Run Happy

Fitbloggin' 2010 and new goals- share yours too!

2010-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have so much to say about Fitbloggin'- the people, the presentations, the vendors...oh my. I had a better experience than I imagined I could. Today is a crazy day at home, so my review will be coming later. I know many of us at Fitbloggin left with new or renewed goals- personal, professional and fitness related. So- if you were at Fitbloggin- share a goal you left with! If you were not at Fitbloggin- what is a goal you working towards?
My goal is related to injury recovery. Since I am unable to run I seem to have shed a few good habits. I need to get back on track with good habits if I plan to get back in shape as fast as I can once this boot is OFF. My goal for this week is to get back to drinking a ton of water and get away from so much soda. I have been drinking more Diet Coke than ever- seriously 5 cans this am before the kids left for school. Seriously. Ick.

So- I will be checking back in on this and other goals- can't wait to hear about yours!

Learning the Art of Consequences through Positive Parenting

2010-03-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

A great opportunity from Lisa at Workoutmommy.com- you will be thanking her!
She has sponsored a free webinar om March 16th, details at the link.
Learning the Art of Consequences through Positive Parenting
From Positive Parenting Solutions flyer:

You’re invited to a complimentary webinar sponsored by Lisa from workout mommy and presented by Amy McCready of Positive Parenting Solutions

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 9-10 PM (EST)

Who Should Attend: Parents of children ages 1-16 who want to learn concrete tools to effectively correct misbehavior – without yelling, nagging or punishing.

What You’ll Learn: Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions will present a fun and interactive training session designed to teach you…

why children really misbehave
what you may be doing to make it worse
the difference between punishment and consequences & why it matters to your kids
the 5 “must haves” for a successful consequence
new resources to reduce parenting stress and feel more confident for any parenting challenge

Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Time: 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. Eastern

Access: All you need is a computer with a speaker to hear the presentation. We’ll send you the log in instructions.

Cost: No charge for participants at the live event! The webinar recording will be available for purchase for those who could not attend the live presentation for $29.95.

Please feel free to invite other parents who want to learn proven tools to reduce their parenting stress.

Note Taking Guide: Print this Note Taking Guide so you can follow along and get the most out of the webinar.

How It Works: You’ll receive an email confirmation with the link to access the webinar. When you “enter” the webinar, you’ll see the session slides on your screen as well as a video box to see the presenter and a chat box to type questions or make comments.

While you can see the presenter, no one can see you. You will be able to “go to class” from the comfort of your home and learn how you can reduce parenting stress and feel more confident in the most important job you will ever have.

Honor Chris today - Pledge to never drive distracted again

2010-03-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

This past December, my brother-in-law's cousin and her husband were in an accident in Texas. Chris Cooper was killed- his wife Kristin posted the below to her blog- everyone should read this and pay attention to what she is saying. She is 100% right- none of us should be driving distracted. Because someone did, a beautiful little girl and a strong woman are now left without a father and a husband.

Honor Chris today - Pledge to never drive distracted again
Today is Chris' birthday. He would have been 35. It would have been his first birthday that Colleen would actually remember. It would have been a day filled with joy, laughter, and Chris' infectious, beaming smile. While every day is hard, today is especially heartbreaking.

I have not described the car accident that took his life in detail in these notes. Today I am ready. Today I want to tell you all about how you can honor Chris by helping to avoid the type of accident that caused two people to lose their lives on December 29, 2009.

On that day, Chris and I were driving from Corpus Christi to Dallas to be with his sister - who was in labor with her first baby. We were having a great time in the car. We were so happy about being able to be in Dallas for little Sophie's birth. Chris had just won his fantasy football league championship. Colleen was safe at home in Corpus with my parents. Our weekend could not have been any better. We stopped for food in Seguin, and were continuing our trip on Highway 123 between Seguin and San Marcos. I remember being in the car with Chris, talking about Colleen and our great weekend...laughing and joking like we always did. The next thing I remember is hearing voices, and thinking to myself - "They are talking to me. I need to wake up".

I don't remember anything about the accident, but the the officer who investigated our case was incredibly thorough. Here is what he found:

On that day, an 18 year old girl drove from Seguin to San Marcos to purchase a car - a 1990 Jeep Cherokee. She was driving home, following a car with a few of her family members. As she drove, she was using her iPhone.

On Highway 123, she got distracted by her phone, and didn't anticipate a curve in the roadway. She was in the right hand lane, and started to veer towards a guardrail on her right. When she looked up from her iPhone, she overcorrected, and jerked her wheel to the left. She crossed three lanes of traffic on the undivided highway at over 70 miles an hour and slammed directly into our car. There were no skid marks - she was too distracted to try to stop or avoid our car.

The officers found an active text message on her iPhone after the accident. The police report officially states that she was "distracted by cell phone usage". She was not wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected from the car. The ejection ripped off most of her clothes. She was not drunk - but she was under the influence. She was under the influence of the untrue belief that it is possible to drive and use a cell phone at the same time.

We all think that we can. We all think that we are good enough drivers to be able to text, read and write email, surf the internet, and make calls while we are driving. Chris did. I did. The 18 year old girl who hit us that day did. And I would bet that most of you reading do. The truth is: we can't. No one can. It doesn't matter if you are 16 or 45, using a cell phone while you are driving is too distracting to risk.

I know you are thinking - "There is no way I can give it up. I am a good enough driver. I have years of experience. It will never happen to me." I am here to tell you - it can.

Chris was not on his phone during the accident. He was not distracted, and his focus allowed him to see the oncoming car, and maneuver our car quickly to the right before the impact. That maneuver, the last thing that he did, saved my life.

Today, on his birthday, I ask you to honor Chris' memory by pledging to never drive distracted again. Honor his memory by never riding in a car with someone who is driving distracted again. Every time someone texts you, or calls while you are driving, think to yourself, "Is sending this text worth risking my life? Is taking this call worth risking the life of another driver?" No call, no text, no email, was worth losing two lives on that day.

My heart aches for the family of the girl who also died that day. She didn't think that she was doing anything wrong. She never had a chance to live her life. I mourn for her, just as I do for Chris.

I ask you today to pledge in memory of Chris to never let your phone distract you while you are driving again. For your own sake, and for the other drivers around you - do not take the chance that your actions could take another life or your own.

Chris was a wonderful husband, amazing father, loving son and brother, and fiercely loyal friend. There is not a minute in a day that I don't think about him. I miss him desperately. But, Colleen and I are living our life. We laugh and smile and enjoy the blessed moments that we have together every day. We thank God for the time we had with Chris, and trust in God that he has not left us, and will never leave us alone.

Here are some links for more information on the dangers of distracted driving, and what you can do to help:

* Oprah's "No Phone Zone" - http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4
* Official US Government site for distracted driving - http://www.distraction.gov
* FocusDriven: Advocacy group for victims of crashes caused by distracted driving (similar to MADD) - http://www.focusdriven.org/index.aspx

FitBloggin' 2010

2010-03-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to be going to my first bloggers conference!!! I could not pass up two nights in a nice hotel with other women blogging about fitness. You can find more info on the conference here and see a list of some of the other great fitness bloggers attending here. I am very excited to meet these women, meet reps from some great companies, try out some up and coming new fitness products, and network. In the past few weeks I have been working on blog design, focus.....and I have bought a few domain names. I will have a new name and layout, and am excited for this opportunity! Fitness will still be a major part, but I will be incorporating some happy features, since I am a mom running happy- both physically and emotionally. I am very much a 'silver lining' person, and I want to put a little more of that in my writing!
I will get to try the Gruve out while at the conference. It is a lot like the BodyBug- but has some neat features! Check out the FitBloggin site for more info!
Some of the brands that will be there... my favorite- New Balance, Yeah!!!!

A 'break' in my routine......

2010-02-26T05:48:00.000-08:00

So- I have had a lot of fun with my alternative winter workouts. Maybe a little too much fun- I broke my foot sledding. Not a simple break either. I snapped both of my sesamoid bones. A sesamoid bone is a small bone within a tendon. The first metatarsal on your foot has two (or one connected) bones in the tendon. A break of these bones is an impact injury most of the time, typical of motor vehicle accidents. It is a 'big' impact according to the Dr., but I did not feel it break which surprised him. The night I believe I did it, we had been out sledding for over an hour and my feet were numb. On one of my last runs down I was on a sledding track that was very bumpy and a little icy when you hit the bottom of the hill. I was on a friend's sled and was going a bit faster than I wanted to be so I stuck my foot out to slow myself and hit a pile of snow that was pretty darn solid. I remember hitting it straight on with my foot and then being spun around and off the sled b/c of how hard the impact was. We went home shortly after- I was so cold I ended up getting in the bath to warm up after midnight. The next am I felt it a lot- but not so bad that I thought it was a break- I thought it may have been a stress fracture. One positive is that since I was already cold the swelling was not as bad- the Dr. said it was like I iced my foot immediately. Over the next two days it went to aching and throbbing- and I was more convinced I had a stress fracture, yet the location of the pain was not adding up. After looking at a diagram of the foot I knew *exactly* what I had done. The Dr. did an x-ray and confirmed it. He was amazed at my pain tolerance, after 2 foot surgeries, a few broken toes and other foot injuries it is just another pain in the foot!
So- with the location of the break I am very limited in my activity. I can't even swim since the bone in within a tendon and movement will cause it to not heal like we want it to. I tried the bike but ended up with a very sore hip, sore foot and blisters on my leg. I am going to concentrate on toning right now. I love toning, but I am going nuts missing all the cardio. I need it! I love the feeling, and I just feel so blah not doing anything!

Wonderful Winter Workouts- improvising!

2010-02-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

This winter has been a bad one for workout weather. We are a pretty rugged bunch here- rain, snow, sleet.......we are still running. Being pounded by one storm after another has made running distances hard, but has opened up some great 'fun' workout opportunities. The first- shoveling. Sadly, I love to shovel. I fight for the right to be the one to shovel and get upset if I am not the one out there. We live in a planned community and have a longer driveway for a suburban neighborhood, and we also live on the corner so we have a lot of sidewalk to shovel. It can be a very peaceful experience- the falling snow drowns out noise and usually there is no one else outside.
As with every workout- be careful. Shoveling also has plenty of opportunities for injuries. As the weatherman said here last week- we have been getting a lot of 'heart attack' snow. Our 30 plus inches were heavy, not easy to lift. Plus with so much snow I ended up shoveling the snow into piles that were over 6ft in some places! I can still hear my father's voice in the background repeating 'lift with your legs, not your back', and he is right.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has a great press release full of wonderful shoveling tips available here

Our second wonderful winter workout has been sledding! We have been going after bed, sans kids! So much fun! Our neighborhood's elementary school has some wonderful hills that provide for a lot of fun heading down, and some great leg work and cardio heading up. We have so much fun with our girl time we barely notice we are working our butts off out there. As with shoveling, be careful. I don't recommend using your foot to stop yourself- more on that to follow!!

***I will fix the picture links as soon as I can, Facebook isn't cooperating!

Running in a Winter Wonderland

2010-02-16T19:16:00.001-08:00

Running in the snow is one of my favorite things! Definitely something I look forward to- and I have had a lot of opportunities this winter with the Blizzard of 2010 and all of the other storms this winter.
One important thing to note is that there is a big difference between running in the ice and in the snow. Ice is dangerous- don't do it! A treadmill is a much better option on an icy day. Ice is just not worth the risk for me, especially since many of my runs are before the sun comes up or after it goes down. I can't always see the ice, and therefor I can't brace for it or walk around it. I slipped many times on black ice while running Disney in January, and that was more than enough for me!
Running while it is snowing is so amazing. It is so quiet. A wonderful and peaceful time for yourself, or to share with a friend. Less people and cars are out- and the falling snow drowns out the noise of those who are. There is always a more relaxed pace in the snow. I am out to run those days, not to do Yasso 800's or a long run, but to enjoy a run! This winter I had the opportunity for some amazing night runs in the snow. The snow coming down fast is so beautiful under the street lamps. We try to run on the streets in the freshly fallen snow- usually provides for great traction. One night we were doing loops in the neighborhood because the main roads were too bad. Our loops were pretty fast, and each time we went back around you could barely see our footprints from the previous loops. There was one night that the snow was falling less rapidly but there were again no cars on the road. This night we were able to see perfectly our tracks- I could really see that I tend to not lift my feet up enough when I am running slow and I could see how I flip my left foot out. These were things I had noticed in previous gait analysis but it was fascinating to see it in the snow. A good reminder that I need to concentrate on my running form as I can get lazy about that! It is wonderful to slow down occasionally and run for the sake of running!!
The temperature on snowy runs varies- a lot. During the day it can get downright hot. If there is no wind and the sun is out, you need to layer. One run in December of this year- it was low 30's and sunny with no wind. I layered and was down to capris and a tee shirt, and was insanely hot still. If the ground is wetter, either from melting snow or a slushy snow, I put grocery bags over my socks. This really helps keep your feet dry- and warm. It makes such a difference, and even on a day that is not wet keeps my feet very warm. I do the same thing every time I go out to shovel in the winter if it is cold.
I don't have any gear specifically for running in the snow- but if it looks like we will be getting this much snow again next winter I am buying these- YakTrax

They are actually not bad to have around for icy days when you just need to walk- anything to avoid slipping on the ice! A friend in the neighborhood has them and loves them.
One other nice thing about running in the snow- the people! The other runners you pass always tell you it is nice that there are other crazies out there, and the people shoveling their driveways and playing in the snow either cheer you on or tell you that you are nuts. One beautiful day this winter I was out running the day after a snow. There was no wind and the sun was shining. By mile three I was down to a shirt sleeve tee and my hat and gloves were off. As I ran by one family playing in the yard, one of the kids looked at me and turned to his mom and yelled 'why do I have to wear a coat is she doesn't'. Whoops- sorry!

Traning Tag-Alongs

2010-02-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

My kids love the fact that I run- and they love to run as well. I love being such a positive influence on them! When I was down at the expo for the Richmond Marathon (yes- the one where I got the stomach bug and had to watch the race) and found the cutest shirts for the kids. We have been looking for years for cute shirts for the kids that involve running- and these are great!
The company is Training Tag-Alongs and you can find their products here

For Julia I bought this one (in purple of course):

For William:

And for Meredith:

Accountability Buddy

2010-02-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

I love to do lists. I love making them, I love crossing items off of them, but mainly I make them and forget about them. A few weeks ago, in a round about way, I met an accountability buddy. The plan is to email each other in the am with our list for the day. I put everything on there I hope to accomplish- from phone calls to making appointments, from cleaning a particular part of the house to working out. Big and little, they go on the list. We email mid-day to report in on where we are, and then again at night to re-cap the day. The back and forth takes maybe 5 minutes of my time. Making the list and sending it to someone makes me so much more motivated to get things done. I would hate to email and say I did nothing I planned! Of course this weekend was an exception- with 30 + inches of snow I shoveled instead of getting anything done inside the house- but we all know how that works! After a few days of emailing back and forth I dug out an old undated planner I bought and have started adding little projects for the coming days. Now I see something and write it down and am finding all of these little things I had hoped to do are getting done! One thing I think helps my buddy and I is that we are not close friends- our emails don't end up being a long chat. We are learning more and more about each other through our to do lists, which is fun!!!!
I know the first item on my list tomorrow is my exercise playdate- I am over the moon whith how well that works- the kids are out of school (once again due to the insane amount of snow we have had this winter) so it will be a many kid exercise playdate- but us fit mommies will have fun!!!

