an introduction

ETG meet desk.
Desk meet ETG.
Yes, you two are familiar, but you haven't seen this much of one another in quite some time. Well, to be more specific, ETG hasn't seen this much of her desk in quite some time because she's kept it too cluttered with papers and piles and other "very important stuff". Well, that ended today. There are still a few strategically placed "to be read or dealt with" piles but a lot of that "very important stuff" didn't seem quite so important today and made its way to the recycling bin. (Luckily, there were no missed deadlines in those piles...just lots of paperwork. At least a small forest-worth which makes me wonder if some of the organizations that I receive all of this paperwork from couldn't cut down on that a little...).
Here's to a good relationship between ETG and desk for 2010...and to seeing lots more of one another. (My desk has got to be thankful that I'm letting it breathe again! Feels good to be starting a new year with a clean slate...at least as far as desks go.)

Julie and Julia

Looking back on it, I actually saw a good number of movies over the break...although none of them new releases! The closest to that would be "Julie and Julia" which Mom, Gran, and I watched on Christmas night. Such a treat!
I'm not about to give up my day job (or all of my other hobbies) to cook my way through Julia Child's cookbook and blog about it - although that might be fun! But it did inspire me to shake things up. Cook some new things. And perhaps tackle my own little cooking project for 2010 - cooking one new recipe a week. (Don't worry, friends, I will probably not use you as guinea pigs unless I'm repeating a recipe because it was so good!) I think that my first adventure will be Boeuf Bourguignon because it just looks SO good and it is chock full of protein...and if I can get lean beef then it won't be totally bad for me. (I love that I'm writing about this after just having met with Meredith to talk nutrition...)
I should note that I'm also writing this after having caused my first kitchen fire. In Gran's oven. The culprit: corn souffle that was in a dish that wasn't quite large enough. Oops. Good thing I learned that day - I can remain calm even with a "fire in the hole". That's what they used to shout in a coal mine when a charge had been set. I could have yelled it in Gran's house a few days ago. But I didn't. I calmly turned the oven off and watched the flames die down. No need for the fire extinguisher, although I was hoping it was terribly intuitive or had great instructions. Needless to say, glad that the "event" didn't get any bigger than some smoke in the kitchen. Phew. Good thing I'm not really trying to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking as I'm not quite ready to become a firefighter.

it's a wrap...

...both my trip to New Orleans and my last run workout of 2009. And both were great!
We were really lucky to have the Stewart family adopt us for the Christmas holidays - everything from Christmas Eve at Galatoire's to Christmas Day at their house and then December 26th cocktails at Martine's. We all talked about how wonderful "adopted" families are...the friends that we turn into family. So sweet.
Mom, Gran, and I actually had a really lovely time together. We did a lot of run-of-the-mill things like fixing things for Gran. I love being able to do these things for her...changing out lights, adjusting automatic timers for her lamps, setting up the billing for her email machine, giving her a digital photo frame and showing her how to use it, canceling an automatic phone answering deal that was driving her crazy...and then baking (biscuits that she loves!) and cooking (chicken pot pie, quiche - spinach & cheese and ham & cheese, roast chicken, spinach Madeleine, and some other things along the way...I love that Gran enjoys being my guinea pig!). But we also did some special things like taking Gran down to the French Quarter to the Roosevelt Hotel for lunch on Sunday. Gran and Granddaddy used to go down there "back in the day" - to the Blue Room. Who knows who all they saw perform there?! Back in its hey-day, it saw the likes of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and others. I can just see Gran and Granddaddy all dressed up and having a big old time. They aren't actually in these pictures, but I imagine them in these crowds!
We at at the Sazerac Bar & Grill...known for its murals. It was very cool as far as bars go! And a highlight of the trip was seeing the lobby all decorated for Christmas. It didn't look quite like this (none of the netting this year) and a little more subtle with white lights. But A LOT of them...a whole lot of them. (Silly me, didn't take pictures!) It was fun to be down in the Quarter (even with all of the Saints' mania) and neat to hear Gran's stories of when she used to go there with Granddaddy. Even though she's not always the most sentimental of the group, I think she thought it was special to see it again. Definitely glad that I stayed an extra day to do this with mom and Gran...it will be one of those special memories for us.
Then today, it was bonding time for ETG and I-10 as I made my way back to Austin. Easy drive. Gorgeous day. Made good time (except for one hiccup between Beaumont and Houston when they had shut down I-10...still not sure why). And even made it home in time to go to the last hill workout of 2009. Woot! (Seems that I've started my New Year's resolution of pushing myself a little harder than I think I can at workouts a few days early...had some of my best efforts and paces yet. Yes, I love running in colder weather!!) As some sort of "wintry mix" creeps in to central Texas overnight, I'm looking forward to a warm yoga studio in the morning...ommmm...and for now...creeping into my warm little bed with my down comforter. No matter how good time away is, I do love being home.

Christmas quotation

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace
The gladness of Christmas bring you hope
The warmth of Christmas grant you love...

A Song for Christmas Eve...New Orleans style

Even though Jean couldn't be at Galatoire's with us today, we sang this song that she wrote in her honor...just another fun Christmas Eve brunch at Galatoire's!
(Sing to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year")
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the Saints a well playing
And everyone saying
"Who Dat" with cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

There'll be tables for hosting
Galatoire's for toasting and
Seeing old friends that you know
There'll be fun family stories and
Tales of the glories of Galatoire's
From each time we go.

It's the most wonderful day of the year
There'll be cocktails a flowing,
Socializing and glowing
With Galatoire's cheer
It's the most wonderful day of the year!

Missed you Jean...it was the usual raucous scene with the Christmas Eve court, Meg waiting in line like a champ, much toasting (and a little roasting!), platters of shrimp & oysters, and milk punch & mimosas to share...

Finished off the day with some cooking for tomorrow, wrapping, church, and "It's a Wonderful Life"...still love that holiday tradition even if no one else in my family will watch it with me! Sweet dreams and Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night.

my AMAZING Gran!

