the moon, pants falling off, and a big fat slug

Just wanted to update you all that I did my first four mile run tonight and that is the longest I have ran in like nine years. I was able to run most of it too. I only walked about a total of amile intersperced between the running laps. I walked the first lap(1/3 a mile) and then ran the nest 7 laps and then walked the 9th and then ran then nest two and then walked the last lap. AND here is the best part. My ipod ran out of juice on the second lap. Now normally I would have probably stopped and just planned on going on another day when I had my music to run with because I have alwyas felt like I couldn't run without it. BUT I pushed forward and dropped the ipod off in my yard as I ran around and said "Oh Well!" And so I ran the four mile without any music and it really wasn't that bad. I was actually able to think and get lost in my thoughts for a while instead of just thinking "Oh my gosh I want to stop". That in itself is a big breakthrough for me. So I am very proud of myself. I am still wary about going six miles Saturday morning but I am going to do it and see how it goes. OH! by the way it only took me forty-five minutes to run the four miles as well. Don't ask me how I pulled that one off considering it took my forty-five minutes the other day to go three miles. But I was able to run more this time in a row before walking and I am sure that is why. I seriously just wanted to run it so it would be over quicker because I was really tired today. But that also made me feel really good. And another thing I had THREE signs on this run. One: on the third to last lap when I was feeling REALLY tired and just wanted to stop I came around the corner to the biggest yellowist moon that had been hidden behind the clouds up until then. It was so beautiful and really inspiring. Every subsequent lap after that it just kept rising higher and higher and that was really inspiring to me. 2: my running shorts that I normally wear started slipping of my hips and I had to roll them up! That made my run! 3: a HUGE slug. The hugest slug I have ever seen. Now I count this as a sign because Joselyn is obsessed with slugs and LOVES them and we haven't found many all summer. So I picked up this slug (with two leaves of course) and carried it home. I found it on my last cool down lap and I am really glad that I hadn't stepped on it because I had been running that route the whole time. But it made me feel like a good mom for carrying it home for her and putting it in her bug catcher to torture the next day. It reminded me that part of the reason I am doing this marathong is also for my girls. I want to be in shape for them and I want them to know that mommy loves herself and mommy is strong and mommy completes things. Funny how a big fat slug can remind me of all those things but it did.

DEATH!!!

So this is face of near death experiences. Isn't it pretty? I am putting this on here because I know that only the people that love me look at this and it is not accessible to others (hopefully). Yesterday I went running. BUT I went running at 3:30 in 102 degree weather. I realized that I wasn't going to get to go running that night because of a kindergarten social we had and then Dustin had basketball. So the baby was asleep and I left Maddy and Josey to watch a movie and just ran around my block so that I was running past my house about every five minutes and could check on them. Well I got about two miles even though I was going to try and go four and this is what I looked like when I staggered back into my house. The picture doesn't do it justice but seriously my face was the same color as my shirt and I am surprised that no one stopped me to ask me if I was okay while I was out there. Anyway I was at the farthest point from my house when I seriously thought I was going to pass out. I started feeling really light headed and I think that I was getting heat stroke. I get REALLY hot when I run anyway but with it being hot outside it was death! I had these visions of me passing out and my kids at home alone and I walked home to cool off and sit down. I had to get in a freezing shower for like fifteen minutes to finally cool my body down and even then my face was still really red for a really long time. Anyway that is my commitment to this marathon. I will run in 102 degree weather with the sun beating down on me and risk DYING to get the miles in! What are you risking?

Still Trekking On......

Well I ran/walked tonight and it felt good. I went 3.2 miles and I definately could have made it to four miles but it was already ten o'clock and I needed to get home. I saw my first "sign" tonight that I have seen in a while. When I first started running it felt like while I was running everything took on a more vibrant beauty and I noticed so many little things. But alas as the time went on and my body started to hurt more and my attitude started to wain I noticed less and less spuring me on and giving me inspiration. I am still a little down about the whole thing and Beck I know you know what I am talking about after our conversation today. I am pushing forward though and I am giving it my all that is for sure. It took me forty-five minutes to go three miles basically and that seems like a long time for such a short distance. By the way I thought we were on week two! I was only planning on going six miles this Saturday and I am only on chapter 2. I am going to stick to my plan I think because six miles sounds REALLY daunting I don't even want to think about seven. If it took me forty-five minutes to run three miles it is seriuosly going to take me a long time to go six! Anyway I am still here and running. I think that I am going to blog about this on my main blog because I feel like I need to commit to other people to make me more accountable and feel way more guilty and ashamed if I quit. Hope everyone elses runs went well!

Two Blogs: Running and Eclipse

#1: running
I finally made it three miles tonight. I was very proud of myself and it was great. I couldn't run the entire thing as the hills in my neighborhoos are kicking my butt BUT I did and made it a full three miles. I ran up to my church building which is about a mile and a half. I kinda like running though the neighborhood. I am not sure why, maybe it is because I have to imagine that somebody might be looking at me and I don't want to stop running when they are watching OR it might just be a nice change of scenery. I was trying to notice things around me to add to the blog but honestly I was just concentrating on putting one foot in fron of the other and keep going more than anything else. But I did manage to notice a few things. Some will be blogged in the next part of this blog but one that I will add here are the clouds here. Since I took humanities my freshman year in college and was introduced to Monet I have LOVED his work. Something about his paintings just speak to me and I LOVE anything that he creates. I realized as I was running tonight that the clouds here in Oregon look straight out of a Monet painting. They are beautiful. I will try to get a good picture later to show you they are amazing and they are always different. They are beautiful!



