This weekend I met up with some Lady Warriors to for the Virtual half marathon/5k for Sandy Hook Elementary School.  We all met at 10am.  I started out with a nice 6 miles with another Warrior and then she headed back.  I am nowhere near 1/2 marathon shape so I ended up with 11.1 miles at about a 9:30 pace.  It was hard to get traction because of the snow and it was cold! It was so great to get some double digit miles in.  I haven't done that since the Harrisburg Marathon in November. 

New Year's Day RR

      December  was a nice easy relaxing training month.  It wasn't meant to be, but bronchitis and some quad pain sent it that way.  I ran a total of 50 miles for the month.  I usually run between 120-150.  I did absolutely no speed work minus one race at the beginning of the month.  I emotionally needed a break after not being selected for the Oiselle team, Cleveland Blogger or Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon.  I was feeling down about running in general.

      I figured new year new start. I ran the New Year's Day 5k (which was really 3.4 miles).  This was formally the Cookie and Hat 5k.  I missed the fun theme of the race but it was still a good time.  I wasn't sure how it would go and had a goal to run around 8 min. miles. I figured it would be a good speed workout back.  Once I started I felt pretty good and ended up doing the first mile in 7:20.   It was cold but not too bad.  My second mile was 7:30 and my third was 8:00.  The final .4 was at 7:51 pace.  I ended up finishing with a 26:02 (7:39 pace).  I was third in my age group.  I didn't stay for the awards because of my kids being home and I didn't want to be away too long.  They ended up mailing me my award which was a 2013 training log. 


     Overall, I was very pleased and I am looking forward to many positive things for 2013.

My Brother Survived a Heart Attack

       2 weeks ago today I received a phone call from my mother.  My brother was on his way to the ER by ambulance.  He thought he was having a heart attack.  My brother is 32 years old. 40 minutes later a second phone call came.  It was definitely a heart attack.  He had a 99% block in his main artery.  They put a stint in and he was going to be okay.  He is very lucky that he recognized the symptoms of his heart attack.  My brother lives in Chicago.  It was a very helpless feeling being so far away when he was going through something so big.  My first reaction was to go running.  Running is my go to when things are going wrong.  It was one of those runs where the miles flew by.  The thoughts of my wonderful brother and all the great memories that we gave shared.

 
 

          My brother and I weren't always close.  We were too much alike as kids. Always vying for attention.  As we grew older, we grew closer.  When I went away to college, I realized how much each of my siblings meant to me.  At this point, my siblings became more than my brothers and sister but my friends.  As the years went by I learned that 3 of the people who would always be there for me were my 2 brothers and my sister.  Danny and I hung out a lot.  I lived in an upstairs apartment and Danny lived downstairs with my grandma.  We were able to spend a lot of time together.  Danny then headed of to Fredonia.  I was able to go and visit several times and had a blast with him every time!  When Danny moved back home we continued to hang out.  It seemed that I was able to go out or do something with him every weekend! 

     Eventually, I got married and he was even my maid of honor (at the small ceremony) when we got married in front of our family and friends he was one of the groomsmen.    He is the godfather to my youngest child.  Danny lived with us for a little while and he was able to develop a relationship with my kids.  Danny is such a great uncle to all his nieces and nephews.  He has had some struggles and made the decision to move to Chicago.  This was a big move for him.  The only person he knew was one of our cousins.  He had no job.  He made it work and found a job and met an amazing group of friends.  This isn't surprising though.  Everyone who meets him  loves him.  We went out to Chicago this summer to visit him and I was so happy to see him so happy.  He was in a good place. 

 

       Since his heart attack, I have realized how quickly things can change.  I have talked to him almost every day since and Skype him much more frequently.  I am so thankful that things turned out the way they did.  I am so proud of Danny.  He has made so many life changes in the past two weeks.  I am sure it is hard but he is fighter.  He looked death in the face and won!  I am so thankful that he is my brother and my kid's Uncle.  He is a great brother, brother in-law, son, Uncle, and friend.  I just hope he knows how much we all love him!