A walk to remember

Circumstances beyond my control (my van in the shop) led to the need for me to walk home from the gym this morning after I finished teaching my class. Down to only one car right now while we await the completed repairs on our van, James dropped me off at work but then needed to get himself to work. Our Georgia rains have ceased, at least for today, so the walk from the gym to home wasn't that big of a deal for me. I couldn't have asked for better weather, and it gave me time to be calm and quiet and reflect. One reason I have neglected my blog for so long, I realized while walking, is that since I finished the marathon I have not spent any time running lately. The training runs were my opportunity to think and be alone with myself. That is usually when I collected my thoughts and then felt I had something to blog about. Since abandoning my running (or taking a very long hiatus from it) I seldom find myself alone or able to get much deep thinking in. Hence, the long break from blogland. Hopefully this realization will motivate me to take more walks which will in turn lead to more blog posts.

All of that leads into my post for today.

As I was walking home on this absolutely gorgeous day my route took me down various roads and paths, some with sidewalks, some without. It was on one stretch of grassy land with rather tall weeds on one side where I found my eyes scanning the ground in front of me looking for snakes. I am deathly afraid of the little devils.

As I was scanning the ground in high alert mode my thoughts shifted. I realized that had I been born elsewhere, in another land, the very ground that I walked on out of necessity could be a deathbed for me.

How fortunate am I that I was born an American where I do not know the fear of walking a field where landmines might be buried? How lucky I am that my life is in America and I am free to walk home from work when need be, without fear or treachery. How blessed I am to be married to a wonderful man who wears this country's uniform with pride and great honor. How humbled I am that so many millions of others currently answer the call, or have answered it, to defend our beloved America, to say to the enemy, "You won't hurt us today. Not my country. Not on my watch."

May God watch over all those who put themselves in harm's way so I can know the joy and beauty of a peaceful walk in my America. And may God wrap His loving arms around the heroes who walk with him in Heaven now.

God Bless the U.S.A.

Mission: Accomplished!

Goal: Realized!

New addiction: Found!

Alright, I won't go so far as to say I'm addicted to running (that addiction belongs to my hubby). But I will say that for all my talk ahead of time that this would probably be a one-time deal for me, that I would finish this race and be done with running, that I hated running and couldn't imagine what I was thinking by entering a half-marathon....well, a lot of that has changed now.


I got bitten by a bug.


The racing bug.


Maybe it's not so much the racing that I loved. It could very well be that this was a DISNEY race and the adrenaline rush that came with it was indescribable. Whatever it was, I'm smitten and looking ahead to future races. This was absolutely not a one-time deal for me, no matter how much smack I talked ahead of time.


I won't go into a lot of details about the race because I don't recall a lot of the minute points about it. I noticed the crowds cheering, the Disney characters out for meet-n-greets, the lines for the port-a-potties, heard the music from various dj's and local bands along the way, saw my family at mile 7 for a photo op, and cursed the cloverleaf on-ramp that I had to go up (it never seemed to end!). I felt the energy from the crowd when I needed it most, only needed to use my mp3 music for about 2 miles of the race, and only got teary-eyed one time when I entered Epcot for the last mile of my route. I remember crossing the finish line and feeling so proud that I had accomplished my original goal of completing the race and also my ultimate goal of being able to run the whole thing without needing any walking breaks.


I was not fast by any means but I wasn't the slowest either. And even if I had been, there was another jogger that morning wearing a t-shirt that was quite inspirational. I'll never forget that shirt, ever.

Dead Last Finish

is better that

Did Not Finish

is better than

Never Even Started.

How awesome a saying is that? I love it! Any takers out there for next year's race? Registration for 2010's event has started. Why not sign up for it, have a year to train, and proudly wear a shirt slogan like the one above? Hubby and I are hopeful that we'll be there again next year to do this craziness again!

I leave you with a picture of our family after my race was over, my Donald Duck medal around my neck and the sign James made for me that encouraged so many more than just myself.

Happy 2009!

