Hit a rough patch...

So for a while now I haven't had the time or the energy to get out and run even though I know that it is good for me. I started school again in August and decided to take 3 classes (like a crazy person) so that I could catch up and start my FNP role option. So, I had to let something go... I have to go to work and be a nurse, I am a mommy 24/7, I am a wife, I have to make dinner, clean the house, and do my school work at night after baths and bed time stories. So, what had to give? Well, my running.

Running I have found is something that I do that is just for ME. It is my quiet, personal time where I get to focus on doing something positive for not only my physical being but also my spiritual and emotional being as well. My runs outdoors have been some of the most insightful and spiritual moments that I have had. So, when I had to make a choice of something to give up so that I could focus on all of the other things that I have going on in my life, running was it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me that wasn't a good choice. I have found that without running my energy is low and I get depressed. When I run it gives me the motivation that I need to kick things into gear and keep moving. I have started running again the past two days (after a much needed battery recharger weekend) and I feel GREAT! I am taking it slow so that I don't hurt myself before I get started, but I am feeling so much better.

I think that I need to be selfish once in awhile and do something that is just for ME without feeling guilty about it. I have realized that if I don't, I am not helping my children, my hubby, or my job performance because I am not balanced. Now, I just need to figure out how to fit everything into a 24 hour period! ;)

Somewhat Simple Giveaway!

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/08/abc-create-with-me-huge-giveaway.html

Blue Cricket Design Giveaway!

http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/09/show-and-tell-with-silhouette.html

Awesome Giveaway! Twig & Thistle

http://www.twigandthistle.com/blog/2010/09/giveaway-silhouette-digital-cutting-tool/comment-page-26/#comment-33489

Kara's Party Idea Giveaway!

http://karaspartyideas.blogspot.com/2010/08/silhouette-craft-cutter-giveaway-300.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+KarasPartyIdeas+%28kara%27s+party+ideas%29

Love Our Tips and Tales Blog!

My friend Carrie has this awesome blog about her family, work, kids, health, and FUN! She has this great give a way for Too Bowlicious bows!!!

http://www.ourtipsandtales.com

Run in Hawaii

So while on vacation in Hawaii last week I was able to experience one of the best runs I think that I will ever have! I had the opportunity of getting up before everyone else at 7 a.m. and running on the beach at Bellows AFB. It was beautiful and quiet!

The best part of my run was looking out at the ocean...taking deep breaths... smelling the saltwater from the ocean... feeling the cool breeze on my skin as I ran... seeing the Sun peek through the clouds to touch the water... and feeling God's presence all around me as I ran. I felt at peace and completely blessed to have experienced this opportunity!

My Little Runner

Each day, I am amazed by the amount of information that my children absorb from what Javier and I do throughout the day... our words, our actions, and our moods...

This morning Alyssa surprised me by running through the house with her baby in her stroller saying, "Mommy look I am running a marathon with my baby, just like you!"
As parents, it is important to remember that our children learn from our actions constantly. I am excited that Alyssa is learning so early about the importance of exercise and spending quality time with our children...

"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Oh... The Joys of Motherhood!

Today was an interesting day! I made it to work after feeling under the weather for the past two days and was finally starting to get into my routine after being out of the office for a few days. An hour before lunch, the kids preschool number comes up on the caller ID at work... Oh no, I am thinking! Nico is sick again. :( Oh, the joys of motherhood!

But, to my surprise, it is Alyssa who isn't feeling well. She doesn't have a fever, she is acting fine... but, she is complaining of a tummy ache. My poor baby girl never complains about not feeling well, so something must be wrong. When I got to her school she was laying on the couch in the office waiting for me to come and all she said was, "Mommy can I go home and rest on the couch?" Poor thing! Of course she can!!! So, despite my best efforts to get to work and back to my normal routine, motherhood calls! And there is no place else I would rather be!!!

After a few hours of resting on the couch (as previously requested) I could tell that the kids were feeling a little anxious and needed some air. I have been attempting to get out of the house to get a run in without success all week, so what better day? After loading the kids in their double jogging stroller, goldfish, gummies, and water in each little hand we headed off.

