You just do you, omma do me :))))

Okay, there is some questionable music i like. so, shoot me.  well, no, don’t.  thanks.  i was in Mass this evening thinking about resolutions…i will remove said questionable music from my iphone.  okay, Goblin is GONE.  he has a very bad potty mouth, in my opinion.  i don’t think he likes anybody.  i always mute his song when it comes on.  bad vibes, dude, very bad vibes.  but some of the other songs, i think they will stay.

so…new year.  our favorite pizza place is closed.  roast beef sandwiches at home, thank you very much.  i wonder about goals.  i wonder about fitness.  i wonder about running. as usual, i think i’ll amp it up a little.  i have this unfinished no-holds-barred bucket list happening in my coconut.  what would YOU do if you had to list 10 things, cost be damned, childcare was arranged, etc.?  me?

TransRockies Run 3day 2012

TransRockies Run 6 day 2013

Century bike ride someplace friggin’ awesome

Jerusalem – to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus…what could beat that?

Vatican – leave me alone.  let me be. let me wander.  for days.

Africa – a very sweet set-up – planet friendly, yet luxurious. hey, it could happen.  haven’t you ever heard of ecotours???

full marathon – anarctica

full marathon – berlin – i know.  sounds steely cold & military-like.  i just wanna check it out.

disneyworld/universal with my children

full ironman

 

okay, i guess that’s about it.  i wish there were  a place to train for the swimming part of an ironman – outdoor, open water, no gators.  a girl can dream, can’t she?

anywho, make you some resolutions!  goals!  whatever!  just do more to do better.

consider…one day your last breath will take place on this earth.  in this world.  what will happen next?  who will you see?  me?  i wanna see God.  i wanna see St. Paul.  my parents,  my grandparents.  my sister who i never got to meet.  St. Francis.  St. Faustina.  Mother Theresa.  Heaven rocks.  i wanna be there one day.

peace out, y’all.

talking myself up

okay.  i’ve never said this.  i will not do another full marathon, with a specific goal in mind, immediately following Christmas.  my beautiful training schedule, filled with perfectly green-highlighted blocks, signifying completed as scheduled workouts, has turned into a mish-mash of green & red & not the pretty-Christmassy-kind, either.  uuugh.  i’ve missed four, count ’em 4, crucial training LONG runs.  and ya know how i feel about the long runs.  that blows.  big-time.  but, what’s done is done.  i didn’t log-on to be the hostess of my own pity party, so do forgive me.  i just took a little run in my newest HOT PINK ASICS that i got last night. thank you, my son, for the Tri-Running gift card.  does he know me or does he know me????  new kicks and a handful of Vespa Junior.  i’m stoked.  i LOVE these shoes.

so, looking ahead…as i ran a little while ago, i thought about how far i have come since commiting to january’s race plan.  nothing has changed that dramatically.  yes, i’ve missed some workouts.  that’s okay.  truth be told, i’m gettin’ a little tired.  my legs are tired, my head is tired.  i AM way stronger than i was when i started.  i never flirted with marathon pace time as much as i have this time around.  as i said in the beginning, even if i don’t qualify, i will have had one hell of a training run.  and i have.  my core is stronger than ever.  oh, that’s another thing. i learned very quickly that for me, the keys to running a strong, long race are my core & quads.  i’ve paid lots of attention to those things.  and my diet has been better than ever.  okay, we had Christmas, people, and i’m not dead.  but i didn’t go crazy.  i let myself indulge.  but not overly so.  so that’s a good thing.

and, at the end of the day, i’m a mom & wife before i am anything else.  i only have to look as far as my sweet boy in college to know how sickeningly quickly the years tick by.  i will have more time for myself one day.  i know that.  God blesses us when we obey Him.  that’s what i strive for and that’s what i hope for our children.  life can be simple.  we make it complicated by thinlking we are the ones in control.

so, i’m not even that disappointed about the liklihood of not qualifying for Boston.  i may surprise everyone, including myself.  i truly believe it’s up to God.  if He wills it to happen, then imma just go with it, y’all.  we’ll see.  ultimately, i will toe the line, run His best, complete the race, get a sweet medal, get even sweeter hugs from my family, and feel like a winner no matter what the clock says.  goals are great.  but they aren’t everything.

so, wanna hear something totally fabulous?????  the girls got their brand new nucleus 5 upgrades today!!!!  they are opened and charging as i type!  we are seeing our audiologist tomorrow for programming them.  now that is something to celebrate!  we are so pumped up about that – we were told we could expect 4-6 weeks before they arrived!

okie, dokie.  for now, i’m not going to kill myself for what i didn’t get to accomplish, but rather celebrate what i have done.  well-rested is better than overly-exhausted.  i know…

this part IS weird, i admit – there comes a time close to race day – about a week before the big day, i’d say – where i “grade” myself – have i done all i could with all i had?  and, for me, the answer is always yes.  i made up for missed sit-ups & squats & you name it.  i love going into a race knowing i have done my best to prepare and knowing that it is indeed enough to get me over the finish line.  this race is no different.  i still have a couple of weeks to get there.

peace out, y’all.

