mileage, bike

got on my bike today. the real bike. did the B&A trail, and i was really pleased. i haven't been on that particular bike in a while, so i had to adjust, play with the gears a little bit, etc., but overall, it was fine. it was particularly exciting to realize how good i felt, even after completing 9 1/2 miles. i'm successfully relaxing by just logging the time. no pressure! yes!

the only issue i had was my fear of falling. i don't remember having this fear as a child, but, since then, it's become quite amplified, and i'm terrified of my body going fast. perhaps it's that i have no sense of where my body is in space and thus lose control of it very quickly... anyway, this fear always emerges when my body is going fast and going downhill. not good for being on a bike. but, i did it! i was able to go the whole time without falling downhill! instead, i fell going uphill.

seriously. i did. this kid in front of me was having trouble going up, and he lost his balance and consequently fell to his left. i had to quickly adjust and swerved to miss him, but then i lost my balance and bit it, right into the fence on the left. he felt so guilty, even when i reassured him that i was fine. i really should have indicated that i was as close as i was, so it's probably partially my own dumb fault. anyway, that was my fall for the day, with the scars to prove it. but, i was out, had a good ride (60 min.), and enjoyed an absolutely beautiful day while doing it.

:)

mileage, calendar

yesterday i worked on a training calendar that should take me all the way to the valley of fire half. i used a variety of sources, and it still needs to be more specific, but at least i got off to a good start by doing the 35 minutes slated. i ran with brian and duke and focused on a) safety in the heat, b) good form for efficient energy expenditure, and c) use of topography to my advantage (that just means running hills well). my core work paid off even more than i ever thought it would because my posture was excellent, which, in turn, kept my chest open for better breathing, even when i was tired. the fact that i even noticed the strength in those muscles is a good sign--people often underestimate the impact of abs on fitness; they just want the 6-pack. but anyway. brian and i and the dog did the loop by his house, and i extended it by 5 minutes by charging up the hill on bond st. ugh. even though it's a bitch of a hill, i was able to stay focused and speed back down, finishing strong just beyond brian's house. i'm really excited at how focused and disciplined i was, especially since yesterday was not good and that i was nervous about running in heat. yee-haw!

mileage + random

so i have this book now. it's a good one. i can't find it or remember the title. but it's good and helpful. it's given me a perspective on training for the triathlon, and now i can stop pestering brendan ad nauseum. that's a relief; i hate being a pest. it also gives me a better idea of how i want to space my training so that i'm not worried as to how much or how little i should do. that said, here was my day:

swimming in the pool--
since it was relatively empty, i was able to do longer lengths that are closer to 25 meters. i did 5 laps breaststroke and 5 laps freestyle. initially, i was really worried because about 3 laps into the total 10, my chest started to close up. i had to stop in the middle and walk over to the side. i was upset that that'd happened, but then i just stopped, rested, and started again. i then focused on form and breathing. i guess i tend to do harder workouts than slower ones, which i should do instead so that i can focus on form and breathing. once i did that, i was fine and relaxed and able to finish.

gym--
i was on the elliptical for 2x15 minutes, going backward first, forward second. if i do elliptical, i always do backward for my hamstrings; it helps. after those 30 minutes, i did 15 minutes stretching and then worked on my hip flexors and abductors. did some sumo squats and some intense core work and came home to crash like a ton of bricks.

overall, i'm really pleased with how today went, and i'm tired but not sore. i'll be able to spend more time planning out the rest of the SEVEN WEEKS BEFORE THE TRIATHLON! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

adventures in the mundane.

1) last week, i left the headlights on. cue 'groan' as i discover my gaff upon leaving work. luckily, i get a jump and am able to make it home. later, the car starts sufficiently despite its protests, so i deem it safe to drive to PA. i drive during the day so as to not use the headlights, and i go with the radio off and the windows down to save the extra juice, just in case. fast forward to today when the car coughs and sputters and only starts once i begin to pray because i can't have a broken car. i made it to work and then went to the shop immediately afterward in order to get it fixed. it was much cheaper than i thought it'd be, considering that the shop is part of the dealership, and they also did a great job. the car is good.

