Keeping it together

The blog has been remodeled!  It needed a "fresh coat of paint" anyways.  I wanted to give it a new title and had to think on that one for a bit.  I settled on Lyrics, Laughter and Lullabies because it fits my life.  I love music and I'm married to a songwriter.  Music is just a part of our world and it seemed appropriate to have it in the title.  And we do laugh, a lot.  Lullabies was obvious because of having a kiddo but I also chose it because I am learning to relax and feel the peace and comfort from resting in His arms.  I referenced romance in the description because not only am I happily in love with my adoring husband and I am deeply loved by God.

So there you go!

Yesterday, two friends that I greatly admire, had some encouraging words to share and it just got me thinking.  First, I was surprised by their comments.  And that simply goes to show that we are our own worst critics.  But I wanted to share with you a method that I have implemented in hopes that it helps out someone else.  I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seats waiting to see what my big reveal is about and I am sad to say it's about keeping your house clean.

I'm sorry it's not more interesting.

Ok so my friends mentioned these things:
1. That I seemed to have figured out how to have a good balance between working and having a family
2.  I seemed to have it all together.
Neither of these friends know each other and so it was just odd that that this happened in the same day. Please note, this is not a pat me on the back session.  I don't typically think those things about myself.  I desperately try to have a good balance and keep it all together but often find myself falling short.  I am aware that my perfectionism stems from an unhealthy place and I am on a journey to fix that.  I am also an organizational freak.  I just love for things to be organized.  I feel like it's the one way I stay sane as a working Mom.

Anyways, I will now admit that for my first four years of home ownership (and yes, ahem, it was a town home) I had a very sweet lady who would come clean my house every 2 weeks.  I really don't enjoy cleaning, especially after I've worked all week and have to give up precious time on the weekends.  It was so nice to have her, especially after Addy was born.  Who wants to scrub a toilet when you are sleep deprived?

We recently built our new home and in an effort to save money, i let the cleaning service go.  Boo!  But I was determined to find a way to take on a dirty house and more importantly, STAY ON TOP OF IT ALL!

My method is not something new.  I believe it's suggested in many self help/make your life easier books.  But it works for me and I wanted to share it because I hope it can help someone else.
I created The List.

I assigned chores for the days of the week.  No chores on  Wednesdays (family  night) or on Sunday (because we all need a day of rest.)  During the week, the chores really don't take more than 30 minutes.  And I do have 3 full baths to keep clean.  I tried to pair up chores that would be quick and easy.  I know it's not deep cleaning  but at least let you feel like you have a presentable house at all times.  And when people are coming over, you aren't scrambling to clean the black mold out of the toilet bowl.

The monthly chores don't happen monthly (I have yet to do the baseboards!) and the daily chores don't always happen every day.  But when it's broken down like this, it's not so bad to do two days of chores at the same time.  My husband is even inclined to do a chore or two instead of feeling overwhelmed with my statement "can you clean the kitchen?"  Another learning moment for me is not criticizing the way he helps but to be thankful he did it.  The one chore that takes the longest is mopping the floors.  My first floor is predominately dark hardwood and it's a pain in the butt to keep clean.  I just give up on it being spotless with a dog and a toddler running around.

Anyways I hope this helps someone out there.  I've been doing this method for 4 months and it really does help me have some sense of balance.  Being off this summer, I find myself slacking.  I keep pushing them off for the next day instead of just taking the time to clean.

Now if someone could please tell me how to get the laundry to do itself.

Picture time...finally!

I finally figured out how to link my phone so I can upload pictures to the blog!   My laptop needs a new power cord and let's be honest, my iPhone serves as my camera.  This will make blogging a lot more motivating.  But if you follow me on Facebook, you have probably already seen all these.  

Here are some updated pics of us and some of my favorite recent Addy snapshots

I think I have inspired a bit of a diva

So pretty

Those pink cowboy boots...

