Tis the Season to train for a Half Marathon!

Ho ho ho! Tis the Season to get serious about training! Our Half Marathon is only a few weeks away. 2015 will be here in 11 days! The hubby and I are hitting the about to panic button! When we registered for this event it seemed like it would never get here! And now it's almost time to start packing! Yikes! 

The Holiday hustle is in full bustle! The clock seems to be ticking two beats at a time! The alarm clock went off early Saturday morning. It was 37 degrees and it didn't take much persuasion to roll over and hit the snooze! After a brief bah humbug about the weather we decided to wait for a little bit of a warm up! By 10am it was 43 degrees. We grabbed jackets and headbands and added an extra layer to our running clothes and headed for the park. 

Lakeside Park is all aglow in lights and Decorations for the holiday season! It's fun to run there this time of year! There was a church party happening yesterday morning complete with a DJ and Christmas Music! No playlist necessary! We ran along and sang along for a few miles! 

We managed to get in a solid 7 miles. We had a run walk easy pace but it was cold! It was a good opportunity to chat and catch up. We have been stressed and busy lately and it was nice to have a little bit of time to sync our schedules! I guess you could say we made a few lists and checked them twice!  Overall it was a nice workout and a nice little time out from the holiday hectic-ness! I love the little moments and reminders that put it all in perspective! 

As we finish out the holiday season and 2014 time will hurry hurry hurry! Our half marathon training is winding down. We've got 2 more weekends and 2 more 10 mile runs. And as many 3-4 milers that we can squeeze in. January 10,2015 will be here in a wink of an eye!  See you at the Start Line!

xo peace love & Grandmary

Brrrrrr!!! Let's Go For A Run!

Its freeezzzzzing outside! It's the middle of November in Alabama. It was 39 degrees outside Saturday morning! It's raining and miserable right now. Seriously Mother Nature what are you thinking? We are right in the middle of our Walt Disneyworld Half Marathon training! Now is not the time for this!

We have had an unusual unseasonable winter blast this past week. The temperatures have dipped into the 30's with high's in the 40's. Yikes. I'm a Southern girl. I'm not a huge fan of winter. Unless I'm on vacation in Canada or Alaska! I like warm and sunny in my Sweet Home Alabama! 

6 miles was on our training schedule Saturday. 6 miles with or without freezing cold weather! I'm just glad it wasn't raining too! Me & the husband talked it out over morning coffee in our nice warm cozy kitchen.  Our conversation went something like this: Me: what time do you want to run? We have 6 miles. Him: when it warms up in the 50's. Me: well that will be Spring. Him: I'll get my jacket! And out the door we went! 

We decided to take the scenic route. Run 3 miles from our house through downtown Pell City, then turn around and come home. We took a few back roads to keep out of traffic. By the time we hit the halfway point the sun was warm and we had a really nice run in spite of the hills!

We didn't realize that there are a lot of hills around here! We drive these streets all the time and the hills don't seem quite so steep! They are really steep on foot! But with every step I remind myself the hills are hard now but the endurance you gain will show up in the half marathon at mile 11 when your legs are tired! So I don't complain too much about  running up and down the hills! The key word is too much! 

We have less than 2 months until our half marathon. I can't believe we are so close to the end of 2014. Between now and the time we leave for Walt Disneyworld  we have 4 birthdays, 3 major holidays, a few more Alabama football games with hopefully a SEC & National Championship win, work, work , work & half marathon training scattered all over the calendar! This year is in fast gear! 

But for now we are focused! And we are stressed! What does that commercial say? Life comes at you hard?! Yea, it does! So we will take it one day at a time. t's cold and dreary outside, it's winter all of a sudden and we still have a lot of miles to run! The good news is that there is just enough of 2014 left for us to get it all done! Thank heavens for running  and staying busy & keeping it in perspective! We are looking forward to the Finish Line! 

xoxo Peace Love & Grandmary

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood to go for a run! I like to run in my neighborhood. Its usually quiet, not much traffic and it's safe! It's an easy neighborhood to create a good workout. It's flat if you run back and forth on my street. If you want hills there are hills! Small hills in one direction and one huge downhill in the other! Of course you have to come back up which is a killer on your thighs but it is a great workout for a long distance run! It's the best tool for fighting laziness & old lady fat! That big hill wins every time! 

Today I ran a circle around my neighborhood 6 times! It's exactly 4 miles. It's probably my favorite route. Mostly flat with two easy hills. It's the perfect workout for me! Not too far and not too fast. I just feel better after 4 miles! I did a slow easy walk run just under a 13 minute mile pace. The weather was perfect! The sun was warm the air was brisk! It felt like Fall! I was not in a rush. We went to Lakeside Park when I got finished running. Johnny got his 4 miles in out there while I sat in the sun on the swings and waited for him! It was really just the perfect way to rest after a great run!

