It's almost time!

Setting goals is so life-giving to me. When it turned Y2K, I wanted to do something significant- so I took on a task for a new challenge: I started a community musical theater. It was great fun to produce, direct and be a cast memberb myself in the musicals we performed in 2000 and 2001. Then, I went on to the next mountain to climb: Getting my master's degree in 2002. Long-awaited children arrived in the form of twins in 2004 and a second set just as 2006 was coming to a close. Now it is the eve of my 45th birthday, and my next big happening is a marathon, 26.2 miles I have been planning to run since I was 43 and a half. In a week and a half, I will be running the Disney Marathon- and I actually think I am ready!

Marathon pre-training continues...

About to enter my 4th week of pre-training - on Monday this week I ran 3 miles non-stop and walked a mile. It felt great except for this issue in my right foot that I have had for sometime. I think it is a neuroma (from my highly reliable internet search - ! - ?) - feels like a pebble or marble in the ball of my foot, high up between the base of my 3rd & 4th toes (I think - hard to pinpoint) - at any rate, I start to get numbness and downright pain after a couple of miles of running. So - tomorrow morning I finally have a foot doctor appointment and I will, hopefully, find out what it actually is!

Meanwhile - it is getting pretty steamy in the mornings around here! Today, because of extenuating circumstances I did not get out this am, so running will have to happen later. My plan is to continue running 30 minutes straight this week, then add 5 minutes each week until I get up to 45 minutes. Then, I will run 45 minutes 3 times a week and 1 hour once a week until the REAL training starts in October.

Yes - I am hoping to drop some more pounds during this process! But - I am just going to keep with my eating routine which is most days being a "weight watcher" with one "celebration" (eat whatever I want) evening a week. I have been maintaining my 20 pound loss from last Fall since November, but in reality would like to drop about 10 more. I have heard that marathon training is not necessarily a weight-loss season, so I will try not to obsess over that! Just want to enjoy life, which means, for me, enjoying delicious food!

Marathon training - the beginning

My book arrived last week - Finally! It is a program written by Joe Henderson, a seasoned marathon-er and writer of training programs. This one gets you ready in 100 days. For my level - "Cruiser" (which is not worried about time, just finishing), I need to be able to complete a 10K and run for an hour non-stop by the time I begin my 100 days. The 100 days begins October 2 for my January 9, 2011 Disney World marathon. In the meantime, I have now begun my 2nd week of what I call "pre-marathon training"!

Last Thursday, May 27, I began a week (4 days - Thurs, Sat, Mon & Tues) of running 5 minutes/walking 5 minutes and did that 4 times. Yesterday, June 3, I began running 10 minutes/walking 5 minutes 3 times. It felt great! I have quickly learned that I need to get to running before about 8:30 AM or it gets too hot quickly! Today is Friday and it is a rest day - Yay! So my plan is to run tomorrow (Sat), Sun or Mon (haven't decided which yet) and then Tues. I will build up from there when Thursday rolls around again, probably try 2 20-minute runs with walk breaks.

I am looking for a 10K to do around August/September - will perhaps do a 5K I did last year in July again.

More later!

Countdown to Marathon

Well, in a flurry and a rush I signed up for the Disney Marathon (January 2011) last week. I was afraid that I would miss my chance if I didn't do it now and besides, my rear needs to get in gear! I was up to about 4 miles 3 or 4 times a week by last November, but have not been running since. As soon as i signed up, I caught a chest cold! So I have walked 2 days so far - Sunday morning and today (Thursday). That ain't gonna cut it for long! Saturday I will be visiting my sister in Baltimore and we will likely go running. I think I will be better then and get my official training off to a start.

This is my goal for turning 45 on December 30, 2010 - to run my first marathon, the Disney World one at that. Can you think of a more fun place to run? I am psyched! And now I have my new Asics shoes bought on sale at Kohl's last week. Woo hoo, here I go!

Marathon Woman

Okay - I am going for it.

I have two friends I'm thinking of who have become marathon-ers since I have first met them - both moms who turned to the marathon to be their next challenge. I am continually inspired by them and get the privilege of following their progress via Facebook.

A life-long-struggler-with-weight, I have come to the conclusion that exercise is my only hope for peace and balance. I have had two major weight-losses in my life: Jenny Craig & Weight Watchers. The weight gain happened gradually over 10 years after my Jenny Craig stint - and 2 twin pregnancies happened after the Weight Watchers' success. I am now at my weight before the 2nd twin pregnancy in 2006, which is 20+ pounds up from the 1st one in 2003.

I have, at the age of 43, flirted with accepting myself at this new weight - after all, I read once that Kathleen Turner, that 80's sex symbol, commented that after a certain point a woman has to choose between her face and her rear-end. Hmmm; I could live with having a more full, youthful face and a little more booty - after all, "Baby Got Back", right? But, try as I might, I can't shake the memory of how great it felt to be a little bit farther down the scale. And those few times always came after a season of disciplined exercise.

Besides, I am so tired of watching what I eat. I have read "French Women Don't Get Fat", "The Weigh-Down Workshop", "Stop The Madness", and any other number of books on the subject. There are great concepts in them all. This time, I am going with my gut.

