PRAY FOR ME...SERIOUSLY...

Today is Wednesday. 

This past Sunday I was so excited to begin my "Couch to 5K" program again....not excited to start over, but excited that I was finally back to feeling 100% after being sick and hurting my back. 

My two oldest kids ran with me to help celebrate the new start. The run was a bit tough, but no where near as hard as the first time I started the C25K program. I did not feel like I was going to die and I was happy! Here is a pic we took after we finished...

Yesterday, Tuesday, was Day 2 of Week 1 in the C25K program. My daughters (ages 6 and 9) wanted to run with me, so I said, "Sure"! Great bonding time, right? Well, my youngest daughter got a cramp right after the 5-minute brisk walk warm-up and we had to turn back to take her home. Bummer. 

My oldest daughter and I continued on. It was a tough run because of my stamina and the fact we ate a large dinner full of delicious Ethiopian food about an hour before the run. I thought it would be no problem though...I would just push through. Little did I know things were about to take a HUGE turn for the worse...

Just after our 1/2 way mark, we were jogging along and all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, I twisted my ankle and literally went crashing to the sidewalk. Pain. Pain. Pain shot through my ankle. For a moment I thought I had broken it. I sat up in tears and sat on the lawn of the person's house I fell in front of. I was whimpering and praying, "Oh Jesus, help me. Help me." When I fell, I managed to keep hanging on to the leash of my dog and my phone. The pain was excruciating and it took me a few moments to catch my breath and my barings. My poor daughter stood looking at me, not sure what to do. My husband and oldest son are out of town on a camping trip, so I had to call my Mom (who also lives with us) to pick me up. I did not know the name of the street we were on, so my oldest daughter ran to the corner to to get the name so I could give it to my mom. She was so composed, and while we waited for my mom to arrive she asked to pray for me....She is awesome like that.

Getting up off the ground was so difficult, but I had to do it. I was able to put some pressure on my right foot, but it was extremely painful. My mom arrived (with my youngest kids in the car) within a few minutes stressed and worried. She knew if I had to call for a ride, it had to be bad. My oldest daughter, my dog, and I got into the car and headed home. 

My mom wanted to take me to the E.R., but I refused. She wanted to call my husband, but I told her not to. He and my oldest son are having a wonderful trip and I do not want to ruin it. So, at home, my mom got me the only pair of crutches we had...a child's pair. They were not terribly helpful, but they helped me to not put quite so much pressure on my right foot while I got into the house. 

We got in, and I immediately sat on the couch (back to the couch again!) and elevated my foot. When I took off my shoe and sock, this is what I found...

It was actually worse than I thought! I spent the entire night icing my ankle. I even slept on the couch icing it. I got very little sleep, but I was doing my best to keep the ankle iced and elevated. 

At about 5am this morning, I had to get up and use the restroom.  I was able to get to the bathroom and back, using the child-sized crutches. I always wanted to be taller, but this morning, I was thankful I am only 5'2".

I took a good look at my ankle and after about 10 hours of ice, the bruising was not bad, but the ankle was still very swollen and very painful. My left knee is also very sore and scraped...I think I landed on it when I fell.

My husband and son will be home in a couple of hours (they are on the road now), and I will tell them what happened when they get home. I probably need to go it to have x-rays taken when they get home. 

I cried my eyes out when I got home last night.....not only from the pain, but from the complete and total sadness that after only 1.5 days back running, I am out of commission again for who knows how long.

I knew this journey would be tough, but I am exasperated. I am beyond frsutrated. I am doubting if I will ever get it together enough to be able to train to run a marathon. I believe at this point, L.A. Marathon 2015, is not an option. I am okay with postponing a year, but am also disappointed. At this point, it feels like evil forces are working against me. 

I will not give up though. I WILL NOT.

Pray for me, would ya?

THE COLOR RUN

With all of the issues I have been having lately, I was almost disappointed that I signed our family up for the Color Run (www.thecolorrun.com) this past Saturday. I did not think I would be able to get as much as I wanted to out of my first 5K. I prayed a ton the week before the run for healing of the pain in my back (or at least that I would be able to walk the race and not be in agony). I considered not going to the event, but my kids were so excited, I just did not have it in me not to go.

