Looking ahead to 2008

I don't believe in resolutions as I'm not good at keeping them, but I do like to set goals and have a few for 2008. Most of them are around running and health and fitness and are not new. They've been my goals for awhile now but it never helps to restate them at the first of the year.

My biggest goal this year is to run and finish the Umstead 100 Mile Trail Run. In order to be successful at that goal, I need to lose weight which is my next goal biggest goal which is to lose at least 15 pounds. I've been saying that for a long time, so I'm not sure how I'll accomplish it this time when I haven't been successful in the past, but I know that I have to. One thing I'm going to try this time is to increase my exercise and workouts but by cross-training instead of just running. I find that the more I run, the more tired I get and the slower I get which doesn't help burn calories. I think I need to do more interval type of training so the spin classes and possibly some other classes as well might help fill in the extra burn that I need. Frank and I went to the pool at the club for the first time last night and really liked it so we're going to add that to our working out as well. We decided that we're going to become gym rats. Back in PA we were mall rats but here we're going to be gym rats. I think we'll be healthier and happier as a result. Gee, looks like not having a mall around to go to really is a good thing!

Another goal I have is to find a job as a massage therapist. Now that I have passed the certification boards I feel motivated to really start looking and finding contacts. I'd like to work at the club so I can meet more people there and get even more comfortable there.

Looks like my goals are pretty boring and perhaps I need to relook at what I want other than just to run Umstead. I think there may be more to life then running and training. Once Umstead is behind me I plan on focusing on things other than running and working out but for now, I plan on being pretty selfish and focus on just that and then I'll be ready to move on!

Year in review

It's the time of year to reflect on the outgoing year and what a year it has been. Starting in January, we drove to NC to visit with Colleen and Erin and ran our first 50K in quite awhile. I actually PRd at 6:19. Our next event was the Rocky 50 mile run in Texas. Frank fell and broke 3 ribs but managed to finish and win his age group! What a marine. I finished in 11:37 and was pleased with that. Our next event in February was Erin and Josh's wedding in Charlotte. In March Frank and I went to Cleveland for a week to babysit while Tate and Julie went on vacation to Florida. Training for Umstead was not where I had hoped it would be. April came and we went to Raleigh to run our 100 mile event, albeit half-heartily. Frank and I dropped at the 100K (62 miles), me with painful feet and Frank with blisters.

Frank was still waiting for the ball to drop at AT&T. Since September the rumors of cutbacks were endless. We were sure he'd be out of there by the end of 2006 but nothing. I decided that we should get the house ready to put on the market by May 1st so that we'd be ready to go when the offer did come along. While we were in Raleigh we decided to drive back down to Southern Pines to look for a house again and decided that the townhouse would be great. May 1 Frank finally got the news that he's been declared surplus and was off pay-roll by the end of July. He did not have to go back to the office though so we put the house on the market immediately and it sold within 2 or 3 days! Now we had to make a decision about where we were going to retire. We drove back to NC and decided that the townhouse was not going to work for us and looked at and found a single family home. It was older then what we thought we wanted but we liked the location and the basic feel! Now it was just wait until moving day. We went home and started packing and getting ready for the big day. Our closing wasn't until the end of July so we had a couple of months to just be in limbo. Finally the big day came after much stress about problems with the buyer getting a mortgage etc but we got the news that all was settled while we were driving to NC! We were almost home. It was such a stressful time, we were really unprepared for the problems that losing a buyer would have created. The market was very volitile and seemed to have fallen apart in just a few short weeks. Anyway, all's well that ends well.
We finally settled on our new place a few days later and then a few days after that, we had furniture. We immediately started painting and making the place ours. We had the carpet removed and replaced with hardwood and then had the bathroom remodeled. In 5 short months the house was finally updated and to our liking. Now we can relax! Oh not yet, it's holiday season!
Tate, Julie and Ada made it down for Thanksgiving which was great. Colleen, Steve and Erin and Josh made it down as well and it was so nice to have the whole "family" together!
Christmas we only got to see Erin, Josh, Colleen and Steve for a couple of hours on Christmas Eve but it was nice to be so close. Next year I plan to have everyone here!
Colleen is pregant and is due January 11 and Tate and Julie just learned that they're expecting again so by next year at this time we'll have 3 grandbabies!
We were able to get some running in once we settled in to our new place. It was record hot when we moved here in July so it was not easy to run but we tried. We ran a half marathon in August, the MTC Shirt Run a week later, a 24 hour run in September (I only ran for 18 hours) a trail marathon in October, a half marathon in November, and a 50K in Texas in December. We are training again for Umstead so hopefully we'll be ready this year. We doing a 50K next weekend, a 50 miler and a 50K in February, a marathon in March and then the 100 miler in April. There have been so many disruptions to our training but I think that for the most part things should be going smooth for awhile!
I took the national massage certification exam earlier this week and passed which was something I didn't think I'd be able to do. From everything I heard about it and read about it, it was very tough and it had been 8 years since I had gone to massage school. I was very happy and am looking to becoming gamefully employed within the next few months. I still have to apply for my license and that may take a couple more months but I'm getting closer!
So all in all I think that sums it up. We've got great neighbors and really love it here. I don't think we could have found a place better suited to our lifestyle even though we chose a golf community and we don't golf. It's a beautiful area and why should it only enjoyed by those golfing! We love it too.
Well, that's about all for 2007. My goals and dreams for 2008 will be posted tomorrow. Happy New Year!