So many of you who read this blog have heard a lot about Gran...her hip surgeries...her heart problems...her evacuation from and return to New Orleans post-Katrina...the fact that she's 92 and amazingly spunky and with it...oh, and she's the Saints newest fan! In true athlete style, she rallied from the Saints' defeat over the weekend and had a victory of her own on Monday. She's been on a walker since her (third) hip surgery a year and one month ago. And she hates the walker. She thinks it makes her look old and feeble, and she's very self-conscious about it even though we've assured her that PLENTY of people have walkers - particularly 90+ year olds. Well, Gran has been wanting nothing more than to ditch the walker and return to her cane and so every physical therapist who comes to work with her gets the hard sell to let her do this. Her current PT, a wonderful woman named Kim, agreed to let her give it a go.
And on Monday, from the dining room, I hear Gran yelling, "Elizabeth, Terry, come see..." Mom and I hurried in and there was Gran on her first lap around the dining room table with her cane. She was SO excited. Around the table, up the stairs, to the back of the house, and then back down again. She did three laps with a big old grin and getting faster each time...definitely a negative split for her!
Anyway, it was probably the best Christmas present I could have gotten - seeing that smile on her face and knowing how this will boost her spirits. I know I'll hold onto that sight for a long time...and use it as inspiration when I need a boost to keep going.

weekend in review

Friday to Sunday feels like a blur...and when I look back on it I know why. (It was not entirely the fault of glacial activity on Saturday night!)
- Lessons and Carols (gosh, those 1st graders are CUTE!)
- Upper School Faculty gathering complete with Secret Santas (I love giving to friends like Jennifer! And getting some awesome socks from people like Jeff!)
- last minute shopping & mailing of gifts (hope they arrive by 12/25...I've been assure they will but you never know this time of year)
- "quick" trip to school that turned into a long afternoon there...complete with cleaning some recycling bins!
- SAS Christmas party (always a good time...although the caroling started late this year so I missed most of it!)
- Saturday early a.m. ride with Jess (we SWEAR there was a headwind the whole way?! I'm grateful that Jess was willing to wait for me...she's just a wee - or a lot - but faster than I am! I'm working on that but it's a slow process for this cycling caboose!)
- errands...cleaning...laundry...thoughts of packing...
- T3 Christmas party (amazingly pulled together by Nancy with lots of little elves to help transform the PTC into a "winter wonderland")
- post-Christmas party fun continues at Highball...complete with dancing...and a few too many glaciers...oops...but SO much fun!)
- home way too late to attempt to pack but I did it anyway - who knows what I'll actually have to wear in New Orleans!
- sleep...ah...
- a run fueled by red wine, 2 Glaciers, and a handful of Christmas cookies...needless to say, the updated nutrition plan I got from Meredith has not quite gone into action yet! This is NOT a great plan for a run, in case you are wondering. But it does help you sweat out any remaining evidence of the night before!
- car packed, dishwasher unloaded, and I'm ready to hit the road with a b'fast taco & coffee in hand!
- easy, construction-less drive to N.O. and finally, a hug from mom and Gran at the end of the day!
All smiles from this girl...

friday quotation

The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that doesn't lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.
- Leo Buscaglia

with luck like this...

...I should play the lottery!
Guess who's been called for jury duty again?! Yes, yours truly!
Tonight in my mailbox, alongside a number of Christmas cards, was an envelope from the Travis County Sheriff. My first thought was, "What offense/crime did I commit and forget about?" Unable to come up with anything I opened the envelope to see the all too familiar words: "Dear Prospective Juror: You are hereby summoned for jury duty as set out below..."
Seriously, this is laughable. A quick review of my history as a juror in Austin (in case you missed it last May when I served as a juror):
- lived here for 13 years
- this is my 6th time to be called for jury duty
- I've served twice now
- any time I've actually shown up for impaneling, I've been chosen
And the judge told us it was random last time. I'm questioning that!
The upside, I get to claim an exemption this time - there has to be a perk for having served recently (besides getting a Christmas card from the judge you served for - yes, that arrived in my mailbox last week). The bonus is that you can be exempt if you've served as a juror with in the 24-month period prior to the date you are required to appear. If you want...you can also serve...as much of a service as it is, I think I shall pass, thank you. Serving as a juror is actually a really neat part of our legal system. I respect the opportunity. I'm grateful to be in a country where this is possible. And, this time, I'm happy to let someone else have this fabulous experience.

weeknight ragu

As if I'm making up for two weekends ago when I was sick and didn't cook (or eat) a thing all weekend...which was fine given that I didn't have much of an appetite until Wednesday...I'm now cooking up a storm. Christmas cookies. Jezebel sauce. Polenta. And the thing I'm most excited about - "weeknight ragu". I got the recipe from a food blog that I follow thanks to my friends the Hecks who think that my baking is actually much better and more creative than it is...thank you, Hecks, for the encouragement. But I'm having great fun getting new ideas from the food52 blog. Maybe someday I'll have an original recipe to submit to them for review!
In the meantime, I'm enjoying trying new recipes. My latest favorite - weeknight ragu. Yum. This is serious comfort food. Divine smelling. Awesome tasting. And so versatile. You can put it on pasta, polenta, baked potato...see what I mean. Anyway, I'm SUPER excited to have found something that's so easy to make that I can cook up over the weekend and eat off of all week. Sort of like when I make a big old pot of soup... Oh, I do love the food that is so yummy to eat during the winter. Food that warms you up - heart, soul, and tummy.

yoga intention

Today Amy and I got a treat...a yoga class to ourselves! With Deralyn...one of our favorite instructors! We're always asked to set an intention for the class and most days I can come up with one but today I had nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. And as if Deralyn had read my mind she said, "If you don't have a specific intention for today then maybe your intention is to be open to whatever comes to you during the practice." Sounded like a plan.
And then I thought about that idea for my life...being open to whatever comes my way. Being open to walking through doors as they appear, even if I'm not 100% sure of what's on the other side. Being open to new ideas, even if they scare me a little. Being open to new pain (either physical as I prepare for another IM training season or emotional as I push myself to new places in relationships or self-discovery/improvement).
I'm not a closed-minded person. But I think like a lot of us, I often stick with what's safe and comfortable. I sometimes hold back on a long run because I'm afraid I will bonk. (But, as Chrissie advised me, I won't ever know my real limits unless I do bonk a few times! Got it...bonking allowed...perhaps even encouraged! Just not all the time.) I sometimes hold my tongue when I really should just let the words fly...not in a careless or hurtful way but in an honest and heartfelt way. I have shied away from adventures and relationships and opportunities because I didn't know where they were leading...because I wasn't sure they were safe. I think part of my being open to new things means letting go of needing that security and just "going with the flow", letting my heart lead just as much as I let my head lead, and being open to thinking about such things in a new way. Cool.
It's a little too early for New Year's resolutions, I realize this. And I don't always even make New Year's resolutions. But maybe in 2010, I'll set a bunch of intentions...maybe 10 of them since it's 2010? Or 36 of them since I'll be 36 for 11 months of the year? That feels like a lot! Or maybe 12 of them...one for each month? So many ways to configure it. And plenty of days to ponder that. Maybe I'll just throw that idea out into the cosmos and be open to whatever idea settles in my soul come January 1, 2010...that seems to be in the right spirit for all of this.

Christmas found me!

