Monday Motivation: Run Free

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When was the last time you ran without having an exact route in mind?  Or the last time you went out to run without really knowing how far?

It's been awhile for me.  The last time I remember running outside not really knowing where I was going or how far was back in January 2011.  I felt so good running that I just kept going, because I felt like I could.  When I went home to map out how far I've gone (it was my pre-Garmin days), I was shocked to learn that I ran 7 miles.  Seven miles and the longest distance before that was only 4.5 miles!

When I train for a race, I get so caught up in total mileage, pace, where to go, where I can go to do a 6, 10, 12 mile loop that I forget to just let it go sometimes.  You know?  Feel free, feel lost in your thoughts, get caught up in what's around you, and have the rhythm of your breath and footsteps to guide you.  I need to remember to do that once in awhile to remind me why I love running so much, because now that I'm in the thick of marathon training and the miles are going up, training days are starting to feel like work.

So tomorrow, I'm going to lace up for my 6am run and run free.  Happy Monday, all!

What about you?  Do you ever feel this way sometimes?  Do you remember the last time you ran free?  Please share!

Three Things Thursday: Crazy For Halfs

It's been awhile since I've done TTT.  It's been a challenge for me to keep up with the blog, but I hope to send a waterfall of posts soon.

So as you all know, I'm training for my first full marathon, Marine Corps Marathon.  I am now in the thick of it, having completed my first 15-miler last week (the longest distance for me to date!)!  I'm at Week 9 of 18, exactly halfway through my training!  I can't believe it!  The next couple of weeks are going to be up there in mileage, but I have a couple of weekends where I "only" have to do 13.1 miles.

So what to do when I'm running "only" a half marathon distance?  Whenever I do that distance, I always feel like I deserve a medal for the effort.  I know.  But hey, why not, right?  So that's what I did.  Here are three half marathon races I've signed up for - all 3 within 1 1/2 months.

Just call me crazy.

1)  

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Rock N Roll Half Marathon Virginia Beach - September 2, 2012.  It's coming soon!  Almost a week from now!  I'm excited about this one because a) it's flat, b) the finish line is on the boardwalk (thinking about a nice soak in the ocean after the race), c) racing with college friends, d) post-race concert featuring Train, one of my faves, and e) did I mention it's a flat course?

Of course the weather could be really nasty, hot and humid, but I've trained in that on hilly training runs around here.  Do I have a time goal?  It would be nice to get under 2:15, but I feel no pressure only because it's a marathon training run for me and the last I want to do is push myself to the point of injury which I don't want to do.  I'm going to enjoy it.  Every mile. Soak up some sun.  Run happy.

I'm still debating how many miles to do that day.  I'm suppose to do 17 that weekend according to my training plan.  Should I do a 2 mile warm up pre-race then a 2-mile cool down post-race?  Or should I just race it?  I follow my training plans to a "T" especially the long runs, so I HAVE to do 17.  I have 18 to do the following weekend and this weekend is a step down week to 13...soooo I don't know, I'm going to try the 2 pre and 2 post and see how I feel.

More importantly, still thinking about what to wear to this race, LOL!  Do I have my priorities set or what?!

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2)  Maine Half Marathon - September 30, 2012.  I'm more than excited about this one because of the course!  Gorgeous views!  By the water!  Cooler temps! (I hope!  Crap. I just jinxed myself.)  Yes, I'm going to be in Maine at the end of September!  This one I will truly enjoy because I have exactly 13.1 miles on the training calendar, and this race is perfect!

Don't know what I'm going to wear (LOL), but I know there will be Zensah compression leg sleeves with this one.  So giddy about this one!!!!

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3)  Heritage Half Marathon - October 14, 2012.  Let's just say that this race will kick off my birthday celebration which will continue through until Marine Corps Marathon in October 28.  Not saying when my birthday is, but I will be 40!  Yes!  Big. Four. O!!!!  The course is hilly a little, and it's a small race, but I'm looking to have a great time at this race with friends.  My training gals are joining me on this and so will The Hubs!  Last double digit mileage for us until the marathon!  Squeeeeeeee!!


So there you have it, my crazy half marathon race schedule.  I didn't count the virtual half marathon I have this weekend, nor the other one last month, but the three above would totally get me into the Half Fanatics group which I'm looking to join.  Just because.  Hee hee.