All of the trees are turning colors! I think the Red trees are my favorites! The greens look so pretty with the other colors mixed in! It's a shame the turning leaves fall to the ground so quickly. Fall is such a short season in Alabama!

As I was thinking about the Fall season I thought about my calendar for the rest of the year! It is already jam packed! Birthdays holidays trips and a wedding already scheduled! That's not even counting work and grandchildren activities!  I also have a million miles to run between now and January. I'm still training for the Walt Disneyworld Half Marathon. I need to start Christmas shopping clean the house cook and and pack for the trips! 

But in the meantime, between now and my calendar just like this perfect Fall run today, I'm going to slow down and take one step at a time! I'm going to enjoy the season! And let things swing into place!

xoxo peace love & Grandmary

A letter to Ebola. From a nurse.

Dear Ebola: I would like you to know I am not a fan. I really dont like you. You have basically sent my world of colleagues into a frenzy. The obvious question is who invited you here? The obvious answer is "we did". From what I understand Our doctors & nurses & missionaries  were fighting the Ebola battle in Africa and doing fairly well with it. All of a sudden we started losing a few of our own to the disease. We brought them back to our country to successfully treat them & cure them.  Go America!

I don't really understand why the magic potion that cured our Americans was not sent in gallons to the poor areas of Africa to cure those still suffering from Ebola. Instead Ebola hopped on a plane and wound up in Dallas Texas! I'm not quite sure I understand that either. Why have we let that happen? Why were we not more careful with our country? 

Two of my colleagues are now infected with the Ebola virus. Two nurses I will never meet are fighting for their lives. I hope and pray they make it. Dallas Texas was not prepared for Ebola. The nurses had an unfair fight. No warnings. Just BOOM there it was! Sadly in hind sight it's obvious there were no protective protocols in place. No haz-mat suits or super strength protective gear to wear. No quarantines for the infected patient. I would guess It was just a typical shift and the  nurses were just doing their jobs.  If you are a nurse you know what that means! 

I'm a nurse. It's what I do. It's who I am. So many years ago my dream was to become a nurse! I really didn't have a desire to go to college when I graduated from high school. I was sick of school. The thought of 4 more years was no where in my plan! I wanted to join the Navy and see the world on a ship! I wanted to be a Navy Nurse. My gypsy genes have always been with me! Sadly none of that worked out. I got married & had a baby instead. Not necessarily in that order but that's what happened!  Don't judge it was the 70's!

Fast forward a few years to 1983. Johnny and I  had three small children. We were broke! We were happy but we realized we needed careers. Without education, jobs with minimum wage pay wasn't enough. With a long term family goal in place we both signed up for college! Johnny had started college out of high school, joined the USMC and just needed to complete his degree. I never lost hope of my dream to become a nurse but I had to let the Navy go. I entered the University of South Alabama Mobile AL at age 28; a brand new freshman! Better late than never 

It was a grueling 4 1/2 years but I finished. I graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham  with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing June 7, 1987!  I honestly don't how I did it. I had a house to manage, a husband, 3 kids, 3 busy kids, a cat, a dog and a part time job! I studied at the ball fields. I studied at band practice. I studied on volleyball bleachers! I studied while I cooked supper and folded laundry.  By this time we had moved from Mobile, AL to Birmingham. My parents lived in Opelika AL while all 3 of my siblings lived in different states. We kept the roads hot during school breaks to visit family! We took a family vacation once a year or two to Walt Disneyworld! We were still broke but somehow we managed what little bit of money we had very well! Somehow I stayed focused on my dream. 

I have never regretted becoming a nurse. I have had a wonderful career. I have taken care of patients with every diagnosis that there is! Old patients young patients and every culture that  God has created. To me there is no difference. I was called to be there. God has put me in the right place with the right patient every time. 

I've had everything you can imagine spilled on me poured on me or bodily excreted on me! I'll spare the details of this part of my job! Ive had the sickest patients in the unit and I've had the ones that just like to hang out in the hospital! I've had patients and families that have tested my value system and several that needed a different nurse! I was simply not a match! It happens. 

I've also had patients that have broken my heart and changed me forever. And some patients will be in my heart for the rest of my life. I have had the awesome experience of being responsible for saving someone's life.  I have held hands with a little old lady as she took her last breath. Her family wasn't there. I've had mothers fall apart in my arms when the doctor delivered bad news and the dad had to leave the room. There have been more times than one where the only thing I could do was pray with devastated family members and ask God to give them the strength to take a breath and simply trust Him to make sense of the situation. I'll never understand why babies and children get Cancer. Never. 

I've had so many blessings & witnessed so many miracles that I've lost count. I have been given gifts from sweet patients and enough precious hugs to last forever! With social media now I get texts with pictures! My favorite Disney Princess is a former little patient in her new Elsa dress complete with a long side braid wig because she has no hairI One holiday a certain little guy showed up at my house with his mom's home made candy! It was love at first sight with this boy! it's an understatement to say donuts and cookies are always appreciated! Seriously, being a nurse definitely has perks! I have never second guessed my career choice! 

