ENELL ... on the way?

well, my debit card was charged for the enell....must mean they are really sending it now!
wowee!
yippee!
about 3 wks earlier than originally promised!
(i've been waiting since august!)
thanks M&D!
i'll let you know.
amber...do you still want a hand me down?

and, folks, amber's ON THE MOVE.
amber, hey how are ya?! miss you. hope all is well and you are THERE!

kt

Marathon?

i just have to say....
i do not know if i DESIRE to do a marathon.
it looked so painful and not fun
boring even

i know that's awful to say...
prolly raises heckles on backs of necks...

i would like to say, WHAT A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT! it is! and i admire those...i just don't know if i ASPIRE to do that.

what about training for a couple a year? the sweet chicks in my circle of friends who have been doing this of late are running them all the time! i mean they just ran portland not a month ago. today the welch's. qualified for the Boston...what's that? in february? good grief.

i thought it extremely fun to do a TEAM event! such support and encouragement! it was unnerving. i mean, waiting for your teammate to come and pass the "baton" was super nervewracking. i dunno why, but we ALL felt it!

H is trying to get a team for the Rainier to the Pacific. ... not familiar w/ it but i did one time take part in the "hood to coast" and that was an experience i'd RATHER NOT remember. but could i, at this later, more experienced, more diligent, more focused time in life...could i partake in this??? what about all the factors ... like at the last minute people are ill or hurt, or PREGNANT??? what if i signed up for 4 legs of 4-6 miles (you run it in a 24 hour period) and someone bagged out and i got stuck running MORE!!!!!??? ugh! and CAN i run thru the nite? grabbing 2 hours of sleep here and there IN A VAN???? double, triple ugh! i like my BED!

if you EVEN say, "oh you can do anything for one nite," well, das is reichtig! (this is true?) i COULD possibly, under duress, sleep in a van for 2 hour stints. but RUN TOO? this just might prove too much.

but WHAT an accomplishment! think of the memories. you know, well, you don't know, but i'm not much of a girlie girl. ask me to have a girl's weekend out...and my mind envisions shopping, lattes, trying on clothes, talking about BOYS (husbands, whatever).............yuk! i cannot imagine doing that! yuk. i hate shopping ... i abhor the idea of just sitting around talking w/ a bunch of women. SORRY! usu. it's not as bad as i think it will be. but in the past, all that sort of thing ends up being is husband-bashing. BUT wait! change the scenario! female bonding in a sport! now that is better. testing our limits, getting a physical workout, talking about muscles, times, oh and we can throw in kids and school and husbands (as long as it's PRAISING our hubbies!) etc...but no shopping. and sure we can have coffee...but no fru-frus! =) how does that sound?

well, so, here lies my dilemma. H really wants to get a team together. while i'd like to say SURE i'll go for it, i'm a tad hesitant. esp.in light of my recent knee travails. we shall see. i think it's next summer.

but, btw, what DOESN'T H. want to do?? bless her sweet soul! she is like the all-time motivator. she has more energy than 3 energizer bunnies. love you, H! you inspire me. dunno if i can do everything she does...but i promise you, if you are ever in her presence, she will HAVE YOU BELIEVING you can do mighty things!

just some thoughts!
kt

Marathon day

well ... i ran my LEG. (i ran my legs OFF.) as usual, i am not sure it would QUALIFY as 'running'...but whatever you might call it: i put one leg in front of the other for 6.3 miles on leg 3 of our relay in the marathon today! yeahoo!

I HAVE TO COMMENT ON ALL THE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM EVERYONE! MOM AND DAD, MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND, AND MY KIDDOS WERE ALL THERE, AT THE BEG., END, AND ABOUT 7 PLACES IN BETWEEN! CHEERING ME ON AND, AHEM, TAKING PICS (THX DAD)! IT DID MY HEART GOOD. I DUNNO IF I'D HAVE MADE IT W/O YOU GUYS! THANK YOU! AND BRO g. CALLING AND GETTING UPDATES VIA MOM'S CELL AND SIS e. CALLING AND CHECKING UP TOO. YOU ARE ALL AWESOME! I LOVE YOU!

i took off not knowing WHAT to expect. i took 1 dayquil at like 6:45 a.m. & 2 ibuprofen around 9:45 a.m. or so...about 20 minutes before i was handed the PONY TAIL HOLDER (what they used for us to hold & pass from 1 relay member 2 the next). there has been a LOT of praying going on. could it be? do you believe in miracles? i do.

but, not knowing what to expect from my body, feeling no pain (no aches while i have been doing NOTHING for the last 3 days or so...13 days of no real running, 7 days of no walk/jogging), yet EXTREMELY jittery (!we all were SO nervous! why?!) i took off from the transition point. i waited --almost holding my breath--that's not beneficial when running-- for my knee to give out, start SCREAMING out in pain...but ... nothing! i think i 'felt' it...like a twinge...w/in the first 2 miles. but then nothing. and no pain since! wowee! praise God!

what i did feel was a tight chest that wasn't getting enough air. i kept coughing (this morning there were chunks coming out of my lungs) and you know how you cough every once in awhile when you're running anyway? well, i'd need to REALLY cough, but i could never get it all the way cleared. no chunks whilst running, good thing. but a few times i coughed so hard i retched.

had to stop once to retie my shoe. kind of walked a few steps up one very steep little bit to the start of a bridge. stopped for water (10 steps max) 2x. stopped 2x to lean over and cough, and almost puke. okay, that was nice: as soon as i got up i realized a group of 3 marathoning guys was behind me. i don't even care about their view. but i dint want them to think i was puking.

other n'that, i never stopped and walked! wowee, huh? one hour 8 minutes.

the worst part was the lungs. i wonder what their capacity was? i really feel it in the chest tonite, too. and now ds(9) has it too. at nite my throat is excruciating too. prolly from all the coughing. also explains the headache.

from about 4 miles on, couldn't feel any of my toes on rt foot. tied too tight? well, he gave me such WIDE shoes, when i walk around at home they felt too big in the toe box. so i was compensating. but i think a little too much.

my team did great. none said it was a great run. all said it was very hard. part of the deal was the desolation. this was a small marathon. the marathoners, for the most part, took off never to be seen again. there were a FEW who ran it in the 4 hour range and prob some slower. but for the most part, trailing were the relay teams and the few and far between slower marathoners. well, it can be very lonely! when i was about .2 miles from end, my teammate kelli came and ran with me. WHATTA DIFFERENCE! i was able to step it up and of course, i sprinted at the end. really not saying much when it was such a short distance! what the heck.

but on the team, there were so many problems just going into the race. whereas a few wks ago, we were all on 'top of our game,' going in, the house crumbled. my over-chronicled problems. one hurt her knee just this wk. one hasn't been running a lot lately and has had feet problems. one found out she is PREGO! (congrats!) it's all good, tho, since she'd already been running this much and is, yet, unsick! but we tried to get her to take it easy. i think our total time was 4:33. great!

on another note, my friend C!!!! qualified for the Boston, which was her goal!!! WAY TO GO C! thanks for inspiring me.

again, all the Glory to God!
kt

New Coffee Maker Review

well, our coffee maker bit the dust last sat. much to our morning disappointment. it was a Mr. Coffee from 'the co' --costco-- and you know their return policy is excellente.

so no probs there. i'd only bought it in april. it SHOULD last longer than that! i didn't like it anyway. the cord didn't really reach to the sink & so i filled carafe to fill 'reservoir' and there was only a little teeny weeny place in which to pour the water. ick. etc. so, since the co prides itself on offering high end but not a selection of a million of them, i went on to the wallllllmart place.

what did i find?

well, after perusing a while, i settled on the Hamilton Beach Brew Station. i like the idea of not having a carafe. i DO like it. the ONLY complaint is: the hot plate on which the reservoir/bucket thing sits on doesn't stay hot enough. i like my coffee REALLY hot. esp.w/ a sore throat: i like to SCALD it! so, i pour my mug, then put it right in the micro for 45 or so. perfecto.

B doesn't like that either.

but i do like that it's all contained in the one machine. i like just having to push my mug up against the bar to make the coffee come out. LOVE that.

i also like that it is all black. there is no stainless steel to try to keep spot free. there is no white that will yellow in time. it's plastick-y rough-like black material. like not shiny plastic, yknow? i LOVE it!

but we shall see how it passes the longevity test. the reheating is a bit of a chore. but if i like ALL OTHER ASPECTS, seems 2 me it equals out.

that's my review on that!

musings and ramblings

(should that be the name of EVERY post?)

it's morning...His mercies are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness!!

ddK & i are the ones hanging on to this 'sickness'...we R the ones who get worse @ nite. i take nyquil (KS brand) every nite, & whoa! that really has punch! i get up drunk-feeling in the mid of nite! & i think it DRIES your mouth out! does mine. i REALIZE--MOM-- that it is cuz of the antihistamine/decongestant...the POINT is to dry out..something....like my NASAL passages et al. but a side effect is it dries out my mouth too! ugh! i wake up off & on all nite so dry i can't even swallow. perhaps that is what WAKES me up! these things we take for granted! makes me ever-sad for the likes of Terri Schiavo who could not take care of something like that on her own, relying instead on others to swab her mouth if it became dry. have you ever done that for someone?? i have. as a CNA in a nursing home...& for my own kiddos post-surgery, etc. i remember, as a CNA--19 y.o. or so-- i wasn't as caring as i'd be today. back then i was pretty grossed out. how sad. & I have a conscience, thank God. what about those --who i worked w/-- who had no caring & no caring! BEWARE, folks. COMPASSION does not come naturally to lots of people. AT all costs, i hope we can care for our own loved ones in the comfort of our own homes!

