Up and Running!

Well, it's September 20th, and baby Chapman is already one month old! Time has flown already, I dread how fast it will go from this point. I am thoroughly enjoying my time with him. It's hard to believe that I only have three more weeks to spend with him, but I'm trying not to think about what it will be like to go back to work.

 

As far as running, the doctor cleared me last Friday to get out and run. So, what did I do on Saturday? I RAN! My friend Sarah and I took off for a three miler on Saturday morning. She hadn't run in a few weeks, so we were both kind of starting from scratch. We ran three miles and did minimal walking. We made it a mile and a half without walking at all, which I feel is good, considering I haven't run in nine weeks. I've been walking since I stopped running, but it just isn't the same. So, to be able to do three miles the first time out felt pretty good.

 

On Sunday, Chapman and I participated in the Constitution 5K as our first race. I ran the race and my parents walked and pushed Chapman in the stroller. I finished in 34:49 (by my watch) and was able to be there to cross the finish line with my little man! While it's definitely my slowest 5K in years, it just felt good to be out there participating. Here is a picture of Chapman and I after the race. They even gave him his own bib that we hung from the stroller.

 

 

We had a lot of fun and I hope that running is something that Chapman and I can share together for the rest of our lives. As far as MY running, it's feeling okay at this point. I'm a little tender in certain areas, but other than that, I feel great! I went out for a run last night and was able to average about a 10:10 mile, which is pretty good for not running for nine weeks. Hopefully I'll be back to those faster miles soon and adding some mileage!

 

 



Baby Chapman has arrived!!!

Well, I know I've been slacking on blogging, but we've been finishing up with getting ready for Baby Chapman's arrival. And...it's a good thing we did! Baby Chapman decided to make his appearance a week early, so we were very glad to be as prepared as we were! :)

 

Chapman was due on August 28th, but decided to make his grand entrance on August 20th at 11:53 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long, and to us, he's perfect in every way. We look at him and wonder how it's possible to love something as much as we love him.

 

Here are a couple of pictures to show you just how cute he is!

 

 

This was right after he had been cleaned up and Daddy was getting ready to hold him.

 

 

He's a week old in this one. I love those lips!

 

New baby aside, I absolutely cannot wait to start running again! We are going to start some walking this week and will go from there.

 

Also, look for some awesome reviews and giveaways to come once I start running again. I have tons of goodies just waiting to be used and given away!

 



Usually the optimist, today the pessimist (not really)

I'm usually the one who always sees the "silver lining" as my husband says. And I am still seeing the silver lining in everything right now, I mean, I'm getting ready to welcome my first child into the world. How could I not see the silver lining? But, that doesn't mean that there aren't things in life that are frustrating. Things frustrate me just as much as anyone else, I just normally tend to see the brighter side because it's a waste of time and energy to let things get you down. Things could be so much worse, and that's what I tell myself when I start to feel sorry for myself.

Here's my frustration today, and then I'm done with it.

I stopped running at about 34 1/2 weeks because it was unbearably hot and I was running so slow that I may as well have been walking anyway. Obviously, I've gained weight through this pregnancy, along with slowing down. My frustration is that everyone around me is still running and can still run. I miss running. I miss being able to go out on a Saturday morning and have a long run with my running friends. It's like I've fallen off the radar and I can't get it back for at least another month or so.

I don't want to have to start from scratch. I don't want to never gain my speed back. I want to be able to run another half marathon and have it be a PR. I'm scared to death that I'll never have that back. People keep telling me that it will be fine, that I will be able to come back even stronger. I try to tell myself that everyday when I can't run, while everyone around me can.

So, that's my soapbox for the year. I know that no one likes to read things like this, but I had to get it off my chest, and I feel better.

A question...

Have you ever had to take a long break from running, not by choice? If so, how did you make it back to where you were before?

Only 5 weeks to go!

So, we are closing in on the finish line of this pregnancy. Only five more weeks! (Give or take.) Here's a pic!