I imagine the nurses who took care of the Ebola patient could tell a very similar story. They chased a dream. They are dedicated nurses. They love their jobs. They love being a nurse. I hope they both realize they are front line heroes!  I would guess they were probably busy trying to keep the aebola patient comfortable along with caring for their other patients. They probably did not complain about their assignment. They probably never had time to chart everything that happened or sign out all the meds and supplies they used. There might not have been time to drink a whole cup of hot coffee or to eat a whole lunch! Sometimes bathroom breaks can't come soon enough!  They would probably tell you they never thought twice about any of that. They were busy taking care of the patient. I'm sure the goal was to save him from this awful disease. A disease they didn't know anything about. They know about it now and have thought of countless ways to do things better!

The Ebola virus has everyone's attention now. This virus is not something we can take lightly. The two nurses are not the ones responsible for spreading the virus. They are the ones who brought our vulnerability to this disease to the eyes of the world.  It's going to take all of us to fight the battle.  I imagine we will see many patients with this diagnosis. Every fever, cough, runny nose, upset stomach and every other ailment will be treated as Ebola! There will be education and vaccines and new medicines to prevent the spread of the virus! We will alienate ourselves from each other for a little while. If you don't feel good you must isolate yourself and stay home. No playing around with Ebola! Eventually we will make progress and hopefully we will cure this disease quickly. Look how far we have come fighting AIDS and cancer. Someday there will be an end to these diseases too. It takes all of us fighting and funding the research studies. 

In the meantime the front line heros will keep doing what they have to do. The nurses will work with the education and equipment they are given and do the best they can. They will make sure they keep a close eye on simple things like vital signs and fevers. And they will pray for blessings and miracles.  I'm not afraid of the Ebola virus. I'm willing to fight it and will keep my commitment to my calling. I'm honored to be part of a team of front line heros that do what they do to take care of people when they cannot take care of themselves. Im a nurse. That's what we do. 

xoxo Grandmary

What happened to September? Time for new adventures!

Seriously. September is over? It's Fall? It's October? Wow. It happened so fast. I guess I just missed the last 3 weeks of September somehow! I guess I have just been busy. Doing what??? A little bit of everything! Between working and running and living and grand kids and football Life is just busy! *Note to Self* Sleep was not mentioned!

The last time I checked my race schedule 2 weeks ago  we ran the Talladega Half Marathon and were at the halfway point of marathon training. Maybe that's where all my energy went! I left it out there on the track! 

A few days later RunDisney made this big announcement that they were keeping up with the latest episode of Biggest Loser social media requests! Sounds perfectly confusing doesn't it! My short version of the story is  apparently a dad & his daughter decided to get healthy. They trained for the Disney Half Marathon & in the process lost a combined 290 pounds! Wowie Zowie that's a bunch! So everybody that watched the show was inspired to do the same thing but Boo Hoo because all the Disney races were full and were sold out within hours of open registration. The only race with available spots left was Goofys Race and a Half Challenge. It's back to back half & full marathons 39.3 miles in two days! Not very inspiring nor realistic for the beginning runner or weight loss enthusiast!  (There are still a few spots left if you are interested. Hurry and register at runDisney.com)

Basically always ready to make dreams come true for believers RunDisney gave Goofy back! The Goofy Giveback! They split the challenge back to individual half & full marathon races and opened up available spots. They made it easier for runners to accomplish dreams & goals! 

After much discussion and a lot of 'let's think thru this ' type chats over coffee We decided to give the marathon back and *just* run the half! Thats's funny *just the half*! Disney runners get this! As soon as the Goofy Giveback Registration opened I registered both of us for the Walt Disneyworld Half Marathon and Un- registered us for the marathon!  I must admit I've been a little depressed about it and even a little sad about giving up that Golden Mickey blingity bling medal but it was a good decision! The half is Donald Duck themed and the medal is really cool! Win. Win. 

We were really under the pressure gun with marathon training! We were both really exhausted! We were running ALL the time & still had a long way to go! We needed this break! We took the last two weeks off from training and are getting slowly back in the groove this weekend. It's been nice to take a few lazy 3 mile runs instead of dreading that 20 miler coming up! When I trained for the 2 marathons I ran Johhny picked up my slack! He kept the house caught up & made the coffee! During our training together we are never home and when we are we're tired & hungry! We both need a house fairy but so sorry She's gone for a run! 

In all honesty Johnny & I have actually both ran a few Disney Half Marathons but NOT together! We even ran Disneyland Half twice but again NOT together! That's my fault. I always start out with him then take off by myself. That's how I run every race! But NOT this time! I promise! 

