Rock-n-Roll Va Beach 2012 (Part 2)

Ok, so I literally just finished Part 1 to this madness, so go back to that first, or none of this will make sense.  Ok?   Great!

The day before the race, I went to the Expo with my running buddies and we got lunch at PF Changs (after scoring $10 gift cards at the Expo)! Lunch was amazing and I felt great for most of the day. I splurged and bought Cheesecake for Jared and I (I always get Linda's 7 layer fudge cake), but it proved to be a BAD idea! I took one small bite and it was just too much to handle. I ended up getting sick. I prayed, in the middle of throwing up, "God, if this is your way of saying don't do it, I won't!" Thankfully, after only 4 hours of sleep, I woke up feeling great!

I ate my usual waffles then drank some water. On the way to Va Beach, I ate half of a bagel and a chewy granola bar, then I took a zofran. I felt good, but wanted the extra precaution of not feeling a single bit of queasiness. I think it TOTALLY helped!!

 

A quick pic with my little man before heading off to the starting line!

Once we arrived, I walked to the convention center, to join the THOUSANDS of other people in line for the porta potty's. I realized after a few minutes of waiting that I was NEVER going to make it, so I decided to forego the potty break and shoot for the first one I could find along the course. I had to go, but I quickly forgot about it after trying to meet up with ladies from my running group.

 

I did take a moment to snap a picture of myself and my AWESOME new shirt! :) 

Speaking of my running group, it's amazing by the way:  Black Girls Run!!  After the 2011 race we posed for a photo op which ended up being in the 2012 race information guide! :)  And, I'm pretty honored to have been in the right place at the right time!

 

Hooray for BGR!!

 

Anyway, we met up and got a lovely group photo op and I found a couple of my closest running pals Keir and Aisha!   Iva missed us at the start! :(

 

 

Keir, Aisha and I at the start of Corral 6 (we just picked a spot because the race was about to begin!)

 

So we the race finally began and we were off!  Keir went on and I wished her well.  She's such a strong runner and I knew she had a goal of running it in under 2 hours! (She did it!!)  Aisha and I ran together and it was A BLAST!

 

Here's where we first saw Jared and Caleb!!  That made me happy, can't you tell!?

 

 

This was on the other side, as we had passed the 5k mark and were getting ready for the longest part of the race, out of sight of our "fans"! :)

 

When my focused changed from PR'ing (personal record) to Finishing, I decided that I'd document this as MUCH as possible!  So I took pictures when I wasn't busy talking, walking, drinking or eating!  Here are some things that caught my attention, fast! :)

 

 

The crowd around and ahead of us!  There's the PF Changs dragon.  If you beat "his" time, you got a prize. I don't think I beat him! :(

 

 

Much respect for these guys!  So strong!

 

After we passed the aquarium, and having walked quite a bit, I felt better.  Then we finally camp upon a porta potty.  I took advantage of it.  We also took advantage of a table full of candy.  Let me just say, my love for Werthers Originals quickly returned.  As a matter of fact, I might just go get some from the store to have at school tomorrow.  It was the PERFECT pick me up in between water stations and my carefully packed baggie of sweet tarts, gummy bears, and life savers covered in granola!

I also had the idea to have the Medics check my heart rate after the start of mile.  I just wanted to be on the safe side and I should have taken a picture because it was a memorable moment and a game changer:  I felt more confident that I could do the race at a reasonable pace and not pass out or have something major happen during the race.  It is a SCARY thing when you pass people laying on the ground, with oxygen masks on or being put into an ambulance.  I am thankful for God's grace and protection!

 

This was my LEAST favorite part of the course last year because it was a bit deserted.  This year it wasn't that bad because I had a friend!  This was around mile 9 in the middle of Camp Pendleton!

 

This shirt says, "I just passed you or you're about to pass me!"  We passed him! :)

 

Around this point in the race, my knees started to hurt bad.  Remember, my last LONG run (11 miles) had been in the middle of June!  So that part of my body forgot about the exertion on my knees.  Plus I needed new shoes and decided against the idea when I wasn't sure if I would even be running the race.  (I'll be purchasing new shoes soon!)

 

I had to walk a little more at this point than I wanted.  I was disappointed when the 2:30 pacers passed us.  I just didn't have it in me to go harder than I was going.  Aisha was AMAZING! She's such a motivator and I am thankful to have had her during the entire race!  Not only was she an encourager, but she kept me distracted with her wit and freakin' amazing sense of humor.  I've never laughed so much on a run.  I mean, she had me crackin' up! :)  It was seriously the most fun run ever!

 

I think we did great at the finish!  I told Aisha early on, to just leave me if she felt a burst of energy and she finally went on at the end and I was happy that she pushed along!  The boardwalk finish was so daunting for me.  I could see it on the horizon, but it seemed to be SO.VERY.FAR.AWAY.  I had to walk a little because at this point my knees and ankle were KILLING ME!  I finally made it to the finish and it was cool because the announcer was like, "And this lady is running for two!" and people started to cheer and I raised the roof.  It was a cool moment!  And then it was over. 

 

 

Praise. de. Lord! 

 

 

I HAD to sit down.  My ankle and knees were KILLING me!

 

My favorite part of the race, after getting that medal, is all the stuff they give you as you're walking to meet your family.  I got gatorade, water, free coupons for lettuce wraps at PF Changs, Chocolate Milk, Water, BOMB POPS (I got 2 of those), peaches, Snickers protein bars, COLD, WET TOWELS....BUT NO BAG TO PUT IT IN! :(  My only gripe, for the whole process!  So as a result, I didn't meet up with my running buddies, and instead went straight to hubby because I didn't want to lose him in the crowd. 

 

 

And here I am, semi- recovered and ready to go EAT!

 

I did stop at Wendy's on the walk back to the car to get a frosty.  That was SO. STINKIN. GOOD!

 

This picture was Caleb's idea.  He's so thoughtful!

 

We drove back to Newport News and took advantage of Olive Garden's Never-ending Pasta Bowl!  I was so thankful that morning sickness stayed at bay and I inhaled my spaghetti and salad and water.  It was so good to eat in peace! 

 

I had no shame in walking when I felt winded, stopping to get my heart rate checked, walking through EVERY water station and consuming 2 cups of Gatorade AND Water during each.  I won't forget the laughs and the people I saw and knew along the way. 

 

I can honestly say that although I didn't achieve my goal, running more than walking and FINISHING the race--healthy--meant more to me than anything in the world. And to know I had an awesome running partner made it even better. And an even better part, is the story I get to tell Baby VA # 2 about his/her first half-marathon and Mommy's 2nd! :)



 

I'm looking forward to more memories in the making during this pregnancy and with my running journey! :)

 

Rock-n-Roll VA Beach 2012! (Part 1)

My 8 month blogging hiatus has come to an end!  Woo!  I never meant for it to be this long. In fact, I never meant to take a break at all but there comes a time when you have to decide what to let go.  And, unfortunately, blogging to an extended tour to the back burner of my life. 

I begin again with running. I'm actually ashamed because I realized that I NEVER blogged about my very first half-marathon! I even found the post listed as a Draft. What was I doing? I told you here that I had signed up for my first race after posting about watching one of our coaches run in the 2010 Rock-n-Roll Va Beach race! 

Ok so to quickly recap 2011.  I did run it.  See. 

 

This was right at the beginning of the race, the first time I saw my "cheering squad"! Jared, Caleb and Ray and Sue, my awesome in-laws! :)

 

 Fast forward to the finish! :) Yes, that would be me. Still able to stand after surpassing my goal fo running at it in at least 2:00 flat! I ran it in 1:55.23! :)

 

 Here's my running buddy, Iva and I after the race!  We trained so hard for this.  Doing crazy things like running in the middle of the day and super early in the morning so we could get the miles in before the heat killed us!

