a life beyond running shoes.

lord, you said, "if you love me, you will obey what i command.' forgive us our lukewarm love and our disobedience. lord, you said, "you may ask for anything in my name." forgive us when we think we need to solve our own problems. lord, you said, "do not let you hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." we confess that our lives are often consumed by worry and anxiety. lord, you said, "if you remain in me and i in you, you will bear much fruit." forgive us our barren lives, lord. lord, you said, "you must testify, for you have been with me." we confess lord, that we have been too often silent. lord, you said, "love each other as i have loved you." in this and so many other ways, we confess our failures and our shortcomings. forgive us, we pray, in your name. amen.

of course, i dont' think you can actually see the leaves in the shot. but this is one of the neighborhood playgrounds. it was 45 degrees.... i had on my hat & gloves. the kids didn't. playground in the midst of buildings. gotta love brooklyn! and yes we do. and how much do i love little bit's giggle..... he loves to go as high as possible. peanut does not.

trick or treating with dad! he had two batmen and a dinosaur (4th year using the costume that we aren't quite sure if it is a dragon or dinosaur) with him plus some friends from church. thanks you for joining my family!!! of course, peanut (who is allergic to milk) traded all of his chocolate candy before i could get home and intervene.....so that i could have it for myself. selfish mommy!

it was awesome!! sometimes i make the caveat by say, "as much as 26.2 miles can be." the honest truth is that it really was awesome. i had a blast. i woke up around 5 am.... the alarm was not set to go off until 5:30. my brother was actually awake as well. we just laid there talking to each other until the alarm. he showered..... i prepped: peanut butter sandwich, protein shake, body glide, teeth, socks, hat, clothes. i had made walnut bran blueberry pancakes (recipe from runner's world) to bring while we were standing around.... packed those in my sweatshirt i planned on tossing when the race started. we got downstairs around 6 and met dad & lois (our designated documentarian). we were only a few blocks away from union station to catch the metro. we were all pretty excited. we got to the pentagon before the sun was up! the 10 minute walk to the actual start felt longer than it was partially due to nerves and my need to use the potty! i ate my pancakes while i wait...

phew. could we have packed anymore in? attend pre-k party - check. attend chuck e. cheese bday party - check. get nap in car for little bit - check. help out at pumpkin sale at school - check. make dinner - check. attend school harvest night - check. done and done! now for sleep and a train ride to DC in the am!

week total: 7 miles. training is over! now it is race time. i have already packed my bag. i don't leave for two days but i am ready. last weekend i was starting to get really nervous. then i had a shift of perspective. i will remember this weekend for the rest of my life. ...and it will have NOTHING to do with what time i cross the finish line. my dad, brother, and i are running this together. we are going to take tons of pictures. we are making memories. we are going to have a blast..... and run a marathon in the midst of it. i am hoping for a good race. a great race would be awesome. but a terrible race wouldn't change the absolute gift that this weekend is going to be!!! i am totally excited!!!

our family and some friends from church did a 5K walk in what we sometimes refer to as our backyard.... prospect park. we brought the bikes, jog stroller, and had good intentions of walking around the park with all the other walkers. our crew lasted about a half mile before tears, tired, complaining. we cut through, saw our friends and then cut back around to meet them at the finish line. it was a spectacular day. we love supporting our park. but we live and learn that taking kids for a 5K bike ride with too many hills was not a wise idea. maybe next year?

long run: 6.6 miles i was supposed to do 8 but i was late meeting stef. i got stuck behind the garbage truck and then behind 3 school buses. since i didn't have to leave at the crack of dawn, i forgot that i was going to have to contend with traffic. weather was spectacular. two loops, some good conversation, and easy legs. it was a fabulous run. week total: 14.3 this time next week, i will be packed and be going to bed early. it is hard to believe that the race is a week away. it is hard to believe that i have done all the hard work. it is hard to believe that what i thought i could not do (train), i have done. now i just have to run the race. simple..... right?!