I'm Nationally Certified!

I can't believe it but I PASSED the National Massage Certification Exam! I must have picked some lucky choices! I do have to admit that the studying that I did in the days coming up to the test did help although there were many guesses and some logical answers as well. In any event, I passed and now it's on to the getting a NC License. I don't have to take another test but I do have to get charactor references from licensed medical people, whether it be a massage therapist, doctor or anyone like that that has a license to perform. And because PA doesn't require any licensing or even certification I have to contact the local police in Doylestown and have them write a statement that I'm in good standing there! I can't believe everything I have to go through to be able to work in this state. I do recognize that it's for everyone's protection but I do think they get a little carried away. Once I get all of my documentation together I send everything in to the state and then I'll have to wait for another 30 to 60 days to get my license. (if I meet their approval) Hopefully everything will go smoothly but they sure don't make it easy.

I got out and ran for about 10 miles. I thought I'd do more but it was really hot and humid and I decided to call it a day. Hot is relative but it was almost 70 and that's hot for January not to mention the humidity. Who can breathe? We're meeting the club tomorrow for a breakfast run so hopefully I'll get in another 10 tomorrow. If not, I figure I'll run 10 on Monday and then 5 on Tuesday and Wednesday and then take off until the race on Saturday. I'm looking forward to getting into a routine again now that the holidays are behind us (well after Tuesday) and I don't have to study anymore. Yea!!!!

We straightened out the garage this afternoon so that is a good feeling. Now I have to find homes for the stuff that we brough indoors. We found books and stuff that we had forgotten about so that's always fun. All of my weights and workout stuff has made it into the new workout room so now I just have to organize it.

Today I had the bright idea of moving the desk closer to the entry door so I could do massage in that room. It would eliminate the need to use one of the bedrooms however, I don't really know if I'll be doing many massages here. I think I'd rather get a job in a spa or the fitness club but it would also be nice to offer our runner friends massages. We'll see how it goes. It would be a pretty big deal to move the desk as it's an L-return desk and it's very big and heavy. We decided to put the old dining room rug under it and now would like to remove that as well. I think we'd have to disconnect the L-return from the main part of the desk in order to move it and I'm not sure if our level of handiness could handle that! I guess it'll depend on how much we decide to want to do it. The rug is pretty funky and gets in the way of the computer chairs so it would be nice to have it gone.

National Certification Exam jitters!

I'm scheduled to take the National Certification Exam tomorrow and have finally decided to sit down and do some serious studying. I've been studying for the past couple of days and thought that maybe there was a glimmer of hope that I could squeak through and manage to pass but I don't think that will be the case. I just took several more practice tests and didn't improve much from before studying although a couple of the areas did show an improvement albeit small. It's such a crazy thing. I had to go through hell just to get approved to take the test, and that approval only lasts 3 months and guess what, that 3 month is up on Jan 4! Okay, so I'm a procrastinator! So my approval and fee paid would all be forfeited if I don't take it tomorrow. I feel very confident that I won't be able to pass but have to go through it anyway. I liken it to signing up for a race, not putting in the required training but showing up for the start with a wing and a prayer. I'd love to just bag it but I guess I owe it to myself to check it out. If I do go and fail, I have to pay another $225.00 to take it again with still no guarantee. Unless I feel that there is some way that I could eventually study and pass the test, I don't plan on trying it again. Plan B is to get certified to do personal training and work at the healthclub as a personal trainer. I like the sounds of Plan B more and more. My brain is ready to explode!
I tried to get a run in this morning but that was just not happening. My legs and everything else that I needed to drag myself around the lake was just not there today. I'm not sure if it's post holiday blues (aka too many cookies) or too much studying but in any event, I'm hopiing that my energy and stamina come back soon. I've got 3 months left to train for Umstead and can't afford too many bad days. I need to get back up to running and working out. It's amazing how the holidays can really effect your routine.
I think that after my test is over I'll be able to focus on my running again. Hope so! It'll be April 5 before I know it!

