running

my running days have become increasing diffucult and doubt is setting in before any real training has even begun. I have been consistently been runningon Tues, Thurs and Sat for this whole month, and I am starting to wonder if I am really going to be able to undertake this goal I have set myself up for.
I was able to laboriously complete 3 miles when I starting running at the end of Feb and now here we are at the end of March and I am only able to complete 5m. I ran about 6m one of the weeks but haven't been able to bring myself to that point again. It's frustrating since in my head I think I am doing all the right things and I obviously am not since it is not getting me any advancement. I know training doesn't officially start until June, but I want to complete the 10m run in May. As soon as I get up to about 3 m, my knees and feet start complaining. By the time I am done at about 4.5 or 5, my body is begging me to stop. I wonder if I need to incorporate the run/ walk method to train the legs to deal with the motion. Or maybe I need new shoes.
Next Sat is the Marathon 101 clinic. I'm going to ask some questions and hopefully receive the encouragement I am looking for to lift my spirits and work though this hump.

Your Thinking is Abstract and Sequential

You like to do research and collect lots of information. The more facts you have, the easier it is for you to learn. You need to figure things out for yourself and consider all possibilities. You tend to become an expert in the subjects that you study. It's difficult for you to work with people who know less than you do. You aren't a very patient teacher, and you don't like convincing people that you're right.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Easter : He Is Risen

Run Forrest Run

The past few days have been the longest days yet are a blur as I look back. I miss my kiddies terribly. They were spending the night at their cousins house on Thursday and I was supposed to pick them up on Friday so we could color eggs. Well, from a beautiful day on Thursday (55 degrees) when we walked to the store to buy Easter candy, to the next day when "nature" decided to drop the temp to 30 -ish and dump (literally) 8-9 inches of snow on us, it sort of changed the plans. As I was driving though the blizzard on Good Friday (go figure, it's Chicago) I realized there was no way I would be able to get up to Kenosha and back in a resonable amount of time. The traffic reports were all predicting the travel times to be 2 to 3 hours to get to the border, not fun when your inching along the highway in white out conditions. So Cindy, who didn't seem to mind one bit, thought it was best if she kept the kids another night. So here it is Sat. afternoon and I am recounting the blur of the past few days. Without the kids around, although very peaceful and quiet, it was weird that the time seemed to move so slow. I kept checking my phone to see if they called (I was a little worried about Payton) but they didn't even want to bother with dear old mommy once.
Thursday after we did the kid switch, I drove over to the Deerfield club and ran about 3.5 m on the treadmill. Then I lifted a few weights using the technogym selectorized for legs only and sat in the steam room until I felt like I was going to pass out. I fueled up at Jewel with a banana, snow peas, string sheese, trail mix and carrot juice and felt like I rocked the world. Then Friday I started off on my way through errand-land. It was easy enough to have the freedom to get in and out of the car by myself and not be slowed down by the kiddies, but I'm not sure it really gave me an advantage over the time I perused or spent in a store. ( It did mean I was able to stay out of the public bathrooms though, that was really nice). So I eventually ended up at the club and I went about 3 miles on the elliptical taking it slow on purpose in order to read my magazine. Then I lifted for my arms and then jumped in the pool. I swam about 10 laps and then soaked my tired muscles in the whirlpool. I sat in the sauna for a time too, and for just a second, thought, "Wow, this is something like a vacation."
I ate Chipotle for dinner last night and prepared the Easter boxes (more on that later) for the kids. Then I decoupaged an egg carton with some pretty purple paper for the Spiritual Egg Story. I say all this in a running post since it ties into why I didn't run today.
I was up late and when I woke up this morning, it was already 10am! I can't remember the last time I slept that long! (Oh wait, it was yesterday, when the kids weren't here) And the sinking feeling I had when I fully opened my eyes, was that pushing it for those two days left me with nothing, I mean nothing, left to give for the run this morning. I thought about it, I really did, but with the way my muscles ached, I could barley make it to the basement to put my clothes into the dryer let alone lace up the shoes.
I will run, soon, but right now, for today, I need a break.
Now I am off to church to set-up for the breakfast tomorrow and pick up the kids! Who Hoo!

