.....On my way to where the air is sweet!!!...

...Can you tell me how to get....how to get to.....Sesame Street?!

That's right folks!  The Fancy Nancy Clan is headed out tomorrow to go visit these guys....

We are headed to PA for a few days then visiting with friends in NJ on our way back!  It'll be the longest Em has been in a car so the hubby and I are a little nervous.  It will all be worth it because she is so excited....like coming out of her skin excited!!  That being said I'll be MIA for a bit.  

I'll leave you with my newest packing victory.  Some may use words like anal retentive, type A, OCD, but I like to use words like beautiful, perfection, just right!!  Every day and person has a bag!  LOVE IT!

Have a great week and good luck to all of you on the Hood to Coast Dream Team!!!  Seriously remember when the Olympic Basketball team was the "Dream Team"?  You ladies are the blogging Dream Team of running!!  Go get em ladies!!!

One Year

1 year......52 weeks....365 days....1000+++ miles....1 birthday.....1 anniversary...12 races.....

However you choose to measure it a year is a significant amount of time.  I have had years that have flown by without me knowing, years I wished would speed up so it could be done, years that tore me down, and years that built me and strengthened me.  It was 1 year ago today that I answered with a timid, "Yes" to the Lord's question of, "Do you trust me?". 

One year ago today I accepted a job that I never intended on taking.  I drove 2 hours to the interview knowing full well that this wasn't a job I was going to take....until I walked into the interview and felt like I was talking with people who I had known for years.  Their needs only highlighted the expertise that I possessed.....I had the dirt to fill their holes.  I walked out thanking them for their consideration and was literally chased out by one of them with a job offer in hand!  Their side of the story is that they didn't want me to accept a job anywhere else.  Two days later I returned thinking there was no way they could pay me what I was currently making let alone more, which is what I wanted....until they offered me more.  Never before in my life had I been more clear about the direction the Lord wanted me to take....here I was full of doubt not wanting to leave a school system I had been in for 10 years where I had built a reputation and a love for my students.....doubt of leaving all my friends and all that was familiar.  But when God says GO you better listen.  And we did....we found a house in one day, right around the corner from my aunt and 2 miles from my inlaws and within 1 1/2 weeks I was living and working on Cape Cod.

It has been 1 year since I listened to God and allowed His plan to reign.  It felt like my whole world was turned upside down and inside out but I can't imagine my life had I not listened.  Our family is forever changed and I haven't looked back since!  Sure there are days when the hubby and I would love to be able to grab takeout from our favorite place or when I would love to walk down the hall of my old school and have coffee with my friends, but there are also those days when I'm walking down the street with Em and her huge smile tells me enough.  This was the right move....as scary as it was...this is our home.

I guess in light of all this, joining a small local running group doesn't seem so scary after all which is why I am signing up!  1 year.....a lot can happen in a year!!

Fitness Friday-Fears and Doubts

Hi all!  Welcome Fitness Friday Blog Hoppers!  Today's topic of choice.....fear.

The other day I saw this quote on Money Saving Mom

and it really made me think a lot about myself and how I see myself as a runner.  As much as I try I compare myself at times with other runners to gague how much of a "real runner" I am....mileage, speed, dedication.  It has been one of my goals to join a running group but fear has always kept me away.  What if I'm the slowest?  What if they are all great runners?  Silly fear stealing the joy from what could be a great time!  My mother-in-law yesterday gave me a sign-up sheet for a local running group.  It's $50 for 12 weeks of speed work.....pretty much exactly what I need to kick my butt into gear and reach my 1/2 marathon goal of breaking 1:50!  However in stepped my old friends fear and doubt last night....I'll be missing the first session.....ugh!  I am going to need to just send it in and jump out of my comfort zone putting my old friends behind me for good! 

What steals your joy from running?  How do you break through it?

Honored

Ok ladies....LOVE the captions!!!  Seriously I was cracking up!!!  Yes it was bags of rice....I'm not injured just sore and about 100 miles overdue for some new kicks!

The super fit chickie over at Getfitnaturally nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award!  I am so honored!

There were some rules attached to receiving the reward, a great way to get to know all the new blogs you visit!