So, I prayed Friday night before I went to bed, and hoped for the best for Saturday. Saturday morning I woke up and was so thankful that I was only having some stiffness in my back. The sharp pain seemed to be gone!

We went to the event and...it was one of the BEST things we have done as a family! It was so much fun to start off all clean and in mostly white clothing....

and run through blue....

and pink....

and orange...

and purple...

and yellow! 

At the end, we were COVERED from head to toe in a marbling of color.

The kids had a blast jumping through color clouds, rolling on the ground through color, taking handfuls of the powder paint and dumping it on themselves and each other....even Daddy attempted to make a "paint angel" (like a snow angel) at the "orange" station. 

We giggled. We danced. We were silly. We laughed. We smiled. We stayed together. And...we made great memories.

What about the running? Well, based on my back pain, I did not think I would run any of the race and would be happy to walk the event. However, I think my adrenaline kicked in (or I was delirious with excitement) because I felt good enough to run a bit in short stretches. It was a pretty warm day, so my youngest kids (both age 6) were not "into" the idea of running much anyway. Why run....when you can go slow and play in paint!?!? But, together as a family (holding hands through much of the event), we ran over a mile of the 5K! 

Considering all that I am going through physically....I call that a HUGE success!!!

It is now Monday. I have taken 3 showers and spent some time in the pool...and my skin is still not color-free. I am wearing my COLOR RUN stained skin with pride! Although, at this point, it looks more like I was beaten up...the blue-green "bruise" color from the race is the one that seems to be lingering the most! 

TANTRUM!

I don't know what happened to my body after completing the "Couch to 5K" program, but I have completely fallen apart! I came down with a terrible cough/cold/infection a few days after I finished the program. After doing my best to "tough it out" (if at all possible, I don't go to doctors or take any medications....read my previous posts on my stubbornness), I ended up going to the doctor and needed 5 days of antibiotics to get myself heading in the right direction again. Well, I was "better" for about a week (and got a few runs in), but have been fighting the cough again for almost 2 weeks! I just can't shake it. AND....to top it off, I tweaked my back a week ago and have not been able to bend without pain since. I have never "tweaked" my back like this. What the heck is happening to me?!?!

I am frustrated.

I am disappointed.

I am sad.

I put so much effort and energy...and consistency, into getting to a place where I could run 2-3 miles....and now I feel like I am losing it all.

I am wondering if I pushed myself too hard during the 8 weeks of the C25K program. Was it too much to go from not exercising regularly in 20 years and being very overweight, to running every other day and pushing myself to further and further distances on most runs? 

Is my body freaking out?!?! Does my body think we are doing a "5K to Couch" program???

I don't know. I just know that people have told me that "I need to listen to my body", and apparently right now my body is throwing a tantrum.

And I don't like it one bit!

"SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?"

After finishing my C25K training, there has been one question I have been asked regularly...

"So, what are you doing now?"

I have only run two times since coming off of a sixteen day sickness break (after completing C25K). So, honestly....I don't know what I am doing now! Ha! Here is what my plan is...for now...

I want to get to a place where I am running 2 miles at a faster pace. Why two miles? I don't know...because I like even numbers? Because three miles seem like too much (I survived a 3 mile run at the end of C25K, but it was fairly torturous) and one mile seems too little?

Two sounds right...I have 2 feet to carry me as a run, 2 ears to listen to music as I run, 2 eyes to watch as a run (actually four-eyes if you want to tease me about wearing glasses), 2 x 2 = the number of children I have. 

Two. It's a good number. 

In addition to running 2 miles faster, I am also making sure I run for a minimum of 20 minutes. During C25K, the app assumed I ran a 10-minute mile. So, in my desire to run 2 miles faster, I need to get it under 20 minutes, but even if I do that, I am going to continue to run past the 2 mile mark to finish a 20 minute run. I figure that way, I am increasing my speed and distance. So, "2"night I ran my 2 miles and did my best to push myself to run as fast as possible.*

*Please know my general running speed is a pitifully slow jog....some may even call it a fast walk.

So, I did it. I pushed myself to increase my speed, and did well! I covered more ground than I usually do in a 20 minute window, and got a good workout. 