Always helping me with my flowers

Anniversary Date

Once I figure out what is going on with my blog I will get it all nice and updated.  But for now I am going to bed.  And this time, I mean it!

Summer fun

These past few weeks off have really flown by.  I can't believe I am about to say this but I have been busy!!!  Addy keeps me running.  There are even moments when she drives me CRAZY.  (Gasp- did she just admit that.  Yes I did!)  I love my daughter but she is one busy young lady.  Apparently when you are 19 months old, you have a never ending supply of energy and you don't stop, except to cram food down your throat and go to sleep.  Nap time is a precious time for me to sneak in a devotional and just take a breather.  But I must admit that there are those random moments when she comes running towards me and wants me to pick her up or just sit in my lap and I think to myself, this is what Mommy hood is all about.

Here are some pics from our Father's Day lunch.  We met up with Aaron's parents and ate at his Dad's favorite place, Red Lobster.  Addy had a grand time talking to the tank of lobsters.

She is such a Daddy's girl!

Look at her face in this one!

I am loving this summer so far.  It already is a summer that I will not forget.  I have decided to try and eat as gluten free as I can.  I gave that a try for a few weeks and I have to say I won't go back.  I know I don't have the allergy but I do have a sensitivity.  And let's be honest, gluten just makes you feel crappy.  Lay off of it for a few days and you will see what I mean.  I dropped a few pounds, still would like to drop a few more but I feel great.  Now I just need to find some really good gluten free recipes.  After I write this blog, I am going to attempt homeade carrot cake Larabars.  I love Larabars (they are gluten free- yippee), I love carrot cake, I love saving money and I love trying out new things in the kitchen.  I have found several great blogs and I am thankful to have extra time to try out some recipes.  If I can get Aaron to eat something that's super healthy, I feel accomplished.  Addy practically eats everything I offer her (thank goodness) so Aaron is the one I try to persuade over to the healthy side with my ways in the kitchen. Translation: my ability to follow a recipe and beg for him to "just try it!"

Shortly after my last post, and it may have even been the next day, a very interesting thing happened.  A number of amazing ladies have entered into my life.  It's weird when you just click with someone and you feel like you've known them so much longer than 5 minutes.  I decided to do something that is way outside of my comfort zone.  There was a ladies Bible study starting up in my subdivision over the summer and I really felt like it was something I would like to do.  I enjoy Bible studies and it gives me an extra push to be diligent in my devotional times.  And I wanted to meet some of the Burkit Place ladies.  I'll be honest and admit I was hoping there were girls my age.  I emailed to get the information and immediately found a friend.  Which led to more friends.  And I even made a super awesome friend at the pool one afternoon who is also going to the Bible Study.  I could go on and on about this but I won't.  I just want to say that God truly knows what He's doing.  I may question it from time to time, ok so maybe I question it all the time.  But then He does stuff like that and I have to step back and say "Thank you!"  

Aaron teases me and says now I have peeps.  :)

We are doing a Beth Moore study on the Psalms of Ascent.  I haven't started my book yet because I needed to finish up the book I was doing.  And I am happy that today I wrapped up The Search for Significance.  I highly recommend that one.  I've had it for years, have tried to do it several times and didn't get very far.  I set out a few weeks ago to do a chapter a day and the corresponding workbook chapter.  It would take 2 weeks and I had completely run out of excuse not to do it.  I felt very pressed that I needed to start from the beginning and that I needed to finish that up before I began the Beth Moore study.  And I so glad I did.  There was so much to learn from The Search and I could probably write a huge long post about it.  Maybe one day I will.  But my takeaway at this moment is simply this:  God deeply loves me. He has completely forgiven me and finds me pleasing.  I do not have to meet certain standards to feel good about myself.  I do not have to believe the lie that I am who I am and I cannot change. And I do not have to have the approval and acceptance of others to feel good about myself.  I know I know, sounds like a self help book but I promise it's way more than that.  