Are you half marathon crazy like me?  Are you a Half Fanatic?  

Thanks for hanging in there...waiting....if you are..for my blog updates.  I appreciate your following my blog.  More to come!  Happy running to all!

Wordless Wednesday: I Run So I Can Deal With Ear-Splitting 4yo Tantrums

It's ok, I'm ok...I have a 5 mile interval track workout today.  After a day like today, I think I might just kill that workout.  lol.

Monday Motivation: Just Keep Going

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Thanks to DC Rainmaker's Facebook post, I was inspired by Olympian marathoner Caitriona Jennings from Ireland who finished almost an hour after the leaders in 3hrs 20min and never gave up.

 

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I Run So I Can Think Of Ways To Play With Food: Gummy Worm Habitat

Sorry, non-running related post here. Let me preface this by saying that I keep up with my running so that I will have enough patience to play referee when a quarrel breaks out between my boys. Running has kept me sane and inspired enough the next day to think of fun stuff to do with my boys (because they're driving me crazy! Lol, just kidding).

With just one more month of summer vacation, what else can I do at home, for dirt cheap, to distract them from fighting over who gets to fall into the Sarlacc next? Enter the old "Gummy Worms Dirt/Mud Cake" food craft with a geeky twist, from yours truly, which was enough to delight and entertain my boys (ages 10, 7 1/2, and 4 1/2).

I told my boys that we're going to make habitats for worms. I love fun activities that have (sneaky) educational opportunities.  So the first thing I did was give each boy a small glass, like this one above, to hold our worm habitat.

Next I showed them what the layers of the soil look like:

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I told them we're going to make the layers of the soil out of chocolate chips, Oreos, and chocolate pudding.

Chocolate chips in action tumbling into our mouths...errr...glasses (sorry for the blurry pic).

Making bedrock with chocolate chips.

Mmmm....Oreos...

Crushing Oreos to make the Parent Material, making sure we don't crush them into too small pieces. Then we added the layer of Parent Material (crushed Oreos) on top of the bottom layer of Bedrock (chocolate chips).

Next step, adding a layer of the chocolate pudding for the Sub Soil.

The boys had a hard time not licking their spoons, so not a whole lot of Sub Soil went in.  Haha!

 

More crushed Oreos, this time, finely crushed, for the last layer in our soil matrix, Top Soil. We skipped the Organic Layer because frankly, I think this is enough chocolate, although crushed vanilla Oreos would've been perfect! Shhh...don't tell my boys!

Alas, the gummy worms that will reside in our perfectly yummy habitat...

Happy worms in Sporto's cup (10yo). By the way, for a 10 yo, he thought this was a fun food craft, and he wasn't just saying that because he loves to eat.  Proud mommy moment when he recalled details about the soil layers he learned in school!

Tank's (7yo) worms...already making a mess, just like Tank. The boy cannot stay clean even if he tried. I have to give this boy credit for imagination, suggesting that we plant a broccoli tree next time. Hmmm....if that would get them to eat vegetables, sure! Why not? Chocolate and broccoli!

Little Man's (4 yo) worm habitat.  The boy has no patience.   Look at the spoon already in the glass...the poor worms did not even get a minute to get settled in!

Little Man's worm habitat minus one worm already. Haha!


So this was our version of that Gummy Worm Mud Pies. To those with kids, do you know of any other fun food craft to do with kids? Any other suggestions to keep kids entertained at home in the summer? I would love to hear about it! 
 

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Wordless Wednesday: Caribbean Waters, Almost

If I stare at the water long enough, I can almost feel like I'm at some Caribbean beach. And not the kiddie pool.

 

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Monday Motivation: Running Across the U.S. for Lung Cancer Awareness

As most of you know, I started running back in 2009 as a way to cope with my mom's passing and also so I can help raise money for lung cancer research.  I lost my mom to lung cancer 3 1/2 years ago now.  She was a never smoker, and since then, I've learned that ANYONE with lungs can get lung cancer.

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Thanks to a friend, today I came to know about an amazing young lady who's running across the country (from Times Square in New York to San Francisco, California).  She started her journey today.  Kelcey Harrison is running 3,500 miles to raise lung cancer awareness.  She lost her best friend, Jill, who was 22 years old, an athlete, and a never smoker like my mom, to lung cancer.  Kelcey plans to run 30 miles a day, and I can't begin to tell you how inspiring she is to me!  I wish her a safe journey ahead!  To read more about Kelcey and her journey, please go HERE. 

