Running Here, Running There

Today has been a day of running…literally and figuratively.  It is so muggy here this week so ever since Sunday’s fabulous 12-miler outside, I have been banished to the treadmill.  That’s ok though, because I actually love my treadmill.  I think I actually have separation anxiety when we are apart!  Sad, I know.  lol  So in order to shake up my ‘mill routine this morning, I used some of Fitness NYC’s 3’s & 5’s treadmill workout and finished off with some of my own.  I also ran the whole thing set on a 2% incline.  Normally I leave it set on 1%, but in order to work the ol’ legs and booty a little more I jacked it up a little.  Here’s what it looked like this morning:

Time	Speed
0-3:00	6.0
3:00-6:00	6.3
6:00-7:00	7.0
7:00-8:00	6.5
8:00-9:00	7.0
9:00-12:00	6.5
12:00-15:00	6.3
15:00-20:00	6.5
20:00-21:00	7.0
21:00-22:00	6.5
22:00-23:00	7.0
23:00-24:00	6.5
24:00-25:00	7.0
25:00-30:00	6.5
30:00-33:00	6.3
33:00-36:00	6.0
36:00-37:00	7.0
37:00-38:00	6.5
38:00-39:00	7.0
39:00-42:00	6.5
42:00-46:00	6.3
46:00-47:00	6.2
47:00-48:00	6.1
48:00-49:00	6.0
49:00-50:00	5.9
50:00-51:00	5.8
51:00-52:00	5.7
53:00-53:00	5.6
53:00-55:00	5.5
55:00-56:00	5.0
56:00-57:00	4.5
57:00-57:15	4.0

Total Distance: 6.00 mi

The other running has consisted of a mad dash to PB to pay insurance for my hubby, and a mad dash back home to get Tyler to his school physical for basketball at 1.  Right now I am waiting for him to call me so I can pick him up and then hopefully I can come home and scrub me some kitchen floor!  WooHoo, aren’t YOU jealous?!  With 3 kids, it gets gross pretty fast so before we all end up stuck to the floor, I must do something.

On the menu tonight is Mexican Lasagna.  It’s a new recipe for us and looks delish.  I can’t wait to try it.  [Note to my sisters: I’ll let you know if it’s a “keeper!”]

Have a great Wednesday!

Oh The Places You'll Go!

OH.MY.GOSH.

If you could only hear the song I just downloaded you would understand! I am literally laughing my butt off at this song...OMGosh, is all I have to say... OK, so for the big reveal: "Rockin' The Beer Gut" by Trailer Choir. Absolutely ridiculous and hilarious!!

Completely inappropriate, yes.
Kinda embarrassed that I just bought it on iTunes, yes.
But one of those songs that will make you crack up, oh yes!

I was buying some new tunes because during yesterday's run (more on that in a sec) I ran of out music. I needed a few new songs that I had been meaning to buy and saw this "beer gut" song and was strangely intrigued...why? I have no idea. But the rest was history. Well, the song wasn't really worth the $0.99, but the laugh was!

Anyway, yesterday I had my RunKeeper on (FABULOUS!) so I didn't want to stop and pause, look for music, then unpause...you get the picture. So my last 30 minutes were silent. Darn it for not making a longer playlist. But you'd think that 90 minutes would be long enough...but totally not!! Yesterday I did my longest outdoor run that I have done in probably 2 years?? I'm guessing, but it's been a while. I got up at 5am so I could have my java & Jesus time (yep, still loving it) and I headed out around 6am. I was like the Energizer bunny, I just kept going, and going, and going...you get the picture. Ended up running 12 MILES!!!! Here's my stats from RunKeeper:

Start Time 6:05 am
End Time 8:06 am
Duration 2:00:32
Distance 12.00 mi
Avg. Pace 10:00 per mi
Avg. Speed 5.97 mph
Climbed 477 ft

I am beyond stoked! I wish that the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon was sooner than MARCH! Because I'm ready NOW! But the timing will give me plenty of time to work on my speed, and to build mileage so that it feels even easier!

