a life beyond running shoes.

long run: 9.6 week total: 9.6 vacation re-entry can be tough on more than just the kiddos. real life....overrated. not really, it has been really nice to be back in my own bed, have the kids in their own beds, and try and find some semblance of a routine before school starts in 12 days. but i digress....today's run.... weather: 64 degrees, no humidity, sun, and a breeze as one facebook friend said, "what the fall?!" it really did feel like fall and my shorts and tank were less than adequate clothing for this morning. it was a great run to get back into the swing of it. got some quiet reflection time for the first 5 miles....then good catch-up time for the rest. of course, it was not quiet enough time with stef....but the next run will be here before i know it and we still have much to catch-up on.... next week.... it is on!!!

spring city, tn a week of family, fun, and adventure. highlights: cousins, cousins, and more cousins. little bit crying on the giant tube, actually screaming life jackets that afford lots of freedom to swim like fish. craft time with g'ma & cousins silly bands....lots of silly bands wii games popsicles AND texas sheet cake and the grand finale: peanut jumping out of the 15 foot dock....seriously. (whose kid is this?)

the help . kathryn stockett totally intrigued and engaged in the story. i was tense as the story unfolded not wanting people to be found out.... my eyes misted at the end. i was sad to finish the journey with these characters. i was totally satisfied with my time invested. it was such an interesting voice to the story. of course, if i were jackson, mississippi.....yikes. but it is history and a wide variety of stories. i loved it. commuters: a nove l. emily gray tedrowe finished and i felt unsatisfied. it was a character driven story whose title makes little sense or connection to the story. i enjoyed reading about the way the families were connected and the struggle to figure out what life looks like in light of dementia and aging and finding love again, growing up and family battles.....i was glad not to be reading a "coming of age" novel, but it didn't do much for me. and just for fun we got some audio books for the 3300 miles we drove: the dragonling ; the dragon...

i think the magic was that i took the pressure off of myself to get any runs in while at the lake house.... in that case, when i woke up if i wanted to go i would. i got 4 runs in. i had great company and it was beautiful scenery.... did i mention the hills. yup... all hills. long run: 6 miles. ran with my mother-in-law (she logged a good many miles with me the last two weeks) and we did the 3 miles route twice. down a hill (third of a mile) then a mile up-hill then a third of a mile down.....then reverse. it is hard! but we did it. week total: 15 miles. ALL HILLS!!!! VICTORY: i did not gain any weight on vacation!!! this is huge, major, massive, awesome. i can see god working on my self-control and discipline. a thousand choices all day long in an attempt to glorify him.... yes, it is food and weight, but god is giving me victory in something that is always a struggle. the running helped..... a lot! he is stretching me and helping me see the sin of justifying my want to be in...

this was not my perfect summer read. in fact, i can't tell you if i hated it or came to love it by the end. a reliable wife . robert goolrick. catherine answers a newspaper ad for a 'reliable wife.' she herself claims to be a simple and honest woman....none of which is true. at page 100, i wavered to finish. decided i didn't care to then inquired of the person who i got the book from. it was enough of an endorsement to compel me to finish. i think i am glad i did...... hum. this was not an easy book. full of passion, but not the kind that makes it a romance. the addiction-type, the murder-type, the lose your youth-type. think cold wisconsin winter around 1900. think courtesan, gluttony, infidelity, and then somewhere..... redemption. would i recommend this.....it was complicated, interesting, a wrestle... but that sometimes is what makes a good book. not cookie cutter, not simple, not sweet... but honest. the idea that real love can change a person... that with for...

is that possible.... week #7. that means it is getting closer. long run: 6 miles. i had another great run with my mother-in-law. it was still dark when we left the house.... no breeze and already hot. we opted for sidewalk for first three miles; beach side for 3 miles back. week total: 12.5 miles. got in two short runs on the beach. my legs were sore from that sand.... running in sand is hard! i don't care how cool they make it look in the movies. yoga - twice! since i did 12 miles last week and 6 miles this week, i am taking the pressure off myself to get a long run in next week while at the lake house. of course, that means i am fully prepared to get serious when we get home..... argh!!! i can't believe it is closing in on me!