Monday Motivation: Be A Hill Seeker

I thought this was very appropriate for today after the 5 miles of rolling hills I did early this morning. It was one of those mornings when getting up at 5:30 am on a Monday hurt a lot and so you turn on your auto-pilot to 5 miles and just get out there and let your body go.


It seemed like every turn we made ended up right at the bottom of a hill. Our auto-pilot mode didn't allow us enough time to process and go the other way so we pushed on up, smaller steps, eyes on the ascending road, arms swinging low.

A long steady incline back reminded me of how tortuous it was to me 3 years ago when I first started running and how I used to avoid it like it was lava. This morning, I kept my pace steady all the way to the top and had to smile.


Hills do get easier in time. No matter what your pace is, to avoid them is to deny yourself the validation that you are truly badass...because you know what? You are badass. So go out there and seek a hill or two and enjoy the downhill ride.

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MCM Training Week 3 of 18 Re-cap

I am trying to catch up on posts. Still. Slowly but surely! This post is a recap of my training last week.

The week started off...not-so-great, a combination of very bad eating the weekend before, PMS, and lack of sleep, BUT it ended with two awesome runs.

You can read more about that awful Tuesday run HERE and my slow as molasses time HERE.



Wednesday was cross-training day for me. Cardio, abs, plyometrics, and sprints. It felt great to be back in this class after missing it last weekend due to the 4th of July holiday. Push ups, and I mean real push ups that are not on my knees, are feeling easier to do 5 at a time for a total of 4 sets. Planks are starting to feel very easy as well, thanks to the Plank A Day Challenge this past May. My longest held plank thus far is 2.5 minutes!



After Wednesday's class, I took the boys for a cheap treat: free 7.11 oz Slurpees from 7-Eleven!

Thursday was an emotional and exhausting day (darn PMS). I almost didn't run so I was happy that I went out anyway because it was one of my best runs ever. I headed out in the evening again for another shot at 5 miles. I didn't get out until 8:30pm so I stuck to the sidewalks in my neighborhood. It still felt humid out, but it was relatively cooler. Let me just say that this is one of those runs where I couldn't care less about pace...I was running like a kid again, so free. I just let go and ran by feel and with all heart. I could have run longer if I could. I so wish I could bottle up that feeling. It is why I run and that night, I was so in love with running...I know it sounds so hokey, but that was how it felt. Sigh.

Made Friday my rest day for my 6 mile trail run on Saturday.

Have you ever run trails before? If you haven't, you must try it! It is so liberating, challenging, and fulfilling at the same time. It's made me closer to my marathon training buddies. We laugh, cry, empathize, advise, and connect in ways you can't do on the road while running. Perhaps because the woods help protect our vulnerabilities or the scenery inspire us to connect with our deeper selves, not to mention the shade and relief from this heat and humidity!

So that's Marine Corps Marathon Training Week 3 for me, a roller coaster ride from an awful run culminating into two fabulous runs.

Lessons Learned: Don't beat myself up when a run goes bad. It is ok to have turtle days as long as I get the miles in. Listen to my body. I'll never know before a run whether it's going to be a good run or a bad run. Just go, be prepared for anything. Bad runs can only mean the next one will be good. Run solo and run with friends. Pace is not everything. Being in every mile, every step, every breath, is everything.



How is your training going?

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Motivation For Monday: Reflecting and Listening

Happy Monday! Quick post this morning, and then I'm off to Yoga class. I had some time this past weekend to step back a bit and reflect on where I am, where I've been, and where I know I'll be in terms of training for The Marine Corps Marathon this October. It seems to help me when I have one of those days when a run turns lousy all of a sudden last Tuesday's run or when I start to feel like I'm not getting anywhere in this heat and humidity.

 

If you're training this summer for a fall race, take a few minutes to do the same and be proud of what you've accomplished thus far.

 

For those with little ones, I found this (see below) last week....such a great reminder of what matters most.

 

Have a fabulous week!

