another productive week.

   This week Brock had a window  in between jobs, so we loaded up the kids and our little dog, and went to North Myrtle Beach for the week where Brock's parents has a beach house on a golf course there at barefoot landing. 

 It was wonderful for many reasons: spending time together as a family unit, being in a different, relaxed environment, AND I was able to run everyday! That time I had to myself was invaluable. :o) 

 i ran 5 miles everyday and took saturday off for a total of 30 miles this week. 

The weather was nice. Not really cold( as cold as swva anyways) about50-60F and breezy..  very enjoyable. The MB marathon weekend was going on went we first arrived. I ran this marathon in 2006, and was kinda bummed I was too out of shape to even consider an event like this. It's like I'm starting from ground zero..  but that's okay because at least I'm attempting to get there. and it probably will take me a good year to get to the type of shape I was in 2006. The journey is so well worth it. :o)

 here are some pictures from our MB trip..

7 consecutive days of running!

 this has been such a milestone week for me!  i logged a meager 40 miles this week, BUT I got to run EVERY day this week! which is something I haven't been able to swing in almost 2 years! AMAZING! is exactly how I feel!

 I am on vacation all this week in North Myrtle beach with brock and the kids, So I get to run every day this week as well!

 I can't get over just how much better I feel inside and out.. ( I knew this would occur) if I could get some consistency going. 

 I will try to carry my camera with me tomorrow on my run and post some pictures. I am going to go run on the beach in the AM. 

 I just ran 6 mi this morning.. but it was very nice. it's so flat here in comparision to the running route that I run in bristol or the 10 mi loop that I run in richlands. So it went by relatively fast. 

 I dragged out the running diary  again.. so I can keep a food diary and journal of my mileage and runs and my pace. This seems to help me focus more than anything else on my goals, future races and really how I am running and feeling in general. 

 I am working on the CTR 10k in august..  if I haven't posted the link already here it is from the state of franklin website.  I really think this year's race will be even bigger and better. We plan on more activities and a couple bluegrass bands to play there on the grounds for the spectators during the race and while we are tallying the race results.:o)  I'm working on this year's design for the the race shirt. 

CTR 10K link

the muddy muddy creeper

 hey. I just got back from an 8 mi run on the vA creeper trail!  Today's weather was SO extremely springlike. It was perfect really a nice 64F with a nice breeze. The trail itself was a little muddy because of all the melted ice and snow from earlier this week. The town will definitely have to work and grate the trail from the trail head in downtown abingdon to the watagua outlet.. there were places where the entire width of the trail ( and even the grass on the sides) was ankle deep mud.. no avoiding it. 

 I had a  fairly consistent week for running this week! ( HOW EXCITING!!)  I ran 5 mi thursday 5 mi friday and 5 mi saturday..  then 8 today.. 

it's not a high mileage week by any stretch but just getting to run everyday like that was WONDERFUL. 

 I have been keeping a food diary ( that I wont bore yall with here) but so far I have lost 5 lbs.. ( that I really needed to) 

well, hope everyone has a great week! 

history was made today

 well I have really been enjoying this weather the last couple weeks! it has been COLD, icy and snowy!! I have loved breaking out my cold weather gear. I rEALLY wish I could go skiing!! I miss it so bad!! but brock has been working out of town still. So maybe next year I guess with that:o)

 but I have gotten to run and be outside more the past weeks, and it has helped renew me tremendously.  I just think there is just something so invigorating about running in the cold!!

 Toddy and jack have been playing in the snow ( jack sledding) and we have just really enjoyed playing together outside. 

 I have been watching the inauguration as much as I can today. I have had to take jack to and from school and freddie to the vet to get his teeth cleaned and him microchipped. Even while in the car, we listened to foxnews on sirrius....

 The sheer visual imagery of the masses on the national mall was such a surprise. I knew that throngs of people would be there, but  nothing could prepare me for the unity that was displayed today for us as a country and the outpouring of emotion and how this 44th president's inauguration affected virtually every american today. It was such a positive moment for me to witness. It renews my faith in humanity, it gives me hope for the future of our country.  

merry christmas and a happy new year!

hey guys! I hope that everyone had a wonderful, very meaningful holiday season filled with laughter and time well spent with friends and family.

 I  am keepin on with the running.. and have been able to be fairly consistent over the holidays and as 2008 draws to a close ( yippee) here is to a brighter tomorrow. A future filled with hope and promise and many, many miles. 