south of broad pat conroy. eight friend in a saga spanning multiple decades. it captured me...even though the banter and sarcasm got on my nerves. i never attached to characters but i was along for the ride that the characters were on. i was captured into the character that the city played.... charleston, southern etiquette, racism post integration, then san francisco height of 80s aids epidemic.....there were some plot points that i could have done without but i was fully invested into the story of these friends. i was sad when their journey ended at the end of the book. it was a great beach read!

...seriously. this guy was a champ on the ride down. he was sweet and attentive and tried to be super helpful with his baby sister. he is getting big.... i love seeing his heart but don't like him getting big. and our dinner was scrumptious. we went out for spanish food.... grilled shrimp and chorizo.... .plus cheviche and sangria! YUM!!!

watching my kids run around on a practically empty beach seeing them smile at their dad who they have missed terribly watching the boys jump into the waves sweet pea's giggle when the waves tickle her toes hearing the shells crunch under my feet during my early morning run enjoying a glass of wine on the porch listening to the waves realizing we have never really had a vacation that was not traveling to see family and for all these things i am thankful ! psalm 24 the earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

running in florida is different than running in new york. they are both hot and both humid, but somehow it is different. long run: 12 miles. it was 74 degrees at 5:30 this morning when we started. thankfully, i had a bunch of company. my mother-in-law & her running group for miles 1-5. continued on with m-i-l and picked up my mom's fiance (who is visiting in florida with my mom). there was not a dry spot on me AND i have renewed my love for propel... so tasty in the middle of 12 miles! week total: 19.7 miles ARGH!!! i almost had 20 - it would have been my first week to reach 20 miles. so close!! i managed two other short runs, one being a speed work out (by myself... that was hard). and i did my 30 min yoga dvd twice! i have low expectations for the next two weeks considering i will be in vacation mode! let's see if i can get in some short run plus a few yoga sessions since i brought my dvd with me.... and let's see if can manage to not undue the hard work i have trie...

i totally missed training week #5. long run: skipped - i was beginning the 20 hour drive. i walked outside and thought, "this is amazing weather.... too bad i am missing it by getting in a car!) week total: 8 miles including speed work. it rocked! summer reading: finished #6 of little house on prairie the long win ter. again.....let's talk about perspective a little. wow....praying for your daily bread took on a whole new meaning when i understood that bread was all that they survived on for a few months. i was gripped by the story. i knew that they survived but just the details of laura walking home in the blizzard and walking smack into a house saved her life....had she missed that house by a few inches, they would have walked out into the plains and been lost. amazing. and almonso... what a hero he is. awesome! samson and the pirate monks . christian alternative to AA.....sort of. but it is mostly nate larkin's story. addiction to repentance..... and then finding recov...

got a night out. my dear friend, jb, flew up here SO that she could drive with me and my three kids to florida. that is right.....she is spending two days in the car with us. as a small thank you, we went and saw a broadway show. got half price tix. we were open for anything. american idiot . music by green day. on broadway? yup. think rent vibe with punk costumes and sonia tayeh choreography (from so you think you can dance ). it was great but i had that thought during the opening number, "what have i brought jb to? is she going to hate this?" there were moments when she did but overall really enjoyed it. can i admit that i loved it? can i admit that i had flashbacks to a previous era? can i admit that it made me think of my crush on that straight-edge skater kid who lived down the hall and played kerplunk on vinyl for me my first semester of college. or that tape he made me that i played in my car (very loudly) on the way up the mountain to go snowboarding? so str...

