Valentine's Day Thoughts

Elizabeth's first Mercedes Marathon on Valentine's Day 2010.... Steve met us at the finish line with heart-shaped Krispy Kreme donuts... now, that's love!

I've never been a huge Valentine's Day person.  I think I like the thought of the whole thing, but it actually makes me a little sad.

I don't like that we have to be told to tell the people that mean the most how much we love them.  We should do that everyday.... and you should SHOW the people you love that you love them every single day.

And if you're single and not with anyone, you're supposed to feel bad and and feel left out?  Now, that's just wrong.

I didn't buy Steve a card.  I didn't buy Elizabeth a card.  Not a box of candy.  Not s stuffed pink animal or anything.  And it's liberating, I tell ya.

This morning, I woke up early, went to put the coffee on and my heart sank.  There was an envelope by the maker with my name on it.... in Steve's handwriting.  I opened it and pulled the sheet of paper out and burst into tears.  It was the sweetest note about how he didn't buy me a card, didn't get me candy, didn't order flowers, didn't make any reservations.... but just wanted me to know that he loves me and appreciates all that I do for our family.

Yep, that was better than anything.  It's something I will treasure for the rest of my life.  This is what this day is about..... words written from the heart.

Then I got to school and had a bag of candy-grams on my desk.  Sweet kids in the school used their dollars and bought me candy from the 8th grade. Did my daughter get me one?  Nope.  And, of course, I gave her a hard time about it...... but it's really not big deal.

Because that's not what our family is about.

Now, I don't mean to paint our family as this always happy, loving family.  Believe me, we scream, we yell, we tick each other off.... a lot.

But we aren't afraid to tell each other we love each other.  Ever.

So, tonight I will make a normal dinner..... one of Steve's favorites.... and I'm stopping by the store to pick  up some fresh fruit and dark chocolate because Elizabeth wants a chocolate fondue for dessert..... and we will spend the evening together.  And I'm going to soak up all the love I can.

Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend

This was the coldest race I've ever run.  Seriously, I thought I was going to freeze my "half" off....... that's funny because the race used to be called Freeze Your Half Off before it became the Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend.

See, I told you it was cooooold.  

Yesterday, I decided what I was going to wear....

Only I opted for my texting gloves I got for Christmas..... the ones I don't have to take off to use my phone..... I think that was a smart move given the weather.  

We even set out all of the things we would need so that we weren't scrounging around at 6:30 looking for Extreme Beans (my fave), Gu (Steve's fave) or running belts.....

.... or chapstick or hats.  

Last night, I set the alarms and the coffee......

.... got up and got dressed.....

.... and we headed downtown to the start.  Just so you know, that 1/2 zip used to fit me...... I felt a little like a sausage in it, but it sure kept me warm.  

When we got to the start, we headed straight to the potties..... I always want to take care of business one more time before it really hits me..... and boy was it COLD in there.  

We headed to the starting line and grabbed one family picture.....

.... we kissed Elizabeth good-bye and left her further up in the line because she was bound and determined to beat my PR of 2:35.  Steve and I headed towards the back of the line.  You know, I've gotten to the age where I don't chase PRs or times.... I just run, I enjoy the run and try to keep it fun.

Earlier this week over on facebook, the organizers asked for requests of songs to play at the beginning of the race and I was more than thrilled when I heard one of my favorite running songs and the one I requested playing..... "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2.  I sang the song while waiting to cross the start line and kept getting tears in my eyes knowing this was going to be a great race.  

Steve and I had an incredible start of the run, I knew I was running a little too fast, but it was so cold that I barely noticed.  And Steve really didn't complain.  He kept saying we were at a fast pace (for us) and we would slow down, but we (or maybe I) felt great.  

We walked a little here and there, got some water at just about every water stop (which is every mile!) and I had my Extreme Beans around mile 7 which was when I took my phone out and checked on Elizabeth.  She had hit the 10K mark at 1:01 and the 15K mark at 1:33....... I about burst into tears because her projected finish time was around 2:10!  My heart felt so full of pride for her.  