I have to admit, I was getting a little worried about me this holiday season. Much to the dismay of Walmart, Target, Hallmark, and even 95.5 which plays only Christmas music this time of year, the Christmas spirit had not really caught hold in my heart. I don't think of myself as a Scrooge but I was worried that like the Grinch perhaps my heart was two sizes too small this year. I don't love, love, love Christmas (I reserve that excitement for holidays like Thanksgiving) but I usually get some bit of the spirit in my blood and this year it just wasn't happening. I went shopping yesterday. I listened to Christmas music. I started writing a couple of Christmas cards. I opened more than a couple of Christmas cards. Nothing.
And then this evening, I went to the St. Andrew's Festival of Light and Evensong. But before I even entered the chapel, I could feel something stirring in me. I'd been working all afternoon in my office and had watched the campus being decorated but it wasn't until the sun set and all of lights had been dimmed that it felt like Christmas. The luminaria. The tree all lit up. The wreaths. The glow coming from the chapel. There's something magical about it.
And then standing in the chapel welcoming people to the service and handing out programs...seeing families and friends and students who remind me of why I love St. Andrew's...it was like the little icy layer that was preventing my heart from feeling Christmas melted away.
I'm not really sure why it was there. Maybe my busy schedule, my worries over getting deadlines met before leaving for the holidays, etc... maybe all of that got in the way of remembering that Christmas is only about 12 days away. Lame excuses but they are the best I can come up with.
But somewhere between the lovely service full of candlelight and music and my house, I became ready to celebrate Christmas. When I got home, I baked some Christmas cookies for my advisees (I had made the dough yesterday in some weak attempt to "feel" Christmas), I finished packaging Jezebel Sauce for my colleagues and friends. I put on Christmas tunes sung by Bing Crosby, the Carpenters, and James Taylor. And I made a final order of Christmas presents online.
I feel rather silly writing this because it seems like I was looking for Christmas and the spirit of it in stores or in manufactured things and really, I know better. Christmas has never been about the gifts for me. (As a token of love and friendship, I like gifts...but not for the sake of just giving something.) So I'm not really sure why I'm surprised that it took this chapel service to help me re-frame Christmas this year. Maybe I needed to be reminded that NOT finding Christmas at the mall (not that I've been!) is okay. That if I felt Christmas among friends and "extended family" here in Austin, that was okay. That if being reminded that the season is about Jesus' birth which let us all experience hope and grace and forgiveness and serves as a model of humility and generosity and love beyond belief couldn't happen anywhere but the St. Andrew's chapel, that was okay, too. Somehow that feels good to me. A relief. That finding my Christmas spirit this year happened right where it was supposed to. Maybe even when it was supposed to. And certainly how it was supposed to.
And now as I turn towards bed, I'm repeating a quiet prayer that we closed the service with tonight. It's one of my favorites, but it seems especially peaceful tonight in what can be a frenzied season and as an offering to friend and teammate Erin Lahr who we lost at this time last year when she was running the White Rock marathon.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
Blessings on everyone...those still with us and those who have passed on...this Christmas season and always.

in a fog

Not really me, but Austin.
This past week on Tuesday night a soccer game at school was called off just a few minutes into the second half...a "fog out". Never heard of that before. But it was accurate. I had just looked out on the field and realized that I couldn't see 90% of the players...and I was wondering why I was standing there in the chilly night air instead of being curled up under my comforter at home since I couldn't even tell where the ball or players were! And then today, Austin was again blanketed in fog (and mist...and drizzle). Forced us inside for spin rather than riding outside and then never really let up all day. "Thick as pea soup" would be an accurate description.
Funny that I was expecting troublesome, wintry weather in Lubbock yesterday (had a great visit to Texas Tech, by the way!), but really it was waiting for me at home today. Yesterday was in the mid-50s and sunny in Lubbock, where it had been 19 the day before! Today was in the upper-40s and foggy in Austin, where it's supposed to be in the 70s and sunny tomorrow! Guess this is winter for you...for every hot, monotonous day this past summer maybe we're going to get a chilly, unpredictable day this winter. Adds some excitement to our lives though so I'm okay with it!

friday quotation

Live your life, not someone else's.

Not sure where I came across this one, but it seems like good advice!

dreams are free

A conversation with a colleague this morning about posting grades and making sure they were all correct made me say, "Well, we can keep dreaming." To which she replied, "Why not? Dreams are free." I laughed and thought, "Right. Why not? Dreams ARE free." I really liked that thought...no harm in dreaming. Doesn't cost anyone anything. Often keeps us moving forward, in search of something new and bigger and more wonderful. Or keeps our hope alive that things might be different some day. And I don't think any of those things cause any harm to anyone.
And then I started thinking of all of the other cool things in life that are free...so many of them. Smiles. Hugs. Barton Springs at certain hours. The sound of rain on a tin roof. A run on the Town Lake trail. An understanding look from a friend (or I suppose anyone!). A fresh breath of air. Sleep. Sunshine. Love. Sunrises and sunsets. A field of wildflowers. Songs on the radio. Bingo on your birthday (okay...not quite, but it's ALMOST free...it's $1!). The smell of mountain laurel (purple kool-aid trees) in Austin the spring. Mountain views. Fireflies over a field in the summer.
The list could go on and on...I'm sure you have your own "free list". But I love that of all of those free things in life, I just added "dreams" to that list that often comes to mind. On that note, sweet dreams...

B.R.A.T.

Hopefully not a description of me although I'm sure from time to time I have been/am/will be a BRAT. But this time it refers to my best friends/rather mundane food choices these last 24 hours thanks to Mr. Stomach Bug who came and visited me Saturday through Sunday afternoon. I tried my best to deny being sick, but by late Saturday afternoon, I had to give in and started in on what became sleep-fest 2009 for ETG. Seriously. Nap...times two...plus bed at 7:30 p.m. Didn't get out of bed until noon the next day! I actually tried to get out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to go and be a bike escort at Decker because I was sure that whatever was wrong with me would have passed but a big old case of the chills and dry heaves sent me back to bed. Felt horrible for missing...and just horrible in general. I thought I was back in action yesterday afternoon but didn't know that was only about 65% until I woke up this morning - hello, new day! Good-bye, Mr. Stomach Bug! Hello, B.R.A.T. diet for at least a couple of days though. Banana for breakfast. Rice for lunch. Forgot the Applesauce at home. And some Toast for dinner. I know, it's rather boring. And rather bland. But it's finally charged my appetite enough to imagine other more savory foods again...this is a good sign. ETG not having an appetite is a sure sign that something is wrong! One more day of playing it safe and then I'm back in eating action!
Thank you to all of my sweet friends who offered advice, Gatorade and soup drops, and everything else...felt very loved and cared for even as I shivered beneath my comforter. So thankful to be healthy again (I was reminded this weekend that I'm not a very patient patient...I hate being sick and not feeling like myself and am grateful that I usually do)!!

friday quotation

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.
Joseph Campbell

Amen!!!