2) on friday, i logged a few miles running up in lebanon. it made me miss running in the country. lebanon is far from being the 'burbs, and it's so quiet and peaceful. i think i must have done 3 miles without even thinking about it. took the obligatory dip in my parents' pool afterward. it was a great run.

3) saturday was the hixson family reunion. it's kind of unfortunate because, for all that my cousins and i gripe about it, it is something really special that not every family has, and this year, attendance was at an all-time low. to get an idea of what i'm talking about--my grandfather has six living sisters, each of whom is married and has at least two children, and those children are also married and have at least two children. taken at the bare minimum then (i cannot for the life of me remember who's who and stuff), that's ... 60 people? throw in my grandfather's contigent, and that's about 90 people. attendance on saturday? 28. sure, my dad and i were still the hecklers in the back row during the "family entertainment hour," but i just wish more could have shown, which would have delighted my grandfather. the man is 84, after all.

4) saturday night, i met up with corey shepler for dinner at a tavern in kleinfeltersville (little itty, bitty town east of lebanon). i haven't really talked to corey in ~10 years, and while driving to the tavern, i was a little nervous... would we have anything to talk about? would we even get along? how different are we now? as it turns out, neither of us would shut up for the whole time, we laughed for hours on end, and while we've definitely grown, our friendship seems to have picked up exactly where it left off in 1997. and apparently, i should still be called "catherine the great." corey still won't tell me what that means.

5) on sunday, i was exhausted. i'd been trying to sleep on an uncomfortably firm mattress and having nightmares, so i basically crashed on the couch as soon as i got back from the early service at st. andrews. since there was no time for workouts on saturday though, i did jump in the pool with half an intention to get laps and drills in. the breathing drills went surprisingly well, and even just the small bit that i did helped me to get a better feel for form. THANK YOU, BRENDAN! however, after only a few laps of freestyle, i wanted to fall asleep. not good while swimming. my dad was out with me, and he said to just bag it; he knows that when i get frustrated, i push too hard and then ruin my workouts and my entire day. he was right. i made myself just let it go. and then i slept on the couch again.

6) today was fine. car issues aside, i was happy because i got to work with some good kids, and i appreciated their politeness and independence. i was still tired, so i took a nap, and then i headed to brian's place to use his treadmill. i didn't go to the gym or run outside for an important reason--i wanted to run in my tri outfit, to see if it would chafe, ride up, etc. that's not something i really want to do in public. running in public in a bra and shorts is one thing. running in public in a bikini is quite another. but i digress. i did 2 miles and might have gone further if i had not been insanely bored. even with my iPod and gilmore girls playing on the tv, i just couldn't run another step. it's something about brian's basement... anyway, the outfit worked out surprisingly well and was supportive and comfortable. now all i have to do is decide which i like better--the bra top or the tank top...

i'm tired again. hopefully i'll be able to sleep without having any nightmares.

apparently, i must not have enough drama in my life

...if i have to be upset about my swimming. stupid thing is, yesterday, one of my friends sent me some advice, i looked at a website he recommended, and the rest of the day was great. i carefully read everything and tried to implement one or two points when i headed out to the pool in the afternoon. turns out, i'm not as terrible as i thought, form-wise. of course, i still have a lot to work on, but at least i know i'll be able to breathe. according to brendan h. (and he seems to be my most involved advisor, so i think i'll stick with his tips), i just need to focus on time in the water and doing a few form drills regularly. i think i can handle that.

of course, buoyed by my success,* i devoured the july issue of runners' world after getting out of the water. that's not so smart after a workout. i was so excited and psyched after the swim that i decided it was entirely necessary to throw in a run before the day's end. so i didn't do just a long, slow run. i felt compelled to do a tempo run. my R leg still gives me issues, but nothing was so bad that i couldn't run through it. i skipped doing any core work afterward because i was desparate to get home and ice down. and this is where i took some more rw advice... i sat in an ICE BATH for twenty minutes--legs completely covered by extremely cold water and a good amount of ice cubes. i have to admit though... as tough as the run was, my legs feel relatively good today, which is usually not the case otherwise... i HATE when they're right about stuff like that!

workout totals:

swim--10 laps** each, breaststroke and freestyle
alternated types: e.g., 2 laps BR, 2 laps FR, etc.
took small breaks between each type
goal next time is to do 4 laps without stopping

run--forced to use treadmill (long story)
5 min walk warm-up
5 min 5.5mph warm-up
5x3 min up tempo (90% race pace)
1 min break between each (6mph)
5 min 5.5mph cool-down
5 min walk cool-down

i'm going to insert one change-up run per week, either fartlek, interval, tempo, or hill, just to build some of those fast-twitch that keep me going in the last few meters of the race. woo!