after the 20

well, it was better than i thought…mostly.  i was able to maintain 9:30 & under for the first 10.  i was not pain-free, by any means, but it wasn’t an “uh-oh” pain, it truly just felt like i was finally in good for me shoes & my legs & feet were still a little pissed off.  for the next 10, while i was able to hover around 9:00 per mile, i was not able to maintain 8:34 for long stretches – long enough to count where it counts – for the long run.  that’s okay.  cuz i started & i finished and i gave God all the glory and i rejoiced in my ability and in His faith in me.  i was hoping for more, but thrilled with the outcome.  i’m not down for the count yet.  i have another couple of pretty long runs so i’m going to take extra-good care of myself in the interim & see what happens.  i really feel like the shoes will help a LOT.  after the run?  I was SORE.  went straight to the pool with a bottle of sparkling water.  took a shower & had a great hamburger/fries/beer with my son.  went straight home & put my legs up till it was time to plug back into mommy-hood when school let out.  today, i can tell i ran far & hard, and i relish in the aches.  i can’t help it.  i think a little pain helps us know we are alive.  we are human.  we push.  we struggle.  we rage.  we hurt.  makes me feel alive.  i love that.  i really love that.  peace.

:10

:10…just to empty the coconut a little.  first?  ouch.  friggin’ ouch, dude.  my right leg – particularly the shin area has not been happy.  for a couple of months.  i baby it.  it accepts.  it feels better.  then it rebels.  i knew i needed new shoes & that’s my story & i’m stickin’ to it.  found speed shoes.  fine for under 5 mile runs.  i detest heavy running shoes.  so, i went to a new place, and got fitted with the Brooks Ghost 4.  seemed fine. not.  the shoes lied to me.  yesterday, midway in my run, i ran into my house & shucked the ghost in favor of my Vibram 5 fingers.  are you kidding?  are you f-ing kidding?  sorry for the potty mouth.  idk…some days.  anywho, it was delightful.  simply divine.  i ran over three miles & today my calves are just slightly tender, not even very noticible.  so, that was good.  for now.  i can’t run 26.2 in them.  well, okay, i could, but i’m not.  so, it’s to the shower to try to be rested for my 20 in the morning.  i intend on going to try another pair of shoes.  i’ll just stick with what i know – asics, mizuno, we’ll see.  the louisiana marathon is coming up.  i was planning on trying to bq.  with the tenderness in my leg & life being what it is, it might not happen.  i have not let go of the dream.  i’m just trying to size up the current situation.  my short term goal (very short term) is to try to get some speed up – hard to do with tender legs.  i really don’t want to miss another long run.  for tomorrow, i have changed my plan from running the whole thing marathon pace to running the first half at long run pace & then the second half at marathon pace.  which, as you know, is subject to change.  due to my leg and now, seemingly, due to south louisiana weather.  suppsoed to start raining.  whatever, dude.  i love running in the rain, but rain usually means a slower pace.  that’s okay.  God’s got my back like always.  i just keep on turning it over to Him.  He’s the master of multi-tasking, right? Okay, that’s :10…more in 20 miles….peace.

some days

dude.  this title has changed so many times in my mind over the last week.  edge of darkness was in the running for a day or so.  wtf?  was the front-runner for awhile. 

but here i am sunday evening, listening to my favorite-ever-sounds – family – savoy brown blaring thanks to the remote in hubs hands – bless his heart, he loves him some savoy brown 🙂  and his bday is tomorrow.  which is why my hands smell like garlic – he asked for prime rib & scalloped potatoes 🙂 my sweet son from college just let for Mass.  Thank You God. 

so.  running. yeah.  i’ve missed two long runs and you know i don’t have to tell you what i know to be true about long runs.  i signed up for my favorite local half marathon.  this part sucks.  the reason i didn’t do it was because running is not important to hubs.  lemme back up – house – CRI-zaZY lately – like for the past two weeks.  our Christmas tree has lights & garlands.  no ornaments.  i don’t have many presents wrapped. 

i started thinking today about what really got me running.  hubs & i got married.  traditional roles.  great.  all are in agreement.  i continued going to my favorite health club.  didn’t sit well with hubs.  fine.  hurt, but fine.  i’d manage.  got my workout room going at the house.  worked out better, really.  squats in slippers & jammy bottoms?  count me friggin in, dude.  but i liked being outside.  girls came along and it was a natural progression for me to take them out in a stroller.  double stroller.  bike trailer, you name it.  i rollerbladed & pushed them along. i was honoring my hubs wishes by not wiling away time in the health club.  believe me, i don’t wile.  ever.  so, my life has grown in a great, positive, resourceful way.  i don’t need a health club; i just need the road outside my front door. 

fast forward – we’ve been married almost 15 years.  i still care what he thinks and i still want his approval.  whatever.  i know. but i do.  more than that, i want God’s approval.  i surrender to the Holy Spirit ever single day.  for the most part, i do pray without ceasing.  i’m not perfect.  i don’t try to be.  but i do try to bend toward God’s will each and every day.  so, for me to bow out of a race because hubs doesn’t think it is a worthy expenditure of time…well, that falls under the category of too damn bad, folks.  it was important to me.  that’s why it was so hard to let it go.  it was like high school all over again.  i hated that feeling, knowing i chose something based on someone – a peer at that.  the hell with that.  now i’m thinking the Holy Spirit designed that to teach me a lesson.  well, lesson learned!  my resolution that is starting right now?  i’m going to continue to race & do the best with my God-given ability, no matter what anyone says. 

God help us all 🙂