I want to be a Thermos

Well, at least just for the next two days.
Today, I kept trying to be that thermos. My theory was that if I filled up with warm liquids - coffee, soup, tea, more coffee - I would stay warm. But nothing was doing the trick. I have enough natural insulation that it should have been an easy task, but I had added extra layers that included a wool sweater and a scarf in my attempt to be Thermos-like. And I failed at staying warm.
I think maybe the cold shower after swimming had something to do with it...let's hope the solar shower at Barton Springs tomorrow has some warmth to it. Otherwise, it's going to be another cold day for ETG seeing as the high tomorrow will occur while I'm swimming - about 37 degrees - and will drop steadily all day long . Chance of snow flurries (maybe 1/2 inch accumulation..not quite enough to call off school, I think!) by mid-day. And then staying cold through the night. First freeze of the year predicted on Friday! And a CHILLY morning on Saturday. Exciting! But I better figure out how to stay warm in it...seeing as my heat retaining talents seem very weak right now. (You would think between my birthday and Thanksgiving I would have plenty of insulating cells...)

for good

As I sat in the gym today for St. Andrew's Day at school, I thought to myself, "Yes, this is good. " I wasn't exactly sure what my inner voice meant by "good" but something felt good about sitting in a gym with close to 1,000 people, many of them who are dear friends, students, relatives of students and former students, colleagues...this wonderful, ever-growing circle of people who are a special Austin family to me. We all felt connected by this wonderful place called St. Andrew's. We were all a part of something bigger than ourselves, bigger than individual relationships and yet made up nearly entirely of those relationships.
The first graders that we were sitting with made it nearly impossible for me to dwell on the concept of "good" but the Middle School choir brought it back up again when they sang"For Good" from Wicked. The words from the chorus - "Who can say if I've been changed for the better? Because I knew you, I have been changed for good" - because it was just how I felt about the St. Andrew's community as something bigger than all of us and as I thought about my individual relationships within that whole. I have indeed been changed for good by being at St. Andrew's. Hope others can and would say the same because honestly, I think we all have been changed in some way for having been part of the SAS community. Feeling lucky that I've been changed for the better.

old man winter...

...has arrived. With rain. And cold. And wind. Not terrible wind, but just enough to make the rain fall sort of sideways.It was one of those days where it was easy to get cold in the morning and never really warm back up. But eventually, I did (get warm again). Guess December wanted us to know it wasn't messing around! The intensity of the summer heat was matched by a biting cold today. If this is a preview of what's to come then I better see about investing in a down vest or something!

human touch

Touch life...imprint your journey...sculpt reality...feel your way through (Tina Pitts)

I've actually been thinking about a blog entry such as this for a long time now. Every Monday when I go to yoga and at some point Deralyn comes to help readjust the pose I'm in or to press her hands on my shoulders as I'm in our final resting pose I think, "Ahh...the power of the human touch." And when I go to Praveeta for my acupuncture I think the same thing. Except for I always have an additional thought, "Human touch with gifted, healing hands." And when I get a hug from someone, I think how awesome and powerful human touch is.
You can see it when little babies are calmed as soon as someone picks them up from a wailing fit. You can see it when residents of a nursing home do better as the result of physical contact with others. Numerous studies have been done and articles written about the healing powers of the human touch. And while I'm no expert, I'm pretty well convinced that there's something to all of the research.
I'm not trying to get all "mushy" here but try a little experiment of your own and give an extra hug tomorrow and see if it doesn't make you feel better. Bonus - you probably made the other person feel better, too! Of course, choose who you hug carefully...not everyone likes to be hugged...or touched, for that matter. But if they are okay with it, they will probably be grateful for a bit of human touch. Yes, "reach out and touch somebody's hand...make this world a better place, if you can..."

I'm in a time warp...

...somehow it's already time to be listening to Christmas music - thank goodness at least a few radio stations and stores actually waited until AFTER Thanksgiving to crank up the "Silent Night"s.
...I feel like my days in NC for Thanksgiving were an eon ago and I've only been home a little more than 24 hours. Maybe it was all the good food I ate that put me in a food warp, too?!
...I am geared up to return to the mania that is December at St. Andrew's. Hold on to your hats, folks. If you thought I was busy at other times of the year, I think this stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas takes the cake.
...I am in disbelief that 2009 is about to fold into 2010. Where did a year go? So many familiar projects still left unfinished. That's okay, leaves me something to look forward to accomplishing in 2010!
...and I am amazed that between now and Christmas I know what I am doing each day of each weekend (and on the workdays, too)...YIKES! Now to start making the "to do" lists for those days so that I get everything done before leaving for Christmas break.
December...ready or not...here I come! Or vice-versa!

thanksgiving

And some thoughts on gratitude - I'm full to over flowing with thankfulness.
Here are some "Thursday quotations" this time around. Because sometimes you just have to shake things up!
Happy Thanksgiving to all near and dear to me...if you read this blog and I know you, you can bet that I'm thankful for you. May your day be filled with reasons to be grateful and know that you are one of those reasons for me.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life, it was "thank you", that would suffice. (Meister Eckhart)

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. (Jean Baptiste Massieu)

a few of my favorite things...

Go ahead, sing it, "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things..." And, yes, "The Sound of Music" is one of my favorite things but today I was struck by the fact that I have a few, very random favorite things. Things I never have really had favorites of before.
For example, I found a certain Sharpie pen in my office (someone left it there...SCORE!) and, well, I love it. I've never had a favorite type of pen before. I will write with whatever I find within reach - and I still will. A pencil, a Bic pen...I've never had to have a certain pen to be happy. But if this pen is an option, it's my first choice by a longshot. It's really not fancy - although the blue color is wonderful. But it writes well and it's comfortable to hold. And it's sort of cool looking. Not sure if it's as cool as the pens I did love in jr. high - the ones where you could write with four colors...ahh...those were the days. Admit it, you know you thought they were cool, too.
Another new relatively new discovery is Greek yogurt. I've long been a fan of yogurt, but recently I learned that most Greek yogurt has a TON more protein than regular yogurt (i.e. 17-20 g protein for Greek yogurt and 7 g protein for regular yogurt. I've been eating the plain Greek yogurt for a while now but recently branched out and tried a new brand. Two actually. More plain but still REALLY delicious was the Voskos Honey-Vanilla Bean. Not too sweet. Not too thick in terms of consistency (some Greek yogurts are). And just right to match with coffee. Yum. The other is actually Icelandic! WOW. It's not your typical yogurt, Greek or otherwise. The kind I had was orange & ginger and it was a real treat. Interesting flavor. Good consistency. (The truth is that I will only buy these when they are on sale as they are rather pricey but that's okay...nice to know to look in the dairy aisle and see what treat I might have in store on any given day!)
Other favorites are the usual suspects so I will save them for another day...because no "ETG favorite" list would be complete without things like ice cream, swimming, time with friends and family, a great song on the radio, a hug, an awesome massage, etc...! The list could go on and on but for today, it will end here. I warned you...random.

