That’s what I’m trying to do, and trying to influence over my daughter this summer: staying active.

A few weeks ago my husband and daughter decided they were ready to start running with me, the ultimate goal being the run a 5k together in the fall as a family. Since then we’ve been getting up way too early in the morning and running a mile together as a family 4 days a week. As much as I love sleep and could whine and complain that 5:45am is much too early for me, especially now that school’s out and I have nowhere to be, I feel more awake and ready to go after our run.  And I’m excited that they’re doing this, that we’re doing it together.

That said, I decided to pull back on my own running a little for the summer. Other than training them for a 5k, I’m not really training for anything at all. I was running two 3 mile days, a 5 mile day and a 7 mile day. Plus then we added on that extra mile in the morning. It’s summer, the water’s warming up in the pool, and I’m just going to replace so of those miles with swimming. I also have my daughter with me for all of my runs now… which makes it more challenging to run more. This morning was our first day… I ran 3 miles while she rode her bike ahead of me, trying to remember not to go too fast and completely lose me at the park. We did good for day one… I think this will work out. At least until it gets too hot to run outside. I’ve never run in 100+ degrees. Not sure how my body’s going to like that this summer.

Next week my daughter starts back at swimming lessons 4 mornings a week. So here’s the summer schedule.  Family mile, 3 miles (running for me, biking for her), 40 minute swim lesson, then a couple hours in the pool in the afternoon.

Now, if I could just get the whole eating thing back under control, we’d be in business.

My daughter is at the very end of 3rd grade and has received a ton of awards this week.

• citizenship medal: she’s not to sure what that means other than she’s a nice girl.
• perfect attendance: I’m proud to say she’s been healthy and no doctor’s appointments have pulled her out of school this year.
• Principal’s Gold Award for straight A’s: she gets this one about 4 times a year.
• AR medal: She had 107 points in the Accelerated Reader program this year.
• Reading medal: The highest class average in reading.
• Math medal: for reaching a 5.0 grade level in the math program in computer lab. That’s 2 grade levels above her own.

There are only two school days left. Tuesday she will be singing in the talent show.

That may be going a bit too far.

Yesterday I broke my 5k record and set a new one of 36:40. How does 34:53 sound? If not for the fact that my body is tired and sore, to me it sounds like probably someone else did it.

Time to celebrate with some egg beaters.

I can be a pretty big complainer sometimes.

It was really good for me that when I got my Android phone and started complaining about all the apps I wanted and wanted better of, my husband was starting the process of learning Android development. And so when I complained about how bad all the weather apps and widgets out there are, he decided to just make me one.

All the other apps out there had hideous reviews about how they don’t work right, they suck the life out of your battery, and so on.

I’m a runner. I need for my running program to be what sucks the life out of my battery, and that’s all. The rest of my apps need to go easy on it or I won’t ever get through my run.

So that explains the how. And I knew he’d do an amazing job on it and knock my socks off like he always does, but I just can’t say enough how pleased I am with how wonderful it is. The look and feel of it, the simplicity, the battery conserving super powers. It’s exactly what I wanted, and now you can have it too!

It’s available in the Android market. Please read more about it at aut0poietic.us. Try it, tell us what you think of it, let us know what it’s missing.

And tell my husband he’s awesome, because he is!

I broke my best 5k time this morning. My best time thus far was 37:21.

As of today, my new personal best is 36:40.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea how this happened. Especially with how miserable and hot it felt outside already at 9am. Incidentally, it clouded over as soon as I was done. I also felt a little dehydrated. I had quite a bit of water this morning, but not nearly enough all weekend.

I have a feeling it’s going to take me awhile to break this record, maybe even to run this fast again.

But I’ll be out there, trying.

Ten years ago today it was my 23rd birthday.

Ten years ago today I got married. Yes, I got married on my birthday. I get double the cake.

Ten years ago I had a talk with a psychic and she agreed with me that the baby I was carrying was a girl. To this day when my daughter hears the phrase “Our anniversary” she’s certain it means her too, since we’re all married and stuff.

So today I’m 33. I’m in better shape now than I was as a teenager. I walk I run I lift I swim I yoga. And more. I’m healthy. I haven’t smoked a cigarette in almost a year. When I’m tired it’s because I ran 5 miles and then swam for an hour, not because I’m unhealthy and lack the energy. I’ve run 2 5k’s now. (The Piece Walk was awesome last weekend. 38:10. Much better. I’ll fill you in sometime.)

I think I’m headed in the right direction.