Giveaway Reminder!

Next week is my 6th and final week of the Sane Fitness Quick Start Fitness Deck that I reviewed a few weeks ago. As promised, I'll be drawing a winner for the deck on April 30th - which isn't long from now!

So far, I'm sticking with my rave review. Since I started the program 5 weeks ago, here's what I've noticed:

1. My outer thighs are more toned now than they've been in years, which in addition to the vanity boost, also makes hill running easier. LOVE that! And now that I look back at the photos from the start of the program, I notice my arms are more sculpted now, too. Bring on summer!

2. My body fat percentage has dropped, which somehow manifests in a more slender face for me. This is only accentuated by my longer hair - but it is fun to see photos of me with short hair and fuller cheeks compared to me now with long, straight hair and a thinner face.

3. I returned to yoga this morning (thanks for watching the kids, Mom & Dad!!!) and found that although it has been a few months since my steady yoga practice, my body was still able to do a challenging Vinyasa session heavy with push-ups and core work. There's no way I would have come out feeling as good as I did without the strength training during my yoga hiatus!

4. I feel empowered by my increased stamina and strength and find myself facing new challenges. For example, I moved 75 landscaping bricks with my dad BOTH into and out of a van without batting an eye. This is a gift from the cardio work with running and the strength from lifting. I am sure I wouldn't have proposed the idea of building the brick wall (without my husband around) last year when strength training wasn't part of my workout routine. But this year more things seem possible. (Shhhhhh, don't tell my husband. The finished wall is a surprise when he returns home from a work trip tomorrow!)!

5. My kids like having a strong mama (well, I already knew that, but now it shows even more because they leave me alone without complaint so I can finish!).

Like the sound of those results? Click on over to my original post to be tossed into the running for the cards! Maybe YOU could be the lucky winner. As of today there are only 8 entries, so the chances of winning are quite good. Don't be shy!

And as always, happy running!

Running with the boys

For the first time in a long time, it was our daughter who woke up the family this morning. Usually it is our son, the early bird, who announces the numbers displayed on my husband's alarm clock and insists that it is time for us to wake-up - even if the first digit is a 5, or even on occasion a dreaded 4. Much to my surprise, the numbers told me it was eight-zero-zero (as Ethan would read), about an hour later than Ethan EVER lets us sleep! Of course, he was up a few times over the course of the night, but I finally convinced him to settle in and rest by creating a "cozy bed" for him on the floor at the foot of our bed. There is something magical about that space for him. He slept there peacefully from four until eight (if you leave out the incident where our dog thought the space looked pretty cozy, too, and layed ON TOP of Ethan, resulting in Ethan shouting out "Bad Albus! No, no, no! This is MY bed!").

Since we were so late in prying ourselves from the bed, attending church was out of the question for us. We go to the early Mass only, as Ethan just doesn't have the right balance of energy, calm and curiosity for the later Mass. Though David and I decided last night that we'd both like to get in a run today, it just wasn't looking good. Then the phone rang. A phone call at 8:15 AM isn't always the most welcome, but this was by far the best call we've received before 9AM. My mom wanted to deliver a plate of her homemade cookies on her way to her church (of course, Mom, bring them right over!) and then suggested that she take Ethan and Megan to the service with her so they could enjoy watching my dad play with their church band (of course, Mom, I can have them ready whenever you'd like and I'd even be happy to put little Megs in a dress!). She suggested that David and I head out for some breakfast (knowning that sleeping in was a RARE thing and breakfast on our own is even more rare!) together while they were all at church.

We kicked around the idea of a breakfast outing for abut 2 minutes. We immediately knew that this was a chance for us to enjoy a run together outside and that it would be great, even if it was snowing. So, we got the kids fed and dressed, buckled them into their carseats in my mom's car and didn't look back to watch them pull out of the driveway. We were going for a run - together!

Our dog, Albus, loves to run, too. As we got dressed for the run, he immediately recognized the signs - clothes from the bottom drawers, white socks, running shoes . . . with each item his tail wagged faster and his eyes darted between each of our faces to see which of us would acknowledge that he was invited for the event. His running is the same style as David's - full speed ahead. It helps that Albus has four legs and David's legs are LONG. This speed is not my favorite, so Albus doesn't often get to join me when I run. BUT since David would be going, he received the much anticipated nod that he could come, too.

So, there we were, the three of us, running the hills of Duvall at 9AM. While the treadmill has kept my legs strong, it does have the drawback of keeping my lungs from getting the same experience that hills and cold air provide outside. Even with the few walk breaks I requested, it was a good morning to run. We waved good morning to our neighbor has he strung their outdoor Christmas lights - a festive picture, if not the ideal conditions he would choose for such a chore. The wind changed direction with each of our turns, encouraging the snowflakes to fly into our faces and stick on our eyelashes. I can't remember the last time we went for a run in the snow, which means it has probably been a few years. We'll definitely do it again . . . and maybe even give it a try with the kids in the double jogger, if need be.

Thanks, Mom, for sharing your morning with us all. We hope running around with the kids was as satisfing as our run around Duvall!