Let's get moving on this playdate

2010-01-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

As we all know- it is not easy to always find time for exercise and fitness when you are a mommy. Moms who work and moms who stay home work hard to find time for themselves, and I constantly hear moms ask 'where do you find the time?' I am very luck to be in an active neighborhood. I never ever have trouble finding a friend to run with. We run at 5:30 am and we run at 9 pm. We run midday with shared babysitters and we even switch off and watch each others kids. We make it work. Not always easy, but we do it. Now a few of us are combining our efforts- we are having exercise playdates. We have a treadmill, elliptical, recumbant bike, a complete home gym and other equipment such as a Bosu, Kettle Bells, free weights, bands....you get the picture. It is very easy when it is just my kids here to hop off the equipment to get them water, take someone to the potty, or reach the toy that is too high. Plus, I am used to running and chatting with my girlfriends so I get bored. With another mom and additional kids things go more smoothly. Today my friend Alyce came. We started with cardio, chatting the entire time. Then we moved on to strength and toning work. The great thing is this idea can still work if you have nothing. There are so many websites out there with workouts planned for you that use little or no equipment at all!
So- what are the fun ways you fit workouts in?

Goofy Challenge- the good!!!!!

2010-01-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

I went to Florida to run in the warm weather. Ha! Apparently the joke was on the tens of thousands of runners who thought the same. It was cold. Bone chilling cold- but we still had a great time. We met people who had traveled to Florida from even warmer climates and had never run in cold weather- they were shocked and confused. We saw people running in everything- even comforters off their beds! It was an adventure!! Black ice, frozen ice blowing in our faces- just not what I dreamed of when registering for the races! I was looking forward to lounging at the pool, not staring out the hotel window longingly at the pool while bundled up. But- as usual- I had a great time!
I made the trip to Florida with two of my girlfriends from the neighborhood. We had so much fun. We were all very excited to shop at the expo- and we all left with nothing. I have more than enough running clothes and gear by now I can't imagine needing anything else unless something was REALLY cute- then I could find a need I'm sure). As my one friend pointed out- the three of us are veteran marathoners and Disney runners, so there was nothing new there at all. The excitement in the expo room was amazing- but everyone was talking about the weather- everyone.

Half Marathon- the half was great! We started off in light ice (yes- falling from the sky in Disney World). I took into consideration that I was pregnant and decided to aim for under two hours instead of my original goal of 1:45. The first few miles were slow- and not by choice. I was in the first wave, but even being so close to the start people were walking and the course was so crowded. I spent the first three miles trying to get around people and avoiding flying garbage bags that people were just taking off as they ran and letting them fly. Once we hit mile 3.5 the course opened up. I was able to make up time after that. Even with the cold and rain/ ice, there were so many spectators along the course!! As usual the Magic Kingdom was beautiful to run through. It was all lit up- I got there when it was still dark on Saturday. There were a lot of very slippery places in the Magic Kingdom. There was black ice at the water stations. Most of the outdoor spots were not too bad- but the ground inside Cinderella's Castle and then a few elevated places were very slippery. I watched many people slip & slide- almost everyone was able to keep on their feet! This race felt great- I felt like I was not pushing at all and was very happy to cross the finish at 1:53. Between not pushing and the bottlenecks in the first few miles I am very happy with my time- and I know I can get that 1:45 in my next few half-marathons. I placed 66th out of 1789 in my age group, I'll take that!!!

Full Marathon- I decided to run with my friends- it was a lot of fun. We definitely battled more cold weather. Although we had no rain, the temps were much colder than Saturday. The ice on the ground at the water stations was bad. It really did not let up until mile 18 or so for us. We took so many pictures with the characters along the way, it was a fun way to run a marathon. I *assumed* that running at slower pace would be really easy. It was not. It was actually really hard. But- I am very glad I ran with my friends, it was a lot of fun!

I was thrilled to come out of the weekend not sore at all. Not one bit! I am excited for the races this spring, and excited to get better at keeping up with my blog!

The Goofy Challenge- part one!!

2010-01-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

I am going to break the Goofy Challenge 'report' up into a couple of posts as not all weekend events have anything to do with the races!

First- I'll cover the negative so my next post can be a bit more positive. As many of you know I found out I was pregnant a couple of weeks before the Goofy Challenge in 2008. The running joke has been that I would be finally running the Goofy not pregnant this time. Well- found out a few days before Christmas that I was expecting #4. Ran the Goofy Challenge pregnant again- but unfortunately miscarried the next day on the way home from Orlando. On the plane. I am very blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends who have been amazingly supportive and understanding. I was lucky to be traveling with friends- they were amazing. Even the flight attendants were amazing. For something so sad- I must say the people that surround me have made it less 'bad'.
Now to write up the races- I had so much fun!!

Where has the time gone?

2009-12-30T19:19:00.000-08:00

I keep sitting down to blog.......and as you can see I get distracted! I am excited to blog about my 3-Day Walk experience, but I just have so much to say about it so it may be a few posts. I will get that done in the next few days, and if you ever have the chance to do it- do it!!! Amazing experience- not the easiest sleeping experience, but amazing overall!! I am finishing up my training for Disney. Lots to say about that and all that is coming in the New Year. I hope everyone's holidays were amazing- I'll be back!

Don't all jump at once....

2009-11-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

So who is buying their kids this $25,000 cupcake car? Come on- it comes with a matching hat. For real. Only at Neiman Marcus.

The Richmond Marathon!!!

2009-11-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

What a day! As many of you know I went back and forth and back and forth about which distance I would do. My neuromas in both feet have been bothering me so I would lean towards the half. Then I would remember how much I love the marathon distance and want to run the full. I left home last Friday headed for the expo in Richmond undecided- but leaning heavily towards the half. Leigh and I had a fun drive down. Once inside I picked up my number and my shirt. To downgrade to the half I had to go over to a little table and switch bibs. I could not do it. I was running the full. All of the sudden I had this burst of energy. I was buzzing all over the expo picking up full marathon gear that I needed. I was walking on air I was so excited. You could probably have seen me beaming from wherever you may be. We went out to Maggiano's in Short Pump for dinner and then a little shopping (you can't not take advantage of that when Leigh and I had left 6 kids at home). We eventually made our way back to our friend Noell's sister's house. We had fun chatting with her, her husband and her kids. We prepped for the am, laid our things out and went to sleep. I was so excited- I thought I would never sleep, but I feel asleep fast. That should have been a sign of things to come. After a couple hours of solid sleep I sat straight up- ran to the bathroom and got sick. And then- for the next 4 hours the cycle repeated. I never fell back asleep. I just got worse. Of course- being me- I was just trying to figure what what I needed to do to still be able to run the marathon. I tried hydrating, but it had the awful side effect of making me throw up again. Just the sight of food made sick. I headed downtown anyway, determined to run. Once we were outside, in the cold and windy drizzle I started to admit my defeat. The stomach bug was winning the battle. Every once in a while I would almost convince myself to run, but thank goodness my common sense prevailed and I did not. Disappointed? Very. Frustrated? Yes. Thankful that the stomach bug did not wait until mid-race or even post- race to kick in? Heck yes!!

One really cool thing about this whole race was that I got to be an observer for a marathon after having run one. I had been to a few before I was a distance runner, and we waited in the family/ friends area for people to finish. This time I was able to see the start (which I had to sit down for an hour after), mile 17, and the finish of both the half and the full. It was really a blessing to be able to see this. Maybe the stomach bug was sent my way just to give me this opportunity? I have never cried or welled up at a race before that I was not running- but I cannot count the times it happened Saturday. Some of the more amazing moments:
- watching my friend and sometimes training partner Peggy Harris at mile 17 and at the finish. This amazing mom was down and out with the swine flu, yet managed to get out there not fully recovered and run an amazing race. Seeing her with her family after the finish was amazing as well.
- seeing the smiles as runners crossed the line. The determination, the accomplishment, the relief. Especially the smiles of the people who came across right at those Boston qualifying times. Those smiles were AMAZING!!!
- seeing people who pushed too hard and were hurt or suffering was a good lesson. I almost got out there and ran (ok- tried to run) 26.2 miles. I probably would have passed out or ended up much worse off than I was. An excellent life lesson. It is just running- and I do it because I love it. I need to make sure I do what is best for me!

So- not exactly the Richmond Marathon experience I had planned, but a pretty good experience overall. Found the silver lining!

Ready, Set, Go.........

2009-10-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Only hours left to pack and prep for our 3 Day Walk! I am so excited! We have an amazing team and are going to have a great time walking for this amazing cause!
Jual (of Jual's Gems) did a nice post yesterday- and like she said, I am so excited!!!!
We know our general route- through MD and DC. I am so thrilled, we are walking through places I know so well. I am excited and cannot wait to come back and share my adventure with you!

Army 10 Miler & race day question

2009-10-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

What a great race! I was aiming for somewhere between 1:17 and 1:20 (really wanted less than 1:19:59) and I did it! Race day was a lot of fun. We left home at 5:30 am and drove down to the Pentagon. I detest taking the Metro to races so I was so happy everyone else agreed! We were some of the first people down there- it was amazing to see how fast the staging area filled up. 30,000 runners registered and over 21,000 finished. The atmosphere was charged- the military parachuters, helicopters and band really made the event special. When 'Proud to be an American' was sung, I don't think there was a person there who did not get the chills. At race time approached we did a warm up and headed to the corrals. As always- the ATM was a beautiful course. Running in DC is such a fabulous experience! The race went well and fast. I slowed a little around mile 7, if I had not I would have finished at 1:17, but now I have something to aim for at the Cherry Blossom. The finish was nice- less crowded than it is later. My heels have been bothering me for the past few weeks so I plan on heading to the podiatrist. My neuromas have also been flaring up- after 2 foot surgeries I am going to be proactive and get ahead of all of the foot issues. I was not able to run for years when I had the surgeries and do not want to have to stop running again, so I am going to do what I need to do. If I need to reduce my mileage I will. If I need to do PT I will. Maybe it will be as easy as new shoes- here is hoping it is!

I had an email from a reader (Hi Shannon!) asking what I would do to prep for a pace of this distance vs. a half or full marathon. Well- for the 10 miler I don't carry anything. I don't 'Gu' at this distance, although I would at least carry it for a half. For the half I tend to carry the jelly beans instead of Gu and just eat a few as I approach mile 9 or so. Too much Gu or too many jelly beans is not good for my stomach. I got water 3 times during the ATM, but never really drank much. The same has been true in the halfs.

For a full- I carry Gu and jelly beans and see how I feel. I 100% will use them- usually something around mile 10 and then again a bit after 20- but some of that will change based on what the actual marathon offers. In Disney they had oranges, Gu, candy. I did find that as my distance increased I did better by having a real 'food' with me for the late race fueling. By mile 20 my stomach could not take straight Gu or jelly beans. I now take a small handful of pretzels with me to eat with the other 'stuff'.

Yes, they can

2009-10-03T12:38:00.001-07:00

I am still amazed at how many hits my blog gets from people Googling 'Can Dogs Eat Waffles?'

Livestrong Day!

2009-10-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I lost my father to cancer in 2000. So many of my friends have lost loved ones, or have cancer themselves. Please take the time to watch the video below, visit the Livestrong site- or better yet become involved. Support those with cancer. Support those raising money to fight cancer and help those affected. This is a fight that will affect us all in our lifetimes. Lets fight this and win!

YASSO 800S

2009-09-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Speed work- I actually enjoy it. Not always the easiest workout of the week, but I always feel like I am accomplishing something when I do speed work, regardless of how the speed work goes. Got to love that. With our current training program the speed work was typical. Mile warm up, 2-5 miles at a fast speed, then a cool down. When my training partner was in her hometown recently she worked out with her high school's cross-county team. The coach suggested Yasso 800's. So far I LOVE them.

Here is a great Runner's World article
Yasso 800's

Basically (in the words of By Christine Luff, About.com)
Yasso 800s are a popular workout among runners who are trying to achieve a specific marathon goal. The name "Yasso" comes from Bart Yasso, the chief running officer at Runner's World magazine, who popularized this workout. Here's how to do Yasso 800s:

Take your marathon goal time in hours/minutes and convert this to minutes/seconds. For example, if your marathon goal is 3 hours and 10 minutes then convert that to 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
Try to run 800 meters (approximately 1/2 mile) in your converted time (3:10 in this example).
Recover after each 800 by jogging or walking for the same amount of time (again, 3:10 in this example).
Start with three or four repetitions in the first week.
Continue with Yasso 800 workouts once a week and try to add one more repetition each week until you reach ten repetitions. The first few should feel pretty easy, but you'll notice that they'll start to get more difficult as you continue to add repeats.

I started them this week and really enjoyed my first workouts. I am excited to see how many we can get in before Richmond. I do like that the speed segments are broken up and faster. We did just a few, but our pace was faster than it needed to be.
Last week I did not get my speed work in during the week, so I ran 2 fast miles at the beginning of my long run- 10 regular training pace miles after that, followed by 2 more fast miles to finish. I enjoyed that too- and liked pushing at the end.
Now lets see if this helps us get that 3:something time!

Am I crazy?

2009-09-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

I have been considering running an additional Marathon this fall. One of my Richmond Marathon training partners (and previous partner for many races and training) is considering it too. On one hand I would love to do the Marine Corps just because I love running long runs. BUT- I have a busy few weeks leading up to that race and childcare could be an issue b/c of Rich's plans that weekend. I have the Army 10 Miler on 10/4 and then the 60 Mile walk the following weekend. The MCM would be 2 weeks after that. I did some online reading and people have said that they were sore after the 3-Day- even those walkers that were distance runners. My main goal is Richmond- am I going to be risking injury or fatigue if I do 2 marathons and a 60 mile walk in a five week period? I know I *can* do it, and I would enjoy it- but is it the best choice? Is there some Magic 8 Ball for runners?

Falling back into our routine.....

2009-09-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy few months in this runner's house! Between the pool, the beach, starting kindergarten, back to preschool and a wonderful little baby's first birthday- we have been having FUN! Plenty of catching up posts and picture posts to come. Thanks for the emails checking to see if this marathon mom is still alive- I am!!

I will start with the running update since that does not require me to upload pictures- or really think too much. Running has been going well. It did suffer a bit during the summer. With the heat, if I did not get in an early am run the day was shot. There were also weddings, funerals, vacations- many many changes in schedule. We did manage to run many days, and get in some great long runs.

The Army Ten Miler is days away- I am really looking forward that race. 10 miles is a really fun distance for me. The last time I ran this race I did well, and had run 20 miles the day before. I am hoping to come in under 1:20. I would love to come in around 1:10, but I am not concerned if that doesn't happen. Frankly- I am just happy to be able to get out there and run with everyone I know that is doing the race- and that is a huge number of friends. I just love all of the active people I know!

The 3-Day Walk to End Breast Cancer is coming up as well. I have been doing some walking to prepare, but with the long runs I have not been able to do too much. I have met my fund-raising goals- thanks to all of my wonderful supporters. We had 2 fundraisers that were a great success!

I think we all very excited for the walk- and to be part of such an important cause. Our Team is wonderful- Jual's Gems!

After the walk I have a little down time to train........for the Richmond Marathon and The Goofy Challenge in Disney! I can't wait for these races. My training this summer and fall is revolving around these races. I am running 5-6 days a week again. We are aiming for a 3:30 finish at Richmond, but as long as I PR I will be satisfied. I would LOVE to knock Boston off my bucket list with this race, but know with some current challenges with getting all of my tempo runs in on schedule I may not run a 3:30

Challenges- and there always are some! Weekend long runs- phew! I love long runs so the motivation is never an issue. I would run 14 miles- heck 17 miles a day if time allowed. But it doesn't. Somedays even 5 miles is a time crunch. I'll get up at 5:00 to run, but just can't get up if the first number on the clock is a 4. I have been doing as many early am runs as I can- but when Rich has to go to work early there is nothing I can do! I have been running in the evening occasionally and still call in a sitter at times. I think the fact that I love to run makes it easier to overcome some of these obstacles because I am finding time for something I want to do. Having 3 kids- 2 of which are in school and in activities/ sports is a challenge of it's own. Soccer always puts a kink in Saturday am long run plans. This weekend Grandma is coming over so daddy can take one to an early soccer game while I finish my run.
I have remained injury free yet again. I am very thankful for that. My neuromas have been bothering me in both feet after some high mileage weeks, but not as bad as they have in the past. I am very careful about the shoes I wear when not running so that I can continue to run with as little discomfort as possible. My adductor muscles were bothering me a bit on runs 17 miles or longer, but with stretching that seems to have resolved itself!

I need to run and get one of the world's greatest kindergartners off of the bus! I will post tomorrow about our amazing reunion last night with my original marathon training partner who was gone for a year!

Not just mom is on the move.....

2009-08-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

She is keeping herself busy in the basement playroom.....

The kids....

2009-08-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, they are still around! We are having such a busy summer I have not been able to find the time to sit down and blog. My friend Kelly- the first mom I met at the Loudoun Hospital New Moms Group- has started a natural light photography business. She is great!! She took our pictures last Saturday. Our kids were not at their best, yer she managed to get some amazing shots of them. I am already making list after list of places for her to take our pictures- I should just buy stock now!

You can visit her blog here on her page she has a slideshow with a ton more pictures!

She took so many amazing pictures! Here are a few of her favorites

Thanks Kelly!!!

That darn ankle

2009-07-21T19:24:00.001-07:00

The Friday before the Marine Corps Marathon in 2007 I sprained my left ankle. It was bad- I jumped over something in the basement and landed wrong. I iced it and thought I was good to go (my first sprain obviously). I then went Halloween costume shopping in some summerish high heeled wedge sandal shoes. After 2 hours I was in so much pain I was scared I would not be able to drive the few miles home from the costume store. Rich insisted I go to the ER- they looked at me, x-rayed me, kept asking if I had hit my head since I did not want to watch tv, and then finally the Dr. came in to chat with me. Of course, being 8 days out from the race, my first question was about running the marathon. The Dr. kindly chuckled and told me I would not be walking, let alone running the following Sunday. To him that sounded like advice, to me that sounded like a challenge. A neighbor recommended I go see Dr. Holly at Haymarket Physical Therapy-

and am so happy I did. Her team worked my ankle so many ways- ice baths, hi-volt therapy, exercises, kinesio-tape massage and more. I ran all 26.2 miles of that race. I had a few minutes of pain between mile 1 and 2, then I was good. I did have lingering pain and soreness after the race, but I had to expect that.
I wore an ankle brace for a long time after- it was as basic as you can get, but it really worked.

So- Sunday morning I was coming down the stairs holding Meredith and I put my foot down funny and I instantly felt that unmistakable feeling. I immediately knew (thank goodness) that it was nothing like the ankle incident of '08, but it was definitely an injury. Dr. Holly had given me some great advice- I kept the ankle moving to avoid scar tissue building up, iced it a bit, and cracked my toes. In an effort to not keep my ankle moving I ran 3 miles with a friend and then walked at least 8 miles with my 3 Day Walk girls. I was very sore when I went to bed that night, and iced for a while. I was taking Monday off because of Rich's work schedule, and it seemed to work out. By Tuesday I was back running (ran twice it felt so good).

I feel my experience the first time really helped me this time. Dr. Holly is a PT and a Chiropractor- her team not only rehabed my ankle but taught me how to prevent and heal my ankle injuries. I am also counting my lucky stars that this was not a major sprain. I am really in the groove of training- our short runs, long runs, and tempo runs are all going great. I feel that all of our running goals are on target and with-in reach.

And a reminder- I am walking the 3 Day Walk for a Cure, and would love your support!

I need your support!

2009-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

In addition to all of my running I will be doing a bit of walking- please support me as I take an amazing journey in the fight against breast cancer! The Breast Cancer 3-Day is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.
You can visit my page here
I have been inspired to walk by my friend Jual- her story is here
She is a wonderful 32 year old mommy of three adorable children who also has stage 4 breast cancer. Every dollar you donate helps, even if you can only pledge a few dollars, do it! All of us on 'Jual's Gems' appreciate your support!

We are also having a vendor fair on 9/15 and are looking to secure some great door prizes! Have a business, something to donate, or just an idea? Let me know- any support is more than appreciated!

Finally- a plan!

2009-07-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

I have been going back and forth over the past month about training plans. I was not having luck deciding which of my running goals I wanted to accomplish first, and was also not as motivated now that we have the summer heat. I had looked at all of the usual plans- they all had wonderful features. I used the Non-Runners Marathon Trainer for my first marathon. My friend Alyce that I ran that race with picked it, and we had a great time following the plan and reading the book. It was a great plan/ schedule for our first marathon, but it does not provide a plan for improving our time. So- after a lot of research and indecision my friend Leigh decided to train for the Richmond Marathon with me, yippee!!!! We both are aiming for a 3:30 finish- and she picked a plan. Now that was an easy decision for me! We are following this plan from Runners World- you may need an account to view it. We are more than 16 weeks out from the race, so Leigh found us a 4 week plan to follow for July (you will need to scroll to the bottom of the page to see it). So far, so good. I LOVE having a goal- since my last half I have been a bit lazy because I have no specific race until the fall. This plan (and a friend training for the same race) is exactly what was needed!

So- now I have a plan and I am on a mission! I think we will be able to accomplish our 3:30 finish. I cannot wait to cross that finish line in Richmond with a great friend at my side and a great time will be an added bonus! As usual, I am running happy!

Setting Running Goals!!

2009-06-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Where to start?? I have been stuck on this subject for the past few week. I keep trying to figure out that balance between running and family. Right now I think I am doing a great job of having the balance, but I do have more I want to do. My one rule for myself has been that I can't take away too much time from my kids. So- I think I will set smaller goals and see where that gets me. I also have no set time for reaching the goals, and am happy to readjust them and revise them!
Okay- first goal is a 5k in 19:30 or less. I think I can do this pretty easily, so I may revise the goal time. Second- I would like to complete the Army 10 Miler in 1:15. I could settle for 1:20, but am hoping for 1:15. On to the Richmond Marathon- My goal is 3:45. That of course would be my golden ticket to the illustrious Boston Marathon.
We have had a wacky schedule here the past few weeks, which has not made for any amazing runs. My last two runs have been a bit painful after 20 hours in the car heading to Cincinnati and back for a wedding, and my poor feet are still sore from a cute pair of shoes I wore. Running and vanity have different ideas for my feet. Oh well, now I get new shoes!!

Trip to Pittsburgh

2009-06-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

Our annual trip to Pittsburgh was once again a hit. The ride there was a bit scary with some seriously bad weather, but once we settled in everyone had a great time!!!
The kids enjoyed visiting with Great-Grandma and Aunt Rita. Will and Julia were under strict orders to NOT spin Great-Grandma on her chair this time. My brother and mother came with us, which was a huge treat for the kids. We all enjoyed the time relaxing

The Pittsburgh Zoo was so much fun. My mom and brother went with us, having the extra hands made the trip a bit easier. The kids loved the animals- the Pittsburgh Zoo really is great! The aquarium was a huge hit with all three kids.

After the Zoo it was church festival time! Will and Julia look forward to this all year, I think part of the excitement is that we go with Aunt Patty. The donuts are amazing, and the kids just love the rides and the white elephant sale, which they call the elephant store.

The kids and I also went to a carnival in the mall parking lot, played and just had fun! It is a nice break to go away and not have anywhere you need to be.

A little trip to the gym.......

2009-05-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

After Will's preschool graduation (more on that another day) my mom, brother along with the kids and I headed to Pittsburgh for our annual trip. So much fun, when I get the pictures off of my camera I will share some very fun moments. While we were there I hoped to run, but where my grandmother lives you run 100% hills, and that is not little rolling hills. So- my brother wanted to go to the gym. I would rather have run, especially since the mornings were in the high 30's to low 40's, but the gym won. And this gym was no Lifetime Fitness either. It was a small gym in a run down strip mall with some old equipment. BUT.....after an amazing workout on the elliptical, some weight work, and doing the Jacobs Ladder, I have been completely rejuvenated. I am back into strength training. Luckily for me, Rich is on a similar kick and built us an amazing home gym. Since Meredith was born I have just not dedicated time on a weekly basis to strength training. Just could not get into it. I love to run, and that is just easier for me. Pick up the sitter, meet a friend- run, chat, have fun. I don't have any big races for a few months, so the timing is perfect to do more weights and other strength training. After three kids, abs are a must. I am not overdoing my legs, mainly concentrating on arms and core, along with other exercises I find in my running magazines. I am trying to work through all of my exercises to try to develop a routine so I do not duplicate and so that I hit everything I need to. Something I have been doing is causing my knee to be sore, so figuring that out is a priority right now.

Now for the Jacob's Ladder. I LOVED this thing! It is an awesome workout. It really got my heart rate up, and kept it up. No impact on your knees- an awesome cross training activity. I was surprised that this small gym had this- and I have not found any gym around here that has it. It is huge, so not something you throw into your basement- and it is around 4k, so another reason I don't have one at home!

It is not something you plug in- the faster you step the faster you go. It really is a workout- I am on a mission to find one of these around here but am not having much luck.

Running has been going well- running an evening 5k tomorrow night, mainly for the family aspect of the race (in a fun small town with free beer after). I am planning to run a 20K in August and then the Army 10 miler in September, the Breast Cancer 60 mile walk in October, Richmond Marathon in November, Goofy Challenge in January, and knowing me there will be more races thrown in there! I am looking forward right now to the Army 10 Miler, hoping to finish that with a 7:30 pace. So much to look forward too! And- if you have been paying attention you'd notice I did not mention Iron Girl. So, I was planning on getting my bike on a Monday. The Monday after Charlottesville. As I ran that race I realized I would much rather work towards an amazing finish at the Army 10 Miler and possibly a trip to Boston, so I am putting that on hold. I would definetly love to do Iron Girl in the next few years, but I feel that if I did it now my heart would not be in it. I don't want to end up disliking triathalons since I have enjoyed them so much!

Race Report!!! Pacers Running Festival

2009-05-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

What a great race! Such a wonderful Mother's Day experience. I could not think of a better way to spend Mother's Day- running with my kids!

Since the race was on Mother's Day and the race had the option of running as a team, I had shirts made for the kids and I! I loved them- I had a great experience working with

The shirts were adorable, and kids were so proud of them! They have each kid's initial with white shoe prints going across, and around the outside of the circle they say 'Toussaint Family Running Team * Run Happy*
We had a little pre-race photo shoot!

The trip down to Arlington was easy- the kids woke up early with no complaints and jumped in the car willingly.

The race was on the smaller side- it was really nice to run some of the same roads I ran during the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon without 30,000 others breathing down my neck. We parked right at the start- Rich took all three kids to Silver Diner and then they hung out at a playground and drove to the finish (which was also the location of the kids' dash). The course was beautiful! We started downhill, and then ran a lot of uphills. The course was a welcome challenge. I really could not get a great visual of where exactly the course went from the PDF map that was online- so some of the hills were a surprise. I started out well, my first 3 miles averaged 7:28, the next 3 I ran at a 7:40 pace- by the time I hit the big hill at 9 I was around 7:50. I figured I could make up the time on the flat stretch back into Rosslyn. I could not have been more wrong- those last three miles were straight into a fierce wind! The course passed the Pentagon a few times- I could not stop thinking about the mothers that lost their lives there on 9/11, thinking especially of a good friend whose husband lost his sister there. Put a lot in perspective. I finished at an 8:08 pace. My Garmin hit 13.1 at 1:46. The total race course was 13.49 on my Garmin, so no official PR, but my fastest half-marathon pace to date (yes- to date, I fully intend to crush this time come fall!!)
End of the race:

Kids and I in our matching shirts:

The kids' dash- William was amazing! He took off and ran, he was so determined. I could not have been more proud, and the joy on his face before, during, and after the dash was incredible! He has been bugging me to let him join a running team, but I really don't know of any for 4 year old boys!
Julia was a bit scared of the mob scene at the beginning of the kids dash. Between the woman with the microphone, the police motorcycle revving and it's siren, and the kids running past her, Julia was not happy. She did finish the race though- which impressed me!

I don't have another half coming up until the fall, but I am hoping to find a couple. I am totally in love with the half marathon, perfect distance and I finish having had such a great time! At my next half I am aiming to finish around 1:40 -1:42. Can't wait to try!

Fitting in the runs

2009-04-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

A reader emailed me today asking how exactly I am getting in enough runs to train for these races with 3 kids (4 kids of you count the husband, 6 kids if you count the dogs, but I digress). To be honest- it is a lot of work and a lot of compromise. Some weeks the planets just align and I get to run 5 or 6 days without challenge. Most weeks take a bit more effort. First- I am very blessed to have found a great babysitter, and even luckier to have a running partner that I often split the sitter with. Her kids are 2 wonderful boys that my kids really enjoy, so everyone is happy! Weekend runs are usually alright (harder during sport season) but Rich, or occasionally my mom, watches the kids for those runs or the races. Baby Meredith does not take a bottle, so I usually split the kids on race days to make it easier on everyone. Now that the weather is warming up we are going to start doing more runs in the early am and evening. In fact- I am headed out in an hour for an evening run, and I cannot wait. Meredith is sleeping later in the am, so I can head out for those runs now without worrying about her. Having three kids, training takes up a lot of my 'personal' time, but I can't think of a better way to spend it! I do fins myself a lot busier the more I run- I have less time for the errands and all that, but I find I don't need to do half of the stuff I had been doing! The long and short of it- I am determined so I fit it in. When you have three kids you just kind of roll with the punches on these things- and it works out. Not always exactly how I wanted it, but it all works out!

Today was an amazingly beautiful day here. The girls and I went on a hike with some friends and explored the streams in the neighborhood while Will was at school, and then we watched Will play on the playground at lunch bunch- I love watching him play when he doesn't know I am there. He is always so happy and has so many friends. After that we headed home for yard work, but in this weather it was not a chore. The kids and I made pizza (in the oven, I don't mess with pizza on the grill, I leave that to the expert husband). Meredith is getting all over, she can make it into the other room in a second, got to get all of those little pieces up!
Have a great weekend!

