the year of races...

lately (finally!!!) i have some time on my hands. can you tell? i have been blogging more. 

anyways. while my girls sleep and i am here on assignment (more on that later) i have gotten way too into a few blogs (checkout runninghood & tall mom on the run). both are running blogs. and i am inspired. and i want to challenge myself. and it has to do with running. and i have a great idea... well i hope it's a great idea.

but first, a few truths about me and running. i have a love/hate relationship with running. i love the way i feel when i have found my stride, when i am lovin' my playlist, when my mind is focused, and the way i breathe when i am all done running. i hate the first three minutes, how fast i lose my endurance, and how hard i have to work to get it back. i am a slow runner. if i am going to do my below challenge...i need to do some extra work (more on that later) to make sure i don't kill myself or my back. my longest  race was a half-marathon, and for now that is as long as i want to train for. i love driving to a new spot to run, checking out different parts of the city, running in an unfamiliar location makes it feel exciting and new.

so this is the challenge: starting this month i will participate in one race (of varying lengths and locations) for 12 months. whataya think? i listed ones that i am thinking about doing...and have already registered for july and august's races. if you have any input please share! (and yes, i know this can get a little spendy, but my gym membership is currently on hold so i think it is a win/win)

why?-- i'm not sure if it is just one reason. i think the biggest reason is that for the past three years my body has either housed, or fed another being...and i would like to reclaim it. i also don't/won't workout just for the heck of it, i need a goal-something to work towards.

July: deschutes dash 10k (i changed my duathlon. i just couldnt' get the time to train on the bike)

August: haulin aspen 7 miler

September:

October: half marathon?? (i was going to try  a half in august but that wasn't realistic)

November: maybe a turkey day race

December: maybe a jingle bell run

January:

February:

March: shamrock

April:

May: thinking either the rock n roll half or the avenue of the giants half

June:

July: I think I would like to redo the Deschutes Dash 10k and see the difference a year would make  :)

so......here we go!

playlist

here are a few music confessions:

when i was little i would pretend my life was a movie and i would pick songs to go with different scenes, you know like a soundtrack...oh don't tell me you didn't do it too

i still have all my fresh prince and jazzy jeff cds and have been known to break out "parents just don't understand" on a whim.

when i was in the third grade, at least twice a week i would wear overalls with only one side buckled...inspired of course by my fav boy band, new kids on the block



which brings me to what's really on my mind...

what's on your playlist? do you have "go-to" workout songs that find their way onto every new playlist you create? me too. there are a few standbys that i simply depend on to get me through a hard workout. and it's funny, because as soon as the song comes on my whole stride changes...

for example:

when this song is playing i literally have to clench my fist to keep from doing my own drum solo mid run. my running starts to resemble dancing and i am 5 years old again dancing in the living room with my mom.

or this one. straight faced, running hard, feeling tough and hardcore.

and of course this one makes me smile...and cop a little attitude

recently i have fallin' in love with this song and have been skipping ahead to it just to get me going. love love love it.

i'm curious. what are your go-to songs that get you through?

oh motherhood..you kick my buns!

seriously! being a mom is tough. that really has been my main and constant thought these past few weeks.  i have always taken the role of motherhood seriously, even before mackenzie was in our arms  justin and i would spend hours and hours talking through our goals in parenting, our ideas and philosophies. and we are still there, discussing and dissecting what we want to be about as parents...i think we'll continue to do this until both are girls are in college...

but even with all these good intentions, books read, advise followed...

there are days (or weeks) where i feel like i am falling just short (or way short) of the kind of mom i want to be. i am impatient with kenze, i forget to be silly and play, my kids become my accessories as i bounce from one thing to the next, and i find myself worrying through the details. 

our latest challenge is with miss addie joy. she has reflux. i mean sister can PUKE! and it has taken all of her 5 months to figure out the best treatment. i think we're there, i'm hoping we're there. and the last few weeks have been the hardest with her and her little spewin' problem.

so for now my goals are to keep addison on her latest/greatest schedule. keep pumpin' the meds. blow some raspberries on mackenzie's tummy.give lots of big sloppy kisses. say our bedtime prayers. and accept that falling short is part of the gig...right?

#10

it all started on a drive home from bend. justin asked me to get out a piece of paper and record as he dictated his "simple pleasures in life". i laughed and went along with it, but soon found myself commenting and adding in pieces until the list had filled both sides of the paper. the items ranged from places, to people, to objects, to traditions...it also made me so aware of how well justin and i knew each other...and it always feels amazing to be truly known doesn't it? we have continued to come back to the list since that drive. i have created my own list of favorite things. this weekend we decided to share our top tens with you...our community. our goal in sharing is to invite you into the conversation, what makes you tick? what do you hold dear?

justin started his earlier this week, you can check it out here: http://6thstreetranch.blogspot.com/

my #10

camping/backpacking

i love it because...

the stillness....or the smell of raw earth, evergreen trees, and sunscreen...maybe the campfire...or the miles and miles of beauty...and also the time away from our busy lives...perhaps the excuse to not worry about make up or hair/appearances...definitely the food (all the yummy things we normally don't eat).

whatever the reason, i am drawn to the simplicity of life while camping. i feel like i breathe deeper, i can sit still and be content doing so. seriously, good for the soul kinda stuff.

what place brings you back to life? leaves your insides humming? 

pictures from last summer's camp out 

 elk lake at sunrise

 mist coming off the lake

 mackenzie eating dirt for breakfast

 the views...

 hammocks and snuggle time

 catching crawdads

the family ready for a troll on the lake, everything moves slow here (even the boats) and that's the point

 crawdads all cooked up and ready to eat! (i passed)

coffee with mackenzie

i'm baking pies today. as i was getting my ingredients out, mackenzie was dashing to her kitchen to cook along side me. she busied herself pulling every piece of play food out of the cabinets and slamming her kitchen doors. then she brought tray after tray of "treats" to the dining room table and when i sat down she was ready to serve me.

first were the lettuce cookies. she assured me they were very good and good for me too! she poured me coffee (water from her sippy cup into her tea cup). as i was bringing it to my lips she snatched it from my hands crying, "wait! it's too hot!" and blew (a little spit and a lot of air) into the cup. while she was cooling my cup, i was instructed to hold her cup. "no drink it, it's for big girls", she said giving me the look. (don't know where she learned it, but it reminds me of a teacher look that would stop 6 year olds in mid step)

coffee was such a hit, she decided we needed seconds. she poured all the water from her sippy cup into her two tea cups, hitting her target only half the time. "oh no! it's messy" she yelled and starts frantically mopping up the puddle of water with her napkin and then my anthropologie sweater.

coffee time ended because i was laughing so hard mackenzie/my barista sent me to the calm chair.

cheers to more coffee dates with my girls!