letting yoga spill over into my life

Today's yoga class was very chill. Sometimes it's very intense but not today. Deralyn was trying some new stuff...including partner handstands. I got the giggles when Amy was trying to help me which only made my handstand more difficult to hold. Well, my pseudo-handstand. I've got a ways to go there!
But I did leave yoga feeling calm and centered. Our focus today was "what do you want to let go of?" And my answer was, "How many things can I list?" Actually, there aren't that many but they are all old friends of mine...fear, anxiety, insecurities, etc... But it felt good to name them in my head today and then try to actively focus on leaving them behind in the yoga studio. As Deralyn pointed out, we don't give those things up easily so it's not going to happen in one yoga class. But I did leave feeling a little lighter having left some heavy burdens behind me.
And then I went to WF to grab some coffee...without having to rush in and out like an Olympic sprinter because I'm on vacation! Which means I could go and get my car washed and get into work (deadlines to meet before I leave for NC!) whenever I wanted. So the "chill" from yoga was easily applied to my life. Which is a real treat. Now for it to create a permanent place in my life...

trying my hand (well, my feet) at something new

I told myself a while ago (translation...back in February when I was recovering from shin splints and ran the SAS cross country trail a few times) that I wanted to try my hand (err...feet) at trail running sometime. Truth be told, I think I actually said (well, blogged) that I might consider something crazy like a long trail run. Like SunMart (which I don't think really exists anymore) or Bandera or something. Obviously, you need to build up to a long trail run like that so the trail runs at the Dirty Du seemed like a good option. I actually almost signed up for the 1/2 marathon trail run, reasoning that I would have just come off of Conroe and would be in 1/2 marathon shape. Thankfully Amy talked some sense into me and reminded me that it would be my first trail run and that maybe, just maybe, I should start with the 5K. THANK GOODNESS FOR AMY!
The day turned out to be not such a dry day...the day before had been even worse. And what that means for a trail run is mud and puddles...and mud puddles. The puddles are actually a good footwash, which is awesome after you've run through mud. Michelle and I drove out to Bastrop early Saturday morning with plenty of time to spare (and get Starbuck's!). The crowd doing the 5K was supposed to be about 40 large and ended up being maybe 20 or so. I think the cold, overcast, dreary weather kept folks away. And those of us who braved the elements were probably wondering why we weren't in our cozy beds.
But we forged ahead and encountered the joys along the trail - namely the "peanut butter" mud that literally grips your shoes as you try to maneuver your way through it. Turns out that in spite of the wet conditions, I really like trail running. It's interesting. There are obstacles. The scenery is (can be) great. You always have to be using your brain. And, well, you get to pretend like you are a little kid running through the woods!
However, I did learn a few things: 1) do not wear shoes with E-Z lock elastic laces (or anything like that) if it's muddy...the mud acts as a suction, you go to pull your shoe up, and all that happens is that elastic laces stretch and stretch and stretch... And you are just praying you don't lose your shoe! 2) I stink at running downhill...seriously slow for downhill. But I'm not 1/2 bad at the uphill part. 3) Sometimes a clump of grass can be your best friend - whether you're grasping it in the hopes that it will hold you up so you don't slip down the mud hillside, whether you are planting your hand in it to avoid falling, or whether you are running on it alongside the trail just to gain some traction. 4) Pick a race where there will be showers/hoses at the end...you get seriously dirty if it's muddy at all. Dirty is fine for a race and just after a race. But when it's cold and you want to put on clean clothes, a shower is your best friend (right after the clump of grass).
Long story short...I'll do this again! And maybe build up to the 1/2 marathon distance. Good times! (Plus, this race is followed by the always great High Five Event celebrations...cooking out...a bike toss...the possibility of camping...and the Dirty Du the next day - which I would like to watch someday...not into the mountain biking thing yet!)

friday quotation

The more I thought about what I get to do, the less I realized I had to do. It was just a shift, just a new perspective, just a new and more grateful method for labeling the things in my life. Think about it - if you stopped yourself every single time you were about to say, "I have to" and changed it to "I get to," it might change your entire experience.
Kristin Armstrong

Working on this one in my life in general...

what do you want to be when you grow up?

Oops...I'm totally this teacher. At least in the sense of me telling students not to get so caught up in what the world says they should do with their lives or be in this world. In the sense of encouraging them to do what they love and figure out a way to make that their passion their profession.
Yesterday was Career Day at school. Basically, this means we have a panel of "professionals" come and speak to us in chapel. It's always interesting to see who the parents can convince to come and speak to a bunch of high schoolers. This year's line up - an orthopedic surgeon, a photographer, an entrepreneur, and an astronaut. Lots of interesting stories from them...lots of good questions from our students.
But the main theme that each of the speakers kept coming back to was "find something that you love and just do it." They all noted that along the way someone will tell you that you can't do it, that you won't make it. They also said that it might be tougher than you think and that you may not make as much money as you want, but that at the end of the day, you will be happier in your life if you are getting up to do a job that you love every day. Doesn't mean that you love every part of your job...but that overall, you think that you made a pretty good decision in terms of what you are devoting your life to.
This was cool to hear because it's what I believe, too...but also because I had just spoken those same words to a former student two days before. She had called asking advice about what major to pursue. She was getting all sorts of messages to switch from English/Philosophy to Business. When I asked her what her interest was in Business she said, "I don't have any. But it's what everyone is telling me to major in. And I get it, I mean, what do you do with an English major if you aren't going to be the next great American author?" We both laughed and had a great conversation about hearing your heart and then listening to it and going with your gut.
Result - there will be one more English major in the world. Not sure what this former student will be when she grows up but her calling me three years after her graduation makes me think that maybe I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing...even if I'm not totally grown up. (Proof of the not grown up part...I'm counting the hours until Thanksgiving break!!!)

adventurer?

"You've got some adventure in you." A perfect stranger said this to me today when he asked where I was from and how I ended up in Texas. I took him from New Orleans to California to Virginia and finally to Austin. And his response, "Wow, you've got some adventure in you."
I laughed and said, "Well, I guess so" - even though I've never thought of myself in that way. In fact, I've always thought of myself as someone who plays it pretty safe.
So I spent some time thinking about what might make someone an adventurer. According to Wikipedia, an adventurer is someone who "bases their lifestyle or their fortunes on adventurous acts." It might be someone who
1 - travels to unusual, exotic places;
2 - lives by his/her wits; or
3 - someone who takes part in risky acts for profit or position.
Hmmm...none of those definitions really works for me. Maybe #1 but not totally. And the truth is that I'd nearly always rather travel domestically than internationally. Certainly, I'm not #3. I can't even imagine playing more than the slots if I ever went to Vegas!
So, I started to develop my own definition: someone with a willingness to try new things...and a little bit of foolishness to keep him/her thinking she/he can do those new things!
Yes, I think I fit that definition.
Here's to a life of continued adventures...big or small...meaningful or not (although most tend to be meaningful)...life is certainly never dull as an adventurer!