I have pretty much stopped running, about a week and a half ago. I'm sticking to walking and riding my bike on the trainer at home. I figure as long as I'm keeping up some kind of cardio for the next five weeks, I'm still being active. My motivation at this point is that it will make labor much easier.

My husband and I are getting so excited to meet our little Chapman! He's already turned and I feel like I can feel him moving lower everyday. His movements aren't as high as they used to be and I'm experiencing back pain and some pain in my pelvic area. Hopefully that means he will be here soon!

On a running note, I'm trying to decide what I want to be my first big race back in the game. I am honestly having long run withdrawals! I miss the long run so much and I miss the half marathon. I can't wait to run a half marathon, but I want to make sure that I'm ready for it when I do. I don't want to go out there and not be able to perform the way I did before I was pregnant. So, that means giving myself plenty of training time.

With that said, if he's born at the end of August as planned, I could be ready to run one by December, I think. Anyone have any suggestions for a good half marathon to run in December or after?

Razzy Roo Headband Winners!

The random numbers chosen by www.random.org to win the RazzyRoo headbands are...

#6 - Suz and Allen

and

#15 - Bobbie from Journey in Running

Suz and Allen, email me your mailing info at sheridunlee@bellsouth.net and I will send out your headband.

Bobbie, I'm sure I'll see you soon to get you yours!

Congratulations!

Strange aching...any ideas?

Jeremiah and I ran two miles last night and in the middle of our run, my Achilles area started hurting on the outside of my left leg. Since last night, it's gotten worse and now it's not only in my Achilles, but it stretches about halfway up the back of my calf.

It doesn't feel injured, maybe just strained. It feels like I have a 'charlie horse' in my calf that won't go away. I have stretched it and stretched it, used my stick to roll it, and nothing. It's not unbearable, just annoying.

Anyone have any ideas as to what this could be? What muscle? What tendon? Anything?



31 weeks today and FRUSTRATED!

I can't say that I've ever been one to blog about the bad things in my life or what's bothering me, but today is just one of those days. Nothing has really gone wrong, I just feel blah! And it takes a lot for me to feel that way. My husband tells me that he wishes he could always see the silver lining like I do, but I'm just not seeing it much today.

I'm beginning to have trouble with my running. I'm 31 weeks pregnant, and I'm grateful that I've made it this far. I just can't seem to shake the feelings of "Where did the runner I used to be go?" I keep reading blogs and posts about how great everyone is doing and how much faster they are getting, but not me. Oh no...not Sheri. I just keep getting slower and slower. And I completely understand why I'm getting slower, and I'm okay with that. It's not right now that bothers me.

What bothers me is later. What if I can't ever get back to the runner I used to be? What if I can't speed up or lose the weight post-pregnancy? You see, it's not the present that scares me, it's the future. I keep thinking I have these lofty goals of coming back better than I was before, but I just don't know. Baby Chapman is going to take a lot of our time as parents, and that is what's more important to me.

I guess I just have to remember that every Mommy and Daddy need their 'me' time. I have some wonderful family who will be willing to let me go run for an hour or two while they spend quality time with their grandson or nephew.

This pregnancy has been one of the easiest things I've ever done. I'm still running, I haven't been sick AT ALL, and you can't tell I'm pregnant from behind. I have thoroughly enjoyed being pregnant, I must say. The only thing that bothers me is the road back to where I used to be. But, with perseverance and determination, hopefully I can do it.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Don't forget my giveaway for RazzyRoo headbands! :) Just click...

HERE!

Razzy Roo Headband Review and Giveaway!

Everyone who is a runner, a runner with hair that is, is always looking for the perfect headband to wear. I've tried every headband out there and have not been disappointed so far. I really was not disappointed with the one I tried most recently. Christy over at RazzyRoo Headbands sent me a couple of headbands to review and a couple to give away.

I chose to wear my first RazzyRoo during a half marathon that I ran back in March. I chose the pink/purple sparkle one because it matched the outfit I was wearing during the half. This outfit was pretty important to me because this was the half I ran while pregnant. It was my slowest half ever, but it felt so good to cross the finish line and know that my future child completed it with me.