Too fast

2009-04-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

My kids are growing too fast, I just love each and every moment with them so very much. I wish we could slow down time and cherish all they do, and have more time to bask in the glory of those amazing moments (and occasionally fast forward that crazy getting in the car chaos!)

Charlottesville Review

2009-04-20T18:02:00.001-07:00

Not sure if I mentioned before- but I love this race. I am so happy to be back here having loved this year's race as well! Once again, everything was perfect! My mom, Meredith and I made a girls overnight trip, which was wonderful. We arrived in Charlottesville in the late afternoon on Friday and checked in to our hotel. We headed in to town to pick up my packet and get dinner. The weather was incredible, we had a great time sitting outside on the pedestrian mall, and had fun walking around before and after dinner. I hunted down a few Diet Coke with Limes for the morning, bought a few random things at CVS, and headed home. Well, with my mom and I in the car we had to stop for soft serve ice cream- just would not be us if we did not! The beds in the hotel were so comfy (we have a Tempurpedic at home, so many hotel beds are hard to sleep on). We were in bed early- and were both woken up by some nutty woman in the hall arguing with someone- we were not sure if the other person was on the phone or in a room, but she was extremely annoying regardless.
The morning of the race was smooth. We were downtown by 6:05, parked, walked to the start and waited just a few minutes. I did spend a lot of time in the am changing my mind about what I was going to wear. It was in the high 30's/ low 40's at the start. I ended up deciding on my Gracie's Gear tank and my SkirtSports running skirt. Many of the people around me at the start had on coats, but I ended up being so happy with my choice. With the exception of the time I was waiting for the start, I never once felt hot or cold during the race, perfect outfit choice!
The race start was uneventful, you run about 100 yards then head up a hill- nothing like starting off that way! The weather was perfect- no wind to deal with, the sun was not blazing, yet it was not too cold. The scenery was perfect, and so fun to look at. The first few miles are in town, lots of ups and downs. As you come out of town you head up another hill and then you are in the country. The fog was wearing off- there were horses in the fields and hot air ballons in the distance. I was able to maintain a great pace throughout the race- the hills did not bother me at all. The course was the same as last year, but hillier than I remembered. I think being so pregnant last year at the race, I was not trying to make a time, I was trying to finish and took it easy. I felt great when I finished- I felt like I had been out for a jog- I could have kept my pace for many more miles! I could go on forever about this race- I just loved it and I am counting the days until next years Charlottesville Half!

I maintained an 8:16 pace and finished in 1:47. My goal had been to finish under two hours- I was not hoping to PR because I assumed the hills would slow me down, but they did not.
I feel great still- I have that 'great race' runners high. I am thrilled that after being back into running for 18 weeks I managed a 1:47 on a hilly course. I have some big changes I plan on making to my racing calendar- I am so excited for all of the possibilities!

Charlottesville Bound

2009-04-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to be leaving tomorrow for Charlottesville. This is my favorite race, and the weather could not be more perfect. My mom, Meredith and I are making the trip (the baby still won't take a bottle- she's 7 months, so we are trying sippy cups). We will be heading down, picking up my packet and having dinner on the pedestrian mall. I will definitely miss my Victory Lakes running mates Leigh and Cynthia this year, but they will both be here in Bristow cuddling thier brand new babies Juel and Emery. Between shopping, dinner, and the surfboard shower in the hotel, we had an awesome trip and an awesome race together!
This course had been ranked by Runners Magazine as one of the top destination marathons in the country- and they are spot on. The race size is perfect, the setting is intimate, and the course is the most beautiful I have run. I am hoping that my experience this year is as great as last year, and I am honestly looking forward to the hills during the race. Let's see if I am actually thinking that as I run the hills, but I love the feeling when you get to the top of those challenging hills and can look back and think 'I did it, and I can do it again- and I will'. Such a great feeling!

NEWS/PRESS

"One of the Best New Marathons in the U.S.A."
RUNNER'S WORLD MAGAZINE

"One of the Top Destination Marathons in the country"
THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Considered by many as the Most Scenic marathon course in the East"
RUNNING TIMES MAGAZINE

"Thanks to the efforts of Gill and Francesca, Charlottesville has become one of the Top Eight Running Towns"
TRAIL RUNNER MAGAZINE

I just loved this!!!

2009-04-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

We did not get to run today- between school, work (husband), sitter- nothing worked out. I did consider for a bit running twice tomorrow, then saw this and laughed. Then I decided to sleep in. Until 6:30, because I am crazy like that.

Run Happy!!

Happy Easter and what the waffle?

2009-04-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Run Happy Family enjoyed our candy free Easter- our baskets were all filled with 'stuff', no candy. No one noticed! Got to love that. I had a wonderful run planned this am, but baby Meredith is having a bad reaction to an antibiotic, and was up at 6. So much for that- but knowing I have only 5 days until the Charlottesville Half (have I mentioned that it is my favorite race??) helped me pull through! We have 14 adults and 6 kids for dinner, lots of fun planned.

I promise a Meredith picture post soon, my fancy camera is holding my pictures hostage.

And- one funny note- almost weekly my live feed shows that some one has found my site by searching 'can dogs eat waffles' which leads them to this post
Who would have thought this was a pressing question!

Revenge- Cherry Blossom Style

2009-04-05T19:40:00.001-07:00

Last years Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race was my worst race ever. I think it may have been my worst run ever. Although my time was not great for me (it was my slowest run ever) it was more the entire day. I woke up and just knew I should go back to sleep. I didn't. Instead I went to run the race- I did not want to spend the next year wondering 'what if'. Not like I was going to win the race, but was hoping for a bearable run. Um, no. Between taking the Metro, the rain, the cold, being pregnant, the potties being locked.....there was no love that day! The one thing that made it alright was the company, I ran with my friends and that is always fun! Fast forward to today- I seriously don't think things could have gone any better. We left a lot later since we were driving- we parked 4 blocks away- that is closer to the finish than the Metro!!! I dropped my bag, worked my way up to the red corral (the one behind the Elite runners, whooo!!!), and was ready to run. I started off faster than my last race- by the end of mile 2 I had settled in to a 8:05 pace. That felt great- I ended up stopping for one second to tie my shoe and I lost that momentum- but I really did not mind. I slowed to an 8:12 pace, and lost a few seconds at the water stops. I planned to hydrate more before the race, but I am such a sucker for Diet Coke. I finished the race at an 8:17 pace, a full 21 seconds per mile faster than the National Half- so I was happy with that. The course was reversed from last year- I really loved the new route. Last year you passed the runners ahead of you over and over towards the end of the run. This year you passed them earlier, which I preferred. The last miles were under the Cherry Blossom trees, which made it seem more like a Cherry Blossom race! As for the weather- I don't think there could have been a more beautiful day. The start was not too cold, the temperature was great through-out the race, there was plenty of shady spots and the absence of the rain was divine! Riding down with Erica and my friend Michelle (Julia's friend's mom) was wonderful- easy conversation and it was not on the Metro!

I can't leave out the race expo!!! It has been a while since I have been to a good one- I bought a Cherry Blossom light weight running jacket and a hat, bought some new socks, a new hat and something else! Erica, Meredith and I enjoyed the girl time- I am so psyched now for the Army 10 Miler. I am trying to decide what my goal will be for that race. It will have twice as many runners as the Cherry Blossom so the crowd may slow me- I was thinking of aiming for sub-8 miles? I will have to see what I can do- maybe I'll aim for 7:30- we will see.

Cherry Blossom Take 2

2009-03-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler is this weekend. I am so excited for this race after how rotten the experience was last year. Okay- the run was awful, but being down there with my good friends made the day alright. It was one of those days where you roll out of bed (I was 18 or 19 weeks pregnant- so I may have literally rolled) and know it was not a day you were meant to run. BUT, my friends were coming to get me, so I went. The day was dreary and wet, and with Alyce and I being pregnant we both needed some of those potties to be unlocked. My time for this race was a few minutes less than I had run the National Half in the weekend before, and only a few minutes less than I ran the Charlottesville Half Marathon in a few weeks after. Just not my day! It is a nice course with the cherry blossoms and being down on the Mall and running around the Tidal Basin. I am not a fan of how the course loops back on itself so many times- I prefer an out and back race, but for the scenery I won't complain!
After the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler I have the Charlottesville Half (a favorite race of mine!), The Brain Tumor 5k in DC, the Pacers Running Festival Half Marathon (Will, Julia and I are a team for the Mommy and Wee Me Challenge) and then Iron Girl. I may throw a few 10 milers or Half Marathons in there- I am head over heels in love with the half marathon distance!!!
If anyone has a fun half they think I'd like let me know- there are a lot of small half marathons out there that are not well publicized!
Had a wonderful 6 mile run today- it was such a beautiful day.

Problem solved.......

2009-03-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Julia has always been a child who wears everything she touches. You can give her a glass of water, and two minutes later she is filthy! Skipping baths is not an option with her. She had dry skin/ eczema and her Dr. recommended bathing less. If we did not bathe her at least once a day CPS would be here within a week. For her birthday we bought her a vanity

So now that she can see herself- she is cleaning her face. I guess she never knew how dirty she really was!

Tomorrow is Julia's 3rd birthday. Where has the time gone? Who ever knew you you could have 3 amazing kids who were all so different and so wonderful at the same time?

National Half

2009-03-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

The National Half Marathon was a great race for the second year in a row, and I cannot wait to run this again next year. I finished in 1:54, so I was very happy with my time. I maintained an 8:38 pace the entire race. It was one of those days where the running just came easy- I wish all race days could be like that.
The race itself was fun. I love being able to drive to the start of this race, and not have to worry about Metro. As I walked up the hill from my car to the start I realized that I had forgotten my timing chip. After a few minutes of stress and being angry with myself I stopped to put my key in my pocket, and there was my chip! Thank goodness! I went straight to the start line and waited 5 minutes for the start. The first mile was crowded and I saw a number of runners fall. The combination of the number of runners, people scooting around each other and the well paved DC streets were to blame. I was so glad it was not me! By the end of the first mile I was running a great pace and maintained it for the entire race. The course had a few small changes, but nothing that really changed the challenge level. The hills were not bad, they all just seem to come at once! I love running through the area I spent so much time in during the 9 years I lived in the city! The finish was nice, I was so happy with my time! I grabbed some soft pretzels, a water and a Diet Coke and headed for the car! I was back at my moms to pick up Meredith by 10:30- not too bad! Made it to the city, ran the race and went home in a bit under 5 hours!
This was the first race I have ever used an iPod, and only the second time I ran with one. I don't think it will become a habit, but it worked for me during this race. I worry running alone with an iPod, but in the controlled environment of a race- not too bad. I waited until mile 2 to turn it on, I wanted to have a comfortable pace. From mile 2 until mile 12 the songs were gfreat- I had to skip one here or there, but a pretty good shuffle. I get past mile 12, seriously I had time for one song, and it was song after song after song of slooooooow music- finally after skipping something like 12 songs, I got a fast song and was done! I felt amazing crossing the finish line, I could have run further, but was happy to be done. I really love the half marathon distance, I am signed up for 3 more right now and plan on many many more!

Ready to Run....

2009-03-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

I am getting excited for the National Half Marathon this weekend! I ran the race last year and loved it, you can read about that experience here. It is an okay course, not as 'DC' as the Marine Corps Marathon, and not as scenic as the Charlottesville Marathon & Half Marathon, but it is a nice race. Last year I signed up, ran, and finished alone. It was a quiet race, people did not chat with each other the way they did in Disney, or any other of the long races I have run. This year a bunch of running moms from my neighborhood have signed up, so it will be a treat to have company on the course. Since it is only a half, no special prep is needed, I just need to get down to DC in time for the start! I will miss Leigh, Cynthia, and Jeannie. We all planned on doing this race together, Jeannie is injured, Leigh is very pregnant, and Cynthia is the proud mommy of a 3 day old!!!

My Meredith update is coming soon, poor third child is lacking pictures, that will be my project for tomorrow!!!

Back on track......with new shoes

2009-03-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

After a week of being sick, I think I am back on track. I had a great 5 mile run today at a great pace, thank goodness. I was able to get in runs last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. By Friday afternoon I was back to feeling awful with major chest congestion, sinus pressure, and general soreness. I had planned early am runs over the weekend but decided I needed the rest instead. Right choice! I feel much better now- I even slept until 8 on Saturday. I cannot remember the last time that happened, but I know it was probably at least 5 years ago!

Now that I am well rested I am gearing up for my first post Meredith half marathon- The National Marathon & Half Marathon. Should be fun. I ran it pregnant last year and thought the race was okay, but they had soft pretzels at the end, so I am doing it again. Need some kind of motivation, right?

I am excited to run, and just want to get out there and enjoy the race! It will be fun to run this course now that I am not pregnant and won't be wondering how long until the next potties- and there were not a ton on this course! I am not going to make any effort to get a pr or even try for a certain time, I just want to love the race!

I am really enjoying my new shoes- I bought New Balance 1063- I love them!

Not as much fun as a run......

2009-03-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just when things were going so great......I got hammered by the flu. With the exception of the stomach bug, I have not been lay in bed sick since 1998 or 1999. On Sunday night I was on the phone with my mom and noticed my back was hurting. I assumed I had hurt it when Julia had a ~~tantrum~~ moment of unhappiness. A few minutes later my legs started to really ache and I was worried I had really hurt my back. The next thing I knew I had awful chills and the rest is history. The kids have all been amazingly good and cooperative while I have been sick. I was sad to miss my runs yesterday and today, but I am looking forward to hopefully running tomorrow and the rest of the week. I was disappointed to miss our Monday dinner with the Slackers, I know they are happy to not have gone home with the flu as a party favor! Being forced to slow down and just lay around with the kids was fun yesterday, and Julia trying to make me better was adorable. She will be a great mommy someday! They were a little confused as to why mommy was sick, but enjoyed daddy taking them to Red Robin last night to get them out of the house and their minds off the canceled playdate! Meredith decided she wanted to play at 4am- not funny last night, but she was so darn cute! I can't believe she is 6 months- I'll have to post on that tomorrow!

I am feeling lucky that so far, no one else in the house seems to have come down with the flu. Everyone else is vaccinated luckily. I cannot get the flu shot because I have an egg allergy. While it is not a bad egg allergy (I just can't consume raw eggs) they will not administer the vaccine to anyone with an allergy. Not that the vaccine is a guarantee!

A wonderful run....

2009-03-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

I have been back into running full force for two months now, and I feel great. I knew I missed running from my last pre-Meredith run last summer, but at times you don't realize how much you miss doing something or how much of an impact something has on you until you no longer are doing it. I did a few short runs in the 8 weeks before Meredith arrived, and a few short ones in the fall. Now that I am back up to around 30 miles a week and climbing I am truly reminded of what I love about running. I love the actual running part. So many people tell me they don't like running, but I love the run. Even on a bad day, something about being out there makes me much more positive and centered. On a good day, I feel like I can do anything. I love to run with my friends (and I am amazingly blessed to have some fantastic running partners who also happen to be some of my closest friends). Having that time with them is so important to my sanity, and it always helps keep things in perspective. I love the energy I have after a run. Even a quick 4 mile run leaves me energized, and days I run I accomplish so much. I can accomplish a weeks worth of 'stuff' in an afternoon if I have had a great run in the am, and there is somnething so amazing about a shower that I feel I have truly earned. Washing 5, 10, or even 39 miles of hardwork off is incredible, a shower well deserved! The fit 'feeling' I have when I am in good running shape is a better fit feeling for me than when I am in amazing shape from the gym. I am not sure why, possibly the tangible evidence of mileage on my Garmin? Who knows, but I love it!
I love the sore muscles after a quick increase in miles- who would have thought I'd ever say that!
I have lots of pictures to post once my Mac is back on the home network- and by request I will be posting my Iron Girl training plan and my fall marathon and Goofy Challenge training plans. Thanks for all of the emails- I love them all!

