Why I do the thing I do

I went on someone's blog the other day and she listed all the reasons she runs and so I asked myself "Why do I?" I am not good at it but I still continue...I mean I am a back of the packer of the back of the packers so why do I continue to do this....so here are my reasons...

I run because
1. I keep failing
2. they say big girls are lazy and I am proving them all wrong
3. I like to eat
4. life is hard and it fills your mind and when I am running my mind is empty except for the constant chant in my head of "Oh my gosh my legs are killing me and I can't breath".
5. I am doing something in the family that is unique to me.
6. I feel a sense of pride in my perseverance.
7. it may encourage other overweight woman in their 40's to not be scared to start working out.
8. I don't like housework or gardening
9. I want to keep my diabetes and blood pressure in check
10. the shirts they give you for doing the races are really cute!!! The Zoo Run has penguins on it and the hog jog...well you can figure that one out.
11. I want to set an example for my children and grandchildren..you know determination, drive, focus, fitness....
12. it teaches me to overcome fears
BUT MOSTLY IT IS BECAUSE....... I NEVER COULD BEFORE!
So now that we have delved into the depths of my soul off to lighter topics

Thursday Run: AWESOME 3.40 miles no stopping...up and across the big long hilly bridge by my sister's house! Not sure of time and don't really care. I was steady and did not stop not even once!

Baby Adam: He had his very first bath and he loved it! His mother said after his bath he was all zonked out. He has regained all his lost birth weight. I will post pictures tomorrow. His mother needs to send me the picture where is in the blue bag so I can post it!

Baby Carissa: Crawling....can you believe it...before long she will be walking....and another one of us will be let loose upon the world.

Tyson: Playing Football and Soccer. They boy is going to have legs of steel. Go Ty Go!

Abby's Birthday: Sunday at 2:00 at Aunt Denise's house, Snack foods and cake will be served.

Just got a minute

I will be putting more pictures up of Adam soon!

Updates:

Kendra had the baby Thursday morning. I was out of the office and up at the hospital most of that time. Then about 1:30 went home and rested for an hour or so before my husband got home and then back up to the hospital to see Mommy and baby. Went to work Friday and then Friday night once again my grandchild lured me back up to the hospital. Saturday at the hospital to bring my daughter breakfast because she said the hosptial food was horrendous and then off to run errands. Found a large 12X20 prebuilt shed that we may be ordering. I will call the company today and get a few more details. Off to HH Gregg to replace the freezer that was damaged in the fire, then back home to drop of hubby and off to the Grocery Store. Then back to the hospital to see our litte grandson (who can resist) and then dropped off to my son's to see my grandaughter and my other grandson. Sunday....ah tried to run and that was a dismal failure. Had 6 miles on the agenda but only completed 5.30 and most of that was walking! I have been eating crap all week because we have been on the run and I have been just too distracted to cook so we have been eating out alot. So I put crap in my body and in return in gave me crap back! So new week back on the food program. When I was running it felt like EVERY inch of fat was bouncing up and down and my legs felt like lead....very very very heavy lead. I was so mad by the time that I got home that I came storming in the house. I told my husband that that crappy run was EXACTLY why I will NOT quit the Y(we have had previous discussions about that topic). I missed two days of Y this week and my food program went out the window and it feels as If I am just a beginner exerciser! The Y keeps my mind and body in check! Anyway I spent the day mad as blazes about my workout and hope to redeem myself this week...which if I don't stop writing I am going to be late to spinning! Off I go to work off my week of excess.

After 24 Hours of Hard Work.......

Here is my little sweetheart. He had a rough time making it out! He WOULD NOT FIT! 9LBS 6 OZ and 22 inches long. The nurse said he is off their charts.

On the road again...I just can't wait to get on the road again!

This morning 3.35 miles and NO stopping and my time would have been awesome but I had to slow down on several sections because it was pitch black outside. I could not even see the sidewalk. Considering I was sick over the weekend I think I was AMAZING. I tried to focus and not get all whiny inside my head....had to tell that niggling little voice that continually chants, "I don't like this" to SHUT UP and you know what today it did! So my workout was successfull and the weather was awesome (actually I would have liked it to be 10 degrees cooler but hey I am being grateful for what I get). But I keep thinking the 10k is twice as long as that so I need to be twice as strong but I am going to go for the 10k anyway. Does anyone else have to keep talking to themselves while they "run". I constantly am reminding my self to relax, to use the big strong calf muscles I have to push off, loosen my shoulders etc. When will this every become natural? I have found that 3/4 of my battles are with my brain and not my legs. My legs says "ah don't feel so bad" and my mind retorts, "Are you crazy of course your tired you should stop right now and walk." And 90% of the time my stupid legs OBEY my stupid mind. Today my legs fought back and we ran and ran and ran....My mind is now getting its revenge by screaming, "I am hungry feed me ice cream, feed me cookies, feed my chinese buffet" My legs are staying strong and the refuse to budge me from my chair. My body and mind are always at odds...sigh.....

REASON 1 WHY WE NEED A PRIVACY FENCE

NyQuil Shots and Antihistimine High

I am recovering from my Nyquil hangover. Did you know that 2 shots of NiQuil within an hour of each other has the same effect as a nightlong drinking binge of Tequila? Not that I drink anymore those days are long gone. However, I have a pretty clear recollection of my Tequila days and I feel EXACTLY the same. Last night I slept twelve hours only waking up at 3:00 am for a dose of Fruity Pebbles and then back to sleep until 6:00 am. I think I have the sinus thing going on because I sure have felt pretty icky these last couple of days. Earlier in the week I had been sneezing like crazy and then next thing I knew my ears were plugged up...Saturday I woke up feeling not so great..ears plugged up, a raging headache, nasty nasty taste in my mouth but knew I had 6 1/2 miles to accomplish. My head was all stuffed up but I told myself to suck it up and get outside. My first 5 miles were pretty good mostly run with some walking. Then at mile 5 Icame across my friend Jill and she was doing her Saturday 3 1/2 mile walk so we ran just maybe a mile of her 3 1/2 and then walked the rest (walking up a pretty big hill that had me huffing and puffing). By the time I was done I had done about 9 miles all together (thought it was 10 but when I mapped it it was only about 9 sigh). After that I came home and got cleaned up and took my daughter to Pepe's for a most awesome Mexican meal. My mom a/k/a the slug went with us also. After that the daughter and I walked the mall in hopes of inducing her labor (did not work). The slug baled on us for that part of the outing. During the shopping trip I complained perpetually about my raging headache and hot flashes...at one point my daughter was fanning me with papers saying "Isn't is suppose to be me that feels bad and is whining" We picked up a few birthday gifts and then it was drop off daughter and go home to get my grocery list and check in with my husband so he would not report me as a missing person. Then off to the grocery store and that ended my day! So despite feeling crappy I was most active. Sunday went to church in the morning, came home went to Menards and then out to lunch with my hubby and then back home....then I truely did not feel good and that is when I hit the couch and did not move until 6:00 am this morning. So I am not feeling so great this Labor day morning but I absolutely am not taking anymore NyQuil (besides I dont' think that does diddly for sinus stuff) I have taken an antihistimine and that has me feeling jittery and hyper but yet lethargic...it is the oddest feeling...I want to clean and clean but yet I am soooo tired. So I have compromised. I have cleaned my computer room (organizing toys into big kid/little kid boxes) and am now taking a break while some dishes are soaking. Earlier I moved my oven cleaned under it, cleaned my baseboards in the kitchen and washed my kitchen curtains and half heartedly attacked the cob webs on the walls. I also have wrapped birthday gifts and baby gifts. I guess considering that I feel like someone has beat me to death I am holding up pretty good. I hope my husband does not read this because when he finds out how much I can accomplish when under the unfluence of antihistimines he may slip me a dose on a daily basis so that he can reside in clean tidy house and not the Munster's house. The poor man he suffers how he suffers. He is like....hmmmm Felix Unger and I am the nasty messy roommate Oscar. He puts everything back when he is done using it and straightens pictures and sweeps and dusts and I am totally oblivious to the messes. I mean I like things straightened up but I don't get uptight about dust. I just put the lights on dim and WAA LAA a dust free house! A little pinesol, a lit candle and we have a clean house. Well I better get back to work. This house has been long neglected and it needs to TCL

Garage: We have decided not to replace with a full size garage and are going with a very very large shed (12x15). We will then have half our slab for a patio. We are then going to put a privacy fence around our yard to block out the ghetto that is our neighborhood. (Shoes hanging from wires, graffiti up and down the alley, trash everywhere). My grandchildren will be able to play without fear and family gatherings will be nice because we will have privacy. The basket ball court will also not be accessibly to every joe blow that wants to shoot hoops. One night I went outside and there was a group of at least 10-12 kids playing on our court. They weren't even our neighborhood kids. I had never seen these kids before. They actually turned on our flood lights and were playing. I had to tell them it is 10:00 at night and we were going to bed and they would have to leave. We don't mind if some of the kids we know play but they are suppose to come up and ask first...and they are pretty good about that. For awhile we had lots of kids just coming up and playing and they would leave their trash and throw cigarette butts everywhere. Finally after constantly telling them no smoking, no cussing, pick up your trash they drifted away. I actually posted rules on the court because the kids were being just horrible. So now just a few kids come...the neighbor's kids behind us, our other neighbor's grandkids and that suits me just fine.

Adam: Kendra will be induced on Wednesday!

I LIED

Okay in the last post I told you I would write something more interesting...alas I am a liar...
Nothing interesting just the same old boring waaa waaa.

Garage: In the process of finding a contractor to erect one garage within our budget.

Husband: Recovering. He got the flu on top of all the other stuff. He is very weak but this long weekend should give him some good recovery rest.

Grandson: No baby yet. I think he likes his mother's comfy womb and will not come out. Perhaps he can be lured out with little debbie snacks? I am going to take her walking this weekend and then out for a spicy lunch to help encourage him to come out.

Fitness: Alas I missed a workout yesterday! However, I was good and strong today. I held up well during spinning then power hour. My plan is to do 6 1/2 tomorrow. Hopefully with minimal walking and then spinning class in the later morning. I like to run on Sunday but it is just too hard to get a long run in and then get home fix breakfast and get to Sunday School. When we were just attending church I had plenty of time but Sunday School starts early and it is just too rushed. I have decided my focus is somewhat lacking and now that the weather is getting cooler I need to really bear down!

