Moving to a new blog

I have started a new blog, Widow Running, for posts dealing with my running mostly. I do not have time to spend with the "frugal" aspects these days and plus I find it easier to manage some blog features using wordpress (a program I blog with for my job)

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.

Struggles

I continue to have computer problems, therefore, I am composing this long overdue post on my phone (so please forgive typos).

I am struggling to get my miles in each week. Whereas I used to run early in the AM logging 20 miles per week, now I struggle to get in 8 miles a few afternoons a week. My long run is nonexistent at this point as all my runs are only 2-3 miles. I struggle with lack of time, hating to run on the treadmill and 15 extra lbs (not that I was even at goal weight b4).

I long for the old days. I am not giving up...I just can't figure out how to set goals, get over this slump and come up with a doable & enjoyable workout plan.

PS...doing more posting on my other blog (motherhoodandmore)

Back to running - Godparent 5K

In some ways the past 5 months have seemed like both a few weeks and a few years. Thanks to a running pal, whose daughter has and will watch my boys on race days, I am getting back to running. After not really running for almost two months, I am struggling but making some progress. Today I ran in the Godparent 5K with a time that was 1.5 minutes slower than my time in this race last year. The 2008 Godparent race was the last 5K my husband saw me run in. I always enjoyed having my family come to races but they found the waiting a boring endeavor. They came out for the 10 miler last year. I do miss Andy, it is hard to think about those times - sometimes it seems so long ago.

I am still working to get in more than 9 miles running each week. If I can pick up my time, I can get in more miles. The afternoon heat is another thing I am having to work through and the weather is still fairly cool in perspective. I was looking back at my times in races from last year and I did one race in just under a 10 minute mile pace. My goal is go get back to that as I work to drop the 20 pounds I gained as I grieved by eating.

Postings

I am posting on my other blog for a bit---through my journey of grief.

Andy

I am not ready to write of this yet. On his blog our friend, Scott, wrote a loving tribute to my husband.
Like Andy, Scott has a beautiful way with words. Thank you Scott.

Grief

Thank you for your prayers. I am still in shock that Andy is gone. The obit will be in tomorrow's newspaper.