NOLA Week 5: Sleep is Good.

Distance: 16 miles
Time: 3hrs 6mins 10secs
Route: Base Trail - Museum to Shoppette and Back

Merry belated Christmas! :) We spent all day yesterday in our pajamas. After not sleeping well on Christmas Eve, I'm happy to say that I caught up in spades. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the morning and then another 1 hour nap in the afternoon. I fell asleep at 9:30pm and woke up raring to go at 5:30am. It's amazing how a little bit (or in this case, a lot) of sleep can do a body good. I wasn't looking forward to the weather this morning. Yes, I know it's cold in the winter...but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Because I knew it would be sub-freezing and there would be wind, I decided to add an extra layer on top. So, I ended up with a base long-sleeved layer, a lighter long-sleeve in the middle and my windbreaker on top. Beanie and mittens as well. I look like I was wearing battle gear, and it definitely felt like it at times, but hey...I can say that I was nice and warm.

I started from the museum at 6:15. It was pretty dark, but I noticed that there was a cloud layer, so at least there was a little atmospheric insulation (yes, I feel like a weather nerd now for that last statement). About 2 miles in, it felt like the tongue of my left shoe was all out of whack. It kept hitting the top of my foot at a weird angle. I stopped and re-tied my shoe, but it was still there. I decided to just keep going. I stopped two more times to try and fix it, but eventually, just gave up trying to fix it. I did my two loops at ALS and it was nice because there was no traffic and no one was out there. I hit Cullen Park and shot my Gu. I hit my turn around point from last week and breezed right on past it. I looked at the hill before the shoppette and charged right up that sucker. I probably could have walked it, but I decided to give it a go with the running. I ran to just past the Shoppette on the East Reservation, did a loop in the parking lot and headed back toward the museum.

I started to feel a little tired, but I kept reminding myself that it isn't supposed to be easy. It would be nice if all the runs felt like 3 milers, but where is the challenge in that? I started singing along with my iPod, and I'm sure the drivers passing by thought I was crazy. I started to run on the side of the trail in the dirt, as it helped alleviate some of the hard impact on my joints. I hit the fence line at ALS and decided to shoot another Gu. I was glad that I saved the caffeinated one for last. Definitely gave me some good energy and zing. :) I hit the flight line and was surprised that I still had a good bit of energy in me. I picked up the pace and kept on going. Before I knew it, I was at the static displays and then at the car. I saw Stephen's (my friend Kathy's husband) truck at the softball fields, but I didn't see him on the trail. That's the difference about running on base...I haven't seen anyone on the trail in the last two weeks.

For the first time in a long time, I felt really good after this run, physically. While my muscles were definitely fatigued, I felt like I could keep going. Definitely a step in the right direction. I was starting to get worried that I wouldn't be able to do as well in the marathon and that maybe I hadn't prepped well enough. After today, I think I can do this. I know it's going to hurt and I'm going to want to quit at some point, but like I said, this isn't supposed to be easy. It's not in my nature to quit, so I'll keep on keeping on. Week 5 is done. I have 7 weeks left, with 4 long runs remaining, 2 tapers and then the marathon itself.

NOLA Week 4: Whew!

Distance: 15.02 miles
Time: 2 hrs 56 mins 27secs
Route: BAFB Base Trail (starting at the museum this time)
Number of Ninja Rolls: 0

I had to add that little bit in there. No ninjas today! Whew! :) The morning started off pretty chilly: 30 degrees at 6:15am. The difference between today and last week is that there was absolutely no wind. I'll take it! I was pretty pumped for this run. I knew that there would be pain involved because of last week, but I was mentally ready for the run, if not physically.

I started at the museum and was happy that I started where I did. The trail runs along the road, so when it's dark, I don't need to use the LED light that I have. By the time I hit the ALS compound, the was slowly beginning to rise. I forgot how beautiful the sunrises are on base. I went ahead and did my two loops around ALS, so that way I wouldn't have to run the loop on the way back. I knew that I wouldn't want to do it on the way back, so it was kind of a preemptive thing.

I felt pretty good. I hit Cullen Park and shot my first Gu (Mandarin Orange). It had caffeine in it and it was the first time I'd used one with caffeine. I instantly felt the energy, so that was pretty cool. I kept going past Fam Camp and around the bend. I reached the bridge right before the big ugly hill before the shoppette and was happy that I didn't have to go up the hill. The bridge was my turn around! I was still feeling pretty good at this point. I shot another Gu at mile 10 (Vanilla Gingerbread...yum!). I looked down at Mark's Garmin and I couldn't find any of the info. I was so frustrated that I stopped and hit the timer on my watch (very thankful that I had worn it on my other wrist). Unfortunately, this little snafu kind of deflated me and I started to get really tired.

When I made it to the ALS compound, I was immensely grateful that I had already run the loop. My right hip and ankle started to ache pretty good, thanks to the fall from last week. My running buddy, Jenn, is out of commission for the next 2-8 weeks, as she rehabs her knee and hip, so I was on my own. I missed her company and conversation. By this point, I only had about 2.5 miles remaining. I ran along the flightline, and was very happy to hit the static displays. The funny thing is that there was music coming from the flightline (could have been from the airplanes as well), that wafted over to the museum. I heard a bunch of Christmas carols for my last mile in. It was really fun!

All told, it was a very good run. I was mentally in the game, even if I was super tired physically. My body held up pretty well until the 13 mile mark, and even then, it wasn't that bad. Week 4 is done and in the books. On to 16 miles next week!

NOLA Week 3: Ninja.

Distance: 6.1 miles
Time: 1hr 4mins 22 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Trail

35 degrees + 15-20 mph sustained winds + 26 degree windchill = Stupid Stacy. My attempt today was 10 miles. If there were any week for this run to happen, this was a good week for it to happen. Last week to really be able to afford a mishap. We have great runs, good runs, average runs and Mother-Nature-is-totally-screwing-with-me runs. Today's run is courtesy of the latter.

I woke up and just generally didn't feel good about this morning. I got up, geared up and headed over to the Sciport parking lot. I mentally prepped. It was only 10 miles today. I am very capable of 10 miles, as I have been doing double digits for the past 8 weeks. I prepped myself for the cold...I had double layers on, mittens and a beanie. I decided not to use my iPod this morning, as I knew the headphones would be a great conductor of the cold. It was actually a good choice. I looked at the trail and reasoned with myself. I knew I'd warm up within a mile and it would be good. The dawn was breaking, so it was a good time to have a chat with the big guy upstairs. Off I went.

My teeth were quite literally chattering. I can't remember feeling this cold on a run at the start. I've run in 28 degree weather before, but not with wind like this. I started to warm up. The hips felt pretty good, so I settled in. Or so I thought. I was approaching the first mile marker when all of a sudden it happened. BAM! Down I went. WTF!?!?!?!?!?! Really?!?!? Turns out my right foot hit a crack in the trail, the ankle rolled and down I went. I even made that lovely, "OOOFF!" sound as I hit the pavement. I got up and semi-assessed the damage. No tears in the pants, ankle was still functioning and the left knee was pretty banged up. I walked it out for about 45 seconds to see if I needed to turn around. I started jogging and felt all right. My knee stung pretty bad, but I decided to try and run through it. I knew Jenn would be meeting me at the park, so I'd go at least to the park.

I made it to the Shreveport Barksdale bridge and seriously considered turning around. My knee was burning pretty good and I was just not feeling it. I kept trucking toward Hamel park. I saw Jenn running toward me and we ran through the park. She was pretty cold as well and I looked at her and basically said uncle. I apologized profusely for making her get out of her warm bed, only for me to stop. My ankle was starting to hurt a little and the knee was screaming at me. I looked down to finally check it out. Yep, skinned knee and bruised all over it. It's a pretty rainbow of colors. I fell so hard that I tore a big old hole in my right mitten. I also lost my sunglasses in the debacle. I've had them for 3 years and they were my faves. Sadly, I think that's what I'm the most angry about. :)

So, week 3 is down. It attempted to take me with it, but I don't go down that easily. :) Next week will be better. 15 on tap next week.

My "Obsession" Explained.

There are things in life that can move a person to their core. For some, it could be a food, a book, a movie, a beautiful piece of art, a poem or even a sport. Sometimes, when someone truly loves doing something that moves their soul, such as competing in a sport, it could easily be misinterpreted as "obsessive". For me, music is something that has always moved my soul.

For those of you that may not know, I actually have a very musical background. I started playing the flute when I was 9 years old and didn't stop until I was a sophomore in college (the ripe old age of 20). I loved every moment of it. I learned how to sight-read, how to transpose a piece of music from one key to another, and I even attempted to learn the tenor saxophone for a few years in high school out of a necessity. Granted, I wasn't the best at the sax, but it was fun to try and fun while it lasted. Reading is a passion and an escape, but music is so much more than that for me. I love so many different genres and types of music. I always say that you would probably laugh (or maybe cry) if you were to take a glimpse at my iPod.