Before I go out for a run I pray that God would guide and protect me, and that He would be my breath and my pace. I have even asked Him to lace up His gold running shoes and run with me, and I promise you that there have been runs when I have felt His presence every second. It is also my prayer that somehow He will be glorified by the desire and ability to run that He has given me. I'm kinda excited where that could lead!

Wow, the places a post will take you! We started with a song about beer guts on ladies and finished with glorifying God...hmmmm. Maybe should've split this into 2 posts! But, I don't want to overwhelm ya'll with 2 posts in one day, so we'll just leave it as is.

Have a fabulous start to your work week, friends~ Love ya'll!

Another One Down!!

Hello friends!  I hope you are enjoying your Saturday afternoon.  Me?  Well this morning I woke up at 7am to spend some quiet time with God and thank Him that I only have 3 more Herceptin treatments left!!

Center for Advanced Medicine & Siteman Cancer Center / Barnes Jewish Hospital – St. Louis, MO

 

 

Yesterday’s labs, dr appt, and treatment went just perfect.  I asked my dr what my ejection fraction was from my echo 3 weeks ago and he said it was 61%!!!  Awesome!  That means my heart has actually gotten stronger since my treatment began, that’s supposed to weaken your heart!  Can I getta “Amen!” or maybe a “Hallelujah!” And for the first time since this all started I only had one lab level out of whack…a sign, my fave nurse Renee said, that means that my body is getting further away from the effects of chemo and radiation and getting back into a normal pattern.  Yay!  Herceptin #14 came and went in about an hour, and then we went to go visit friends who were also at Siteman receiving treatment.  Thankfully we all left with successful treatments and another one under the belt!

We went to O’Charley’s for lunch and then headed home because I was exhausted!  I slept awhile on the way home.  Our kids were happy to see us when we got home, but they had a fun full day with my dad.  They had a little road trip for the day and had a ball! 

We came home and watched the Cardinals game with bowls of ice cream and…we won!  I was so ready to crawl into my own bed last night. 

Today is a lovely runner’s day off for me.  Works out fine because it was pouring down rain this afternoon.  I did do some toning though, as in some squats, lunges, and crunches.  I plan on hitting the pavement (or the TM if weather interferes) for a run tomorrow.  Until later, have a great Saturday evening ya’ll! 

Be The Ball...

Tomorrow I head to STL for Herceptin #14. I am looking forward to coming home and only having 3 left!!! Nothing like a little visualization, I say! I am visualizing myself having great labs, a fantastic visit with my dr, and an easy peesy treatment...

Focus on the goal, see the ball, be the ball...

I am also meeting up with my friend, Sue, who is having her first chemo treatment tomorrow. We have the same drs and her appt is 15 minutes before mine. I am so glad that we are going to be there on her first chemo, it always helps to have someone who has "been there, done that." So I am keeping her first treatment in my prayers, that it goes smoothly and easily for her.

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel to STL in the morning and that we have a great appt and are able to knock out #14!


MySpace Comments

I'm Not Ready

Yesterday was both exciting and sad. We had to go to PB first thing in the morning for Tyler's orthodontist appt. While he was there, Zac, Katie, and I headed to Office Depot to go school supply shopping. We picked up the list for our school, and not only am I in complete denial that Katie needs school supplies for Kindergarten (YIKES!) but Zac isn't on the list at all! I had forgotten that middle school students don't get school supply lists! They have 7 classes with 7 different teachers and they will let them know what they need on the first day...sigh......

I am SO not ready for this! All 3 kids in school?! How did this happen so fast?! Katie in Kindergarten and both boys in Middle School...man oh man. This Mama has been in complete denial about how much this STINKS! lol There are moments when they are all fighting and bickering with each other that I am anxiously awaiting the start of school, but for most of the time I am dreading it. I don't know what I will do with myself in a quiet house! I have ALWAYS had a little one at home with me...even in Zachary's Kindergarten year, I was big and pregnant with Katie, she was born in November. So this is a first.

So as far as the school-thing goes, I am having the same opinion as the

boys..."I'M NOT READY!"