 I found this quote from the RW website very inspiring and wanted to share it:

" the more I run, the more  I want to run, and the more I live a life conditioned and influenced and fashioned by my running. And the more I run, the more certain I am that I am heading for my real goal: to become the person I am."-- George Sheehan MD

running revival take 3....

 hi guys!!

 well, I am making my third attempt at running on a consistent basis since little Todd was born 13 months ago. my running has been very sporadic and erratic in every way imaginable since last November. Words can not express how happy I am to have my family. My kids are everything.. haha but sometimes I think my Achilles heel.. is that my kids are everything. 

 My husband works out of town monday through friday and I am EXTREMELY limited in getting someone to help me watch the kids ( even for an hour or two, come on!) so I can run.. ALSO.. since brock is gone all the time working very long hours.. the last thing he wants to do is babysit when he comes home because he is so tired. SO the past year, in essence I have watched my kids pretty much 24-7 with very little reprieve..

 I have a treadmill and an elliptical, and I kinetic trainer for my road bike. but there is just no comparison to training and running outside. 

 I get so depressed and discouraged because I feel so trapped, tired( constantly tired) and pretty much filled with self loathing in general.  I struggle inwardly because I feel EXTREMELY selfish for wanting things to be the way they were when my first son was small.. my husband, was home every evening. I could go run,  I would race on weekends.. it was a wonderful social outlet, and I was healthy and FELT GREAT about myself.. 

now I just feel sluggish, toxic, tired and old.  I feel like I'm sacrificing myself COMPLETELY to just be perfect supportive unwavering wife, and SUPER MOMMMY and there is zero time to myself or any energy left for me.  and then I feel guilty because I complain that brock works too much, when really in this economy, I should be HAPPY he has so much work..  Brock is sacrificing for us.. He doesn't want to be working out of town week after week after week. 

SO... after months of being in the doldrums of depression..over this, over never getting to really spend that much quality family time with brock and feeling like he is missing out on so much of our kids lives,  over the loss of my brother, I have decided I have GOT to make myself run everyday.. even if its on a treadmill.. I have completely guilted my mom into agreeing to watch the kids for me for 2 hours twice a week for me to get in 10 mi runs--- because I am sliding into a deep dark abyss, I am so afraid I won't be able to pull out of-- I'm afraid I'm going to end up being this tired, haggard shell of myself..  and while I act like everything is all perfect on the exterior, on the inside I'll just be this bitter, resentful person.. ( ALL OVER RUNNING??) 

 I don't know how to describe it, but running really HELPS ME..  it is this detoxifying experience in every sense of the word. It makes me feel better and stronger physically, it makes me calmer mentally.. clears away all the mental clutter and noise... 

ALSO...  I am in the planning phase for next year's CTR 10k!!

 I have it up on state of franklin track club's website. it's listed under EVENTS.. the day is going to be 8-15-09!  www.runtricities.org

 here is a link for the entry form! I am including a 2 mi walk this year as well!

http://www.runtricities.org/asp/racecal_manage.asp?action=view&racecalid=808

 the race truly is something special in my life!!  I can't wait to see how this year's race unfolds..  I do enjoy each phase and aspect of getting it ready!! august will be here before you know it!!

 I am shooting for running MB half- marathon on valentines day as a fun run.. and I am just hoping and praying that  work settles down some for brock so he isn't so overwhelmed..

I'm going to richalnds tomorrow( an hour away) for a 10 mi run, My parents live there and my mom is going to  watch the kids while I go run... so here I go, let's hope I can maintain focus and things will go smoothly for me for here on out..  fingers crossed. 

I'm bAAAAAck..

 hey guys! I have been gone FOREVER it seems! I just got back from a 2 week vacation with the family. We went on a Disney cruise for a week and then the following week we spent in FLA for a couple of days and then North myrtle Beach before heading back home to Bristol. 

I hope Brock got a well deserved rest. I think I definitely came back more rested. 

 I did get several running days in after the cruise.  So that was a nice change to run in some warmer weather... with NO hills:o)

While we were gone it was both my boys birthdays.. jack turned 4  on the 12th and Todd just had his first birthday on the 19th. So that was fun celebrating those milestones. 

 On the trip I read a cool book called "EAT, PRAY, LOVE" by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I enjoyed it.   I had a hard time finding empathy for the protagonist ( which was the author) there at first, but has I got into the book, I found her control freak persona somewhat endearing.

one thing I noticed when I got home was that OMG the catalogs that were in the mail!!  I don't know HOW or WHAT occurred for me to get so many, but I was mortified. Stores that I had never purchased from sent me these HUGE Christmas catalogs. such a waste. I think that perhaps it is because of the economy?  I think it's just major over compensation from retailers to get people to buy things early( all with free shipping)... still I  guess you never realize how much junk mail you get and throw away everyday until you see the  sheer BULK of 2 weeks worth sitting there on your kitchen counter. 

