Trail Heaven: Blue Ridge Mountains

Pretty sure life wouldn't be as freaking amazing if we didn't have seasons.  Ok, maybe those of you that live in a perpetual summer due to your closeness to the equator....well, you're probably not complaining one bit.  But I think there's something to be said about having a change up that makes us appreciate the gloriousness of spring and summer when it arrives.  Like now.  Just. so. damn. beautiful.  It's like it was winter one minute and now....BAM!  All the trees are in full bloom, birds are everywhere, and it's 80 degrees outside with a blazing blue sky.  And the trails....Oh, the trails!!

 I feel very grateful for living in places that have such amazing trail running at my finger tips.  I grew up in Colorado before I really got into trail running but after college I moved to the trail running mecca in the Pacific Northwest.  Yes, it sure does rain a lot there.  Ok, that's an understatement.  Let's just say that by the time you're done with a winter in Portland, you want to bash your head through the window if you see another day of rain and grey.  However, the lush green forests and trails to die for come with a price.  That price is RAIN.  If you can tolerate the rainy winters (and parts of fall, spring and summer), then you're in for a treat!  I'm not one that does so well with this rain but I do love the green and the beautiful forests for trail running.  That brings me to Asheville, a smaller city in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I feel beyond grateful to find myself here for about a year (almost over).  The trails aren't quite the same as Portland and surrounding areas but they do stand their own.  Especially in spring and summer!  Today, after my husband returned from his 16 mile trail run in the Cradle to the Grave Forestry where he is training for his next race (the one I did last year as my first trail race), we took the family to to the Mountain to Sea Trail off of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  He set up camp by a creek with the kids while I took off on my run.

My run today was such food for my soul.  Getting out in nature like this is always healing and rejuvenating and I always find myself wondering why I don't do it more often.  But then I remember that it has been winter and I've been marathon training (trails not always conducive to specific workouts).  I'm determined to get out there on this trail as much as I possibly can before we move back to the west coast in July.

Biggest decision of the day:  Should I wear the Brooks Pure Grits or the Cascadias fresh from the box?  I chose the Cascadias due to a sore foot that probably need some extra support.  And yes, yes, I need to shave my legs.  Whatever.  :) 

Random sculpture on my trail

Oh sweet cold creek to soak my feet! 

Thankful.  Grateful.  Happy.  Thank you Nuun for your support and encouragement and hydration the past few year.  So glad to be a part of your team.  

Holy satisfaction after a 1hour 20 minute trail run through the Blue Ridge Mountains!  Nothing beats having my family near and a cold creek to soak my feet in as soon as I finished.  A run that brought me so close to my core!  I'm so thankful for this beautiful life.

Do you trail run?  Do you have trails near you?  

Amanda

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Best Race Swag Ever, Easy Pace Getting Faster, Love, and Random

 Could today get any better?  I'm not so sure. It has been one of those days that starts slow and cherished and then just keeps getting better.  After my 11 mile easy run that felt amazing for easy (more on that in a minute),  I came home to a hot shower, happy kids, a husband grilling and a cold beer!

1.  I think a day like today calls for a good beer. 
2. I used my favorite race swag EVER to open my beer.  Seriously, the Boston Marathon knows how to do it up right.  This bottle opener is some pretty sweet race swag.  I love it!  

Waking up to cold weather, sunshine and nowhere I needed to be made me feel all cozy inside.  It was one of those rare mornings that are far and few in between these days where our little family is just frozen in time:

Cold Saturday morning,

                                                      frosty windows, sunshine-full room, 

a family wrapped in blankets,

cartoons, cuddles, coffee 

A promise of chocolate chip pancakes.

These mornings will be one of those slices of life memories we treasure for always.