Another new year has begun. I've never really liked New Year's Day very much. I much prefer New Year's Eve because it is still in December. New Year's Day means we are now in January and I don't like that one bit. Why? Because January is closer to June and July than December is. I don't like summer. Not a bit. I take after my mom in that regard. There's just something unnerving to me about the approaching summer season, which is why starting a new year doesn't thrill me. My favorite time of the year is when fall arrives and I know summer is behind us. The turning over of a new calendar means I'm once again facing summer rather than leaving it behind. Does that make sense to anyone out there other than my mom and I?

Anyway, what I do like about a New Year is the promise of all that is to come, all the wonder and possiblities that are open to everyone. I like to think about what the new year will bring for my family and I, what dreams we'll realize this year, what happy memories we'll make, what new experiences we'll discover, what the days will hold for us. I hope and pray that 2009 will be filled with happiness and wonder, God willing.

Tomorrow morning our family will leave bright and early to start our year off trying to realize the resolution we put into motion one year ago. It was my 2008 New Year's resolution to prepare myself for the WDW half-marathon and I guess I'm as prepared now as I can be at this point. In my mind I'm thinking there was more I should have done, or things I should have done differently, but at this late date I'm out of training time and need to go with what I've got and give it my all. Whatever comes my way I'll battle it the same as I've battled everything else all these months, including the stomach bug that just torpedoed through our home over the last couple days. That sure put a wrinkle in our training plans, no doubt!

But the race is more about finishing for me than competitiveness anyway. I never planned any grand illusions of a great time or any craziness like that. My only goals for this race are to finish and not to be the last to finish. James assures me I won't be the last as there will be people doing nothing but walking the race whereas I'm trained to run most of it, again God willing! James has a time goal in mind and he's so well trained (and competitive) that I'm sure he'd be disappointed to get less than what he's after. Me, I just don't want to get swept up! I want to finish the thing, get my Donald Duck medal, and have tangible proof that I am no longer the fat girl that Lance Miller tormented in high school. Deep down I think that is the monkey on my back during this whole thing. Completing this race is my moment to say I have buried that fat girl, I am not her, and I can release her once and for all.

So, to all those out there who, like me, carry too heavy a burden of who they are/were/hope to be, I'll be out there running for us on Saturday, January 10th, hoping that 2009 frees each of you from that demon. Life is too short to keep carrying my fat girl memories on my back. Truthfully, she weighs too much, and I'm not talking poundage.

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday to You!

Yes, indeed. Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! Merry Christmas to everyone!

We have had a wonderful, calm Christmas Day here at our home. While we missed being around our family on this special day, the simplicity of being in our home, on our own schedule, was priceless. The girls have hung out in jammies all day long and been thrilled to play endlessly with their new gifts.

We truly appreciate all the blessings we have had bestowed on us, and are so fortunate to have all that we do. Even more than the shiny new gifts that were under the tree, though, we thank God for each other and all the loved ones far and near that we hold dear, for our health, our happiness, and the most precious gift of all, His Son.

Merry Christmas and may God Bless each one of you.

Three Furballs = Lots of Hairballs!

I apologize for having been out of the posting loop for quite some time. Morgan frequently asks me when I'm going to post again as she enjoys reading both my blog and James'. Yesterday I showed her a posting on a friend's blog (Melissa in AL) where her pets were introduced to readers and became a post all of their own. Morgan really enjoyed reading that posting so I offered to let her do the same kind of entry on my blog since I've been in a dry spell of my own when it comes to writing. So, without any further back-story, here is Morgan's guest-blogger posting introducing you to our funny furballs.

Our family lives around pets. We need pets. And so that’s why I’m going to blog about our furry friends today.


This is Paddy. She’s 12 years old, and she is the smallest of all our cats. As are all our other cats, she’s a Maine Coon Tabby mix. You could describe Paddy as sweet and gentle, but she is also sensitive. She cannot stand being brushed! Paddy will “talk” to us more than the others, because if we look down and say something, she will go, “Meooooowwww.” She usually keeps to herself but has been known to chase her brother on more than one occasion, which is so funny to see! She loves to sleep on top of people during the night and will usually stay in my Mom and Dad's bed, often on Mom's back or legs.


