Catch the Moment 365 – Week 3

I can’t believe another week has claimed its mark in history and now I find myself at the start of a fresh week known as number 4 of January. Week 3 was filled with so many wonderful memories. Some of the highlights included my first Half Marathon in Louisiana while my kids created a few special memories of their own with cousins. We had a 3 day “vacation” aka Snow Day that made for a special Photo Shoot for my Great Nephew. And I ended it with yet another race (5K) in our local Greenville News Run that has been around for a long time in our area. This week made for some great memories and here’s a look at some of the moments I thought were worth capturing.

 

Sunday, January 14 – We started the morning off with a 13.1 Race in Louisiana in 25 degrees of hotness. It left a few chilled to the done once we returned to our lovely abode and a few opted for oven heat while waiting for their turn in the shower. We ended our last night in Baton Rouge chatting around the dinner table playing a game of Scattergories. It was a great time spent with the Run Buddies!

 

Monday, January 15th – After a long 10 hour drive home and a quick bath, I headed out to Spartanburg to picked up the kids at my Sister-in-laws. She was so gracious in keeping the kids so my husband could work while I was in route to South Carolina. The kids had a great time with their cousins and the girls managed a way to get the fellas to practice putting make-up on them. 

 

Tuesday, January 16th – This one was frantic about finding her much-needed recorder to take to school for the following day to be used in Music class. It was right where I told her to look but somehow she couldn’t find it ;)! Once she did….we were blessed with her joyful noise all night!!!

Wednesday, January 17th –  This day is possibly my favorite day of the week. It kicked off what would end up being a 3 day “vacation” due to snow and we really enjoyed the time shared together. I adore the first 3 pictures I captured from the day for so many reasons. When it was time for my oldest to read her section from our devotional book, without my asking, my middle son gently leaned over her to help her read. My heart pitter-pattered in that moment and it still does when I look at these! Then the kids got dressed to take in the beautiful snow that was falling outside! I love snow pictures!!

Thursday, January 18 – Ummmm, who doesn’t like a good foot rub? Especially when your daughter comes into your room and ask out of no where, ” Hey Mom, you want a foot rub?”

YES!! PLEASE!!

Oh how I love this child!

Friday, January 19th –  I had a special Photo Shoot with this cutie pie. I had a wonderful time with him trying my best to capture his personality and cuteness. He stole my heart though when he looked me dead in the face and said, “Aunt Weah….You’re the BEST!” 

Saturday, January 20th – After an early morning 5K Race, the rest of the day was spent at home relaxing and resting where we ended the day with one of daughter’s softball friend who spent the night with us.

It was another week that came and went to quickly but gave us some great memories to look back on!

Catch the Moment 365 – January Week 2

Week 2 of the New Year did not disappoint. Here are a few of my catches for the week.

January 7, 2018 – This day brought a few “first” for the year. We had our 1st Lord’s  Supper at church and our son kicked off his 1st (of many more to come) Baseball practices . Our oldest enjoyed some time at the park while waiting on Isaiah to finish up practice.

January 8th – After many years in a van that took us to many places, our dear ole Honda finally “kicked the bucket” and my husband went on a car hunt to find the perfect car for his needs at the right price for our budget. He pulled up in a Hyundai Sonata and we quickly jumped in for a ride with him around the neighborhood. SOLD!

January 9th – I found myself at one of our local Chick-fil-A’s leading an event called “Mini Moos” that we host for our toddlers for our community. Our theme for February was “Colorful Cupcakes.” We talked about Colors and decorated a Cupcake together. I loved all the sweet smiles these cuties provided and the relationships I am building with all our Mini Moo families.

January 10th – Nothing special here just the only snap I took for the day…but I got one in ;)! Here’s a picture of one of the items I took that we will be promoting sales for in the upcoming days for the “Big Game!” This picture will be used to help promote sales on our Facebook and Instagram page. Be sure to order your 6 count cookie tray!

January 11th – I hosted another “Mini Moos” at a separate Chick-fil-A location on this day and again equally enjoyed all the smiles with a different group of cuties. How adorable are these two! I LOVE my job and I LOVE Chick-fil-A! #WINNING

January 12th – This day kicked off my trip to Louisiana by spending the night at one of my run buddies place. We had to leave out early the next morning in order to miss the Atlanta morning traffic and thought it was best if we stayed there in order to get us all up and out the door in time. She has the cutest dog EVER and I needed a picture! SNAP!!