A quick shout

I'm greened out. I have had enough of the green things this year. easter is going to be all pinks, blues purples and yellows. no green. one more night, i can make it. awana tonight is a st. patricks day theme so it will be the last day wearing it, seeing it, eating it. it's time to move on...

yesterday we found out that frankie died. they said he went to sleep and didn't wake up. hmmm. with out divuldging to many private details, it appears it was more than that due to the people and the age group of friends he chose to associate with. I feel really bad for Grandma Jean. She loved him and it is breaking her heart to have to bury a child. it is something no mother should have to do because even when you are 58 years old, you are still someone's baby.

i'll like you forever, i'll love you for always, as long as i'm living, my baby you'll be.

the kids and I have been singing that song over the past week. reagan brought it up and told me that if i die, she will still love me. how sweet.
I told her I wasn't planning on going just yet, but my life is in God's hands and I kind of have to follow the path in front of my feet.
last night we had a great cry on the bed. 4 people and a lot of tissues later (jim was out) we turned it into a really positive discussion about choices. how everyone has them and how they are either good or bad. about how the consequences from choices are given and most of the time they are determined by the choice. it really gave Jimmy and I a chance to talk about honesty and love and drugs and family. it's sad about frankie, I hope my babies can take something from this experience that they can use as they live their lives.

I found this the other day and it seems overly appropriate now.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument.Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone.It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God.He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'.You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.Don't save it for a special occasion.Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:"In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31.. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36 Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life.Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield..
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

"May the Lord's face radiate with joy because of you"

(oh darn, I just remembered, I am SOOO glad the tooth fairy is a man, at least he can take the blame for this one)

It's Chick Time

Now that St. Patrick's Day is over, it's time to get ready for the Resurrection. Time to get the "You've been Egged" baskets ready for delivery on Thursday and prepare our hearts for the Lord for this weekend. Yeah!

St. Patricks Day

So... why do we make Shamrock decorations anyway?
God called Patrick to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick used a small three leaved plant growing there to help teach people about God. The Shamrock has three leaves in one plant, helping to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
Three in One, One in Three!
I found the above note on St. Patrick's Shamrocks and Ireland on the Veggie Tales web site.

It made me think about St. Patrick this year more than I have ever thought before. What man, or person, would willingly go back to the country that enslaved them? Wouldn't it be like us getting captured and tortured or enslaved by some other country for years, then being set free, and going back there to help the hurting people of the country. I know I would have a hard time doing that. It is hard to be nice to the people here that I don't like. I can't imagine being called to do something bigger! It shows how God can change a man and change a heart. It really re-invigorates my love and commitment to him.

Just trusting and knowing that he can do anything. Through God, all things are possible. For St. Patricks Day this year, we had such a great green time! We had a green dinner, a green dessert, played green memory and St. Patrick's Day bingo (thanks to Executive Homeaker). I did forget to call the "Greene's" but they are not so Irish, so I'm sure I'll be forgiven.

It was a fun day.

Shamrock Personality Test

What Your Shamrock Says About You

You are unselfish, responsible, and a good leader. You contribute a lot to your community. At times, you can be self-righteous and stubborn. There's no better way to do things than your way. You consider yourself a lucky person. Luck always seems to be on your side. You are creative, innovative, and complicated. You definitely have a unique spin on the world.

Happy Pi Day

Today is Pi Day. No, not PIE day, Pi Day, you know, 3.14 day... The day all mathmaticians celebrate to remind themselves about, um, math.

Jimmy's school celebrated today, they had a t-shirt decorating contest and an Albert Einstein look-a-like-contest. They also did an "unknown" activity which needed e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Maybe they were going to search for the numbers in the Pi sequence.

OK, so what exactly is Pi besides the yummy, scrumptious, apple, pumpkin, blueberry versions we are so accustomed to?

The http://www.piday.org/ web site describes it as:

Pi, Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th.