Now that we have switched gears we are really excited about Walt Disneyworld Marathon Weekend! We should have a bit more energy to enjoy the weekend and enjoy the Parks without being completely exhausted! We are still doing a marathon in a sense. I'm running my 13.1 miles and he's running his 13.1 miles! Do the math: 26.2 miles. That's a marathon right?! But this time we will do it together! 

So come on everybody! Here we go! Follow along as we chase New goals. New dreams. New adventures!  It's the journey NOT the Destination! Right?! It's NOT how you get there it's THAT you get there. Right?! 13.1 miles! We've got this! #newgoal26.2together  #me&thehubs #WeAintScaredOf #the60's

peace love & Grandmary! 

It's Dega Baby!

Talladega Half Marathon! It's a good one. We live about 20 minutes from The NASCAR Talladega Super Speedway. We are very familiar with "race week". It's part of our Southern culture! It's Dega Baby! 

Every September one Sunday in the month The Super Speedway becomes a race venue for runners! The Start & Finish lines are located on the track at the beginning and end of the 'straightaway'! It is so awesome to run on the track past turn one then up the brutal ramp thru the grandstands and around the outside of the venue! The course takes you through the main entrance straight down the tunnel that the NASCAR drivers come barreling through then back onto the track at mile 10.5 for the Grand Finish on the track! There are only two words to describe the whole day: totally cool! 

In spite of the race being on foot there is SPEED! Today the Top male finisher took the checkered flag at 1:13:18. Top female finisher clocked in at 1:33:40. In anybody's result book that is fast! I honestly don't know how anybody can run 13.1 miles that darn fast! For the record we were no where close to that kind of speed! We were more in the caution flag category! CAUTION:Slowpokes on the course! 

In spite of the track being cool it's a fairly difficult course! The track is hard to run on. It's not flat! Even at the lowest shoulder it's on a little bit of a slant. There is no passing on the high banks. You can't stand up! You quickly realize it is sheer speed that keeps the race cars on the road. If they ran slow they would fall in the turns! The asphalt is hot in the Alabama sun! It felt like 100 degrees when I hit mile 11. No shade! Sun & Asphalt on an unlevel surface! I was definitely out of gas at that point! 

My favorite part of the track is the Alabama Gang Stretch right before turn 4! There is a huge banner sign that seems to stretch from end to end that says This is Talladega! I love it! You can just feel the thunder of the race car engines when you see it! I've been to a few NASCAR races there. You can feel those engines as they fly by! 

Today was our halfway point in our marathon training. We were both disappointed! I was slow! I struggled with the first mile and then again with miles 11 & 12. I don't know why. I just did. Johnny had a great run starting out then struggled at mile 9 with cramps. We have a long way to go to get to mile 26. We have a lot more miles and a lot more training and a lot more running ahead of us. We will get there though! The Pace Cars were looking really sweet to us today! It's so much easier than running! 

But today is in the books. It's a done deal. It is what it is! It's Dega Baby & it was still totally cool!  I'm sure we will see ya next year at the track! 

Peace out! Grandmary

Happy Grandparents Day!

My favorite role is Grandmother! Nobody calls me that though. It seems like I'm Grandmary to the whole world! That's a good thing! Today is Grandparents Day. It's a day I celebrate every day but I have never officially celebrated Grandparents Day with my grandchildren!  Every year I say I'm going to change that! I'll set a new goal for next year now!

I love being a grandmother. I have always wanted grandchildren.  I had this vision of a houseful of the little darlings waiting for me dressed  in my apron to pull a pan out of the oven of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies! The same little darlings would gush in between chomps & smacks about how wonderfully awesome their Grandmary is! It's pretty much like that when they are at my house! I cook a lot! They like to eat! haha

Being a grandmother lets you bring the memories of your own children back to life! Not the summer vacation memories or the she did this at age 10 and he did that at age 12 memories. The memories tucked away in your "mothers heart", those are the memories that come back. You see them in your grandchildren. The way he smiles when he is being silly. He looks just like his mama when he does that. Just like her! The way she twirls her hair. It's so blonde in that one little spot. Her daddy's hair was that color when he was little. The way she looks when she is most competitive. She has no way of knowing her mom still looks like that as she crosses the finish line. I see them everywhere in my grandchildren. Memories of my children.  My grandchildren are so familiar to me! I recognize them! 

I wrote this poem a long time ago for a scrapbook page. I think it will always be the truth even when there are great chandchildren. I am so looking forward to those days! " Children of my children how fast you will grow. Familiar faces seen again from babies long ago. You bring back sweet memories from days far apart. Children of my children. Heart of my heart".

The moment I saw my first grandchild I remember thinking my life was complete. If I never had another grandchild or even another thing my life would be no less complete. Mason was a perfect bundle of boy! He was quiet and content with his eyes wide open just looking around taking everything in and going with the flow. He is still all of those things today. He has always been Pawpaws on the go buddy. He has a gentle spirit and is a true gentleman. He is the perfect first grandchild! I'm sure it's a lot of pressure being the first! He has to deal with our grandparent overzealousness with each new thing that he does! He's always the first grand kid to do anything! Bless him.