January 13th – We made finally made it to Baton Rouge Louisiana! Woo-Hoo! This was our “home away from home” for the weekend and let’s just say we’ve stayed in a few better places but it served its purpose. We unpacked our stuff and then headed out to packet pickup. This is where you get all your race day information and your bib….and ya always get a picture with the welcoming race sign! I took the one of the girls and my sister captured me ;)!

January 14th – We became tourist for the day and headed out to New Orleans. I had so many emotions on this day for so many different reasons. Yet the same thought continued to plague my mind while I roamed the street of Bourbon,

“How did these people get to this place in their life!” Wow, that’s someone’s baby living on these streets even if they are a 40 something person!” “You can really tell they have a HARD life!”  And, “I wish I knew their story!” 

I honestly wish I could have captured them in picture as I found so many people around me on this day unique and interesting; yet in my heart, I knew it was best to capture them in my mind as the way to remember them and the impact it had on me this day.

 

It was a wonderful Week 2 that offered up some wonderful memories each and every day! Catch the Moment!

Catch the Moment 365 – January 2018

I’ve made a few goals for myself for 2018 and one of them falls into the “photography” department. I hope I can see this goal to the end as it’s something I have desired to complete for some time now. I took on this challenge a few years back and hate to report that I failed at seeing it passed a few weeks.

My interest for photography started in the late 80″s when I received my first POLAROID camera that I desired as a “tween.”  My parents surprised me with this amazing camera for one of my birthdays back in the day. Immediately upon opening this gift, I feel in love it and the ability to take an instant picture that I could hold in my hands within a matter of seconds after shooting it. I still have a few of those pictures tucked away in a photo album at my parents place that I look back and laugh at from time to time.

Eventually though, I lost the love of taking pictures with this camera due to the cost of the film that I would have to purchase from my monthly allowance money. It took just a few short years and that sought after camera ended up on a shelf and eventually on to Good Will in order to pass along the love. I had more important things to purchase my hard-earned money and film wasn’t one of them.

My love for photography returned though as soon as I started having kids of my own and desired to have decent pictures of them to look back on in the coming years. A few Christmases back, my husband took note of my desire to have a new digital camera and surprised me. This rekindled my love for photography and created this awkward LOVE / HATE relationship I have with photography! No matter how easy you think it is or appears to be, photography is HARD…AND….the best pictures don’t come from the “AUTOMATIC Mode” no matter how much money you are willing to fork out for the latest and greatest Cannon or Nikon camera. Until you get out of the of the “Auto Mode” another upgraded camera won’t do you any good.

I personally enjoyed “AUTO” and the ease this setting offered with the click of the button….BUT, I hated my pictures! So eventually I ventured out into other settings yet never made myself depend solely on the “BEAST OF THEM ALL…” MANUAL MODE!!! 2018 is now’s now the time to get a better understanding on mastering the MANUAL (M) MODE one day at a time! It’s my hope that forcing myself to do so will give me better pictures of my family and friends and build up the confidence I am in need of while learning more than ever before about my camera.

So here’s to Week 1 of “Capture the Moment” 2018. Manual Mode ;)!

January 1 – A few pictures of the kids from the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 2nd – I took on a “Water Challenge” for the month of January with my running group so that means no soda for me this month. Nothing but cool, clear water (I think I can, I think I can!).

 

January 3rd – First day of school for 2018. I thought I should snap a picture of picking them up on this day to remember.

 

January 4th – We found ourselves looking for a Dryer at our local Home Improvement Store and I found these 2 trying out a few bathroom products. Glad I happened to have my camera on me in my bag. Inappropriate…yes, but it made me laugh. I’m glad I captured it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 5th – I was in much need to wash a few clothes since our dryer won’t arrive until Sunday so I asked my little sis if I could dry a few loads at her place. Bless her heart, she’s been battling the FLU for the past few days and is so over it!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 6th – My husband spent a good portion on the day cleaning out the garage and this is what he turned it into! Looks like it’s his way of creating a “batting cage” for our softball player! They both had a great time together, and I have a somewhat cleaned out garage….I’ll take it

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“Live as people of LIGHT”

Ephesians 5:8-9 (NLT) – “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So LIVE as PEOPLE of LIGHT.”