This is Seamus. He’s Paddy’s brother. He is a very dark color. Seamus could be described as unpredictable. One minute he’ll be purring in your lap, licking you, and the next whacking you in your face, like he just did to me earlier today! However, he’s our only cat that actually stays still and likes being brushed. He was chased by, Kooshie, our youngest cat in the “earlier days,” and so now he will go right up to that cat and whack him. Revenge. He has a battle scar on one ear to prove that he picks fights with Kooshie. He'll usually start the fight but then get scared and he "screams" like a little girl! Really, his shrieks are so hilarious because they sound funny coming out of a boy cat! Seamus loves to steal the warm spots on a couch or a chair, meaning if you get up from your seat for a moment when you come back Seamus will be in that spot! It's like he has a heat sensor in him!


This is Shakoosh, or Kooshie, the youngest addition to our family. The name comes from the Iraqi name for the Army base Daddy was at when he was deployed for “the Surge” of OIF5. Kooshie is 2 years old. We got him when we went to the Humane Society to take donations. He had been rescued from a kill shelter on his last day. It was probably his personality that saved him. While we were in the cat room, Mommy saw him and noticed how he looked like Paddy. Soon his sweet personality had us captured and we adopted him, that skinny thing. Now he is a whopping 16.5 pounds, making him by far our heaviest cat. He is tiger-striped and could be described as wild, playful, and full of energy. Kooshie is a true family cat. He is very dog-like, however, and enjoys rolling in dirt, chasing toys, and drinking out of toilets! Kooshie likes to be wherever we are and he will follow us around the house, just like a dog! Maybe he's just really grateful that his life was spared and he wants to show us how much he loves us for that.

Our seniors, Paddy and Seamus, were raised together as brother and sister. The thought that they ruled our house had entered their minds, but when Kooshie came, he decided they were just too old! Now, over 1 ½ years later, they have learned to tolerate each other, but we'd never go so far as to say they are all friends yet! Maybe one day they'll get there. They make pretty good friends to us, though!

Such a long hiatus

I apologize for taking such a very long break from blog-land. I don't really have a very good reason for being gone other than to say I've been busy lately, but then haven't most people? I hardly think my life is that much busier than most, and if it is then I should definitely slow down. That's not the case. I'm slow enough.

Yes, I wrote those very words and meant every bit of it, sadly. I am slow. Too slow. If only I were faster my long runs wouldn't last so dreadfully long. I can't even call them "runs" because they truly aren't. They're jogs and they are pitifully slow for me, at around a 10-12 minute per mile pace. At my current rate, it takes me about 2 hours to complete 9-10 miles. And when my hubby comes home from a 9 or 10 mile run in a little over an hour, well, I should just hang my head in shame, shouldn't I?

But yet I still get out there and plug away at it once per week. I usually hit the track on Tuesday's for a long session. This past Tuesday found me needing to get 11 miles again. I had done it the week prior and wanted to repeat it this week. So, despite the fact that I had several good reasons to NOT go jog (girls were out of school, James was home, it was my birthday!) I hit the track for a goal of 11 miles. I wanted to quit at six due to some serious hip flexor pain. I stretched and muddled through for three more miles before finally calling it good enough. I felt quite disappointed in myself and the outcome, but when you're hurting you're hurting, ya know?

So, I'm trying to figure out the hip thing, hoping I can ease the tightness out enough that it won't bother me during the half-marathon, which is less than 2 months away now. I've got an easier training week coming up with about 6-8 miles planned on Tuesday. I might re-evaluate that as Tuesday approaches and aim a little higher, like 8-10, but that's just crazy talkin', not really seriousness.

In other news, Morgan had her birthday in late October and has now turned 11. What a big girl! And where did the time go? It's amazing, remarkable, sad, unbelievable, fantastic, and shocking all at once. My baby girl, how proud I am of her, how sad to think of the years gone by, how in awe of what those years have brought. I can only Thank God for the most precious gift ever and ask for nothing but another day.