After a few cups of coffee, plenty of blanket/couch time, and deciding my run could wait,  I couldn't help myself ... the beautiful fall day was calling my name....and a walk to the bakery in town for one more cup of [good] coffee was in order. Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE this town that I live in?  Yes, I think I have.  Well, for good measure, I'll say it again...I LOVE living here!  I love this small town.  I love the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I love the community.  I love the sunshine.  I love the little 1900's Craftsman style home that we are temporarily living in.  LOVE.

Decided the run could wait until later. Too much life to enjoy at home this morning! Cold, crisp, sunny, beautiful morning with a short walk to the bakery for our last cup of coffee. Notebook along for the walk...you never know when there will be words to catch.

More coffee
Plenty of cuddles
Sunshine
A new haircut
Quality time with my oldest daughter

Only thing missing was a nice longish run (long run for me these days seems to be around 10 to 13 miles) but I made sure to add that to the list too!

My run today was just another part of this Joyful morning.  I turned my watch around so I wouldn't look at it and I just set the goal to run Happy and Easy.  Every time I did look at my watch, I was surprised to see my mile splits at quite a bit faster than I expected.  Must have been the gorgeous fall weather! With my first mile at 7:45, I tried to deliberately slow down but most of my splits stayed under 8 until the end where they were a bit slower.  My EASY is getting FASTER!  This is a good feeling!

Yes!  Easy pace is picking up again!  Thank you body.  Thank you mind.  And Hello Spirit!  Truly a Run Happy kind of day!  And my Brooks Ravenna 4 felt perfect. 

I'm certain that this day (now night) will only continue to get better.  I intend for it to be that way.... Today, I CHOOSE JOY!  We really do have so much to do with how our life unfolds.  There are some big things I'm working on in my little world and not all of them are easy.  However, I can say that they are all WORTH it because they are part of making my life the very best that it can be.

And to end this post with something to think on, I thought I'd post this quote that I saw on Facebook.  Definitely something I could chew on for a bit and see from multiple perspectives.  A good discussion piece FOR SURE.  I'd love to know YOUR first reactions after reading it.  I posted this on Runninghood's Facebook but in the comments below, I'll include some of the comments posted about it.

1. How was your weekend? What stood out to you?  
2. Who's racing this weekend?  
3. What's your idea of a perfect weekend morning?  
4. What's the best race swag you've ever received? 
5. Is the weather in your neck of the woods drastically cooling off?  What's it like?  
6. And, last but NOT least, what are your thoughts/reflections about the quote on love posted above??  

Amanda 

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Whisperings from the Inner Superhero and a 13.1 of Embracing JOY in Running!

Watching Kona IRONMAN.  Wow!  Talk about ENERGY! And inspiration!  I admit, in 2000 when I was watching the Ironman in Auckland, New Zealand, I remember thinking that these athletes were pure CRAZY!  I mean, I was still four years out from running my first marathon.  I had no idea what even a marathon was all about...let alone running a marathon AFTER some intense swimming and cycling.

Now, as I watch the coverage of Ironman Kona (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, posts from friends, live coverage), I hear my inner superhero whispering to me.  My inner "crazy"...my "I want to do that someday too!" Okay, so maybe I don't really want to put the time and energy into completing a full Ironman but watching this makes me think of all the things I DO want to do.  There are still so many possibilities that are there for us!  Anything can happen if we believe and put our heart and spirit into it. THIS is what watching something like this reminds me of.  So inspiring!

I'm still in my HAPPY/RUN for FUN season with running.  And I'm loving it.  Such a good place for me right now.  My body feels mostly WHOLE (besides the annoying left hamstring), I'm getting excited to marathon train again in late December, and I'm finding so much JOY in running again.

I felt almost giddy this morning as I woke up early to run in a race environment for the Bethel Half Marathon.  I knew I didn't want to "race" this run.  I wanted to run it for the simple JOY of running.

And that I did.

Consistent.

Comfortable.

Within easy pace.

Beautiful Course.

Rolling Hills.

Colorful Countryside.

Mountains.

Happy.

Smile on my Face.

Mile after mile of feeling like my legs would carry me at this pace forever.