Now I am on a journey to replace the lies and belief system that has been occupying my brain for years with God's truths.  I know it will take time but I am equipped with the knowledge and I'm ready.  And now, I look forward to diving into the Psalms. 

Side note: Beth Moore is amazing.

Ok so enough on that.  I know you are bored.  And I have carrot cake Larabars to make.

In conclusion, it's been a great summer so far.  I've had some fun times with new girlfriends and great times catching up with old friends.  And when I say old, I simple mean I've known you for a while.  Addy's had some fun play dates with more scheduled over the next few weeks.  Wednesdays have become my child free day at the pool with a girlfriend because both our kiddos are in Mother's Day Out.  Talk about a gloriously relaxing time for this Mommy! Aaron and I have managed to sneak in a date night or two.  I've had time to browse the Internet, thank God for Pinterest, and am putting together decorating ideas for Addy's room and her next birthday bash.  I still haven't done much of anything on the sewing machine but I do have my new sewing cabinet all set up and ready to go.  Does that count?

And with that, I'm off to the kitchen.  Not really, I'm headed to bed.  The Larabar making can wait until tomorrow... and so can the laundry!   

Here's a cute pic from today's play date.  I love this face!

Life, as I know it.

Warning: today's post has a lot of transparency. Now that that's out of the way, I suppose I should let the blogging begin. It has been a bit too long since my last post. I admit I am a bit jealous of all the other Mommies out there who find time to keep their blog up to date. And they even include pictures. That is a huge accomplishment in my book. We don't even have recent pictures of Addy except the ones we take on our phones. Bad parents, I know.
 At the pool today, and yes we moved and now have a neighborhood pool (more on that later) a new Mommy friend asked me if I found it hard to be a working mom with a toddler. When I stop and think about it, yes it is. I'm so thankful to have the job that I do and am able to be home in the summer. However, during the school year, life is crazy. I feel like so many things suffer, especially my friendships. This new Mommy friend and I went on to have a discussion about how it's hard to maintain your friendships when you have babies. It's hard to understand all the challenges that babies supply. I mean, you hear about them. But until you experience something, I don't think you can quite get how it works. And this is not a hate on the people without babies. (I envy you sometimes) And I'm not saying you can't have Mommy friends if you don't have a baby yourself and that those relationships can't be some of the most meaningful in your life. Simply put, Babies invade EVERY area of a parent's life. I mean EVERY area. No more room for selfishness. Life becomes what baby needs when they need it. You can't just pick up and go. Leaving the house takes prep and you must time it around a beautiful thing called The Nap. It's just hard and a lot of work and sometimes, it's just easier to sit at home with your kid and long for adult companionship. I feel bad that my friends without kiddos always come to us because Addy is in bed by 6pm and it's easier to just hang at our house. Not to mention, cheaper. Babysitters cost a lot these days. I do work with a wonderful group of people and that definitely helps fill some of my longing for friendships. But then that lonely feeling creeps in and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this because I have an amazing husband. I also have a handful of really great friends including couples with kids and those without them. But it's the girly times that I long for all the time. Maybe it's because I don't have a sister. Aaron doesn't want to hear about the inner workings of my crazy mind and that is ok. He's a guy. I love the times when I do get a night with a close girlfriend and we drink wine and chat about girl stuff. I wish they happened way more often. I wish it was easier to make it happen See now I'm thinking about all my friends and I'm saying a prayer of Thanksgiving for each and every one of you.
 I think all of this is on the front of my mind because Addy and I have been going to the pool every day since it opened and I see all the other Mommies with their little ones and I want to be friends with them all. I am grateful for my neighbor but more on that later.
 Yes, being a Mommy is wonderful but it definitely means you sacrifice a lot of other things. But the bottom line is that Addyson is worth it. And here I am complaining about how difficult life can be with one child, a super easy child. I can't even begin to imagine more than one but the way it's shaping up to be in the Rice Home, it will only be the one. I have an admiration for the Mommies out there with more than one. I would be in the looney bin.
