Happy New Year!

Wow...  Only 22 posts last year. I don't have anything really to say about that other than, I am still hanging onto this blog anyway. I'm not sure why. I guess I am afraid of losing the mojo that came along with starting it. People who have met me in the last five years are surprised to hear me talk about my life before blogging/running. They assume that because I run, ride, workout now, it's always been that way. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth, so like a baseball player who is reticent to give up his lucky bat for fear of losing the ability to hit a ball, I am unlikely to give up my "lucky blog" for fear of being sloth-like again.

That being said, I was really flattered over the weekend when one of my young cousins, who has started running called me to ask me (the family running expert!) for advise about her shin splints (yeah, if there's something I can give advice about, it's running injuries!)

So, it's January again. Five years ago, I started writing about my adventures with the herd as we embarked upon running our first (and so far only) marathon. To be honest, the last 4 years, I've been pretty much going non-stop. This year, I really slowed it down. A LOT. This past year, I ran in only THREE (3) organized races, but set a PR in two of them (the Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon last January, and the SuperRun 10K in February. Most of the year was somehow dedicated to cycling. Betty, Mik and I rode in four organized rides including the Bike the Coast Century in November. Elsie decided that riding was not for her, and sold her bike. Wilma joined us occasionally.

I'm not sure about this cycling thing. Betty loves riding, but I'm sorta MEH about it, especially the longer distances and especially THE HILLS (hate 'em). It takes a long time to ride a bike 100 miles, and even longer to train for it. I'll continue to ride this year, but I'm not sure I'll do another century for awhile.

That being said, we are looking into again doing the  Senorita Century (the 60 mile course) in March, because I almost NEVER mean it when I say, "I won't do THAT again!"

I've also been working out with a personal trainer since June, which I've rather enjoyed. I certainly enjoy seeing something that resembles arm and/or (gasp) stomach muscles. If I were to have a resolution for the new year, it would be to have some mad ab musclez... and to have calves that are thin enough so that I can wear boots.

I feel like I'm sort of stuck in a place right now where I'm not sure what my next big goal should be. This leaves me feeling a little disconcerted. Since it is January, I have joined the San Diego Track Club's Rockin' and Runnin' program again. Right now, several of us (Betty, Mik, Elsie, and Edith (!!)) are signed up for the San Diego Half Marathon in March, which is the week after the Senorita Century. So March is also looking to be a pretty crazy month.

I keep thinking that maybe I'll run another marathon this year, but we'll see. I am pretty sure I won't be able to convince anyone other than BBJ to run it with me.

I also think about blogging regularly again. My biggest regret for 2012 is that I didn't blog enough. Instead, I put together an end of year slide show for the herd. It's long (about 12 minutes), but it definitely highlights some of the adventures this past year. I'm not sure if the audio will work... if you want the original slide show, click on this link to my dropbox account public folder. (It may take awhile to download...it's a huge file!)

A bit of self-indulgence...Looking back at 2011 and ahead to 2012

In 2011, I sorta fell off the blogging bandwagon...only 58 posts for the whole year. That being said, a few posts back, I did pass the 400 blog milestone and in fact, in two days, the Hefferblog will be 4 years old.

However, even though I wasn't blogging about running, I apparently was actually running. I've been watching my running/riding numbers on Daily Mile for the last few weeks and was surprised when I saw that I was nearing 1000 miles total, which was one of my goals for the year... Full disclosure, I'd actually forgotten that I'd set it as a goal, but it's nice to know that I'd met it anyway...maybe it was subconscious.

Here are my 2011 numbers

• Running: 691 miles
• Cycling: 459 miles
• Total: 1150 miles

Last January, when I wrote a year in review/looking ahead post I'd logged 875 miles total...and I was sorta bummed about that. Apparently the previous January, I'd set a 1000 mile goal for myself and just like this year, I'd forgotten that I set the goal, so then I whined about not meeting a goal when you only kinda-sorta set it for yourself.

Fast forward to 2011 when I ran about 100 miles more (691 vs. 589 miles) than in 2010, which I find kind of surprising since I actually ran fewer races this past year, but the thing that really put me over 1000 miles is the cycling (459 vs. 154 miles) which means that in 2010, I barely rode much at all.

Mostly, I think the increase in mileage can be mostly attributed to the fact that I just wasn't injured this year (woot! woot! woot for that).

So, in looking back at 2011, there were some other things that seem especially worth remembering

The Herd Stuff

• I helped Elsie, Betty, and now Wilma buy new road bikes (so expect that cycling mileage to increase even more this coming year).