2017 ended on a very sick note for me. Nothing life threatening in any means just couch ridden for a good solid 10 days with nothing more than thoughts rambling in my head when I finally couldn’t take another Survivor episode of another season. I hardly TV binge but sickness brought the worst out of me! And Survivor seemed like the best option at the time.

During this time of sickness it caused me to miss 2 back-to-back church services that I really wanted to be apart of. Lucky for me, I am able to watch missed sermons on our ROKU device so all was good on the homestead. So when Chad found himself out the door with the kids to yesterday’s church service and I found myself alone still on the couch, I realized this was the best opportunity to watch last weeks Christmas Eve service.

As most of you know from a previous post, I enjoy having a “focus word” for each new year, and I already had that word in place. Likewise, I also enjoy having a “verse for the year.” Currently, I had no thoughts or ideas on what it should be. However…I am learning a lot of good stuff from being on this floral couch lately ;)!

So here I am…watching and listening while smiling at the interaction I see taking place between my Pastor and his precious Grandson while he’s holding him as I’m viewing this all from my TV screen. With a softness in his voice and sincerity found between the two of them as they both gaze back and forth, I hear the words,

“Live as people of Light” because you were once so full of darkness, BUT NOW you have the light from the Lord….Live as PEOPLE OF LIGHT!”

And it struck a chord in my soul. I knew well within this moment this would be my “focus verse” for the year along with my “focus word” YES!

So this morning when I found myself all alone with a cup of coffee in hand, I decided it was time to go a tad deeper and reflect on what this verse found in Ephesians personally means for me and the year ahead. It wasn’t until my first-born daughter with special needs joined me on the couch and then decided to plop her feet up onto my lap and into the word, that I realized what being a child of light looks like for me.

It’s saying “YES” to the interruptions that try their best to distract my attention. It may ask of me to embrace the distractions instead of pushing aside the disturbance I think it may cause, AND…instead of searching for the answer, be the answer! I don’t want to ‘read’ when I know I need to”BE!” especially when the opportunity presents itself and I CAN!

So I put aside this time of devotion and slung out my arms to offer up early morning snuggles in order to say YES to her need to be seen! Because although this book is indeed very precious to me, to her this is “just a book!” BUT… to her….I can BECOME what this book offers in human form and isn’t this what it’s really all about…to BECOME more like him instead of reading…..of him! 

 

 

The Year of “YES!”

2017 is quickly approaching the end, all the while 2018 is nearing in sight. Over the past week I’ve found myself surrounded by a blue pail to vomit in and a collection of tissues aiding me back to comfort for whatever else it is that I have going on within this body of mine. It’s not been the  so-called “best” of Christmas breaks for me in creating and then being apart of the family memories during this special time of year. I’ve been on a floral couch for most of the time simply watching another day turn into night.

I’ve missed out on our annual family Christmas Eve party, a dinner Christmas party with my husbands work, tomorrow’s 12 hour Resolution Run with my run buddies, and now I say good-bye to my husband and kids as they walk out the door to enjoy some fun tubing adventures with our loved ones. I’ve been a tad on the “oh woe is me” side of life lately. However, it’s caused me to slow down, be still, and begin to listen and pray about the upcoming year.

For the past couple of years, the Holy Spirit has brought to me a “word of focus” for each new year.  These words have brought such a sense of comfort and revelation in the most wonderful and personal experiences I seem to have with the Father during the year. This year my word of focus was PERSEVERANCE based on the scripture found in Romans 5:3-5! This word has challenged me, reminded me, and encouraged me in so many remarkable ways during the year. Especially (unknown to me at the beginning of 2017) when I found myself itching to train for my 2nd Marathon back in July and finishing it strong in October.

During the past few day, my thoughts have turned towards the upcoming year and all the things I may want to accomplish or possibly try.  I began to wonder about what could possibly be the “word” for 2018.  Immediately a 3 letter word came into my thoughts out of no where! At first it was a tad odd as it usually takes a few days to get a feel for a word, however this time, I immediately had a word and for the past few days it continued to come into my thoughts. The word is….YES! And I didn’t like it!

Yes????

YES!!!

