2012 NY Resolutions Recap

All righty - 2013 is nearly here! That means it's time for my annual blog to recap my year's resolutions' success and to announce my resolutions for the upcoming year!

The following are my resolutions for 2012 and their results. (Click here to see the related blog post.)

• pay off another significant chunk of debt - 100% successful! In 2012 I put $15,650 towards debt (and interest...)! In 2011 I paid $11,365 towards debt (and interest...). That puts me at a total of $27,015 of debt (and interest) paid in 24 months! As with last year, my student debt is a monster, so is my car payment since I bought new. Moving twice in May didn't help, but over all the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover method has continued working for me.

• finish in the top 10 of my age group (Women's 19-24) in the Track Shack Running Series (2011-2012) - 100% successful! I placed FOURTH in the series, and that was with entirely missing one of the seven events! Click any of the following to view the event's related blog.
• First
• Second
• Third
• Fifth
• Sixth
• Seventh

• run two half marathons (13.1 miles) and my first full marathon (26.2 miles) - 67% successful! I ran the Beachmania Half Marathon, missed my mark on running a second half marathon, and FINISHED my first full marathon at the Space Coast Marathon. (I know, I have yet to blog the marathon - I'm working on it!)

• earn Bs or better in all of my PSU master's courses (1 in each of the spring, summer, and fall semesters) - 100% successful! I earned an A in the spring, an A in the summer, and a B+ in the fall!

• read 10+ books of the Bible - 0% successful... I haven't read one page of my Bible this year. I'm going to set a smaller but related goal for 2013. Maybe I should shift it to be related to attending church service. I really want to study the Bible, but I'm clearly not making this a priority... I'll have to give this one some thought.

• scrapbook Heidi to the present - 2% successful... Well, another year has come and gone, and I'm not anywhere near having Heidi's scrapbook up to date. I did, however, get 2 pages done in November. That's worth something, but not much.

• make a quilt - 0% successful... This stemmed from an idea to make my parents a quilt for Christmas. Given the multiple moves, a rough summer, and school I totally had no time to devote to making a quilt. I might return to this resolution in 2014 when I'm totally done with my master's degree.

• make a baby boy blanket - 0% successful... This one also stemmed from a gift idea, but I never even picked out the yarn. This one really shouldn't have been made a resolution. My heart wasn't in this one.

• learn to ballroom dance - 100% successful! Yay! After all of those red success rates, here is a great, big green one! I took two 6-week sessions of ballroom dancing at The Longwood Ballroom. Rick, Jennifer, and William - the instructors - are wonderful - just absolutely outstanding! Over the two sessions I learned Foxtrot, East Coast Swing, the Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, and Tango! I really miss the dances - I think I may make a resolution to attend some ballroom and/or swing dances in 2013.

• continuously train with Heidi (agility, Schutzhund, or otherwise; formally or on my own) - 65% successful! I marked this 65% for a couple of reasons: (1) agility was only in session from January through April and from September through December since it's so hot in Florida in the summertime, and (2) because I didn't practice squat with Heidi over the summer like I should have (even though she retained quite a bit when we returned in September). So, I get credit for this one, but not full credit.

I achieved a 53.4% success rate with my 2012 New Year Resolutions. In 2011 I achieved a 64% success rate, so I'm naturally a little disappointed in myself percentage-wise - BUT! 2012 was a difficult year for me in general and financially, and I accomplished a lot of good things despite that fact - - - which leads me to 2013!