 I suppose I should now move onto the life updates. Everyone has had enough of my Mommy complaints. So I see my last post was from November. And as I say every time, a lot has happened in our world. At the end of January, we moved into the beautiful home we built in Nolensville, TN. WE LOVE IT. Love the neighborhood, love the house, love the residents, love it all. We still have the town home but have a lovely renter in it at the moment. Being a homeowner and a landlord is a bit scary but God definitely opened up doors for us to build our new home and we are forever thankful. A month after we moved in, our neighbor moved in. Beautiful family with 3 little girls. The youngest girl is just a year older than Addy so that will be so much fun for them both. I love the family. She's a stay at home Mom so we've been able to go to the pool together and it brings me joy to see Addy's little face light up when she sees them. Our backyards aren't fenced yet so we're always chatting about something out back. And that also goes for my other neighbor. It's so nice to walk out back and have neighbors out in their yards to talk to. Everyone I've met at the pool has been very friendly and I love the community that I feel well, in my community. Aaron and I couldn't feel any more blessed making the new house a home. Decorating a new home is a process and so far we have enjoyed every minute of it.
 In the midst of all the crazy of working, parenting, maintaining a home, etc. Aaron and I continue to train. He trains for triathlons and I keep at the running thing. We ended up not doing the Country Music Half because he got hurt and I was beginning to hate running. I had to take a step back and remember why I loved to run and then start over. I am really considering doing the Woman's Half in September. I'm trying to keep pressure off myself and just go out and run because I love to do it. The heat and humidity along with the giant hills have really slowed me down but it's a challenge I like to try and overcome. I've recently had a birthday (blah blah) and an anniversary (yay) and both were wonderful. A week after that was Mother's Day. I have to say I was totally spoiled on all 3 occasions. Being spoiled included massages, dinner dates, breakfast in bed and a sewing machine. I finally pulled the sewing machine out of the box yesterday and set it up. So it took me forever to figure out how to get the darn thing threaded and now I just need a project to sew. I think I have some pretty lofty ambitions for myself and I hope my first project doesn't make me want to throw the machine off the deck.
 Ok so I'm going to switch gears again here and turn back to the icky personal stuff. Stop reading if you don't really care. I know you are just reading my blog to be nosy and it's ok. :) I have found myself on quite a spiritual journey for the past year. I can't believe I am going to admit this but I have had low points where I have questioned who God really is. Of course, I immediately feel guilty because I should know the answer to this. But I will say I have had some hard discussions with God that i never had the courage to have before now. But you know, the deepest and most meaningful relationships we have in our lives are the ones that survive hurt and anger. They are the ones that never faltered when we needed a shoulder to lean on. I supposed this is what I need to go through with God, once again. I am still on that journey. I know I have felt much closer to Him at other times in my life. But He is watching over me. He may be patiently waiting for me to make some great discovery about Him and myself. I don't see myself the way He does and quite frankly, feel very undeserving of His greatness. Yes, I will continue on this journey and I believe it to be the most important one of my life. It's easily over shadowed by life but I cannot forget how important it is to keep pressing on.
 Okay so now it's crazy storming so I'm gonna go observe the wind damage to my precious plants. Btw, I am attempting the green thumb thing and so far, I'm doing ok. Maybe I'll get around to posting new pics of the house and our life soon. No promises though.

3 months of busy life!

I was reading a friend's blog and realized I haven't posted on my own in forever. There is just too much to share. In October, we celebrated sweet Addy's first birthday. I cannot believe my precious angel is now a toddler. It is crazy! I am so proud of myself for not going overboard on her party. (Aaron kept a tight reign on my spending. ) i have to say that I am not much of a DIY person but I discovered it somewhere hiding within me. I made all of her decorations and the food, including baking and decorating the cupcakes. It was a "sweet and spooky" theme and everything just came out so adorable. I mean what do you expect to happen with glitter and the colors hot pink, black and white? All the pictures are on Aaron's camera which means its a slower process in me being able to post i cannot wait to share them with everyone. It was such a great celebration with good friends and family. I hink the party girl was a bit overwhelmed by all the people staring at her. She didn't "tear into" her cupcake but that didn't surprise me. The child has been eating table foods for months so it wasn't a big deal to her. It was however the first time she had something sugary and I wasn't sure what to expect with that. She liked the cake but wasn't to keen on the frosting, go figure. Now my problem is figuring out how to top this party next year.