 I have  become a little obsessed with John Hardy Jewelry. I was/ am a big David Yurman fan, and pretty much every birthday/Christmas/anniversary etc for the past 2 yrs that was what I would ask for.. but John Hardy's things are VERY cool indeed.  www.johnhardy.com 

if any of you guys want to check it out. I REALLy want this dragon bracelet.  I guess it's not that big of deal..  but the bracelet itself it very cool..

can you believe this? small world.

 well sorry it's been so long since I last posted.  I have had a week filled with preschool, playdates, and  just non stop childcare because brock has been out of town the majority of the time the past 2 weeks. Rough.  I miss him so much when he has to be gone for work. 

  okay subject change:

 in 2006 I ran leadville trail marathon for the first time. While I was running, I met THE NICEST lady from Georgia who was just AWESOME. very strong athlete.  We ran about 10 miles of the marathon together. Her name is Belinda. Well, that race i ran with a disposable film camera and took pictures. When Belinda and I reached the summit. She was nice enough to take my picture, THEN I made her get beside the flag to take hers.. and she asked "why?" and I told her I would get the picture to her...

   WELL... I kinda lost the camera after I got home, and I kept hoping I would somehow run into Belinda at another marathon or trail race,  and even when I ran leadville this year, i was hoping and hoping she would be there. :o(   she wasn't.

Guess what??   I was fall cleaning in Jack's room this past weekend and I decided to go through his toy box and get rid of any broken toys or cheapo happy meal toys and junk and what did I find? THE CAMERA!! I wondered to myself: could this possibly be the same disposable camera I ran with at leadville??? So I took it to ritz and had it developed, and IT WAS!! The pictures ended up being pretty awesome.. I was in GOOD shape then. I truly hope to get back there soon!! ( life and family responsibilities  has just kinda stood in the way of making time to train the way I used to)

 anyways, I looked up Belinda's name on white pages.. got her number, left a message on her voice mail, and this evening she called back!!! It was SO awesome talking to her again! She ran pikes peak this past summer!! and had actually looked for me through state of franklin track clb, but they didn't have my contact info.  I got all her contact info now, and her picture of her standing 14,000 ft above sea level is now in the mail!! 

So that is awesome I was finally able to come through and get that to her!  We are going to try to plan to run some marathons together next summer!! I really am so looking forward to it because she is just so much fun to run with, and had such a wonderful time talking to her during leadville.

 here are the two pictures from the little crappy film throw way camera!!!

happy first day of fall!

hey I hope everyone is having a great fall equinox! (11:44am) summer comes to a close and it officially becomes fall Hooray!!:o)

here are some of my favorite things about fall:

1. running on cool, crisp fall mornings.. or even frosty late fall mornings! love it!

2. all the pretty leaves! and looking at the mtns! and even just the SMELL of fallen leaves on the creeper trail. 

3.  drinking hot apple cider, apple pie, just eating apples in general. ( nutmeg, ginger, cloves all remind me of fall too)

4. wearing jeans and hooded sweatshirts

5.  fall marathons!!!:o)

 I really hope you guys have a great day today! it's afresh new beginning/new season and I can't wait!

take care!

jenny:o)

sorry it's been so long since my last post!  Things have been fairly busy around here.   Today I just wanted to share a couple of books I find I use every single day! I love reference books!

First I read these Intellectual devotionals every morning: I read both the US History ( love history and the general one.  it kinda just gives my brain a boost, and something to reflect upon while I'm driving jack to school. 

Another book  I love just leafing through, and if I have a question on ANYTHING is the NY times Essential Guide to Knowledge

That book is SO freakin cool. If you are ever just roaming around a bookstore, go to the reference section and check it out, you will see what I mean.  oh if only I knew about this book when I was in high school, I would of been UNSTOPPABLE at model UN!!:o)

and lastly COOKING! I love to cook.  I love GOOD food. I happily and readily admit I listen to "the splendid table" every sunday and podcast it when I miss it.  Williams and Sanoma and Sur la Table are my favorite stores!  I love going to all the little gourmet wine and cheese shops in bristol and abingdon. SO the end of the day when i am preparing my evening meal, I ALWAYS end up looking at 2 books: JOY OF COOKING 

and the FOOD LOVERS COMPANION

well, I know this isn't that much of a post, but I just kinda wanted to share that because although, I read many books through out the year, the past several months ( years for JOY) those books have become a big part of my everyday life.. which I don't know if it's good, or just means I'm incredibly boring:o)

 the picture is one I took of a rainbow last week in my back yard.  It really reminded me of my cousin Amy who has a very entertaining blog I have listed in my "commonly read blogs" section. if you haven't already, CHECK IT OUT!  I love to read about her musings and adventures!

Cheers yall!:o)