Friday, August 3, 2012

Where do you start after a 10 week hiatus......

Once in awhile, somewhere around every 10 weeks or so I sit down to write a blog post.....Ahhhhhh!!! Has it really been that long. In my defense, it has been an uncharacteristically HOT summer in Minnesota. One that has yielded high temps and beautiful sunshine nearly EVERY day and one that has torn me from my computer and placed my ass in a lawn chair at the lake or the pool with my family in my downtime! Those who have followed me for a long time know I take "breaks" from my blog time to time. I've been on an EXTENDED break but recent events have somewhat reminded me of what starting this blog has provided me in life and I miss it:)

SO-for old time's sake-some random updates in of course no particular order whatsoever!

I still have 3 kids! They are busy! They are fun and I now have a blogpost forming in my head about the life of a northern Minnesota kid in the summer!

Random pics

Reese after her 5K PR!




I am currently at a lake cabin on beautiful Lake of the Woods with some good friends. Because we are at the cabin for the weekend it has decided to be miserable rainy weather and we are forced to stay inside at least for tonight. This is not the worst thing in the world as I'm PUMPED to watch the Olympics!!!! I already made up an excuse this afternoon for why I needed to go back to the cabin from the golf course to get something when in reality I only wanted to watch the women's 10,000m. I don't really think it's that unusual for it to take 30 minutes for me to get something from the cabin 15 steps away.......my husband said it was obvious. Wow-beautiful finish Dibaba!! LOVE watching track races! Honestly, if my child was 400 meters away and about to be pulled into a black van with a teardrop window by a strange man, I still couldn't run even one of those 25 laps that fast!

I am running. My body is 100% healthy after what seems like a neverending train of CRAP. Injuries compounded by more injuries and then why not throw in a case of Shingles for good measure. This knocked me out for 3 weeks as I got very sick with not only the Shingles but an infection.

I tried to take a picture to send to my mom before I had gone to the doctor and didn't know what was wrong. Apparently I had the wrong number....


Anyway, I ended up taking a full week break from running and then severely cutting my mileage for 2 weeks and running just easy. I am THANKFUL I had a big girls trip weekend on the horizon and I did NOT want to be sick for this. I think this really helped keep me in check and let me heal properly.

Speaking of girls trip, this is one of the reason's that prompted me to write a blog post. I had the opportunity to travel out to Boston to meet 2 blog friends who I would consider some of my closest friends in life but yet, people I had never met. People I followed through blogging, admired, learned from, trained with, people I had shared MUCH of my life with! Really a very special weekend for me on many counts. I got a chance to run with Ana Maria who is almost a running mentor to me, a friend I met through blogging even before I ran Boston 2010. Those of you who follow her know that she is just slightly faster than me-ha ha! By slightly I mean like 3 minutes in the 5k-ha! Meeting her was SO comfortable that instead of being intimidated by the thought of running with her, I chugged WAY too much wine and then chowed down on Salt and Vinegar chips the night before we ran and didn't think twice about it:) LOVE that!!! I also got a chance to run with Runninghood! This makes me laugh. Amanda is truly like a sister to me and I had a moment at a race on the 4th of July that made me realize that I have a "famous" sister! I was at a hick race in northern MN when I heard local friends talking about running and racing in the heat of July and someone mentioned the fact that "Runninghood" was running a marathon. I think I will get a bumper sticker that says "I ran with Runninghood" Anyway, the weekend was incredibly special. Can't really put thoughts into words. Too short and too much wrapped into one weekend in which I got 10 total hours of sleep combined over 4 nights. I do have a couple of pictures but let's face it, I'm vain and I hate them and as MUCH as I LOVE these girls, I won't post these pictures-ha! Our memories will have to remain in our heads!


Back to running and now getting VERY wordy and losing the couple of readers that I might have left....

I have 9 weeks and 2 days until my marathon. TCM on October 7th. Prior to this I will run one 10K and 2 HM's and I'm anticipating I will walk away with 2 new PR's in the next 9 weeks. Considering the fact that my marathon PR is over 2 years old and my HM PR is from like 2009, I think it's time. I'm motivated, I'm excited, I'm THANKFUL for my health and I'm ready.

I will write a more detailed running post soon!

15 comments:

Caroline said...

there you are!!!
so happy to see on my blog roll
just wanted to say that real quick
now will go read your post! :)

Ana-Maria RunTriLive said...