Anyhoo...the headband was wonderful! I didn't have sweat in my eyes during the race, but most of all, I didn't have to adjust the headband during the entire 13.1 miles. I absolutely love this headband. I have a pink one and a black one that I wear on a regular basis. I am normally not a sparkly kind of girl, but I have to say, I love both of my headbands. They both sparkle, and I love them! They have quickly become two of my favorites. I just wore one this morning during my morning run. :)

This is a picture of the headband itself.

This is a picture of the entire outfit for the half.

Now for the giveaway! I have two of these sparkle Razzy Roo's to give away. One of them is the same color as the one I'm wearing above, and the other is green. They are both sparkly ladies! There will be two winners, each winning one headband.

To enter the giveaway...

1. Be or become a follower of my blog and post a comment telling me so.

2. Go to the Razzy Roo website HERE and tell me which headband you would absolutely love to have and leave me a comment.

3. Like RazzyRoo on Facebook HERE and leave me a comment.

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment.

5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook and leave me a comment.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, June 28th at 11:59 p.m.

Good Luck!

WOW...it's been a long time!

WOW, it has been a long time! I guess pregnancy has gotten the best of me. I have been so busy with getting ready for the baby that I haven't had time for much of anything. But, I promise that starting today, I'm going to be back on the blogging bandwagon! :)

Just to catch my readers up on a few things...

1. We have found out that we are having a BOY! Samuel Chapman Satterly is due to make his appearance into the world on August 28th! We are so very excited about this new venture in life. I'm so blessed to have the husband and families that I have to support me through this endeavor.

2. Am I still running? YES! I will be 30 weeks pregnant on Tuesday, and running is still a part of my routine. I've slowed down quite a bit and I have to get up pretty early to beat the beat, but it's worth it to know that running can only make labor and delivery easier. This is a big plus for me considering my plan is to welcome our little guy into the world with the use of NO drugs. YIKES! We'll see what happens! :)

3. I've been running in the Brooks Green Silence shoe for awhile now, long enough to have gone through about five pairs of them. The shoe still exists, but they have changed the material and they aren't as flexible. I ended up taking a pair back that I bought. I'm beginning to have some trouble finding the old version in my size, so I'm thinking about switching shoes. I am seriously considering the Brooks PureConnect. The PureConnect or the PureCadence seem to be the closest to what I'm running in now. My question is...has anyone run in them? Do you like them or not? 

4. Also, my Garmin is getting ready to call it quits. I am seriously looking to the Garmin Forerunner 405 as a replacement. Anyone use this watch? Like or dislike?

 With all that said, it feels great to be back in the blogging world. I promise I will keep you all posted on the pregnancy and everything that goes with it. My next post will be a review and giveaway of RazzyRoo headbands, so keep your eyes peeled!

Two days of rest before the half! :)

Well, the time has come. It's Wednesday, and Run the Bluegrass is Saturday. I am so very excited for this race! I'm excited mainly due to the fact that I won't be running alone. I will be running with my first child! :) How many children can say they ran a half marathon before they even exited the womb? Well, mine will be able to say that.

I've been doing my long runs with my two friends, Sarah W. and Sarah B. Both of these friends I know from high school, which makes the training all the more special. I don't keep in touch with a lot of people from high school, so it's very nice to be back in touch with people that I was able to share high school with, and now I get to share this with them as well. Even if we don't run together during the race, training was a big part of the fun!

We went out this past Sunday for our last long run before the race, 12 miles. Going into this training, I wasn't sure what to expect out of running while pregnant. At first, I wasn't pleased. During my first trimester, I was SO tired that sometimes I couldn't muster up the energy to run at all, so I didn't. But as soon as my energy started to show back up, I started morning runs. I can't run after school because my feet are swollen and it's very uncomfortable to do so.

As for long runs, I've been very pleased! With all of us! We've all been running the entire runs, and at a pretty good clip. For my eight miler, I averaged around 9:20, my nine miler was an average of 9:19, eleven miler was 9:25, and my twelve miler was 9:37.

