Happy New Year

5 mile race in Gettysburg, PA

Wow! I can't believe that we are staring down 2011. What a year it has been. As of this morning I have run 1000 miles since April 1st. ( I might have run more, but that is when I started calculating everything with my Garmin.) I have run 2 half marathons and 1 full marathon. I really did not see myself at this point last year at this time. I was about 25 pounds heavier, I was sad and I did not have any goals for the year. Something changed January 1. I made a decision not to feel sorry for myself anymore and to get going and now I am here.

I have been inspired by so many people this year. Some people have inspired me to run, some have inspired me to be a better person and some have inspired me to become a better mom. If I were to mention everyone we would be writing/reading for a long time. (Tonia, Ginny, Jen, Pam, Stacie to name a few.) Anyway Thank You! You have made a difference in me from Point A to Point B.

People have been mentioning their goals throughout bloggy land today. I thought long and hard about them during my run this morning. Goal 1/ to run 1500 miles in 2011. (I was going to go loftier, but I don't want to set myself up for failure) Goal 2/ To run one of these fall marathons Chicago or New York. If I get into New York, I don't know if I will go to Chicago. (okay I might do both am I crazy? Goal 3/ To cut out junk...I try to have a good diet, but I definitely get caught in the having 4 kids in a million activities and doing things on the run. My goal is to cook "good" food at least 5 days a week and then have left overs/easy stuff the other 2 days. and finally Goal 4/ To try to step back and not be so worrisome all of the time. It is definitely my personality, but sometimes you need to let things go. I am not very good at that and it is something that I want to work on this year.

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 is here!

Three Things Thursday

1. I am actually having a nice vacation home with the kiddos. Usually I am super stressed, by this point and counting the days until they go back to school, but I am actually enjoying that our routine is not so structured. I am also loving not packing lunches. I don't know why but, packing lunches is my downfall. I am constantly trying to pack the perfect lunch, one that fills them up, is healthy, but does have a cookie or two in it. Let's just say with 4 kids no one is ever happy.

2. I belted out 7 on my treadmill this am and can't believe how close I am to 1000 miles. I started this journey April 1st and I can't believe how far I have come. Tomorrow will be my last big run and then I will have made it to my goal.

3. I ate a large piece of Purple Velvet cake tonight. I know that I shouldn't have, but I did. I figure I am giving myself until the kids go back to school on Monday and then I am going to delve back in to my runners diet. Thank goodness I do run or else I would be a tank!

I am Awake

I am up early this morning. The new baby, I mean puppy has been up since 4:30 and then I couldn't go back to sleep. I am staring at my Christmas tree and about to start taking the ornaments off. As much as I love Christmas, I love taking it all down and getting back to "normal." No more needles, my living room back in working order and all of the kids' stuff put away. That is the beauty of January. I feel like it is some sense of normalcy around my house. September to December is just so crazy all of the time. I am looking forward to running, reading and enjoying my family. Hmmmm...that almost sounds like a New Year's Resolution.

In the next week I am hoping to sit down and plan my running schedule for the Year. I already have a 10K, 2 half marathons and 1 marathon on the books, now I just need to schedule the rest and save some money to pay for all of my races.

26 Miles to Go

Christmas morning run (no I am not pregnant)
Hoping that everybody's Christmas was as blessed and wonderful as mine. The kids were excited, I was excited and even Trav was excited. (Travis loves to buy others treats, but is not good at receiving. hmmmm....I don't know where I found him from). I started out trying to make everything orderly, but in the end with four kids it just gets crazy. I was also lucky enough to run a quick 5 K with my friends Karin and Lynn at around 11 am. It was nice to have that 30 minutes to get out that extra Christmas energy before the rest of the festivities began.

It has come to my attention that I have 26 miles until I reach 1000 for the year. I started calculating my mileage around April 1, so I am feeling really psyched with this achievement. Once December 1st hit I knew it was a possibility and then I knew I had to reach it. This year has been such an incredible for me. I feel like I found myself through running. I became closer to group of women who I love and of course I finished my first marathon. I have let running in full force and definitely am hooked. It also helps that I dropped a few pounds and feel great:)

Finally, I ran 6.1 for Sam today. This is a great program about a dad who ran 61 marathons for Autism with his final marathon being yesterday. People signed up to run 6.1 miles (Operation Jack) in order to support him on his endeavor. I was supposed to run yesterday, but was really under the weather with a bad headache and could not even fathom getting on my treadmill. I popped up this morning and ran 6.1 miles in 55 minutes, not a PR, but a great run non the less. I like these virtual races where I can donate some money to a good cause and a cause that is dear to me. I have a friend whose son has Aspergers Syndrome and Autism has become a special cause for me. It is hard to believe how many children are diagnosed with Autism every year, it is scary and could happen to anyone....So kisses to Jack and kisses to my special friend Mason, you are a real inspiration.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Dinner with Santa last night at our local gym. Love the look on Andy's face...they can never all have a great look!

Merry Christmas!!!

It's Almost Here...

I can't believe that Christmas is less than 3 days away. Our house has been turned into crazy town between the 4 kids, the puppy and the two cats. I caught the puppy, Nelly, eating the wrapping paper off of the few presents under the tree which then led to Andy saying that means we can open the presents. AAAAGGGHHHHH.....no that is not what that means Andy! (just so you know there are like 5 presents under the tree and they are little ones that my mom sent). My stomach has been really off this week. Unfortunately, we have been eating more junk than usual just because things have been so crazy and my stomach is not used to it. I did get in a quick 6 miles last night and will have no problem tomorrow on the TM probably, but I am trying to figure out what day I can get a 14 miler in. I am thinking that it might be Christmas Eve. I am hoping to be up by 7 am and can be done a bit after 9....please keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for me. I am going to need all of the help that I can get.

Now the boys and I are watching the Polar Express. It always makes me a bit sad...couldn't tell you why it just does.

Good luck with the next two days bloggy buddies. I know it can be crazy...remember big breaths are important, at least that is what I keep telling myself.

A Bad Decision and a Good Decision

Yesterday I made a very bad decision....a bad underwear decision which is not usually my MO. I had on Nike work out pants that required some sort of underwear on underneath, I put on a thong just so I would not had VPL's at the gym...(visibal panty lines). I took part in my Friday Fit class and was then heading off for a run with my friend Lynn. When we went into the locker room to change I just threw on my winter running skirt outfit w/o taking off my undies. How would that be a bad decision you might say....hmmmm....well about mile 3 I could already feel some major chafe issues in my "underwear area." Not pretty, the sweat was even stinging. I hopped in the shower at the gym and had to bite my lip so as to not scream out loud. It was so painful.....yuk and it is still painful today. I am hoping that my 6 miler today does not make it worse. Not really helping with my quest for 1000....

On a good decison note, I picked up our new puppy yesterday. Needless to say we are in love. She is a corgi and her name is Nelly. She is smart as whip, sleeping and eating well, just perfect. It is like we have a new baby in the house:) Yesterday morning I was kicking myself asking what had we done getting a puppy the week before Christmas, but honestly, when else would I have taken her...it is a treat for our family.

Wish me luck on my morning jaunt...hopefully it is not to painful.

Motivated

Just a quickie....popped on my treadmill for a 10 mile jaunt. I feel so good and I am glad that I got motivated. The best part of the run? Andy asking me if I was tired and when I said "No way!" he replied, "Mom, you are awesome!" I love that kid!

1000 Miles, HERE I COME!!!

Not a lot of Motivation

I do not have a lot of motivation today. I was supposed to run outside at 8:30 this morning, but did not because of my list of things to do and after running errands and treating myself to a manicure I am now sitting at home in my chair. I know that I need to run, I just don't have the gumption to do it. I want to pick up the kids, put my pj's on and watch tv. Travis is away this week and I am so tired. So many times I do not appreciate my husband when he is here, but when he is away I realize how much he actually does for me. 36 hours until he is back. Can I make it, I think so. I just need to find my run and get it on.

10 days until Christmas. Are you ready??

I'm "Tagged" and Your "It"

I was tagged today by Erica at MCM Mama to answer a few running questions and personal questions. I am actually psyched because I did not have a lot to blog about today.

1. What was your toughest race? My toughest race was the Applefest Half Marathon. It was at the end of September and the temp was close to 90 degrees. I had run a half marathon in June and had a time of 1:53 and was so psyched. My time this time was 2:08. It stunk! I felt sick for a good week after.

2. What are your goals for 2011? Most of my goals have to do with a marathon running. I am running the National Marathon in March and I would like to do it in 4:15. I also put my name in the lottery for the NYC Marathon and am thinking about doing Chicago with my friend Gail.

3. If you could live anywhere where would it be? I would definitely live somewhere with great weather. If California wasn't so expensive I would love to live there or maybe somewhere South. I was born in New Orleans (my mom is from Louisiana) and I do have a soft spot for humidity and warm weather.