On the road again....

2009-02-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

I am finally really back into the running groove. I am so happy- running is really something I love, and I am beyond thrilled! Everything has been going smoothly. Running with three is a challenge, but between my wonderful husband, a fantastic babysitter and a loving mom, I have childcare! Whooooo! I even have had friend run and then watch my kids so I can run.
A few things have changed with my running, and I love the variety. First- as I mentioned before, I usually run with friends. While training for the Marine Corps and Disney I never- not once- ran alone!! Due to timing/ childcare I have run alone a few times, and I actually ran. I was so afraid that I would be tying my shoes or fixing my hair every 50 feet. The first time I did, but since then I have done fine. I still prefer to run with friends! Second- I have been running during the day. I was always a 5 or 6 am runner. Never thought I would do the days, but I am loving it. We even got in an amazing run in the snow, so much fun! The last big change- I ran with an iPod for the first time. It took a little getting used to, for the first few songs I felt like I should start dancing. After a few miles I was fine, and enjoyed listening to adult music.

I am still on the hunt for a triathalon bike- very excited to get that. Once I am done with my two half marathons this spring I plan on getting more into my Iron Girl training. I look forward to getting my plan together and will be sharing what I find.

Gotta run........

Mom on the run......

2009-02-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

I finally am back in the routine- and it feels so great! The early am runs are not practical right now, so I have mixed up the routine. It has been almost 5 years since I ran anything besides the early am, save two races I did. It has been a lot of fun, and with a baby it has been necessary. We have had a few cold runs, and today's run was amazing. It was in the 50's and sunny. I came home after 6 miles with a great runner's high that has just kept me energized all day! I am excited to have found a sitter and am going to be able to get in 4 runs before I leave for Pittsburgh this week. I am so excited- I have been building my mileage slowly and feel great so far. A great run really makes me feel like I could conquer the world, and all of the amazing running partners I have had since we moved here have made every run fun! Last week my friend Erica and I ran 4 miles in the fresh snow. It was beautiful. The schools were closed and the roads were empty. The route was beautiful, really made me appreciate the day in a way I would not have otherwise after shoveling for hours! Amazing that I have had a memorable snowy run and a warm sunny day run less than 6 days apart! Got to love the VA weather!

As for races- now I am feeling like I can get back into gear. The big news is that I am doing the Goofy Challenge again with my friend Lee- it will be so amazing to do those races again- with company. So excited! I am feeling good about the half marathons I am signed up for this spring. I doubt I'll be breaking any personal records, but I will be enjoying every minute of it! Now I need to buy a new bike for IronGirl- I can't wait for that challenge!

Go Pittsburgh!

2009-01-19T04:51:00.001-08:00

Run mommy run!

2009-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

I ran my first post-Meredith race last week! It was just what I needed as far as motivation was concerned. It was a lot of fun- not a very exciting or fun course, but it really got me back in the groove, and kick started that 'need to run' feeling. We had a crazy week here and I never ran during the week, but I got a nice run in today. I could go again right now- I love that feeling! I ran with a neighbor that I have known for a long time and never ran with- it was a great time and we will be running together again soon! I don't know how I got so lucky moving into a neighborhood with all of these wonderful active women that ate great friends on top of it all. My project now is to buy new running shoes and get a better bike for my IronGirl training.

The Holiday Round Up- the rest of the story!

2009-01-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas day was so much fun for all of us! My mom, brother, sister and her husband all joined us for gifts and breakfast. My mom has made pecan and cherry rolls for as long as I can remember, a wonderful Christmas tradition we all look forward to! Rich and I did not have much to open as we bought exercise equipment and called that our Christmas gift. The kids had a blast opening gifts! William loved reading his name and Julia's name on the gifts, and he wasted no time jumping in! Julia enjoyed opening and wanted to play with each gift as she opened it. She did not really understand that she could not just pick any gift from under the tree and open it, that led to a few tears. As expected, Buss Lightyear and Woody were huge hits- the kids did a great job sharing those two toys- they were just so excited to open them!

Julia opened a birthday cake play set and was finished. She was most interested in that, and we all played birthday!

Two of Will's bigger gifts were a hit- the GeoTrax Airport and the Planet Heroes ship. His favorite though is the Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle- it can make 30 different vehicles with the included pieces, and he and Rich are addicted. I think that was Rich's favorite as well, it seemed for a while like William was going to the to pry the toy out of Daddy's hands if he wanted to play with it!

Baby Meredith slept through everything, and woke up just as the last gift was opened! Perfect timing!
Julia tried very hard to wrap Grandma up!

After breakfast we headed over to Maryland for Christmas with the Toussaints!
Nana, Papa, Uncle Andrew and Aunt Kate were there- Uncle Will and soon-to-be Aunt Lauren were in Cincinnati and we missed them!

Suddenly camera shy while sitting on Papa's lap.
As ususal Nana had amazing food- and William was able to help with the cake. He had a piece before we left- and he licked the plate. Yes, it was that good. When Cynthia cooks we all want to lick the plate, but since I am no longer 4, can't get away with it!
Nana bought Julia a rolling backpack with an attached ballerina bear- she has played with this for hours everyday, it is so cute!

Aunt Kate's first Christmas as a Toussaint!
After the Toussaint's we headed back to VA and went to dinner at my mom's. She bought the kids an amazing art table for Christmas, and it was a huge hit.

By the end of Christmas the kids were exhausted- a long but wonderful day!
The rest of the holiday break was nice- we had some great weather so we took trips to the playground, had outdoor playdates and went on family walks. Can't beat that in December! New Years was very laid back- our power went out around 4 as a result of the strong winds- we decided to go to El Tio for dinner and then came home when the power came back on 3 hours later. I did not even make it to midnight!

We had so much fun having all of the extra family time over the break- kids all played so well together. Will and Julia just love that Meredith is so interactive now, and they just beam when she smiles and laughs at them.

Holiday Round-up! Part One

2009-01-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

It was a busy but wonderful Holiday Season here! Everything ran smoothly, and everyone had a great time!
***One disclaimer***- Julia is now dressing herself- if we are not going anywhere I let her do what she pleases, so yes, in some pictures she may have on 4 dresses or none at all.

William and Julia had Christmas programs at school. William's was adorable- the kids have all grown so much from last year, and they all sang so well!

Julia's class sang a few songs for the parents- but it was really the teachers singing and the little ones staring! They are so cute in her class, and big brother William was so excited to see her in her classroom. They had cookies for the kids, and I think knowing that the cookies were on the table was just too much for Julia- she stared up at the cookies the whole time!
After the kid's programs we headed to the Farr's house for a Holiday Party and Puppet show that was so much fun. Will and Julia have been putting on puppet shows that are just so funny. The kids also got to decorate cookies, and Julia was thrilled to stay a little longer with Mrs. Claire (aka Mrs. Clara) and ride home in her sparkly mini-van.
The next day William had his school party and book exchange, and Julia was able to go to the Cisco Office Party with Daddy- a huge thrill!!!! She loved getting dressed up for her daddy date, and was even more excited to discover Cheetos at the party- we never have had those in the house.

The next day was a huge treat- Rocknocerous! We went to Jammin Java in Vienna and met a friend of mine from college and his wife and son. Julia clung to daddy the entire time, but said she had a ton of fun. William got out there and danced a bit, but spent a lot of the time trying to fix the decorations that fell down.

William fell asleep doing a little last minute shopping....

The next day was gingerbread house decorating with Uncle Billy- whom the kids love! They love every visit from him!

Christmas Eve was low key here- Rich was getting over the stomach bug and Julia was on the mend as well. We baked cookies for Santa and made pizza on the grill. The kids tracked Santa online and we even Sat outside on the steps for a bit and tracked him in the mild December weather!

Baby Meredith was there for it all- she is growing up so fast!

I'm an astronaut

2008-12-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

William and daddy headed to the Air and Space museum today without poor Julia who is sick again. No fever, she just is lethargic and had laid on the couch all day. As William was getting ready to head to the museum he got himself dressed. Black flannel pants that are too small and a navy blue tee-shirt. Yipee, glad I did not have to look at this outfit all day. Since he doesn't have an astronaut helmet he decided he needed to wear his bicycle helmet on his trip to space. After saying he did not need a coat over his short sleeved shirt in 20 degree weather, he decided to find the coat that looked most like an astronaut suit. So he picked a size 3 girls brown puffer jacket, with ruffles, from Gymboree. Natural choice- I always see space men with ruffly jackets! He then rode his scooter to the front door- could not understand why we were laughing at him.

And- thanks to Slacker Mom for the new header!

He has been busy

2008-12-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

William has been so busy the past few days. He has become very determined to get 'stuff' done.
First on his list was protecting a drawer. He told us we cannot open the drawer to Christmas.

Rich is happy the bottle opener was not in that drawer like it usually is, there is an entire roll of tape under that paper towel. Not sure of his motivation, but the drawer is safe!

After getting posters at the Rocknocerous concert this morning Will decided we all needed posters on our doors. Another roll of tape went into this project- he still has not hung the Rocknocerous posters, but there is a poster from some Adam Sandler movie on the inside of his door, along with flyers from Jammin Java all along the hallway.

Last project of the day- Santa's sleigh.

Last year at this time.....

2008-12-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

Time flies- and brings so many changes! Focusing on my year in running........Last year at this time- We were celebrating a wonderful experience at the Marine Corps Marathon (and Alyce and I were both happy we decided not to do the Outer Banks Marathon 2 weeks later).

I was coming to the end of my training for the Goofy Challenge- I had run my 18 miles on Saturday, went out that night to a party, and ran 11 miles Sunday am. Monday am I got up and ran with Alyce, Cynthia Jeannie and Leigh- not aware that Alyce and I were both pregnant. I was two days pregnant, so no way of knowing. Alyce was three weeks ahead of me- when we both found out and told each other we were relieved to have a running friend to go through this with! Running while pregnant was great- when I found out on Christmas I was pregnant I went through a huge range of emotions about running- I was not sure what to do about the Goofy Challenge. I had trained hard to run the 39.3 miles and was in fantastic shape, but was nervous about the actual race at 8 weeks pregnant. One of the OBs at my practice said no way to the races. I must have changed my mind 500 times, and left for Disney convinced I was doing just the 1/2 marathon. Well- I did the full and half marathon and finished in the top 12% of both! I did take it easy as it was hot at some points in the Florida sun, but was so thrilled with my accomplishment!

When I got back I was convinced by Leigh to register for the Charlottesville Marathon- I eventually switched to the half, even if I would be 21 weeks pregnant! I then got the running bug again (I don't think it ever went away- except for a few minutes in Disney in the days after the race, but it came back) and registered for the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and the National Half Marathon, along with a handful of smaller local races. I was featured as One Fit Mommy on Workoutmommy and met so many neat people through that! I also was interviewed for the NBC News at the Charlottesville Marathon, but that footage is not up anymore. During that run one of the race spectators recognized me from the interview, it was fun! I was able to keep up my running until around 23 weeks- after that my sciatic nerve caused too many problems to do long distances!

I have a few people I need to thank for helping me over the past year with my running- without a doubt, Alyce, Cynthia, Jeannie and Leigh were amazing. Even when I was the only one training for the Goofy Challenge, these girls got out of bed at 5am to run up to 18 miles with me in the bitter cold and many days, rain. They even tag teamed a few runs so that I always had a running mate- thanks girls. They also talked me into races, supported all my decisions, made me laugh, and were great friends. Leigh and Cynthia are now pregnant- so we are looking forward to a day we can all be back in amazing running shape! I also need to thank Rich- he has been to more races than I can count, including dragging two kids along to most of them. He also deserves thanks for making sure I had the time to run, and not rolling his eyes (at least when I could see) when I complained that he had to work on a day I wanted to run. Many days he cut it close so I could get in a run- so thank you!

Now for the year ahead- Iron Girl! I am very excited for Iron Girl in August. I am still working on my training plan, but I am ready for the chalenge. I am registered for the National Half and the Charlottesville Half again. I can't wait to add races to the list, and I am sure Rich is thrilled to now bring three kids to the race! It will be fun getting back into running more and more as Meredith grows and sleeps on a regular schedule! And good luck to Leigh and Cynthia with the running babies, and I speak for us all when I say that we miss running with Alyce now that she is in Lake Charles- but we all know that we will be back together someday! We love you Alyce- and William loves you most mermaid!

He gets it!

2008-12-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

One thing we are always trying to impress on our kids is that we always need to be thinking of others, and really care for those around us. My kids seem to get that- and they are so lucky to be surrounded by friends that have parents that seem to feel the same way. Last night as I was putting a few things in Will's room after bedtime, he asked me to come sit with him for a minute. He seemed pensive, so I asked him what he was thinking about. He told me that he was concerned that Santa and Rudolf might not know that his best friend Emma has a peanut allergy, and that they might only bring her snacks that she can't have. He wanted to know if our elf Austin could let Santa know about Emma so she would not be sad on Christmas morning. It warmed my heart to know my little boy was laying in bed concerned with another child's Christmas experience.

What? It's not washable?

2008-12-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

Worst part of this is that daddy did it to her thinking the markers were washable- and daddy and William have whiskers as well!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T18:36:00.001-08:00

The Busy Season

2008-12-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

I am amazed at just how busy the busy season has become! I remember years ago, back before kids, not really getting what people were saying when they talked about this time of year. Sure, I was busy with school, work, parties and shopping. Add three kids into the mix, and now I get it! Phew! The busy season really does start at Halloween. We got past that and then things just never slow down. I do have to say I enjoy the busy season, but I can see how people get overwhelmed so easily this time of year. I do not want that to happen here, so we have made (ok- I have made) some decisions to make life easier. We did our Christmas shopping earlier. I have only a few small things to get for friends, so we have not been rushing around trying to find things to buy. Instead I bought throughout the year when I found something I know people would like. I do not want to be stressed and dragging these kids through the mall or through Target when they could be sitting at home enjoying some down time. We also decided that we really don't need to do everything. If we don't see the lights at Bull Run, so be it. Kids will never know, and frankly I don't see the thrill. The kids think the neighborhood lights are just as fantastic, and it is a million times better when you look at lights 10 minutes at a time. We are not going overboard on gifts, and the kids are not getting all they ask for. Julia wants whatever she is playing with when you ask her, she so does not get the whole concept yet. William wants everything from a huge remote controlled dinosaur to the Barbie cruise ship (because it is a boat- he doesn't want the Barbies with it). He also wants a mermaid doll because he misses Mrs. Alyce- he may get that because we all miss her. I think that while our kids are young we can make the holidays into we want them to be for years to come. We can make it more about family and friends and less about presents and parties. We can spend more time relaxing in the glow of the Christmas tree lights and window candles, and less time standing in line trying to get the latest and greatest toys. Life is too short and too precious to spend it stressing at the holidays. I am going to relax, enjoy my family and friends and do my best to make this holiday season the most enjoyable yet!

