99 days and counting...

There are only 99 days left until the Chicago Marathon!!!!

How exciting! I was in Chicago this week for a training class. I went downtown on Thursday and walked along some of the streets that are on the marathon route. I tried to imagine what it'll be like to see the streets lined up with millions of people. It was so exciting! I can't wait to go back, Chicago is one of my favorite cities.

The trip wasn't without highlights. We had our shares of mishaps but it's all part of traveling. We flew Delta and had a connection in Atlanta. It was storming when we arrived in Atlanta on the way back. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:30 PM. We finally boarded the plane at 2 AM. I crawled in bed at 4 AM and slept 2.5 hrs before the twins woke up.
That's one thing I dislike about traveling. I'm just glad to be home.

Missed this morning. Going to do the 8 miles in the morning before church. I was up a few times with the boys, I guess now that I'm home they missed me. When the alarm went off at 4 am, I just couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. I hate I missed everyone.

I really need to get back on schedule. Time is winding down. I find that as we get closer, I am already thinking about "the next one". I know I want to run Chicago at least once more, and then maybe Marine Corps, New Orleans, Hawaii?

99 days, and we will be crossing that finish line. 99 days...

Great party!

My husband and I had a great time at the party. Although I have to confess I was a bit jealous because all of you had accomplished something so awesome. You are half marathoners!!! Way to go! It was great to see all of you smiling and happy, and so proud of yourselves.

I wish I had been a part of it but I decided to wait and get better before going such long distance. I don't want this to turn into something worse, and then have to sit out even longer.

I still have some congestion and a pesky cough that just started. Did I mention I can't hear out of my left ear? yeah, I just hope my ears don't burst tomorrow on my flight to the Windy City. We are not staying downtown (bummer) because the class is in Des Plaines. I hope we get a chance to make it to downtown Chicago though.

Have a great training week everyone. I'm going to get on the treadmill at the hotel and see how it goes. I want to be ready for our 7.5 miles on Saturday.

I'm so proud of all of you, you are Marathoners!!!

Feeling Better

Hi everyone, thanks for the well wishes.

I feel better, although I'm not 100% better just yet. I felt really good yesterday, I even thought I could probably run on Saturday.
But woke up this morning with a headache and very congested.

So I'm going to play it by ear. I am going to set my alarm for tomorrow and decide if I'm going to run or not, depending on how I feel. I hate to miss it but I don't want to push it and have this minor thing turn into something huge.

I will, however, be coming to the party with my husband. I haven't decided what I'm bringing yet, but we'll both be there. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, it seems like it's been forever since I saw you.

Still here

Well, it's been a while. I decided to come in to work even if just for a few hrs so I can start to get used to a normal routine.

Went to the dr. Monday. I have a pretty bad infection in my throat, two lymphnodes on my neck are swollen, and he gave me a shot and more antibiotics to take. Still have a lot of congestion but at least my throat no longer hurts. Problem is, I can hardly hear because my head feels like it's full of gunk. frustrating.

I asked him about training. Dr said to take it easy. Not a problem considering my energy levels are very low these days. I was planning on staying home one more day but the twins were restless sitting at home and I really need to get caught up with work.

I had a dream last night that I was running. I guess I am missing it. I'm worried about Saturday (for obvious reasons), I'm not sure if my energy level is going to be back up by then. That's one of my reasons I decided to come to work, to get my body used to moving around again.

Cold, the kind that requires medication

I think I have a cold. The sinus crud has translated into more of a cold. I had a fever last night, so no 6 miles for me. As much as I wanted to get out there (and believe me, I was tempted), I do feel weak and I need to let my body fight this thing. I have to be ready for Saturday.

But, as it normally goes for moms everywhere, being sick doesn't mean you get to stay in bed. Candace had rehearsal at 9, so I was up and about early, fever and all. She looks so adorable with her outfit and pink tutu. I will have pictures, I promise.