good hair . by chris rock. how does america define beauty mostly among african-american women? his three-year old daughter asked him why she didn't have good hair. he looks into the industry, the ideals, the money, and the need. it is fascinating. i almost don't know how to discuss it because on one hand, it seems like an amazing amount of money for relaxer and weaves. on the other hand, don't i get my roots done every six weeks to maintain this mane of blond hair that is only about ten shades lighter than my natural hair? and what do i believe about the extent a woman should go to in order to feel beautiful? i guess i am torn. it seems like a lot. it seems like we have created a culture where white, flowing, wavy (not nappy) hair is what is beautiful. that makes me sad to think of the little girls in my neighborhood, on my street not thinking that their hair is beautiful. god did make her hair different than my daughter's....and just because my daughter...

it was the whole reason i didn't finish founding brothers by the book club date. i was trying to finish this read: remarkable creatures . tracy chevalier. (she wrote girl with the pearl earring ) i like the historic/fictional aspect of her writing. it was so fun to read about these two women and then figure out that they were real. based on historic figures that really were fossil hunters in the days of jane austen in britian. the class issues, the role of women, the historical and religious implication of their discoveries..... were so interesting. i really enjoyed it. while i do not think she is the most amazing writer, i do find her stories to be interesting.... with that fine line between the fictionalized history to create what is really a novel and the recreating of history. she does it well.

reading wise: founding brothers . joseph j. ellis. book club book that, again, i finished post-meeting. there were a few portions where it took extreme mental concentration and determination to press on, but i have to admit that i loved conquering this book. it was fascinating. the author writes with a fluid narrative that is engaging and informative. it did not read like a history book and made me think, "i wish i would have used this when teaching," of course my students were seniors and would never have read it. but i read it and loved it. i am actually considering reading another of his book.... the one on george washington. he really made this period of time interesting both historically but also relationally between these men. i think my dad would love it! last night at chateau marmont . lauren weisberger. an attempt to give myself a break from the mental workout that the above books was. it didn't know it might actually make me feel dumber. the random m...

taper: to diminish or lessen gradually. long run: 11.6 miles it was chilly this morning. it was 51 degrees at 6:30 but it was the 20 - 30 mph gust of wind that caused to wear my ear band. my ears always get cold. i wore too many clothes but never really shed my outer layer. i guess i wasn't really that over dressed. week total: 15.6 miles i guess my normal three times a week run has diminished to two. hopefully this upcoming week, i can get three in. my legs have been tired this week so i have really tried not to push but have tried to push myself to at least get out there. only 15 days to go!

gal 1:3 grace be to you and peace from god the father these two words, grace and peace, contain in them the whole sum of christianity. grace contains the remission of sins; peace a quiet and joyful conscience. peace of conscience can never be had, unless sin be first forgiven. but sin is not forgiven by the fulfilling of the law; for no man is able to satisfy the law. the law shows sin, accuses and terrifies the conscience, declares the wrath of god, and drives to desperation. . . . so there is no means to take away sin, but grace alone. therefore, paul in all the greetings of his epistles sets grace and peace against sin and an evil conscience. thank you martin luther. you remind me of much, challenge me more, and encourage me mostly. i needed to be reminded of the whole spectrum of what i believe jesus did for me. i needed to be reminded that i didn't do it for myself. i needed to be reminded that i need both - grace and peace. please, come lord jesus.... bring: your grace - f...

game time decision: go apple picking today....looks like rain tomorrow. i t was a whole day affair. first, we hit stonebarn farm. working farm that was established on rockefeller land in tarrytown, ny. it was to appease mommy.....but we did eat at the blue hill cafe. we saw green house, sheep, cows, and played on compost pile: the black bean soup at the cafe was delicious!!! boys didn't even touch their $4 pb&j....my bite tasted like candy. they missed out. second, dr. davie's apple farm. i believe one of the oldest orchards in ny. we got some good apples!!! (and climbed a few trees) we discovered last year that the boys prefer store bought apple sauce (i don't). pies and muffins are waiting to be made. we actually got a decent family shot:

