We are still here. We have just had a lot going on: work, sickness, visiting my parents, Jim coaching baseball, RUNNING MY FIRST 8K! etc.
I'm still working at the Y 5 days per week, but it is getting kinda old, and I am very conflicted. I really do like having the responsibility, a routine, and getting out of the house, but I am not as excited about the little pay, taking care of other people's crying, snotty kids, and having my child catch every.single.sickness. going around. Seriously the poor baby hasn't had a break. He had 6 ear infections, colds, the most nasty stomach bug (which I caught and was miserable, but on the plus side, I lost 5 pounds!), got tubes put in, and then he caught hand, foot, and mouth disease! It made for a miserable few weeks. I feel like the reason Jack keeps getting sick is from being in the type of environment that is the Y nursery. Anyway, I don't know whether to stick it out or get out.
A couple of weekends ago, Jack and I went to Charlotte to visit my parents. We had a great time! Jack loves Mimi and Grandpa! My mom watched Jack on Friday afternoon, and I was able to shop BY MYSELF! It was glorious. I browsed Marshalls for nearly 2 hours. On Saturday, we went to Discovery Place Kids in Huntersville. It was great. Jack had the best time. I was also able to have dinner with some girlfriends from high school. What a wonderful weekend!
Jim is coaching baseball for the school he works for. He is loving every minute of it, but it makes for some very long days for this momma.
The biggest news I have is that I ran an 8k last Saturday afternoon!!
I really hadn't trained. I ran 4 miles ONCE that week, and that was it. With Jack being sick, and not wanting me out of his sight, I just hadn't had the chance. When Saturday arrived, I did not want to run. It was cold, rainy, and my running partner was ill and would be unable to run with me. All day long I debated whether or not to run. I kept coming up with excuse after excuse. At 1PM, I decided not to run. Then I remembered, I had already posted on Facebook that I planned to run. Stupid status updates. I had to run. So I did.
I laced up my shoes, grabbed a hat, and set off to run 5.12 miles in downtown Raleigh. As I approached the course, I tried to pump myself up. It must be a flat course, downtown Raleigh has to be flat, I don't have to run the whole time, I have a new playlist, I won't be the last one....and I felt good.
And then I stood in line to use the damn porta potty. Behind me, I overhead a conversation that went a little like this: "Run this course before?" "Yeah, last year." "Is it tough?" "Not too bad, but it's a very hilly course." I turned around and glanced at the epitome of a runner. Of course this toned, skinny, state of the art athletic gear wearing woman would say, "Not too bad." A hilly course is my worst nightmare. You see, I hate hills. I hate walking up hills. Running up hill? No thank you. It was too late to quit, so as I grew closer to the starting line surrounded by marathon runners and inside the belt line, real housewives of Raleigh women, I clutched my iPhone, turned up my new playlist, and said a little prayer. "Lord, please don't let me be last. or die. or trip." The first 3.1 miles went well. In fact, I would have had my fastest 5 k time: 31 minutes! and then the hills didn't stop. One right after the other. Just as I would get down one, another one appeared (this may be a slight exaggeration, but this is how it felt to me). My right foot fell asleep. I couldn't feel it. So, I walked for a little while. I didn't pace myself well.
Those last 2 miles were tortuous for me, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, picked out 4 people to stay alongside, 2 people that I wanted to beat, and kept right on going. As I rounded the corner of the approaching finish line, I ran my little heart out. I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:04:06. Not great, but I finished. I wasn't the last one. I beat the 2 people I wanted to beat, and I have NEVER been more proud of myself. Who knows what's next? I have always said (in my head) that one day I would run a marathon. You know what? I think I just may do it.
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