Well, for this years race, I registered super early, in February and I got an awesome deal on the race fee: $60 with Leap Day discounts!!  I couldn't pass it up.  I entered a goal time of 1:45!!  I figured I could at least get my time down by 10 minutes, since I knew what to expect and would be able to put in way more time to train.  This is when my running buddies and I started 5am Saturday runs, to get in 10 miles!  I am so thankful for this...it really helped in this race.  You'll see why later! ;)

Well, fast forward (again) to July 5th.  We're on vacation in Illinois with Jared's family and I noticed that I had been a little "piggy" during our meals while on vacation.  I mean, cleaning (almost licking) my plate clean.  It could only mean one thing, in addition to the fact that I was already about 4 days late with my period....

I'm pregnant! (Surprise! If you're reading this blog and aren't friends with me on facebook or don't follow me on twitter. Or instagram. Or in real life or whatever!) Here's how we announced it to the world: (um, facebook, that is)...

 

Cute huh?

 

Well, that changed EVERYTHING!  That very day, July 5th, I ran 7 miles!  I felt GREAT!  But it seemed like the very next week, I started to feel bad.  Fast.  All of the feelings and emotions and MORNING SICKNESS 24/7 returned with full force the way it was with Caleb.  And I was miserable.  And then I started the throwing up stuff.  I'll spare you the details, but lets just say for a while there not a lot of food was being consumed.  And because food wasn't consumed, energy was even less than it should have been.  And because I had no energy, there was absolutely NO running.  I mean, I ran every other Saturday morning with my running group...barely, but returned home to throw up every ounce of water I'd taken in post-run.  It was MISERABLE, I say, MISERABLE! 

 

Anyway, I finally got to the doctor and got some meds, that semi-worked and at the beginning of August things picked up with a change in my prescription.  That meant more food staying down and more energy to run.  Still, my longest run had been a month prior, so I spent all of August in complete AGONY over the possibility that I wouldn't be able to run the half that was just one month away at this point.   I read blogs of women who had done it.  By the time it came around, I'd be at the end of the first trimester.  I found message boards and did some research.  Still, I wasn't completely sold on MY ability to do it.  I had given up on my 1:45 goal when I found out I was pregnant, but the thought of not finishing, or not even doing it at all was killing me. 

 

It literally came down to a game day decision.  In the 2 weeks before the race, I returned to work for back to school prep.   That was good because I was able to restablish a routine and eating became more of a chore, but easier because I figured out how to "snack often".  I HAD to or I'd be throwing up during all of our professional development sessions!  I actually only got sick at work once in the whole 2 weeks, so that was great!  It actually ended up being the day after Open House--I blame the long hours the day before! :)

 

Ok, so I think I've made Part 1 long enough.  I realized that I had to not only update you on Rock-n-Roll 2011, tell you I was pregnant detail July/August morning sickness, and write about Rock-n-Roll 2012, that I needed to make this into 2 posts.  Especially since I have LOTS of pictures! :)

Part 2 is coming up! :)

 

Late

I know the title of this blog is deceiving.  I want to clarify that I am NOT in fact having a baby.  This pertains to my tardiness, actually. 

It seems that I have a little issue with being on time.  I just can't seem to get out of the house exactly when I need too.  When I think about it, it seems that I always underestimate the amount of time I have to do certain things.  My biggest issue is being "on time" for work.  We have to be at school by 7:45 and most days I am there by that time.  So, for work, its really not an issue of being there after my designated time, its not being there as early as I would like to be to get myself ready for the day. 

I've tried to organize myself at night, you know, making lunches, packing my bag for track practice, sitting my bags by the door, laying out my clothes and Caleb's clothes, even showering because I just sleep better when that's done.  Still, I find myself rushing around because I've snoozed too long or try to fit in more things into my morning that I don't need to worry about.  Those things being unloading the dishwasher, folding clothes, and I even caught myself organizing my Tupperware cabinet.  Sheesh.

