2011 Year End Review

The obligatory year end recap.

My 2011 goals: 

under 2 hour half - check 

a 'faster than first marathon' marathon - check

complete an ultra - check

run at least 1500 miles - damn you left foot and job stress, close but not quite

lots of ab work - um...yeah, not so much.

The accomplishments:

January - Officially started a new job.  Let the stress begin.  On the running front, went full circle and repeated the 5 mile race that pretty much prompted the whole dedication to running thing in 2010.  Off to a good start...

February - Attempted to start training for my 2nd marathon and was de-railed by the whole month in China for work thing.  



I will pose awkwardly in front on this tree while dude on the left will totally pose for this picture.

March - Came back home and after quite possibly the longest, worst travel experience ever (all of the trouble happened after I had landed back in the US), I somehow managed to complete goal number 1, running the Chambersburg Half under 2 hours, just a day after I got home. 

Side note:  That recap post is by far the one search engines hit the most, I doubt too many people find my tips for a sub-two half very helpful.

  



Wait...is that the finish line?  And what does that clock say?  Must be why I look like I'm about to die.



April - Turned a point to point 15K into a 30K and had the first bout of 'funky left foot' issue.  Pretty much gave up on marathon training because I just wasn't into it with everything else going on around me.



The waist pack is so attractive, plus the cropped pants on a short person, not sure a great combo.



May - Turned 30, ran the Pittsburgh marathon (completing goal #2 by running faster than my first -even if I wasn't fully prepared) and got the third dog the day after the marathon.

June - Totally not into running post-marathon.  Vacationed, wallowed and watched sunsets to escape the madness of work.

July - Ran a 5K, got a new PR which seemed to get me moving again and excited for the fall.  

August - Ran a 5 miler, got a new PR, hitting my goal of under 40 minutes.  More excitement and motivation.

September -  Ran a 30K at an 'easy' pace.  Felt good about it and my potential - excitement and motivation continues to build. 

The next week, ran a 5K with the dog.

October - And the next week...slipped, slided and crawled my way up, over and around this mountain in the rain, mud and the cold.  Ended up having many memories, like Spiderman lady and 'tap, tap, tap, tap, tap' hiking pole man.  The day was totally worth the craziness and hours of fun.

Those rocks look different when you stare up them.



I will not fall on the rocks...I hate these rocks...I will not fall on these rocks...



Rested a few days and then hit the road with the ultra Ragnar girls to run Ragnar PA, having another highly memorable weekend full of lots of fun - even if I officially injured my foot. 

Note to self, do not race four weekends in a row, especially when they are all weird, random events.

November - After a one week delay due to snow, it was time to tackle a 50K, which I barely, barely completed in time.  Bad foot, bad day, but of course, I want to go back and tackle more ultras for revenge.  That was pretty much the extent of November due to my forced time off. 

Maybe it would've gone better if I wasn't sleeping while running...

December - Not a whole lot going on but with a pretty much healed foot and an exciting new year coming, it's time to get motivated...as soon as I get rid of the plague that hit me last week.  Husband blames running outside in the cold (and continuing to run in cold while sick).  I blame going to a dance recital and sitting in an auditorium full of people and children.  Children = germs, right?   

Goals for 2012 - Pretty simple - bigger, badder ultras, and new PRs in every distance along the way.  Yep, that's it...bring it on third year of running!  Coming soon, the plan for doing this.

What's Your C.O.R?

I was inspired by Kara's post about the amount of $$$ dropped on race fees.  So, let's talk money and running.  I had my numbers easily accessible and it's rather interesting to see the how much this little love costs. 

I didn't spend a penny on any sort of running clothes or gear this year.  However, I did run 12 events, stayed one night in a hotel for two of them and bought several pairs of shoes.  The total for the year 2011, $1489.30. 

The only thing not factored in would be gas to drive to events.  Also, I should note this was the total for anything paid for in 2011.  This means two races that I'm already registered for in 2012 are included but two races I paid for in 2010 but ran in 2011 aren't.  It also included double fees for two 5Ks since both my husband and I ran.  Running Ragnar was the by far the biggest $$ suck (not surprising since those dollars are going to a for-profit company).

Admittedly, I am good with money.  Growing up in a family of accountants does that to you.  I like to stretch a dollar (you may disagree seeing that number above).  I got my first credit card right after getting my first 'real' job as a sixteen year old.  I knew how to use it responsibly even in those days.  I've never paid a penny in interest or unnecessary fees outside of a mortgage or a car loan (all of which will be paid off long before term).  My first investments happened before I was out of high school and things like savings accounts, 401Ks and other retirement accounts are important to me.  I'm not poor but I'm certainly not raking in the dough either.

I keep a monthly budget because I like to see where my money goes.  I like to see the breakdown of fixed costs versus variable costs.  I like to see the difference between wants and needs and where adjustments can be made if I wanted/needed to.  My budget spreadsheet has a row just for running/races.   

Racing is expensive so I definitely consider cost in what I pick and plan for.  Most of the stuff I run is small, local and not that expensive but when you start stringing them together and add in other costs, it can grow out of control.   

Apparently, a large chunk of the US population seemed to miss the common sense rules and like to live beyond their means with no regard for tomorrow.  I probably wonder to myself every single day how a particular person affords xxx.  Whether it is someone on a TV show (think HGTV House Hunters shows), seeing someone in my neighborhood/community or reading someone's blog.  Particularly when it comes to racing...I wonder how people truly afford all the high dollar, big name races and the amount of travel costs that goes with them.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people don't want to add it up but then again, why wouldn't you?  So, what is your Cost of Running (COR)?

Side note:  My spreadsheet has a line for all dog related expenses (food, vet bills, supplements, toys, beds)...it was higher than the racing/running costs.  Apparently I like things that cost a lot even if none of them involve stepping inside a mall (couldn't tell you the last time I was in one!) or accumulating 'stuff'.  And, if you want a real shock - keep track of how much money you spend at the grocery store in a year.  

Results

Feeling like you are 'back' is a wonderful thing.  The past weekend was jam-packed and I loved it, except for the fact that I could barely get out of bed Monday morning from being tired.   

Saturday started a bit late due to my Mom spending the night with us Friday night as she was en route to my sisters place.  After spending the morning grocery shopping, walking the dogs and squeezing in a six mile run, it was time to hit the road for a family holiday get together.  When we got home around 10 PM, I had to get started on my tasks for the big cooking day on Sunday.  I didn't have it in me to do a bunch of chopping so I mixed together the bread dough and called it a night. 

Sunday morning started with a 13 mile run.  This has been my longest run in well over a month and it was absolutely wonderful.  I wanted to do around 13 but wasn't completely sure about the old left foot and figured I'd start out with 8 and see how it felt.  In my normal fashion, about 8 miles in is when I started feeling really good and in the groove.  I arrived home on a complete runner's high and ready to tackle a bunch of cooking.  It also had me feeling like I'm back.  The past few weeks as I've eased back into running I have been slow, really, really slow.  I finally feel like I'm getting back to where I was.   

The once a month cooking thing is no joke.  I started at 10 AM and went non-stop until 6 PM.  I even skipped one recipe (bacon mac 'n cheese) because I was just plain exhausted by the end but completed almost the full November whole foods menu.  I had mixers, blenders and pretty much every pot in the house in full rotation all day long.  There was stuff going in slow cookers, the oven, multiple burners on the stove top, every chopping board and knife I could find.  It was crazy...but I think worth it. 

Here's what a freezer looks like after you do this kind of thing.  I can't cram one more single thing in there (sorry for the terrible picture - our kitchen island makes it difficult to get a freezer picture).  

 The results:
-3 loaves artisan bread (very good - already tried it)
-2 blueberry breakfast bakes (very good - one already gone)
-2 containers butternut squash soup (good - tested it for seasoning)
-2 containers chicken parmesan (having for dinner tonight)
-2 containers tahoe bake (basically a strata)
-2 containers burlattas (basically burritos - filling very good, I had extra and ate for lunch yesterday.  I wussed out and used store bought tortillas, didn't have it in me to make my own).
-2 containers pumpkin risotto (not real great but edible)
-2 containers beef bourguignan (don't know, didn't taste)
-1 large recipe worth of french dip sandwiches mixture that I just need to dump in the slow cooker one day
-2 packs of lemon poppyseed pancakes (husband approved - indicated they were very good).
-1 large pan of cranberry chicken and sweet potatoes (don't know yet - frozen in raw form)
-2 very large tomato basil paninis (fresh was good, one is gone already - I really don't think this is going to freeze well, but will see).   

Faceplant Friday

Some randomness for Friday.

