as cozy as spring

Fall Fitness

I bought Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred a few weeks ago, after reading about it in the blogosphere.  Let me say this, after I finished the first workout, I was too sore to lift the soap in the shower.  It is challenging, but also very effective.  I regularly run and lift weights but wanted a bit of a change.  After only three weeks, I'm already seeing new little muscles in my arms and legs.  The best part is that each workout is only 20 minutes long.  You can do anything for 20 minutes.  It's easy to fit into the day.  I'm very happy with this DVD.  Best of all, after seeing some improvement in only a few days, I'm highly motivated to take it up a notch.  And, I kept having to go down a size when I was trying on clothes the other day.  Nice!  Just a note that I'm using 8 pound hand weights because it's what I had.

In other exercise happenings, Lucy has decided she wants to run the Thanksgiving day 5K.  I'm so proud of her!  It's not generally recommended that children so young run that distance on a regular basis.  The only reason I am allowing it is because the race is very family friendly and very slow.  It's not a race I run expecting to log in a great time.  And I don't expect her to run the entire distance.  At this point, she is running intervals with me on a two mile course a few times a week.  I'm doing this all very carefully.  The nicest part for me is having a running partner for the first time in my life.  We've had some great talks on the trail.  And she thinks it's just plain fun.  

We are tracking our own monarch sightings.  We happen to visit the same garden center at the same time once a week.  So we are walking the path and counting how many we see every week.  We've done this for maybe the last four years and it is so interesting to see a definitive peak and then the numbers drop to zero quite rapidly.  This week, we noticed only one rather ragged creature.  We said a little prayer that it will make it to Mexico for what looked like a much needed rest.  

It's been a beautiful September.  I don't remember one cooler.  I have three quilts in various stages of beginning and much to enjoy in the garden.  Happy last summer weekend! 

33:05

That is my race time.  I thought about writing a list of excuses as to why it is so slow, but taking a cue from Lisa I am instead going to write a thankful list:

I am thankful for my legs and my heart, for my body that works just fine and allowed me to run this race without any problem.

I am thankful for my fellow runners, especially the gentleman in his late seventies who beat me and the woman in the wheelchair whose children stood by the cheer her on.

I am thankful to the policemen, volunteers, and homeowners who came out to cheer for the runners.  Though, there was one very loud man who decided to preach to us from his doorstep, "You can't run from your sins!!"

I am thankful for the three people who met me at the finish line, my husband (who made it all possible) and my children.

I am thankful for my little girl, my running partner in the 1K

I am thankful for my city and this beautiful free garden which serves as my children's school room.

I am thankful for the folks who supplied us with snacks and water and, in true Southern style, chips and salsa after the race.

I am thankful for the wind gusts, hills, and 40 degree weather and for the way my legs muscles seems to freeze up in every single race.  I'm lying.

I am thankful that we don't just get fall color in the trees, but this as well (in November!):

I thank God that it is over.

And today, especially I am so thankful for my father and my grandfathers and for everyone else who has served for our country.