When I lived in Okinawa, I caught the end of an Oprah show. I don't usually watch Oprah, but there was an artist on there that caught my ear. His name was John Legend. I had vaguely heard of him, but had not actually heard his music. I stopped for a second and closed my eyes. I was swept away. Something in his musicality and in his voice just moved me to my core. I went to the store and bought his CD and never regretted it. I know that we often change tastes and outgrow different artists. I used to be a die-hard Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band fan (Mark was a much bigger DMB fan than I), but have outgrown them in the years since college. I still like them, but they are different to me now and represent a different part of my life.

When I lived with my Mom and Dad when Mark deployed, listening to John Legend helped make the hard days better. I could listen, shut my eyes and things would feel better. I would think of my husband a world away and knew it would be okay. His music helped heal my soul during a period of time when it needed it. I had the choice to either go see him in concert or take Gavin to see The Wiggles when we lived there. When you have kids, life changes. I made the choice to take Gavin to see his boys. I don't regret it...it made everything that much more special.

Over the past few years, I've listened his music and am amazed at the maturity in his lyrics and musicality. Not only is he a musician, but he is also a philanthropist and activist. While he could have been selfish with his fame and wealth, he instead chose to give back to his community and his world. I admire that.

I'm not a stalker; nor am I crazed fan. I'm just someone that has been moved to my soul by music.

NOLA Week 2: Back to Base-ics

Distance: 13.02 miles
Time: 2:28:27 <--PR!
Route: Cullen Park to 8AF Museum and back

Cold, cold, COLD! Holy cow. Winter has settled upon Northern Louisiana. Yes, we hit 71 the other day, but man, it has gone away. I got up at 5:20 this morning and checked the weather. 38 with a "feels like" of 34. Yep. Colder than last week. But I was looking forward to the run and I'm slowly acclimating to the cold. It reminds me of swim practice back in the day. It would start in March and it was always cold in March. But, instead of complaining and avoiding, you jump in the water and just go.

This morning marked the first time that I have run on the long base trail since the last marathon. I actually remember the last time I ran it. I ran the flightline with Erin the night before we went to New Orleans. Today, I decided to change it up a little and start at Cullen Park, rather than using it as a turnaround. Usually, I like the change ups, but this time, I wasn't really a fan. I think I'll just start at the museum from now on. It was REALLY dark on the path out there. I kept one of my earphones out because it totally creeped me out. I had my running light with me, so I used it. The forest is right next to the path, so I wanted to make sure that nothing jumped or scurried out at me. :)

I ran to the ALS (Airman Leadership School) compound and did two loops around the compound (each loop = 1 mile). I decided to get them both done at the same time so when I met up with Jenn, we wouldn't have to make the detour. I started to get a little tired when I hit the East Gate, so I pulled out the Gu and kept going. I met up with Jenn at the museum and off we went. I had forgotten how much I like running by all of the static airplane displays.

I love my running buddy! She doesn't have to do these runs with me, but she does anyway. We always have great conversations and this week, she found out that they will be moving this upcoming year to Georgia. I'm so grateful that we've been able to run together. It's rare to find someone that runs almost exactly the same pace as you. My friend Blue and I ran the last marathon together, but she has become much faster than I. :) It's amazing how much you can get to know someone in a matter of runs.

I started to get really tired around mile 11. I started thinking about my brother-in-law, Matt, who is running his first half this morning. My friend's husband is also running the same race today in his first half as well. I'm proud of both of them! When Jenn and I reached the finish, I took a look at the time and had surprised myself. I PR'd again. Didn't know if I would, but I'm proud of it. It was a good run with even better company.

So, the second official week of training is done. My sanity is still in question, but I'm trying a new plan this time around. Here are my remaining long miles: 10, 15, 16, 12, 18, 14, 20, 12, 8 and then marathon. When I put it in that perspective, it looks like it is right around the corner. Week 2: Thank you for the PR and for the awesome friend. :)

NOLA Week 1: WTF Am I Thinking?

Distance: 12.02 miles
Route: Clyde Fant
Time: 2 hrs 14 mins 47 secs

WTF am I thinking? Last week was 11 miles and I was so irritated by the end of the run that I just wanted to forget that I even ran it. I don't think I'm necessarily burned out by running, so much as all of the other stuff in my life. I decided that this week I would let it all go and just focus on freeing my mind and letting it wander.

It was cold. Not just cold, but Dear-Sweet-Baby-Jesus-Why-Are-You-Hating-On-Me-Please-Don't-Move-Us-To-A-Snowy-Climate-For-Our-Next-Assignment-Because-I-Will-Surely-Curl-Up-And-DIE kind of cold. Okay. Maybe that's just a smidge melodramatic. But it was cold. I had to trade in my signature Bubba Gump hat for a beanie. I started 30 minutes later, to try and let the sun thaw out the day a little. Didn't really do much of that, but I did have to finally wear sunglasses during a morning run.

It was a good run. I'd had a crappy nights' sleep the night before and I had a bad dream wherein I started the marathon and then at mile 2, I took a wrong turn and got lost. Because I went off-course, I was automatically tagged with a DNF and had to quit. I woke up and felt like it had actually happened. When I hit the trail, I kept thinking about the symbolism of that dream and why I had dreamt it. My previous marathon experience, while I am eternally grateful for it and for my friends that ran it with me, left me a little bruised and scar hard. I was burned out at the end and almost completely quit. I didn't want anything more. Now, 2 years later, I am loving it and loving the challenge. I'm grateful for the gentle nudge back into it and don't regret it at all.

So back to WTF Am I Thinking?? I drove on base the day before to look at the base trail. Initially, I was going to run that, so I wouldn't have to double back, but decided against it. Doubling back seemed a much more pleasant alternative. Granted, the base trail is quite lovely and is actually a great path (and long too). I think I have just have a negative association from the previous long runs that I am absolutely loathing the fact that I will be running it again. Most likely starting up this next weekend. There is a base running group that is also training for NOLA. They run on Saturdays and I tend to run on Sundays. I'm sure that I will join up with them at some point. I'm not an exciting person...I bore myself. :)

Jenn came and ran the last 5 miles with me, which I was very grateful for. I felt good at the end of this run, but I've noticed that I've become a lot more sore after these longer runs. I need to be more diligent about using my roller and stretching. I'll pick it up this week and see how much of a difference there is.

So, first official week of NOLA training is in the books. 11 more to go. I can do this.

Race Report: Rock N' Roll San Antonio 1/2 Marathon

Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 2hrs. 32 mins. 21 secs.
Route: Downtown San Antonio, Texas

I did this race two years ago, during the inaugural year. The first 4 miles of the race have changed, for the better. We headed to Dallas on Thursday, as I was going to visit a friend and meet her newest addition for the first time. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out for either of us, so hopefully, we'll be able to meet up next month when we head to Dallas for Gavin's 8th birthday. On Friday, we headed into Round Rock (northern suburb of Austin) and met up with Mark's cousin Seth and his family for lunch. We hadn't seen Seth in two years, so it was wonderful to catch up and finally meet his wife, Shannon. They had two of their kiddos with them (Kekoa and Ginger), so Gavin and Lauren were very happy to have a conspirator with them. :) After a yummy lunch at Cafe 620, we headed further south and hit up the San Marcos outlets. We always have to hit them if we're in the area. They are some of the most awesome outlets ever. After depleting the wallets, we decided to hit the road again and hit our final destination: San Antonio.

We stayed at the Residence Inn-Downtown San Antonio/Alamo. You can't miss it. You can see it from the freeway and yep...it's behind the Alamo. It turned out to be a GREAT location, as the start line was only a 1/2 mile from the hotel. We drove over to the expo (and paid the overly exorbitant fee of $10 for parking) at the Alamodome and met up with Jenn and her family. It was nice to hit the expo early. It wasn't crowded at all and we were able to take our time. The tech shirts were pretty cool this year, although the swag had MUCH to be desired. I've noticed that a lot of the races are cutting back on the swag. Probably due to sponsors dropping and other economic factors. After picking up the packets, we all headed off to dinner at Alamo Cafe. In the three years we lived there, we had never been. It was awesome. A new favorite was born.

Saturday, we got up bright and early for Gavin to run his race. We all bundled up because it was really cold and windy that morning. We headed over to Brackenridge Park and was amazed by the organized chaos. His grade group ran at 9:15am and I'm so proud of him! He and Mark ran together and they did it 11 minutes! :) Because there were so many kids and it was so cold, we decided to forgo the zoo and went to lunch and saw Megamind instead. Turned out to be a wise choice. We had dinner over at Jenn's parents' house and enjoyed meeting her wonderful family. Her grandparents remind me so much of mine! Then it was back to the hotel for some shut eye.

I woke up bright and early and pretty much before all of the alarms. One benefit to staying downtown is that we didn't have to drive to get anywhere. The last time I ran this race, there was so much traffic that I ended up having to get out of the car and walk down an off ramp while on the freeway. Not this time! However, it was totally entertaining to see all of the cars from the hotel window. :) I got dressed, headed downstairs to grab a quick bagel and headed over to the start line.

