Reflecting back on 2012

I see so many good bye you horrible rotten no good year 2012 hello wonderful 2013 don't let me down like 2012 did. It was a year, an inanimate object it can't cause good or bad events.  Anyhoodles, 2012 is nearly over, let's reflect...

Pinched from:  http://366days366drawings.com/

We all had awful moments, loved ones died or were diagnosed with terminal illnesses, jobs were lost, our fat pants turned into our skinny pants, we found a few more gray hairs or a few less hairs on our head, a new wrinkle appeared here and there, the Washington Redskins won and screwed up your Fantasy Football game thingy, and fill in the blank _____________.

Image pinched from:  http://whitneygaskell.com/?attachment_id=1919

We all had awesome moments.  Come on, it wasn't ALL bad, didn't you have some ups?  New members joined our families, we reconnected with old friends, we landed that fab new job, we paid off a credit card, a car, a home, that new wrinkle is a memory of all the fun times laughing with friends, who the hell cares about pants, some of you guys really need to realize you are way hotter with a few less hairs and a few more gray around the temple, and fill in the blank _____________.

Happy Dog!!

OK OK there were horrible awful rotten national and international incidents, each having an impact on our lives.  We are still at war, crazy people gunned down innocent men, women, and children, hurricane Sandy wiped away homes and lives, Benghazi, Lybia, the economy, and topping it all off:  Kim Kardashian is going to be a mother....

Pinched from:  http://www.cfnews13.com

My point is to reflect on what comprised the year, the 366 (it was a leap year right?) days of ups and downs, successes and failures, poor judgement calls and stellar ones, goals achieved and goals still being worked on, all part of  the journey through this life.  I've enjoyed my journey through these 366 days, no regrets, lots of laughs, and awesome memories.

My goals for 2012 were simple:

• Run once race a month, including a 1/2 marathon and train for a full marathon (stretch to run a full marathon)
• Read or listen to 100 books (stretch 150)
• Knit 10 pairs of socks (stretch 15)

Nothing out of my immediate control.  No solving world hunger, curing cancer, bringing world peace, these are things we need to do jointly, each of us playing our own part in efforts to achieve those goals.

So let's see how I did:

• Running -  16 races including 4 1/2 marathons and 1 full marathon.  Logged 1,031 miles!
• Books -  116 (does not include reading to my nephew)
• Socks - 2 pair so guess someone was reading or running and not knitting?

Totally with in my immediate control.  My efforts to cure cancer came in the form of fund raising and running races.   I did my little bit towards easing local hunger.  As for solving world hunger and bringing world peace, well, not so sure I have any documented proof...

Looking back on my year.  That NY driver could have actually taken me out (affording me the opportunity to knit more?).  My running adventures allowed me to explore different running routes.  I figured out the importance of communication and friendship.  Like many others I learned that running is cheaper than therapy.

I am grateful for all the experiences of 2012 and can only hope as many, or more, opportunities for experiences are presented in 2013!

Sincerely,
Beth, who needs to set some goals for 2013!

The world didn't end, huh....

Friday I committed to an End of the World Run, 12.21K, anywhere, anytime, any place.  I like those because you do have to commit and honor the commitment. It had been raining like hell for days, so what a better time to hit the long trail at my most favorite place on earth!?!?!  Friday was the last work day for the year for MOST people, being stingy with vacation time I am not wasting a vacation day for 12/31 and will go in.  It was just me and Gdogg in the office, both of us dragging in with the same excuse "the alarm went off at 6:30 and I thought there is no way it is 6:30 it is still dark"  a dark raining day, perfect way to start off the end of the world, right?

Around noon, the sun started peeking through, by 1:30 it was looking wonderful, I skipped out of work in my running gear and was on the trail by 2:10.  I noted the entrance was flooded, high tide and all the rain, and the lower parking lot was flooded, and I KNOW this means the lower trail will be flooded...

Huh, are those whitecaps?

So what do I do? Yes, I take off on the lower trail.  It is cold and windy and the sun has started to disappear.  When I get to the flooded part I debate, 7 miles with wet shoes or no?  I turn around. And take the trail backwards figuring I'll do an extra loop in Haley Farm to make up the miles, to reach 12.21K  It was a lovely run, a few nice muddy spots and rather enjoyable.  Then I figured the tide must have receded and I could go left and not right once I was back on the main trail.   Then I did a quick calculation and knew I needed another 1/2 mile to get to 7.6 mile to be at 12.21K...  I thought, well I'll just do a loop around the parking lot to make up the lost miles from the flood.  My brain decided that I'd do a little out and back on the main trail and then finish up at the trail head...  I think, well was I thinking?, I think, I was avoiding the inevitable flooded area.  It was still flooded, I plowed through, water up to my knees halted the running and I was more wading.  The women standing on the other side of the flooded part debating to walk across or not decided that I was 1) crazy and 2) their boots weren't tall enough to wade across.  We all laughed as I emerged from the water.  They asked "Isn't that cold?"  I replied that yes, yes it was, but it felt good.  The sad part about this is, all the wonderful mud I collected on my shoes and legs was now gone... poop...

Route...

I squished my way back to the trail head and clicked off the Garmin at 7.63 miles (7.58 is 12.21K).  Rummaged around in my gear bag to find some dry warm socks and drove home, satisfied, and a little chilled to the bone.

