Lessons learned on the pavement this week

1.  I went to a running class on Monday. It is sponsored by the organization that does my boot camp.  I won't be going back.  The class was disorganized, too far from the house, and attended by non-runners.  I know this sounds totally awful and maybe it is a little awful.   However, I was hoping to find one - maybe two if I was lucky - running partners.  A non-runner cannot be a regular running companion for me because of lack of experience, totally different running goals, and paces that are too different.  Maybe I will have to check back at the end of the class!

2.  The other grand thing I learned from the class was the reaffirmation that I am really just an average runner.  In my head I like to think that I am a little bit above average.  BUT, I am really just average.  The class leader was fast...like 8 min miles fast on short and long runs.  I would love to be able to hold that pace on long runs.  I am not there and don't think I ever will be.  The other ladies were slow so that left me in the middle...just average.  I am working on coming to terms with this.  Drew likes to tell me I am "middle C" in many things and I guess this is another one of those things.

3.  I am not a good pacer.  I ran a 5 mile tempo run on Wednesday.  I was excited to do some speed work and I did run fast...for me!  However, I was all over the place with my splits.  I ran a warm-up mile and a cool down mile.  Both were over 9 minutes and that was perfect.  The middle three miles were 7:42, 7:55, 7:26 (my goal was under 8 so goal met) in that order.  That is so inconsistent.  I do love to challenge myself on my last mile or last hard mile and I did that for sure.  My next tempo run goal is for my mile splits to be within 10 seconds of one another.  I know I can do it.

4.  So far I have not been bothered by the heat and humidity.  Running at 6am helps and I am glad I am dealing well with the heat.

Summer in the pool

Emma, Jonah. Samuel, and Elena love to swim. 

Well, Samuel does not love to swim, but he is getting braver.  He will now venture to the third step of the pool.

Emma and Jonah are crazy in the pool.  They swim all around, jump off the diving board, and get annoyed when I tell them it is time to leave.

Elena is not afraid of the pool.  She likes to "jump" in with barely any help.  It is a little scary for me.

Next time I have to get a picture of Emma too!

Catching up...

I feel like I spend a lot of time catching up on everything.  There is always something that must be done so the things that I want to do get pushed to the background (except running!!).  This week is the first week of summer vacation.  We have lots on the schedule....lots of fun things planned.  However, I plan to catch up on my "to do" list so the rest of the month can be filled with fun!  These are great examples of me being behind. 

Emma graduated from "Sparks" at AWANA on May 16th. She has attended the program with her friend Ashlynn for three years.  She has learned lots about the Bible, lots about how much God loves her, and memorized lots and lots and lots of verses.  At the graduation ceremony she had to say a verse of her choosing.  She picked Proverbs 17:17 - "A friend loves at all times".   She and Ashlynn said it together.  It melted my heart. 

Emma and her awards!

We are in the process of redoing our family room.  That includes new walls, new paint, a new window, new shelves, new finish work, and new carpet.  We - and by me, I mean Drew - is doing most of the work.  All our free time during the week and the weekends is spent working on the room.  This is another reason I am behind on my normal stuff.  Emma, Jonah, and Samuel love to "help".  Sometimes they actually do help, but mostly not so much.  This project will take all summer and I am praying that we are finished by Halloween. 

Samuel wearing his tool belt and all ready to help!

On a much more recent note, Emma finished second grade on Thursday, June 2.  The 2nd grade awards were on Thursday and I was so proud of Emma.  She received awards for all "A" honor roll for the year and all "E's" for conduct all year.  She worked hard all year and is ready for a fun summer!

Emma and Ashlynn during the ceremony.

As for running, it has not taken a background to anything.  I am still rising before the sun to get in my runs.  I really have no other choice for many reasons.  The most pressing reason at the moment is the heat.  My goodness it has been hot and 6am is the only reasonable time to run.  This weekend was a light weekend...only 11 miles on Saturday and 4.3 miles today.  Tomorrow I am going to a running class offered by Masterpiece Fitness.  I am excited to see what it has to offer.  Stay tuned...

5 pm

Something happens everyday around 5p.  It is my least favorite time of day.  The kids are tired, hungry, and ready for daddy to be home.  I am tired, trying to make dinner, and ready for daddy to be home.  I dread this time of day because my kids' bodies become possessed by aliens.  The whining increases to unbearable levels, the arguing increases, the demands increase, etc.  

Why does this happen?  I know this happens to other moms too.  What is it about this time of day?

Today was an exceptionally bad day.  I offer small snacks like carrots, but that does no good. I offer drinks.  I turn on the television.  I referee and still NOTHING! 

I was so thankful that two of the blogs I read this morning referenced scripture about controlling the tongue. 

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  

James 1:19 “Everyone should be quick to listen.”

When they act like alien children, I want to yell because I am tired and frustrated.  Of course, when I yell, the situation usually gets worse because they get frustrated.  It is a bad downward cycle.  Today, I thought of these blogs and what the women authors had written. I thought about these verses and did my best to be a better person.  I was mildly successful.  My bubble burst when they started being rude to each other.  I can't stand rudeness because each one of them...Emma, Jonah, Samuel, and Elena...are better people than that.  So, I raised my voice.  Thank goodness tomorrow is a new day.

On a different note, today was National Running Day.  I planned a cross training workout for today, but decided I had to run today.  I could not call myself a runner if I did not run on National Running Day.  So, I got up at 5:30, laced up my super cool purple sneakers, and took off running.  I had an awesome 5.7 mile run with an average pace of 8:31.  It was a great run!!