What I hope I can learn from running...

Well, today was the day! After running off and on since I was in high school, today I ran 5 miles and felt amazing. I wasn't meeting anyone(I had already missed the 6am meeting time due to a fun party at Suzie's), so it was just me, my mp3 player and the road. This was truly the first time in 12 years(wow!) I can say a run was easy for me. I run now because it is just what I do. I have been very consistent with my running (maybe too consistent if you ask other people :-)), with the end goal that someday it would feel "natural." It has been a long "road" but I am proud of where I am. I still have many goals (Boston anyone?), but I feel today was a huge milestone. There have been many times I wanted to give up running because I wasn't very good, and I am so grateful I persevered and proved that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. Now, I just want to apply this to the rest of my life. Being a homemaker is definitely not "natural" to me. My disorganized, chaotic brain just does not know where things are "supposed" to go. I get overwhelmed very easily by the tasks involved in "running" a household. Sometimes I want to give up because of the fear that I will never be successful. As I look into the eyes of my darling children and my sweet husband, I realize there can be no giving up. With the help of good friends, prayer, a sense of humor, a loving family, and my own determination, I will figure it out just like I have finally figured out how to run. And someday, I hope to feel the same way about my skills as a homemaker as I feel today about my running. Any ideas and tips always appreciated. :-)

A breath of fresh air...

Well, I just got the approval from my insurance for my new inhaler. Yep, that's right, folks. There is a possibility I might have asthma. More specifically, exercise-induced asthma. It seems crazy, but it would explain my throat closing up and not being able to breathe. :-) I will be so happy if this is a correct diagnosis because it means that I am fixable. (At least for my running problems- my mental problems- that's a whole other story!) Tomorrow will be a good test. Suzie and I will be running in a local 5k with some of our other good friends. Wish us luck!

Happy Mommy's Day

What a great day to reflect on the most important people in my life: my family. I woke up to my sweet Dallin reminding me it was Mother's Day and that I could finally open the gift he made me in preschool. He has been so excited for the last couple of days for me to open this. It was a little coupon book and he said, "And I have to do everything in it, Mom." It was awesome. I truly love that little boy and feel so lucky to be his mom. He is just such a nice, smart funny little boy and I am in awe of him every day. It has been such a joy to watch him learn. He also sang with the Primary kids for the first time today and I completely teared up. I hope I am doing a good job with him. I hope he knows how much I love him. I am also so grateful for my darling Emily. She keeps me busy, but there is never a dull moment with her. She loves to get our attention and make us laugh. She thinks she is such a big girl and is so proud of herself when she figures things out. I am so glad I am their mommy. I talked to my mom tonight and I hope she, too, knows how much I love her. She is truly the most generous woman I have ever known and I have learned so much from her. I wish we lived closer to her because Dallin talks about Grandma Nise all the time. I am also lucky enough to have another great woman to call mom. My mother in law is an amazing woman. She has always treated me like her own daughter and I am very grateful for that. I hope that I will always remember the most important things in life aren't things.

I did it!

Short report- my marathon time was 4:38- a 33 minute improvement from last year and I am just enjoying my rest. I just wrote up my full report on Marathon Mommies. Thanks for all of your support. I will be focusing on crosstraining and weight lifting this week. :-)