Steve had some knee pain and some calf pain that just wouldn't go away with stretching, so our walk breaks became more regular and I knew we would barely make 3 hours for our finish time.  To be honest, I was a little disappointed because I felt so great.  I never had any problem breathing, my legs felt perfect and well, they did play my song at the beginning..... but I was not about to leave Steve.  

Every year, I seem to get lapped by the marathon leaders earlier and earlier and this year was no exception.  (The marathon is a double lap course.)  Steve and I were lapped on mile 8.... and yes, he was flying passed!  Those darn leaders get faster and faster every single year.

Not too long after that, I saw Elizabeth's cross country and track coach from the high school she will go to next year.  She can't wait to run for him and I told him that E should just about be finished.  He was really excited for her.

At about 9:20am, Elizabeth texted me that she did it... she was finished.  She asked if we had been lapped yet and I had to tell her yes, we had.  She was so happy that she didn't get lapped.  Again, I teared up. I was so proud of my girl for not only beating, but for shattering the family (my) pr.  I checked her time online and her official finish time was 2:15:38. 

The last 5K for us was kinda brutal.  Steve was in such pain and he told me a couple of times to just go, keep running, not to let him hold me up.  But, like I said before, I was not about to leave him..... running races for me is so much more than a time, it's running and encouraging each other and enjoying it all.  

When we hit mile 12 we knew we had it made..... we ran the whole last 1.1 and finished in right under 3 hours with a final time of 2:59:15.  Not our slowest, but not our fastest either.  I was just happy to be under 3 hours and I'm so proud of Steve for persevering.  

When we were done, we went in the after party and I had the best beer ever....

..... y'all do know beer tastes better after 13.1 miles, right? 

So, here are my final thoughts....... 

1. I love this race.  Birmingham has a great running community and I'm so proud to be a part of it.  

2. I'd like to thank the organizers, the volunteers, police officers who blocked off traffic and all of the people who braved the freezing weather to come out and support us...... without all of them I would have been snoozing in my bed instead of running.

3. I'd like to apologize to anyone who had to witness me doing the runners version of blowing your nose..... my cold is just about gone, but I had to do what I had to do.  I know it's gross, but it couldn't be helped.  

4. After the race, we had to hightail it out.... Elizabeth had a soccer game.  After we got to the field, a friend of mine texted me to tell me Elizabeth came in 3rd in her age group!  Again, I burst into tears of pure pride for my strong daughter!  My friend picked up her plaque and will bring it to her at school tomorrow.  So very cool!

5.  I'd like to thank all the fun people that Elizabeth ran with..... y'all were so welcoming to her and she had so much fun.  She was a little sad that she couldn't get one of her friends to run with her and was a little afraid of running by herself.  Again, thank you so very much.  Birmingham's running community is the best!  Wait, runners in general are the best!

6. This afternoon we watched the tv coverage of the race, Elizabeth was on tv and they showed a marriage proposal..... it was so sweet!  He had finished the half and waited for her to finish.  When she finished, he put the medal around her neck then got down on one knee...... I love runners!

7. I hated to drink my beer and run.  I wish I could have found a few more friends to chat with, but soccer called.

8. We love our medals....

.... it really may be the only Mercedes symbol I ever own!

Thank You

1.  Girl Scouts.....

.... for the crack carbo-loading this week.

2.  Aveda.....

.... for helping me breathe again.  Have you tried this?  Just a little under the nose and my sinuses are open..... I may have to stick this little tube in my SPI belt Sunday, but I'm hoping to be over this by then.

3.  Auto Correct.....

..... for getting me all excited and then tearing me down.  Believe me, Hoover is NOT as exciting as Hawaii.

Half Marathon Worries

*** My head is stuffy and I'm soooo tired.  I'm not sick, but I have a head-full of congestion.  Emergen-C, Sudafed, Advil, Vick's Vapo-Rub and sleep are my friends right now.  I'm praying this goes away by Sunday.

