A Love/Hate Relationship

For as long as I can remember I've had a love/hate relationship with running. I love how runners look when they are mid-run, looking healthy & strong...and runners always have the best legs...I would love to look this way. However...I HATE running. I tried a few years ago to participate in a 5K training class. I faithfully showed up for class and did all the required running...until I found out I was pregnant with Ruth Ann and I immediately dropped out. I know research says I could have kept up with the running...but I'll be honest and say pregnancy was the only excuse I needed to drop out and drop out fast. But now that I'm finished with having babies I want to get in shape and try to stay there. So for my birthday I asked Arch to take me to Fleet Feet to get a new pair of "running shoes"...or "walking with the hope of one day running shoes" in my case...saying it my way probably would take up too much room on the outside of the box and they might not sell as well either.



Besides just wanting to get in better shape, in 6 weeks and 5 days my mom, Toni, Ada, Ruth Ann and I are headed to the Happiest Place on Earth...Disney World. About a year and a half ago my mom planned a Christmas Disney trip for all the girls for the same week we're going this year...but in May we got the exciting news that Tripp-man was on his way...making me 8 months pregnant for the trip. Clearly enough time had passed between my 2 pregnancies that I thought nothing of the idea of going for a week to Disney 8 months pregnant...the hormones either clouded my memory or had me feeling like Super Woman...either way, my mom had the good sense to re-arrange our plans for a Halloween trip for 2010 and we postponed the Christmas trip until 2011. Before anyone plans a trip to Disney they should be warned that you will not be "resting" or "relaxing" while you're at Disney...especially if you're taking children...and if those same children like to be held throughout the parks. Last year we...the adults...left exhausted and all agreed we needed to start a Disney Training program to prepare for our next trip. So far my mom has lost 50 lbs since last year and I guess I've technically lost 30 lbs since I'm no longer pregnant...but the key to being in shape for Disney is doing a lot of walking to built up your endurance before you go...this is where I've fallen behind and my mom is WAY ahead of me. She has a fabulous tread mill at her house keeping her on track...but now that I have my new shoes I thought since we don't live far from the dam I would go walk there last Sunday...this is leading to a 2nd title for this blog post "The Day I Nearly Died Walking Across the Dam". For those from my hometown you know the walkway I'm talking about. For those from outside of my hometown, we have an "earthen dam" that was the largest in the country when it was completed in the 1930's...I'm not sure where it ranks now. They reinforced it a few years ago and added a walking path connecting the two sides and is a great walk...3.4 mile from one end to the other and then back again. I set out pushing 50 lbs. of children and 20 lbs. of stroller...midway I thought I was going to die...and then I realized I had to walk back. I was thankful I had brought my cell phone along because I came close to calling Arch to come pick me up. I also came very close to asking a complete stranger to push my stroller for me as I was about to pass out. I called my mom when I finally made it to the car and told her I'm not even close to being in shape for Disney...my goal is to kick up my Disney training in the next 6 weeks...we'll see how that goes!