Keeping Pace With June!

Oh goodness!  It's never a good idea to try and stay ahead of the calendar because the days and weeks will always, always out run me!  I cannot believe it is almost June.  I think I wrote one blog all of last month.  How sad is that?  And why the blog today?  Well, I was watching the movie "Julia & Julie" about the gal who cooked and blogged her way through Julia Child's cookbook.  I'm not a big fan of cooking myself so the only reason I began watching it was because it was on cable and I had a headache.  In otherwords, it was something to watch while I lazed about on the couch.  Anyway, it wasn't the cooking that inspired me but rather Julie's accountability to her blogging.  It made me think about the poor lonely state of my own blog.  I started with such good intentions but have found the mind-numbing pull of Spider Solitaire more appealing than writing.  Writing requires brain power and my brain is currently tired.  Yes, tired.  I cannot believe how much brain power has been involved lately in keeping up with life's schedule and June is not going to be any easier.  EVERYTHING wraps up in June.  Dance rehearsals and recitals, multiple school events, field trips, graduations, church scouting programs and added to our family's schedule ... a birthday, anniversary and the first camping trip of the season.  It all happens in June!  I was really hoping to manage a race in June but there simply isn't a place for it on the schedule.  Last June we did the Flight for Sight race in Everett which raises money for guide dogs.  It was a great race and  I actually got 1st place in my Age Group and won a medal.  And yes, I would have thought it was a fun race even without the medal.  All participants received ribbons, guide dog pins, shirts, and they even had photos taken and available online for purchase - just like in larger races.  I would love to try for a placing again this year but my daughter is having her Stars sleepover that weekend.  Since I am helping with that group this year I will be coming off a long night of lots of giggles, squeals and little sleep.  When the gun starts the race I will be in the church kitchen pouring pancake batter.  Oh, the sacrifices we make as parents.  I guess I will consider it an opportunity to pay my daughter back for all the Saturday mornings she woke up earlier than she wanted, to be dragged off to her aunt and uncle's house, while mom and dad went to the trail to train.  Besides, there will be plenty of races in my future but only a couple more years of giggly 9-12 year old Stars sleepovers.  So June ... I may not be able to outrun you and all your commitments but I am prepared to keep pace and finish with my head held high!  Bring it on!

Plans For A Second Marathon

Wow, it's been a long time since I last blogged. It's amazing how time can get away from you. Speaking of time, I'm beginning the thought process of when I need to begin training for my 2nd marathon. If I do the Seattle Marathon, which takes place November 28th, then a 16-18 week plan puts me as beginning official training in August. Ugh! I hate running in August. It's summer which makes for more than one difficulty regarding training. First, it's hot and I tend to melt into the asphalt in heat. Yep, just bring a bucket and mop because there will be nothing left of me but a wet, sweaty puddle on the road. The other issue is I have the kids at home and it's hard to find time to run with them around. Both of these combined means I'll be putting in some treadmill time. But you know what? I can do that. It's okay. It's only one month and Septemeber arrives and they'll be back in school. And really, those long runs in August will only be in the 8-10 mile range, a distance I'm hoping to not drop below anyway during my "off " time. Since the plans I'm looking at start with 8 miles as their long run it will leave me a little wiggle room. What does that mean? It means real training will begin in September when the temps drop and my time free's up to run outside again.




I'm excited to think about doing a 2nd marathon. I ran into a dad at my dd's school yesterday who noticed my 26.2 sticker on my car. "You run marathons?" he asked me. I told him, "Well, one so far but hoping to do more." He's run 6 of them, including the Seattle Marathon. I can't wait to be able to tell someone I've run multiple marathons cause really, I felt a little silly standing there wearing my 26.2 sweatshirt in front of my 26.2 car sticker for my one marathon. lol! But he was great and said I should be proud of the accomplishment. I love marathoners. They're so encouraging to those just starting out.



So, the Seattle Marathon is on my calendar. I hear it is a challenging course with difficult hills at the end but I'm up for it. It's also usually a chilly and sometimes wet marathon and that suits me just fine. In fact, that's why I'm up for the challenging hills. I'd much rather deal with hills than heat. Now, to talk my husband into giving up part of his Thanksgiving Day Weekend to make an early morning drive into Seattle. I've got a few months to sweet talk him. :)