It was a good run today. A little hot (80 degrees and only the beginning of the hot Bakersfield summers to come), but we managed to run 4 miles before Nico started pulling Alyssa's hair! LOL! Oh...The joys of motherhood...

Lift Your Sole

LOVE this website!!! Love this stuff!!!

http://www.liftyoursole.com


hint...hint...hint... to my hubby!!! LOL!

New Inspiration

In my newfound quest for becoming a better "me" I have started listening to podcasts on my ipone at home, in the car, on walks, and while making dinner for the family. My favorites are the Dave Ramsey show, Focus on the Family for Marriage and Parenting, Five Love Languages, and Bible Scripture. Just the other day I found a new podcast, "Marathon Training Academy" and I decided to give it a try. I am happy to say that I have found a new inspiration to keep running and keep training!

The mom in this podcast is a woman just like myself... she is a mom, a wife, went through nursing school, and a marathon runner. I am not quite yet a marathon runner, but I aspire for the same self discipline that it takes to complete a marathon! And after listening to a few of thier podcasts, I think that I can do it.

So, I am going to be researching the tools on thier website more in depth and continue to listen to their podcasts. If you need some inspiration, here is their website: http://marathontrainingacademy.com/

My goal is to complete a marathon next year! Let's see if I can do it! :)

OC Half Marathon

So today I completed the OC Half Marathon. We went down to Newport Beach yesterday afternoon and headed straight to the Expo to pick up my bib and packet for the race. It was so much nicer this time. When we went to the Surf City Marathon Expo, it was pouring!!! Not very enjoyable... but, this time the sun was shining, the kids were happy, and Javier and I had no time restraints. It was great!

Since this was my first Half Marathon alone, Javier suggested that I get headphones for my iphone so that I can listen to music during my run. He also programmed my phone for the RunKeeperPro app so that I can set my settings so that my pace, distance, and time will be recorded and update me every 4 minutes while playing my ipod playlist! What a great hubby!

We spent yesterday afternoon enjoying Newport Beach with the kids! We played at the beach, layed out in the sun, and had a picnic. It was a great afternoon. After we were tired from the sun we headed to the hotel to check in shower, and then headed to Chilis for dinner. Javier got his comp card from work and so it is a nice treat to be able to visit other Chilis and see how they do things while enjoying yummy food. :)

This morning we headed out early to get me to the start line. I did not feel that it was necessary to get to the shuttle at 4:45 a.m. when the race didn't start until 6:30, so we packed up the kids in their pjs and headed out. I made it just in time to get to the start line!

I was really nervous about running the race on my own since the first one was so much fun with Carrie, Andy, Javier, Greg, and Tiffany. I really enjoyed this run. The iphone app that Javier set up for me was AWESOME! It kept me motivated and on track to keep moving. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL! We ran by the beach, by spectacular houses, supportive residents, and I had time to really take in the fresh air and the beauty of the location. How lucky am I to have this opportunity?!

To top it all off, I finished the half marathon in 2:41:20! Almost an hour off of my Surf City time!!! It was such a great feeling. The best feeling, however was when I got to the finish line my hubby and kiddos were there cheering me on! Granted once they saw my after run snacks, they grabbed them and started eating them, it was still so nice to have thier support! I love my family. :)

New Sneakers!

My hubby is so supportive of my new addiction to running that my first complaint of a blister after my 7 mile run last week he ordered me new sneakers. :) Not just any sneakers, but the same pair that he took me to get fitted for last summer. I now have two pairs of identical shoes... one pair that is very worn...that have been worn through hundreds of miles of my first running experiences... and then another... brand new...sparkly white...so clean...and so comfy!

Even though I wasn't able to get outside to run this week getting on my treadmill was just as satisfying. I need to break in these new shoes for Sunday! I have my second half marathon in Newport Beach. I am so excited to see if I can improve not only my time, but my endurance as well. This will be a true test to what I have accomplished this year because I will be on my own, I won't have my husband running next to me for support, I won't have my best friend telling me that she's so proud of me, I won't have the comics of her hubby, Andy... it'll just be me.

Finally got to run today!!!

