Summer is OVER

I am going back to work in one hour and 15 minutes. Actually I am only working for about 30 minutes today, but tomorrow I will be there all day. I always have mixed emotions about this. It is exciting seeing everyone at work and being a part of the school community, but it also means the days of freedom are over. I am trying to think of some fun things to do this week for my kids, especially some fun way to celebrate Taylor starting middle school next Monday, but the creative juices are not flowing. Any suggestions, anyone?

On the housing front, we have had a lot of showings. For that I am thankful. It seems like people like the house, but for some reason it isn't the right one for them. One couple chose somthing smaller and closer in town and one couple liked the house but not the lot. That is okay with me, it only takes one person, and we are prepared to be in this for a while. Keeping it clean has been relatively easy. My family has done a pretty good job of helping on this front. It should be even easier once school starts.

Marathon training. Well, where do I begin? Mike and I ran 13 miles once and 10 miles twice. The 13-miler was an ADVENTURE. We started at the greenway too late in the day and were still running when the sun went down (and when the thiunder and lightning started). The greenway isn't the safest place to be at night and we found that out. There were a few sketchy characters whose actions caused us to ditch the greenway and duck into a backyard. Unfortunately when we did that we didn't know where we were and had to find our way out of a neighborhood. We ended up on Carmel Rd on the other side of Johnston Rd. There were no sidewalks and it was pouring down rain & thunder & lightning. After we survived the scary men I was sure we were going to get hit by a car or struck by lightning. We finally found sidewalks and continued (after one phone call to my brother to maybe come pick us up) to the end. My adrenaline definitely kicked in which took my mind off some of my physical misery. One of the lessons I learned was that iPhones do you no good when you are soaking wet and can't dry off your finger tips!!!!

This week we run 15 miles. It still makes me laugh when I think about what I am doing. It is so hard and yet we are doing it. I am so thankful that God has given me the strength (both mental and physical) to keep this up. This is week 7 of the 18 week program so we are almost halfway there. I am praying my knees and feet/ankles will hold up, because they are definitely giving me trouble. I am also interested to see how going back to work impacts my training.

On The Market

Before we left for the beach we put our house on the market. This is something I have been talking about doing FOREVER so I am glad we finally did it. We took the time this summer to clean out closets/organize things and take care of some things that needed to be fixed. Since we have been gone we have had three showings, one of which was a second showing for a couple who has us on a short list of properties they are interested in.

I am thrilled that we have had these showings. Mentally I know this could be a long process, but of course I hope that it isn't. I would love to have this wrapped up quickly. Of course we have no idea where we are going to go, but that is another story. I have been looking on line at houses for well over a year. There have always been a few I have been interested in, so I feel like we will be able to find something. Since we will not be buying a house until we sell ours, I am afraid to go and actually look at houses in person. I don't want to fall in love with a house and then not be able to buy it.

We don't necessarily want a bigger house, just different space. We want bigger bedrooms for our kids and different living space. We have 5 bedrooms and really only want 4. We don't have a bonus room or basement and we would like to have one so our kids have a place to go. We have a 2-story den that we would like to get rid of, too. The noise (& heat) travels straight up from the den into the bedrooms. This is a pain for someone who lives with a rockstar who comes alive at night. We would also like some outdoor living space. Our house was (& is) GREAT when our peeps were young. Our culdesac location is great and we have a large back yard. Our family dynamics have just changed!

We love our location and don't plan on moving far. We like being close to school and church. We also need to stay relatively close to 485 for Mike's daily drive to the speedway. I can't wait to see how this all turns out. We know God is in control so I am not worried one bit. It will happen when it happens. We are so blessed that this is a choice we are making and not a must-do situation. There are people who don't have that luxury, so f we need to stay in our house forever, so be it. It is in God's hands!

Fun at the Beach

We are down at the beach for our annual Sunset Beach trip. We have been nothing but lazy. It is so hot down here and the humidity is crazy high. We have spent lots of time on the beach and at home playing games and reading. We brought our kids' bikes down with us and then rented bikes for Mike and I last night. We rode for about an hour all over the island. I can't say it was enjoyable as the kids complained a lot of the time. That is our second "family bike ride" and I am not sure I am going to try again. I have always had high hopes that we could enjoy that form of exercise together but I am not sure it is meant to be.

We have been here three nights so far and have eaten in two of them. That is huge considering I don't like to cook on vacation. However we just grilled burgers and some fresh corn on the cob that Claire picked out at the Farmer's Market. The other night was pizza leftovers from what Mike says is the best pizza place in the world - Tony's Pizza in Calabash. I'll have to agree it is good. For him, it is the crust that makes it what it is.

Running at the beach has been nothing short of miserable. The heat, humidity and lack of shade are tough. We are both struggling to get through our four mile runs and have decided to postpone our long run until we get back home. 13 miles is going to be hard enough without the conditions being so hard.