WOW! whatta tangent. well, again, for another post, perhaps. perhaps one day, whilst i sit, convalescing, i shall write my memoirs. which include my nursing home days, my parenting faux pas (sp?)....& whatever other memories i can conjure up! my funniest --in a sorta sad-funny way-- stories come from the nursing home. they MIGHT be much better told in person. but i could 'try my hand' at conveying them in words?! who knows.

sorry...i have gotten WAY off track. the POINT i was going for: our ongoing sickness. k & i have turned into night-time COUGHERS whereas j&n's colds have run their course & turned into just the sniffles. thank You, Lord! & B has no sickness yet or on the horizon. he has been riding his bike to & fro work for months now, & has cut out nite-time eating (late, after work), AND he doesn't eat bfast...but coffee w/ lotsa creamer. he gets up late. so that eating schedule puts him right on track for a healthy normal-sized lunch, then he eats one more meal, whilst at work. he drinks a bit of milk every day, too, in his nestles coffee drink he was introduced to this summer by my dear auntie--thanks susu! ALL THAT TO SAY, perhaps he's the healthiest 1 in the bunch this fall! oh yeah, yesterday @ work, employees were offered free flu shots ... since they had their table set up to shoot people up anyway! well, he took one!!!! asked no questions! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! i know nothing about these flu shots. i've done no research on them! what if they are made from questionable sources?? (ie: abortions??? i have heard of such things) what if they were obtained from a questionable source (ie: law and order episode the other nite!=))? ah me... can't spend my life worrying!

well, i'll end. just my morning musings, i s'pose. cuz i can see i'm starting to ramble. once i post this, i will see how verbose it is and lament...lotsa peops don't read when it looks too long. unless yer my mom. SHE prints the whole darn thing out ($$$) and reads at her leisure! she prob SAVES it too! she is a wonderful packrat! =)

see, that would be the problemo w/ this not being hard-copy. if you really wanted to record your thoughts, journal-like, i guess you SHOULD print this out...the writer. otherwise, one day you could just wake up to it LOST in cyber-space! woe is me!

that's okay...ya can't take it with you!
God Bless all!
kt

to God be the Glory

hmmmm...

OF LATE

i have been sitting, icing, ibuprofening...for 4 whole days now.
my WALKS consist of walking to the mailbox or just around the house.
one day i walked from my car into Costco, to the Pharmacy (dd had pink eye), & back out.
one day i walked around the library, perusing knee books.
i have eaten rolls. made me feel: not good.
i have been watching the scale. and that's all i have to say about that.
i watched Chariots of Fire. got inspired.
(i feel like i'm singing 'found a peanut!')

during the inspiring movie, i stretched.
did toe flexes.
iced.
tried not to eat out of boredom.

+++ ON A MUCH MORE POSITIVE NOTE: +++

the kids & i have accomplished MUCH in the form of their studies this week! this has less 2 do w/ my (lack of) running & more 2 do w/ the factoid that i dropped our childcare charge last week. a relief cuz it was really more than we could handle. so be it.

4 straight days, thus far, of getting EVERYTHING done each day. minimal outside distractions. it helps (?) that we've all been sick, another reason not to go anywhere.

but the kids have been PEACHY ... doing their work in a timely fashion, not complaining too much! makes my 'job' so much more enjoyable!

i LOVE homeschooling! i don't ENJOY every moment. but most of them i do.
i love the rewards.

i love being with my blessings.
i love having a flexible schedule.
i love HAVING a schedule.
i love finishing everything before lunch and having playtime all afternoon!

ON THE KNEE FRONT

becuz of insurance-related beauracratic NONSENSE, i cannot go to my PCP (reg. doc) till NEXT THURSDAY...and from HIM, get a referral to a specialist! nice! so, no matter that i might be in pain toDAY....i must wait or they won't pay. what a wonderful system we have in this democratic country! i am in LOVE w/ our wonderful, free country. but i despise 'managed care' that, at this point, doesn't CARE for me...but makes me wait. even tho, bi-wkly the money continues to come out. IRONICALLY, i'm actually being 'punished' for NOT GOING to the doc in 2 yrs! if you really want to understand that comment, let me know, and i'll comment in another post. not gonna go into it here.

i plan to run on sunday! in the marathon! well, my LEG (6.3 miles) of the marathon. i'm taking the 2nd leg. i will take ibuprofen ahead of time. i will be counting on my YEARS of endurance to get me thru this. it will be after 13 days of no running.

ALL THE GLORY GOES TO....

did i mention we are all sick in our family this week? each nite my chest feels a little heavier. what test is this, Lord? mental endurance? thank You, Jesus, for helping me to 'finish this race'!

in Him,
kt

Sat Stats

okay, since i have a garmin now, i can post accurate stats
measly tho they may be!
today's sad sack case was:
2.16 miles
45.59.07 (time)
21.11min/mile walking painstakingly slowly!

yuk
glad i'm not in a wheelchair i must say
=) kt

One Wk Till Race Day!

okay, i have not run but .5 miles all week, opting 2 rest my knee instead: w/ ice, ibuprofen & some walking. exTREMEly depressing. never thot it could B so! today met my wonderful group of girlfriends to run, i had my brand new "forman" (garmin+forerunner=amber's term forman) on, ready 2 go.... and i got to WALK, watching them as they left me in their dust!

not only that, but i could BARELY walk!

why, i ask you, can i stand in my house & walk around my house all day long, but if i go OUT, TO WALK, i have such extreme pain?? it can't be the shoes alone since it's now happened in both my "old" (one month old) shoes AND in my brand new BEASTS! i am not humored (dana's phrase).

i used my GARMIN anyway, of course...of course it worked out LOVELY! it is GGGGREAT! thnx G, et al! i love you guys. i don'wanna let you down, neither! (can you tell i've been reading strawberry girl to the kids? i've got the hick-backwoods slang in my mind!)

i dint call that # yesterday. well, no, actually i did, but got voicemail & it was too complicated a message to leave so i did not. i'm trying to call my old orthapedic doc, DR. ZIRKLE, whose daught. i played soccer w/ in our younger yrs, since he too is a runner...& possibly get his O-PiN-iON on who to go to....cuz, OF COURSE, would you believe, his office doesn't take our insurance anymore!?! well, i'm just chicken 2 call cuz i doubt highly they'll give him a personal message from me. i'll try again next wk. k?

my B.I.L. brought by his knee brace 2day, i'm wearing it now. the kiddos & i will go soon to a nearby path...& i'll try it out. C'MON, SOME COMBINATION HAS GOT TO WORK!

so, ABOUT THE RACE. i pity my teammates. aft today they prob think i'm gonna let them down next sunday. truth be known, my PLAN is (God help me) to push thru the pain (unless, miraculously i have none or little next week!) and beat out those 6 miles come h or h water(!)

then i guess go back to babying till the thing heals then START OVER w/ good shoes, LOW mileage, non-"cambered" running surfaces, possibly NO concrete, etc etc...and using all the strength exercises i've accumulated. and icing right after at first hint of pain.

sound good? i will put off longer races till after Christmas perhaps? i just have to take it day by day. not my plan. but our plans don't always work out, now do they?

trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean NOT on your own understanding
in ALL your ways acknowledge Him
and He will direct your paths (or He will make STRAIGHT thy paths!)
prov.3:5-6
=) kt

A Great Gift...surprise!

UPS rang my doorbell today...

guess what they delivered?

my dear brother, GREG, had the idea to be a sneaky surprise gift-giver...roused the troops (rest of my family) and bought me a GARMIN FORERUNNER 301!!! did you read that right? a THREE-OH-ONE! the peops i know have 101s and (mostly) 201s. leave it to mr.greg to go 4 the gusto & get the biggest & the bestest! do i feel loved???

YES! and believed in...and cheered on...and depended on! (?) i am so psyched! i wanna go run right now.

unfortunado, i must give my knee a little rest. i walked today...did okay, so thought i'd give it a little jog-ola. NOPE! .5 is about all i could do (this was b4 forerunner showed up but by now i know how far it is to that light!) and that was in pain. i have the name of someone to call today. will do monday. for now i'm going to keep walking...and GARMIN will be of use!...and keep on icing and ibuprofenning (is that really an anti-inflammatory? doesn't say)...

so don't give up on me!

THANK YOU, DEAR FAMILY...FOR BELIEVING IN AND SUPPORTING ME! pls keep my KNEE in your prayers. this is an awesome machine God made in my bod...just needs some tuning i'm thinking!

love y'all!
kt

New Shoes "A-1 SHOES"

well, there is ONE (count 'em) specialty shop in town...not a running store but a shoe store. they carry high-end shoes, shoes for peops w/ foot problems; they do shoe repair and sell or work w/ orthodics. C went there recently and recommended them. Also the guy @ foot locker who sold me the asics 2100 mentioned them: ********* A-1 SHOES************ They are in Kennewick, WA. PLUG PLUG PLUG! husband and wife who waited on me. very home-towny. sound backward? well, this nice man KNOWS HIS STUFF. non-runners but they work in cahoots w/ the podiatrists in town and even the sports med professionals send their patients his way.

they sell "SUPER FEET" insoles. major in the arch support. the whole bottom of the thing is plastic or some such material = WON'T BREAK DOWN. they were $35 but i hope WORTH IT. this nice gentleman looked at how i step, out of shoes...and even i could see how my arch kind of falls as i put down weight, and it ONLY FOLLOWS that that action would pull on your shins, and then your KNEE would be affected in turn. so these insoles don't LET the arch fall. this could solve my knee problemo! wouldn't that be peachy!?!

y'know, the asics 2100s i have are a men's size 10. the guy at footlocker determined i needed a women's size 11 but they'd have to order, and he thought it'd be no biggie to go to the men's equivalent. he immediately put a $20 pair of cushy insoles in. w/ no support just cushion. So, over $100 later i walked outta there, went on my 1st run in them that nite, and thought there would be no looking back. Throbbing shins and pained knee later....I'M LOOKING BACK! As i've run in these asics, i've had a lot of foot movement inside the shoe, a LOT of heel slippage, and at the end of a long run i could feel every single bump in the street under my feet! ugh! I am going to ATTEMPT to return those shoes to foot locker. I will report here how that goes! I would like that $$ or some of it BACK! (C's husband could get it for me, huh?!)

