Patience, My Dear.....

I keep telling myself that every day because in three weeks.... I'M GOING TO VEGAS!!!!! I'm so excited I can't even explain it. I had a best friend growing up and she is turning 40. She now lives in Vegas and invited me and a bunch of other people out there to visit and party with her. I really didn't think I was going to be able to go, and truly the financial part of it's probably more than I need to spend this year, but I'm going. It may take too long to pay off my credit card, but I'm going. I'll spend as little as possible when I'm there, but I'm going!!!!

The best part, even though seeing my friend and celebrating her birthday will be amazing... I have a cousin who lives there. The last time I saw this cousin was at her wedding 11 years ago. I've never met her gorgeous kids. I can't wait to see her and meet those beautiful kids!!! I have another cousin who lives in southern California.... she and her husband and her baby are coming to visit that weekend too!!!!!! I've never met her husband or son. I can't wait to get my hands on that kid!!!!

So basically, I'm more excited about this upcoming trip than I've ever been about a vacation in my life! I'm trying not to let it interrupt my life, but it's definitely at the forefront of my mind. I can't believe it. I'm going to VEGAS!!!!!! In the meantime... patience, my dear... patience....

Yes, I'm That Kind Of Crazy....

I know this blog isn't about knitting anymore, and I'm ok with that, I just need an outlet to unleash some thoughts and maybe even put down some goals to hold myself accountable. Ok? Ok.

So as the new me becomes an athlete, I'm learning something... I need goals. I just don't function without a race to train for!!! I did SOOO great training for my half marathon and it turned out perfect. Then I said for the next two months or so I was still going to run but I was going to focus more on strength, right? Right. Well, let's see how that's going.... it's just a little unfocused. Not that I haven't been working out, I truly have, but I just feel like I'm floundering! This week I didn't get to workout on Tuesday which is a unusual, but it was a work meeting thing, so from Sunday to Thursday I hadn't exercised... and it was killing me! Today was rainy, 45 degrees, and windy and I ended up running 6 miles! I needed that SOOOO bad! I don't want to skip another workout for a while, that was brutal!!! Also, the week after my half, I was at my goal weight... now I'm 2.5 pounds heavier again!! I know it's not all about the scale, but I swear I do feel the difference and I don't want some of my old bad habits to start creeping back in, so I'm sticking with my eating and workout plan until I get back and under my goal!

So I'm making another plan. I don't have the date of the first race I'm planning next spring, but it will be another half marathon in April (again with my awesome college roomie). Then after that I'm planning the 25k (15.5 miles) in Grand Rapids (the Fifth Third Riverbank Run) which is May 12. After THAT.... I'm going to find a marathon to train for! Yup, I said it. Next fall, probably September or October, I will find and train and run a full marathon. 26.2 miles. I won't set a time goal, I will just train to finish as strong as I can. I'm that kind of crazy.

Ok, now that I've actually said it in "writing" I feel like the goal is set. I will achieve this just like I have in the last year! I started by just wanting to run a 5k.... two years later I'll be running a marathon. At age 40. Because I'm an athlete now. And I'm crazy!

Wow, I Really Need A Break....

I can't believe I keep forgetting to blog! Guess it's a good thing I don't get paid for it.... of course if I did I might remember to DO it!!! LOL!

Anyway, since my last post I did something I'm pretty freaking proud of... I ran a half marathon! And I finished in 2 hours 16 minutes, which is WAY faster than I thought I could run. Yup, I'm pretty proud of myself! So since then I've been cutting back on running and working on some cross training just to keep myself as fit as possible. I will pick back up the training for another race around the first of the year. I've got two races I want to do, another half marathon in April and a 25k in May. In case you don't get the conversion, a 25k is 15.5 miles and since the half marathon is 13.1, I know I can do it! Will it be hard? Absolutely, but that's what makes me want to do it. I need a challenge and this will work! I'm going to need to gear up for winter so I can run all season long, but that's just part of the training. I really can't run on a treadmill anymore, so getting in those winter/snowy/rainy/dark runs will just be part of the experience! I'm sure I'll have some stories for you soon!!!!

Last weekend I went down to WMU for Homecoming and it was so much fun! Met a few friends and some new people too and tailgated and played drinking games and enjoyed a Bronco win all while getting sunburned (yes, in October)(yes, I had sunscreen in the car) and totally loving every minute! Part of my new life is just being comfortable in my own skin and seeing people I hadn't seen in nearly 20 years was kind of surreal and made me feel just amazing. Seriously makes me wish my class reunion had been this year instead of last summer!! LOL!

Anyway, I'm 2 pounds away from what I'm calling my "goal" weight. I think I'm stopping here because I feel amazing, I'm technically a "healthy" weight, I'm wearing a size 4 and what else can an almost-40-year-old Mom ask for????? I really hope everyone I know and love can get to this place at somepoint in their life, because it feels terrific!!!! I might even be inspiring my Mom which would be amazing to me!!!! So get out there and start moving... you WON'T regret it!!!!!

Now I need a vacation...

I'm Busy, So Sue Me....

Yup, so there's been a lot going on in my life and I haven't updated this since before I went to the most amazing concert ever!!!! That weekend was AWESOME! I spent some much needed girl time with my awesome friend, saw not one but TWO cool concerts (total of 6 bands) and drank too much beer. I relaxed, I screamed, I ate, I enjoyed. That's what the good things in life are all about, in my opinion. Life is good.

So, the summer wrapped up like usual, running around trying to get everything together at the last possible second and panicking that the weather decided that my plan to not buy jeans for a few more weeks was not acceptable so I sent my son to school in shorts when it was 45 degrees out in the morning. Yup, I'm supermom. NOT!!!! Anyway, we got him a pair tonight so he can wear them to the big football game tomorrow night.

