Seven Daaaaaaaaaaaays............

I'm saying it with excitement, not that terrifying whisper from "The Ring." Seven days until my husband and I trek from western Colorado to central Kansas for my marathon! I am getting very excited.

My last Pfitz interval session was Tuesday. My original plan was get it in while my oldest daughter was at a dance class. I was going to drop her off, head to the city track/stadium (two blocks away), do the 8 miles with 3 x 1600's at 5K pace, then go back for her. Well, I got to the stadium and there was some sort of high school sporting event-palooza taking place.

I thought for a minute about what to do, knowing I now had even less time before needing to come back for my daughter. Go home and use the treadmill? No. Not enough time. How about the river trail? SOLD! It was either going to have to be done briskly, or with a mile cut off at the end, or I wouldn't be back in time. I booked it over to the trailhead, got out there, and was pleased to get through with JUST enough time to hop in the car and drive back to the dance studio. That was it...the last challenging workout before the marathon! I struggled SO much with those intervals the first time around-it's nice to feel better about them this time, and to be through all of them. There was nobody out there, either-kind of nice for intervals when I'm huffing and puffing and probably look like some kind of OCD freakazoid, looping around the lake at the back of the trail. No wind, either-so I really appreciated that after several long runs where the wind was just out of control.

Before heading to Kansas, though, we will begin the "Spring Birthday March" in our home. We have a birthday a month for the next three months, and start with my son next Wednesday. I CANNOT believe this little guy is turning five! He is so easygoing that any sort of recognition for his special day will be appreciated, but we'll have to think of something fun to do. We're leaning toward letting him pick out a special birthday dinner, either at home or out somewhere, but then have whatever party we're going to have the weekend after the marathon. It gives us more time to plan something and the weather will probably be nicer by doing it then, assuming we have a little shindig in the back yard with some of his little buddies.

His "official" letter should be in the mail any day confirming that he'll be in kindergarten at his big sisters' school. It's wacky to think that I will have three school-agers next year. It'll be great, though-his middle sister (finishing the first grade now) is very tight with him, and seems very comfortable guiding and teaching him things where she is not necessarily like this in other situations. Though I'm not sad he's already five and am very excited to observe him taking in his first big school experience for the first time, it's absolutely unbelievable that the time is just around the corner. It's my constant reminder to try to get the most out of each day with my family and friends as things continually change and evolve in the world around us, and on the homefront.