Harvest Hoedown

2008-11-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

William & Julia's school has a Harvest Hoedown every year right before Halloween. It is so much fun for the kids (and the parents that volunteer). This year I worked the rodeo and was in charge of stick horses and hippity hops- important work! William's favorite part was riding the horse, same favorite as last year- riding the horse. I watched him ride the horse from where I was volunteering, so cute! I had Meredith with me, she slept in the Bjorn the entire time! Such a sweet and easy baby!

Apple Picking

2008-11-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

We made our yearly trip to Stribling Orchard in Markham. Rich and I went before we had kids, and have gone every year since. We have had so much fun, and some years we have gone 3 times. We love picking apples, shopping in the store, and cooking with the apples after. We look forward every year to their fresh apple bread.......but this year they changed the bread and it was not a positive change. I have been experimenting and have come up with some very good apple bread recipes, and the kids have been enjoying sampling!
As soon as we got out of the car the kids starting picking apples up off of the ground and putting them in the bags. We convinced them to put them back and help us pick ones from the trees!

The kids loved looking at the caterpillars, and William was fascinated by the ones that had been run over.

Look mom, no hands! Julia took a bite out of half of the apples- including a few off the ground, yuck.

Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

For their holiday service project, all of the pre-k classes at William's school are making shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. They watched a short video in school about the program, so they have a sense of ownership as they are making the boxes. We headed to buy our 'goodies' today- we decided to make a box for a girl and a boy. Both William and Julia are very involved- it great that they both enjoy doing things for others, and I am glad to know that Rich and I have successfully imparted upon them our belief that we need to always be thinking of others and doing good for those in need- regardless of where in the world they are or why they are in need.
Rich and William were once featured in the local paper dropping off laundry baskets filled with household essentials for local families in need. It was an adorable picture and made me so proud! I admire that if there is ever anything we as a couple or family can do to help someone- all I have to do is mention it to Rich and he is off running. I think that because of his enthusiasm -if he ever needs a second career- he would be amazing running a foundation or planning charity events (or as a buyer for Nordstroms- right Mrs. Clara??)

Will and Julia sorting our donations into a girl and boy box

The final wrapped boxes- almost ready to go- Rich is stooping tonight to pick up one last coloring book for the boy box. I somehow ended up with two Hello Kitty coloring books and no boy books!

School Pictures for Wordless Wednesday!

2008-11-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I got Will all dressed for school, and at the last minute threw on a sweatshirt as it was a chilly day- I assumed they would take it off at school, but as you can see they brushed his hair, fixed his collar......and left the darn sweatshirt on. Lesson learned!

Pregnancy Fitness Favorite Things

2008-10-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have had a few emails asking what my favorite fitness items were while I was pregnant. So.......

Running Skirts. All of mine were great when I was running- at 8 weeks, 28 weeks, and 38 weeks (although that was slightly more of a waddle than a sprint). I did not buy any maternity workout clothes. At Target, I sized up from an extra small to a small running skirt and that got me through those last weeks wonderfully. The 20 dollars I spent on 2 running skirts was much better than the 69 dollars one maternity skirt cost, and they are still useful. I did find that Lucy and Champion for Target both make longer tank tops that worked very well at covering my bump, right up until my last workout. Lucy sells an extra long tank, while I just bought the usual one at Target- they just happen to be long and stretchy, which helped it from riding up! I only wore shorts up until about 15 weeks, after that all of my runs were in skirts.

Hydration Belt- I found my usual hydration belts did not stay where I wanted on my long runs- with the exception of the Brooks one Rich got me for Christmas. It is big, but has elastic. I was able to get it in just the right place- I did not feel it during the runs, and it did not bounce all over like the Fuel Belts did as I grew.

I could NOT stomach the Gu at all while I was pregnant. I did have one- at mile 33 of the Goofy Challenge (about mile 20 of the marathon) and will never forget it. It was Apple Pie flavor, it just killed my stomach. Just thinking about it now- ugh! Luckily there was someone close by with pretzels and that calmed my stomach. I was not about to let the Gu ruin my run since being pregnant did not manage to stop me!!! I loved the Jelly Belly Sport Beans. I could eat them over a longer period, and that was much easier on my stomach. Carrying even a few bites of real food made a huge difference.

And- the most important Pregnancy Fitness tool?? My friends! Running with my girls was amazingly motivating, especially since Alyce was pregnant with me. We could slow down or speed up as needed, and looked out for each other. Leigh, Cynthia, Alyce and Jeannie really were my most important tool- thanks girls!

Fall Fun....flying by!

2008-10-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

I told Will I wanted to take a fall picture- he took me a bit too serious, he fell over!

We have had another great week here- time is still flying by! We had a great visit with the Slackers, need to do that more often. We had soccer and JW Tumbles, and made a trip to Mr. Steve's fire station.

We had a great visit with the in-laws, everyone one was there. Nana, Papa, Uncle Andrew and Aunt Kate, Uncle Will and the soon to be Aunt Lauren. Kids are into drawing and making lists, I am getting a break from the constant drumming every now and then. William's picture of the week:
Yup- that's what baby eats. Not a picture I'll be sending to school- but it is relatively anatomically correct. Boys!

We are busy getting ready for this weekends Halloween party- the kids are set:

Rich and I are not. We were thinking of being ketchup and mustard, but none of the local costume stores seem to have them this year! Ugh. We need to keep thinking. Rich was a robot last year, it was an awesome costume that he made himself, but to help with the kids or even fit in the bathroom he had to take it all off. I was on crutches at last years party, but we still had a ton of fun!!! Strangely I was there- but there is not a photo of me.
Last year:

I have been slowly getting back into my fitness routine, much easier said than done with three kids on three different schedules!! I did get one run in which caused some discomfort that I will have to ask my Dr. about, so I am taking the running slowly. We have taken a few good walks this week. Since I will not pay buy a triple stroller we have been using the BOB double with the infant seat attachment and the sit and stand- just squeezing 3 kids on. Needless to say, lots of fighting. I need to find some alone time to exercise if I want to avoid stopping every three minutes to mediate disputes. I have been fighting with the kids over the Bosu and the weights- I won those wars. They have won the war for the resistance tubing (see Julia's costume picture above)- we have a bunch and if they need to exercise as mush as they claim- I'll let them. I am reluctant to take Meredith to the gym with all of the kids that are sick already this fall.

I love this picture my neighbor took of Will and Rich at the Nat's game this summer. Will and Rich went with the Braziers and had so much fun!

I have so much to say, but I have a 5 week old that I need to cuddle with!!!! I need to attend to the important things....my family!

Where does the time go?!?!

2008-10-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

Seriously- where does it go?? Meredith is one month and one day old! It seems to be going so fast. I am trying to treasure every minute as this may be our last baby, but at the end of each day I find myself wondering where the time went!! That said, we are having a good time! Will and Julia are still enjoying school- they have the next two days off for a teacher workshop, so we may have to head to Cox Farms on Friday. Although Will loves being in school 5 days, I miss the ability to just wake up and do fun things.

My goal for the next few weeks is to simplify- find a way to organize my trips so I can spend more time enjoying my family, and maybe have a date night soon!! I find myself doing too many 'busy' things that I know in the scheme of things....don't need done or won't be missed. I do know that someday I will regret every hug or smile or laugh I missed while rushing around- so, since technically my new year starts October 1st, I am resolving to slow down, do less, enjoy more and just live!

A few pictures:
Baby M- who does she look like??? I can't tell if it is me, Rich, the kids?????

Rich had the kids watch our wedding video and Julia played bride with him
The drumming has not stopped- thanks Andrew and Papa- blaming you guys! Both kids love it, and it really is fun to watch. I had them move it outside on the nice days- my ears can only take so much.......

Baby M on her bear rug from the LaBellas
School picture day for Will........I sent him to school in the cutest shirt and put a sweatshirt on him as we got in the car assuming someone would have him take the darn thing off, but no- they tucked his collar in nice and took the picture!!! Argh........
Julia after a piece of my birthday cake from the Braziers- think she enjoyed it??

Is it a bad sign???

2008-09-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Is it a bad sign that this is on my birthday? Maybe it is a reminder to stay positive and not bitch!

Running and post-baby belly!

2008-09-25T07:57:00.001-07:00

I am counting down the days (and minutes.....) until I can run again. Now that I have had the time to see what having 3 is like, I have realized that my 'running plan' is going to have to change. I have mentioned before that I am VERY lucky to have never had to run alone on a training run since I moved to Bristow- can't beat that. I was mentioning to a friend the other day that I am apprehensive at the prospect of having to run alone. Meredith's schedule won't allow me right now to do the 5:30 am runs with the girls, plus one of my girls has moved to Louisiana (and I miss her very badly), two are pregnant, and that doesn't leave many of us! So my friend said 'ummmm, didn't you run 39 miles in Disney by yourself?' Yup, I did. 'Didn't you run the National Half Marathon by yourself?' Yes again! But, it's different. I am much more easily motivated when I have a timing chip on my shoe and know that people are checking my progress/ results online. But, if I can run 39 miles alone, I should be able to eek out a few runs here, right? I am going to dig out my ipod- I have never run with music before so this could be fun! Finding the time may be a bit more challenging, but I am dedicated so I know that I *can* do it.
As for goals- I am going to stick to half marathons for the next year- maybe do the Marine Corps again next year. I was so tempted to try to run that this fall, but after looking at the calendar I realized that I would have three weeks to train- I am pretty confident, but I know that running the Marine Corps would be asking for trouble! I would like to beat my times in a few races- my 5k goal for the year is to finish in 19 minutes. I have come close, but when I started training for marathons my 'short races' slowed a bit. I would like to run a half marathon in 1:45 and just enjoy the rest of my races!!! I still plan to qualify for and run Boston, but not right away.
I also am very eager to get rid of my baby belly. I wish it would happen faster, but I know this is one of those things that just takes time. Yuck! I am used to have great abs, but they will return once I start working out again, and I do have one amazing little baby girl to show for it!
As William would say "So so what? I'm still a rock star, I got my rock moves" and he is right as usual. A little downtime never hurt anyone- I still am One Fit Mommy- and will now be the runner with three kids trying to find the time to run, exercise, and stay fit while spending quality time with her kids and husband. Balancing it all will be my next challenge, and my way to prove that I still have it!!!
And one last thing- I know that my running is having a positive impact on my kids- when we were at the park yesterday waiting for our friends, William decided to play marathon boy. He ran along the paths and wanted me to cheer for him, he stopped for water breaks like a 'real race', and when he was finished came over and said 'you are a marathon mommy, and I am your marathon kid'. He is so right!!! Running has always been a part of his life- he sees me enjoying it and enjoying being fit, and aspires to do the same- now that ROCKS!

Fun.....almost all around

2008-09-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

We have had another pretty good week here. Baby Meredith is awake more and more, and is not a bad sleeper most nights, so we are counting our blessings!!! I have thrush and am fighting the good fight to get rid of it. I have a full arsenal of pills, creams, supplements, yogurt- you name it, we have it. I am praying for some relief soon, it has got to happen!!!

William has become a non-stop drummer. He set up a drum set in the family room (see below) and one in his room. The one in his room has not a single drum, all thing he found in his room- yet is still so noisy! Does not make it easy for Julia to nap, but it is cute. He sings and plays drums for 2 hours at rest time. His favorite song right now is 'So What' by Pink. hmmmmmmm

Julia has been having fun dressing up. As always....
You can see her black eyes a bit in this picture and the bruise on her forehead from running into a table at my mom's last week!

Julia's princess face- she says next time she wants a bat like batman on her face- she's all girl

Baby M is growing s fast!!!!!

And the grand finale for the week was Haymarket Day. Kids had fun marching in the parade- once we got there. The car behind me on the way to the parade was in a bad accident (not saying who it was on the blog out of respect for this person's privacy). The car looks totaled and the police man said she was very lucky not to be injured since most of the accidents that occur at that intersection have injuries (you think with so many accidents they would do something about the intersection, but I digress). I learned three things from this accident- if you have to get in an accident (and I pray you all never do) the start of a local parade is a great place to do it, the police, EMT's, and fire trucks were already right there. Second, there are still so many people out there who will help- sometimes it seems like there aren't, but a few wonderful people helped, checked on us, helped me with the kids at the scene and helped me get them through a field to the start of the parade. Third- Post Traumatic Stress is real- I relive this accident about every 3 minutes. That is an improvement from yesterday when it was about every 30 seconds. Just hearing the impact, knowing immediately who it was- that was awful.

Now for cute pictures:
This boy loves his donuts!
Julia eats her pizza in the strangest way......
Daddy pulling the wagon!

Great Raffle for a Great Cause!!

2008-09-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

We recently met some of our neighbors- they have kids the same age as Will and Julia- amazing that you can live a few houses away from people and never cross paths with them for over two and a half years, but it happens. We happened to drive by when they were having a yard sale/ fundraiser. They are adopting a little girl from Russia click here for story Such an incredible family. Bethany's blog is so amazing to read, they are such a loving family and I am so impressed with their story. I think you will be too.

Another blog, The Mom Crowd, launched an incredible fundraiser for them. For every $5 raffle ticket that is purchased, your name will be entered into a drawing for a ton of awesome prizes {see the slideshow below}. The prizes that have donated are valued at over $1,500! Click here to check it out!

Hospital baby pictures

2008-09-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Just a few cute pictures from the hospital

Busy week! and pictures!

2008-09-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy week- yet a very wonderful week here! William and Julia both started school- and both love it! They are as happy as can be. Both have wonderful teachers and great classes. William has a new friend. He said that the little boy wanted to play with him and told him 'together, we are the Power Rangers' which excited him greatly! He then asked what a Power Ranger was, but was so excited to have made a friend. His class in the 'popcorn' class, and he thinks that is the coolest!! He loves building and playing with the roadway. Julia loves playing play-do and making shaped with shaving cream. She has been two days so far and is so ready to go back. No tears from either of them- just pure excitement and joy!

Will's first Day

Julia's first day- and William's second day!

The kids are still in love with new baby. William has been an amazing help, and wants to love his little sister all day long. Julia is enjoying her as well, and has been loving her new baby doll as well. She loves dressing and undressing her- and taking her all over!! She is a little confused by the nursing- she wants to know why Meredith is biting me. Explaining this one is not easy. I told her Meredith was getting her milk- she ran and got a cup for me to give her some. Julia wants to know why baby Meredith is in baby Jillian's room. Trying to get across the 'we changed our mind on the name' concept is not working. She seems to think that there are two babies- we just ended up with a different one. Soon enough she'll forget!Julia was not real sure about the baby at first!
William was calling the pizza place to let them know Daddy was bring them on the way hoe so they would be ready. He had a lot of fun pretending to call on that phone!

A few baby and one baby and daddy pictures!

Little miss Meredith Elise!