Yesterday, I was finishing up a 5 mile run and had my running partner with me.  She decided to trip me about 50 yards from the house.  It resulted in a full out splat on the pavement.  Luckily, since it was cold out, I was fairly bundled up so just have bruised up knees as a result.  But, pavement hurts in case you didn't know.  

The WTF? look on the dog's face as I tried to get my self upright again was priceless.  Like she was trying to say "You're the one that makes me run so damn close to your side, not my fault if you trip over me." 

Earlier in the week, I made some veggie burgers for dinner.  I thought they were decent but other household members disagreed.  Said granola burgers are not to make any more appearances.  Not sure why I suck so bad at healthy, vegetarian meals.  Most of my eggplant dishes have also been banned.  Hopefully I'll get some winners out of this weekend's cooking batch!       

Planning and a New Love

My injured foot seems to be back to 95%.  I survived a 10 mile run on Saturday and 6 on Sunday with no sharp pain.  There is still a very slight twinge feels like a bruise.  At least I now feel I'm not crazy to continue planning for next year.  So, I recently spent some time coming up with the plan for the first half of 2012 and a schedule to go with it (which will be revealed soon).  I am excited about it but also very excited for the planning part of it. 

I love picking out schedules, mapping out a plan and putting together all of my to-do lists.  I am this way with everything.  If I have a schedule and realistic goals, I typically stick to it, as best I can.  If I have no schedule, I flounder aimlessly.  This goes for pretty much everything in my life.  Work, running, normal chores, goals in life.  If it's not planned, I revert back to my college days where I am 'so busy' only to discover that in reality, I just got sucked into some 'Real World' marathon (do they still have that show?) or a countdown on VH1.  Of course, today, what typically happens is I get sucked into the neverending vortex of the internet and can suddenly realize I just spent 3 hours looking at tax returns for non-profits online (don't ask, I'm weird).

I always make to-do lists for the weekends for all the normal household chores and shit that I need to do.  Lately, I've been trying to do more of those chores throughout the week.  Seems like if I schedule it out, it's easy to do which just leaves more free time on the weekend.  Another thing I do is plan out meals for the week.  I have had very little motivation in the kitchen these days.  I keep skipping over lots of posts on all the food blogs I follow.  I'm the type of person who loves to do a big, huge gigantic meal where I spend 2 full days in the kitchen.  Normal stuff for the week?  Not so much, at least recently.  Lately, it's been a lot of pulling out the container of salad mix and placing it on the counter and then making a PB&J sandwich.  Dinner is served. 

I need a change and I thought back to earlier this year.  When I found out I had to be out of the country for a month, one of the first things my husband questioned was what he was going to eat while I was away.  Where was the concern for the fact that I was travelling, completely alone, to a foreign country?  How on earth could he feed himself for an entire month!  Before I left, I spent one day making tons of food and freezing it.  Typical guy friendly stuff - lasagna, chili, meatballs, burritos, cheesy potatoes, pepperoni rolls.  I can't even remember what all I made but it was a lot and I planned it all out and efficientally knocked it out in a day.  The planner in me totally loved packaging up all the individual portions and labelling them with reheating instructions.  As I was in the midst of the cooking storm, I proclaimed we would probably be eating this way more in the future.  It was so satisfying to see that freezer packed full of food ready to go.  I loved it.  Then, I never really did it again.

See where this is going?  Yes, once a month cooking.  I decided to do a little more research the other day because I was ready to take a day to cook a bunch of food and throw it in the freezer.  I happened upon the Once a Month Mom website since it's pretty much the first one that comes up and fell in love.  Meal plans (including vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.), grocery lists, labels to print and instructions on how to cook all items for that month in the most efficient way.  Be still my heart, I am in love.  If all goes well, I should be making the November whole foods menu this weekend.  If not this weekend, next (depends on some family and holiday obligations).

Now, if I get all this cooking out of the way, I should have some extra time to waste.  So, would anyone out there be so kind and share a Pinterest invite with me?   Updated:  Got one, thank you!       

21 Things

Amy at Ready.Set.Run! tagged me for the 21 Things post.  I'll play along, thanks! 

1.  I absolutely love research.  I research things to death.  Case in point, after getting our first dog, I researched dog food and created spreadsheets to compare ingredient lists and average cost/pound.  After narrowing down my top 5, I contacted the companies for samples and made the dog do a taste test so I could figure out his preference.  I still feed the same food, Canidae.