For years I have taken pictures of my kids on the front steps of the beach house. Here are a few of them:

2005:


2006:


2007:


2008:


2009:


I have more pictures but I need to scan them in. It is so fun to see how much they change from year to year. Not sure what is on the agenda today - maybe putt putt for the boys and outlets for the girls. We are definitely down for another meal out, too!

Tomorrow's post will be about how we put our house on the market right before we left!

10 Miles and a Peach Milkshake

I am now in week four of my training for the NYC marathon. I told myself several months ago when I started that the first time I ran 10 miles I was rewarding myself with a Chick-fil-A peach milkshake. I love anything peachy and when I saw them on the menu I wanted one soooo bad. Well - last Thursday night Mike and I ran 10 miles. Believe it or not, it wasn't that bad. My legs were definitely tired but besides that it went pretty well. We finished in 1 hour and 53 minutes. It makes me laugh that I ran for almost 2 hours but I am still not halfway through a marathon. For the 1,000,000,000th time I had to ask myself I what was I thinking!

So anyway - on Friday Claire and I went through the drive through and got my milkshake. IT MADE ME SO SICK!!!!! It definitely tasted good on the way down, but my body isn't used to that rich food and it wasn't long at all before my stomach hurt like crazy! It was so not worth it.

I have decided that after I run 13 miles for the first time I am going to reward myself again - but not with food. This time I am checking into Ballantyne Spa for the day. I have a gift certificate I got for Christmas and I am going to use it for a relaxing massage. My 13-mile run will be next week so definitely in the next few weeks I AM THERE!

I like this reward system thing. 10 and 13 miles seem like pretty big milestones (first time in double digits and a half marathon) but I am not sure after which other long runs I should treat myself. The first 20-mile one seems appropriate. That occurs in week 11 which is the second week of September. Or maybe I should just do monthly massages from here on out! I like that idea.

We are off to the beach on Saturday. I am hoping we can get our 13-miler in there. It might not work without childcare. I think we are going to have to do loops around the entire island of Sunset Beach, so maybe we can just keep running by the house to check on the kids!

Back to the milkshake, the scary thing is that when I made that promise to myself it seemed like it would take forever for me to get to the 10-mile point. Well - now that it has come and gone, I realize that the marathon itself will be here before I know it, too. I want the next few months to go by slowly but I have a feeling they will fly by.

Drink Your Milk

It is time for a public service announcement. Drink your milk! Go outside! Eat your cheese! Vitamin D deficiency in adults is on the rise. Researcher say people are spending less time outside and avoiding the sun altogether or at least protecting their skin by using sunscreen. I also imagine that there are many adults who just don't get enough in their diet. I know I can't tell you the last time I drank a glass of milk. I eat yogurt and cheese a few times a week, but certainly not daily.

It is currently recommended that adults my age receive 200 IU of vitamin D supplements daily. This is in addition to what you should be receiving through your food and sunlight exposure. However, some researchers say this isn't enough.

Why am I on a soapbox? Well, if you haven't already I guessed, a routine physical about a month and a half ago showed that I am vitamin D deficient. When he tested me and then when I received the results it basically went in one ear and out the other. No big deal, I thought. I was right in that it, of course, isn't a big deal, but when I looked a little further at the signs and symptoms I realized that it might explain a few problems I have been having.

The paperwork my doctor gave me explained that beyond the obvious bone issues (osteoporosis, osteopenia, fractures), a deficiency in vitamin D can cause muscle weakness and fatigue. There is also research underway that is looking into vitamin D's role in decreasing the risk of cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease. I had been feeling VERY tired and had been having leg pain for a while. Yes I know I am training for a marathon so I should be tired and a little sore, however, I can only imagine now the amount of stress I was putting on a body that wasn't equipped to properly handle that stress. Plus, my legs were hurting long before I started running.

After my physical my doctor gave me a prescription for vitamin D. I waited until last week (about 30 days) to get it filled. I had been feeling yucky for a while, and I am hoping this will help alleviate a lot of what was going on. I am on 50,000 IU (remember the daily recommendation is 200 IU!) of vitamin D once a week for four weeks then I go to the same dosage but once every other week for two months. After that the level will be rechecked.

I actually feel way better this week than I did last week. Is it a coincidence that I am feeling better since I started taking vitamin D? Possibly. I could have just had a bug of some sort. I am hoping, however, that now that my body is being better taken care of, I will be stronger and healthier.

This has been a message from the Kelley Burch Drink Your Milk Project.

Let the Training Begin

I am "officially" in training for the New York Marathon. This is week 2 of my 18-week training program. I am using a basic/beginner program that is on the marathon's website. Everything up until last week was just trying to get to a "base" level of running. The base level was a five-day schedule of two 3-mile runs, two 4-mile runs and a 6-mile run. Last week I had to bump the 6-mile run to 8 miles. It was hard but not horrible. This week the 3-mile runs become 4-mile runs and the rest stays the same. Then next week my 8-mile run becomes a 10-mile run - along with the 4-milers. Most weeks I will run five days with two off days, but there are a few weeks with six running days.

