Back from a long hiatus...

I had a great 3 mile run this morning on my usual loop through my neighborhood.  It was peaceful, and gave me a nice chance to think and reflect.  One of the things I thought about was my blog.  It's been over two months since I last posted, but I think my break is over.

Since it's been so long since that last post, I wanted to recap that I took a break after my dad's cancer diagnosis in August.  Since then he has had another surgery and additional tests, and he is currently trying to enjoy each and every day, as we all are.  While he was diagnosed with "agressive melanoma", the pathology reports show that after two surgeries, all of the cancer is gone in that area.  The challenge is keeping it at bay.  He now has regular doctor's appointments and scans to keep an eye out for spreading.  I think what this has reminded us all is that there are no guarantees, and to live each day to its fullest.

To that end, we scheduled an impromptu trip to a cabin in the Smoky Mountains to relax over Fall Break.  (Dad had his stitches removed on a Friday and was given the all clear from the surgeon, so we left on Monday and spent a few days relaxing and enjoying time together.)  

The cabin was pretty secluded, and Will and the kids and I went on daily runs through the extremely hilly area.  

The cabin had this crazy steep driveway that was difficult to get up and down, even in a car.  The day we arrived, it had rained and there were wet leaves on it, making it very hard to drive up - the tires kept spinning.  While this is not the most flattering picture, and doesn't really do the hill justice, here's a picture of me carefully making my way down the hill.

The scenery was beautiful and the kids loved stopping by the little river and waterfall.

I think this trip was a well needed rest for all of us.  In the month since then, other than 3 races, I haven't done much running/training.  I've let work take over my life, and allowed the stresses to distract me from taking good care of myself.

But today's run reminded me that it's okay to spend time on just me - running and blogging.

And with that, my hiatus from my blog is officially over.

Have a wonderful day!