Holy cow. This race has gotten BIG. There were easily over 30,000 people there. I guess it's true what they say - Everything is bigger in Texas. We made it to the start line at 7:45 and we were off! It was a cold morning, so I was happy that I work my capris and long sleeves. The first two miles were pretty congested with people. Surprisingly, we encountered a lot of runners that had gone out way too fast and were already walking at mile 2. We weaved in and out and Jenn mentioned that her knee was starting to get a little fussy. She had forgotten her IT band support, and her husband was going to have it for her at mile 3. We saw Mark and the kiddos at right before the Alamo and David and Taylor (Jenn's husband and daughter) at the Alamo. She put the brace on and kept going. It was right about mile 5 that her knee/IT band really started to flare up. She slowed down a little and tried to walk it out at an aid station. We kept going, but right around the halfway point, she was in a lot of pain. I felt really bad for what happened next. I looked at her and her mom and they motioned for me to keep going. I told them that I'd stay with them, but they both told me not too and to just go ahead. So I did. I felt guilty for the next 3 miles. I hated leaving my friend behind, especially while she was in pain. Had her mother not been with her, I would have stayed with her.

After I went solo, it was all kind of a blur. I popped in the headphones and just cruised. I started feeling tired around mile 11, so I dug in a little deeper and just kept going. At mile 12, an anti-abortion protester was hanging out with a truly offensive sign. I get that everyone has the right to protest, but come on. Not the right place and definitely not the right time. I hit mile 13 and saw my family again. They were hanging out at the start of the finish chute and I waved and blew them kisses. It's exactly what I need to get up the blasted hill at the finish. I sprinted as hard as I could up the hill and finished. I didn't really know what my time was. I had an idea, but I didn't know until I got on Facebook later that afternoon. I had a personal best of 2:32:21. The last time I ran it, my time was 2:47:45. So, I improved by almost 15 1/2 minutes. I will definitely take it! Jenn and her mom finished not too long after me and we all met up at the end. I was and still am SO PROUD of her for finishing!! Even when she was in so much pain, she kept persevering and made it through to the end. Through all of this, I have made an incredible friend. I am so very lucky indeed.

So there it. The half marathon is done. Now it's time to change gears, dig even deeper and keep pressing on for the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon. Yep. The full 26.2. With a little faith, hard work and determination, I'll make it through again. :)

Summer Reading Goodies

July - August Reads:

1) The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella
by Stephenie Meyer

~My take: It was a good novella. Short and sweet and actually helped fill in the gaps with the third installment of the Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It was my first read of the summer and I really enjoyed it.

~Grade: A-

2) Dear John

by Nicholas Sparks

~My take: It was a good novel...typical Nicholas Sparks, however not his best work. I always get a little leery with authors that incorporate military stuff into it, that may not have a lot of military experience with it. I was not very happy with the ending at all. I felt like he robbed his
readers.

~Grade: C

3) The Last Song

by Nicholas Sparks

~My take: One of his better novels. A great look at father/daughter relationships and how convoluted they can become. I would rank this one up there with The Notebook. Very well done. I cried a couple of times, so yep...it was a good bit of fluff reading.

~Grade: A

4) The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

by Jamie Ford

~My take: It was hard to get into at first. It took about 3-4 chapters before the story really took hold for me. I love reading Asian-themed stories, as well as stories that have a history in World War II. Interesting take on father/son relationships and a decent love story. Ending a bit predictable, but a good story.

~Grade: B

5) The Help

by Kathryn Sockett

~My take: This had been recommended to me by many people, so I finally broke down and read it. I really enjoyed it. I love stories that are set in the South and I liked the multiple narratives in the book. I agree with Sparky that the ending fell a little flat and was a little too neatly tied up.

~Grade: B+

6) Firefly Lane

by Kristin Hannah

~My take: Um yeah. My least favorite read thus far. Very contrived and I've read/seen many stories like it before. I read it and it reminded me of the movie "Beaches" with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. Very melodramatic and easily predictable. The main character is very unlikeable. Don't waste your time.

~Grade: D

San Antonio Half: Week 15

Distance: 11.01
Time: 1 hr. 57 mins 22 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail

This week was a bit of a rough one running wise. It started off okay, but I pulled my right quad on Wednesday. It wasn't too bad, but it was a little more sore than usual. I figure that I'd just do an easy 3 on Friday and voila, all is good. Hahaha...didn't happen. Friday was another busy day and I just couldn't squeeze it in. I forgave myself and moved on. That's been a really important thing I've learned to do--not beat myself up if things don't go the way that I want them too. I did that the last time I trained for something and mentally, it just beat me up. Negative Nelly would just creep in and I would crack and just hate the rest of the run. Not any more.

This morning, my alarm went off and it was admittedly hard to wake up. I just wasn't feeling it and I kept thinking, "Why on earth am I doing this?" And then the answer came up as clear as day, "Because I can." I got up, grabbed the gear and headed to the trail. I decided to start in the middle of the trail this time. It was really dark and really cold this morning. If I started at Stoner Boat Launch (totally not kidding...this is the name of the marina) and then headed to downtown Shreveport, I'd be on the most well-lit part of the trail and would hit the darker part of the trail when the sun came up. Plus, it mixed it up a little bit.

I took it easy for the first two miles. It was nice because I was able to warm up the legs and the quad. It hurt a little, but not as bad as I had expected. Maybe the extra day of rest really did help. When I turned around at Sciport, the dawn was absolutely beautiful. Purples and pinks colored the sky. I kept going and by the time I reached the Jimmy Davis bridge, I was really happy that I left my jacket on...there was a bunch of fog. At mile 9, I started to get tired and I still had 2 decent hills left. I started thinking of this run as a last chance long run...last long one before San Antonio. I needed to make it count. I ran up the hills and then saw the boat launch. I hit the marker and was done. I looked down at my time and was shocked. My Nike+ is totally inaccurate, so I ran by the mile markers and used the timer. It was a good way to finish the run.

Two weeks until San Antonio. I feel very ready for this. After San Antonio, I have two weeks to recover and maintain and then I pick the training back up for New Orleans. Let's see how much this old girl has left in her. :)

Moving.

No, we're not moving ...yet. No idea of when or where, but being a military family, it's an eventuality that happens for us every few years. We have been here in Louisiana the longest thus far. By the time we hit the road in the summer next year, we will have been here for 4 years. Amazing how fast the time has gone.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately--the whole moving process. Most of my non-mil friends think we're crazy for doing what we do. I always get the question of "How do you do it?" or "How can you just pick up and move?" The answer is simple...we do it because this is the life we chose. I can't imagine settling down in one place yet. We haven't found that one elusive place yet. I think we've narrowed it down to someplace with a temperate (read: warm) climate and by the ocean or near the coast someplace. I would love to go to San Diego or the Gulf Coast, but each has their negative drawbacks (money and hurricanes).

This move is probably going to be one of the hardest that we've made. I've been very careful in the past about not letting too much of myself out. I know that we aren't permanent, so I always thought that if I kept myself guarded, that it wouldn't hurt so much to have to leave a few years down the road. After our assignment in Okinawa, I decided that something needed to change. I had a couple of good friends there, but I realized that maybe the assignment could have been even more enhanced had I let my wall down and just thrown caution to the wind. When we found out that we were coming to Barksdale, that's exactly what I did.

The internet has been a fabulous thing for people in the military. It allows us to connect to the past and to the future in one fail swoop. I joined a Yahoo! group for Barksdale Spouses, which is where I met another one of my sisters...Lynley. She is the first person that I met here and I am so grateful for that. I have a couple of them here and had I not stepped out of my comfort zone, I would have missed out on so many awesome friendships and experiences.

However, the inevitable will happen and I know that it will happen sooner than I want. I think about all that is to come and how fast the ball will roll once it starts. Mark will find out if he's on the Vulnerable Mover's List (VML), submit his preferences, the Air Force Personnel Center will match available positions with his preferences and then notify us in the springtime where we go. Then, we pack up and start everything all over again. Some days it's overwhelming thinking about having to start all over again. Packing the entire house, trying to find a place to live, unpacking, enrolling both kids in new schools, meeting new people, Mark getting acquainted with a new job and hopefully, I'll be able to keep the job that I've had for the past few years. It's enough to make your head spin.

But it's all a part of the life we chose. I always look for the good in each location. If you focus on the negative, then it really sucks. I know this from experience. As long as we're all together as a family, and as long as we have the means to keep in contact with everyone, then this is one adventure that I wouldn't trade.

San Antonio Half: Week 14 - I'm a Wuss

Distance: 10.06 miles
Time: 1 hr. 49 mins. 18 secs <--- Another PR for 10 miles...woot!
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail

I'll admit it. I'm a wuss when it comes to running in less than ideal conditions. A little drizzle? Sure thing. A little breeze? Bring it on. Fog? Not a problem. Thunder, lightning and gale force winds? Um yeah. Not so much. This week, I kept a close eye on the weather forecasts. It was looking like there might be some good storms brewing for Sunday, so I decided to move my long run to Saturday this week. Jenn is in Memphis with some girlfriends this weekend, so I was on my own. Saturday it was.

