Restoring Weekend Recap

Last weekend was tough.  Real tough.  It just felt like so many things came to a head and I was not prepared.  The demands of life just overwhelmed me which is where this post came from.  I didn’t promote it, I didn’t ask anyone to go read it because mainly I didn’t really need anyone too.  I think it was more for me to get it out of my head and onto “paper”.

So on Saturday morning when the weekend officially began I was ready to welcome it with open arms.  Heading down to Southern Illinois, I was hopeful that the escape would help, that I would somehow find the energy and inspiration that I so badly needed.

After two hours in the car and and Wubbzzy on repeat in the DVD player, we rolled into town.  It didn’t take long to realize that coming home was just what I needed.

I always drive by and say hi to my dad first and it always brings a sense of calm.  Even though he’s not here, his ability to protect and make me feel better still exists.  After that, I headed home where the kids very eagerly went right to playing with all the toys that are there.

That evening my brother and his family came over for what was an evening of fun.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be able to sit there and watch the kids play, drink wine and just enjoy the company of my family. It’s a closeness I feel like everyone deserves but I also know we are very lucky to have.  All four of us (my brother and two sisters) and my mom have a very strong relationship.  Two bottles of wine and many good laughs over past memories, it was time to call it a night.

Sunday morning meant my final long run before New York.  The one challenge with running long in a small town is there aren’t as many trails or sidewalks so planning a safe route can be challenging but I made due with a loop that I repeated a few times.  In the midst of the miles, I ran by my grandmother’s old house and just spent the subsequent two miles reminiscing about the fond memories we had there…next it was the high school…more memories…then the grade school…still more memories and finally a loop around town and I was home.  The run gave me confidence… the weather was perfect, the rhythm was right and I felt like I could’ve gone for ever.  After the week I had, the combination of the weekend and the run turned out to be EXACTLY what I needed.

I know St. Louis isn’t NYC but it’s bigger than the town I grew up in and as much as I love it, I will never overlook my small town and the amount of support and love that comes from it.  It is seriously a blessing.

So I have three days…then we’re off for a weekend of marathon fun.  We will have a tweet up and a shake out run that you can be part of.  I’ll share more details soon.

In the meantime, I hope you had a great restorative weekend too!  Oh and don’t miss this Instagram.  It was a highlight of my weekend.  🙂