I want to get to a place where I feel "comfortable" running. Is that bad? I could just keep increasing my distance. I have the "5K to 10K" app ready-and-waiting, but every time I increase the distance when I run I feel like I am suffering. I am suffering a lot on this journey so far (I started off on the couch after all). I just want to feel a little, itty, bitty, bit comfortable while running. I long for that feeling. I think to keep going long-term on this running journey, I "need" to feel that...even if it's only occasionally.

So, that is what I am doing for now. I am running two miles as fast as I can. 

SIXTEEN DAYS OF SILENCE

Sixteen days.

I finished my C25K program....(a.k.a. I ran three miles for the first time in 20 years)....16 days ago. Why does that matter? Well, because up until tonight, I had not run since "that" night. After I finished the C25K training program on May 8th, I caught "something". That something started as a general blah feeling with a tickle in the throat, then became a terrible sore throat and headache, that grew into a full on infection of some sort that needed five days of antibiotics, and ended with a nasty chest cold. YUCK!

I was not up to running for over two weeks! I tried to allow myself time to heal. However, as each day passed, I was feeling disappointed that I was somehow losing the little bit of stamina I had managed to build over the previous 8 weeks. I usually run at night, and each evening I kept thinking, "Tonight. Tonight, I will feel good enough to run." It did not happen soon enough for me. 

So, tonight, with a still lingering minor cough, I went for a run. I thought it might be wise to not push myself too hard, so I only ran for 20 minutes (2 miles)....When I look back at my earlier posts, it is funny that I just wrote "only 2 miles"....hahaha! 

It was a bit tough, but I did it! My lungs felt like they were burning a little, and I coughed up my lungs a couple of times, but it felt good to get a run in. One thing I dread...and hope does not happen....is allowing myself to go back to my previous physical state where running even three minutes seemed impossible.

I like that I can run 2-3 miles now. They are not easy miles, but I can run them. I want to keep it that way and continue to push myself further. Just as there was a time when I could not imagine running for 5 minutes, now I can't imagine running 5 miles, but I know I will get there.

So, after a 16 day set back, I am glad to be back on my "ever so slowly running" feet.

I DID IT! FROM THE COUCH TO A 5K!!!!!

I DID IT!!!!!! I finished the C25K training program! 8 weeks x 3 trainings each week...through cold, wind, heat, and pouring rain...on land and on sea...I made it from my couch to a 5K!!! My first major milestone on my journey to a marathon is COMPLETE!!!!!!

WEEK 8, DAY 2....TAKE TWO!

I was very excited to start my last week of training one week ago! I ran "Week 8, Day 1" last Sunday. On Monday morning my family left for a 4 day cruise to Mexico (our first non-camping vacation in seven years....yay!). I had dreams of finishing the last two days of training on the ship. However, with a couple of very late nights onboard, I was not able to run on the ship until Thursday. I tied my laces, turned on my C25K app, looked at the beautiful ocean view, and calculated how many laps I would need to run on the small track to equal 2-3/4 miles...."only" 28 laps!  

Getting ready to run on the ship's track

I began running, and to my extreme disappointment, about 10 minutes into my run, I began having extreme pain in my right ankle that shot up into the side of my shin and just below my knee. Now, I have run in pain before...but this was different....I could not push through it. I was so disappointed! There has not been one run I have not finished. Even though during every run I feel like I will not be able to complete it, I some how manage to keep going and finish. I was struggling with the thought of not finishing the run. My silly pride wanted to be able to say, "I completed every training session." I tried walking for a few minutes a few times and tried to start running again, but as tough and stubborn as I am, I could not take the pain. 

Trying to be tough as I run

I had to embrace the fact that this would be the first training session I would not be able to finish....and only two trainings away from being finished with the C25K program. Uggg!

So, I stopped. I was bummed.

I was so disappointed, and everything I told myself did not help my disappointment...
-"You don't want to push yourself and really get hurt."
-"You are on vacation."
-"You tried your best."
-"Of course your ankle hurts...the boat is rocking!"
-"Just do this training day over when you get home."
-"You ran 1/2. That is better than nothing."

I had to try to change my attitude and not see this as a "failure". So, I embraced the idea that I did my very best, and this time, my very best meant I did not finish the training session. I also decided that I would do "Week 8, Day 2" over again when I got home.

