I’m in Love, I’m in Love and I don’t care who knows it (said in my best Will Ferrell a la Elf impression). I am in love with the sunshine that is out today. After a long, perilous Cleveland winter the sun has showed up this week. I am going to put up my blinders and ignore the fact that it is back in the 30s next week and soak up every minute of this cold weather reprieve. Yesterday it was 45 after work and I harnessed up the dogs, strapped Harper in the BOB and took them all for a 2 mile walk. Then I let the kid out of her restraints and we ran back up and down our street. Harper was so cute in footy jammies and big pink snow boots. We splashed in puddles, picked up rocks and took sticks and stuck them in the remaining snow mounds. Then I even let the kid stomp around our mud pit of a backyard, that’s how geeked I was about the weather. I didn’t even care that her hands were covered in muds and her boots now resembled mud pies. It was fun!

Fonzie and I have had 2 wonderful 5:30am runs this week. I have also gone out on lunch and walked 2 miles twice. See I freak out a little when it warms up and take as many steps as humanly possible. I am looking forward to taking the dogs for another long walk after work and letting Harper walk alllll the way to the swing set for some fun. How are you enjoying this break in the weather?

I am declaring this the year of SICK. I cannot catch a break ya’ll. I have jumped from one bad illness to another. I had a sinus infection in Dec. Then got knocked down by another sinus infection and double ear infection in Jan that had me off my game for almost 3 weeks and now I think I have the flu. These lovely illnesses all come to me after taking care of a sick toddler. So, I suffer through the fun that is a whiny, snotty mess of a kid and then become one myself. And as any mom out there can attest, it doesn’t matter how sick you are, moms DO NOT get a day off. I could be bleeding out of every orifice and I would still be the one who needs to walk the dogs, do the dishes and make sure Harper’s not pulling Fonzie’s tail. I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown I am so sick of being sick. I wonder if I would care so much if I wasn’t someone who regularly works out? Because that is what really upsets me, I don’t work out much when I am sick. I am already calling my marathon in June doomed b/c I haven’t been running much at all lately. I need a few good solid weeks of 20-25 miles and I haven’t had it and next Monday is day 1 of my official 12 week training plan. Yes, 12 weeks, an abbreviated plan b/c I assumed I would have my normal running base. Ack.

I do have to say that I had the most AMAZING 5 mile run on Sat. It was raining and unusually warm and Fonzie and I tore it up. Even with his million pee breaks we held close to an 8 min mile for all 5 miles. Harper had come home sick from school on Friday, so she was pretty sick Friday and Sat and I woke up Sunday with the worst sore throat and it has just gone downhill from there. I went out for a 10 miler on Sunday and called it quits about 4 miles in and then had to run (walk!) 2 miles back to my car in the ridiculous 3 inches of snow we got overnight.

Also on a positive note, I joined my works wellness committee. I had previously mentioned how we are participating in the Virgin Health Miles program where you track your steps for a year and you also get points for all other kinds of workouts. It’s a lot of fun and the committee put together some really cool prizes for each level you reach (2-5, everyone starts on 1, duh). We are also going to pull together monthly lunch and learns. We have one lined up where we will get our body fat calculated and then we’ll have the guy come back at the end of the year so you can see your progress! And I am putting one together on desk yoga! Fun stuff.