Speaking of football, I love this time of year. I only have one kid playing this year so it's much easier to keep track of, but that doesn't slow us down. We'll still see many of the varsity games because, let's face it, there's not much else to do as a family in a small town, and we all love football!!!! Tomorrow evening is the big East/West game here in our town where the two high schools play each other. We root for West, and both teams are really good. We get to be the home team this time. This is good so we don't have to face the sunset. I love football.

In two weeks I will be running my first half marathon. This both excites me and freaks me out! I know I can finish, I just hope I make a good time. I have a goal, and I think I can do it, but it still freaks me out a little. My college roomie is coming to run with me. She's not a newbie like me. I miss her! We haven't seen each other in just over two years. The before and after pics will be coming!!!! We've both lost weight and shaped up in the past two years!!!

Speaking of weight loss, I'm still losing. I want to lose a little more, but people are telling me I don't need to lose more. I'm having a hard time comprehending how they know what my ideal weight should be just based on looking at me fully clothed. I know it shouldn't bother me, but I'm still not quite satisfied at my current weight and would like to lose another 5-10 but don't want to look like a skeleton either. I still have quite a belly (thanks genetics!) which I know doesn't really show when I'm dressed, but I still see it. I hope this isn't just a body image thing, and I don't seriously think it is, but I just think a few more pounds would be perfect. Of course, if my body rebelled and said this is where I should stay, I would be fine with that. I think. I'm just confused, but I'm hoping I'll know when I should stop once I get there. There's no science to my choosing a goal weight, I just can't find an answer on this anywhere, but I'm finally into my "healthy" BMI range (which isn't exactly rocket science) and I'd like to be well into that range, I guess. See, no science, just a feeling.

My knee hurts from my run today. Crazy how that just popped into my head. I'm so random. If you've kept up with this post, I commend you. I scored two pair of nice jeans for myself at the new Goodwill store in my town this week. Today I put on one pair and found a dollar in the pocket. God is good!!!!

It's Finally Almost Time!!!

A million and a half weeks ago, my best friend emailed and asked if I wanted to accompany her to the Kenny Chesney concert on August 20 and of course I said "HELL YES!!!!". I think that's a direct quote. Anyway, after weeks and months of waiting... the time is almost here!!!! I'm giddy with anticipation. Seriously, I have a major relationship with Kenny... in my mind, of course. We've never met, but I love him. Truly, madly, deeply. If I would have met him before I met my wonderful husband... let's just say I wouldn't be living in little old Michigan!!!! Anyway... the show is Saturday and tomorrow morning (after I get my long run in and out of the way) I'm driving over to spend the weekend with my bestie and we are going to have so much fun together!

Yes, this is the third time I'll have seen him in concert. Yes, all three will be with said friend. Yes, she is my hero for getting us tickets. And yes, I will be screaming at the top of my lungs for several hours on Saturday. I will probably not be able to talk much on Sunday. If you know me, you know how rare this is. Yes, I've been obsessing for two weeks about what I'm going to wear to this event. Yes, I'm aware that it really makes no difference as he won't actually see me. No, it doesn't matter... I'm still fretting as I pack!!!!

I'm a little nuts, but I just may be the lunatic he's looking for!!! Wait, that's another artist... drat! Kenny... I'm coming baby... hold on to your hat!!!!

Lazy Crazy Hazy Days of Summer...

Well, it's been a long hot summer, and that's alright with me!!! There's been nothing earth shattering to write about except a tragically bad decision my younger son made a couple days after I wrote my last post which has basically left me shocked and completely numb to be honest. I won't get into it here, but suffice it to say, he's in trouble. Big trouble. He's already been grounded for a month. He can't wait for school to start. He better have learned his lesson!!!!

Anyway, the rest of my life has been really boring since I work all day and run when I need to train and that's about it. I have managed a few walks along the boardwalk, a girls night out with my neighborhood girls and a couple of dinner dates with my husband. We even saw the last Harry Potter movie at the theater for our anniversary date! We celebrated our 17th anniversary a couple weeks ago which I'm pretty proud of. Other than that, it's been business as usual.

So this will be short and sweet, I just didn't realize it had been this long since I posted!!! This coming weekend is one I've been looking forward to for months. Going to my dear friend's house for the weekend and we have tickets for TWO different concerts!!! Friday night we'll see the J. Geiles band and Saturday is KENNY CHESNEY!!!! If you know me... you know how much I love that man... it's slightly bordering on obsessive, but it's all good. I even found out that Zac Brown Band is opening, which I also love, so it should be an amazing weekend for sure! I'll see if I can take some pics....

Not Much....

Not much new going on in la-la land. Oh, I'm still running.. haven't missed a training run, but really that's about it! I had a week of vacation in which I accomplished squat-nothing... I went back to work and it was the same old stuff-different day... just nothing new in my life! I guess that's ok, but I'm totally bored right now! I'm ready for some adventure... but it will have to wait. Reality can really suck sometimes.

But... on the other hand... in the past year, I've lost 40 pounds. I've become a runner. I've transformed by body from a chubby size 14/16 to a size 6. I've learned how to take care of this temple and gift from God called the human body. I've inspired others to take better care of themselves. I've used every opportunity available to raise my voice in song. I've maintained friendships with some of the best people on this earth. I've cheered for my children, cried for them, and enjoyed them often. I've danced in the rain. I've read a lot of books. I've watched some really bad tv. I've watched the first three Twilight movies about a million times each. Not much, but it's my life.

All in all... it's just fine. Someday I hope to be able to say I live the life of adventure I long for... and today is nowhere near that day. I'm ok with that for the most part. But sometimes, it feels like life is just passing by. Somedays it feels like there's just not much to say. Today is one of those days... Today not much happened.

Maybe tomorrow.....