The Rules after accepting the Versatile Blogger Award are:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.

Share 7 things about yourself

Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs.

7 Things About Myself

 I love love the sun!!!  Give me a beach and a sunny day and I'm a happy girl!

 I get the hiccups a lot....and they take FOREVER to go away!

 I could eat my weight in chips and guacamole....seriously it's bad!

 I love reality TV....embarrassing but I gotta have my Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, you   name it!

 I never drank coffee until last year.....now I can't start my day without it!

 My secret talent is that I can wiggle my ears....my friends say it's that I am fluent in Spanish but you would never know it looking at me....came in handy working with Hispanic kids!

 I love being a Mom and wifey but I'm also lucky enough to love my job....I've always wanted to be Michelle Phiffer in Dangerous Minds!!! 

It is so hard for me to pick 15 blogs....I have loved blogging and meeting all of you!!!  You have seriously inspired me each and every day!!!  Since doing the Friday Fitness Blog Hop with Jill Conyers at Life as I See It I have found some AMAZING women doing great things with fitness!!!  I hate picking just a few because then I feel bad and well....let me just plug one!

Jill at One Tough Cookie and a Beer....I'm biased because she's also my kick butt running buddy!  She's hosting a compression sock giveaway...check her out!! Seriously though this girl has been running for more than 20 years...she knows her stuff!  She is going to be running the NYC Marathon as her 8th marathon.  She says it's her last but no one believes her!

      

     

Wordless Wednesday....almost

I was trying to think of a catchy caption for this like....."I'm not as good as I once was...." or " Getting old sucks!" or "Do you think I need new shoes?".....why don't you let me know....

What caption would you put with this picture from this morning after my long run?

What's Your Prerace Routine?

Happy weekend all!  Had one of those long runs yesterday that you want to put in a jar and pull out each and every weekend!  It was cool enough that you don't realize you're sweating and my legs felt powerful again!  Ahhh!  I wish it could always be that way!

Here's the topic for today's episode of "Coffee Talk"....remember SNL....discuss....ha!  There is a big race going on today down on Cape Cod called the Falmouth Road Race.  It's a big race, about 10,000 runners and has a lottery system for all non Falmouth residents.  Yeah around these parts and most of New England this is a big deal race.  It's a race on most runners' bucket list....ok and mine too!  Either way since we live close to Falmouth the area is swimming with runners....you can really pick us people out in a crowd!!!  Last night we headed out to dinner locally and there were several tables of people talking about the race.  My hubby asked me a very good question as one table ordered another round of very large beers and nachos.....Is this how runners get ready for a race?  My response was, not if they want to finish!  I know that eats like that before a race would leave me begging for mercy around mile 5! 
What about you.....

How do you prerace?  Are you a beer and nachos runner or do you do something different?

Good luck to all of you racing today!!!  Go rock it!!!!

Fit in Friday Fitness

Better late than never right?!  Joining in Friday's blog hop over at Life as I See It for today talking about how busy busy people fit it all in!  Toni over at Running, Loving, Living has been struggling with the same now that her schedule has ramped up.  What works for her is something I have been trying to do when things speed up in Fancy Nancy land....break it down!

Today was a good example of this.  I woke up late this morning because I.....well I just wanted to keep sleeping, no good excuse!  I knew I needed to get in a weight workout and a run so divide and conquer I did!  During Em's nap I did the shoulders and arms workout from Supreme 90 Day Challenge.  I won this on Toni's website a while back and the short workouts fit just right in!  Last summer I tried doing P90X which is a kick butt workout but I needed something shorter so I could keep running as much as I wanted.  I know Beach Body has other programs and I have heard great things about Insanity from them but I have not tried it.  I won the Supreme 90 Day and so far so good!

After she woke up and had a popsicle (her latest obsession) I loaded her in the stroller and to the park we ran!  I have been running this route to the park for almost a year now and I still forget a towel to wipe my sweaty self down so that I'm not the sweaty mess mom!  Either way, hubs met us there and took Em home with him which gave me 2.5 miles to do speed work.  I call it my haul butt home run! 

I broke it all up and got it all in!!!  Now I'm a tired momma and am off to grade papers!  Happy Friday all!!  Best of luck and high fives to all of you racing this weekend!