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas morning and we slept in and then opened gifts and had our Christmas pancake breakfast. We had Christmas with Colleen and Erin last night and that was fun to spend time with them. Only a couple more weeks and we'll be back in Raleigh for the birth of Ella! What an exciting year it'll be for Colleen and Steve. I'm going to work really hard to have Christmas at our house next year. We've never had the kids on Christmas day and now that they're older with families of their own, hopefully we'll be able to make that happen although I realize that it's hard to spread yourself between multiple families. Anyway, we're going to work on that. It's our year next year to have Christmas with Julie and Tate and if we can get them to come here, I'm sure that Colleen and Erin will be able to spend part of the holiday with us as well.
We're going to dinner with Carolyn and Mike, our new neighbors tonight so that will be fun. They're great and they're Chico's home away from home, so it worked out to find such terrific neighbors. Their kids arrive on Thursday.
It's a beautiful day here and should be in the 60s this afternoon. We'll probably take Chico to the dog park. We found a terrific off leash dog park and Chico really loved it plus it'll really tire him out so he can sleep and recover while we're at dinner.
Frank got me three one hour personal training sessions at our club. I'm really excited about that so I can incorporate the machines at the club into my training as well as get my foot in the door as far as getting a job there in the future as a trainer. That is what I would really love to do, so I'm thrilled that he gave me the certificates! I probably would not have bought them for myself or even thought about it! I can't wait to start. Thanks Frank! I decided to take the day off today from running or working out but tomorrow I'll begin again!!!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Holiday Blues

It's that time of year again when I get the holiday blues. It was great to have everyone here for Thanksgiving but it looks like we'll be alone for Christmas. We are going to visit Colleen on Christmas Eve and Erin and Josh will be there but we'll only be there for a couple of hours. It just doesn't feel very Christmassy to run in and out! Oh well, I guess that's the way it is. One day we'll have Christmas at our house and have everyone here. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Looks like we'll have 3 grandbabies by next Christmas! Wow! Looks like Tate and Julie are expecting again.

After the holidays, we'll have lots of time on our hands. I take my certification exam for doing massage next Friday. I don't think it is very likely that I'll pass, but I'll give it a try. I can't even figure out how to study that would help me pass so I'll just resort to pray and luck! If I don't pass, then I think I'll pursue a different career opportunity. I'd really like to work at a health club as a trainer or fitness coach but am not sure how to get my foot in the door. I plan on pursuing that after the first of the year. Now that the house is pretty much done we need to find something to keep us busy. I guess a job will do that!

Running is going okay although I've been trying to get back into my weight training and spinning so my legs were pretty trashed earlier in the week and I kind of had a set back but I think that they will be stronger as a result. I just need to be consistant with doing the weights so it doesn't work against me. I'm planning on running my 25 mile long run tomorrow but if my legs are still recovering from lifting, I will cut it short and run long on Sunday. I plan on running at least 30 miles over the weekend and that will give me 55 miles for the week although many of those are probably junk miles but it's time on my feet which is what I need for now. I'm planning on increasing my weekly mileage and workouts to get ready for Umstead. I'm thinking that Umstead will be my one and only 100. It's just too time-consuming to spend so many hours running. I really would like to spend time doing other activities but we'll see. Maybe I'll figure out a way to do them all!

Achy Breaky Heart!

Oh my achy breaky heart! Well, it happened again today. I got to the gym to run on the treadmill and my chest was burning again like it did at the start of the race last weekend. What is going on? This is crazy. Anyway, after about 10 minutes of burning and trying to walk it off, it started to feel better and I was able to run. It was a little unsettling and I decided I should visit my doctor. I got an appointment for 12:30 and she said it sounds like heartburn (I've never had heartburn except when I was pregnant, a very long time ago!) and she gave me some medication to take for 10 days and then just buy Pepcin over the counter for future occurances! I feel relieved that that is all it is but am curious as to what is causing it. Probably too much ibprophen, I'll switch to Tylenol for awhile and if I need to go back to Celebrex I will. I think I'll be fine and it's under control. Another crisis avoided!
Well, the party last night was very nice. It's so much fun living in a friendly area. Grady and Debi showed up and everyone was eager to catch up with them. They are so friendly and down to earth it is hard to imagine him in his other world. He did make a comment that he is retired and his days will be filled with riding his motorcycle, playing with his grandkids and golfing. Today he is golfing with our neighbor Mike.
I'm off to the Southern Pines gym to take a ball conditioning class and then yoga. Gotta Go!