Here is an example of what Pi lookes like numerically:

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209 7494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651 3282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102 7019385211055596446229489549303819644288109756659334461 2847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045432 6648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920 9628292540917153643678925903600113305305488204665213841 4695194151160943305727036575959195309218611738193261179 3105118548074462379962749567351885752724891227938183011 9491298336733624406566430860213949463952247371907021798 6094370277053921717629317675238467481846766940513200056 8127145263560827785771342757789609173637178721468440901 2249534301465495853710507922796892589235420199561121290 2196086403441815981362977477130996051870721134999999837 2978049951059731732816096318595024459455346908302642522 3082533446850352619311881710100031378387528865875332083 8142061717766914730359825349042875546873115956286388235 3787593751957781857780532171226806613001927876611195909 2164201989380952572010654858632788659361533818279682303 0195203530185296899577362259941389124972177528347913151 5574857242454150695950829533116861727855889075098381754 6374649393192550604009277016711390098488240128583616035 6370766010471018194295559619894676783744944825537977472 6847104047534646208046684259069491293313677028989152104 7521620569660240580381501935112533824300355876402474964 7326391419927260426992279678235478163600934172164121992 4586315030286182974555706749838505494588586926995690927 2107975093029553211653449872027559602364806654991198818 3479775356636980742654252786255181841757467289097777279 3800081647060016145249192173217214772350141441973568548 1613611573525521334757418494684385233239073941433345477 6241686251898356948556209921922218427255025425688767179 0494601653466804988627232791786085784383827967976681454 1009538837863609506800642251252051173929848960841284886 2694560424196528502221066118630674427862203919494504712 3713786960956364371917287467764657573962413890865832645 9958133904780275900994657640789512694683983525957098258 2262052248940772671947826848260147699090264013639443745 5305068203496252451749399651431429809190659250937221696 4615157098583874105978859597729754989301617539284681382 6868386894277415599185592524595395943104997252468084598 7273644695848653836736222626099124608051243884390451244 1365497627807977156914359977001296160894416948685558484 0635342207222582848864815845602850601684273945226746767 8895252138522549954666727823986456596116354886230577456 4980355936345681743241125150760694794510965960940252288 7971089314566913686722874894056010150330861792868092087 4760917824938589009714909675985261365549781893129784821 6829989487226588048575640142704775551323796414515237462 3436454285844479526586782105114135473573952311342716610 2135969536231442952484937187110145765403590279934403742 0073105785390621983874478084784896833214457138687519435 0643021845319104848100537061468067491927819119793995206 1419663428754440643745123718192179998391015919561814675 1426912397489409071864942319615679452080951465502252316 0388193014209376213785595663893778708303906979207734672 2182562599661501421503068038447734549202605414665925201 4974428507325186660021324340881907104863317346496514539 0579626856100550810665879699816357473638405257145910289...

(There are 1 million, yeah, I know)

So for the Edison Pi Day, Jimmy wasn't intesested in dressing up like Albert Einstein, but he did wear a decorated shirt.

Jimmy had this picture drawn on his shirt today for the contest. Ops, I forgot to ask him how that went when I picked him up earlier.

He also brought a pumpkin pie to share with his friends. Well, to you and yours, happy Pi day!

Run Forrest Run

My run yesterday was great. I completed a 5k on the treadmill in 35:00min. It's my best time since I started again so it felt great to get there again. I then moved onto the track and did 6 laps around. So depending on the size, either 1/4 or 1/6, it was about a mile more. 4.5 is becoming very attainable now and I am thinking of a 6 for Sat. long run. I want to go outside though, it's starting to get too nice to be cooped up indoors on the hamster wheel.

Run Forrest Run

Today I am posting 2 running posts at a time. Saturday was busy and the computer was being monopolized so I couldn't get on to write.
sat run
4.9 m 55min.
Sat morning I learned that the club doesn't open until 8am, in the entire city! It better get nice out soon b/c I need to run a little earlier than 8am! I was going to wait at the club until it opened until I convinced myself to drive to another b/c they would "for sure" be open. well they weren't so I had a chance to clean up the car. Wow the kids are messy. Jim does a good job of keeping it clean. I'm the bad one who let's them at and doesn't enforce the "take out what you bring in" rule.
I ran the long run Saturday and it felt really good. I could have kept going Forrest.


tues run
4.2 m 48 min.
today i felt tired. i really didn't want to run and it showed when i got a cramo in my chest after the 1st mile. i was running at a 5.5 speed and my heart rate felt good, so i just worked through it and it eventually subsided. i made it to the 3.1 and kept going, but decided to try the run 2/ walk 1 technique. it worked and if it weren't for the time, I would have kept going. I got off to a late start today so it was already 7:20 when I was done and I couldn't push it anymore.
We'll see what happens this Sat for the "long run".