Friday afternoon, my brother-in-law, Matt, called and asked me what was for dinner. He's been down at Ft. Polk (about 2 hrs south of here) for the past week and we've been trying to figure out a way to squeeze a visit in. When he called, he told me that he was going to come up, visit, spend the night and then head back down to Ft. Polk in the morning. One condition: Don't tell Mark. I was too excited, so I had to tell the kids, who were equally as excited. They adore their Uncle Matt (and he's pretty much my favorite BIL). I received a call from Mark telling me that he was on his way home early...I did some quick calculating and realized that they would both be getting in at the same time. Lauren almost spilled the beans, but I'd like to think we pulled off the surprise pretty good. It was so nice to see Matt and have a kick back family night! I debated switching my run back to Sunday, but decided to keep it for Saturday. Odds are, everyone would still be asleep and just waking up by the time I got back, so I wouldn't miss anything.

I woke up at 4:45am anxious to get the run going and get home in time to visit and get the kiddos ready for their soccer games. Lauren's game was scheduled for 9am and it takes us about 20 minutes to get there. Basically, I needed to be home no later than about 7:50am in order to get showered and fed. I hit the trail and realized that in my haste, I left my Nike+ receiver at home. Thankfully, I always wear my sport watch, so I just hit the shuffle on the iPod and started the timer. It was a beautiful morning. A little more humid than usual and it was a little warm. I was glad that I chose the short sleeves this morning.

I've realized that I definitely enjoy running on Sundays because the trail is usually void of life. Saturdays are insane...even at 5:30am! Today was especially so, as there was a crew setting up for a road race at the boat launch. The Autumn Breeze 5K and 10K. I had signed up for the 10K, but after looking at the calendar of events and what time it was slated to kick off, there was really no way that I could do it. But, I got a pretty sweet sweatshirt out of it and I ran along the course, so it was a win-win for me. :) When I hit my turn around, I shot a Vanilla Gingerbread Gu (AWESOME!) and off I went again. There were so many people of the trail that at one point, I ended up running off the trail just to avoid running into anyone. I guess all of the running clubs around town get together on Saturday mornings. There were at least two clubs out there.

When I hit mile 7, I felt like I was flying. I didn't feel tired at all and just kept on trucking. I hit the end and felt really good. My legs were tired, but the spirit was good. I looked at my time and realized that I hit another PR for 10 miles...only by about 30 seconds, but hey, a PR is a PR and I'll take what I can get. I'm definitely ready for San Antonio. I'm getting really excited for this race. I haven't done an individual race like this for awhile, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to seeing my friend cross the finish line for the first time. I'm so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. One more long run, one taper run and then the race. Bring. It. On.

San Antonio Half: Week 13

Distance: 11.08 miles
Time: 2 hrs. 5 mins. 26 secs.
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway

*First off, giving a big shout out to my Howzit Sistahs from the Rock N' Roll San Diego Relay...all 3 of them are running a half marathon today!! Mary and Tricia are running in Long Beach and Julie is running the Nike Women's Half in San Francisco. Way to go, sistahs! Much love from Louisiana!*

I'm still trying to figure out how on earth to write this one. If I didn't have a decent sense of humor, I think I would probably have thrown the towel in after my first 5 steps. My alarm went off at 5am. Normally, I wake up before my alarm, but apparently, my body had other plans. It really, REALLY did NOT want to wake up. I trudged out of bed and was very grateful that I had gotten everything ready and laid out last night rather than this morning. I bought a new camelbak yesterday and was happy to get the chance to use it...I felt pretty lucky, a new iPod and a new camelbak in the same week!

I met Jenn across from Sciport and we both were a little tired this morning. I think we both had the same mind set of, "Let's get this mother done with." I decided not to listen to any tuneage this morning, but would instead use the Nike+ function on the iPod. Normally, I keep it in my pocket. Since the Nano has a snazzy clip on it, I decided to clip it to my camelbak. Note to self: If something works, don't change it. Especially when it comes to a pricey piece of equipment. Can anyone guess what happened? If you're guessing that I took 5 strides and the sucker went flying off the camelbak, landed face down on the ground and shattered the screen, then you win a cookie the next time I see you! I immediately picked it up and wanted to cry. Surprisingly, it still works perfectly in spite of the screen. So for now, it will remain...it is what it is and it still works. Jenn looked at me and said, "Don't let it shake you!" I told her that it would not be indicative of how the run would go.

Fall has arrived in Northwest Louisiana. It was cold this morning. Poor Jenn was in short sleeves and shorts. I had my capris and a long sleeve on and I was still cold. I can't imagine how cold Jenn must have been. The first half of the run was actually pretty uneventful and it seemed to be a lot faster than normal. We ran the loop around the pond and it was really pretty with the sun coming up. About a mile after our turn around, we got tired. Really tired. The funny thing is that both of us were tired. Neither of us wanted to say it, but we were just ready to be done. We saw a hill and decided that we could run up it and then we'd walk a little. Needless to say, it was the wrong hill to pick. We started climbing up and we're both vocally encouraging ourselves to get up this hill. Jenn is so sweet...she started saying, "Come on girl, get yourself up the hill". I, on the other hand, had been possessed by a pissed off sailor. I was saying things that I can't post. Lots of s-bombs and f-bombs were dropped in a matter of about 2 minutes. We were about halfway up, when we looked at each other and just about died laughing. It hurt and we could barely catch our breath because we were laughing so hard. I told it was stupid and I was going to finish the hill by walking. Oh, and for the record, you're probably thinking that it must have been one heck of a hill. Um yeah. Let's not forget that this is Louisiana. A good chunk of this state sits below sea level.

We had about a mile left when we saw Mark drive by with the kiddos. They decided to meet us on the trail rather than hitting the track. So, we made that our new goal--to see the kids and Mark. We kept trucking and we couldn't see them. We started to get mad because we knew they were there, but we couldn't see them. Finally, we caught up to them with about a 1/4 mile to go. Gav ran the rest of the way with us and then turned around and ran back with Mark.

Overall, it really was a good run...minus the shattered iPod screen and chub rub on my legs. It was a beautiful morning, fabulous company and I'm still standing. So, I think we'll put this in the win category. 4 weeks remain...two more long runs to go, one taper week and then the race. I cannot wait. :)

San Antonio Half: Week 12

Distance: 10.01 miles
Time: 1hr 57 mins 41 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail

I know I've been bad about blogging these things. I find that when I run by myself, a lot of the time, it's really not all that exciting. Last week, I posted a pic of the sunrise that I saw at my turn around point, so that was a little exciting because it was so beautiful. God's creations never cease to amaze me. I'm sure that most of you have realized by this point in time that our family doesn't attend church. Mark and I were both raised Catholic; we were married in the church and even had Gavin baptized Catholic as an infant. However, over the years, we have grown to be more spiritual than religious. I think I still feel a stronger connection to the Catholic faith than Mark does, but we made the decision to abstain from church. We have taught the kids about God and about how this world is so much bigger than us. Lauren attends preschool at the First United Methodist Church in Bossier City, so she attends chapel once a week and learns the bible stories. We want them to have the foundation to be able to make the choice when they get older. What does this have to with Sunday runs? Everything. I chose Sundays for my long run days on purpose. I use these runs in place of church. When I run solo on these days, I am able to clear my head and check in with the Big Kahuna. My life is so hectic, that these chats and this time that is carved out is able to bring a small slice of peace. Even if it's just for a couple of hours, it's still more than nothing.

Anyhoo, the run today was great. Jenn was back in town, so we finally got to run together again. She injured her knee a few weeks back, and I made the decision last night to go with her flow today. If she needed to walk, I'd walk with her. If she needed to run, I'd run. I wanted to be her cheerleader and just help get her mind back in the game. She's worked too long and too hard to quit now. It's not about time...it's about finishing. I'll worry about time later...just not today. We started off with two dogs chasing us for a few minutes. That's one way to get the blood pumping! Once we lost them, I asked how her knee was and she said it was all right. The weather was beautiful and is was so nice to catch up with her! We took a walk break around 3 miles and then again at our turn around.

At mile 7.63, her knee got the best of her. She told me to run ahead and I told her no. Some arguing and empty threats ensured (mostly on my part) and I decided to respect her wishes. At mile 8, I started running. Only 2 miles left, so I decided that I'd finish and then turn around, meet back up with her and finish up with her. To my surprise, when I finished, she was pretty much right behind me! She had stretched her knee, did some speed walking and then finished strong by running. We only had about a 3.5 minute difference in time! I chugged some Gu Brew (thank you for the recommendation, Sparky!) and headed over to the base track.