*** I'm checking the weather daily.... ok, hourly.  Sunny and cool seem to be on tap.  First the low Sunday morning was around 29.... now, it's 33.

*** I can't decide how to dress....... capris?  shorts?  skirt?  long sleeve shirt?  short sleeve shirt?  I know I'll be in some funky socks and some pigtails...... the rest, I just can't decide.

*** Earlier this week, we received Elizabeth's soccer schedule.  Guess what?  She has a game Sunday afternoon..... yes, she will have a 13.1 mile warm up.  I'm worried she's gong to get injured between the two.

*** I need to get a couple of runs in this week..... I just don't feel like it.  Should I lay off?  Should I just suck it up and run?

*** Why am I acting like this is my first half?  I know what to expect.  I know the course.

*** Elizabeth is going after my PR.... I'm worried she'll be crushed if she doesn't beat it, but I know she will.

*** Yes, I'm already starting to worry I'll miss the alarm.

Love and Excitement

This Sunday, I'm running the Mercedes Half Marathon with Steve and Elizabeth.  

This is the 4th year in a row I've run this race.  The 3rd for Elizabeth and the 1st for Steve.

I'm so excited.  

Every year, I go back and read the story about how this race evolved and every year I tear up reading it.  Ok, I lied, I cry like a baby reading it. 

It goes like this........

A MARATHON FOR LOVE

It’s really a love story. The Mercedes Marathon, a test of endurance and determination, a goal that drives ordinary people to train for months, is really just a love story.

It’s a love story between a boy named Matt and his daddy named Paul.

Matt was born with Down syndrome sixteen years ago. But not only did he have Down syndrome, he also had the heart defect that often accompanies the diagnosis. A sick little boy, Matt required open heart surgery, and the whole idea frightened his parents, Paul and Cinna Sotherland.

Cinna vividly remembers being at UAB hospital with Matt and Paul just before Matt was to have his open heart surgery. The family was standing at one of the big windows at the end of the hallway that looked out over the streets of downtown. Runners, competing in the old Vulcan Marathon, were racing by, and Paul – who ran a little, just for exercise – looked down at his tiny son and made one promise. “You pull through this, Matt, and next year, Daddy will run a marathon for you,” Paul pledged.

Tough little Matt kept his end of the bargain, and Daddy began training. Together they tackled the challenges ahead: Matt’s challenges that come as a part of the Down syndrome diagnosis, and Paul’s determination to run 26.2 miles in honor of the son he so loves. During his training, Paul looked for guidance and motivation, and even good running shoes, from Valerie McLean, the owner of The Trak Shak running shops. Paul did run the Vulcan Marathon the next year, and then kept on running, completing nineteen marathons and half marathons too numerous to count. But it was really Valerie who took the inspiration from Paul and Matt.

She helped organize a half-marathon to benefit The Early Intervention Program (now The Bell Center), the place where Cinna and Paul brought Matt to receive critical therapies, and over the next five years, the Freeze Your Half Off Half-Marathon grew into a first-class event. Valerie knew it was time to take the event to a greater level, and in 2002 transformed the Freeze Your Half Off into the Mercedes Marathon and Half Marathon. Proceeds from the event are given annually to just two charities that provide services to children, one of which is The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.

During its second year, the Mercedes Marathon hosted the 2003 USA Men’s Marathon Championships in preparation for hosting the 2004 USA Men’s Marathon Olympic Trials. Using a multi-loop course proved to be an exciting venue for both athletes and spectators alike. The loop course idea was so successful, that both the New York and Boston Marathons used loop courses for the 2008 USA Men’s & Women’s Marathon Olympic Trials.

Now in its eleventh year, the Mercedes-Benz Marathon weekend of events has become a Birmingham tradition. The event has helped to raise more than $3 million for local charities. The 2011 event included more than 9,000 runners and walkers of all ages, shapes and sizes and was used by participants to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for various local charities.

All of that is important, but it really is just a love story.

********************

Are you in tears?  If not, you should be.

I love how this event has become such a huge part of my family's life.

When Elizabeth was a baby, the race used to come right through our neighborhood and we would walk down the street and cheer on the runners.  

