The Garden 'For The Kids'
Yay!! The garden is finished! My husband put in the raised beds (which was the hardest part - what a great guy!). The kids and I did the planting. Now we're done and we even have some plants coming up already. But the best part is that it won't be quite so hard to squeeze runs in now that my husband can watch kids again. The reason it's shaped so funny is that I plan to turn it into a perennial flower garden when the kids outgrow it.
Grandma
Losing a son has been a lot for my 87 year old grandmother to cope with. She has had two heart attacks (both followed by surgery) this week. With the second heart attack we thought we were going to lose her. But she's a hearty old lady and bounced right back. (This woman had 8 kids....resulting in 40 grandkids, and over a hundred great-grandkids.....my kids are #80, #92, and #103.) She has told us all that it won't be long until she passes and we should prepare ourselves. As she put it, "Her bags are packed and she's ready to go." I only mention this because it's just another one of those things that takes a toll on a person emotionally and physically.
The Job Interview
I had a job interview about two weeks ago...(High School Math Teacher). I spent a lot of time updating my porfolio and preparing for the interview. At the interview, I found out that the job doesn't include a classroom! No classroom!? (Instead, you float around the building, borrowing other teacher's rooms.) That's like asking a sailor to sail without a ship! They called me back for a second interview. I turned them down. I won't be going back to work this year.
Maybe I'll go back to work the year after I run my first marathon......which will probably be the fall of.... (hmmm....2008 is the summer of the 5k, 2009 will be the summer of the 10k, 2010 will be summer of the half marathon, 2011 will be summer of the marathon) ......2011. By then, all three kids will be in school full time and I will be able to devote some time to running longer distances. After that, I'll think about working again.
But first things first, eh?
Week 23: only 14 miles
Mon: rest, travel
Tues: rest
Wed: 5 miles (track) - very tired
Thurs: missed run - attended daughter's spring festival concert
Fri: rest
Sat: 5 miles (woe is me, my aching knee - iced and took ibuprofen)
Sun: 4 miles (more knee pain, more ice, more ibuprofen, ...and some weights, legs only)
Goal for Week 24: 20 miles
Mon: rest
Tues: 4 miles
Wed: 4 miles (track work)
Thurs: 4 miles (plus weights)
Fri: rest
Sat: 4-5 miles
Sun: 4-5 miles
This weekend I flew to Arizona and buried my dad's ashes near Bisbee, AZ. The morning of the memorial/burial, I headed out for a 4 mile run. It was 5:30am, the sun was just coming over the mountains and it was about 65 degrees. Beautiful! As I started out, I noticed a policeman on the side of the road, standing over about 8 people who were sitting on the ground....Mexicans, I guess. It was border patrol. I picked up my pace a bit and continued my run down Naco highway toward the border of Mexico. Soon, I heard a car coming, then another, and another. It was truck loads of Mexicans being escorted back to Mexico.
As I continued down Naco Highway I soon came upon an abandoned car on the side of the road, just as a gentleman was pulling up to retrieve something from inside it. I crossed the road to keep my distance and continued to run. After the gentleman got what he needed, he pulled right up to me. With a slur to his words, and an air about his speech that reeked of alcohol....he offered me a ride back to Bisbee. (A military man perhaps?....he had that clean cut, big muscle look about him.) I thanked him kindly, while keeping my distance, and ran on. What a strange day this was turning into.
Later in the day, I buried my dad's ashes. My dad was a practical joker. He would have found my morning quite amusing.
California Oranges:
This week my Uncle Jerry (my dad's brother, whom I've never met) sent us oranges, from the tree in his back yard. What a treat! They were so delicious words could not describe it.
The Gardening Project:
The garden is half-way finished. We've got three more beds to put in and about half the planting left. My dear sweet husband worked on it in the rain this week. We won't be quite so pinched for time once the garden is done. (I plan to make the kids do the weeding. Aren't I a loving mother? he-he)
My Dad's Memorial:
I wouldn't bring this one up (because death is such an awkward subject for so many people), but it has to do with running. So, if you're squeamish about death/dying skip ahead. My dad's memorial will be held in southern Arizona in mid May. So I did a little 'net search on my 'puter. And, lucky me, there's a 5k road race in Tucson (close by) the day after my dad's memorial. It starts at 7am and evidently it's a good PR course. Woo-hoo! I'll be showered and back with the grieving relatives by 9am.
Week 20: 21+ miles
Mon: 4+ miles (treadmill)
Tues: off
Wed: 4 miles (track w.o.)
Thurs: 4+ miles (treadmill)
Fri: off
Sat: 4+ miles (treadmill) and weights
Sun: 5 miles (It stopped raining and I ran on the road! Yippy!)
Week 21 Goal: 20+ miles
Mon: 4 miles (weights?)
Tues: off
Wed: 4 miles Track WO
Thurs: 4 miles (weights?)
Fri: off
Sat: 4-5 miles
Sun 4-5 miles
I felt better during this week's workout. I didn't really run any faster. But at least I didn't feel like I was running under water, like last week.
The best part about group track workouts is hanging with all the other slow runners. It seems we all dream of running as fast as those that whiz past us. We watched (with admiration) as one of the fast groups came in from their 1600 (I think). The times being called 5:28, 5:31, etc. A gentleman in our group said longingly, "Oh, but to do it in 5:28." We all chuckled.
I did a better job keeping track of my times this week. Here they are:
400 (2:00)
Rest 400 (2:14)
800 (4:07)
Rest 400 (2:28)
1200 (6:14)
Rest 800 (5:30?) I can't remember the exact times for the next three; but these are close estimates.
800 (4:20?)
Rest 400 (2:40?)
400 (1:48) I got tired of the little old lady beating me. So I ran this one a lot faster. She still beat me. 
1200 slow jog
On a parenting note: I had to hire a babysitter. My husband had to go back to work for a second-shift employee meeting. It was his (and his bosses) job to explain to them why their raises wouldn't match the rising cost of fuel and groceries. Fun, eh? Anyway, instead of wasting an opportunity to be alone, we met up after our respective obligations and had a lovely dinner. I had fillet mignon and two glasses of wine. A rare and priceless evening in the world of parenting.
In addition to motherhood and a busy life, I will become a runner. I will juggle family obligations while training and work hard to reach weight loss goals. Feel free to follow me on my journey.
Facebook
MySpace
YouTube
Twitter