I received the October newsletter in the mail the other day for RnR San Antonio. I noticed that they have a special kids race...Kids Rock San Antonio. It is held at the SA Zoo and is the day before the big races. The kids run one mile and run in their grade category. Kindergartners can do it too, but it's only 1/2 mile. I showed it to Mark and we decided to see if Gavin had any interest in doing it. We did NOT push him. He decided that he wanted to do it. We told him that we would not be able to run with him, but that we would be watching and cheering him on and then would meet him at the finish. He gets a race bib, a medal, a t-shirt and free entry to the SA Zoo. He was so excited that he told us that he wanted to go to the base track and run some laps. We thought it was a pretty good idea, seeing as he wasn't really sure how long a mile was.

We met at the base track after my long run. I figured I could walk and stretch the legs a bit. Gav and Mark ran a mile and a half and Lauren and I poked around for about a mile. I was so proud of those little monkeys! :)

Week 12 is done and in the books. 5 weeks left until San Antonio. Getting more and more excited for it.

San Antonio Half: Week 10

Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: 1 hr 49 mins 48 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail

10 in week 10...ironic really. I was going to try and start a little later since it is finally cooling off. By cooling off, I mean it was a lovely 65 degrees instead of 78. But let me tell you, those 13 degrees make a ginormous difference. Any hoo, I received a phone call from a friend that needed a ride to the airport at 8am. Instead of pushing it super close, I decided to just start at 5:30. That way I'd have enough time to drive home, take a shower and not subject her to the nasty running funk.

Let me start off by saying that I have a very turbulent relationship with 10 miles. The first time I ever ran 10 miles, I ended up horribly sick...to the point that I almost went to the ER. The second time I did it, it was much better, but I was still a little leary. Each time I've run it, something funky has happened to where it's just not as fun as I had hoped it would be. 10 miles is an important run. It's the first time you reach double digits and it's really quite long. When I started running them consistently in preparation for NOLA 2 years ago, I could never break 2 hours. The closest I came was 2:02. It always pissed me off. I know that I wasn't supposed to run for time, but damn it, I wanted to break 2 hours! It remained elusive...until today.

It was beautiful this morning. There was a breeze and it was cool. I decided to start at Hamel Park, which is a reverse direction on Clyde Fant. It's closer to my house, so I figured it would get me home fast than if I had started at Sci-Port. There were a lot of people that had the same idea, as the trail was pretty well peppered with people (do I get points for alliteration here?). I had a bit of a rough start. I borrowed Mark's amphipod thing that you can hook to the waist band of your pants and I've decided that I won't be doing that again. Stupid thing kept falling off. Finally, I managed to rig it to stay put and put my iPod and my shot bloks in there. I was very grateful that I decided to wear the new shoes today. I haven't had a chance to break them in this week, so I knew it was a little risky, but it definitely paid off. They felt fabulous!

At 8 miles, I started to get a little tired. I didn't do a long run last week, as Mark ran his REALLY long run in Ohio and we were on the road back to Louisiana. Instead of giving in, I just dug my heels in deeper and kept going. I finished my 10 miles in 1 hour, 49 minutes and 48 seconds. I was so happy to finally break that 2 hour mark! It gives me hope of more things to come.

San Antonio Half: Week 8

Distance: 9.02
Time: 1 hr 42 mins 7 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway

After 3 weeks of running the same distance, it was time to crank it up again. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to crank up the heat as well. It was another hot and humid morning this morning. I was happy though...it was time to switch up the trails! Teague Parkway only goes for 8.6 miles. Clyde Fant, in my opinion, is prettier and a LOT less smelly than Teague. There are more trees, it's closer to the river and as I conveniently forgot to mention to Jenn, there are also more hills.

We started off and it took me awhile to warm up. Usually the first 2 miles sucks, but this time around, it was closer to 3.5 miles to really get warmed up. My legs felt like dead weights most of the run. I've been pretty tired all week, so I think my body has just been working on overdrive. The trip to Ohio will be a quickie, but I think it will be good for me to put things on hold for 5 days. I'll run at the hotels, but I'll be able to rest my brain a little bit. We leave on Wednesday morning and we'll be home on Sunday.

It was a good run. Tiring, but good. It's nice to have this redo. I feel like I'm doing things the right way this time around and I'm really listening to my body. I'm forgiving myself if I don't go as far or if I miss one. I also don't give myself grief if I choose to go longer or add an extra day in. If something hurts, then it's okay to walk it out. I know how to do things the right way now and how to address the different aches and pains that kick in. I'm looking forward to the 10 milers. Sick, I know. But I have a competition going with myself. I haven't been able to break 2 hours for a 10-miler. I kept trying the last time I trained, and I hadn't been able to do it. With the pace we're doing, I think I can finally do it...10 miles in less than 2 hours. It might seems silly and horribly slow compared to others, but man...it's a goal I've had for almost 2 years. I think we're well on our way to doing it. :)

Happiness

Happiness can be super big things and little tiny, seemingly inconsequential things. Happiness can happen when you least expect it, or when you are working hard toward a goal and you finally reach it.

For me, happiness happens a lot. I can be sarcastic on occasion (okay, on a LOT of occasions), but for the most part, I'm a pretty optimistic person. I try to look for the best in any given situation and roll from there. Sometimes it's really hard to find the positive in a bad situation. Those days are the sucky days and are the ones where you just thank the good Lord above that tomorrow will bring something new and you start off with a clean slate. I like being an optimist. Sometimes it pisses people off...for instance, when high five-ing someone at a water station at mile 24 of a marathon, your running buddy that is struggling may not appreciate the positivity so much. I really believe that in every bad situation, there is good.

Today, happiness started off in the form of a run. I went with my friend Lynley. It was her first day starting up and she did great. I was so proud of her! It was hot and sticky, but it felt good. Sometimes I don't mind the hot and sticky messes...it can make you feel like you really worked your ass off.

Happiness also came from meeting an acquaintance for lunch. Her son went to school with Gavin when he went to Southfield. She had previously mentioned last year that she was involved in a non-profit group that helps military families deal with the reunification process of deployments, called Camp Better America (http://www.campbetteramerica.com/). Long story short, we went to lunch and we talked about CBA and I mentioned that Barksdale OSC and ESG (Enlisted Spouses Group) are very interested in helping out and in trying to get some of our families into the camp. I think it went well. The camp is something amazing and is doing something amazing for military families from all walks of life.

Happiness also came unexpectedly from my friend Mary. I always admire her attitude toward life--kind of a balls to the wall mantra and just grab it and go! She is well traveled and definitely lives life to the fullest. She is all kinds of awesome and I always miss her. We've been friends for a long time, with our ups and downs, but mostly ups. She's definitely one of my sisters (I'm proud to say I have 5 sisters that are not marriage related or blood related--I'm a lucky gal). But I've always thought of her as awesome and someone that I kind of looked up to, even though I'm older than her. :) I said something to her in passing, and I guess it resonated with her. I had no clue, but then she mentioned it. It made me happy that I was able to say something relatively profound (even thought I really had no clue) that made someone happy.

My life is very blessed and I am very lucky. Happiness is what you make of it.

San Antonio Half: Week 7

Distance: 8.41 miles
Time: 1 hr 32 mins 38 secs
Route: Teague Parkway

I was a little torn yesterday on which trail to run and how far to go. Jenn has a 10K on tap in San Antonio today, so do I go with 6? Do I go with 9? Decisions, decisions for a seemingly indecisive person. I decided to sleep on it and figure it out when I woke up in the morning. Lauren woke up in the middle of the night, so I took her back to her room. It took me a bit to fall asleep. Mark told me that I could always move my run to Monday morning, but I said no. I wanted to get it done and over with. So instead of hitting the trail at 5:30am, I decided to hit the trail a little after 6. I started in the middle of the trail and ran down to Diamond Jacks. I hit the turn around and then ran back to where I started. I kept going to where I normally park and then turned around for the last stretch.

The weather was absolutely beautiful. The temp on my car gauge read 62 degrees when I started. I was very grateful that I wore the long sleeve shirt and the shorts. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the dawn gave way to a breathtaking sunrise. It actually gave me the chills each time I would look at it. I missed having Jenn running with me, but I just let my mind wander the entire time. Here's the path it took:

Today is my birthday. I'm starting this new year one year older and 21 pounds lighter than the last one. I'm proud to say that I am 32 years young. I never thought that I would ever be where I am...not just geographically, but so very happy and grateful with how my past 32 years have played out. While we aren't the richest people with money, I consider myself incredibly rich in love, family, friends and health. I have been married to the love of my life for almost 10 years. We have two AWESOME kids (that I often don't give enough credit to). I have two amazing parents that raised me to be the person I am today. I have an older brother, that drives me crazy on many occasions, but I will never give up on him. I have my "in-law" family, that I don't even count as "in-laws", because I adore them so much. I have so many incredible friends. Each and every one of you have impacted my life in so many ways that I can't even begin to tell you. You have become a part of my family and I am so very lucky for each of you.

As I ran this morning, I was very grateful and definitely counted myself as a very lucky and very blessed girl. I know that life is a journey and an adventure. I am so glad that you are all along for the ride with me.