4. What is my guilty pleasure tv show? Hmmm....I am a sucker for shows like Gossip Girl and Glee. I also love Modern Family every week, but my secret pleasure is the soap opera Young and the Restless. I have watched this show on and off for my entire life and still like to turn it on if I am home.

5. How do I keep my sense of balance? This is a hard question. Running has really brought me to a place where I finally feel a sense of balance. Last year I was in a pretty bad place in my life. I was a SAHM to 4 kids and had lost a sense of self. I really was not a good wife, friend or mom. On January 2nd I decided I needed to make a change and started running as well as doing some pretty heavy self evaluation. Now nearly a year later I have done 2 halfs, and a full marathon and lost 20 pounds. I also feel better as a mom and wife and my friends like to be around me now. I also have met some great people that I love to run with and have become a real group for me.

Now I think that I need to tag 3 people....Abbi, Stacie, and Jen. Good luck and have fun! If you have other questions you would rather answer go for it:)

On that note I am trying to make it to 1000 for the end of the year. I am seeing some double sessions in my future. Wish me luck!

No Christmas Cards Yet?

Christmas cards have been a big conversation around my house since before Thanksgiving. When I read and heard that people were gettting theirs done I went on to Shutterfly and picked one out that would look great with two beach pictures that we had taken over the summer. This is how the conversation has gone since then,

"Trav, I just found a card at Shutterfly that would look great with the Black's Beach pictures that we took."

"hmmm....I don't have that computer to look at the pictures, can we do it another night?"

"Will you bring that computer home tomorrow night, I would really like to be ahead of this?"

"don't worry, we always get them done."

Now, I will take you to two weeks ago...

"Ummmm....what is the deal with the Christmas cards?"

"Well, remember the black and white idea with the color enhancements we were talking about? I am working with that idea now."

"Okay, can we set that up tonight?"

"I have the pictures of the girls, I am just looking for two pictures of the boys."

"Can I help you find one?"

"I have the pictures in mind and I am going to have Morgan do the lay out."

"Morgan, no way. She is the one who screwed up the shirts last year. She is a terrible designer. That is not really what I was looking for. I really just wanted to do something from Shutterfly and now time is ticking."

"Rene', Morgan is a fine designer, maybe not a great t-shirt designer, but our clients like her work."

okay.....Morgan works for my husbands company designing web sites for schools. Personally, I think she stinks. Last year she designed a t-shirt for women with Whipplehill across the chest in a such a way that your eyes only go to ONE place. I mean seriously this is the girl who is designing my Christmas card, which I wanted to do 3 weeks ago on Shutterfly.....aaarrrgghhhh.....

This mornings call:

"Travis, what is the deal with the Christmas card. It is the ninth of December, you are gone next week and I have NOT even seen the first draft or anything."

"Morgan is working on it."

"I want to see a copy of it today. This is getting ridiculous. I don't have envelopes, postage anything and now I am feeling a little stressed."

"Is this seriously what you called me about."

"Yes, seriously. I want to see the card ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I still have not seen the card and chances are I am not going to see it today or for that rate before Christmas. Trav works on Trav time, which is not my time....oh and did I mention that he is ADD. I love the holidays.

The Cold has Come

The cold weather has come to Amherst. I do not like the cold. It makes me tired. It makes me want to eat and it makes me want to settle in my PJ's every day when I get home. Today I met Lynn and we ran outside at 10 am. My car thermometer said that it was 32 degrees. I thought that I was prepared. I had on my Under Armour turtleneck, winter tights, a skirt and a winter running jacket. I also had gloves and a hat. The wind was horrible today. We were not even 1/4 of a mile into it and my eyes were watering and I had permagrin on my face. It was brutal, but we made it 4 miles and I am not going to complain. Tomorrow I have a 6-7 mile run scheduled. I have a training plan that I am using created by Tonia at TMB Endurance and I am totally psyched. I am hoping to cut 15 minutes off of my last marathon this spring at the National Marathon in Washington DC.

On a Christmas note, our tree is up and in the house and we are going to decorate it tomorrow. I am slowly, but surely getting the house ready and crossing things off of my list. Shopping for 4 kiddos is slow going as they are changing their minds on a daily basis. I am about to have to let them know that Santa shuts down his list by December 15th. On the agenda this week, starting to bake and starting to wrap. Wish me luck!

Trying Something New

I didn't run today, I had run 17 miles the past 2 days. Instead I joined my friend Beth's small personal training class. It consists of 3 women, well now 4 (me) and she takes you through a series of exercises working your entire body. I am not going to lie, it was hard. We jumped rope, we wrapped elastic bands around our legs, we did bear crawls, you name it we did it. Did I already say it was hard? Needless to say I know am having a hard time moving my arms. I also felt like a fish out of water. I didn't really know what to do and I looked funny sometimes, but I guess I will get there. I really am a runner at heart, I don't know if I had that same endorphin boost I get from running, but I am realizing that some strength training would probably be good for me. Long story short I got out there and did something new and now I am tired.

On a different note, after two days of antibiotics Izzie is finally better. uhhhh....that took a lot out of me!

My 100th Post

Today is my 100th post. It was supposed to be this great post about my great run today with my running friends and how great I felt and how I was looking forward to starting my training for my next race...unfortunately it is not how the day played out. I was awake all night with a sick 4 year old, then woke up late this morning. I had to get the 3 big kids to school and then Izzie off to the MD where they told me that she has a virus. (Really....a virus, did I just waste a copay for that) I then came home and spent the day unpacking from Thanksgiving while listening to Izzie cough up both her right and left lung. Then the afternoon of driving began....when I finally got home at 6:15 the idea of running made me want to cry. Instead I took a shower, helped with homework and am now in bed. Why is it that a sick child can totally throw you off? You would swear that I went from organized super woman to woe is me can't get out of my way 5 year old girl.

Now on a happy note my sister in law had her baby this morning. Her name is Tatum and she is absolutely, positively gorgeous! I am so thrilled for Amy and Kelsey. They had 3 boys ages 5, 4 and 2 and finally got that girl. I am now the lucky Aunt of 11 nieces and nephews. I think that Christmas is going to be crazy this year.

Emotions

Today was the my first run since last Tuesday morning. I was visiting with my mom and sister over the Thanksgiving holiday and there did not seem to be tons of time. I also decided on Thanksgiving morning to not run their local turkey trot due to the rainy and cold conditions. I decided to give my body a rest, eat some home cooking and get started when I get home again. After dilly dallying around all morning I decided to put my running clothes on and just go. I had a new winter play list that I had made for my I Pod and grabbed my Garmin. Well, my Garmin was dead, so I decided to just run "naked." I had a great run that way. I let my body go fast when it wanted to go fast and slow when it needed to go slow. It was weird though, a Fiona Apple song came on and I started to cry. One of my besties from college had a new baby this weekend and I was thinking about her, I was thinking about my sister and her kids. Her son has Angelman's Syndrome and has pretty severe special needs. I started thinking about how much I love to run. Whenever I am away from it for a couple of days I come back fresh and ready to start again. I am looking forward to my next training program. Is National really 4 months away? I don't know, I'm a girl maybe some days are just more emotional. So here's to some winter running and winter fun. Let the games begin.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish that I was word crafty or that I had some awesome Thanksgiving Day post that would make people laugh and cry and be thankful for a million things, but my list is pretty ordinary, but special to me....so here goes it,

1./ I am thankful for my husband. He is a great partner, a great Dad, humors me with acting interested in my running stuff and really just an all around great guy. Thanks Trav!

2./ I am thankful for my 4 sweeties who are all extremely different and wonderful in their own way. Siri, for making me a mom and allowing me to make mistakes with her, Ben, for keeping us on our toes on a daily basis. Andy, for still sucking his thumb and loving his family and Izzie for letting us still treat her like a baby, even at 4.

3./ My parents and Travis' parents who I don't always appreciate in the right way, but who I love more than words can express. Also, my sister and my sister in laws who make me smile with funny comments or just plain sisterly love. Thinking about it...I can't leave my brother in laws out either, I have a really special family.

4./ My running buddies at home and through out bloggy land. You all pull me through good times and bad times, but it wonderful to have a support system through out. xoxoxoxo!

5./ My non-running friends who continue to remind me that there are other things to focus on besides running. (i know, i know it is hard to believe)

6./ Finally, I am thankful for whatever voice told me last January to stop feeling sorry for myself, lace up my running shoes and train for that half marathon in June and my first marathon in November. I have come full circle and am a better wife, mom and friend because of it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Run, eat turkey, laugh and have an all in all great day.