I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I questioned this thought regarding this “focus word” for the past few days; however, there is now no questioning as I’ve been shown personally that Yes… YES is the word for 2018 for me!

I’ve been on a Survivor binge for the past week and when my family said good-bye for their time of fun without me, my first thought went to finishing up one of the seasons of Survivor; however my conscience told me it was time to have some alone time with the Savior.

So, I picked up my Bible and specifically prayed about the word “Yes” in wanting clarification in knowing if this should be my focus word for 2018.  Ya see, I don’t want just a “word,” I need a specific word that is provided directly from the Holy Spirit to focus on for the year. Something personal that draws my attention to Him when I see it or hear it. I couldn’t recall off the top of my head any scripture containing “YES” in it. But, I simply asked Him!

It’s amazing what can happen when one simply goes outside themself and seeks the answer from the one who created them! It is here that you experience the personalness of your relationship when you realize you’ve just communicated with God Almighty and He has responded back to you through his word. I specifically asked Him to show me through scripture the word Yes during my time of prayer and when I opened up His word, my eyes fell on Isaiah 38:1-8 NLT where my word can be found in vs 8 “….YES, I will defend this city.” And I gasped out loud!

At first it felt a tad to personal as the first thing I read was about Hezekiah’s sickness (ummm, I’m currently sick) and his sickness is drawing his death (Yikes)…have I told you I suffer from anxiety! However, it continued on to show that the Lord was gracious in hearing Hezekiah’s prayers and seeing Hezekiah’s tears, that God added 15 years to his life and “YES, I (God) will defend his city!”

God showed me my word YES in a matter of seconds when I thought it couldn’t be found….who am I kidding?! Nothing is impossible with GOD, even when asked of Him to confirm a word as simple as YES to one of His own!

 

26.2 Again…..It’s TAPER WEEK!

Taper Week….it’s finally here and I am so excited as I bring this training session to an end on Saturday!

My love for running took a 90 degree turn on me about 2 weeks ago and it was all I could do mentally and physically to keep going. I was ready to throw in the towel and give up, yet I had my little sis and husband to thank as my source of encouragement that made sure I saw it through to the end as they both reminded me faithfully that, “You’ve come to far to quit, just go do it!” So I laced up, changed up and created new routes, and allowed my body the opportunity to do what it has been training to do for the past 3 months….RUN! I honestly think I would have just shown up for a $90 t shirt on race day if it wasn’t for their words of wisdom I was in need of hearing during this time of training. I pressed on reluctantly and I have them to thank.

I’d be lying if I didn’t confess that I’ve gotten a little discouraged along the way; especially with the last 2 Tempo Runs. I’ve failed at hitting my pacing during the last 2 Tempos and that bothers me a good bit but I keep telling myself it’s good to be humbled out on the open road; even if it comes in the form a failed run! I’m learning the importance of  respecting the Marathon! With that, I also need to learn from the failure that the training may reveal in order to make adjustments when needed. If the adjustment comes into setting a more realistic goal…..then that’s what I will do while in the midst of the race. But until then, I will push ahead and see what’s to come!

To give a slight update on my training, my highest mileage week found me right at 60 miles for the week, and that’s a big deal for me and a 1st! This could possibly be the culprit to the love loss I’ve been experiencing lately with running to! I’m a tad exhausted (okay…VERY EXHAUSTED!) and running on “cumulative fatigue” legs for some time now!

Last Monday I had another first that will possibly NEVER EVER happen again. I was pulled from my training run due to President Trump and his motorcade coming right through the area. That was pretty cool to experience but it also turned my 7 Miler into a 5 Miler (not cool) due to the fact that it got dark quickly and I did not have any type of reflection or lights on me. Still, not something I will possibly ever experience again in my life so I relished in the fact that I was there in this moment and enjoyed the 20/30 minutes I had with the officer and her blinding blue lights!

Now I get to enjoy the Taper Days!

I’m still running this week but all runs will remain small in mileage and at an EASY pace! The goal is to have strong legs on Saturday while paying close attention on rest, hydration, and daily nutrition.

The nerves have already started to bother me along with all the questionings that comes with it. I can say though, I feel well prepared as my training has certainly been a challenging one that has pushed me to limits I thought I didn’t have with in me! Now it’s time to “Trust the Training” and “Run the Race that is set before me” as I finish the final 26.2 of the journey!