Addy was one cute little ladybug for Halloween. I couldn't believe she didn't fuss about her costume. She was asleep by the time trick or treating started but we were able to take bug to visit the grandparents and some friends.

Half marathon training continues. I had to take 2 weeks off in October when I was sick with some sort of flu bug but things have been going well. My race is on December 11 and I feel pretty prepared. I've run a few races over the past month so I feel that my race anxiety is at a much lower level. The half is 4 hours away and I'm looking forward to going on an overnight trip with the hubby. No baby.

Thanksgiving was the most low key EVER. It was just us and our friend Jorge. It seriously was so relaxing. I made up a few sides and Jorge made our ham. The food was delicious and we fulfilled the Thanksgiving tradition of being lazy and watching football.

Asdyson is growing so much. Shes's a speedy little crawler and tries to stand on her own in the middle of the room. I suspect she will be walking soon. She makes Aaron and I laugh so much. Listening to her talk is the sweetest thing. Her little smile and those giggles have stolen my heart in the most unimaginable ways. She is such a good little eater (unlike her Daddy) and has transitioned to whole milk very well. She currently has 3 teeth coming in. She loves to dance to music and is a very curious little bug. I could talk about her for hours. She is just a gift!

Our lives have been so busy. We are enjoying our Mosaic Nashville family very much. Aaron has stayed busy with work. We are so thankful for the many blessings in our lives.

My favorite time of year is upon us and it makes me stop and reflect what the Holiday season really is about. It's easy to get sucked into buying gifts, Christmas cards and travel plans. I have been reminded that in the long run, none of that really matters. God's love truly is the greatest gift of all. Every time I look at my beautiful daughter and feel that surge of unending love for her, I think about how much He loves us. Having a child has helped put that love into some sort of a perspective although I know His love is so much greater. In the times when I feel distance with my beautiful Creator, I realize that He didn't wander away from me. It was I who went venturing off acting as if I can handle life on my own. Needless to say, His arms are always open wide, patiently waiting for my return. It's because of Him and His great love that we have a Christmas season. He truly is the Reason for the Season!

I know there are so many things I am forgetting to post. Which I guess is a good reason for me to keep updating on a regular basis. It's just too hard to sum up 3 months of life in a few paragraphs. All I can do is try to be better!

I'm so very proud.

Aaron is truly amazing and I am so thankful God made him for me. Today I watched him accomplish something that a lot of people couldn't do. I know I sure am not able to. I watched him finish his first triathlon.
Now, he only started training 4 weeks ago as his plan was to do one in October. His friend who is a fierce triathlon competitor, talked him into doing The Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon to gain a little bit of experience. He's only had his road bike for a few weeks but was fired up and ready to do it. Then 2 days ago, we were both sick with food poisoning and unfortunately, Aaron had the worst of it. Yesterday was his first day of eating an actual meal, not something you want the week of a competition.
I decided to go with him last night to pick up his race packet, which of course put Addy going to bed much later than her bed time. I wasn't too keen on waking her up the following morning, earlier than her normal wake up time. But I tossed and turned all night long and was up super early this morning anyways so I decided at the last minute to go. After all, it was his first and I know when I run races, it helps to know there is someone out there cheering for you.
I am so glad I went.
For this tri, the swim was a pool swim and family/spectators were allowed on the pool deck. So you were able to stand right on the edge and cheer as the contestants made their turns. That was awesome. I yelled encouragement as he ran off to the transition area to get ready for the bike ride. At that point, I headed to the car. What was so great about the parking spot we ended up in was that I got to see him ride by on his way out and hen run by as he started the 5K. It was also very close to the finish line so I was able to cheer him on for those last few meters. I am so very glad I was able to share this with him and it was quite motivating. Yes, he didn't do as well as he wanted to. The bike ride was SUPER hilly but he never had to walk his bike up a hill. He rode all 16 miles. And the one thing he was worried the most about, the swimming, he nailed.
It was so neat to be out there watching 500 men and women do something like this. Personally, I could never do it because I can't really swim so I just watched in awe as one after another, I saw them ride off, then start a run and head back in on the home stretch. Like I said, it was truly inspiring.
This evening, Aaron and I mapped out a race schedule for me as I start training for a 1/2 marathon in a few weeks. My running journey is going pretty good. So far the shins are doing well, it's my knees that have been hurting pretty badly this past week. I can't tell if it's from all the pounding or if it's where my compression socks end. Tonight, we also traded in my regular stroller for a jogging stroller so I can start to take little bug out with me.
Speaking of little bug, we took some 9 month pics last weekend. She is too cute. Here are a few of them.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Run, baby, run!