*and yes, the pun is completely intentional. welcome to my world of bad jokes.
**still not sure of the meter-age of my pool at the apartment. i forgot to see how long i was in the water, which, for now is what i want to pin-point.

nerves

i'm freaked. my strokes suck. they're terrible. you'd think i didn't know how to swim at all. well, it's probably not that bad, but my lack of proper form worries me. when it comes to the tri, i have no issues with the bike or run. the swim is a whole different can of worms. since it's the first part, it'll be doubly hard and completely kick my ass before i even get to the comfortable parts. now, my goal is just to finish. i'm not trying to qualify for the Gatorade ironman or anything. but i do want to survive the swim and come out of the water alive and with enough energy to slog my way through the rest of the race.

part of the problem is that i have so many resources. that is a problem because i don't know who the best person to listen to is, what the best website is, what training calendar fits me best, and so on and so forth. i get such a variety of information that i'm overwhelmed and don't know which options to choose. so, consequently, i'm picking from here and there and making it up as i go. i'm keeping a journal of my workouts and everything, and i'm trying to plan ahead of time which days are best for swim/bike/run. i'm also attempting to organize the specific workout for the day (e.g., how many laps or minutes to swim, how many miles to bike/run). like i said, the bike and run=cake walk. no big deal. i also know that i'm in good shape for sports since i've lost weight, built my endurance base, significantly lowered my body fat%, and increased my fitness level substantially. but, not knowing what i'm doing otherwise freaks me out.

while i just said that i have too many sources of information about swimming, i would really appreciate any advice you'd have on mental relaxation/preparedness/toughness.

***HELP!!!***

international ratings

as i have been inspired by nate's picture of petra (color me jealous), i'm going to rate (according to various categories) the best and worst of the european countries i've visited.

1) best flight--to Germany. i got to fly in a C-5 military cargo plane. awesome.
worst flight--to England from Portugal. ride was bumpy, and as soon as we landed at heathrow, we got stuck on the tarmac for HOURS. overall, i sat on a plane for 19 hours to get home. SUCK!

2) best weather--Spain, specifically La Costa del Sol on the mediterranean. beautiful without
being hazy or humid.
worst weather--England, hands down. checking the weather the day before, it said sunny and 70. the next day, it was rainy and 50. i had no coat.

3) best party--Denmark. on the summer solstice in tivoli, they burned a witch in effigy. seriously. and there was lots of beer and the best ice cream i've ever tasted, even better than an excellent gelato.
worst party--England. the food was dull, the atmosphere was smoky and sullen, and the company was as tasteless as the meal.

4) best overall landscape--Norway. it screams "Vikings!!!" i love that.
worst overall landscape--England. boooooooooooooring...

5) best architecture--Spain. just go to barcelona, and see the work of Gaudi. and yes, the word
"gaudy" is derived from his name, but his buildings are just so damn fascinating. he created a rowhouse inspired by St. George and the Dragon. AMAZING.
worst architecture--tie between Austria and Germany. nothing terribly exciting, except for
the few and far between old stuff. whee...

6) best museum for a country (please note that i was not able to see all of the hallmark museums of every single place i traveled; for example, i can't say anything against the British Museum)--tie between Norway and Denmark's Viking museums. standing next to something that is 1000+ years old? realizing that people crossed entire oceans in these relatively small ships?! astounding!
worst museum--Spain's Prado. that's probably heresy in some parts, but i'm just not a fan of
neoclassism or romantism. goya... bleh.

