Each Day Is a Gift

Surprisingly there's no knee pain.  May be it's masked by the ibuprophen I've been taking for my sore throat and headache.

I went to church with my son and his roommates.  I'm glad I went even though I wasn't feeling well.  I wouldn't want to miss my friend's son's mission report.  His dad was our bishop.  He just returned from serving 2 years in Fiji.  He spoke on Obedience.  He is such a fine young man!!!  Then my son's former YM president spoke.  I can tell Steven was touched by the wonderful leaders who have taught him and helped us raise him over the years! :)

I was going to go home after sacrament.  But Valerie's excited and exuberant hug was irresistable.  She grabbed my hand and dragged me to Primary.  She kept patting my back and with sincere concern, "you sick?"  "you ok?"  "feel better."  "you my friend?"  "you my friend?"  "you my friend?"  "you my friend?"  "Sue-AnnaH, my friend!"  "watch Valerie?"  "Watch Valerie?"  "you my friend?"  "you my friend?"  for the entire 2 hours!  If that doesn't make one feel better, I don't know what! :)  Yes, Valerie, I'm your friend.  I LOVE YOU!  and I will always watch over you! :)

Then I went to Choir practice.  I'm the ward choir director.  I didn't bake any treats today.  Thankfully I had some Costco mini-cream-puffs.  The choir was a noisy bunch today.  Not paying attention to my directing or hoarse-talking-voice!  It didn't help that I had to keep covering my mouth while coughing.  I am very concerned as we are singing in two weeks and then singing two numbers on Easter which happens to be the day of Steven's *non-farewell*.

After giving Steven's roommate a haircut (he's a fine young man, recently return missionary serving in Ogden, a polite boy with a headfull of curly dark hair that most Latin Americans have), fed them a quick dinner, I bid them goodbye for the 2 hr drive back to USU.  The next time I see Steven will be on his brother's wedding on April 23 and Steven will speak at Sacrament on April 24, before leaving for his mission.  I did well holding back tears until after the car was out of sight, then the tears just flooded!

The evening's highlight was when Larissa got on web-cam and I got to see Baby Jett all sleepy eyed, dressed in his white blessing outfit.  It's bittersweet that I couldn't be there for his blessing.  It is so hard to have my grandchildren so far away.  I miss them terribly!

Hubby got home from attending a fireside.  He was bummed that he missed seeing Baby Jett.  He hasn't even met the baby in person yet.  Oh, the sacrifice he makes!

VERY SICK!!!!  I couldn't sleep last night so I took an ibuprophenPM just before midnight.  Wow!  That thing worked like a charm (err a nighty nightlight).  For some reason, drugs affect me quite powerfully.  Evidence of my ability to finish strong on Saturday's 20 miler, thanks to the aid of drugs! :)

Anyhoo, I slept like a log, vaguely remembered hubby kissed me goodbye (did he?).  I woke up to the sound of text message from Carolyn asking if I wanted to run with her!   Yikes, it's 8 and I was supposed to meet my sister-in-law at 8:45 at the Lehi Main St. interchange to drive to a family member's funeral in Tooele.   Quickly checked my emails and got dressed.  I called my SIL to alert her that I was running late...NO VOICE!!!  I have LOST my voice!!!!  How is it that I could cough non-stop producing barking noises and yet I couldn't speak?

At the funeral, I hid behind massive layers of tissue papers, coughing in between sobing!  I must have been quite a mess.  My brother-in-law who's a doctor took one look at me and ordered me to GO HOME, GO TO BED, and gave me a Zpac!

Hubby came to drive me home, I was freezing, yet the temp outside was in the high 50's.  I took the anti-biotic and crawled in bed.  Finally dozed off for half an hour when hubby came in to wake me up.  We're supposed to pick up our friends for dinner and Jazz game at 5pm.  Yikes, I had 15 min to get ready!  I took 2 ibuprophen and carried tons of cough drops.

HAPPY NEWS ~ Eric received formal posting that he's accepted to the Residency program in Cleveland, OH.  He will start on July 1st at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the country's biggest and innovative surgical hospital! 

Jen, Jeff's fiance, finally moved into the condo they bought...much much lesser commute time! YAY! 

Bryan is very happy with his $16000 viola (yes, we are very very very broke now!)  He will be performing a solo concerto with the Symphony on March 30.  He will leave on April 27 for a performance tour in China then stay in China to do internship in May/June, then to D.C. to be in the National Orchestral Institute in June, then spend a month in July in the Czech Republic in the International Music Academy.  All this means:  HUGE $$$ expenditure = investment in a child's musical carreer = future starving artist! :)

Jazz won at overtime! :)

I shouldn't have gone to the Jazz game feeling so sick. but hey, the ibuprophen kept the headache away.  I even ate good and thanks to the congested ears, I couldn't hear the NOISE in the Event Center.  And without a voice, I just clap!!! 

Anyhoo, couldn't sleep at all last night.  I didn't want to take another PM pill, don't want to get hooked, so I just took one ibuprophen and sat on the couch so I wouldn't wake up hubby with my coughs.

One thing about being sick and awake in the middle of the night is you get to read scriptures, you get to count your blessings.

Blessings:

1) I was the only one not as sick in the family when everyone was deathly ill the last 3 weeks!  Who would take care of them, otherwise?

