Home Sweet Home

Whew!  We are home from a fun, busy, tiring week in Florida.  I did manage to get 3 runs in on the beach while I was there.  Honestly more than I thought I would.  One run was for headache management, one was all the crap I ate and the third was because I knew I needed a "long run".  Here is a picture of me after said long run.  Not my best moment but it was stinkin hot & humid.  I was just glad to be done!

She's so pretty!

Not my best time either, Ugh!

So besides the 3 runs, I pretty much ate and drank all week.  My mother in law is not the best influence, but I love her (and her cooking).  I am committed to getting back on track starting tomorrow.

The family had a great week though, so it is worth falling off the wagon a little.  Disney was great and we enjoyed every minute but honestly my favorite days were the last two.  We spent time on the beach, jumping the waves, building sandcastles and just being together, just us.  These moments had me reflecting on a very important man in all our lives and the reason that we have enjoyed our FL vacations for the past 11 years, my father in law, Arnie Van Zanten.  

Arnie always saw the potential in everyone, myself included.  While I was out on the beach running yesterday, he was on my mind.  I thought about what he would say about this quest to qualify for Boston.  He wouldn't shake his head & look at me like I was crazy.  Arnie would have sat down with me and talked through what needed to be done to get there.  He may even have set up a spreadsheet to track my progress.  I know it was a humid Saturday morning but I'm not sure my inability to catch my breath was from that or the lump in my throat.  We miss him every day & its hard to believe this time last year, we were with him on the beach.  He may not have been there physically but I saw him every time I watched the kids looking for shells, chasing birds and just playing in the sand.

Thanks Arnie for the encouragement and wonderful memories!