ANYWAY, A-1 SHOES in Kennewick, WA was great! They only carry BROOKS running shoes but he knows all about them. Yknow, BROOKS has been around forever in running. Apparently BROOKS doesn't sell to 'big-box' stores any more. That's why you won't find 'em at the mall. Only smaller, specialty stores. Or online? Their warranty is great.

I tried on different widths, lengths, diff insoles, etc. Ended up in a men's 9 but a 2E! I don't think I need that wide of a shoe, but the cool thing about BROOKS, specifically, is that the wider their shoe, the BIGGER the SOLE...whereas some companies keep the sole size the same just add more MATERIAL over the top, to appear wider! The BROOKS itself didn't feel all that cushiony, and i felt like there was lotsa room in the toe box, so he added an $8 flat insole, then my SUPERfeet insole, and wa-la! the new shoe. i hafta part w/ this bit o'info, tho, the price breakdown:

• $110 BROOKS BEAST
• $8 flat cushy insole
• $35 SUPERfeet insole w/ great arch support
• tax
• =====wrote a check for approx $165!!!!

good grief! and i was concerned about spending $$ at the doc's. ouch! but if i get recourse at Foot Locker, perhaps it won't hurt so bad. I might be calling on my friend John. He seems to have a WAY w/ companies and getting his money back.

Mr. A-1 also showed me lotsa trix: how to lace up to avoid heel slippage, how to lace up around the top of my foot where it's always too tight, how to knock my heel deep into the back of my shoe. Well, worth the visit even if I didn't buy the shoes. But all the better for them that I did, huh? I pray this solves some problemos & helps me run more smoothly.

ps: i got the BAD flu last nite, so another morning of no running. i think it is positive tho. if i wasn't DOWN in bed, i might've run and maybe a day too soon. so do i walk or run in the a.m.? will think on that. i think i'll do a long walk w/ my john grisham book! it was hard to hit stop when i came home the other morn.

to God be the Glory, kt

morning thoughts

it's raining, it's pouring, the old man is......
well, i dunno abote the ole' man but THIS OLE WOMAN is feeling mighty blue, blue, blue...

remember the amy grant song, 'raining on the inside?'
...cuz when i'm raining on the inside
then Your arms of love break thru
and i fall in love w/ You once more....

{it really was raining on my morn walk}

He is my Hope & my salvation
whom shall i fear?
WHAT shall i fear?
this pain?
failure?
the mockery of ... who?

Lord, lead me and guide me.

don't get down cuz of me. i am just overcome. i've begun this wonderful new exciting chapter in my life.
i love all the aspects of running.
i love how freeing it is.
i love the wonderful FIT side effects.
i love joining the ranks of other runners.
i don't have to compete w/ anyone but myself and it makes me feel ggggreat!
there are no pills to take, i don' hafta feel guilty.
it doesn't take time away from my family...in FACT, my FAMILY BENEFITS from my running!
i'm a healthier, happier mommy and wife;
i have more patience (thru prayer: i don'believe i could do anything w/o prayer!), more stamina/energy; the list goes on...

& yet i'm plagued w/ this knee pain. from what i can decipher in run.m'zines & online run.sites w/docs writing, it seems 2B 1 of 2 things...either the runner's knee or this other thing where the 3 muscles around the knee come 2gether.

my daily dilemmas are:

• whether or not to go out (run or walk) and
• whether or not to GET ON THE HORN & try to get a doc appt. WHO DO I CALL? i would like 2B living in a bigger city right about now. not only do they have running stores but they prob have more specialists. i'm thinking right now, sports medicine type doc would be good to see.

it is now about 2 hours since i started this post (fights to break up, breakfast to feed, coffee to share w/ hubby) and would you believe it: i am walking around and my knee pain is almost non-existent! what is up? is it just cuz it's the start of the day?

i went on my walk today as promised. only about 35 minutes and a fairly good clip. but not pushing it. even tried to do the butt-squeezing thing but it would twist your knee in stride so i only 1/2 did that! =) and by the time i got home i could barely make it up the steps. (i've found myself avoiding the stairs the last couple of days!)

but now, a few hrs later, i'm feeling little pain! whassup? i do think the restfulness is better. and stretching and icing. so i'll keep ya POSTed! =) any comments or suggestions gratefully accepted!

to God be the Glory! --kt

ps GOOD NOTE

on a good note, barnes and noble FINALLY called me (i think it's been two wks since i ordered!) to tell me the non runners guide to marathons is in!! and lo and behold, there is an 'educator's appreciation' reception or some such thing...and LO AND BEHOLD, i'm an EDUCATOR as a homeschooling momma,....and so, i get a discount. ... even for PERSONAL things during THIS SPECIAL RECEPTION! like 25% off! too cool, huh? whatta deal. at just the right time. it will be hard to sit still and just read, instead of run too. but i'll try.

C also gave me a bunch of her old issues of runner's world. i've been poring thru those. lots of ???? answered therein! ALSO, (as if that weren't enuff) i checked out every single book i could find last wk on running...from the library. i've been reading bill rodgers' stories (of running and marathons) and other personal stories of running greats. lots of people i've HEARD of before...and i KNOW i'm not in their league...but you know, it's so weird...i know that i'll never run a marathon in record time but i feel like i will have JOINED THE RANKS when i do complete one....some day...

did i just write that? do you realize, heretofor(e) i have not once acquiesced that i WANNA do a marathon?? i'm just on amber's training-for-a-marathon schedule. but it was, at most, to do a 1/2 marathon. the more i read and the more i talk to other runners...the more i'm THINKING about it. if nothin'else, i could TRAIN for it, and just get better at running shorter 'races!'

ahhhh me.
can't wait to get my 'guide!'
in Him,
kt

sneaky family

something fishy is going on...
my lil sis came over today w/ a card for me...
signed by my sis-n-her's, my bro-n-his, my mom&dad...
(i hear my hubby's in on it too)...
it said they were PROUD of me, will keep cheering me on...
and that SOMETHING is on it's way.........

hmmmmmmmmmm...
sneaky.........
i have ideas..........
what about you?

'tis funny...it gave me new inspiration. you know, for me, the running isn't the only component in this new chapter of mi vida. there is the wt loss. but m'sis was a bit inspiring on her own today. we talked about how food issues, wt issues, self-love, self-loathing...all these are idols. we don'wanna have any of these as Christians. i know that ANYTHING that comes betwixt me and my God is SIN. i KNOW that includes obsessing about wt, etc. it's just a plumb HABIT...born and bred of YEARS of obsessing! good grief, gerdie! like almost THIRTY years! 'tis pure craziness! we are trying to forge new habits.

'course, it does no long-term good if i replace one habit w/ another...w/o going thru the Lord! i think i've already sorta crushed that ... cuz i have not been running to make up for calories eaten. i've been eating the same as i was b4 running...for the most part. morning coffee w/ milk and sometimes fruit; normal lunch (salad, chicken); same for dinner...like vegies and protein. no eating after about 6 most days.

anyhoo, i was just reading a book...Running w/ Angels by Pam Hansen (i think) ... she's a mormon gal (i'm not) who lost 100# and started running ( i can't figure out where in her wt loss she started running ) ... i found it cross-referenced w/ the non-runner's guide to marathon (training?)....cuz she got her training schedule from that book. well, the point in there i want to make here, is that her CHEERING section of family and friends was so inspiring!! she wrote about crying & crossing the finish line of her 1st marathon to her fam/friends there...and i actually had TEARS IN MY EYES and chills on my spine! (well, i know your mind does funny things in long runs...at 8 miles the otra dia, my mind was mush...i felt kinda fog-like...so at 26?? i think i'll be crying too...WHEN i ever do it!)

so, mi familia did the same for me today. thnx, guys...for whatever it is....
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
we shall see, eh?
in Him,
kt

cross-train?

does walking count 4 cross-training?
i met mom this a.m. & we did her walk route. {yep, my mom has a walk route. GOOD JOB MAMASITA!} nice and easy. felt my knee but nothing compared to running. felt pretty good.

i had an epiphany last nite. (m.i.l's word.) while walking really seeeems like a bummer to me, instead of doing nothing and (my fear:) BLOWING UP LIKE A BALLOON...why not take a walk on my off days? i fear even for the off day (even tho i am 2B running the next day) if i do nothing, i will LOSE SOMETHING! like my MOMENTUM.

so, i downloaded a book onto my ipod! i could walk for an entire hour, at least, listening to a story!