Our twelve miler included quite a few hills. We ran a couple of neighborhoods that have some pretty good hills and then we went to the Danville Country Club. Our intention was to just run up the drive to the country club and back out, but when we got down the drive, we decided to run the cart path of the back nine of the golf course. All I can say is, WOW! We definitely had our hill work for the week. This course we're running on Saturday is supposedly pretty hilly, so let's hope we're ready for it!

Run the Bluegrass, here we come!

MyMottoz Product Review and Giveaway!

Recently, I was sent a few product from Shannon over at MyMottoz to review on my blog. Shannon was nice enough to send something for my husband and something for me, which worked out great because my husband gets jealous about all the cool stuff I get. So, it was nice for him to have something as well.

MyMottoz is a company that offers athletic clothing with mantras on them. There are SEVERAL mantras to choose from. You choose the piece you want, and then you choose what mantra you would like printed on your piece. Visit their website HERE to see all that they have to offer. It's been down for maintenance, so if you can't get it to come up, just keep trying.

My husband loves to do boot camps at the gym we attend and they make you wear a white shirt for visibility. He chose the long-sleeved technical shirt in the picture, with the saying "Suck it Up" on it. This is his mantra. He loves this shirt! After he started wearing it, I started having to wash it twice a week so that he could wear it to every boot camp he went to. My husband says this shirt is very comfortable, cool, and keeps moisture off of his skin. He also said that the shirt seems to be of "superior quality". He also liked that he got to choose what motto was put on the shirt.

Shannon also sent me the jacket that I am wearing in the picture above. This jacket is perfect for someone like me because even when it's 10 degrees outside, I can't dress too warm. I am hot natured and never really pull out the fleece workout clothes. I have to keep it as minimal as possible because layers always come off throughout my runs.

This jacket isn't too thin, which means it only works for me in cool/cold weather, but it isn't so thick that I want to take it off 2 miles into my run. It has three pockets; two up front and one in the back. It is perfect for carrying your phone, keys, gels, etc. It even stretches with my pregnant belly, as you can see in the picture.

I chose the motto "Thirteen Point Freaking One". While I'm very proud of myself for having a 26.2 under my belt, it definitely isn't my favorite distance. My favorite distance is by far the half marathon, so that's why I chose this motto. I plan on running half marathons as long as my body will let me, so I felt I needed to give it some recognition. Also, I've had tons of compliments on my jacket and it's motto. Thanks Shannon!

Now onto the giveaway!

Shannon also sent me a technical shirt to give away. The shirt is short-sleeved, size SMALL, and says "I bust mine to kick yours". Receive an entry for each of the following:

1. Become a follower of my blog/or you already are - MANDATORY! Leave a comment telling me that you are following

2. Post this giveaway to your blog.

3. Post this giveaway to your Facebook.

4. If you had a running mantra, what would it be?

This giveaway will end on Sunday, April 1st at 11:59 p.m. GOOD LUCK!

9 mile weekend!

Well, training for this half marathon is coming to an end, and I have to say that I feel much better about it now than I did during my first trimester, due to complete fatigue. Now that the horrible fatigue has subsided, training has been much easier.

I've been waking up and doing 5 a.m. runs and I really enjoy that. This week it's been hard to get a run in because my nephew, a senior starter, was playing the the 12th Region basketball tournament to be able to go to the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament. So, needless to say, we've been following him wherever he's played in the hopes that we would get to see him play at Rupp Arena. But, all good things must come to an end. They played in the region championship and lost by 7 points. We are still so very proud of him!

On another note, this past weekend was scheduled for a 9 mile run. I was a little worried, due to the fact that I'm currently 4 months pregnant and I hadn't done an 8 miler, just a 7. Sarah B., Sarah W., and I started our run at 6:00 a.m., when it was still dark outside. At about 7:00, here came the sun. I have to say that even though it's always tempting to sleep in on a Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed starting our run that early and being able to see the sun rise while I was running. We started at Sarah W.'s house and went through downtown Danville, out to Millennium Park, made a lap around the park, and headed back to Sarah's house.

