Mom on the Run--Woman of Steele

This week I wanted to run 32 miles for my 32nd birthday which just happened to fall on Thanksgiving this year!! Being that I only had 2 days of school this week, it wasn't too hard to get in the extra miles! I started Sunday (11-23-14) with a solid 6 mile run outside followed by 2 more miles on the treadmill that night.  It was raining pretty good on Sunday, but my thought was, "If I want to run a full marathon next year, I am going to have to train in all types of weather situations. Suck it up and get out there!" I'm sure the drivers I passed thought I was crazy but it was so cleansing to run in the rain. I really felt like I needed this to cleanse my spirit of negativity and make it a more positive and productive week!  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I ran inside on the treadmill. I got in double runs all of these days! I love being off and able to push myself farther!!! I got in a total of 8 miles these days. Thursday was my birthday and Thanksgiving so I wanted to...

On Saturday November 15, 2014 I ran in the 2nd annual Frosty Rock Challenge 12K in Fort Atkinson where my husband and I lived when we were first married.  It's about 25 minutes from where we live now in Milton.  I really like this race.  It's a combination of road and trail route.  I usually do not run trails because I am so afraid of tripping or falling or seriously hurting myself.  I stepped outside the box and ran it last year and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to do it again this year.   The day started off kinda rocky as I went to pick up my packet and they didn't have my number!!!  Very frustrating but I kept my cool.  I was just grateful that I had got the family out the door early so I could pick up my packet.  We actually arrived with about 40 minutes until race time.  After some checking around, I was told that I would have to fill out another registration form and that I would just have to check my number after the finish t...

This week was much colder running with my 6th graders during first hour!! They were super whiny on Wednesday so we only made it around the block. We ended up running about 1.2 miles, so not bad. Here's my "It's freezing but I'm excited to run" face!!!  Thursday's run was much better!! The kids were more prepared and we ended up running a few blocks longer than we had the whole time! The sun was out and there were flurries in the air! So cool!! This was the best run with these kids!! My pics look all the same this week since I am wearing my cold weather running sweatshirt! It keeps me nice and warm!! Friday's run was shorter as I made hot cocoa for the kids after! They loved it!!! They actually wanted to run farther today like yesterday!! That was so refreshing to see! This was a really great group of kids!! I really had a great time running with them! I hope I get to do it again come March!!  I have some crazy hair in this last picture! I was fighting a si...

This week I had the awesome opportunity to run Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning with a group of 18 6th graders during 1st hour! It was awesome!  Wednesday we ran outside after I met some of them for the first time. I was so giddy this morning!! We ran around out school block which is almost a mile around, then we ran the football field and headed inside for drinks. Thursday it was rainy so we opted for the gym. We ran some Laps, did some speed drills and played a game of Sharks and Minnows, which is a tag-like game! It was so much fun hanging out with these kids who have a love and appreciation for running like I do!!  Friday was colder than the other days so hats and gloves were needed! We had a great run outside today! We ran the block, the school's mile course and around the football field again. We even played a short game of Sharks and Minnows again! This just gets me jazzed and pumped for the rest of the day! I love it!! I can't wait to do it again next week!!! On...

An other virtual race that I had signed up for early in the year was the Batten Disease Virtual Half Marathon.  According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "Batten disease is a fatal, inherited disorder of the nervous system that typically begins in childhood. Early symptoms of this disorder usually appear between the ages of 5 and 10 years, when parents or physicians may notice a previously normal child has begun to develop vision problems or seizures. In some cases the early signs are subtle, taking the form of personality and behavior changes, slow learning, clumsiness, or stumbling. Over time, affected children suffer mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Eventually, children with Batten disease become blind, bedridden, and demented. Batten disease is often fatal by the late teens or twenties." I have seen pictures of several kids on Facebook who have this disease and how they are taken so so...