Then there's Caleb.  When we want him to sleep late, he gets up early.  When we need him up early, he acts like a bear when you try to wake him up.  That can be a 5 to 10 minute ordeal that adds to my "anxiety" about getting out of the house on time.  I try to allow him to be as independent as possible, putting on his socks and shoes, getting his coat, or helping me carry things.  Some days are better than others.

So, really, this post is a cry for help.  What are some things that YOU do to help you get out the door in the morning on time?  How do you keep yourself from trying to do 10 things that are NOT  a part of your "getting out the door on time" agenda each morning?  Or am I the only person with that problem? :)

I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Leave me a message, right down there.....and if you want, look for the little box on the right that says "Follow" and click it, so you can really keep up with the VA's!

God is thinking about me!

I shared this last night via Facebook and received some encouraging responses, as well as 50+ likes. 

At dinner last night, we sat down to chicken quesadillas, corn and salsa.  Caleb at without distraction tonight, so I know he must have been hungry.  We prayed and talked, but for the most part, Caleb stayed focused on his food.  He was still chowing down and Jared and I were about finished when out of the blue he says this:

"Mom, you know that person I was thinking about?  God."

It took my breath away.  Not because we don't talk about God, but just hearing his thoughts come together. 

Fighting back tears, I said, "Oh yeah!?"  To which Caleb responds,

"Yeah, God thinks about me." 

I was literally speechless.  I fumbled around with how to get him to explain what he was saying.  I wanted to make sure I was hearing him right and that he knew what he was saying.   I asked him why he said that and he said that he talked about God at church. 

Jared, who had gotten up to put his plate away and wash his hands, came around the corner with a look on his face to let me know he had overhead the conversation.  I just looked at him and said, YES, he just said what you thought you heard. 

We were both very speechless.  Humbled.  I can't even retell the story without feeling this feeling in my stomach.  Butterflies, I guess. 

To me, it was more than just hearing my almost 3 year old proclaim that he thinks about God.  It was more about the second part of what he had to say...

God thinks about ME!

I am so thankful for this promise.  It gives me peace to know that even the smallest worry and the biggest mountains in my life, God knows about.  He is bigger and greater than them all.  Even the challenges in my life, God knows all about them. He has a purpose in it all.  He knows what he wants from me and how to get me where I need to be.  He has given me desires, goals, and dreams that require me to be exactly where I am so that I can fulfill his purpose for my life. 
I am thankful that his Word confirms this for me.

"The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; (Psalm 138:8)"

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that "full well. (Psalm 139:9)

"For I know the plans I have for you--this is the Lord's declaration--plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."  (Jeremiah 29:11)

 Last night when Caleb went to bed, I asked him again who he thinks about and he matter-of-factly replied, "God."  I asked him who else he thinks about and he said, "Coach Bayse and Gigi".   (Coach Bayse is one of our football coaches and Gigi is my mom).   I laughed and we went on to get in bed and say prayers and we prayed that God would help him sleep good and be "brave and tall" (like David when he fought Goliath) so he he could sleep in his bed all night. 

Well, it worked! :) 

So, to my sweet Caleb boy, YES, God is thinking about you and me. 

And it's giving me a sweet, sweet feeling.

Simplify

I have to admit: the when I tried to log on to blogger in December, a whole 3 months after my last post, I drew a total blank on my password.  It had escaped me.  Blogging seemed to be a thing of my past.   I've tried to pick up where I left off, writing about things from my to-do list, but in the midst of my Christmas vacation, I found that I was less focused because I didn't have a thing to do.

I guess I haven't figured out yet, how to manage all the stuff in my life.  Those things go off into two directions: the things I like to do and the things I have to do. 

I LIKE to run, blog, watch movies, read books, shop (ha-that's funny), be a good friend and call my friends, go on trips and have me time, pursue my photography FEARLESSLY!