2)  I got to run with Karen for her first 20 miler! :)  She is going to do AWESOME at SLC.

3)  I got to run with Emi while she was here in February on a few days when the weather was good, albeit a few yards at a time.  I have a feeling she's gonna be a great runner or gymnast!  I will be running my 4th Boston on her 2nd birthday!  I will finish the marathon even if I have to crawl!

4)  My family in Hawaii and Japan are safe!

5)  My children have grown up to be fine people.  They are kind, Christlike, humble, busily and anxiously engaged in good things.  I am very proud of them.  I love them soooo much!  I miss them terribly! 

6)  My sweet, kind, gentle husband is healthy.  He is loved and respected by all who know him.  I have learned to accept the fact (or through FAITH) that I must share him or his time with those he serves and works with. 

7)  I have met many wonderful friends like you through running!  What a great community of good good people who care deeply!  My association with many of you have greatly enriched my life!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:31 ~ "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Yes, I need to *wait* upon the Lord daily! :) :) :)

13 in 2:05:45. 

4 mi warm up (5 - 6mph)

4 x 800 @ 8mph with 400 RI @ 6mph

6 mi cool down (6.5mph)

After 3 days of zero running and moping around the house, I had enough.  The antibiotic should be kicking in; but the chest was still tighter than a submarine.  Couldn't get any over the counter inhaler.  So decided to do some walking on the TM to see if I could loosen up the lungs. 

I sounded like a freight train during the initial miles.  Had to stop numerous times to drink, blow the nose, cough, cough, cough!!!  Gasping for air during the 800s so stopped with just four.  During the cool down, my knee really bugged.  I concluded that treadmill running is BAD for my knee. 

10.5 miles in 1:39:05.  AP: 9:26.  (10:20, 9:57, 9:38, 9:29, 9:29, 9:27, 9:14, 9:20, 8:57, 8:49, 8:50).

Headed out just before 1pm with no idea if the lungs would let me run.  Had one yogurt and EmergenC for breakfast.  So decided to carry a hand held 20oz bottle filled with Gatorade.  The chest congestion got loosened up about 30 min. into the run.  Legs felt fine after 6 miles so kept going and made it home in one piece! whew!

T was 41, a slight breeze, cloudy, could have used some gloves, my hands were cold the whole time w/ a hand held bottle!  It was worth it though since sipping gatorade helped so much w/ the cough and throat! 

♣ HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!!! ♣

Didn't get much sleep...that's what happened when I talked to my kids on the phone late at night.  It's all good! :)  Carolyn and Wendy called to see if I wanted to run w/ them.  Ran w/ Wendy for 2.5.  Ran Carolyn home for 5.5.  She left her jacket on my porch, so ran it back to her for another mile.  Still a bit chilly, sun's out but hazy!  Forgot gloves again!  Mucous galore...I suppose it's good de-congestion therapy! :)

6.5 in 1:02:45.  AP: 9:39 (10:37, 10:09, 9:49, 9:35, 9:26, 8:56, 8:20)

Met Karen, Kelli and Scott at the Lehi JRP at 8.  I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE running with Kelli.  I think she should get free entry to every race by being a pacer! :) Not only can she run whatever pace and distance, she makes you feel like a million bucks running side by side her!!! :) :) :) WONDERFUL conversations! GREAT confidence booster!  TRUE friend thru and thru!!!!  THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH, KELLI, FOR COMING ALL THE WAY TO RUN WITH ME every step of the way!  You're the BEST!!!!  You're gonna do FANTASTIC at Buffalo 50 miler next week! :)

It was a beautiful run except for ONE little minor thing, the WIND!!!  GOODNESS!!!  I think I actually felt the wind pushed me back a few steps.  I am very happy for Karen.  She stayed with us the whole time, plus she had Sky on a leash.  She is going to do GREAT at Salt Lake Marathon.  Today's run really boost her confidence!  We stopped only once at the car at mile 11.25 to drink and I gu'd.

After the brief stop at the car we continued north.  Then everyone turned back by the elementary school since they only wanted to do 12 but accompanied me for an extra mile for 13.  I couldn't do any math so they figured it out for me, I continued on 'till my Garmin hit 14.7, then turned back to make 18.  I tell ya, my last solo miles was a battle over fatigue & wind!!!  The thought that I might have forgotten to lock my car kept me going! :)  I am happy with my effort.  No potty breaks, only stopped once to gu.  Drank while running, a total of 14 oz and 1 gu.  I am now starving! :)

18 miles in 2:47:43.  AP; 9:19.  Splits:  9:39, 9:14, 9:16, 9:11, 9:22, 9:37 (drink),  9:09, 9:15, 9:18, 9:11, 9:08, 9:39 (said goodbye), 9:09, 9:18, 9:04, 9:21, 9:36 (major wind, got a text from RAD about hers and SSF's Spectrum time!  WOW!) 9:09.  The last 3 miles pace surprised me, especially the last mile, it was all headwind w/ some rolling hills, I thought I was running in the 10s. 

Side note:  An hour into the run I kept thinking about my SSF at Spectrum, calculating in my mind where she'd be on the course.  I even talked out loud, "GO Teena GO, PUSH it, you can do it!" when she had about a mile to go!!!  I sure hope all our friends did great at their races today.  Can't wait to read the reports. :)