So a few weeks ago I started to research 1/2 marathons in the spring. Again, I was looking at “exoctic” locations but it turns out those same exoctic locations still cost money. And, I felt like some of them were too soon, they didn’t really give me enough time to train. I then stumbled across the website for the Zooma Half which is just north of here at the end of April. AND, it’s all women!!!  Bingo! Local, inexpensive, the end of April, no men ZOOMING by me as I stumble up some hill – seems like the perfect trifecta of thingsto get me going. AND THEN, I was contacted by Zooma and they asked me if I’d like to be a Zooma Coordinator – and VOILA! A race (for me) is born!

Now I’m committed and I’d love for you to run with me!!  The race is April 22nd and there’s a 5k option as well.  AND, I have discount codes!! Who doesn’t love a discount???  (The discount is good for $10 off the half and $5 off the 5K.) What do you say?  This is a run for all levels and trust me, I’m no speed demon who’s ever run more than a 10k before. If I can do this, so can you. Oh, and there’s a meetup on Saturday the 28th to run and meet other participants. So if you’re interested but aren’t completely sure, come to the meet up!!!

You can register here:  http://zoomarun.com/atlanta/atlanta-registration/ and the discount code is: ATLCON4

*This is a sponsored post. The fine folks at Zooma are paying my entry and giving me schwag, like a free car and a pony. OK, they aren’t doing all that but it’s still sponsored.

All day, every day, we parent our kids and nurture their souls. We play with them. We feed them. We clothe them. We bathe them. We tickle them. We clean their wounds and put bandaids on them. We clean goldfish out from under the couch and smoothie out of the nostrils of their noses. We clean the kitchen and fold the laundry. We vacuum the dog hair and maybe make some doctors appointments. We go to the grocery store, drive the carpool and shuttle kids to gymnastics or ballet or soccer practice. The day is a cacophony of small voices that make loud noises. “Mommy mommy mommy” and “I want my daddy” all day long. Cries and tears and skinned knees and bumped heads. The never ending words from Jingle Bells and Old McDonald, all rolled into one.

These are the noises that make up my life. They go on and on and on. Some days they seem to never stop. And you long for that moment of silence. When the kids are sleeping and you can sit and catch your breath and maybe have a thought of your own about something other than, ‘did he eat that rock?’ Or maybe, you can be totally crazy and have a conversation with your spouse. Uninterrupted.

Sure, these days are short. The kids will get older, there will be less hanging on to my leg. Or my every word. The desire to sit in my lap or to hold my hand or to tell me they love me will become the days that I long for. The need for me will become less as their need for independence will grow. I get all that and I don’t look forward to it. But then I do.

The sounds of silence are rare. They’re desired and sometimes longed for. Needed, even. But rare. Some day I will long for the singing and the dancing and the running and the crashing and the never ending chorus of ‘mommy mommy mommy’s’. But today. Today. I’d just like some quiet.

• End of April, 1/2 marathon – more to come on this
• End of May, participate in the 10th Anniversary of Action Cycling 200. I expect to only ride maybe 50 miles a day but we’ll see what happens between the 1/2 marathon and the ride.
• July 4th – Peachtree Road Race 10K. I’d like to better my time on this by at least 15 minutes and do it all without stopping.

Three goals. If I can stick with it, those goals will carry me through the beginning of July. From there I can come up with a second half of the year goal. But I think it’s doable. I know it is. I would like to intersperse all that cardio with some weight training as well. I bought some Living Social package deal for a gym and have been going to body pump. I don’t love it but damn I’m sore so I know it has to be doing something for me. I’m hoping for 5 days a week of some kind of activity. Keep it moving and keep in shape. And keep it honest.

I’m tired just thinking about it. But I’m fired up. I have a goal to work towards and assuming my almost-40-year-old body doesn’t fall apart between now and then, i would hope to be in kick ass shape!

Things have gotten easier for me. I went from sobbing often to sobbing some to rarely sobbing. But I still cry. There are days when I won’t think of him much at all but then, all of a sudden, it will hit me like a ton of bricks. There will be that pain in my chest and the constriction in my throat and the tears will just flow. The reminders of him are fewer and farther between. More specifically, the dog hair is becoming less and less but I’m sure will be around for years. Next to the window where his dog bed was are now some plastic bins, waiting to be returned to a friend. The bench by the back door is much larger now that the dog food has been removed. But there are days when I’ll come into the house and I’m still looking for some dog accident on the floor. It’s never there.

Sixteen and a half years is an awfully long time to spend with someone. Or an animal. A few people have told me that even years and years and years after the loss of their first pet, or an extra special one, a raw emotion will sneak up on them. I believe that.

I’ve looked around a little online for dogs and think that maybe someday I’ll be ready to introduce another little 4-legged friend into the family. But not yet. I’m not ready. I still miss my friend.

But now that the holidays are behind us and I don’t have anything to make for someone else until, well, some time in the future, I’m going to do some sewing for me. So I decided to start the year by making myself a shirt. And, well, I spent the better part of last week working on it and all it needs are the buttons and to finish the hem. But, whatever, it doesn’t fit. It’s too small. But I’m hoping to finish it anyway. But what else? Yesterday I made new pillow covers for the throw pillows on the couch.  But on my list of things for me (or my house) to enjoy:

• A new jacket – already have the pattern
• A shirt and skirt – have the pattern and fabric
• Window treatments for the kids bathrooms and bedrooms
• Window treatments for our TV room and my sewing room
• A few more quilts

There are some other items on my list, things that I can make and enjoy. You know, like potholders to replace the ones I own that are 10 years old. No matter though, it’s time I do some things for me.  Let’s just hope that the next few projects work out better than the shirt that doesn’t fit…