A good feeling.

So thankful for runs like this!

7:40
7:44
8:13
8:03
7:56
7:36
7:47
7:50
7:53
7:49
7:50
7:56
7:50
.22 at 6:54 pace.

First place AG and a unique hand made award.  I loved this event!

I'll take that 1:43:xx with a smile on my face!  And a promise of more happy miles to come.  Far from my fastest time but there's something to be said about just enjoying the run and feeling strong without pushing ourselves to our edge all the time.  I like where I'm at right now with running.  It's a good place.  My 7:50's today made me just as happy as my low 7 minute average made me a couple of years ago.  I'm not sure how I'll take on my Boston training but the goal so far looks like :  ENJOY IT!  This might mean taking it easy this time.  And it very well might mean pushing myself for a bigger goal.  Too early to tell.  In the meantime, here's to finding joy in our runs!

1.  Have you completed an Ironman or half Ironman?  Do you want to?  What about a triathlon of any distance?  I'm not sure I'd want to put the amount of TIME into training for an Ironman or half Ironman.  Just a lot of other things I want to do.  I've never done a triathlon of any kind...I'd like to though!
2.  What's one of your biggest "whispers" or goals that your "inner superhero" calls to you?  My inner superhero whispers to me about so much more than running.  Really, running or athletic goals aren't as important to me as other life goals related to career, making a difference, working with people in different ways, writing, etc. Really, I want to change the world.  Ha!
3.  What do you do to bring the JOY back to your running when you get in a running rut? I listen to my body and mind.  When the desire isn't there, I don't force it.  Giving my body a break from running almost ALWAYS means coming back happy and hungry again.

Amanda 

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Happy Intentions, Reality and Back to Happy

If I could freeze this moment...
Fall Morning
Blue Ridge Mountains
Sitting out on my porch
Small Mountain Town
Birds, Squirrels, Falling Walnuts
Coffee
   Color
Cool
   Crispness
Clear Skies
   Calendar Day Open
 Kid Giggles coming from inside,
   as they jump on couch cushions and eat pancakes on the side
Unmade beds
SUNSHINE
Happily sore legs from a week of solid running and fitness
This will be a day I come back to in my memories...

Cue the screeching car break sound.  Or finger nails on a chalk board......

We interrupt this short moment of bliss for a few moments of full blown four year old fit reality!  

Really?! 

Deep Breaths, tight chest, irrational logic from a four year old boy who insists that jumping off the couch towards cushions right up against a brick fire place is the BEST idea despite anything we say to convince him otherwise.  

Deep breaths.  

A few tears.  

Instead of carrying on with my immediate plans of finishing my coffee while writing a long Happiness List as a morning exercise of gratitude, I needed a few moments to get my hormonal 34 (35 in a month) year old self back to neutral.  Man! Tell me again how much I'll miss these sweet days when my kids are young? I know I will.  And remind me how strong will and feisty personalities are good traits to have for life. I know this too.

I took a few moments to sip my coffee and take in the beautiful morning thinking the worst was behind me.  Then another fight broke out.  And another. And, ready for it?  Another.  I guess my kids were clearly NOT on the same vision page as I was on this fine day.  In an attempt to reclaim my happy energy, I tried to sit in silence for a bit and read past posts on here and in my journals related to Happiness. This helped. It reminded me of how capable of sweetness and love my kids really were.   It also helped me reclaim my happy mojo to be reminded of just how many things there are to be happy about. One post in particular that  made me smile was one written almost exactly a year ago:

Things That Make Me Happy.. An Exercise in Happiness

Reading this post (along with the comments from you) made me smile.  All is calm again and I'm ready to add to my happiness list throughout this day 

Things that make me Happy Today:

