It's Over...And I'm Not Sad

Based on my Facebook feed, tons of kids have had the MOST AMAZING middle school experience. They made lifelong friends, had a great time in and out of school, and had so much fun that mom and dad's hearts all over Knoxville are bursting with happiness. 

My heart is bursting with happiness, too. That's because it's over. ✌🏻to middle school, and I couldn't be happier. A literal weight has lifted from my shoulders. 

There is not one iota of sadness that we are leaving this chapter behind, and all I can do is pray that "they" are right and that high school is better. 

The eldest is kind, an old soul, smart, funny, and athletic. He will care about your feelings even if you look him in the eye and make fun of him. 

He's never made friends easily, but by golly, he's made a ton of nonfriends in the last three years. The bullying was so bad at BMS that we moved him, thinking that would be the answer to our problems and prayers. 

It wasn't. I witnessed kids purposefully leaving him out of activities and making it obvious to everyone around them that they were leaving him out. 

He's not a perfect human, but he also doesn't understand the "middle school" kid mentality. He's not disruptive or silly and definitely doesn't break the rules, making him a bit unlikeable. 

As we look ahead, there is excitement. The West atmosphere reminds me a lot of our Rocky Hill Family. He'll be reunited with elementary school friends, the few friends he made at Bearden Middle, and many running friends. 

Things will never be perfect. He will never be perfect. 

Heck, as an adult, I've been bullied (not often because I don't take crap from people), and there are a lot of folks out there who just don't like me, but I just don't care. 

I hope the next four years provide him with a rewarding experience that leaves him with good memories. I hope he finds his place and that when we fast forward to his senior year, I am an emotional mess about all he'll be leaving behind. 😉

For now, we'll celebrate summer and spend time buying all the navy and red clothing we can find! 

Hugs and love and see you on the roads! K ✌🏻🫶

CHKM Week - It's Here! It's Here!

We've been experiencing marathon week in some shape or form for 20 years. Altman ran the full marathon the first year, and I ran the 5K. The following year, we volunteered to lead the 16-week training program.

Altman was the 5K captain, and I was the Information captain. 

The following year, Altman was hired, and the rest is history. 

The kids have grown up with marathon week and even after leaving my role with KTC, I have continued an active role. 

This year, I am blessed to spend the day in the studio at WATE TV 6, providing live event coverage. It is by far my favorite role. I love seeing the camera angles and course coverage and talking about the event for hours. I truly love marathon weekend and marathon day, and I can't think of a better way to spend it. 

There is a rhythm to the weeks leading up to it, and the week of that is unexplainable to anyone living outside our home. There is no "marathon" office. It's our house. So, starting weeks out, 18-wheelers, FedEx, and UPS are here almost daily. Currently, half of the garage is filled with boxes of chips, cookies, and snacks for the weekend. 

March brings a "buzz" to the house that I can't describe.

I've spent this week preparing for coverage for the weekend and creating notebooks for Lori, Bo, and others at the station, providing key information about the race, the course, and the athletes. Notebooks may seem outdated, but it's the easiest way to see info quickly when you are live.

Today was the press conference. It's generally the proverbial "start line" for the rest of the week. It means that we are days out and that it may not get done if it hasn't been done yet. 

Over the years, the rhythm has changed slightly depending on the kids. As they have gotten older, there are more sports, practices, and commitments leading up to and through this week. Luckily, we have a great support system, and there is help getting them where they need to go. 

Altman can rely on his senior high school runners to lead the way for his distance track athletes for this week, but I still have middle school practice to lead. Instead of being at a meet tonight, we are home due to the forecasted storms. Otherwise, we'd spend tonight at a track meet until 9 pm. 

As we head into the weekend, the kids still go to school and have homework. I still have a full-time job. There is still laundry—a lot of laundry. There are dishes and dogs to feed and walk. Real life doesn't stop because it's marathon week. 

We prep dinner for the week on Sunday. We arrange for rides where needed for the boys. We talk through the next day every night to ensure we aren't forgetting anything. 

I'll take a PTO day on Friday to get in my 10-miler (remember, consistency is the word for the year) and pick up the kids from school. 

Altman will stay downtown Friday night, and the boys and I will head downtown Saturday morning. Karson will run the kid's run, and Jackson will volunteer. We'll all stay downtown on Saturday night. Altman and I will be up and out of the hotel room well before sunrise. We'll grab a quick selfie on the bridge and part ways for the day. 

After coverage ends, I'll briefly visit the finish area before heading home with the boys. I am sure Jackson will have homework; by then, Karson will be over all of it. And, there will be laundry to do and prep for the school and work week. Altman will come home around 6 or so, and we'll have time to sit down and watch the replay of the live coverage while sipping a cocktail and propping our feet up. 

And no—that's not the end of it. Monday will be as busy or busier as any day this week. So will Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week. I still have that full-time job, the kids still go to school, and Altman's workload the week after is no different than the week before, except there is little excitement from the masses about cleaning up and returning equipment. 

We wouldn't have it any other way. The marathon changed our lives 20 years ago, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue to be part of something so special. 

I'll get back to athlete research and then get the kiddos off to bed. 

See you on the roads! K

Back to It

I started this blog many years ago, highlighting life as a wife, mom, and professional. Like many things that happen when you juggle everything, you let a ball or two or three drop. Writing was one of the first things to go. But I miss it, and it's time to get back to it. 

I have been working to lighten my load outside my responsibilities as a wife, mom, and Vice President at work. 

As I head into spring, I'll finish my tenure as board president for two nonprofit organizations. I've resigned from a national-level board in the blood industry to cut back on travel. I am in my final season of coaching at Sacred Heart Middle School. 

What will I do with all this time? 

I'm glad you asked! One of the other balls that has dropped in the last 10+ years is taking care of myself. I've put on a good show of working out and trying to maintain some level of physical fitness, but my coach will tell you that I've put everything else in life before my own health and self. 

She's right.

So, I am putting more time into myself. My word this year is consistency. I will consistently show up and try to follow my food plan, workout plan, and goal of being present for my family. Realistically, we only have about 8-10 years of the boys being home. I don't plan to miss a thing. 

I'm also working on setting some big goals for training for the next year and beyond. I may never be fast again, but I bet that I am just stubborn enough that I can go far for long periods. 

I hope you'll follow along and see what life brings to the Altman fam. For now, I'll get back to prepping for this live coverage for the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon.