Strange times

First of all I hope you have had a fabulous Christmas. I know that we have. I have felt very blessed this Christmas and I am thankful for my precious family and my sweet friends.

I am a good bit behind in my blogging and hope to catch up in the next few days.

I think every generation hears the saying," These are strange times we live in!". Maybe they hear the older generation say it or perhaps they themselves my find it true. Last Wednesday it was my turn to utter this phrase.

My husband has been lucky enough this year to be able to take a week of vacation during Christmas. It has been so great to have him home and we are all enjoying this relaxed time. However I do still need to be running and last Wednesday it was time to get a 3 miler in.

So...at noon on a Wednesday my husband and I went for a run.

These are indeed strange times!

Sent from my iPad

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Subtitle: My Journey to the Darkside

I have long accused my husband and other avid runners and triathletes in my life of being part of a cult. They fit many of the criteria. One of them being- saying and doing things that don't make sense to anyone else.

I think I'm in trouble.

First of all on Monday Jill asked me what was on the schedule for Tuesday. My response: "Oh, Just an easy 3." I seriously said an easy 3 miles. Jill just laughed and said, "Did you just hear yourself?" Oh Dear-I did.

Secondly, It was 23 degrees Tuesday morning. You read that right-23 degrees. Monday night I texted Jill and asked her if she was serious. Unfortunately she assured me she was. However, Later that night she texted back.

"Chris think I'm crazy- let's go to the Courthouse" (the gym in our neighborhood)

My loving and supportive husband then said to me:

"Run! Complete your journey to the darkside!"

I text Jill back:

"I'm ok with whatever. I can borrow Shane's Under Armor and I have cute pink gloves."

Jill: "Outside it is"

Me: "I'm so stupid"

So that's what we did. We ran 3 miles in 23 degree weather. It was cold. Really cold. But not terrible. Jill did assure me that she has limits. She said she doesn't run below 20 degrees.

Well, it's good to know there are limits to the insanity.

After looking at the forecast for the rest of the week I sent Jill this text this morning:

"Just to let you know ahead of time, I don't think I run in the snow. I'm still praying about it."

Her response:

I eat snow for breakfast!

Take My Breath Away!

If you are a child of the eighties, like myself, one movie sound track come to mind when you see that song title. Anyone?

Yep! Top Gun! I was in the eighth grade and absolutely just aged myself but- wow what a movie and what a song! That was before Tom Cruise went all weird and you can be sure a picture of him in his flight jacket that I tore out of BOP magazine was on my bedroom wall.

Wait...what am I supposed to be writing about? Oh yea...Running, breathing... now I'm back on track!

I will admit to kind of blowing it this first official training week. I have had 2 good runs, but I haven't really followed the in between "stuff". I strung lights in my bushes yesterday and decided to count that as cross training. I gotta get with it! We did run this morning and I hate, HATE to admit that I was looking forward to the early morning run. It's 7:30, the run is done, I'm wide awake and the day is in front of me. It was a really good run too. I felt good, we only walked a couple of times and then it was only up what appears to be mountains that have sprung up in Madison, Ms. I declare this is a hilly neighborhood! My legs felt good. The company was good and overall is was a great start to the day. So here is my issue now:

I can't breathe! I get to where I can't catch my breath. I want a deep good breath and I can't get it. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the 6 Diet Cokes I drink everyday. Somebody please tell me that's not it! If comes down to running or Diet Cokes- well is there really a choice?

A few Christmas's ago I bought my Ironman brother a book he asked for for Christmas. It was an entire book about how to breathe while swimming. That was the craziest thing I had ever heard of. Well, now I'm wondering if there is one for running. I may at least google it.

Maybe Tom Cruise wrote a book about it?!

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!