Now for my 2013 New Year Resolutions (in no particular order):

• pay off $15,000+ of debt

• run the Walt Disney World's Donal Duck Half Marathon

• run the Chicago Marathon

• earn a B or better in my final PSU master's course

• graduate my PSU master's program

• graduate my Leadership Development Program

• attend church service at least once a month (attending church service can be substituted with an hour of studying/reading the Bible)

• level up to Level 3 at Dog-On-It Agility

• compete with Heidi in 1+ Dog-On-It Agility trial(s)

• complete 5+ projects that have been on-going for (ahem) years (this could be anything from finishing my Australia puzzle, to using up the fabric purchased for making laptop sleeves, to using up some yarn that I've accumulated, to making my running t-shirt quilt, to puppy bandanas that are practically ready to be sewn)

• compete in 4+ triathlons (can be any distance - will likely compete in the Central Florida Sprint Triathlon Series again)

• read 24+ books (this year my number of books read was considerably low - probably a combined result of reading 3 of the Game of Thrones books (each is approximately 1000 pages) and having a rough year

• do 3+ pages of scrapbooking (doesn't have to be Heidi's scrapbook; it can be my general scrapbook of life)

• keep one weekend of each month deliberately open so that when that weekend arrives I can do whatever I please with no pressure or obligation; this is to help keep my stress levels in check (I've been consciously not over-busying myself since late October, and I've noticed significant benefits; if the month is truly too busy to do this, 2 free weekends must be set for the following month)

• experience the Ultra Music Festival (this is lined up for March!)

• go on a fun hiking trip

Lastly, I came by a neat infographic about New Year's Resolutions on Pinterest. Click here to check it out.

That's it from me for now! I hope 2013 brings you good health and an abundance of joy! Happy New Year!

Pinterest Workout Boards

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Pre-Marathon Thoughts

Thoughts on Training:

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Tonight is the eve of my first marathon!

Space Coast Marathon

Sunday, 25 November 2012

26.2 Mile Run

(click here for related blog)

Since last weekend's 10-miler I have taken it very easy. Lots of walking, lots of relaxing, lots of getting excited/nervous for the big race! I did a light run on Tuesday, but that's it.

The neck/back pain from the auto-wreck last Thursday has stayed away (at least for the time being), for which I am tremendously thankful!

No last-minute injuries (whew! I fretted over that one all week. I was so sure I'd trip down a flight of stairs and literally break my leg just before the race).

Monday my right knee started piping up. A light ache on the front-outside of the patella (knee cap). It persisted until Thursday, was absent Friday, but returned today - much to my dismay. However, I wore my running shoes to take Heidi for our long walk, and the pain was completely gone. Maybe it's shoe related? *shrug - so long as it isn't an issue tomorrow.

At least that's the only injury-ish thing I've experienced! That's something for which to be thankful!

Friday I took it easy. Made myself a nice spaghetti dinner to do some carbo-loading. Got good sleep and a large number of hours. Went to the expo today to pick up my packet and meet Bart Yasso! When I learned that he was doing book signings at the expo and speaking as the keynote at the pre-race night dinner (that I opted not to attend), I picked up his book. So far it's pretty amazing! It was a pleasure meeting him, and he left me a great note and his signature in my copy of his book. I'll have to post a picture of the message later, though. The rest of the expo was fun. Everyone was helpful, and I got a cool 26.2 headband/earmuff thing that wicks moisture. I plan to put it to use tomorrow since the temperature will be low enough to warrant some light gloves and ear protection (at least for this transplant Floridian).

I have my race bib and pace bib safety-pinned to my marathon shirt. I have a change of clothes packed. I have some Clif bars and my Hammer Endurolyte powder packed. I have my tag on my running sneakers. I have eaten a satisfying meal (albeit another spaghetti one). I diligently hydrated all day. I relaxed and did some walking with Heidi (it's her 3rd birthday today, by the by!). My race outfit has been set out and is ready to be donned. I think I'm as ready for this marathon thing as I can be!

Looking forward to seeing a few friends at the 24th mile to cheer me on! Stay tuned for photos and a recap of the race! See you on the flip side!

Happy running!

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my taper 10-miler (17 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my my first 20-miler (10 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler (3 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler (28 OCT).

Upcoming Races:

• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

All right! I've got just a few minutes to make this post; I figured I ought to do it at least BEFORE the race. It's belated, but better late than never, they say.

Last Saturday marked the height of my marathon's taper mileage. I ran 10 miles, and it was great! Thanks to the friends who did some running with me! You guys made those 10 miles such a breeze!

During and afterwards I felt very energized, bouncy, buoyant. I think that means I did my taper properly. My legs were feeling good to go!

Not much more to say than that about that run. = ) Now for a quick pre-marathon post!

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my taper 10-miler (17 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my my first 20-miler (10 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler (3 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler (28 OCT).

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

11 Simple Economic Lessons to Make You a Smarter Shopper on Black Friday

As a follow-on post to my previous one, here is a good article I came by, entitled 11 Simple Economic Lessons to Make You a Smarter Shopper on Black Friday.

Did you know that Black Friday takes it's name from the fact that it's the beginning of the time of year when a lot of stores go from red to black?

I've never been out for Black Friday, but I hear it's a complete zoo. If that's your thing, enjoy it, but at least go out with a plan, and don't let the retail world win. Happy shopping!

7 Ways to Go Broke This [Holiday] Season

I'm on Dave Ramsey's email list, so every now and then I get his little newsletter. A recent one included this article: 7 Ways to Go Broke This [Holiday] Season. I thought it was a good read and wanted to share with you. Check it out if you're looking for ways to stay financially fit this Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve!

My way to go broke that I'm working to correct on my Christmas gift budget is the "Give presents to everyone in your family". But I'm extending it to include friends. In recent years I've purchased presents for friends who I've realized I don't necessarily need to give a present to. I'm updating my budget to give presents only to those who are very near and very dear to me this year. (Please don't hate me if you got a gift last year and don't get one this year. I'm trying to be smart with my money. It's not personal... not really.)

So, good luck to you as you build your Christmas budget and gift list. Remember, going into debt for months or more is not worth meeting the "obligation" of buying that second cousin a present. = P

PS - I'm getting really excited to share with you all how much debt I've paid off this year and to date since starting the Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball in January 2011! = ) Look for that blog towards the end of December/beginning of January.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

I'm happy to report that I had FIVE friends join me for pieces of my first 20-mile run! Andrew joined me for my first lap around Lake Baldwin, and Oscar ran two quick laps with me - that put me at the 8-mile mark. At this point I drove home to grab Miss Heidi. Then we met up with Kat and did 4 miles around Baldwin Park; this brought me up to 12 miles - 8 to go! I ran out to the lake, then met up with Jenny for the last 5. Another huge thanks to my friends. You made those 20 miles a piece of cake.

Somehow 20 miles was easier than last weekend's 18. Not sure why: I got about the same amount of sleep, fueled up about the same, hydrated about the same. *shrug

I am getting pretty excited about my first full marathon. A fellow by the name of Bart Yasso is the keynote speaker at the Expo's Pre-Race Dinner. Mr. Yasso is a huge name in the running world, apparently. I'm surprised I'd not come by his name until I was reading through the marathon's website to get prepped for the race. Anyway, I'm not going to the dinner, but he'll be at the Expo the day before the race to sign copies of his book. I bought one today and aim to read it between now and the race (sorry, Cloud Atlas: bit of a time crunch on this one). He was practically begged to write a book containing his crazy running stories and experiences. I mean, this guy has done marathons on every continent. That's impressive, and I want to know more.

Aside from buying a book about running I also started a new list (I do love lists). This list is all about stuff I need to do in order to fully prepare myself for this marathon. It's not a complete list, and maybe never will be, but I'll probably blog it after the race as a guide to others interested in running a marathon.

Yesterday officially kicked off my tapering for the race. Yesterday I walked around like an old gorilla because the backs of my knees were killing me (due to my going out in 4-inch heels, not all the running - I know, I'm an idiot). I walked for a while with Heidi, and that made a big difference. Today I was all back to normal. No aches or pains. I am telling you, Hammer's Endurolytes are flat out amazing. Back to the tapering stuff! I'll do some cross-training and a couple light runs through the week, a 10-miler on Saturday (easy peasy compared to that 20-miler), and then it's race weekend! Yay!