Life is crazy and I feel like I'm always making the mad dash to get something important finished. It's even more of a speed trial as a working mom. This all may make a bit of sense since I am a runner at heart. I love it, I absolutely love everything about it. And I recently decided my return was way overdue.
I haven't been running because I had a baby and then I wanted to lose all my baby weight before I got going again. So a round of P90X helped shrink me down to pre preggo size. Now that summer is over and my life has a bit of a routine to it, I decided the time is NOW. Off to Fleet Feet we went so I could get fitted for the perfect pair of running shoes and have my many questions answered by such an amazing and knowledgeable staff.
One of the lame-o reasons I always give up on this thing I love to do is because I have a tendency to get awful shin splints. I've researched and looked into so many things. I have to get fitted for the perfect shoe because of the way my feet roll and other mechanics that I just don't really understand. That's why I go see the pro's. So after running up and down the sidewalk outside the store, I came home armed with a new pair of shoes, inserts and knee high compression socks.
I've heard amazing things about these magic socks and since I also have an issue with my feet going numb while I'm running, I was sold on them as I discussed them in the store. They are also a wonderful PREVENTION for my injury prone shins. So here I was, with the goods that were gonna help me jump back in where I belonged.
I already own the cursed foam roller which is supposed to also be a wonderful contraption to help prevent and treat injuries. But I'll be completely honest, it hurts and I don't do it like I'm supposed to. However, this time was going to be different!
I had to wait (rather impatiently) a few days before I could try out my new gear. Thanks crazy schedule. But last night, I was finally able to try it all out. And you know, this may seem so boring but it was pure enjoyment for me so I must write about it.
Yesterday I decided was my big running debut. So I came home from work, and decided to go while Addy was napping and Aaron could be at the house. Mind you, it was still a "mild" 94 degrees at 4 pm but I tried not to let that bother this Louisiana girl. (ok so it was really bothering me. It was freaking hot.) I took my shiny new shoes out of their box and opened my package of magic socks. Ok at this point I have to explain that these compression socks are not easy to get on. There's actually a special technique to it. I tried to remember my in store demonstration and got to work. Let's just say, I hadn't even gotten the first one all the way up and I was sweating. But my legs felt all tingly and wonderful with them on. I was hooked immediately.
I used my foam roller, downed a protein shake, stretched and headed out the door. I had my water bottle in hand and I was ready to hit the ground running....literally.
I've been reading my running magazines and so I wasn't quite sure what to do. I knew I had a 5 minute warm up walk to figure it out. Do I do intervals? Or do I just run until I puke up a lung, which will probably be after 1/2 mile? Even as I rounded out my warm up, I wasn't even quite sure what to do so I just took off. It was after the first few steps I settled on interval training.
Let me just tell you that right away I was at home.
I started off at an easy low key pace and finally looked at my watch. 4 minutes. Well, I said to myself, this is probably a good time to stop seeing as how I have to do a 30 minute workout. So I decided to walk for 2 minutes and then I ran f or 2 and walked for4. I repeated this throughout the run for 30 minutes.