 

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Cross-Training On A Budget

A couple of weeks ago, I almost signed up for a gym membership.  For $50/month plus more for childcare for my 3 boys, it felt too much like another car payment.  This stay-at-home momma is on a budget, so thanks to very generous moms and the internet, I was able to find a variety of cross training workouts that work best for my schedule, best with my kids, to supplement my running, all for free.  Yes, FREE.

Free Is Really Nice.  I feel blessed and grateful every week for two amazing moms who offer free workout classes every week at their church just because they love sharing their passion.  Yes, FREE classes - yoga and a cardio/abs/plyometric class.  The best part?  I can bring my kids with me too!  We bring out toys from their church nursery room and set them out on the far corner of their gym while we work out on the other side of the gym.  The only catch is that kids roam around the gym freely, and when we do sprints, some days we have to run around and between toys.  I'm not complaining, since it is free, and I get a pretty good work out.  


How To Get It Free.  Don't know someone who offers free classes?  Perhaps you can bring a group of friends together - at a park, or someone's house - and either follow an online workout video or make up your own.  You can take turns leading the class and watching the kids.  One nice day we took our workout outside.  We pushed the kids in joggers and did a power walk, then we jogged, and finally we ended our workout at a playground park doing lunges along the perimeter of the playground, planks, push ups, dips, you name it - while our kids happily played.  It was a nice change to be outside.

Pool Time For Free.  Of course if you have a neighborhood pool, you can do a couple of laps for cross training.  I don't swim.  I can't swim.  I want to know how to swim but that's next year's goal.  Obviously with kids in tow to the pool, it's not a good idea.  My first 2 boys can swim, but are not strong swimmers, and my youngest can't swim at all, so I always keep my eye on all 3 of them even though there are lifeguards there.  You just never know.  This cross training is best when your husband/significant other is with you and you can take turns swimming laps while the other watches the kids.

Free Online Videos are nice when the only time you can get a work out in is at home at 10:30pm or 5am and you have to be home with the kids.  You can find many workouts - yoga, abs, strength, cardio, etc.. on YouTube that it is almost impossible to get bored.  I am currently loving these three videos:

1)  Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown, Level 1 - 30 minutes.  I have the entire DVD too and one of these days I will actually follow it all the way to Level 3.  What I love about this is that you don't go into the poses right away and hold then hold it.  This is dynamic yoga where you warm up muscles before sinking into the yoga pose and holding that pose.  This could just be my body, but the traditional static yoga hurt me more, or maybe I'm just not doing them correctly.  I'm not very flexible.  Anyways, I've grown to love dynamic yoga thanks to Jillian.  Check it out and see for yourself!

2)  Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 - 25 minutes.  I usually follow up the yoga meltdown with this video.  I also have the DVD for this and will try and bring this all the way to level 3 also.  This is a great combination of cardio, strength (weights), and abs.  

3)  Yoga For Runners:  Injury Prevention With Fiji McAlpine - 20 minutes.  On my other cross-training day, I double up on the yoga.  I do Jillian Michael's Yoga Meldown and follow it up with this more traditional static yoga.  I'm not very flexible at all, but I find that if I do the dynamic yoga (Jillian Michaels' yoga) first and end with the static yoga poses, the poses gets easier and I am more flexible in the end.  

4)  Yoga for Runners:  Post-Run with Fiji McAlpine - 15+ minutes.  I do this video if I can/have time after my long runs.  It's a nice way to stretch out any sore muscles and it's not too long either.

So my summer training schedule for Marine Corps Marathon looks like this:

Mondays:  6am - 5 mile run
                  9am - Yoga (free class) for 1 hour


Tuesdays:  Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meldown
                  Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred


Wednesdays:  11am - Cardio/Abs/Plyometrics (free class)
                         7am - Track Workout plus miles I need to do to get to 5 miles total.


Thursdays:  Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown
                     Yoga for Runners:  Injury Prevention with Fiji McAlpine


Fridays:  Total Rest Day


Saturdays:  Long Run
                    Yoga for Runners:  Post-Run With Fiji McAlpine


Sundays:  Total Rest Day 
                   
This seems to work for me right now.  I am hoping to get a bike trainer to add to my cross training schedule to keep from getting bored. I have an old bike that I could take out for a spin, but I don't have a lot of time to get outside on my own, so a bike trainer would work out well.

The marathon training plan I am following is a cross between Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan and Jeff Galloway's plan.  More on that on another post.

