Word for Wednesday

Faith

It's such a small world but it holds so much in those 5 letters. It hits us all whether we are facing challenges on our lives or events we have trained months for. 5 little letters that can mean freedom from worry but for one reason or another I choose to be stressed and in control than to have faith and be free. Today I am making a choice to have faith.....

Faith......that my loved ones are safe
Faith.....that each day I will healthy
Faith.....that God has a plan that is WAY better than anything I can dream up
Faith.....that the training I'm doing will result in good runs/races
Faith.....that each step along the way will get me across that finish line
Faith.....that injuries will not kill me but make me stronger
Faith....that each and every day is a gift that I will be thankful for
Faith......that once I lay it all down peace will come

Jamestown Bridge 10K Race Report

Me, Jill, and Stu

Any race where they hand out bunny ears is ok with me!!! This race had a lot of potential had Mother Nature cooperated with us! We went to the start to pick up our numbers and get psyched up. It was cold and windy but the rain was holding off. The pick up was well organized except that there was no covered place for people to wait. Why do you need that.....well cause then the rains came!!! We found a bus stop to wait in and tried to stay dry for as long as possible. I changed into my hat but we all were shivering. Who would have thought we would need to bundle up at the end of April!!

Soon enough we were lined up and off we went. The rain and wind were coming right at us going out over the bridge but I just stayed with the group I was with and was going along at a comfortable pace. I didn't want to go out too fast because I knew what was waiting for me at mile 2! Seriously going up the bridge was like running in place!!! 40mph wind gusts and rain coming right at us!!! I forced myself to remember....holy cow I'm running over the bridge!

Seriously after getting to the top there it was all gravy until the end! Even going back over the bridge wasn't as hard since the driving wind had now turned into a tail wind! Thank you very much for that! The last incline was the off ramp to the finish line! It came out of nowhere and kind of knocked me on my butt!

One last kick to the finish and passing a handful of people felt great! Final time: 53:36!! More than a 5 minute PR....I was excited with my time. I would have liked a better one but considering the terrain and conditions....I am psyched with my finish and felt great after! Jill and Stu did great too!!! We were thankful to get back to find a shuttle and Brian before the skies really opened up! This was a great race....well organized and fun....hopefully in the future the weather will be better!!

Three Things Thursday

1. It really bugs me how long blogspot takes to upload pics!!! I had written this huge long post about the marathon and the weekend with LOADS of pics that took forever and a day and I had to delete it because the formatting was all off! UGH! 2 hours of my life I can't get back!!! I will try again tonight!

2. School vacation means no more 4:25 am wake-ups which means a happy Mommy! I have been getting up at 5:15 instead and boy does it make a difference! Only one more day but I am so thankful for it!!!

3. On my quest to join as many virtual races as I can I found a great one here at JoggerMom.com! You have the month of May to run 26.2 miles....I figured I could do that! hee hee! Head on over and check it out!!

Jelly Bean 10k

Tuesday I ran my 10k for the Virtual 10k Jelly Bean Race hosted by Run with Jess. Jess did such a great job organizing all of this and even gave us cute bibs to wear!!!

I don't look like I have any arms here so.....

I took this one to show I do have arms!

DONE!!

I ran my usual 6 mile loop by the beach. It is finally getting warmer out so it was great to run without having to worry about bundling up! Not exactly the best time for me but a pr of about 3 minutes. I wanted to see how I would do with this since there I have my Jamestown Bridge 10k coming on Saturday. I was pretty happen with my time since I had run 5 miles earlier in the day and have just not been feeling well lately. Not too shabby!

Bonus is that I got 11.2 miles done for this virtual marathon!!! Score!

Foto Friday-Boston Edition

Happy Friday all!!!!

First up....a picture of our new neighbors! We got home yesterday and found these two hanging out in our backyard!!! Em and I watched them from the back windows!

The next three pics are from when I ran Boston in 2007(the quality is iffy since they were already in the scrapbook). This was my first and only marathon for me and it was a bittersweet journey for me. I ran as a charity runner for the American Diabetes Association. I ran with two other friends and well....that is a different story for a different day. The thing that made Boston bittersweet for me was that it was an amazing race to experience......crowds, support from family along the route, feeling like I could do anything! I still get goosebumps and chocked up just thinking of it! It is so hard to explain the feeling I got turning that corner and seeing the finish line ahead....it is a feeling I will never forget. The part that makes it bittersweet, aside from losing a good friend(again another day another channel) was my time. I can't shake that what if feeling.....what if I ran it alone....what if I had trained differently.....what if.....Especially now that I am getting faster and breaking my half mary time I can't help but wonder what my time would be now. At the time I ran a half in 2:15 and today I run it in 1:52. I know that the time is not right for my family for me to train for another marathon so for now it will remain a what if! I do want to say though that it was an amazing experience! Even though I have those what ifs I remember the amazing feeling crossing that line always!

Before.....remember I said it was torrential rain!!! Plastic suit....check!

This was right before I turned the corner to the finish line....I spotted a friend (the one who got me the number) and his wife in the crowdDone......amen!!!!

Three Things Thursday Sicky Style

Ugh.....the cold/flu/yuckiness that all my students have been dragging around me the past few weeks seems to have stuck. Wah! I am not a good sick person....cue the whining! I'm going to CVS today to stock up on anything that will make this go away fast! I am dizzy, tired, and just blah! I so do not want to get sick for this weekend....I have been looking forward to it for a while now....swimming lessons with Em(completely forgot until today that that means I will have to sport a bathing suit!), date night with the hubs, Elmo Live, and Marathon Monday. Think positive thoughts....think positive thoughts!

Here are my random three things this Thursday!
1. I sometimes discpline myself....am I alone in this?? My goal this week was to not miss a workout. Well Tuesday night I missed a run because the night just got away from me. So last night I dragged my butt to the gym and complete 12 miles.....7 of a tempo run....recover....then 5 from the workout I missed. That should teach me not to miss a workout! Aside from the fact that I felt feverish at times, it was a good run! Which leads me to my next point.....

2. I can't leave my Sacounys!!!! Last weekend we went to a running store to get me some new shoes. The guy there said that my ankles are turning in and thus needed more stability. He put me in a pair of Mizuno shoes and said I could return them after 50 miles. Well within the time that I have been using them I have hurt my back, had sore knees, and heavy legs. Coincidence....I think not! I didn't want to give up on the new shoes but after running 12 in my good old Sacounys, I will be returning the new pair. Let my ankles turn in a bit....I can't leave my old friend!

3. I'm trying to assemble a cute outfit for my upcoming 10k the day before Easter. I have run a 10k since 2006 so I am hoping for a big pr but am hesitant to put a time out there since there are two major hills that are 6/10 of a mile each. Considering that I am focusing my energy on an outfit. I am hoping the weather is nice so I can sport a skirt without long tights. My friends and I are looking for a cute shirt with peeps on it.....any suggestions? I am going to try to kick butt but a girl has to look cute while doing it!! :-)

Have a great Thursday!!! One more wake-up until vacation!!! Those of you who are Boston bound....have safe travels!

What Gets You Going???

Well I know the saying is....April showers bring May flowers but this is a little silly!!! Just glad for all you running Monday that the sky is dropping it all now and not then!

Speaking of Monday I was trying to think of a good sign to make for all you bloggers that I am going to cheer on....Mel, Aron, and Small Town Runner! Well my creativity sometimes gets a little blocked.....so everyone out there.....What puts a little kick in your step? Over the years I have seen many signs that have cracked me up....got chocked up....and got me going. So what about you.....I need ideas people!!!

Ok sorry to be so short but I think I need to go work some more on my arc since Noah has the day off!!!

Weekend in Pictures....as promised!

Here are some of my favorites from this weekend's sun!
Is there any better way to eat lunch than in the sun?

Dad.....our leaf superhero!
Doing her Happy Spring Day dance!

Blessings Weekend Review

Good morning all!!! Boy has Spring sprung here in New England! I am not pretending though that it is here to stay....weather is very fickle here! I had an amazing weekend with the fam this weekend filled with lots of picture taking that I haven't uploaded yet. Swing around here tonight and I will have them up!!!

