I'm still here...

Believe it or not, I haven't quit! That being said, I still haven't made it very far.  Once I started working, my training took a sad turn from 2-3 times a week to 1-2 times a month! I was trying to figure out how to still run a household with 30+ less hours in a week.  I'm still trying to figure it out, but I am FINALLY making time for my runs.  I'm still not running very far, but that's ok.  I'm out there doing what I can.  I still think my biggest obstacle will be the negative voices in my head telling me that "I can't do this, I'm not a runner, what was I thinking, I won't make it to the finish line, I'm going to fail, everyone will pass me, I will get swept by the bus, I can't, I can't, I can't!"
It is really hard to push them out.  I asked a friend of mine to run with me to see if that helped.  It actually did! We talked during our 3 mile run which was nice- no room for that negativity! The farthest I've "run" (gone) is 3.2 miles & the farthest I've RUN without walking is just a little over 1 mile (at one time). I was so proud of that 1 mile! I was determined to do it.  Again- little victories.
Speaking of victories...

I "ran" 5 miles tonight!!!

 

I was on the treadmill (it's cold & I don't like running by myself at night) but it was good.  I had headphones in, but I was telling myself I can do it!!! I have to literally talk the negative voices away!  I was so proud of that 5.00 on the treadmill I wanted to cry! Yes, I do realize in 4 weeks (it may actually be closer to 3 now...) I will have to run almost 3x that, but that is OK!!!  I will be able to do it! Will I be anywhere close to the front? NO! Is that ok? YES!!!  I just want to cross that finish line to prove to myself, my parents and my family that I could DO IT!!! My body is strong and healthy enough to do it.  I might sleep forever afterwards, but that's ok too!
Ok, back to tonight's run: I ran the 1st mile since I knew I could, and pushed myself to go a little over. :)  After walking at a fairly quick pace, I tried to run again.  I did intervals the remainder of the time.  I wanted to run the last quarter mile, but I didn't make it, so I slowed down and decided to walk the last 10th of the final mile.  I did it! I could feel another serious blister on my right foot, but once I saw that 5.0 mile mark, there was no pain.  I am hoping for the same feeling at the end of the race...
Oh! I almost forgot about my stats: so, 5.07 miles, 1:9:24, Average min/mile: 14:06! They say to aim for a 15 minute!!! YAY!!! Now, I may not be able to walk tomorrow, but tonight I RAN and I felt GREAT!!!!!!!

Still reading...

We are still going...
I took quite a break over Christmas Vacation.  I read Christmas books to the girls, but none of the 50 on the list.  I've done a little better though.  The past few days, I've read: The Stinky Cheese Man, If you give a Mouse a Cookie, & The Kissing Hand.  That may be all of the 50.  I borrowed The Stinky Cheese Man from school.  It was pretty funny.  Shaun stopped by the room after I finished reading to tease me about my accents.  Yes, I read in accents when at all possible- which is often! :)
Sami still complains about me reading books at night.  I don't know if she would just rather play with her ipad, even though that's not an option.  Who knows? Sometimes, she randomly wants me to read her a story in the middle of the afternoon.  When SHE asks me, she listens intently, but it's a story she's chosen and won't listen to any other stories.  UGH! Ashlyn keeps telling her that "Mommy is reading to me too, you don't have to listen".  At least one of my children enjoy hearing stories.  If Sami didn't look just like me & my Daddy, I might start wondering if she really is mine! ha ha!
Anyway,
Hopefully, there will be a few more books to add later this week.  I'm going to get on a Dr. Seuss kick pretty soon since there are so many of them on the list.  I know she loves Go Dog Go, so maybe that will be a good reading night! ;)

~Summer

Slow Goings...

***Originally written Nov. 17, 2015***

8? Seriously? I've only read 8 of these books to my daughters since starting this? Perhaps it is because I know I have read a lot of these stories to them in the past, (or at least to Ashlyn) so they are so familiar to me, I assumed they've been read recently. 

Confession: Sami does not enjoy bedtime stories.  She wants to hold a book and look at the pages and not listen to what story I'm reading.  This is new to me.  I still have Ashlyn's attention- at almost 9- with story books.  Sami will want to read during the day, but at night she has zero interest.  What am I to do with that?

I'm trying to pull 1 50 by 5 book each night, 1 random story book (we have plenty), 1 story out of a bedtime story book & a couple of poems from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends.  One of my favorites as a kid. Ashlyn is loving it! Like I said, Sami is a hit or miss with the story books and when I pull out Where the Sidewalk ends, she says, "Boring!"   If she didn't look so much like me, I would wonder if she was switched at the hospital.

Anyway, tonight I read Guess How much I Love you & she half heartedly listened to it.  Ashlyn enjoyed it though, so at least I have that.  :) I also read Pete the Cat: The 1st Thanksgiving.  It's getting close to the time of year when I will be letting the girls unwrap 1 book each night to read. :) YAY!!!  They are not new books.  They are Christmas books I have purchased over the past few years, but it is always fun to unwrap a gift. :)

I guess that's all for now! Night all!!!
~Summer