I came home to take meds. I have to run some last minute errands today so I need to be able to go. I'm thinking I may end up going to the dr. on Monday if I don't feel better. I usually end up with a sinus/ear infection after having a cold and I want to nip it before it gets too bad.

Funny that Christa mentioned the writing thing. I've been telling my family for a while now I'm going to write a book about my family and all the crazy characters in it. LOL I still think I will write something out for the younger generations. One of these days...

Learning from my kids

I usually blog about being tired from all the running around. I don't want to sound like a complainer. I love my life. I cannot imagine having a different life, or not having my kids. Yes, I am busy most of the time, and yes, there are moments when I can't seem to get enough rest. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

The biggest lessons in life I've learned from my kids. Even though they are young, seeing the world thru their eyes makes it all brand new.

My daughter, Candace, has such a beautiful heart. It never ceases to amaze me how kind and thoughtful she is. I have learned a great deal from her, specially how to forgive and move on.
Sometimes it's easier to hold on to a grudge, isn't it?. Aren't we suppose to forgive? I remember the day I found out I was pregnant. I prayed for a daughter, and I was blessed with her. She loves everyone, and always tries to make sure everyone is happy.

Braden (the one on my lap in the photo) is such a happy soul. Always smiling, from the moment he opens his eyes. You can see pure joy in his eyes, every time he discovers something new, every time he gets something accomplished. He loves life, and seeing the world thru his eyes makes my life such an incredible blessing.

There is so much wisdom in Cade's eyes. Every time he looks at me, I wonder if he can read my thoughts. He is more laid back, more cautious, alway observing, paying attention. He has a temper, though, and it's not afraid to show it. He loves books, and he is so careful with them. He enjoys being outside, and loves music and giggles every time he hears something he likes.

I wasn't planning for twins. It was quite a surprise when the doctor said there were 2 in there. But now, I can't imagine not being their mother. I think God gives all moms a little something extra to help us deal with the difficulties of parenthood. Those of us with multiples get an extra dose and an extra pair of angels to carry us thru the hard times.

Every day I'm reminded that I'm setting an example for them. They are going to learn from me how to be a sibling, a spouse, a son/daughter. But what I'm learning from them is priceless. They make me a better person, simply by loving me unconditionally.

I've been dealing with sinus/allergies all day today. Can it get any hotter? geez. Not sure how much training I'll get today, between sneezing and blowing my nose, I'm not sure how much running I can get done.

HOT

I'm not sure I like this weather much. How much hotter is it going to get? geez.

Thanks everyone for your support. I hate to complain, because I love my kids and can't imagine not having them. Mental and physical exhaustion got the best of me on Sunday.
After I got thru blogging, I had a cup of chamomille tea, and watched Shrek with Candace. That was nice, it helped me relax and I slept well, all night even!

Twins are doing better about sleeping all night, I think before long they will no longer need me in the middle of the night. Or so I hope.

I was off yesterday, at least from my paid job. I had mountains of laundry (I hate doing laundry) so I took everyone to daycare and tackled the mountains. I'm happy to report I'm almost done with everything. I was still feeling blah so no running for me.

Spent all day today in Meridian in the SUN and HEAT. Another hot day scheduled for me tomorrow, I'll be in Collins. Sinuses/ allergies started to bother me, so I had to stop at the Walmart in Newton to find some meds. The joys of summer.

This weekend is my daughter's dance recital. They are having dress rehearsal in the morning, so I'm going to do my 6 miles in town. That way I won't have to worry about getting back on time to take her to rehearsal. Recital is that night, baptism in the morning, and it's back to work on Monday.
My weeks have been flying by, before I know it, it'll be October!

Exhausted

So after my blog yesterday, I finished cleaning the house. My mom came over to visit for a couple of hours, then I headed to the grocery store. I came crashing at 11 PM (no nap for me yesterday), only to be awaken by screaming monkies. Or at least that's what they sounded like. Twins were up at 12:20. Gave them some milk, headed back to bed. Once again, one of the twins was up, this time at 3:12. He wasn't happy, that's for sure. He was congested and has another tooth coming. Not a good thing. Crawled back in bed, and before 7 AM, I could hear both of them across the house, calling for someone/anyone to come get them.