Oh The “Places” WE Will Go!

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and as this month rolls around it begins to remind me that I’m due to play my small part in “advocating” for my child and others like her, to help make my circle of influence aware of what Down Syndrome is and what it means to me personally! Honestly, I’m not the best at advocating for anything due to my introvert nature but once again I will do my part.

This year, I had an idea pop into my thoughts that I will write about “21” things in regards to Down Syndrome and our journey.

Why “21?”

I’m glad you asked!

“21” is the magical number or “extra” she has that formed her into our very own “fearfully and wonderfully made” daughter who happens to have Down Syndrome.  Here’s how this happened.

In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. These genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes.  Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. I’ve included our daughters very own Karyotype as an example.

Chad and I had no idea until Emma Gail was a day old that we were blessed with a little one who would certainly change life as we knew it upside down. During my 1st routine prenatal doctor visits I opted out of all false/positive result testings. For me, pregnancy is viewed as a gift from God; a womb that was opened and is solely used as the vessel to give life to a child that the Lord was in the midst of creating. For me, I would never come to terms under any circumstance the thought of terminating a masterpiece while it’s still being painted within?  I simply choose to trust the Artist and I believed he was in the process of creating, regardless if the masterpiece came out considerably “flawed” by others. Often “flaws” are what is needed to experience the true beauty it offers.

So I start of this month to share with you this 1st thought of 22.

• Living life with a child who has Down Syndrome will indeed change your life and often can be challenging as any unfamiliar circumstance can be. It stretches you, teaches you to adapt as you learn; it requires you to practice patience and expect painful experiences to arise from time to time. It offers victories along with a powerful sense of accomplishment while you witness first hand the much need successes they will achieve. Most importantly it requires FAITH and ACCEPTANCE. Not only for your child, but for you as well. You’ve been chosen and have been given a new title “Special Needs Mom.” Own it and wear it PROUDLY! How you embrace this title will often flow over to how others view your gift! Have faith enough to know you can’t do it alone and accept your child for who they are. See the child, teen, adult FIRST! Then tend to the disability!

26.2 Again – End of Week 11 Begin of 12

This picture says it best when I found myself ending out Week 11 with a wonderful 16 Miler on Saturday and immediately starting up Week 12 with an Easy 8 on Sunday, another Easy 5 miles on Monday, and then today an 11 Miler with 4×1.5 Interval Speed work mixed in. To say I am somewhat exhausted is an understatement.

Movement….particularly Running (for me)….is a GIFT!

So often I’ve heard this saying or have seen this phrase while scrolling through running pins on Pinterest but it wasn’t until this past week and then again today that I realized the meaning to this statement.

Running took a backseat for a good many years once the children came along. I wish now I would have made it a priority however the sleepless nights that lead to sleep deprivation and the constant fatigue fooled me into thinking running would only add to the stress I was under, not help it! I opted for the couch when life offered a form of down time (which wasn’t often), and before I realized it depression began to ease its way inside and grab a strong hold on me! The struggle to get outside became a HUGE obstacle and I began to become a prisoner inside my walls.

I’m so thankful that today and for the past 2 years, God has granted back to me the blessing of movement. I never lost it physically but mentally and emotionally I was paralyzed from within that literally stole so much of my life away from me.

Today, I was reminded (while on the run) of this confinement I once had.  While warming up for my interval training run, I passed 3 patients from a local Nursing home. They were all bound to their wheelchairs while appearing to enjoy the 87 degree weather we were having. There was some distance between the 4 of us but I tried my best to make contact and wanted to pass along a smile while trotting by. They didn’t say a word but yet their expression said it all! Then a thought occurred to me that left me wondering what they would give to abandon their chairs for legs that move swiftly and lungs to breathe effortlessly the air that surrounds them.

Movement….particularly Running…is a GIFT!

As my slow warm-up pace switched over to an uncomfortable hard pace, and the complaints began to chime in, I was able to remind myself that life is all to short and one day I may physically find myself confined and unable to move; but TODAY, I have this gift and I need to allow it to reach its fullest potential while redeeming the time that I do have.

For those of you starting your “Run Life” or for those of you who have been here for a long time, when the runs become tiresome, boring, or challenging remember the gift you’ve been granted and RUN! It’s a gift you’ve been called to unwrap!

