This is the Week....

Well, this is the week that marathon training starts. Needless to say I am a little excited. I have printed out my training plan (thank you Hal Higdon), I have printed out calendars for the next four months (thank you Running Diva Mom) and I am feeling ready to go. I am meeting my fast running partner Michelle on Friday and we are going over our training plan, long runs etc...I am glad that this is a cross day. I am going to the pool with the kiddos today and I am hoping to swim a bit. I am tired from all of the fourth of July festivities. Amherst is one of the best places to live on the fourth. We have an incredible parade (a bit long this year) and everyone is so festive! We had friends over last evening and ate a lot of food especially an incredible rhubarb crisp, made by....one of the husbands. All I can say is ........WOW!!! We were all oooingg and aaahhinng over his masterpiece to which he then let us in on his secret...he was a cook for 15 years. That explains it. Now, I need to get with the program. Enough eating and start running!

1000++++Miles with Tall Mom Mel

I am really excited, Mel from Tall Mom on the Run opened up her 1000+++ Mile Challenge to people again and I signed up. That means this year my legs are going to run over 1000 miles. That is more miles than running to my mom's house in Pennsylvania and I am so excited. Running has becoming such a huge part of my existence this year. It takes the stress out of my body, I am stronger than I have ever been and I think that I have become a better mother. It has given me self focus and has taken away some of the kid focus.

Tomorrow morning my friend Karin and I are doing our long run for the week. I have really just been squeaking in 3 and 4 mile runs. It is almost like I have been a bit depressed since my race. My best description would be that post wedding feeling. You strive so hard to train and have a great time and then it is over. So....now it is time to get back down to business. My marathon training starts on Monday and I need to get it into gear.

Lastly, I don't know anyone in the DC area, but I am going to sign up for the DC National Marathon. I think that it is in March. I might just do the half, but it will give me something to train for this winter.

Happy 4th of July!!

Nothing says your special.....

Like Boursin? You know the cheese. I have watched this commercial about a dozen times at this point and it drives me crazy. Should it drive me crazy? Probably not, but I just find it weird. Is cheese really the answer to making you feel special? Is Boursin even cheese? I think that it tastes like cream cheese and is not something that I look to to feel special. How about a kiss from your sleepy four year old or your husband smiling as you take off for your long weekend run? I don't know maybe I am ranting this morning, but I would be hard pressed to find Boursin special or using it to make me feel special. Anyone else?

A Summer Cold Stinks...and Training for a Marathon

It's official! I have a summer cold and I am miserable. My ear hurts and my throat hurts. Izzie and Siri both have it as well so it was only a matter of time. I am supposed to run at 6 am tomorrow and am thinking that I need to turn it in at 830 tonight to make sure that I get a good nights sleep.

Now....marathon training. I am signed up to run the Manchester City Marathon in November. I printed out the Hal Higdon intermediate Marathon training guide last night and did some highlighting and writing in my calendar. Running Diva Mom writes her training runs in her paper calendar and I really liked that idea. It seems like that would hold you accountable and make it an appointment. I am definitely a little nervous. Every person that I have talked to talks about the hills, how hard it is and I even had one person ask me if "I wouldn't prefer to do a more meaningful marathon?" I thought about it for a second and decided that any first marathon is going to memorable, right? And if I am going to do a marathon isn't it good to do one close to home. What if I injure myself? I am 20 minutes from home, my husband and my kids. So....long story short I am doing it and I am going to do well!

Finally, Izzie had her dance recital yesterday. It was way cute, but way to long! 2 hours and 15 minutes later it was over and by the time I got to her she was crying and told me that she quitting dance. I told her take a summer break and we could talk about it in the fall. Oh to be 4 again.

Day 2 of Vacation and.....

Well it is day 2 of vacation and I already have one down, Andy has the stomach bug. He woke up at 2:30 am and has been going strong ever since. I don't know if I have ever described Andy? Andy is very sweet, loving, cute etc....but, he is also very whiny....not just a little whiny, really whiny. So what is a mom to do who has essentially been up since 3 am with a sick, whiny child, a husband who sleeps through it all, (can someone please tell me how they do that?) and 3 other kids who are crying because they wanted to go to the pool today? You start drinking coffee and hope that the day does not go by as slow as you think it is going to. You try not to think about the fact that you were going to run this am with your two older kids. You put a smile on your face and think about all of the fun things that your friend Pam is doing with her kids this summer and decide to make a similar list with markers on a big piece of paper. Maybe the day won't be so bad after all.

Slow Going Last Week

Last week was certainly not a great running week for me. I might have run 10 miles. As much as I felt that I needed a recovery week from my Half, I was so depressed. I ate badly, was snappy with the kids and then became super stressed about how I was going to run this summer. Well, yesterday my plan started fitting together. 2 days a week with my gym friend Lynne, 1 speed work morning at the high school track with my favorite 2 running partners Gail and Michelle, a Friday 6 am run with Beth as well as some sit ups, push ups etc...and finally a long run with Karin, my triathlete friend, on Saturday mornings. We are both training for the AppleFest Half Marathon in September. Hopefully, my training is pretty consistent. More for my sanity than anything else.

Yesterday was the last day of school in Amherst. The kids were so excited...we had an ice cream social at our pool club and ended up not leaving until after 8 pm last night. The kids are still asleep right now. ummmm.....coffee, quiet and 60 degrees on the porch this morning. what a great way to start this first day of vacation.

Let the Summer Begin

Today is Itsie's last day of preschool. The other kids are in school until Monday. I am in the process of "processing" summer. The last few weeks of school I am always so excited, no more packing lunches, we don't need a schedule, the kids will be able to relax etc....then mid July hits and I panic. Have we really already done everything? Am I really ready to pack lunches again? Go to the grocery store by myself? and this summer running will be tricky. When I first signed up for the Worcester Half Marathon I signed up because it was before the kids got out of school and I would be able to train. I told myself I would just relax this summer. Ha Ha who was I kidding? A/I am not a relaxer and B/I have signed up for a race in September. Now I have spent the last 24 hours trying to plan how I am going to run. Some mornings I will get up early, some days I think that I will bring the kids to the high school track and on Fridays I have a sitter so that will have to be my long run day. So...let the summer begin, hopefully I make it to July.