Monthly Archives: November 2016

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving, Americans!  (And happy almost-Friday to everyone else.)

2016 has been an… interesting year.  But I’m sure we can all find things to be thankful for this year.

I’m thankful for my family.  The more I talk to people, the more I realize just how lucky I am to have family who I actually like spending time with and who seem to like spending time with me.  And this year, I got a new family member with the birth of my niece.  That makes 2016 one of the best years ever.

I’m thankful for my friends.  I have some of the most awesome friends.  This year, I haven’t had as much time as I would have liked to spend with my friends, but that’s definitely changing in 2017, and I’m looking forward to the trips and events we already have planned.

I’m thankful for my health and my ability to run and bike and swim and complete ridiculous athletic adventures.  I’m not sure what drove me to start these challenges – anyone who knew me in my teens and early 20’s is probably completely confused as to how I turned into this person.  But I’m glad I did and I’m glad I can continue.

I’m thankful for my job.  It might not be perfect all the time and who knows what the new administration will bring, but it’s a pretty great job with a solid paycheck that allows me to have my house, my pets, and pay for these ridiculous adventures.

Oh, I’m thankful for my cats too, except this morning, when I could have slept in but someone decided he needed breakfast at 6am.  Furry little jerks.

 

Wednesday Workout Recap

skeeze / Pixabay

skeeze / Pixabay

I have to admit, today doesn’t feel like a Wednesday.  It’s my last day in the office for the week, so in my brain it’s Thursday or Friday.

On to last week’s fitness activities:

Monday – Rest day

Tuesday – Swimming!  I was exhausted, so this could have been better, but I showed up.

Wednesday – Biked.  Supposed to also lift weights, could not convince myself to do so.

Thursday – Biked again because I knew Friday wasn’t going to happen.

Friday – Went to the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler kickoff.  Always a fun time, though I was bummed to not win an lottery exemption Going to have to volunteer this year so I don’t have to stress about the lottery next year.

Saturday – Biked for an hour and got a TON of stuff done at home.

Sunday – So much housework, plus a 6 mile treadmill run.

Things are Busy

Larisa-K / Pixabay

Over the weekend, I took a look at my calendar and realized just how crazy the rest of the year is going to be.

This week is Thanksgiving and then on Sunday, I’m running Space Coast.  That’s followed by an epic Disney trip that culminates in a short holiday cruise.  I have been looking forward to this for months and will absolutely be taking a ton of pictures.

The weekend after I get back is choir hell week, followed by a weekend of three concerts.  It’s always a lot of work, but I’m so glad I do it, and if you’re a DC local, consider coming out to hear us (the Cathedral Choral Society) at one of our concerts.

The weekend after that should be calm, and I’m looking forward to brunch with some of my local Coeur teammates.  Apparently we’re pairing that with a workout, which is slightly terrifying, but it still should be fun.

The weekend after that is Christmas.

The weekend after that is New Year’s.  And then it’s 2017.  I’m still not sure what 2017 holds.  I’ve decided that it doesn’t hold a 70.3 this year due to some scheduling issues, but that’s okay.  I think I want to try to bust out some awesome olympic distance races and hopefully volunteer at a bunch of events as well.

 

It’s Race Week Again!

space-coast-fwSurprise!  Race week is here.  On Sunday, I will be running the Space Coast Half Marathon.  Am I trained?  Well, sort of.  I did two twelve mile runs in preparation.  And not a lot else.  Well, I’ve been biking a lot and swimming a little bit. That’s got to count for something.

I’ll probably make it though.  The race has a 7 hour time limit.

I really like this race.  It’s the fourth year in a five year series, and I can’t decide if I’m looking forward to it being over or if I’ll be sad when it ends.  It’s pretty awesome to go down to Florida in November and hang out with a bunch of friends.  And the race course, while simple, is also a lot of fun.  It’s just an out and back along a really pretty route, and that means that I am pretty much guaranteed to see all my friends on the course, no matter if they’re ahead of me or behind me (let’s be honest – most of them are ahead of me).  Because the marathoners do a loop in a different direction first, I often see my faster friends as I near the end of my race too.  And watching other runners gives you something to look at as you make your way through the miles.

I also really love the post-race gathering.  At the finish, you get your medal and a towel, which is perfect.  You can use it to keep warm if it’s cool out or you can sit on it in the grass in the sun and eat your pancakes and eggs.  Yes, that’s right.  There’s a post-race breakfast.  There’s also usually pizza too.  All super healthy stuff.  And delicious.

I don’t know how this race will go for me.  Last year, I pushed too hard and hit a wall near the end.  My goal is to not do that this year and just run my own pace.  It’s very likely going to be humid during the first miles before the dampness burns off as the sun rises, so I should do my best to conserve energy there, then push through the finish.  But again, my training hasn’t been run focused, so anything can happen.

Either way, it’s guaranteed to be an awesome race and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

Christmas is Coming

Couleur / Pixabay

Couleur / Pixabay

Guys.  Christmas is coming.  It’s super soon.

Okay, maybe that’s just in my world.  It’s actually over a month away, but this weekend, I took a look at my schedule and it is pretty darn full up until Christmas with racing, travel, holiday concerts, and a few big work deadlines.

And yes, we have Thanksgiving first.  Which I am also not ready for.  Gotta figure out what side dish I’m cooking.  A bag of chips and some dip just isn’t going to work.

I get a David’s Tea advent calendar every year and this year, I’m drinking the teas as a countdown of workdays left til Christmas.  Today, I opened day 9.  DAY 9!  So few work days left! (Thank you, vacation.)

I am NOT READY for Christmas.  I did start putting my tree up this weekend, but there are still many ornaments in a pile on my table and boxes of other decorations that need to be unpacked.

My Christmas shopping has been haphazard.  I need to figure out who I still need to pick up things for.  Gifting is my favorite part of Christmas.  I love giving little gifts to all sorts of people in my life.  Unfortunately, this year, I’m not as on the ball as I would like to be.  But I’m sure I will get there.

Are you preparing for the holiday season?  What’s left on your list?