Friday Em and I went to the prom....no we didn't put on out tafetta but we went to watch my students who are Juniors in their Grand March. We were about an hour early so there was a lot of picture taking and chasing her to keep her from running into the ocean. The kids looked great and Em was in love with all the colors. She wanted a dress of her own! The funniest part is this new thing of hers. She likes to announce things to people she thinks is hanging around to listen to her. Whenever the people would come on to check the microphone, she would yell out, "Attention everybody! It is now time for the big race!" Priceless! Everything is about the big race now!

Saturday and Sunday was a flurry of time at the park, the beach looking for shells, running around the backyard, eating lunch on the back deck, and watching the hubs clean the backyard (what a trooper!). I was thinking last night what a blessing it was to be able to just be in each and every moment this weekend without other things pulling at me! This is my first Spring in 3 years that I haven't been in school.....This weekend I had no lesson plans to write (already did them during the week), no papers to write, no online classes to check on. It was such a blessing!!!

Well since this is a running blog I guess I should talk about running! My long run on Saturday was not the best. The weather was great but I am in a funk with my running lately where I feel every. single. step. I managed to get in 9 miles, not my planned 10, but my pace was off and my stomach was in knots almost the whole time! What is with that?! I am not going to let it get me down.....too far! Today I got in 3 miles but I think the new kicks are bugging me more than I am thinking. We shall see. I changed kicks after 8 years and I am still not sold. They may be making their way back to the store! My 10k is coming up soon and we got an email from the directors yesterday. I'm excited about this one....it goes over a bridge....very cool! The scary part is there is a big hill at the beginning and end (up and down the bridge) that is 6/10 of a mile! Holy moly!

Well I'm off to do some work! Come on back tonight and I will have some evidence of the fun from this weekend!!! Have a great Monday......all you Boston runners....this time next week will be your big day!!!!!!

Foto Friday

Yes they are 0-6 but its Friday and Fenway is alive again...oh and it's against the Yankees so they better win!!! For now I'm "Keeping the Faith"!!!

Lookey what the mailman brought me yesterday!!! I promptly hung it in my office. Thanks Mel!!!

I'm really looking forward to a weekend of sun and rest. I'll get my miles in but I can't wait to play outside with Em and maybe catch a movie with the hubby! One more week until vacation!!! Yahoooo!

Three Things Thursday

Ok so could I be more random today....so much swirling around this fancy mind of mine....spring cleaning project coming up, miles miles and more miles, Marathon Monday, weather, food, you name it! Here is some semblance of Three Things....have fun!

1. I have been lacking in the motivation department. Part of this is because of my back....partly because for some reason I have all day heartburn....and partly because I am just plain tired. I started this whole 4:30am wake-up before Christmas and I think it is getting the best of me lately. Last night I feel asleep on the couch at 8:15 and proceeded to roll over this morning and smack the snooze button. I feel like my motivation comes and goes in waves.

Does anyone else experience this?? I want to keep the high motivation even if I'm not training for something but I'm having a hard time with it.......any suggestions?

2."At some point your life flashes in front of your eyes. Make sure its worth watching."

I read this quote yesterday on a blog and since I'm a space cadet with names I forget. It was a guest post by a woman who is a self-proclaimed marathon widow and the quote came from her husband's blog. I really liked it and also want to share it with my high schoolers who need their own dose of motivation.

3. I couldn't be more excited for Marathon Monday to come!!! This will be the first time I have just watched the marathon. Not only is it the start of my April vacation but we are also going to see Elmo Live the day before. Em is going to flip her lid!! We are going to my husband's grandmother's house in Framingham to watch the race. It isn't too far along, from what I remember it's like mile 7 or so, and so we need to get out there early! I am so excited to see Kara but also to cheer on Bethany, Aron, and Mel!!! If you are running it too let me know....we'll give you a shout out at mile 7!

Well that is all for now......I hope this Thursday treats you well.....warm weather is on it's way here!!!

Yeow and Yuck!

So yesterday I woke up nice and (way too) early to get in a weight workout. It was raining outside so instead of heading to the gym, I opted to do an workout with Jillian Michaels on demand. It was a pretty good workout but I know that if I want to see results I really need to start pushing myself at the gym with weights. I only have 10lb weights and I think that I need to do heavier for certain things....mostly biceps (I mean I do carry around a 30+lb child so I probably could do more than 10lb weights). Well after the workout my back was tight so I iced it. Then came the dumb decision.....in the shower I decided to stretch out my back then.......POP! I was certain I wasn't going to be able to stand back up again! Thankfully I could stand and I gingerly got ready for work cursing my back!

