Deltaville 5K 2016

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing holiday weekend over the Fourth of July! We spent the last 2 days of June alone at the river celebrating our 5th anniversary! It was so relaxing and I had a great time being alone with my husband. 

On Friday my parents came down with B and on Saturday I ran my 3rd Deltaville 5K. I like running this race because it is small and flat and the start and finish are right at the end of our road so I can walk there and don't have to worry about parking. It makes it quite nice!

Last year I found out later that they have crab races and I made sure that I was there to see them this year. It was so funny to watch the kids squirt the crabs with water bottles to make them run, although I must admit I did feel a little sad for the crabs!

After watching the first race, B said he wanted to do it. I wasn't sure if he could participate since he is only 3, but the guy in charge said anyone could participate so he got the chance to try! We got a feisty crab but once we started squirting him he did not move much. It was fun though!

Squirt! Squirt!

Go B go!!

I finished in 35 minutes. Not my best time but not my worst. I wasn't really trying to make a great time because I haven't been running. I was going to a chiropractor this past spring and wanted to get through that before I started to really run again. It was a gorgeous day for a race. It had been rainy the night before but it pushed the humidity out and although it was warm, it wasn't as awful as last year. Last year was SOOO humid it was gross, but this year was quite enjoyable!

I hope that more races are as enjoyable as this one. I went slower than usual and I finished without pain. My knee was good, my hip was good, and it makes such a difference!

A Victory!!

Awesome news today!!! Such a great thing!! Read it and think about it.

http://nnedv.org/news/4736-victory-for-safety-scotus-holds-firearms-ban-for-reckless-domestic-violence.html#endDV

Our country is slowly taking steps in the right direction. Just 8 short years ago I was terrified to say anything, and did not say anything, to the police because I knew deep down that they would not be able to do anything about it and he would just lie about it all anyways. Contacting the police would also just escalate his abuse and control. It was awful to live through, but I hope that we as a country will get to a place where we believe the abused and not the abusers. Only then will we be able to end senseless murder and event like Orlando.

Monument Avenue 10K-April 2016

Hello again!! Sorry I have been so absent lately. Life is crazy and hectic but good. I have such a hard time remembering to keep up with this blog anymore, but I think it's time I got better, so here goes. 

Earlier in the month I ran the Monument Avenue 10K again! I have now run this race 7 times since 2008! Crazy!

I did not feel totally prepared for it this year because while training, the farthest I got was 4 miles. So I took it easy on race day and finished in 68 minutes! Which was only 4 minutes slower than last year and that was almost a PR. It was chilly that morning but once we got running it was perfect running weather and I really enjoyed the race! Although I have a special place in my heart for Monument Avenue, I feel like my love affair  with it has come to an end. My husband couldn't drive me down there this year and I was lucky enough to have a friend drive me so I didn't have to worry about parking. It also gets hard with the kiddo. Since my hubs coaches lacrosse he has games on Saturday mornings so I had to get my mom to keep B. It wasn't a problem, it just adds another level to the stress of it all.
So I think that next year I will be skipping out on Monument Ave. I want to find a less crowded 10K and see if I can finally hit my goal of 60 minutes or less. I think having less of a crowd will help get me closer to that goal. There is a lot of ducking and weaving involved with Monument Ave.

Although, now that they have medals, it will be hard to pass up the hardware ;-)

No races in my future as of right now. Next update will be about my new adventure with a chiropractor. I'll let you know how that goes!

A Heart Filled With Love

Today my heart is filled with love. Saint Patrick's Day is such a fun holiday and it is also my birthday. As I turn another year older, I've taken some time to reflect on things.

*I am so happy and grateful for the life I have. I have a wonderful husband who I adore and love and I am lucky enough that he feels the same way about me.
*I have a beautiful son who is so full of life and is such a happy and smart child. His smile lights up a room and watching him grow and learn brings me so much joy.
*We are blessed to have careers that are stable and allow us to live a comfortable life.
*I am so lucky to still have both of my parents in my life and that they are still together after 40 years. I am also so lucky that my parents have been supportive of me all of my life.
*I work with awesome people. Despite our differences, we are a family.
*My life has had some tough times, but they made stronger and made me become the person I am today.
*I am so thankful that at 33 I still have an active imagination and am able to use my talents of art and writing. I am excited to discover where those two passions take me in the next few years.
*The older I get, the more grateful I become for my health. I am so blessed and grateful that above many other things, I am healthy. I have a strong heart and a body I try to treat well and take care of because that means I get to be here for my son.

Life is full of beauty and I am blessed to be able to experience it.

keep moving

I ran three miles today. It was the farthest I've gone since December. It was kind of a struggle, not gonna lie. The morning was cold, but felt good once I got moving. My legs just weren't totally in the game.

It's been such a struggle to find motivation these last few months. How do you go from constantly training for half marathons to not wanting to move from the couch? Pregnancy, a toddler, a full work week, a knee injury...and a total loss of motivation. Running always takes a back seat to everything else these days and I'm beginning to realize just how important running is to my well being. It seriously helps me keep my sanity. There is something reassuring about running in a straight line, seeing where you are going and how far you've gone. Feeling the earth thud beneath your feet and how that contact affects the rest of your body.

I'm getting better, slowly but surely. It's going to be an uphill climb, but I'll get there.

Treadmill Dreadmill

It's officially time to start training for the 10K. Starting out on the old treadmill. 

Here's a quote for the day:

"Life is meant to be lived. Take risks. Feel passion. Discover love. Run free."

Still snowed in...

We are still snowed in here but making the best of it! I'm not gonna lie, it has been awesome to be home and not have to go anywhere. I kind of love it. No, I REALLY love it. I love spending time with my son and I love not having to be up at a certain hour and rush around like a maniac all day and have no time left for anything else because I either get home late or I am exhausted or both.

That's about all I have to say today. Here's our cute snowman we made yesterday.

New Year and a Snow Day

Well the blizzard has definitely hit here in Virginia! This storm is seriously crazy. Yesterday was great. I woke up early, got a quick run in before the boys were awake, showered and got all snuggled up under a blanket with my coffee before the storm even started. It was magical! Plus, I love getting to watch the Today show.

So what happens when we have a blizzard in this South? This. This is what happens.

Stole this little gem from a Facebook friend.

Yesterday I was feeling plucky and all full of energy, so I baked an apple pie from scratch. Yes, totally from scratch. Even the crust. It is the seriously the best apple pie I have ever tasted and I am not usually an apple pie fan. 

Today, the storm continues to rage on. Its almost white out conditions out there. I don't think I will be running outside again anytime soon. I don't know how long life will be at a stand still here, but I am hoping for a few more days off of work.

Not today!!! LOL!!