She still runs like a champ!

Time flies...I don't just mean because it's been nearly three weeks since my last blog...but I mean that it flies because I now have a Kindergartner. Yep. Morgan graduated from Northlake Christian Preschool on Tuesday. SIGH. I have no idea where the time went. And Maddie will be a year old in three weeks. We're in full party planning mode for the big dual party for them on June 18th. Have I mentioned how busy May/June is for us???

Many people know about my little Honda. I've had it for a little over 4 years and I love it. It's seen me through many, many miles. Sometime last year, it began to rattle and shake when I drove it over 50 mph. I kept chalking it up to the extreme high mileage that I've put on it. One day, Jonathan took it to Honda and got an alignment and a new set of tires. When I got it back, it ran like a champ. It was faster, smoother and it was like new. In my mind, it was old and worn. But a new set of tires made the 98,000 miles seem to disappear. I tell you this because I had a similar experience today. This afternoon we went to Varsity Sports. If you've never visited Varsity and you are a running/walking enthusiast, you REALLY need to go. Jon went to pick up some compression thingies for his shins. While I was there, I decided to look at new shoes. Although I bought new shoes in January, I have already worn the tread down. At Varsity, they outfit you for your shoes - you don't just try them on and buy them. The guy was able to tell me which shoes were best for me, my activity level, the support I needed, etc. Wow. I found a pair that I loved and they were probably the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn- so I bought them. Tonight when I went home, I went for a run in my new shoes. I have a 5K in the morning and wanted to break them in before hitting the race course. I have to say, these shoes are AWESOME. I felt faster, never tired and never had a bit of pain. AND I RAN. Now, to some of you, that may not sound like a big deal. But for someone that has spent most of her life overweight, it's a huge deal. I've dreamed about running. And running. And running- no fatigue, no stopping. It's a good thing. I beat my normal time and distance by leaps and bounds. I guess all I needed was a new set of tires!

As I said, we have another 5K in the morning. I am happy to say WE because Jon and the family have now joined me in this 5K adventure. We did our first 5K as a family last weekend at Stone Creek Country Club. I was able to score a double jogging stroller at a consignment shop for way cheap so that we can all go together. 

We are scheduled for 5Ks for the next several weeks through late July. Next up after tomorrow's Jambalaya Fest Run is the Fireman's 5K, Blueberry Festival Run, Northshore Tri-Club Run, Fireworks Run, 4 on the 4th and Spillway Classic.


For those wondering, I am now down 63.6 lbs since January 25th. I also just finished the second boot camp class at the gym. In the 6 weeks of that class, I lost 16 lbs and 4% body fat. Still waiting to hear if I won that segment...there was still one class member that needed to weigh in. 


One more thing before I sign off...many of you have seen the pics posted on Facebook the past week. We did a photo session with Amber V Photography a few weeks ago for Morgan's 5th and Maddie's 1st BDays. She is amazing. It's one of those situations that I REALLY had a very hard time deciding which I loved the best because they were SOOO amazing. Here are a few...

I won't post more because I don't want to ruin the surprise of their birthday invitation. If you need a photographer, I HIGHLY suggest Amber. You can also find her on Facebook at Amber V Photography. 


That's all for now...5am comes early for a 5K! Stay Tuned!!!


Janel