I am going to eat what I like, within reason, and stop counting calories and points. And, beginning last week, I am going to slowly work up to the Disney Marathon (one of my favorite places on Earth) and, for my 45th birthday in December of 2010, I am going to run it. If I like the experience, I am going to work towards the New York City marathon, because (cue the music): "I ---- love New York!!!!" And then, maybe I will try the marathon in Hawaii since I have always wanted to go there, too. I REFUSE to spend my young children's lives being unfit and unhappy - plus, I want to set an example for them to be athletic and fit all their lives long.

So - Cheryl and Libby - thanks for inspiring me. Keep it up and pull for me as I walk and run out this dream! I know you've been there and are cheering me on already.

My kids

I am having the worst time documenting my 2nd set of twins - the first set, I have this huge journal full of all their chronicled cuteness. My 2nd set is no less cute, but my energy/emotional level is greatly depleted and days go by and no meaningful writings about them.

Maybe my blog could be used to do this more - typing is more fun than long-hand and I migrate to the internet like an addict as it is - Facebook, I have you to thank for that!

So - it is now 9:00 pm and after a long day with my 4 dear ones - ages 5 and 2 - all are in bed. I just left my youngest girl who called me back into her room in that precious pre-verbal gibberish that I am just beginning to decipher - she said "teeth" and pointed to her mouth. Do your teeth hurt? She just wanted to be picked up and held. I sat in a chair in the dark and savored the clinging onto me by my youngest who's babyhood is swiftly passing. I thought - the adult world can wait just a little longer - I'm going to soak this up! She held on tight and drifted into sleep. I laid her back down in her pak and play which is in the dining room since we have found the best way to get 4 pre-schoolers to sleep is to put them in separate spaces.

Therefore, oldest boy sleeps in one (or both) of 2 twin beds in his room - oldest girl is put to bed in the master bedroom - younger boy is in the 3rd (and final) bedroom in one of 2 twin beds in there - thus the youngest in the dining room. Oldest girl gets taken into shared room with oldest boy when parents are ready to turn in - then she usually makes her way back to our room in the middle of the night. I have found that if I sack out on the sofa in the downstairs family room and sleep there all night, it kind of feels like I am on a getaway by myself, so I do that occasionally. Usually in the same clothes I wore all day previously, so when I wake up, I
am already dressed!

Anyway - the 2nd set of twins - B. is so funny! Has already a wonderful sense of music and pitch - a beautiful singing voice! At bedtime he asks for a song I have been singing to my kids since day one - "Always" - and he often gets a mischievous smile on his face and starts singing along in a growly, Jimmy Durante voice. Where he got that schtick, I have no idea! I think kids bring these little fun creative personalities with them down from heaven!

A.J. , B.'s twin sis is love personified - a receiver and giver. Tonight before the "teeth" call-back, I was putting her to bed and she often starts reciting the names of everyone in the family. Tonight, she added some extended family, continuing to talk and name names, although mostly only the vowels were coherent. It is always a triumph when she is trying to communicate something and I guess it correctly! She will smile brightly and say a staccato "Yeah!" I mentioned a relative's nickname and she then said that relative's spouse's nickname - you never think these little ones are paying attention, but I think they don't miss a trick!

S., my oldest boy, is so bright and sharp despite the fact that he has been educationally diagnosed with autism. His autism limits him mostly in the speech and social spectrum, but everyday I feel like I see him develop more and more and, very much like the little ones, one just has to take a moment to find out what it is he is trying to say. He receives in-home services at the moment that are a true God-send through the public school system here and I am learning so much about how to patiently take the time to persevere through the rough spots with S. - his restlessness, wanting to do activities that with 3 other kids to think about, I cannot let him do such as go outside by himself. At this point he will, "Runn oft" to quote "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" - Hey! That's a perfect reference - because that is where we would be with S. - "O S., where art thou" if I didn't confine him indoors when all he wants to do is breakout. He's our big flight risk is the family although there are moments when I might come in a close second if it weren't for my saint of a husband. Heck, even still I understand why Marie Osmond cut and run that time a while back.

Little Miss F., S.'s twin is going to run, too, someday - except that she is going to run SOMETHING. A definite born leader and no trace of that people-pleasing thing I have carried and battled my whole life - thank God - although as a mother, it wouldn't hurt me any if she turned on just a little people-pleasing with me! But she is a love and very thoughtful, a deep thinker who makes connections and asks questions way beyond her years. She is a delight and keeps me thinking how I can keep one step ahead of her. A common conversation:

F: Mom, you forgot to ______; you said you were going to ______; you haven't done _____
Me: F, I will not be ordered around by a child - who is the boss?
F: You are (said with sad resignation)
Me: That's right, and I will ALWAYS know more than you.
F: But ________
Me: The answer is "Yes, Ma'am"
F: Yes, Ma'am!

Wow! I have my work cut out.

Okay - I'm going to go turn on the Food Network and watch my favorite "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" showcasing the best in bad-for-you eat-out food - it's so fun to watch people cook and eat this food and talk about it. Almost as good as eating it oneself.

Ta Ta for now - who knows when I'll get the urge to blog again -- Blessings to all and to all a good night!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVaqXGGh9kk&feature=related