7) best food--Spain. Spain's food is sexy. interpret that as you will.
worst food--this was a tough call, but i have to say Denmark. the sauce on their pizza is basically just ketchup, and most of their meals involve some sort of herring. puke.

8) best wine served (not necessarily native)--Spain. i could have gone with portugal on this one,
as i really enjoy the vino verdhe (sp?), but the night in cadiz totally wins out. i won't say how many bottles of white i finished myself.
worst wine served--England. see #3 above.

9) best (as in most intriguing, polite, etc) population--Denmark. total strangers opened their
house to my family, and we (meaning my parents) relaxed and knocked back a few shots, courtesy of our hosts. terrifically friendly people.
worst population--Spain. not bad per se, but to grab a quote from a movie, they would "rather make love to their faces" than welcome us travelers.

10) best trip overall--Spain. despite the few peeves, i still had a blast and would go back in a
heartbeat. if i had my way, i'd even go so far as to live in barcelona or sevilla or granada or
torremolinos. an amazing country.
worst trip overall--England. this might be counterintuitive considering my scholastic interests, but the trip was clouded* (HAHAHAHA!) by the weather, the food, the people, the bleh-ness of the landscape, etc., etc. i'll have to go back and explore it more if i want to change my opinion.


*that was lame. i know. bleh.

phobia

i've realized that i have a most unfortunate fear, especially given my goals of completing a triathlon and running the 'valley of fire' half-marathon. here it is, in all it's irony: i'm afraid of running alone. it's not so much the personal safety issue as it is the health problems that scare me. it stems from two frightening experiences, the first happening in the summer of 2005. i was running with the pacemakers (again, thank you, irony), and it being deathly hot and humid, as it is wont to be in baltimore that time of year, i started to have what is similar to an asthma attack. i couldn't breathe, and my chest was closing in on me, and i almost passed out in a sketchy area of waverly. not awesome. i was then helped by those i can only describe as wonderful good samaritans. the other experience was last summer, at the rockville twilight trot. once again, it was hot and humid, and i completed the whole race, despite feeling terrible the whole time. i finish, feeling worse than i did during the race, sit down, and next thing i know, i'm coming to in the shady grove hospital ER with an IV pumping something into my arm. i have to hand it to the races who are very well organized, especially with emergency medical personnel at the ready.

anyway, those two events were scary enough that now i'm afraid to run outdoors by myself in the summer. my schedule is different enough from my running friends' that i don't have the luxury of having running buddies all the time. and, sadly, there's not a term that specifically identifies a fear of running. here are the closest ones i can find:

algophobia--fear of pain
asthenophobia--fear of weakness
ponophobia--fear of fatigue, especially from overworking (maybe the nearest i'll get?)

some of the most intriguing fears listed on this website have nothing to do with my running issue:

arachibutyrophobia--fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one's mouth
ballistophobia--fear of missiles
celtophobia--fear or dislike of Celts
homilophobia--fear of sermons
papaphobia--fear or dislike of the pope or papacy

two things: first, i have cross-checked my source, and these are professionally diagnosed phobias. second, my fear is certainly not clinical, and, related, i'm not trying to make light of people whose lives are massively impacted by such genuine, crippling fears. what i am doing is just being curious about the incredible variety of fears and the manner in which they shed light on our own psyches.

what do you fear?

mileage update, etc.

so i've still been plagued by injuries, so i put in some time in the pool while i was at my parents' place this past week. i did my laps a la galloway, which is really helpful, considering that's my weakest point. that also saved on any wear & tear, thank goodness. today, again, i wanted to spare my body, so i lifted at the gym and did elliptical (reverse, for hamstrings). immediately after getting back to my place, i hopped in the pool for a cool-down swim, for two reasons: 1) relaxes the muscles and speeds recovery afterward and 2) gets me in the water again. i don't know of any specific distances today, but i got the time in, which almost seems to be the main idea anyway.

other update. a few assholes notwithstanding, my faith in humanity is somewhat restored. HALLELUJAH! and i was beginning to worry that common courtesy had become extinct. and, so beautifully, at the very moment when i think it's dead and gone, very pleasant surprises pop up out of nowhere and simply make my day. so thank you to those who still practice daily kindnesses and don't make jerks of themselves. you're beautiful.

oh, and here's the most random but new favorite sign:

marathon/running shirt suggestions

this is an off-shoot of kim's request for shirt opinions. it's probably adding to the confusion, but i can't help it. some of these are so true/ridiculous/hysterical that i HAVE to list them.

