a bit about me

Howdy everyone! I thought I would take a moment to share a bit about myself and introduce you to my family.

I am a mother to two little girls and a wife to a wonderful man. I am also the adoptive mother to 3 dogs and 2 cats. Last year, 2012, I started taking more time for myself and wanting to be healthy. I wanted to be a good role model for my children. I took up Zumba which was fun but wanted more. That is where I found running. I started but boy oh boy did I ever get shin splints! I was bummed as I wanted to run. I found out (after mass googling) that I was doing it all wrong. Too fast, too long, too soon! So I found a great program called C25K aka couch to five K or in another language get off your butt and run 3 miles. I followed that plan to the T and man did it help. I still didn't think of myself as a runner since I wasn't very good but I continued and I am still going.

My children are amazing. Love them to pieces! I have a Gwendolynn and a Matiline. My adoptive children are Wilbur, Griz, Zeke, Jazzy and Java.

Here we are...me, my wonderful hubby and my girls.

 

 

My hubby and I on a date (rare)

 

 

My children are my life...I can't imagine my world with out them. **Note to anyone who even thinks of harming them...mess with my children and I will make your nightmares seem like the happiest place on earth!** They are my pride and joy. Of course they cause me to want to pull my hair out too but that is what makes parenting so much fun, the ups and downs and everything in between.

 

My oldest is a big reader. I mean top of her class, above grade level, never puts a book down reader.

 

 

 

Here she is starting a new book. She is only 8! She loves it so far. I have read them all and I told her that there will be words that she will not know how to pronounce or understand and gave her a dictionary and if that doesn't help she can ask me. She will finish that probably by next week. No joke.

 

 

My youngest is the fashionista of the family. Every time we go somewhere she has on her scarf, glasses (sun glasses), purse and jewelery. She loves make up and all things girly!

 

Here we are at lunch at a place called Pasta Gigi's (I am in love with the place) and her scarf. She also is wearing a bracelet and her purse is on the table.

We always are trying to have fun when we can. Even if it means stopping a police officer to play in his car!

Such a good officer he was...turned the lights and sirens on too!

 



We also love to go to the zoo and feed the birds! We try to go several times out of the year. Not too much during the summer as it is too hot and the animals are not out and about but fall, winter and spring is the best time!

My kids are sassy and smart. They love to play together and love to get into trouble together too.

Told you they were sassy!

 

 

And they are too smart. LOL. I laughed so hard when I saw this sign outside of Gwendolynn's door!

 

Luckily my kids have never really had anything wrong with them (broken bones, etc.). Hardly can believe it myself given how much they fall over themselves or fall off their bikes. But last summer, summer 2012, my oldest had an emergency appendectomy. I knew what it was right away and luckily got her to the ER and surgery before it got bad!

My poor baby girl.

 

My husband is a huge hunter! He hunts everything. So we always have a lot of meat in our house. He is quite excited as he is going on a big guided elk and deer hunt in Montana in 2014. He cannot wait! Here he is pheasant hunting with his dog Griz.

 

 







Here are a few pics of our animals. Griz is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Zeke is an Australian Shepherd, Wilbur is a Long Coated Chihuahua and Java and Jazzy are shelter cats.

 

WilburJavaZeke

Griz

 

That's all for now. Hope you liked a bit into me and my family!

 

 

 







half marathon baby!

Sunday was my Blooms to Brews Half Marathon! It was suppose to be a beautiful sunny day...well it wasn't, it was cloudy and sprinkling. At least it wasn't pouring or freezing. And really it was better than having the sun beat down on your for 13.1 miles, so I guess I am glad it was cloudy. The run started at 8am. We started off a little fast. I wanted to keep a 13:30 pace. Yes I know that is slow in runner's world but I wanted to finish strong and I knew in order to do that I had to go slow.

By mile 8 I was starting to fade. I was so annoyed and pissed with myself. I knew that morning when I woke up my body was not right. It was not feeling it usual pumped up self for running. I ate and drank but something was just off. So I did end up having to take a small walk break. I kicked myself (not really) for it but my sweet loving husband kept telling me that I need to remember why I run, I am not running to be the fastest, I am not running to make it to Boston, I am running for fitness and fun. I shouldn't worry about people going faster (even though one of them was my ex-running partner), I should only worry about myself and how I feel. So I took his advice and we ran again. Well I was going about my merry way when they decided to route us off the road and onto a dirt and rocky path. I tripped and rolled my ankle. Oh boy I was in pain! Not only that but the rocks kept digging into my heel and my PF started acting up. So I hobbled for 2 miles - the worst 2 miles in my life. I thought I was going to die. I saw cows and wanted to jump on one and ride it to the finish! I was in so much pain. Once we got off that god forbidden hell of a path we ran again. I wasn't going to quit! I was going to finish this race even if my foot fell off!