The Weekend Wrap-Up

This was a great weekend. We had a lot of time do do just about nothing. It was nice to have a whole weekend available with no definite plans. It's been a little crazy for us on the weekend lately, so having the time to chill out was relaxing.

Friday night we decided to make Healthy Cupcake Muffins for dinner. I found a really great revision for the new Fiber One muffins on the Hungry Girl Website and Reagan and I made muffins. The box as is is a little high in cal and fat for one muffin, but by using the box mix and adding in 1 c of water, 1 c of pumpkin and 1/4 c of egg whites, it changed the nutritionals from 180 cal to 90 cal, fat from 9 g to 3 g and fiber was still a large 4 g each! We also decided to make a batch of mini muffins along with the regular size, so I'm sure they were better for you if you just had 1 or 2.

Well, we decide to eat them for dinner and to dress them up a bit. They turned out pretty cute and the kids had a blast decorating them with 'fat free cool whip' frosting and sprinkles. It's not one of the best dinners I have ever made, but it was Friday and I know I was still getting something decently healthy in their bodies.

After dinnerI stared to clean up after the birds and as I was re- filling the food bowl, they escaped! This is the first time they have been out since they have been with us and it was cute to see them fly around the house and interact with the kids. It was nice until Rudy started pooping on things. It stopped being cute real quick and they needed to go back to their cages. I asked nicely but was met with squawking and hissing, but of course when Jim asked, they fly to the cage and hung out on top for a bit before they went inside. OK Dr. Doolittle. Whatever!!

On Saturday, Robyn came over and we had dinner, baked chicken and pasta with homemade garlic bread and salad. Yummy. It was fun to give her her coaster birthday gift that I never took pictures of. I found the idea on a web site to use Mod Podge and adhere sayings and stickers to a small tile and felt the back to make a coaster. Since she just moved into a new house, I thought it would be a cute craft to make. It was nice b/c my shadow helped me paint them and really took ownership in the gift.

Sunday after church, we decided to go rock climbing. It was a great time. We had Zach with us and he did what Jimmy did the first time. He got about a 1/4 of the way up and got really scared and asked to be let down. Maybe next time...

Jimmy surpassed my expectations after talking a good game the last time we went. He acted so brave, but you could see the terror on his face when he got about 3 feet off the floor.

This time, he climbed right up to the top like a cat. I was so proud of him! He is really becoming a wonderful young man. It's good to see he can put aside his fear to accomplish something that is important to him.

Go Jimmy.

On the other hand, I wish I would have tried a bit harder. Getting to the top of the straight wall is not a big deal for me, but climbing upside down and getting over that hump is! I wasn't able to do it this time, but now that I have a new goal to press on towards, I think I'll make the rock climbing stop a little more frequent. I wasn't able to get my self over the hump and once I tried a few times and my legs and arms were shaking, I knew it wasn't going to happen. Time to get stronger!

Last night Jim won a $12,000 package into the WSOP in July. I am proud of him. This is what he wants to accomplish and making this next step is a big deal for him. Even if it's not what I would do or something that I completely agree with, I am supporting him to help him get to the next step of his dreams. Who knows, this might be the plan that God has for my life to use me to accomplish his plan. I will follow where he leads.

And finally, last night I sat down with my Chicago Athlete book and ripped out all of the pages of the races I am interested in running this year. I have to sit down tonight and talk about it with Jim and register for everything. There is no sense in continuing to talk about it. It's time to take some action.

SPT Tuesday

if i came to visit you next week, how would i know which doorbell to ring?

It wouldn't be hard, we don't have a doorbell :0(

do you have a formal entrance?

sort of, it's in the front of the house. and we have a small foyer to take off your shoes and a closet to hang up your coat.

should i come to the front door?

yes, please. only my mom goes thought the back, but she lives across the ally.

or do you prefer your guests to come around back?

I wish I could say yes. In my next home my guests will come around back, but now, it is through the front for all.

(would you be surprised if i came in through the garage?!?)

uh, yeah. It's not attached so I'd have to wonder how you got in and why you were in the alley.

