Lemons and Lemonade

Sometimes I just have to stop and look around and remind myself how good things really are. Today was one of those days. It started out with waking up tired and being 15 minutes later than I wanted to be to work. It went downhill from there with screaming emails from a client and demands from my project manager that I'm not equipped to meet. It culminated with a rejection letter from the job I really wanted and just KNEW I was going to get.

I felt my mood spiral downward and I knew I would most likely snap on the next person to demand something from me. Thankfully it was close to lunch and I hatched a plan. I would run it out. I thought about a sign for a trailhead I had seen a few weeks back and decided I was going to check it out. I changed in the bathroom and let the secretary know where I was headed (for safety's sake) then headed for my car.

I arrived at the trailhead to find utility workers running new electrical lines right in the parking area. No new trail for me. I *almost* let the feelings of defeat take over but then I decided I NEEDED to run. So I drove around looking for a neighborhood with some decent sidewalks. I parked at a corner market and took off into the hills of an upscale neighborhood. I was almost out of time but I wasn't out of frustration. Two miles later I felt better, at least enough that I could face the rest of the afternoon without having a meltdown.

When I got back to my desk I had an email. It was simple but exactly what I needed. I was given the okay to announce my big news! I've been chosen to represent Aquaphor as an ambassador and team member! I'm super excited to have a new team and a new opportunity to do what I do best, RUN! And trying a new product is always a bonus! So look out for all the dirt once I get some samples to try and share!

To top it off, marathon training has been going perfectly even if I am only 9 days in. Sunday I ran my 5 miles which were supposed to be at marathon pace. I was dead on pace until 3.5 or 4 miles when the 90* heat caught up to me. I still finished, albeit slower than planned, and felt good about not giving up. Monday was cross training and my trainer put me through a tough upper body and core workout with a little leg thrown in. It was a good workout.

When I got home that night my husband had flowers for us to plant. The baby was having none of it so we let the girls color with chalk on the garage floor while Shane and I worked. I think our little garden turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! And the rain can't wash away the girls artistic works since they're safe and sound in the garage!

After my quick two miles at lunch I made it through the afternoon. After dinner the baby wanted nothing but mommy time and I knew I still had miles to put in. How to balance the baby's clinginess with my need to follow my plan? Stroller run! I only needed one more mile to fill out my plan for the day but Ash was enjoying her run so much I didn't want to stop either so we made it 2 miles. We ran on the trail which was wet from the rain storms that came through in the afternoon. I was surprised how many people were out walking dogs, running, biking and enjoying the cooler weather. Ash had a blast pointing out everything that caught her eye and waving to people and dogs along the trail. It's hard to be upset when I'm around such a happy baby. I probably did my legs in a little more than I should have but I wouldn't trade those 20-ish minutes for the world!