Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you who keep reading my stories!

I wish you all happiness and health!

Spending the holidays with my parents who are visiting from Canada!

I try to run but it is not the top priority since I don't get to see them often and I want to enjoy their visit and not be rude and leave for long period of times..so all is done on the treadmill at home and nothing over 5 miles.

Went to see 2 movies already

First one for grown ups: American hustlers.  It is excellent go see it.

Second one: magical: go see it.

Got my newest ornament 

Enjoy your family!

Hope Santa will be good to you...me really all I want for real is to be healthy and that my kids will not fight for one day...or two!! :)

Joyeux Noel!

Holiday half marathon race recap

Holiday half marathon in Pomona.

Half marathon number 24.

I cannot believe this...that is a lot of miles..

Ok the race...

It was my third year in a row running this crazy hilly course.

The first year I PRd there, this year I did not....I died instead...

It was rough.

This race starts at 8 am and I think that it is too late.  Last year it was cold on race day and this year it was super hot.....heat and hills...talk about hell right there.

I knew I would not do great but I did not expect to struggle that much.  I went to the race by myself, I told Bill to stay home and skip that one.  I regretted that as soon as I left...I like having my family supporting me and it helps me to know I will see them on the course.  This race is pretty close to home so the drive there is short.  It was nice and cold in the morning but I knew that it would get warm and it did.  Race started at 8:05.  I felt OK at  first and I was hopefull that this would be a good day on the course.

The first hill came way too soon....it was like "wake up everybody!"

Before mile 6 my knee was done.  I could not run on it..it was too painful.  I power walked.  I was frustrated.  Darn injury.  I kept trying to run for short stretches but it was not going to get better.  I started to get a lot of muscle cramps. My right hip was on fire.  I had my phone and I posted about my troubles and I have to thank all of you who kept me in the race.  I was wondering why Bill was not texting me.  I thought that maybe the boys were not behaving well at home and he did not want me to worry about that or he just forgot...either way it was not good for my spirit!  But my Instagram and Facebook friends you were all the bestest of the best! Thank you!  Good thing I did carry my phone!!

The hills are part of the course up until around mile 11 I think.  I could not wait to be DONE. It was also hot and I lost a lot of salt...even with taking salt tablets and my stomach was not great once again.  I don't remember the last miles...I know I wanted to stop many times...I am so happy I did not.  

Here I could see the finish line 

And then......I got a huge surprise....

See this was my reaction

Bill and the boys were there at the finish!!!!

I was so happy to see them...

What a hard half marathon this was...possibly the hardest with my very first one.

It was hard physically and mentally.

I am glad that I did not give up.

I would say I ran 30% and walked 70%.

I came in 2:43:xx a terrible time but with all that walking how can it not be...

I almost collapsed at the end...some guy caught me just in time...

I refused the wheel chair and the trip to the medic tent....kids were watching...no need to scare them.

I saw the best sign ever around mile 9:

Seriously....custom made for me...

I got 2 medals this year...second one for completing this thing 3 years in a row.

I am resting for a few days.  My body is hurting from this one.

My parents are getting here tonight and it is the last week of school before the Holiday break...got a lot to do...

Holiday kids race!

Saturday was the annual Holiday Kids Race.  That 1 mile race is part of the activities around the Holiday Half Marathon.

This was our third year at that race.  Run Racing always have great events.  The kids races are all 1 mile, they are FREE and they the kids get nice medals.  They have 3 waves for the kids race and Rudy the MC is there for that race just like he is for the 5k and half marathon.  The 5K is right before the kids race so we got to see the end of that race while we were waiting....up until the very last walkers.  

Will and Jonathan both said that next year they want to do the 5K and I said ok.

They want the "snowflake" medal instead of the penguin !

Will's soccer team was still in the playoffs so we were rushed a little and I made the boys line up at the back of wave 1.  One wave ahead of the one they should have been in.  It was that or miss the race.

It ended up being just fine.  They came in ahead of the middle pack in around 9:00.

Before the start:

Start

Coming to the finish, Will save the big brother honor and came in first....did not want to be beaten by Jonathan who reminded him that he beat him one year on the way there!!!!

Military men were there to give the medals for the whole weekend and that was awesome

Last race of 2013

Sunday is my last race for 2013.

The Holiday Half marathon on Sunday.

This year has been one of ups (Ragnar) and downs... (Injury) and overall not my best one as far as running goes....low mileage, set backs, not many good races...

Last Sunday I ran 10 miles on the treadmill and it was not pretty.  It was hard and I ended up in pain...in the knee....yep....not awesome....

It hurt for the rest of the day...just walking ...

And Monday also...

And Tuesday...

And I got really frustrated.

Race week is not a good time to be feeling pain....

Race week of a really really hilly course

Wednesday I decided to try a short run.  Well....it was short alright...3 miles.

It was not great. 

And so I have rested the rest of the week.  The whole week.

So it is safe to say that I am not ready to race any distance ...but I am still going to do it.  It's my third year doing that race and I will get a special extra medal for that.

The kids are running the kids race tomorrow, it is always super fun and they get really nice medals. It is super well organized, just one mile and it is FREE!

The boys have one more week to go before the Christmas break and I can tell that my oldest son is ready for a break from all the work he has this year, he is tired and done.  I sure hope his teacher is not sending the kids on Christmas vacation with homework or projects to do.  

We need a real break:) My parents will be here in less than week and once they are here it will feel like the Holiday Season!

The kids are really really excited! My mom will even get to come to their school for their Christmas party!

The kids had concert at our school and it was fantastic.  They had a music teacher for the first half of the year and they learned songs in different languages.  I was very impressed with how much they learned in such a short time.  I was even more impressed that one song was in French!

Oh and look I managed to start decorating!

I love anything that says NOEL!

Are you done racing for the year?

"The most wonderful time of the year" ...is it?

Ah the Holiday season is here....

It is supposed to be joyous and wonderful....

Why does it feel so stressful to me???

I feel like I am chasing time at this time of the year

I am sure I am not the only one like that..,

Buying presents....that is so overwhelming to me.. I absolutely HATE shopping...and so this is pure hell for me.

I want to find great gifts for everyone on the list.  I over think everything.

For the kids it's easy...they have lists that are endless...I just have to pick what fits the budget and make it even...

Even that though....I am bombarded with emails theses days... Each has "The best deal of the year!" 

I cannot read one more of those...it is just tooooooo much!

I think I am done.   I even wrapped everything ...

What is not done is decorating my house.  No mommy points for that...:(

I planned on doing it this week but I ended up working 3 days...so I did nothing and tomorrow is my day to volunteer at the school and my older son has a concert that I cannot miss!

So it will have to be this weekend.

I am also behind in my Christmas cards...I have them but I still have to write them...

I need more time in the day!!!

I need to get my house ready because my parents will be here soon!!! 

That is awesome but right now I could not have my mom see my house... I would get "the look".

How about you? Overwhelmed? In the holiday spirit? Numb?

Running this week was not stellar....one day only.... So not good.  I am worried about my up coming half marathon.....

I have had several emails about my kids lately...all about the same thing...how did I make them like reading so much ....I get asked that a lot at school also....

I always say the same...I did not make them like reading.  They genuinely love to read.  We have a lot of books in the house.  Books are the only thing I buy for them for no special reason..like birthday or Christmas. I started reading to them when they were babies and I started taking them to the public library when they were very young.  They thought it was the best thing to bring back 25 books at home!  I love to read and they see that also.  One thing that is important I think is I listen to them talking about the stories they read...sometimes it is too much details for me but I still listen to them...my oldest son reads these really thick books about mythology ..they are novels with many caracter and he can talk about the stories for hours if you let him...Showing interest in their reading is important.  I have a 2nd and a 4th grader and they often read the same books...the younger one wants to be like big brother...and it is really nice to have them talk about the stories they read.  I love it.  So my advices are have books in your home..if you don't want to buy some..go to the public library.  Read to your kids if they are little ones, if they are in school read WITH them (your own book). Ask them about their readings..what book they like...why... They will read if they like the stories.  My kids don't "count" reading as homework...they read just as much during the winter break or summer vacation.  They wrote lists for Santa and on Jonathan's list the number 1 thing is the box set of the Wizard of Oz books....it is above his reading level...but I had to get it anyway because well Santa would approve this as a number 1 choice right?

What are YOU reading these days?

I am finishing You before me right now....

This is where you find my sons after dinner...:)