A training run and a show off!

Well yesterday was the start of Official Disney Training. Our training schedule said I was supposed to stretch and strengthen yesterday. I did have to stretch my arm pretty far out the car window to reach my McDonald's biscuit at the drive through. As far as strength training goes - my bags were pretty heavy at Kroger. That all counts right?!

Ok .... so yesterday was a bust, but today was good. The schedule says 3 and we did 3 solid miles. When we got back to the house it was 2.77 so we had to kind of run in a circle till we reached three but we did it. Jill then decided to be a show off and ran from my house to the gym and went to step class. I got this text a little later:

The next time I decide to be a hero and go to step class after a run....Slap me!!

I couldn't resist this text in return:

Ok..Will do! We good for 5 miles in the morning at 5:00.

Her return text:

I hope you enjoyed that!

I did in fact enjoy having her turn me down for a run instead of the other way around. Truth is, no way I was doing 5 miles in the morning, so it was a little mean.

The schedule has 2 miles for tomorrow and that will be a trick since the 3 today were done late afternoon and I'll have to do the 2 first thing in the morning. Slow and easy and get it in.

I know we have been running for 7 weeks already but the start of "official training" has me excited!" We are really gonna do this and it is really going to be fun.

86 Days and Counting!

Official Disney Training!

Today is the point of no return! Today is thirteen weeks until race day! 88 days! Our training Plan is 13 weeks so today is the day!

It's a little overwhelming to think that we are already to official training! Some days I think I can take on the world and some days I can't help but think I have lost my mind! I'm excited though and ready to really push myself and if I think I can't I can't push myself any further I know Jill will be there to give me a loving shove!

We had a great run Saturday morning. It was me and Jill and Regina and it was so fun to be together and run. We did four miles and did faster than the last time we did four miles. We are going to shoot for 5 miles Saturday and I have no comment on that right now because I am working on only saying nice things.

So here we go. I can't believe I am officially training for something I swore I would never do. But I'm ready for the adventure! Today I celebrated "Official Disney Training Day" with a McDonald biscuit.

This could be quite challenge!

Today I'm thankful

I'm up before everyone else this morning so I can get the dressing made. It's been kind of a bad week at our house. One of those weeks when nothing has gone right and little things seem to be hard to do and water pours out of the cabinet below onto your feet while you're washing dishes. One of those. But this morning I woke up with a smile on my face and here's why.

I'm about to make dressing from a really good recipe given to me by a really good friend. I'm so thankful for her. She makes a difference in my life and I'm so glad she is my friend.

I woke up this morning in my warm, comfortable, relatively clean spacious home next to a man whose love I have not questioned for 16 1/2 years. Who values our marriage and tells me every day he loves me and he thinks I'm beautiful.

I am going to see my family in a little while. My family and his family and my sister-in-law's family will all be together. I am thankful that all these people love each other.

I am thankful that everyone who was with us last year is still with us this year. That hasn't always been the case and it's not the case for a lot of my friends. I am beyond thankful for that this year.

I am thankful for my Daddy, who is not with us. I am thankful that everyday I can see the influence of him in my life.

My children are still asleep and I love it when I am up before them making breakfast, setting their day in motion. My whole life what I wanted to be when I grew up was a mother. I am so thankful I get to be their mother. I'm thankful they are healthy and happy (most of the time).

No running today, only eating. But I am thankful for the fact that if wanted to run today, I could. And I'm thankful that I'm not worried about what we will eat. That I've never once really been hungry. I am thankful for the chance to help others.

I am thankful that I not only woke up in my warm comfortable house, I woke up in the United States of America. I am thankful for the people who sacrifice their lives so I can wake up in my warm comfortable bed. I am thankful for freedom.

Most of all I am thankful that I know my Savior lives! I am thankful that I know my Savior! I am thankful that He knows me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Andy Update

You might remember my post here about my little brother, Andy. The two time ironman. I wrote that he was training for a marathon. Well, his marathon was this past Sunday and he did great! He ran 26.2 miles in 3:14:56. That was 43 minutes faster than his personal best! Holy Cow! If he were 9 months older it would have qualified him for the Boston Marathon.