Our most precious grandchild is in heaven. He came on our 20th wedding anniversary. God blessed me with one memory of Elijah. I will never forget how it feels to hold an angel. Every year my anniversary is a little bittersweet. I cry a little as I wish heavens sweetest angel happy birthday. I miss him. 

1999 was a busy year for grand babies! Three more. Emilee was born in May but we would not know her for a few years. My son adopted her when he married her mother. She is a perfect addition to the grand kid mix! She is a pretty girl and has a sensitive tender heart. We like to sit on the back porch and chit chat! It's my way of keeping up with her busy world! She calls me a lot now just to chat and ask for my recipes! I love that she thinks of me when she's trying to learn to cook! Smart girl! 

Lindy was the first girl born on my side of the family since my youngest daughter was born some 24 years prior! The hospital room filled with pink everything the minute she was born! She was absolutely gorgeous! Her eyelashes touched her eyebrows and everything about her was so pink and feminine! But in the first few minutes of her life as the nurses took care of the logistics of being born she cried louder than any baby has ever cried! Making your opinions known to the world is a good character trait to have! She is still gorgeous and her eyelashes still touch her eyebrows! There is nothing about Lindy that I don't love!

Chapman came 9 weeks later! He was a few weeks early and spent his first weekend in the NICU. I got to hold him and feed him because his mom was having a rough time herself. It broke my heart for him to be struggling but I fell head over heels in love with this snuggly little boy. He is the reason I am a runner. When he was 8 & I was 53 he told me running would be good exercise for my health at my age. I could not resist those big brown puppy dog eyes and the sincerity of his heart. Without ever running  a step I registered for my first 5K! I still can't resist those eyes! At my age!

Mary Alyssa is my namesake. She is my Syssa girl! When she first started talking I asked her if her name was Alyssa. She said very matter of factly No it's Syssa!  So she will always be Syssa to me! She is just a sweetheart. There is no other way to describe Alyssa. She Is the one who always finds her way to my lap! Even now! She always checks on me and always has an extra hug or two just for me! She lives in her own little world and sometimes she lives in Crazyville but she is always happy and her smile and sparkly eyes light up the room! Every time! 

Justin is the youngest grandson! He's surrounded by sisters! He is all boy and has always been a little creature of habit! Just like Pawpaw! He is intelligent. I'm always surprised at the depth of conversation they have just talking about normal things! But don't make any impulsive changes around either one of them, it throws them for a loop. I guess that's why I adore Justin. I understand him!

Izzy is the last grandchild. She took our breath away when she was born! She looked just like our son. I know everybody says that but seriously she did. She still looks  Just. Like. Him. Except that she's a girl! It's amazing. She will tell you she's not my girl because she's not! It's not so much that she is her Pawpaws girl it's that He is her guy! She absolutely loves everything about him! That's amazing too! She tells me all the time I don't know everything in the whole wide world! Yes I do Izzy because what I do know is that she is complete cuteness and sass rolled into one! She's the perfect last grandchild! A cute little mess! 

I have to give credit to our kids for being so generous with their kids! They have always allowed us to completely enjoy our grand kids! We like to be together. We all look forward to the annual grand kid trip. Just us and them. No parents! It's several days of total chaos full of fun! But we  can't tell all the stories! What happens on the grand kids may or may not stay on the grand kids trip! Here is just one example:

In our defense we had no idea a hurricane was coming! I mean who goes to the beach in the middle of a hurricane!! So we just dealt with it and made the best of it until the storm passed! Surely the hot tub outside was safer than being stuck indoors in that high rise hotel room! Good times! Fun memories! 

I really love being a grandmother! And I love Johnny being a grandfather. He's a good one! Happy Grandparents Day! 

xoxo Peace Love & Grandmary!

Double digits! #marathontraining The B Team

We are in the double digits now! By that I mean no more short long runs! Our marathon is not until "next year" & I know "we still have plenty of time" but it's starting to get tough! Our 3 weekday runs are easy 3-5 miles but that Saturday long run is now packing a punch! 

It's still so hot & humid in our Sweet Home Alabama & our Crimson Tide Bama Boys kick off this weekend! Marathon training is now a trending topic for the Butler weekly calendar! We may have to split up for a few long runs! 

This is one of our long run game plans! The hubby will take to the streets in the wee hours while I get the food together for the weekly football party! He will come home and get a shower & get ready for the game! He will set the DVR on get all the electronics on the right channels! I'll finish up my miles & roll in just in time for a quick shower & the kick off! Lunch will be served at halftime! Desert of course will be Victory Pie !

