They're talking MILES, not minutes!

This weekend I was in Lexington for FUN!! (no studying, no class, nothing physical therapy related...just good, plain FUN) I will get to why I went to Lexington in just a moment; but "business" comes first.
As you know I am training for a half marathon, which will occur in t-minus 3 weeks. It is quickly approaching! My training schedule includes long runs on the weekend, and when in Lexington I get to run with my best friend, Lindsy (who, by the way, is training for a full marathon and raising money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital ). On Saturday morning she and I woke up at 5:50 to meet her running partner Courtney and other members of a runners club for our long run. The three of us girls decided to do 10 miles, the longest run I have ever done in my life. TEN--that is a double digit number in case you didn't know. It is half-way to 20. It is double 5. Ten MILES. Well, I was feeling all cold and nervous in the early morning light about how I would do running with this huge bunch of "professional" runners, and they didn't help my nerves when they started spatting off numbers. "How many are you going to do, Mary?" "I have to do 18" "I only have to do 16, but I could do 18 with you" "I have 20 today" and on and on. Kids, they weren't talking minutes or pieces of candy, or money. They were talking miles. Whaaaaaaaat? Wow. I didn't get much time to think about it, and we were off! The run went really well, I truly enjoyed it and it wasn't as difficult as I expected. Don't get me wrong, the last mile or so I had to mentally encourage my legs move, but just as soon as it started it was over (1 hour, 36 minutes later). I really wish I had a camera so I could share the beautiful scenery we saw on our run. Lexington is chock-full of horse farms and hills, combine this with a beautiful, misty sunrise and you get breathtaking views. I found some pics online that kind-of give you an idea, but pictures really could never do this justice.

So, like I said I was in Lexington for fun this weekend! I came in to celebrate Lindsy's daughter's second birthday. I drove up on Friday and met my friend Lauren and her little boy, Dylan, for lunch. Lauren is a good friend of mine from PT school. Here is a picture of us from our PT banquet two weeks ago:

After lunch I went and did some shopping to get my fix (since I don't get to really "shop" at home in Western KY). I then went to Lindsy's and helped to get the house and food ready for the party! Saturday afternoon was Kennedy's turtle-themed birthday party! It was so much fun and she really enjoyed it. Here are some pics from the party:

It is very difficult (and emotional) to believe that Kennedy is now two years old. Where does the time go??? This weekend, Lindsy and I were reminiscing on the day she told me she was pregnant, then Kennedy's birth (for which I was present every step of the way!), and all that has happened since then. While it will be years before Kennedy realizes how much she means to me, I hope that she will someday look back at pictures, like her mother and I do, and see a familiar face. Happy Birthday Kennedy, I love you!!

Kennedy's Birth DayHappy 1st Birthday!Happy 2nd Birthday!

Onward, Boys!

For those of you who don't know, it's official: I have passed the UK comprehensive exam AND I have passed the national licensure exam (!!) so I am now Dr. Janine Owens! (or: Janine Owens, PT, DPT) It has been the most stressful time in my life and I have put a lot off to study, but I have finally made it! I am very excited because I will now be working for a paycheck, and not studying like a maniac every night! Whoop! Movin' on Up!

I am also home for good--no more back-and-forth to Lexington and living the Gypsy life. It is a good feeling to be settled and know that I am HOME! The last year of my life has presented so very many stressors (some of which I have shared on here, others that remain unshared) but the stress of being away from my "family" is over. Throughout it all, a song would play in my head and remind me that despite the difficulties I AM lucky and that I am lucky to being going home at the end of the weeks to the love of my life and my fuzzy babydog:

"Lucky" Official Video With Colbie Caillat



Lucky, Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz

Do you hear me,I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

If you listen to the song you'll see what I am talking about.

Josh, this song has been my saving grace the past year and five months. I will never forget saying good-bye to you for the first time in April last year, as you left to begin work in western KY. I felt stranded in Lexington, like it was going to be forever. We had talked about this day for a long time, but I guess I never really thought it would come! Our house never felt so empty that night. But we have come so far since then, and we made it! We have a much stronger marriage and our little pup is happy again (oh, he was so pitiful!). Now, we have bigger and better things to face, and I hope that we can face them with as much bravery as we had when we were apart. We are a strong team. And I am lucky I am in love with my best friend.