So, when I arrived home, I planned to run that night just to prove to myself that I could do it. However, for some crazy reason, when we got home, I was swollen. Swollen ankles. Swollen fingers. I was in no condition to run. I extended myself some grace, and did my best to wait for the swelling to go down.

So, two days after I returned home, I finally got the chance to run "Week 8, Day 2" of my C25K program...exactly one week after I ran "Week 8, Day 1". I did it! I feel redeemed. 

I am going to blame my failed first attempt on the sea.....or maybe the insane late-night buffet I had eaten at the night before. However, my set back was a set-up for a come back! "Week 8, Day 2....Take Two" was a success! One more training to go and I will be running 5K!!! Woo hoooooo!

LESS THAN PERFECT...RAIN!

I just finished "Week 7" of my C25K training! That means I ran three times this week with each run being 25 minutes long (2.5 miles). Can you believe I ran 7.5 miles total for the week?!?! 

Tonight however.....proved to be a little extra challenging because.....I did most of my run in the POURING RAIN!!! 

As I have said in a previous post, I am stubborn. So, I was not going to let a little rain stop me from missing a day of running training. Especially because I am born and raised in Los Angeles and refuse to be one of "those" Southern California veterans who shuts down at the sign of "weather". I was not going to let rain....real rain....(not a Southern California "rain" that is really just sprinkling)....stop me tonight.

So, I ran.

Something I forgot to consider was how heavy my clothes and feet would become when they were completely soaked. Wow.....did it add a lot of weight to my run. For the first time in quite a while, I had some pain while running. I think due to the extra weight of soggy clothes, a soggy hat, soggy socks and shoes, soggy dog leash, being pulled by a soggy dog....my ankles hurt, my knees hurt, and my back hurt. 

I did it though. 

While I was running I began thinking about what the heck made me so stubborn about completing this run. Here is the truth. I want my kids to know that real determination is completing a goal despite less than perfect conditions. I want them to know that I don't just preach "perseverance". I live it. I want them to know I keep striving for my dreams even when things are working against me. I want them to see me living the truth that many things worth attaining will not come easily, and you have to push through during challenging times to complete anything worthwhile.

When my sweet dog and I got home from our run, I had my husband dry her off while I hopped in the shower to warm up. I was drenched from head to toe through every layer of clothing. Just for fun, I decided to ring out my socks, my hat, and my outer jacket.....just from those three items I squeezed out a 1/2 cup of water!!!

Week 7 is complete! One more week to go! It is crazy that after 3 more runs, I will be running 5K!!!

22...DOUBLE PEACE SIGN BABY!

Well....another "impossible" thing happened today. I ran for a "new" longest time in twenty years....22 straight minutes (2-1/4 miles)!!!! When I looked at the "Day 3" training session for this week, I almost cried when I saw 22 MINUTES! The other tough thing about this week is that with C25K, I need to run 3 times per week. So, I run every other day just to make it easy in my mind. I ran yesterday, so I should not run until tomorrow. However, my oldest daughter is having a slumber party to celebrate her birthday tomorrow, so it would not be good for me to leave a house full of girls so that I can go for a jog. Hmmmmm.....on second thought....... :0)  Also, if I kept the schedule I was on, I would also be running on Easter. My husband is starting a new church and it is our first Easter service on Sunday....so needless to say Easter is going to be a wee-bit busy. I am fairly confident that with all of the preparations I am part of  for the slumber party (Friday), a picnic our church is hosting for foster families (Saturday), a Glow-In-The Dark Egg Hunt our family is hosting for our neighborhood (Saturday night), and Easter (Sunday morning), I will be comatose by Sunday afternoon....and in no shape to jog. Yes, it is also very likely we are getting "take out" for our Easter dinner!

So, I had to run back-to-back nights....and tonight was for 22 MINUTES!!! Double peace sign baby!!!! 

With lots of prayer and determination, I DID IT!!!

Before...22 minutes???

After...22 minutes!!!

TWENTY MINUTES....I DID IT!!!!

I did it.

I jogged for a whole 20 minutes (2 miles) without stopping....without stopping!