Football season is perfect timing for our marathon training! We're the B team! We've got our game faces on! We've got our plan together. We're ready to tackle the double digits! We will work that #goal26.2 every week one mile at a time! We will stay focused and end up with a winning season! Bring on the miles. Bring on the football! #rolltideroll

Peace love & Grandmary

10 miles at Sea

A few weeks ago we went on a last minute cruise! Sometimes you just need an impulsive break from it all! Nothing better than a husband with the same Gypsy genes as me who likes to read travel websites!   He found a good deal and I had a few days off from work! Voila! Sounds like a #roadtrip to me! We boarded the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas on Friday afternoon right in the middle of our marathon training schedule! We packed our running gear along with our fancy dinner dress up clothes! No problemo!

Shortly after we boarded we settled into our stateroom easily!  At the Captain's announcement we headed promptly to Deck 5 Muster Station 7 for the mandatory life jacket safety drill! For the record we are old pros at that! We spotted the running track with a big sign that said NO JOGGING on this deck! What??? Why not? We went thru the motions of life jacket training, returned our life jackets to our stateroom & headed out to find our Saturday morning 10 mile running route! Deck 10 around the pools looked like the place to be! We took a casual stroll as the ship set sail! Ahhhhh. Stress be gone!

I set the alarm for 6:45am! I know. Crazy. Who gives up the most peaceful drifting at sea slumber to run around in circles on a cruise ship for 10 miles? Well we do some crazy stuff sometimes! That's how we roll!

Saturday morning up & at 'em! We were ready! The sun was just beginning to rise. The breeze from the ocean was perfect! Of course we were not the only runners so apparently we aren't that crazy! Good to know. 

My Math lovin husband counted out the mileage equation. 4 laps equals 1 mile. 40 laps equals 10 miles. I already felt like a hamster running on that little squeaky wheel! But the scenery was bliss so I voted we should run every long run on a cruise ship from now on! And I voted by proxy for Johnny too just in case he didn't vote! He's such a procrastinator! Seriously it was an absolutely perfect morning!

Good Morning Enchanment of the Seas! 

We kept a really good run/walk pace for the first 4 miles.  The Windjammer Cafe suddenly came alive with the smell of coffee and bacon!  Time for the sunrise breakfast cruisers! We headed to the Park Cafe on Deck 9 for a 'water stop' & an energy snack. Fresh fruit was plentiful! Nice! 

Miles 5. Halfway there! The Windjammer filled the ocean air with the sweet aroma of maple syrup! The waffle lovers were awake! Mmmmmmm. Nothing like waffles as incentive to get it done! 

By mile 6 we had a fan club! The pool chairs were out & the early sunbathers & book worms were beginning to stake a claim on their spots for the day! As we made our way around the track we heard Good Morning! Way to go! You guys are looking good! A cheer squad at sea! We also had several people ask us why were we running so many times around? The usual folks that think runners are nuts! It was fun to tell them we were training to run a marathon 26.2 miles! They never really understand that! 

Miles 8 , 9 & 10 were tough. We were really feeling our sea legs! The wind had picked up & we were running against the gusts. The waves were getting bigger too! The sun was full force & hot. Deck 10 was the place to be! The pools were open and the fun party music was blaring! It was hard to run & not give in to the Electric Slide & Cupid Shuffle! To the right to the right to the left to the left. Now kick now kick! You can't do it when you are running! We had fun singing along! Good good times! 

We celebrated our imaginary Finish Line with a big high five! A few people clapped & cheered for us! 

Back to our spot in the cafe on Deck 9 for food! Breakfast was delicious! We had a table with an ocean view! Fresh coffee is just better at the ocean! We headed back to our stateroom to change clothes then spent the rest of the morning at the pool and hot tub! After a short recovery nap we spent the afternoon in the shopping district of Nassau Bahamas.  The only money we spent was at Starbucks! It was a fun day. 

We spent the evening in the same place we spent the morning. Deck 10. But this time we found a few lazy chairs propped our feet up & watched the beautiful sunset. We did it! 10 more marathon training miles in the books. 10 miles at sea!  xoxo  Life is good. 

peace love & Grandmary

Marathon Training in #the60's. We seem to be compatible.

We've been together for almost 4 decades! He's my dearest friend. But I wasn't sure we could train for a marathon together! It's safe for me to say over the years we have been through every kind of stressful situation there is! And then some. We have had some major blowouts! We have worked it out! We think alike, we think completely opposite!  We agree about everything, we disagree about everything! We have kids & grandkids together!  Life has been busy! We're married!  Bottom Line, I love him and he loves me! but a marathon????  

My husband, Johnny, aka the hubs hit the big 6-0 almost 5 years ago. He retired from work on his 60th birthday. He's an active guy though, plays the guitar, plays golf, babysits grandkids, takes a lot of walks. He's busy. I have finally caught up with his age group! I hit the big 6-0 about 3 months ago. I haven't had the opportunity yet to retire from work, & I haven't had the chance to slow down yet!  I'm a runner! It seems I'm always on the go & most of the time, he's on the go with me! But I can already see, being in #the60's is different! It's a different part of life. 