• Beautiful morning
• Tracking friends at the Portland and Twin Cities Marathons.
• Seeing my daughter get better at riding her bike.
• Watching my husband be such a good father to our children. His patience is a gift to all of us. When I'm feeling more emotional than normal, he is so quick to step in and pick up the slack.   
• A family walk/bike ride to the local bakery where we ate some really great kale salad and shared a cookie.  
• Living in this beautiful place that I love so much.  I know it is short lived but when we say good bye in July, we get to go back to Portland, Oregon.  Not a bad place to live at all.  One of the coolest places I know actually.  
• The Jewel Fairy came today and brought Halloween Jewels.  
• Yoga with my sweet 6 year old daughter.  I could write an entirely separate post on just the different gifts that each of my children are.  So unique.  This little girl is my calm.  She always has been.  Sweet.  Happy.  JOYFUL.  Humble.  And Wise.  Having her next to me for the hour of yoga was such a sweet moment of life.  She kept turning to me on our shared mat and mouthing to me that she loved me and telling me how much fun she was having.  
• Finding my voice again.  Not that I lost it entirely.  It was just a little quieter than usual.  
• New opportunities.  They always come when we are willing to put ourselves out there and take more risks.  
• Trader Joe's came to Asheville!  Yippie!  Only thing is that everyone else is saying "Yippie!" too.  Gee, you'd think the circus was in town.  This place is crazy right now because EVERYONE in the general Asheville area wants a piece of it.  
• Excited about training for another marathon!  This DESIRE is KEY!  Yay for it coming back.  Now, let's see if my body agrees that it's a good idea.  I think there will need to be plenty of yoga and strength type stuff. 
• My friend Stephanie broke 3 hours in the marathon this weekend at St. George!  Such inspiration to me.  Thank you for this inspiration Steph, Soggy Runner Girl!  Write that race report as soon as you recover.  LOVE!  Incredible to watch you on your journey in finding your gifts.  I love you. And I miss running with you even though you are much faster than me. 

I could go on and on with this list.  Making a list like this has left me smiling. Similar to listing gratitude...such a powerful exercise in helping us change our perspective on things...or just saying THANK YOU for all that we have that is GOOD.  And when we recognize these things with gratitude and love, we almost always get more of them.

I would love to hear a few things that you love...first few things that just pop into your head when you comment (IF you comment...I know, I know, I've been so so bad at commenting back lately so I'm surprised that anyone still reads this thing).  Love and Happiness are contagious...I love reading what people are thankful for, what makes them happy or what they love.  So, in either a comment or a post of your own.....TAG, you're it!

And Just because the pictures from my post from my Friday's Post make me HAPPY, I'm including them again!

It's a boots, long socks, dress, sunshine, crisp fall kind of day! Love my Keen Bern Baby Bern

What a perfectly wonderful message from the universe for this little boy on this beautiful morning: "You are LOVED!" I love that my 4 year old noticed this "heart" on the walk into preschool, a sign clearly meant for him! What a gift of a day! #love

Oh, and the next post will be all RUNNING!  I promise.  I know, I don't need to write about running but this used to be kind of a running blog, right?  I want to ask about marathon training plans, talk about favorite shoes, Savannah Half-Marathon (yes, I switched to the half), Girls on the Run (LOVE this program and want to be more involved soon!), The Asheville Marathon, and a few other running-related things.  

What makes you Happy??  First 5 things that come to your mind.
Who raced this weekend??!  Portland Marathon?  Twin Cities Marathon?  What else?  

Run Happy Friends,

Amanda 

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Must Pack Running Essentials

