Two Weeks in Review

I’m at my little workstation in the kitchen. The house is quiet but for the laundry tumbling, tumbling, tumbling in the dryer up the stairs. A candle is lit and coffee is near at hand. I hope to steal a few moments of the present to record the past before husband and children pour through front door and end the silence with joyful noises.

This morning, and the past two weeks really, was defined by a ten mile run. It was out there. Waiting for me. Intimidating me. Ever present. I was so happy when I got up this morning, knowing it would be behind me in a few hours. I know, there’s something wrong with me. 😉

When my running partner decided to train for a half marathon, I knew it was only a matter of time before she passed me in running ability. Today was that day. The last two miles were brutal and she (cheerfully) coaxed me along. I briefly considered throwing her into traffic. 😉 The proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” has come to mind many times over the past year of running with friends. Even alone, I am not fast. But with these two partners, I have maintained a greater consistency and endurance than I would have had alone. And, today, I would likely not have finished the ten running if Nikki hadn’t been there.

With that ten behind me, I feel lighter and freer. 🙂 Except for my knees, which feel like death.

The balance of the past two weeks have been school and activities and normal life. Grace finally got to celebrate her tenth birthday last weekend with her friends. Outdoorsy girl that she is, she wanted a camp out. And camping out in Kansas in August (when her birthday was) sounds like a little taste of hell, so we told her she would have to wait for the weather to cool down. And cool down it did! I did not pack enough bedding and we spent the night snuggling together in a borrowed camper. But the little girl voices still going strong at 2:30 in the morning assured me a wonderful time was being had and the life-long memories really were worth the non-existent sleep that night.