it was almost as if God gave me this inspiration. i know it sounds weird: not that HE would talk to me, but that it was an inspiration! but seriously, i'm in this RUN mode. like there is no other thing. the only other thing would be if i belonged to a club...i could swim or bike indoors. but nah...

even if i miss long(er) runs the next 2 wks i'm still on track for the my 6+ mile leg of the welch's marathon 10/30 ... and hopefully, if i baby my knees and shins, i will be running pain-free by then!

the shift in focus needs 2B: not 'TRAIN FOR' the 10 mile or 1/2 marathon for now. good thing i have not sent in any $$ for either of those 2 races yet. have time still.

otherwise, remember, there's a marathon in APRIL! i could just 'go for' that!

my plan for tomorrow: up and assess my pain. get ready for either a 3 mile run or an hour walk (w/ book on shuffle). even if i start running and the pain is intense, i'll stop and walk.

on to icing. (not the sugary kind=)) and read to the kiddos b4 beddy-bye.

keep on running! isn't it amazing that God has created us so wholly and completely and perfectly? such a machine. so incredible!
kt

rest and reflection

wow! today i actually hurt in (muscle) places i have not hurt in recent yrs! yeahoo! y'know, some of those "good hurts?"!! then there was the knee pain and the shin pain. mostly going up and down the stairs! yet, the euphoria remains from yesterday......

the accomplishment! it's great! the knowledge that i have the GUMPTION, i have the stamina, i have the 'wanna' to run long distances...to go for a goal! this is definitely a new chapter in my life.

an equal yet less satisfying other side of the see-saw...is the pain. the pain that i am unable to overcome. Lord, pls heal my physical body!

the muscle soreness reminds me of a goal and an achievement.
the knee pain tells me i should have slowed down then stopped at about 4 miles.

you know, it's not like THE MILES ARE GOING ANYWHERE! why must they be 'done' on a specific day?

they don't. i just knew this week held an 8 mile run and i COULDN'T WAIT to get going on it! it was a challenge. whereas i used to DREAD going out for a run...it was punishment. now it is fun, it is my alone-time, it is appreciating God's creation (outside and my body!), ...it is the wind on my face, the tunes in my ears....the fact (or notion) that i'm helping to SPIN the earth in it's orbit!

i'm planning on walking tomorrow. i'm planning on doing whatever it takes to get these 'injuries?' under control! you know how 'it is written' that you must 'listen to your body'...pretty sure mine is screaming: "whoa back!"

thx 4 reading! i'm enjoying this journey.
kt

sunday LONG run

okay, i 'ran' 8 miles. who? ME! this is totally unbelievable. what is believable is that it was WINDY. did i mention i live in the WINDY DESERT OF EASTERN WASHINGTON??? well, wind in october is much nicer than wind in 100 degree summer. but i must say there were moments when it made it more difficult.

it was also difficult to make a route of EIGHT MILES that would END UP at my parents home 2 use their hot tub. i had to run in the opposite direction of their home for a total of over 4 miles...THEN head their direction. the last leg was on a rural-yet-busy road..w/ no sidewalks...just a ditch. that was a little harder too. i had to sidestep a dead jackrabbit! yuk! i had to stop completely at one point to let a bunch of R.V.s go by...i could just see them swerving (like extendo-r.v.s sometimes do) and knocking me into the ditch!

in that last mile, uphill, i mite add, i was BARELY MOVING! i could feel every rock in that 'asphalt' (it's a country road, 'member). i used my ipod during the first 6-7. i listened to a book, james herriott, for the first 3 miles or so, then when i started an uphill jaunt, had to put on the tunes. i continued w/ them for the rest of the run until the last mile. since i had moved onto that COUNTRY road (w/ rocky asphalt, have i MENTIONED that?). i thought i'd better be ALL ALERT on that.

so i haven't even mentioned how i FELT. i am very sad to say i started feeling my knee at only about 2 miles. my left inside-of-knee and my right shin. both pretty painful. there was a point in my route where i had to debate if i should just go home. it would have made today's run 4+ miles. but i felt that i could suck it up and go the distance. i kept praying...for wisdom. i hope i heard right!

about 5+ miles i started to do that little tripping thing. you know? where you nick your own leg w/ your other foot in stride. i could tell i needed to pay close attn from there on out. in that last mile or so i was pretty stumbly! not stumblING but like couldn't get a good grasp for where the earth was and where to put my feet down! does that make sense? partly cuz i had to watch traffic more than the road...partly cuz it was uneven ground! the ditch dropped off quite suddenly. and the 'shoulder' wasn't big and was LUMPY!

i had, early on---like in the 2nd mile---alternated between sidewalk, road, and off the sidewalk, in the BUSH. but when i got back on the sidewalk, i found i was clicking on about 50 goatheads (owie stickers) on each foot! so i had to stop and pick all those off! ouch! i was trying to lessen the pounding. but what i give up when i get off the smooth surfaces, is an even path.

all said: i ran (ran, jogged, limped, SLOGGED) 8 miles today, in one hour 33 minutes! 11:62 pace, right? not THAT bad. not as bad as i'd thought. i limped up the hill to mom and dad's, took an awesome chilly shower, ate a WONDERFUL salad that mom made me, then, when all cooled off, we went into the hot tub!!! it was ggggreat!

i'm limping tonite. i'm thinking i should stick w/6-7 mile runs until i have freedom from pain. and i think perhaps i should NOT anticipate that 1/2 marathon THIS year. next spring is early enuff!

i am thankful, though, that i can run! in whatever form that takes!
gonna go ice and watch EXTREME MAKEOVER...tis a good one tonite!

kt

1/2 marathon

well.
H brought up today, the idea of doing 1/2 a marathon the end of next month! November.
i was planning on doing the col.classic which is 10 mi on 11-19. how's about i just wait a couple of wks and do a whole 13?? would i, could i, in the rain? would i, could i on steep TERRAIN? (there's that word again) CUZ i think she said it was in seattle! ugh-a-lug! well, now, that is SUMPIN' to think about!

remember i said my 'dream' (my pseudo-dream!) was to run the indian summer 1/2 marathon? well, i was planning the 10 mi col.classic cuz it was the longest around and would fit right into my training schedule (as long as i wasn't planning on running it for a medal). well, i could just wait a few wks and do the seattle thing instead!

WHATTA THOUGHT!

could i?
should i?

i need to investigate whether or not you can wear/use headphones in any of these races. i'd do better w/ them in....more relaxed. more fun.

fun fun fun running in the Son! the weather here in eastern WA is GO-Jus!!! at 555 in the a.m 'tis a tad chilly...but rest o' day it's vunderbar. and the sky lately....beee-you-tee-ful! nothin' better than the eastern sky at sunset! love it! thank You, God!

end of week musings

So, 13.73 miles this wk. if shins hadn't been an issue this wk, my total would be more like 16-17. doesn't seem like much does it? i guess i was thinking 20-25 sounds better. but i wanna take it slow. just can't believe amber runs that much (18 or so) on her long run days now! so her total wkly mileage must be quite high. she is about a month away from her marathon! GO AMBER! you are SUCH an inspiration. (btw: her link is on the right "one day at a time")

next week: long run 8 miles; 2 lows of 3 each; one med of 5. these past wks medium run was 4.

C gave me a whole bunch of old runner's world mags this a.m. one thing that i read already was about the after-marathon let down. something akin to postpartem depression. the author of article really stressed having an after race plan. goals. like to take advantage of the supreme aerobic fitness level you've acheived by marathon time. just don't let yourself go soft afterwards. DEFINITELY let yourself recover. but jump right back in...to some sort of routine. have another goal. like entries in shorter runs.

i'm NOT A MARATHONER by any means, but i'm planning on entering all the little fun runs i can....for the fun of it but mostly to get used to doing them. to get over race-day-jitters. to get over my fear of ...what?

yaknow what i'm a'feared of? missing my alarm or setting it wrong! getting to race late. going to WRONG place. running off to use the toidy at last minute and MISSING the gun! sprinting at the beginning and losing all my umph early in race! having to "POO" in the middle of run! (long run) coming in last! =) TRIPPING! =) =) these stupid little fears give me unsettled stomach all nite b4 race! ugh! then to top things off i end up TIRED! good grief, gerdie!

i ran some fun runs in high school; ran Bloomsday 2x; and the cable bridge run once after i had my son (10 yrs post high school). that's it! i ran ONE X-country 'race' in college. it was awful. it wasn't so much the itty bitty teeny weeny shorts and tank they had us wear as 'uniform' (PUNI-form was more like it) .... as it was the hilly, trail-y, mountainous, forested, TERRAIN that was our course. did i even finish? i can't even remember. all i can remember was fighting w/ the little shorts, to keep them on...down....to keep my *gasp* upper thighs from chafing outta control! i might have even cried in all my misery! i'd never before used the word TERRAIN to describe my route! good grief!

that was the end of my X-country foray! too bad. now, i might like it!

i have one more thing to post about but i'll do it in one more.
si-on-ara!? toot-a-loo! kt

sat. low run

stats:
3.73 miles
37:36 minutes
avg pace 10:04
(and that's straight from H's GARMIN FORERUNNER, not my sad calculations!)

so, got little sleep last nite...up late...why? hmmmm... i stayed up to watch csi w/ popcorn, can you tell i'm on a bad roll? well, it wasn't late, more like 730---csi was taped from previous nite. then i got busy w/ 'puter: figuring out run routes on google! (intersection to intersection 2 get mileage! got 2B better way: it's called GARMIN FORERUNNER!) only watched csi partway.

so THEN i ended up catching "three wishes" that new show w/ amy grant going to a town and they GRANT wishes! i just sat here, 1/2 at the 'puter, 1/2 turned around watching, BAWLING the whole time! it was so good! very intense. prob a good thing i dint see csi. i'm too freaked out anyway! wish dh's hours weren't as late! Lord, take away all fear.