On a positive note, my sister Jessica and her hubby Jason found out yesterday that their first little one, due in January, is a BOY!!! We are beyond excited for them and the new addition to our family. I just KNEW it was going to be a girl, though! I just had a feeling...even the mammoth on Ice Age 3 (which we watched yesterday) had a girl! I immediately texted my sister (yes, during the movie...tsk tsk...) and told her that it was a sign! But all signs point to blue this time and we couldn't be happier that they are welcoming yet another healthy bouncing baby boy. My other sister, Layne and her hubby Brett, are also expecting a baby due in November. Her ultrasound is scheduled for next week...maybe, maybe, maybe it will be pink?! We'll see! If not Katie will continue to be the lone princess for a little while longer!

Haha, you may want to say a little prayer for our mother and our hubbies...two girls pregnant and one girl functioning with no hormones whatsoever! Yeah, family gatherings could get quite interesting this fall. ;-)

Strong Arming!

I am so excited!! I went to check the mail today and my compression sleeves that I ordered last week came in! My physical therapist recommended that I get one to have when we fly and to wear when I run.

Currently I am wrapping my arm with compression bandages every night until 6 months post-radiation, and either while I run or for two hours after I run. I've been doing the two hours after because, well, the wraps are flippin' hot! But it's time consuming and whatnot, too.


So last week I ordered two mild compression sleeves and I LOVE them! Of course they're pink (duh!) and thin....kinda remind me of a little thicker pantyhose on my arm. But I think they are going to be fantastic and I can't wait to go for my run tomorrow morning with it!

Today has been a busy day around the house. I made the mistake of going into Katie's room to clean out her dresser to make room for all the new school clothes and got sucked in to cleaning her bathroom, which had some sort of science experiment growing in the trash can. OMGosh, it stunk so bad! I can still smell a hint of whatever it was lurking in the house. Puke. But she is super excited about getting new clothes and going to school! The boys...not so much. They would rather wear rags or go naked than get new clothes and go back to school. Oh well. It's almost time, school starts August 19. I am dreading it in a way...I will miss my babies. I am the Mama Bird that likes to have all her chicks in the nest at all times. Guess sometimes you have to step back and let them fly. But hopefully not very far :-)

And...The Mugglies Return

Wondering what the "mugglies" are?? LOL It is how our local weatherman refers to the hot, humid, and muggy weather of July/August around here. And yes, they're baaaaccckkk.... darn it.

After the most amazing and cool long run last Sunday, this morning I slugged through 7.7 miles in the heat and humidity. I knew it was going to be much warmer than last Sunday, so I planned ahead. I set my coffeepot for 530am so I would have ample time for java and Jesus (cute...that needs to be a Bible-study group or something) and would beat some of the mugglies outside. But that plan backfired very quickly when I didn't wake up until 715...darn it twice. So needless to say, I didn't get set off for my run until about 830...still needed my java and Jesus ya know!

The sun was already high in the sky, the mugglies were out in full force, and I was sweating buckets before I even really began. Gah. But I managed to make it through some decent mileage, especially for the weather, but my speed suffered greatly. It took me 1:24:37 to complete the 7.7 miles...roughly 11 minute miles. Oh well. I'll blame it on the weather!

But you know me, I can't leave on such an "uneven" number so when I got home, I walked 2.3 miles on an incline on the 'mill to make it an even 10. I know...ridiculous! But that's how I roll.

Our afternoon has been fairly easy. I took the kids and went to my parents' house to visit for a little while with them and my sister, who is 15 weeks pregnant today!! We find out on Tuesday if we are going to be buying PINK or BLUE!!! I am soooo excited that I can't stand it! I have two pregnant sisters right now and don't know yet what to buy for either one of them! Ahhhhh! So Tuesday can't come soon enough. But anyway, when we got back home I made shrimp fajitas and black beans for din-din and it was fabulous! Everybody loved it, there wasn't even any leftovers for lunch tomorrow :-( It's ok though, I love it when I make something that everybody loves!