My parents came down for a visit in early October. It had been nearly four years since my Mom had been down here and I was thrilled to have her back. Her work schedule has just kept her too busy at home to allow for a trip to see us, so our visits have always been with her in Missouri for the last few years. It was great to have her back down here (thanks for all the sewing you do, Mom!). I hope we don't have to wait four more years for another visit.

While they were down here, Dad built a bunk bed for Bethy. He and James worked like madmen on that thing, building it entirely from scratch. Dad has a wonder assortment of tools and he brought a fair share of them down here to work with. Between the two guys and about 24 hours of building crammed into two days they got the bed built. Over the next week James and I drove ourselves nuts sanding the bed, priming, and painting it. We've still got a bit more touching up to do on it, needing to get a third shade of pink applied for some pretty contrast. We'll get to that one of these days. In the meantime, Bethy uses it and loves it despite the fact that it looks like Pepto-Bismol has been poured all over her room. Her room, literally, gives off a pink glow out into the halls. Yep, that's our princess for ya!

As I said earlier in this post, I had a birthday this past week. I'm now 34 and happy to be an "even" age again. I don't know why but odd numbers have always bugged me. I didn't like 31, and despised 33, but 34 is just fine. Having recently had the gray in my hair colored helps "34" be an easier pill to swallow, too.

James has found out he'll be reassigned to a different unit on post which will mean no deployments for him for at least a couple years. We share mixed emotions about this as he will not enjoy the new job nearly as much, but at the same time he'll be home most every night. I know everything rests in God's Hands and so I know that his new job will bring with it a blessing of some sort. It may be hard to find the joy in the orders right now, but time will eventually show us what the reason was for being in this position. The glass needs to be half-full, right? That's the best way to live life.

And on that note I'll end this post. May you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy all the blessings that have been bestowed on each of you.

New to Running?

What do you do when someone asks you for advice on how to begin running, how to turn themselves into a runner, when you yourself feel completely inadequate and ill-prepared to provide an answer?

Well, if you're like me you look at that email in your inbox every day for weeks and contemplate what to say, never quite finding the right words to use, or the right advice to give.

After thinking this over for so long I've finally decided rather than reply directly to the person who asked me for this advice, I would blog about it in case anyone else out there is interested in the same info or would like to offer other suggestions or comments.

OK, so let me preface all this by saying I don't consider myself a runner yet. I'm not sure what criteria I'll use to determine when or if I get there, but right now I don't feel I'm 'there' yet. I read something a while back, nothing official, just some specualtion and ramblings, where someone made a distinction between running and jogging by using a 10 minute mile pace. If you are faster than a 10 minute mile you're running, slower than that and you're jogging. So I would fall into the jogger category as it takes me about 10 minutes to do one mile. Hence, I don't consider myself a runner.

Anyway, how did I begin learning to jog? I set my mind to it. That was the first step.

After I'd made my mind up that I wanted to embark on this new form of activity I hopped on the treadmill with a goal to jog for 5 minutes and then walk for 5 minutes, alternating until I'd been on the treadmill 30 minutes. This is how I began, but I'm used to daily exercise so I thought this starting level would be alright for me. Someone who isn't used to daily activity would need to start out at lower intervals and for less total time. But for simplicity in this post I'll just cover what I did and assume that anyone reading this will know to adjust their needs based on what they know to be true for themselves.

I hopped on the treadmill three days/week. That first week was at 5 minute intervals. The next week was 10 minutes of jogging/5 minutes walking. The third week was 15 minutes jogging/5 min walking. The fourth week was 20 minutes of jogging and a 5 minute walk to cooldown. The next week was 25 minutes of jogging and the 5 minute cooldown walk. Then a week of 30 minutes of jogging with a 5 minute cooldown. Then I think I might have changed the pattern so I went back to a 20 minute jog/5 min walk/another 20 min jog, so my time on the treadmill increased.

Basically, I just kept gradually adding on the time spent jogging until I could go at a solid stretch for quite awhile.

And I was pretty happy with how I was doing.

Until I tried to jog outside with a friend.