Moving my family across the country is a new experience for me.  I've never done anything like this really.  I mean, not counting my college adventures.  Moving when you have a family of five requires a lot more work and thought.  We have to pack light enough to fly to North Carolina but liberal enough to where we can live comfortably without the rest of our stuff for up to a month.  For me, this means my ESSENTIALS...clothes, journal, a few books, my computer, and my RUNNING things.  Running is what will make everything else in life WAY BETTER!  If you're a runner then you get this.  When I first started running, I suppose I only needed my old running shoes (that I also used for every day use) and a few t-shirts and pairs of shorts or sweat pants.  HA!  My how things have changed.  I've become such a spoiled runner.  Part of this is because I'm kind of still marathon training. I say kind of because I really am just training enough to be able to run Boston so that I don't feel like I'm going to DIE.  A marathon cannot be "fun" unless you are conditioned to run 26.2 miles.  Otherwise, it would probably be hell-like.  Anyway, moving and living in hotels for up to a month means that I need to be prepared for all sorts of runs, different kinds of weather, fueling properly, hydrating, preventing injuries (KTTape and Tiger Tail roller), and alternating shoes just because that's something I like to do.  My husband made fun of me for having a big extra bag just for running gear.  But a runner has to do what a runner has to do.  And for me, I'd rather be prepared and have packed too much than find myself wishing I would have brought more.

Some essentials to pack so that I'm prepared for the weeks leading up to Boston while being in a BIG life transition:

• Brooks Running Shoes!  Of course.  This time I packed my Pure Cadence 2, Two pairs of Ravenna 3's, and a pair of PureFlow2's in the car that I'm still waiting to try out.  I also have my every day "run errands" shoes that are also Brooks shoes that I no longer run in.  
• Tiger Tail massage stick.
• Nuun
• Nuun and Brooks visors (gotta represent!)
• Nathan water/fuel belt for my longer runs coming up
• Honey Stinger Gels and Waffles 
• KTTape.  Gotta keep these legs in tact.  And oh how they are not happy some days lately.  :(  
• Compression tights, shorts, Brooks Essential Run Vests (these are a STAPLE for me even when I'm not running!  LOVE), socks, tanks, etc. etc.  
• Garmin (even though I'm trying to not use it as much)
• Hats, arm warmers, calf compression sleeves, and other various accessories

So, what are YOUR Running Essentials that you would pack if you were moving far away and needed to pack for up to a month??  What's your MUST HAVE Running Gear list?  

Amanda 

Race Day Preparation: Clothing, Fuel, and Race Information

And this is the post where I include way too many pictures of myself for my liking but it goes with the topic of preparing for race day so bear with me.

 It's that time.  A week out from a marathon.  Usually I wait until a couple of days before race day before I start thinking too deeply about things like what to wear, where to pick up my race bib, what I'll eat...yaddi yah yah.  But it is going on week two now of my coach dropping nice hints that he'd like me to be thinking ahead about such things so that I don't get overwhelmed trying to pack and think about it all at once.  And he's right, I probably will be better off for thinking of these things ahead of time.  Especially since I have quite a bit of other life stuff going on right now.

I guess, I'd like to start by saying that this is not a fashion running blog.  Ha!  I hope I don't offend anyone but what I race in is so much more about FUNCTION than it is about FASHION.  In fact, I don't give a hoot whether I'm color coordinated or if my socks look good with my ears.  I don't care about sparkle or bling or too many accessories.  I do care a little about looking good when I run (I'd be lying if I said I didn't care at all). I think when you LOOK GOOD you FEEL GOOD.  But what looks good to me is often what feels good and this isn't always what looks good to others.  Ha!  I only own a few pairs of running shorts that I wear (I know what I like and I'm all about keeping things simple with my wardrobe)  and I'm sure many of you would think I'm awfully gross due to the fact that I've worn pretty much the same pair of 3/4 compression tights for almost every run this training cycle.  And no, I don't wash them after every run.  That's just nonsense to me when I'm going to sweat again anyway.  I wear them because they work in keeping my left leg holding in there.  And you know, I'll probably wear them on race day too.  Even if they do make my ass look like a squished up bagel.

So, in deciding what to wear on race day, I'm considering these things:

• comfort
• weather
• how my leg feels
• representing Brooks and Nuun (I'll probably wear my Nuun visor).  

The picture at the top there is what I sent to my friend Jenn as I started to toss around what I wanted to wear.  I think we both agreed that the Nuun shirt underneath the vest would be too hot.  Just the vest and arm warmers with a tank underneath is probably enough.

