50 mile race
So just a quick little update.
Big kids' bio mom is wanting to see the kids more. She hadn't asked in a while, I haven't really hardly talked to her. But she did ask a few days ago. I talked about it with the kids' therapist, and with hubby of course. We all feel like things are just really...strange right now, and it is not in the best interest of the kids to increase visits. And that if we did, it would be very difficult for everyone to reduce them (if we needed to, for some reason). I know she won't be happy with that. It was very helpful for the therapist to point out that we already are being more open than we agreed to be (with her baking a cake for the kids' birthdays, and the ability to send letters even though the kids really don't write to her).
I think about this daily and wonder if we are doing the right thing. This is nothing we take lightly. I think bio mom has a lot of guilt about the things she did (and didn't do) in the past, and is trying to make up for it now.
I was reading back through our conversations from a year and a half ago, and the difference between now and then is striking. She was so much more open, and so much more friendly. I am not sure what changed but it is clear that things are not the same.
____________________________________________________
Anyway. I'm using this opportunity to spill my guts about an upcoming race. I have an ultramarathon coming up in a few days. This one will be 50 miles, and yes, that is all at once, and all on my own 2 feet.
I signed up for my first ultra in 2012. During my training runs I started having some serious issues - I was exhausted, I couldn't get my pace up no matter how hard I tried, and just generally felt very unwell. I even had blood in my urine after running which has never happened to me before.
Turns out, I was pregnant! Surprise!
So needless to say, I skipped the ultramarathon, and Ben joined our family a few months later. :)
Last year I signed up for another one, and severely sprained my ankle playing soccer only 6 weeks before the ultra. I had already completed a full marathon as a part of my training, I had only one more long run of 30 miles left to complete. I got put into a boot for 2 weeks, went to physical therapy for a month, and if I'm being completely honest my ankle is not the same even a year later. It was a pretty bad sprain.
The race director was kind enough to defer my entry to this year. I've logged well over 700 miles for the year, and I'm very excited that this is possibly going to finally happen, 5 years after I signed up for my first ultra.
I'm tapering this week (and last), basically stepping down on my training in preparation for the race. I'm feeling very good about the work that I have put in. I feel like I have a good strategy and a good plan as far as eating, walk breaks, etc. The main thing bugging me is the weather. The high is 50 and the low is 30. That's a big difference in race apparel. In 50 degree weather I'd usually wear shorts and maybe a long sleeve shirt; 30 is going to be tights, gloves, long sleeve shirt, and a light jacket. It will probably be 30 at the start and 50 by mid afternoon, then begin getting cool again. I think I'm going to wear lightweight tights, a short sleeve shirt, and layers over that which I can remove easily throughout the day (and put back on if needed).
I am pretty excited. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm nervously optimistic. Is that a thing? I'm not going to win, most certainly, but hopefully I will finish and have a good time!
If anyone is wondering how I have time to train, this is what I do - I get up before dawn 4-5 days a week to run! I do my weekday runs and am back home before the kids wake up, and Sundays I either get up early and do it or sometimes I can run after church. Saturday mornings (long run days!) hubby has been kind to take over kid duties for the morning (or part of it, anyway!), but if it is hot especially I will still get up at 5:30 so I can get up and get going, and get done at a decent time. It is not easy but it is worth it, at least I think it is! The time alone, in quiet, is pretty valuable to me. I don't have headphones in, and I spend a lot of time praying and just rolling things over in my mind. After the chaos of living in a home with 6 young children, it is so nice to have complete thoughts and even string several complete thoughts TOGETHER without being interrupted! And I mean it's good for my body too. There are lots of benefits. :)
Anyway, 2 completely unrelated blog topics. I could never make money as a blogger! :D
Big kids' bio mom is wanting to see the kids more. She hadn't asked in a while, I haven't really hardly talked to her. But she did ask a few days ago. I talked about it with the kids' therapist, and with hubby of course. We all feel like things are just really...strange right now, and it is not in the best interest of the kids to increase visits. And that if we did, it would be very difficult for everyone to reduce them (if we needed to, for some reason). I know she won't be happy with that. It was very helpful for the therapist to point out that we already are being more open than we agreed to be (with her baking a cake for the kids' birthdays, and the ability to send letters even though the kids really don't write to her).
I think about this daily and wonder if we are doing the right thing. This is nothing we take lightly. I think bio mom has a lot of guilt about the things she did (and didn't do) in the past, and is trying to make up for it now.
I was reading back through our conversations from a year and a half ago, and the difference between now and then is striking. She was so much more open, and so much more friendly. I am not sure what changed but it is clear that things are not the same.
____________________________________________________
Anyway. I'm using this opportunity to spill my guts about an upcoming race. I have an ultramarathon coming up in a few days. This one will be 50 miles, and yes, that is all at once, and all on my own 2 feet.
I signed up for my first ultra in 2012. During my training runs I started having some serious issues - I was exhausted, I couldn't get my pace up no matter how hard I tried, and just generally felt very unwell. I even had blood in my urine after running which has never happened to me before.
Turns out, I was pregnant! Surprise!
So needless to say, I skipped the ultramarathon, and Ben joined our family a few months later. :)
Last year I signed up for another one, and severely sprained my ankle playing soccer only 6 weeks before the ultra. I had already completed a full marathon as a part of my training, I had only one more long run of 30 miles left to complete. I got put into a boot for 2 weeks, went to physical therapy for a month, and if I'm being completely honest my ankle is not the same even a year later. It was a pretty bad sprain.
The race director was kind enough to defer my entry to this year. I've logged well over 700 miles for the year, and I'm very excited that this is possibly going to finally happen, 5 years after I signed up for my first ultra.
I'm tapering this week (and last), basically stepping down on my training in preparation for the race. I'm feeling very good about the work that I have put in. I feel like I have a good strategy and a good plan as far as eating, walk breaks, etc. The main thing bugging me is the weather. The high is 50 and the low is 30. That's a big difference in race apparel. In 50 degree weather I'd usually wear shorts and maybe a long sleeve shirt; 30 is going to be tights, gloves, long sleeve shirt, and a light jacket. It will probably be 30 at the start and 50 by mid afternoon, then begin getting cool again. I think I'm going to wear lightweight tights, a short sleeve shirt, and layers over that which I can remove easily throughout the day (and put back on if needed).
I am pretty excited. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm nervously optimistic. Is that a thing? I'm not going to win, most certainly, but hopefully I will finish and have a good time!
If anyone is wondering how I have time to train, this is what I do - I get up before dawn 4-5 days a week to run! I do my weekday runs and am back home before the kids wake up, and Sundays I either get up early and do it or sometimes I can run after church. Saturday mornings (long run days!) hubby has been kind to take over kid duties for the morning (or part of it, anyway!), but if it is hot especially I will still get up at 5:30 so I can get up and get going, and get done at a decent time. It is not easy but it is worth it, at least I think it is! The time alone, in quiet, is pretty valuable to me. I don't have headphones in, and I spend a lot of time praying and just rolling things over in my mind. After the chaos of living in a home with 6 young children, it is so nice to have complete thoughts and even string several complete thoughts TOGETHER without being interrupted! And I mean it's good for my body too. There are lots of benefits. :)
Anyway, 2 completely unrelated blog topics. I could never make money as a blogger! :D
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