Summer Time!!! Yea!!!

Superhero friends,

I really can't believe that it's been a month since I've last entered anything on my blog!

The month of May has flown by.

I know I can't remember everything that has happened. But here are some highlights...

Between the 2 older boys -- they played/ we watched 40 baseball games! Ugh!

I'm finishing up my 1st quarter with The Pampered Chef with over $10,000 in sales.

I dropped out of a bootcamp class for the 1st time ever.

Superspouse bought me a convertible for Mother's Day!!!

I went to Atlanta for a 3 day conference at Northpoint Community Church that was amazing.

We hosted a Wedding Shower for 2 great friends who will be getting married in August.

Superspouse & I each got to go on end of the year field trips with superkiddos.

(The best part of that sentence is 'end of the year'!)

But the best part of the last month was definitely Friday, May 26th --

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

It is officially SUMMERTIME and I am excited. Lazy days without a whole lot of purpose.

Endless hours splashing at the pool.

Lots of grilling out. Summer camps. Lightening Bugs.

Lots of peanut butter sandwiches and watermelon.

So that's it in a nutshell. I really will attempt to post more frequently. And put some pics up of the new car. Let me know what's going on in your superhero lives, too. Summer time!! Yea!!!

Look at us!! We're on TV!!

It is here!

Okay, superhero friends, today is the big day. 'Thong & I are leaving for Nashvegas in about 2 hours. I am so excited about getting away for two days, dining at great restaurants, meeting fellow runners, and getting massages. We are also going to hear John Bingham speak today -- that should be good. And running my 3rd Half Marathon. Thanks to everyone for their well wishes & prayers. I'll recap on Monday.

Surviving Bootcamp

I survived! The first week of bootcamp. Owwww! I am sooo sore. A little running, alot of weights, lunges, abs, upper body, lower body. You name it, I think we've done it. And it all hurts. Really hurts.

I'm looking forward to sleeping in a little this weekend.

'Thong & I decided that we are going to use run/walk intervals for the Country Music Half -- one week from tomorrow!! We also have massages booked that evening at the spa at our hotel. I have a feeling we'll need it.

All Blogged Out

Sometimes, superhero friends, I just feel all blogged out. I've taken quite a bit of heat for my lack of blogging...the little bone I tossed out at the end of the week apparently wasn't good enough to satisfy Enviro-man...so here goes.

A lot has happened in the last few weeks...

We had a fantastic spring break.

Baseball season has started for our two oldest boys. It began officially April 3rd.

24 games in 8 weeks -- you gotta love it.

I began a part time business with The Pampered Chef in the later part of February & closed out March with over $4000 in sales.

I am running sporadically. Really too sporadically to be attempting a Half Marathon in 12 days, but I figure it's kinda like birth -- I've lived through it twice...I know I can do it again.

I started a new Boot Camp class at the Y this morning. M, T, Th, F 5:15-6:30am for 6 weeks. I really love the boot camp format. A little mix of everything.

I finally seem to be over the "creeping crud" caused mostly by seasonal allergies. Although, Superspouse seems to have caught it. Yuck.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something. But really, superheroes, isn't that enough? And I'd really rather be out in this amazing weather enjoying today than inside on the computer telling you what happened yesterday. Maybe blogging for me will be more of a fall/winter thing. Who knows? I will try to be more consistent or change my title from "daily musings" to "occasional musing" to avoid a lawsuit for misrepresentation! :)

Watch out, Nashville! Here we come!

It's official. 'Thong & I are registered for the Country Music Half Marathon. Nashville will never be the same. I would be blogging more, but now that we are the fashion divas of the running community --a self-proclaimed title after the Chattanooga Half -- we've spent much of our free time meeting with designers.

Spring Break -- Yea!!!!

It's not what you think, Superhero friends. No beach vacation. No wild parties. Just a BREAK. Starting today through next Sunday, we have NOTHING we HAVE to do! School is out for Spring Break. All mini-superheroes are home. No alarm clocks. No packing lunches & no homework. No running the roads in the van. The weather is beautiful. This is gonna be good. So good.

The most surprising revelation I have had this year while on a sabbatical from Home Schooling is this ---- I LIKE my kids. I really like them. I MISS them when they are not here. I miss having conversation with them. I miss watching them learn, solve problems & interact with each other. And, now that everyone is potty trained & can dress themselves -- THEY ARE FUN!!!! Really fun.