1) i like the running armadillo. i don't know why.
2) so true, so true... :D
3) this is more of a running workout emphasis, but if you know the term, it's pretty funny
4) the chickens ARE on a shirt!!!
5) ahhh, yes.. the arrogance of cross country runners *

* may not apply or be helpful at all to those who aren't fans of off-road running.

anyway, i might have just added too many ingredients to the pot of shirt choices, but i thought these were at least mildly amusing. what does that tell you about my sense of humor?

:P

surveys can be long but silly and fun :)

Friday survey Body:

1] What was the highlight of your week? FINALLY getting my pix together, framed and mounted... well, at least most of them. at least now this apt. looks more like it's inhabited by an adult.

2] Who's car were you in last? mine

3] When is the next time you will kiss someone? i have no idea. there's the slight chance that it could happen in a week. who knows!

4] What color shirt are you wearing? gray running shirt from a 5 miler i did with my dad

5] How long is your hair? medium

8] Last movie you watched? Last of the Mohicans, last night (just after Kingdom of Heaven)

9] Last thing you ate? salad

10] Last thing you drank? limeade

11] Where did you sleep last night? in my bed

12] If you could get a tattoo where would it be and of what? ancient roman chi rho monogram, on my back

13] Are you happy right now? reasonably so

14] What did you say last? 'toby, you're the best pup ever!'

15] Where is your phone? in my purse, which is somewhere

16] Who was the last person you told you loved them? my mom

17] What color are your eyes? oceany blue. i count that as one of the best things a guy as ever said to me.

19] Who came over last? brian. he stole my dog.

20] When was the last time you had your heart broken? those of you who know me know when.

21] Who/what do you hate/dislike currently? they know who they are

22] What are you listening to? classic rock/guitar playlist (right now, it's Carry On My Wayward Son)

23] If you could have one thing right now what would it be? someone looking into my eyes

24] What is your favorite scent? ultra cheesy, but that of a clean man. literally.

25] Who makes you happiest right now? my students and the tober (my dog)

26] What were you doing at midnight last night? sleeping like a log

30] Are you left-handed? nope

31] Spell your name without vowels: jnn--that's kind of a dumb question

34] What's for dinner tonight? probably tomato & basil veggie burgers

34] What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? a shot of espresso vodka on thursday night. i wanted to puke, it was so disgusting.

35] When Is Your Birthday? 11/9

36] Who was the last person to send you a text message? i think shawn

38] Last time you went swimming in a pool? yesterday afternoon. see previous post.

39] Where was the last place you went shopping? Target

40] How do you feel about your hair right now? got 5 inches whacked off yesterday, and i love it. i <3 my hair!!!

41] Do you have any expensive jewelery? No

42] AIM or MSN? aim

46] Where does most of your family live? Pennsylvania.

47] Are you an only child or do you have siblings? one older brother

48] Would you consider yourself to be spoiled? not so much. circumstances have taught me to be content in current situations.

49] What was the first thing you thought when you woke up? how awesome a good night's sleep feels

50] Do you drink beer? Yes

52] Myspace or Facebook? i'm ambivalent on this one

53] Do you have T-Mobile? no, i have verizon

54] What is your favorite subject in school? medieval & renaissance british literature

55] What type of boy/girl do you usually fall for? highly intelligent, current events and culturally saavy, athletic, respectful

57] Do you have any talent? not to brag, but... HELLS YEAH!
:-P

58] Have you ever been IN a wedding? Yes

59] Do you have any children? Not yet.

60] Did you take a nap today? No.

62] Ever met anyone famous before? yes. kind of C List famous though.

63] Do you want to be famous one day? Not really.

64] Favorite Actress(es)? cate blanchett, judi dench; i'm not really a huge fan of actresses though. they're just not really exciting.

