WELCOME BACK MR BROWN

WOW... it has been a while. I have so much to say and update. I guess that is why I haven't posted in a while. I have been crazy busy.

My Training:

I have been training like crazy. The Saturday before last I had 7 miles. I can honestly say that was probably the best long run I have ever had. I felt so good afterwards. I say that because I have been trying to deal with the injury that has seemed to haunt me on and off since my marathon. A pain in my hip. It feels like my hip is trying to pop out of place but only when I walk. When I run I feel pretty good and have very little pain. I told Juliet that that tells me that I should never walk and just run around all of the time. SHE DISAGREES. I actually shocked myself after that 7 miler when I did some stretching hoping that I would avoid the hip pain and I realized that I have NEVER stretched after a run. I mean NEVER. One would think that with all of the miles I have run over the years I would have thought this was a good idea. I guess not. Now that I have revealed how much of a dummy I am I will continue on. The 7 miles was great. In the past I stuck to eating gummy bears as fuel during my runs partially because I love gummy bears and partially because it was easy, but during this long run I tried out a 'GU' for those of you who do not know what GU is, think of it as pure fuel. the GU website says

What's in it?

• Carbohydrates - GU provides athletes with a dose of 100 calories in the form of 70-80% maltodextrin and 30-20% fructose (The ratio depends upon the flavor.). Why the mix? It’s a complex carbohydrate, and studies have shown that some complex carbs are actually digested faster than simple sugars like table sugar and honey.
• Amino Acid Blend - GU features a unique blend of amino acids to combat muscle fatigue, accelerate the conversion of carbohydrates into usable energy, and maintain mental focus.
• Electrolytes - Sodium and potassium to replenish what is lost during strenuous activity.
• Caffeine - Some GU flavors are caffeinated while others are not. We add caffeine for two reasons: It acts as a stimulant and it lowers the perceived effort.

I have tried it in the past and I was disgusted, but after hearing some positive things from a few people and doing some research I decided to get this one. It was DELICIOUS. Most people know I do not like sweets but I love caramel and I love salty things. So after that 7 miler Juliet and I went to Academy Sports (the only place I could find them) and bought the entire box on the shelf. 17 packets.  My new go to for fueling. I feel like if I am going to get up on Saturday mornings to run, I should have a treat to go along with it. 

This past Saturday I completed a 8 mile run. It was harder because I was running on only 6 hours of sleep and a bean burrito for dinner the night before (bad choice), but I finished the run and moved on with my day.
  
Now that I have talked about how great my running is going. I have to say I am injured in the worst possible place, my right heel. Last night at church the class I help with went out to the play ground and I got drug into a game of basketball with the boys. The ground is dirt and has rocks, and roots, and bark on it. I was in my work shoes that have no padding and I stepped on a rock in my heel. I am regretting it now. I hope it is better by Saturday because I have a 9 mile run on the schedule.

BABY BROWN/NURSERY UPDATE

The Nursery is almost done. On Monday I painted the ceiling and the crown molding I also used some wood filler on the joints of the other wood in the room and I sanded it down. Luckily some of our family is coming in tonight and is going to paint tomorrow while we are at work. That is awesome because I am running on fumes at this point. We ran into some snags on the way but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is about time because the baby shower is in 3 weeks.

The 'Munchkin' as we have decided to call it seems to be growing like a weed. It is funny to see that Juliet has a 'Mommy Belly' but is not changing in any other way. She is so beautiful and I find myself just watching her sometimes it is strange to be able to sit beside a miracle being performed.  

That leads me to the next portion of this post

THE GREAT REVEAL

Being in the house with a pregnant wife is mind blowing, when I think about the fact that she is forming a human being at this very moment it reminds me how blessed I am. I know personally when I hear about Jesus performing miracles I think sometimes "could you imagine being there to see Him heal the sick or raise the dead?" How could anyone doubt God's presence? look around, pregnant women are everywhere haha. I have no doubt that God performs miracles on a daily, heck maybe even hourly basis. I would consider myself a logical person, Juliet is the emotional one in the family. So when we make decisions it tends to be Juliet that becomes emotionally invested and finds the meaning in things and I look at the different angles to see if it is a smart decision or not or if it makes sense logically. Being a logical person tends to keep me disconnected and unattached to most things. So not too long ago I began praying and asking God to soften my heart and allow me to be a little more emotional and not so logical, and then Munchkin came on the scene. I am astounded how God answers my prayers, It also makes me be careful about what I pray for LOL. God has made me more soft hearted has opened my eyes. I can say without a doubt that I would do anything no matter what for Juliet and Munchkin. GOD DOES ANSWER PRAYERS.