I texted him back that I was so proud of him. He texted back "Thanks. I can't walk now though."

I hope he's feeling better now but to be honest that makes me feel a little better.

You know at 5K races (that I've seen before) you see those people who run the course before to warm up and then run it again after the race to cool off- that annoys me. I thought Andy might be one of those, but on a marathon level. You know - "Let me run another 26 miles to cool off. "

I'm so proud of him and can't even imagine being able to that.

The website for the Disney Princes Half Marathon states that you half to keep a 16 minute/mile pace. If that is what I do it in, it will take me 30 minutes longer to finish a half marathon than it did for Andy to finish a whole marathon.

Brothers!

Be the Mom!

This is a little phrase I say to myself some mornings when the alarm goes off and I don't really want to get out of bed. I say "Be the Mom!" to myself and out I come, semi-ready to take on the morning. I changed the phrase up a little this morning:

It was a late night with interrupted sleep. A 12 year old who doesn't want to wear his retainer kept appearing at my door. I was sleepy and 5:00 came early. So when the alarm went off I muttered to myself: "Be the runner! Be the runner!"

Here are few observations from the morning run and the week in general:

1. Walking into my house after an early morning run and finding my daughter (9 yrs. old) in the kitchen dressed, toast in the toaster with a diet coke in her hand waiting for me makes getting up that early worth it. That was a remember this moment!

2. Trudging through mud is this weeks theme. One of those weeks that went on forever and I never could get the fire lit under me. My runs followed suit and were a little discouraging this week.

3. Jill Webb is a good friend. I am sure she could get up at 5:00 and run 6 miles without thinking about it and yet she trudges along beside me listening to me whine and encouraging me to go on.

4. At miles 2.5 today I could no longer feel my feet. At all. Dead sound asleep. Not even the tingly kind of asleep. The dead weight kind of asleep. It was strange!

5.I went to the gym in my neighborhood to get a diet coke after I left Jill's this morning. I was thinking what a warm day it was going to be since it was so warm already at 6:15. Then I passed my neighbor out walking the dog in her large, down, ski jacket. I'm glad I didn't advise my kids on how to dress this morning!

6. Cypress Lake subdivision should be renamed The Mountains of Madison. Just sayin'!

7. In fitting form with the way this week has gone I walked into my house and looked down and realized....

I ran 3.94 miles with my shirt inside out!

Fuel for Running or....Eating at Disney!

With all our running and training (and complaining) there is one fact that can not be overlooked. We are not only running a half marathon (gulp) we are running a half marathon in Disney World!

Another fact that cannot be forgotten is that 6 friends are going to be in Disney World together with no kids!!!!! I'm sorry I really should have put a frowny face after that put I just couldn't help myself.

Jill is a Disney connoisseur and has been busy planning our itinerary and meals. We decided we might want to eat at some grownup places since we don't have the kiddos with us, so we are eating with Prince Charming. It is the Princess Half Marathon after all! Here is what our meals look like:

Friday night: Epcot, Mexico Pavilion-new restaurant- La Hacienda

Saturday night: Hollywood Studios- Mama Melrose- Pasta before the race is good right?

Sunday-Post Race: 1900 Fair at the Grand Floridian with Cinderella and Prince Charming.

*As long as they have wheel chair seating at this one I should be fine!

Reservations are made.....

Now to figure out how to run 13 miles!

Thank you God for Rain!

When the alarm went off at 5:00 this morning two thoughts went through my head.

1) You've got to be kidding me!

2)Why doesn't it ever rain at 5:00 in the morning?

It was a busy weekend. I was tired and maybe a little lazy. I got up though and headed towards the bathroom. And then I heard it. The pitter patter of drops on the roof. Could it be?!?!?

I grabbed my phone and headed to the den to look out of the window. I barely got out the bedroom door when my phone pinged with a message:

"No Go...Back to bed."

Praise the Lord!!! and I'm not even kidding. I missed getting to talk to Jill this morning. That starts my days of good. But I think she might have been thankful for the rain this morning too!