17 NOV - 10 miles
24 NOV - rest for day before my first full marathon!

Bad news bears... The Color Run 5K has been rescheduled to the WDW Marathon Weekend, so I'm not longer planning to participate. I'm all Mickey that weekend. Sorry color. I still love you.

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my my first 20-miler (10 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler (3 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler (28 OCT).

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

Last weekend's long run (18 miles) was an interesting one, but I had great company the whole way, and for that I'm so thankful! Miss Heidi joined me for the first 3 miles, I did a lap (2.5 miles) with Kat (it was great catching up with her), 9 miles with Scott (he's a life saver, that one), and I wrapped up the last 3.5 miles with Miss Heidi (she got a workout on Saturday, for sure). A special thank you to Kat and Scott (and you, too, Heidi, even though you can't read). (I must confess something... that last set with Heidi... I didn't run it - I didn't even jog it - but I DID it by walking, and I'm okay with that.)

So, I said it was an "interesting one" because it was the first long run that really tested my dedication to this marathon training. I thought I'd have hit that wall so much sooner, and I'm happy that I held out as long as I did: I made it to just 3 weeks out from the race before I found myself starting to waver! I think this is largely due to my being of the very dedicated variety. When I dedicate myself to something, I put a plan together, and I attack it. I just do it. I like working through processes, working step-by-step (no pun intended here). So, when I decided to do this marathon, I put a training plan together, and have been executing it. Sure, the earlier portion of the training was a little flimsy, but for the last 2 months I've been very focused. In only 1 week of the last 6 have I deviated more than 3 miles from the plan for my long runs.

Anyway, I mention all of this to say that despite my tendency to be seemingly excessively dedicated, it was during this run that I found myself bouncing back and forth between doing my full 18 miles or not. It was during this run that I found myself questioning my decision to run a marathon. "Why am I sacrificing 3-5 hours of my Saturday mornings to move my body across this earth? Why am I doing this, again?"

It was during miles 12-16 that really challenged my stamina. It was a challenge to my stamina both mentally and physically, but, honestly, it's so much more mental than physical. If I don't push myself, then, physically (assuming proper hydration and energy supplements), I feel like I could run like Forest: just run and run and run. But it's a head game, you see: "sure, you can run all these miles, but will you?" It's like there's a devil sneaking up behind you when you're vulnerable, and it whispers all sorts of reasons as to why you should just quit now, and, if you do quit, if you let the devil win, then you are forced to watch your potential success float away on a cloud of guilt disguised as relief. It's the regret of having sold yourself short.

Upon reflection, and even during the run, it was quite funny to see myself ping-ponging in my determination to complete the run. I'm sure Scott got a kick out of it, listening to me banter with myself, going from "this is going to be the last lap; I'm done after this one" to "no, I really need to do the full 18 miles. I really do want to do them. I'm gonna do them" and back again to "want to do just one more lap after this, then call it a wrap?" to the right decision of "okay, I'm going to do these miles - all of them. I want this". Yes, I walked the last 3 or so miles, but I did all 18 that day. And, ya know what? I'm really proud of myself: I did 18 miles - my longest distance ran to date. That's kind of impressive, isn't it?

Something I realized over the weekend: Lake Baldwin and I, we are very well acquainted. We spend a lot of time together. There were only 2 points during the run where I thought, "gosh, I'm sick of this loop," but, really, I love it. I love the scenery, the water, the people out and about with their dogs and/or kids... I'm really happy that I moved from Waterford Lakes to Baldwin Park. I enjoy running in this area of town. I think I would have sipped on some cyanide juice if I had to run so many miles on my Waterford Lakes Town Center Loop!

Oh, my goodness! The Space Coast Marathon is just 3 weeks away!

