Late Friday ramblings…..and don't forget my giveaways!

This week shall be called 'the week I posted

two giveaways and that was it'.  Good thing they

were both GREAT giveaways from two very 

generous sponsors! Go HERE and HERE to enter!

 I could give you a million

reasons why my blogging suffered this week, but really

who cares?  You all get it - I know you do because

your lives are as glamorous as mine - carting kids

around, working long hours, grocery shopping, cooking,

endless piles of laundry management, summer fun stuff

thrown in…….ahhhh!

Today was especially un-productive….well, not if you call

monitoring my Twitter feed and text messages productive.

This is a photo taken today of my sister-in-law out for a reasonable 100 mile

run through the San Juan mountains……no one can ever accuse her of 

having an unproductive day!  She is running the Hardrock 100 where she

is the women's course record holder.  No kidding!  Here is 

what the Hardrock 100 website has to say about this 'race':

100-mile run with 33,992 feet of climb and 33,992 feet of descent for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet with an average elevation of 11,186 feet - low point 7,680 feet (Ouray) and high point 14,048 feet (Handies Peak).

My sister-in-law has won the women's race 4 times but unfortunately in 

2010 suffered serious kidney failure.  My brother - who paces her

for the last 50 miles - published a great article about the experience

that you can read HERE if you are interested.  My brother

is a REAL writer, not a pretend writer like his sister. 

Anyway - my day has been spent following along on her progress -

she's been at it since before I got out of bed and will be still at it when

I get my 9 hours of beauty sleep and wake tomorrow morning.

She is amazing and has really dedicated her life

to this sport………and when sometimes I feel like I am running 

my own personal ultra-marathon 'race' {carting kiddos,

laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, etc…..}, I realize that the

literal 'race' path my sister-in-law chose for herself is in many ways
different from my 'race' but in many ways the same.

As I marvel at my sister-in-law's ability to accomplish something
 I myself do not believe I could do….I imagine she looks at my life --
at the 'race' I have dedicated myself to, and maybe believes
that it is a 'race' she could not do.

We all have our gifts……..

As women, that is something to be celebrated.

Wishing you a weekend to be celebrated!

****Saturday update - Diana 'dropped' at mile 85 due to medical issues.
As I write this we wait to hear more.
At the time she dropped she was in 1st place for women
runners and 4th overall.  During the night there were
lighting storms in the mountains and cold temperatures -
not ideal running conditions.