As we enter our 60's together, we decided to make some healthy changes in our marriage. We are keeping what has been good over the years and changing some of the negative things. Rekindling the flame in several areas I guess you could say! We're finally realizing we are certainly not teenagers anymore!  We are going to grow old-er together and we want to stretch it out for as long as we can! And be as healthy as we can be together! We are still going to keep doing the stuff we love to do that keeps us who we are as individuals. But we needed a hobby or a project, something that we could commit to together! We talked about all kinds of things, like a puppy or a remodeling project or a garden or another big trip. We have done all that. We needed something new. Something challenging. 

I registered us both for a marathon! How about that for a challenge! The Walt Disneyworld Marathon, January 2015. Why not I told him! We love Disney, we love to run, we can do it, it will be fun! I admit it, I love all those things. (I was going to register for the marathon anyway.)  I told him it would be great for me to have a partner to run with me and I wanted him to be my partner! He does love Disneyworld, but he has never had a desire to run a marathon. Never. He doesn't really love to run! He doesn't care if I do, but he's not a huge fan of running if he is the one running! I pointed out how much fun we will have training and getting healthy and I even tried to convince him this will be the best thing we will ever do together. We can eat right and get in shape and have soooo much fun! And we can run and run and train and......  And for some reason he thought it was a great idea! A great idea! I was shocked! 

Up until now, we have only actually ran 5 miles together, and that was in 2009. My running partners are my daughters & my girlfriends now! I don't run with husbands! How in the world were we going to train together for a marathon? I have ran 2 marathons. The same one I'll be running in January 2015. Walt Disneyworld Marathon. Just because it says Disneyworld, it is still 26.2 miles! There are no magical short cuts to the finish line!  I already know how hard the training is. Every single week. Every single weekend. Mile after mile after mile. How in the world will be able to spend that much time together? We don't really hang out that much together! We hang out with other people together! How in the world will we do it?  What was I thinking?! 

But again, back to the lets get healthy together thing in #the60's. We're registered! We needed to get busy training so I labored over a training schedule. We somehow had to start out equal and build up distance and speed. Together!  Johnny hasn't been doing too much running in the last few years!  I'm miles and miles ahead of him, so to speak.  But we're in this together and it won't hurt me to back up and start over! All the way back to mile 1 if  that's what it's going to take! 

So that's what we're doing! We are 8 weeks into training now! 8 weeks into running together! 8 weeks or so into #the60's! It's working! It seems that we are compatible!  We are running partners! Who knew we could be running partners! We have a walk run type schedule. Running 60-70% of the distance. We have a ratio that I don't really understand. He is setting the pace. I can't keep up with timers! I get mixed up if it's time to walk or run! Johnny is great with keeping us on pace! He's really good with intervals! Who knew?!

It's been really nice to have such a committed running partner! I've missed a few middle of the week runs due to work & weather. He hasn't missed any! We have not missed a single long run together! It's been great to have him out there with me! I asked him last week at mile 6 in the rain if I was getting on his nerves. He said, Nope, not yet! I believed him! He hasn't made me crazy yet either!

The gate opens early at Lakeside Park!  8 miles on the run schedule!

During a walk interval. My running girlfriend snapped this one!

At the end of 8 miles! It was a great run! And look we are smiling!

I'm really proud of him! He's losing a little weight and getting stronger with every run. I am too. Maybe my old lady fat will finally go away! We are eating much healthier. We are paying attention to proteins, carbs & calories and staying away from the sugars & fats.  When we talk about our runs, it's obvious we have our own goals and are in our own little worlds but we are doing it together!  I really think we can do it! I really think we are compatible! Who knew?!

Peace, love & Grandmary

Wordless Wednesday #TrainingToBeAwesome

Marathon training is in full swing. I've been staying pretty true blue to the training schedule lately. It's hard. But that schedule hanging on the fridge with the red chip clip magnet screams & nags at me every time I walk by it! I hear it...3 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles, 8 on Saturday. Loud & clear! And when I don't hear it yelling at me, its crazy but it haunts me!

So this morning, I slept late! I'm off today! Take that training schedule! I drank 2 peaceful cups of coffee, ate some Rice Krispies, snap, crackle, pop! read all my devotional stuff, beat the next level on Frozen Free Fall, & got ready to hit the pavement. HaHa! I'm the real deal! I know, right!

It's Wordless Wednesday, so I figured I'd spare my hubs the complaining & just get out there. No complaining about the schedule!  He got up early & beat the heat! I already know what he will say, it's my own fault its hot! He's right, but I won't tell him that!