I was nervous about this jog. In a week where my training sessions went from running 5 minutes, to 8 minutes, to.....20 minutes, I just was not sure if I could do it. I hoped. I prayed. I believed....kinda. As I said in a previous post, what I don't have in stamina, I do have in stubborness. Today....that was an asset!

I did things differently for this jog. I was trying to set myself up for success. I wore my new (extremely fabulous) shoes, I played music, and I ran with someone. That "someone" was my amazing oldest daughter, who wanted to run with me so she could encourage me. She knew I was feeling nervous about this jog, and she wanted to be with me. She was so incredibly kind and compassionate. During the run, she said things like:

"Am I running too fast Mom?"
"Is it better for you if I run behind you?"
"You are doing good Mom....You can do it."

She made it look so easy. She is built for running....long and lean, with strides like a gazelle. She is Ethiopian, and running is in her blood. She looks so graceful when she runs, smooth, strong, confident. Me?.....Not so much.  :0)

One thing I wished I had not changed was NOT bringing my dog. She is my truck and I am her trailer. She pulls me. I needed her today. It was really, really, really tough. There were a few times I really did not think I could keep going. I was fairly sure I died and was resurrected (perfect for Easter coming in a week). I think my dog would have helped pull me through the hard times, but I also know that I need to be able to run without her. I am just not sure that this was the right run to do it. However, despite all of my feelings..........I did it!!!!!!!!!!

This may sound silly, but I almost cried. When I heard the woman's voice (that I have a love/hate relationship with) on the C25K program say, "Start your cool down",  I was so dang thankful. I slowed down, caught my breath, gave my daughter a hug, whispered, "Thank you Jesus", and gave a super tacky double-fist pump while I looked at my daughter and shouted, "We did it!" It took me a few minutes to catch my breath and I appreciated the 5 minute cool down period more than I ever had previously. 

I did it....TWENTY MINUTES!

NEW SHOES

Yay! I finally had time to visit the Road Runner Sports store so many people have told me about, and got fitted for "real" shoes! It was funny how "high-tech" the fitting process was....

1-Strip my tootsies down naked

2-Answer questions on a computer screen about how many miles I run each week, future goals, type of socks I like to wear, etc.

3-Got my feet measured to determine their size

4-Let the sweet employee bend my toes back on some sort of shoe insert

5-Walk bare foot on a treadmill, while they filmed it

6-Analyze how I walk....(P.S. I was told I have great ankles)

7-Stand on some sort of soft pad device that analyzes my arches and where I put pressure on my feet....(P.S. I was told I am way off balance...Hahahaha....I could have told them that!) Apparently, I stand on the heal of my left foot and on the ball of my right foot.

8-Analyze the information

9-Stand on a super padded cube thing while they fit me for "special" ($70) inserts.....that I did not purchase. Just give me shoes please!

10-Summarize all of the collected data, and have me try on four pairs of shoes that best fit my feet

I am so excited about my new shoes! They feel so different from the shoes I have been running in, and I hope they will make a difference in how I feel when I run. Great shoes will help me feel 80 lbs. lighter, right?

The new shoes are giving me great hope that I might actually survive my 20 minute run tomorrow! THANK YOU to my friend and my older kids for blessing me with the money to get some great gear for my tootsies!

HOLD THE PHONE!

Wow! Woweee! Wowzers! Hold the phone! Up to this point, the C25K program I have been using (to go from sitting on my duff on a couch to running a 5K), has had me doing the "same thing" for all three training sessions each week.

Examples:
Week 1 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): 
          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk
          -Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 
           seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
          -Five-minute cool down

Week 2 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3):            
          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk
          -Then alternate 3 minutes of jogging and 2 
           minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. 
          -Five-minute cool down

Week 3 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): 

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk

          -Then do two repetitions of the following:

                 -Jog for 3 minutes

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

                 -Jog for 3 minutes                          

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

            -Five-minute cool down

Week 4 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): 

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                 -Jog for 3 minutes

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

                 -Jog for 5 minutes

                 -Walk for 2-1/2 minutes

                 -Jog for 3 minutes

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

                 -Jog for 5 minutes

         -Five-minute cool down

SO...........when I got to WEEK 5 (on Tuesday), and I saw that on "Day 1" I would be running all 5 minute lengths, I was nervous because of the length of time I would be running! Running a whole 5 minutes is a big deal for me.