I'd worked up to jogging about 5 or 6 miles straight on the treadmill, but when I went outside to jog on the track this past February I only made it 1/4 of a mile. Talk about shock!!!!

I got some advice from a running pro I know (love ya, James!) who told me that running outside takes more effort because you are propelling yourself forward whereas on the treadmill you're letting a machine work for you. So from that moment on I abandoned the treadmill.

I'd also developed issues with my feet which required some time away from jogging so the break was both welcome and cursed.

When I got back into jogging I headed straight for the track and used the same technique as I had on the treadmill to train myself to jog outside. Only this time I didn't use time as my milestone to dictate when I moved onto another level. I used mileage.

I started with a goal to run 1 mile and then walk however many more my training plan needed me to. Then the next time I hit the track my goal was to run just a little more than I had the last time, whether that be 1/4 mile longer, 1/2 mile, or more. Each time I tried for a little further and was thrilled with whatever I got because it showed improvement.

And step by step I'm getting there. And so can you.

Lessons I've learned along the way, music can motivate you tremendously so use it if you need it. Also, for me, the first 1/2 mile is a bear ALWAYS! I have come to accept that the first mile will be evil and my legs will revolt against what I'm asking them to do for about 1/2 mile until they finally ease into it and meet the demands I'm putting on them. But that first 1/2 mile is always ugly for me. If I can bear with it, though, it does get better. And lastly, I've learned that not every jog will be good. Some days my legs feel heavier, some days I feel I'm floating. Some days my breathing is more controlled, some days the breathing isn't right and the side stitches creep up on me. It's always different. Don't expect perfection. Just go.

If anyone would like to offer their thoughts or comments or advice, please feel free to write what you know in the comment section. Love to hear from ya!

My Playlist

A few posts ago I rambled on about how the songs I was listening to while running helped motivate me on my journey. I mentioned how much music touches me and speaks to my heart. But what do the songs on my blog's playlist mean to me? Why are they important? What makes them so special? I thought I'd use this post to share with you why I love these particular songs the way I do.

Kokomo by the Beach Boys--Nothing too deep here. I love the upbeat sound of the song, the beach-y theme, and it's from one of my favorite movies Cocktail. Just good fun.

Little Wonders by Rob Thomas--I adore the message in this song about how the real beauty in life is in the little moments, the every day stuff. It's in those moments that you really do your living and loving.

No Place That Far by Sara Evans--I used to sing this song to Morgan as a baby, telling her with every lyric that I would go to the ends of the Earth for her, because even that would not be too far. Love has no limits.

I Swear by John Michael Montgomery--This song was quite popular on country radio back in 1994. James and I chose it for our wedding song but it was so new to radio at the time that we couldn't find sheet music for it for our pianist and singers to sing at the wedding. We chose a different song for the actual ceremony but had this song for our first dance. We still consider it "our song" and sometimes reference it in notes to each other, such as "I love you, I swear."

The Search Is Over by Survivor--What a great, classic 80's song! And what a beautiful story about finding that one special person who was there all along. It just takes opening your eyes to see what is right under your nose.

I Would've Loved You Anyway by Trisha Yearwood--Amazing song sung by an extremely powerful voice. What an unbelievable message about loving someone so completely despite the tragic ending. Isn't that a lesson for us all? Love with all you have and to the fullest. The message in this song has always reminded me of the Poison song Every Rose Has Its Thorn when the verse says, "It's better to have lost at love than never to have loved at all." Amen to that.

I Loved Her First by Heartland--No doubt about it, for any future son-in-law of mine, don't ever doubt that I loved these girls long before they took their first breath, long before you came into their orbit. I will forever look out for them and do my best to protect them, and without any question I will forever love them. Hold her heart gently. I'll be watching.

Above the Clouds by Amber--This is a more recent song I stumbled across and found I truly enjoy. I think what gets me most about this song is when it talks about "If we had known it would be so hard would we have set out on this road together?" Isn't that so true? A weaker person might walk away before things get tough. But for those that are willing to stick it out and risk it all, well, the payoff is magnificent!

