Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzuuuummmbbbbaaaa

Running is killing my knees lately so I've backed way off. I can feel my knees swelling, it swells in back of my knees which is the same reoccurring old injury I fight every time I overdo it (I fell once on the mountain and have never been the same since then as a runner). This even happens after I run even short distances so so much for that until I recover properly and it will take time, lots of it, I've been here before. Once a doctor told me I wasn't built for running and he should have known better. Anytime someone says I can't I have a mission to prove them wrong and kept doing it and got pretty good too until the injury. I am only temporarily out of service but love it too much to not do it again once I'm bounced back.

In the mean time on to my other new favorite form of cardio... zumba! My neighbor introduced me to it and I fell in love with it right away. It reminds me so much of my dance team days, so much fun! I am learning to shake it again, it's been so long. If I can't memorize the choreography for the routines to the zumba songs it drives me insane. I wish I had more time to obsess over it and get better! Determined Cinda still lives, I spend more time trying to remember steps than I do with the laundry these days. Sometimes I do them both at the same time. My kids love it when I dance all over the house (not) especially when friends are over. I just really want to give them a healthy dose of trauma, embarrass them when I can, as they watch my groove thing doing its jello wiggle impression. Yep, I'm a giver...

Recitals.... recitals

MAYZILLA is in full force at the moment but the gloriously promising brightly beaming light at the end of the tunnel is finally in view. This means we have almost ended the school year and maneuvered our way through the following...
*Band Concert for 8th grade Marching Band
*Piano Recital for my oldest 2 daughters
*Theater Tech responsibilities
*Dance Recital (3 nights worth -- ouch) see above pictures
*Choir concert for child #3
*Testing- end of levels at school= cranky, stressed kids
*Opening & heating of the Pool in our backyard
*More doctor appointments that u can imagine for all of our many issues, all of which we are grateful for because none of them are life threatening. As hard as our issues are we know it could definitely be worse.

STILL TO COME:
*The last day of school
*Honors program
*Son to find, and begin, his first job (asap kiddo)w/Moms help.
*Our annual BIG garage sale pain in the butt on Saturday.
*Planning our upcoming trips
*Youth conference
*Scout hikes
*Especially for Youth Program (6 days away & 3 1/2 hrs from Mom!)for my oldest daughter
*Yearly trip to see family in MI---- BIG drive for us
*Trip to CA for a baptism coupled with Disneyland
*Summer school, summer programs, entertaining, HOT temps... EXHAUSTED already!

A Moment

Just caught my 4 year old looking at herself in the bathroom mirror and singing "all the single ladies" while doing the dance (very accurately I might add). Very funny. Technically, she is a single (little) lady! Love it!

Race Results

Did it. Painful. Tough Run. Gold! First place in my division by 6 minutes! Yeah! I'm feeling it today in my knees. Will take it easy this week, cross train more. Ouch!

7th overall female...
16th finisher, and only one person older than me in top 16.

The Hell Hole

The above title is the name of the next race that I am running on Saturday. It's another 5K, I am hooked all of a sudden on the competition. I don't know why I picked this one, the title didn't scare me off but instead intrigued me. I think that must be because of all the parallels in my life with the words "Hell Hole". Apparently it is named because it's a tough course, mostly uphill, and being that I am slightly insane, something inside me screamed BRING IT ON! I train on hills, I know the pain of them intimately, it's gonna be extremely painful but I have no doubt I can do it without walking it. The goal here is to finish with a decent time, not to burn out in the first 2 miles, and kick the hell holes flaming hot fanny.

The parallels to my life are as follows...
1- I believe, on occasion, that I live in purgatory itself (yes, hell), because this place can get so hot in the certain months of the year that blacktop surfaces melt my flip flops... they become squishy marshmallows under my feet. No smore's in hell tho to make that connection with.
2- My life is as crazy, chaotic, difficult, and frustrating as being in that 'place'. Blessed beyond comprehension and NOT complaining, but if on a normal day you were to see the state of my house, my car, or my un-showered overworked self u may agree with me!
3- Racing is so hard, it hurts. It is legs of fire that want to stop and u have to keep telling them it will be worth it, push it a little further.... you're half way, you're almost there, you see the finish line, give it all u've got no matter what. Think I'm gonna pass out? (Every race I've ever done) Concentrate on breathing. It not only helps that feeling of hyperventilation, asthma, lightheadedness, but keeps my brain occupied and time passes more quickly. I have to tell myself to 'just breathe' all the time in life and oxygen is a close personal friend. To keep a fire burning oxygen is an essential.
4- At this race, u are encouraged to dress up as an angel, a devil, a reverend, the pope, whatever. I think I run with angels and devils every day in life, costumes aside.
5- I want to make it thru the hell hole and win something. Yes, it will be a tremendous sense of accomplishment to finish but a medal again, or a trophy... that will inspire me to beat the "hell" out of the pavement, my running shoes, my overly protruding hips, in the future. If I can endure hell on this run, I will be all the better for having done so. When I overcome the hell hole, I am climbing to new heights, rising above the difficult, THAT is inspiring. Proof that I can change and get myself out of that place physically.... mentally... spiritually... in any possible way really where I need a tweaking. Very symbolic and I hope, very very worth it.