Gifted?

Gavin has always been his own person. In fact, both of my kids have always been unapologetically themselves. That's one thing that Mark and I have always encouraged--be yourself, no matter what. Stay true to what you believe, and to what you know is right...even if it's not the most popular thing. Of course it's always easier said than done. As a kid, you want to fit in. You want to be part of the cool kids club. Sadly, I was never part of the cool kids club. I'm pretty sure that Mark did though, so there's always hope for Gav and Lauren. I was a part of the nerdy kids club.

When I was Gavin's age, school came easy for me. I loved school (which probably explains my sado-masochism in going back for my Master's degree amidst the rest of my chaotic life), and I love learning new things. I loved feeling the "a-ha" moment. In California, there is a program called GATE, which stands for Gifted And Talented Education. I was tested for the GATE program in first grade and remained there until high school--by which time, honors classes replaced the GATE classes. I never thought of it as being any different. It just reduced my cool factor a little bit.

This afternoon, I received a phone call from Gavin's teacher. Of course, I looked at the caller ID and immediately thought the worst--that he had either gotten sick or something else. His teacher assured me the second I answered that everything was okay. She said that she needed my permission to have him tested. I was a little confused at first. After all, I used to have bad eyesight at his age as well, so maybe his eyes were a little blurry. Then she told me that she wants to have him tested for the gifted program at school and she needed parental permission in order for the school counselor to test him. I gave my permission and chit chatted for a bit and then hung up.

She told me that often times the student may not actually get into the program, but that it doesn't mean that they aren't gifted--it just means that the State of Louisiana makes it really difficult and kind of weeds out the uber gifted/borderline quirky kids. As I sit thinking about this, I'm really proud of Gav...even if he doesn't make it in. He's a really smart kid and a really good kid. I try not to brag too much about my kids, but I am really proud of him. I know that I am really lucky to be his mom. :)

San Antonio Half: Week 6

Distance: 8.7 miles
Time: 1:41:02
Route: Teague Parkway Trail

I'll fess up...I haven't been as good about blogging as I used to be. I ended up combining my blogs on Blogger, so they don't automatically kick over any more.

We went out with some friends last night and had a good time. It was a cocktail party for the Northwest Louisiana chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It was a lot of fun. I fully support this foundation. I have a friend from high school that is a breast cancer survivor and even though we weren't super close, any time I see anything having to do with Susan G. Komen, I think of her and how courageous and brave she is. She's quite inspiring.

This morning the alarm went off and it was hard to get up. But alas, up I went and out the door. The weather was sticky and warm. I was hoping that Mother Nature would have blessed us with the cool weather that Mark and his gang encountered yesterday, but it wasn't meant to be. We got started and off we went. Because it's so dark that early in the morning and I'm not a fan of running into wildlife, I bought an attachable flashlight for the stretch of trail that is closer to the river. I think if anything, it just wanted the wildlife that we were incoming...it didn't really provide that much light. I'll keep using it though. It was only $6. :)

I was really proud of Jenn for doing the whole trail! She did .7 more than what she needed to. Each time she runs her long runs, it's the furthest that she's gone. I know and remember that feeling all too well, and I'm honored that I get to see her go through it too. According to her, it's 76 days until S.A. I'm getting excited. I ran it 2 years ago, and it's amazing how much things have changed in life since then. Happy trails!

Katrina

Over the past few days, we've seen the footage, read the articles, rummages through photo galleries and archives and posted blogs about Hurricane Katrina. Here is another one.

I've never lived in New Orleans, nor have I ever lived in Mississippi. At the time that Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, we weren't even living in the United States. We were stationed overseas at Kadena Air Base, in Okinawa, Japan. How on earth could something like this impact me or have an effect on my life? The Gulf Coast has always held a special place in my heart. Mark went to tech school at Keesler AFB, in Biloxi, Missisippi. He was there for 3 months back in 2002...when the casino barges floated on the water, Sharky's was a really cool tourist trap on US 90, Ruby Tuesdays was right on the coast, and antebellum type mansions lined the coastal highway. I visited him several times and since it's only a stone's throw away from New Orleans, we'd hit up the city as well. There was so much charm in that area of the country. Something about it just drew me in. New Orleans at the time was the type of city that you either loved or you'd visit once and proclaim that you once went there. It was a charming, yet completely trashy party city with a bad reputation. I loved it. It rose quickly on my top favorite cities list.

In 2004, we received orders to Kadena AB in Okinawa. Okinawa is in a tropical climate--very much like that of the Gulf Coast. Tropical weather abounds there...including typhoons. What are typhoons? Typhoons are the same exact thing as a hurricane, but in that area of the Pacific, they call them typhoons. In that geographical area, they tend to generate off the coast of Guam or a little bit before and often times pass by or pass right over the island of Okinawa and the rest of the Ryuku Island chain before ending up in China, mainland Japan, the Korean peninsula or even the Philippines. We had been on island for 2 weeks when we went through our first typhoon, which coincidentally was Typhoon Tokage (tow-ka-ghee). It was a category 3 typhoon with it being just shy of a super typhoon. One thing about Japan is that the everyday architecture is really ugly. Everything is made of concrete and the glass on the windows are approximately an inch thick. The locks on sliding glass doors and windows are heavy duty and are actually really heavy. My first impression was, "Really? This place is kinda ugly." But there are 2 things that you will quickly learn: 1) The interiors of Japanese homes are quite beautiful and often breathtaking. It definitely more than makes up for the outsides. 2) Concrete and one-inch thick glass are amazing strong and resilient when battered by typhoons.

In the last week of August 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed full Category 3-force into the Gulf Coast. Entire cities and towns were obliterated and wiped clean. Many people lost their lives, the city of New Orleans nearly drowned itself. The federal, state and local responses were gut wrenchingly wrapped in bureaucratic and political tape. 5 years later, it still is. In the same 30 day window of Katrina, we were graced by 4 typhoons on our little island, one of which was a super typhoon that passed directly over the prefecture capitol of Naha. What's the difference? The difference is that the Japanese learned their lesson well. They don't build out of wood, because it is not structurally strong. They brace their all of their trees, only to lose a few limbs and maybe a tree or two in the really bad storms. I see homes that have been rebuilt on the Gulf Coast and it almost makes me sad...while they may have raised the homes off the foundations, what is going to keep the wind and rain out? Chances are, they would most likely find themselves in a deja vu situation should something like Hurricane Katrina hit again. Don't get me wrong--I'm happy to see the amazing progress that has been made in the past 5 years. In a way, I think that New Orleans has matured a bit. Yes, it's still a bit of a trashy party city, but it has come back strong and is quite clean compared to what it was the first time I went there. I haven't been to Mississippi yet, but I told Mark that the next time we go to New Orleans (most likely February), I'd like to visit and see everything for myself. He's been back and has mentioned how different it is. It too, is cleaner, yet he said that some of the spark that was once there has disappeared.

Shewt

Ah the craziness of life. How fast it can sneak up on you and BAM! You feel like you've been run over all over again. The past 4 weeks have pretty much been a blur. We came home and basically picked up right where we left off. Nothing like hitting the ground running while trying to find your bearings all over again.

Mark has started a new job, like I previously mentioned in my last post. He's done a job very similar to this before when we first moved to Kadena. His hours then were very crazy. He'd leave the house about 6:30am and come home anytime between 7:30 and 10:30pm. It was a really hard adjustment to make, coming from his uber cushy job at Randolph where he'd go in at 8 and be home by 4. Add in a foreign country, a wife that worked 40+ hours herself, a tempermental 2 year old...and well...you get the picture. Our first 18 months in Japan sucked. Sure, the country and the folks were cool, but on the job and home front...it was really hard. Fast forward 6 years. He has the opportunity to do the same kind of job for the next year. I take a look at the bigger picture and I think that I'm pretty lucky considering the other option was for him to be the aide (the guy that travels with the general whenever the general travels). At least I can be selfish enough to have him at home with me. I think that I may have over prepared myself for this. I told myself that the hours would be horrendous and that I would need to really keep myself occupied in order not to dwell on everything. Here's the funny thing: I think I may have done too well in that department. I don't worry about what time he comes home and in fact, half the time, dinner hasn't even been started when he tells me he's on his way. I thought for sure that the kids would be in bed and I'd have time to do homework, work on the piano, etc...but alas, he's actually been home in time to put the kids to bed. I'm definitely not complaining. I'm very grateful.

One thing that has been missing lately is my verbal filter. Apparently, it went by the wayside and hasn't been found yet. I keep finding myself in hot water with people for saying things that I normally wouldn't. Don't get me wrong...I think these things, but usually, I just keep the thoughts to myself. Unfortunately, the part of my brain that tells me to shut up is still on vacation. I've found myself writing and saying things that either get totally misinterpreted and blown out of context or I say something that is true, yet offends. If anyone finds my filter, can you please send it back? I'll happily pay for overnight shipping.