65] Are you multitasking right now? yes

66] Could you handle being in the military? yes

67] What is your average cell phone bill? $64

68] Do you believe in Karma? no

69] Last time you went to the gym or worked out? yesterday

70] How many pairs of shoes do you own? at least 20. i can't help it! i love shoes!!!

71] Last place you drove your car? Target

72] Last concert you went to? Swim Shower at the Walters on Friday night

73] what are you doing today? cleaning apt, playing with and walking toby, reading, watching a movie, possibly working out, relaxing

74] Have you ever been gambling? Yes

75] When is the last time you updated your blog? last night

76] Have you been to New York City? yup

77] Ever been to Disneyland/world? yeah, world

78] Do you have a favorite cartoon character? hmm... stewie!

79] Last thing you cooked? pasta

80] Hows the weather? cloudy but breezy and warm

81] Do you e-mail? yes, quite often

82] Whats the stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? let somebody else send a text to a party of interest

83] Last time you were sick? bad cold, mid-may

84] Do you think anyone will repost this? kim!

i have GOT to stop pulling muscles

so i finally made it into a pool today. and it was bad. now i'm really nervous about the tri because my form is shitty, and i have roughly two months before the Catfish. what happens is that i can do the arms okay, but i have never felt comfortable with the breathing. then i get nervous while swimming, and my form gets worse, and so on and so forth. part of it, i know, is that i try to go too fast, and i should slow down and concentrate on the simple mechanics. but, the obvious problem is that i can't see wtf i'm doing. i've consulted my triathlete friends, and i've heard two schools of thought: a) it's absolutely essential to log lots of pool time or else i'll fall apart, and b) just doggie-paddle if i have to and concentrate on one piece at a time so that i can finish. i'm more encouraged by the latter, but the former is freaking me out when i'm in the pool. HELP!

although, i do look killer in my speedo. ;)

the other piece of today's pool time is that, because i was trying harder than i should have, my triceps are bugging me. of course, it's a common thing when starting something new. but my entire right side has been aching for the past few days, so that makes me uneasy. i can still run, bike and swim fine, but afterward, i'm so freaking uncomfortable. sometimes, the aches wake me up. that can't be good. it's tough because i have no reference point on what the hell i'm doing. i have no training partners/coaches/etc. in close proximity; it's all advice from friends via email or from credible websites. if anyone can offer suggestions on how to ameliorate these problems, i would be super-appreciative.

so, i have no idea how far or how long i swam, although it was just a beginner's day and really not all that much. i tried though. *sigh* this triathlon is going to be really hard.

:(

swim shower at the walters!

great sound tonight. steve & co. played at the walters, which is a pretty big deal, considering what a cultural landmark it is in Baltimore. i'm really proud of the guys seizing that opportunity. they performed a lot of songs from their new cd, which is supposed to be released in ~1 month. you know i'll be picking up one of those. i went to one of their first shows in winter `06, and it's so amazing to see how much they've matured, musically speaking, since then. also, the instrumental texture and layering of their sound evolved, becoming much more sophisticated. it's fascinating to hear the blend of tones and timbre (sp?). they guys are also good showmen because their collective sense of humor brings laughter and levity between songs. they do a quality job of keeping the audience engaged in the set, which is can be difficult to do, considering some of the disastrous bands i've seen in the past. all in all, nice job tonight, and kudos to swim shower. here's to a bright future for you!


(L to R) jeff on lead guitar, steve on drums, brad on guitar and vocals, other jeff on bass, and ben on keyboard/guitar/trumpet/vocals. unfortunately, i couldn't manage to get ben in the first picture, and he was hiding behind his music and keyboard in the second one. d'oh!

mileage and such

i've been taking it easy this week because it seems as though my right leg is having a good time messing with me. sometimes, the lateral muscles in my knee flare up. or, the tendons above and/or below the knee cap kick in. occasionally, it's the hamstrings. at times, my quadriceps join in the fun. WTF!!!

obviously, it's entirely frustrating, and i'm hoping to get into a pool anywhere just to do some non-weight-bearing work. i'm also being really diligent about RICE, wrapping, and taking ibuprofen for once. i'm usually quite negligent about that sort of thing because i hate taking medicine and being relatively inactive. anyway, i'm taking my time and going slow and steady.