Just in case anyone is interested I am actually cleaning my house and not just swabbing down my countertops with Pinesol to make it smell clean! Oh and I HATE HOUSEWORK! Nothing makes me crabbier in the world because the more I clean the more dirt I find and then the house seems even dirtier. My old tricks were pinesol and low wattage bulbs but that ain't working no more.....

Nothing but a slab

Well it is done! We have nothing but a slab where our previous garage sat. James, Chad, Brad and Lucas worked like mad men and now it is done. The dumpster will be taken away soon and now the rebuilding begins. I can't even begin to thank these guys for all their hard work! Today I need to take my site plan to the City Engineer's office so we can be begin the "obtain building permit process". Our contractor should be getting back to us with a our estimate and we will be on the road.

Exercise: Tired tired yesterday. Went outside decided I did not have the motivation to run outside that I would mostly likely end up walking so did sprints on the treadmill and then lifted. Today I am swimming and tomorrow is a 3 miler, Friday Spinning and Powerhour and Saturday will be a 6 1/2 miler....which hopefully will be steady with no stopping. At some point in there something may have to go if my daughter sees fit to deliver my grandson! This whole garage, Jerry sick, plumbing and car needing repair thing has killed my motiviation.
Well better go or am going to be late to swimming and I still have to throw my lunch together. More later...and much more interesting I promise.

General News

Husband: Still feeling poorly. He still has chest pains and his stomach is all torn up. It is to the point where they took him off the medicine for his heart and are concentrating on getting his stomach healed. He is now on Zantac 150 twice a day and Nexum (which is horribly expensive...$150 for 30 pills). He has started to put on a few pounds but not enough. He still eats very little and is NOT resting. I left him alone this morning to go to the grocery store and when I came home he had taken out three bushes and raked up the yard. Friday when we weren't looking he started working on the garage and James caught him. Then he told me he was going out to Pine Village to sit by the creek and relax and he did not sit down...he went hiking and now he is all pale and washed out and weak. He is a very very very bad patient and needs to be watch every minute of the day. He is like one of those work horses that will just work and work till they drop in the field. He has a high pain threshhold and will be holding his gut with one hand and the rake with the other. No man is gonna drop on my watch..so I will not leave this house unless he is by my side. He goes to the GP on Monday and to the Cardiologist next on Friday. STILL NOT SMOKING! Go Jerry! The whole family is proud of you! I think the GP might have to tranquilize him to make him STOP working.


Adam: No no Adam yet. Mother impatient and very very large. Doctor says nothing...nada...zip....no progress at all and 5 days till due date.

Tyson: Likes his new teacher at school. Is loving football and soccer. He has his first Football game this Sunday afternoon and I will be going to watch. He came over with Brad on Friday night and we took a little walk around the block with his little sister. On the way we met up with one of the neighborhood kids who came over to play with him.

Carissa: What a sweetie. She sat on Grandma's lap lots. We took a walk and blew some bubbles and sat in the rocking chair and then had some juice. She has two front teeth now. She is most definitely a Daddy's girl.

New Garage: Contractor came and checked out our site. He will be giving us a quote in a couple of days. In the meantime I am to acquire the building permit.

House: Dirty and Dusty. I think I need to put my house cleaning iron back in the fire...but I do not want to take out my other irons (lifting, running, and blogging). I need to hire a maid. My daughter and I were talking...she hates cooking but loves to clean. I hate cleaning but love to cook. Together we would make one complete woman. I think we should get a thing going where she comes over to clean and then she could stay and I would fix her dinner.....what do you think Girly????

They look like they are having fun

Quote of the day, "Did you put our sign up?" Spoken by Brad in reference to the request he made that we make a sign for holidays and gatherings that says, "Idiots at Play".

A Lingering Feeling of Despair

I really don't know if despair is quite the word that describes my state of mind. Perhaps gloom would be more apt. At any rate I keep telling myself to shake it off and put on a happy face. Maybe I should have gone to spinning class today but I just went to Walmart and came home. So I have half heartedly been working on my house. I look around and think, "What a dump". After we get the garage situation done I think I shall focus all my attention on making my house a haven of peace and tranquility. Okay enough poor sad depressed Kim stuff. My sons came over(James, Brad, and Lucas)as well as my son James's friend Chad (who has been there for all of the clean up!) and finished off the front part of the shed. Those boys worked like horses. I am truely blessed to have the privilege of being their mother. What an awesome young man Chad is to give up his free time to help us in our time of need. Below are some pictures showing the work in progress. They had quite a lot of fun during the demolition. I think my boys take great pleasure in demolition. My daughter, who is nine months pregnant, looked longingly upon the fun. My girl is not a girly girl (but when she dresses up you would never know there is a tomboy lurking within). My girl, like her mother, loves her sledgehammers. So I too looked longingly upon the demolition. But my husband insisted that I not participate and should just take care of the evening meal. Normally I would not have listened to such chauvinistic talk and picked up my sledgehammer but my gloom has robbed me of my normal super duper athena strength so I just watched.

The Patience of Job

My poor poor husband. In the past two weeks my husband has had to endure some pretty serious health issues, a garage fire (totalling our garage) and now plumbing. My kitchen sink was not draining properly (well not at all actually) but I did not want to tell him so while he was outside *suppose to be resting and relaxing* I was plunging like crazy. I was trying to watch for him and trying to plunge so he would not catch me and ask me what was going on. Well we have two doors off the kitchen and while I was watching the one I thought he went out he came in the other. Of course he says "What are doing? What is wrong?" I said, "Oh I just have a little clog and I am fixing it right up." Well it proved not to be a little clog it was a replace the 10 foot long cast iron pipe drain (original plumbing no doubt in a very old house). The replacing involved shimming under the crawl space and ALL the way under the house...shiver shiver...spiders...all sorts of nasties. He had to cut the 10 foot cast iron pipe from two places and then we had to pull it out. While replacing the water pipe the copper water line burst so then he had to FIX that and actually the copper water line was the most physcial and difficult job because he had to do something to the copper that involved a tool and LOTS of brute strength. While he is under the crawl space water is spewing out of the copper water line (despite the water being off) so not only is he crawling around in dirt and bricks but also wet mud. In addition he had to wiggle around lots and lots of wires. Which I am so glad that he shut the power down. So while he was under there he also tacked up some wires that back in the old days they did not feel necessary to have them tacked up (there is another term for it but I don't remember what he told me). It was very very hard work but not one angry word came out of his mouth. Just the fact that he had the worst plumber's helper every (me) should have made him cry out in anger. As plumber' s helper I had to reach in the crawl space but not enter it and hold the light...also bring him tools and such. I also took it upon my myself to offer all sorts of plumbing advice. Which he endured quite nicely. I also had to use a saw zaw to cut a piece of PVC. The saw zaw scares me! I also had to feed in and out the old 10 foot pipe and the new 10 foot pipe. Once my husband did all the stuff downstairs (6 hours mind you and that was AFTER working all day) he went back upstairs and finished the hookup under the kitchen sink. During the upstairs process I was required to hold a 5-6 inch piece of PVS while he saw zawed it by about 2 inches. He said I could hold it or saw. Earlier when I sawed I had no control over the saw and was scared to use it again so I opted for holding. Before he started I begged quite sincerely for him not to lop off my hand with the saw zaw. He said, "Don't you trust your husband?" I told him it was not him I did not trust it was the saw zaw. He said he was born with a saw in his hand and nothing would happen. And obviously by this very lengthy post he did not lop off any part of my hand. Ordinarly he would have gone to the garage and used something out there to hold it....but........
Surely nothing else can happen to this poor man. He is still dreadfully sick and is now down from 173 (less then two weeks ago) to 155. Tonight the boys are coming over to work on the garage and he is FORBIDDEN to do any further work this week. Next week he gets Friday and Monday off and he I am going to chain him to the couch.

Now I feel kinda shallow posting this after all my husband has gone thru but because I am a shallow woman I will... 3 1/2 mile run successful on Thursday...no stopping at all...not even on the hill...however my knees have been talking to me since then...not screaming at me just a nice polite...hey can you take off about another 15 pounds you crazy woman you are killing us.

They Didn't Wait for Me

This is what greeted my when I came home from work. Disappointment filled my soul. I was so looking forward to getting to demolish...now I just get to help carry the crap (after they saw it into sections). My husband says,"Not a job for woman" I say "Pooh to him". Tasha said I did not miss much it just sort of slid down...I guess that makes me feel a little better. My husband said a huge dust cloud arose...sigh....I miss all the fun. They better wait to take the back side down till I get off work or I am gonna be irritated. Though I don't think the back lean to part is going to be nearly as fun as the front part.

Afterthought: The same man that was so concerned about my safety during the demolition is the same man that asked me to hold the ladder while he climbed up with the running chain saw.....

Highest Compliment Ever!

On Saturday I received, what I feel, is the highest compliment every: My husband says, "Kim you worked like a man" Now he did not exactly mean for me to be beaming with pride over that. He feels strongly that a woman should not have been out heaving and carting fire debris. However, as we all know I have a wee bit of testosterone mixed in with my estrogen. I was proud. I said, "Thank you honey" He shakes his head and looks sad. Poor man he will never have a wife that likes to plant flowers and sew....he has a wife that would rather till the field and herd the sheep to make the wool to make the clothes....
I told my husband that God gave me these strong legs for a reason...so that I can work and work...he says God DID NOT GIVE ME THOSE LEGS I MADE THEM......HAHAHAH
I must say I feel like a STRONG STRONG WOMAN....I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR!
Man I almost feel like doing the Tarzan thing....except for I am at my office and they might think that is a bit odd.

Fire Update: No arsonist found as of yet. We have emptied 20 years of junk out of the garage and are fairly close to demolition time. I believe my son James (a/k/a Big Daddy) and his friend Chad will be coming over tonight work....and yours truely will be right by their side.
I tell you this has been the hardest physical labor I have EVER done. My Quads are killing me and my 4 1/2 mile run turned into an absolute walk/run because every time I picked up my legs it felt like I was lifting up blocks of cement. It hurts like the dickens when I climb up steps and even worse coming down steps.