So I hope everyone has a great rest of their Sunday and a great week ahead! We don't have too much going on, Tyler has an orthodontist appt on Tuesday and then Friday we head back to STL for Herceptin #14. I am PRAYING that these last 4 treatments go off without a hitch! I am so close!!

BTW, I am starting to feel like a Survivor lately...a hormone-less Survivor (Bah.) but a Survivor nonetheless!

"Mark"-ed for Life!

I am very excited today!

Check out my new ink!! Jack and I got our tattoos today of our very favorite Scripture, the one that we have recited over and over since this breast cancer journey began..."Mark 5:36." So you don't have to look it up, it says "Don't be afraid, just believe." This verse became like our family "motto" back last fall when I saw it on a plaque in the Lifeway store. I never dreamed it would one day be permanently inked on my foot, but as time has gone on and I have thought more about it, I really wanted to have it done.

The verse speaks for itself. As we were going through scans, and chemo, and radiation, this verse would always come back to mind..."Don't be afraid, just believe." And I got it on my foot because the feet are the foundation of the body, and Christ is my foundation, my Rock. On HIM will I stand. HE has carried me through the last 10 months and HE continues to guide me every.single.day. And, I'm not gonna lie, it also figured to be a less conspicuous place than say, my forehead. But the foundation thing is very important and cool too. Besides, I have worried my mom enough over the last year, she doesn't need to worry that I've lost my mind, too! LOL~

But I thought it was very neat that the artist that did our tattoos asked us "So...what does Mark 5:36 say?" I was so proud to tell him! Witness through me, LORD! Woot Woot!

I am a little concerned that he said I couldn't run or swim for 2 weeks. WHAT?! Yeah, I know. The swimming I can handle, but the running...nuh uh. I will have to figure something out. I've already been googling it! Some say that you can use lotion and saran to keep it from rubbing...we'll see. I will probably take a few days off, but I can guarantee it won't be a whole 2 weeks! Trust me, NOBODY will want to be around me if I can't run for that long. But I've been hitting it pretty hard lately, so it probably won't hurt to take a few days off.

Just for the record, I DID call my dr this morning to ask permission to get my tattoo. And since Herceptin doesn't affect blood counts or raise your risk for infection, he said it was "absolutely fine." I felt very good going into it with his blessing.

Jack's tattoo is the same as mine, "Mark 5:36" and is on the back of his shoulder. It is his first also, but unlike me, he will be getting more. He has already been talking about his next one. We have heard that from friends and family that have them, that they are addicting. We'll see ;-)

Have a great rest of your Wednesday!

Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

See why I love my outdoor runs so? God's handiwork at it's finest here, folks. This morning I ran with deer, squirrels, rabbits, and whatever else was there that I just couldn't see. Jealous?? ;-)
Obvi, it is another gorgeous day here!

I saw on the news last night where it was going to be another lovely, cool July morning so I immediately made plans to go for another early morning outside run. After what was an amazing run on Sunday, I was almost giddy as I laid out my clothes last night!

I got up at 5am, had some quiet time and some coffee, and I was out the door. I was off and running at 5:55am. Oh, and I have found the coolest app for my iPhone, ya'll. It is RunKeeper and it's a free app and my new favorite thing!! It uses GPS positioning and tracks your entire run, provided the GPS signal is good enough...which is a rarity around here, but it totally worked for me this morning! It kept my time, my mileage, miles per hour, gave me my minutes/mile, and a graph of my mph throughout. I was so excited and impressed to see that I actually UNDERSHOT my mileage this morning, too! I wonder how often this happens?? Hmmmmm...... Anyway, after I got home and got to playing with the "History" function, I found that after you stop, you can choose to see a map...and it TOTALLY maps your entire run!! I looked at the map and saw exactly the path I had just ran! I may be a running-geek, but I am excited!! (That is my speed graph below my map below...see that 9.1 mph peak?! Funny, I was sprinting cause I noticed a white van with two guys in it, driving around the park sooooo early in the morning and it spooked me! I sprinted to run around a campground loop while they drove back by! Call me crazy, but I am a chicken when running by myself. You can't be too careful!)

