It Is Well

 

Mile 4 is always the best. It never seems to disappoint and tonight was no exception.

 

My guys seem to be on the mend.

 

It is well.

 

Lupus Foundation of America 

Ick

Norovirus infection

 

It's shown up at work.

It's at home.

So far, at home, only the boys have surrendered to it.

But there is always the wee hours of the night for it to spread.

 

I'm tired.

Last night was a long night.

 

 

Hanging with my niece last June.

My Kids Run a Marathon

The day before my marathon is a kids race called the Final Mile. The kids run/walk 25.2 miles before that day (one mile at a time, usually one mile a day.) Then they run the Final Mile of their marathon on the last mile of the marathon course, finishing at the marathon finish.

 

My kids have started recording their mileage. Their marathon has begun! They have two miles completed. As typical of our weather here, we've had extremes today. We started with sleet this morning. This afternoon it's blue skies. We stopped at the park during our mile this afternoon for a "break." The break involved a game of tag and up and down the slides.

 

 

May 2012, after the Ogden Newspaper mile race. My son ran just over a 9 minuet mile on the downhill course!  

Donation to Lupus Foundation

My Long Run

My long run this weekend was scheduled for 15 miles. I think I fell a little short of that. About halfway my Garmin's battery died. A logical person may have turned around and simply back-tracked to follow the correct mileage for the second half. However, I was avoiding a repeat passing of a dog with a squarish head and strong looking back legs leading a very small woman. OK, the dog was probably like this one. Seeing that it was lunging at me, I didn't care what breed it was. I avoided it.

I also did some weird zig-zaging back and forth early in my run while I waited for two trains to pass. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to remember what I had done there exactly. I think I get extra points for train wind resistance.

I switched to timed running and sort of went by how long I had expected it to take. I know I was slowing down though. It HURT! I kept thinking about the kid in the clip I posted yesterday. I kept thinking of him saying "It HURT!! Not cool Robert Frost!" 

Like the kid in the video I am on the path to awesome! My headband says, "This isn't sweat; it's liquid awesome!" My awesome friend, Angelia, got it for me. My ears were warm on my run. My daughter took this pic when I started out. I'm throwing up the Lupus awareness hand sign.

Overall, I'm satisfied with my run. At one point I texted with a friend, Jill. We were trying to figure out a distance I was skipping (the dog route.) She suggested that I check what I did on MapMyRun.com. I may do that. When I got home people here expected me to behave like the MOM and feed them. (The DAD is sick.) I haven't spent the time checking that website yet. My legs feel like "long run fatigued" so I might just go with that.

In other weekend news... (because MY mom reads this and she is interested...)

Friday night we braved the 1/2 inch snow storm by driving to the west end to see "The Magic Flute" at the children's theater. There were about 30 people in the audience at a 200+ seating venue. It felt like a private show. It was a very good performance. The kids are still singing some of the songs.

Saturday we did our weekly chores and errands. The kids and I did a 1 mile walk/run and I did cross training at the gym. I met a friend at the local coffee/tea place for tea, chocolate cake, and conversation.

Saturday morning

 

Today has been church, long run, and hanging out. Hubby isn't feeling well and he's slept as much as he can. The kids have a day off of school tomorrow, so we will be hanging out here again. 

 

 

 

Lupus Foundation of America

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Pep Talk

I lost my running mojo...

about two weeks ago.

 

I might have just found it again, by way of a link on Facebook....

 

I've got air coming through my nose..

got a heart beat...

I'll be on your team...

and you can be on my team...

 

7 weeks left...

 

I just looked at my page at the Lupus Foundation...

I have a big generous team.

I cried when I saw it.

Thank you.

 

Lupus Foundation 

Wordless Wednesday

New Kicks!



MLK, Jr.

Grateful...

I wish I was all about positive energy ALL.THE.TIME.

I lacked that this week. I've been lacking that for awhile. This week was much more like.....

That is kind of funny. Except when it's true, it's not funny.

So I've asked hubby for help. He's kicked it in and has cleaned the house like a maniac this weekend. At first I was all thrilled with this show of undying love for me. Then I remembered that an appraiser is coming on Monday for our mortgage refinancing and it may in fact be for appraiser, Kerry. Not to worry... I've been reading the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, who advises not to feed the anger and despair.  So now I'm thanking the universe for the alignment of the house appraisal with my imminent mental breakdown. The house is nearly clean and I haven't threatened to move out since Friday. (It wasn't a REAL threat... more of a mention that it was on the table as a possibility.)

I showed this to hubby a few weeks ago because it makes me laugh. He did actually say today... "hey girl, you go do your long run... I'll clean the playroom while you're gone."