Fast forward 30 minutes later as I am one exit away from work......ring ring....the hubs on the line telling me Em had yacked all over her bed! Quick turn around and I was flying home. What a rockstar the hubs was on this though....he had bathed Em and was getting all the bed stuff in the washing machine! Em was fine most the day....didn't yack again but only wanted to eat Veggie Sticks which really are not what they sound like....more like glorified chips but that was all. she. would. eat!

These are the days that I wish we could afford for me to stay home. I was stressed about taking another sick day when really I just wanted to be there for my little girl! I hate leaving in the morning....having someone else watch all the funny things she does all day....I know she is in great hands and she really has a blast there but I love being a Mom and I wish I could be there more! On a positive, I was glad to have the time to nurse my back. Today I did a slow 3 miles on the mill and it felt pretty good. I iced it when I got home and hope to get in another run tonight. I'm taking it easy though because I DO NOT want another back injury like I had before! After my C-section with Emma it is a weak spot and probably always be.

Happy Hump Day all!!!!!

Oh on a side note I think I should go to Vegas cause I'm on a lucky streak.....I won a $25 gift card from the cupcake marathon....new shirt for Momma!

Team Blue Race Report

So many, many, many yards of tulle later my Mom, sister, and I completed the famed tutus! It really was easy once we got it all cut out. We used a tutorial that I had found on you tube. No sewing involved!! I have pictures of just the tutus. I'll post them later with a tutorial!


There is just something fun about running in a tutu! You can't take your self seriously when people are yelling, "I love your tutu!" to you (as you pass them...hee hee!). They were a big hit and so was the race. I ran with Em and we finished in 25:24! Pretty respectful for our first race together!!! More than anything we had a blast!!! We finished and then turned back around to find my sister and nieces. They weren't far behind but my sister was running with one on her back while pulling the other along! I grabbed Maya (the back rider) and we took off for the finish! The girls finished their first race ever and I couldn't be prouder of all of them! My sister now has 2 under her belt and I am proud to say she was planning her next....hello I think we have a runner here!!!!

Funniest quote of the day that my brother-in-law overheard, "I just got lapped by some lady in a blue tutu!!!" I'll leave you with a bunch of pictures from the day! It was so fun and one that I can't wait to do next year! Also cool meet-up was when I ran into a childhood friend there! I have been following her blog of her son but it was so great to see her and her beautiful family in person!

Sister time....with Em in the background

Em was determined she was going to run across the finish line the second time around. Actually when we turned the corner (after a KILLER hill) she yelled out, "It's the finish line!"

Her cousins at least know to look at the camera!

Abs for April

Well I was hoping the forcasted snow was an April Fools joke but not so much! Thankfully it has turned over to just rain...not like my friends up north!

Well I work best with goals in mind so this month I am focusing on the abs...seems appropriate since eventually the weather will get warmer and although I am in no shape to sport my bikinis of my before child life, I would like a harder stomach! I have no set program to do but I figure there are enough things on demand that I can find something. Any suggestions? So here are my goals for April:

Fitness: Run 140 miles
Do abs for at least 20 minutes 4 times a week
Get started toning up!! Getting back the buff!

Crafty: Get at least 5 pages done on Emma's scrapbook
Get up to date on our Christmas album
Make a canvas for our spare bedroom

Family: Plan a date night......start to finish
Laugh......a lot!
Write in Emma's journal at least every week

These all seem doable to me so I am looking forward to seeing how I do by the end of the month. I took a before pic with the abs but I know some of you eat while reading so I will spare you!

On a "Team Blue" update......Melissa C has inspired me to make the tutu for Em. Well it has turned into making tutus for Emma, her cousins, and I. It should be interesting! I am armed with enough tulle to make any 80s prom goer jealous! Em and I found royal blue color yesterday.....the ladies at the fabric store thought it was odd that I was going to wear one too! Mommies can sport tutus too! Why should the 2 year-old have all the fun! I also found some blue sparkle ribbon........which may turn into a clip or two I'm just saying! So this afternoon we are headed to RI and when the kiddies go to bed my Mom, sister and I are going to get our Martha Stewart on! There will definitely be pictures!!!