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. :)