BUT, was up before my alarm (as usual!) at 5:49 (set for 5:50!) and getting ready...take the girls potty...switched my insoles around. from my everyday reeboks to my asics 2100s. we met at the starting line of the marathon we're in at end of month. goal was to run the first leg to get a feel for it. it would be a 6.8 mile leg...so i guess goal was about 3+ out and back. i HAD to be back for outing w/ the kids so i cut it short. h turned back w/ me.

had a good FAST run today. stats don't show it but w/o writing a novel: i jogged slow w/ someone for just about 7-10 minutes, then she turned back and i had to sprint to catch up w/ rest of group. one turned back and ran w/ me for rest of time. (thx, H!) so overall, i think i ran my avg, but i slogged it the first mile and ran hard the rest. something like that.

felt good. dint just run my 3 like s'posed to. just dint seem right! we'd barely started! (TOLE ya it'd be hard! it's so fun to run in a group!) then, drove home fast, got outta da van, and my leg almost BUCKLED! my right knee, on inside, just felt like someone filleted it! ugh! but it's gotten better as day's worn on.

i'm thinking i might run my long run tomorrow! after church. do ya think i can do it in mid of day? broad daylite? mid of town?? this will test my limits, 2B sure. but i can work it out so i end at mis papas & then can do the spa treatment! i'll of course be a red, sweating HOG by the time i get there. so prob have to shower fust. i'll wear my hat (disguise). i've gotta figure out a route tonite, then. mis papas R so great, they'd drive to anywhere to pick me up, too. cuz i was saying today, mayhap i should just run from point a to point b....just pick 8 miles out and run to it...like amber does at times. but somehow she runs w/ her phone too! she must have pockets. sometimes i do but i wouldn't want my phone flappin' on my leg! ahh me. i guess you need special shorts w/ special pouch for cell phone, too! goodness me!

thank You, Jesus, that i can run!

Shins & Toe Taps

thanks for all the advice, all. tonite, my shins are doing quite well! i'm excited for our early a.m. run tomorrow! the most common advice is be sure to do the toe taps...raise and hold your toes upward. or tap them. toe taps i try to do 20 on ea.foot. when i just raise them, i try to hold it while counting to 20.

i think 'tis working! that, ice, PRAYER, and babying them for these 2 days.

tonite i drove a HUGE loop, to walmart and back...i think it was like 9+ (hafta check the 'dometer in the a.m.) so, 2 wks from now? can YOU IMAGINE? me? run over 9 miles?? well, as long as i can rough it out on two main road w/out sidewalks. i dunno. i detest wondering where to run. i have also tried to figure out a run for next week, 8 miles, where i end up at my parents house...they have a hot tub!!! here i come, ma&pa! =)

everybody: work out your shins B4 running!

Warning...comments

i cannot figure out how to stop those commentors that are just trying to link you to another site...
i put in that thing that you have to copy the word in order to publish a comment...still commentors like "chris" with "greatings from Germany" leave 'comments' on my blog with words highlighted in blue. DO NOT follow those links. i cannot guarantee that following those links won't take you where you don't wanna go or put something in your 'puter! ugh!

ignore him!
kt

Friday, rest day

2 days of rest in a row. So, this week i have run monday, wed., and will run tomorrow, Sat. I meet up w/ a group of gals on sats. so, keeps me going!

i decided yesterday not to run--and it helped that i got very little sleep. wanted to baby my shins and knee for a day. i was on my feet most of the day though. wore my all-day reeboks w/ some new dr. scholl's inserts. felt great. but really WAS on them all day long!

i iced last nite, again(bought peas, amber...whassup w/ that? why do they work so much better than corn? weird!). got to bed real early. tentatively planned on doing a short 3 this a.m.

but this a.m., decided to baby them for another day. ALSO, a gal told me about a couple of things she does...i've implemented them & feel better. b4 getting outta bed, rotate your feet -at ankles- like 20 times each way. i did this, taking breaks every time my muscles got tired. then when i got outta bed, i didn't hurt right away.

she also told me about this one: kind of squat down w/ my feet flat on the ground. just straight down. hold it for a while. i think a minute at a time. this pulls on fronts of shins...and you can feel the muscle tighten. i think it's proactive. instead of all stretching, this is kinda like strength training.

i dunno, i'm awful at describing things like this. didn't do too well in technical writing in college. yuk. whatever the case, it seems 2B working. i'll know tomorrow when and after i run!

i wanna keep it a short 3. time constraints make it needful...which is good. then i won't be tempted to 'go the distance' w/ them! out 1.5 and back. home to shower and off to fun stuff w/ the kids!

God Bless!

due credit & thankfulness

this is to honor my dear husband, & more.

4 years ago, we decided to take the plunge & live on 1 income. we have never looked back. we have 3 children. my youngest was about 6 months old when i finally "came home." we now wish we'd done it earlier! we always worked opposite shifts (he: f.t. and i: p.t.) and our blessings (kidlets) were never in day(barf)care. we are very thankful for and proud of that. (not prideful-proud but proud-of-ourselves-for-making-the-RIGHT-decision-proud...know-what-i-mean-vern?)

that said, whenever discontent or selfishness ever creeps up; whenever i want something but we don't have the money; whenever i feel like moping around the house instead of staying on task; whenever i think it's my right to be a slob in pjs all day while d.h. goes to work w/ well-dressed women (had to throw this one in, thnx dr.laura), or just plain not-take-care-of-myself-cuz-it's-too-hard-&-i've-always-just-done-things-this-way; OR (do i dare?)(it's my blog!) if i don't feel like it when we could be doing recreational things(!!).....these things i must remind myself:

1. i GET to stay home with my beautiful children
2. i GET to make a home for my family
3. i GET to schedule appts when dh is home so i don't have to drag around all the kids
4. i GET to attend church events w/ kids and family
5. we GET to attend church REGULARLY! (always a struggle when i worked)
6. i GET to educate my children at home
7. i GET to participate in extendo-family events
8. i GET to order our lives w/ regular bedtimes and wake times
9. we GET to have lots of lovely uninterrupted family time!!
10. we GET to enjoy daddy & mommy together (when i worked it was 1 parent @ a time & time w/ mommy was never as fun!)
11. we GET to go on trips whenever daddy is off
12. we GET to participate in outside homeschool get-togethers
13. i GET to enjoy my husband and have him enjoy me!
14. i GET to get up b4 my family, run, shower, make & enjoy my coffee!

what a life!

all these things used to be so hard when i worked. work came 1st, i'm sad to say. at least because of the schedule. it was always changing. i feel so strongly that children need routine! dh really enjoys me being home. i can (w/ God's help) cover all the bases this way. my LOVING boss is my dh. WHAT A RELIEF!

these things i do not take for granted. i still do not like the strictures that money places on us. but i think we are better for it, actually, cuz if we had it all, i don't think we'd be thankful!

for shaping the way i feel and believe about these matters, ANOTHER LIST of thanks goes to:

1. God, the Author and Finisher of my faith & life
2. my wonderful parents
3. my husband
4. dr. laura
5. elisabeth elliott
6. my aunt Susan
7. my dear friends Jill & Liz, always reminding me in all their humbleness

love to all!

computer woes

in the words of a funny friend, "i am not humored."

i spent a long time earlier succinctly composing a post about how my husband is a wonderful provider. and it was lost! it was one of those times in which i had to leave the computer for a span of time, keep coming back to it and working on it in bits. it was great. to the point. overflowing w/ praise for him.

then i hit publish post. at that same moment i noticed at the bottom right of the screen that internet had disconnected! yeahoo! i love that!

so, here i am, hours later, wracking my brain to come up w/ similar words.

woe is me.

cyberspace and me....we have a love/hate relationship.

it's out there somewhere, i just know it! maybe it went to someone else's blog!

retraction

i have been notified, and am duly (?am i a doula?) rectifying the following MISINFORMATION...

a few posts ago ("wed short run"), whilst praising the bennies of not-eating-late-at-nite, i wrote that i thought i spied EVIDENCE in the sink that my dh had EATEN late the nite before. he gets off work late & needs to wind down. he watches the tube, does computer stuff, dinks around w/ the guitar or modifies it, or records or SOME SUCH THING.

this TIME USED TO include eating! BUT he's made a big change in his life. it has helped me quit the late nite eating too. (most of the time=)) he also bikes to work does sit-ups, push-ups: getting in better shape all-around. since June, when he got sick for a week (sickness kicked off a new way of living) he has lost 20-30# ( i can't keep it straight...all i know is he was losing & i was not!) feels great! looks great! i applaud him! good job, honey!

WELL, that bowl in the sink turned out NOT TO BE HIS. he was apalled that i'd written that in my blog & wanted me to change it. thus this post! i will go into that post to take that out...but for those who would never go back to read that one again (why would you?) i needed to do it here!

that bowl in the sink was MINE from the day b4!! too funny. who'd-a-thunk i'd get myself in this pickle??!! funny!

onward and upward!