Elsie gets a new bike in November

Betty gets a new ride in December

Wilma's new ride (OK...it was January 2012...but it was the 2nd, so it counts)

BTW...the local Trek store completely owes me a commission! I have complete and udder bike-envy over their carbon bikes now...but I will be a good girl and wait a while longer before plunking down some moo-la for a ride.

• Mik, Betty, Elsie and I ran two destination half-marathons this year - The Napa-to-Sonoma half in July and the Nike Women's half in October.

My girls...

• DramaGirl and Millie (Betty's daughter) joined us as our chauffeurs and general good sports when we went to Napa. 
• Much of the rest of the herd joined us in San Francisco in October to help celebrate Elsie's birthday. 

Happiness is celebrating with the Herd!

The Silly Stuff

• Of course, there is the plethora of lost keys, flat tires, too many mimosas to count, inside jokes, and just downright ridiculousness, that comes when a group of women spend (according to some of our spouses) way too much time together. 

Running in the pouring rain with Betty and Irene

Getting on the wrong early train for the SDTC Train Run, which we got away with despite not having tickets, but because we had shoe tags!

4am - San Francisco International

I have no idea why I took this picture... The toilet seat was really low 

Alberta boxed

We made friends with The Conjugator

Karaoke Night (no link...one of the many things I did not blog about this year. We're in a pool bar. Use your imagination...)

Sometimes we have too many pseudonyms

There is humor everywhere

The Family Stuff

• These three people really are the center of my universe. We too had a really wonderful year full of with some fun vacations, some of them elsewhere in the world, many of them near to home. I look at these and cannot believe how incredible lucky and blessed I am to have them in my life.

Sunsets with Walter

Ditto

Running with Walter and DramaGirl (Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot) 

Transportation and Sports Day - Turbo, Walter, and I drive to the Stadium, trolley to Cox Arena for an Aztec basketball game, trolley back to stadium for an Aztec football game, drive home 

My boy 

Carving pumpkins with friends

DG plays varsity field hockey 

Before going to Lazz's Mad Men Party

The crew - from LA

The most you'll ever see of me in a two piece swimsuit! (in Vegas

My guy

Sleeping beauty (she'll kill me for that...but isn't she beautiful?)

Turbo in The Music Man last fall (third from the left) 

My beautiful sisters (oh...and me)

Walter pretending to play golf 

DG learns to drive (GAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!)

The Active Stuff

• The best thing out of the year, really, is that I just didn't get hurt. I want to attribute this mostly to not overdoing it and part of it to cross training. I tried doing some weight work this year (far to sporadically), but I think that helped, as did riding the bike. Rarely did I run more than two days in a row.
• Most surprisingly, it was a year of PRs. Five in all, at all distances I run (5K, 10K, 15K, Half-Marathon, and an odd 4 mile race) -- Sue Kren (15K) - 1:37:42 (10:29);  SuperRun (10K) - 1:01:55 (9:58); Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon - 2:22:58 (10:55); End of Summer Fire Run - 38.22 (9:31); Run for the Hungry 5K - 28:26 (8:52). 
• In fact, I didn't have, what I would consider, a bad race all year. I think this is, again, because I didn't overdo it. I only ran three half-ms (the last several years, I've done 4) and that seems to give me enough recovery time between races to...well...recover. 
• Of course, after every race, and many other runs, there are mimosas, recaps, laughs, and stories....which is really why we do all this, and why I continue to try to write about it.

Looking Ahead
I am among those who do make annual resolutions or set goals for myself. I write them down, and then pretty much forget that I made them, but not really. I do think that the act of writing them down does, somehow stick with me. So looking ahead I'd like to:

• Run/Ride 2000 miles. This seems very doable if I continue to ride regularly once school starts, and more frequently during breaks and in the summer. I am so lucky that I have flexibility in my work that allows me to do this.
• Not be injured again, by continuing to cross train and to not overdo it.
• To run at least two half-marathons this year. The first is in two weeks (Carlsbad 1/2), but after that, I don't have anything planned. There's a bit of a schism in the herd right now as we become more invested in cycling (much easier on the body), and less in running long distances. But, I'm really not ready to quit the half-marathon thing yet. Carlsbad will be the first half-mary I've trained for on my own since the Vegas RnR half two years ago. It's been a challenge to do the long runs on my own. I'm not sure I've done such a stellar job.
• Continue to be a faster-fitter runner. I do think there's a relationship to my recent increase in speed and my overall fitness. I don't write much about my weight, but I am down about 8 pounds. Less weight is certainly less pressure on the joints. 
• To do a century ride. It'll be a new adventure for the herd, training for a century, but we are still in need of a plan.
• To blog more. I like writing about our adventures and my family. It certainly has helped me seek balance in my life (a huge fail this year), but writing regularly forces me to recognize how lucky and blessed I am to be surrounded by great friends and a loving family. When I feel myself getting all self-centered and cranky about what I don't have or what I can't do, I turn to this little blog to remind myself of all I do have and all I can do, and then I bitch-slap myself out of my sulkiness.
• To give back more. (see above)
• To not overbook myself. This is probably the biggest challenge for me. But too often, I have a tendency to overbook myself with work, with play, with family. When we run at Balboa Park, Mik and Betty and Elsie have been crossing over Park Avenue to run through a rose garden on the other side. Mik says: "It doesn't count unless you stop and smell the roses." She's right, it really doesn't.

Happy New Year to all of you! Enjoy the view!

Sunset from La Jolla last week just as the fog rolled in.

And the next morning (from Del Mar - just North of La Jolla)  after the fog rolled back out.

Yep...it doesn't suck to live here - Taken from the Coronado Ferry after Sunday's New Year's Day 29 mile ride. A nice way to start the year!

This is what happens when you kinda, only sorta set goals...

Here are my numbers from 2010

Running - 578.7 miles
Cycling - 154 miles
Other (probably the elliptical) - 142.09
Total Miles - 875.04

In 2009, I ran and cycled 982.14 miles. My goal was to do a combined 1000 miles this year, but THAT didn't happen. I could chalk it up to injuries and be only a little bit accurate, but it would be more accurate to say that I just didn't do it. It was one of those goals I kinda made early on, then sorta forgot about it. That's the way it is with goals that you kinda, sorta, set for yourself, you kinda, sorta reach them.

So...I didn't reach a 1000 mile goal, but I did have a couple other running and cycling accomplishments this year.

• I had another great year of running with the herd (Betty, Elsie, and Mik, you all are the greatest running partners EVAH!)

Pre-race festivities...in San Francisco. Top of the Hyatt...isn't that where everyone goes for a pre-race, pre-dinner snack?

• I FINALLY SUCCEEDED in talking Walter into running a 1/2 marathon with me, and he did at the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon.
• I completed the California Dreamin' Triple Crown -- 
• The Surf City 1/2 Marathon where I learned that NOT training for a 1/2 marathon is a VERY BAD IDEA 
• The San Francisco 1/2 where I got to meet up with a bunch of blogger friends thanks to Penny, who was also our savior and picked up our bibs and gear for Surf City.
• The Long Beach 1/2 which I got to run with Walter and the Herd, and dispite the dismal bag check, I had a really, really, really good time.
• I PR'd at the San Diego Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon, breaking the 2:30 mark (2:27:37)
• I PR'd in the OFT'-RUN 4 MILE DISTANCE at the End of Summer Fire Run (38:53)
• I managed to break the 5K - 30 minute barrier twice this year. The first time at the Carlsbad 5000 (29:54), then again in November at the Shelter Island 5K (29:53).
• Mik and I endured a torrential downpour as we completed our first organized bike ride the Gran Fondo in April.
• I completed my own kind of Tri (three events, three cities, three days) which included a 1/2 marathon on day 3 (Surf City 1/2) and survived, but I'll never do THAT again (yeah right).
• I managed to get through the whole year without a major injury!!!! (I'm blaming the stress fracture on 2009...which is when it started!), so maybe I have learned something after all!
• I rode in a hot air balloon

Up, up in the air...in our beautiful, our beautiful...baloooooooooon (yeah, only a few of us will know that song).

• I spent one more year married to the most wonderful man in the world, and I continued to enjoy my two kids become two really reasonable teenagers...

The crew

So, to start off the new year right, Mik, Betty and I went out for a ride/run this morning. Mik and I rode and Betty ran. It was a beautiful (if not cool) morning before the storm.

Mik and I at the 1/2 way point of our ride. I like how Mik looks celestial here...

Mik and Betty back at the car with the Coronado bridge in the background

We found a little coffee house in Coronado...which made ENORMOUS mimosas...

...and really good muffins (one place where a large muffin-top is a VERY good thing)

And a rather eclectic reading list...I mean isn't The Early Days of the Power Station Industry on EVERYONE'S reading list?