yoga Monday

The message seems to be coming in loud and clear to me...SLOW DOWN.
Yesterday, Gran wrote to me in response to the book of my blog that I gave to her for her birthday. What she wrote cracked me up:
Dear Elizabeth,
Was just thinking of you so I thought I would send you a note to say how much I love you. Last night I read a lot of the blog book and it is so interesting. Thanks for sharing your daily activities with me. I admire your energy but don't overdo it.
This morning I looked great as I had on the blue vest you gave me for Christmas. It looks great with the black pants and white shirt that Roby brought me when he came to Birmingham to get me after Katrina. It is so easy to get sloppy so I am trying to at least stay presentable.
No news around here. Have an appointment with Bhansali on Thursday. Also have to have my pacemaker checked. Am way overdue on both. Hope Bhansali can find out why I do not have any strength or energy. He will say, "remember you are 92+."
Have a nice weekend.
All my love, Gran
This made me laugh because in the same breath she's telling me to take it easy AND wondering why she doesn't have more energy! Love her!!!
Anyway, that was Sunday.
Today, the message at yoga was also about slowing down. Deralyn read a great passage from a book that was all about figuring out what you are looking for...but then making sure that you are traveling slowly enough so that you don't miss it when you find it. Not sure I really know exactly what I'm looking for but once I figure that out I sure as heck don't want to miss it because I'm flying past it!
And then this afternoon at Praveeta's we were talking about training because I was on my way to our run workout and she said, "Are you slowing down any now that Conroe is over?" I said, "Oh, yes...just doing the workouts that I feel like doing. Staying in enough shape to begin CDA training in January with some solid base but not overdoing it. It feels nice."
I know in some people's mind I'm not slowing down but I guess it's all relative? I did take a week off of running...meaning no running at all for a week! And I only went to one practice last week - swim...on Saturday. It's nice to be flexible and more carefree. Still the opportunity for structure but not feeling any real obligations.
And that is slowing down for me.
Now for the rest of my life to slow down...yeah...maybe at Christmas.

and for this year...

...I'm considering committing to using my TP massage roller kit every day. Last year, I committed to blogging every day. But this year I might commit to rolling out my muscles every day. We had a session on how to use this kit yesterday at the PTC (thanks Tony for the lesson and to Chris and Mo for organizing it). I've had my kit for a good year or so and was really good about using it when I had my shin splints but I've been rather lazy about it lately. However, given the pain I felt when I was rolling yesterday, I've decided I really just have to start using it again. And this "off season" is a good time to get back into it so I can go into CDA training with my muscles in good shape. Basically these (torture!) tools break up adhesions in your muscles so that you are less likely to get injured because your muscles are working properly...so your form is less likely to be compromised...so you are less likely to compensate with other muscles...so...well, you see where I'm going. It's just better for you.
Ideally, one would roll twice a day but I'm really not sure that will happen. I should be able to do it once a day though...especially since Tony told us that it should take between 7 and 11 minutes. One really good thing I learned is that I was spending way too much time on one given area. Sweet! This means it won't take as long AND I don't have to sit on any one area too long...which means I will breathe a little more during these sessions! And I learned how to roll some areas the right way. And, well, that it still hurts but maybe it won't always hurt this much.
Of course, an alternative to committing to rolling every day would be to commit to having a mimosa and brunch every day with friends - thanks, girls, for a great morning! Alas, maybe some combination of the two is the way to go...but for tonight, off to roll...

cheap, fun date

No...this is not a personal ad!
It's my attempt to chronicle Wednesday night at the bingo hall (I've been calling it a bingo parlor but I've learned that the correct term is bingo hall...bingo gods, please forgive me).
I'm not really sure where to begin except for to say that this "night on the town" was an awesome, refreshing, fun slice of Americana - and one that will be repeated.
Let me set the scene for you...Amy, Yvonne, Nancy, Suzanne, and I arrived at Big Star Bingo just before the 8:30 p.m. game started. The parking lot was PACKED and there was a "guard" in the parking lot - guess because there was serious money being won inside. As soon as we opened the door we were met with a wall of smoke. Crazy. I haven't been in any place so smoky in a looooooooooooong time. Never fear, there is a non-smoking room but you have to go through the smoking room - which makes me laugh - and the smoking room is easily twice as large as the non-smoking room.
We made our way to the counter where we easily purchased our "cards/sheets" and daubers. Deal of the century - $5.00 for the dauber + 5 sheets of frames (with 12 frames each). Seriously...it's like they are giving it away. But, wait, it gets better. Someone mentioned that it was my birthday (or my birthday celebration) and the guy behind the counter got all excited and said, "Well, then, you play for a penny! And you get an extra set of sheets AND an electronic bingo machine that essentially lets you play a whole bunch of sheets at once but you only have to press a button and the machine does all of the work for you...even tells you when you have Bingo.
The cars in the parking lot were just a hint of the mess of people inside of the bingo hall. Table after table, tons of people with very few empty seats. We tried to all sit together but ended up at two tables (back-to-back). The people around us looked a little intimidating at first but it was quite obvious that we were rookies and soon enough there were actually a couple who were willing to help us understand the ins and outs of this game. Because it isn't your 5-year-old's Bingo game, friends. No bingo in a line or a diagonal or anything. Nope. There was double bingo, three-way bingo, and a few other configurations that would need diagrams - which thankfully there were! There are TV screens showing the ball that corresponds to the square you want to be able to fill in with your dauber - for example, I25 or G57. And it was also called out over a speaker. Aside from that, the bingo hall is pretty quiet. There is a weird feeling of tension because you know with every number called someone is getting closer to winning the jackpot (literally, $500 for some games...$750 for the last one!). But the place is also pretty peaceful because everyone is concentrating so hard on making sure they've colored in the appropriate numbers. There's very little talking, except for the guys walking around saying, "top dollar, bottom dollar, pull-tabs, blazing balls..." Which always made us laugh - I don't care if I did just turn 36.
An hour or so later we were walking away from our tables, daubers in hand, no big wins in our pockets but a promise to return in the future. So if you ever think I've disappeared from the social scene, start checking out bingo halls in Austin! (Thanks to Amy for making my bingo birthday wish come true!)

friday quotation

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy.
They just promised that it would be worth it.

official end...

