A Mile or More in My [Running] Shoes
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#flashbackfriday
My Father. Canberra Marathon 1992.
I think of him every time I go for a run.
When I was 13, I announced to my Dad that I...
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Life Update.
People always say that when you break up that it’s time to focus on you, that it’s time to be the person that you want to be: to get...
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I did yoga last night and I’m proud of myself. I always talk about how I need to cross train but don’t. I have done yoga a handful of times in my...
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Have decided
I am going try and be “glass has water in it” person, as opposed to declaring the glass “half full” or “half empty”.
It is a glass. It...
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GPOYW: Me with my two favorite guys in the world edition
My dad, me, Mr. B
Congratulations to my gorgeous sister, Amanda, who is graduating tonight! Wish I could be there seester!
I’m one very proud big sister…
And sometimes, a picture that so accurately portrays your family — you know, just really in the moment/midst of your ridiculousness — is tagged on Facebook and you can’t help but want to put it on your blog for safekeeping.
Edit: My sister captioned it: This should be our Christmas card.
P.S. This picture was taken immediately before this one… Upon being told to “get together” the ladies assembled and my dad stood right in front of the 4 of us. Naturally, we all did what we could to be seen. After plenty of laughter and a quick finger on the shutter to capture us in our silly state, we all managed to put our serious-but-still-smiling faces on long enough to have a decent photo of the 5 of us taken. We like fun. We do it well.
Missing my crazy family already…
After being surrounded by my favorite people for the past 11 days, my apartment feels a little too empty.
(Taken with instagram)
So happy I was able to spend Mother’s Day with my beautiful momma.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you!
Just landed in Michigan and got home to discover that my mom picked up a River Bank Run yard sign for me!
Tomorrow I go to the expo, have lunch with Melissa and little Brielle, watch my sister play softball, welcome my other sister back to the mitten, and have a pre-race slumber party with my friend Woo.
(And that’s just my first day home…)
This is going to be a very, very busy trip…
Got my baby sister’s graduation announcement in the mail today. They grow so fast!
GPOY-Happy Place Edition
And sometimes all you need is a long chat, silly buns, and some goofy times with one of your sisters to make everything right with the world…
Lu and Deeda, I love you both to the moon and back. *Meow meow* Red Car.
Flashback Friday: All Dressed Up Edition (c. 1992)
This picture makes me smile. My sister and I really liked dressing up, and we actually managed to “act like ladies” and not ragamuffins when we were gussied up. We are standing in front of my mom’s garden, which I was sure acted as home to mystical things like fairies when I was little.
I also have really funny and fond memories of my mom letting us cut flowers to put on the kitchen table. My sister, being as little as she was, wasn’t very good at it and often cut flowers with only an inch or two of stem… Not exactly conducive to arranging in a bouquet for your table but really funny when you watch it on home video.
*Random fact: I hold my hands that way in every single homecoming/prom/formal dance picture taken of me.
It’s still over a month away (41 days to be exact) but I am getting really excited about the River Bank Run. I apologize in advance because I will probably write about this race almost daily until I run it on May 12…
I think the most exciting thing for me right now is the fact that this will be the first time anyone in my family will be at a race of mine. All three of the half marathons I have run have been in New York (2 in NYC and 1 in the Hamptons) so making the weekend trip out hasn’t exactly been feasible. It will be incredible to have my parents waiting at the finish line and familiar faces posted up along the race route.
The thing that makes this different from other long races that I’ve run is that I’m comfortable with the distance. A 25k is a little more than a half marathon (duh), but I know it’s completely within my ability so it’s easier to be excited about all of the extra stuff that goes along with running a big race. Even though I’m returning to my old stomping grounds, it feels like a destination race, only I get to reap the benefits of home-cooked meals, familiar and comfortable accommodations, and friendly faces. Not to mention, I will be able to celebrate Mother’s Day with my momma, and my baby sister (not such a baby anymore - eeek!) will be going to her senior prom so I can see her all fancied up. (I got a sneak peek of the dress and it’s gorgeous!)
My mom is even excited for the race. She excitedly told me that much like the NYC Half I ran last March, the RBR will have the SMS runner tracking and GPS that she used to follow me as I wound my way through the streets of New York. She told me the other day that she was proud of my running prowess. It made me tear up a little bit. She and my dad have already carved out time in their busy schedules for the NYC Marathon in November. I’m so lucky to have such a supportive family! So excited to show them my little world of running!
“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.”
- Marion C. Garretty
To my little sister Lu:
Happy, happy birthday you beautiful, smart, little comedienne, you! Hard to believe that on this day, 24 years ago, I toddled into a hospital room to meet my new little sister. At first you didn’t do much. Lots of sleeping. Little did I know, you would quickly become one of the most creative, vivacious, silliest people I know.
You have a starring role in nearly every one of my earliest memories and have been equal parts confidant and partner in crime (and every once in a great while, sparring partner). From playing Barbies, to swimming in the Big Lake/Grandma’s Lake/every pool we came across, to excitedly welcoming that other Woodruff sister of ours into our wild little clan, we’ve shared some pretty incredible moments. I can’t wait to keep adding to them.
I have spent the past 24 years in awe of your wit, determination, and infectious, fun-loving nature. Here’s to another year of life as sisters and many new memories! Happy Birthday! I love you!