That's My Job by Conway Twitty--Again, I like a song that speaks to me, that has a message, that pulls at my heart. This one delivers all that. It reminds me of my own Dad. It's kind of his motto with me whether I ask him to build a toybox for the girls or whatever, he'll oftentimes answer, "That's my job." This was the 2nd song I had played at James and my wedding, for the father-daughter dance. It will always hold a special place in my heart, even more so now that I'm a parent. Taking care of my girls, that's my job.

I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe--It's impossible to know and humbling to imagine what that moment will be like when we meet Jesus. We truly can only imagine.

Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh--Another fantastic 80's tune. I melt when I hear this. Maybe it's the woman in me that wants to be swept off her feet, I'm not sure. I just know when he sings, "when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away, I have never had such a feeling, such a feeling of complete and utter love" I swoon. What woman wouldn't?

I'll Stand By You by the Pretenders--I love this song! Carrie Underwood remade it recently and her version is just as lovely as the original. I adore the message about standing by your loved one no matter what. My favorite parts of this song are "Nothing you confess could make me love you less" and "When you're standing at a crossroads and don't know which path to choose, let me come along cause even if you're wrong I'll stand by you." Ahhhh....

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton--Oh, to tell a woman how beautiful and wonderful she is...how could she not fall in love with you? Nice.

Good Riddance by Green Day--I've really liked this song since I first heard it on the final episode of Seinfeld. Excellent message about hoping you lived each day to the fullest. I hope all of you are having the time of your lives.

Nobody Loves Me Like You Do by Whitney Houston--This ended up being the song that was sung at our wedding when we couldn't find the sheet music to our first choice of songs. I'd always liked this song since Whitney Houston sang it on my soap opera back in the early or mid 80's for a soap marriage. Yep, that's right. I'm such a sucker for a sappy song that when I heard this ballad as a young girl of probably no more than ten years old it made such an impression on me that nearly ten years later I would use it at my own wedding. And you all wonder what good comes from watching a soap opera all these years???

Forrest Gump music--There's not much to say about this except it is one of James' and my favorite movies. Hearing this melody reminds me of all the good times we've spent watching this movie, over and over. We've shared tears, we've shared laughs, we've loved it all, and we're sharing the film with our girls. It's really an awesome flick, isn't it?

Faithfully by Journey--This song has always been a good song in my opinion, but it wasn't until fairly recently that I really decided it was speaking to me. During the summer of 2007, with James deployed to Iraq, the girls and I took a road trip to Disney World. On that drive I pulled out a cd that James had in the car, a mix of tunes he'd made and left in there for who knows how long. I popped it in the player expecting a lot of metal and hard rock, the kind of stuff he loves. I was surprised to find this song in his mix and really listened to the words. When it talks about being away from home so much, and "being apart ain't easy on this love affair" I realized how much the lyrics resonated with our situation. Now it is in my list of favorite love songs.

Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers--For those of us that grew up in the 80's we know this song from the movie Ghost. It's as synonymous with that movie as is "Ditto." Those of you who love this film like I do know what I mean. It's probably the melody of the song I love most. It's very soothing and makes me feel like slow-dancin'.

After All These Years by Journey--My newest favorite song! I love everything, EVERYTHING, about this song. The words seem like they were written for James and I, about our time apart, our children growing up, overcoming our hardships. It's a fabulous song that I haven't tired of hearing yet.

My Little Girl by Tim McGraw--My girls are growing up on me and sometimes it breaks my heart to think how their baby days are long gone. But they are amazing young girls and will be incredible little women. I am as much in love with them as any mother possibly could be. No matter how grown they become, they will always remain my little girls. And I will love them forever, for always, no matter what.

Through The Years by Kenny Rogers--I picture James and I as old people in this song, rocking in our rockin' chairs and as gray as gray can be. And I picture us sittin' side by side holding hands, happy to have been with each other through all these years. And if he wants to sing me this song that'll be just fine and dandy with me!

