Oct 18,
Sofia got braces again today. This is round 2, as the treatment started when she was about Bella's age. She is bummed there are things she will not be able to eat for a while, but this will ensure she has plenty of room for all her adult teeth and they don't end up on top of each other.
Oct 17,
I love my birthday, and today I had a really good day celebrating with my family and my work friends. And even though it was cold, the sun came out - which is essential for my healthy state of mind.
At work my friend Molly welcomed me with cupcakes at my desk and a gift, and then I went out for lunch with some of my favorite ladies. I did leave work early to go pick up Bella, and in the evening we cut cake with my parents followed by dinner at Red Feather, one of our favorite restaurants. Oh, and Sofia made me a crafty birthday gift. We missed Gabi and her family, but at least we did Facetime at the end of the day and they sang Happy Birthday for me.
Oct 15,
This evening I went to Xavier University for a mentor-mentee match event (more on that later). It had been forever since I had gone there.
Oct 14,
Since my birthday is this week, this morning Bella made breakfast for all of us. I supervised and helped a little, but she did the bulk of the work. In fact, I think today is the first time that she cooks for us in the new house.
Oct 13,
This evening the girls went to the "Gym and Jam Party" at Gymnastics Central. Bella always wanted to go, but Sofia was not sure and decided until the last minute. She had fun though. Sofia was a strawberry, and Bella was a lady bug. We worked on their costumers last weekend.
In the meantime Lionel and I went out for dinner. Everything was packed though, so we ended up sitting at the bar at Trio and came back to pick them up a few minutes early. They were not ready to go, so we watched them play around for a little bit.
Oct 13,
The last 2 years I have cramped towards the end of this race, so this year my goal was to just finish strong. The weather was pretty cold, so for the first time I did what many other runners do and went to Goodwill to buy something to keep me warm while we waited for the race to start, and then toss it to the side of the road. It was barely around 41 degrees, and it stayed like that the entire time we were running, which helped me run faster than I thought I would. I actually ran non-stop for the first 7 miles, which was huge for me because there are a few hills (around Eden Park and the Krohn Conservatory) where I always need to take a walking break for a few seconds. At 7 miles I started to stop by the hydration stations to drink some Gatorade, in hopes to keep the cramp at bay. And at 9 miles I started to take a walking break for a few seconds after each mile's marker so I could run until the very end.
During the last mile I could hear the pacer for 2 hours and 10 minutes only slightly behind me, but I was determined to finish before them. I crossed the finish line with the official timer at 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 33 seconds. But since I did not start with the first corral, my official time was 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 2 seconds. That was a new PR, only 26 seconds faster than the flying pig in May. But a PR is a PR!
I was bummed that for the first time my family did not come to see me, because Bella's last game of the season was at the same time and she really wanted to go. But it was nice to meet the girls of the running group at the finish line, walk around together for a little bit, and take pictures of each other. It was not the same as having my family there, but it was much better than being all alone at the end.
It was still pretty cold when the race ended, and even though we changed into dry clothes right away my teeth were completely chattering as I walked back to my car. It was nice to get back in there, and get the heat cranking.
Oct 12,
This year I met my friend Sarah, from the running group, at the Expo. It is the 5th year since the race started, and our 5th year running it, so we got a special bib as members of the "Queen's Court" and a special shirt. It was nice that they did something special for the people who have participated every single year ... and I was also happy with the color of this year's shirt.
