Well, Sugarloaf came and went last weekend but unfortunately I had to sit this one out.  The week prior  both Solveig and I fell ill, me with pneumonia and Solveig with the flu. Jeff and I were still planning on heading up on Saturday, but then Solveig was having a hard time keeping anything down and her fever was up to 104 so we had to throw in the towel. There's no challenge as great as caring for a sick child.
The bad news for me is that my next marathon is right around the corner and it will be much harder and much hotter ....the flip side is the kids are coming and we will get a little 4 day family vacation out of it. So I'm back pounding the pavement today, and just finished a 6 mile run. Next weekend I get in 17 somehow. Still coughing, but I'm feeling  so much better. Wow, is the pollen thick this year!

I got in a 16 mile run today - Happy Mother's Day to me. Jeff's flu extended to Lila and Solveig's cold and ear aches, respectively, and I haven't been able to run more than once a week for the last couple of weeks. So today I cramped up at mile 12, which was a buzz kill. I am running in new sneakers - same model but new as of yesterday - so I'm hoping that was part of it. I never get calf cramps and these were awful. I managed to run/walk but mostly run the last 4 miles. Truthfully, I'm not physically ready for next weekend's race but I will do it gladly and plan on the next one in the fall. If I have to walk some I will. If I run 12 minute miles, I will. I'm just happy for this first experience.  One other reason I haven't been able to run is that I started a new teaching gig in Newburyport from 9-11:30, exactly my running time, as Lila gets out of school at 11:30. I still have my SAT students weeknights, but now I also get to help a thirteen year old boy with his course load as he awaits out of district placement. His learning style is similar to Solveig's, so I get a little taste of what not to do. Here's a pic of my fat toes and the girls playing in the yard today -  they were out there from about 10am-3pm! We had a nice low key dinner at Vida Cantina which ended with a perfect Mother's Day Margarita for me.

                                           "With a rebel yell she cried "more more more"


I suppose the seemingly unending April showers helped lend beauty to this pleasant pasture I ran by this morning.  Jeff has been home sick all week with the flu so my last run was 12 miles on Sunday. I ran 8 smooth miles today and will run 16 on Monday. After that, I will taper down a bit for the race on the 18th. Today's run was brought to me by a little Billy Idol....