Sharing Circle

Today I attended my last Sharing Circle at PIV. 3 out of my 4 kiddos attended this school and every Thanksgiving they sing songs, say an indian blessing and bring fruit to the middle of the circle to bring to the local food bank. Afterwards we shared homemade bread and cheese. It is one of my favorite time at the Preschool because the kids' love the feeling that they are doing something for someone else. We decided to bring oranges and Izzie loved placing her bag in the center. I definitely had that one weepy moment when I realized that it the last time that I would come to the Circle with a preschooler. I can't believe that next year Izzie will be in Kindergarden. Where did the time go? Had I wasted her being little away? I mean really, she never watched Sesame Street, her naps were haphazard and she is always treated like the baby. It is hard to be the youngest of 4, especially when 2 of the 4 have VERY strong personalities. You know what though, she is the easiest going, loves her family and friends and thinks nothing of shedding a tear if someone is mean to someone else. We have lunch together and go shopping together and even though she is 4, she gets it. She is the first person to ask me how my run was and if I "won" my race. So, I guess this Thanksgiving, while I am thankful for all of my children I am feeling especially thankful for a little 4 year old girl who melts my heart every day.

Milford Turkey Trot

Yesterday I ran the Milford Turkey Trot. It is a small race, the cost is $15 and it benefits the Milford Track Club. You get nothing with the race...there are no shirts, no food and no water bottles. (the water is in gallon jugs that you pore yourself) I ran with my friend Lynn and her husband. I will preface this little report by saying that there were only 8 people registered as of Friday morning, Lynn knew 6 and I knew 1. We were then laughing that maybe we would get a prize (no prizes) and finish top in our age groups. Well, we got there and there were 80 people running and everyone was pumped. The weather was cold but, gorgeous. The course is a hard 5K course, with a hill at mile 1.5 that just goes STRAIGHT up, there is a nice come down at the end, but you really have to work to get up. Our pace was good, we had times where we would say a few words to each other, but we focused on our breathing, pace etc... and finished in 25:26, not a PR for me, but a decent time. The best part when I got an e-mail from Lynn saying that she finished first in her age group (she is 40) and saying that I finished 2nd. Then I was curious who beat me. I checked the race and realized it was a woman named Yolanda and I never say her. The reason I never saw her....she finished in 18 minutes. Holy Smokes!

Tomorrow's Race....

I am running a Turkey Trot in the next town over from me tomorrow morning. Long story short, my friend just called me and told me that 8 people are signed up. Hmmmm.....something definitely went wrong with their publicity. I am thinking that more people are going to sign up tomorrow. If not maybe I will get a prize. Who knows maybe I will win my age group!

Three Things Thursday

FRED

1. This time of year starts to stress me out which means that I start to eat more. I never thought of myself as a stress or emotional eater but, I am figuring out that I am. I just want easy, I don't want to make a mess of the kitchen because I hate cleaning it up, but I need to feed my children something other than scrambled eggs and chicken. I am trying to keep a food diary, but that does not seem to help. Last year to help jump start my weight loss I went to Jenny Craig and did great so I am considering going back during the holidays.

2. Siri just finished her 2nd project that she had due last night. She and her "Bumpa" created a skeleton with a heart in the middle and pipe cleaners for arteries and veins. The project was to do a 3D model of the Circulatory System. It then needs to be presented in class. In case you are wondering she is in 5th grade. I thought that it was pretty intense, but she loved doing it and learned a lot so who am I to complain. Pretty good for my little cherub with ADHD.

3. I am starting my National Marathon training plan the first week in December. (Thanks T). I don't know if I am quite ready to jump back on the horse so quickly, but I am dedicated to training and to cut about 15 minutes off of my PR. Wish me luck!

Out of the Loop

I just called my friend, E and she whispered to me, "hi Rene', I am at work?" my reply, "where are you working?" "for S and B." ( my other good friends). Holy smokes, I have been out of the loop with my non runner friends. Is that a good thing? I don't know, but this winter I need to make more of an effort with my other buddies. Is it hard? Yes. When I am training for something it becomes all consuming (for me anyway) and it is hard to explain it or answer when people say, "you are crazy." Does it mean that I don't love my non runner friends? No, if anything I love them more because we talk about things other than running, but my running friends and I have a different bond and that is why I love them. I remember reading something on RLAM talking about when you run with someone, you are beside them looking straight ahead and it is sometimes easier to open up and talk. I think that is true. My running friends know more of what is going on in my life right now because it is easy to talk to them. There are no walls, just the open road ahead of us. Anyway, my goal during my next training session is to be more available, but to not lose sight. Everything is cyclicle!

Lucky in Amherst

I spent 5 hours at Izzie's preschool today making apple pies for our preschool fundraiser. In case you have never heard mention of this I am not a cook, much less a baker. My job today; rolling out dough. In fact enough dough for 100 pies, tops and bottoms. My hands kill and I have blisters on my thumbs. Yes, I have to admit, my body is more sore from making pies than from running. Pretty sad, huh? What I loved about it was listening to the kids practice for the Thanksgiving Sharing Circle. They were singing songs and doing sign language, this adorable group of 3 and 4 year olds, it made me excited for next week.

It also made me thankful that I am blessed enough to stay at home with my kids and be able to enjoy making pies and listening to songs. Are there times when I would love to dress everyone, including myself and go to work? Are there times where I would like to go to lunch or go to the bathroom by myself? Of course to all of those things, but there will be plenty of time for that. For right now I am going to enjoy making apple pie and listening to preschool kids sing. I am very lucky.

And Another Week Begins....

Oh Monday....When I was younger I hated Mondays, now I love them. All 4 of my kids are in school on Mondays. I usually have a good run on Mondays and I go grocery shopping sans kiddos, which I love. 4 kids and the grocery store usually don't mix. It seems like this time of year gets extremely crazy. Siri has two projects due, (anyone for a 3D project regarding the Circulatory System), Ben has a project due, Andy, well he has nothing due and I am scheduled to bake Apple Pies on Tuesday at Izzie's school for our fall fundraiser. I was supposed to do Wednesday, but changed it because Wednesday is my longer run day. It is official, I am ADDICTED.

I have stopped rehashing the marathon at this point, but when anyone asks me about it, I get a big grin on my face....it is finally settled that I am a Marathoner (is that a word). I don't know if that is my favorite distance, I have a soft spot for 10 K's, but I am definitely training for another one and may have just put another one on the books. I am definitely a goal oriented runner. Maybe one day I will be just a fun runner, but for now I have to have something to train for.

Well, I am off for a 5 mile jaunt around Milford. This is my farthest distance since last week. Hopefully my legs are ready.

He's going to do it!

My husband, Travis, has decided to run a 5K on New Year's Day. I am running the 10K. It is The Hangover Classic in Salisbury, MA. Now you should know that Travis is not a runner, in fact he would probably tell you that he hates running but, I think that I wore him down. He made it clear that he would do the training, ( I found a beginning Hal Higdon plan) but that he wasn't looking to make this any kind of long term goal, he didn't want to run with me and not "push it!" I think that he wants to feel like he is coming to this on his own terms. The problem...I need him to do something. He does not do a great job of taking care of himself. He is a horrible eater and could stand to lose about 20 pounds. He works hard, stays up late and drinks a lot of coffee. I am waiting for him to drop of a heart attack which would really stink. I am just keeping my fingers crossed. He is starting his plan tomorrow, but already let me know that Monday is an off day...this might be a long 7 weeks.

Post Marathon Depression

If the week before a marathon or a big race can make you crazy, let me assure you the week after can make you crazier. I am tired, impatient and an all around grouch! (it is not helping that my 4 year old is screaming in my ear right now) I have run twice this week a total of 6.5 miles. When I ran my 3.5 today I was tired, my legs were sore, but it felt so good to be outside. The air was warm and it was so sunny! It then became clear to me that I am ADDICTED TO RUNNING! I am addictied to planning my next race, I am addicted to my running skirts and addicted to my training. And like a druggie if I don't run it is like I am crazy, I have to do it, but you know what I have decided? It is not so bad. While stuff (like laundry) might take a back seat for a day or two I know when I am running that I am happy. I am happy with myself, with my family, with my life.

On that note I want to give a shout out to Ginny who is running her marathon tomorrow and Tonia who is running an 8K. You ladies are going to do great! You both are a huge inspiration to me and I can't wait to run the National Marathon with you in March!

Seriously.....

I am awake. There is no school today, so in my brain I was going to get up early and hop on my treadmill for 2-3 miles. I have not run since the marathon and today was the day. At 5:30 I look over and Izzie (my 4 year old) is in my bed, for the 6th day in a row. Okay, I will go downstairs and have a cup of coffee and check e-mail. I look into the playroom. There is Siri eating cereal and watching Family Matters. Uhhhh....not my plan, she will want something any second. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but man sometimes I just want a cup of coffee and my computer for a little while before they are up.

Oh well, I will run when they are all settled. I bought new shoes yesterday. My feet need some cushion and some TLC. Yay, Brooks Glycerin and yay BJ at Runner's Alley in Nashua. He always seems to know what we need.

