Last August

August of 2009 was a busy month for me. 

I was full swing into homeschool curriculum reviews for the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. I did 59 reviews in just under a year. I like to think that makes me a rockstar, thankyouverymuch.

A friend and I worked to combine two grammar-aged homeschool co-ops into one. Then I agreed to lead and organize that newly formed co-op (that was now twice the size of the one I organized the year before).

I agreed to serve on the steering committee of our Tapestry of Grace co-op for the school year.

I was in the midst of repainting our very long hallway... and its 8 doors - I kid you not!.

I moved  the schoolroom from the main floor to the basement - which meant I had to rearrange our large, very cluttered basement. (I did it in Aug but didn't have time to post about it until Sept. That's how busy I was!)

I was learning about my new chickens.

But the biggest and most amazing thing I did started about 9 weeks earlier in mid-June. I decided I was going to be a runner (again, after a 10+ year hiatus) .  I printed the Couch to 5K program and got my booty in gear. I followed it loosely because I didn't have the patience or attention span to keep up with all the starting and stopping... I ran until I was tired and walked until I was ready to run again.  I gradually increased my running distance each week.

I talked to a few people IRL and on message boards and realized I should sign up for a race so that I would have a goal to work towards. Thankfully, there was a local, women only race in mid-August because I don't know that I would have had the courage to run amongst speedy men *and* speedy women.  Bill thought running was a passing fancy but gave me the green light to register.

To say that I was nervous that morning is an understatement. I was sure I would fall over and die or maybe just barf everywhere. Either way humiliation was on the menu that day, I was certain of it.

I lined up at the back of the runners, just in front of the walkers and met a very nice lady named Janice who was a walker.  The gun went off and I was running my first 5k in over 10 years.  I started slow and locked onto another runner with a comfortable pace and just followed her to the end.  I was competely amazed that I was able to run the whole distance without stopping. I was also completely amazed that I finished in under 40 minutes - 33:55 actually. I was able to laugh at myself that I got smoked by a 6 y/o girl - yes, really! She ran it in 31:28.

A month later I ran another 5K and finished in 30:41, and I was hooked. Since then I've run another 5K, a 10 miler, a 5 miler, an 8K and a half marathon.

This Saturday, I'm running in the Women's Distance Festival again and this year Bill and the kids will be cheering me on as they work at one of the water stops. I can't wait!!