OKC Memorial Marathon

Sunday was the 9th Annual OKC Memorial Marathon. As I posted earlier, I had originally planned to run the full 26.2 miles, but an unexpected knee snafu took me out for a little over a month. After the death of my friend, Craig, I re-evaluated doing the marathon, why I run and what I wanted to accomplish. Cori and I decided to run/walk or a combination of the two for the half-marathon instead. We got in a few "long" runs (for me 8 miles post-injury was long) and away we went.

The weather was not optimal running weather, to say the least. It was hot, humid and windy, but as runners, we pushed through. Cori and I stayed together through the good, bad and ugly (did you see those belly-dancers??). I'm so glad I decided to run it & we did run most of it with a few (ok - several) walking breaks. We finished with a time of 2:20 which isn't horrible.

I'm so proud of all my running pals who ran or walked on Sunday. It is an accomplishment that no one can take away from you! Special props go out to Mike, Josh and Stephanie who all ran their first full. Way to go!!

If you can believe it, I'm planning on trying again to train for the full marathon which seems to elude me. Now it has become an obsession to be able to complete a full marathon without injuries getting in the way of my training. I'm "mentally" registered for the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon in November. I hope health and good luck are on my side. We've got several months to see. Just taking it one run at a time. On a side note, I'm so glad that cycling season is here.

It's Almost Time!!!

The last few weeks have been chock full of ups and downs - just like life, right??
I've been able to run a lot more which has been wonderful!!! I'm so grateful for Cori running with me on Thursday mornings and the Southside Group on Saturdays. I ran just over 8 miles today and it felt beyond awesome!! I'm running the half-marathon next weekend and am really excited. I still really miss Craig, but I know he is with our Heavenly Father. To be honest, I've never really lost someone close to me. All my grandparents are gone, but I was young when they passed.

Homeschooling has been a challenge. Scott does most of the work to be honest. I get really distracted. I'll be glad for summer break so I can get re-organized. The kids are doing really well despite the inconsistency of their parents. I had the best of intentions when we began - but life happens.

We're planning for the church "Pioneer Trek" in June. I will be a 'ma' for a family of 8 kids. (I only had two for a reason . . . ) It will be fun and a great experience, but the logistics are a little challenging. The food will undoubtedly be awful so I'm sure I'll lose some weight - a plus!!!

I'm so proud of all my friends who have been training for marathons, etc. They inspire me!

More than you can bear??

The last week or so has been an emotional roller coaster. One of my dear friends, Craig, took his own life on Friday evening. I don't think any of us will ever fully understand all the "whys". I wasn't the closest person to him, but he definitely made an impact on my life. I began running with the Southside running group almost two years ago (?) or so. For those of you who are not runners, you cannot fully understand the camaraderie that goes along with the sport. Even when you are injured and cannot run, you still feel the connection with everyone else as they continue to pursue their goals.

When someone dies, it inevitably makes you look at your life. I have realized that I am not easy to be friends with and tend to push people away. What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind?? Certainly not one as unapproachable and/or unfriendly. I vow to change those things and try to be more involved with people -if it isn't too late.

To make matters worse, I've been dealing with yet another medical issue. Test results will come back this week so I will not mention the nature of it here, but suffice it to say, I'm sick of dealing with medical things! God isn't supposed to give us more than we can bear - this week is pushing that limit.

On a brighter note - a few of the girls and I went to a pole-dancing class on Friday. It was a blast!! Everything I do is rigid and scheduled and I was able to let loose and have fun. I was definitely sore the next day though. I have a new understanding of the struggles of the "working girls".
God Bless!!!