Are your kids off today? What are you doing today?

Things That I Would Do Differently

Now 48 hours post marathon I am starting to focus on things that I might do different in my next marathon, (The National Marathon in Washington, DC). I have decided that your first marathon is such a learning experience and it can only get better from the first to second then how ever further you decide to go.

1./ I would have breakfast with more substance. I did not know what to eat that morning. I typically eat Ezekial bread with Almond butter, but that morning my stomach was so upset with nerves that I just ate a bowl of Kashi Oatmeal. I am sure that I had burned it off, but the time we hit my 2.

2./ I would not just use Hammer Gel during the race. By the third time I had sucked that stuff down my stomach was beyond upset and I felt that I could have thrown up everywhere. I would definitely eat a granola bar, my friend brought a cut up bagel, something that would actually sit in my stomach.

3./ I would carry my own water and Nuun. Everyone I talked to said that there was plenty of water on the course which there was, but I would have rather had my own. Also, I needed Nuun or Gatorade not just water. I was a little afraid to take the Gatorade because I had not trained with it, but I would definitely train with it next time.

4./ I would dress appropriately. I watched the weather, I asked other runners in my area what they thought and in the end I was just not dressed warm enough. I would have put tights on under my skirt. I would have had mittens and a hat. I would dress for 40 degree weather with a wind chill.

5./ When a friend offers to run the last 6 miles with me I take them up on it. One of my girlfriends offered to run the last 6 miles with me. I thought that I would still be with my running partners and that it might take a little bit away from the moment. Boy, was I wrong. I could have used her about mile 23 when I wanted to sit down and cry. Hindsight is definitely 20/20.

6./ And Finally....I would go into it with more realistic expectations. I had all of these big hopes, which while important I think that being realistic is a good thing to. You honestly don't know what your first race will be like and it is all about learning. I feel like I learned a lot on Sunday and can't wait to put it to work on my next training.

Now .....when does my training start again?

Manchester City Marathon

I have had a good 36 hours to sit on my post of my first ever Marathon and am now feeling totally psyched about the experience. I will tell you that I spent the first hours after finishing extremely emotional. I was overwhelmed about the race, I couldn't believe that I had finished and that everything that I had worked for during the past 18 weeks was over. I was tired, I felt sick and I just wanted to go home.

So...from the beginning. We arrived in Manchester at about 7:20 am. We hung out in the Radisson Hotel Lobby, went to the bathroom, chilled out and stayed warm until about 8:30. We figured that would give us 20 minutes to acclimate to the cold temps. It was at this point that I realized that I was not dressed warm enough. I was in my skirt, a winter top, a tshirt and then my swift socks and shoes. I should have had tights on (it was about 32 degrees out and a little windy), I should have had a hat and I should have had mittens. My feet were cold too. At about 7:45 they said to get into the start. There were about 1400 runners running the half and 600 running the full marathon. We all started together and the full marathon went the same route for the first half and then turned off for the second half. The start went off exactly at 8:50 and we were off. It took three miles for my feet to feel like they weren't running on ice blocks. My feet were so cold it felt like they were frozen.

The first half was great. I did feel like we were running to fast. Our pace was about 8:50 for the first 13.1 miles which is not where I wanted to be. I was hoping to stay around 9:15-9:30 so that I could keep the pace the entire race. People were everywhere cheering everyone on, screaming that they loved our skirts. ( we all wore the same skirt from runningskirts.com) At mile 6 we hit Livingston Park. In Livingston Park they had us run about 3/4 on a trail which had me a bit stressed. I am not a trail person. I am clumsy by nature, hate looking down the whole time and of course I twisted my ankle and twisted it bad. It hurt. We kept going. We finished the first half in about 1:57. We had already taken our Hammer Gel twice. Our plan was to take it every 5 miles in the race. At mile 13 we turned right and the half marathon turned left. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that part of me wanted to go left, but we kept on going.

The second 13.1 was a much different story. I was starting to get tired and still running with my running partners Michele and Gail. We went over the bridge to the other side of Manchester. It was a much different scene. Not as many people, quiet and very lonely. At mile 14 I started to feel sick to my stomach and my quads were killing. I told Michele and Gail that I thought that I was going to throw up and they encouraged me to keep going. It was almost time to take another Gel and Gail said that she thought I should eat my granola bar. It was like the gel was just sitting in my stomach. uhhhh....We then had a water stop at mile 15. I walked through and then kept going. At about mile 16 I told the girls to go on, I needed to walk and I did not want to hold anyone back. They both were adamant about not leaving me, but I told them I needed them to go on. I was starting to get anxious and needed to run my own race at this point. They left me and I started to walk a bit. I then started walking and running. My legs were so cold and so tired. It was like I was having a little meltdown, but I kept going. I knew I needed to make it to mile 20 because Travis, the kids and Julie and Leslie would be waiting for me. I finally made it to them and that cheered me up a bit. And then I kept going. Run, walk, run, walk. I saw my friends Diane and Jim at mile 21 and then again at mile 23. Jim had run a couple of marathons and knew that they needed to keep track of me. At mile 24 Julie and Leslie were waiting for me again. Taking pictures, jumping up and down and saying funny things like, "my butt looked sexy in my skirt!" Finally, at mile 25 I hit the footbridge over the water and knew I was close. I started to run with an older gentleman who runs a marathon almost every weekend. He had a bright yellow "Marathon Fanatics" jacket on. We didn't talk a lot, but it was nice to have someone next to me. Then we were there. I could hear the cowbells, and people saying names on the loud speaker. I saw the kids and my friend and her kids and they were all running beside me. I have never been so happy to be at the end of my race in my life. Everyone was waiting for me. Gail and Michele finished about 20 minutes before me and were both crying. My friend Sherry was crying, Travis was crying and I just felt like I was going to throw up. I was sick, dizzy and cold. I looked at Michele and she said that she thought I needed the medical tent. I went in, they gave me a Gatorade and warm blankets. Then put me in the back of an ambulance to warm up. After about 15 minutes, the police told Travis that he could bring the car by the ambulance to take me home. Once I got myself in the car, I started crying. I think all of the emotion of the day finally hit home.

Once home I took a hot shower, put on my pj's and compression socks and went to bed. I have never been so happy to be in my bed.

Now, 36 hours later I could tell you what I learned, do different etc...but I will save that for another post. This one was probably long enough.

Quick Marathon Post

I finished my first marathon. My time was 4:32:57. It was hard. I had a little bit of a mental break about mile 21, but I finished. When I got into the car and was a bit teary eyed, okay maybe a lot teary eyed, my husband reminded me that last year at this time running a marathon was not even on my radar. He is right, it was always something I wanted to do, but never thought that I would! So, I am now home, sitting in my bed and watching football. More to come when my hands don't hurt anymore. It was stinkin' freezing here today.....

Setting the Pace

This is Siri with my number. She has been very helpful today. She then told me that she wanted a pair of Vibrams. I told her that they didn't make them in a child's size 3. To bad, so sad. Always after something that one.
This is my shirt. It says "Set the Pace." I have no particular pace in mind, I just like the shirt with my skirt and my shoes. Okay, so it is partly how I look. I can't help it.

The Outfit

Here it is. I will post my number later. I am loving my running skirt right now! Also, notice that I have figured out my new camera and my blog. Yay for my husband!

Obsessive Compulsive

I am stressed. I have tried to pretend all week that I wasn't. That everything was cool, that I was laid back yada, yada, yada, but today everything came to a head. I had a list that was long and a house that is trashed due to how busy we all are and I finally had a breakdown. It was at that point that I started cleaning. I am a cleaner by nature. I like things to be in order, I don't like clutter (funny thought in a house with 4 kids, an ADHD husband and 2 cats) and I like things to be clean. Some might say that I am Obsessive Compulsive, but I really am not. I just need order in order to function. I started with the pantry and 5 black garbage bags later I was done. Izzie's exact words when she saw it, "Wowie Kozowie!" I then moved on to vacuuming, wiping down counters, and cleaning bathrooms.

What I really needed was a good 5 mile run and I can't tell you how hard it was for me to not just put my shoes on and take off. I had no kids with me, I was footloose and fancy free and cleaning was not releasing the stress. Tapering stinks. I need to run due to the fact that I can't stop eating. I need to run because that is my outlet. I need to run because I honestly can't get out of my own way.

Two days to go, hopefully I don't lose my mind before then. Now, off to clean Siri's room. Wish me luck!

Funny Thoughts

As I was getting ready this morning I started laughing to myself. My friend Gail said while we were running, "if we run the marathon as fast as we ran the Devil's Chase this weekend, we will finish in 3:40." We started laughing of course and my friend Michelle replied, "I can't run that fast for 26 miles." Now, when I was in the shower I started thinking about this, Imagine....if we run it in 3:40 we will qualify for Boston. Hmmmm, just thinkin.....

