THIS IS IT!

The week has arrived … RACE WEEK!  I really can’t believe it is here.  Months of training has actually gone by real quick..  The days of 100+ temperatures and trying to run in that seem like a distant memory … kind of.  We went up to Indiana this past weekend for Amber’s cousin’s wedding so my last long run before the race was going to be on unfamiliar turf.  I ended up doing 8 miles on rural country roads.  If you read the post below, I was hoping to do 12 but after a couple words of advice and listening to my body, 8 was definitely enough.  I was still feeling some the effects of the 11 last Saturday so I didn’t want to be sore all this week going into the race.  It’s amazing to think that in August we were up in Indiana for Amber’s class reunion and I struggled to do 5 miles. 

Some things I got to experience on this rural run that I don’t on my normal route at home are…

• Jumping over the bottom half of a deer leg … looked pretty fresh.
• Running through the ‘dust bowls’ from corn fields.  It is SO dry up in Indiana (brother-in-law told me they had half inch of rain all September).  So anything being done in the fields creates so much dust.
• With no shoulders on the country roads, it’s an adventure in watching/dodging cars.  Especially when coming up over a hill. 

I plan on doing 2 more runs this week … one tomorrow and one Thursday.  I imagine instead of my usual 5 miles that I will probably do 3-4 tomorrow and 2-3 Thursday.  And then raceday Saturday morning.  It is really surreal that it’s about here.  And over.  There are a lot of things I will not miss but now is not the time to focus on those … the need is to focus on finishing … and finishing well.  My goal is to finish in under 2:20.  I still can’t believe I will be running for over 2 hours straight. 

Project 10-40 has been successful as well.  We are only $80 from hitting the goal.  Thank you to everyone who has prayed and sponsored me to bring our daughter forever home.  I am praying for each of you as well.

Also, tomorrow my boy turns 2… talk about time going by quick.  It’s amazing how big of a boy he is now.  He’s talking so much and understanding even more.  His personality is fully coming out.  While up in Indiana, Amber’s sister threw him a party … we have pictures/videos from it that I have to still get through.but let’s just say the boy was hilarious.  I’ll try to get his birthday post done this week but I’m warning ya, it’s a crazy busy week so you may not see a post until after the race…so to hold you over, here are a couple pics from the wedding…

Silas and I playing outside.  He is packing a pretzel in his cheek and has one in each hand.  I really believe he could live on pretzels … or at least he thinks so.

Silas with his momma

Silas and I having fun at the reception