So after another amazing run, I came home to 3 still-sleeping children...yes, see I TOLD you this was a fabulous morning! LOL So I got to shower, have coffee, and log some computer time in complete peace.......

But it is such a beautiful day that I couldn't just keep it all to myself, so I packed a picnic lunch and we headed back to the park. The kids had a ball swinging, sliding, and walking the trail around the spring. And, of course, pausing for a few photo ops to which they replied, "Mom, we SO look like tourists, and we LIVE here." Sorry! But we did completely blend in! :-) I took a moment to remind the kids that we are so blessed to live here. People come from all across the country to enjoy the river, the hills, the natural springs that abound in this area...and we get to enjoy it every.single.day. We shouldn't take for granted that we live in such a naturally beautiful area. This is truly God's country, as if there was ever any doubt. Do you want to visit yet?!

Have a marvelous Monday lovelies!

Lovely Long Run

Happy Happy Sunday friends :-)

I hope you are all having a blessed Sunday, I have had a most wonderful day!

I have been looking forward to this morning's long run SO MUCH!! Why, you ask?? Well, because we have been having the most gorgeous weather here, completely unlike the Midwest in July. Normally July and August here are hot and so humid that you can't hardly stand to breathe outside, but we have been granted a reprieve for a few days and it has been SO AMAZING. It was all of 54* when I left for my run a little before 6 this morning!! Now that's my kind of running weather! I used my new iPhone as my iPod this morning and had the praise and worship tunes blasting and I ran 10.5 MILES as the sun came up!!! Yes, OUTSIDE! This is the first time in a long time that I have ran that far outside. And the awesome thing was, I felt like I could have run all day! It was just a glorious morning. I am even MORE excited now about my 1/2 Marathon in March!!!

But I couldn't run all day because I wanted to get home and get ready for church this morning. Our VBS kids performed their songs in front of the congregation and they did a great job! Katie has been looking forward to this morning for days! Being the little performer that she is, she was excited to get to sing on stage. Glorifying the Lord I'm sure figured in there, too, but she was really excited to sing on stage! LOL Zachary was not quite as excited as he is getting to the "too cool for school" age. But he got up and sang, I'm proud of him.

Today was a great start to the week, I hope you are all having as great of a beginning!

Boomerang Express Day 5

G'Day!

I am on auto-type right now! So exhausted, but so filled with joy from our wonderful week at VBS! We had a great "trip" to the Outback on the Boomerang Express! All total we had 4 kids give their lives to Jesus this week, which is why we do Bible School!

I should probably explain why our pastor got hit in the face with a pie this morning! Every year, we take an offering for VBS...we take either canned goods or money, but the offering is calculated by weight. And it's BOYS VS. GIRLS! Oh my gosh, if you don't think this is a serious competition every year, you don't know our pastor very well! LOL He is so fabulous with children and LOVES to get them going every morning with "BOY, BOY, BOY" chants or "Boys rule, Girls drool!" Now we keep it all in perspective, too...our donations, both money and food, goes to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home and the children do a terrific job every year of raising money and food for them. Brother Ron is our Pastor and Amy is our VBS Director and if the girls win the weekly weigh-in, then she gets to hit Bro. Ron in the face with a pie! If the boys win, then he gets to hit her in the face with a pie! The kids LOVE it!!Today was swim day. The last day at VBS at our church has always been the day we take the K-5th grade to the church camp pool to swim and have a hot dog lunch. The 2's/3's/preschoolers have a water play-day at the church with a big blow up waterslide and kiddie pools. Everybody has a ball!


It has been a wonderful week here at VBS! I am so thankful that God gave me the health and the strength to be able to teach again this year! It's a lot of work but I enjoy it, and the kids that come back every single year love it too. My prayer, now, is first for REST! LOL Then for some of the things we have said or done this week to speak to the hearts of the children and they will take away very important lessons. I know I remember VBS every year when I was a kid and I know it was an important part of my faith development. I am very excited that God allowed me to be a part of these children's faith this week!