Tammy and I have been doing pretty well in our half marathon training. She missed about 5 days or so about a week and a half ago due to the hospitalization of her mom up in Saginaw, MI. Long story short, her mom and dad were up at their cabin in Glennie, MI when her mom had a respiratory emergency, was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Tawas, MI about 40 minutes away (closest place to the middle of nowhere where the cabin is located). They could not care for her properly there due to her need for dialysis, so she was transported by ambulance down to ICU in Saginaw. She was in for 6 days, the first several of which Tammy was there. So, she lost maybe 2 or 3 days of running, but got right back into the swing on her return.
She has been nursing a sore right quad and I continue to walk a fine line with my right lower leg. We're both doing fairly well though and consistently getting in around 20 - 25 miles per week. We completed our longest long run to date in our half marathon training and Tammy's longest run ever this past Saturday going 9 miles in about 1:33:33. Tammy is doing AWESOME. She is like a machine and just keeps plugging right along on our long runs. I have no doubt she will do quite well in our half at Bayshore in Traverse City on the 23rd of May. She has amazing stamina and I often have to curb her desire to speed up during our runs.
We are not going to be running any of the Glass City Marathon races coming up on April 26th, but will be volunteering in some capacity for the Toledo Road Runners at the races. Not sure yet what our assignments are as yet though as we have not heard back from the race organizers. We are registering for a 5K in Bowling Green, Ohio, the Couch Potato 5K, on the day before, Saturday the 25th of April, and youngest daughter, Lindsey, will be joining us in that race. There are a couple of guys from RunningAHEAD that will be in that race as well, so hopefully we'll be able to hook up with them for a bit. It's kind of a race challenge for these two fellas. Should be fun.
Other than that, life has been good. I went with Chelsea last week as she registered for a summer college class and her fall semester classes for her freshman year of college. Sigh. She is doing well in her final trimester of high school while working diligently at her job. I am very proud of how responsible she has been this year. We have also started with preparations for Chelsea's graduation and open house. Lindsey has begun softball, although with the snow outside today, it is hard to believe softball season is upon us. We are attending a banquet tonight honoring all-A students at the junior high, which she has acheived for the second year in a row. So, there you have it, running and life in a nutshell of late in the Velich household.
Oh, couple things before I go for now. I am really trying to prepare my heart this week for Good Friday and the amazingly loving sacrifice that Jesus made that day for me and on behalf of ALL mankind to atone for all of OUR sins and to bridge the gap between our flawed humaness and a perfect God. It is my prayer for you that you would also take time to reflect on just how incredible this sacrificial gift of grace was for YOU and then rejoice in the risen Lord of Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ, that came to this world as Emmanuel, God with us, not to be served, but to serve ALL of mankind. For those of you who may be rolling your eyes about me speaking out about my faith and this Easter season, I am sorry, but as Penn Gillette, an avowed atheist, of Penn and Teller has said, "How much do you have to hate somebody (as a professed Christian) not to proselytize to them." I hate no one, though I do confess I struggle with my attitude toward some sects of our global society, but I would wish eternal damnation to hell on no one and seek to grow a loving heart to all as Jesus had and modeled for me.
One final thing... GO STATE!!
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