I've come along way in the 6 weeks I've been running. Both physically and psychologically but let me state for the record.....

I'm not running in the rain....EVER!

Milestone

Six weeks ago if you had told me I would be up at 5:00 this morning so I could run 4 miles I would have not only laughed at you, I would have scoffed at you! Never in a hundred years was that something I saw in my future. But I've eaten so many words in the last 6 weeks-what's a few more?

Four miles! I actually ran four miles. That really is unbelievable to me. I know eventually that will have to be 13 miles, but I can't really focus on that. I'm just focusing on this day's miles. I'm learning valuable things about running too. Tuesday's run was really awful, and I know it was because I also ran on Monday. Today it had been 2 days since I had run and it was a great run. I felt good, nothing hurt (too bad anyway). And Jill even noticed that I seem to be improving - my best run yet with her. Which means my best run yet period!

Of course I feel the need to reward myself when I hit a new milestone and I felt like today was a pretty big one. I mulled over what to do. New earrings? A manicure? Many possibilities, but honestly four miles did a number on my legs and I was just flat worn out so I stopped and got a cold diet coke, some candy and came home and sat on the porch and read my book for half an hour before everyone got home. It was blissful!

I'm learning my lesson and will not be running tomorrow. I might go to a weight class at the gym or ....

I'll probably sleep in!

Crosstraining or.... I don't feel like running today

I have discovered that running two days in a row may not be the best thing for me. The second day is always bad. My problem is I feel lazy not getting out there but I pay for it the third day when I find it difficult to even walk. So I really didn't want to run today, but tomorrow is out completely because of my schedule so I needed to do something.

So here is what I did:

* I biked to the middle school and back-twice. Maybe a mile total

*I biked to the gym in my neighborhood and back home-1/2 mile

*I spent 25 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym. Mind you this was not fast pedaling. If I pedal too fast it shakes my book and I can't read.

*I went up and down the stairs at church 100 times. Mostly carrying stuff. It was hard. I'm counting it.

So basically it was a squeeze in some exercise where you can day and I think thats ok every now and then. It's a good thing I did thing I did cause:

I've had two Krispy Kreme Donuts today-TWO

Thank you Mr. UPS man

I mapped out a new course last night and for the record hills looks much smaller and less numerous in the dark. I ran it this morning and it took me into a section of neighborhood I had not run yet. I had just turned onto the new street when I heard it: The jangling of tags, the pounding of paws and then it came. Lots of loud barking getting closer. Even over the loud WICKED soundtrack playing in my ears I knew this was not good. Sure enough to my left, coming fast were two large, angry dogs.

I yelled out loud, something very intelligent and strong like "Oh, Oh, AAHHH!" and kind of froze. And then my hero, the man in the big brown van, pulled up between me and the dogs. These dogs must have a serious case of ADD because thats all it took. They never noticed me again and they were on the opposite side of the street from me the rest of the way through that section of neighborhood. They were kind enough to leave a gift for me though and I obligingly stepped right in it.

On another note. I did go farther than I have so far. 3.5 miles. It wasn't good though. I almost turned around, but I didn't. I got it in. Really more walking than running today. I had lots on my mind today. Many friends to pray for today so I'm calling this a 3.5 mile prayer walk with some intermittent jogging. That works right?

It was worthwhile though because one prayer was already answer today and despite being chased by dogs and trudging through I am thankful to be able to do what I can.

God is good-all the time!

Little Brother

This is my little brother, Andy.

I know he looks all tough now but I could totally beat him in a kick fight when he was 9.

This picture was taken about 6 years ago during his first Ironman. You heard that correct-his FIRST Ironman. That means he has done more than one. I haven't yet figure out why he is smiling in this picture. He is either just starting or just finishing a marathon. Yes, that's right. A full marathon - 26.2 miles. After swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. It's a little obnoxious.

He has been very supportive of my "little" endeavor. The other day when I wrote about my leg hurting I got an email almost as soon as I posted that simply said. "What's wrong with your leg?" He gave me lots of really good advice on how to care for my hurting leg and I really thought that was so sweet. Then he threw in this little zinger, "If it makes you feel better I had to walk a good bit on my 19 mile run the other day." Nice.

