Goals you set to achieve, and the ones that surprise you...

There always seems to be a benchmark for runners to cover at least 1000 miles within a calendar year.  Granted, many do more.  Every year I hope to run 1000 miles and have yet to make it.  This year, though,  I haven't beat myself up over it.

This year, I evolved in other ways.  I became a smarter runner, and learned a lot about what my body tells me.  I learned what limits I can push, what I can't, and what I need to do when I'm not running in order to be a better runner.  Good tools in the toolbox for 2012, when maybe I'll run 1000 miles...or more.

I did accomplish other things that were pretty important, though.   I graduated nursing school, landed a great job (two goals right there), and we are financially in a better place because of it - not that we were in a bad place, but things we needed - or even wanted - came a little bit easier now that we are finally a 2-income household again.  Being the checkbook holder in the family, I cut some unnecessary expenses (ex-naying the Cable, changing car insurance companies) - something I'm proud of.  Once in a while, I have to put my foot down with Dave when he sees a shiny new gun or pickup truck.

Thankfully after pouting for a half day or so, he sees things my way :-)

I'd like to think I'm a better wife now - Army (both my career and Dave's) and nursing school has been competing with that goal against my own intentions pretty much since we got married.

So, it's not all about running.  I always will want to be a better runner.  But as we start thinking about starting a family I am realizing that it needs to be incorporated into other things in life.  Well, actually, I've known that all along but it's only been in the past 6-8 months that I have been *okay* with that realization.  I have a lot of people to look up to for that...local runner Kim R. for one, continues to tackle ultras while working full time and raising three kids.  My godson's father, Pete F. who is a multi-tasker/hunter/gatherer/provider extraordinaire, in my opinion, will never cease to amaze me.

The potentials of being a mom (NO! I am NOT pregnant yet!  Don't start rumors!) are a bit daunting, but are challenges I looking forward to now.

Other things I have cherished over the past year were goals I never set out to accomplish in the first place. I have developed new friendships (bbmhfabgglz) with people who I really cherish today, cut ties with some parasites, and am generally in a happier place that I've ever been because of it.

So, in all, 2011 has been a great year - and I'm excited for 2012!

Two weeks of insanity...

Wow, a lot has happened in the few weeks since I've posted.

First, I (finally) graduated from nursing school on May 13th.  This journey took 9 1/2 years, beginning at Madison Area Technical College back in 2001, and travelled to this day via waypoints of the United States Army (where I trained as served as a medic and licensed practical nurse), Columbus State Community College, Monroe Community College, SUNY College at Brockport, and finally ending at the University of Rochester.

I feel very fortunate to also already have a job (actually, I was hired a little over a month ago), working in the Burn-Trauma ICU at University of Rochester-Strong Memorial Hospital.  How many people truly land their dream job right out of the starting gate?  I am truly blessed, even though Dave has already spent my first several paychecks in his head!

I have also been spending the past few weeks wrapping my head around my first marathon, which will be this Saturday (May 28th)...the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon.  Now, why the hell I chose one of the hardest trail marathons in the eastern US is beyond me (no wait...because a road marathon would bore the bejeezus out of me).  That said, I am not certain I will finish this race.  There is an 8 hour cutoff, and while I am a 10:30 minute miler on my long runs these days, "maintaining" (I use this word loosely, as you may figure out later) the required 17:30-18:30 pace has been quite daunting.  There are over 110 "gullies" (straight down-cross stream-straight up) on this course, and the access points to the aid stations (a requirement) are quite steep.  Basically this race is either going up, or down.  Not that running a certain pace is possible on trails anyway, but finding a rhythm on this course is near impossible. 

It's not that I don't have the endurance, it's the confidence to relax on the downhills and make up time like most runners in the free world do.  Ever since I severely sprained my ankle during the first stage of the Dirt Cheap Stage Race in 2009 (on a downhill no less), I just can't open up and enjoy the downhills that I once owned in my trail races.  Considering the STM is about as technical as it gets (and almost all single-track), every step freaks me out. 

All I can do is try, give it my all, and if I get pulled at Checkpoint #3, so be it.  There will always be another race.

At first my goal was to finish and not die.  Now it's only to finish...