it still hurt. After 3 miles of this stopping and starting I had to give it up. I came home to my hubby who happens to be an orthopedic surgeon (how convenient, right?) and he examined my foot. I can't spell what he says is wrong, but it is basically tendonitis where the tendon from my tibia inserts into the bone on my foot. Here's the rub...No running until it heals.

WHA??? None? ARGGHH. So, like the mature woman I am, I cried. Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, fuzzball. (Pardon the Star Wars reference) I'm a girl, OK? I KNOW I'll get over it, and he said to focus on cross-training until it heals, but is cross-training really cross-training if that is all you are doing??? I'm just asking. Is the 1/2 marathon on December first out? I dunno. It's not looking good. I KNOW I'll be ok by April for the Country Music Marathon, but I was really excited about this one, too. But excited cannot make up for an injury, can it? Sigh.

On the upside, I got a convoluted compliment in the midst of my angst. My dear hubby said, "well, now you're a real athlete. You have your first sports injury."

Gee, thanks. Will I get a MEDAL for that?

A Bad Day

2007-09-24T21:05:00.001-05:00

I'm wishin' this was just a song title...(sigh)

I had the lofty goal of 8 miles yesterday. I didn't factor in the RIDICULOUS HEAT that has returned to my humble state. (another sigh)

I didn't make it. The legs were fine, it was the HEAT...it had me for breakfast and spit me out.
I also think that being awakened three times during the night by various children didn't help matters. Since I didn't want to be on the front page of the local news in all my sweaty, passed out glory, I stopped at 5.

I will persevere...and I will get up earlier next time.

(yet another sigh)

Wow

2007-09-19T21:56:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe that I ran 7.4 miles on Saturday and....ok I was REALLY sore, REALLY tired, and had to let my hubby take the little ones upstairs for a nap because my quads just weren't up to the task...but after about 36 hours of recovery I was FINE. That blows me away. I have experienced the "runner's high" and can finally testify that it exists and it is so cool!

Seriously, that I am finding any form of excercise blogworthy is miraculous...that the excercise in question is running is almost unbelievable. After about 5 miles I realized that I was happily alone with my thoughts and spending some nice quality time with God and wasn't even paying attention to the fact that I was pounding the pavement.

Wow.

Take it easy

2007-08-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

I'm about to hit the sack so I can be up and alert for my Monday morning run.
I didn't try to top last week's milestone because apparently my knees wanted a break.
Yeah, I added to much too soon.
They are feeling much better now, but earlier in the week I was having a few new aches under the kneecaps which became little needles when I ran. So I decided to give them a "rest" by keeping my runs to about 2 miles and continuing with the spin classes for cross training. Apparently my quads need to strengthen enough to support the added miles. Oh well. I needed the reassurance that I could do this and I got it, but then had to give myself time to recover. That's what happens when you start running at 35, I guess!

I reread a few chapters of Marathoning for Mortals, and am going to try to follow John Bingham's training schedule with a few little modifications. So this week we'll see how the knees hold up. I'm hoping the spin class coupled with added strength training will do the trick.
It's amazing how much better I endure the spin classes now. My friend, Tara, once told me that if I could take a spin class I could run a marathon. I didn't believe her at the time, but now I get it. The guy who taught yesterday's spin class kicked my rear...literally! He kept saying "This is NOTHING to you!" and I wanted to punch him and say, "Dude, if I turn that knob any more to the right I will not be able to pedal with my FULL weight engaged in the effort!"

Going upstairs was a bit painful this morning, if you get my drift.

Mama Say Mama Sah Ma Ma Coo Sah

2007-08-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I've been seeking out some fresh music to keep me inspired. This week it was old school Michael Jackson. You know, post nose job but pre freak job.

Anywho...

Spurred on by Billie Jean, Thriller, and Wanna Be Starting Somethin' I hit an all-time high! (And the fact that the morning temp was finally below 80 degrees sure didn't hurt.)