Your turn.  What do you do for cross training and what are your favorites?

MCM Training: Week 3 - Some Run Days Are Just Lousy

Someone out there has had one of these runs before, right?

First off, life here has finally slowed down enough that I have more time to blog about my training, yay! Second, I'm going to blog backwards on a lot things here, so please bear with me.

So last night's run started out with, "I don't feel like running, I feel like crap," but from experience, I know that once I get out there, get the blood flowing, I will feel better.

Nope. Did not happen last night. I set out to do 5 miles. The cramps started at Mile 1.87 so I slowed down to walk it off, even splashed water on my face from a lawn sprinkler. My first thought was oh man, the joys of PMS. I basically had to run/walk/run until Mile 3. It was awful. I almost called The Hubs to come pick me up.

Nope, I decided, I'm going to get my miles in, no matter what, so I headed closer to home. By Mile 3 I felt better. YAY! I made up for my slower pace and I felt like flying. I passed the road towards my neighborhood and went a little further down the road. I thought, I'll loop back to home and get my 5 in.

I was feeling good until WHAM! I had to walk around Mile 4.03. Crap. Like literally I needed to crap. But I was a mile away from home and no woods to disappear to. I couldn't remember which house a friend lives. I did another run/walk/run thing, focusing hard on just making it down the street, trying to relax, thinking, "this is good practice for when I have to wait for a Porta Potty during a race, right?"

With just 0.30 miles left, I had to surrender to a full walk. Too much bouncing around in there when I run. I had to focus hard on staying relaxed and walking steady. When I quicken my pace, I start to freak out and lose control. Lol.

Sorry for the TMI post today, but I did make it just in time. Lol.

Has this happened to anyone else during a training run or a race? What did you do?

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Monday Motivation: Pain And That First Step

Week 2 of MCM training done. I will post more in detail. Just back from vacation and I am up to my nose in laundry!

 

The sign above gave me goosebumps and already I know I am going to be a big sobbing mess at the finish line. I am more excited about MCM now and completely putting all trust into my training plan and training buddies. One day at a time, one step at a time.

 

Bring it on!

 

Anyone else start their fall marathon training? How's it going?

 




 

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Monday Motivation: Running Isn't A Sport For Pretty Boys (And Girls)...

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No other sport gives me the time to reflect on life the way running does, thanks to the hours spent on the road solo on most Saturdays or to training buddies who somehow extract your deepest insecurities.

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend!  I can't believe it's July already and that we're halfway through 2012!  Marine Corps Marathon training officially started for me this past Saturday, so I'm going to do my best to blog more about my training here.  Now that 2 huge projects are complete, I'm going to do a couple of "catch up" posts soon.

In the mean time, have a great Monday!  I'll be right back!

Monday Motivation

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Happy Monday!  I am 3 weeks away from the official start of my Marine Corps Marathon training!  I was able to keep my mileage up since my last half marathon race (back in March), so we are going to start at Mile 10 for a long run. 


My long run yesterday was 10 miles.  My friend "T" and I stopped every mile because it was so hot and humid.  It felt great, but we were slower - 11:18 min/mile - but it felt good the whole time.  My 13.1 mile run the weekend before was 10:40 min/mile pace and I stopped every 2 miles.  I think I liked going a little longer in between water breaks to get into that running groove.  We are going to have to experiment as we move along.

This week, I have plans to put my training schedule on my calendar and hopefully be able to insert a couple of races in there too.  I am both excited and terrified.  I also need to get to the bottom of this nagging pain I feel on my right thigh....on the outside....it is not my ITB, I think  it's a pinched nerve caused by my SI Joint dysfunction issues.  Ugh.  So my head tells me to get it looked at again.  But then I know I haven't been very good at correcting it either, so I might try to correct it everyday and see if that makes any difference.  It doesn't hurt when I run.  I just "feel" it the day after, like say when I'm doing the boat pose in Yoga where you have to extend your legs out in front of you.  Am I that scared to not want to hear, "you can't run a marathon?"  Yes, I am. 

Ugh.

There is nothing more I want this year than to run Marine Corps Marathon.  Maybe it's just nerves, but trying to stay positive and let the energy flow and flush out that dull pain and that fear.  I always ask for the wisdom to know when to slow down, or stop.  I do want to keep running until I'm in my 80s. 

