Flurry of Activity

Boy howdy I have a lot going on right now.  It started with vacation last week.  My husband, daughter and I went to the Smoky Mountains with my brother and sister-in-law and their two girls (well, I might as well say three girls because the oldest has a best friend who is more like a sister than just friend).  It was a great trip.

The list of activities of the next eight weeks is topped with my daughter leaving for college.  I'm going to miss her more than I can express in words.  ...I can't even say more than that about it or I won't be able to finish this post...

I didn't intentionally plan all the things that will take place after "the departing" it just kind of happened that way.  I personally believe it's my loving God taking care of me in ways I wouldn't even consider.

Since the college she is attending is six hours from home but also six hours closer to my grandparents' house, I decided to take the opportunity to go see them after "move in" day.  Since I have to be in Portland at the end of that week, I decided to fly out from Dallas instead of driving 12 hours back home to turn around and fly out from here.  In case you're new to the blog you might not know why I'm going to Portland.

If I could find a way to make that sentence animated and sparkle in neon flashiness, I would!!  (...oh, wait, with Google anything is possible!!  Thanks to this great site, I DID do that!!) 

I am SO GLAD I have that race to look forward to.  I've had a hard time getting beyond ...the other thing... that has to happen first, but when I allow my mind to venture beyond "D(eparture) Day" to think about the race,  I go from being overcome with sadness to being overcome with excitement!!  It's hard to believe after over a year and a half this race is finally going to happen for our team in just SIXTEEN DAYS!!!    Our team is number 440 and we have a start time of around 9:30 am.  I am runner number 10.  It will take us between 30-31 hours to complete the adventure!  30-31 hours in a Suburban with 5 other women (well, except for my time running which will be less than a total of about 3 hours).  I've been so consumed with other things I don't even honestly know how far I'm running or what the legs of the race look like...I just know I'm going to RUN!

The flurry of activity won't stop at the finish line.  After I fly back to Dallas, and visit with my grandparents a bit more, I'll drive back through to spend some more money on my daughter as I'm sure that will end up being necessary!  After I tear myself away from her yet again, I'll come back home just in time to leave again...this time for the USAT Level One Coaching Clinic in Rhode Island!!  I'm super excited about this clinic!  I absolutely LOVE coaching.  It feels like I'm about to enter yet another new stage of my life.  ((Although part of that new stage involves being an "empty nester"...but I don't want to talk about that part...))  It's hard to believe less than three years ago I wasn't even a runner, I didn't even really know how to swim and I didn't even own a bike!  I love this sport and have such a passion for helping other athletes realize their potential I can't wait to have the credentials to back all that love and passion up!!

But wait...the flurry doesn't even stop there!  Just like the infomercials say, "THERE'S MORE!!"

After I get back from Rhode Island I will have just under 3 weeks to finish up training for my first half ironman race!!   ((Yes, it will be my first since the swim was cancelled at NOLA70.3.))  I don't even know how ready I will be able to be for the race since there's so much going one between now and then.  Funny...there's no doubt in my mind I will finish the race.  That's a really good feeling.  The question becomes how WELL will I finish?!

A lot is going to happen before that question can be answered.  I'm just so very thankful the flurry of activity happens AFTER the big send off that I don't want to talk about instead of before.  I have things to look forward to after that day.... 

How about those Olympics, huh?  .....


Thanks for stopping in, come again soon.  :D