appetite city: a culinary history of new york . written by the times food editor from 2000-20004 (i believe) this one book two check-outs from local library. it had a hold, so i could not renew. i returned it and actually decided to check it out again in order to finish. perhaps more determination than enjoyment. but i have to say it was interesting. the beginning history of oyster bars and fish markets down near wall street at the end of the 1800s were fascinating. i got bogged down at the turn of the century into the roaring twenties because there was a slump due to prohibition and the market crash.... but i have to admit that more modern culture of the last twenty years with names i was familiar with, made finishing easy....alice waters, jacques torres, whylie dufresne, tom colicchio (before top chef ) was all engaging for me. i even made my "dream" restaurant list..... my "one day i'll go"............ while not the best writer.... still an interesting ...

my husband humors my "funky" tendencies..... by faux-hawking my boys. they are just too cute!!! little bit's (while a slightly fuzzy pic and oh so serious) is a bit more pronounced since his hair was not as short as peanut's when the buzzing began this afternoon.... little bit also let me put a bit of gel in there to get the "spikey" look.... peanut is more resistant to mom's meddling. i'll try for better photos tomorrow when it is sunny and we are not about to throw them in the tub.....

one of the typical summer scenes here in new york are open fire hydrants. the fire fighters open up the water when temperatures get above 90 (okay, i lied.... or actually - i looked into and apparently it is illegal to open fire hydrants.)..... and kids all over the city play in them. this is the first summer our kids have been old enough to enjoy the pleasure of it.... and they have been more comfortable with water in general. we visit the public pool weekly.... if not twice a week. that is an experience in and of itself..... but here are the boys enjoy life here in brooklyn:

i can hardly believe that i am only a third of the way to my goal distance. argh! i am intimidated. i got my first "MCM Newsletter" this week. i freaked out! have i booked my hotel? AHHHH! seriously. when do they think this is? three months from now.... oh right?! long run: 9 miles. conditions: 75 degrees; 6:15 am. 70% humidity. i picked up stef half way through run....this makes all the difference. week total: 17.3 miles weight loss: zero pounds i failed to do my cross training or core training this week. but i walked 3 miles yesterday to pick up my CSA - that whole carbon footprint thing...okay, not really - we loaned our car out. but still the kids had a great bike ride. little bit only made it half way. good thing i borrowed that double stroller. but wasn't i a sight with a screaming one year old, a bike on top of the stroller and three dozen eggs plus two whole chickens underneath the stroller. good thing little bit still had his helmet on in the stroller. it ...

in an effort to show ben "the city" we took out him out of the city for an adventure to bear mountain. the boys rode their bikes around a lake. we had a picnic. we played in the public pool up there. (of course, as soon as we got in the pool everyone had to get out because someone threw up in the pool.....we had to wait 20 min for the filtration system to work its magic) it was a full ten degrees cooler up there. i watched the temp reader in the car on the way home. at 7 pm it was 90 degrees in brooklyn. it was a great day out of "the city" away.

well this week the weather was not cooperating. i got one short run in on monday. wednesday's was canceled, so i did my bootcamp workout with bob from the biggest loser . working out those arm muscles... or at least trying to. i hate push-ups but i have officially moved from my two pound weights to the five pounders! long run: 8.5 miles. conditions: 77 degrees; 6:15 am. not as humid as last week which made a huge difference. also, picked up stef half way through run....another BIG difference. week total: 11.5 miles weight loss: zero pounds

i forgot to mention another small change: coffee. in the summer i love my iced coffee. in the winter..... ummmmm.... that vanilla latte. okay - preface - i only drink decaf. what is the point? taste. i add sugar and milk. or no go. well, i have decided that i will not buy my "little slice of heaven" iced coffee unless i bring my own cup..... okay, another confession - this is my husband's mug that he got for his birthday from my amazing sister-in-law who never forgets anyone's b-day and married into a family that doesn't remember to send a card.....or actually, she married a boy who has a sister that doesn't even remember to send a card....actually, my sister is really awesome at b-days too....so it is just me that sucks. and well, i stole it. it seals! i can throw it on the top of my stroller that does NOT have a cup holder and it won't spill!!! i mean seriously, that is one really awesome travel mug! i walk into my little coffee shops and very...