As we ate our breakfast, we talked some about our goals for this year. I've already registered for the 53 mile Gran Fondo (pray for no rain this year...PLEEEEZE) and the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon in July. I'll be starting my fourth year with the San Diego Track Club's Rockin' and Runnin' program, so I'll likely be running the San Diego Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon again in early June. 

I told Betty and Mik that one of my goals is to run a 1/2 marathon in 2:15. I think I can do it this year if I stay healthy. I'd also like to shave a couple of minutes off my 5K time.

Betty asked me this morning if I had any personal goals or resolutions this year as her "bucket list" is about a mile long. Is it bad that I don't? I mean, I'm not a perfect person. Lord knows I could drop a few pounds, but that seems like such a chicken-shit resolution. I mean, it's a good goal and all...and I don't want to put down anyone else who is making it, but for me it would be like the 1000 mile sorta-goal I kinda made last year. 

In truth, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place right now. I'm just happy to be running, and teaching, and being a mom and a wife and a daughter and a friend. 

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a fantabulous 2011!

What a Year!

Yep...it's that time of year...time to look back. I spent the morning looking back through this year's compendium of blogs, and it was enlightening. I learned a lot this year, about myself, about running, about life, about what to care about, and probably most importantly, what to let go of.

What a cool thing having a blog is...a running record (no running-pun intended) of my life. But before I begin with the details, a few generalizations I could make about about my life and this blog over this past year.

• Damn I'm wordy...how the "eff" did you all READ all that? I thank you all for reading and especially for commenting on my (too often) waaaaaay too long posts.
  
• I had way too many foot injuries this year. I wrote a couple weeks ago about the irony of ending 2009 with a stress fracture in my left foot seeing as the year started with a torn left IT band issue. I'm still shaking my head at this.
• On the other hand, if I'd never hurt myself, I'd never have discovered cycling, which I now love, even though I still think of cycling as "the nice guy." I mean I don't have a stress fracture as a result of biking. I have it as a result of running. Running is still my love and it still hurts.
• Despite the injuries, I had LOTS of laughs and LOTS of mimosas this year. I am truly blessed. This I know.
  

So, without further ado...here's another massive word-spill. Settle in, or skim...you choose :-). I didn't include any backlinks because I figure, really, who's gonna read all of THIS let alone go back and re-read anything from the year?

January - The First Injury, Bruising, Carlsbad 1/2, and Cancer

• I started off the year healthy and running 8-10 miles getting ready for the Carlsbad 1/2 marathon. This was really the hardest part to read when I look back and see where I was a year ago...running 8 to 10 miles easily and I was getting faster too.
  
• It the second SDTC training run, my ITB popped (I called it my Hip, but it was the ITB), probably due to weakness, not enough stretching, and overuse. I spend the next two weeks trying to rest and recover and pretty much freaking out because I was supposed to run Carlsbad.
  
• Despite the injury and some pain, I ran the Carlsbad 1/2 (First leg of the San Diego Triple Crown) with Betty, Mik, and Alberta. I had a GREAT time and ran the whole way (except for the end) with Betty. Ran with Penny. Met Yas as I was exiting the parking lot. Unfortunately after the race I had this...

• Oh yeah...I learned that my mom had lung cancer and flew to Vegas to visit doctors with her.
  

February - PF (Right Foot) & Mom's Cancer Surgery

• Mom's lung cancer surgery was a success (well...as successful as cutting out part of one's lung can be). I made two trips to Vegas to be with her and my dad.
  
• My ITB issues led to my first bout with Plantar Fasciitis...GAH!
  
• Several visits to first PT helped to "cure" my PF as well as the torn ITB. I spent lots of the month icing, stretching, and slowly trying to get back into running. I got freezer-burn from leaving ice on my thigh for too long. I tore up countless frozen dixie cups icing the bottom of my foot. I taught my PT that "whale tail" has multiple meanings.
  
• Oh...and I went skiing a couple of times with the family and with BBJ and Wilma.
• I won a pair of biking gloves from NikeMom and began considering biking as an alternative to running
  

March - More PF and Recovery (too much, too fast)

• Somehow I ran the Sue Kren 15K
• Elsie went on her "3rd date" with the PB
• I futzed around with shoes (NB 1224s vs. Saucony Hurricanes...anyone?) because THAT must have been the reason I was having so many foot issues.
• I visited mom in Vegas again, and I cooked a load of food and froze it.
  