A Funny For Friday

A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.'Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday.'Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.The frog says, 'Sure. I have this,' and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.She finds the manager and says, 'There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral.'She holds up the tiny pink elephant. 'I mean, what in the world is this?'(you're gonna love this)The bank manager looks back at her and says...'It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan, His old man's a Rolling Stone.'(You're singing it, aren't you? Yeah, I know you are........) Never take life too seriously! Come on now, you grinned, I know you did!!! Have a lovely day

Pick Up A Book, Boost Your Brain

There's proof being a book worm is a great thing! Teach your kids to read! Read to them every Day. Each child is inherently gifted
Don’t deny yourself the luxury of curling up with that murder mystery, tragic tale, or sci-fi thriller this weekend. Consider it self-defense class for your brain. Being a bookworm doesn’t just make you smart. It makes you mentally tough. It builds so much cognitive reserve that bookworms’ brains may be bolstered against bad things like pollution and toxins. Calling All ReservesOn cognitive tests, book lovers outperform people with lower reading levels. No surprise there. But the big news is that people who read regularly may develop a "cognitive reserve." What’s that mean? That they’ve got extra brainpower to keep the mind rolling when brain cells are under attack. In a study of factory workers, the brains of the big readers functioned just fine on cognitive tasks, despite on-the-job exposure to toxic substances, like lead. Brain BoostersIn addition to making a trip to your local bookstore, here are other steps you can take to stay sharp:
Ditch the tobacco. Smoking (and secondhand smoke) kills brain cells. This great quit-smoking program really works.
Give your mind a mental workout. (Try this challenging word game.)
Compensate for age-related memory changes. (Take this mental-recall test and get tips on how to improve your score.)
Get more B vitamins in your diet. (Read how they protect against brain drain.)
Take a walk! (Here’s how regular exercise might boost your mental powers.) Got a few minutes? Stimulate your synapses with this sudoku puzzle.

RealAge Benefit:
Learning a new game that requires brainpower can make your RealAge 1.3 years younger.

Photo Cut Up

I found this great craft on the creative home arts website. I plan to try it this weekend with some of the kids photos. It might look cool in the dog book I am making about Ashlands life. If I like the look, I might incorporate it into Jimmy's book. (now that I am starting the almost 10 year old's book) If I have it completed by his 10th birthday party, it will be a great accomplishment.
Photo Cut UpGive your photos even more flair with this simple but dramatic technique.by Julie Stephani
Online Rating: (7/10)
You will need• Photo• 2 coordinating printed papers• Cardstock: black, white• Silver metal "message" charm• 4 silver brads• Deckle-edge decorative scissors• 1/8" circle paper punch• Dimensional dots• Paper adhesive, ruler, paper trimmer or scissors
STEP 1: Cut & mat photo. Slice photo vertically into four or five slanted-edge pieces. Note: Position main subject in center of one slice. Glue photo pieces on white cardstock, leaving a 1/8" space between inner edges and with outside edges even. Trim cardstock around photo with deckle-edge scissors, leaving a 1/8" border. Glue matted photo to black cardstock. Trim cardstock around photo with paper trimmer, leaving a 1/8" border. Punch a hole in each corner of photo through all thicknesses. Insert a silver brad in each hole.
STEP 2: Add background. Glue matted photo to printed paper, leaving a 1/2" border on three sides and a 2" border on the right side. Glue printed paper to black cardstock. Trim cardstock around photo with trimmer, leaving a 1/8" border.
STEP 3: Attach charm. Glue metal charm on second printed paper. Trim paper around photo with trimmer, leaving a 1/4" border. Glue matted charm to black cardstock. Trim cardstock around photo with trimmer, leaving a 1/8" border. Apply dimensional dots to back of matted charm. Press in place on bottom right of photo as shown.

What These Daisies Say About You

You have a spirt of pure optimism. Your view of the world is eternally cheerful. You are bold and vibrant. Incredibly striking, you always stand out in a crowd. You are adaptable and flexible. You can thrive in almost any situation.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

Thursday Thoughts

Today is March 6 and it is World Glaucoma Day. It's the first ever. Hopefully a few people will notice and make it a mainstay on the calendar every year. It matters to me because my Grandma had it for as long as I can remember. She always had to put eye drops in and it was manageable for years, but as she got older, it did worsen and she eventually needed surgery on her eyes. I think it might have been more than once. It's important to know about since it is hereditary and it is called the silent blinding disease because there are usually no symptoms. It causes damage to the optic nerve in the eye and will cause blindness if not treated. If it is caught early, you can use the eye drops to keep it at bay, but there is no cure and eye damage is irreversible.