Okay, maybe this is the one I sent Jenn.  :) 

 I do know that if it is on the cooler side, I do want to wear one of my favorite Brook's Essential Run Vests.  Love these things!  I wear them daily!

If it is warmer (btw, I haven't checked the weather in Napa ONCE so far...I should do that!) and my leg is feeling okay with just KtTape then I might just wear my yellow and black Brooks tank/short I wore in my last two marathons, Boston and Foot Traffic Flat.

This was around mile 22 of my marathon after Boston 2012..my "let's qualify so we can run again next year since it didn't happen in 90 degree Boston."  Not feeling so good here...sun, antibiotics...not the best mix! Really Hoping to never run a HOT marathon again considering almost all of my marathons have been hot!  Newport was 75 degree, Boston 2004 was 87 degrees, Boston 2012 was 90 degrees and then both of my  Foot Traffic Flat marathons were on July 4th so on the warmer side.

And this is what death looks like!  Ha!  90 degrees Boston Marathon 2012.  The very last stretch to the finish line!!  At this point I was making all bets with God...if I could just finish, I would...... And way too skinny for  what is best for me.  This was at least 8 lbs lighter than I am now.

I printed off my Napa Marathon information last night that was sent to me in an e-mail.  It was actually really fun reading about it.  Some highlights that stood out to me:

• They are very strict about NO HEADPHONES and enforcing it.  They mentioned this several times.  No problem for me since I don't like racing with music.  I'd much rather have quiet and enjoy the beautiful Napa Valley!  
• This year's Napa Valley Marathon is all about "Honoring Women in Marathoning" and I love that I'll be there.  
• I hope to meet and hear some of the speakers.  Joan Benoit-Samuelson will be there.  
• Considering a pasta feed dinner...the speakers sound great.  Really the whole marathon sounds so well run.  I remember it being great the first time I did it but it is all a little foggy to me.   
• The overall winners win their weight in wine...Ha!  If only I were just a little or a lot faster!  
• The sweat bags sound really nice!  We have a choice between a duffel bag and a backpack.  
• Napa Valley Marathon is a "GREEN" marathon.  One thing hey encourage is for us to bring our own bottles to grab at the aid stations.  Not sure if I'll do this or not.  I will help with litter in making sure my trash goes in the garbage.  

 Fuel.  Hey, if you know what works, stick to it!  I'll be using Honey Stinger Gels.  I'll probably take a few flavors.  And I'm sure I'll be stuffing them in my bra again.  Hey, this is a great way to hold them when I don't have many pockets.  If I wear the vest then I'll have plenty of pocket space.  But if I wear the yellow tank and shorts, I'll need my bra for storage.  Not much in there anyway so plenty of room.

Breakfast.  I'd also like to make a final decision about what to eat on race morning.  I'm so used to having my own comforts here at home where I can easily cook up a big bowl of steel cut oats with chia seeds, flax, apples, agave, etc.  In a hotel this is harder to prepare.

Visualizing.  I'm including this final picture because it inspires me.  I posted this for a contest last year before Boston and it gets me excited to run.  It also makes me miss my original Pure Flows.  Although I'm loving the Ravenna's, I really did love the Pure Flows.  Just trying to stick with one shoe for now because it is working for me.  Anyway, this picture makes me remember that "It's go time" feeling.

