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!