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                -Jog for 5 minutes

                -Walk for 3 minutes

                -Jog for 5 minutes

                -Walk for 3 minutes                

                -Jog for 5 minutes

          -Five-minute cool down

However, I figured that by "Day 3" of doing this, I would be feeling better...

....cue dramatic music....

Imagine my shock and awe when I looked at "Day 2" of Week 5 and saw that it was NOT the same as "Day 1". Day 2 had me running for EIGHT MINUTES!!! And guess what? I did it! I jogged for EIGHT MINUTES, two times today!!! 

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                -Jog 8 minutes

                -Walk 5 minutes

                -Jog 8 minutes

          -Five-minute cool down

In my optimism, I told myself that there was no way "Day 3" of Week 5 could be even harder. Surely, the powers that be (those who designed the C25K program), KNOW that my poor, pathetic self needs to catch up. Well, ......apparently they did not get the memo, because guess what "Day 3" of Week 5 has in store for me? Guess? 

Ready for this?....

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                -Jog for TWENTY MINUTES with no  

                 walking

          -Five-minute cool down

Really?!?!?! TWENTY MINUTES?!?! Is that possible? I guess we (I) shall see. It seems like a huge jump in 3 training sessions to jump from running 5 minutes, to 8 minutes, to 20 minutes, but I am going to do it!!!!!

I AM going to do it!!!

HITTING MY STRIDE

I just finished "Week 4" of my C25K training program! Could it possibly be true that I am beginning to feel okay running 5 minute stretches? It is crazy....but I think so! It is so funny when I think back to a few week ago when I was running 1.5 minutes stretches, and was struggling! Now, I can easily run that length and more. I am getting really excited at the thought of running longer distances. There were a couple of moments this week where I looked up while I was running and actually enjoyed the wind hitting me and breathing in the fresh air. I have heard runners talk about "hitting their stride"....I look forward to that happening for me someday. I had a few glimpses of that....and I liked it! More 5 minutes  stretches lay ahead for me next week....bring it!

5 MINUTES!

At 9:21pm on Monday, March 31st.....I finished a training session that included ME running for 5 minutes straight...twice. The amazing thing?....I did not feel like I was going to die! Woo hoooooo!!!!

THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS

Wow! I woke up to an amazing email this morning! 

"Hi Heidi!

I hope this finds you well. I read your blog post re: 3 whole minutes, and cannot stop thinking about it. I did a run walk program for a 1/2 marathon about a year ago and it was hard. For me, shoes made a world of difference for my knees and hips. I don't know if you would be interested in this, but there's a store on Crenshaw called Road Runner. I went there, and they had me run on a treadmill barefoot, and cameras watch how you run. Then they recommend shoes based on how your foot tilts or where you need support...

Regardless if you go there or not, I'd also like to confidentially donate $100 toward your running shoe fund. I'm really inspired by you in so many ways, and grateful you share so much online. You deserve a great pair of shoes!! I'll bring it by tomorrow if that's a good time for you.

Have a great Monday!"


Isn't that amazing! I felt a little funny about accepting money....especially of that magnitude....but it seemed to bring my friend such joy, so I also did not feel right saying, "No." She was so happy to bless me that she brought the money over this morning! I thanked her for her incredible generosity and gave her a big hug....I wish I could do more to show her my gratitude.

To make the situation even more fabulous, my kids were all home when the friend dropped off the money. The kids were talking about how nice that was of my friend to bless me in such an incredible way. Suddenly, my two oldest kids (ages 8 and 9) disappeared...I heard some whispering...and they reappeared a few minutes later. My daughter handed me $12; My son handed me $13. They said they want to help me get good shoes too. So together, they wanted to add $25, and they took the money out of their piggy banks. How cool are they? Originally, I said, "No thank you", but they looked so disappointed, I quickly said, "Thank you", and kissed their faces off!!!!

So, it looks like I will go get shoes later this week. I won't have time to go until Friday, so I only have two runs left with my current shoes (today and Wednesday). Hopefully, the runs won't be too bad knowing good shoes are on the horizon!

THANK YOU to my friend and kiddos for your amazing support, generosity, and kindness!!!!