Baby Adam: No baby Adam yet. I am counting down the days till August 31. It can't get here soon enough for me.

Melissa: My coworker/kinda relative was in a bad car accident. A gentleman apparently had a seizure and rear ended her. She was at a stop light and he plowed into the back of her going around 35-40 mph. He then continued on down the hill striking several other cars. Her car is totaled and she is stiff and sore but alive! What is worse then hitting an attorney's car? Hitting a attorney's crazy assistant's car!

Carissa: First tooth in and she is starting to slither all over the floor. Pretty soon she will be crawling all over....She loves the cat and she likes to grab Miss Kitty. Ms. Kitty better run fast once Carissa starts crawling. On Saturday she came and watched garage cleanup and she really enjoyed sitting outside in the yard on the blanket. She is a most precious and beautiful baby girl.

Tyson: Started back to school. I can't believe how much he is grown. What a fine young grandson I have. He is smart and funny and very loving. He was 3 years old when we first met him and now he is 8! I still remember the first time I met him. It was Halloween and his mother came by with him. He was getting kinda antsy in the yard while his Mom was talking to Brad (my son/her husband now) and I said to him, "Would you like to go with me and trick or treat a few houses." He said yes and slipped his small hand into mine and he just chattered away the whole time we were walking. I loved him from that moment on.

Exercise: No running this weekend....the weekend was rough and Saturday I did my "Man's work" Sunday I was grumpy, tired, out of sorts and actually not running made it way worse. Monday was Spinning and Power Hour
Tuesday: 4 1/2 mile walk/run and lifting
Tomorrow is up in the air. The pool at the Y is down and the water is like 76 degrees. I don't know if I want to swim in artic water. Perhaps I will attempt a short run????

Well time to go back to work....sigh....I need some vacation time away from this town....just kick back and enjoy myself time.

Burning Down the House

This is what we have been cleaning up. I have never worked so hard in my adult life.

Garage Boot Camp

The scales are going lower!!!! To bad my garage had to burn down to help me lose weight. Cleanup is going well. My poor husband is sad...he is still not smoking...yeah honey! Demolition should begin this next week. Then we will work on getting a new garage put up. We have decided to go with one of the prefab kits....
Update: Teaching Boot Camp...went good..people said I made them sore...I was successfull
Weight: Down 2 more pounds!
Baby Adam: Not here yet...daughter large large large...she thinks baby Adam will never come out.
More later........

pictures

Sorry about typos in post...too tired to change them. I am trying to post pictures and it will not upload my picture. I will try later.

Drama and Trauma in the Extreme

It is early I should be getting ready to go the Y but I need, for my sanity's sake, to write down the events of the last few days. My saga begins on Friday night....

Friday: Came home from work to find my husband on the couch. He says he does not feel well. When I ask what is wrong he just says, "I don't feel good" and then he rolls over. So I am thinking he has the flu or a cold. So I think nothing of it.

Saturday: He arises I look at him and he looks TERRIBLE. I ask him what is wrong. He AGAIN says "I don't feel good". As I am looking at him I see that it is not just a simple case of the flu so I begin to grill the man...is it your stomach, do you have a fever, do you have a headache etc....FINALLY he says no it is my chest. He says his CHEST hurts and it is RADIATING outward and up into his jaw bone and he cannot breathe. Okay those are the signs of a heart attack. So I tell him we need to go to the doctor. I call the doctor and they says GO to the ER. My husband who HATES doctors with a passion passively agreed to go. That in itself scared the crap out of me. We go to the hospital and they to all the heart stuff and determine no heart attack but he does have a ripping case of Carditis. That is an inflamation of the sac that surrounds the heart. It is VERY painful because when the heart beats it now rubs against the sac. In addition because of the inflamation that lungs lose some room so they cannot expand so that you can breathe. If the swelling gets bad enough you cannot breathe at all and I am about 100 percent sure if you can't breathe that you suffacate and die. So they stuck him in the hospital and put him on iv meds (heart meds, morphine....). The one med he was on and still is on is wicked wicked stuff so he has to take another medicine to counteract the symptoms from the heart medicine. On top of that they told him he NEEDS to quit smoking. He is a 1 1/2 pack a day smoker. So they slapped a smokers patch on him and NO more smokes for him. They did send him home with another med to help with the nicotene addiction. So they released him Sunday afternoon around 3:00 ish....NOW for Sunday....

Sunday: After finally getting discharged from the hospital we head home. He is very weak and does not feel very well. He felt better at the hospital because he was just laying around in bed and now moving around did not make him feel well...SO we are home for like 2 hours from the hospital and....SOMEONE ARSONED OUR GARAGE AND IT WENT UP IN FLAMES. Yes that is right 2 hours after we get home my husband is out clutching his chest and trying to put out a very large hot fire. We called 911 but until they got here my husband was valiantly trying to put out the fire, He runs into the house long enough to cut the power to the shed.....all the while holding his chest. I am screaming at him to put the hose down and sit down (while I am calling 911)...he pays me no heed. I am scared because I think he is going to have a heart attack now.....so many flames...so much smoke. Our neighbor Jeremy runs to help us...he is a great neighbor. FINALLY after what seemed 15 minutes (probabaly closer to 5) the fire trucks are here. The fire chief first told us absolutely electrically...my husband says no way...I know my garage and based on that there was still power there is NO WAY it was electrically. The fire inspector came and guess what ARSON and my husband found a bent place in our fence where the arsonist went over. All of my husband's tools lost...along with most of his "guy stuff" fishing poles, reels...etc to much stuff to ever list here. He is sick sick sick with all this and so very upset .....on top of all that it is during his nicotene withdrawl.

So that people was our weekend.....

I did not go to work on Monday and I am not going to make it in till 1:00 today. Yesterday was spent with the insurance adjustor and the verizon guy (cause our phone line ran over the garage and got burnt up). We then starteding pulling charred stuff from the garage and photographing and documenting property damage. They have totaled out my structure and given me policy limits for it...which upon my poor choice is a pittance. I am sure we will take a beating on the property damage as the depreciate everything....I hate to tell them that tools don't depreciate...they are of full value until they break....a table saw is a table saw until it no longer is functioning and for a man in the building trade is just as valuable at 1 year old as it is at 5 or 10. The will give us replacement value but they first start by giving us depreciated value and then when we buy the new one we give them the receipt and supposedly they will give us the difference....it is a hard job documenting damages for my man was man of many tools and he a lifetime supply of nuts and bolts and screws. How do we possible calculate value on a lifetime supply of nuts, nails, screws bolts and washers???and he lost many many sentimental things...how do we value those? I will be calling my agent today to discuss that with him. In addition our GIGANTIC dumpster will be delivered today as we have to do a total teardown of the garage. I also have to get Jerry a followup with the cardiologist and the GP. Also have to do more documentation of damages, call contractors for a new garage etc...so I am going into the Y late ( I know I should not go but I have been eating like a pig from the stress) and then will come home and get those things done...then go to work for a couple of hours then head back home to start loading stuff up in the dumpster.

Please keep my husband in our thoughts as he goes thru this horrible horrible time!

Thank you to my James and Kendra for coming over to sift thru crap with us. My daughter is 9 months pregnant and would NOT stop helping...she says she is fine she is strong as an ox...she was pushing brooms and pickup up crap...I told her NO HEAVY stuff. She insist she knows her limitations and she is not an old lady she is just pregnant.

So more work today!

I WILL RULE THE WORLD

I will rule the world! Well maybe not the world but I will be in charge of next Wednesday's Power Hour. It is very difficult to plan a class because you have to keep all different fitness levels in mind as well as time. Here is the plan I have come up with so far. Sounds too easy? too hard?? I would appreciate any input.

POWER HOUR
Warm Up (5 minutes) Jump Rope
30 Seconds Easy
30 Seconds Faster
30 Seconds Easy
30 Seconds Faster
30 Seconds Easy
15 Seconds Right Foot
15 Seconds Left Foog
30 Seconds Easy
30 Seconds Fast
30 Seconds Easy
30 Seconds Fast

Set 1 Jog/Squats/Lunges (14 minutes)
Jog 2 minutes
Squat 1 minute
Jog 3 minutes
Lunge 1 minute
Jog 3 minutes
Squat 1 minute
Jog 2 minutes
Lunge 1 minte
One Minute Transition

Set 2 Strength/Biceps/Triceps (3 sets) (5-6 minutes) Hand Weights
1st Set Front Curls (8)
2nd Set Side Curls (8)
3rd Set Hammer Curls (8)
4th Tricep Kick Backs (8)

Set 3 Cardio (12 minutes)
Jog 1minute Jog 1 minute Jog 1minute
Jacks (10) Seconds 15 Second Mountain Climbers 10 push ups
Jog 1 minute Jog 1 minute Jog 1 minute
Jacks (10) Seconds 15 Second Mountain Climbers 10 pushups
Jog 1 minute Jog 1 Minute Jog 1 minute
Jacks (10) Seconds 15 Second Mountain Climbers 10 pushups
One Minute Transfer

Set 4 (Strength)
Obliques with Body Bar ( 1 minute)
Bar Roll (In front forward) (30 seconds)
Canoe Rows (30 seconds each side)

Set 4 (Wall) 5minutes
Wall Sits 45 Seconds
Calf Raises 30 Seconds
Wall Sits 30 Seconds
Right Calf Raise (15 seconds about 1 per second)
Left Calf Raise (15 seconds about 1 per second)
Wall Sits 45 Seconds
Outer Calf Raises 30 (about 1 per second)
Inner Calf Raises 30 (about 1 per second)

One Minute Transition
Set 5 Mat/Ab Work
Plank Hold for 45 Seconds
Rest 15 Second
Plank Hold for 30 Seconds
Rest 15 Seconds
Plank Hold for 20 Seconds
Rest
Ab Work
8 Single Standard Crunches
8 Right Knee Up
8 Right Knee In and Out
8 Right Leg Up
8 Right Knee Up and Down
Repeat for Left Leg
Repeat Right Leg
Repeat Left Leg
Seated Ab work
(Lean back hold for 30 seconds, 15 second rest, 20 second hold, 10 second rest, 10 second hold)

Cool down
Corpse
Salute the Sun
Up Slowly legs Wide
Stretch out Calf
Stretch

My workout for tomorrow is 3 miles and lifting. I hope it goes as well as Tuesdays.

