Week Four: Mom’s Birthday, Registration, Week Four and snow storms

Saturday, January 21st is my Mom’s birthday. I won’t mention her age, but she did put the year on her facebook page. I am not sure she knows she can hide the year from viewers.

My mom is really one of those exceptional people. My sisters and I had a surprise birthday lunch for her a few years ago and I called her friends to invite them and one by one, they would say, “Oh, I just saw your mom, I am sick and she brought me a casserole,” or “She was JUST here, I had a small surgery and your mom made the nicest dessert.” She is really one of the most giving people that I know.

All the time, she will do little things for me and it will make me feel very special, and I realized that she does that will all her kids – and grandchildren too. It’s a gift to make those around you feel included and loved, and I’m picking up small hints from her through all the years.

With four kids, growing up, her schedule looked more like a puzzle than a calendar of days. There were certain days she would jump from one function to the next to the next. She never missed any of my volleyball, games, track meets, sorority dinners.

I remember one track meet, in the pouring rain and a long commute and my mom shows up. I told her, “Mom, why are you here in this weather.”

“I wouldn’t want to miss it,” was her response.

Me and Mom in Ohio for 2011 Christmas

Christmas Eve, the first Christmas miracle was that I was still awake at 11pm and made it the late night service. Mom sings in the choir and plays the bells and I just felt like “I didn’t want to miss it.” The look on her face when she saw my sister Pam and me was really the best Christmas gift I have gotten in several years. Well, that and my Steelers pajamas.

Happy Birthday Mom, your one of god’s angels sent to earth to teach selfish people like me, how to be a little less selfish.

REGISTRATION: I finally registered for the Pittsburgh 2012 Marathon ! I got a little nervous as I was doing it, the words “NO REFUNDS” seemed like they were screaming at me from the page. I was already thinking, what is my number, but remembered I won’t know until I pick up my number.

WEEK FOUR
3-5-8

I am finishing up week four with an 8 mile run tomorrow, hopefully in Central Park. New York City is expecting a 2-4 inch snow storm tonight, but I have decided to just get up in the morning and look out the window. I don’t want to sound like a wimp, I just got sick twice last year running outside. I bought all the gear, but I just don’t feel like I can afford to get SICK !!

I had a 5 mile run yesterday at the gym, which I found grueling. The irony is that I have always liked treadmill runs, well, that is until four weeks ago. I seriously cannot even imagine eight miles on a treadmill. UGH ! And the funniest thing is that I read my workout calendar wrong and didn’t have to run 5 miles until next week, so will have to do it all again.

My three snow storm approaches are:
1. Wake up tomorrow and see what the weather is like and take it from there
2. “IF” I have to do an inside run due to weather, I am going to take the advice of an article I read earlier in the week…just take it slow and go mile by mile.
3. Consider Sunday

All I know is, the 8 miles, the snow storm, Mom's birthday, “I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

Love ya Mom, your the best !!

All my best to you all,

Stephanie Caroline

Beautiful weekend in Central Park

It was a great running weekend in Central Park. Ally and I met down by Wollman’s rink on the south end and ran up the east side and across the transverse. I wanted to meet her to the zoo, because it’s really gorgeous architecturally, but we had a small mix up, so the rink was easier. Next time, the zoo…

I barely was able to keep up with her AND, she kept asking me questions and made me talk a lot of the run. It was still an easy run and took my exit at 100 street on the west side, but not before we stopped for a photo shoot -- which she gave me a hard time about. We ran the five miles at a 9:30 pace, which is fast for me, and slow for her.

Ally and I on the west side of Central Park,
yes my face is bright red as usual
but love my new shoes -- so who cares...

It looked out my window yesterday morning and was another sunny day, so headed out for a short 3 mile run with one of my two favorite bands Third Day and Pearl Jam. It’s hard running the short distances, but just went out for a mile and a half and turned around and went home. I know the miles will start increasing slowly and I am completely resisting the need to do more. I was talking with my runner friends over the weekend at various holiday parties and laughed “I really don’t feel the need to run more than my training plan – you don’t have to worry about that with me.”

I ate extremely well over the holidays and surprisingly feeling the benefits. I can no longer eat out in restaurants with my gluten and dairy allergies and started declining invites to restaurants to keep healthy. It’s been a month of strict gluten free eating and I no longer have pain in my stomach while I am running and know this will really become important when I start running double digit miles.

As of right now, I am planning on getting up and meeting Dean at the gym tomorrow morning, which means up at 6am or earlier. I am not sure if I can actually get out of bed when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning, but really want to make it a goal.

Most importantly, my Steelers won on Sunday and we are playing the Bronco's on Sunday in the playoffs. I love my Steeler's family, they make Sundays and football season my favorite time of the year.

My church, C3 Manhattan had a 6pm New Years Day service which was really amazing. And yes I left watching football at half time to go to church. I told God --to prove my love and devotion, I would walk out of the game to go to church and be faithful. The truth is, the 2o11 Jan 3rd service was a life changer for me and sustained me for the entire year. I also had expectation of another inspirational message on New Years and I am here to report...I was not disappointed.

The real truth is, I almost couldn't leave watching the Steelers, and one small moment I almost had tears in my eyes. But I also had a small moment of "GO," and listened to that voice. I also made plans with my friend Jen and knew if I didn't show up she would not be happy with me. Thanks Jen, your amazing.

Last year, Pastor Stephen had asked us to make a goal and make it something hard to obtain, something that would “take us to our knees asking God to help - that we would know we couldn't do.” I felt this year's message was similar, but the focus was on putting God first, serve God first -- and with "that" attitude see how the love life, the finances and career goals pan out. Stephen and Melissa prayed for a large number of people at the service. I saw Melissa coming my way and was hoping I would get a personal prayer with her.

At first it was a nice strong hopeful prayer, then it got personal and directed towards my life, Melissa brought me to tears with her message and gave me a focused goal for 2012. I literally have chills right now, in this minute, thinking about that prayer.

My wish is that you have people in your life, challenging you to make goals so hard, you aren't sure you will reach them, and so hard you CAN'T reach them on your own. I wish for you that you have people in your life supporting you and helping you connect to the god of your understanding -- and if your a saved christian like myself, people leading you to the word of God and showing you how to translate that to your daily living.

Happy New Year everyone, or, as we say at Univision, Feliz Año Nuevo

All my best,

Stephanie

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.