My mom has it now, so that increases my chances for getting the disease too. Sad, but I know what to look for and I will continue to get yearly screenings even though I am only 29.


I'm glad that there is an outreach for the disease. Now we just have to tell people about it.
For more information you can check out the World Glaucoma Day web site.
Spread The Word.
http://glaucomapatients.org/index.php

On another note, Matthew McConnehey is so cute. He is really just a piece of fine sculpted art. Hopefully that is not wrong to say, but when someone gives you the chills just by looking at them, it's gotta mean something. God made art for us to enjoy. I plan to enjoy this piece and here, you can too. Meow!

I could really use a massage. You know it must be pretty bad when you see a picture of a squirel getting a massage and you have a twinge of jealousy. Looks like Smoochy is living the good life.

So these are my thoughts for Thoughtful Thursday. Friday is a day away.

Run Forest Run

OH HAI (that's hello in Lolcat! Is that laugh out loud, cat?) I have never heard of that dialect before but, Flicker said it is... So... on to the running post for today.
Run Day 3.
3.41miles. 41:00 minutes.
Today was a great run. I planned better last night and made sure I had a towel and my crocs for the water. I didn’t bring the blow dryer and thought my hair looked cute ‘naturally’. Then I looked in a mirror and will definitely remember to bring the blow dryer unless I get a great cut this weekend.
I brought my mom with to the club this morning and she walked on the tread next to me. It was nice to have conversation and it really helped me get though the run fast. I was doing great, not winded, not tired and my HR was steady at about 170. I stayed at the 4.5 pace until the last 10 min or so. Then I kicked it up to 4.9 (oohh, wow, I know) and could feel the heat rising. It seemed steady at about 180 –ish, and I still felt good, so for the last 4-5 min I tried to bump it up to 6.0. Not a good idea. HR went to 197 and I was definitely winded after 2-3 min at that pace. I guess I am not a super star track athlete like I am in my imagination and I need to build the endurance before I can increase my mile time. I plan to run Sat morning, outside if I can swing it, well, if the weather can, and try to get in 3-4 miles. I won’t have the HR monitor but I should be able to gauge by the way I feel. Hopefully taking Jimmy to school 2 days a week isn’t going to bum Jim out to bad. I need to keep this going if I plan to get to the finish line.

My Hero

This past Sunday marked the last chemo treatment my little friend Amanda had to endure. What a strong girl. Amanda was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in her 9 year old body in the fall of 2006. She has been through surgery, chemo, radiation and the hospital ‘test your patience’ facilities involved with all those things for over a year. She has finally completed her last of 12 chemo treatments and the scans show the caner is gone. Over the past year she has put on weight, her smile came back and her mobility and coordination has increased. She lost her hair and instead of wearing a wig, she is proudly showing off her new peach fuzz. She holds her head high and plays all the games the other kids play, even if it takes her twice as long to complete them. She memorizes her Bible verses and completes her school work. Watching her through this, I realize she has given me the strength to keep going through my daily life.
How can I complain that the bag I am carrying is too heavy? Or the block I have to walk around is too inconvenient? Or the groceries I have to carry are too heavy? What justification do I have for thinking my life could be better when I see the struggles Amanda and her family have persevered through? The testimony of their faith throughout this period in time has been phenomenal. Their faith in the Lord is unshakable. Would mine be as strong? I’d like to say of course, definitely. I would turn to the God I believe in and trust with my heart and my soul. But the doubt inside of me reminds me that I am human and I, in my time of need and desperation, might not turn to the All Powerful One. I pray I never need to know the answer to the question and face the tragic circumstances of this one family, but this is life. We are here to live and as much as we plan and try to control our lives and our days, tomorrow is not a promise. I pray I can make an example of myself by turning to the Lord in my daily struggles and fears and build my endurance to stay strong in the Lord and turn my worries and troubles over to him. But as I grow, I will continue to watch the one little girl who has made such an impact on my life, my family and my community without even knowing it.
Amanda, you are my hero!