Have you ever wondered?

Have you every watched somebody running down the road and thought, "I wonder what is going thru their mind as the run down the road." Well here are the random thoughts of Kim for this mornings oh so successful run:

Thank goodness the humidity is gone.... I can breathe this is awesome!

What should I fix for dinner tonight?

Why did I have to run past the bread shop? Next time avoid the block the bread shop is on. I wonder what I should make for dinner.

Boy this street is dark I hope I don't fall over my own feet. Is that a dead cat? Is it a possum....ugh it is a cat. Oh my gosh I hope I did not just run thru dead cat brains.

Am I going in the right direction? I am hungry. I wonder what I am gonna make for dinner.

I wonder if wearing my "Have a Happy Day" underwear is making me faster or if this is just a fluke.

Boy this is a great sports bra!

Come on Kimmie this hill is just gonna hurt for a little while.

That's ironic...running up a hill and the song "Hurts so Good" comes on.

Oh my gosh I can't feel my legs. Have I died and gone to running heaven? Oh my gosh "Knocking on Heavens Door" is on...I musta died.

No I am not dead my knee is starting to talk to me.

I wonder if the people driving past me are laughing at me?

Ohhhhhhhh beathe Kim breath....the Y is within site.....no don't stop....don't worry about breathing you can breath when you get to the Y.

AGGGGGGGGG!

Man I am wearing these underwear again.....

Okay those are my thoughts. I know I should be having deep thoughts and contemplations on my runs but as I have said before I am a very shallow woman. And this was a very active thought run for me...most of the time my run thoughts this summer have consisted of 1) Oh my gosh I am burning up 2) Oh my gosh I think I am dying and 3) Oh my gosh I can't wait till fall gets here. 3) Please God let this end. Evidently the cooler weather activates my brain cells.
Also please note that my training schedule was revised a little. This morning was just too awesome to waste on the treadmill. Enjoyability Factor 100000% and time wasn't to shabby either. Just a rough estimate I would say 33 minutes or less and that is coming off of doing 11 1/2 miles in the last three days, along with one spinning class...so good job Kimmie.

Tomorrow: Swimming Blah

Update: My grandson Tyson has signed up for football. Go Ty Go. He is going to be an awesome football player. Hopefully I will get up to see his practice tonight. I bet he looks so CUTE in his pads and helmet.

Hurt So Good

Quick post before work. 3 miles...no stopping....no problem.....yeah Kim!

Today was Better

Sunday's run was okay...especially since I had walked/run a 5k on Saturday. I did 6.5 miles. The first 3.31 miles had one walk break and that was when I got to the steep part of Main Street. Once I was up the steep part I resumed running for a total of 3.31 miles where I stopped at my son's house to get a drink from his hose. I then walked/run the next 2 miles and then steady run the final leg of the 6.5. Not bad Kimmie not bad. Today I got up and did Spinning which I ALWAYS have fun at. This particular instructor loves music from the 70's and 80's and I would take her class just cause the music. However, bonus for Kim that she is a kick butt instructor! I only did 45 minutes of spinning because I wanted to get to Power Hour on time for once...I feel bad because I hate to miss spinning but I hate to miss Power Hour....So off I went. Julie (another totally great instructor) asked if we wanted to work on strength or endurance. I told her I didn't think I had the endurance to do an endurane class but since my body had betrayed me on Saturday then I would pick endurance. Next time my body may think twice before it bales on me!. So off we went for a 2 mile run. Katherine (my 5k sidekick) starts out much faster then I do but this morning I thought there is no way I am eating Katherine's dust so I kept up! It was hard but once I caught my breath I was good and you know what? Despite my weekend 9 1/2 miles and my spinning prior to power hour I actually felt really good. We had to stop once for her to adjust her shoes and then we walked up a small portion of the hill...but you know now that I look back I think I could have run it...it was just a mental hill for me! We resumed running and I did not stop till we were at the Y doors. Tomorrow on my schedule are sprints..probably on the treadmill. 1/4 mile sprints for 3 miles and lifting. Wednesday is swimming, Thursday Tempo Run for 3 miles, Friday Spinning and Power Hour and then Saturday 6.5 mile and spinning, Sunday will be my day of rest.

Weight: I was down 4 pounds as of Friday. I will not weigh myself for another 2 weeks. I tend to get kinda compulsive about the scales so I am keeping it to a every other week weigh in. 21 pounds to go to make my Mini weight. I think that lugging alot of Kim around on a run is very tiring! Oh just in case anyone may think the weightloss is a "Looks" issue. It most assuredly is NOT. I just wanna be faster. I am really quite happy with the way I look and my husbands says he is as well. But I can't help but think how he would love a woman that he could scoop up in his arms...however, he has got a woman that can scoop him up in her arms......I GOTTA SAY I LOVE BEING A STRONG WOMAN. I just wanna be a STRONG FASTER WOMAN.

Phrase of the Day: "My Grandma says you are thinner then I am" God Bless Doris for saying that!!!! (It's not true but I LOVE IT). I think I am just being used as a pawn in their evil mind games with each other...ahahahahahah

My Quote of Encouragement

I found this quote and I think it speaks for yesterday....There is no failure except in no longer trying.Elbert Hubbard

Nice Baptist Ladies Don't Run

I am back from my 5k and I am ready to bore you with all the horrendous details. As to be expected my 5k time was even worse! Now I will explain why...yes I always have an excuse...
1) We had to run 90% in grass. Wet Grass at that! You would think it would be easier to run in grass but let me tell you it absolutely is harder. My calves were burning and my calves NEVER burn. The ground is uneven and the grass was kinda longish....my feet were sopping wet within the first 5 minutes. My ankles were fatigued from the uneven terrain.
2) When it was not grass it was a muddy down hill or muddy uphill (and I might add very very steep uphill. Once of the hills I was almost in a crouching position to get up.
3)We were running thru woods. Now when I think of woods I think of cool cool cool. However the woods here, had in fact TRAPPED the heat and humidity in so it was liking running thru a rain forest.
4) The race started at 9:00 am. I get up at 4:30 am so by 9:00 I feel like I am partial thru my day. I am and will always be a 5:00 a.m runner. I think they should schedule races at 5:00 am. Then maybe I can actually beat some other people.

Race Time: Sob Sob I hang my head in shame 36.37 average pace...again hanging my head in shame 11:47 pace. I was 2nd out of 7 in my age group. NOW THAT IS SURPRISING. You might think huh how did she manage to come in 2nd with that crappy time...(1st place went to a lady I go to the Y with(Rebecca)..she did awesome). The answer to the question: How on earth did she manage to come in 2nd with that crappy time? ARE YOU READY???? NICE MIDDLE AGED BAPTIST LADIES DON'T RUN...THEY WALK/RUN. So it boils down to I beat the other walker/runners cause they are ladies and I am not....And ended up with a shiny metal to pin on my droopy chest. OH and FYI Rebecca is a Methodist which explains why she kicked butt with her time!
Thanks to:
My Son James and Tasha: For standing out in the heat to watch me embarrass myself. Thank you son it means so much to me to have you stick with me thru this and I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD....just as soon as the heat breaks!

My new dear friend Katherine who sticks with me thru these horrendous experiences. I am so looking forward to running some fall and winter runs with her! We will KICK BUTT then and I WILL DO A 30 Minute 5k this winter.

Rebeccca: Number 1 runner! I heard you yell "Go Kim Go" and it made me move! I should have had you at the 2 mile marker!

Summation: I HATE RUNNING IN THE SUMMER

Tomorrow: 6 mile run on the agenda. It might be slow but I gotta do it.
1

Here We Go Again

I have another 5k this morning. You would think Iwould be getting tired of attempting and failing but no I am the kinda woman that has to be hit in the head with a giant stick to get a clue. So here we go again. Please somebody hit me with a giant stick because the summer 5ks are killing me!

COUNT II-FALSE INFORMING

State v. Big Daddy-Conversion---Case Pending

Big Daddy v. Big Mamma Shakalaka---Hearing Today
State v. Big Mama Shakalaka- Hearing Today

Plaintiff submits written argument accusing Big Mama of Theft

Defendant Statement: Plaintiff was in fact in MY house and the the groceries sacked for the needy were in fact for the "Postal Food Drive" Plaintiff enters house and states "I am making Italian chicken for dinner. Do you have have any italian dressing to marinate the chicken in?" He then approaches said sack and begins to root thru the sack in an aggressive hostile manner. Defendant then advises that she does have italian dressing. Plaintiff then stops rooting thru the sack long enough to request that the Defendant furnish him with a package of boneless chicken breast. Plaintiff then makes further requests for side items of instant pototatos and vegtables. Plaintiff then took numerous items from said sack and left with them along with italian dressing, one pack of boneless chicken breast (that Defendant had to pay FULL price for), one package of Instant Mashed Potatos. Plaintiff has not returned any of the items to the Defendant. Further more Defendant states that the missing items from the snack sale during the yard sale were in fact consumed, however this was in payment for yard sales services. Defendant further states that no lawsuits or criminal charges were ever filed with regard to the missing holiday candy and the weight gain was a just "winter weight gain".

Court Ruling: The Court finds the Plaintiff's testimony to be ENTIRELY untruthful and the Court finds in favor of the Defendant and rules that the Defendant be entitled to a $1,000,000,000 Judgment for being falsely accusing Defendant of THEFT and MALICIOUS PROSECUTION. The Court further finds that Defendant was entitled to snacks as payment for yard sale services. Furthermore the statute of limitations has passed and the Plaintiff is unable to recover on the loss of any holiday candy. Judgment Payable within 30 days, payment in cash or cashier's check only NO PERSONAL CHECKS. Further more the Court finds that this incident should be forwarded to the Prosecutors office and an additional charge of False Informing be added to his CONVERSION CHARGE.

State v. Big Mama-Theft

Court Ruling: The court dismisses this action again Defendant. State's witness Big Daddy has proven to be a BIG LIAR. The Court advises the State that it does not have a leg to stand on due to the unreliability of its witness. The State advises that it will be pursuing State's Witness on charges of False Informing.