#2: Eclipse
I finally finished the book today after neglecting my children and housework all day. But I couldn't stop and I wanted to finish it. I have actually enjoyed this book a lot and I think it has been because I couldn't read it as fast I wanted to becuase of my schedule and it has stretched it out making it more enjoyable for me to anticipate. But I find that after I read her books I get into a slump because I feel so BORED. I all of a sudden want a more exciting life and I want to be Bella and and not be this boring stay at home thirty year old mom. It makes me feel like such a desperate housewife. I started really being depressed about it too making feel like I need to do something to spice up my life. I realized though that I didn't want to meet Edward or meet somebody new that would give me those butterflies she writes about. I just want to meet Dustin again. I want to be 18 again and meet him again and fall in love with him again. Dustin is totally my Edward. I new that I could NOT live without him and there was no way you could keep us apart even when we were not liking each other. It was like this magnet that was so strong we couldn't resist it. After eight years together I still love him and am in love with him but I want to FALL in love with him again. I guess that is wishful thinking because there are no surprises left but I felt better in the fact that I still wanted just him and that he definately gave me my Bella moments. I really liked the book though and I really liked Jacob in the book. Somebody call me so that I can talk about it I am DYING!!!!
I know these aren't good pictures and you kinda have to be there in person but the woods here are SO thick and they remind me so much of the book. These are some of the woods by my house that I ran by today and I had to go back and take a picture to share with you. They are totally the woods that Jacob and Edward hide in. The trees are serioualy intimidating and you cannot see through the thickness.
This is one of the roads I jog down and it totally remids me of the road that Bella lives on. i don't know why but I can just imagine her house on this road. When somebody comes to visit me I will have to show in person the pictures don't do it justice.

For Jessica

Ok Jess - the new page element "Seen and Heard" is for you. Since you can't do the nike thing yet, I thought it would be fun for us all to list the strange or wonderful things we have seen or heard while running alone with our music and our thoughts! These are things that I don't even tell Ryan - things that are special to me that I save for only myself... and now with you all. That might sound stupid, but at a time and place in my life where I have no private, special moments, I feel so thankful not only for my legs, and for the opportunity I have to run, but especially for the unexpected visual gifts I've been given while running... These things are mine and they are special to me. They make me feel like Heavenly Father is saying to me "I'm proud of you. I know you and am aware of your struggles everyday, so here... this is for you." This probably won't make a whole lot of sense until you look at the list... so here goes!

Still Here.....and still running

Ok So I know I didn't go running at all while I was in California but that doesn't mean I am not still running! If you take into account how my vacation went I don't think many others would have run either. Let's see........started period, got severely sick with massive diarrhea and stomach cramps, baby got severely sick with diarrhea, Maddy puked in middle of night, consequently didn't sleep at night for seriously like the whole week (for various reasons: all in same room, sick, beeping fire alarm, etc.) and didn't take a nap ever either! SO this is for you Beck. I went running last night and I ran two miles, AND I went around my neighborhood because by the time I got out there it was too dark to go to the track. My neighborhood is NOT flat so I was running up and down hills the whole time, that is pretty good I think. I know that is not where we are supposed to be with the training, but I am trying and I haven't totally given up on the whole thing. I am going to do the best I can with where I am at right now and we will see. Anyway I am still bumbed that I am the only one that can't join your challanges and stuff and it doesn't make it as much fun for me that you are all doing something else entirely and now it is all over the blog and I can't even join in BUT I will continue to run and see what happens. Love you guys and keep up the good work. I am SOO impressed with you all.

OH MOTHER

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Just the Two of US

Okay Alli! I think it's you and me babe!!!! I started my official training yesterday! I'm so excited and a little nervous. I have to say that this experience has already taught me so much about myself and if I can do this thing that seems soooo impossible, then there isn't anything I can't do. I really hope everyone else at least walks the half marathon. Alli, are you only running the half or are you going to run the full with me in Dec?

alright everyone, i have officially started my training for the half marathon. i am doing online at nikeplus.com with about a million other people. i have to tell you guys about this challenge i made online with the nike thingy. i called it "cankles" and made it open to the public. it is hilarious. i made it for the month on of august, and everyone's runs gets logged onto the challenge to see how many miles we can go in one month. right now, someone is at 34 miles this month! it has been amazing because you can trash talk.... and while reading what everyone was saying, i would say that about 90% of the people that signed onto my challenge are stay at home moms. anyways, im only at 12 miles this month so far.... which is good, but i should be at around 15 to be ready for the half marathon. i will do better next week. will you guys PLEASE hurry up and finish eclipse so i can talk to you about it!!!! im going CRAZY HERE!