2008-09-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

After posting on Saturday night I went upstairs, crawled in bed, fell asleep and woke up less than an hour later in labor! Things have been going great- it did take us (me) 48 hours to decide on a name.......but finally we did. I am going home in a few hours- Rich is picking the kids up from preschool. Will's first day was great, and I am eagerly awaiting a report on Julia's- pictures of them once I make it home!
Labor was great!! I needed to get antibiotics for GBS so we just relaxed for a few hours (post epidural- much less relaxing before that!) Pushing went quickly- baby was born at 7:53 am on 9/7. My mom brought the kids to see the baby in the morning- they loved her!

It is a zoo in my room right now with all of the checkout paperwork- so I will just post a few pictures- trust me more are coming!

Just arrived and ready for some pain relief- these contractions were not fooling around!

Due Date came.......and apparently is going

2008-09-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well- I am still here and still pregnant! I guess this little lady will appear after my due date. I hoped on the treadmill today in hopes of speeding things up- no luck!
William is a 7/7 birthday, Julia is 3/30 and I am 10/1- so it would be neat to have a 9/9 baby! Of course- with some of my 'symptoms' today I have the feeling baby may arrive before Tuesday. Now that I said that- baby will arrive at 42 weeks! Guess we will wait and see. We were stuck inside today because of Hanna- we did make it out for classes at JW Tumbles, but were home the rest of the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be great- looking forward to outdoor activity!

I live with these people.......on purpose!

2008-09-05T11:40:00.001-07:00

End of Summer and Back to School

2008-09-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

I just cannot believe how fast this summer went! We did not even plan much, and those supposed 'lazy days of summer' were here and gone in a heartbeat. I am really amazed that it is September already!!!

We went to the dog swim in the neighborhood over the weekend- kids had a lot of fun, as did daddy and the dogs!

Today was meet the teacher day at school- both William and Julia loved their teachers. Julia was sad everyday last year when William got to stay at school and she did not, so today was so amazing and exciting for her! She was especially taken by the assistant teacher in her classroom! She made an adorable little friend in the class, so I very confident she will be very happy at school.

After school the kids ate lunch- Julia wanted to sit next to William- but just in the seat next to his was not close enough. She had to have their chairs touching, it was so cute!

A Tuesday Update

2008-09-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Had a good appt at the OB this am (minus the screaming Julia, but that is a whole other post- luckily Rich came and controlled the 'situation'). Dr. Said I am close to 4cm and 75%, so I am on my way. She said I am a good candidate for an induction- which made me laugh! I am still holding out for no induction, but with Rich traveling to his brother's wedding next week, I will most likely agree to an induction next Wednesday so he won't miss baby-no-name's big arrival. The name situation is progressing- we are looking at:
Caroline
Carrie
Kate
Katherine
Kathleen
Sarah Elizabeth (Sarah Beth)
Sarah Kathleen or Sarah Katherine (Sarah Kate)
Anna Katherine (Anna Kate)
Anna Leigh
Catherine
Carolyn
Meredith
plus more I can't think of right this second....

We had a great weekend- I will upload some end of summer pictures after lunch!

The Gift of Time

2008-08-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

Deciding to cancel my induction was such a great choice- we have really enjoyed the 'extra days'. We spent the week before the 'day' rushing around like crazy- not the most relaxing or inspiring way to prepare for a baby's arrival. Because we rushed around so much, we have had more of a chance to enjoy the weekend. Don't get me wrong- I organized and cleaned and organized some more (heading upstairs in a few minutes to do more organizing in my closet). But- we have had some great fun as well. The kids went to JW Tumbles with both mommy and daddy- a huge treat! I got a massage and had the chance to go to the grocery store- by myself!! We had a nice dinner out, played lots of games, danced, read books, built puzzles and went to the pool and a neighborhood party. It has been so nice to be with the kids and relaxing with them- and enjoying them!
The only downfall of this extra time has been that I am no longer comfortable with my name choice. I really like the name- but just don't feel it is 'our name'. Ugh- back to the drawing board. Any suggestions welcome!!!!!!

Thursday Update

2008-08-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick OB appt update:
first- feeling wonderful about not going in tomorrow!!!!!! So thrilled with my decision- my poor feet may not agree with me, but so be it!!! They'll be happy again soon. DR. said it may have been all of that running I did when I was pregnant- so they are sore in a very good way.

I am getting there- I have been 50% effaced for 3 weeks now. I have gone from 1 to 2 to almost 3 cm dilated and am -1 station. The Dr. I saw today said I could have the baby this weekend, or in 2 weeks. Yeah- that doesn't help much!!!! Back to waiting!!

Although this is not OB related........I have another massage on Saturday, so I hope to make that before baby arrives!!!

Flip Flop

2008-08-27T05:29:00.001-07:00

If you have seen my closet, you know I love flip flops. I have enough pairs for a small army, and am always on the search for more! Well- today I am flip flopping and we are not talking about my feet (but...after searching for a picture of flip flops I have a good feeling that I will be adding a few pairs to my flip flop collection today). That being said.......

I am not going to be induced on Friday. I realized that I was doing it for all of the wrong reasons. I was doing the induction to fit everyone else's schedule. But- I have been looking forward to things starting on their own for 2 years and am going to let it happen! I am much happier now that I have made that decision!!! My sore feet would probably love the break, but since this *may* be our last, I am determined to have things my way. I loved waking up on July 7th in 2004 and just knowing I was in labor and the excitement that surrounded counting contractions, making that decision of when to go to the hospital.....and I really missed that with Julia. Showing up at the hospital and them labor starting was not bad, but I am looking for the element of surprise. Now watch me go to my appointment on Thursday and them find a reason I have to be induced Friday- wouldn't that be a hoot!

I am going to relax today- William is at camp and Julia picked Harris Teeter as her special treat for the day. She loves that little cart!

Where does the time go?!?!?!

2008-08-23T20:02:00.001-07:00

We had so much planned for this weekend- on paper it all looked good, but how did the day go so fast?? Rich had a soccer coaches meeting, we went to Lowes (aka the 'hard work store' in William world), stopped by our neighbor's yard sale and chatted, and I went and got my hair done (of utmost importance a week before baby of course). When I came home we (and by we I mean Rich) hung curtains in 2 rooms, put lots of things back on the walls that were taken down by the painters, and made a rocket for baby Jillian. The rocket was the kid's idea, apparently that is how babies come home from the hospital.

Yard Sale finds... (William looks so serious!)

I moved the furniture back to the right place in Jillian's room- don't tell Rich or he'll kill me! I have to take the blinds for Jillian's room back to Lowes to get a quarter inch taken off of them. So- we have a ton more to do, but I am feeling good that the house is coming together after all of the painting. We have most things ready for baby, so she can come anytime (do you hear that Jillian??????).
I can't wait to take pictures of the kids rooms with the paint and decorations- Will and Julia are just in love with the changes!

Progress

2008-08-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was hoping that the OB would tell me this am that the baby was on her way out. Instead she said I had not progressed from last week. With all of the pressure I had last night I was sure I was close. Ummmm, not even! They did decide I can be induced next Friday. This is a big relief- I was so reluctant to miss Will and Julia's back to school activities and the first day of school. With the possibility of going anytime that week, I was just feeling a bit nervous about my baby starting preschool with no mommy in sight. I know that it would not have been the end of the world, but I really want to see it!! I will be 39 weeks Saturday- so with the holiday weekend my first possible date was the following Tuesday, but more likely Wed with the holiday. So- problem solved!
Julia had a stomach bug earlier this week- I am so thankful that she was the only one to get it this time- I was just not up for an entire house of sick people with painters here!
The painting is done!!! We love everything! I am so happy I paid someone else to pick the colors and do the painting. I was nervous about the colors until they were on the wall and dry- but they are fabulous. The painters were amazing and very wonderful women. William and Julia loved them, and the painters just made them feel so special. They answered Will's 10,000 questions- even the ones they heard daily for 3 weeks!!! I will take some pictures of the colors once we have all of our things back in place. This will be a weekend of hanging pictures, curtains and running errands.
I can't believe how fast this summer has gone- Julia is completely potty trained, sleeping in a big girl bed and suddenly obsessed with princesses. I have no clue about the princesses so I have been taking a crash course on the who's who in the princess world. When the kids were at camp on Wednesday I read a few princess books at Target and checked out all of the boxes in the princess aisle. I am learning, and very appreciative of all of my friend's that have girls that can help me out. If I ever have a question, Will always tells me I need to ask Hailey- she is his idea of the all knowing princess lover! William is very excited for school, and loves the idea of Julia going with him. He is suddenly obsessed with Batman, completely based on a book he was given as a birthday gift. Rich made them a Batmobile out of a box, and it has been a huge hit!!!

The kids have been playing baby a lot these past few days, practicing for next week I guess!

We have been really enjoying having Julia in the big girl bed- she LOVES cuddling at night. We have had great talks everynight, and she is telling us the cutest princess stories. She loves to rub my hair and tell me she loves my haircut! What a sweetie!

I ran and it felt great!!!

2008-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

I have not been able to run as much as I would like these past few months- for a few reasons. Between my pregnant bladder, my sciatic nerve, and the desire to sleep past 5am, things have not worked in running's favor. I jump on the treadmill here and there at the gym, but usually it is after the elliptical and weights, so I am beat and quit when I stop for my first potty break. Today I did the elliptical for a while and just felt great, so I hopped on the treadmill for a few miles. Not my fastest miles ever, but some of the most rewarding. I felt good running- it is such a 'part of me' that doing it just makes me feel right. It was a great time to do it- now that I am in my final weeks it is great to look forward and is calming my disappointment over missing Iron Girl in a few weeks.

Now I am really excited to get back in the swing of things- I have a few really cute running skirts I bought while pregnant that I am looking forward to wearing, I can start signing up for more races since I know I can do it, and soon! I am also really really really looking forward to running with my friends again. The girls I run with are amazing- I could not do it without them and miss seeing them at 5:30 am. I know I may have to adjust my running times because of the baby- but it is nice to have something on my mind besides BPA Free bottles and how I am going to juggle open house at school, first day of school, a due date and an out of town wedding that Rich is the best man in and William is in as well, all in an 8 day window. Yikes! Instead I'll spend the afternoon plotting how to spend the gift certificate Rich got me for the running store- and it will not be on new shin guards for William! This one is all mine!

Busy weeks.......

2008-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

These weeks leading up back to school and baby #3 have been keeping us busy!!
I had an amazing pre-natal massage at this place- best massage I have ever had, and Rich bought me 3 or 4 more (claiming pregnancy brain on this one)- I could go everyday if it was closer!!! If you have the chance to go- Stacy was my masseuse and was fantastic!!! I may have to go Saturday before the Slacker's party!!! Rich and I had our anniversary on Monday. We had a good laugh about the years when our anniversary was an amazing dinner downtown with good wine, great desserts and then this year- take out from Chipotle. It was just as good, but the company was even better. Having Will and Julia to share to with was great. Of course, Monday night anniversaries are not the easiest- so we will head out for a nice dinner on Saturday!!
We have been running around getting everything in order. We got a new bassinet that does not have a removable basket (I can only imagine W & J running off with it when the baby is in it) and Rich and William put the crib back together in Jillian's room. The entire house- top to bottom- is being painted. We are loving all of the colors the decorator picked, and cannot wait until we can get the house back in order. Nothing makes a hormonal pregnant woman who is nesting crazy like 3 rooms of furniture piled in the dining room!!! We have been running errands making sure we have everything we need. The kids have been great! Julia is completely potty trained, she was much easier than I anticipated. She decided she no longer needs her toddler bed and is in her big girl bed and proud of it! She looks so tiny in the big bed, but loves the space. I have really enjoyed getting to lay with her (she moved into her toddler bed when I was 32 or 33 weeks, so I could not cuddle well with her in there). We have had some fun talks laying there together, including tonight when she told me about our plans for tomorrow to dress up. Will is going to be a pire pie-ter (fire fighter), she will be a pink princess and I will be purple. She and I will eat princess food (grapes) and Will will eat fire fighter food (broccoli- if you know Will that is not even close to remotely possible).
With all of the running around, we really have been having an amazing few weeks. The kids and I have been going to the gym (at almost 37 weeks I feel like a tourist attraction when I am there) and just doing fun things. We have had some funny moments, including when William asked a very short guy in a muscle shirt at McDonald's if he was tough. I could do nothing but laugh- the guy turned so red!!! We have played so many pretend games- the kids have such great imaginations!!! I am hoping the last few weeks of summer as great as the past ones!! I am very much looking forward to the painting being done so we can settle back into our routine without all of these piles.

While you were sleeping.......

2008-08-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Better yet- while you were supposed to be sleeping. After the Desitin disaster of earlier this week, I cleared Julia's room of all tubes of anything and everything. I took all of her overnight pull-ups out after she proved that she can wear 10 at a time and keep all 10 dry. I thought we were safe. Today she was not happy about taking her nap. I assumed she would read a book or two and then crash after a busy am at the pool. Yeah right. Instead she took a clothes out of every drawer and changed her clothes a bunch of times. Then she emptied her toy baskets, took all of the blankets off of her toddler bed and her big girl bed, and took a lot of books off of her shelf. Then, in a big 'I got you Mom' moment, she found a tube of Neosporin. Ick. It was everywhere. Most of it was in her hair. After ALL of this was done, she crashed. Hard. But- one positive was that she pooped and peed on the potty while she was in her room, and even put the wipes in the garbage. And she was so cute asleep on the floor!Her room was spotless before she went to bed!!!! The painters are here all week- her room will be purple be the end of next week. She will be soooooo happy!
Her hair was so greasy- I had to put the bow in so she did not look so bad!
The nice bruise on her head is from a plastic tub she stepped on and it smacked her in the head.
Had to include Will- he wanted to stand on the counter just like Julia!

When I grow up

2008-08-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

William is always talking about things he wants to do when he grows up. Lately the choices have been funny- just wanting to emulate mommy and daddy. He asks to sleep in my extra arm brace I have to wear for carpal tunnel. We let him one night and he thought he died and gone to heaven. The other morning he informed me that when he grows up, he wants a CPAP machine like daddy- he was not buying the argument that a CPAP is not a 'good' thing.

Yesterday he said 'when I am grown up and I am 5, can you not take a bite of my Nutri-Grain Bar before you give it to me?'
The little things that make a grown-up!

Nesting

2008-08-04T10:41:00.001-07:00

I am in full out nesting mode!!! All of the sudden I have this urgency that I have not had at all this pregnancy. I am adding things to my list much faster than I can do them, and a few of them really don't need to be done, but I want them done! By me of course- my way. Yesterday I was organizing all of the kids rooms and their clothes for the upcoming school year. As Rich was grilling dinner I suddenly had this panicked feeling that I *needed* to take apart the stroller and car seat and clean all of the parts- that minute. It could not wait. I probably looked like a crazy woman, but I got it done before dinner was ready. Now I have to put it back together. Last night I spent hours trying to decide what to do about the bassinet / Pack n' play situation. Our bassinet is not sturdy- it did not matter with the other two since nobody was pulling on it. With all of the 'baby Jillian' games the kids have been playing I want something more sturdy. So- last night (and again when I woke up at 3 am because Rich knocked his CPAP over and sounded like he was drowning) it seemed like this life or death decision needed to be made. Do I get a new pack n' play and use the old one in our room? The old one is great once it is set up, it is just a pain to put up so I would get a new one anyway. I know, from experience, that the baby will survive regardless of what I decide, but this nesting makes me crazy!!!! I spent an hour weeding the yard, because suddenly, that seems like something that needs to be done, by hand! The kids are just going down for their rests so I know I can get 2 hours of work in- and to top it off the painters start tomorrow! I think I need a staff to help me with this nesting!!!