State v. Big Daddy-Count 1 Conversion-Count 2-False Informing

Victim files restitution form requesting that Defendant be in lifetime servitude to her.

Court Ruling: The Court finds the Defendant GUILTY without a doubt and sentences Defendant to lifetime servitude to Victim without possibility for parole and no good time credit. The court does not like to be an advocate for morality but suggests to Defendant that he is on a slippery road of deceit that will get him in yet more trouble. NO APPEAL WILL BE ALLOWED!

Conversion

Conversion (Law Dictionary Definition) Control over another person's personal property which is wrongfully exercised; control in a manner which violates the person's rights to the property.
Victim: Me (Mother of the Conversioner...is that a word?)
Conversioner: Jamie (son of Victim)
Property: Cookie Dough, Bacon and Butter
Value of Property: Priceless based on its yummy factor
Background: The day of the yard sale I took to my son's house some bacon, eggs, bread, butter and Monstor Cookie Dough. The plan was for me to make bacon and eggs for us for breakfast and later make some cookies. Instead breakfast was doughnuts and it got too hot later to even think about making cookies. The yard sale had come to an end and I went to pack up my stuff to take back home...I grabbed my bacon, my eggs, the bread and forget to grab the butter and cookie dough. My son (who has a life long love affair with bacon) looks in the fridge and says hey where did the bacon go I was gonna make BLTs for dinner. I told him I put it in his Dad's truck and I am taking it home. Next thing you know I see my son hot footing it out to his Dad's truck...and then he is jogging back in with MY bacon under his arm......I was tired and he is big and strong so I did not have any desire to tussle him over the bacon so I just glared at him. So off I go home..baconless....that is a sad sad thing to be baconless for the people in our family love our bacon.... However, Jamie had not ended his crime spree with just the conversion of my bacon...the next morning I get a phone call...."Mom are you missing anything?" I respond, "Besides my bacon?" He then goes in to detail about the yumminess of my cookie dough which I had left behind. He describes in detail how delicious it is with they tiny M&Ms. I DEMAND the return of my cookie dough. He laughs and says he also has my butter! I again DEMAND my cookie dough yet again (he can keep the butter). I hear laughter in the background. Tasha says they will bring me some cookies. Not only has my son committed the crime of conversion but he has drug his poor sweet fiance into his life of crime. In our family we would find him guilty of the crime of conversion and based on the items he converted would likely get the gallows. And just for the record Jamie has a criminal history....He cut the head off my rubber chicken.
Signed
Victim who will soon be seeking restitution

Exercise: Blah after Sunday 7 mile walk/run and then 3 mile evening bike ride and then Monday's Spinning and Boot Camp Class 2 mile walk on my lunch break yesterday afternoon (I might add it was over 98 degrees) I was kinda tired so today's workout was kinda blah. I walked for about 1/2 mile, then did 1/2 mile of jogging, then 1/2 mile of sprints, then 1/2 mile of jogging, then 1/2 mile walking then 1 1/4 mile of jogging. Just was not into it this morning. I lifted but not with my usual enthusiasm. That is why I like to do my long runs on Saturday because then I can rest on Sunday and feel all fresh for the new week. Tomorrow swimming and then Thursday 3 miles and then I may only do Spinning on Friday and then Saturday will be a 5k. I don't know why I keep doing the summer 5ks when they are NEVER successful but I guess if I don't get an "A" in running I definetley get an "A++++" in never giving up! I am so looking foward to my 30 degree weather!

People Actually Wanted our Junk

Family yard sale completed and quite successful for everyone but me. I only made $11.00 because I can not will not part with my stuff. My husband did well and made around $145.00 after he paid for his share of the ad. Jamie and Tasha made over $150.00 after ad, Kendra made about $30 after ad, Aunt Denise made $27 (she did not have to pay for the ad b/c she did the dougnut run) and Grandma Sue made $11.00. Not bad. If poor Kendra had not been pregnant she probably would have made many $$$$ on the yard sale as Lucas has all kinds of STUFF. But poor Kendra just does not have the energy to do a whole lot. Who can blame being her since she is 8 months pregnant during a heat wave. Which brings you to my first yard sale story. Lucas has a free standing mixer (every woman's desire) and had not used it ever! So Kendra (who is not all that fond of cooking) decides to sell it. She tells me about it and I said I WANT IT I WANT IT! She says okay but you will have to hide it when Lucas comes over because I am sure he does not want to sell it (she was selling it anyway because he has a serious "LOTS OF STUFF" problem). Well she drops off her stuff at Jamie's house the night before the yard sale. Lucas is helping her unload the stuff and he sees the mixer. He tells her "I am not getting rid of my mixer" She tells him, "But you have NEVER used it". That made no difference to him and in all fairness though he gave up his other treasures without complaint! Kendra assumes since she has told him that it would stay in the yard sale that that was the end of the conversation. However, the next morning when she arrives back to Jamie's to put her stuff out there is NO mixer. She looks high and low but no mixer amid the junk that is our yard sale. She calls and Lucas laughs and pleads innocent. I yelled out so he could hear me over the phone that he "STOLE MY MIXER". He had the nerve to say that if I wanted to borrow it I could. I told him I was not borrowing my own mixer. It is now Sunday and he still has my mixer and I guess when I want it I will have to borrow it...humph.
TWO OLD LADIES COME TO NEAR BLOWS OVER A BOX! Yes, in all the years I have had yard sales and been a yard saler I have NEVER seen a yard sale altercation. My husband was selling a wooden box with some odds and ends hunting stuff. He had it marked for $5.00 which was a real bargin. One of the ladies asked if he would $3.00 for it. My husband says "Hmmm I don't think so" The lady said for him to think about it and let her know if he will. In the meantime another lady (both of them being in their mid sixties) comes up to my husband and says "I'll give you $4.00". He accepts her offer and she carries her box up to the cash out table and sits it next to me and tells me she is going to look around for a little while. Next thing you know I have both of the woman standing in line in front of me. The one that had offered $4.00 for the box was first in line. She put her her purchases on the table and I start adding up and she reminds me to add in the box so I pick up the box and put it with her stuff. The lady behind her (who had offered $3) sees her pick up the box and says" Hey that is mine" The lady said "No it's not I brought it up her" The other lady says, "That man sold it to me" as she pointed to my husband. I am starting to feel very uncomfortable. So I call for my husband. He comes over and the ladies are both talking at the same time and telling him that he sold them the box. My husband tells the one lady that she had offered him $3.00 and had told him to think out it and in the meantime the other lady offered him $4.00 so he took it her offer. The $3.00 told him she WOULD have given him $4.00 if he gave her chance. He told her that since she told him to think about it and walked away that he assumed she was not interested in going up so he sold it to the highest offer. The lady was NOT pleased. By this time I am feeling beyond uncomfortable and blurt out, "Maybe we should be like Solomn and cut the box in half. Who loves the box more" They both stare at me. I look down and mutter I am staying out of this. My husband says, "Well she did offer $4.00" so the lady that offered $4.00 took the box. She looks back at the $3.00 lady says, "I am sorry", my husband says he is sorry, I tell her I am sorry. She looked icely at us and said, "No you're not" The lady says look if it is gonna be a big deal I will let you have the box. The lady says "This is not a big deal" The other lady says, "Well if there is going to be an argument..." The $3.00 lady says, "There is no argument". Which I can most assuredly say THERE WAS AN ARGUMENT.
The rest of the yard sale was uneventfull. I skipped out at noon to attend birthday party. They had a yummy cake and a some awesomely good pasta salad (which I am going to have to get the receipe for). The birthday girl turned one and was quite happy with all the birthday attention! She is a smiley smiley girl! After the birthday party back to the yard sale for final shutdown. We marked stuff down to 1/2 price at the very end but still did not sell much. Nobody bought the wedding dress... The one person that looked at it was told by me that my daughter (and I pointed to her) had never actually worn it. Then my daughter says Mom I look kinda pregnant (she is 8 months along) and that sounds kinda of wrong...so then I had to tell the man that, "Oh she did get married just not in that dress" He laughs and says it would not fit his girlfriend anyway because she is very SKINNY. I told him, "Yeah we don't have that problem in our family" and then he says, "You are full bodied woman" (I am sitting there, Tasha (who is in fact skinny), Kendra (who is 8 months pregnant) and my Mom). When he leaves Tasha says we should have hit him...I am just hoping he meant something else and the way it came out was just poor english speaking skills since he was Hispanic.
Final Thought: Yard sales are hard work! Multi families are the worst because you have to track different people's sale.

Oops off for my run...bloggin lost track of time...I am going to be late late late!

Back from the run...did walk, run for about 7 miles. Not gonna worry about walking and running because I am going to assume that just the fact that I am out there working is going to make a big improvement in my winter time. So no more complaining about the heat. I am just going to do what I can do and this winter if my time is not better THEN I will be upset.

Food, Fairs, Birthdays and Hotness

Happy One Day Before their Birthdays to Grandma Casey and Tasha!
I am cooking Tasha her birthday dinner tonight which I hope she will enjoy!
Chicken and Noodles
Mashed Potatoes
GreenBeans
Broccoli/Carrots
Deviled Eggs
Apple Pie.

The Y is closed and I am having Y withdrawl. Monday morning a few of the diehard Y members met in the parking lot and we did a little bootcamp class. About 1 1/2 mile run..which I started out so strong and then just petered out...probably because I was still recovering from my totally crappy Sunday, my ears were plugged, my eyes were burning, could not stop coughing...sounds like an allergy things...anyway after that Mike attempted to lead us in a follow the leader run...however 3 of his 4 followers quit running and started walking , yes I was one of them, so he reevaluated and we did sprints. Which I did most we11! We then did a obstacle course run (5 times) which included run a small set of steps, run down a hill, go across the monkey bars and then do some chin ups (or try), run up the hill and start over with the steps...etc.... A good workout and thanks to Mike for leading us and to Jill for suggesting that we all get together to do this. Tuesday I was suppose to run which turned into a 1 1/2 mile run and a 1 1/2 mile walk. My left knee was bothering me...not that it hurt so much as just felt "used up" and kinds of creaky so that is why I started walking. Today was 6 1/2 mile bike ride, which I enjoyed tremendously! I would have rode longer but ran out of time. I did notice that my heart rate never gets up except if I hit some hills so probably need to pick a route with more hills. Tomorrow may be a 3 mile run if my knee feels good, Then Friday meeting back up at the Y and then Saturday morning going to try for three miles. Next week is the Jubiliee Run on Saturday so I am going to only do 3 miles on Tuesday and 3 on Thursday and then the run on Sunday and if I feel like it another 3-4 on Sunday...then it is back on track and have to get those long runs back in because the Pumpkin Push is right around the corner.