1.  What do you eat on race morning if you are traveling away from home?  
2.  What's your favorite gel to use in a marathon?  Or form of fuel?  
3.  Do you have a favorite piece of clothing to race in?  
4. Do you print out the race information, pack your race bag, and decide what to wear ahead of time or wait until last minute?  Usually I wait until last minute but like I said, my coach has really been pushing me to get this stuff started early.  He probably knows me well enough by now to know that I stress out if I wait too long for things.  :)

Amanda 

18 miles, Brooks ID, and Time in Portland

And here is one very cold and sopping wet pile of running clothes.  The remains of a very rainy 18 mile run.  My first 18 miler of this training cycle.  8:12 average.  It was the longest I've run since July 4th for the Foot Traffic Flat Marathon.  Same shoes, in fact, and these shoes had their last run today. They are officially "mileaged out".  I don't keep track of the miles on my shoes but from the looks of the bottoms and considering that I ran my last marathon in them, I'd say they are ready for the big box of shoes going to recycled shoe heaven.

My 18 miler today wasn't anything fancy but it was an important run to get under my belt.  It was just supposed to be easy miles.  And for the first 15 or so, it did feel pretty easy.  But those last 3 miles didn't feel so good. And I certainly can "feel" the fact that I took so much time off running.  Perhaps it was the fact that my entire body was cold to the core, my feet throbbing and feeling on the verge of blister city, or my stomach nauseous from the gels and sports beans I tried (and the few beers I may or may not have had at the Christmas party the night before), but it is done!  18 done and in the bag.  Somebody please assure me that by March I will want to run a marathon.  Because I feel so far from marathon shape still.  I mean, I could complete a marathon but to actually feel ready to race one?  That's a different story.  I suppose that's what training is for...to help us keep getting stronger.  And today was a big run for me in getting into marathon shape. Especially with having those last 3 miles to push through even though I wasn't feeling well.  

Splits from today (all easy except the last 3...they didn't feel easy):  8:14; 7:59; 7:58; 8:13; 8:10; 7:55; 8:17; 8:06; 8:05: 7:56; 8:06; 8:08; 8:05; 8:20; 8:19; 8:33; 8:22; 8:50


Brooks ID Program

I'm super excited to share the news that I will be sponsored by Brooks Running again for 2013.  I'm honored to represent such a great running company through the Brooks ID program.  This news has certainly helped me continue to RUN HAPPY.  Thank you Brooks!  I can't wait to try out the new Brooks Pure Flow to replace the purple ones in the picture at the top.

Portland Cello Project 

On Friday night, we took the whole family to see the Portland Cello Project perform a Beck the Halls concert at the Aladdin Theater here in Portland, Oregon.  My son didn't last very long but he managed to sit through the first half.  By that time, all three of the kids were ready to go but I CERTAINLY WAS NOT!  So, my wonderful husband took the kids to the car and waited for me so that I could enjoy it a bit more.  I allowed myself to get lost in the music and let it wash over me...over all of us as we grieve over the recent shootings.  It was a time to enjoy the music but remember and pray.

Night in our OWN City

My husband and I took the kids to spend the night with their Aunt and cousins last night so that we could head downtown for a cruise on the waterfront for a work Christmas party.  I knew I had 18 miles ahead of me the next morning so I had a water, beer, water, water, beer, water pattern going on.  Probably for the best that I didn't drink more than a couple drinks since I usually end up sticking my foot in my mouth.  Well, I do that anyway.

It was so nice to just enjoy our alone time without kids and have a hotel in our own city even though we only live 7 to 10 miles from downtown.  It made us wonder why we don't do this type of mini-vacation more often.  This morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then a walk to a coffee shop where we read and watched people out the window.  It was like being in our 20's again ...before kids!

Spanish coffee, city lights, a hot date....perfect!  The Spanish coffee wasn't mine though...but I had a few sips.  

It was so cold and windy!!  I could barely stand there for the picture...pretty sure my knees are knocking together and why they look so funny in the picture.  Brrrrr!

I had a long list of random bullets that I was thinking about today but apparently, I'm tired from my 18 miles and/or no longer needing to process any of them so I'm thinking SLEEP sounds like the perfect recovery step after a long run and an emotional week.

Love, Peace, and Healing to all who are hurting right now. I've seen so many of us come together the past few days...it has been a beautiful reminder of all the GOOD in the world that continues to give us all hope and comfort.

Amanda