Update on Geraldine...

Today I wore a new pair of capri's in my goal size. They are a little snug and will fit better after a few more pounds, but I am almost to the end. Whew! Losing weight is SO MUCH WORK! I am mentally so ready to get to maintenance.

Still running a lot too, and enjoying it. I think running is like learning to play the piano. In the beginning, it is kind of painful and there seems to be very little reward for the effort. But then as the skill level increases, so does the enjoyment. In the past, I was never skilled enough to enjoy running. (Not that I have mad skills now, but I'm just saying...)

I started training this week for a Half Marathon at the end of August. I'm hoping to remain injury free and be ready to do it when the time comes.

This week I ran about 23 miles, including an 8-mile run this morning in 1 hour and 24 minutes. I realized only a few minutes into the run that I had left my charging ipod behind. And amazingly enough, I was okay to just be alone with my thoughts. (Name that movie.) I used to need the ipod to distract me from the difficulty of the run. That's another milestone.

My darling loving husband financed an exciting purchase to aid my training: the Garmin Forerunner 305. This awesome little guy is my new training buddy, and I got a raging deal on him too! With built-in GPS he lets me know how far I've gone, how long I've been running, what pace I'm running at, AND my heart rate. There are cooler things he can do too, but I'm not sure how to make those cooler things work yet. I am pretty thrilled with this phenomenal training tool.


On a final note, it is time to publish heartfelt gratitude for my best friend. My darling Dave has been so kind and supportive of my running. He's willing to drag the kids to a race 2.5 hours away to watch them while I run for over 2 hours. He doesn't harp on me about running rather than folding laundry. He doesn't complain if his lunch is a little less stellar than it could have been had I spent less time running before he had to leave for work. He listens patiently when I share a new running-related accomplishment or goal. He's encouraged me to get the right shoes, and even buy the Garmin. Running does take time away from our family, but I feel like my ability to perform my roles of wife and mother are greatly augmented because I run, and he understands this. His attitude towards my running has really made me feel loved.

(And on a truly final note...this particular picture is in honor of the fact that Dave took Max to see the Cubs at Wrigley today. It was Max's first game and the boys had a fantastic time. They rode the train and went with some friends, another dad and 3 year-old son. Dave has been counting down the days to this event since Max was just a tiny guy, shown here at only 2 days old, on the day he came home from the hospital. We forgot to send him with the camera, so more pictures will come when the disposable one has been developed.)