Running. Ah yes, the running. Mark is on his last training run tomorrow. It's not fun training for two events in our household. Because the kids are so little, we can't run together. Gav is WAAAY too old for the jogging stroller (which we don't even own anymore), so we have to swap days. There hasn't been a morning for the past month that has gone by when one of us isn't up at 5:30am heading out the door. Mark gets Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for long runs. I get Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays for my long runs. Since I have the gym membership, I'm more flexible. I hate running on the treadmill, but sometimes (usually either Wednesdays or Thursdays) it has to be done. Sleeping in hasn't been a luxury for us in over 8 years, so luckily, it's something we don't really miss. I was able to switch my race registration from the full marathon to the half marathon. I emailed the race organizers and they were awesome enough to swap me officially. I haven't given up on the idea of a full marathon yet. Something inside is still gnawing at me to do one just for me. I'm not in any hurry though. The 8+ last week was a good butt kicker. We'll see how it goes this week.

So there are the random musings this week. Aside from Gavin throwing up at school on Thursday (yes...it was in his class, in front of everyone, all over his desk and himself), it's been a fairly quiet week. I'm looking forward to Labor Day weekend...no plans and just being able to catch a breath.

San Antonio Half: Week 3

Distance: 6.1 miles
Time: 1:12:00-ish (my iPod didn't record the run...I saw the timer briefly when I stopped)
Route: A. R. Teague Parkway

I know, I know. I didn't blog last week's run. Last week's run was pretty uneventful, and honestly, I just didn't feel like it. This week, however, is a new week and it's amazing how crazy it really was.

Monday was an interesting day. Mark started a new job on base and I found out that we lost one of the contracts at my work. My boss had once told me that if we were to lose any city contracts, then I may not have a job. Things really didn't get much better during the week. I learned that I pretty much have a job through the end of the year, but that my hours may start getting cut. Hey, a little bit is better than nothing, so I'm okay with that. I also discovered that I had a huge case of "Open Mouth/Insert Foot" on Facebook this week. I think I may need to wean myself off of that place. I'm on there way too much. I said things that hurt people and are not very characteristically me, thus creating unnecessary drama.

Needless to say, I was really looking forward to the long run this week. I know...6 miles really isn't all that long. I was very happy to have my running buddy back this week! It's been 3 months since we've run together! Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating. The heat and humidity have been quite oppressive. The moment you step outside, it's like getting the life sucked right out of you. Before I went to sleep last night, Mark looked at the weather and said, "Man, I feel bad for your run tomorrow." I didn't think much about it and went to sleep. When I got to the parking lot this morning, the heat index was already 90 degrees. It was 5:30am for Pete's sake!! Jenn rolled up and off we went.

I went without tuneage this week and it was nice. Jenn and I chatted and caught up with each other the whole time. She had 7 on tap this morning and I only had 6. I'll catch up to her schedule next week. The humidity was so gross. We were both dripping by the end of our first mile. The sun wasn't even up and I was very happy that we started as early as we did. We both had to take a few walk breaks. I've learned that walking a little is okay. It took me awhile to get out of the mindset of no walking, but I'm finally there.

When we made it back to the parking lot, Jenn turned around and kept going another 1/2 mile. I walked a little cool down and then walked until I caught up with her. Then I jogged the last .3 with her. You can't leave your wingman hanging. She didn't leave me hanging, so there's no way I'd leave her hanging.

So, week 3 is down and 6 is done and over with. On to another week and 7 miles next weekend. :)

Road Trippin' - Days Four and Five

Day 4 wasn't going to be nearly as long as the previous day. We had about 7 hours on tap for today, so we knew that at least it would be shorter than yesterday. We were all up early again thanks to the marvel of time changes, so we hit the road to Bakersfield at about 6:30. The funny thing about Flagstaff that a lot of people don't realize is that it's about 6000 ft in elevation. It's surrounded by mountains and let me tell you, even in May, it gets DAMN cold in the morning. Luckily we had some hoodies in the car because we needed them. It was 29 degrees out. It was the first time in about 2 months that we'd had to crank the heater on the car. I *heart* seat warmers. Whoever invented them was a genius.


As we chugged along, the girl slept for almost two and a half hours. Poor thing. All of the traveling was finally catching up to her. It was pretty cool when we finally crossed the Arizona/California state border. However, it was rather anti-climactic. Every state that we had entered into thus far had pretty snazzy "Welcome to *Enter State Here*" signs. California's was very sad. It was just a small green freeway sign that said, "Welcome to California". Really? This is the glitzy and glam state!! Where is the blinged out welcome sign?? Even Louisiana's state sign is more exciting. Then again, we did come in via San Bernardino County. Maybe that explains it. Once we crossed into California, it there was really nothing until Barstow.

We decided to stop and support McDonald's yet again for lunch. At this point in time, I'm convinced that we've pretty much kept them in business this week. We stopped at one that had a REALLY big Play Place. We order the grub and head back to the kiddie area. As we are finishing up our burgers and fries, a rather large family comes in. When I say large, it may be a bit of an understatement. There is a plethora of kids and only 3 adults watching over them...the adults are looking a bit frazzled, which is most likely the reason why they've chosen this place for lunch. Rather than order separate chicken nugget Happy Meals, they order 20 piece boxes. In this instance, I don't blame them. Probably much easier to keep track of and divvy up. There were two boys that kept picking on each other. The husband and I looked at each other just knowing that this couldn't end well. After all, bickering kids + boxes of chicken nuggets + ginormous play structure = pure entertainment for us. They did not disappoint.

One of the boys was on top of the slide with a box of nuggets. Mind you, when you play on these things, shoes are taken off, feet smell nasty and the floors aren't exactly the cleanest. The other little boy comes up to torment the one on the slide. They start tussling, we start giggling. The box of nuggets comes dangerously close to being in peril. The boy with the nuggets pulls one out and directs it toward his mouth. The other one smacks his hand and the nugget goes flying. The nugget lands on the floor. As a mom, I chastise my kids for eating off the floor. Of course my kids aren't perfect and a random M&M will somehow wind up in their mouths. But not a nugget. The husband leans over and whispers to me, "20 bucks says he eats it." I look at him and say, "Oh man...I hope he doesn't." We end up having a whisper war: "Do it, do it, do it!", whispers my husband. "No, no, NO!", I whisper yell back. Sure enough, like a doughnut to a police officer, the dirty nugget found itself in the boy's stomach. It was at that point that I motioned to the munchkins that it was time to hit the road.

We ended Day 4 in Bakersfield. Day 5 was very uneventful, as we were pretty anxious to just get there. We made it into Dixon around noon on Day 5, ever so grateful to be there and with many stories under our belt.

Road Trippin' - Day Three

Day 3 of this fantastical road trip started off in Amarillo, Texas. This day was going to be a long haul day to Flagstaff, Arizona...about 10 hours or so, 2 stateline crossings and 2 time zones. The husband and I were honestly quite happy that the kiddos didn't have the concept of "sleep-in-past-7-am" down. We were able to chow on some hotel breakfast grub and load up the car by 7:00am. I-40 is definitely the way to go. Previously, every cross-country trip that we have taken has been along I-10. Let me tell you, if I had to drive between El Paso and San Antonio one more time, I don't know that we would have even attempted to do this trip. I-10 is very deserty, very brown and more boring that driving through corn fields in Iowa. I do not exaggerate on this. I-40 is actually kind of pretty. It's hilly, mountainous at times, green-ish and there are even a few canyons when you cross into Arizona. However, the only downfall is that there is also a LOT of livestock along this route in Texas. Lots of livestock = lots of methane = lots of stankiness. We had made a quick pit stop and the boy quipped, "It smells like bird poop." #1 - It smelled like cow poop. But at this juncture, it didn't matter. #2 - I don't want to know how my son knows what bird poop smells like.

We made it in to Flagstaff relatively early - about an hour before dinnertime. We were tired of supporting McDonald's stock at this point, so we decided to try and figure out a place that would be semi-fast and semi-good for the kiddos. What kind of place fits this bill? You guessed it. Sizzler. We didn't even know if they still existed. Yes. The rubber cheese is still rubbery. Yes. There was even a graduation party being held there. And yes, we were that ghetto. But not nearly as ghetto as what was happening back at our hotel.

We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express. Not because we really wanted to, but because there was nothing else available. Me, being Ms. Super McSmarty Smartpants, procrastinated so much on my homework that I had 3 papers to write in a matter of 36 hours. I didn't feel like torturing the husband or kiddos with the light from the laptop or the incessant clacking of my fingers typing furiously on the keyboard, so I decided to go down to the lobby to write my papers. Wrong idea. It was the NBA Finals and there were about 20 people watching it in the eating are. Accompanying the peeps were about 10 bottles of wine, 60 bottles of beer, and about 5 pizzas. Essentially, it was like a frat party in the lobby of the Holiday Inn. 3 hours and many f-bomb laden tirades (not mine) later, the papers were written and thus began Day 4.