Thanks to the moms......

2008-07-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have been having an awful time for the past few days with the sudden onset of pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. The first few days were not too bad- painful, but bearable. Last week one of my friends talked to her Dr. and they suggested that in addition to the wrist brace I wrap my elbow since the pain was from fingertips to my neck. That helped so much!! Then on Tuesday night, things went from bad to worse. I could not write, opening and closing my hand was incredibly painful, lifting the small things was awful, if I did not drop them. I did not get any sleep, the pain was so bad- the kind you cannot function (or sleep) through. I *thought* I would be good by that night since I had an OB appointment, and I just assumed that they could solve my problem or have a great suggestion. My OB suggested I call an orthopedic specialist. I called ALL of the ones on the list she gave me. Earliest appointment? Last week of August, some it was the first week of October. Um, no. Not waiting that long. I called my trusted PT/ Chiro Practice (Haymarket Physical Therapy if anyone ever needs anything- Holly is the greatest, and she is from RI). I need a RX for the PT, but they could see me for Chiro on Friday am. That was good- but I was still miserable. I called my OB to try to get a RX for the PT- 24 hours later I am still waiting for that return call. As I was getting ready for bed, I could tell from the severity of the pain that it was going to be another sleepless night. I planned on sleeping sitting up in my glider because the most intense pain was laying down, but I have such sleep issues I doubted I would ever fall asleep. As a last ditch effort, I posted a question to DC Urban Moms- a listserve I belong to.

These moms have helped me in the past, and they more than came through this time. Within minutes I had responses from moms who have had the same issue telling me what had worked, what did not, and any advice they had. I had a few doctors that are on the list respond, including an orthopedist. She told me exactly what she would do if I came into her office with this problem- saving me a trip. She, along with the other moms, had amazing suggestions- and I was able to get some sleep. I went out today and bought the night brace one suggested, bought a specific ace wrap another suggested and am following the advice to take it easy with the arm, which is the hardest part. I am known for not taking it easy (running a marathon with a badly sprained ankle, running the Goofy Challenge pregnant- I don't usually slow down like that) . So thank you to all of those moms out there who took the time to respond ( I have had at least 25 responses so far and they are still coming in). You helped me so much- each and every response had great information, and I appreciate it so much. I am so lucky to have found this resource over 4 years ago, and appreciate it more each day!!
As for the carpal tunnel- I am in my brace and elbow wrap and the pain is bearable. I am trying really hard not to lift too much, but with a temperamental potty training 2 year old that is easier said than done!

So far.......so good!

2008-07-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

We had a good weekend of potty training, luckily! Friday went great, no accidents, she peed on the potty and held it while we ran errands (thanks Slacker Mom for the idea- she was very excited to keep Dora dry). Saturday was not perfect, but no diapers and just one stressful episode. Today Julia held it for 8 1/2 hours, including her nap. After the nap she was dry! She came down and peed on the potty. We called Grandma- who asked Julia how she felt about peeing on the potty.
She replied that she felt 'yellow'. Not too much later she pooped on the potty!! So- all of our time spent at home has paid off. I left Rich alone with the kids for 5 hours today while I volunteered- he did a great job encouraging her and I was so impressed to find out there had been no accidents!
Now I have hope she won't be kicked out of preschool.

Potty Training!

2008-07-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

We are trying this again. Julia has to be potty trained for preschool, and it starts September 8th. William spoiled us, we told him he was potty trained, and he pretty much was. He had an accident, but at 2 1/2 had completely gotten the concept. Julia started off strong. The first day we tried she had an accident and went 4 times on the potty. The next day she woke up 100% anti-potty. So we tried a little less, and she would not even go near the potty. Once in a blue moon she would sit on her potty right before baths and go, but other than that she acted like we were trying to kill her when we suggested the potty. So here we are, with a deadline. I though if we did this earlier we could 'perfect' it by September. Now we just need to get it done. We gave Will sitckers, but Julia does not care about stickers. She did not care about being a big girl. But- this girl loves purple. Anything purple. So- off to Wegmans we went to the bulk candy aisle and straight to the M&M section. They have maybe 20 colors to choose from, and 3 shades of purple. I don't think Julia had ever had an M&M before yesterday, but the potty is now her friend.

So- we have made progress, which makes me happy. William is being a big help, he loves getting Julia to sit on the potty, and his encouragement helps her a lot! So tomorrow will be a bare bottom day at home, wish us luck and clean carpets!!!!

Catching Up.....

2008-07-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy and fun few weeks here. Rich was in San Jose, CA for 2 weeks for work and came home on Saturday. We are all happy to have him home!! I told him to skip the shopping for the kids in CA since we don't need anything- he stopped instead at Wegmans on the way home from Dulles and brought home donuts for Will and Julia- best surprise they ever got! Go figure. 70 cents per kid, can't beat that!

William had his swim meet for his developmental swim team on Thursday. He cut his toe earlier in the day and was pretty sure getting it wet would kill him, but after much coaxing (and a little push) he was in the water. He turned around and looked at me- shocked that his foot did not hurt. Yet another case of mother knows best!
He missed an entire week when he had Hand, Foot, and Mouth, and he regressed a bit. Of course, we went to the pool in our neighborhood Friday and he swam by himself and floated on his back!!!
Here are a few pictures of the meet:

The night ended with a trip to Pickle Bobs- nothing makes those two happier than soft ice cream- they must have gotten that from my side of the family- my mom and I are addicts!!!

Reward for organizing!!!!!

2008-07-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have been down in the basement trying to get through some old boxes, trash things we never use, and get some baby items moved upstairs. I found a box marked 'nutcrackers'. My mother and I went to see the nutcracker in high school at the PPAC (for all of you New Englanders) and since then I have been given nutcracker every year for Christmas- and really neat ones- a scuba diver, fire man, organ grinder, all cool unique ones, in addition to some of the more classic styles. I assumed this box was filled with them- I have some out in the rec room, but I know I had more. I unwrapped a few, and then noticed a bag of clothes underneath. This is one of the boxes we packed when we moved things into storage- 3 years ago next month. I opened the bag- it is all dresses, ones that I have been assuming I accidentally donated or lost. And- the best bonus is that there are a bunch of dresses, new with tags, from Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, the Gap and Nordstroms!!! I feel like I went shopping today and never spent anything. Got to love that. Now I have to wait to wear them until my Jillian weight is gone!

Yes- I am 'that' girl

2008-07-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

I have been back at the gym on a more regular basis the last two weeks. After vacations, potty training, hand, foot and mouth and birthdays, it is wonderful to get back into the groove. The people I know there are wonderful, and I really enjoy seeing them all and how excited they all are about baby #3. I also love how supportive the people there are. I had a woman come up to me in the bathroom last week and tell me how impressed she was by all I have done fitness-wise while I have been pregnant. I had two women talk about how amazed they were that I was balancing on the Bosu with weights at 32 weeks (just wait until I am 38 weeks and doing this- that will be a sight!) Going there is a huge self confidence booster- everyone tells me how great I am doing, how inspirational I am, and so on. Today I had two people come up and ask me for pregnancy fitness advice. One was a guy whose wife is pregnant with her 5th (phew!) and nervous about working out. He was so nice and we talked for a while. The other lady came up and said 'are you that girl they talk about? The one who did all that running?' Yes- I am THAT girl- it is really neat to be know for something. Being a stay at home mom, you become somewhat anonymous. Getting your children to say please and thanks you, be kind to each other- these are things that bring self-satisfaction, but not good old 'resume builders'. It is nice to have people recognize my efforts. I am very lucky to have a great husband who recognizes my efforts and supports me. Even if he got to go see The Police (Sting) last night in California. Lucky duck!!!

A Tale of Two Cups

2008-07-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

To make my life easier (or so I thought) I filled two identical cups the other morning for Will and Julia. Same cup, same contents. Easy as pie, right? Nope. Not by a long shot. I handed each one a cup. Each one instantly started squawking (a daddy word) about not getting the cup they wanted. Check this picture out:
Do you see a difference? I sure don't! So we switched cups. More tears- they still did not have the cup they wanted. I felt like I was playing that silly coconut game where you try to guess which coconut half is covering the object. Finally I gave up, told the two of them to figure it out and went to dry my hair. Once more big cry, and the cup issue was forgotten about- completely. I guess kids have some special power to tell the difference in milk cups that moms just cannot!
Today I filled two 100% different cups, and no complaints.

The end of the celebrating.....

2008-07-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

We had William's official friend party on Wednesday- it went really well and we all had a great time. We had a smaller party- he had just as much fun with a smaller group as he would have with the entire neighborhood! It looked like it was going to be a washout- but after heavy rains in the am it cleared up!!
We rented a moonbounce and waterslide for the kids, and they all loved it!
It was a Speed Racer theme- of course!!! After playing outside we had pizza (thanks so much to Dominos for having the customer appreciation special on his birthday party day- and thanks to my neighbor for telling me). I have never had a pizza delivered, so I did not get the message. Grandma made him an adorable Speed Racer cake- he loved all of the cars on top!!!
Mrs. Alyce helped him light his candles- I think that was the highlight for him (he has a slight crush and for months has not even been able to look at her- he is getting better but still turns bright red and hides at the mention of her name)

We then played the Speed Racer song and the kids raced around the house in their Speed Racer masks. The kids had fun whacking the Speed Racer 'banata' (William speak for pinata) and then we headed off to swim lessons. William said his favorite part of the day was his friends coming. He is very lucky to have such a wonderful group of kids as his friends.

Looking ahead......

2008-07-09T03:54:00.000-07:00

I signed up for my first post-baby race. I plan on running races long before this one arrives, but I signed up with some of my running girls so I am very excited. I have my calendar all marked to sign up for the Charlottesville 1/2 Marathon the day that opens up. It is nice to look forward to getting back into running. I know that with 3 kids (yikes- 3 is a lot of kids!) running won't be as easy as it has been for the past few years- the last year especially. I am very lucky to have kids that sleep in- makes my am runs so much easier. I have my running skirts ready to roll- and am setting my goals for the coming year! Once Jillian is born I want to accomplish smaller goals, all leading up to something bigger. My first goal? Simple- get in a good run. No pace or distance 'requirement'- just a run that goes well and that I enjoy!!!

A fun filled fourth birthday

2008-07-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun yesterday celebrating Will's fourth birthday. His 'kid party' is Wednesday during playgroup- birthday parties at 32 weeks pregnant need to be simple, so this was the easiest way. Will got to pick what we did all day, and we had a lot of fun. There was a beautiful rainbow when we came out of dinner- a perfect ending for his day. We knew it was just for him.
Here are just a few pictures of one happy little man!!!

4 Wonderful Years!

2008-07-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say the past 4 years of our (Rich & I) lives have been the best years- amazing beyond belief. We had some amazing times before July 7, 2004- trips to Europe and the islands, nights out with friends, visiting family and just living. Then along came William, and our lives changed. For the better!!! We never imagine how much we would love being parents- you just cannot put that into words until you have children. The more the merrier in our case with #3 on the way.

William has been our sweetheart since the minute he was born. As soon as they put him on my chest, he grabbed on one of my fingers and one of Rich's, and he had our hearts from that moment on. It is so hard to believe that it was 4 whole years ago that he came into our lives!
July 7, 2004
Our last picture before we were parents!!

July 7, 2005

July 7, 2006

July 7, 2007

July 7, 2008

Stuck at home.....and enjoying it!

2008-07-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

This has been a slow paced week so far for us.......and it is nice. The reason we are stuck at home isn't great- hand, foot, and mouth. Poor William came down with it Sunday night, and by Monday was in awful shape. He had a fever in the am, so I gave him some Motrin and we were back in action. By nap time he was in serious pain, clutching his chest. Nothing like chest pain to get a mom's heart racing! He just kept getting sicker and sicker- he was curled up in a ball hystericaly crying and begging to go to the Dr. or hospital. William is not a wimpy sick kid- he usually doesn't let us know he is sick- we find out when he crashes. This time was different. The Dr. wanted to see him- and they were great. He was on my lap shaking and sobbing the entire visit. It was so hard to see and I felt so helpless. They tested him for Strep, which was negative. The Dr. took one look in his throat and saw that it was completely covered in blisters. No wonder he was so miserable. We headed straight from the Dr. to Pickle Bob's for ice cream, but the poor kid was miserable. After more Motrin he perked up a little, but after baths he fell asleep right away. We have been staying on top of the Motrin, so we played a lot today. We can't go to the pool, the playground, or have playdates. We have played in the yard, played in the basement, played in he kids rooms, gone for ice cream and read a ton of books. We have played kitchen, played shopping, played baby Carrie (William has changed his mind and no longer approves of the name Jillian- I give it two days until he is on board again). Grandma stopped over to play, which was the highlight of the day. She brought a 4th of July dress for Julia and Speed Racer swim trunks for Mach 5- I mean William.
Having no plans, no obligations, no schedule has been fun. I could not do it all summer, but we have been enjoying these days. I am hoping Will is back to 100% soon and I am crossing my fingers that Julia does not get this.

In other news- William picked out his bday toy from a local store with his birthday coupon. After convincing him that we do not need another yellow construction truck (and refusing to buy a $56.00 dump truck) he decided he wanted a volcano. He is really into earthquakes and volcanoes tight now. He has been sleeping with the box it came in. We hope to make it this weekend! He also wants a BMW (um......I think someone's father wants a BMW and somehow thinks if a soon to be 4 year old asks enough times mommy will buy daddy another BMW).
I think the volcano is plenty!

Let the girly girl purchases begin....

2008-06-28T16:31:00.001-07:00

Just thought this was cute since baby has a name!!! I have a while to find the perfect bow holder (assuming Jillian has hair like Will and Julia did) but I am on the hunt already!! It is adroable and sweer the way William and Julia say 'Jillian'!

Running Humor on a Saturday Morning!

2008-06-28T04:42:00.000-07:00

This is from Runners World- I could never be this funny!

Non-Runner Dies While Not Running

A Mississippi man died yesterday while not running in a local marathon.

Les Actiff, 43, of Jackson, Miss., collapsed while watching television in his Hattiesburg home. Attempts to revive him failed, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

He was still clutching a bucket of fried chicken.

Like 25% of the U.S. population, Actiff was obese. Federal statistics show that nearly a third of U.S. adults 20 years and older are obese; about two-thirds are overweight. Actiff had been a non-runner for more than 20 years, according to his family and friends.

Family members were stunned.

"I don't get it," said his wife, Bess. "He didn't run all his life. He was always so inactive. And now, this. You just never know, I guess."

"At least he died doing what he loved," she added. "Not running."

Spectators gathered outside Actiff's home were similarly shocked.

"I'll never not run," said one woman. "It's too dangerous."

A large man on a scooter, out walking his dog, was more fatalistic: "If you can avoid doing a single positive thing for your health your whole life, just sit around like a lump and eat poorly and then still drop dead... Well, I just don't know. I guess when it's your time, it's your time."

Actiff appears to have died from atherosclerotic heart disease, according to Lamar County Coroner Paul Caste.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, at the Pizza Hut off of I-59.