My next long run is the big one. It's the run where I will peak in my mileage. This Saturday I'll be hoofing it for 20 miles. I'm planning to do an average of 5 miles/hour so I am done within 4 hours. That's being optimistic (it took me 4.5 hours to do last weekends 18 miles - but I putzed around for a good bit of it, too), but if I stick to my plan, I should be just fine. I've already got a Facebook event going to coordinate running buddies, though I have a feeling this one will mostly be myself out there. But that's okay; I like running with just myself.

The run after this weekend will be a tapered run of "just" 10 miles. You know you're a runner when you say "just" 10 miles. Heh. Look at me now, Anderson Highland High School Cross Country Team of 2003-2004! Boom, baby!

10 NOV - 20 miles
17 NOV - 10 miles
24 NOV - rest for day before my first full marathon!

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

***EDIT***

I just want to say that I am SO thankful that I have been totally injury free during this training. I seriously attribute it to my Brooks shoes. A stellar pair of running shoes (that aren't overused) does so much to ward off injury. Yay for no injuries! Now, pray that it stays that way. = )

***EDIT***

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler.

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler.

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• The Color Run - Sunday, 2 December 2012 - 5K/3.1 Mile Run
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

Last week I posted a blog about my training up to that first 15-miler, 2 weekends ago. Click here to view the post.

Last weekend's run wasn't what I'd had planned, but it wasn't bad either. I was supposed to increase my long run mileage from 15 to 18, but with ramping up for several weekends in a row I decided that it'd be okay if I only did 15.

It was a great run company-wise! For the first 5 miles I had 3 friends from work join me, and for the 2nd 5 miles I had a book club friend join me. Trouble is, my pace dropped from ~10:00 minutes/mile to ~8:00 minutes/mile between the two 5 mile sets. I was struggling to keep pace on that 2nd 5 mile set, and decided that I ought to stop at 10 miles rather than risk injuring myself - my knees were already whining and moaning. So, the distance wasn't what I'd planned/needed (though certainly better than nothing at all), but the unexpected speed was a nice change of pace (heh, see what I did there?).

Tomorrow I have another long run slated. I am so blessed to have friends who would spend a portion of their Saturday morning running with me! I already have at least one friend to run with me for 7/8 of the half hour chunks! Their companionship on these runs really makes a huge difference! The time passes more quickly and it's so much more fun!

Since it's November I guess it's okay to start counting down to the Space Coast Marathon! It's less than a month away now! 23 days to go!

3 NOV - 18 miles
10 NOV - 22 miles
17 NOV - 15 miles
24 NOV - day before my first full marathon!

I've deviated from my original plan for mileage, so I'm kind of winging it at this point. If you're a veteran marathoner and have a suggestion to the above mileage plan, please do let me know! I'd love to hear your feedback!

Below you can see what races I have lined up. Clearly I've switched from sprint triathlon mode to long-distance running mode. I've also provided three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• The Color Run - Sunday, 2 December 2012 - 5K/3.1 Mile Run
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

These last several weeks I've been really digging into training for my first full marathon. I have been studying Jeff Galloway's marathon attack method (walk a minute per mile on the long runs and during the race), and it is working for me. I am not at all struggling with the mileage, which is getting up there: this weekend I'm slated to crank out 18 miles. That will be 3 more miles further than my farthest distance ran in one session, which would be last week's 15 miles. Although I'm considering just doing 15 since I've been ramping my mileage up each weekend for several weeks. I could use a week off from incrementing mileage.

I know, you're thinking, "Jesus! 15 miles?! How on earth?!" My response: dedication, consistency, and time management skills are the only tools required. I honestly believe anyone can do this heavy training if they really want to do so.

And then you're thinking, "Well, wasn't running 15 miles just awful?" My response: actually, no! In fact, last weekend's 15 miles were significantly better than the previous weekend's 12 miles. (The 12 miler had better company, but the 15 miler was physically much better because I got sufficient rest, ate something beforehand (duh), and the weather was more kind.)

