sundays

so this was an interesting day in the life....it was an all over glimpse into the life....not all sundays are like that - but this one was, so i thought id share....

it started like so many do with a housefull of  kids and dogs and noise - nothing spectacular....but i woke with the knowledge that this was THE DAY....i had to do a really long run (in my opinion) to stay on track for my half marathon training....so when i say i was looking for excuses to put this off, i was looking HARD!!!

so as i was flipping channels eating my bagel, i saw that TOO BIG TO  FAIL was just about to start - so i made jake and luke watch it with me.....i was just in one of THOSE moods....i want the boys to understand HOW we got where we are as a country - and to understand how easy is to to fall into the financial traps that are out there.....starting with luke's graduating class, students are required to take a class called FINANCIAL LITERACY.....as i affectionately like to call it the "how to write a check" class.....but in all honesty, they all probably need it - or something like it - so that when they get those first credit card offers in college, they understand that just because they are OFFERED credit, doesn't mean they can AFFORD it.....this is a lesson that we as a country obviously did not learn fast enough....

you can see how enthralled the boys were for this whole experience....and while it was a worthwhile endeavor (at least from my perspective), it also killed a couple of hours before i absolutely HAD to get myself motivated.....

i also did a little work and hung out with  my pop - those are more my normal sunday speed!!!  i was supposed to take josh to a birthday party (which would have killed just enough time that i could have rationalized NOT running) but POP offered to take him for me....so i was STUCK!!  dont you HATE when your excuses run out???

so i laced up my new running shoes and set out....at a ridiculously slow pace, but determined that i would make it 10 miles....that's my personal longest distance, and i had a mental block about it ....up until now, i have to admit to being VERY skeptical that i could actually RUN (or jog) 13.1 miles....i knew i could MAKE it, but not without walking!!  so today was kind of a test....and like all tests, the dreading of it was worse than actually doing it.....not that i LOVED it, but i made it....i actually made it 11.5 :)  and convinced myself that i WILL actually be able to run the damn race!!

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
-Oprah Winfrey

for the first time ever i can honestly say i am putting in real effort in terms of running... every other time i've had to run, i have always let the excuses win...and as much as i keep saying it, the only reason this time is different is because every time i want to stop, a voice in my head says "laura would keep going if she could" - it keeps things like achy ankles and the fact that i keep kicking myself in perspective....and reminds me that i CAN keep going!!

now i'm prepared mentally to be sore after this run...what i am NOT prepared for is to come home and suddenly be sick!!  who gets sick after a RUN??  me apparently....this is where the SUNDAY part kicks back in.....i'm sure you've realized that i'm a bit of a procrastinator...especially when i'm avoiding something.....but i had put off finishing the lacrosse schedules as long as i could....so i sat here tonight, sick and achy and worked on LACROSSE!!  my favorite....but even though i dont feel great, i do feel GOOD about what i accomplished.....i'm glad i made the boys sit with me and talk politics and money for a couple of hours....and i'm glad i finished my long run....i'm even glad that the stupid lax schedules are done (mostly).....it was  satisfying to check those things off my list.....and even though that list never seems to get any shorter, at least im still  plugging away at it :)

it's all a part of living with INTENTION....and while i fall of the wagon sometimes, i'm moving in the right direction :)