Now, while I don't have a goal of achieving a PR in this half marathon, I do have the goal of finished with a pace less than 10:00 per mile. I wasn't sure if this was going to be an attainable goal while pregnant, but I think I may have been proven wrong during the 9 mile run. Throughout the entire run, I noticed that I was running at a pace that was faster than my normal 'pregnant pace' right now. But, I just kept running. I feel that when it's time for me to slow down, this baby will make sure I know it's time to slow down or stop.

I finished my run with a pace of 9:19!!! This put me at a total time of about 1:24:00. I don't have my Garmin with me, so I don't know my exact time. Not my best pace on a long run, but I was very pleased with my pace, considering my current state of condition! Now I know that I can finish in under a 10:00 per mile pace. That makes me totally ecstatic! Not to mention that I'm so excited about the weekend of the half in general. My mom, my sister, and I are going up the night before and enjoying a girls night of shopping and dinner. We are staying at the Hilton and just going to enjoy some much needed time spent together. We don't get to do it often enough.

So, my question today is...

If you've ever run pregnant, how did you know when to slow down or to switch to walking?

Specifically Random Headband Winner!

And the winner is, chosen by www.random.org, entry #2...

Jean!

Jean - I will get with you on Facebook about the details!

CONGRATS!

3 Things Thursday

Wow! What a week it has been, and it's not finished yet.

1. I haven't run as much this week as I would have liked, but life happens. I ran 4 miles on Monday, had plans to run Tuesday night but went home and had dinner with my hubby instead, freakish storms all day yesterday, 4 1/2 miles today, 3 tomorrow, and 9 on Saturday. Tomorrow's 3 miler will be an easy 3 so that I can focus on my 9 miler on Saturday. My running week in a nutshell!

2. I'm freaking out about stretch marks! I don't have any yet and don't know if I will get any at all, but they freak me out to no end! We are lake addicts during the summer, and I want to be able to wear my bathing suit!! Anyone out there have any advice on how to help prevent stretch marks?

3. I've decided I need an office assistant. Danville High School is having an intersession week this week where some of their students are job shadowing certain people. I have two high school students with me this week and it's been WONDERFUL! I need this full time!

Three Things Thursday

Three Things for Thursday...

1. I love the 5 a.m. run! It makes the day so much more enjoyable and it feels wonderful to know that my run is finished for the day. I've also enjoyed the run because I've gotten to catch up with people that I don't get to see very often because life just gets in the way.

2. I did a seven miler this past weekend and plan on doing a nine miler this weekend. Hopefully I'll be as prepared as a pregnant woman can be for this half marathon at the end of March. I know I won't be busting out a sub 2 hours or anything, but I would like to finish with an overall pace that is less than a 10:00 mile. I know that doesn't sound very fast for some of you, but believe me, it's pretty good considering how much my pace has slowed due to the pregnancy. I'm very excited about this race for several reasons. One being that this is only the second year for this race, which means that so far, I've run this race every year and plan on making that a tradition. Secondly, my mom, sister, and I have decided to make a girls trip out of it. Yes, it's only about 45 minutes away, but we've decided to go up the night before, get a really nice hotel room, do some shopping, and have a very carb-filled dinner. Then, off to the races! (I say that because this race will begin at Keeneland, a famous horse track in central Kentucky, the horse capital of the world.)

3. Last but not least, I am so very grateful for my husband and how supportive he is being during this pregnancy. Jeremiah, as many of you know, is my very best friend in the whole world. And I wouldn't want to share this experience with anyone other than my best friend. He has been understanding of my fatigue, patient when I've been moody, and brought me anything I needed when I needed it. I honestly couldn't do this without him! And most of all, he's supportive of my running with baby. Thank you Jeremiah!

Specifically Random Headband Review and Giveaway!

I came across Kelly's shop, Specifically Random - Unique and Vintage Inspired Headbands That Fit! one day while I was browsing on Etsy. I absolutely love the headbands on her site. Visit her site HERE to see what she offers.