2 good 2 pass up

you HAVE to go to amber's blog and read her post of wednesday's run:
the link is to the right "one day at a time" or here: http://www.aj2gether.blogspot.com/
read the post: "Running with Nature"

so cool!

kt

wed short run

so, went out this morning...again w/ the approx 7 minutes to get the jiggles out. but shin pain and a little left knee pain obvious from the beginning. sad. it is seriously depressing. i am thinking i might have to buy another pair of shoes that has lots more cushioning and alternate them. i don't want to be depressed. the money depresses me and the pain does. if it keeps me from training.

and of course, IT HURTS. there's no denying it. my dear bro is pretty concerned. don't worry about me, g! i love you and thank you for your concern. but stop reading if it bugs you too much. i will eventually go talk to someone if i cannot remedy this on my own.

but money money money. i hate money. it's ONLY $15 co-pay to see a doc...prob $25 if it's a specialist. but it doesn't stop there. in the 1st place, you prob have to go to your 'real' doc to get a referral. cha-ching. 2nd you go to the specialist. cha-ching. then you might have to go elsewhere (cha-ching) or you may need to buy some orthodics (CHA-CHING-A-LING-DING) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!

i'm trying to head that all off w/ ice and prayer! prayer changes things, ya know! He made me, He can heal me...He can lead my down the right path....Lord, show me what to do. guide me and direct me.

okay, so, before sunrise today, dd(6) and i headed out. she on her bike. i dint have a route planned. just shot for about 30mins, knowing that'd be about 3 miles. round and round our neighborhood. it wasn't bad. i was SUPER slow. i'm babying my legs, so my stride is like i'm 4'11"! and except for those first 7 minutes, (weird huh?) i was never huffing. we got to watch the pinks and mauves move across the sky...beautiful how they paint the clouds! i love the eastern washington sky! so do my kids. it wasn't bad.

and GUESS what? i came in, got my coffee and we went right out to drive the route. i thot 4 sho it'd be 2.5. it was 3! so, pain and all, got my miles in.
glory be (to God!)

stats: wed. 10-12-05
miles: 3
minutes: 32
miles/min: 10.7
pain: medium
pain now: med-high (walking around house)
other factoids: DINT eat late! had some apple cut up w/ bit'o'cheese melted atop. water. resisted eating cereal w/ kids for din late at like 7pm. milk over nite--not so good in tum-tum on morn run.

I'M TELLIN ya: it's a great deal: no eating after certain time. i read a long time ago it was 7 p.m. well, i'm sure it depends on when you go 2 bed and when you get up. and what you do when you get up! it helps me that B is doing it.

**i got asked yesterday if i'm stretching. not so much. trying to do more now. but i can't really stretch my inner shins. so i'll keep icing. this means i have to sit more. read to kids more. good!

see ya! God Bless!

No Pain No Gain?

remember when your coaches said that? okay, mind you, MY COACHES were saying that in the 80s. yes, i know that dates me. i grad-ee-ated in 86! (NINETEEN 86, thankyouverymuch!) i am pretty sure that doesn't hold true anymore.

talking weight: there will be no gain if you are good-pain-ing-it whilst working out.
talking training: there will be gain in conditioning if you good-pain-it whilst working out.
talking PAIN: there should be no real pain, right? you should, what, ice, pray, take it easy?

well, i must say, the taking it easy part, i have a real problemo w/. i want to move FORWARD. i am so excited that i am moving up in my mileage...i don't WANNA slow down and take it easy. i am a little scared of myself...that i'd blow up like a balloon. but more than that, it has been so fun upping my mileage and recording it....and working TOWARDS something!

then, there's my deadline. i have a 6-7 mile race coming up. i'm fine w/ going slow. i don't really care about that. i just wanna finish! but 20 days later i want to do a 10 mile race! priorities: the 1st race is a relay. i'm part of a team. even if i go as slow as the fabled turtle, i will finish and we will have DONE IT. we will have participated in the welch's marathon!

you know, a couple of months ago i told my marathoner friend, c, that my dream was to run the indian summer 1/2 marathon!!! i've 'dreamed' of that since high school days! when i say dream, i mean in the far-off-in-the-distance type dream. not attainable. not working towards it. like it was so far off i didn't have to worry about it. just one of those things you jokingly say you'd like to do it someday, knowing you're not doing anything about it, so it sounds good, like you have ambition, knowing all the time you don't really. isn't that stupid and sad? that's the story of my life! watching other people attain their goals. never been a goal setter myself! i'm good if i make it thru a day (or less) w/o giving in to some food temptation i've set myself up for!

i'd watch running on t.v. (not often...olympics and some marathons) and just MARVEL. oh, how i wish i could do it. but then i'd keep on slogging away outside never reaching for anything, really. and not keeping my eating under control. letting the food cravings control me! well THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW! my WISE friend, C, wrote me this long email (well, long for her, drop in the bucket for me) about goals etc. (i kept it.) it wasn't an enabling note. it was a motivational pep talk w/ "no holds barred"! (?)

here i am, 2 months later, missed the indian summer 1/2 but i'm about to PARTICIPATE IN the welch's MARATHON!!! it's okay that i'm not running the entire thing. i'm IN it...and unless my shin bones actually break in 1/2 while running, i will run MY whole 6mile relay leg of it!!! amazing!

the 2nd race, the columbia river classic is 10 miles. i'd run the whole thing. by that wk, in my training plan, i'm supposed to be up to more than 10...like 11 or 12. but i'm concerned about my legs. i haven't entered that run and i'm sure the deadline is a ways out. i'm not part of a team. just wanted to do it, kinda sorta cuz i missed the 1/2 marathon and just cuz i want to enter as many as possible. it's fun. i want to get over race anxiety by doing all of them!

a funny note: last nite, reading to the kids b4 bed, i was icing my legs w/ a bag of frozen corn. (amber, it's all i have...close to peas but not quite) well, i kept rotating them...they were wrapped in a thin towel. after everyone had dispersed and i was in a semi-conscious state, waiting for b to get home fr work, i noticed the bed under my legs was wet....i think the corn was LEAKING!! gross! so i just re-wrapped them and laid there. didn't wanna get up--too painful and too tired. in the mid of the nite i got up and put 'em back in the freezer. gross, huh?

i'll end. put your eyes outta their misery! truly, i'm not apologizing! this is MY blog, right? like my diary? more later. --kt

ENELL SPORTS BRA

i want to FLAUNT my bra here! this is no secret. i do not care WHO knows what i wear underneath...as it is SO important and such a lifesaver!

i originally found the ENELL on the weight watchers boards a few yrs ago (when i was TRYING to do ww....i spent a lot more time on the boards than counting my stupid points! not knocking the program...just dint work for me! works great for lots!)........................anyhoo, someone pointed me toward them. www.enell.com this is an AWESOME bra! it is THE ONLY 'sports bra' that has EVER worked for me. even before huge wt gain and nursing kids and having HUGE ... chest... i always wore 2 sports bras. so they obviously weren't made very well.

this bra is more like an upper body VEST. yes, it has MANY eyehooks down the front. i don't love doing them. but it is much better than finding the smallest sports bra you can possibly fit into (cuz of course that will hold you in better, right?) and fighting w/ it to get it on your body, and ending up SWEATING profusely (esp.when putting numerous ones on!!!!!!!!!) and with a RED FACE....ALL BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE! and what about when you get home? try prying that sweaty thing OFF your sweaty body! you need a shoe-horn equivalent...a jogbrahorn! ugh! it tears at your skin and hurts and CURLS all the way off. in fact, that is really the best way to describe it: you need to peeeeel it off. and you REALLY need HELP doing this. now, that's a delightful picture: your dh coming behind you to help you PEEL your sweaty sportsbra off! how 'bout that coupled w/ slathering your sore muscles in the ever-odiferous ben-gay and hopping into bed....WHAT A TURN ON! (not!)

all that about the YUCKY kind of jogbra: so onto ENELL. wow! a breath of fresh air. go to their site, do their measurements exactly how they tell you and order away. you will not be disappointed. also you must put it on how they tell you. (they actually send you instructions on how to put it on! follow them!) they are like $64 w/ shipping. WELL WORTH IT! don't get stinky. i do not wash that often. i leave to hang after a run and it doesn't smell or anything. i'm kinda scared to admit how infrequently i do wash it. i wash ALL my other workout stuff ... but my enell? don't NEED to. but when you do wash it, it doesn't harm it at all!