Yay! You are back on the blog! About time!

Your running - yes, I see huge PR's for you in these upcoming races and further. You deserve all of that after the CRAP and you are working hard and smart to make the PRs happen. I have NO DOUBT and YOU have no doubt!

Girls weekend - so, so, special to me. I think about you two daily. Time flew by and I can't wait for next time. My only regret is that I did not kick Chris off the couch on Sunday night. Ha!

Oh, and I have no idea what you are talking about with regard to pictures.You look stunning in them all:)

Jill said...

I've missed you and your humorous blog posts; but I know you like to take little breaks. You need to email me and tell me when you have things like Shingles - how am I suppose to worry about you when I don't know you're ill something something that is really icky painful!!!??? Nevertheless, the text is pretty funny...you have some of the best text stories ever!

I couldn't run 4 steps at the speed of Dibaba ... I'm sure you could keep up for a lot longer than you think! Still, what an incredible finish - wow!

So happy to hear your healthy - and happy - for TMC! You deserve a great training cycle and a fantastic race! Cant' wait for you. I'll be doing Chicago the same day (I think!)...only about 4 hours behind you. Still, will be fun to know you're out there suffering just like me at the same time :).

Okay, that's all I got. Glad you're posting again. I've missed you :(.

Amanda@runninghood said...

Yippie! A Jenn post! Love it. This text is even funnier seeing it on here. So funny. Laughing out loud here. As I have been about several things that make me think of you lately...your stories about Ryan and her funny jokes, your impression of your double jointed sister.... ahhh, I'm really laughing here and my family is looking at me weird.

So so so special seeing you. IMO, I have many good/great pics of you but I look like crap next to you so I haven't posted them. I'm vain too.

Gosh, I miss you.

You are going to have some great PRs ahead of you...I just KNOW it. You've been doing so great and even after all these hits you took, you are moving right on. so exciting to watch.

I love you.

XLMIC said...

Such great stuff going on…except for the sick thing…but that's over :) I am so glad to read a post from you and that you are healthy!!!! Wishing you the very best with both your training and your upcoming races :)

Amanda@runninghood said...

Oh and still think it is funny about the Runninghood thing. So funny to even hear you call me runninghood since our friendship is sooooo beyond blogs now but that must have been so weird for you.

Oh, and I hope the sun comes out tomorrow for your guys.

Caroline said...

this is a full post!
well I am happy you are well now and sorry you were so sick..shingles is no fun my mom had it twice and my best friend this year and in the worst place...inner thighs...yikes

Raina said...

It's way too late and I am up reading blogs...and who do I see come up? I am excited to see you make the 10 week post!

That shingles text is pretty funny, but I know you had a terrible time with them. So glad you are on the mend now, and on TOP of running and life in so many ways.

I will anxiously await the summer as a minnesota kid post :) Has Max fished out the lake yet?

ajh said...

Sounds like a very special weekend. And you have the funniest texts!

middleagedrunner said...

SO GLAD that you're back!
Suck a bummer about the shingles and injuries- but great news that you're better and back to running (186 miles a week I bet!)
That text totally cracks me up :-)
So, we have fall marathons a week apart- I'm running marathon #2 (MDI) on the 10/14. Excited to hear how your training progresses!

Christie said...

When I first started running and ready running blogs, yours was one of my first 'must reads':) Love hearing updates from ya!

Glad to hear you are back running. Sometimes our bodies force us into taking breaks! Now you are ready to PR like crazy. Excited to hear what your upcoming races/plans are :)

I agree with you...Dibaba was incredible. It is truly amazing what you can push your body to do.

Nicole W. said...

your frequency of posts makes me look like a regular blogger! ha! i'm such a slacker.
that text is funny, made me laugh out loud.
crossing my fingers for you to have ALL GOOD THINGS come out of these upcoming races!
xx

Adrienne said...

Jenn, good to see you back! I have not posted at all either that much as well, so it is inspiring me to get back on the wagon.

Lindsay said...

jealous of the girls weekend! perhaps you could put a picture in that frame from the weekend. ;)

love reese's medal holder too!

A Prelude To... said...

I can relate. I went two months without a blog post! It was great! Missed my blogging buds, though.

Totally got a kick out of the wrong # text :D