This Week I Was Just a Mom...

So everything was going great with my training and then BAM! I hit a brick wall. I was feeling less motivated, the unseasonably warm days became dreary March again and my kids were home for Spring Break (in 2 separate weeks!). In addition to that, Bob and Austin were in Ireland for rugby, Austin lost his passport and before it was returned to him, Bob had to go to the UK for another week for a business meeting. This single parent stuff is tough! In my mind I thought I would have lots of time to run while I was on "vacation" with my kids but I was completely wrong. Ashley was home and needed an interview suit, Abby needed help preparing for Cheerleading Try-Outs at Aquinas and poor Ryan, I know he must have needed something being surrounded by a house of girls until Austin came home, but I was tapped out. In addition, sweet puppy Rory, destroyed the collar to her electric fence transmitter in a matter of minutes limiting the amount of unsupervised outdoor time she gets. Yes, Emma, you are right...she is Mrs. Joerger's 5th child. I decided to just let it go and hope that I didn't destroy the forward momentum I had going. Spring is tough and the job I love the most is being a mom. So for a week I was just a mom. I took the kids to dinner and shopping for what they needed, I did a billion loads of laundry, I cleaned my house. I made sure Abby got to the gym to prepare for her try-outs and I made her a killer bow (Yes, I am a cheer mom...it's in my blood!). I proudly watched her tumble over and over and never give up, even when she landed her back handsprings on her already bruised knees. I got her a pillow pet to soften her falls and she told me I was the best mom ever! I helped Ashley pick that interview suit that she never wore because after all of that she got an amazing offer as a Marketing Coordinator for the company she interned for. I took Ryan and Austin to the doctor and I confessed to Dr. Nichol yet again that, yes, Austin does play rugby (as Ryan did before him) and that does not make me a bad parent! It is not his place to question that choice that Bob and I have made together. I am proud of my boys when they put on their rugby jerseys and boots and I tell myself the scrum caps that Klumpy requires them to wear are really awesome and will protect their heads! I put my faith in God every time they step on the pitch and I trust that they will play smart and be ok. That's what this life is about...I want to make a difference and I am doing just that by being a mom to Ashley, Ryan, Austin and Abby. So today was for me; I put my running shoes back on after 6 days and I ran! To be quite honest, I ran better than I had in the previous few weeks and it felt great! I didn't worry about my stride or my breathing, I didn't have tell myself that "it was no big deal" because it wasn't! I listened to my ipod and I laughed when Sean Paul came on because in honor of my sister, Jaime, (who got me into this race) I danced with my thumbs as I ran because that's what she would do. When I got home I looked at the clock and thought, YES!...3 miles in 33 minutes!!!! Not bad for taking 6 days off. I am refreshed and back with a passion that my running lacked last week. With 10 weeks left to go, I know I'll be ready!!!