NOW to the sad part: UNFORTUNATLY for us lay people but good for their business: Oprah must have had them on her show...i know she's mentioned them and they've been mentioned in her O magazine. (O good grief, Oprah!) THUS, they have been INUNDATED w/ orders! when i ordered my new one (thank God i've lost enough wt that i need the next size down!) at the END of the transaction i was told it will take about 20 wks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WHAAAAA??????????????????????????????????????
I immediately yelled, THAT'S 1/2 A PREGNANCY!!!!! to me, that is a loooong time. esp. when i'm running around w/ bouncy ta-tas! good grief gerdie! desperate though, i left it as was. i now am running w/2 bras again: one of those PATHETIC jogbras (i think it's hanes) and my enell over it. UGH! i ACTUALLY had to call my dh in the room yesterday morning and have him pull the pathetic jogbra up and over my head to get it off! i'd have been mortified if i wasn't so euphoric at the run i'd just had.

they are very apologetic at enell. but i think they should 'move heaven and earth' to get billions of more workers to produce all the enells that all the big-chested--or just heavy women of the world-- want! don't you????????? NOW I ASK YOU! anyhoo, their comments are that they have had an influx of orders and they are working nites and wkds to fill all the orders. at the end of the form emails they send me, it always says, "we love oprah" right before the "thank you for your order, signed, whomever"!!! too funny... and i'd be laughing if it wasn't such a dire need.


so, i expect my enell bra sometime after november 20th. AT WHICH POINT, i will resist my desire to FRAME AND HANG my current royal purple enell bra, size 4. Instead, if she still wants it, i'm MAILING it--laundered--to my good friend since HER ORDER might not make it to her till santa comes or later!


since i've lost weight, skinny friends have told me "oh, just go to target...they have jogbras for like $12!" i HAVE made a concerted effort to find one that works. but what i've found is that i STILL have extra flesh. the ones they sell at walmart and target...even jcpenney...they are made for larger BUSTED women...but not necessarily bigger-all-over women. like, i could get one of those, even x large...but the straps would cut into my skin...and what hurts most, besides the BOUNCING breasteseseses, is that *ahem* BACK-FAT bulges around the backs. okay, NOW I'VE DONE IT! i've even given my BROTHER the address to my blog. now he's sufficiently mortified and grossed out at the mere picture of his old sister's BACK FAT. but it's a factoid of life...it's not PREVALENT but it's there. it's going, but not gone yet.

so, that is ONE THING that enell is wonderful about. i mentioned it's like a vest. it covers and holds in your whole upper body. WITHOUT feeling constricted.

don't know how else to explain it.

ps: i've only ever worn as big as a c-cup (hope bro is still reading!=)) but i've never liked bouncy boobies! thus the introduction to jogbras at a young age...prob high school. it wasn't until late college when a big busted beautiful girl admonished me: "you've got the UNI-BOOB thing going on!" oh my gosh. it took me a couple of minutes to register what she was talking about. you can imagine my embarrassment (well, maybe you can't but i was EASILY EMBARRASSED!) and i was so mad at her for pointing it out! it was at dinner for crying out loud! in the presence of others! BUT she actually did me a favor...and she went on to let me in on a huge SECRET that NONE of the other women in my life ever told me....that i could buy bigger, beautiful, underwire bras....and feel GOOD about myself in them! it opened up a new world to me! so, thank you, Sia! i have no idea where she is today. but thank God i got rid of the ever-present UNI-BOOB! =)

go buy an enell. do it today. you won't get it till the end of the century but it will be worth it if you haven't yet tripped on your boobs and killed yourself! =)

REST DAY

i feel so out of sorts on my 'rest day!' i feel sluggish. yesterday after my SEVEN MILES i was on a euphoric high all day long! it was gggreat! (like tigger.)

today, i made sure the kids and i took a walk after lunch-ola...and i'm wearing my good shoes (my all-day shoes to keep the heel problems of a barefoot gal at bay) like a good girl...now the kids and i are going to have q.t. (we've always had it but I'VE never laid down until recently when i discovered the huge bennies! i only need 15-30 mins of shut-eye)(then coffee sometimes)...then do our schoolwork.

sound good? well, honestly, it's a little hard for me w/o that high from yesterday. a run gives me an all day high. i feel more at ease, more sure of myself, more confident in my choices. more able to resist temptation (for me, the old eating habits)...i'm more patient w/ the kids...more clear in the head. i love the all-day feel of the muscles that were used. this far into my running habit, i'm not sore all day ..not at all. but, like after yesterday's 7 miles, i did feel a little...like in my hip-area muscles all day. and that's a "GOOD HURT" as i've always called it. i LOVE that feeling. it's not pain, just a sore muscle meaning it got used! in a new way.

i'm resisting the urge to go out & do a run after all today. i could take the kids on their bikes, we could go run a path. i COULD do it today instead of in the morning...but i'm mindful of my sore shins and my heel pain. i really want to stay on schedule and that is not to run today. today is 'rest day.'

DISCLAIMER: {the good thing about a blog for me to lay down my brain barf, instead of an individual email to a friend? it is: reading this is VOLUNTARY! you don't HAVE to read it. whereas, if i sent you a personal email, you feel obligated to read it and return it, questions answered, comments made. if you decide to read my blog, however, of your own free will, you may quit reading at any time, you may or mayn't make comments...but it's all on your own. that is why i will not apologize for repetition or long posts. it is my blog. i'm blogging here! and i bet my friends will thank me. they mightn't have to read my novels anymore! =) anyhoo, i know i keep stating that it is rest day...i'm solidifying it in my own mind...and that is that!} hoo-HOO!

so, according to the schedule that amber sent me, and tweaked how it works in my life, this is what it is now:
monday: long run (this wk 7 miles next wk 8)
tuesday: rest day
wednes: short run (3miles)
thursday: medium run (this wk 4 miles next wk it ups to 5 after WEEKS of 4)
friday: rest day
saturday: short run (3 miles...but this is my wild card day as it's the one i meet w/ friends to run...i think lots of them do their 'long run' that day...so it gets pushed to 4 and beyond. haven't yet figured out how to deal w/ this.....i could have 2 shorts during the wk and a medium on sats...but then i have the long on monday and i wonder if that's too close together. dunno)
sunday: rest day

stats: i'm down a couple of pounds! someday i could possibly post my wt but i don't see that day in the near future! i will say that i've lost 36.2 poundages since last november! almost been a yr.

signing off and have to give glory and honor and PRAISE to my Lord Jesus Christ! amen!

He truly is my All in All...my sweet Saviour. the Gentleman Who stood KNOCKING at my heart's door, waiting patiently for me till I opened that door. He NEVER barges in. He loves me, which is more than i deserve. He died for me. He absolves me of my sin. And He never leaves nor forsakes me. He is always with me. I feel that acutely. WHAT MORE COULD I ASK FOR?

He has given me a wonderful husband whom i GET TO love and hold and cherish (and take care of) daily (an honor in itself). He has blessed me with 3 beautiful children whom i have the honor of loving and caring for daily...joining w/ my dh to bring them up in the ways of the Lord...NOT TO MENTION He has allowed us to live in this wonderful country where we can freely home-educate them! What glorious freedom and whatta priviledge! Not to be taken lightly. Any more than it is a priviledge (not2Btaken lightly) to be a CHRISTIAN & PROCLAIM IT FREELY! What a wonderful country we live in. These freedoms were hard won, are hard won daily, and we dare not forget that nor take it for granted!!! Thus saith katie!

thanks for reading! i know it's long. but i will not apologize. i love writing. =) hugs!

Monday on the run

well, i'm EUPHORIC! my BODY (torso, lungs, tummy, most everything) felt GGGREAT this morning on my run. i set out to do 7 miles. count them. i have NEVER run seven miles in my life...save the 2 times i ran bloomsday(over 13 yrs ago). (isn't that 7.2 or sumpin?) i've done the 10K (on race days) plenty of times. i've rarely TRAINED over 5 miles. so, thanks to amber, for inspiration AND sending me the training schedule, i PLANNED this 7 miler today. i didn't eat late (yet wasn't starving when went to bed), didn't get to bed as early as i'd planned but 11 isn't OVER THE TOP LATE, up by 6 and out the door 10 minutes late at 640a.m. pottied both girls and tucked them in to bed w/ daddy and lotsa pillows B4 i went...part of the ritual. that settles everyone back in so there's hardly any chance of my wild card (youngest dd) waking up too early for my dh, thus making this a negative thing to start the day instead of a GOOD thing.

all that to say (i've GOT to get less verbose iffen i wanna do this blog thing...short & sweet...NOT MY STYLE) i got outta the house a tad later than i wanted. y'see i need to be back cuz i have a little girl who comes to my house in the mornings. she gets here at sporadic times but i really wanna be back by 755 to shower & out by 8 or so....she could come anytime after 8. as i'm warming up i'm debating, do i cut off a mile or 2 (i couldn't really calculate in my head and i dont' have a forerunner YET) so to come home sooner, or go for it and get the 7 under my belt but perhaps get home too late? well, dh is home, worse case scenario. i HATE having to debate like this WHILE i'm running. i don't want to take the easy way out and cut my run short. actually, i rarely have that problem. usu i will run farther, not shorter, and end up burning out.

anyway, i decided to take it slow but still do the miles. i figured, if they come early today, i will tell them we NEED a set time. i wanted the mileage under my belt and everything amber has told me and i've read, is that the time doesn't matter...yet. that we are concerned with going the distance. not at the expense of pain but you know. THAT was the other concern. my inside right shin has been complaining a bit. it got worse as yesterday went on...yesterday being rest day. i'm wearing good shoes all day long every day now, so my heel pain has mostly abated but my shin was really giving me fits. i'll HAVE to ice today ..and tomorrow...