Sometimes I just like to run to think about stuff. Theres a good bit of quiet time when you go for a run! I've been thinking that I need to get better. Apparently, better happens around age 62! I have a few friends already retired, writing books, modeling, cranking out 10K's, running Triathlons, or biking from here to kingdom come!  I'm not there yet. Still working.  I'm just training for a marathon. With my husband. No books. No modeling jobs.

But I can be better right here, right where I'm at. Today I worked on increasing speed & distance for time! I did a run/walk pattern, mostly running, with a time to beat with every interval.  And I beat it.  Everytime. 4.2 miles. I'm already better than I was a little while ago!

Running down my street! I hope I don't get a ticket for speeding! 

Somebody told me I was awesome this week, because I ran 10 miles last Saturday in the rain with my husband. I thought about that today during my speed intervals. I thought about that a lot. No, I'm not really awesome. I'm like everybody else. I have old lady fat that won't go away! I need to lose 6 pounds. OK not a whole lot to some people, but I still need to lose it! I am slower than I wish I was. I really wish I was faster. I'm working on it. I caved in & ate a PB&J crustable yesterday, all right, I really ate two, but who can resist those? PB&J heaven, with  the middle just a little bit still frozen. I like to be lazy in the mornings. As in why does my training schedule not have official Lazy Day Today penciled in!! My house is a mess, my laundry is pile up high. Let's not even discuss dusting! So, no I'm not really that awesome.

But I'm motivated to being better than I am. I thought about that today too. What motivates me? What motivates you? What makes you more awesome than you already are? One of these days, when I'm 62, I'll have my book published, I'll laugh at my skin tight wetsuit, I'll ride with my feet up on the handle bars! But right now, I'm where I'm at. Not arguing today with my training schedule, #TrainingToBeAwesome. Running a few miles a little faster. I'm OK with it.  Life is Better.

Peace, Love  & Grandmary!

Princess Running Season! It's that time again!

I run better during Princess Season! Today I registered for my 7th Princess Half Marathon! I'll still be 'perfect' in 2015! It's Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Registration time again! It's a registration frenzy! Today was early registration for Annual Passholders & Disney Vacation Club Members. The trick is to be online first & hurry up & fill out the registration form. Then click Submit as fast as you can! After that, it's OK to resume breathing! You're in! Whew. Or at least that's how it is for me! I'm in. I can breathe again!

Pink New Balance Minnie running shoes & a Tiara! That's how I roll during Princess Season!

It all started in 2009. My daughters convinced me to register for the Inaugural Disney Princess Half Marathon. My first half marathon. Actually, my first run longer than 3 miles! I had about 5 weeks to 'train' for it. Until then, I had only run a few 5K's and had no idea how to run anything longer than 3 miles, much less train for a half marathon. How far was a half marathon anyway? But I have to admit, they had me at Disney Princess! So, absolutely, of course I was in. And don't ask me how, but I did it! It was brutal, I was a mental case, I was exhausted, I was way out of my league, but I did it! I ran a half marathon! I surprised myself at how much I actually ran, not just walked! I was slow as Christmas but I finished. And I got my first beautiful Gold Tiara Princess medal! Oh my goodness, it was a life altering moment for me! My daughters were waiting for me & proud of me & that too was life altering!  I'll share the whole story in another blogpost soon!

I learned something very valuable out there on the Inaugural Disney Princess 13.1 mile course. I was all by myself! It was up to me. No one said I had to run 13.1 miles. No one would be devastated if I had not finished.  Deep down I knew that. At mile 10, I had a complete mental come apart! By myself. What if I couldn't do it? What if I couldn't finish? What if I just needed to quit? I had enough self doubt to stop the whole race at that point. But somehow, somewhere I found what it took to finish. I just kept going & didn't quit. My legs were aching, my feet burned with every step! I was pretty positive my hips would never ever ever speak to me again! Every single step hurt hurt hurt. Mentally, I was just not prepared for the physical pain! And I felt myself start to crumble, as in I was so frustrated I started to cry! I remember thinking, Oh Great! Now I'm really having a fun time! Crying. In a half marathon. A Princess Half Marathon! With no Kleenex either. Wonderful. My only option was to get on the bus & quit. That's when I came out of my pity party & stumbled up on mile 12!  Seriously?? ONE mile left? That was less than a 5K!

I started to RUN! The whole last mile. I felt like I was flying! I'm sure it was a snails pace in reality! I was oblivious to the pain!  I heard the finish line before I saw it & cried all over again! I crossed the finish line like I had just won the Olympics! I was a half marathoner! I was a finisher! I was a Princess!

This event taught me more about my little self than I knew! I can do more than I think I can. I am very competitive with myself! There  is no quitting! The truth is, you must Set your own goals. Run your own race! It's your finish line. I will run this race every year. I will revisit my weaknesses out there and my self doubts. And I'll tip my tiara to them along the way. All the way to the finish line!  Because that's what a Princess does! 

My favorite Princess Half Marathon Picture!