Ready, Set, Don't Go by Billy Ray Cyrus--This song is for every parent who has a child growing up much quicker than the parent would like. Get ready, get set, please don't go....oh yeah, I completely get that! When the time comes, will I be ready to let my girls go? I'm quite certain my heart won't be, but I know I will have to let them fly and soar where their hearts need to go. I can't and won't hold them back. I'll help them find their wings and I'll cheer for them as they spread those wings to take flight. But I won't promise not to cry. My heart will surely be as broken into bits as it will be bursting with pride.

So there you have it, an explanation of all the songs on my blog and why they mean what they do to me. And with all that you have probably come to know me a little better, too.

Oh My Stars

I'm so tired I can barely think right now. Thank goodness bedtime is a mere 4 hours away from now!

Today I hit the track for another long training day. My goal was nine miles. I wasn't really picky about how I accomplished those nine miles just so long as I finished them. I did want to run at least three of them straight but other than that I was content just to have nine at the end.

And nine I did!

Here is the rough breakdown of what I did...

Mile 1 fast walked
Miles 2, 3 and 4 jogged
Miles 5, 6, 7, and 8 alternated 1/4 mile jog with 1/4 mile walk
Mile 9 fast walked

The final tally had me at nine miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes. That breaks down to an average of a 12.78 minute mile, well ahead of the 16 minute mile pace that is required for the Half-Marathon.

I'm on my way!

Injury report: I felt a nagging ache in my right knee today while training, and still feel it now. My feet are also hurting from the plantar fascitis, but that's a given after such a long run. Hopefully they'll be fine, or at least better, in a couple more days. I took some Tylenol when I got home from the track so that should help keep the minor aches from becoming major pains.

Oh yeah, and did I mention I taught a one hour aqua class immediately following my two-hour track stint?

Yep, I'm tired!

Momma's aren't allowed to be sick, are they?

What happens when the person responsible for making sure everyone in the household is fed and clothed in clean laundry, chauffeured to school and activities on time, and the all around finder-of-lost-things gets sick? Does the world come to a screeching halt? Does the laundry pile up in heaps? Do the children take a hiatus from school? Does no one get fed?

Or does the Momma carry on as best she can because she's needed and Momma's aren't allowed to take sick time.

I've been very blessed over the last few years not to get sick very often. Sure, I have all the sports injuries I've described over several posts but that's of my own making. But I've been very lucky not to get really sick over the last several years, ever since I began focusing on my health and learning to live better. But sometimes the illness just finds you.

I came down with a bout of 'it' Tuesday evening, whatever 'it' is. I'd just finished a hard workout day complete with a 4 mile run/walk, an hour aqua class, and then an hour step class. I'd been home from step class long enough to shower and get my jammies on and eat a light dinner of a veggie burger and an apple when I immediately got nauseous and had horrible stomach cramps.

The pain lasted the entire night, where I was awake so much I was just praying for daylight so the night would end. I still had the trouble all day yesterday, barely able to do much at all with the peeps in my circuit class. Today I'm feeling some better but the discomfort is still present.

I'm not sure what brought it on. James first thought it might be dehydration, but I don't think the symptoms would've lasted this long if that was what it was. And I'm not throwing up so it's not a normal stomach bug or the flu. My best guess is it is an irritation in the lining of my stomach (possible ulcer???) from ibuprofen usage. My podiatrist had had me taking the stuff daily for months to help with the foot pain but when I began complaining to him of stomach pain a few months ago he took me off it, concerned I was developing ulcer issues. I hadn't taken the stuff since except for maybe a couple times for knee pain or whatnot. But Tuesday afternoon I'd taken one dose of it to combat some aches I was having that day. Maybe it was just enough to irritate my tummy all over again and bring on the pain. Who knows?

What I do know is that our world didn't stop here and that's because I've got a good man for a husband who took care of me while I was ill. He was truly worried about me as I lay moaning in pain on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night. He asked about me countless times yesterday to see if I was doing better. He helped out when I needed him and really made me feel cared for and loved.

You know how when you're a child and you're sick you just want your Mommy to take care of you? Well, this Momma is truly grateful that I had my daughters' Daddy taking care of me. Thank you babe.

You make one great Baby Daddy!