Turkey Trot 2015

For those of you following my Couch to 5k adventure you are probably wondering when I will actually run a race.  Well, the waiting is over, this post is for you.  As you know, we originally started doing the Couch to 5K program in preparation for the Rock 'n Roll race in Vegas. Due to some unforeseen circumstances our entourage (that includes my Texas family) did not make it to Vegas.  With all that running mileage under our feet we were itching to run something, anything! Fortunately, a Turkey Trot was happening in our neighborhood, literally within walking distance from our home.  And since we are hosting a belated Thanksgiving dinner on Black Friday there was no excuse for me to hide behind chores and cooking prep. I must admit I got nervous at the idea of a race.  I enjoy running at my own terms and to have to put that training to the test had me a bit intimidated.  What if I finish last, what if I don't finish at all, what if I forget how to run?  The what-if's kept running through my brain.  But the only what if I couldn't live with was what if I let fear take over. And then sanity hit me,  I've been running 5k's at least once a week,  there were even a couple of weeks when all our runs were 5k's! So I told myself that the only difference is that in the race I will be running with hundreds of people instead of just with my oldest child. To calm my nerves we decided to run the race route two days before the actual race.  It was a fun route and I actually enjoyed running it.  So the only thing left to do is to trust my feet and my training on race day.  It turned out great. My child set his goal at 26 minutes, he finished at 23:06. My husband set my goal at 35 minutes, I finished at 35:35 and in the words of my favorite running song by OneRepublic, I lived!  I have yet to come down from that running high and we're already looking forward to our next race.

Here is the rest of the story in photos:

it was a beautiful morning for a race, breathing in the calm of the morning

the sky matched my planned running outfit LOL

my planned gear that ended up being too warm so I had to change to something else as you will see on the race photos

pre-race massage for the oldest child, I got mine after the race (woot! LOL)

the husband had post it notes all over the house

 

this is my favorite

 

legit is my favorite thing to say, quite the hilarity for an old gal

this cheered me up at the last mile

WE DID IT!

 whenever I run I think of how amazing the human body is, mine gave me five children

new lugs, old lugs - my new shoes came the day after the race, I love these lugs. I seriously think that part of why I haven't yet abandoned running is because of these amazingly comfortable shoes.

new shoes, same fun colors. Newton forever!

How did you spend your Thanksgiving morning?

Precious Autumn Sunshine

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. 
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."
-  Nathaniel Hawthorne

This time last year there was snow on the ground as we prepared another year of hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  So far this November has been mild, no snow on the ground, barely a chill in the air and I have yet to put away the short sleeves and flip flops. If you've been a follower of my blog you know we fancy ourselves the outdoorsy family. As long as the sun is out we are apt to follow it windchill and snow notwithstanding. Since there's no windchill or snow to lament about thus far we certainly took advantage of the beautiful November day to visit our favorite haunt - a natural play area in one of the metroparks. We love the walk through the woods, the terrain is not too challenging but you still get a workout.  As expected, we had the place all to ourselves as the wild turkeys roam. Today we're back to school and scrubbing our home to get ready for next week's celebration.  Before I get buried under schoolwork and chores let me share some photos, as usual:

self-portrait

he's scoping out something

I'm still giddy over this man after all these years

animal tracks

the only way to go is up

he did it!

checking out the bedrock

rocks that resemble the map of Ohio

life amidst the sleeping trees

over the river and through the woods

checking out the shelter

wild turkeys

 

Is your November weather as warm as ours?

When You Give A Child The Camera...

...you will find surprisingly beautiful pictures
...you will find videos that make you laugh until you cry
...you will find that some of the photos would be exactly how you yourself would frame it
...you will be thankful for digital technology because one can go broke if photos have to be developed the old-fashioned way

 And here some of my favorite photos that various children in this house took-

must pause from raking the yard to take pictures

recess homeschool style

hello up there!

poser one

poser two

bliss

a shower of leaves

not a stranger to hard work

I love this child

the girl is the main child photographer in this house

she likes taking close-up photos and yes, roses are still blooming in November!

Do you let your children play with your digital camera?