Breathe

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." - George Sheehan

Still feeling the effects of the monster cold that knocked me flat a week ago...I decided to take on 12 miles this morning.  It was a wonderful, cool fall morning and at mile 4 I picked up some company running with Amy, a new friend from EMS. 

I was feeling really good, we were talking away and all of the sudden as we were climbing a hill, my lungs felt like they instantly just closed.  I started wheezing a bit, but kept running until  my vision started to go.  I started to walk, but I just couldn't get my breath to return so I had to sit down for a bit.  I've never had this happen before and I felt so bad this happened the first time Amy and I have been able to connect for a run together.  After I was able to see again, we walked until the crest of a hill and I thought I felt good to run again.  It was no rock star pace (about 11 minute miles) but I finished my 12 mile run and seemed to feel fine for the rest of the run, having no problems with breathing on any other hills.

Another crazy first running experience.  But I am glad I wasn't alone and also that I didn't forgo my run as I knew what that would do to my mental state of mind if I couldn't finish.  20 days to go and with the hardest part of my training schedule behind me, it is time to taper.

The Kid at Heart

I've blogged about our trip to Legoland, but these few pictures need to be included in a post as well.

We are family that loves legos.  In fact, the boys are still playing with some of my old legos!  So while I had a great time atLegoland last week, these two were truly in their element.

I left the build station long before these two....but it was so fun to watch them both create, make adjustments....it was hard to tell who was having more fun!

I guess it goes to show that legos can be fun....at any age!

I've got out a ran a couple of times this week.  Now to decide if I will do the 6 mile run I missed last week, or try and tackle the 12 I am supposed to do this weekend....

Down and Out

One week.  I haven't done any running for one week.  I haven't had a cold virus like this one that put me totally out of commission for quite some time.  I am finally feeling better today, but I am still tired and hardly have any voice still after 3 days.

October 20th will not only be my 6th half marathon, it will be my first half marathon in a new age group. I could look at this with the attitude of "how can I be in that age bracket already?" But instead I look at it from a different perspective. I continue to be physically active and despite being down and out for the last week, I continue to still be in the best shape I have ever been in. And I mean ever!

This upcoming half marathon will be the most challenging course I have ran to date.    Pay attention to the elevation chart at the bottom....no easy courses like I've done in the past for me this time!http://www.waddellandreedkansascitymarathon.org/ContentDir/halfmarathon_course_maps_39.pdf

I have no lofty goals of beating my fastest time.  This course will be hard for me to overcome as I have a huge mental block when it comes to hills.  I just want to finish and know that I took on a course far more challenging than the flat courses that Lincoln and Oalthe had to offer.  Time to prove to myself that I can conquer monster hills.  Up and Over....as my husband keeps telling me!

1 year post-op (again)

For the second time in his life....we celebrated Mitchell's one year post-op milestone from his second frontal orbital advancement.

And one year later on September 19th we visited Children's Mercy again.  A year ago we were so afraid for Mitchell and the long road of recovery we knew he had in store.  We were sadden he would have to endure this all for a second time in his life, but we knew he was in very capable hands and trusted that the surgery would go well and he would be fine.

What a difference a year makes!  We are so blessed to have such an amazing son.  He is so strong and his recovery from this second surgery has been a true blessing. 

And so one year later, we again had a visit with Dr. Singhal just like we did exactly one year ago today both before and after surgery.  Only today during that visit we got to talk about flag football, diving off the diving board and heard that we do not need to be seen again for 2 years...or until Mitchell wants to play tackle football, whichever arrives first.  Instead of spending the afternoon in the ICU like we did one year ago after Mitchell's surgery...we spent our afternoon at Legoland celebrating!  What a difference a year makes.

Game Day and 11 Miles

This is only my second fall half marathon so finding time for weekend long runs and getting ready for our game day tradition of tailgating before football games can be a unique challenge I don't normally have training in the early spring.

The past two weeks I have decided to get my long run of 10 miles (last week) and 11 miles (this week) accomplished on Friday evening.  There have been pros and cons to strategy, but I do feel like I am more able to enjoy Saturday's Game Day events in Manhattan much more if I haven't been up since before dawn running for almost 2 hours, then getting ready to tailgate and attend the game.  But I'm also tired on Friday nights so getting out there and started can me somewhat of a struggle as well.

