Best running in a long time!

I ran the Firecracker 5 Miler today!  I think this is the fourth 4th of July that I've run this race.  I almost came in under 50 minutes!!  I've been running so slow lately that I was hoping that I could run this 5 mile race in under an hour.  I had 50:12.  A few years ago I ran it in 43 something so, yeah, I've really slowed down. 
This year the race had a new course.  It used to be a point to point between the fire stations of 2 small towns but this year it started and finished at the fire station that it used to end at.  It was a loop on rural roads and had some hills...big hills!!! 
After the race I had to get right in the car and head over to another small town to join up with the rest of the family for a 4th of July parade.  This parade takes almost an hour; it gets bigger every year.  Then we went out to eat and then I had to go home and study. Only a couple more weeks to go and I will have 5 weeks off!!!!!!!!
Hard to believe it's already the 4th of July; it's over halfway around to Christmas...oh yippie!

Runner Nerd
had a good day of running

Happy Birthday, America!!

I aint never heard that before

Today a clerk in a store said, "I aint never heard that before."  I wanted to ask her when she had last heard it since she aint never heard it before but I highly doubt she'd get it and she would think I was the one with the problem. 

Father's Day

My Dad

My Dad with his favorite granddaughter and his oldest grandson

Less than a week

Well, it is now Sunday, May 22 and the world as we know it did not end!!  I had forgotten that it was supposed to until this week when it was all over everywhere you looked!  When in New York City over New Years they were all over the subways passing out literature and putting up signs warning that the world ends May 21, 2011. 
Sooooooo, this means that I have a half marathon to run in less than a week!!!!  I did my last long run Friday since I had to work most of the day Saturday.  It was only 7 miles but I was slower than slow; I think it was my slowest overall average pace yet. 
I booked my hotel room on Friday! Nothing like waiting till the last minute to book a hotel room in a major tourist city on a holiday weekend!!  I actually found one 5.5 miles away and it's a lot less than I expected.  The address is not Traverse City even though it is so close and that makes a big difference in the price!  I'm happy!!! 

On the nerd side of things:  I got a 98% on a test this week!!!  I have another one on Wednesday this coming week.  I'm getting the hang of doing things at clinicals and am enjoying taking care of patients and am looking forward to my new career someday!!! 

Time for bed. 
Runner Nerd
needs sleep

Mother's Day

My Mom

My Daughter and my Mom

On the banks of the Red Cedar

The newly graduated MSU Spartan

My oldest kid graduated from college today!  (actually yesterday as it's now Sunday)  My sister was the family photographer.  I will post better pictures when I get them from her.  I have to say that it was bittersweet sitting there.  All the years my kids were growing up I always told them that they were going to college.  Now, all of a sudden, there I was, sitting at college graduation! 

Runner Nerd

teary eyed