I am having to be flexible with which days I run. It all centers of course around which day I can do my long run. That usually depends on when I can get a little extra time away from the kids/childcare and if I can find a partner. That is key for me, because I push myself a little harder with a partner. Last Thursday my friend Kristi ran 8 miles with me at the greenway by Trader Joes. My previous 8-miler was with Mike in California. After the awesome conditions there, I teased him that we needed to fly somewhere every week for the long run.

I wish I could say it is getting easier. I mean - I guess it is easier to run 3 or 4 miles than it used to be, but it is still very hard at times. I am definitely feeling aches and pains. My knees are sore most of the time except when I am running which I count as a blessing. I have been experiencing a few highs and lows which I will share below:

HIGHS:

* 8-mile run in Sonoma, CA. - AWESOME - Not even that hard. Flat, cool & BEAUTIFUL to look at.
* Cute, cheap running clothes at Target - no matter what Mike says - fashion is important!
* Running with Mike - I am enjoying that time with him.
* Feeling physically stronger

LOWS:

* Running in Charlotte's humidity - 3 miles can even kick my tail if the humidity is really high
* Knee pain especially when I sleep
* Blisters - enough said

EVERY time I run I ask myself what I am doing. I guess I feel like I can do anything for a short time. I also want to prove to myself that I can do something I don't think I can do. I am still relying on God, who got me into this, to get me through it!

Also - I am still holding the "walking" card in my pocket and am most likely going to play it on the 10-miler next week. I have been checking out the Jeff Galloway marathon method which incorporates ALOT of walking. His theory is if you run faster when you run and then allow your body/muscles to have short rests - you are no slower than if you run the whole thing. That is a very loose paraphrase but you get the gist.

So - if you see a girl on Providence or Alexander or 51 (my usual routes) who is wearing running attire but appears to be staggering, you might want to pull over and offer her a ride. She could use it!

Catching Up

WOW - So much to talk about, so little energy! The biggest news in the past few weeks has been the birth of my nephew - Knox Sullivan Goodyear. He is adorable! It is so wierd to see my baby brother as a dad, but I guess time marches on. He is 8 days old today and we are loving having a baby around. Here are a few pictures of him.

Just an hour and a half old:



Here is Claire in front of the sweet sign she made for his door. She took it to the hospital and left the name blank until we knew what it was:



Here is cousin Taylor:



Here is my baby brother with his new son:





My sweet sister-in-law, Laura, was kind enough to wait until we got back from California to have him. I was so worried that he would be born while we were gone but thankfully they waited. My parents kept my children, and I didn't want them to have to worry about my kids while they were trying to be at the hospital and helping out with my nephew. It worked out for all involved - except for maybe Laura who had to have a c-section.

California was WONDERFUL! This is the third time I have traveled to Sonoma with Mike for his work, and I always look forward to it. The first time was about 3 years ago and we took our kids. It was so fun. The last two years I have gone with Mike by myself which has been fun in a different way! My friend Cassi goes too, and we enjoy hanging out while the guys are working. It is so fun to drive into the different wine country towns and eat at different restaurants. We had a great lunch at a place called Hurleys in Yountville. We also have fallen in love with a restaurant called Mary's Pizza Shack. We have eaten there the past two years. YUM! One day is always reserved for Cas and I to hang out by the pool all day and then head to the spa in the afternoon. It is so relaxing.

The biggest news from the California trip for me this year was that I got my first 8-mile run in. Each day while we were there Mike and I ran together. I am enjoying that. When we would wake up it would be about 55 degrees - PERFECT running weather. With the gorgeous scenery, cool temperatures and flat topography - it was the perfect place to attempt the longest distance I had ever gone. We ran - WITHOUT STOPPING - and finished in 81 minutes. Since I have been home I have sometimes even struggled to get a 3-mile run in in the 80+ degree weather, but that is what tomorrow's post will be about.

Another interesting part of our trip was hanging out with Guy Fieri from the Food Network's Diners, Dives and Drive-ins. He was grand marshal of last year's race so Cassi became friends with him and has kept in touch with him throughout the year. If you know her you know this is a normal. So - she texted him in advance to ask him to recommend a Mexican restaurant for us to eat at while in the area. He sent us to what I thought was a dive and it happened to be near his house. He did warn us it wasn't fancy so we were prepared. He asked her (us) to come by his house after dinner, so we did and ended up hanging out there for a few hours after dinner. We just sat by his pool while his kids swam. His wife was at bunco. They are just completely normal. It was a trip.

Here are a few Cailfornia pictures. I forgot my camera so these are all from my iPhone.

This is where we stayed:


The grounds were beautiful:





This is our cottage - #6:


This is Cassi and I hanging out with Guy in the suite at the track last year:



Here we are with our friends at lunch: