A long hiatus for a really good cause

Hello my friends!
It's been awhile and so much has happened. This summer has been insane. It's been a whirlwind of travel,weddings, drama, showers, travel, sickness, more travel, and delirious exhaustion. Where do I begin.

Trip1-Philadelphia
Trip2- Philadelphia
Trip3-Massachusetts
Trip4- Baltimore
Trip5-Massachusetts

In between trip 1 and 2 Matt was gone. He spent three weeks in Alaska. When he got home soon after we left for trip 3. We got a call that our nephew was having seizures so we rushed up to Massachusetts to try to help in any way we could. When we got home we had a (semi) normal week then the boys and I left for Baltimore. Matt couldn't go because he had to work. When I got back we decided to go back up to Massachusetts to help out some more. After we got back from trip 5 Matt left again for det. in Key West.

Where has all this craziness led me? To the long lineup of races I have scheduled for the summer. I should mention that during all the above mentioned traveling I ran a total of 4 times... That's it. And I still haven't run 4 miles yet. I had a 5k scheduled for last Saturday but I had to cancel because Matts leave date got changed. This Saturday I'm running a race/obstacle course called "The Military Challenge" It's a 5k with 10 (messy muddy) obstacles built in. I'm also scheduled for the "Mud Run" on August 13th. That's an 8k race/obstacle course and Wicked, Halloween weekend. That's a 10k.

I feel very unprepared. I was planning to be way further in my training then I am right now. I don't know how I'm going to be ready to run an 8k in just a couple of weeks. I ran today. It was brutal. I stuggled every step. But ya know what... I finished. And not once did I think of giving up. I pushed myself and after I felt exililerated.

I found a way to shut that damn voice up. To blare Disturbed on my Ipod as loud as my ears can take. That voice could've been offering me a million dollars and I didn't hear it! Those bittersweet sour patch kid emotions toward running came back today. As I was drenched in sweat, exhausted, I was also so high on pushing myself. My legs were screaming at me and at the same time I kept saying "just a few more minutes, another quarter mile" Challenging myself instead of giving up... that's a huge change.

I'm really looking forward to the race on Saturday. If you think of it and you're a praying type just say a quick prayer for me on Saturday morning. Alot of you know how out of character it is for me to willingly get muddy and run around in nature of all places. But there I will be; in nature, covered, I'm sure, head to toe in mud. I'll be smiling I know that. Because even if I come in dead last I will be able to say I did it. Even if I'm the absolute last person to cross the finish line I still will have crossed it. Nothing else matters.