Thankful Heart Thursday

                                                                   

Each Thursday, Renee at Mommaste, and writer for the Simple Moms  posts a series called "Thankful Heart Thursday".  I love the idea of slowing down and just being thankful for what I have.  I need {and want} to do more of this everyday, so this is a great way to express what I'm thankful for.

Today, I am so very thankful for my health.  This is something I have always taken for granted.  For the last several months, I have been training for my first half marathon.   It's been quite a commitment both on my part, and the rest of the family.  The race is a little over two weeks away, and unfortunately, during my long run on Sunday, something went wrong with me knee.  I'm not 100% sure what, I just know that it hurts! :)

I'm trying to go easy on it and praying nothing is seriously wrong, but these last few days have been so frustrating and upsetting.  Now I know, this may seem pretty vain.  "Poor me, I can't run a half marathon" and there are others struggling with loss, disease, or worse.  This is why I am so thankful.  

I'm thankful I have been healthy enough to train all summer and push my body and mind to try something new.  I'm thankful for the support of my family.  I'm thankful for the encouragement I've received from friends.   I may or may not reach this goal, and I have to be OK with that.  I am healthy, and so very fortunate.  

What the...?

June 20th.  That was the date of my last post.  Crazy.  Gotta love summer!  Haven't been able to sit down with my computer and blog much when there are fun things to do like:

Go on fun boat rides, 

Hang out with friends at their gorgeous cottage,

taking Mee-maw and Papa's camper up to St. Ignace for a week with the whole family, 

Swimming at the pool, 

riding a new big girl bike, 

more swimming, 

enjoying the beautiful weather outside, 

trying to keep our flowers alive with little to no rainfall, 

having fun with Instagram and Photo-a-day challenges, 

lots of running, 

and most importantly, just being silly and having fun!

I hope to get it together soon and get back to blogging again.  But for the time being...we will be doing more of the above.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Guess what time it is?

Yes...time to start running again.  Correction.  The time to start running would have been a few months ago, but since I have procrastinated, the time is now.  I officially have 10 weeks to prepare, or "train" if you will, to run 8 miles.  I figured if I put it out there, I might actually stick with it. (?????)

After my sad attempt to run this race last fall I am determined to try this again.  I even worked out a training schedule and everything.  I am only on day three so I still have a LONG way to go.

Here is why this is so challenging for me...  

  (photo taken in March)

Fifty + pounds of children that I have to push in front of me as I run.  Oh, did I mention that I HATE running?Awesome.  If I didn't have so many jiggly parts, I wouldn't be so motivated to do this.  However, my parts are quite jiggly and I have several extra pounds I could do without.

SOOOOOOO...this is what I have to work with, and darn it...I am going to do it.

If I bribe them with snacks and let them watch Blue's Clues or something on the ipod, they are pretty well behaved.  

I even let them bring their bikes and take a ride after our run.  (this was interesting)

Pretty flowers along the trail.  Don't worry, I took them on the bike ride...not the run.  I couldn't slow down my 11 minute miles! ;)

 I love that we have this park close by that is completely flat, paved, and easy to run.   Right now, I am confident that I can do this.  I hope to keep it up!  Wish me luck. (or come babysit my kids 3-4 times a week.)

Spring Fever

The weather this past week was borderline ridiculous, you know, in a good way.  I have been waiting for this for months!!  All through the winter months I sulk and complain, but without persevering through them, I don't think I would appreciate just how happy Spring weather makes me feel! 

We were pushing almost 70 by Thursday, but Tuesday and Wednesday were a comfortable mid-50's.  I am by no means a die hard runner, but I have had the itch to get outside and go for a run. 

This was the perfect week for it!  We headed down the road to Roselle Park (which our family refers to as "The Silo").  The kids LOVE it there!  These are awful pictures, but I didn't bring my camera, so the phone had to do.

I could really use a better jogging stroller.  Right now, we have a bike trailer/jogger that was cheap to begin with, but after several times bottoming out because of kids trying to stand in it, it's taken on a Flintstone-esq quality.  Not to mention I'm pushing almost 50 pounds of child in there.  Not pretty.

Oh well, it gets the job done!

After our run, the troops were getting restless, so I let them walk the last stretch.  It took about 20 minutes to make it the last 1/4 mile back to the car because...

someone had to pick up every single rock he could find...

 then throw them in the "river" (snow meltage)...

and Mom kept trying to take pictures of two unwilling participants...

finally Syd had enough and said "Peace Out".  We did this Tuesday and Wednesday, and to be honest...it wasn't that bad. If I can just force myself to do it, maybe I will actually run the entire 8 miles up at Mackinac this fall.  ???????  We'll see.

We did it! Mackinac Island 8 Mile Run

What an adventure.  Let me start by saying...I am not a runner.  Never have been, probably never will be.

  Somehow, somewhere, I got it in my head that I WAS going to run this race, and that I WAS going to finish.  {I think Amy Spaniolo had something to do with this?}  Unfortunately I wasn't able to run  last year on account of my 8 month pregnant belly, so I was determined to do it this year.  Amy, Vince and Tom ran it last year and said it was a fun experience.  So we  {Dan and I} started our summer with our minds made up that come September, we were going to run 8 miles. 

We did our best to "train" for this race,

but with the demands of life {and a poor work ethic on my part}

we didn't stick to training regimen appropriate for an 8 mile run.  Needless to say, I pushed too hard and my knee started giving me trouble a few weeks back, so I pretty much decided I was out...until last week when it started driving me crazy that I was being left out.  At the last minute I figured...what the heck!  A little ibuprofen and the commitment of another ill-prepared running partner {Amy} and I was back in. 

Anyway...the family stayed up in Mackinac City for the weekend.

We had some nice meals out,

walked around Mackinac Island after the race until the rain got the best of us,

 and let the kids swim at the hotel's "splash pad".

-pictures to come-

My children slept like crap, so I was up for some great sunrise pictures!

{Saturday}

{Sunday}

The race began at 9:30 on Saturday, so we had to get moving quite early to make the Ferry, get on the island and register.

Jeff, Dan, and Tom.

Dan and I (and yes, he already told me I looked like a boy)

Vince, Jeff, Dan and I

The guys finished the race a *tad* ahead of us.  Jeff {crazy marathon runner} finished just under and hour, Dan was about and hour and 22 minutes with Vince just around the same time.  Amy and I came in at 1 hour 44 minutes.  We ran 3 miles, walked 1, ran 1, walked a little more, then ran the last 1/2 mile or so.  It was so refreshing to go into this with NO expectations, that way I couldn't be disappointed. 

Ok, Ok, I'm pretty sure everyone made the list. {and received a medal}  I finished like 1000th of the 1500 people that raced.  But I finished!!!  Whatever...next year...Mackinac Island better watch out!