She was gracious enough to send me the one in the picture. It looks a lot better on the girl in the picture than it does on me, so I used this picture instead. She offers wide cotton headbands, wide bandana headbands, extra wide headbands, kerchief headbands, etc. Her shop is absolutely amazing!

As far as the headband I was sent, Kelly let me choose the style and fabric I wanted. What's really great??? She makes them according to what size you need them based on a measurement of your head, so it's specifically sized for you.

I love my headband. It's comfortable and feels like there is nothing there. It does it's job without being uncomfortable. It doesn't slip and it holds every single strand of my hair in place. I love wearing it while I run or just when I don't feel like fixing my hair. It's the perfect accesory for every girl to have.

Now, for the giveaway. Kelly is willing to offer the winner of the giveaway the headband of her choice. Here are the giveaway guidelines:

1. Become or already are a follower of my blog and comment.

2. Visit Kelly's Etsy page HERE and comment and let me know what you just have to have.

3. Post this giveaway to your blog and leave a comment letting me know.

4. Post this giveaway to your Facebook and leave a comment letting me know.

This giveaway will end on Friday, March 2 at 11:59 p.m.

GOOD LUCK!

Training with Baby Satterly!

Well, here is the first official picture of Baby Satterly! And, Baby Satterly and Mommy have gone on fifteen miles worth of enjoyable runs this week!

Monday was the first day that running has felt good during this pregnancy. I literally have been such a lazy person for the past two months, and when I have run, I don't even want to know what I looked like as people passed, because I know what I felt like!

It's been frustrating because I'm not used to not wanting to run. So it was very refreshing to enjoy my 5 miler Monday before school. It made me want to get back out and run again after school! To be honest, I was getting a little worried about running the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 31, but after this weeks runs, I feel fine! Could I have run 8.1 more? YES! YES! YES! And I can't wait for this half marathon! It's on like Donkey Kong!

Do I have a goal, you ask? Of course I do. I have a goal for every race that I run. I would love to set a time goal, but I know that's not something I can focus on. My goal is to finish and say that I finished! My goal is to be able to say that Baby Satterly finished his/her first half marathon while helping Mommy train! How many people can say they run like this, let alone while pregnant? We should all be grateful that we have the means to run, no matter how fast or how slow. And I'm so thankful to be sharing this experience with my little bambino. It might end up being the slowest half marathon I ever run, but it will definitely be the one that means the most to me! It's kind of hard to beat the feeling of finishing sub 2 hours, but finishing with a baby on board might just take the cake.

Totally on a different note, my husband and I have a very humorous relationship. We have so much fun together and we love spending time together. We love to poke fun at each other and are very good sports about it. Well, my funny for the day? My husband has a couple new nicknames for me now that I am developing a belly. He now calls me "Tank" or "Bucket"! :) Do I mind? Absolutely not! I will always know that he thinks I'm beautiful, no matter how big my tank gets! And it's growing rapidly. The picture below is my 3 month picture. WOW! Things do change quickly.

BIG NEWS! And need some advice...

Yes, we are pregnant with our first child! We are so thoroughly excited!

I am still running, but haven't been as much due to being so tired. I'm hoping that can pick back up when I'm through my first trimester. Everything I've read tells me that my energy will pick back up, so we'll see! Hopefully it will because I'm scheduled to run a half marathon at the end of March.

Any advice on running pregnant?

Three Things Thursday - a little early!

1. The picture above is from the Jingle Bell Jog back in December. A friend of mine runs this race in memory of a loved one who passed away due to Alzheimer's. It's a wonderful race! My time this year was 26:45. I barely made it to start due to a school function, but I was there and even made it across the finish line with a gift. There are gift stations along the course. If you can make it across the finish line with your gift, you get to keep it. The catch? They are wrapped, so you have no idea what you are getting when you grab a gift. I got a Rubix cube, but traded it with my friend Sarah:) for a set of Disney Princesses dominos for my niece Karrah. Overall, a good race. And the prizes for age groups were adorable! I got first in my age group and the prize was a hand carved ornament with Al, the Jingle Bell Jog signature reindeer. And I just realized that in this picture, I'm carrying my Garmin in my hand. My watchband broke and I hadn't had time to fix it. I had a perfectly new watchband at home, just hadn't taken the time to do anything about it.