• I tried to slowly build up mileage with the SDTC and eventually worked my way up to a 13.5 mile run.
  
• The herd didn't get into the Nike Women's 1/2 (boo hoo) this year.
  
• I started riding and rode my first 10 mile ride on old mountain bike, which still had mountain bike tires.
  

April - Clipless Pedals, Smelly Whales, More Vegas, La Jolla 1/2, and Fame

• I ran the first 12 miles of "The Train Run," then stopped due to PF pain in the RIGHT foot. We almost lost Betty at the train station, but I found her.
  
• I changed out the tires on mountain bike to make it into a pseudo-road-bike-like and bought clippless pedals.
• Fell over
  
• I went to Vegas to visit parents over spring break. There Walter, DramaGirl, Turbo and I hung out, had fun, and did no running.
• I returned from my Vegas rest and did some "training runs" to prepare for the La Jolla 1/2 Marathon. Ran on the beach at Torrey Pines and took pictures of smelly, dead whale.
• Famous ex-blogger Marcy bestowed upon me BOTW honors and a few more peeps discovered The Hefferblog
• I got backstage at Foreigner due to Mona's persistence.
• Betty, Mik, Alberta, Elsie and I ran the La Jolla 1/2 Marathon. I almost PB'd. Darn Heat.
• Met Lisa at the La Jolla 1/2
  
• Betty bought a new bike
  

May - A PR, Nice Guys, PF RETURNS, and Flats

• A week after the La Jolla 1/2 Marathon, I ran the Union-Tribune Race for Literacy 8K with Walter and got a PB!
  
• Unfortunately, the PF returned with a vengeance and I had to take almost the whole rest of the month off from running.
  
• I continued bike riding with Betty and continued to fall over due to clipless pedals.
• Clarence started joining us on our rides which included several rides over 20 miles.
  
• After several weeks of no-running, the herd joined the SDTC at thier last training run before the RnR marathon. My foot ached at the end. (I didn't write much about it, but I do remember it). The following week Mik, Betty, and I rode our bikes while cheering for friends who were running the marathon.
  
• Due to a series of flat tires, the herd learned how to change tires (and had a hysterical time doing so).

June - More PF, More Flat Tires, and a New PT

• Yes, more PF issues arose in June, this time on the left foot, and for the first time, I started complaining about foot problems on the TOP of my foot (right foot this time).
• I pretended to swim a little.
  
• I ran the IronGirl 10K and again hated running on the Poli-crap.
• I started writing about running the Las Vegas 1/2, hoping that the herd would be excited about running with me. I registered for the race despite this. So did BBJ.
  
• On the June 10, Tuesday night SDTC workout in Balboa Park, I stopped doing the workout due to PF pain.
• We went riding and I had more flat tires (As it turned out, my that tires needed to be "fully inflated." I had under-inflated them, thus the flat tires...can I hear a "duh!").
• At the end of June, while surfing with Betty, I completely felt a lot POP and RIP in my left PF and almost have to be carried up the beach. Worst freekin' pain I've ever had in my life!
  
• Started seeing a new PT at Rehab United (Irene's recommendation). I hadn't run for 12 days at that point. Brett, my PT, taught me how to stretch properly and that I needed to do some strength training because my hips were weak and my achilles and calves too tight. This is what was (and is) causing all the injuries. I start going to PT 3 times a week.
  

July - The Bush and PT

• Had a bush named for me.

• I rode my bike a lot
  
• I went to PT a lot
  
• Fretted (a lot) about being ready to run the AFC 1/2 Marathon in August
• I spent a week in Oakland at a conference and met JoLynn! In Oakland I had to walk (a lot) and was continually reminded that I wasn't recovered. Continued to do PT exercises in VERY SMALL hotel room.
• Betty and Mik ride around Lake Tahoe...I'll never miss an event like that AGAIN!
• Started running again (very little).
• I bought a new road bike!!!!

August - Home remodel, Vay-Kay, AFC 1/2, the Triple Crown and Vegas

• We began a home remodel and so I lived at a construction site.
  
• We took a vacation to Lake Tahoe. I did a three mile trail run.
• I fretted some more about not being prepared to run a 1/2 marathon at the end of the month.
  