Are you running a marathon this fall?  When do you officially start training and which training plan are you following?

Monday Motivation

 

Reborn

"26.2. It will hurt. It will take time. It will require dedication. It will require willpower. You will need to make healthy decisions. It requires sacrifice. You will need to push your body to its max. There will be temptation. But, I promise you, when you reach your goal, it will be worth it." - From I <3 To Run

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This is worth re-posting.  October 28, 2012, I will feel reborn.  Thank you, I <3 To Run.

So What's Happenin' Girlfriend?

......my friends!  I've been missing my bloggy world and with the storm/tornado threats raging outside my window, the kids happily entertained by Legos upstairs, I get to have a little computer time and check in here.

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Marathon Training.  I am a month away from official marathon training time (end of June).  According to Marine Corps Marathon's FB page, as of last Wednesday, only 150 days separate me from the start line.  I am training with 3 girlfriends, following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan, and picking it up at Mile 9 or 10 at the end of this month.  I managed to keep my mileage up around 10-12 miles since my last half marathon race.  I am beyond excited to start, but I am hanging in there, feeling the pull of burn out which I don't want to go to.  I don't know if it's burn out or just boredom, because I have no actual race in the calendar this summer (aside from a virtual half marathon race) until September.  Races usually keep me going and all excited, but even the thought of a summer 5K race bores me.  I don't mean to sound snobby, but I need something more - something.....different.  Any suggestions?

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Art.  Yes, art!  This is what's currently consuming me right now.  I entered an art competition over at Lilly Oncology On Canvas.  I am over the moon with this project, and I have one month to do it!  Ack!  The challenge is to express my story of dealing and coping with my mom's lung cancer diagnosis and her passing 3 1/2 years ago through art and narrative.  I am looking forward to this for the searching deep down, the cleansing, the freeing, and for the letting go....Sigh. 

My idea for this piece came to me during my 9 mile run almost a month ago now.  I was running solo, without music, and I went into a zone.  I was thinking about where I am now with my mom's absence, where I am now with lung cancer.  It got me thinking.  When I started running, I ran away from grief, the loss, and the anger.  Then I started to run through those same feelings.  Now, as I run, I feel like I am leaving them behind me and moving towards....free.  I can't explain it, but I am running towards butterflies and this time, I am happy to let them go.  I am anxious to start, but with any art project, I am intimidated by that blank canvas.  I need to just attack it, the way I attack hills on a run. 

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Motherhood.  We are just 2 weeks away from summer vacation!  I am looking forward to not having a schedule.  Little Man is already out of preschool which means running for me during the week has been challenging, getting my 5 miles in when The Hubs is home from work (early evening) or at 6am on days when he's working from home.  I haven't gotten my groove on yet with my new weekday running schedule, but I'll get there. 

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Sporto is finishing up the spring flag football season.  Deep down, I am happy we have one more game to go.  His football practice schedule made our weekdays crazy and hectic.  I do not like rushing through the day. I don't know how families with multiple kids in sports do it.  It's just not for me.  But Sporto loves football and nothing makes me more happy than seeing my kids happy, so flag football it is and probably will be a part of our life for awhile.  Yes, this is why I haven't blogged regularly!  Blaming it on flag football!  lol.

from www.wpclipart.com

Today, Sporto watched the "growing up" video.  If he wasn't my child, I would've died.  Why are kids these days growing up too fast too soon?  Some friends of mine had The Talk already with their 4th graders.  I wasn't sure how far The Hubs and I should go with this talk.  The video only covered the basics of what happens to your body during puberty, so why give more information?  There are times when I can't believe Sporto is at that age already.  Ugh.


Tank continues to amaze us.  His current obsession is writing and drawing in his journal and playing with Snap Circuits.  We are relieved he has not blown up anything (yet). 

Little Man is sad about preschool ending.  He is obsessed with Bob the Builder and arranging play dates with friends without consulting with me first.  I am grateful for those play dates.  My friends and I take turns watching the kids so that we each have a turn having a kid-free afternoon.  Oh those days go by way too quickly.

So there you have it, in a nutshell, what this girlfriend's been up to lately.  I am behind in race re-caps, but I'll get there soon.

I hope you are all having a good start to this month of June.  I know I am.  

Now it's your turn.  What have you been up to lately?