...of a round of quite stellar 36th birthday celebrations - also known as "cakefest 2009". I know you think I'm exaggerating...I'm not. It takes a serious party animal like me to be able to handle this much cake and ice cream. Bring it on. (No comment from my waistline, please!)
Friday - actual birthday
- flowers from Mom
- calls from family and friends
- cards from family and friends
- emails from family and friends
- presents from family and friends
- Tiff's Treats (WARM COOKIES + milk) from Amy
- birthday party with sweet work friends...complete with some of my favorite tunes, some of my favorite people, and one of my favorite birthday treats - CAKE and ICE CREAM (white cake, white icing, mint chocolate chip ice cream...YUMMY!)
Saturday - and we're off to Conroe
- Nancy and Karen greet me to whisk me off to Conroe because they are amazing Sherpas and teammates before we even get there! And Nancy has CAKE for us (chocolate cake, white icing...YUMMY!)
- dinner time rolls around and we find a great Italian restaurant and sneaky Nancy has them bring CHEESECAKE to me at the end of the meal (I showed some restraint to this delicious cinnamon flavored delight because I was racing in a few hours...)
Sunday - race day!
- Did you know that they make cake flavored Gu? KIDDING!
No cake this day...probably because I was racing for 6 hours. But that didn't stop me from having COOKIES (courtesy of Laura...YUMMY!) right after the race...and then again when I got home that night. You need to replace all of those carbs that you use up while you're racing you know.
Monday - b'day celebration with my advisees
- Most of them were gone on Friday so they wanted to celebrate my birthday on Monday. I have to celebrate another day - shucks?! And what do we celebrate with? CAKE (from Claire...white cake, white icing with a big heart on it...YUMMY!) Oh, and some cookies with pink ICING, too.
Tuesday - is spent trying to recover from the previous sugar overdoses so that I can gear up for...
Wednesday - final day of celebration...just before I have to have my insulin levels checked!
- dinner with some sweet T3 friends (and Bingo, too...see previous post...another full post will be dedicated to this slice of Americana adventure that I loved, loved, loved...) complete with BLUEBERRY PIE a la mode (oh, my gosh...I mean, really, can't this count as fruit and dairy and not dessert or cake?! Thank you, Jess, for a DELICIOUS, "I'm in heaven" treat...that I had to top off post-Bingo fun with some cookies baked by Amy (Yvonne had brought some to the dinner, too, but I managed to escape without one of hers! I'll save that treat for another time...)
And thus ends cake-fest 2009.

Until next year...or at least until my blood sugar levels return to some normal range.

"how sweet it is to be loved by you"...

...was the chorus that echoed through my head as I drove home from my final birthday celebration of my 36th birthday.
Preview of my next blog, which will be a recap of the many, many ways in which my 36th b'day was celebrated:
I have a friend who's kind & bright
and Guice is her name-o
G-U-I-C-E
G-U-I-C-E
G-U-I-C-E and Guice is her name-o

It's time to celebrate her day of birth
and sing her happy day-o
H-A-P-P-Y
H-A-P-P-Y
H-A-P-P-Y
Happy birthday Guice-o

A potluck dinner with drinks to start
and then a little bingo
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
with friends to show we care-o

So skip track run and bring a snack
I know it will be fun-o
H-U-R-R-Y
H-U-R-R-Y
H-U-R-R-Y
and let me know if you're on your way-o

P.S. We did partake in a little B-I-N-G-O on Wednesday night & I now have my own dauber so beware!

blog-iversary

Congratulations to all of you...you have survived a year in the life of ETG blogging!
Somehow, I managed to have an entry for every day of this past year?! Seriously, I'm wondering what else I've committed to do every day for an entire year except for the basic things needed for survival!
Anyway, not sure what the year ahead will look like in terms of blogging. Might take it easy on myself and not pledge to blog every day...or I might miss it so much that I return to daily blog posts. I do love having the reflection time each day. But I sometimes worried that I was just babbling...like now. So I will give myself permission to miss a few days...or end an entry early!

and now for...

I feel a bit like Paul Harvey who would start off his radio shows with the line that I can hear even now, "You know what the news is, in a minute, you're going to hear the rest of the story..."
So as far as race reports go, here's the news: Ironstar 1/2 Ironman in Conroe, Texas on 11/8/2009 - official time: 6:08
- early morning wake-up call...incredible friends and teammates Nancy and Karen got up early with me to take me to the race site. Almond butter and banana sandwich on the way. Some water and coffee, too. Although, as Karen noted, the Super 8 in Conroe promised "coffee available 24 hours a day" - and indeed it was. "Available" does not mean "warm", "fresh", or "good"!!!
- easy parking...this triathlon was SO small in terms of participants...loved that! Met up with Jim in the parking lot and once we got our gear together, we walked down to get body marked. Again, SUPER easy b/c there were so few people.
- transition area was a mere fraction of the size of other tris that I've done and there was something really nice about that
- Jim and I got set up and then wandered around for a while with Karen and Nancy...nice, relaxed group
- the weather was perfect...slightly overcast, cool but not cold...it was going to be a good race day!
- eventually we returned to transition to grab our wetsuits and begin the wetsuit wiggle (it helps to have folks like Nancy there to make sure they are pulled up all the way, etc...!)
- leisurely walk down to the swim start, some last minute instructions from the race director, and we were minutes from the start...

Swim I was in a wave with all women 35 and older...see, it WAS a small triathlon! We were just behind some men in fluorescent green caps which I only mention because I used some of their caps as markers in between buoys! We started in a small cove and then turned out into Lake Conroe. Mostly a flat swim. A little bit of chop out in the lake but pretty calm...okay, VERY calm if I compare it to CDA! Decided to creep up toward the front of the swim and that turned out to be a good idea. Two women darted out in front very quickly and I really never saw them again in the water. Another woman and I leap-frogged the whole way. We were never more than a stroke or half a stroke from one another and I think we probably both pulled each other along in that pattern. We followed one another into the final cove, and I finished less than a second behind her. It was funny because while I felt myself spurred on by wanting to keep her within reach (and sometimes a tad behind me!), in that final stretch I didn't really have the desire to pull a "come from just behind" move and beat her to the swim finish. I would have felt obnoxious - as if 1 second is a big deal?! Anyway, felt good about my swim. Easy sighting, strong strokes, 4th out of the water for my wave and age group (16 of us total in my AG).