Begin the run

Run day 1.
3.21 miles. 43:00 minutes
Today was a good start to pick up the running. I was up by 5:45 and escaped out of the house with out the kids or the birds (we are watching for Judy, Jim's mom) waking up. I think I was so excited that I got out of there so quickly and quietly that I left the yard and stepped right onto a big patch of ice and fell on my left elbow and side. I turned as I was falling and my left knee hit the ground too, but not so hard. I was ok, just hoping the knee doesn't get bruised.
So I ran into CVS to pick up my prescription 3 days late and buy a lock for the gym since I can't find mine that I have used since high school. I guess it was meant to be b/c when I opened the lock at the gym; the first numbers in the combo were jimmy's b-day.
so I jumped on a star trac tread and walked for about 5 min to warm up. My heart rate was about 91/92 when I started but only went up to about 116 even after 5 min. I started the 5k and increased the speed to 4.5 and within 3-4 min; the HR was up to 160. It seemed to stay steady at about 178/180 during the run, so I figured I would stay at the 4.5 speed for today. It’s about a 13 min mile and I need to build endurance. I have this bad habit of thinking I can always do more than I can, and I would usually play the speed game with my self. I am trying to get a better handle on my discipline and will power and commit to something and follow through the right way. So if for today, staying at the 4.5 speed was going to help, then I decided to do that. so the run was good. No pain until the last .5 mile and my foot was achy and my hip joints were sore. I need to remember to stretch out and keep at the 5k for the next few runs at the lower speed. Why push it and risk falling off again.
Another joy to the morning, small, but important, was getting a parking space in the lot. I know your going to a gym, why do you care if you get a space in the lot. Well, baby, it's cold outside! When I woke up it was 33 degrees, when I got into the car it was 32 degrees and when I got to the club it was 32 degrees. Brr! A space in the lot is definitely a highlight in my day, even if it is at the gym where I am going to work out!
I met a man today. His name is Angelo. He is 84 years old. He ran with me today. He joined me at about mile 1.5 and he walked, I ran, and we talked. What a great little old man :0) He was a bachelor who has been coming to the club for 15 years! He loves to dance and was in great shape. What a way to stay in shape and take care of your self. It's encouraging to see someone take pride in themselves.
A few things I have to remember to bring for Thursday’s run, 1.) Flip flops for the shower. I can’t believe I forgot them and had to walk on the ground! Eww. It looked clean, but that is relative. 2.) I also need to remember to bring a towel. It was quite difficult dripping dry and using a sweaty gym shirt to soak up the water. I managed, but it will be so much better knowing there is an absorbent piece of cotton waiting to accept the drops of water from my body. 3.) A hair dryer. I looked like a contortionist under the hand dryer this morning and might have been confused with a wet rat on the way out of the club. A hair dryer (and a good haircut) is necessary.

run forest run

I begin my running program tomorrow. Tonight the clothes get laid out and early morning I will be rising and off to run a few miles. I can't procrastinate any longer. I have been diligently getting up every morning to work out to a video since Thanksgiving, but b/c of the cold weather, I haven't wanted to venture outside. Then just as the weather started to lighten up, everything melted, then froze, then melted, then snowed, now it's melting, but raining. I need to bite the bullett and get my but to the gym and get on the treadmill. If I wait for the weather, there will always be some excurse and the 10 m is in May. So wish me luck, I'll comment on the after effects of the run sometime wed or thursday when i am really sore :0)

Leap Day 2008

We celebrated leap year 2008 with a party for the kids and two of their friends. devyn and kailey can over friday night and ate pancakes with syrup and drank green gatorade. then we baked lemon flavored cupcakes dyed green and frosted them with green frosting. they were supposed to be frogs but the kids wanted to frost their own and by the time 5 plates, cupcakes and globs of frosting were passed out, some were done with the cupcake, some were done with the frosting and some were spilled on the floor.
after cupcake time we decided to play some leaping games. thanks to creative homemaker, laurie for the great ideas and files to make the leap games. we played pin the crown on the frog prince, pass the toad & musical lily pads. Then we built a girls vs. boys fort with the cranium construction play things. the boys thought the tubes looked too much like light sabers, so most of the time was spent taming them.
The kids were sent home sugared up with extra cupcakes and homemade t-shirts stamped with a frog and Leap Day 2008. Payton loved the musical lily pad game so much we played it a few more times that night.
It was a great way to celebrate February 29th.