I completed my second triathlon last weekend (albeit a sprint distance, but a triathlon nonetheless). It was the OCCC Super Sprint. It was much more fun than my first one last year. I felt a lot more comfortable in the pool and my bike was pretty good. I managed to finish 3rd in my age bracket (out of 10, I think). It was wonderful to have my parents there at the finish line. They don't usually attend my events so it meant a lot to have them there.

Today was the Oklahoma Baptist Children's Ride. I have done 44 miles the last two years, but didn't today. Today is Morgan's 15th birthday!! I wanted to be home and still conscious! I ran 8 miles with Cori this morning so I definitely got my workouts in today!

We bought Morgan a cell phone for her birthday. She's been begging for one for almost two years so it really was a special gift for her - one she really appreciated. She's been texting almost all day!

Our church pioneer trek is this week - we leave on Thursday. I love to hike and camp, but I am concerned about the heat. I've been really hydrating and encouraging all the kids to do the same. Wish us luck!

End of May update

Kids are pretty much done with school - some loose ends to tie up. This first semester of homeschooling has been a learning experience. I'll be more organized in August (I hope). They will be doing some more co-op classes next semester.

I love the warmer weather - getting to ride and run outside more is wonderful!
I began advanced swim lessons on Friday and after one lesson I feel more empowered. I signed up for the OCCC sprint triathlon on June 13th and feel ready to go!!! We'll see how things go. I want to conquer my fear of the swim!

The shifters on my bike had to be replaced to the tune of $275! UGH! What can you do? I love my bike and am not ready to replace "LANCE".

Scott, Randy and I did the Tour de Meers last weekend. It was wonderful! I love scenic rides. I saw buffalo, long-horns, etc. My shifters officially died during this ride so hills were a challenge, but it was still a great ride. I look forward to all the upcoming summer rides.

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!!!

Family Vacation

On the beach in Negril, Jamaica
Mayan Ruins in Tulum (Mexico)

Overlooking the ocean in Tulum

Me and my girl

We just got back from a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean with the kids and my parents. Overall, we had a wonderful time; however, I don't think I ever want to travel with anyone else ever again (children included).

We were at sea on Sunday & Monday. Unfortunately, a cold front came in right before we left OKC and the weather wasn't as warm as we would've liked. I still laid out by the pool and managed to get a sun-burn.

Our first stop was Cozumel, Mexico. We went to see the Mayan Ruins in Tulum. I was really excited to see this historic place. It took awhile by ferry and bus to get there. Our guides, Nachos and Carlos, spoke very broken English so our tour was not as informative as it was probably meant to be. We only had about 20 minutes to wander around on our own so I don't recommend this tour to anyone unless you are going on your own b/c all the information you want on Tulum can be found on GOOGLE.

Second stop was Grand Cayman. Our excursion was to go swim with the stingrays and then snorkel at the barrier reef. Again, it was windy. Our boat captain took forever to get to stingray city and then on the way back the boat blew an engine and they had to get another boat to bring us back. Our three hour tour lasted five hours. We didn't get to meet up with my parents for shopping or go out to lunch like we had hoped. I still loved swimming with the stingrays and snorkeling around reef despite the other circumstances. The water is so clear!

Our third stop was Jamaica. People have been warning us for months that Jamaica was dirty and we would probably be offered drugs. We followed our travel agent's advice and went out to Negril on the western part of the island. Our tour guide, Sherilynn, was awesome!!! The beach was so beautiful. There was no wind on our part of the island and the weather couldn't have been better. We rented a jet ski and had a blast! This was, by far, the best part of the trip. No one really tried to sell us drugs - I guess we look too squeaky clean. No worries, mon.

The shows on the ship were really good. I took belly-dancing classes which were a blast!!! Despite what everyone predicted, I only went to the gym 3 times. I gained a lot of weight on this cruise, though. I'm back on the food wagon!!

My parents, God love them, complained about almost every aspect of the trip - the food, the room, the ports, the weather. OMG!! I thought I was going to have to jump overboard before I committed murder. I guess my standards are low b/c I loved the trip. Was it perfect? No. But how can you complain when you're being waited on, in the Caribbean and away from work????

I'm Outta Here!!!!

We're leaving for vacation in about 14 hours! YEAH!! We're all very excited. (Even Mom, who still has shingles). The packing is almost done. I will do my "last chance workout" tomorrow with Cori (both of us on the disabled list).

I think I'm out for running the full marathon in April due to knee issues. I'm hopeful that I can still run the half, but only time will tell. I'm bummed out, but I don't want to push it - been there, done that. Cycling season starts soon and I love that even more than running. The Red Bud Classic is only about a month away.

See y'all when we get back!!!