Road Trippin' - Days One and Two

Summer time is fun. It evokes images of backyard BBQs, sprinklers, pools, lemonade, sunshine and happy-go-lucky kids riding bikes and everyone is just a ray of sunshine and rainbows. This year, my insanity got the best of me. Because the husband's job is going to keep him rather *um* "preoccupied" over the next year, I decided that the kids and I would drive out to California for a good chunk of the summer. The boy's last day of school was May 27th, so why not leave right after that? (No, seriously...we left right after the last bell rang.) Originally, my dad was going to fly out to Dallas and we were going to pick him up and he'd drive back with me. Such is the case with best laid plans...they don't quite always go the way that you want them to. In the end, it looked like I may have to do this haul by myself. Then I realized that the husband had a 4-day weekend and plenty of leave saved up. Cue the puppy dog eyes and some irresistible pleading and voila! He was suckered into my insane thought process as well.

To start off the story, I have to rewind a weekend. I decided to print out the confirmation emails from the hotels that we were supposed to stay at along the way. Our route consisted of 5 days: Day 1 - Shreveport to Dallas. Day 2 - Dallas to Amarillo. Day 3 - Amarillo to Flagstaff. Day 4 - Flagstaff to Bakersfield. Day 5 - Bakersfield to Dixon. I had the confirmation from the hotel in Dallas, so I printed it out. I looked for the other ones and couldn't find them. What? Wait a sec...I KNOW that I have them. I don't delete records and confirmations. I still have the confirmation emails for flights that I took 4 years ago, so I just *know* that there is *NO* way that I deleted the emails...or did I?? The month of May was very chaotic. I still can't remember much of it. I think it's my brain's way of blocking out how truly crazy it was. Any hoo, I call my dad to see I had sent him a copy of the emails. He doesn't have any. The husband is wonderful and calls each hotel chain to see if we have reservations at any of the hotels in any of the cities. It takes him two days to make it through the list. Turns out I didn't make the reservations. Yes, my friends, I felt pretty stupid at this point. Again, I blame it on the brain block of May. I make the hotel reservations and all is right with the world.

The first afternoon from Shreveport to Dallas was really uneventful. We took both cars because the husband, while he has a plethora of leave, didn't have a summer's worth of leave and had to fly back to Dallas-Ft. Worth the day after our scheduled arrival into California. When I say it was uneventful, I mean it was really super boring...to the point that I was actually reading different kind of semi-trucks that were on the road as well. Yes. It's that exciting between Shreveport and Dallas. Three hours of nothingness.

On Day 2, we decided to expend some of the kiddos' energy by throwing them in the hotel pool first thing in the morning. The drive from Dallas to Amarillo was slated for 6 hours. Since my children have no concept as to what the phrase "sleep-in-past-7-in-the-morning" means, we figured we had a little bit of time to kill. After about an hour in the pool, we loaded up the car, turned on the DVD player for the bean and headed up toward Amarillo. We took a road that took us up through a little town called Wichita Falls. That's kind of a wackily set up town. We started our McDonald's stock surge at lunch. It ws rather warm and the kids were getting itchy to play outside. We warned them that the slides were going to be a little toasty and even pointed at the signs so that the boy could read them himself. Since they are kids of a special nature, they figured that their little tushies would be immune to the toaster slide. Alas, they soon found out that was not the case and they played on the playground for maybe 5 minutes. After lunch, we continued the trek to Amarillo. We passed through many small towns, that I'm proud to say are waaay smaller than my hometown (which is pretty dang small). On the outskirts of one particular town, there was an adult super mega-ultra porn shop. I don't usually pay much attention, but this one made me giggle because it advertised an ATM AND free coffee! About 10 feet from the store, right inside the city limits was a sign that stated, "This town does not condone pornography in any way. Pornography victimizes women and is not tolerated in this town". Kind of reminded me of the movie, "Footloose". The town bans dancing, and what do you know...it's done in basements and eventually there's a big dance sequence and everything is happy. I don't want to know what happens in the basements of the town that bans porn. A couple of hours and 11 counted trains later, we make it in to Amarillo for that particular leg of the race.

San Antonio Half: Week 1

Distance: 4.05 miles
Time: 43:48
Route: A.R. Teague Parkway

Today was the official kickoff for San Antonio. I haven't run 4 miles in awhile and since I took the week in Vegas off, I was a little worried about this morning. I didn't sleep very well last night, so I got up before my alarm and off I went. I was a little cranky and just felt kind of blah about the whole thing. It was still dark out when I got to the trail, but it was already 81 degrees. Hello humidity! I popped in the tunes and off I went.

I let my mind wander during the run and realized that this is one of the things I love about running. I can just let my mind go and not harness it in. It's funny how random some of the thoughts can be. Before I knew it, I was almost at my turn around. I made it a point to NOT check my Nike+. I didn't want to know my time, I just wanted to run this morning. I started to get a little fatigued around mile 3, so I walked for 30 seconds and picked it back up. After my brief walking break, I heard a song that I haven't heard in years that I had forgotten that I had downloaded. It made me smile and kept me going. As I was running a long, I saw a white snake like thing on the trail. As I got closer, I looked at it and it was a puka shell necklace. I almost picked it up, but decided against it. It reminded me of Mark and made me smile again.

It was a great run. I missed my running buddy, but I have some catching up to do before she gets back in two weeks. I have decided to run the half instead of the full in San Antonio. After New Orleans, I kind of self-destructed as far as fitness and health go. I was very burned out and it wasn't fun anymore. I fear that if I go for the full again, the same thing might happen. Plus, when you start getting into the high mileage weeks (14-16-18-20 miles), it stops being fun and starts to become more burdensome and more painful. I've already done a full and I don't have anything to prove to anyone by doing another. I think I'll stick with the halves for awhile. I also signed up for the USAF Marathon 5K. Mark is doing the whole thing, but the 5K is the day before his race, so I figured that I'd do the 5K. It'll be fun and this way we both get to run.

Week one is done. Many more to come, but it's good to be back on track again.

The Weight Loss Monster

Weight loss is a funny thing. It's so easy to gain the poundage and such a struggle to lose it. I haven't been one to really write about my own issues with weight, aside from saying I gained some from having kids and yadda yadda yadda. Who doesn't?

A few months ago, I got on the scale and realized that I wasn't happy. It wasn't just a number that made me unhappy. It was the realization that I was just doing enough to get by and to maintain wherever I was at the time. I knew that I could do more and I was determined to do more. So, I started running again. Running was never really an easy feat for me. But this time, I was determined to do it right. I know that running 3 miles does NOT equal deep-fried chimichanga goodness (or badness as the case may be). I started making the little changes in eating. Instead of buying cookies and sweet stuff at the store, I'd buy more fruit and veggies at the store. I realized that I have a sadist love/hate relationship with brussels sprouts. For example, I loathe them when they're bitter. But I have to keep eating them to find the ones that I love that aren't bitter. There's a glimpse into the inner workings of my brain. I also found that whenever we go out to eat, it's okay not to eat everything, and probably better that I don't. It's okay to have whatever it is that I want...so long as it's in moderation.

It's not always easy. In fact, there are days when all I want is to lay on the couch, eat chocolate an watch my soaps. But I know that it doesn't do me any good. I've also learned to not beat myself up whenever the best laid plans go astray. For example, yesterday I wanted to run 6 miles in the morning. However, I woke up and realized that it wasn't going to happen. I haven't been sleeping so great and I was exhausted. I actually slept well, but I was just bone tired still. So I didn't run the 6 miles. Chalk it up to life happening. I'll do 3 later on this afternoon and feel good about it. I've decided that if I start training for the San Antonio marathon and I'm just not feeling the full, then I can always run the half and I'll still live and still be happy about it.

The other day my mom and I went shopping. I had looked in my suitcase and thought about the clothes that I had back home and found that most of my shirts are either race t-shirts (the "hey-look-at-me-I-ran-a-5K/10K/Half-Marathon/etc." kind of shirt) or just beat up not so nice shirts. As I was trying on different shirts in the stores, I had to buy a size smaller in all of the shirts. It was a good feeling. We went into another store and found a really cute pair of trouser jeans. I don't have any and had been wanting some for awhile. The saleswoman recommended trying them on a size smaller than what you'd normally wear. I thought surely she'd be kidding, so I grabbed my normal size and the size smaller. Well whaddaya know...she was right. I looked at the tag and was shocked. I hadn't worn this size since Mark and I got married 10 years ago. Now I really didn't need the jeans, but hey, when it's a single digit size...I needed the jeans.

This blog isn't intended to be a pat on my back or brag about losing weight, so I'm sorry if I've offended or come across a bit conceited. The running has helped me gain my self-confidence back and helped realize that I really can do whatever it is that I set my mind to. I've lost weight before and gained it all back and thensome. This time is different. I feel like I have the tools in my pocket to keep it off and to keep my life going in the right direction. Whenever I see a number on the scale, I'm pretty sure that it will be the last time that I see it. To date, I have lost 15 pounds and with about 10 more to go. :)