The Home School sabbatical has been fantastic on so many levels. When school began this year, I didn't know it was a sabbatical. I just knew I was sending my kids to school. Kid #1 was going into middle school & wanted to play sports, student council, etc. Kid #3 was going to kindergarten & wanted a REAL teacher. #2 had never experienced "traditional" school & I thought it would be good for him to experience that. I personally needed affirmation that I wasn't raising freaks that couldn't function in the "real world".
Superspouse & I realized around the Christmas holidays that all of these needs had been met. #1 settled in & loves school & all the extra curriculars it offers. He's staying on that path for the long haul. #2 & #3 have had a great experience seeing how "the other half lives", but are ready to come home. We miss our life.

So, this week, we'll get a taste of our former life & the life that we will have again come May 29.
Spring Break -- Yea!!!

Results In -- An Amazing Race

Well, we did it!!! 'Thong & I beat my San Francisco Half time of 2:39 by 4 minutes. We finished at 2:35!!!!

It was great. It felt great. And we looked great! AMAZING!!!

The Turtle (Penguin) would be so proud.
We wore our Running Divas T-shirts much to the embarrassment of 'Thong's son who flew up from sunny south Florida to run in 45 degree weather. We opted not to tell him until after the race that the shirts came with tiaras! Which, of course, we put on immediately post race!! We knew our superhero fan base would expect no less. Am I right or am I right?!!

After all it was 'Thong's birthday!! Shouldn't every Superhero Chick wear a tiara

on her birthday? That's what I thought!

Here is the official race recap: It was a beautiful, crisp morning. The race started in downtown Chattanooga @ 7:30am EST. We ran along the riverwalk, turned around at the halfway point (6.55 m) & then ran back along the river walk to finish back right where we started. It was a very small event. And I mean this. Small. The newspaper today said 165 completed the Half. I'm not quite sure what the completed part means. If anyone dropped out of the race part way through, I feel certain we would have seen them lying around or sitting on a curb...it was a very narrow course. And, since the race organizers had asked for volunteers to bring up the rear of the group, and, since 'Thong & I already knew we'd win a prize for best dressed and had volunteered for that job -- I really think we would have seen the quitters. I'm just kidding... about them asking for volunteers. But 'Thong & I did finish in the spot typically saved for the best. Yes, that would be LAST. & what made it even more hilarious is that they literally were shutting the race down as we passed by. It was hard for me to convince her that at a larger venue, like Nashville, there will be hundreds of people running with us at our pace. As we came down the hill to the finish line over the loud speaker they actually announced, "Here they come!!! The last two finishers of the 2006 Chattanooga Half Marathon!!" If we hadn't have been so ecstatic over the fact that 'Thong hadn't succumbed to an asthma attack & we were actually beating my SF time....I think we might have been offended. But as it was,we were elated. And haven't stopped laughing about it!! Her supercute son finished the race under 2 hours. It was the first "long" race he had run in his life & he trained all of 3 seconds for it. Isn't youth wasted on the youth!?!

So that, my dear superhero friends, is that!!! It was an amazing race. We are now looking forward to the Country Music Half Marathon at the end of April. Just look for us...we'll be the cute superhero chicks in the back!!!

P.S. What you can't see in these pics is that we had DIVA! tatoos on our cheeks. One fellow lady runner wanted to know where we got them. We attempted to explain that they had come from home, but she was convinced that someone, somewhere was holding out on her! We laughed so hard we nearly peed!

Tomorrow's the Big Day

24 hours from now I will have completed my 2nd Half Marathon.

I LOVE THAT!!

My dear friend will have completed her 1st Half Marathon.

I LOVE THAT even more!

When something works for me I really love to share it. Do you share what you learn with others, superhero friends? Shouldn't we? I know that I love what I learn from others. There are several blogs I love to read because of what I learn from them. & not only technical running stuff, but other elements of success -- like attitude. Some of my favorite blogs are: 150mg of happiness (Brent) & Running into a Brick Wall (Rachel) -- the cutest running couple ever from Nashville, Training for my Next Marathon (Danny)-- when I first "met" this New Yorker he was training for his 1st Marathon!, Nancy Toby Run Big! -- a sister superhero who totally kicks butt, and Flatman in Texas & Oldman in Florida round out the bunch. Everybody has a story. Amazing stories. Everybody's reason for running/training is different, but the things that can be learned from them are huge.