Ran 8 at the park

I got an 8 mile run in this morning at the reservoir and felt pretty good so I guess I'm recovered. I'm looking forward to getting some long runs in and getting a shape for Umstead. I had a brainstorm out there and decided to move all of my workout equipment into the guestroom. This way it gets it out of the masterbedroom and I can leave it up and ready to use. All we had to do was to move the bed to the wall and we'll simply move it back when it's needed. Now I'm hopefull to get my weight training workouts in as well as Pilates. I'll leave that machine up as well. I'm hoping hoping to use it to mediatate as well. I do like working out at the club, but I like doing my weight resistance training at home although I'm sure I'll still take classes there as well.
We're on our way to one of our neighbors for a Christmas Party so that should be fun. We've met a few neighbors but I'm sure we'll meet many more tonight.

Our Little House

Today was an interesting day. Grady and Debi Little stopped by to pick up a package that had been delivered here for them. We had a neighbor that is in contact with them let them know that we had a package for them. We had just gotten back from shopping and we were going through mail so the house was a little messy but all in all was okay. They were very nice and loved the changes that we made to the house. They told us how much they had loved the house and they only left because they felt they needed a gated community with Grady's name in the news and the house was empty so often while they were away during the baseball season. They were very comfortable and someone who you would enjoy being around. They'll be at Regina and Jim's party tomorrow night so we'll get to chat with them a little more. We were so thrilled that they stopped by and were so down to earth. Everyone has told us that they were just down home nice people and that's certainly the way we felt. I did learn though that we should really try to keep the house guest ready as people do just stop by. That may be a southern thing, I'm not sure. I did make the bed so that was good as I showed them the new bathroom!
This neighborhood is really great. Our immediate neighbors are really nice and we've been invited to a party tomorrow night, Saturday night and another on Monday! Frank and I are both a little uncomfortable with small talk. I'm not sure what we're going to have to talk about but hopefully something will come up. We don't golf and they don't run! Oh well, we can certainly eat, so we'll just keep our mouth busy with eating!
I did go to the park to run today thinking I would run for 2 hours. I ran into Joanne and Julie and ended up walkiing with them for a mile or so and then went on my own but discovered that my legs were tired and with the humidity and heat, I felt like a slug and decided to cut it short and went home. I have no idea how I was able to run so well in Texas where it was even hotter and more humid than it was here today. Hopefully the weather will be a little better tomorrow and I'll get a good run in.

Time to Be

We're waiting on the final contractor to come to put a filter on our water supply. The water is really bad so hopefully this will help with both the taste and smell. It really gets my allergies in high gear with all the clorine etc. Yesterday they came and installed the new shower door so the bathroom is DONE! Yay! No more contractors in and out. Here's a pic of the bathroom although it's really hard to get a good one with all of the mirrors causing flashback but you get the idea.

I ran on the treadmill today and did 4 miles. My legs were a little tired but I felt pretty good, much better than I thought I would. And then Frank and I stayed for the yoga class. Boy did I need that. Very gentle stretching, something I haven't done in awhile!

Then we came outside into 70 degree weather. What a perfect day although it's going to be in the 80s this afternoon. We're still hitting record highs! Good Gore be right? No, I don't think so when you look at the weather in the rest of the country, freezing ice and snow! Go figure. I'll take the record highs although a little rain would be nice.

I'm really looking forward to getting some good training in. Other than Colleen having a baby, Tate having minor surgery in January and my brother starting treatment for Prostate Cancer, life should be a lot quieter. I'm so looking forward to having time to just BE! Oh, I forgot, I am taking the exam for my massage certification on Dec 28 so will need to study but I am so not expecting to pass that it's hard to focus on it. If I don't pass, I think I will start looking for some other type of part-time work or just do some massages at home for some of our friends. We'll see, but I'm not going to worry about it. It may be time to move on to something new! My options are open. Plus, I'm kind of liking this not working although to be honest, it's been like a full time job with everything that this house has required. But, that's done, and time to find a new job!

A Great Run!