so the actual mileage:
6/5--stat. bike @ the gym, 9 miles (equals 3 miles running) for 30 min., stretched
6/7--run 3 miles for 30 min. w/ Brian, Duke & Toby; took a few breaks for the dogs' having to do their business

core:
6/5--Adam's ladder: 10 push-ups, 9, 8, etc, Russian Twists: 1x25 no weight, 4x25 w/ 10 lbs, Crunches: 5x50, Hyperextensions 5x20
6/7--none

no swim work yet :-\

8th grade graduation

well, three of my basketball girls graduated (?) from OLMC tonight. i include the question mark because i'm still not sure about calling it graduation when it occurs so early in the academic career... but i digress. anyway, alex, lindsey and taylor are all such wonderful young ladies, and i'm really glad to have had the privilege of working with them. they're parting ways and going to different high schools, and i know that each one will distinguish herself from her peers. i was asked to sing at the baccalaureate mass, which was something that i relished doing. i haven't been part of a music team in awhile, and it's very fulfilling, especially when it's in service to or honor of someone so deserving.

i didn't get a chance to talk to the girls very much, and if i'd been able to do so, i would have tried to impress one thing upon them; try to do your very best at living your own life. i grew up as a people-pleaser, and that is such a crippling way to live. realizing the joy of one's own personal freedom, finding that joy through confidence and courage, and taking the first step down new paths--those are all such exhilerating experiences! goals can be as wild and crazy as one can make them, and that can make them all the more fulfilling! for example, i plan to do my triathlon, despite the number of hurdles i've been meeting. that's a little crazy. even moreso, however, is my newest and most exciting goal: the valley of fire marathon near las vegas, nevada. how AMAZING is that?! run 26.2 miles through some of the most desolate terrain in the country! yeehaw!!

that's not normal. you can't be normal and be a distance runner and love it all at the same time. :) but, it's what makes me happy. and why go through life not doing things that make you happy? i plan on going back for the phD. sure, that'll throw some major wrenches into the financial end of things. nobody else in my family is doing it, and a bunch of my friends think i'm insane for wanting to do it. but it's what's inside me. it's who i am. and it makes me happy and whole.

whatever the Lord has planned for alex, lindsey and taylor, i hope that He helps them to seize their chance at living His gift of life with vibrance and passion. i hope that He shows them how awesome it is to see, accept, and strive for those aspirations that are the foundation of their identities. i hope that He will help all of us to be ignited about what He's making of us. we should all be so excited at what He has there waiting for us, if only we'd reach for it.

best of luck to my girls and all `07 grads!

blue moooooooooooon, i saw you running aloooooooone... well, not alone. but you were running. HA!

that was so much fun. around 5-ish, my desire to go was weak, but a two hour nap took care of that. :) anyway, because there was a parking issue, i dropped my car at the baja fresh lot and rode a u-haul van over to the race. no lie. fifteen of us crammed in the back (no seats) and a helluva a lot of trust in the driver... awesome. once i was there, i almost literally ran into kim and todd. then i ran over to the "registration" desk (really, it was just a 'hell, it's cool that you're here, have a glow stick' desk) and appropriately bedecked myself with glowsticks.

so far, you're thinking, okay, no big deal. park, meet friends, get a glow stick. yeehaw. but think of it this way: 600+ people with glow sticks galore, hung around necks, wound into hair, strapped around ankles and in shoelaces, etc., etc. and it was dark. and there were severe storms to the north--far enough away that we escaped the ran, close enough to see quite a bit of lightning. AND because it was still so hazy and humid, the moon was this deep orange-red. *AND*, as promised, there were plenty of beverages and snacks, to include some amazingly good watermelon.

it was cooooooooooooool!!!!

i had so much fun running with kim, todd, caryn (kim, did i spell that right?), and doug, although i have to be honest; kim, you and i have to get better about running together regularly! there's so much to talk about!!!

but anyway, for all who missed it, the blue moon run was awesome. next on my list: dreaded druid hills. any takers? :)