I love to reflect.

I think alot of learning comes from looking back --

repeating the things that work & eliminating the things that don't work so well.

I love reflecting on the last 3 years. They have been huge for me. Superhero huge. I feel like I've really started to come into my own. Be comfortable with who I am. Embracing the things I love & not feeling the need to apologize if I don't like the same things you do. And as I look back over these 3 years specifically, I realize that each year has had a different theme.

2003/04 was POTENTIAL.

What exactly lies within?

What can be accomplished?

Can I do more than I've been doing?

And realizing that, YES!,

I can set a goal, work hard, & meet the goal.

2005 was INTENTIONAL.

Intentionally pursuing people & things that will made me stronger.

Physically, emotionally & spiritually.

The flip side was intentionally eliminating people & things that didn't.

2006 is CONSISTENCY.

I am striving to be consistent in recognizing my potential.

Consistent in intentionally setting goals & completing them.

Consistent in the small, daily stuff that keeps me strong

physically, emotionally & spiritually.

So, I guess, superhero friends, that this pre-race day finds me nervous, reflective, & very grateful to those who have gone before me & are willing to tell of their own superheroic journeys.

Miles Logged in February

Miles logged -- 37.5

Let's do better next month.

Happy Birthday, Marathong Mama

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

I am so glad that you are in my life.

You inspire me, motivate me, mentor me & basically just crack me up!

I love you.

We are going to kick butt on Saturday!

You rock, you superhero, you!!!

Happy Anniversary to Me!!

Superhero friends, 3 years ago on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 I walked into an all women's gym looking for help. Today, Sunday, February 26, 2006, I ran 10 miles in preparation for my SECOND half marathon. God is so good!! I am so glad that I began to see myself the way He sees me & was set free from all that held me down. Amazing friends were sent into my life to help me along on the journey. Be inspired, superheroes. The potential lies within us all. All things are possible!

12 Days & Counting

Saturday, March 4th, I will be running or run/walking the Chattanooga Half Marathon with my superhero girlfriend, Marathong Mama. Her 1st Half, my 2nd. She is a big follower of John "The Penguin" Bingham, only she also forgets "Penquin" & calls him "The Turtle". We will be using his run/walk program. It should be good. Our goal is to beat my 2:39 time from last summer. So wish us luck, I have a feeling we may need it! :)

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

Six years ago I was blessed to give birth to an amazing little girl.
She has added so much joy & beauty to what was for so long
a total dump truck/dinosaur boy world.
She truly is a superhero in the making.

I am truly privileged to be called her mother & can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

A Few Pics from Cabo San Lucas

CABO! CABO! CABO!

I haven't posted in a week because last Thursday at the crack of dawn, Superspouse & I left for 5 day, 4 night all expense paid vacation to the beautiful RIU Palace de Cabo San Lucas curtesy of Ford Motor Company. Superspouse is also a superior Service Manager for a local Lincoln Mercury dealership. It was the trip of a lifetime. All inclusive resorts are the way to go. We were treated like kings. We did a whale watching tour, went horseback riding on the beach, met some great people, dickered over prices at the village flea markets & finished entire conversations without being interupted by children!!! Pictures will follow in a day or two.
P.S. The serious training for the Country Music Half Marathon starts tomorrow!!!

With Friends Like These....

Enviroman & his sidekick, CamperBoy, threatened to get even with 'Thong & I several months ago for a disparaging remark (SLACKER!) we left on many, many, many Post It Notes stuck to their trucks one morning at the Y. Our payback came, quite unexpectedly, today. After a COLD 26 degree, 2 mile run at 5:30 am, we returned to the Y & found our vans "Saran Wrapped" together with graffiti up the ying-yang.
Disclaimer: 'Thong & I are not at all "Skanky"...it just happens to be one of her favorite words.

Miles Logged in January

Miles logged in January -- 60.5

Running, Running, Running

My superhero friend, Amy in Iowa, asked what kind of running shoe I wear. I was "fitted" at THE local running store when I first started running. The shoe that was determined to be the best match for me is the New Balance 1221. This is an actual photo of my shoes. :)

If you have never been professionally fitted for a running shoe by someone who knows what they are doing -- you need to do it!!! They take into account how much & what type of running/walking you plan to do. They will watch you walk barefooted so they can tell if you overpronate (which I am prone to do) & other running anomalies. I learned that your running shoe is usually a size or more larger than your regular shoe.

