Life is good.

I love the feeling after a great run where you exceeded your own expectations. As you've seen I've been dealing with some pain in my IT band and in my right shin. Couple that with some seriously hot runs and I was beginning to doubt myself and my half marathon ventures. Well, today run took away all of my doubts.

If you are new to my blog, I am having a preventative bi-lateral mastectomy on November 28th. I am not a worrier by nature, but there are some thoughts that creep into the back of my mind from time to time. What better way to push those worries aside by focusing on something else....my half marathon race on Nov. 10. So, there I said it. I am doing the half marathon on Nov. 10. (if I keep saying it over and over it'll come true, right?!)

This summer has been great and I am sad to see it come to a close and go back to work full time. I love being home with my family and I love having so much time to train. Training will be more dificult in one way but so much nicer in another because cooler temps are on their way.

I even got back on my bike a few weeks ago and had a great ride with a long time training buddy, Lindsey, and great friend. It reminded me how much I love to ride and I hope to get back into again. Not sure how many rides I can squeeze in with the running schedule as it is...but I am open to it. I did 18 miles on my first ride and I felt great, like I hadn't ever stopped riding.

Today was a 5 mile longer run and really the first "official" training run for Lindsey and I. I would say it was a success. 5 miles at 49:24. I am always happy with a less than 10 minute pace. Plus, I didn't have any pain and we both felt good the entire time. Oh, and bonus...I got a super cool new water belt (Thanks Linds for picking out one just perfect for me!). Linds and I have have come full circle. Training buddies before kids and now that neither of us are pregnant at the same time (which was a few years of that!) we are back. I truly enjoy that time each week with her to talk and catch up.

I love it!

My mom is doing a lot better and has finished chemo, my training is right where it needs to be, I have a wonderful family, went on 3 awesome vacations, I love my husband now more than ever, have a huge support system from family and friends, and I have two of the cutest kids on the planet. I'd say, life is good.

A little rambling.

I apologize in advance for the rambling as I have a lot going through my head and decided to get it out. I had an MRI today for my head, which is routine for me for a non-issue tumor on my pituitary gland. It has been there for years and we just do an MRI every few years to make sure it hasn't grown and I am sure it hasn't. But, for some reason while I was laying there in the machine all I could think about was my surgery and what is to come. It was a good 45 minutes of time to think (despite the ridiculous clicking noises). The only other time I've had surgery was my breast reduction and I think I was so super excited about that I don't remember being scared. I remember waking up and being in a lot of pain and I can only imagine that pain will be tripled after my mastectomy. So my thoughts wondered there and how much I hate having an IV (they had to put contrast in for the last part). Then, when I turn my phone back on after the procedure I have a text from my Dad saying that my mom is having heart issues and is in the ER. Oh. great. It turns out she is severely dehydrated and malnurished from this last round of chemo. They switched up her drugs due to some other side effects and it seems this new drug is no better it just comes with a new set of issues, one being that she doesn't ever eat or drink anything. Her dehydration is now affecting her kidneys and they are doing some work to make sure her heart is ok, also. On top of all of that earlier this week I got an email from my principal with the horrible news that a teacher at my school has breast cancer. I mean...come on! I am BRCA positive along with two other teachers at my school and now the most health conscience, in shape, healthy person we have on staff has breast cancer? I know it sounds selfish but it is just like a slap in the face. Everywhere. I. turn. it. is. there.

I know I am rambling but I just had a lot on my mind. Thank goodness for a kick butt run practice tonight where I left nothing behind and busted my butt. I didn't have time to worry about my mom, or my surgery or anything. I just was trying to breath and make it through and I did.