Then, there were a few years where Elizabeth would run the Mercedes Kids Marathon.  Starting in the fall, she would run a little at a time until she got to 25.2 miles and keep a log.  Then, the Saturday of marathon weekend the kids run the last mile, cross the finish line and receive their finishers medal.  I owe Elizabeth's love of running partly to this event.  

And finally, a friend of mine and I ran the half for the first time in 2009 and I've run it since.... talking Elizabeth into joining me and finally Steve.

I'm so emotional going into this week..... it's the first half marathon we've done as a family.  It means so much knowing that this race was started out of family love.

Do we have a goal?   Elizabeth's goal is to take over the family PR (personal record) beating my PR of 2:35, while Steve and I just want to finish.  I'd like to finish in under 3 hours (13:30 minute miles)..... yes, we are terribly slow runners.  

Today, we ran our last long run before the race...... I think I'm ready!

Brain Potpourri

Here are a few things running through my head right now.....

*** You know when you have little ones and the older ladies come up to you and tell you to enjoy every minute of it because your little ones will be big soon?  Well, I know why they are telling to enjoy it..... because one day they will be teenagers and raising babies and toddlers are soooooo much easier.  Teenagers and their problems will wear you slap out.  I promise.  I actually think I'd rather be sleep deprived from feeding a baby or comforting a toddler than losing sleep over teen problems.  I remember being a teen..... it's worse the second time around and you have to watch.

*** I wish I had unlimited race fee funds.  Signing up for races certainly keeps me running and I like to have something to look forward to.  I wish I could do a 10K, 15K or Half Marathon a month..... not one of each..... oh and I guess I'd need some travel funds, too.

***  I finished my 21-Day Challenge and had sugar the first day I could.  It was so yummy..... and all I could think about once the sweet stuff was coursing through my veins.  I'm assuming that's how crack addicts feel..... constantly thinking how they are going to get their next fix.  Yep, that's how I was with sugar yesterday.  I couldn't get if off my mind.  So, today, I'm off sugar again.... and I feel so much better already.

*** Speaking of what we put in our bodies, I 've been thinking about the chemicals we put in our bodies.  See, I've been reading labels lately and I'm so amazed how there are so many things I can't pronounce that I've been poisoning (probably) my body with.  You may not be old enough, but I can remember when a certain red food coloring would come with a warning... that it may cause cancer.  Oh, and sacharine was the same way.  Now I believe it's just common-place to accept that food is a bunch of chemicals.  Well, I'm trying to pay more attention now..... and bug Hubs to give up his diet soda ways.  I mean, if I had to give my my cancer sticks (cigarettes) then he should have to give up his chemical water (soda), right?  All those chemicals could cause cancer.  Sure, I don't know if there is any scientific proof, but I have a hankering, that's all.

*** I've been in a funk lately.... sorry if I've been negative..... I'm really trying to stay positive..... but you gotta learn from the bad times and they help you appreciate the good times more.

*** I ordered two yoga dvd's from Gaiam and they should arrive on Saturday.  One is by Trudie Styler and the other is by Rodney Yee.  I can't wait to try them out!  I just hope they aren't too advanced for me.... I'm still learning and really do love it!

*** Today I was surprised with a visit by my favorite daughter and a couple of friends during lunch..... apparently they have 8th Grade-itis and would rather sit in my room than at the lunch table.  Elizabeth decided to sit in my chair and wouldn't get up..... this was the result.....

..... I thought it was funny.  Oh, and it was accessory day at school for Catholic Schools Week.... don't you love her hat?

What's on your mind today?

Running Shoe Fix

I'm one of those runners..... you know, the one that wears her old running shoes around town after she has too many miles on them to run in them anymore.  

Usually, they look bright and shiny after running 350 miles on the roads.... almost brand new except for the tread being worn.  

When I got new running shoes for Christmas, I decided that maybe I should just toss my old running shoes in the trash because this time they looked like this.......