It's all in the Details

It has been a little while since my last posting, but it isn't because I haven't been busy! I have one week left in my final internship (whoop whoop) and then 2 weeks until I take my comprehensive exam for the UK PT program (August 28th...PRAY! please). Once I pass that I can sit for my national PT licensure exam (continued prayers here, please!). Needless to say, I have been trying to study, but it has not been easy. I have also begun training for another endurance event: Murfreesboro Half Marathon. Call me crazy but I have realized that endurance events are more than just a challenge, they are a hobby. Weird, I know.

The most recent race that I have participated in was the Fancy Farm 5K. This was not my best race, so "bad" in fact that I came up with a pre-race checklist based on all that went wrong and contributed to a not-so-hot race:

1. Plan accordingly for a Friday evening race: know temperature, elevation, where you are going before hand!

2. Do NOT drink coffee 45 min before the race (this may work for Saturday morning races, but Friday night ones not so much...you'll spend your warm-up time in line at the porta-potties...and you will have a belly ache throughout the hot, sultry run. UGH.)

3. If you plan to listen to iPod music, make sure it is charged.

4. Pay attention when the race starts so you don't trip on those trying to pass you. It sucks to fall 20 seconds into the run!

5. Double-knot your shoes so that they don't come untied 2 minutes into the race. And if they do, kindly thank EVERYONE who lets you know your shoe is untied as they pass you, they are just trying to save your life.

6. Tie your untied shoe prior to the half-way point, that way you can make up your time when you aren't so tired.

7. Don't look at the race shirt before you actually run, it may say something like, "I Survived The Hill - 2009" and you could get freaked out.

8. If you get a shirt that says "I Survived The Hill - 2009" then don't think that the only HILL you will encounter will be prior to the half-way point...THE hill just might be towards the end! And if you have a shirt that brags about surviving a hill, it probably isn't a downhill.

9. Know where the finish line is so that when you are hauling tail towards the end, you don't plow into a crowd of people because it is a short stop! (it doesn't make for finding friends)

10. After the race: Have a pitcher of margaritas with a good friend who did the race with you...especially if you DID NOT follow the above 9 items.

Despite it all, I just checked the results and found I placed 6th in my age division (31 women) with a time of 26:28. Not too terrible, but not my best time. That's okay, though, because I had a good time and we enjoyed the post-race margaritas!!

On a different note...

Josh and I went to a Hummingbird Festival in LBL last weekend and got some really cool pictures. Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures, and I have to admit that I am slightly infatuated with them (for this I get mad made fun of, but that's OK!) We also got to see some other nature creatures, and I am now also in love with Owls! They are really neat and this little screech owl was soooo cute, I just had to share the picture with you!

Hummingbird Facts:

-they are the tiniest birds in the world

-a hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom

-hummingbirds can hear better than and see farther than humans

-they have no sense of smell

-a hummingbird baby is about the size of a penny

-their wings will beat about 70 times per second

-they are the only birds that can fly both forward and backwards and can also hover in mid-air, fly sideways and even upside-down (!!)

-they migrate to Mexico and South America, sometimes flying all the way across the Gulf of Mexico!

-for more amazing hummingbird facts, check this site out! It's really cool!!!

Finally, I have to share something that I find hilarious: Stacey and I went shopping this weekend and found STIRRUP pants. Whaaaa??? Being a child of the 1980s it is very difficult for me to get with fashion program and wear the leggings and stirrup pants and over-sized sweaters and dresses. I know they are much more stylish now than they were then (I may even say little girls look cute in these outfits, but adults not-so-much) but I still cannot bring myself to do it. I guess this is showing my age. I already wore this once, cannot do it again. Lord help me if slouch socks and Keds come back into style! Wellll, Stacey found some stirrup pants this weekend, and we HAD to try them on. So, like teenage girls, we piled into the dressing room with our new found hideous outfits and, giggling loudly, took pics of ourselves. It is just wrong, or as Stacey says, "It's Tragic."

I leave you with our newest summertime passion:

Happy Summer!