battle wounds...

Finally, physical evidence I am a runner. In all my miles I have never fallen down running, at least not physically. This in and of itself is amazing because I'm one of the least graceful people you will meet, all gangly limbs going every which way, all awkward and skinny, always tripping and dropping things. But never on a run, somehow I always managed to stay on my feet despite many a close call. Locomotion, indeed.

Until today. And it was a darn good fall.

I mean really, check that sucker out, impressive eh? The knee is clearly the most impressive, but that hand wound was through my running glove! My knee bled all day long, through teaching class and even still tonight it's ooozzzziinnnnngggg. Too bad the pictures still don't do it justice, it is much deeper than it looks.

But seriously, if you know me in any way at all you would know that if I'm going to do something like fall, I'm not going to half-ass it. I have standards. On my early morning 5-miler today I got tripped up and I kid you not, I literally flew through the air, I knew I was airborne because I had time to think about the fact that I was falling and actually process how to land--that had never happened before.

I was all.... Mmmmm, I think I'm flying through the air, how did this happen, how am I going to land, oh hey guy driving the Jeep, WHAT UP just falling here, and then I was all OMG don't hit face, don't hit face, don't hit face, spare the foot (the one that had the stress fracture)! AND BAM, down I went. It was just....incredible. It hurt like a mother. I even tore my heavy running pants, I'm just that thorough! So here's to popping my 'falling on a run cherry'... now tell me how awesome I am.

Classy.

my 'friday foto'...

I'm contributing to Nike Mom's fun Friday tradition with my Friday 'Fotos!' This is a picture that was taken by a good friend while I was spending the summer of 2001 in Puebla, Mexico studying Spanish with Wichita State University. I was 22. That summer was one of the best times of my life, an amazing experience. My friend who took it, Mike Potts, is an incredible photographer and artist. This picture wasn't photoshoped or retouched one bit! It brings back all the awesome and fun memories of that summer.

cramping my style...

The other night, randomly, while sitting on my couch I sat straight up in terror scaring the living poo out of my poor dog, because I realized some of the upcoming races I want to do between now and April might have to be nixed from my schedule. I forgot to consider my teaching schedule when picking races all nimbly bimbly! This means I'm out for the Super Bowl 4-miler on Sunday. I also realized this means the students in my class are going to try and fly through their final in order to get to what I'm sure is their vitally important super bowl parties. I care as much about football as an 80-year-old cares about going clubbing. The race was going to be my super bowl highlight!

I guess when it comes to life there is give and take, when working toward one goal, sometimes another goal has to suffer. This is something I'm finding during the busy time in my life. Because I'm pursuing my dream and goal of becoming a college instructor, running races (which I love to do, any length) is going to suffer. In order to pursue my goal and dream of running my first marathon and eventually qualifying for Boston my goal to become a yoga instructor is going to suffer. It's the domino effect. But I'm okay with that, I've learned over the last two years to be patient and know that if it's meant to be, it will happen.

These are the choices we make in our life path though, right? I think I'll know inside me when the right time is to taper out of one goal in order to meet another. I'm feeling that now in fact, it's time to focus on teaching college and running a marathon, travel and babies will come later, one step and one dream and one goal at a time. Because within those, it's vitally important I maintain a strong relationship with my husband, God and those I love the most. And I'm at total peace with it. These dreams and goals have been handed over to God, they are in excellent hands.

So good luck to all you Super Bowl 4-miler racers in Wichita, I'll be sitting in a classroom while you are out running the race. I'm a teensy bit envious.

best part of my day...

Coming home and sitting my exhausted butt on couch to watch my TiVo'd shows while Milo snuggled next to me and Ed made Teriyaki Meatballs (thanks to a new recipe from a recent recipe swap lunch with my girlfriends, the meatballs are Kristen's recipe) and Fried Rice. OMG, yum.