It's a miracle!........ She can walk!................

Below, is the e-mail I sent to my oldest regarding my long run yesterday:

Well! I completed my run today. I wore my new outfit, and with my windbreaker over it, hat, wattle, gloves, I was plenty warm. In fact, when I got home, I am sure my shirt weighed at least two pounds from all the sweat. (I was so proud!) After the first hour I walked for a few minutes and drank four of the eight ounces of gatorade I hauled with me, and then about fifteen minutes later drank the other four ounces. At two hour, I walked for a few minutes and drank some
water. About ten minutes later I started to feel the gastrointestinal stirring, but I walked for a few minutes and they went away. (Yippee!) For thirteen point zero seven miles, my time was two hours fifty-four minutes and thirty-four seconds. (Per GPA tracker, when I did the route with the car it was fourteen miles.) Let's just say for a large share of it I ran at a comfortable talking pace. The last three miles were the slowest. I am sure that for the last half mile one of the residents could have passed me with their walker. Also during the last half mile I could not help but wonder why we had thought running a half-marathon would be fun? (What was I thinking?) I finished about a half mile from home, and it took me about fifteen minutes to limp my way home. (About the only thing that hurt were my toes, but BOY DID THEY HURT!)

While (Let's just call it) walking home, I ate a power bar (Since I ate it before getting home, I was "traveling," so technically didn't break my Lenten fast.) I felt a little sick the first few minutes I was home, but I sat in the hot tub and sipped some fruit juice and I felt better. Once I got out of the tub and dressed I had some peanut butter on celery, and lots of water. Except for my toes, I feel pretty good. (Granted, I am sitting down at the moment and have not tried to stand or walk in the past fifteen minutes........)

I am confident that we can and will finish the race at the end of this month, just don't expect your fastest time ever if you plan to hang out with me. I am hopeful that between you and the crowd I will run the race a little faster but under two hour thirty minutes? We shall see. One thing I am certain of.......... NO WAY! NO HOW! AM I READY TO RUN A FULL MARATHON!

Love you more,

Mom

It is morning now, and I am surprised how good my body feels. My hips and knees feel a little tight, maybe a tad sore, but I can walk without distress. After yesterday's run (my longest ever) I start to taper down the mileage in prep for the race. (Having to do this really breaks my heart.....NOT!)

The point of wearing the clothes I will wear for the race yesterday, was to make sure they worked well for the high mileage. (No chafing, riding/bunching, etc...) While the "real" running clothes didn't help me run faster, I did feel good in them, and that is what counts I guess.

After recovering from the run, My youngest and I headed out for a while. First we clocked the route I had ran. While we were doing this she mentioned that it had been SIX WHOLE days (due to sickness, snowday, and teacher meetings) since she had seen her boyfriend. (Ahhhh! Young love........) He was working at the time, so we went to "his" McDonalds so she could suprise him. Did I mention we let the dogs ride with us? While she went in to get something, I sat in the car with the dogs (who behave just like siblings bickering over anything they can find to bicker over. "Be quiet. Sit down. Stop barking. Leave your brother alone....... Sound familiar?) After forever, my youngest finally came back to the car with a salad, to say she had not even talked to her boyfriend as he must be working in the back. As she was writing a note to leave on his car, I drove around the building and there was his cute smiling face peeking out of the drive-thru window. I started to back up, but thought better about it, and went round the building again to the drive-thru. We ordered the dogs a small fry (I tell you......Just like kids!) so she could talk to him for a minute. She was soooooo happy! As we were (finally) heading towards the erands we had gone out for in the first place she said, "Mom, this is the most fun we have had on an outing in a long time. (One girl's opinion...... I think the boyfriend had something to do with it.)

Why did I chose to share the above tale with you? Because my youngest ask me to. She is blogging vicariously through me I guess. I am a lucky mom that it takes so little to make her smile/laugh/day! Most teens choose not to spend time with their parents, but then......... I am one of a kind........... What's not to love?