We're back from Texas and are already looking forward to going back next year. Sunmart was a great event. It was really over the top for an ultra. Over 1000 runners and no expense was spared. That's what happens when you have a big corporate sponsor. The organization was incredible with nothing being overlooked. I was afraid that there would be long lines, shortage of goodies or finishing awards but no worries. Tons of everything. The weather was not looking good with high humidity and record heat but somehow, we got through and I actually felt great after a very shaky start. I felt terrible and had little hope that I'd be able to complete the effort in front of me but somehow everything seemed to clear and I just kept feeling better and better. I ended up being able to pass people that were really struggling with the heat. Frank and I both placed 3rd in our age groups and received a beautiful cast bronze statue of a horse! How cool was that? We have matching bookends.
When we arrived at the park at 6:00 it was still dark and we were greeted with a winter wonderland. They had decorated the park with Christmas lights and animated lawn ornaments. It was too fun! Even the aid stations were decorated with holiday greetings! Everyone was very friendly and supportive.
Now it's time to get ready for Rocky Raccoon! My goal is to break 11:00! Probably a little ambitious but I did it once (many years ago) but it is a pretty runnable course so why not try it!

A Sunny Sunmart!

Well, it's finally here. Ready or not. We've wanted to run the Sunmart Ultra since we first started running ultras and although we're "only" running the 50K and not the 50 Miler as thought, it will be fun and a great break after 4 months of stress with the house. It's going to be HOT! In the 80's on Saturday but I'm sure in the woods will be cooler. Can't wait to see all the goodies!
I'm definately not where I thought I would be weight wise either and now will begin again. I have 4 month til Umstead and if I don't follow through then I guess I'll know just how important it is to me.
Well, it's off to the airport!
Wish us well!

The Virus is back

The virus came back yesterday and after hoping it was allergies, I finally decided to take the antibotics that the doctor had prescribed. Now I know why I had such a bad run yesterday. I filled my prescription this morning and am starting to feel better. The pack is only for 5 days so my last dose will be Saturday. At least I should be fine to run the race but it's probably still best to do the 50K instead of the 50 miler. No sense pushing it although I don't even know if they'll let us change our event.

I didn't run or do yoga this morning and decided to just take it easy and get feel better. I was so discouraged this morning but now that I've started to feel better, I am optimistic to feel okay for Sunmart.
I also decided that now that we're done with the house stuff, I'll have more time to cook and concentrate on healthier eating. I want to focus on improving my immune system. Apparently it's been comprimised and needs some attention. Time to take care of myself.

I also am working on my training schedule for the remaining time until Umstead and it looks pretty good. Hopefully no more catratrophies to screw it up.

I may try to run a couple of miles tomorrow but that would be just to see how I feel although the real test will be after the flight to Texas. Fortunately we're flying out there on Thursday so we'll have plenty of time to recover from the flight.

Back on track

Okay, I've made a final decision about this weekend. I've been agonizing over whether to run the 50K or the 50 miler this weekend at Sunmart. After running this morning I came to the conclusion that it just doesn't make sense to try the 50 miler with the shape I'm in. I had thought I'd be in much better shape and would be ready to run a 50 miler by now but with everything going on, it just didn't workout and it would be counter-productive to my overall training plans if I attempted the 50. I feel very relieved and comfortable with my decision. I've also decided that it would make more sense for my to the 50 Mile option at Rocky instead of the 100. I had thought I'd use the Rocky 100 as a 24 hour training run but will now just do the 50 miler. (looks like I'm always taking the easy way out!) I then plan on running the Holiday Lake 50K the following week. I think it'll be great to run a 50K so soon after a hard run but it will also be great to see Jean and Herm!
Sometimes it's really hard to really quiet your mind long enough to hear what it's saying. I was fighting the decision to "just" run the 50K instead of the 50 miler but I finally listened! Now I know what direction I'm going and can get down to business and get my training back on track!

I also woke up this morning feeling like I'm coming down with that pesky cold again but we think that perhaps it's my allergies. How annoying!

Busy Weekend

It's now Sunday afternoon and everything is quiet and back to normal. We had a busy weekend, starting with Friday. I baked Christmas cookies to take to Colleen's shower tomorrow and the glass people came to install the new mirror. Bob finished putting the frame around it and it looks great. Now everything is done except the shower door and we're expecting that to be installed on Wednesday. It will be great to not have to worry about having contractors coming in and out and to have our mornings back. Looks like we'll spend Christmas Eve with Colleen and Steve and will probably just stay home on Christmas Day so most hustle bustle for us is done. I am so looking forward to being able to start a more consistent training effort that will train us adequately for Umstead. We thought we'd be further along in our training efforts than we are but fortunately we still have 4 months left to get in tip top shape! I do better under pressure so now that we're at that do or die place, we have to do!!!
Franks brothers and their wifes came down and went to Colleens shower with us. They loved the house and felt really comfortable. It was fun to see them and spend time with them. They left for home this morning after going to Colleen's for breakfast. We went as well and it was fun to see the baby's room. It's very bright and cheery.
Off to get some training in! Enough time off ! No Slackers allowered!