A return to "runching"

Today, I went on my first "runch" (lunchtime run) in a long time and it was nice to get back in my groove.  Although, I was somewhat of a weenie (sorry, Mary!) and it was a humbling run in that I realize I have a lot of work to do before Napa.  I am ready for it though! I got this!  It was a bit on the warm side (I'm trying very hard not to use the word hot, especially after the winter we had, but it was pretty much hot) and I forgot my water bottle so I was dragging a bit.  Mary kept me going though and even twisted my arm to run up a hill, after all I need to start doing a lot of hill work before Napa!

The excitement from yesterday has not worn off and I am feeling very blessed by the opportunity that awaits this fall!  I've had the opportunity to start getting to know my awesome Badass Mother Runner teammates and have included links to their blogs on the right so you can get to know them, too!  I am so thrilled to get to know these women better over the next few months and share in a once in a lifetime experience!

I completely forgot to share the picture of our completed memorial garden last night!  We finished up the last bit of work last night after we got home from work and I really love how it turned out.  We even sat outside to eat our dinner to admire our handiwork.  Nick really liked how it turned out, too, but he did point out that it was a lot of work because it took "three whole days, Mom."  It does seem like a lot of work for such a little space, but hopefully the hard work will pay off in easy upkeep for the next few years.

Our memorial garden; hydrangea on the left, memorial stone, and lilac bush on the right

Jodi, one of my new friends from the Napa BAMR team, shared a great quote with me tonight from Ali Vincent when she spoke at the Princess Half in 2013.  It speaks to the power of running and how it brings us together.  I love how many people I have met through running that I might not have otherwise met and how we bond over our common love of running! I'm looking forward to adding 12 BAMR's to that list over the coming months!

"No matter how fast or slow we run, we all sweat the same."