Husband said he would go, but apparently they didn't want him, because they threw a fit when they saw him. ugh. So I got up. I had invited our priest over for lunch after church, so I had to get everything ready anyway.

After they went down for a supposed nap, I crawled in bed, hoping for at least one hr of sleep. Apparently Cade decided sleeping is overrated. He was up 20 min after I put him down, and never went back to sleep.

I completely exhausted. I haven't been this tired since the twins were first born. To the point, I started to sob when I heard Cade crying this afternoon. It was automatic, I couldn't help it.

They are crying now. I'm beginning to think running a marathon is EASIER than raising twins. These 2 are probably the most stubborn people I've ever known. and yes, they get it from me. still, give mama a break!

On the road again, back on the road again...

I made it! 12 miles! I was scared that my body wouldn't make it all the way. Funny how different situations make you feel different about yourself.
When I was pregnant with the twins, I never doubted that I could carry them to term. I knew having 2 babies with 2 sacs would double the weight I was carrying, and would put strain on my body, but never thought I couldn't do it. There wasn't an option, I had to make it. And I came 6 days short of the target date the doctors and I were aiming for. My body was pushed to the limit, and I made it.

Is running a marathon harder on your body? I don't know, maybe. Still, I need to look at it the same way I did my pregnancy. There isn't a choice, I have to make it.

I started today a little hesitant. I didn't do the 11 miles last week and I didn't know how my body would respond. To top things off, I was up twice last night with the twins, so I was sleepy and tired. But as it usually goes, the excitement of being around other MMers (who are in the same boat as me) made my fears go away.

I started doing intervals of 1:1, I didn't want to push too hard at the beginning. I was feeling really good (even attempted some 2:1) until I got to Fox Bay. The way back from there was HARD. It was hot, I got very hot at one point and had to take the tank top off just to cool off. My toes began to cramp, I remember Mark said to wiggle them so I did. Then my hamstrings started to ache. As if that wasn't enough, as we approach the bridge (sorry, not familiar with the area or proper names ;) ), a cute dog came out. Nancy saw him first, we weren't sure how friendly he was at first. Then he started to follow us. If he hadn't had a tag, I would have taken him with me, he was so cute!

While on the bridge, my left knee popped a few times. No pain, I just felt the pop. It felt a bit weird afterwards, still no pain though. I was done by then, I was hot, tired, and my legs could not go any further. All I could think about was my car, and how far away it was LOL

But I finished. all 12 miles of it. WOW. It seems like nothing when I say it (knowing that there is long way to go until 26.2) but when I tell people, they are in awe at what I've done. and yes, they think I'm probably nuts.

More importantly, I'm in awe at how far I've come. I never jogged before, never attempted anything remotely close to this. The mere fact I can complete 12 miles, come home, play with the kids, and grocery shop is a miracle to me!

Funny sidenote: I went to Fleet Feet yesterday to get some gels. The twins and I had been shoe shopping at the mall (for them, not me) and I needed gels so off we went to FF. The young guy who helped me had this "omg, you have twins" look in his face. I wonder if he thought I was lost, or in the wrong store. He definitely seemed surprised to see me in there with 2 kids in a stroller. I think once I asked him for the gels, it convinced him I wasn't lost.

Of socks and men

I figured out yesterday that I need new socks. I have a few new pairs I use during the week, and the thicker ones for the weekend runs. Couldn't find the ones I wanted , so I grabbed a pair I bought when we first started. I could tell they needed replacement. Weird how socks make such a big difference. So I'm planning on a trip to Fleet Feet this afternoon to get socks and gels for tomorrow.

About men. I'm convinced men have PMS. There is a time every month when my husband acts hormonal, for no reason at all. He denies it (he is a man after all!) but it is real. Has anyone else noticed this with their husbands?