I wish people could hear all the things that go through my head when I'm running. It's hilarious. Not only am I concentrating on my running technique and posture, and my breath, but my thought life is just jumping around like a crazy person with no direction. I spent a lot of time wondering if I looked as stupid as I felt with my knee high black socks on in the stupid hot temps. But I knew that other runners out there who passed me would know why I was wearing knee highs in the middle of the summer. I spent a lot of time wondering if I actually "looked" like a good runner and not some prissy girly girl out bopping around. After all, its not a beauty contest. It's hot and I sweat. (ok so maybe i matched my running shirt to my new shiny shoes but I needed to look good for my running debut!) I spent time thinking about all my running articles I devour. And most importantly, I thought about how stupid I am to take that much time off from something I just love doing.
I knew going into the running store that I would be training for another half marathon. I plan on walk/running one at the end of Setpember and then concentrating on running the whole 13.1 miles in April. Funny things happen though when I'm running and my dream of doing a full Marathon danced once again in my head. I'm a runner after all. Isn't it every passionate runner's dream? Ok so maybe not, but it's mine. Like I said, funny things happen to my mind when I'm running.
This run was quiet. There wasn't anyone on the usually crowded sidewalks. It was just me and the pavement. My body and breath quickly fell back into their usual pattern. I wondered if no one was out because they were all smarter than me and didn't want to pass out from a heat stroke. But I ran with my water and trust me when I say I was drinking up.
My calves and shines felt good, I had some twinges every now and then but for the most part, they felt great. And my magic socks were awesome. They are made of a special material that keeps you cool in the heat and warm in the cold. And I honestly don't feel like they made me any hotter. I was just plain hot. I sweated from everywhere possible but I DID NOT CARE. It felt so good to be home.
Not only do i have crazy ran dome thoughts, I also yell at myself internally. Sometimes, I listen pretty well and other times, I just flat out ignore the yelling. A perfect example is this. My workout would end with 4 minutes of running. I walked the last 2 and headed into the run. I was hot but still felt pretty good. But after 2 minutes of running, my lungs were burning and my thighs were saying, we can't go on so I stopped. And I immediately became very angry with myself. I'm all too familiar with those particular physical feelings. It's called Sarah Rice's Runners Wall. I hit it consistently at around 1 mile and then at other random times during my run. Half of the time it successfully overtakes me. I'm so used to the nausea feeling I get right after starting but I'm pretty good about ignoring that one. It always goes away. But Sarah Rice's Runners Wall has a really good way of stealing a completed goal from me. But NOT TODAY. I told myself, i still have 2 more minutes, I freaking pushed out a baby for a long time without any drugs, so I better get my butt moving. And I did.
I carried myself home on my cool down walk with such a sense of pride. I haven't run in so very long. I wasn't even sure what to expect from myself but I was even more pleased at how I conquered an all too familiar stumbling block. (If only I could apply my running principles to my daily life... Wouldn't that make life so much easier?)
I came home and told Aaron all about my run and how awesome it felt. He actually interrupted me to say, "Did you weat that shirt because it matches your shoes?" I swear, men just don't get it. But in all seriouslness, he is my biggest supporter and coach and I love how he encourages me to keep it up.
Call it a runner's high (I am an endorphin junkie) but I decided to run the St. Jude half marathon in December and possibly training for the full marathon in April. I don't know if it can be done, but it's out there in cybrspace now so I may just have to commit to it. I'll start my training program for the December half at the end of September and I couldn't be more excited. Although, I did say during my last half marathon that I wasn't ever going to do it again, I find myself actually wanting to do it again. I guess you can just say I'm addicted to running. :)
This is the last time I ever stop doing something I enjoy so much.
I. Am. A . Runner.