I decided this Tuesday that I wanted to start running in the mornings before the kids got up. That would help me get the day started, I'd have the running done, and I wouldn't have to take the kids with me. So Wednesday morning at 7am I was out running, It was great. So Thursday morning I just walked around. It was great. I even walked past a house with the smell of frying bacon. Then today I ran a 5K. It was cloudy and my time wasn't so good (30:32), but it was great. I love doing this in the mornings. I just wonder how long I will keep it up. What if it rains? What about winter? I think I run on solar power.

Also, I decided to give my old eating habits a try for awhile. I was happier then. If I gain a bunch of weight (while running all the time and breastfeeding) then we have bigger problems than sugar. I do want to stick to a lower sugar and flour lifestyle. I love the natural peanut butter, flatout bread, low-carb ice cream and other assorted Splenda-fied stuff. It all tastes good. I'm just going to eat carrots with my peanut butter (as I type this). I'll eat Long John Silver's if I want (as I did last night). I might even have a bun every once in awhile. I went to Dairy Queen last night. And I don't feel guilty. It just gave me a sinus headache, but it was worth it. Someday soon I hope to visit Taco Bell.

Well, I ran the 5K in 28:51. I should have stayed with Jason but I pooped out right after I took a drink of water. Big mistake. It messed up my breathing and made me a little sick and I never recovered. I also learned that little hills feel pretty big. I have never trained on any hills. But, I beat my first 5K time by 4 minutes I think so that's good. I really have a hard time imagining that I'll ever get any better. And right now, I have no desire to ever run again. But I will. I'm just really tired and tense today. I need a massage...and a vacation...and a maid...and money for those things. But our money for the next few years is pretty much already spent.

Hmmm...trying to think of something positive to say...

On Father's Day, we played Texas Holdum' (spelling?) and I took everyone's chips.

I'm really enjoying my summer Bible study, "Restore my Heart" by Denise Glenn. She calls me sweetheart and I don't like that, but the lesson I'm learning is so practical and logical about something so abstract and emotional, by that I mean God's love. It's probably not so much logical to the other women in the group as it is romantic, but it's the logic that is appealing to me as someone who thinks more like a man than a woman. So I'm grasping it and actually applying it in day to day life, which is rare for me. What's even more rare is that, even though I think more like a man, this study makes me feel happy to be a woman, for once.

St. Louis tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. First, Jason and I have to run in the morning. (The 5K is this saturday.) Then we head to my mom's house for a quick lunch and then we're off to Union Station. Of course, we can't get there without stopping for Jason to pee. Once there, we'll do a little shopping and a little snacking. (I still owe my mom a Christmas present since I had to return the original.) Then we'll ride the Metro to the stadium and watch the Cards play the A's at 7. Then back to Union Station on the Metro. That will take at least a half hour because of the crowds. Then back home by around 2am. It will be interesting watching the game with two kids this time. It's Luke's first game (other than while I was pregnant). It's Abby's 4th, I think. Family tradition has begun.

3.1 miles...Man, Jamie makes me run harder than I would otherwise. I kept trailing the guys at first. I was tired and my side hurt right away. After about 3/4 of a mile, I managed to catch up with Jason and stay with him for awhile and my side stopped hurting. It was so hot out. Then after about 1.5 miles, Jason seemed to lose some steam so I left him, but I couldn't stay with Jamie either. So we were all spaced out. Jamie kept slowing down (purposely) through the last mile so I never got too far behind. My final time was about 29:15. I felt alright after it was over. I would really like to beat 28 minutes at the actual 5K but I don't plan on running more than 2.5 miles between now and then.

I'm looking forward to running 3 miles tonight for some reason. I'm not looking forward to doing laps around the park. I prefer one long run. If it wasn't for Jamie pushing the Rambler and making us run faster, I wouldn't be getting any better.

Now I'm reading "The Last American Man" about a guy who has lived off the land in his little teepee since he was 17. He's arrogant. He thinks you have to live completely in nature or you're not a real person. I always thought "live off the land" kinda guys were quiet and humble. He traveled across America by horse in 1995 and set a time record. He doesn't like things shaped like a box, just circles. His dad emotionally abused him. He loves plastic buckets. It's a typical story. I'm only on page 36. Where is this book going?

My summer class "Restore my Heart" started Monday. Too soon yet to describe it. I'm just glad I'm doing a bible study with other people. I've been alone for awhile and really boring myself. Jenny is our fearless leader.

Does anybody else enjoy having breakfast for supper? We're having omelettes tonight.

We're doing that summer reading program at the library. I just finished my first, Shoeless Joe. It is the novel Field of Dreams is based on. The book is incredibly detailed, so much so that you begin to think this must have all happened. So it is well written in that respect, but it's a tad boring. If it wasn't about baseball, it would have been a little too boring to make it through. If you like baseball, it's a good book. Now I have to find a new book. That's hard to do when they all seem the same to me.

I splurged on my atkins diet. I went with my mom to Triple Dragon. I had everything I'm not supposed to (times 3 plates). I even had the cinnamon ice cream and a chocolate chip cookie. Now my stomach is so full it hurts. That place rocks. So now I'm going to just stick to strictly 20 grams of net carbs or less for a few days. We'll see what happens. It was nice while it lasted.