I HAVE to work, take care of my husband and son, clean the house, do the bills, lesson plan, write IEP's and behavior plans. 

My  new year's goal is centered around one word: simplify.  I think my 3 month blog hiatus has shown me that I've been trying to make too many things work.  Or maybe its that I'm pursuing all the right things, but need to trust God to guide my steps and give me wisdom with it all. 

Simplify...

my work.  I'm determined to work SMARTER and not HARDER.  Two weeks into the year, I'm finding that this is easier said than done, especially with my job.  I am trying to merge things, but I feel like I'm playing a game of Wac a Mole, where one thing gets knocked down, another pops up.  I know this takes time, but I'm committed to making this work.

my finances.  We truly need to figure out a way to make our money stretch.  We have a goal to be debt free and that takes discipline, focus and commitment to the cause.  I'm hoping that we can share more about that when the time is right, but for now, making good choices with our money is the key.

my home life.  I can get pretty bent out of shape about my home.  I am an organizer and cleaner by nature, ask anyone I've ever lived with.    This is also a hindrance because I tend to spend my "down time" cleaning and organizing and missing out on life.  Figuring out how to be more efficient with getting my cleaning/organizing tasks done is the key for me.  I'll see one thing and get completely distracted from what I was doing, thus nothing is really finished. 

my boys.  I got a head start on this one during Christmas break.  It was the most fabulous break EVER.  I was able to stop and enjoy Caleb's silliness and a football game or 10 with Jared.  We caught up on so many Redbox movies I lost count. We went on a date.  I cooked and savored every hour and minute I had of undistracted time with my guys.  I felt full and overjoyed at the end of my break.  I felt good about going back to my kids at school because I knew I had "filled up" on love from the most important men in my life.  I've found that this is easier to do, but often things are left undone. I have to be OK with that AND become efficient at getting things done when I have that time.

I really didn't have a direction for this post, but hope that it rekindles my "blogging" fire.  

Until next time....

I Don't Know How She Does It

Photo Courtesy of Online Movies Hut

Friday night, on a very rare occasion, I had the house to myself.  Like, the whole house, with the exception of the dog...Butkus? Oh, you didn't know we had a dog?  I've been on the edge of giving him away.  We actually had/have someone who is ready to give it a shot, but here he is:

Our beloved Pug, Butkus

Quality time with Caleb

After pictures like this, how could I give him away??  Everyone, including Caleb, is fighting me over the thought.  Even Butkus suffered a small moment of depression on Friday after hearing me talk about it.  It's just too much at times, and well, he's not a priority for me, but we'll keep plugging along and making a more concerted effort to attend to him like we did when he first came into our lives 3 years ago.  

 Anyway, I had a night to myself.  Since we played on Saturday night (9/17/11 vs New Kent), Jared went scouting in preparation for our game next weekend against Bruton.  After the football boys left the spaghetti dinner, I kind of walked around in circles.  I mean, what was a girl to do: no kid, no hubby, OMG.   Earlier in the week, I had talked with my running buddy, Iva, about going to the movies.  Around 6:30 or so, she sent me a text asking if I still wanted to go.  Well, here's a dilemma: stay at home, clean and do school work?  Or go see a movie.  At the last minute, we decided to rough it (jeans/sweatshirts/hoodies) and hit the big screen. 

We decided on "I Don't Know How She Does It".  How befitting!  I love SJP and though I am FAR from a fashionista, I loved everything about her in Sex in the City.  Yes, I know, I know.   Anyway, in this movie she literally does it all...

Photo Courtesy of Online Movies Hut

 Hosting birthday parties for her supposed kindergarten age daughter, but Iva and I DECLARE that that girl was older than any kindergartner we'd ever seen.  Movie kids.

Photo Courtesy of aceshowbiz

 She faked making an apple pie for a school bake sale.  Hilarious.

Photo Courtesy of Caught On Set

She was good phenomenal at her job. 