One time he was home visiting and he called me from my mother's house and asked if this was a good time for him to run over and say hello. So he literally ran over to say hello. As in he used his legs-not a car- and ran over to my house. Brothers.

He's running a marathon in a couple of weeks. I'm really amazed by him. I feel the need to share with everyone all my trials and tribulations of running a few miles and he quietly runs marathons and Ironmans.

He also brought me a little gift when I saw him this weekend:

At first I was offended because I thought he was calling me fat, but I've been assured that all serious runners use this so I think that was very sweet.

I'll never be as "fit" as he is or as serious about this as he is. It's just not in me. But I am very proud of my little brother. (And he's not really obnoxious-I actually might be the obnoxious one.)

But I'm pretty sure I can still take him in a kick fight!

Just Do it Already!

Today was a cooking day at my house. I cooked all day long! I have a couple of parties at my house next week and a family event this weekend so I was cooking up some goodies. Like these:

If you're ever mad at me I will bring you these. You won't be mad at me anymore.

They are yummy!

Anyway, I had a plan of when to run today, but I got a little off the plan and kept pushing my time to run back. And honestly as the day wore on I really wasn't feeling all that great. So about 1:30 I threw in the towel. Not running today. It's just an off week I guess.

Well, when I got out to run carpool I realized what a beautiful afternoon it was. I started to wish I had gone ahead and run. I decided I might could fit it in before we left town for the weekend. So off I went.

It was in fact a beautiful day. Windy but so nice. I did 2.5 miles but did walk a good bit today. I'm beginning to learn something though. I think because any distance was an improvement for the first few weeks I expect myself to set new records every time I go out. I'm beginning to understand the difference between a training run-adding distance and time and a just do it already run-one to get in some miles and get my body moving. That was today's run- just do it already. And I'm glad I did- I always am. Now-if you will excuse me:

The sweet rolls are calling my name!

Happy Runiversary!

Today is my one one month runiversary! Happy runiversary to me! I can't wait to see what I get! I think it should be fabulous!

One month ago today I hobbled 1 mile around the circle in my neighborhood! Today it's 7:30 and I've already gone 3 miles! That's pretty good. I didn't run it all but I'm getting there!

Today Jill, who showed up this morning, reminded me that "official" training begins November 29. Official training-what the heck have I been doing for the last month! Actually the training program we are going to use is 13 weeks. That starts November 29. It assumes you can run 3 miles so we are using this "grace period" to build up to three miles. Almost there.

Then Jill said these words: "Next week we go to 4." Four? Four what?Four Miles? Crud!

Then she said these words: "You didn't complain near as much today!"

Perhaps I should work on that.

Tinkerbell Sleeps In!

There is a flashback scene in an old (very old) episode of FRIENDS in which Rachel has been stood up for a school dance. She is standing at the bottom of a flight of stairs crying, "He's not coming!"

That was me this morning at 5:30. Standing at the bottom of my driveway crying. "She's not coming!"

Ok, so it wasn't quite that dramatic but the fact remains- Tinkerbell stood me up!

However this wasn't such a bad thing as it brought me to a point of personal decision. You see on Monday morning I set my alarm for 5:00 intending to get up and run early by myself. Well, it doesn't take much to figure out what happened. Well, actually not much happened at all. Turned it off and slept for another hour and a half. The thought of running by myself in the dark was not appealing.

So....there I found myself this morning. In the dark, sleepy and at the point of decision. To sleep or to run was the question and I chose to run. Let me repeat.....I CHOSE TO RUN!

This was a big step for me. As Jill put it.. "It shows a lot of growth." I'm kind of proud of that. I ran 2 miles. Mostly. Walked a little. It had been 3 days since I had done anything and I was nervous I was going to take a big step back. But I did ok.

I would still much rather run with Tinkerbell, but I didn't hate the run this morning. So... thanks Jill for giving me a little boost this morning without even knowing it. And just remember....

I get one free pass now!