spectacular weather this past week. i hit my highs and lows of training. long run: 20 miles week total: 32.85 recovery from my 18 miler last week was slow but i did some stretching and yoga before i hit the sidewalks with the jog stroller for the first time in this training process. my high was my speed work. i did 5 one-mile-repeats and hit a first in the fast mile division. i didn't have anything left at the end of that mile but i was not dying. a narrow division but significant. long run today was my all time low for training. i really had not given myself enough recovery time between these two long runs but i wanted to get the distance in.... i got it in. if i could have quit at mile 13, i would have! thank you stef for telling me stories from mile 13 - 18. and tiffany, thanks for the company for miles 6 - 12. i was at least conversational still....poor stef got no conversation. i really could not have done this alone....any of it. thanks for all those who have run with me ...

boys and i went to do some garden clean-up after church. we picked up trash, raked leaves, and met neighbors. it is part of sustainable flatbush . they are starting a community garden across the street from our new worship space. it is on the property of flatbush reformed church, the oldest worshiping church in brooklyn. i don't have pics, but their website might later. we came home and daddy was starting dinner: short ribs. ....braised over many hours in wine and herbs. farmer's market roasted potatoes with rosemary from our garden. the last of the csa tomatoes cooked with butter and shallots for a tomato soup. watched family movie. played. ate. laughed. it was a great day of rest. and this is just too cute: (she is counting in case you can't figure that out)

thanks to my friend, 3 peas (whose pictures are better than mine), we found out about a real farm in queens. there is a petting zoo. there is a pumpkin patch. there is a corn maze. it is literally 3 acres. we skipped the animals and went straight for maze. we got lost. found our way. lost a lunch box. found the mailbox clues with pieces of the map. lost our flag. and had a great time! and we love halloween. and so does my sister who sends tees every year.... this year takes the cake!!! i love retro. did i mention that my 5 year old picked out a star wars tee and my heart did a flutter.

frankly, i could not resist. melanie rehak takes time to work in the kitchen of applewood restaurant in park slope, brooklyn (where she lives) and makes observations between choice and compromise all while taking the time to follow the chain of food before it gets to the restaurant. applewood is my all time favorite restaurant. it is where part of my journey of seasonal, local eating began. rehak has read wendell berry and michael pollan. again, how could i resist?! and i think she (and the owners of applewood) strike a balance between eating with convictions (local, sustainable, seasonal) and personal reality (a picky eater that will only eat bananas for breakfast - which in ny this is not local....in case you didn't know that about the northeast). the wrestling with convictions and compromise. and i loved her adventures with the fisherman and vegetable farmers. she learned a lot and still let her child eat cheerios. that is a lady i could be friends with. it did remind me of he...

we moved out of baptist church of the redeemer and few blocks over to historic erasmus hall high school. they actually have a chapel that we are renting. it seats 800. there are 45 of us. it dwarfs us, but we get to pray for more neighbors..... that we might reflect the neighborhood we are worship in..... that we might know better how to serve our neighbors.... that we might learn how to be good neighbors.... and that we might reflect jesus in it all. it was really cool to be there. there were a few hiccups.... a learning curve.... the load up, the set-up, the tear down, and the transport it back. did i mention it is all in our basement. (by the way, you could pray that we will be amazing & gracious tenants and can get a closet for storage as part of the deal) it was a cool sunday! by saturday we just might be ready to do it all again!

(peanut is #5) weather has not been my friend....until today. fall is here! cooler weather, soccer, apples, change out the clothes...which means my favorite cords that i have not worn for two full years. but in terms of running: long run: 18 miles. weather: 52 degrees at 6:15 when i left the house. had company for 11 of those 18 miles. thank you jessie & tiffany. so very, very helpful. got to take in the changing scenery of the park as i did almost three and a half loops in there. the leaves have the hint that they might change colors soon. the air was crisp and cool. i even wore a long sleeved technical tee....of course, it chaffed my underarm.....but details, details. it was a good run. my legs are tired....but i did run 18 miles. week total: 35 miles (since 18 was supposed to be last week and slight cold and then rain postponed it to this.... two week total) i got in a hill workout and a easy run the week before the debacle of trying to get this 18 miler taken care of. no eas...