Photo Courtesy of Gecko Movies

She genuinely wanted to be there for her kids and be their everything while managing family and career.

There were a lot of moments in the movie where I thought, "Man, I'm just a teacher and I don't have to do all of the things she does, so why does it feel so difficult sometimes?!"  While Kate (SJP) wasn't perfect at making it all work, she knew what she wanted and she stood strong for what she knew was right by her family AND with her job!  

So, after a long, rainy weekend.  And a Monday at school that felt like it should have had thunder clouds and rain as the back drop, I'm looking at this on-screen momma and wondering, "How on earth does she do it?"  Better yet, how on earth can I do it?  I honestly feel that I've been behind since we got back to school.  Time flies and although I have a better grasp on my job, the little details are adding up.  My house seems to always be in disarray.  Laundry is getting under control, but it seems to never end.  Couponing  and filing is WAY behind.  Let's just say I'm feeling a little defeated.  

But, there's hope!  Proverbs 31 encourages me.  Several verses stand out to me: 

Proverbs 31:10 (CSB)   Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels."  Ok, I'm capable.  

Proverbs 31:17,18 "She draws on her strength and reveals that her arms are strong.  She sees that her profits are good and her lamp never goes out at night."   I am strong.  And sometimes I feel like my light stays on all night, especially when I'm up in the middle of the night working on lesson plans or cleaning house. 

Proverbs 31:27, "She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle!"  I have to remind Jared of this one.  He always says I can't sit still.  I can ALWAYS find something to do.  It's not because I don't want to rest, but I want my home to be the best it can be. 

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised."    That's my desire to fear, or have a healthy respect, for the Lord and make my life be pleasing to him.  

This is the breath of fresh air that I needed after today.  I don't know how other women do it, but I am thankful that I can rely on strength from God to do everything I'm supposed to do. 

A Year in Review (A forgotten post, literally)

I'm cracking up right now because I found this draft post while prepping my "About The VA's" page.  So funny how long ago this seems, but really, not long ago at all.  Looks like I'll have to do this for his 2nd year too!  Forgive me for forgetting to post this! :) 
_________________________________________________________________________________So, I have been thinking quite a bit about this whole "Caleb turning 1" thing and I am in awe.  Simply put, I am amazed at how quickly time passes us by.  Of course, we say that with every passing day, week, month, and year, but time with a baby....wow.  One thing I can truly say is that I truly cherished every moment of this first year.  I cherished them, even though some nights I was frustrated beyond belief, and exhausted from only a few hours of sleep...I cherished those times. 

Caleb's first year includes lots of "firsts":

• trip to Wal-mart, the mall, and church
• basketball games and track meets
• babysitter and Mommy's return to work
• Road trips to Lynchburg, Charlotte, and the BIG one to Chicago
• photo shoot with the lovely Rhiannon of Simple Reflections
• plane ride and trip to the beach
• football season supporting daddy
• halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

Caleb's milestones (to name a few):

• Sleeping through the night....just kidding, that only happened twice!
• Sitting up by himself and playing independently
• Finding his toes and experiencing solid foods
• learning to crawl and pulling up on things
• cruising, playing peek-a-boo, clapping his hands
• giving his daddy hi-five!

While I am so thankful for these things and give God the glory for them, I want to thank Him for a few milestones of my own...as a Mom.  Breastfeeding: my goal was to nurse him for at least one year and I cannot tell you how thankful I am that God has given me this opportunity.  It has created the most amazing bond between my son and I.  I feel that it has offered him the best start that he could get.  I know that this is not always the case for some mom's who want to nurse, but for many reasons,it does not go the way they planned.  I am thankful. 

I have learned how to slow down...a little bit.  Time with Caleb is so precious.  I am so happy that I chose to believe and apply the notion,"They grow up fast" because they really do.  Someone also said that each new phase is a little more challenging, and I believe that is right too.  Being a parent is tough stuff and I know that prayer is going to be the foundation to ensure that we train him in the way that he should go.