Yeah, they look pretty bad this time.  That's from running on a trail with gravel and lots of dust being kicked around..... that's where Elizabeth's cross country team practiced over the summer and fall..... and yep, I did run out there a little.  And I, also, think something got spilled all over them.  Anyway, they were trashed.

I decided to do what my mom used to do...... I washed them in the washing machine and now they look like this......

..... sooooo much better!  I had forgotten that they were grey and not white shoes.  And all the stains came out.  Yes, those aren't stains on the top of the shoes..... they are holes in the lining from my super-short toenails (I promise they are not long, I like them short)..... I must run funny and stick my toes up before my foot strikes the pavement because all of my running shoes rub holes right there...... odd, I know.  

And when I dried the shoes, I tried a trick I learned on Pinterest.......

.... worked like a charm.  I just dried them with a few towels and there wasn't any noise from the shoes banging around in the dryer.  Pure genius, I tell ya!

21-Day Challenge Update

Happy Friday!  Yes, I know the day is half over, but I've been busy....... it's sickness season in the old health room....... I'm thinking I need to pull out the gloves and mask when kids come in...... that would be a photo op for sure!

Remember when I told you about the 21 day challenge I've been doing?  Every day I eat a green veggie, exercise, log the food I'm eating and stay clear of sugar through the end of the month.  Well, I can feel a huge difference in how I'm feeling.  I have more energy (yesterday was the first day I took a nap, but I was exhausted) and I've lost an inch in my waist.  

I can't tell you how much weight I've lost because I don't weigh myself anymore.  Seriously, I haven't stepped on a scale since July.  And I have to tell you it's liberating.  When my pants are tight, I know I need to real it in..... and right now they are loose.  I'm trying to not let a number that pops up on my scale control me anymore.... because when I do weigh myself, I get obsessed about it and I don't want to feel that way.  You know what I mean?  I get all upset that the number on the scale isn't moving down, but I seem to put aside that my pants are looser and I'm feeling firmer..... so out went the scale.  

But, back to my challenge...... What am I doing to workout everyday?  I mean, I could run everyday, but I knew I was needing to try new things to supplement my running because my knee has been feeling so tight lately and I knew I was needing to stretch out my muscles while training for the half marathon I'm doing in a few weeks.   So, I came up with a schedule.......

Monday- Barre3 dvd

Tuesday- run and weights

Wednesday- yoga

Thursday- run and weights  

Friday- Barre3 dvd

Saturday- long run

Sunday- yoga

When this challenge is up, I'm going to stick to this schedule and keep staring clear of sugar until the half..... then go crazy for a couple of days until Lent and give the white, sweet stuff up again.  

As far as the weekends are concerned I do my long run on one day and yoga the other depending on weather and family schedule.  

Since I added the barre and yoga, the tightness in my knee has almost vanished.  Last week on our 9 mile run, I had absolutely no pain.  But when we ran 3 miles the other night, it was all tight and stuff again.  Crazy, right?  Oh, and it used to kinda hurt walking up steps, not anymore.  So, a good stretch workout a few times a week is going to stick around. 

Are you working out?  What are you doing these days to keep in shape?

My Current Favorite Things

This workout dvd.....

..... I am really liking it... a lot.  Thanks, Lori, for directing me to it.  

Oh, and I find myself standing like this......

.... and I'm standing straighter, too!

Oh, and have your tried this.....

..... if not, you must.  It's sooo smooth.

And what about this......

...... oh, so good, too!

I'm in love with my new running shoes......

..... seriously, in love!  I went with the wide size this time.... to make extra room for my bunions and I haven't had any pain on my long runs.... NONE!

And popcorn from my Whirley Pop......

.... if you're a popcorn eater you MUST run out and get a Whirley Pop...... it really does make the BEST popcorn.  Thank you, Steve, for giving it to me for Christmas.

And I enjoy the popcorn while I've been watching this.....

.... yep, I've succumbed to peer pressure from Suzette and have started watching Downton Abbey..... oh, I'm in love.... and speak in a fake British accent all the time now.  

What's one of your current favorites?