2.  I rarely drink.  The only reason being that I don't really like the taste of anything.  Sangria can be nice during the summer and if an event warrants drinking just to feel normal, I'll sip on a glass of wine.

3.  I despise icicle lights at Christmas. 

4.  I have a weird paranoia about ear wax and tend to feel the need to clean my ears frequently.  It happened after getting an odd comment from a doctor at an urgent care place. 

5.  I'm not the least bit religious. 

6.  I've always been really interested in women's rights/gay rights/civil rights, etc.  After college, I interviewed for a job with the civil rights division of the department of justice (I was considering law school).  I was offered the job but did not take it.  I will admit to feeling like part of the reason I got the offer was because I was white. 

7.  Partly due to #5 and #6, I had pretty specific things I did and did not want included in our marriage ceremony so I wrote it.  We got married on the beach so I wanted only 'nature' type references and no religious references and no references that made it seem like I was becoming property of a man...that might sound psycho.

8.  I have a great love for cheese breadsticks from Pizza Hut.  If my husband is out of town, I usually get them for dinner.  After a race (like FOTM), I might call him on the way home to order some to have ready for me (he despises Pizza Hut).

9.  I never wear makeup.  I think the only time in my life I did was in middle school...I'm sure it looked wonderful.

10.  For obvious reasons, I don't go into details about my job on the blog but I work in the financial research and software industry and have for the last 9 (yikes!) years (though I've had several different positions).

11.  When I was in China in February and March for work, I had to learn, very quickly, how to eat with chopsticks.  The thought never crossed my mind until I was there.  Luckily, I picked it up and my co-workers said I was pretty good.  

12.  Speaking of eating in China, I also tried to be as adventurous as possible.  So, I tried chicken feet, pigs feet, all kinds of seafood, so much delicious fruit and many, many things that I couldn't even tell you what they were.  Nothing made me sick and I ate at quite a few restaurants and street vendors that probably wouldn't pass too many health inspections.  This fruit was one of my favorites and lotus root was my favorite vegetable.  

13.  I have no desire to have kids.  There was about a six month period sometime in 2008-2009ish where I was ready to jump on the baby train but I changed my mind and do not see myself changing again.

14.  I hope to never buy a house in a sub-division again.  Life without neighbors, just property, would be nice.    

15.  I'd really just like to move to Utah.  I mention this to my husband probably once every 2 weeks.  I fell in love with it out there when I went on vacation last year (don't think it'll happen!).  

16.  Cooler weather makes me want to bust out the knitting needles and get the Ravelry account active again.  I'm itching to do some sort of project because I haven't done anything in quite awhile.  This was my last successful sweater. 



17.  They don't always go so well though...I started this one in 2006.  I have the back, front and one sleeve finished.  Every year I think I'll start on it again after successfully completing something.  Then, I start, get frustrated with this overly complicated, tedious project and stop again for another year or more.

18.  My dogs names are Jackson, Kasey and Hannah.  Jackson was first.  Then, Kasey.  We tried to call her Jaycie but the 'J' sound was too confusing for them so it morphed into Kasey.  When we got Hannah this year, I really thought I needed her name to start with an 'L' (J,K,L) but none of the 'L' names seemed to fit her.  So, I went with Hannah.  Maybe I need an 'I' to complete?

19.  Speaking of the dogs.  I like the rejects.  Of course they all come from animal shelters but we seem to be on a streak of true rejects.  Kasey was originally a stray, adopted out once but returned.  Then, we took her...and spent 3 years making her into a normal dog.  Hannah was surrendered by someone, spent 6 months in the shelter and then adopted out.  Those people then returned her as well.  She spent a few more months in the shelter, got really sick and spent a lot of that time under quarantine.  I haven't volunteered as much as I would've liked this year but I went back in May and she was still there after I'd taken her to a PetSmart adoption day the previous November.  Couldn't get her out of my mind, so she came home and back to being healthy!  

20.  Pumpkin ice cream is a love.  A local place, Trickling Springs, has the best and I've tried many to make sure I'm right.

21.  It would be really nice if I could just run, cook, be crafty and volunteer at animal shelters and rescues.  I could fill up my days, no problem.  Until someone drops off a huge pile cash, I'll just squeeze in as much as I can of all the above! 

Always feel weird tagging others so it'll probably stop here.