Friday night was a Secret Yoga session at a beautiful building down town.  It was a bank, and just has such a wonderful vibe inside, and a beautiful cupola letting in the moonlight.  We all placed our mats in a circle around a bowl of lit crystals and did our yoga practice.  It was 90 minutes and team taught, I'd never been to a team taught practice.  I hadn't met any of these Yogis before and the leader welcomed me and asked how I found out about Secret Yoga.  I said "I received an eMail."  Technology a wonderful thing, isn't it?  Keeps us close to the ones we love and allows us to meet new people along the way, people we may have never met before.  It is also not such a good thing for keeping secrets, eh?

I left practice feeling centered and ready for a new beginning, if, in fact, the world did not end on the 21st of December 2012.

Waking up Saturday morning, I was, yes, alive on the 22nd, the day after the world was to end, unfortunately not quite feeling my perky jump out of bed and greet the world self...  damn...   Hubb and I had a trip into Manhattan planned and I wasn't going to miss it!  I pulled myself together and we went on our adventure. By Saturday night it was blatantly obvious I was under the weather, welcome to my bones, chest, and neck some sort of ick and ache with a side of laryngitis, whoopiee twang...

A day of rest on Sunday and I'm feeling better, still with the laryngitis.   I want to run, I also want to get better.  I haven't been sick in a long time and what ever ickies befall me tend to land in my throat and chest, which is pretty critical for running...  I'm erring on the side of caution. I put in some miles tomorrow a.m. I have a Santa hat, just perfect for the season!  Ding dong here has a marathon in less than a month and needs to be healthy AND trained....

Sincerely,
Beth with 7 more running days and 2 races left in 2012!!!

2012 Drawing to a Close

I left work with Jackass giving me a hug and a kiss saying, "You've had an awesome year, it has been fun cheering you on.  See you next year unless we can get together for drinks over the break."  We are off the 24th - 28th, with everyone but me taking the 31st off.  I'm not wasting a vacation day...  Hopefully the guys and I and the spouses can get together for drinks over the break.  If not I made them all some rum balls.  I'm a girl after all and like to do these dorky homey things.

It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the year.  I finished up my self review at work with the goals I had set out how they were achieved or delayed and the other things that were not on the plan and accomplished due to always changing business needs.

Runningwise I set a goal to run 1 race a month in 2012, continuing on from running one race Oct, Nov, Dec of 2011.  Athlinks tells me I ran 14 races last year.  Definitely my goals!  I should go count my bibs to see if it all matches... I'm sure I have more than 14 bibs from last year...

The last race I ran in 2011 was a 5K trail race in Wakefield RI, at Old Mountain Field, this is part of Off Rhode Racing 4th Season Trail Race.  The race director set a series of 5 races for the winter, with the last ending in March when the time changes back to Daylight Saving Time.  The cost to enter is a minimal fee plus two canned goods to go to the Johnnycake Center.  The last series raised over 1,000 lbs of food! 

Sunday was the kick off for the second year of the series.  The course was a bit different and more challenging.  Instead of a good distance of  wide open spaces the race director kept it to the first 0.1 and last 0.1 being open field and the rest were single track.  Which means you need to pick your place early on in the race.

I picked a nice pace, not a fast pace, and was semi-content to run at the end of a string of runners were were less aggressive than I am on the trails.  Not that I am wickedly aggressive, I do push myself to jump over stumps and rocks and pick a route over obstacles that doesn't require me to stop and walk across and obstacle.  I do love running through the mud...  It was a little frustrating.  However passing on single track takes A LOT of energy and was a I willing to expend that much that early in the race and risk having them pass me later or just end up passing me on a less technical part of the trail?  I ran conservatively until the last mile.

A woman in pink over took the glom of us, 9 runners I think.  There were some nice S curves coming up ahead and perfect for over taking someone and getting more than a few steps ahead of them.  She over took. I over took. Then she slowed down and I over took her.  I felt great, and confident and then WHOMP tripped over a rock and I was down, she whizzed past me.  Oh well.  I lost my cadence.  Ok I gave up a little bit, too.  There was no way I was going to beat my time of last year, well perhaps there was...  I finished strong on the nice wide open flat.  The next race in the series is the 6th of January Beach and Trail in Narragansett.

Comparison of this year to last year...  Interesting, eh?

Year	Final Position	Age	AG	AG Place	State	Time	Pace
2012	111	45	40-49 F	9	RI	34:20	11:05
2011	112	44	40-49	9	RI	33:53	10:56

Sunday afternoon was reserved for the most awesome massage therapist in the world to come over and un-stick my sticky muscles.  As I screamed and writhed in pain I could hear Hubb downstairs chuckling.  He said, "You seriously find benefit in that torture?"  I assured him that I do.  He shakes his head and says he will never understand me sometimes.  I really really need to make friends with my foam roller more often.  Amy just said "Beth you are a mess."  I am feeling exhausted and must more flexible.  That was the point, right?  Tonight over dinner he said, "You seem a lot less stiff, I'm surprised.  I hate massages."  Well, to each his own, right?

Tonight was TRX, what happens in TRX stays in TRX, I took the opportunity to tell a story I've been DYING to tell.  OMG, it felt so good to tell it in a safe environment we all got a bit of a chuckle and the others shared similar stories.  Ah.....  Do you have any safe environments you can let your ass show and not have any repercussions?

In what I can report on TRX, I managed 6, yes 6 plank rolls on the right side with out having to cheat by resting my elbow.  On the left 8, but I cheated a bit with a teeny rest on the elbow.  Hoorah!  I'm happy with that progress.  Last week I couldn't even get one unassisted on either side.

Oh goodness this is full of words and no pictures....  well sorry folks...  next time?

I could show you my knitting?

Sincerely,
Beth, master of the plank roll (well at least for today)