After 4 days of not running I finally got a good 45 minutes in! Granted it was after dinner while Javier was pushing Nico in the stroller and Alyssa riding her bike while I did laps around them in our neighborhood! But, I don't care!!! I got to run! :)

It makes me feel great doing something wonderful for my body...physicially and mentally. I feel energized when I get some running in. So, now lets see if I can get this paper completed with all of this energy! LOL!

Double Edged Sword

So, I have been so busy and trying to get this 10 page paper completed for school that I haven't had the opportunity to do anything for myself! :( It really bums me out. The kids went back to school today, but we have been trying to potty train Nico and want to stick with it this time so ended up keeping him home with Javier to do it.

Javier has been home sick with the chicken pox for a week and a half now and although it is great to have more time with him, it is also quite difficult for me to find time to get things done! I rely on him so much to help me that I think that I become lazy when he is around. I am used to going to work, picking the kids up at 5-6 p.m., coming home, making dinner, having dinner and "talk time/story time" with the kids, baths, medications, and bedtime all completed by 8 p.m. so that I have the rest of the night to run (on the treadmill, if I didn't get an late afternoon one in) and by 8:30-9 p.m. I am working on my schoolwork. It is a double edged sword having Javier at home to help me with all of this! I LOVE him being home with us, but I don't get 1/2 as much done as I do when he is at work! LOL!

So, as a result... I haven't run this week at all and it is making me feel down. I hope that I can get out soon! :)

Countdown to OC Half Marathon- 30 days

Today was the first day that I got out running in about a week and a half. I have just been in a funk and I have lost my motivation for any sort of exercise. That ended today when I got an email from the OC Half Marathon indicating that I was registered! My hubby registered me for the May 2nd race!



While I was excited about participating the realization that this race is in exactly one month also set it! I jetted home after work, changed my clothes, put on my running shoes and told my family that I would be back after my run!



I suddenly had motivation! Surprised and wondering to myself where this sudden burst of motivation came from, I headed out on the bike path determined to run at least 4 miles. I made it halfway to the 2 mile marker in 15 minutes! What an accomplishment for being so lazy the last couple of weeks.



My true gift was after turning around and heading back about 1/2 mile I ran into my friends and their babies! It was such a nice surprise to see them. My run ended there today, but I walked another 1/2 mile back with my friends and enjoyed some much needed "mommy talk!"

We will see how the next 29 days end up!

My First Blog

My good friend Carrie has a wonderful blog about her family and I am an active follower! But, I wanted to do something for me... something to track my running progress. I have tried to write in a couple of running journals...tried to track my runs on my ipod... and I can't seem to stick with anything. So, I am going to give this a try.

To begin this journey I should begin with how I started running in the first place. Last year, my good friend Carrie had this crazy idea that we should do a Half Marathon (just so that we could say that we did it!). We both signed up for the Surf City Half Marathon in June of 2009 before we could even realize what we had signed up for. Time went by and we both told one another that we were going to start running. At first, the summer was too hot... when it got cooler we would start... then it was too cold... and before we knew it the race was around the corner.

My coworker gave me a book on training and running your first Half Marathon, my husband subscribed to Runner's World, we went and got fitted for running shoes... I didn't really have an excuse not to get going...

I started running on my treadmill at home after I put the kids to bed. At first I started running a mile, but after a week or so that one mile ended up only being 10-15 minutes on the treadmill. I learned to focus on the time and not the miles I was banking. Soon, I was up to 3 miles in 1/2 hour.

4 weeks later and 10 lbs lighter, it was time for the Surf City Half Marathon! I was so nervous!!! We survived the race and had a GREAT time! After coming home and letting the soreness wear off for a couple of days I immediately signed up for the Disneyland Half Marathon before I could think about what I was doing! I wanted to keep motivated.

It has now been about 2 months since my first Half Marathon and I have to say that I am loving running! Inside on the treadmill... outside on the bike path... pushing the kids in the jogging stroller... or taking the dog on a run... I have learned to enjoy this time. The time that I am running is time for ME... it is time for me to reflect on my day... to pray... to hope for the future... this time for myself gives me the opportunity to do so much and I can't wait for the next run!

My hubby has signed me up for the OC Half Marathon in May and I think it's because he realizes how much I enjoy running and how great it is for my physicial and spiritual being. It's great to have good friends and family that are supportive of something that I have learned to love.