Those Crazy Greeks!

So, I have been divulging my plan to run next year's marathon to everyone. The other day I told my dad. I knew he was quite a runner when I was a kid. I used to ride my bike along side him while he ran the canals. He then said, "Have I told you about when I tried to run a marathon?" No, I'd never heard about this. He ran lots of races back in the day. He could run a 10k under 40 minutes (Fast!!) and decided to try his hand at a marathon. At about mile 15 his legs stopped working. His knees locked and he had to be thrown into the back of a pick-up. This is not the story you want to hear just after you've registered to run. We talked it over and decided he was fast but hadn't trained the distances he should have. So, my confidence remains strong. I am sure I can do it if I train correctly.

History of the marathon:

The inception of the marathon came after a Greek messenger from 490BC ran from a town called Marathon to Athens, the distance of about 26 miles. Assigned to report the victory of the Athenians over Persia, he arrived in Athens and cried, "Rejoice, We Conquer!", and...then dropped DEAD. Hmm...not so inspiring. Those Greeks were quite virile and brawny, too! No biggie. I will be well-rested. No battling Persians for me.

The truth is that in addition to not-so uplifting stories like these, I have read and heard dozens of inspiring accounts of people like me completing a marathon. I decided that since I plan to only do this one time in my lifetime, I would journal my training and feelings along the way for the next nine months. I love reading runners' blogs, from start to finish...very motivating! I am going to add selections from my journal to the right side of my blog page so you can keep up on my progress and give me a good kick in the butt if I seem to be slacking. I'm sure I will need it!

Balloons & Hula Hoops!

Last weekend, the kids and I went to their cousin, Hannah's birthday party. Apparently, Max has been hiding quite a talent...he is an amazing hula hooper! We were all impressed. I guess he has perfected this skill in PE. Who knew?

Cal has a huge fear of balloons...Not really balloons themselves...more the popping of them. He walked around for 2 hours with his hands over his ears! I told him to take them off for this pic!

Elle was in heaven decorating her hat and glasses. Of course, she picked pink everything!

Thanks Hannah, Mandi, and Sue! We had fun!!

What's My RealAge?

Calendar Age
34.2
Difference
-5.2
RealAge
29.0

Happy to hear I am younger than I thought. Take the test...kind of interesting!

Link:

http://www.realage.com/ralong/entry4.aspx?cbr=GGLE806&gclid=CJbJ6biW95ICFQVGagodqUlHGw

Overspending at Target!

I went to Target to get ONLY:

I came home with:

what is it with that place?

Am I Crazy??

Long ago, if I caught a glimpse of a marathon on tv, I would think to myself, "Why, why, why?" Quite frankly, the appeal of running 26 grueling miles escaped me. What are these people trying to prove? Then, I began to hear about people I knew running marathons. I became intrigued. Since January, everytime I hear about somebody that ran PF Changs, I find myself feeling a little envious. I know...sounds crazy! I am jealous they ran 26 miles? Well, yes, I am. I realize I do have something to prove. I want to prove to myself that I can commit, train, and complete it. See, I have always had this dillusional assumption that I can do anything. And...I am far too competetive for my own good. In combination, these traits lead to some hasty and sometimes regretable decisions like the one I am about to make. I am going to run the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in January! I have publicly committed and paid the $90 entry fee (and if you know me, I would never waste 90 bucks!). This means I am in. I will keep you posted on the training...

Pat's Run

On Saturday, Bri and I ran in Pat's Run at ASU. It was alot of fun. And... for the first race for each of us, I think we did pretty well...and we're both hooked. There will definately be more races in our future!

Baseball

Baseball started this month. Max in on a great team with some of his best buddies! He loves playing any sport, but baseball is my favorite. I love the slower pace of this sport and that each player gets to be in the spotlight for a moment. I grew up going to spring training games with my dad, sitting on the grass, eating peanuts and hot dogs. It's nostalgic ... there's just something about baseball!

Lost Highway Tour!!

Last night, my sister and I went to the Bon Jovi concert! It was so great! ...better than I even expected! He is such a good entertainer and I had so much fun! I couldn't wipe the silly grin off of my face from the moment he walked on stage until the encore! Thanks for going with me, Bri! Thank for the tickets, Ted!

just breathe...

Ahh... take a deep breath. That's what I did today when I found Elle and Cal playing with the couch cushions. I know that every mom must have their "thing." That one thing your kids do that just sends you over the edge. For me, it is taking the cushions off of the couch. I have no idea why this makes me crazy, but it seriously causes me to lose it. And...for some reason, no matter how many times I have blown up over it, Elle and Cal cannot seem to control themselves. Today, instead of the usual sending little ones to their rooms, I took a deep breath and grabbed my camera. After taking a few pics, I began to see the attraction- the leaping, bouncing, hiding, climbing. They sure were having a ball. Hope they enjoyed it, though. It's still on my "not allowed" list!

Bravo!

Yeah, Holly won Make Me a Supermodel! Not to brag, but... She was my pick from the beginning! Now, on to Step It Up and Dance. Isn't Bravo the greatest!

Back to the Zoo

On Sunday, we took a trip to the Phoenix Zoo. It was our first time back since the fall. The weather was great and the kids had a ball. However, I always leave feeling like we only saw a handful of animals. Maybe time to re-design some of the habitats (too many hiding places for the animals)!