It's Almost Here

Today is Wednesday, my marathon is on Sunday. We did a 3 mile run today and it felt good. We ran a little bit fast because it was so cooooolllllddddd, 25 degrees in my car. I said that we could count it as our last speed work out:) After our run we talked about our plan, what we are bringing, what time we are picking up our numbers etc...That started to make things a little more real and then I started to get a little scared. I feel like I have that Tom Petty song stuck in my head, "the waiting is the hardest part, lalalalala. It is hard to wait, I just want to do it, but I know that my body needs a couple of more days to rest and be ready. The good thing that we figured out this morning, the time falls back on Sunday am, so we will get an extra hour of sleep, that is if we sleep.

On another note, I bought a new camera on Friday so that I could post pictures. I downloaded the software etc...turns out my husband has to fix something because it is a Nikon and they have some other JPG thingy, mabob. So pictures will be coming soon.

The Devils Run

On Sunday I ran the Devils Chase 6.66 in Salem, MA. How appropriate to be running a Halloween race in Salem. We left early about 5:45 so we would be all set, bathrooms, numbers etc...We also had our friend Teri who was running her first race. We were so excited for her, for taking on a 6 mile race for her first race and for the fact that she was starting to love running as much as we all do. We were at the race by 7 am for an 8 am start time, but that was fine, we picked up our numbers went to the bathroom, ate and drank some water. We decided that we would try to run together, but whatever happened, would happen. I knew that I did not want to run to fast because I did not want to get hurt for the upcoming weekend. Finally, 8 am. It was a little chilly and my feet were starting to get cold in my fancy Halloween knee socks. Then an announcement comes...."We are going to wait until everyone is out of the bathrooms before we start." Seriously, that is just weird. I am all for being 5 minutes behind schedule, but we did not start until almost 8:30. Note...don't get into the bathroom lines if it is 5 minutes before the race. Anyhoo....off we went, very crowded start and then it opened up. The race had many out and backs, a little bit of off roading on rocks. ( I was not psyched about this due to the fact I am a perpetual ankle twister and was getting stressed.) There were no hills, an extremely flat race and it was kind of cool to run through Salem. I had never been there before. The only down was that it was not a 6.66 mile course, everyone's Garmin was registering 6.4 and the timing ankle bracelets (really ankle bracelets?) were not reading accurately. My time on my Garmin was 55 minutes which is where I expected to be at....not to fast and not to slow. Plus, I got to run with Lynn for the entire time so we did some chit chatting.

Teri did finish the race in 1:27 and she was so excited! We ran her in and I almost started crying, yes crying. I just felt so excited for her, how many times a week do we runners knock back a 6 mile route and not think anything of it. This was such a big deal for her. She was tired and she was slow, but she did it!

Finally, I am 5 days left of my taper. I am hating tapering. It is such a pain. My kids are home from school today and I just want to climb on the TM for like 2 hours. I know, I know...small thing to complain about, but I really need a good 4 miles a day or I go CRAZY! even my kids' know when I haven't run. Oh well, we are going on a nature walk with my MIL, wish me luck, maybe I will run a bit down the trail.....

Three Things Thursday

1/ I am exhausted today. Siri's friend slept over last night due to a family medical issue and they were still awake at 1 am, ON A SCHOOL NIGHT. When I went into the room to let them have it they were cleaning Siri's room. Seriously, I can't get her to clean her room at 1 in the afternoon but sure 1 in the morning let's go to town. Anyway it ruined my 5 am run because I was to tired to get up at 430 to meet Lynn. 5 hours sleep I can deal with 3 hours, not so much.

2/ I ran 4 miles on the treadmill before a meeting tonight. I did my own little tempo/fast run. I would run at 6.0 for a 1/2 a mile then bring it up to 8.0 for a half and so on and so on. I have to say my legs are a little tired right now.

3/ I have to make a Halloween costume tomorrow for Siri's horse. Yes, you read it right, her horse, Splash. I am sewing flowers onto his saddle pad. Siri is a bee and Splash is her flower. I will definitely post pictures. I need to learn how to post, I definitely have funny pics sometimes.

Happy Thursday....well almost Friday everyone:)

It's All in the "Axe"

I ran with my friend Lynne this am. It was a quick 4 miles, she had to go to work and then it started to pour. I hurried home to hop in the shower before my day started. Imagine my suprise when I realized that my pink Dove soap was gone, no more left, just a little piece that wouldn't even clean my arm. I was going to call to Travis, but it was 6:15 and I didn't want everyone up so I looked at my options, let's see...Suave Strawberry Kids Shampoo, Old Spice Men's Body Wash or Axe Fresh. It is official the kids have more soap, shampoos in my shower than I do. I then had to take my pick and I went with the Axe. I couldn't picture smelling like strawberries all day and the Old Spice was a bit strong so I soaped up and got out of the shower. I put my stuff together and went downstairs and said "hey" to Ben. He then came into the kitchen and looked at me. "Mom, did you use Axe today?" "Why do you ask?" "Ummmm.....because I can smell you in the playroom. Mom, that is just weird." It probably was weird, but I needed soap and I needed a shower. I smelled, it was humid out this morning and I had an appointment and I couldn't go in my running clothes. Oh well....I definitely still smell like Axe, that stuff lasts all day. I guess it is time to buy more soap.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

I am officially 10 days away from my first marathon. I feel like you feel the last two weeks before you have a baby. You know the done being pregnant portion of the show, but you are scared about what is to come. (especially if 3 of your 4 kiddos were born naturally and one weighed close to 10 pounds) That is how I feel about my marathon. I am so excited for November 7th. I am excited to show how hard I have worked for the past 5 months and that I will actually have met my goal of running my first marathon in the year that I decided to make a change. At the same time I am petrified. Am I truly ready? Have I been training right? Were 2 20's enough or should I have done 3? I guess that I could keep questioning myself or just recognize that there were good and bad training weeks, but I stuck to my plan. I need to realize that I can't do anything different at this point, that my training was and is MY training and that on the morning of November 7th I am going to run like I have never run before. Oh and that a magical sub 4 (3:59:59) would be awesome!

Where is My Hour?

All that I need is 1 hour. One hour in my bedroom, on my treadmill with no one asking for anything i.e. lunch for the 2nd or 3rd time, that bathroom light on, to tell B. to stop talking during iCarly. I also need 1 hour before 3 pm, it is now 1:09 pm. We are going to my MIL's annual pumpkin carving party. T. is still in Maine and will not be home until later so it is up to me and my 4 little pumpkins to represent 29 Oak Hill Drive. Can you feel the enthusiasm from my post. I really don't want to go anywhere but upstairs on my treadmill. You might be saying to yourself, "Why doesn't she just get upstairs and hit the treadmill?" Well....that is a good question. I have lost my motivation today as the morning wore on and I had to make a fruit salad and bring Andy to football and then the afternoon came and now I am on my computer. Way to many "ands" and way to many complaints. I think that I just need to get with the program and give myself until 1:30 then take it from there. What happens to you when you lose your motivation?

Three Things Thursday

1. I have been watching all of the news coverage of the Glee cast and GQ. Okay I have to admit I am not so into the pictures. They are extremely racy, but I think that is the turn that Glee has taken this year. To be on at 8 pm and showing some of the things that they are showing this year has been a bit stressful. My 10 year old was allowed to watch it last year after we had screened it and this year we have not let her watch it. It has just been way to over the top. I will tell you that I am not a prude, I was an adolescent health nurse prior to kids and have seen and heard it all. My kids know where babies come from etc...but the discussions I feel like we have to have after Glee are just to over the top.

2. I am not sore this morning after my 20 mile run. I wore my compression socks after and have them on right now. I was extremely tired last night, I was asleep before the first lines of Modern Family were even uttered, but I am definitely going to log in a couple of miles today.

3. Travis is away until Saturday afternoon. It does not typically bother me when he is away, but I hate having to get everyone to all of their practices, riding lessons etc...Plus there will be a homework argument with Siri tonight as she has a writing project due tomorrow. I better rest up now.

Happy Thursday!!!

My Last 20

Today was my last 20 for Marathon training. It was a hard 20. My running friend Michele picked our route that just happended to have many hills the first 10 miles and not just "hills" these were serious straight up hills and we were pushing her 2 year old in the jogger. At one point it felt like we were not even moving the hill was so steep. We went 10 miles, took a bathroom break at the preschool and then headed out for the last 10 miles. The last 10 were tough. My legs were tight by mile 15, by mile 18 my feet hurt and at mile 20 my stomach felt like it was about to explode. I did nothing different in my run except I ate chocolate Hammer instead of Rasberry Hammer. I am wondering if I need some other fuel, a granola bar or something like that. Michele thought that maybe we had a lot of sugar and water and nothing solid. I am going to do research tonight to see what other people do for race fuel.

On another note Siri is playing volleyball this season. She came home from practice last night so excited and I was excited for her. She is working so hard right now. Between her riding, new school and other activities she is really stepping up and we are thrilled. Yay Siri! Now, if I could only get her out running....

any fuel ideas out there to keep my stomach from flaring up?

Hot Dogs, Cheeseburgers and Kit Kats

I am scheduled to run 20 miles tomorrow. My last 20 before my marathon, then the taper begins. Usually the day before a big run I drink extra water, eat healthy foods and take it easy. Let's just say that I hit the taking it easy part just right, but I kind of bombed with the food and water portion of the show. I ate a hot dog, then ate a cheeseburger and finally to top it all off I ate Halloween candy. I also have had 2 Diet Cokes. I gave up Diet Coke during my half marathon training and felt great. for some reason I am now back on the "sauce." It's hard. I don't really drink, smoke etc...so for some reason I feel like Diet Coke is my alcohol. I can give it up for weeks then all of a sudden it is calling me back, but enough about my DC addiction. Let's talk about my nutrition status in relation to tomorrow. I certainly had enough salt so hopefully hyponatremia will not set in:) I plan on running with plenty of water and Hammer Gel. Really, I think that I will be all set. Let's hope...or tomorrow might not be to pretty.

what do you like to eat the day before long runs?

do you ever blow it the day before?

Barney and 1 hour on the treadmill

The weather here in NH is crazy. The wind is blowing so hard it knocked over a table and umbrella outside and there are branches everywhere. I wanted to get 6 miles in this morning and with the girls at home and T and the boys at football practice I knew that I was going to have to run on my treadmill. So, after one cup of Pumpkin coffee I threw on my sports bra, shorts and shoes and took off. I am lucky that my treadmill is in my bedroom because I can watch tv which keeps my mind occupied. Today though I was not so lucky as Izzie was in the bedroom with me. Izzie is 4 and watching NCIS or Biggest Loser for an hour was not what she had in mind. What was on Izzie's mind, Barney. Believe me, I can and do a lot for my kids but there was no way I was watching Barney for an hour while I was on the treadmill. I thought that it might do something for my mental toughness, but today I had to get it done. Finally, we struck up a deal. She would watch NCIS with me for 44 minutes and then I would turn on Barney for the the last 16 minutes. Unfortunately for me she didn't stop talking and I really didn't get to watch NCIS, but once Barney was on she had not one word to say and I focused on my last 16 minutes. It was quick and then it was done. Tomorrow is going to be a longer run. I am hoping for no wind and 10 miles in the AM before football. Keep your fingers crossed!

Wishing it Away

I am going on a "hot" date tonight with my husband. When Siri and Ben were little we went out once a week. We really didn't even have the money, but there was something important about getting out that once a week. I felt like I was stuck at home with two kids 13 months apart and that 2-3 hours out gave me enough energy to make it through the next week. I was always wishing the baby, toddler years away. Now, we are lucky if we get a sitter once every 6 weeks. I am always amazed at how you think that it is going to get easier as the kids get older, honestly I think that it gets harder. There are more activities, there is more homework, just all in all more stuff. My free time during the day is spent running the errands that I have no time to do after school or don't want to do with Izzie. (She is going through the "i deserve a treat at every store" phase.) Then I need to fit in my runs, which are necessary for my sanity. Now, that I am past the "baby" stage I sometimes wish that I could go back. I wish that I could feed them at 4:30, bathe them and put them in bed at 7. Rock them, read them stories, all of the things that I can't do now. It all seems so easy now that I am looking back on it. It is to bad that I wished it away.

Tufts 10 K for Women

Today I ran the Tufts 10K for Women in Boston, MA. I had a great race. The weather was absolutely perfect. Temp in the low to mid 60's and the sun was beautiful. The race starts and ends at the Boston Common which is one of my favorite places. We seeded ourselves in the 8 minutes/mile section. I was hoping that we didn't seed ourselves to high. I didn't know if I could run that fast for the entire race. As we were standing there I started to get sick to my stomach. I had not eaten breakfast since 8 am and it was now 12 noon. I had had some water, but at this point I had been to the bathroom so many times I think that I had peed everything out. The gun went off at high noon and we were off. It took about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes to get across the start line, but once we turned onto Charles Street we were off. We were fast for our first mile, 7:40 and at that point I was a bit nervous. I didn't think that I could keep that up for 6 miles. After the first mile we settled into ourselves and kept our pace at about 8:00 - 8:20 for the next 5 miles, finally finishing the race at 50:58. I was definitely pleased. I think that is that fastest 10K that I have run.

Now for a pet peeve. Jog strollers...I love jog strollers, I run with one, I help my friend push hers a couple of times a week and I think that you should be able to be in races. I don't think that you should be able to run people over and then laugh about it. In the registration it said that the jog strollers should be in the back of the pack. This woman did not listen and proceeded to lose control of her jog stroller and then almost hit my friend in the back of her heels and legs. It just totally annoyed me and I had bad jog stroller thoughts after that....Oh well what can you do?

Finally, we had lunch at Sur la Table on Boylston Street and then headed over to Lululemon for a little post run treat. Ohhhhh....how I love post run treats.

What a great race! I had such a good time and loved doing a race that was over in under an hour.

Early Mornings

I run about 2 times a week with my friend, L. She is an emergency room nurse and she always has great stories. I love these because before I started my 2nd career of "homemaker" I was an adolescent health nurse at Chilren's in Boston. So...while we run I live vicariously through her and her job. We also run at 5 am these 2 mornings a week. I am never usually scared, but this morning it was dark out and I mean dark. There was no moon, a million stars but no moon and there was one street light on our way. I definitely had a weird feeling this morning. I ran with my pepper spray today, but didn't have my Road ID on and started to get anxious. I don't know what the reason was this morning. Lynn and I are loud, I don't think that anything/one would just sneak up on us and snatch us or attack us. (okay maybe my imagination is gettting the best of me) but I was definitely not myself an glad for the end. I think that this route might be off of our list for awhile. We are going to start heading to the street lights.

Three Things Thursday

I don't always do a Three Things Thursday post, but for some reason it seems to be inspiring me today reading everyone else's posts. So here goes...

1. I am wondering at what point my 4 year old will stop saying "Mom" everytime that I sit down. It is really quite unbelievable. I can be upstairs and sitting down and she can be downstairs and for some reason she knows...it is lucky that I love her so much and that she is number 4. I have become laid back over the years.

2. I ran 20 miles yesterday. Not all at one time, but in 3 segments. The first part was when Travis left for Ohio at 5 am I ran a 10K. Then I ran 6 miles with my friend Karin in the pouring rain. I think that we ended up with over 3 inches of rain. I finished up with 8 miles on the treadmill at 6:30 pm. The last 8 was hard, but the kids kept talking to me and telling me how great I was running. It was actually really cute.

3. I am totally signed up for the Princess Half Marathon in February. I have my room and my plane ticket. Thanks Michelle for setting all of that up. So psyched, my husband told me that I can take down the magazine ad off of the fridge since I got my way:)

Oh good, Silvana is here to clean my house and believe she has her work cut out for her.

Treadmill

Yee-haw! My husband surprised me with a treadmill for my birthday this morning. It is being delivered at 3 pm. I am soooooooo excited! More to follow with pictures etc... Happy day everyone!

Races, Races, Races...

Short blog tonight, I am so tired! I had to get up at 5:30 this morning to take my 6 year old to his football game and then off to my other son's football came. I was supposed to meet my friend for a run at 2:30 and then got an awful headache. My stress level seemed exceptionally high today, but I can not tell you why. I ran 7 miles yesterday and could have run forever. It was one of those I could run away moments, thank God I didn't have water with me, who knows how far I would have gone. So anyway a big run tomorrow morning and then Wednesday I going to attempt 2o miles. I have 2 20's on my schedule this training cycle. I think that I am about 35 days out from my marathon which is 5 weeks. I am definitely getting excited, but also a bit nervous. It was exciting for me to read to bloggers that finished marathons this weekend. I always get a little bit teary eyed. A marathon is just such a big accomplishment!

Which leads me to the fact that I signed up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon tonight. I can not even begin to tell you how excited I am. I am going with 2 friends. My parents are paying for my plane ticket and T-bone (husband) gave me the go ahead. I have already started thinking about my outfit:) It will be a fast weekend, but one I can't wait for...

Three Things Thursday

1. I have been eating like it is going out of style. I can't stop myself. It is actually quite weird. I keep trying to reel it in, but if I see a sweet treat or a chip I can't put it down. Lucky I do run enough because I don't think that I have gained any weight, but at the same time getting heavy during marathon training is not really a great idea.

2. I am getting a new calendar this week and then figuring out my calendar until the new year. Tonia at Racing with Babes has her calendar/training figured out until the National Marathon which is March 26th. I am feeling like I need to get with the program.