I also decided to NOT use my ipod shuffle (the greatest thing since the enell sports bra!) until over 1/2 way done. i wanted to 'be alone w/ my thoughts' as amber would say. (barf!) but it was good. i prayed. we really don't give God enough time. at least i know i don't. also, i concentrated on the stupid sidewalk. i hate sidewalks. actually, i hate CURVES in the path! i hate uneven roadway. it's funny, today i noticed that the sidewalks on clearwater ave are slanted down toward the street, i s'pose for water run-off into the gutter; yet on 10th avenue, they were slanted the OTHER WAY to run off into the grass!!!!!!!!!!!! whassup w/ that? i specifically run on alternate sides of the road (WHEN I'M RUNNING ON SIDEWALKS...i'd rather stick to asphalt, facing traffic) to like, even my legs out. so, i picked that side of the road since i'd been slanting in the opposite direction on the other road. but OH NO... does this make sense?

the good part about that part of the run was i'd turned on the shuffle. WOW. what a difference! i had lost track of my margaret becker cds....i thought i only liked to run to "soul" (her album) but i rediscovered (and downloaded) her anthology..."steps of faith" the songs are from "the reckoning", "simple house", "immigrant's daughter," "etc...and I REDISCOVERED my initial love of her heart and honesty. truly, have you ever really listened to the words of songs like "streets of innocence" or "just come in"....ohmygosh. God's grace is so good! and i have never been so moved as when i listen to her beautiful voice sing about it. i'm a real music person...and i feel like my friends who don't enjoy it are missing out! hmmmm... i could go on and on. another blog? well, i have a family awaiting so i'd best get to the rest of my run. hope you are sitting down, WITH your coffee. (no donut,pls)

i don't know when i really noticed my shin hurting. it could have been on of the 5-7 times i had to WAIT to cross the street. the town that i grew up in was not as trafficky so i could sprint across whether or not the little white walking man appeared on the screen of the lite post. but now, in BUSY, METROPOLITAN KENNEWICK, i must WAIT for him...and HE IS SOOO SLOOOOOW! aaargh! i waited a whole 2-3 minutes at the corner of union and 10th! what??? i know they forgot about me for one whole cycle. i think mr white walk man was out on a donut run! (and i'm not even craving donuts!) (not on run day...save that for rest day! when i'm not even burning calories!) i'd think the drivers would have pity on me and roll down their windows to tell me i could go across but no. have you ever looked at the commuters at that time in the a.m.? they are barely awake (another good reason to be very wary) and grumpy-looking. i had a few smiles. but mostly vacant stares. not at me.

anyway, it was at one of those cross walk waiting sessions that i started noticing my shin owie. but you wouldn't believe how GREAT the rest of my bod felt. and i should have more owies, i'm thinking. i have a lot of wt to lose! so i just took it slow today and made sure not to POUND THE PAVEMENT. I don't know what mile i was when i felt what. but i was coming up to the last 2 miles and i was euphoric! i didn't even feel like stopping and walking when i got to where i knew it was about 6.8 or almost 7. i thought for sure i'd get to this one corner and walk home. but i didn't need to.

2 things i noted today: i had previously said it takes me about 3 miles, 30 minutes to really feel good. well, starting slow and easy today...i seriously think everything was numb (all shaken to numbness...my jiggly parts that is)(not numb in a bad way like i'm ignoring pain,...i mean all the jiggles are out) by 7 minutes into it. THAT IS AWESOME, huh? it's not like i have to be in misery for 30 whole minutes! i can plan to kind of be outta sorts for only SEVEN!

okay, for the end of the story, i decided to run all the way to my corner,,,in case my little 'daycare' charge was early...WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT. i turned the corner, and there they were! the one day i'm over .. it was like 8:15! so...you know, i don't actually know how many minutes i stood on street corners (!) waiting for the okay to cross. i know i ran for 1hr24 minutes and tried to remember to stop the watch when i was waiting. it was right at 7 or 7.1...so that's like 12 minute miles. i knew it'd be slower than my normal 10min/mile.

so, i plan to ice today and whenever it hurts (shin) and stick to the PLAN and only run 3 on wed and sat and do 4 on thurs and rest fri and tues. (nice and outta order, huh?) i will have to know my routes ahead of time and not guess. when i guess i usu run over 'just in case' and then i'm doing too much too soon. i don't know what i'll do if i continue to have pain. Lord, pls heal my shins and heel!

stats: mon 10-10-05
clear, cool, tad bit 'o wind on homeward stretch
miles: 7
time: 84 minutes
min/mile: approx 12
yeah baby!
thank YOU, Lord, the creator and maker of all good things...including the ABILITY to run! thank You and only YOU for this ability..for making our bodies so intricate and wonderful. how could anyone doubt INTELLIGENT DESIGN? i thank You that i have this mode of refreshment, clearing my head, doing something wonderful for my body! amen!

Saturday Run

Onward and upward! ALL the gals DOGGED us today....at least 10 women have been known to show up for our saturday morning runs and ALL of them were absent sat morn, save me...and my dear sis came too! maybe she'll make it a habit! =) she is a self-proclaimed abhorrer (is that a word?) of RUNNING. but for all that talk....she really ran hard and i don't know what it was exactly, but i was dying the whole time! whassup w/ that? the good news is we completed 3.8 miles in 38 minutes. so, thanks, em, for the race! it was great!

so, today was rest day. ironically, my good marathoning friends DID THE PORTLAND MARATHON today! GO GIRLS! i cannot believe i rub shoulders w/ the likes of them. and they are not sloggers, either! one qualified for the BOSTON in their first marathon a few months ago, and the other was hoping to today! wowee! i checked out a multitude of marathon books from the library yesterday...and have read 2 accts so far of running the boston. i'm back to thinking i might NE'ER do it! good grief. 'course, they are both male accts....and they are 'top runners' so they ran 5 minute miles or less! ha! for TWENTY SIX miles? i think not!

i am scheduled to run 7 miles in the a.m. i am a woman (i've never called myself that before! i am still a girl! and i just turned 37) w/ some wt to lose...and a few months ago i wasn't even RUNNING! seven miles? well, i drove a route tonite to figure it out ahead of time, and IN CASE my shins are hurting after 3 miles tomorrow, i can think of a way to cut it down to 5 or 6, possibly. i just don't know ... and i hate not knowing what to do. and i DEFINITELY don't want to make that decision DURING my run! if i even entertain the thought of stopping, i JUST MIGHT! ugh!

this is why i like PLANNING my mileage out ahead of time. all my running yrs, i've just gone for time. i'd PLAN on 30 minutes (in the early 90s they said '30 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise' or it wasn't any good) and i'd push it to more if i could. OF LATE, (after amber so kindly sent me the running timetable....leading up to marathon) i've been planning the miles i'd run each week, 4 days of running, and i go by that. MUCH BETTER. only problemo is i have to drive it to get miles. don't have the new-fangled gps wrist watch thing....yet! =)

our marathon relay is oct30...a Sunday...miss out on worship...wonder if i can take my ipod shuffle and listen to my worship music??? think they'll let me? for 6+ miles i think i'll need it. i'm not a great "me and my thoughts" type of runner. i like to drown out my footsteps and my breathing(my huffing and puffing)! =) anyhoo....since i'm already to 6 miles, i don't need to up my mileage for that run. but i'm working towards the 10 mile run in november.

well, i think this is too verbose for a 'blog' but i'm new to this so i'll cut myself some slack. plus, only amber and i will read it. is this what you wanted me to do w/ my blog, friend? how were your wkd runs? and: on your move to ny, will you get outta the car at intervals and run ....like to the hotel, meet your fam there and shower or meet them in the pool? i think that would be your best bet. i guess you guys could get to the hotel, then he could turn around and drive you x miles back out, and you could run back to hotel. i hope you are able to keep it going!

all 4 now.

stats: sat 10-8-05
miles: 3.8 miles
avg pace: 10 min/mile
comments: HARD
ate granola w/ milk nite b4
not enuff sleep

Wow! I'm a blogger/jogger!

Okay, i can't believe i'm doing this. but my dear friend, amber, has a blog & i love reading her's. it's mostly about her foray into the wide world of RUNNING. actually, SHE is training for a marathon. i'm JUST a slogger...but i've been recently inspired by her and our friends ch.&h. who are bona fide marathoners! they have already run a FEW and amber will run one SOON! i dunno if i wanna run a marathon yet, but it HAS been my dream in the past to run a 1/2. dear miss ch. tole me the otra dia that there "is a nice-sounding one in april, thought you might be interested..." hmmmm she has a WAY of gently planting a seed....she HOPES it will flower into desire.... we shall see. can you imagine ME, running a marathon?

i have been 'jogging' since jr. high. (it's 20+ yrs later.) in high school, i took a class called 'reading, writing and running' and i considered myself a runner. b4 marriage, for a period of about one year, i'd say i was a runner. only recently, tho, have i become what i'd consider a real runner. and i don't look it. but no longer do i run haphazardly, just for an am't of time (30 minutes+ has always been my goal), and just to burn calories. it has always been that. just to counteract the calories i'd consumed. to keep weight gain at bay.

don't get me wrong. weight loss is still at the forefront of my thought process. well, actually, it is moving to a more SENSIBLE place in my mind. i am so sick of it being in the front. so, the side effects of wt loss is of course WONDERFUL and i pray i continue in that way. but i am not running to just work off the calories i consume. yeahoo!

i run first thing in the morning. i am following the training schedule amber sent me from the non-runners guide to marathons or some such title. i have yet to get my hands on the book. b&n just ordered it for me. i don't eat after about 6 pm anymore and BELIEVE ME (and my hubby) THAT, above all, is the key to wt. loss. as long as you don't make up for it during the day. but more than anything, the not-eating late at nite has REALLY changed our lives. he is losing (tho didn't really need to) wt...of course, faster than i. hopefully he will stop now. he is not a runner. wish he was. for now, i'll do this while he bikes!

anyway, today is my rest day. tomorrow i run w/ a group of gals. we meet every sat morning at a pre-determined gathering place. i think we'll run 4-5 miles. some of us are splitting up a marathon end of this month. relay-style, we each get 6-7 miles. should be fun. a first for all of us. then, mid november i am planning a 10 mile 'race!' wowee! that is 3 shy of my 'dream!' weird, huh?

i thank my God every day that i am able to run!
To God be the Glory. He is a wonderful Creator!
kt