When the dreams you're dreaming come to you

When the work you put in is realized, let yourself feel the pride, but always stay humble and kind.
I loved this song the second I heard it on Tim's new album and it's finally making it's radio rounds, which is fantastic because sometimes I just don't feel like digging around in my Play app to find/stream it.  If you don't know the song yet, get yourself acquainted because I'm sure it's going to be the next "I Hope You Dance".
But enough about Tim and his crazy country success, let's talk about why we're really here.  In case you're wondering, I took an entire rest week, which I never do.  Maybe I'm just over-worked, but for the first time in a long time I really felt like I needed the break from working out.  However, this also seems to be happening more lately, so maybe I'm just bored with my regular work outs and need something new to do.  It could really go either way.  Since I was on a rest week, I decided to make it a carb-load week too.  That was fun.  I made peanut butter chocolate chip butterscotch chip blondies, meatballs, and pretzels with queso.  My kitchen was the place to be last week if you wanted food. Sorry I didn't share that until after the fact, but I didn't really want to share my food anyways.
Because there was no working out last week, I don't really have much to fill in here.  So I'm going to use this as an opportunity to drop in another fundraiser reminder.  Right now I'm just over half-way there, around the 56% mark. Which means I'm closer to the end than the beginning, but I still have a long way left to go.  For a comparison, it's about mile 15 of the marathon.  Close enough to keep going, but far enough to still be in the double digits.  So if you're feeling extra givey today, please click on over to my page and drop off some sweet funds.  Morty will appreciate it, I will appreciate it, the center will appreciate it, and karma will too, which is always a bonus.  If you really want a story to help you believe in karma, one day I bought one of those high school team cards that gets you discounts at local places.  I had/have no intentions of using it, but it was only $20 and I felt like the boy deserved it for going door to door in this day and age.  So I paid the $20 and took the card.  Three days later, walking the dogs, what do I find in the middle of the road? A $20 bill.  There you go, karma at it's finest.  Or something.  Whatever you want to believe in, take that story and replace the word karma with whatever it is you think causes people to find money on the side of the road after doing something nice.  Whatever you do, this paragraph has long strayed from it's topic, so let's bring it back around nicely by ending with the link.  Click here to donate!!!
As a wrap up, you can enjoy these free photos courtesy of the Louisiana Marathon.  As if you needed another reason to sign up next year, they give you the race photos for free!!!! That's a rare occasion in the world of marathons, so if you can get them, take them.  I especially enjoy the finish line photos. They really captured the moment.

This is a good shot of Alison waving to Ryan

And of course Ryan's fantastic finish!

Pretzels and queso

Peanut butter blondies

An Invisible Red Thread

If you're not already familiar with that phrase, let me enlighten you.  There's an ancient Chinese proverb that states "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.  The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."  Now, this was originally meant to be a way to explain soulmates, but times change and so do meanings.  I've read this quote before and I've really come to appreciate it as a way of thinking about why the people I've met are in my life.  It's kind of nice thinking that you would have met these people, no matter what, because you were destined to meet.  Of course there are people that, like you, I'd rather not have met, but I still like to apply the red thread concept to them.  I suppose it's my way of making sense out of a seemingly random act of life.
As you know by now, I'll be running Boston next year for Michael's Miracle Team, to support the respite center that Morty attended.  Coincidentally, the team color was red last year.  So, again, looking for logic in random places, I've come up with my Red Thread Campaign, to connect the proverb and my fundraising.  You see, I'm sure there was a reason for meeting Morty and his family years ago, and I highly doubt that reason was just so I could run Boston in 2016.  But, it could be to spread the word about a wonderful center in Hopkinton that does so much for the families who need it, and asks for so little in return.  Here's the bottom line.  From now on, should you make a donation, in return, I will send you a red paracord bracelet.  This bracelet will come with a tag that has the proverb on one side, and Morty's story on the other side.  I may even branch out and ask families if I can share their loved one's stories on the bracelet tags. So, when you're donating, you're not only helping a great place, you're connecting yourself to someone you wouldn't have otherwise been connected with.  A red thread.  Bonus offer: If you donate more than $25, I will put your name or a name of your request, on the back of my marathon shirt for the day of the race.  I'm going to try and get donation jars out this week at a couple of local businesses as well, and supply them with a handful of red bracelets to be distributed to anyone who drops money in the jar.  If you're curious as to what the bracelet looks like, I've provided a picture below.  As always, if you want to donate, CLICK HERE

BIG NEWS!!!!

No joke, it's for real the most exciting news you'll read if you've been following this blog for the past two years.  April 18, 2016, Hopkinton to Boston, and I am IN.  YES, you read that right people, I am FINALLY in the Boston Marathon!!!!  If you aren't aware, I've been trying to get in this for the past two years, but my marathon pace isn't qualifying time and the charities are always full.  But this year I found out that the respite center that Morty used to go to has a charity team.  Of course I immediately sent them my information because if ever there was a charity I wanted to run for, it would be this one. Lucky for me, they read my story, we discussed Morty, and everyone agreed it would be a great fit.  I'm so excited to be running for Morty and the Respite Center.  You know how some charities are huge and take donations but then spend most of the money on advertising?  Definitely not the case with the Respite center.  This is just a local home that provides families the opportunity for some much needed rest and a day off. Most of their programs are free of charge to the families who need them, so all the donations that come in go directly to supplies and services at the center.  Just keep that in mind if you decide to donate.  Your money is going directly to those who need it, not some giant CFO somewhere.
If you are interested in Morty and the Respite Center, you can follow this link and check out my page.  
Morty's Story

I mean, really, look at that face!

Piggybacking on this post now, I am still running Newport this weekend. I couldn't really get myself amped for this marathon, not the way I was for Louisiana, so I decided to give myself a reason to run.  Since this is number four, I'm dedicating this one to all the people who helped me out with training.  Really number four has nothing to do with it. But number one, MCM, was to do something new.  Philly was because we were still riding the runner's high and wanted to be maniacs.  Louisiana was for fun and to do one on my own.  So Boston is for Morty, of course.  So, Newport is for everyone else.  The people, if you will.  Everyone who ran with me, talked to me, listened to me whine about how much I didn't want to do it. The list, while seemingly endless, actually isn't that long.  But instead of writing a dedication list here, I'm doing it the creative way.  On the bottom of my shoes.  Yup.  One name for every mile.  Of course Ryan leads the list, because he's my number one fan, even when he's not.  But the other 25 miles are for everyone else.  And just to have a little fun, I switched up my shirt again.  Newport, I am ready for you!

Ok, you can't read that,here's the list:

Right Shoe: Ryan, Cynthia, Murdock, Madilyn, Holly, Tracy, Jenna, Danielle, Nala, Stella, Kenny, Mom, Gibbs Family

Left shoe: Title Boxing (the club, the members, and the trainers!), Kerri, Dana, Erin, Matt D (for offering his treadmill after the kids went to sleep), the Revolutionary War Soldiers (for getting me through a training run on the Battle Road Trail one day), the Mystics from the relay team, Lynn Woods Running, Lynn Classical Girls Spring Track Team, Donna, Cortney, Brian, and finally, Alex F.