And for those who think running is the worst, let me just say that I used to be right there with you. As a competitive swimmer for 7 years, running did not come to me easily. Not at all. I loathed running, but when I joined the cross country team in my senior year of high school it led me to triathlon in college, and that was when I started to realize how wonderful running can be. It squeezes into our busy schedules easily, it is one of the best ways to improve and maintain overall health, there are ample events to participate in, and the running community is one of the best there is.

Below you can see what races I have lined up. Clearly I've switched from sprint triathlon mode to long-distance running mode. I've also provided three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• The Color Run - Sunday, 2 December 2012 - 5K/3.1 Mile Run
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Space Coast Marathon



It's official! I'm registered for my first FULL marathon! I'll be running 26.2 miles on Sunday, 25 November 2012 in Cocoa, Florida for the Space Coast Marathon!

I think this is perfect timing because I'll be running 26 miles at age 26! = )

My best half marathon time is 1:56'56", so I'm hoping to finish this full marathon just over double my half marathon time: somewhere around 4:15'00". However, my real goal is just to finish and have fun along the way.

Over the next few weeks I'll switch gears from sprint triathlon training to the Jeff Galloway marathon training plan (I have been reading his book called "Marathon: You Can Do It!"). 99 days until the big day!!!Be sure to let me know if you'll be at the race - I'd love to meet up with you at some point during the event!

If you're interested in participating in the full or half marathon, register here and be sure to apply one of the following

registration discount codes:

SCMDAYTONA - $10.00 off Marathon registration
SCHDAYTONA - $5.00 off Half Marathon registration

Eat Pray Love

I am FINALLY getting around to writing my book review for Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Here are a bunch of associated links you may like to visit:

Elizabeth Gilbert web page for the book

IMDB's article for the film (2010)

Film trailer #2

Wikipedia's article for the book

Book on Amazon.com

Rotten Tomatoes ratings and reviews for the film

So. My review on the book.

SPOILER ALERT!

Don't read any further if you don't want to know if Elizabeth finds love in the third leg of her journey.

I really enjoyed this memoir of a woman's pursuit of happiness by way of gorging Italian food, growing spiritually and galloping off in love. It is a light book that is well suited to those who enjoy travel.

My favorite part is Eat, where Elizabeth lets her self live through eating whatever she wants in Italy. Loads of spaghetti and original pizza! I liked her friendship with her Italian tutor a lot and the friends she met there. Her little apartment was quaint in my memory of her living space.

Speaking of living spaces, she had great fortune because she had an awesome room and roommate (though quiet, heh) in India in the Pray leg of the trip. I had mixed feelings about this portion of the book going into it: ugh, I don't want religion/spirituality shoved down my throat versus hmmm, I wonder what she got out of her stay in the community in India. Turns out I really enjoyed this part. I especially liked how Elizabeth came around to love the arduous prayers. I'm a big believer in the fruits of the process and hard work that goes into something. I like that Elizabeth found something in which to pour herself spiritually. The sense of community she found was therapeutic, too. And let's not forget Richard from Texas! He was one of my top favorite people she met in her trip.

And the final place Elizabeth stayed was BEAUTIFUL! Bali. Beaches. Breezes. The movie made her living quarters a little more glamorous than I imagined in my head, but it still worked well. If I go to Bali, I hope I am lucky enough to stay in a similar bungalow. But, ah, the topic of love. Love is the biggest mystery, and in the end I'd just like to say that it finds you in its own time. *shrug.

I rate this book 4 stars out of 5.

Indy 500 Mini 2012

Yep, I'm on a big racing kick. It's my little trick to staying motivated and healthy.

I have a free one-way flight with AirTran (since I've poured money for 8+ flights into their pockets in the last 12 months or something), so I'm flying home next May to run the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon 2012 with my Momma (and maybe my Dad, too)!