5.5 miles, and I have the aching muscles to prove it!

I still have so far to go, but every time I have a "good run" it seems to carry me through for days. I finally understand why people always say it is addictive. I've become one of those crazy people who enjoys pushing their body a bit further, often to the point where I am praying for God to "kick in" because I have hit my physical limit...which He does. That is SO COOL.

When I got home yesterday I was celebrating my personal victory when my 7 year old son walked into the room. I said "Babe, your mama ROCKS!"
His reply?
"Yeah, and she STINKS."

There is nothing like a child to remind you of your (ahem) mere humanity.

Cheerleader

2007-08-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

I ran four miles yesterday morning and enjoyed every minute. The temp was back down into the 70's and I had my trusty H2O firmly attached to my person. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and the trees were full and beautiful.

It was a good run!

Day 1 of structured training...I think I can, I think I can.

I got home and my oldest son made a face because I "stank". hee hee

My toddler came downstairs, saw that I had obviously been running, and exclaimed "Yay Mommy!" That's my girl. She even hugged me! That is true love, I tell you.

Those are the things that will keep me motivated as I pursue this goal. How blessed am I to have four little cheerleaders who celebrate every morning run, even if they don't all like the way I smell afterwards!

Must...have...water

2007-07-29T21:25:00.000-05:00

So, my running friends, I went to my local Fleet Feet store yesterday to invest in a nifty little belt that holds a water bottle because this humidity is about to eat me for lunch. I ran 4 miles yesterday...not my farthest but I'm in the process of getting back into a routine now that Kody is not howling all night. It was misery.
Really.
I was desperately looking for a sprinkler or leaking waterhose and, praise God, I found one! A blessed sprinkler head right on the curb, just waiting for me to stick my face in it and hope no one was looking!
Then it dawned on me...
I am slow...it takes me more than 40 minutes to run 4 miles...I am crossing that time threshold and need to keep a little something on me to help me push to the next mile marker.

Thus my trip to Fleet Feet.

But I digress.

Besides the obvious need for hydration, do any of you have any suggestions for surviving the humidity? On a 60 degree morning I feel like I could run til my legs fall off. But on a 75 or above with 95% humidity I struggle to remember why I am doing this to myself after the first mile!

I will be a happy girl come Autumn.

Oh the mutiny!

2007-07-22T21:23:00.001-05:00

Ok, so my running has not been the most regular for about 6 weeks because we had the bright idea to get a puppy. Getting up at night with him has made 5:30am look about as inviting as a sardine sandwich. I have managed to run a few times, and even added distance, but Kody has not exactly helped in the energy department. It's a good thing he is so cute!

So imagine my disdain when I heard an odd sound coming from my closet. I sneak in to take a peek and found him...

CHEWING MY RUNNING SHOES!!!!

Now I have a zillion ratty old flipflops in there, but NO, he goes for the Mizunos! ARGH!

Thankfully I rescued them before any visible damage was done. Rest assured the closet will be securely shut from now on. Lesson learned. And, now that Kody is finally starting to sleep better (he is 12 weeks old...and 27 pounds of FUR!) I plan to run at least 2 mornings a week and a long run on weekends. I'll also hit the gym on the off days so I can do a little cross training. The real training for December will start at the end of August. Gotta get some structure back so I can build up my miles...I am SO sore from yesterday's run!

Sharing the Road

2007-07-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

I started running on May 1, 2007 after witnessing the inspiring, incredible, and moving accomplishments of dear friends and complete strangers at the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN. I have posted some about my short running career on my "real" blog, which is not on the public listings because...

I don't want a bunch of weirdos reading about my family life and private thoughts.

So, in the interest of "meeting" fellow runners, I thought I'd start this one just for fun. If you manage to carve time out of your day to purposefully torture yourself I'd love to "meet" you!

Especially if you love Jesus.

Cuz I do.

Marathons, anyone?