• Somehow, someway, I managed to run and finish the AFC 1/2 Marathon. Betty, Mike, Alberta, and I did all three triple crown 1/2 marathons this year and earned our triple crown medal. I ran in a running skirt. Mik ran in stapled pants.
• The herd got in some face-time on the local NBC affiliate when we were interviewed about our day-glo, lime-green, shirts after the end of summer fire run.
• The herd (all 12 of us...Edith opted out) went to Vegas for Momma's 60th birthday. We wore red hats and saw Bette Midler and did all sorts of other things that will stay in Vegas.
  

September - More cycling, Some running, School started

• Pretty much the headline says it all. School started. We finished our home remodel. We ran some, we rode some, and we had some mimosas. I decided (with much prompting from Walter, my PT, and pretty much everyone I know) to NOT run the Long Beach 1/2. A last minute opportunity to run the Nike Women's 1/2 was tempting, but I passed it by too. I wrote a LOT of random posts about SkyMall magazine, things I found at Costco, and humorous exercise implements.

October - Insurance sucks, iP5, missed runs, & Zensah

• In October, my fabulous insurance provider informed me that they were NOT going to cover the vast majority of my PT appointments that I THOUGHT had been approved.
  
• I got my first pair of Zensah compression socks in pink, which ROCK, no matter what color they are, and I missed a lot of runs and went to happy hour instead.
  
• Mik stubbed her toe and rode in a bike shoe and a flipflop and still kicked my and Betty's ass on the hills.
• PF and other foot pain flared up during the Light The Night 5K (a race which Walter did with me, and in which I lost him in the crowd before it even began). After that I took another week off from running to recover.
  
• I dropped another iPhone in the toilet.
  

November - Skunks and not enough training

• Mik, Elsie and I met Glenn at the Shelter Island 5K (which ended with the wonderful Champagne breakfast...how can you NOT LOVE this race?)
• My left foot hurt at the end, but I decided to keep a somewhat regular running schedule anyway because I had a 1/2 marathon to run!
  
• I channeled McGyver and recovered my dropped iPod Shuffle from behind my stove.
• A skunk attacked our house.
• I went for an 8 mile run with the SDTC. This would be my longest run before the Vegas 1/2 marathon.
  
• We went to Palm Springs for Thanksgiving. Had a fabulous family SoCal holiday and I managed to get in two 5 mile runs. That would have to be enough training for Vegas because that's all the time there was.
  
• I fretted A LOT about not having trained enough for the Las Vegas 1/2 and then some more about what to wear because it was gonna be COLD
  

December - Vegas 1/2 and The Stress Fracture

• Vegas 1/2 Marathon was even colder than expected. I ran the whole race, but it was my slowest 1/2 mary ever. Walter ran the first part of the race with me and was, overall, the best husband (and Sherpa) in the world. Despite the cold, the slow time, and the never-ending walk after the race, I had a great time in Vegas visiting family, friends, and mostly just hanging out with Walter.
  

• A week after returning from Vegas, on a five mile recovery run with Betty and Elsie, I almost had to stop (and probably should have) after 2.5 miles because my left foot hurt so bad. I finished the five-mile run regardless. Later that week, when the swelling didn't subside, I finally went to see a doctor. Stress fracture. Confirmed. No running for 4 weeks. GAH!

This morning I also, hesitantly, took a look at my mileage for the year. It's not all that impressive. I've probably shorted myself at least 20 miles in the running for those times when the Garmin didn't work, or when I forgot to put it on, and there are probably somewhere around 100 miles or so on the 'mill, (I'd logged about 70 miles on the treadmill by May, but then I stopped keeping track) but still not that impressive...really it's barely even enough miles for a new pair of running shoes.

Year Totals

• Running - 425.93 miles
• Cycling - 556.21 miles

So...the year ends in some ways a whole heckuva lot differently than it began. I'm sidelined from running for a couple more weeks, at least...AND I'm itching to run right now because my foot feels BETTER...but it's probably not, so I'm being a good girl and staying off it. I'll just keep to the running right now. I'm looking at re-joining a gym for the first time in five years, so that I have something to do to cross train, especially in the winter when I cannot ride and even when my foot's better and I should not run more than three days a week.

I'm putting together some other goals for the year (imagine that among them will be to stay healthy), but since this word-dump is getting into the far-too-long to read stage, I'll leave it for another post...maybe in a day or two.

I have no idea how to end this rather long post...suffice it to say that at year's end, I'm still running (or at least looking forward to it...I've rejoined the SDTC, but I'll be missing the first couple of training runs); I'm now riding a lot and getting better at it; my mom is doing well; Walter is still putting up with me; my kids are great; and I've got another year of running, riding, and fun ahead of me.