52:17.6

That's right. Another run. This one for 4.5 miles in the rain on Thanksgiving.
Felt damn good.

0:35:08

I did it!
I ran a 5K.

By myself.

At a pace much better than I thought I could (11:20 if you care to know).

And I couldn't be more proud of myself.

My friend Karie has been a true inspiration. As soon as I saw her run her second 1/2 marathon, I was SO excited for her and proud of her. And that McDonald's breakfast that I was eating while she was running her heart out? It was suddenly very unappealing. I wanted to make a difference for myself, just like Karie was doing for herself.

So I started a Couch to 5K program. And stopped as soon as the weather got cold. I saw a physician and got myself diagnosed with exercise induced asthma, and started with an inhaler and ended up with some blood pressure medication to boot. But I started the C25K program again. And didn't give up this time. Got some kind of Healthy Indiana e-mail one day, and saw that there was a 5K for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on November 6th. And I bit the bullet and signed up.

I got pretty sick 3 weeks before the 5K. I was already worried about being ready, and then went an entire week without running and was really worried. But the Sunday before the 5K, Karie accompanied me on a 3 mile run. And my pace was much better than what I'd been doing on the treadmill. I was able to converse with Karie for about the first half, and then I just had to focus on my running. She kept right on talking, the perfect strategy to keep me engaged and distracted so I wasn't pestering her about how much further.

Friday, I came home from work to find this in our door:

Didn't I tell you Karie is an inspiration and the best cheerleader a girl could ask for?! It was such a nice gesture, it literally brought tears to my eyes.

Friday night, I spent the night at Lindsay & Jason's, and they drove me downtown Saturday morning. It was really cold (I know, I know, what did I expect for Indiana weather in November?!?), but the atmosphere was amazing and I was just super excited to actual be doing it! The run went really well for me. I didn't wear a watch, I had no idea what my pace was, I just did what felt right. Concentrated on my breathing, on the great tunes on my iPod, did a lot of thinking, and tried to soak in the surroundings. The parents running with their kids. The Colts cheerleaders outside Lucas Oil. The water station volunteers. The graffiti. As I neared the end of the run, Let Me Clear My Throat came on my iPod. And I grinned a big old grin, and thought of Karie. Very appropriate that she got me into this journey and she was seeing me through the end of my first official run with a great song. I picked up the pace, and proudly crossed the finish at 0:35:08! A full 10 minutes faster than I thought I would!!

I got my medal, my mini bagel, my bottle of water, my official results, and texted all of my wonderfully supportive loved ones. And I felt GREAT.

I never thought I'd be one to say that I enjoy running. But I love how good it makes me feel. And what a positive example it sets for my children. And that it's something I can do that's only about me. I'm looking forward to the Drumstick Dash on Thanksgiving, and then I'm headed straight into training for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon in May. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be as crazy as Karie and run a marathon....

10.10.10

10.10.10

A pretty memorable date, no?

Mike headed to work nice and early (5 a.m. start - ugh), and the kids and I slept in a bit.

Then it was off to McDonald's (in our pajamas!).

Our dear friend Karie was running in the Chicago Marathon today! I was in Chicago last year when Karie ran a 1/2 marathon there. It's an on-going joke regarding her step-brother Mike, his wife Sara, and myself taking a walk to McDonald's for breakfast while Karie was running 13.1 miles. But Karie did a fantastic job at that 1/2 marathon, and I promised to keep up the tradition of supporting her by indulging in McD's breakfast sandwiches. Two breakfast sandwiches today, one for each 13.1 miles Karie was logging in the books!

After breakfast, we headed back home to get ready for Grandpa John's 80th birthday celebration. Before getting all the kids into the shower, I took a step in my own fitness routine.
I am now officially registered for the Indianapolis Monumental 5K on November 6th!
Thanks for the inspiration, Karie. You've been so encouraging of all of my small efforts, all while continuing to challenge yourself to the next level.

I finally got everyone dressed and ready, and we headed for Grandpa's party.

This is my Great-Aunt Yolande, my Grandma Marlys's twin sister.

Totsie

The kids being silly outside.

Me & the girls.

Grandpa John, looking at some old family pictures.

My uncle Bruce snapped a lot of pictures of everyone, including one of all the kids with Grandpa & me. Hoping to add that here as soon as he gets those uploaded for us. Sitting at home relaxing now, with spaghetti on the stove and football on the television. Windows open, fans on, loving fall! Happy 10.10.10, everyone.

field trip for the K-Man

Friday, I took the day off work to go with Kaden on his first field trip! His preschool took a trip to Waterman's Farm Market for the Fall Harvest Festival. I even got to ride the bus with Kaden & his friends!

There was tons of stuff for the kids to do. Kaden & I had his friend Jace with us for the day, and they couldn't wait to take the hay ride to the pumpkin patch.

The boys both chose a "perfect pumpkin" pretty quickly, and were ready to hop back on for the rest of the hay ride!

After our picnic lunch, they spent a lot of time in the bounce house and on the bouncy slide:

The boys thought this was pretty cool ... not so much because of the mechanics behind it, I think they just liked watching the pumpkins get squashed all over the place!

It was a darn hot day for October! Layers was the key for the day!

The boys also made several trips through the "easy" version of the corn maze.

The pony ride was almost a wasn't. The woman handling the ponies left and had to make a trip back because over 1/2 of our group had paid for the pony ride but hadn't had the opportunity to do it yet. After a little grumpiness from the handler, the kids lined up for the pony ride.

We headed for home after a long day, and as soon as we walked in the door, Kaden started decorating his pumpkin. Quite the masterpiece!

We finished our day of fun by picking up the big kids from school ...

and going to Dairy Queen! Nothing says fun like having dessert before dinner.

Kaden, I had such a wonderful time spending the day with you! I'm so glad that you're loving preschool, and we're super proud of all that you're learning! Love you, Mr. Man!

ten on tuesday

I've been a big ball of random thoughts over the last few days. In an effort to try to get positive, here's a short list of 10 things that I like that have made me smile recently:

1. A firm handshake.

2. Saying the phrase "I heard it on NPR."

3. Cake. (The band and the food.)

4. This song and this one.

5. The sound of the ocean and the feel of sand under your feet. (Ok, so I haven't had sand under my feet recently, but I put in Leah's "Sounds of the Ocean" CD last night and it was super soothing and reminded me of how much I love the beach.)

6. Chips and salsa and queso.

7. Chicken quesadillas.

8. This picture of my kids (an oldie but goodie).

9. Margaritas, which are super fantastic when shared with a bunch of friends, even if the pitcher is accompanied by a bumbling restaurant manager trying to explain how the glasses in which your beverages are being served are different from the "approved" serving glasses.

10. Running. Yup, that one still surprises me, too. I'm not so in love with the act itself, but I LOVE the sense of accomplishment I get when I've gone further than the last time, and I cannot describe how much more I LOVE the quiet time. That racing mind of mine? It shuts down when I'm running ... and that, my friends, puts a smile on my face every time.

soccer season continues

random acts of photography

Hmmm, looks like the kids got a hold of the camera again.

pre-school for the k-man

The Monday after our Indians game marked Kaden's first day of preschool. It had been a rough week for drop-0ff with the big kids in school, but Monday was perfect! Miss Jill took great care to welcome Kaden and provide him with a super cool toy to play with before class, and he said good-bye to me without a single tear being shed! Way to go Kaden!

play ball!

The kids have been to one Indianapolis Indians game before, and we decided to hit the lawn with Mike's friend Evan, and our buddies Cassie, Joe, and "Baby" Hunter.

Notice anything different in this next picture?

About Kaden?

In typical K-Man fashion, he was sporting 2 shirts for the day; one red, one blue. At one point, he was swinging the blue shirt around and ...

dropped it over the fence!! Luckily, it landed on the small overhang over the field and not on the field. Cody couldn't get his arm through the fence far enough to reach the shirt, and Mike was ready to hold Cody upside down over the fence to retrieve the shirt. All I could picture was us on the JumboTron being escorted out by security! Luckily, there was another little boy hanging around the area who had skinnier arms than Cody, and he was able to reach the shirt. Crisis (and potential eviction from the premises) averted!

My kids love Evan.

Really.

You say his name, and they chant it back to you.

They adore him.

So when it came time to leave the game, and Kaden was instructed to hold someone's hand, he didn't want Mommy or Daddy. He wanted Evan. And Evan is such a good sport!

Snagged this shot of Cassie, Joe, and Hunter:

And one of the (stinky) White River:

After the game, we did what we do best with Cassie and Joe ... went to eat wings! Evan's wife, Shelley, met all of us at the Wings, Etc. in Brownsburg for a quick meal. The kids entertained themselves on the driving game while the adults shared conversation (and some very funny video clips). Perfect summer evening!