It's butt cold out here, and I'm fresh outta beer...

Saturday night, Ryan said he was going to sleep in, so I thought I'd get up early, knock out a long run while the world is still sleeping, to test myself in the cold, & just to see how it would go. I checked my phone at 6:30 am on Sunday morning to find that the temperature outside was 21 degrees, real feel of 9. It's a bit nipply out. I mean nippy out, what did I say, nipple? Huh, there is a nip in the air though...

It is a full load of laundry to prepare for cold mornings like these. My layers included: winter tights, socks, thicker knee-high silly socks, UA base layer, UA sweatshirt, bright green vest, reflective mesh vest, cowl scarf for breathing, ear cover, stocking hat, hood, mittens, shoes.

I tie my shoes, take a deep breath, swallow my negativity, open the front door of my house to the elements, & take off. The winds are about 10 mph, I hadn't decided on where I was going to go until I knew the wind direction. I decided on a 10.5 mile route that hooks around by the Stockwell Sugar Bush & the wood burning stove smells that'll comfort me 1/2 way through.

I headed south & said good morning to the horses & donkey, backs covered in a soft blanket of snow, followed by the longhorn cattle. My negative thoughts kept trying to come back with frozen fingers reminding me of the chill in the air. Around 3.5 the cold escaped my fingers & transferred to my buns. I felt a little stiff, but just kept on going, being very watchful of the ground, patches of snow and ice.

I didn't bring my mp3, so I listened to the rhythm of breath, shoes on snow covered ground, and tried to focus on the beauty around me, instead of what my body was telling me about being outside. I got more into it the further I went, running by where I buy maple syrup is always a happy thing, it lightens my spirit & I started to enjoy it more just from the wood smells. 

I start to think about the seasons & how beautiful this corner of Ellsworth is to me. I like to do a few runs near here through the year; in the spring a flock of guinnea hens bark at me, summer, there's a lot of sunshine, and I've been on this corner in some HUGE rain storms that've developed mid-run. In autumn, the maple trees are just gorgeous.


As I move past the sugar bush,  I start to get a bit of anxiety over that darn South Maple hill...Am I going to try it today? or cut off early & cut across doing 9 miles instead...we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I get to the decision point & distracted, always hungry Heather starts to think about breakfast, instead of the darn hill & I keep on going, so my feet decided for me & I continue on. It was tough on the breath, having to push, and my scarf at this point had turned my steamy breath into icy crust (I'm going to have to figure out something different for the longer mileage times)...but I kept going & all was well. 

Made it home in 1:30 approx, and since we'd worked hard all day Saturday for Maxim's 4th birthday, I spent the rest of Sunday enjoying my family, baking sugar cookies, playing what Maxim calls "battle 'hip','' cuddling with my kitten, & reading a book called Shiver, which (embarrassingly) is a teenage love story about a werewolf, but I really have enjoyed it & I have learned its a series!

Momma' Don't Worry...

All I've ever wanted was to be accepted. ;P

The email made it real, but after finishing a run yesterday & checking the mail, finding this little postcard inside just made my day. 

Yesterday I ran to the voting booth after finishing work early. The faces of the women who volunteer to assist voters were priceless when I walked through the door. They all thought I was crazy in what they deemed my "shorty-shorts" when relaying the story to my husband upon his arrival to vote. The cute, little older ladies told him how they were all in the hall talking to each other about how cold it was inside of the building yesterday (48-50 degrees), and in I come with my stocking hat, t shirt & shorts. 

One of the sweet, little ladies asked me what I was training for & I told her how I qualified for the Boston Marathon, which scared her, and created the same face I see on my mom when I talk about the marathon coming next April. This woman at the voting booth, asked me if I was afraid, after the bombing on April 15, 2013. I am not afraid, I think that the idea will always be looming on every marathoner's mind running on Patriots' Day, but I think as Americans, running the world's oldest annual marathon, after such a catastrophe shows strength and patriotism, and I think of Tom Petty's song, Won't Back Down. 

My mom is nervous and has told me she didn't want me to run it before I was ever accepted or it was ever a thought. I am in God's hands and I'll be doing something I've dreamed of accomplishing for the past 6 years, never thinking it would be something I'd actually have the ability to do. Many tell me I shouldn't, I know there are downsides to running 3 marathons in my life, ...but I just gotta'. This will be my last one, (HUSBAND, Mom & Dad I promise), and then I'll probably change over to strictly biking for cardio.

I always think of the bible verse referencing how God takes care of the birds, Matthew 6:26-34:

"26 Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. 

27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. 

28 "And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. 

29 But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 

30 God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don't have so little faith! 

31 Don't worry and say, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 

32 The people who don't know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 

33 The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. 

34 So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Halloween and Acclimating to Wisconsin Winter running

Halloween, my most favorite holiday. What costumes can we create that typically only our immediate family recognizes? I was Rosie the Riveter at school, and was asked to stop in to social studies classrooms, best $8.99 I ever spent. :)

My boys are big James Bond fans, and they were introduced to Jaws the shark this summer when we stayed in Bayfield, WI. After getting all snuggled into their pjs, after taking a jacuzzi bath, Jaws was the movie of the evening. They were not nearly as scared as I was when I saw it as a child. Anyway, in honor of Richard Kiel, famous "Jaws" from James Bond, and the To Serve Man Alien from The Twilight Zone, we wanted to dress the boys up as one of his characters. Maxim didn't agree (as is often the case) and Walter suggested they go as Jaws - Two Ways. I thought that was an excellent idea, and knew the shark costume would be an easy creation. I bought my first "grillz" online for Walter's metallic chompers and found some muted clothing and I think, other than his red shoes, we nailed it.

Walter loves dressing up & pretending, they both do. I took a few

photos prior to our Halloween night excursion, and these are some of those.Halloween is always crazy, running to grandparent's homes, aunts & uncles; Ryan & I were thankful it was on a Friday evening. Boys collected quite the haul & tried their darnedest to consume most of it Friday-Sunday. We aren't big candy people, well, I should say, I don't like to have it around, because it only beckons for me to eat it & I LOVE chocolate, so I don't like to have much junk in my house...except for my bittersweet chocolate pieces...shhhh...

So, to distract myself from the reeses, m&m's, and kit kats (I'm not saying I didn't have any at all, I DID), I went for a longer run on Saturday, despite the chilly temperatures. I figure, if my husband can sit out hunting in that cold, I can certainly run in it, and I better get started, its not going to get any easier the deeper we get into winter. I dug out the tights & under armour, and hit the pavement, at a nice clip to get my blood circulating and warming my core.

Saturday I took my 8 mile route, which for the most part is pretty decent, peaceful, etc. It is a hilly run, but the scenery is nice. The last 25% however, includes the daunting hill of South Maple. It is a hill, that deflates your spirits 1/3 of the way into it and then you see how much more hill you have to overtake. Mentally, I never want to keep running it, but I haven't ever stopped or even slowed to a walk. I keep going, though I slow down, I try to push as hard as I'm physically able to. Saturday it was more difficult than a summer day, the chill of the wind on my lungs I wasn't yet prepared for, I'm starting to become such a wuss the older I get. All reminding me thoroughly that I need to find all of my winter gear, maybe ask Santa for some smartwool socks, yaktraks, nicer mittens,  new tights...

Sunday was a complete game changer, I had shorts on, tall socks, and short sleeves. I was thankful for the warmer day though, it was nice to get out, enjoy the sunshine, amidst everything we have going on.

I got my new Boston shirt in the mail a couple weeks ago, though its still all surreal, I'm excited to say my training is beginning and continuing and like James Bond in Casino Royale, I'm ALL IN.