back in black

it's been so long since i blogged, i couldn't even remember my password! i figured things are going to get busy again soon so i might as well throw one more log on the fire.

sarah will be having baby asher soon and i can't wait to meet him. she looks absolutely adorable with her baby bump, i can't stand it! sarah and stad are going to be such good parents....and copper will be a fantastic older brother. :)

i am taking two classes this semester and one + my practicum in the summer, then i'll be finished with my masters....thank goodness! it's been a long road with a semester of bedrest, a new baby and taking two years off after undergrad. i'm so ready to have it finished, it's like a monkey on my back right now.

in addition to two classes and my baby boy, i've also decided to train for a marathon. yesterday was my first long run. jeanne is still a little on the fence about doing it, i think, but in the end, i think she will. she's done two mini's already and i've done one in record temps....we'll be doing another mini in march in lexington....hopefully she will pull through and be willing to help me. :) honestly, i can't imagine crossing the finish line on my own, and i don't want to. it's not nearly as much fun when you don't have someone there to share it with who knows exactly what you just put yourself through. i don't just mean on race day, i mean all the days after work when it's cold and you don't want to go out. or all the saturdays you spend hours running, preparing your body. or all the aches, pains, strains, sprains, bruises, unmentionable medical issues, etc. i cannot imagine doing all that alone.

i did register and reserve my hotel room so i suppose i'm in regardless. i want to do this very much. it has been a dream for a long time and i don't think i've ever believed in myself until now....i was determined that i could not complete a full marathon, but i think it's true that where there's a will, there's a way. i'm praying now for good health and no injuries. thank goodness i also have a great husband that is willing to keep drew on saturdays while i long run, and a wonderful babysitter that keeps drew so i can run right after school. it takes a village!

drew turned two in november and though i love to see him growing up and changing, i'm also always sad that he's getting big. mommy is another thing i wasn't really sure i could do; now i'm certain it is something i couldn't live without being. i want to make drew proud of me and for some reason, i feel as though showing him perserverance, endurance and dedication will help out in that area.

i've already told myself if (when!) i complete my first full marathon, i'll get another tattoo...i already have it picked out, so i'm dead set on doing this thing. i'll try to post after long runs to make myself keep this updated....i know i'll be happy i did when it's all over.

***********************************************************
first long run: 6.6 miles (whoops, jeanne, i miscalculated and we did a little more than scheduled)

weather: 19 degrees, wind chill of 12 degrees.....cold as crap!

the sidewalks were mostly still snowy so we had to run on the road and hope all the drivers saw us. jeanne and i ran 3.3 miles and then jennifer and marie met us and ran the rest of the way back. it helped a lot to have a fresh pair of legs to keep us going at that halfway point. in my mind i kept thinking, today we are completing a 1/4 marathon.

"you have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. over the years, i've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. it comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
-steve prefontaine