The Indy Mini is a SUPER fun race. It's 42,000 people all trotting along for a couple hours, raising funds for good causes, cheering each other when the going gets rough, and listening to music - the ENTIRE 13.1 miles! It's a blast. Plus we get to camp out before/after the race with the Anderson Road Runners Club - I just love them all! = )

It just so happens that the Indy 500 Mini 2009 was my first half marathon race ever. My best half time is 2:10'2" (from the Indianapolis Half Marathon 2009), and I'm gonna train hard to get under 2 hours. Actually, I'd be happy with 2:04 because that would mean I'd finally have a faster time than my own mother. Hehe! (She's an animal, I tell ya. I created a monster with this running business.)

So anyway, here's another race and a trip home to sweet Indiana to visit with my dear family. I can hardly wait!

95 Miles in 6 Weeks

I'm challenging myself to run 95 miles in 6 weeks. I'm using a training plan from The Complete Book of Running for Women which is based upon the bronze 5K, bronze Half Marathon and bronze Full Marathon  training plans. Everything is lined up time-wise for the Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday, 8 January 2012 that I'm doing with my Mom!

Wish me luck and cheer for me on Facebook when you see that I'm on a run!

Staying in Orlando

You may have heard by now that I am no longer moving to Denver, CO. No particular thing led me to the decision to remain in Orlando, FL, but I did come to the realization that now isn't the right time. So, I'm staying in Orlando at least until I complete my masters degree, which will be in 2013.

So, if you're planning a visit to central Florida, please do let me know! I love to visit with family and friends!

Resolution Check - Jan

Checking in on how I'm doing with my 2011 New Year's Resolutions. Here is my status report:

• spend less time surfing Facebook - I'm doing surprisingly well with this resolution. It's not easy to go back and see how many posts or comments I made, so from now on in February I'll keep track on my own. I'm not missing Facebook at all.
• pay of a significant chunk of my student loans - I recently finished reading Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover," and I think it was just perfect timing. I'm not going to go into the details of my finances, but I will say that I know a lot more about where my money goes, where it's going and my plan for attacking student debt this year. I am in a sticky spot right now with super ridiculous rent (because I had to renew my lease but wasn't sure how long I'd still be in Orlando), but I'm still working things from many angles. After May it'll be a lot better when my rent is back to something more normal.
• run 525 miles by Saturday, 31 December 2011: January was pretty busy and I had a knee injury for a couple weeks, so it's no surprise I only ran 6 times in January. This month has an attitude when it comes to running; so far I've ran 3 times and it's only the 4th. I'm closer to my 525 miles by the end of the year; only 446.73 miles to go! I need to keep at 10 miles/week to hit my mark.
• earn B or better in all my PSU master's courses (2 this semester, 1-2 over the summer, and another 1-2 in the fall): this is probably my most challenging resolution. I am feeling more confident about IST 552 (my hard class), and I'm doing okay in IST 411 (my Java class). I am several lectures behind, but I am mostly up on assignments. No grades for either class yet.
• read the Bible (or at least several books; will be difficult with all the master's work): I haven't had time to do any reading for fun with all the master's homework. = ( This one isn't looking too good.
• catch up and keep up with my scrapbook for Heidi (I'm behind by about 12 months, heh): I haven't work on this resolution much. In January I sat down and cleaned up my iPhoto. I created and stocked folders for my favorite photos of just Heidi and of Heidi and Ashes. I need to see what photos I already have printed, scrapbook those, then chose my next batch.

Hope you're reaching your goals this year, too!

My 2011 NY Resolutions

My 2011 New Year's Resolutions:

• spend less time surfing Facebook (doing quite well on this resolution so far)
• pay of a significant chunk of my student loans (getting things in line for this)
• run 525 miles by Saturday, 31 December 2011 (only 457 to go!)
• earn B or better in all my PSU master's courses (2 this semester, 1-2 over the summer, and another 1-2 in the fall)
• read the Bible (or at least several books; will be difficult with all the master's work)
• catch up and keep up with my scrapbook for Heidi (I'm behind by about 12 months, heh)

I have made a reminder in my calendar to check in on my resolutions every two weeks. I'm excited to see how I do.