I finished! I crossed the finish line! Sure it was a slow run and sure I walked and got injured but I FINISHED!!! I had an average time of 13:51 which wasn't too bad considering I hobbled for 2 miles. I really need to watch my pace next time to make sure I am not running too fast. Need to figure out how to do that on my Garmin.

So this is what I look like after the half marathon...granted this pic was taken about an hour later at Burgerville since I needed more food then what they had.

Okay and now tid bit about the course and photos!

The course was named because we were running by fields to tulips and coming back for beer. Okay so I don't really know if that is why they named it that but it fits. We started running and I kept thinking (as I passed fields with not a single tulip) where are all the bloody tulips?! Well finally at the end, like the last 2 miles we finally see fields of tulips! It would have been great to see those damn flowers a littler earlier! The route was very pretty mind you but they hyped it all up about tulips and I wanted to see some tulips!

Here are the tulips...finally!

Pretty huh? I wanted to pick some on the run by but too many people around. LOL.

Well it is rest for me to recover from my rolled ankle. I have 53 days until my next half marathon. This one is the Vancouver, WA Half Marathon. Excited!

Anyone done any races lately or in the near future?

my thoughts are with those in Boston

As I sit and remember my run on Sunday, 10 miles, and how proud I felt and how I am starting to feel like a runner, I was brought to tears as I watched the tragic events at the Boston Marathon. I don't understand the world we live in, I don't see how someone can be so mad at the world to take another life. My heart breaks for those that were hurt, those who lost their lives and those mourning the lives lost. I congratulate the men and women who stepped up to care for the wounded, both medically trained and courageous citizens. I would like to ask everyone to keep them in their thoughts and have a moment of silence for those who lost their lives.

If you are able to today, wear a race shirt to honor Boston.

 

back from vacation land

so I didn't mean to stop blogging...I was on vacation and my computer at home went to the afterlife. It was old in technological terms but not old to me...you pay so much money for these darn things and in just two years they are out of style! One would think they would do something about that.

Oh well my vacation was great, it was a stacation and we had a wonderful time. I also did my running! Even on Easter morning I woke at 5am to run so I would be back in time to see my girls open their Easter baskets. However I wasn't...not because I was so slow that the local sloth passed me but because my littles got up at the butt crack of dawn and ran as fast as their little legs can go to get their Easter baskets. They were already eating their chocolate bunny when I got home. I of course complained to my sweet husband who informed me that they woke him up with "look what we got from the Easter Bunny!" so they didn't even wait for him!

Okay on to my running. So I had my normal 3 miles and 2 mile runs but on Easter Sunday I ran 8 miles! Yes you read that right...8 MILES! Non stop! It was great! My average pace was 12:38. I took it nice and slow so I could finish the entire thing without stopping. That meant I even did two hills! I was so proud of myself!

I was still having some foot issues so got myself some bright (and I mean bright) new running shoes and insoles. They are feeling good on my feet. I wish the PF would just hurry up and go away. It is so painful at times. I read that it can take anywhere from a month (or less) to a year to fully go away. I didn't like that website at all.

This past Sunday I was suppose to do 9 miles. I was very excited to run - I never would have thought I would ever say that - but I was. I got up at 6am to run and it was a monsoon outside! The rain was coming down so hard, sideways and it was windy! So I stayed in my running clothes waiting for a break but it never came. I missed my run. Sucks. I felt horrible. I felt like I let my coach down and myself down. I read something on Facebook (from a running page) that their isn't bad weather, just soft people. Well I guess I am soft. Knowing that I would be completely soaked to the bone in less than 10 minutes did not appeal to me at all. I don't mind running in the rain but this rain was a drowning rain. My run would not have been successful as I would have been soaked and cold and far away from shelter. Oh well. Can't do anything about mother nature. I am sure there are people that would have toughed it out but I am not one of them. Not yet anyway. Maybe when I get better clothes to run in such rain I will be one of those people.

I will keep my head high and continue. Tonight I run 4 miles then Thursday and Friday and Sunday I run 11 miles. I will do the 11, I will and it will be awesome!