Keep hoping to get past this wall

Well I signed up for the Godparent 5K which occurs this weekend. I am hoping to run the entire time and hopefully finish in under 40 minutes. I seem to be back at hitting the 2 mile wall again--like when I first began running over 2 years ago. My mile times are so slow (12-13 min)these days. I have had a dickens of a time squeezing in runs and trying to enjoy them since most runs have been on the treadmill or in the afternoon (ran this afternoon and don't like even the 75 degree heat-yuck) I may end up walking especially if I am pushing the jogging stroller with the combined weight of my 2 boys which is about 100 lbs. Needless to say these extra grief/stress pounds on me that I have gained and struggled to shed DO NOT HELP either.

Over my spring break I got to enjoy 3 morning runs---how I miss those AM runs. I like the coolness, lack of traffic---and I just have more energy in the AM. I feel better for the rest of the day when I get to run in the AM. I even got in 2 "long" runs of 4 miles. Two years ago my long runs were 8-10 miles...sigh. I am slower and I cannot wait for running to be a joy again instead of a chore. I have to keep racing or I might give up running. I have to make myself have a goal. I am vaguely toying with the idea of a half marathon in the late fall. I have got to have a challenge to keep me striving and pushing forward.

On a brighter note, my eldest son seems to like basketball. He played in a short winter session through the YMCA. If he can master getting his limbs to work together, I think he can be quite good at basketball. He and I have been getting in some play at least once a week--I am not exactly a brilliant coach or even a good player--I can somewhat dribble but I am a poor shooter---but I did attend UNC and that should count for something----success by association maybe? He is also starting to like baseball more. Last year we made it to a Cardinals' game at the beautiful Busch Stadium and this summer we are planning to catch a Braves game in Atlanta. We go to the local minor league games and now he hangs out on the right field sideline hoping to catch foul balls. He is getting a good handle on the stats associated with the game. He has a mathematical, problem solving mind which is also apparent in his improving chess strategies. I am proud of him on so many levels. He is a good kid.