Jennyism #1: It's always good to have a goal

Jennyism #2: It's even better to finish the goal

Jennyism #3 First you gotta go up the hill then you gotta go down

I haven't even taken off my shoes yet but I got so exicited becuause I just ran 5 miles...no problemo! Okay, maybe I should go and stretch and take off my muddy running shoes but this is the start of something good!!! My goal was to run to every fire hydrant and see how I felt. But pretty soon...okay here is goes....I WAS ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN' WITHOUT MY EVEN KNOWIN'!

AND THERE IT WAS...A FORK IN THE ROAD

Coach Kevin is going to cringe when he reads this because I know when you just start out running you have to take it slow. And I did. I ran from fire hydrant to fire hydrant in my neighborhood but all of a sudden, like a flash before my eyes there was a trail. Yes, a glorious trail that had my name written all over it. So I did what any other normal girl never listening to anyone's sound advice would do. I went TRAIL RUNNING! Oh my gosh, it was so much fun. I laughed and laughed and felt like I was on a closed course running route on crack. I went up the hill and I almost just wanted to roll down the hills. Now, let me clarify. In Illinois a hill constitutes as any incline of 20 feet. Totally no big deal. But how much fun. I am muddy, smiling and well....just like a pig in poop!

Totally needed that run. What a way to get things started. Spring is finally here! And the fire hydrant is my newfound hero! Now I know why dogs love them so much!

Good 'ol Frank...he knew how to sing it. This is the final countdown and right now at this time next week I will be enjoying a much needed celebration at Foley's in the Big Apple. (Oh God, did I just jinx myself). I headed out this morning for my last big run with just a few "shorties" over the next few days. I have to be honest, I have enjoyed the extra time on the weekends since I have not had to incorporate long runs into the crazy McDevitt schedule. However, I feel as though there will be a small void in my life. What will I do now that marathon mania has ended? How am I going to spend my days off of work when Jack is at school all day? And am I going to start to be fat and lazy as the winter months keep me inside.? I guess I will have to do what any normal girl does in time of dispair....GO SHOPPING!!!

I head out on Thursday for New York City and I am looking forward to seeing everyone who is near and dear to me. I am even more excited to meet all the Team McGraw members who have kept me running this year as I have been touched by each of their amazing stories. The courage Team McGraw has and the tenacity and strength of each member has kept my feet on the road and kept me moving. I cannot wait to thank each of them personally for their incredible acheivement. 'YA GOTTA BELEIVE!!!

P.S. I did a dorky thing today. As I was running I started chanting a little "ditty" and it is going to stick in my head I think until I cross the finish line. It goes like this..."negative, negative makes me stop. I think of the positive and I won't drop" Isn't it awful??? If anyone makes fun of me watch out. I will steal your marathon shoes so you can't run Sunday. I swear I will!!!!

So you have heard of the song..."Just what makes that little ol' ant, think he can move a rubber tree plant"...(yada,yada)? Well, yesterday I was the ant and the rubber tree plant was the road. Let me start from the beginning.

I made a family decision that we were going to run the course for my up-and-coming race, Joggin for the Noggin. After many protests from the boys, I chucked them into the car with the jogging stroller - (yes, I am freakishly strong) - and demanded that we drive to the start line. We get the jogging stroller out, I plant Jack in there and yell "GO!" and we start running. What happened next will go down in family history as one of the worst runs that could possibly happen.

It starts raining, no...POURING. But we are still running. Now out of pure stubborness I will not allow us to go back. Glen just bought a new pair of shoes and he is soaking. Jack, my tough little monkey, is not only drenched but curled up in a little ball to avoid any further water damage. But we are still running. And now Jack has become some kind of brain-child because he is telling us which way to turn on the course AND he is right. (That was kind of funny.)

BUT....just like that the rain stopped, within 5 minutes, and the sun comes out. We were only 5 blocks into the adventure and all that happened. So life is good, right? WRONG! In an effort to support TEAM McGRAW, I am proudly wearing my red, COTTON Team McGraw t-shirt. (Kevin Leathers...don't say a word that I have cotton on.)

And by the way, did I mention the sun was out?  It was BLAZING out and the humidity was at about 250%.

But we are still running....then the song pops into my head and for at least 5 minutes I felt like I owned the road, master of Joggin for the Noggin, running fashionista with cotton on. Then, I tuckered out. The anxiety of ensuring my family's safety and well-being just got the best of me. In reality, it was the cotton, moisture, humidity and that stupid little ant that was in my head. We made it through the course. Glen finished first with Jack, who had fallen asleep as a defense mechanism.

And me, well, let's just say that I finished strong because I knew that next time that darn rubber tree plant was going down.

ILLEGITIMUS NON CARBORUNDUM.....

That is what I read on the back of a runner's shirt as we waited in a corral to start the Nashville half marathon. In Latin, it means "don't let the ******* get you down." It was an appropriate mantra for the day. After all, it was raining and I was feeling a bit queasy about beginning the race. Actually, I was totally freaking out.

On April 26, I completed the Nashville half marathon with Team McGraw. I have to admit, I was very ill- prepared and quite frankly embarrassed that I even called myself a "runner," but I set only one expectation for myself....FINISH. Guess what...I did. I have never been that unprepared for a race and I just felt awful about it. I can sometimes call myself an overachiever and when it comes to running I get crazed like cramming last minute for a final only to ace it and promise myself I will never do that again. After running in Nashville I have made a promise to never be unprepared again. That was just plain luck that I made it. Of course, I have run races and felt absolutely horrible afterwards, but on this particular day, I felt really good. Maybe it is because I realized that there is always room for improvement. Mostly I think that it was because I had some wonderful friends running with me and since I was the only girl, I wasn't going to act like one.

It's that time of the year again. The time when the sun will rise a bit earlier and birds are either a Godsend because you want to wake up for that early run or just throw your head under the pillows to make the noise stop. Back to that early run....it's that time of the year again. It is now time when I run out of excuses getting up early and running.

So as I was being heckled for knowing what "illegitimus non carborundum" means, I was beginning to feel like living proof that miracles can happen. Team McGraw's rally is "Ya Gotta Believe." I love it. I live it. Proud to be part of it.

Now if I could just shave one hour off of my time......