Good or bad,  my 11 mile long run is over and now it's time for family, fun and KSU Football on this Game Day Saturday!!!

Are you Ready for some Football?

Of course we have been at Bill Snyder Stadium for the first two football games cheering on the Wildcats, but that isn't the football this post is referring to.

Mitchell had his first flag football game last night under the lights at Griffith Park.    What a perfect fall evening and Mitchell did great!

Mitchell is all the way on the left of this picture, doing a great job of blocking....this poor kid had to deal with Mitchell all night. :)

And what's even more special is that he is living life and enjoying things that weren't an option one year ago. 

Next week we will go back to see Dr. Singhal for Mitchell's one year post op CAT scan and check-up...exactly one year to the date of his second frontal orbital advancement. 

Our family is very blessed with every day events like a 2nd graders first flag football game of the season.  We are hopeful that the healing from Mitchell's surgery will show his progression is still positive and looking normal.  Another September 19th at Children's Mercy...the hospital that keeps our dominating flag football player on the field.

The 5th Ingredient

I had an assistant at the mixer today...he was a big help!

He wasn't all the interested in helping with this new recipe until he found out he could learn how to crack eggs...then he was all in!

I decided to try a recipe for peanut butter cookies I found on Pinterest using only 4 ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

The cookies are in the oven and the verdict is still out, but I do know that the 5th (and best) ingredient was making the cookie dough with my little 4 year old helper.

Wild 10 Miles

Today in the late afternoon, after a wonderful cold front and rain rolled through Manhattan I took out to complete my 10 mile long run.  The stiff north wind wasn't fun to run straight into during mile 4 and again at mile 8, but the cooler weather was amazing.

This picture has nothing to do with my post....I just don't like to post without a picture.  So Collin and his first ring pop makes a nice addition!

 

The middle of my run seemed to turn into a scene straight of Mutal of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.  After I had conquered ChurchHill Road and then the hills in Grand Mere, I was cruising on the sidewalk behind the Hospice House when suddenly overhead (I was right at the base of a 6 foot retaining wall) there was a commotion from above and out of the corner of my eye....there were large objects taking flight...headed right for me.  For a split second I had no idea what the heck was going on until I heard the gobble and recognized the, as a flock of wild turkeys who were startled by me and took off.  They flew literally just above my head and landed down on the same stretch of grass I was headed toward.  Not more than 2 miles later, I was running through Sharingbrook when I watch two large deer dart across  a lawn less than 50 yards from me, out into the street narrowly missing a car headed in my direction...it was a close call but both deer and car were fine with only a few skid marks from the abrupt stop the car made left on the road. 

At this point, I was wondering if Marlin Perkins was behind me somewhere doing commentary of my strange and harrowing encounters with mother nature during this 10 mile long run.  Thankfully the last 3 miles only contained the normal Manhattan wild life of squirrels, small birds and of course the occasional dog behind a fence going crazy as I ran by.  

The Best Plans

The best plans are just that....plans.  And sometimes even the ideal plans of how everything will fit into one week, just don't come to fruition like you thought they would. 

After having a great Sunday morning birthday run last week, I had high hopes for fitting in my week 9 training plan into a jam packed week of activities for school and work.  My last week's training plan  included biking, a 4 mile tempo run and another 20 minute easy jog before taking on my 9 mile long run for the weekend.  Well, to make a long story short...none of that happened and soon it was Friday night and I was left wondering if I should just scrap the week all together or take out to conquer the 9 miles that was on the plan for that evening even though I hadn't ran at all since August 26th.

I really had to fight with myself to get out on this run.  And with the warm weather again, I ended up doing over half of the run in the dark....but I finished and my sore legs all weekend have reminded me what happens when the best of plans just don't work out!

So it's on to week 10 of training with a lighter week of running (just a 3 mile temp, crossing training and a 20 minute run) but then 10 miles to accomplish again next weekend.  Hopefully week 10 will have a sweeter balance between work, home, family and training. :)