Three Things Thursday

Well the sun is finally out and what better to do on a rest day but hang with Em at the beach!!!  It was seriously a gift and let me just say so is her nap time!  I'm just saying!

1.  A huge hug of thanks goes out to all of you and your support of yesterday's post!  Thank you for your prayers!!  It's hard to go back to blogging about the little things of life but to know your prayers are there is amazing!

2.  Protein Pudding.....ok so the hubby brought home something called protein pudding last night.  He was going on and on about it and how it was so great because it had so much protein and no sugar.  He pitched it as a dessert of chocolate pudding with the added bonus of it being packed full of protein.  If you remember back a few posts ago, I'm trying to follow his lead and focus more on my protein.  However, after Lisa's direction I am not going all the way to 140 grams each day!  So today I was watching a little "Dear John" (ummmm tearjerker plus Channing Tatum yes please!) and decided I wanted some chocolate.  Well I broke out the protein pudding......and you're in luck honey because that stuff is ALL YOURS!  I chocked down half the container before I let myself off the hook.....no protein is worth that torture!  Ok I'm being dramatic but I think it's safe to say that the hubby's pudding is safe from me!

3.  I took some fun pics at the beach today.  Looking over them it struck me just how much Em has grown up this summer....here are a few....this girl's got a lot of personality!!!  Love her!!!

Seriously....look at that smirk!

World-View Wednesday

I've been going back and forth the past few days about whether or not to blog about this particular topic but it is part of me and I figured I would just share that.  Please know that I am not forcing you to think one way or the other....just allow me this soap box for the moment.

Normally I spend my blog time musing about miles to run or rest days to take.....how to potty train (which still boggles my mind) and what to eat.  Lately there has been something weighing on my heart that physically turns my stomach and I am left searching for the message God is sending me.....the path which He is asking me to take. 

I have considered myself a pretty well traveled person.  Because of many sacrifices made by my parents, I have had the opportunities to visit many different countries as well as spend a semester abroad.  Many of my good friends traded their spring breaks or summer vacations during college on missions trips all over the world.  One place that has always and still weighs heavy on my heart is Africa.  6 years ago I was given the blessing of being able to work with children that were part of the Bantu tribe in Somalia.  They were ages 5-11 and were refugees due to the killings going on in their home country.  Their tales of amazing survival through war, travel from Somalia to Kenya walking days to seek safety, and joy to be with family just captivated me and captured my heart.  As their teacher I was able to help them through their struggles here in America, teach them how to read and write and speak in a whole new language, help them become part of a school culture so different from their own, and celebrate their small victories along the way.  Added to the class through the years were more refugees from Sudan, Burundi, Burma, and Thailand but the children of the Bantu tribe still hold a special place with me today. 

This leads me to today and the horrible famine that has plagued Somalia and Kenya.  Yesterday I read that 330 children have died every day for the past 90 days in Somalia.....almost 30,000 children.  I see images on the news and I can see the faces of my students and their families in each and every image.  It is not lost on me that there are nations who argue about how high to raise the debt while mothers in other countries are watching their children starve to death.  I realize we have our own problems here in America but this famine is something that is really pulling on my heart and I am left wondering what to do. 

I pray for the people of Somalia and Kenya that relief is in sight and that I am open to the path that God leads me.

Fitness Friday-Knowing When to Say When

This year and last I have been part of Tall Mom's 1000+++ mile challenge.  Last year I capped the year off at 1111 miles ending the year by running a costume race on New Year's Eve!  This year I decided to raise the bar even higher, because I just can't not push, and try for 1500 miles.  The beginning of the year I went out like gang busters and really racked up some miles.  Then came the pregnancy.....and the miscarriage.....then strep throat.....and now bronchitis.  Through all of these physical curve balls I have been determined to push through and get the miles done no matter what.  I have fought with myself both mentally and physically to do whatever it took to keep my miles up.  Well yesterday, as I wheezed through the day, I decided to scrap my 12 mile run I had planned.  It was difficult emotionally to do but I knew that my lungs needed a break and would probably revolt had I ventured out for 2 hours.  I was able to get a VERY long overdue pedi with Jill and have dinner at her house!  In the end it was a hard decision, but I needed to listen to my body this time.

