I realize it’s been a while since I’ve posted a Fitness Friday, but I finally feel like I have something to talk about!

This past Wednesday, I ran 3.1 miles without stopping for the first time EVER!  I’ve completed 2 5k races, but I always had to walk a portion of them.

The key this time?  I slowed down.  WAY down.  When I first started training for these races I was trying to run at 6mph because that’s what I thought running was.  Then I always felt disappointed in myself when I couldn’t finish.

On Wednesday, I ran at 5mph.  It took me over 37 minutes, but I ran the whole thing.  That’s huge.  HUGE!!

I am doing a virtual 5k this Sunday in conjunction with World Run Day and the latest fitness challenge at The Sisterhood.  My goal?  Run the whole thing.  Now, I have no excuses because I know I can do it.

On Sunday, The Sisterhood is starting a new fitness challenge…we are going to log as many miles as we can during the challenge.  You know what that means?  Time for a new ticker!  I’ll be updating my mileage on the sidebar for those who are interested.

If you’re not interested, than I’ll be updating it for myself.

Because really, this is the one thing that should be all about me.

This week was Photographer’s Choice for You Capture. I always seem to struggle when left to my own devices, but I absolutely loved this shot when I downloaded it.

Seriously, you can’t beat this for a backdrop for soccer.  And I just love how patient Jake looks!

You Capture is hosted by Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry!

For more pics, visit Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom!

I’m not sure what I liked the most about venturing out after the rain…

…your fascination with the Mommy Worm…

…or sharing with the world your keen fashion sense…

One week with no blogging, Twittering, or Facebooking and very limited e-mailing is not at all what I expected.

I thought I would have more free time.

I thought I would have my to-do list knocked at by noon.

I thought I would exercise every day.

I thought I would get through at least one book.

I thought I would play board games with Emma and Jacob until my eyes fell out.

I thought I would be in bed by 11:30 every night.

None of that happened.

The time that I would normally spend on the computer was filled with other stuff that kept me from my to-do list.

Whether the computer is on or off, life goes on.  For better or worse, there will always be SOMETHING that presents itself as an obstacle.

And so, again, it’s all about balance.  It’s all about getting down to the heart of what really matters.  It’s about looking at my to-do list and thinking about what is most important and getting rid of the stuff that isn’t.

So this is what mattered last week:

• I ordered tickets to a pre-Broadway musical (The Addams Family) for Dave and I while we are in the Chicago area over Christmas. It’s our gift to each other because we don’t need more stuff. Oh yeah, it doesn’t hurt that it stars Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Terrence Mann.
• Emma and I tried on silly glasses at Target that were too funny NOT to take pictures (seriously, do people buy these?)
  



• We bought supplies to make up UMCOR school, health, and layette kits to send with a mission team from our church who is going to Africa.
• Dave and I decided that we are going to start scheduling monthly 1-on-1 time with the kids.  One Saturday a month on Kids’ Day, we are each going to take Jake or Emma for 2 or 3 hours and do whatever they want.  Even Chuck E. Cheese. The next month, we swap kids. We rarely spend 1-on-1 time with them anymore.
• We are also starting a Family Game Night.  For the most part, I would like it to be electronics free, but even a family game of Wii Bowling is better than every scattering after dinner.
• On Saturday, we spent nearly 8 hours together while Jake had his soccer tournament in the morning and Emma had hers in the afternoon.  Then we went to our friends house after trick-or-treating and let the kids stay up way too late and we ate too much sugar.

Now if I can only get a handle on my online solitaire problem…

Off to read the 450 posts in my Google Reader!!

We interrupt this computer hiatus for a very important announcement:

WE’VE BEEN SHRINKING FOR A YEAR!

I seriously cannot believe it’s been a year since I’ve joined up with this amazing group of people.  They’ve been encouraged me during my up times and supported me during my down times.  They are truly, TRULY amazing.

To celebrate our 1 year anniversary, we are doing some wild and crazy things over at The Sisterhood.  Here are the highlights:

• A new weight loss challenge  will run from Wednesday, October 28th until Wednesday, December 16th. That’s SEVEN weeks to shrink, shrink, shrink, and shrink some more!
• Starting November 1st, we’ll have a giveaway EACH AND EVERY DAY, so you’ll want to make sure and stop in each day to enter. You’ll have several chances to win, and each giveaway will end at midnight Pacific time that day. Winners will be announced the next morning. Free stuff.  Every day.  Word.
• Our next fitness challenge will kick-off on November 9th. We’ll all lace up our walking and running shoes and start logging our miles! Each weigh-in (starting November 11th) we’ll report our weight AND our miles. At the end of the challenge we’ll tally up the miles walked/ran by all of our members and the member with the biggest number will be crowned our Globetrotting Champ. Get your striped socks, headbands and wrist bands ready!

I think that covers the basics.  My starting weight for this challenge is 156.8.  I’ve said it before and I guess I’ll have to say it again.  I WILL BE AT 153 BY THE END OF THIS CHALLENGE, DAMN IT!!!

That is all.  Now go.  GO!  Check it out and go get your Shrink on!

That crazy internet addiction is rearing it’s ugly head again!

I had every intention of participating in TV Turnoff Week in September by turning off my computer for a whole week, but I guess I was too busy playing online solitaire to actually put it on my blogging calendar.

So, except for businessy type stuff,  I’m stepping away from the computer for a week.

No blogging (on my personal blog, at least.  I do have some other obligations I need to attend to).

No chatting.

No Twittering.

No Facebooking.

No online solitairing.

Cue rapid heartbeat.

See you all next Monday!

And yes, I promise I’ll blog about what I did all week.

Next week.

Yesterday, I had a day.

I was grumpy literally from the moment I rolled out of bed and pretty much stayed that way until late into the evening.  We were busy all day long and I felt like I never really had a chance to catch my breath. I was short with Dave, yelled at Jacob, and fought back my own tears as Emma cried hers.

All I wanted was a break.  Dave offered to take Jake and Emma to Em’s soccer game, giving me about an hour and a half to myself.  It definitely helped, but I still couldn’t shake that intense feeling of dread that comes over me when I don’t have any downtime and my plate is too full (which is one of the reasons I question my desire to get a job).

Then I feel bad for being grumpy…almost like I’m being selfish and have no right to BE GRUMPY.  My family is healthy, I’m healthy, we have no financial hardships, and generally life is good.

But all I see is that I don’t have 5 minutes to myself and OHMYGOODNESS, PLEASE DON’T ASK ME WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IF YOU ARE JUST GOING TO SAY NO ANYWAY and Emma hasn’t eaten breakfast in 3 days because she refuses to get dressed and…and…and…

The last time I realized I needed to focus on the positive, I went out and bought a book: The Daily Book of Positive Quotations.  I read it every morning to give me a little boost to start my day.

This morning’s quote hit home.

People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in , their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I need to work on finding that light.

It definitely wasn’t shining yesterday.

I haven’t touched my camera in a week, so this You Capture is a shot from a few weekends ago.

The new age of corn mazes…

You Capture is hosted by Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry!

For more pics, visit Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom!