2012 Goal Review

Here are my 2012 Goals copied from my goal post in January. I tend to do a lot of goals so I always meet a fair amount of them!

Garden of the Gods was a gorgeous but hard race.

1. I want to race in a triathlon.  My goal will be to finish it before all the volunteers have gone home.  I want to do at least part of the swim doing free style.  I would like to do at least two triathlons before the  season is over. Success!  I consider this goal met in style. In spite of a broken wrist before the season even started I competed in 2 triathons and can't wait to do more. I even got an age group award!

My happiest racing moment of 2012 - done with

the swim in my first triathlon!

2. I want to ride a new bike route out of my biking books at least four times. Success!I believe I did at least 5 new bike routes.  I love finding new routes and also ride the heck out of old routes. Again this was in spite of some time not being able to ride because of the broken wrist.

Taken on the most beautiful riding day of the year.

3.  I want need to learn to change a flat tire. Complete fail.   Can I blame it on the broken wrist?

4. I want to learn to ride with clipless pedals.Success and Fail! Yes, I learned to do this.Would I have broken my wrist if I wasn't clipped in though?  I did get back in the saddle and continue to ride with clips after but I must admit I have a whole new respect for what can happen and unclip when I approach anything remotely suspect. 

Biking was the last thing I was allowed to do after my break.

5.  I want to ride a century.  This past summer I reached a new distance of 62 miles.  Next summer I want to get all the way to 100.Fail!  I do think this would have happened - yes without the broken wrist.  I had a good momentum going when it was completely disrupted.  I did increase my highest mileage to 78 miles which I am proud of. Believe me this one will be back on my goals for 2013.  

78 miles, many on roads new to me.

6. I want to take swimming lessons to help my "technique" if it could even be called that. Success and Fail! I took them.  I took two sets, one in a group and one individual.  I can't say my technique improved a whole lot though so hence the fail part.
7. I want to race in Central Park (hopefully with Darlene.) Fail.  I would still like to do this.

Repeating but want to keep them goals

8.  I want to work on my speed by improving my times as the year progresses.Fail.  I got slower by a small amount in 5Ks but half marathons improved.  

9. I want to race in at least 4 new races.Success. I raced in 8 new races.  This is an easy one for me as I love trying new races. The triathlons were my favorites but I also did two new races that were 10 milers - Cherry Blossom and Garden of the Gods.  

Running by the Jefferson Memorial in a race = happiness!

10.  I want to compete in at least 4 half marathons.Success. I raced in 5 half marathons.  Rock and Roll Providence was a new one and I am already registered to go back next year.

11.  I want to place in my age group..Success. I did this 4 times including 2 triathlons.  And next summer for tris I will have aged up!  

My husband comes to see me in my second triathlon!

12. I want to be in the top half of the field..Success. I did this 6 times and am often close.  It's a goal to keep working on for sure.

13.  I want to do a race a month. .Success. I raced fewer times this year but I did race every month.  I raced in early July in my splint but I raced.

Always love a meet up with Happy Trails.  

Darlene comes to see me on a very cold and wet day.

14. I want to meet more bloggy friends..Success. If you take the word more out it was a success. I got to see Happy Trails AGAIN at Garden of the Gods and Darlene AGAIN at Towpath Duathlon.  Loved seeing them all again.

This race with both my children was an incredibly fun race!

Hubby and I will be racing this one again tomorrow.

15.  I want to race with my family..Success. I raced in 5 races with family members.  First Run with my husband which we'll do again in a few days.  I did Shamrock Shuffle with Jameson, Cherry Blossom with Emily and Vermont City Marathon and Garden of the Gods with both Emily and Jameson.  

16. I want to race near the ocean..Success. Truly this was less than usual. I only raced near the ocean for Half at the Hamptons which I am quite sure I am not doing in 2013.  They have changed the weekend and it doesn't work.  But I have found a different race for the right weekend although it is a much shorter race - an odd distance so PR for sure.

17.  I want to do scenic races..Success. Most of the races I do are scenic with a few being not as good. Garden of the Gods was spectacular as was Half at the Hamptons.  Cherry Blossom was great even without cherry blossoms. All of the Vermont Halves are really nice - VCM, Unplugged Half and The Sweetest Half. I highly recommend any of them.

Whew. No great ideas for 2013 goals other than repeats, continuation of some of these.  

What was in your stocking?

I got a lot of biking items. Do you think my friends and family know where my passion is?

Look at these fun bookmarks I got!  

An ornament made from a bike chain.

A Triathlete issue!

A light for my bike!

A video for my training time.  

A new lunch bag.

Another book about this biking family.

Oops, non biking but needs to be included.  This is a

2013 calendar and look who has  a page in it!

An address stamp!  

I bought this with a gift certificate.  Can't hurt and

it may help.

I got two of these but that's just fine. I can make one into

a key chain or necklace or whatever!

What did you get that rocks your world?

What A Difference A Day Makes

Yesterday I got a great workout in but it was as far from scenic as possible.  I took Emily to the airport and was at the fitness center in Burlington by 5:30. A.M. that is.  Since it was the day after Christmas there wasn't much competition for the treadmill but apparently 5:30 is usually a hot time.  One wonders why.  The treadmills had been switched around since the last time I was there and now they faced the wall.  Yes, the wall. A wall with spackle so I assume things are being worked on.  I know many of you hate the treadmill and I'm no huge fan but I find them convenient in the dark in the winter.  But facing the wall???? Could it be any worse?
After, I went in the pool there which I cannot do at my own gym.  Loved this and again there was no crowd. And when I was done swimming the hot tub was empty so I used it too.  By 7:45 I was done and had a lot of the day left.  I ended up going to see Lincoln with a couple friends.

Today we are having a snowstorm unlike anything from last year. At last. I LOVE running in snowstorms.  Love it!  I didn't hurry out, in fact I stayed in my pajamas for most of the morning, drinking coffee and watching my current favorite tv series, Criminal Minds.  Whoever recommended this to me (Fran?) thank you.  Once I finally got dressed I used my bike trainer first and watched the storm out the window as I pedaled away.  Much better than the wall in front of the treadmill. But that isn't the  good part. Then I took my run, my glorious run in the snowstorm. I was slow slow slow. It was like running in soft sand and my knee was bothering me some. But I could not resist going out in it because it makes me smile the whole while to run in such beauty. Here are a few pictures from my glorious run.

A Jaxon Christmas

It's finally snowed here in Vermont and my last three runs have all involved snow!  How wonderful was it to wake up today to a picture postcard image of Christmas right outside my window!  I hope you all had the Christmas weather you were hoping for. (I know not everyone wants snow.)

Last weekend I actually wore my Yak Trax. When I first got going I thought maybe I had been overly cautious but it was slippery and they kept me from falling. I am a little more nervous now that a broken bone and I have become much too close.  I must say my wrist really hasn't healed quite the way I hoped.  Then yesterday I fell in the slippery snow when we were making our Christmas deliveries and what do I use to catch myself but my wrist. I was kind of grumpy which seems to be what I do when I fall and hurt myself. I am embarrassed (stupid) and just want to remove myself from the situation.

Back to running. Well exercising. At least twice a week I am hopping on my bike trainer and although I no longer encounter beautiful views as I MOVE ALONG it isn't terrible outside the window if it is daylight.  I kind of like riding on it in the early morning before work. I also like the ease of answering the phone, using my own bathroom, having anything I need close by.  These are all things I am not used to as I always leave to work out.

These pictures are all before our official run. Jaxon is

out trying out the snow and his new LED light!

I got to run with Emily a bit yesterday and today and Jameson also today.  Yesterday was gorgeous. I was dressed to run at 8 and ended up running about 1:00!  I did  a little last minute Christmas shopping instead and went to Middlebury with Emily. When we got back Jameson and Jaxon had come!  Jaxon is so much bigger than he was last year on Christmas and the cats make him much more nervous now.

Yes this is the best holiday dog shot ever.  He 

was part of a door decorating contest.

 As he does them.  Last night we had 3 yellow cats sleeping with us and there was hardly room to turn over.  I think they were thrilled when Jaxon went for a run with us. Jaxon was also thrilled unlike the time he refused to go with me. Jameson let him be off leash and he couldn't have been happier!  At least I think that is what the flying through the snow with the ears flying high means.
I know I LOVE running in the snow and it helps me get back some of the joy of running I seem to have misplaced.

Cutest dog ever!

I was behind the whole way!

I kept going and came up along the river a different way.

Then I played some with Jax when I got home.

Which tired him out at least for a little while.

So this was the Jaxon edition of our Christmas I guess!  I'll post some of my fun gifts later. I got some great bike things whereas last year was the swim year.  I hope everyone had a wonderful day!

All Things Christmas

I love this time of year. I know it's busy and crazy and there's never enough time but I love it.  Here are some of the things I love about Christmas.

Okay truthfully I don't love getting the tree but I like the result. Our trees are overgrown, unpruned Christmas trees.  If you think those trees look really big they are. We use the tops. This year we had to carry the tree down parts of this road as it was MUDDY!  Not snowy like last year, muddy.  We didn't have to let it thaw in the basement like we usually do, it went from outdoors right into the stand. Then it got decorated and now I have my all blue lights tree which is both a tradition and peaceful.

I like getting out the Christmas decorations that are not beautiful but have real meaning. The first picture is a sleigh and reindeer Jameson made me when he was a little boy. It is my favorite decoration to get out.  The next Santa and sleigh are from when I was a little girl and I can remember playing with them.  

I LOVE Christmas cards. We have made our own cards for years now.  I do find it a stressor and always threaten not to make it.  A couple years Emily made them for us.  Now I wait for everyone to send me the pictures that are acceptable to use.  Then I take it to my friend who is a printer and he works his magic.  

We used to be more creative such as the one below where we spelled out the word NOEL with our bodies. That is my all time favorite.

I love getting Christmas cards which is why I entered not one but two Blogger Christmas card exchanges.

I'm even one of those people who love Christmas letters. I love getting them and sending them.  I try to do something different every year but this year I was going to throw in the towel and just write it.  Then I searched on line for suggestions - there were hundreds of ideas and I found this idea.  It didn't require much writing, I didn't use a template just the old fashioned return and space bars. I love it!  Plus I couldn't write much.

I would like to thank whomever invented these little treat bags.  It made packing the treats for my students so much easier!  So so so much easier and they look festive too.

I hope everyone is able to enjoy this season in a way that works for them. 

 I had already started this post when Friday happened. My heart breaks for all the families in Newtown, CT. I cannot imagine the horror of the parents who sent their kids off to school expecting a "regular" day.  Tonight at our school program I purposely focused on each and every student enjoying them for their uniqueness they bring to each school day.