3. I have had a funny running week, but I am ready to jump back in. The race on Saturday really took a lot out of my body and seemed to affect me mentally. It is almost like I have been depressed this week. I ran on Wednesday and I am running tomorrow and have a plan for both days this weekend. Thank God the Patriots are not playing this Sunday, I am hoping to get my long run in after morning football.

3 Miles Down

This morning I got up at 4:45 to meet my friend L for a run. This would be my first run since the infamous Applefest. Once we got to our meeting place we decided to just run 3, we are going to ease ourselves back in slowly. When we first started out my legs felt like jelly. I apologized to Lynn a couple of times for holding us back. Thank goodness she just laughed. Once I got to mile 2 all of the cricks and cracks in my body had faded away and I started to feel like my usual running self. In fact I probably could have gone 5 at least, but I thought it was best if I took my time. I have a big run next week and I need to slowly get back into it.

On a setting goals note, with the support of my husband, I signed up for the National Marathon. It is March 26th, 2011. I am hoping that I am not being to lofty, I have not even made it through Manchester yet, but this will be great. It is fast and flat and I have decided that in order to keep running I have to set goals for myself.

Does anyone else have running goals for the future?

Where to Begin....

Today I ran the Applefest Half Marathon in Hollis, NH. I woke up feeling apprehensive about the race. It started at 10 am and the temp was supposed to be 85-90 degrees. This is not usual New Hampshire September weather. By mile 2 I was already pouring down sweat. It was hot and it was humid. I kept going though. My pace was slow, I might have had some 8:50's, but by the end I was in the 11's. At mile 7, I kept telling myself that I could do anything for an hour more. Let me be clear this was the longest hour ever. It was hot, I smelled, I could not drink enough water. I took my Hammer Gel, but that didn't even give me one ounce of energy. By mile 10 I think that I was hallucinating, (not really, I might be a bit over dramatic). The last mile is a hill that goes straight up, I had to walk, which was killing me and then finally I was at the end at 2:08. Considering that my half in June I finished in 1:52, I was definitely feeling a little crappy. I don't know what I could have done differently though. I have been training for my marathon although there has not been this kind of heat. I felt better after my 30K 2 weeks ago.

On a positive note I wore my Somnio's today and felt great. As much as I love my Brooks there is something about those shoes that I love. I know that I keep talking about them but definitely look them up.

Making Plans

I have been on Facebook a bit today and was reading the RLAM post about marathons. Marathons that are in the area you live, good ones, bad ones (I don't think that they actually mentioned any bad ones) and ones that people want to do. Of course, I couldn't stop reading the posts. I have not even run my first marathon and I am already planning to run another. Have I lost my mind. I have been eyeing the National Marathon in Washington DC. It is at the end of March which equals great weather for that part of the country. It is also an hour away from my mother's house so I could leave my kids' there. I basically have a plan in my head which is my personality, I am always making plans, making lists etc...and I feel like having running goals i.e. races will keep me running. I don't know if I could just run if I didn't have a goal at the end of it. Oh well...I should probably see how I feel after my November marathon before signing up for another one. Maybe I will start a list of marathons that I want to run. Now that is an idea.

Pepper Spray

Today both of my sons had football games in the next town over. We all go as it is a total family and friends affair. The girls play with friends' that they don't see during the week, eat yucky food from the snack bar and cheer for their brothers'. Today though Siri provided some excitement to the game when she went into the car and just happened to spray my pepper spray in her eyes. Now you might be saying to yourself, "What is Rene' doing with pepper spray?" I have it for running. I am scared of animals in our rural area i.e. bear, fox, skunks and I run at 5 am sometimes and there are some crazies out here/there. Next thing you know I have a 10 year old girl (Siri) screaming because she has sprayed pepper spray in her eyes when she was showing it to her friend. I am so thankful that one of our friends and her mother are both ICU nurses and they immediately stepped into action flushing Siri's eyes out with bottled water for over 30 minutes. After we got her settled and she could see again, I had essentially missed Ben's game and Siri had caused a scene on the sidelines. All of the boys' kept asking if she was okay, what happended, which was all super kind, but I think my husband (who is the head coach) had just about had it at that point and "encouraged" the boys to focus on the game. After Siri felt better she went about her business going to the snack bar and playing. The best part of the ordeal, when my friend stopped Siri and asked her for the whole story she looked at her and said, "it's really complicated." Only Siri would have that answer. The real story, she was showing it to her friend, opened it and showed her how to spray it, then sprayed it on her hands and rubbed her eyes. Never a dull moment.

On a running note I took today off and will run 6 miles tomorrow. I am doing a little tapering this week as I am running the Applefest Half Marathon on Saturday.

Tired

I am tired today and a bit disappointed in myself. I got up to run this am and talked my friend Lynn into running 3 miles. We were supposed to go almost 6. I just did not have it in me. Between the 18 on Sunday and the 10 on Wednesday my legs are just TIRED and my mind is TIRED. Running, shuffling the kids around from school to activities and even just my daily stuff is catching up with me. So, I have decided to take Sunday off. Tomorrow I have an eight scheduled that I want to do and then Sunday I have nothing planned. Both of my boys have football games and the Pats are playing the Jets so I think that I will just take it easy that day and start from scratch on Monday. Anybody else tired today?

A 30 K and 6 boys

Yesterday my friend Michele and I ran the Nahant 30K. We were using it as a marathon training run and we thought it would be fun to do a "race" for the training. For those of you that don't know Nahant it is right on the coast of MA on the other side of Lynn. What a beautiful course. When you weren't running on the water, you were running through beautiful neighborhoods. One house that we passed had views of the beach from every part of the house. INCREDIBLE!!! The water stops were great, almost every 2 miles and the volunteers were super. The only down sides.....HILLS. Who knew that Nahant had so many hills? In fact when we were driving over I asked my friend if it was hilly and her response was, "of course not we are on the water." But, Manchester City Marathon is hilly so this was a good training. The other bad idea, you pass the finish line and then have to run a mile and a half loop before you finish. There is nothing worse than going past the finish line at the end of a race. I don't mind it at the beginning of the race, but definitely not at the end. So....our time was 2:54 which we felt great about! Our pace was great, although we probably should have run a bit slower, we got a bit caught up in the "race" aspect of it. But, all in all a fun time...

Now to what I came home to. 6 boys, 2 girls and 2 dads in the pool. (it was 65 degrees) The first person I see is Izzie clapping for me, then one of my favorite boys asks me, "Did you win?" My response, "Well, my time was good, and I got a medal, but I didn't win. The woman who won was really fast." He thought about this for a minute and then looked at me, "Well, I guess you better train harder." You have to love a nine year old boy.

Getting it Together

I am in the process of getting it together for tomorrow morning. I am running the Nahant 30K. It is a race put on for fall marathon training and since I am running a marathon in November I thought that this would be perfect. The problem with getting it together for an early morning departure is that I also have 4 kids that I have to get everything ready for. Both of my boys play Pop Warner football so I have all of their stuff out and laid out on their floor. The girls just have to go to the field and hang out which they are both pretty good at, but of course that means that I have to have Izzie's clothes ready to go and Siri will just take care of herself. Did I mention that my husband was a coach so Siri has to be somewhat responsible for Izzie which does not always go over well? I could go on and on about the other stuff I have to do, but I have decided to just do the best I can and hope everybody makes it out the door in one piece, including my husband who sometimes is more of a problem than the 4 kids. Happy Weekend everyone. Let me know some fun stuff that you are doing this weekend?

Running Alone

This morning I ran by myself, just me and my Garmin. I went to put on my i pod and it was dead again. I must not be turning it off. This is the second time this week that this has happened. I try so hard to enjoy running "naked,' but I have to admit it is just not for me. When I am running with someone or with music I either talk or tune out. When I have nothing it drives me crazy. My brain becomes a ADHD teenagers brain. It flits from one thing to the other so much so that it seems that my head is about to spin off. I run in order to get away from everything, but without music it seems as though I am taking it all with me. I can't stop thinking about my list or my calendar or my kids or my husband and this will go on the entire run. Let's just say there is a little shuffle plugged in to my computer right now and it will be working for Sunday.

A quick blurb about Sunday. I am running the Nahant 30 K on Sunday morning. I am super excited. I am running with my friend Michele. We are using it as a training run and plan to keep our pace at about 9:30. I am hoping to just finish. I know I did 16 just a few weeks ago, but 18.6? That is really far!

Failing

Two nights ago I took my test for the RRCA certification. I had taken the class to become a certified running coach. I printed out the test 2 weeks ago and have slowly worked on it when I had the time. I used my book, the computer, some old nursing books that I had and was feeling confident. I had always been a good test taker I kept telling myself and some of the answers I was completely sure about. Right? Well, needless to say, I failed. I got a 79 and you needed an 80 to pass. I had gone through it a couple of times and I had changed a couple of answers which typically I never do. I definitely was defeated. I have been feeling like I am having such a good year with my running, training and goals. This was what I felt was my next step in my running and I am now feeling a bit stagnant. So anyway....I am allowing myself the week to feel sad and next year I can take the class again for $100 cheaper. I will meet this goal and it will feel great when I do.