7 in 7

Original Post Date: 30 November 2010



I have the pleasure of knowing a great young man by the name of Zach Swee. He started doing something he calls 7 in 7. He does 7 things every day for 7 days. Actually, he's so disciplined and good at it that he now does 60 in 60! So impressive!

Anyway, I'm going to start out with 7 in 7. I'm going to start this Sunday, 5 December 2010. Here are my 7 things in no particular order of importance:

1. Floss
2. Read for one hour before bed
3. Knit a cup cozy
4. 30-45 minutes of yoga
5. Eat one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetable
6. Journal
7. Sew for one hour

Are you going to try it? What are your 7?




Edit on Thursday, 2 December 2010:
PS - my good Australian friend, Tamara, told me about Sebastian Terry. He is doing 100 Big Things before he hits 30. Check out his blog here to see what he's accomplished. His list includes sky diving naked, buying a stranger's lunch, delivering a baby - he's making waves for those with stale bucket lists!

Edit on Tuesday, 7 December 2010:
PS - my original 7 things were entirely too ambitious on the whole! Here are my revised 7 things:

1. Floss
2. Read for one hour before bed
3. Knit
4. 30-45 minutes of yoga OR 4+ mile run
5. Eat one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetable
6. Journal and/or post on Emovolution
7. Blog and/or post for Reverb10

PSU Spring 2011

I am registering for my Spring 2011 classes at Penn State this week. I am signing up for these two:

IST 552 - Data and Knowledge Management
This course introduces the computational foundations, methodologies, and tools in data, information, and knowledge management so that the students can organize information storage more efficiently, process information more effectively, and manage and reuse knowledge for better situational awareness and decision making. Emphasis is placed on data models, knowledge representation, information retrieval and searching techniques, data mining, geospatial applications, and multimedia tools. Relevant organizational issues are discussed throughout the course.
 
IST 411 - Distributed-Object Computing

This course presents the fundamental concepts of distributed-object computing, with applications to client/server computing, which is an important platform for real-world computing systems. The course focuses on tools and techniques used in the design, development, and deployment of client/server systems, including traditional architectures and distributed-object technologies. Issues of managing client/server systems, and the relationships between organizational processes and information system architectures, are also considered. (Prerequisite: IST 311 - waived for me as an ISLDP!)

Heidi's First Heat Cycle

Heidi started her first heat cycle yesterday. Puppy puberty. Gross, I know, but going through this as a dog-owner for the first time has been a bit of an experience. I noticed Heidi was cleaning herself quite a bit lately, and so, to be sure things were okay, I lifted her leg and checked things out. She was super swollen! I freaked out: oh-my-god-she-has-a-tumor!-wait-what-is-that-exactly?-what-if-she's-prego?!-I'd-better-call-Dad-stat!

It's sort of repulsive, but here's what I saw (the top bit of fur is her tail; side bits are her thighs):

So, after talking to Dad and some research on the subject I realized that no, she isn't pregnant; yes, she is fine; yes, this is all very normal. I also got some bad news: no more runs or dog park visits with Heidi while she's in heat. Turns out that male dogs can smell females in heat from miles away and will go to great lengths, even harming themselves, to mount the female. I'm going to steer clear of all that jazz.

Having a female who isn't spayed can be messy. Heidi has done a great job keeping things tidy, if you ask me - at least so far. She did drip a bit on the carpet, though, so I had to take care of that. I also decided to pick up some doggie diapers. Yes, doggie diapers; you read that correctly. They look a little something like this:

Surprisingly enough she has not bothered it at all. And it has been helpful in giving me ideas on how to design and sew doggie clothes. She's doing really well; lots of lounging around and taking it easy while her hormones do their thing.

From what I've been told, heat cycles last about 3 weeks. Of those 3 weeks, the dams only bleed during the first week or so. Heat cycles occur once every 6 months-ish.

If you have any tips about tending to a female in heat, please send them my way.