It stuck me how hard it was not to run and made me wonder a few things about runners.....are we crazy?.....ok well I guess we are a little.  I mean we PAY MONEY.....sometimes big money.....to run!!!  That aside, what is it in runners that cause us to push our bodies and limits when others head to bed?  What do you finally need to take a rest day?  And the big question......are your rest days really a "day of rest"?  I want to be doing this running thing until I'm a little old lady so I guess I need to start embracing the rest!!!  What about you?

Three Things Thursday-Ode to Whole Foods

Since moving to Cape Cod we left behind a lot of conveniences in exchange for ocean and safe streets.  One of the things left behind was my dear Whole Foods!  Em and I used to roam the isles weekly picking up bright organic produce and lots of other yummy goodies!  Well last night when my girl Jill suggested we head to Whole Foods to grab dinner I jumped up and down cheering said sure thing!  I love Whole Foods aka Whole Paycheck for so many reasons but here are three.....

1.  You just feel healthy being there.....I know there are bad foods there too but the the produce displays and organic this and that I just feel like I am drawn to the foods that I should be eating!!!  Talk about eating with the eyes!!
2.  You never know what you could find!.....They have new things every time I go there!  This time was a grilled veggie panini, a "make your own" trail mix station, and a super yummy quinoa salad!  I love it!!!
3.  Feels like home....I realize that this is partly because the Whole Foods we went to was the one which I mentioned before.  Literally Em and I were there EVERY week roaming the isles and snacking away!  Yesterday walking in the doors was like coming home!  Silly I know but it was great!  I even picked up Em a new cup!  I had bought her one when she was first born that said, "I'm organically grown" and it is beyond recognition now!  She clearly needed a replacement!

Do you share my love for Whole Foods?  What stores do you use to find your healthy hard to finds?  Oh and have you seen the song on Youtube about Whole Foods....very funny!!


Oh and yes tomorrow is Friday!!!  I'll be the one driving at mock speed through Boston on way to see her girl and hubby!!!!  

WTF.....Wow These Flies!!

Ha!  Got your attention huh?  Thank you all so much for your support!!!  I called Em last night and we almost both ended up crying but I am staying busy and I know she'll have fun with her cousins.  At least that's what I'm telling myself!!

One way to distract me....rather have fun with me....my friend Carrie took me to a rail trail near her house in NH to go for a run.  I'm so thankful I have active friends that keep me on track with my mileage when really I wanted to go home from a full day of class and plop myself on the couch with a glass of wine!  Although the Cape has a lot of running/biking paths, I'm always convinced that someone is waiting in the woods ready to attack so I don't often run them.  Too many horror movies!!  Yesterday I figured I was safe since Carrie would be looking for me along the trail!  I really enjoyed the change of scenery!!  Beautiful trees, lots of shade, lakes, and animals.....oh yes and flat which is always an added bonus!  The downfall.....FLIES!!!  We're talking the kind that swarm you if you stop even for one second!!!  I'm pretty sure people thought I had a mental issue since I keep yelling, "Get away from me jerk!" and a few other choice words!  In the end it was good to get the miles in and my sweat on!  Today we are headed back....considering a suit similar to a bee keeper's to wear to keep the flies away!

Mommy MIA

Well this week I am putting my professor hat on and teaching a college course at the school where I got my undergrad.  This is always an awesome opportunity and really is a time that I end up liking once I am there.  They have really worked around us moving and made me able to continue teaching the course.  Fast forward to this week.....I am here on the North Shore of Massachusetts while my hubby is on Cape Cod and my dear Em is in RI.....I HATE IT!!!  This will be the longest I have ever been away from Em and I am really not looking forward to it!  My friends here have been awesome and let me crash with them while also planning lots of fun activities and running in order to distract me from my missing link!

Here is a questions for all you parents.....I'll make it right?....and she won't hate me when I get home?


I really am hoping so!!!  Have a great Monday and I can't believe it is already August.....that's another whole post though!  One quick pat on the back from last week for me.....46 miles done!!!  Highest week in a long time!!!