One of the symptoms is his inability to do the simplest things. Like feeding the kids. Any other day, he can take care of them without any problem. But during PMS week, he can't even get a bottle of milk ready without complaining. Yesterday was one of those days. I grew more and more aggravated as the time passed. I fed the kids, bathe the twins, and by then, I was ready to put him out of the house.
Instead, I got my shoes on and off I went. 3.5 miles later, I came back (it was getting dark by then) and all my frustrations were gone. And his PMS was gone too. LOL

Thank God for running. Otherwise I would have stayed in the house, aggravated, and probably would have ended up picking a fight over something dumb. Those 3.5 miles help cleared my head and I felt good when I came back.

I have a confession to make. I'm so scared of doing 12 miles this week. I keep telling myself I am ready, I've come a long way, I've done 10 miles, 2 more will be icing on the cake. I know it's mental, my body feels fine once I get going. I need to get past this hurdle. I'll be there in the morning, and when I get thru with my 12 miles, I hope to have left my fear somewhere on the side of the road.

and some good news, my mom finally made it home!!! I talked to her last night when she arrived at the airport. Glad to have her home.
She brought the little bench I mentioned in yesterday's blog. My grandfather kept it and used it all these years. last time I saw him, he said I could bring it back when he was no longer here. Until then, he wanted me to loan it to him.
Now the bench is here, and suddenly I realize my grandfather is not coming back. It may just be wood, but he and I had a great bond and this piece of wood had a very special meaning for both of us.

I miss him.

I am...

I am
I am from Banana Trees, from Panama Hats, and Polleras.

I am from the Casa Vieja where my mom grew up, with its dark rooms filled with memories, of the stories Abuelo would tell us while we sat on the porch, of the piles of golden rice he kept inside, and the sounds of the crickets in the lazy afternoons during the summer.

Of no electricity and hauling water from the natural spring that flows next to that old tree, of riding horses, and eating guavas right of the tree.

I am from the Chiriqui River, roaring behind Abuelo’s house, and the algarrobo tree in their front lawn where we spent breezy summer afternoons, pretending to fly when the wind would lift the branches off the ground and we held on to them.

I am from Nochebuena y Año Nuevo spent with family and friends, of Carnavales y processions during Semana Santa (Holy Week), from Amada and Amelia and Carmen.

I am from the family sticks together, and love and respect your older sisters as if they were your mothers; of loving our cousins as if they were our siblings and standing up for those who can’t do it for themselves.

From respecting your elders and always doing your best in everything you do. Of being proud of who you are and where you came from, and of understanding the value of an education.

I am from being raised Catholic, from praying the rosary with Abuela, and knowing prayers that have been passed down for several generations. I’m from having faith in a God who is merciful and kind, of believing in ghosts, praying to saints, and never eating meat on Good Friday.

I’m from attending catholic school most of my life, while learning about mediums, psychics and the power of the universe. I am from a mix of catholic doctrine and indigenous beliefs, of going to curanderos when something hurts, while lighting a candle for your health to be restored. I’m the kind of Catholic I want to be, secured in my faith and my beliefs and not afraid to say I don’t agree with man-made rules.

I'm from Panama, Spain, and the Guaymi Indians, of sancocho, arroz con pollos, platanos and tortillas.

From the woman who wasn’t afraid to raise her daughters alone with only a 6th grade education, from sneaking down to the creek for a swim and not telling Abuela, of running across the swinging bridge without our parents knowing.

Of starry nights sitting on the grass telling stories about ghosts and La Tulivieja, and staying up all night afraid something was lurking in the dark. Of dancing in the streets during Carnaval under the blazing sun and the cool water; of patriotic parades on Independence Day.

Of Jose’s courage, and Abuelo’s strength, of Abuela’s faith, Mom’s determination, and of Dad’s daydreaming.

I am from the little bench Tio Dany made for me when I was 3 and that Abuelo has kept for all these years; of the wooden stove where Abuela used to cook, and the sewing machine where she would fix Abuelo’s clothes while whistling a tune.