After I wore out my 1st pair of running shoes (a sentence I NEVER imagined being able to utter), I bought another pair of the same shoe on-line. After I wore the 2nd pair out (again, who ever would have thought!!), I eagerly went back to my local running store to be "fitted" again. I figured since with a 45 lb drop in weight & a Half-Marathon behind me, surely something flashier awaited me. But my guy said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I am actually on my 3rd pair of this shoe!!

So, superhero friends, that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

I'm Back & Ready for 2006

Big apologies to my superhero fan base who have been inundating me with nasty emails & phone calls about my lack of blogging. I just was BUSY!!! Getting everyone back in school & getting our home put back together after the holidays sucked all the superhero energy out of me. Not to mention mild depression over "the injury". Sorry, sorry, sorry...please forgive me...you could always get your own blog!! :)

GOALS for 2006

Run the Chattanooga Half Marathon with Marathong (her 1st) on March 4. I want her to beat my 1st Half Marathon time of 2:39.

Run the Country Music Half Marathon in less than 2:30. I actually think I can do it closer to 2:15, but stated goal is under 2:30.

Run a my 1st MARATHON in the fall. Probably October or November. I haven't picked the actually event yet, but I will. This is the year of the Marathon for me!!

Participate in the Chattanooga Sprint Triathlon in August. This was my inaugural event 2 years ago & I would love to do it again. This time faster & stronger.

Lose 20 lbs. This, however, will require eating less. I'm not sure I want to do that. I love food. Note that this goal is really still a wish -- no time attached to it yet. I'm still working on committing to this one. :)

Read the Bible through in a year. So far I'm a week off of the schedule, but will go on vacation soon & will get caught up then. I had this goal many times in the last decade, but this time I know I will finish.

Fix Healthy Meals for my Family. Less processed foods. Whole grains. Yada, Yada, Yada

There they are, my superhero goals for this year. Don't cut me any slack...hold me accountable...share yours with me & I'll do the same for you!!! We superheroes have to stick together!!!

A Little Snag in Training

I was so pumped last week as I zealously began the New Year. Superhero sized goals -- which I will share in my next post -- and superhero running partners to help me meet those goals. All was well. Until my 10.5 mile run on Saturday. I was pretty tired going into it. After all, I had already logged 19 miles which was 5 miles more than I had logged in any week since before Thanksgiving & the dreaded stomach bug. I should have known better than to attempt such a long run, but I'm relatively new at this...and although I've been reading a lot about running...I haven't put quite everything I've read into practice!!

I was really struggling our first 5 miles. In fact, as my fantabulous weekend running partner went on another quarter mile or so to our milestone turn around on the Riverwalk, I stopped to stretch out a very achy left leg. Once we were headed back, I seemed to pick up a bit of energy -- my Tennessee cowboy, Superspouse, likens it to a mule headed to the barn (I'm not quite sure how I feel about his livestock analogies.). As we were into our last mile, the ache turned to specific pain behind my left knee on the outside & up into my thigh. By the time we finished it was searing. ARGHHHH!! We stretched out & I went home took IBprofen & iced it.

I rested Sunday & Monday & prayed ferverently that it feel better quickly. It felt a little better yesterday when my alarm went off -- so I met Marathong & attempted a scheduled 4 mile run. I ran/walked/limped 2 miles & came back home.

So, superhero friends, here I sit & blog, with my leg elevated & on ice. For 3 days of complete rest. My plan is an easy run on Saturday. Just a little snag in training...how does a superhero handle this frustration?? I'm open to advice! :)

1 down, 51 to go!

Miles logged for the 1st week of the year....29.5!!!!

New Year's Eve

My superhero girlfriends & I talked our Superspouses & kids into participating in a New Year's Eve St. Jude's fundraiser. Marathong, her superhubby & kids, along with Superspouse & our 4 kids did the 2 mile fun run/walk. My oldest, who turns 12 tomorrow, ran it in 22 minutes. I was so very proud of him.
My fantabulous weekend running partner & I ran the 4 mile race. My "official" time was 39:05 although Superspouse said the clock said 38:54 as I passed. Anyway you slice it, I came in under 10 minute miles. What a way to ring in 2006!!!
Superhero Girlfriends Rock!!

December Stats

I wish I could say more.

December, 2005 51.5 miles