I'm grateful that hubby is helping with the disaster that was our house. He's also backing me on the newly installed chore chart and accountability for the kids.

I'm grateful for the friends who have listened to me and prayed for me this week.

I'm grateful for my friends who openly and honestly share their struggles with life and marathon training.

I'm grateful for Amy, my friend who ran 7+ of my 10 miles with me today. We trained for our first half together. I miss her.

I'm grateful that 10 miles is a short recovery run. This fact was truly enlightening to me. All week I've been thinking "it's a recovery week." When I looked at the schedule and saw 10 miles, it hit me. This is MARATHON training. I'm passing HALF training.

I'm grateful for each and every person in my life.

I'm grateful for my new Body Glide! No chafe!

While writing this blog post I opened another window to quote my friend, Jill, who wrote in an email to me the other day, "The training will wear you down. Try not to let it get to you. Just keep plugging along." She is training for her 6th marathon. I am grateful for her too.

I found a new email from my longest friend, Melissa. She shared that she drinks her morning cappuccino from a mug I gave her a lifetime ago. It has a quote that says, “Don’t listen to those who would give you reasons why you can’t succeed... You’re a child of God, and with credentials like that you can do anything!” (Linda Lee Elrod) She added, "Maybe that quote will help on days when things hurt and ache or you just don’t feel like moving."  I'm grateful our friendship has outlasted time, distance, and age.

I'm grateful for the donations to the Lupus Foundation. Thank you. That inspires me too.


Lupus Foundation of America

The Mystery of Amergin

I am the wind which breathes upon the sea,
I am the wave of the ocean,
I am the murmur of the billows,
I am the ox of the seven combats,
I am the vulture upon the rocks,
I am a beam of the sun,
I am the fairest of plants,
I am a wild boar in valour,
I am a salmon in the water,
I am a lake in the plain,
I am a word of science,
I am the point of the lance in battle,
I am the God who creates in the head the fire.
Who is it who throws light into the meeting on the mountain?
Who announces the ages of the moon?
Who teaches the place where couches the sun?
(If not I?)

(A Celtic Poem)


The above poem has nothing really to do with running. Parts were written on the ceiling of an Irish pub in the city where my work held it's Christmas party tonight. (Our Christmas party was rescheduled due to one owner throwing out her back and the second owner having the flu in December.)

I am the wave of the ocean.

Supported

I sat on the interstate this morning in traffic. Sat there not moving. Then I followed the GPS directions out of my way to avoid what ever was holding things up.

I arrived to work late.

The homeowner thought her 2 day job would take one day. The pressure was on.

It was raining. I am an interior painter. Paint doesn't dry well in 100% humidity.

I was parked in by the homeowner... left work late, got turned around in her 'hood, REALLY headed home late. On the way I realized I would not make it home before the school bus. My kids don't have a key and would FREAK out if I wasn't there.  With a sick feeling in my tummy I called the school and had the kids pulled off the bus and held in the office.

It was raining harder.

Retrieved kids and headed home.

When I got home and checked my email I had a message from my "practical" friend. (She describes herself this way.) She was offering to buy Body Glide for me as a way to support me with my race.

MADE MY DAY!!!!!

Her email was simply perfect!!!!

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson



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The Good and the Bad

First the good. I did my long run today and I achieved a distance PR. (PR stands for Personal Record.) I completed 14 miles. The farthest I've ever gone is a little longer than 13.2 miles. (My first half marathon was a little long.) I've needed a PR for a few weeks for a mental boost. I came home and told hubby that he is married to a rock star. A.very.slow.rock.star. 

The bad. I wasn't using my Body Glide so I gave it to my niece. I need to get another one. Major chafing issues. "Children, pay no attention to the screams of agony heard from your mother behind the shower curtain." Painful stuff.

Click here to donate to the Lupus Foundation of America in honor of my race!

 

"Running is real and relatively simple - but it ain't easy."

- Mark Will-Weber

Plans

John Lennon wrote the lyrics, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I'm not sure what it is when you forget to make the plans. Tonight some plans were made, money put down, and beds secured for race weekend. I've made a hotel reservation. It's reassuring knowing that is done.


Lupus Foundation of America

The Same But Different

 

Two years ago when I started running I bought new shoes at the chain sporting goods store. Then I joined a 10k training team and was encouraged to get fitted for running shoes at a speciality running store. I did and came home with Saucony Guide 3. I loved them from the first mile and now can't believe I planned to run in those other shoes. I found a second pair on clearance on Amazon and bought them. I've been alternating those two pairs ever since. (I've been running sporadically, so it's not as many miles on them as there should be in two years.)

 

Now I've REALLY been needing new shoes and Santa (Mom/Dad and my in-laws) gave me money for Christmas. I debated on going it alone to find a pair myself, hunt down another pair of the same 'ole model (found one on Amazon) or head back to the speciality store.  Since I was first fitted when a was just beginning running I thought how I run now might be different. They are also expensive to be going it alone and making a mistake.  Finally, the reviews I've read online suggest that there have been big changes from the Guide3 model to the current Guide6 model. So I headed back to the speciality store. I anticipated coming home with a different brand (probably Brooks.)

I bought the Saucony Guide 6. It's very different than the other two pairs I have. I did a 3 mile run this evening. Well, running would be exaggerating. I finished 3 miles.... with tremendous right foot pain. That might be an issue with my foot more than the shoe, but even so, I'm disappointed. It was not love at the first mile.  I'll keep trying to break them in but at this point I don't see 26.2 miles ever happening in them.

I did try on a pair of Brooks which felt like I had a lump under the ball of my foot. Also tried a pair of Asics which were awful. My toes were banging into the top of my shoe. (I do wear Asics to work though.) I think loosing a toenail in this process would be interesting, but I don't plan to buy shoes I know will damage my toes!  

Bummer!

Lupus donations here!

Eleven Hours

NyQuil is good stuff. I slept for over 11 hours last night and only remember getting up once. Hubby says I was coughing while still asleep, but it didn't seem to bother me. Only him. :-) I think I made up for some of the lack of sleep for the past week. I may have even banked some in the reserves.

I've been reading, "Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean Karnaze. A marathon is 26.2 miles. An Ultra Marathon is any race of a distance beyond that. So an Ultra could be 50 miles, 75 miles, 100+ miles. He describes the experience of his first Ultra, a 100 mile trail race through the mountains Sierra Nevada range in California. The goal is to finish in under 24 hours. I won't spoil how that ended... you read the book.

Karnazes described the last part of the race and being focused on nothing but the task of finishing. Finishing involved crawling on his hands and knees down the road for part of the last mile. But he stayed focused on finishing.

When I run I often try to think of other things to distract myself so I forget I'm running. Sometimes it works. Other times those thoughts make me emotional and I cry and then the whole run falls apart. (I could cry about ANYTHING! I once cried about an OnStar commercial where a woman locked her baby inside her car. Good Grief. In my defense I was an emotional pregnant wreck at the time.) 

Today, during my long run, I stayed very focused on the task of getting it done and staying consistent in my effort. I broke the run down into very small parts, generally 6 minuets of running at a time. I focused mostly on that amount of time using imagery of seeing myself getting it done.

It worked. I had a better pace today than I have for a long time. I finished the run strong, but also not  a lot left in the tank. So I gave it my best and I feel good about it. I had a solid 12 mile training run today.

“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
― Dean Karnazes

 

 

Lupus Foundation of America

Cough, cough

Cough, cough...
Hack...

I'm ready for a good nights sleep. I'm still coughing away. I'd been taking Musinex at night to get relief. It didn't keep the coughing at bay through the night and yet left me feeling dehydrated with a hung-over like headache in the morning.

I just made a run to the store for good old NyQuil cough suppressant. Hoping that will knock me out for a good night's sleep.

If I hadn't run to the store I never would have noticed the sky is clear and the stars are shining!
Night! Hoping for sweet dreams!

To Do List...

Hubby and I are both off work today. I think his "To Do List" is shown above. It's not 8:30 am and he's gone back to bed. In his defense, I probably kept him awake much of the night with my coughing.

My "To Do List" includes running 7 miles while attempting not to cough up a lung. Not sure yet if running at all is an intelligent choice or not. I'm achy, but I feel certain it's strained muscles from coughing and not flu achy or anything major like that. I'm mostly coughing at night so I'm trying to optimistic about the plan.

Beyond that, I plan to complete two major projects. A week ago I thought painting my daughter's furniture was a great idea. It's half completed. Then there is the never ending organization of the kids bedrooms....


Did you know?
Lupus affects people of African, Asian, or Native American descent three times as often as it affects whites.
source



Donate: Lupus Foundation of America

Worldless Wednesday

Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Happy New Year!

I've been thinking over the past few days about the new year and resolutions. I certainly have goals I'm working towards. There are the running goals I have and races I've signed up for. A half marathon in February, marathon in March, and a 10k in April to begin with. I need to resolve to drink more water on a daily basis, get more sleep, and think about my tone of voice before I speak to my family members. But none of those things are new to go along with the theme of the calendar turning over to the new year. I've never been good at keeping New Years resolutions anyway.

I seem to do more of an annual review on my birthday than at New Years. Seems more personal that way or something.

The change of the calendar year signifies the passing of time. There is certainly something to moving forward and making life meaningful. Happy New Year to all who know me or are getting to know me through this blog.

Lupus Foundation of America