I’m from dancing with Abuela after dinner, under the light of a kerosene lamp with Abuelo watching as he smoked his pipe. I’m from the moments that were never captured in film but will remain in my heart forever.

Have any of you seen this writing exercise? A while back, my girlfriends and I completed it and emailed it each other (we are scattered all over the country). I thought about it today.

I am not alone in this journey. I have the strength of all the people in my family, those who came before me and are no longer here, the ones who still are, and those who are yet to come. I am the person I am today because of all these people. They believe in me, and that's what will help me get thru the training, and will push me across the finish line.
FYI, some of the things are in Spanish so I'll give you the translation
Polleras- national dress of Panama
Casa Vieja- my grandparents (Abuelo and Abuela) old house
Amada, Amelia, Carmen - grandmother, mom, great grandmother
Jose- my cousin who died of diabetes-related problems at age 33. he was like my brother.
Nochebuena- Christmas Eve
Ano Nuevo- New Year's
sancocho, arroz con pollo, platanos, tortillas - traditional Panamanian dishes

I run because I need an excuse to eat!

Yesterday, I was craving a candy bar, so I got one out of the snack machine. After I ate it, I knew I had to go and run because I needed to burn all those calories.

So I headed to the track after I left everyone eating. Ran 4 miles! The first 20 minutes were hard because it was so hot and humid. I kept telling myself "just 5 more minutes", that became my mantra. I got to 30 minutes, and the mantra changed to "I made it to 30 min, let's go for 40 min".
I started to feel really good after 30 minutes and so I stopped worrying about time, and focused on intervals. Started with 1.5 min intervals and went down to 1 min. After I got into the groove of things, I started going 2 minutes. By the time I stopped, I ran for 3 minutes without stopping and could have kept going another minute. I was so excited, it was a great workout.

I was so tired I crashed and hit the snooze one too many times this morning. Thankfully the kids slept all night, they've been doing that a lot lately and I'm hoping they'll stick with it from now on.

I'm looking forward to training tonight, I need to get new music on my iPod. It's amazing what a difference it makes to have some good music with me when I'm out by myself. I don't want to stop because I want to keep listening to the music. Those of you with kids know, listening to your music is a treat. At my house, we listen to kids' music more than we listen to anything else. lol

New month, new attitude

I'm hoping to begin this month with a bang, and keep up with my training the best I can.

I hate that I missed Saturday but was still sick. To make matters worse, Braden got the same bug I had, so we were both sick most of the day. bah. I have finally regained my energy and will get out and run tonight.

This month is going to be a busy one for sure! We have dance recital on the 16th, the twins are being christened on the 17th, Father's day on the 17th, Half marathon on the 23th, Chicago work trip on the 25th... I'm tired already just thinking about it.

But we are getting closer and closer to the big day, I think when the countdown clock hits the double digits I'm going to start panicking. lol

Keep on running, marathoners!

Not a good training week

The holiday on Monday just threw my whole week off. I didn't train on Monday, I didn't train on Tuesday. I did go on Wednesday and trained (even though there was so light right) for 30 minutes. Yesterday, I was in Hattiesburg all day long. It wasn't too hot but gosh, it was humid. I was sticky by the time I got home, and my hair looked like a poodle's.
By the time I got everyone fed, it was raining so I called it a day.

Woke up this morning with some sort of stomach bug. I'm not sure if it was something I ate, or a bug. Anyway, took 2 different types of medication, waited until they started working, and then headed to work. I have a slight headache, and I'm not feeling 100% today. I'm hoping I'll feel better by tomorrow morning, otherwise I'll have to forgo the run and do it Sunday alone. I don't want to do 11 miles alone. *sigh* So keep fingers crossed that I get my energy back by 4 AM tomorrow (that's what time I have to get up to make it by 6).

I need to get more gels too. My husband, the "energizer bunny", decided to see if the energy jelly beans actually worked. So he ate them. Ok, he does NOT need any help in the energy dept. I think he ended up going to bed sometime around 1 AM. nuff said.

I hope to see you in the morning.