26.2 Again (Week 8 Part B – 11)

Wow….time fly’s, and I’m finding out, I don’t have nearly enough time in the day to sit and recap all about my “Run Life” as I would like to. I’m currently hitting my training hard and as for today, let’s just say I was reminded as to why I NEVER wanted to run another Marathon again in the first place.

My run was HARD! Like….deathly hard, or so it seemed! And I’m not sure how to put into words how to accurately describe it. I walked away though with these two thoughts; I either somehow fooled myself into thinking I was beyond seeing a day like today since I’ve hit every other day “pace perfect” (even if it was hard) or I needed to be a humbled and reminded that this Marathon is gonna hurt in order to meet the expectations I am placing on myself for this upcoming race. This scares me a bit! So in order to keep myself on track and refocus, it’s good to look back and see what I have accomplished up to this point in training.

I ended week 8 with 42.14 Miles.

Week 9 gave me a TON of wonderful memories that allowed me to ended with 52.75 Miles. I found out on a Thursday that I won a free entry to a local 13.1 Race that was held on Saturday, so I ran an unexpected Half Marathon but kept it as a training run and really enjoyed this race. I was able to run comfortably and soak up the experiences it offered! It was a lot of fun!

Last week, (Week 10) has by far been my BEST training week yet, both physically and mentally! Both my Interval and Tempo Runs felt great and left me thinking I’m totally nailing this training plan with the right goal for myself! I felt strong during both of these workouts and that was a first! I ended the week with 43 Miles.

So here I am at Week 11 and on the end side of the week. I have both an Easy Run (6 Miles) and a Long Run (16 Miles) yet to tackle. After today’s run, I’m a good bit nervous about both of them but am hopeful they will build back up the confidence I’m in need of to end out the week. I sure hope so!

26.2 Again (Part 1 – Week 8)

I’ve picked up a really bad habit lately. I find myself sneaking a peek one week ahead so I have an idea at what’s to come the following week! Boy is that ever a BAD idea! It causes me to start doubting what’s required before I even begin the current weeks work! What I do like about it though is that I’m learning when I put the plan into practice, it’s revealing how strong I am becoming! I think that’s what I love so much about running with a specific plan. I’m starting to believe in myself and the training, as I witness the improvements within the runs with each new week.

In all of my training within the past 2 years, I went with plans that catered to 3 days of training and just getting in the miles. There were no real “tempos” or “intervals,” just junk mileage….and of course, the wonderful SLOW long run!!

Personally, I enjoyed all of my previous plans but now that I’ve decided to dive in and tackle a second Marathon….I want to crush it not just be a finisher. I want to be able to cross the finish line knowing that I gave it my all in training and that I left all that I gained from it out on the last 26.2 of the journey in October! I don’t want to “just finish,” I want to grow as a runner and as a person!

Monday’s mileage was easy (thank goodness)! I just came off of a fabulous 10 Mile Long Run from Sunday and my body made it no secret that it was tired! I had 6 Miles for the day and decided to join a few running buddies for a trail run at one of our local parks. I’m not sure if this was the best idea and I questioned this location of choice often throughout the run. I mentally prepared myself by allowing an extra minute to my already easy pace as I know trails are tougher than pavement. When I felt my breathing was to hard, I would allow myself the opportunity to walk and reset. I knew….Tuesday was coming, and that meant my easy days would come to a halt!

I enjoyed the views out on the trail while the air gave you a good sense that Fall is well on its way! It was perfect! I’m really looking forward to cooler temperatures! The run felt harder than I was expecting and left me a little nervous about what to expect on Tuesday!

Tuesday arrived and it put me back at the local gym. I had 8 Miles ahead of me and 5 of them were intervals (5×1200 with 400 recovery) at a 5K/10K Race Pace. As soon as I started up the treadmill, I began to question if running the trails yesterday was smart! I was pleasantly surprised when my body didn’t seem to respond negatively to the previous trail run! I felt strong and hit the intervals on point!       

Today called for a much-needed rest day and I am thankful for that! Tomorrow I’ll wake up to “HATE DAY” aka “Tempo Run!” My plan is to take it outside unless of course it rains! I want to see if I’m able to push myself at tempo pace without the use of a machine. I’m also hoping this will help me get past the boredom I feel while “treading” away the miles!