July 2 - July 8

Monday - Bike 40 minutes, 10 minutes of stretching

I love my bike!!  Such a great ride.  I made it up the Mildred hill...just barely.  I was watching that Extreme Makover Weight Loss Edition on Sunday night.  I NEVER watch those kind of shows, but this one peeked my interest.  The personal trainer said exercise is almost all mental.  If you tell yourself you can't do it, you won't. With running, I have that mental drive.  If I am tired and dreading the next hill, my mind kicks in and I force myself to continue.  I push myself hard.  I ran three marathons--I have that mental drive to run.  With biking and swimming, I don't.  So I had to tell myself over and over to get up the hill, don't stop, keep going. I was happy that I made it!

Rob taught me some more ab stretches they do in karate.  They were really helpful.  He helped me do them correctly so I am not straining my lower back.

I also went back on My Fitness Pal.  At least for the time being.

Tuesday - Ran 3 miles

First run post marathon.  I can tell my body ran a marathon because it still feels strained.  But it felt really good to run.  I am not sore anymore.  Just tight in some places and my left thigh hurts at times (but it was my right that hurt in the marathon).  I feel good running and excited I am continuing to exercise post marathon.  Which was not the case the first two marathons I ran.

I don't think I am going to get the dreaded stomach bug over 40 people in our church got over the weekend.  It was a virus picked up at VBS and we're not totally sure it's food related.  Though it makes the most sense.  I think I would have gotten it by now.  I am just ready for these kids to be 100%.  Major cabin fever!!  At least it's not hot yet and it even rained a little yesterday.  Tomorrow is supposed to be hot and sunny and then the next 10 days look like that.  Summer might have officially made it to Oregon.

Wednesday - Sunday

4th of July was supposedly a day of rest.  We were gone all day.  Left the house around 10 AM and did not get home until 11 PM.  Great day though.  Good time with friends.  Anyway my appetite was down at dinner.  I didn't think a whole lot of it.  Most of the time when I am getting sick my appetite is gone completely.  This was not the case.  Our friend Chris got the dreaded VBS stomach plague at the barbeque that hit our church like a bomb.  Rob was all worried I would get it too.  On the car ride home, I started to feel a little queasy.  When I went to bed at 11 I knew I was getting it.  My thoughts were to just sleep as long as I can.  Once I wake up, I'm not going to sleep much the rest of the night.  I made it to 3 AM and went downhill from there.  Spent the rest of the night on the couch in pain, but still managed to sleep off and on.  Spent all of Thursday in bed.  Was expecting to be all lethargic today and recovering, but I feel great!  Everything is totally gone.  I was outside all day with the kids and had a good day.  Despite some crabby kids who are still not caught up on sleep.  They played so hard today with hardly any rest so I guess I can't be too hard on them.  Anyway I am not exercising the rest of the week.  I didn't eat anything for 24 hours so my body has not fully bounced back.  I might run on Sunday but it's supposed to be 90 degrees.  So I might just wait and start again on Monday.

I prayed I would not be sick on the day of the marathon or on the 4th of July.  God answered both those prayers so I guess I can't complain.