Hanging in There . . . Homemade Applesauce Helps

Still haven't shaken the head cold, so running continues to be on hold. I haven't let the sinuses keep me from my strength training, though! I'm three weeks into the Bounce Your Body Beautiful balance ball training program by Liz Applegate, Ph.D. and am thrilled with how it is going.

For example:
- I've had neck/shoulder/arm trouble since the week before my now 21-month old daughter was born. The troubles come and go, but since getting the strength training under way, this is the best my shoulder has felt in nearly 2 years. That's motivation for me to keep going with it!
- My sleeping has improved since my non-sleeping summer, but again, my sleep in the last 3 weeks (well, prior to the head cold) is the best it has been in a long time.
- I feel stronger.
- When I DID run last week, I was pleased with how easy it was to hold a good running posture. Good posture makes for a smooth run.

Mentally and emotionally I've been feeling a bit worn, but I think a good part of that is related to not feeling well and the building excitement for Halloween (which is also my husband's birthday). The book award is certainly adding to the stress, too, as my mom and I haven't had a chance to talk about/truly celebrate all that the award means for us and what our next steps need to be for the book and educational consulting branch of the business. She's been helping extended family for the past few months (for which I'm very proud of her, as it hasn't been easy), so I know she's looking forward to figuring out the next steps, too, now that she's home.

See? This girl needs a run to have thinking and de-stressing time!

I'm targeting Monday for a trial run. We just got a family membership to the YMCA, so even if it means I get on a treadmill at the Y, I'll take it!

In the meantime, I'm off to enjoy a bowl of the homemade applesauce that just cooled. It isn't a run, but it is bound to take off the edge before the excitement of the Birthday Halloween tomorrow.

Have a fun weekend!

Thursday - Hanging in There (And swinging wildly!)

So, I mentioned the other day that I have some things developing for my book. Today one of those things came to life - hooray!

The Seattle Marathon will have my book, We Are Girls Who Love to Run (Somos Chicas y A Nosotras Nos Encanta Correr), available on their merchandise page!

So, it isn't there today . . . but it will be up soon. If you know anyone who is pondering participating in the race, let them know they can order my book through The Seattle Marathon, too! It will be available with 2 other children's book titles: Pellie Runs a Marathon and Coco Loves to Tri, both of which have been reviewed by Carol Goodrow on KidsRunning.com. Check them out and then order the trio to share with your favorite budding runners!

On the running front, I'm determined to get in a run this afternoon. With the chaos before our trip to CA, the adventures there and the chaos post-trip of getting the kids back on schedule, I haven't been running. AGH! And, that's not good with the Half coming up! So, after a bit of work while the kids play with friends, I'm lacing up those shoes and heading out. I'll probably leave the Garmin behind because I just want to go and enjoy being back on the road without worrying about what this lull in running has done to my speed.

I hope your week is going well. Happy running - and hooray - tomorrow's Friday!

Thursday - Hanging in There!

For those of you looking for the book review yesterday, my apologies. Life happens! Come back next week for the scoop on Carol Goodrow's new book with a guest review from my mom.

I'm not sure how today is Thursday already. It seems like just yesterday that I was cheering about the fresh paint job in our Master bath - which continues to make me smile, BTW - but that was Monday and yesterday was really Wednesday. Holy moly!

I had planned to go for a long run this morning, but I didn't sleep so well (but one night out of four ain't bad) and the kids were being returned at 7ish this morning from their overnight at my parents'. I'll revert to an evening run today and get up tomorrow to do more of my yoga/strength training routine before the kids get up. I'm dedicated to making this morning thing stick!

My husband and I had a good date night last night: take out from our favorite Mediterranean place that we haven't visited in awhile, a planning trip to Lowe's to talk about options for a possible kitchen remodel in our near future, and a viewing of The Dark Knight. We capped it off with a few minutes in the hammock under the stars - it was a warm, clear, quiet night, perfect for playing the "Where do you think that plane is going?" game as we tracked a few planes overhead.

So, on the work end of things, we're gearing up for some advertising. That means more work with writing copy, whittling down ideas until they're JUST right, and figuring out how to sqeeze as much as possible from our little budget. Tough work!

Off to feed my growing boy YET AGAIN! Have a good remainder of your week - the weekend is in sight, folks!