Food went better last weekend then it has in the past but still need to get much more control. Friday night I did awesome though! (Did I mention that my weekends start on Friday after I get off work?) I even did good at the fair when I went last night (for me that is, because fair food brings out the gluttonous side of Kim). I had a ribeye sandwhich and yes I ate the grease soaked bun!! Ymmmmy. Also had a milkshake and a small back of popcorn (no butter though). I finished off my evening with a salad so I could get my vegatables. I was so going to get an elephant ear but the line was LONG. I decided it was not worth a 30 minute wait to get something I should not be eating in the first place...and I passed on the foot dog corn dog ( I do so love corndogs) because it cost $5.00. I can't believe it but Frugal Kim actually beat out Gluttenous Kim! Kim at the fair is very much like Templeton at the fair (Charlotte's Web). If you don't remember the scene where he is at the fair I encourage you to watch Charlotte's Webb and picture my head on Templeton's body!!!!

Time to go suffer and eat my cauliflower...it is very hard to enjoy raw vegatable when you know there are noodles, mashed potatoes and pie awaiting me at home. I suffer...oh how I suffer and all this suffering and I DON'T EVEN LOOK HOT I JUST LOOK AVERAGE.....surely as hard as I work I should look like Jessica Simpson...perhaps I really do I am just seeing a distorted image in my mirror at home??? Hmmm I will go home tonight and ask my darling if he thinks I am as hot as Jessica Simpson? Do you think he will say yes??? Hmmmm I am thinking if he does not want baked chicken every night for the next six months he better say, "Oh baby you are much hotter then Jessica Simpson" Sigh....its a good thing I like chicken......sigh

IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

I can't believe it but my time was 33 seconds slower then in the burning heat I endured for the Zoo Run! 34:55. Why? I directly attribute that time to my workout for the week
Monday: Spinning and 1 1/2 mile jog
Tuesday: 6 mile walk/Jog and Lifting
Wednesday: 45 minutes elitical going from resistance 8-12 in 10 minute segments
Thursday: SUCCESSFUL 5 miles in 88% humidity and Lifting
Friday: 1 Hour Spinning class/ and Power Hour which had us doing light jogging then pairing up to sprint and then assorted other boot camp tortures (including many many squats and many many lunges)
Saturday: 5k
I was so MAD at myself! My first mile time was pretty good 11:02 at 1 mile, 22:03 at 2nd mile and from there I slowed down and walked/jogged/sprinted....However when I came in the chute I came in ON FIRE! I could not even slow down!
I was talking to my son and he said I should have not done so many miles on Thursday and should have rested on Friday. I think at the very least I should have just done the spinning class and then went home. When I got up Saturday morning my legs were sore (not a bad sore just a "boy I really used my legs sore" the "take an aspirin and get up and move around sore". ) The next 5k is scheduled for August 5, that week I will do my long run on Tuesday, Wednesday do swimming and Thursday do just 2-3 miles and then Friday just do ONE class...probably spinning. Then hopefully I will have a better time on the 5k. Just my luck I will probably have a great get ready week and then it will be like 100 degrees the day of the race. I know that sounds like alot of excuses for my not improving my time but I really feel that is the case and not just that I did not push hard. BONUS: I found another lady about my age, my size and my speed and got her name and number and hope to hook up with her to do some training! I have been looking for someone along time and I hope this pans out!

Grandchildren: I stopped by to say hey to my dear sweet children today. We drove by my son's house because we were on our way to a garage sale and what should we see but the most adorable baby in her saucer looking out the window. My daughter says, "Mom that was Carissa in the window we gotta stop" So I put the car in reverse and popped into say hello! My daughter in law is looking FABULOUS. She has lost all her baby weight and then some. I don't know how she did it so fast! Tyson was all geared up because his Grandma Debbie was picking him up to take him to a festival. He came out to see me and gave me a big hug! He is such a good boy and I love him dearly. Today I bought him a little suprise, nothing big, just a little something I think a boy would like. I HAVE to make time soon to keep him overnight!!!! Baby Carissa was a happy smiling baby and she reached out with BOTH arms to me and stretched toward me so I would pick her up! She claps and can sorta of wave Bye Bye. Her mother was holding her and she nestles her face into her mother's shoulder and it looks so sweet it makes you want to cry! Oh and soon soon Baby Adam will be here! I can't wait to see my baby grandson!
Okay I am off to the bowling alley. I am not sure I will bowl as my body is quite sore but maybe I will just go up and hang out with some family.

Upcoming: Birthdays July 27: Tasha and Grandma Casey
Family Yard Sale: July 29
26 Wedding Anniversary and 5k: August 5

I LOVE THE CALORIE COUNT AND MENTAL HURDLE

I have decided I need to get serious and try to get another 25 pounds off. This is not for shallow cosmetic reasons but rather shallow I want to run faster reasons. I found www.calorie-count.com and it is AWESOME. You put in all your information and then you can start logging in your food (great database of foods)and it calculates calories etc... you can also put in your activity and it gives a general idea of calories burned. As of lunch I am operating on a calorie deficit....go Kim go. Check it out it is AWESOME.

Exercise: Yeah Baby almost 5 miles (a little less then 1 hour)and no walking....in 77 degrees with 88% humity. After checking the tempeture the original plan was to do the treadmill but I need to learn to overcome my fear of the heat and jump that mental hurdle. So outside it was! I told myself no walking unless I broke something (and it would have to be a lower extremity item...arms, fingers etc...keep running) or a diabetic coma and no CRYING on the route. One of the guys at the Y was talking about increasing your discomfort level and boy did I do that! I went right over the top because I COULD NOT BREATHE! I told myself to suck it up and I could breathe when I got back to the Y. I then did a little lifting after my run. I had many thought of stopping during my run but told myself I need to quit being a baby and toughen up...like my son said, I got to get out of my comfort level. (though I might add he gave this piece of advice from the SIDELINES UNDER A SHADED TREE!) However, he is 100% right! I am going to do a 5k this Saturday with another girl from the Y and my goal is for 33 minutes. It is going to be cooler but still warm so we will see......

Good day for Kim so far!

****BABY ADAM UPDATE**** Kendra just returned from her ultra sound (had another one based on the growing girth of Momma!) He is still expected to arrive the last week of August. However, as of today he weighs almost 7 pounds. We should have an over 8lb Baby Adam. Baby Adam is gonna play FOOTBALL!

I'M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!

I just got my Zoo Run Run time and it was 34:23! My last 5k in December was 33.43 so I was less then 1 minute over my December run....AWESOME because it was baking hot...in the mid 80's with humidity of over 65%.... the run did not start till 8:20 am. (I despise mid morning runs)I hate the heat...I suffer in the heat...I am slow...I am sluggish ...I truely felt like I was moving in slow motion.....and I was less then a minute under my best winter time despite the adverse conditions....As usually I began the run by whining and complaining about the humitity and the burning hot sun. During the zoo run I drank gatorade. I have never ever drank gatorade but thought I needed it because of the heat. All the gatorade did was give me immense stomach cramps.. and so what did I do at the next hydration station....yes, I am stupid I picked more gatorade....stomach continued to cramp up! I thought I was going to hurl throughout the entire race. However I refrained because I did not want the people behind me( yes there WERE PEOPLE behind me...and not just the walkers...other runners/joggers as well) to have to step over my hurlage. During the whole run I had this lady in a pink hat in front of me. I would catch her then she would pull ahead...we did that the entire time till the last stretch and then I OVERTOOK HER! Yeah Kim!!! I picked my person (like I have been told to do) and pursued and overtook her...granted it took the entire race but in the end I was first thru the chute. I even gave a big push...might not have looked that way but it felt that way, to try to get in before the clock turned another second. My son said I had a horrible look on my face....that my dear boy is the look of pain and concentration! Ultimately my results from this run mean that my winter time should be much improved! I ROCK! I will keep up with the speed work...I will keep up with the tempo runs...I will keep up with the long runs...I can feel my 9.5 minute mile....it is slow close...it is just some training and a few lost pounds away. I think this all may be paying off...all the stiffness..all the cramping....all the exhaustion. I AM GOING TO OBTAIN my goal...perhaps this December..unless of course we get a heat wave in December.
FYI: I rode my bike up to the 5k run and rode my bike home afterwards...GO KIM GO!
FYI: The man in the wheelchair (from the Hog Jog) was there and he PASSED me again. I told him "Hey I was at the Hog Jog and you passed me then and now you are passing me again???" He laughed. Later I told him at the next race I was throwing some cinder blocks on his chair.
FYI: I will no longer be choosing gatorade at the hydration stations....

Baby Shower: We had Kendra's Baby shower on Saturday. She got so many lovely gifts. This baby is one lucky boy to have so many people looking forward to his arrival. He will be most cherished...especially by his Grandma Kim. Attendees were: Me, My Co-Grandma Martha, G-Ma C (a/k/a Slug), Grandma Sue, Aunt Tasha, Aunt Hee Hee, Amanda, Amber, Aunt Carol, Aunt Betty, Aunt Tina, Jenny and Sherry.

Tyson: All healed from his bike wreck...just a little pink skin on his face...other then that he is good as new! His teeth do not seem to be damaged. He is back on his bike and as rowdy as ever! No more zig zagging Ty!!!

Carrisa: Sits up all by herself! It is so cute though because when she does fall over she sort of looks like a beetle on it's back. She tips then her feet are up in the air. She is also being introduced to the wonderful world of vegatables and seems to like all the yellows...but is less then thrilled with the greens.

Sunday: My children/grandchildren/my mother, came over to my house for a belated birthday dinner. They gave me some beautiful family photos and my son James included a poem he had written. I will be posting that shortly and I will scan the pictures of my children/grandchildren. What wonderful children I have been blessed with and when I say my children I mean Kendra, Lucase, James, Tasha, Brad and Natalie.

Workout: This morning: Spinning class and about 1 1/2 mile jog.

Tomorrow: Hopefully at least 5-5 1/2 mile run and lifting

Wednesday: Swimming

Thursday: 6 sets of 1/2 mile walk/1/2 mile run for a total of 3 miles

Friday: Spinning and Power Hour

Saturday: Perhaps another 5k

Sunday: Rest

EGO LEVEL: 1,000000000% I am in danger of my head exploding!

Tough Guy

Per Ty's permission here are the pictures. I went to see him last night and little boys heal fast. He looks much different from the pictures. Evidently his mishap did not scar him mentally because he was ripping up and down the sidewalk on his bike last night. **Note the swelling of the face**** His teeth are firming back up in the socket! All I can says is "Ouch!"

ROUND ONE GOES TO THE BIKE

While Grandma was off enjoying herself poor Ty got into a battle with his bike. The bike won this time. I am so proud of this kid because he has already gotten on his bike again! He has several loose adult teeth, the entire side of his face has MAJOR road rash, one sprained pinkie and a skinned up knee. What a boy...way to suck up the pain Ty! Ty if you want your pictures posted on the blog let me know...they were pretty awesomely gross! I will come see you this week and bring you a "Hope you heal fast" present! I love you Tyson! Well time for this girl to go to sleep and try to regain her lost hours of sleep....I have a Zoo run run this weekend and it gonna be the hottest day of the year...thank goodness it is only a 5k because I am a major baby about the heat! So lots of rest and lots of water this week and NO MORE DESSERTS!

Back from Michigan

Well I am back from my long weekend in Michigan.

Friday:My sister (Denise/Aunt HeHe) headed out Friday morning after I completed my spinning and power hour classes. We rented a really nice car. It was a NEW CAR and quite nice with all sorts of bells and whistles. ! Off we go....and the eating begins. Despite having had a bowl of oatmeal with fresh blueberries, I consumed a biscuit and some sausage gravy before we were even out of town. Who would have thought that a gas station would sell killer biscuits and gravy! Ymmmm. About an hour down the road, Denise says what kinda of snacks did you bring. I tell her, pretzels, blueberries and cherries and diet sodas. She did not look impressed...she asked if that was it and looked for sad when I said yes. She sighs but perks up at the first sight of a yard sale. Lo and behold we found several yards sales on way out of town on State Road 26. So of course we have to stop. Picked up a few baby toys here and there and heart healthy cookbook (which no one in my family will want me to use). Once we made it thru Rossville we were good to go till we got close to Fort Wayne and then....OUTLET STORES! Stopped did some shopping, found a great place to eat lunch (Clay's Family Rest.) To sum it up quickly due to the many many outlet stores on the way to Michigan it tooks us 12 hours to make a 5 hour trip to Milford Michigan. My Aunt called and said "Aren't you guys here yet" We had to tell her ...welllllllllllll there are ALOT of outlet stores. We made it into town....hotel not all that great for the money but adequate. Checked in and then went to Aunt Connie's house and played a really fun card game called Ziggity. Stayed there till about 11:00 pm then headed out to find something to eat. Warning NOTHING is open in Milford after 9:00 even on the weekends. We finally found a Big Boy Restaraunt on the highway. The food not good, service not good but they had a yummy Oreo Mud Pie! Late late when we got home and I had a 6 mile slated for the next morning. I was not to sure about running in the area as we were right on a highway, so I had earlier (before going to Aunt Connie's) checked out the gym across the road in the strip mall. They sold one day passes and it was a ONE room gym with treadmills so close to each other my sweat would have probably dripped all over the other person.

Saturday: Got up at 6:00 a.m. Ug late night and my body was protesting the early time and the thought of running. Mentally scolded myself and got my lazy butt out of bed. Decisions decisions decision...risk my life running MI-59 or bore myself to death by doing six miles on the treadmill. Decided I would risk life and limb over the boring treadmill. Lucky Kim...MI-59 had a semi sidewalk running along the side of the highway....that was it...no six miles of treadmill for this girl. I thought it would be a tortourous run but it was awesome. I only had to walk 2 five minute segments. I think it might have been that I was in a new place because it certainly wasn't because I had enough rest, water or good foods. Now mind you I don't break any speed records but I was steady. People were staring....haven't you people ever seen a little fat woman run along the highway???? After that I was so HOT that I VOLUNTARIALY SWAM! However before swimming the pool had to be cleaned because the drunks had gone into the pool the night before and threw all the chairs, chaise lounges, table umbrellas, rugs, small tables and beer cans into the pool. When I first walked in I could see the chairs in the pool but then it sort of looked like a reflection so I walked over to the pool...nope pool filled with lawn furniture. Told the front desk...they were NOT happy....so they got the pool clean ( I helped) and then I could swim. After that went back to the room to get my sister and we went to the continental breakfast where I proceeded to eat my weight in biscuits and honey. Then it was off to some YARD SALES...yes we went to another state to yard sale! I got some awesome baby toys! During the yard sale my eyes began to burn and fog up because I had not used my goggles when swimming. Was it the chlorine or did all the drunks pee in the pool and I had Urine burned eyes? Who knows? I keep telling my self it was probably just the chlorine but I am still slightly sickened by the thought that I may have been swimming in a cocktail of chlorine, budwieser and urine. Anyway we stopped to get me some drops for my eyes because by this time I was darn near blind and upon my SISTER'S SUGGESTION I got some Clear Eyes AC which I enthustically dropped into my eyes,...and HOLY MOLY it burned like crazy. I thought my retinas were being burnt right out of my eye sockets...I am moaning, tears were streaming down my face...I had my eyes clenched shut because when I opened them it felt like flames were shooting out of my eyes (sort of like the guy in Xmen)...Denise is laughing. She says, "Oh yeah that stuff burns really bad when you put it in" After I recovered my sight it was time to head to Aunt Connies, for fun and food. My cousin Daniel was there. I have not seen him since he was a very small boy. I also saw my cousins Gayle and Darla. I also got to meet Gayle's son David and of course I had already met her husband and Darla's husand and Darla's two itty bitty girls. We also were introduced to Dan's girlfriend, Julie. We played a great game of scrabble which I lost (not my fault I got 1 and 2 point letters the entire game....okay maybe some poor playing on my part). We had to keep track of the words we made because then we used the words to play a sentence game...which again I lost...sigh...then we played another sentence game and I LOST again. Aunt Connie's kids whipped us bad on games. They are very intelligent people I think they got all the elite genes and we got the "factory second genes". Oh well we might not be smart but we are sneaky and crafty...(surely that has to be of some value), however, it won't get us a Porsche (well maybe those skills would help us steal a porsche). After our family day, which was filled with laughter, Denise, Aunt Connie, Uncle Dan and myself headed to a town where they were having a fair. Woooo HOOOOOO we got to play BINGO!!!! Foreigner was playing, but the tickets were $35.00 and I was not paying $35.00 to see aging rock stars...unless of course it was someone like hmmmmm John Mellencamp or Jon Bon Jovi. Okay back to the hotel where Kim falls into bed.

Sunday: Woke up thinking I should run...laid in bed decided noooooo I will just lay here....it was almost 2:00 before I had gotten to sleep and it was now 6:30 a.m. Finally decided that I could swim a little. Did some laps...wearing my goggles this time. By the time I got back and showered Denise was getting up. I am a bad travel companion and told her I was not waiting for her to shower I was going to go have coffee...which turned into having coffee and mulitple donuts. Checked out of the hotel and stopped by Aunt Connie's to tell her goodby....read her paper and EUREKA! There was an IKEA ad. If there is an IKEA one must go...so we went and spent like 2 1/2 hours in IKEA. Would have spent more time but we went with Aunt Connie and Uncle Dan and they are not professional shoppers like Denise and I so we went easy on them. After that it was off for a Mexican lunch with Aunt Connie and Uncle Dan. Bid them farewell and we were on the road for home. Just a few pit stops on the way home. Denise and I were punchy from lack of sleep and kept laughing about things that my not have actually been funny...well no now that I think back they were actually funny! Denise do you remember: Pets for Melissa, a certain song on the radio, paint scrapers, being late to birthday parties, and chain saws? Thanks for the fun and all the laughter...there is NOTHING like a sister!

Hard to Top the Thief but Things I Found Funny

1) Brad saying (while we are blowing off our fireworks), "Next year we should post a sign out front that says CAUTION IDIOTS AT PLAY." This gets PHRASE OF THE DAY!
2) Seeing the firework committee dive for safety as their firework flipped sideways. FYI this year's firework committee :Jerry, Brad, James, Lucas, Roger (head firework lighter), and newest member for 2006...Amber.
3) Watching Tyson as he looked longingly upon the Firework Committee. He so wants to be on the committee and can't be till at LEAST age 12! At age 12 you still only have a limited responsiblity level. He stands on the very edge of the safety zone and just looks so excited. He is our firework committee apprentice. He gets to take the fireworks to the fire works table and hand some fireworks to a committee member.
4) Seeing the excited faces as I hand out glow sticks bracelets.....the excited faces were from the grownups.
5) Seeing and HEARING Abby (age 3) tearing into the house sreaming, "Ahhhhhh its too loud....I need cotton for my ears"
6) Carissa's face when the non noisy just sparkly firework went off...she just looked sort of mesmerized. Had that Snake Charmer kinda look on her face.
7) Tyson saying and sounding very disappointed that, "No one caught on fire this year" He was referring to last year when a little spark started to smolder on Roger's pants.
8) Mom saying something about someone thinking she is crazy because????? I did not get that part but then Tasha says "No thats not why we think your crazy".
9) Hearing Jamie tell his Grandma "Sorry I took you out" during the poker game. I told him there is no apologizing to Grandmas at the poker table. Also new poker rule established: no kissing at the poker table unless you are going to kiss all the poker players.
And finally NUMBER 10 and my VERY VERY FAVORITE
10) Jamie a/k/a Big Daddy lobbing a handful of fireworks at Aunt Denise's feet in my kitchen....she freaks, screams and kicks them away (see prior entry with regard to legs as weapons). They were not lit! Hahhaha I laughed my rear off. She is bad bad bad about self preservation as she kicked the fireworks away from her but toward other people. I have to say I am VERY IMPRESSED with her reaction time...those fireworks had not even stopped and she had them kicked away!

So many other funny things that it would take hours to right them down...those were just some of my favorites from this year.
Touching my heart: Hearing Abby saying, "kimmie I need a kiss before I go home" and getting a big big bug hug from Tyson when he left.

And to Jail He Went Jiggity Jig

Good Company, Good Food, Good Fireworks, Theft...we had it all! Theft??? Hmmm I bet you might be a tad curious as to that. My neice had driven over and come into the house carrying her 2 year old nephew since she was only going to be in the house long enough to lay him on the couch she left her purse in the car. When she came out their was a young man in her car. He could have been between the age 17-21. But I think probably closer to the younger end. He sees her comes out and backs out of the car and bends over his bike which was laying right next to the car. She starts yelling and he starts yelling back at her (why he did not take off at this point I don't know). He calls her many names which I won't blog and says she is only accusing him because he is black. Of course his being IN Amanda's car had nothing whatsoever to do with her accusing him of stealing! He keeps yelling at her (and keeps up the name calling) and says "Man, I was just fixing the chain on my bike." My husband hears Amanda yelling and runs outside and goes over to the car. The young man at this point tries to ride off. My husbands says, "Dude you are not going anywhere" He then proceeds to tell yell and scream at my husband telling him, "You don't know who you are dealing with". Meanwhile Amanda is gathering the contents of her purse together, which were strewn over her car seat. While she is taking inventory I told the guy if you didn't take anything empty your pockets. He glares at me and pats his pockets and says I don't have anything. I told him don't just pat your pockets down empty them. Meanwhile Amanda has determined that all her money and cards were still there. The guy's aggressiveness and agitation increases and my husband takes a closer step. I then get worried because I don't want my husband to get into an altercation so I step between them. Probably not so smart on my part, but I come from a long line of hillbilly women and sometimes we think we are badder then what we probably are. Meanwhile inside the ranch, G-Ma C is calling 911 and giving a totally accurate description to the police (including earring in ear...how observant is she? I think she should be a dispatcher) My husband finally tells the guy (since he did not actually get anything) to get going and to not come around here anymore. The guy rides off (on the bike that supposedly had a chain problem) just in time for our LPD to turn the corner and go in "pursuit mode" They catch him and lo and behold he has an outstanding warrant for him. So jiggity jig off to jail he goes. No fireworks for him!
Here are my thoughts on this event:

Race: Our family does not care if you are white, black or purple. We don't like it when people get in our car and try to steal our poker money.

Why He Picked the Wrong House/Car
A. We have a woman that can spend 24/7 on the telephone. She can dial 911 faster then people can says 911. She is also cranky and has been just looking to call the cops on someone.

B. A neighborhood full of elderly people and he picked that car that was right in front of the house that was hosting a party of redneck, hillybilly, PMSing (for the women), mentally deranged men and women (and that is the nice side of the family).

C. We are armed. My men they love their weapons...guns, knives, and bows. The woman in our family can improvise weapons...a bat, a shovel, a broom...we will pick up anything within our reach and strike with it, and if we can't find something most of us will kick as we have legs as strong as donkey legs (on account of all the shopping we do)....as for myself I can swing a mean meat hammer and I got legs that could probably kick that guy clean into next week (thanks to the leg press, squats, and calf raises).

D. He was only going to get $7.00 in cash.

So all in all a poor choice of victim made by this young man! He was probably safer with the police as our family as a "mob mentality" (not as in "The Mob" find youself with cement shoes but "mob" as you get one of us worked up we all get worked up!)

Mike's Tour of Duty

Sung as Cadence: "Here we go running down the road, Big Mike telling us how fast to go, Kim drop down and give me 10 then get up and run again"
Julie our power instructor was MIA so Mike stepped up to bat. I have likely mentioned Mike over the past year. He was the one that helped me thru my first 5K (and so gratefully for that because I would have quit if not for him). I enter the gym he advises that he saw me "running" on Sunday. He asked out far I went I said 3 then a break then 4. He asked if I had taken the spinning class that morning. I affirmed that I had. He asked if I could run a little more. I say sure I can do a little more. Well a marathon runners idea of a little more and my idea of a little more or about 2 1/2 miles difference. I was thinking more like 1/2 mile. He was thinking a 5k. So off we went on what he called, "Mike's Tour of Duty". Walk a little, jog a little, run a little, then drop and do 10 pushups. We did that thru the 5k and increasing the pushups at each stop till we got to 20 pushups on our home lap. The humity was like 100%. My clothes and hair were stuck to me like glue. When I went in the Y, one of the woman said, "Hey your suppose to shower after class not during". I was dripping sweat everywhere I walked. Mike's parting words to us were, "There now you got some cushioning to eat on the 4th". He is a good instuctor and makes you push. My foot does not hurt today. I thought it might after 2 days of running. Just a little tender and my knee is talking to me. Not to bad. Today, however, it is all about the bike. I am getting ready to head out the door. I am going to ride for about an hour and 15 minutes. If I was a good girl I would then run also but I am not feeling like being a good girl today. The family will be coming over this evening for a cookout. I have my portion of food done, Jello cake, Tex Mex and Baked Beans in addition I am furnishing the hotdogs, brats and buns. I was so proud of myself because I did that all last night. I also started packing my suitcase in anticipation of my trip to Michigan this weekend. Go Kim Go way to not procratinate!
Phrase of Day" Are you going to run with the monkeys?"
***Made in reference to the upcoming Zoo Run****

Athena----Goddess of Chub?

I was doing some research the other day and came upon some information. Men that run who are over 200 pounds are referred to as Clysdales... while female runners over 150 pounds are referred to as Athenas. Hmmmm, now I don't believe in Mythology but Athena in Greek Mythology is the Goddess of Wisdom and Military Victory. Now while I don't think it would be all that flattering to be known as a Clysdale, the term "Athena" aint all that bad. I think it might have a better ring to it then Kim the Warrior Princess. Some races even have catagory for "Athena" and "Clysdale" so that the larger runner can better judge him/her self against their peers. I think that is an awesome idea! Face it a woman of 170 pounds is not going to be able to move as fast as a 120 pound woman. You throw a 50 pound backpack on that 120 pound woman and she is going to substantial slow down. Now I don't really care if I ever weigh 120 pounds but I would at least like to be a 150 pounds. My legs, ankles, and feet would like that as a well. I have no aspirations to be "fast" runner but I would love to be a "steady paced" runner. You know the middle of the pack group.
Iwas advising my husband of my desire to be a "middle of the packer" and how hard I was going to work and what a struggle it was going to be when he said, in a desire to be supportive"Now remember Kim you are a grandmother and you are going into your golden years so maybe you should take it a little easy" (at least this is more or less what he said, interpretation might be slightly skewed due to PMS) I then, in my altered PMS mode, heard the words bulky and building up muscle mass. I stared at him and said, "So you think I am fat" He looked slightly, no make that completely, horrified (and scared) that that is the way I interpreted what he just said. Poor man says, "Noo Noooo Nooo you look great. You have done an amazing job. How many other people can say the lost over 100 pounds". So at this point I decided, based on my PMS symptoms, that I should stop the converstation there. While I might have quit discussing it, my mind was going 100 miles per minute. Yes, I eat too much on the weekend, yes I need to lose 20 pounds, yes I am a grandmother, NO I AM NOT in my golden years. Iam 43 soon to be 44.
So addressing the issues:
Being A Grandmother. I love being a grandmother. However, that does not mean I lose my coolness ranking upon the birth of grandchildren. I will run a 10k and I WILL run a Mini! Matter of fact I plan on doing that when I am a GREAT GRANDMOTHER. I want my grandchildren to see that their grandmother is not just the traditional cookie baking grandmother but she can bake cookies and be an "Athena". I hope at least one of my grandchildren will be at the finish line this May for the Mini! After it is over we can sit down and eat Grandma's home baked cookies while I tell them how sore Grandma's Glutes and Quads are.

DIET: So goodby pizza on Fridays, goodby mulitple desserts on the weekend, goodby eat whatever you want on the weekend and hello to menus and one dessert per weekend and lots of veggies and lots of fruit. I have advised my husband that he will see red meat no more then two days a week. He looked quite sad when I told him that. He says, "Why do I have to suffer" and I told him because I don't believe in suffering alone. When I suffer I want everyone to know it and suffer with me.

This morning I ran about 3 miles to my son's house, was going to get a drink out of his hose, his hose was not working, decided I was really thirsty and would wake him up. I rang his doorbell, I banged on his door. He did not answer so I had to go bang on his bedroom window to wake him up. He comes to the door, "Man what do you want" I respond, "Let me in I am thirsty" He lets me in, I get my drink. He asked if I ran all the way there I said I did with about 5 minute of walking. He says, "Good job". I hang around around 15 minutes to cool down because I was HOT HOT HOT. By the way Tasha, you are an excellent housekeeper...that house was spotless and it smelled GOOD. Off I go jogging with a little bit of walking (not a whole lot) to finish up with almost 7 miles. I incorporated one big big hill which I had to walk run up and one big big set of stairs on another big hill. The stairs go up a hill to a school. Oh and I do so love the downhill miles. I can breath and I never ever have to stop....This Athena LOVES DOWN HILL.
I think I could have made it farther if I had eaten a bananna before I started this morning but I was running on a totally empty stomach and it is hard work for an Athena to run that far.

UPDATES for the Month of July:
Fourth of July Picnic: Commences at 4:00 pm on Tuesday.
July 7-9: Me and Aunt Denise going on a much needed R&R trip
Baby Shower: July 15, 2006, at 4:00
July 15, 2006: 5k Zoo Run
July 22, 2006 5k Run for Alana
July 29, 2006 Broncho Run
Birthdays: Tasha and Grandma Casey on July 27!

My husband has now looked over my shoulder and said, "Who the heck is Athena". I tell him I am Athena and that he should no longer refer to me as Kim but Athena. He rolls his eyes and says I am not Athena I am a dork.

Signed
Athena -Running Woman of Chub (That will now be my official title and I expect my family to refer to me as such)