What was I thinking?

What was I  thinking?

Earlier this week I signed myself up for a 10K race. TEN K!!!

See - we started attending a new church back in August. At first it was just a place to worship.  I wasn't going to get us all involved because I thought we would be moving in May. But now, I just don't see that happening. Plus the people at this new church are so darn friendly and inviting - it's hard to hang back in the shadows.

So now we are there for worship on Sunday mornings and then we're back Sunday night so the girls can attend AWANA and Youth Group. And pretty soon I am sure I will be in there singing my heart out at the Sunday evening worship service.
Did I mention how darn friendly and inviting these people are?
Add to that my 2nd grader is there on Tuesdays for Upward Cheerleading practice and then back again on Saturday mornings to cheer at the Upward Basketball games.

So when one of the "church ladies" who also happens to be a fellow "dance mom" put it on Facebook that she was getting together a group to participate in the Flying Pig Toyota 10K ... well, in what MUST have been a momentary lapse in sanity, I found myself commenting that she could count me in.  And then I followed through and actually registered myself.

What was I thinking?

I used to be a runner .... of sorts....
Before kids running was my time to get away.  My time to think.  My time to work through stress. My time to just be me.
But my runs were typically 3 miles and the first half mile and last half mile were spent walking
I entered 5K races more for fun than anything else. I had just managed to run an entire 5K right before I found I was pregnant with my first.
After my first I was really more of a walker.  I was working my way back to being a runner when ... SURPRISE! Baby #2 was on the way.
With two kids, 19 months apart, sitting side by side in a double jog stroller, I was once again really more of a walker.
But I had dreams; dreams of returning to running and once again entering 5K's for Fun.
And then - you guessed it - Baby #3
This time I vowed to stay fit.  I kept my membership at the gym and slogged my way through workouts on the elliptical machine and recumbent bike.
However, when Baby #3 was 14 days old - we moved to Ohio.
Summer in Ohio is incredibly mild but Winter in Ohio? .... Don't even get me started.

So now I wasn't even really a walker ..... except during June, July and August. And even then it was hard.  There was no way I was getting a triple stroller.  I walked when I could and it wasn't much.

That was 2006.  It is now 2014 and Baby #4 just turned 2.

In looking at my old race shirts it looks like my last 5K was a little over TEN YEARS ago. And, if we're being honest it was also about 40 pounds ago.

So what do I do?  I sign myself up for a 10K.  Not even when I fancied myself a "runner" did I ever sign up for a 10K.

What was I thinking?

But maybe this will be the kick I need.  Maybe through this I can overcome my fear of being outdoors in the cold.  Maybe I can get back to running and give myself back some desperately needed "me time".  And maybe some of those pounds will come off?

All I know is, tonight is Friday night and Friday night is Pizza night in our house.  And while what I really wanted to do after eating 2 slices of pizza and drinking one glass of wine was slip into my jammies and read my mystery while the kids watched TV.  But instead I put on yoga pants and an old race t-shirt and did a s-l-o-w mile on my elliptical.  See I squeezed in 20 minutes Wednesday night.  I only had 20 minutes so I pushed myself. I was hoping to squeeze in some yoga yesterday to keep the soreness and stiffness at bay but I just couldn't make it happen.  I didn't want to hop back on that elliptical tonight but I knew I really should.
This is a weekend that David won't be home.
And the 2nd grader has the early basketball game tomorrow morning.
And the 5th grader has a birthday party
And Sunday we are headed to Nashville after church so we can spend the Super Bowl with Dad so Saturday will also be filled with laundry and packing.
And Monday will be spent driving back to Ohio and unpacking.

So there you go ....

And now I'm drinking my 2nd glass of wine and as soon I hit post on this I will be attempting to get the littles in bed.
And I would say there is a STRONG chance I will be falling asleep with the two year old ...... and more than likely muttering in my sleep "What was I thinking?!"