2. I am a guidance counselor at a middle school in the city in which I live. I taught music for eight years and this is my first year as a guidance counselor and I love it! More than anything, I love seeing students that I once had at the elementary level growing into wonderful young men and young ladies. It makes my heart happy to see them grow into well-rounded individuals. I received an email from a former parent today. Her daughter is now a sophomore in high school. The high school is having an intersession week in February and the students were given several options. One of the options given to them was to shadow a teacher for that week. She chose me! I love knowing and hearing that I'm doing a good job from my superiors, but it means so much more to me that one of my former students wants to shadow ME because she thinks I'm a wonderful teacher! What a compliment!

3. My dog, Jack, cracks me up! As I sit here writing this post, my husband is in the recliner. His feet are hanging off the foot rest and my dog is strategically placing his butt up against my husband's feet. It's a nightly habit for Jack (named after the most prominent golfer of all time). It's like he automatically thinks that if he pushes his butt up against your feet that you will naturally start rubbing him with your feet. He honestly will stand there for an hour waiting for you to rub him on the butt.

In an online class...why not blog?

I'm sitting in an online class for my second Masters, so why not blog while I sit here and listen, right?

Well, ran 8 miles on Sunday, not as fast as it should be, but I'm not worried about that right now. I haven't run since then, but both of my knees have been severely swollen since then and I don't know what's wrong with them. I think it's highly bizarre that both of them are swollen in the same spot. Usually when you injure something, you only injure one of them, not both of them. Completely confused!

So, I put on my clothes to run today...didn't get to leave school until 6:15, still had to cook dinner, eat dinner, spend 5 minutes with my husband, and be in class by 8:00. I decided since I'm still swollen, I would put running off one more day. I WILL RUN TOMORROW! No doubt about that.

On a completely different note, a few years ago, my best friend moved to Columbus, about 5 hours away. I had a really hard time with this due to the fact that we've always been together, ALWAYS. Life just hasn't been the same since she left. I was used to being able to see her whenever I wanted to, and now I can't. Anyhoo...I woke up this morning to an email from her saying that she is still having a hard time with it also, and we need to do something about it. Well, we've decided that probably once a month, we will meet halfway for lunch, a movie, a pedicure, whatever...I'm so excited!!!

Not to mention...I get to have lunch with my college roommate and her husband this Sunday! I haven't seen them since my wedding, two years ago! It's a good day for old friends!

Life is so blessed! Have a blessed day bloggers!

Five for Friday

I've never done a Five for Friday, so there is a first time for everything...

1. I never did a race recap on the Santas Hustle the Smokies 1/2 marathon in Sevierville, Tennessee. But, I will today because I actually have time to do it. But, as a little sneak preview...here's a picture for you.

2. Hopefully I can catch up on my blogging today because it's a SNOW DAY! That's right...the Danville Schools are out of school today. WOO HOO! I normally don't like snow days because I would rather get out of school on May 10th, but hey, what's May 11th, right?

3. My favorite feeling? I love life! There are so many great things in life right now, that I feel like I can't stop smiling! :) I am so grateful for all the wonderful friends and family that I have, for my wonderful, fabulous husband, and for just being able to run. I know we want to get down when we don't have a good run, but I always tell myself, at least I can run.

4. It's high school basketball season! That means my fabulous nephew, Micah, is starting his final season of high school basketball. We enjoy watching him play so much! Yes, it makes for a busy week, but it's totally worth it! Lincoln County at home tonight! One of my favorite games of the season!

5. I know that this year is going to hold lots of blessings and great times! I'm so excited for this year to be here. I know life isn't candy and roses all the time, but I'm excited for all of it. I feel that good times and not so good times are, together, what makes us resilient people!

Thank you all for being such loyal readers!