I know, I'm such a blog-world failure.  I've left you in the dark, lonely and wondering about my running progress.

My training thus far has been great, excluding some minor set-backs like shin splints and a bad diet. 

I never dreamed my diet would affect my running so badly!  If I eat the wrong thing for dinner, I can count on a terrible run the following morning.  It has caused me to discipline myself.  That hasn't slowed me down on the white chocolate-covered toasted almonds (it IS the holiday season, for Pete's sake!) but it has repressed me from fattier foods, and especially foods with a higher sodium content.  Of course, this fabulous south-east Texas weather has NOTHING to do with how well I run...  Psht!!  Regardless, I've learned a lot about diet.  It really is a key factor.

Adding miles became much easier once I passed the two-mile mark. 

Who knew??  It's like my body decides, suddenly, to cooperate.  On mile three, my legs feel lighter, my breathing settles, and I feel like a runner...as opposed to some awkward-looking object hobbling along a trail with labored breathing.   

Thursday is a big day for me.
I am running a Turkey Trot.  Now, mind you, I have never in my existence centered my Thanksgiving Day focus on goals that aren't edible.  In fact, I once mused upon what a moron my cousin was for neglecting Thanksgiving dinner with the fam so he could run a marathon; you must imagine what an undertaking 6.2 miles is for me on Thanksgiving Day.  Nevertheless, my entry fees are paid and I have purposed to be there.  I've run as many as five miles at once, which makes me leery of my choice to run the 10K instead of the 5K, but I'm up for the challenge.  I make no claims of perfection; I am no Olympian.  I may have to walk part of the last mile Thursday, but I will not risk an injury in order to avoid looking wimpy.I will gain no bragging rights from this run, only accomplishment and possibly a little advertisement, so DO NOT expect me to post my time for you on Friday!

 



Please wish us luck on Thursday!  Thanks for the following...

Until next time!

Motivation/Humidity

Ok, me admits me negligence.  You know the routine: homeschooler, wife, mother, friend, nurse, chef, etc.  I know, you're all busy, too, and you don't want to hear my whining so...  Are you ready for the good news?? 

I HAVE RUN EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! 

Wha's that?  Oh.  Well so what if it's only Tuesday!  If you know me, you know what I have accomplished by waking up an hour and a half early to hit the trails before Jack wakes up.  Please, allow me to bask in my accomplishment without imparting judgements, mmK?

Today's run tried me; I presume the thicker air was to blame, or perhaps it was the extra mile I snuck in with my husband last night (yes, that's two runs in one day!).  Whatever the culprit, I struggled through the finish line this morning.  I heard a deafening, self-motivating pep-talk going through my mind the last quarter mile, loud enough to drown out Fergie AND my labored breathing panting (and that's pretty loud)!  Here's to the fall weather that's headed our way this week...  Bring on the thinner air!

Till next time...
Happy Trails!

Dorothy Knows Best

Though in violation of every fashion rule imaginable, the little gingham-donning farm girl knew best when she clicked her glittery heels together and declared that there's no place like home.  I spent a wonderful week with my mother, taking care of some past-life business in Houston and altogether relaxing and enjoying being cooked for and having someone to make my bed for me, seeing people I dearly love, visiting my favorite city spots, and enjoying fare from around the world.  But the moment my eyes caught a glimpse of the dried up periwinkles I watered so faithfully through the sultry southeast Texas summer, I knew I was home, and my heart skipped a beat when my loving husband greeted me at the waterhose (those poor periwinkles were so dry!) with a giant hug.

The time there filled me up.  It also provided a giant head-start on race details: something I likely would not have accomplished whilst wearing the hats of wife, mother, teacher, chef, nurse, maid, chauffeur, manager, gardener, yard boy, beautician, etc.  So now it's training time.  I've warned the family to enjoy what's left of the ramen noodles and potato chips, for there will be no more.  Much to their chagrin, we will all soon be snacking on carrot sticks and peanuts.  Sooner than I think, they'll be wishing I was back in Houston so they could enjoy another week of Dad's homecooked Big Macs!  But that's ok, because it's time to shape up!  Much gratitude to my baby boy Jack for having his second birthday tomorrow.  At least that allows us to climb atop our sugar wagons with a bang! 

My Reason to Run

I'm not sure how Sally West has this kind of power over me, but she's the person responsible for the journey upon which I am embarking.  I am thankful for her today, as I step one foot closer to my vision.  This journey excites me beyond belief.  Putting the physical challenge aside, I am excited HIGH over the thought of making our community aware of the challenges faced by the children in the Joubert network, while actively doing something to help.  Your enthusiasm and passion to join us in this race warms me, and I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart.

Grab some coffee while I tell you about my journey thus far:

My little Kayden is eight years old.  She smiles quickly, loves whole-heartedly, and when she laughs (which is often), she laughs all over.  She is quick-witted, short-tempered (comes with that red hair), and lots of fun.  She loves life. 

When she was 9 months old, she was diagnosed with oculomotor apraxia: a rare eye condition that prevents saccades, or quick horizontal eye movements.  Basically, she has no peripheral vision.  At 9 months she wasn't yet pulling up, trying to crawl, or even sitting up on her own; she could barely roll over unaided.  We visited several local (Houston) pediatricians but no one had answers.  By 12 months she was able to sit for short periods of time but had not progressed beyond that.  Finally, around 20 months she began to crawl, and with the aid of therapy, learned to walk at 26 months old.  No one could give me a reason for her delays. 

Shortly before her 7th birthday, in December 2008, a family member recommended that we see a pediatric neurologist.  Because of her physical impairments, coupled with unstable moods and unpredictable behavior, we were willing to do anything!  Soon after, in January 2009, Kayden was diagnosed with Joubert Syndrome via MRI, and thus our journey began. 

Joubert Syndrome is a malformation - either an underdevelopment or complete lack of development - of the cerebellar vermis, a piece of the brain that controls smooth speech, fine and gross motor skills, balance, coordination, and a plethora of other things.  God did make our brains a rather complicated organ!  Our medical world is widely ignorant of this condition.  There are 350 known cases in the US and only 650 worldwide.  Five causing genes have been identified since its discovery

Although, at age 8 1/2, Kayden is far more fortunate than many other JS patients, she is still faced with many challenges that only God knows if she'll overcome.  Among other things, her lack of coordination and poor balance disable her from riding a bicycle; due to oculomotor apraxia, it is unknown whether or not she will ever drive a car; her inability to focus on a set task challenges her in school, just as it could in the workforce later in life.  We do what parents do and work around these things, of course.  She doesn't need to ride a bike in order to live a full life; public transportation is available in many places, should her adult life require that; and we homeschool, allowing more opportunity for review and sufficient time for work completion.  But many children with JS are not as fortunate.  Some never walk, some never talk, they suffer breathing problems and kidney failure when many times they are too weak for transplants, they are confined to wheelchairs, have extra fingers and toes, and the list goes on.  These children need our help! 

I am so excited to be where I am tonight - worrying over details and pouring my heart out, mentally exhausted from the effort that's going into this benefit.  It's going to be worth it!  We can make a difference for the 650 children who have been diagnosed with JS and all the others who have it but don't yet know it!  For all the mothers who lie awake at night and wonder why their toddler hasn't said her first word or doesn't walk, for the doctors who want to help yet have no answers - WE CAN HELP! 

So...while I thank Sally West for sparking my commitment to run, Kayden is my reason.