T1 - uneventful...pretty quick...decided against arm warmers...good call

Bike
It was a little chilly in the beginning but nothing like it has been in years past according to friends and teammates who've done the race before. We had driven the course on Saturday so I knew what to expect but still I forget what 56 miles of rolling hills feel like until I do them on race day! Found a woman to leap-frog with for the first half of the race but when we hit the turn-around point (well, the mid-point), I didn't see her again. I think she stopped at a water stop where I just grabbed a water and kept pedaling. Saw Jim at that point and that made me smile! Lots of strong women cyclists...some were flying past...someday? Maybe someday?! But I felt strong and was enjoying the great scenery. Seriously, the ride through Sam Houston National Forest is gorgeous. I forget that there are places like this in Texas! I bet it has great camping spots...but I wasn't thinking about that while I was riding.
People often ask what I do when I ride and here's what Sunday's thought process included: lots of different songs, cadence, being strong, how the two horses on the side of the road would respond to the very fast car that was speeding toward them, and trying to channel speedy thoughts and inspirational rides with teammates. I was trying not to think about the funny pain in my left inner thigh. This happened in Galveston, too, but I remembered it going away on the run so I figured I'd be okay. It's a bizarre little ache and so far it's only happened in races...not on long rides? Anyway, nothing to stop me or really even slow me down. Averaged about 17.1 which is pretty darn solid for me on a course like this. Really, I don't know where this comes from given that on long rides during training I'm lucky to average 16 or 16.5?! Race day adrenalin maybe?? Being surprised by Karen, Nancy, and Laura on the course?! I don't know! But I felt good and ready to run by the time my bike computer read 56 miles. (Note: I didn't finish all of my nutrition on the bike...I was a little faster than I expected so I should have had some left...but not quite as much as I did!)
The ride was definitely highlighted by seeing our T3 sherpa/cheerleaders at one point - complete with awesome signs to cheer us on! Seeing Laura was a sweet surprise. And having them there was a HUGE boost.

T2 - a few bikes already back in transition but not all of them...yay! I wasn't last in my wave/age group to finish the bike! Threw on my running shoes, grabbed my hat and race belt, picked up my water bottle, and I was off. First stop...port-o-potty! Jumped out and realized that I'd left my Thermolytes in transition...oh, well, I'd have to wing it. (Note to self: figure out how the race electrolyte/salt offerings compare to what you normally lose in the event that you pull a knuckle-headed move like this!)

Run
I knew that if I wanted to hit my lofty 6:00 finish goal that I'd need to hit 9:30s on the run pretty steadily. My plan was to start off slowly (I never, ever do this and it always comes back to bite me when I bonk around mile 9 or 10!) and then pick up the pace - especially in the second half - for a steady negative split. Heading out to the main road I saw Jim which made me happy...thinking that he'd be a mile or so behind me on the run and that he'd catch me and maybe we could run together. I kept those first few miles in check - for once in my life. I thought I was holding 10 minute miles but seeing that 10 minute miles were my average, I must have been going slower. Too slowly if I was going to hit that 2 hour mark. But I didn't know that at the time, which was probably a good thing.
There was a woman in a green shirt who I spent most of the run trying to catch and pass...finally did at mile 9! And just before mile 5 I saw that our amazing T3 friends were on the run course, too. And they had recruited others to cheer for us. They were so loud you would have thought that there were about 10 of them...there were only 3...and there was no way not to speed up when you ran past them.
I was actually feeling pretty good at that point...strong, steady pace, focusing on picking it up at mile 7, working the inclines like we do in practice, and taking advantage of the few downhills and flats. The course was full of lots of false flats but also some nice stretches where it was either a slight decline or something fairly flat. It was definitely warming up by this time and it was a little more humid than I'd initially realized...darn Thermolytes that got left behind - I could have used them!
Managed to pass a lot of people on the run so I was surprised at how slow my pace was (relative to my training), especially when I felt pretty good the whole run. Saw Jim as he approached mile 5 and I was approaching mile 7. Was hoping we might run a little together but he was dealing with leg cramps so we were never really able to run together.
As I headed past Karen, Nancy, and Laura the last time they were full of all sorts of encouragement ("you're looking SO fast..." & "you're headed for a PR..." - which I knew could ONLY happen if I managed 8 min miles for the last 5 miles...ummm...not this girl!) and that totally helped. But then I started to get worried about them...if they stayed much longer they wouldn't make it to the finish line. I would have been okay with that but I knew they'd be bummed. That occupied me for about 1/2 a mile and then I had to focus on my run again! There were folks JUST heading out as I was turning back so I tried to offer them encouragement...and count my lucky stars that it was them and not me.
Final stretch back to the resort was just a beast. Well, actually, more like a slower method of torture! The main highway back is a slight incline the entire way. And then when you turn into the resort you think you have a straight shot to the finish line but NO! You wind through a neighborhood, you can hear the finish line, and you pray with every turn it will bring you closer. And it does. But it feels like forever! I did my best to pick up my pace for that last mile but I just didn't have a lot in me.
I do think I negative split but when you start slower than you are supposed to, even the negative split doesn't help you meet your goal time! But something has to be said for feeling pretty solid up until mile 12 of a 1/2 marathon following a 1.2 mile swim + a 56 mile bike ride!
Headed to the finish line...about 8 minutes after my goal time had passed...and saw Karen, Laura, and Nancy! How in the world had they gotten through that long line of cars turning into the resort? (I found out later...don't put anything past Nancy!)

Post-Race Activities and Thoughts
Nancy, Karen, and Laura made me feel awesome about my race...and Amy, too, via a phone call...and then Jim when he crossed the line...which was wonderful because I was feeling a little bummed about not having been able to pull it out on the run. But I knew I had given it my all...I just didn't have "all" that I have during training runs. And maybe that's more realistic than I was being before the race! I suppose if you add 1 minute or so to your average run pace as an expectation for an Ironman then maybe you can add 30 seconds or so to your average run pace for a 1/2 Ironman? And if I do that, then I hit the nail on the head! But I'm not sure is that's accurate math! I know it needs to be faster if I want to finish in 6 hours or under.
And in a way, it's sort of nice to still have that goal out there. I've beat it once but that was in Galveston and really, that race course is insanely fast...flat, flat, flat! This course was NOT flat. Not super hilly but enough to remind you that Texas has rollers.
I tend to be tough on myself so it's taken me about 24 hours to feel good about the race overall. I gave it my best shot and for some parts of the race that was enough. Actually, for 2/3 of the race that was good enough and that's pretty cool! It wasn't the race I wanted to have but it wasn't a total disaster either. As for the run, well, I need to pow-wow with Meredith, Chrissie, and Logan and get their advice for future training and expectations. I'm bummed that I didn't do better on it only because my training runs have been so solid. Maybe it means I need to do more bricks in the future to put that whole bike-to-run thing in motion more often OR maybe I need to push myself and run faster in training...hmmm...can't believe I just wrote both of those things (and I'm not sure how much of the latter I can do but I'll try)!

Finally saw overall results today and ended up 10th out of 16 in my age group...and even if I'd finished closer to my 6 hour goal instead of at 6:08, I would have still been in 10th place! I don't really care about what place I get - in fact most races are so much bigger that I never even look. But I thought I'd check it out just for kicks this time.

All in all, a GREAT day. Much improved by the T3 company that I kept. Oh, and by the Coke and fries on the way home...yummy. Thanks again to Nancy, Karen, Laura, and Jim for all being out there. And to everyone else who offered support leading up to the race - coaches, teammates, friends, colleagues, and family... I never feel like a race has happened on my own.

And now, for the rest of the story...OFF SEASON!!! (from the picture below you'd have thought I started my off season the night before the race...not really!)