On a funny note, Siri is trying out for the Wizard of Oz at her school. If I hear "Somewhere over the Rainbow" one more time I might have to jump off of a rainbow. God love her, but she is definitely not the next Judy Garland. Happy Wednesday night everyone.

The Great Frog Escape

Wow! What a morning at the Warren house. Andy caught a frog to bring to school in his special bug/frog catcher and all was well in the world. It had grass, a little bit of water and some sort of berry in the container. Smiles all around. Smiles until Izzie picked up the container, dropped it on the floor and all of a sudden I have a frog hopping around the kitchen, a cat chasing it, Ben screaming, me screaming, Andy and Izzie crying and Siri finally catching the frog and calling us all crazy for screaming. This was supposed to be a great Friday morning. I didn't have to take Siri to school today, she luckily had the day off. I went for my run at 5:30 am, got a coffee, came home and got the kids ready etc...etc...instead it only takes one thing to throw everyone off. Chaos is not great sometimes and when you have a house with 4 kids it seems like there is ALWAYS chaos.

Now for my August numbers. Tall Mom Mel posted a challenge on her blog to run 80 miles the month of August. Well, I hit 80 alright, as a matter of fact I hit 132 for the month. I am midway through marathon training and feel great. Imagine these two legs ran 132 miles this month. It makes you realize how much you can do if you put your mind, heart and soul (and sole) into something that you are excited for. This marathon is my big challenge and it is keeping me going in all of my chaos.

Happy Friday!

Anyone affected by Earl? We might get some rain and wind:)

Shortened Run

The heat today was unbearable. I think that it made it to 97 degrees here in NH. Needless to say we did not make it to 14 miles, we made it to 11 and had to quit. I went through 48 ounces of fluid and my clothes were completely wet. My friend was pushing her 2 year old who was as red as a strawberry, he had had enough by mile 8 and our other friend went down with a calf (achilles?gastrinemus(sp?) injury and we had to call someone to pick her up. Thank God her mother was visiting and could come and get her on the side of the road. I am just glad I made 11, for me that had to be enough. My legs are still hurting and my chest hurts aaaarrrgghhhh....hopefully my weekend run will be better.

Today's the Day

Today is the day! I will have 4 little cherubs in school ALL day. How am I celebrating? I am running 14 miles this morning. YAY!!!! I don't have to get a babysitter, I don't have to do it on Saturday morning by myself and I don't have to push, pull or carry anyone. The only downside is the 95 degree temps and the extreme humidity pushing down on New Hampshire. I bought a new top yesterday and got some cool shorts. Our running store had Nike stuff at 20% off, but I bought colors that are going to match the new running skirts when they come out, particulary the blue and black argyle one from runningskirts.com. They said September and I am hoping that that means this week?

That being said it is Izzie's last year of preschool. I wish that I could say that I feel sad, but I don't . I think that when you have four you are either sentimental about every last thing that they do or you are ready to move on. She already thinks that she is "20" so I think that I am ready to move on. She cried all day yesterday because she wanted to go to school like her big sister. (Siri started yesterday). Then she told me that "it just wasn't fair!" because I wouldn't let her have soda and finally ended the day by telling me, "you are the worstest!" Can you tell that she has older siblings. My husband's concern? "If she is like this at 4, what is she going to be like at 14?"

How are you celebrating the first day of school?

Which camp are you in? Sad for your last moments

ready to move on?

Good Morning

I am up and ready to go. To run you say? NO, to go to the grocery store to buy salad stuff to make a garden salad for a lunch today at my 4 year olds preschool. You might be saying to yourself , "Why didn't she do that yesterday?" Well, I am saying that to myself right now. While I did get my 10 miler in yesterday, I then spent the rest of the day at the football field with my two boys and then off to a birthday dinner an hour away. While the football games were awesome, both boys won, and I loved being able to see my college friends, my friend found out that she was pregnant for her 40th birthday, I am tired. Tired from a lot of early mornings of running this summer, tired from 4 kids' and their constant summer activity and finally tired from getting everyone ready for school this week. Oh well, I am off and hopefully my last full day of summer vacation is uneventful!

Three Things Thursday

1/I ran 7 miles this morning in my new Somnios. I really loved this pair of shoes. Check them out on their web site. You do a couple of "tests" to see what kind of shoe that you need, they read your results and then put the shoes together for you. I don't have any stores around here that sell them, so I did everything online. Maybe someone will get certified to sell them around here soon. Anyway, I ran 4 miles outside with my friend Lynn then I finished up with 3 on the treadmill. I feel good to get a good run out of the way for the week. We had a lot of rain this week and it was nice to finally get outside.

2/My cleaning lady came today. I am spoiled as Silvana comes every other week. This summer I had to cancel her a couple of times and today I was so happy to see her that I kissed her cheek! My house was disgusting and with us not having Sophie anymore the crumbs had piled up. I would have to vacuum my house twice a day to keep up with everything and it just does not happen. So, YAY Silvana!!!

3/We are taking Ben and Andy to a Patriots preseason football game tonight. The four of us are so excited. The girls are going to my sister in law's home for the night. This was Ben's birthday present and we got awesome seats:) So...of we go. hopefully we will have a good time.

Running Inspiration

Today on Higher Miles Abbi posed the question of "running admiration." I love to think about those questions. I am inspired daily by my running friends, my running "blog friends," and even by myself. I am inspired in general by my parents, who were both runners when I was growing up. I guess if I were to tell my running story I would have to start with my parents.

When I was little, my father was a smoker. Then, when I was in middle school we lived in California. My Dad was in the Navy and got stationed at Port Hueneme, CA. One school year he went away to Guam and came home and did not smoke anymore. Not only did he not smoke anymore, he had started running. He was a real runner, he would run 6 miles twice a day sometimes. We spent every weekend driving all over Southern California while he did 10 K races, then 10 mile races, then finally a marathon. During this time my mother started running as well. Then the two of them were doing races together and my sister and I would tag along waiting at the end of the 10K route. Sometimes they would let us run with them at home or ride our bikes. My mom would always say that we complained the whole run and then would sprint home and beat them. I don't think that my parents were sprinters. My mother is now a walker. She has arthritis in her knees. My dad has slowed down a bit and does mostly 5 K's.

Now, I run for me. When I get up early (5am) I am so proud of myself and want to just continue to work harder. When I PR a 5K, I am so excited that I can't stand it. Finally, when I have racked up bigger miles (16 this weekend) I can't believe that my mind and my body can and want to work this hard. So, this week when I run another 16 I will try to constantly inspire myself and allow my body and mind to carry me through to the end.

When is to Much to Much?

Last night I received an e-mail from someone regarding a volunteer group that I have done on and off for the past 7 years. It is the town wide women's group that helps those in our town and surrounding towns through fundraising. It is a great group of women and it is a good way to help others with a group of supportive women. The e-mail was regarding my membership this year as I had not paid my dues. I had not paid my dues on purpose because I didn't know if I could do it all. Siri is going to a new school this year and is going to need extra support from me and from Travis. Andy is going to first grade this year and is going to need me more as well as the preschool board I am on and finally my running. (I also have 2 other children). I thought about the e-mail, I talked to Travis and I thought about it for about another hour. At that point I had made my decision, I could not do it this year. Many times I say yes to so many things and then get totally overwhelmed and don't feel like I am doing a good job on anything. So many times we as women and especially stay at home mom's feel like we have something to prove, but who are we trying to prove anything to? Ourselves? I don't know what the answer is, but what I do know is that I had to take a step back and think about myself and my four little chickens. I admit it I can't do it all.

Dear Cotton T-shirt

Dear Cotton T-Shirt,

This morning I saw you in my work out pile next to my black running skirt and decided that I would wear you today. Usually I wear an Nike or Under Armout performance shirt, but I was feeling sentimental about you , my Heartbreak Hill t-shirt. (i have never run Boston, but lived in Chestnut Hill and ran Heartbreak Hill on a daily basis.) I put you on, loved how soft you were and said "this is going to be great." I started out, there was a light drizzle and a little bit of humidity. You started sticking to me at about mile 1, but I was still in cotton shirt love but by mile 3 I was ready for divorce. You were sticking to me, stuck on my bra and kind of big. With my other shirts I usually tuck them in and they don't move. The sweat was not wicking and I was starting to feel gross. I was wondering what made me put you on this morning? What was I thinking? I am usually a creature of habit and you are not even in my rotation. Needless to say I got home and coul not wait to get you off. As much as I love you with a pair of everyday shorts, I think that I have to take you out of the work out drawer. I am sorry, just remember it was me and not you.

friends always,

Rene'