A Time for Reflection

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed any and all Holidays that you celebrated. My Christmas was amazing, spent some time with great friends and my great family. And for those I was unable to spend time with, for whatever the reasons may have been, they were all in my heart and mind as they always are!

So now as 2008 comes to a close it seems inevitable that it also brings with it a time to sit back and reflect upon the past 365 days and all that has happened...and as I begin this process I realize how grateful I am for all that this year has provided! I began 2008 in such a different mind set and just overwhelmed with sadness and grief...I thought I had it together, but in looking back I was just basically lost. And slowly, as the year progressed, I began to find myself again. There is still much progress to be made, but isn't that what life and living is all about anyway? -- Goals and progress, self-awareness and then remembering to be truly grateful for all that is bestowed upon us! I like to believe that I have always been thankful of the things in my life, but learning to be truly Grateful and not just thankful, that is the one greatest gift I have received this year. There is such a difference between being conscious of a benefit received and being appreciative of benefits received.

So to those of you out there who read this and especially to those who comment (Frank, Elizabeth) -- I am grateful for the time you take to catch up on what is going on in my little life, and the comments provide more encouragement than I think you could ever even begin to imagine. Thank You!

Now for some running updates, since it's been a couple of weeks... Still not running, and still waiting for orthotics to come in, was hopeful that I could start running January 1st but it appears as that is being set back a bit further. But that is ok, it will all happen in time!! So, until the actual "running" starts up again I continue my new appreciation for the elliptical machine.

12/15 - 4 miles
12/16 - off
12/17 - 4 miles, 1 hour training session with trainer-Steve
12/18 - cardio workout with trainer-Steve - 1 mile on stepper; 2 miles on elliptical; 4 miles on bike
12/19 - 3 miles
12/20 - 4 miles, 1 hour training session with trainer-Steve
12/21 - off
Totals for the week - 17 miles elliptical; 1 mile stepper; 4 miles bike

12/22 - 6.10 miles
12/23 - off
12/24 - 7.42 miles, 1 hour training session with trainer-Steve
12/25 - off
12/26 - 6.00 miles with trainer-Steve by my side -- got on scale at gym and have gained 4 pounds, which puts me 7 pounds from my goal set for January 3rd.
12/27 - 6.83 miles, training session moved to Monday 12/29
12/28 - 6.25 miles with trainer-Steve by my side again, also got in .9 miles walking on the treadmill
Totals for the week - 32.60 elliptical; .9 treadmill/walking

Hope you all have a safe and joyous New Year!

Just Passing Time and Getting By...and how many days til Christmas!!?!?!

Not much going on over here and yet there is so much happening.

Still waiting on the orthotics to come in, and my estimated return to running is still around abouts the first of the year. I can not even imagine how much slower I will be, but I do know how great it is going to feel to run again! Am finally waking up and not limping around for the first couple of hours of the day, but still feeling the pains by the end of the day. I have tried keeping up with the elliptical use but my mileage isn't where I'd like it to be; some days my legs are just so dead...

12/08 - 3.70 miles
12/09 - skipped, woke up super tired and sleep won over
12/10 - 3.50 miles after one hour session with trainer-Steve (lots and lots of ab work!!)
12/11 - 4.14 miles side-by-side with Steve, having the competition was great
12/12 - 4.00 miles
12/13 - 4.00 miles after 45-minute session with trainer-Steve
12/14 - off - Christmas shopping!!!!

19.37 miles for the week

And now for the other parts of my life....

The 12th was our office 'Consolidation Fest' - it was bringing the two County Boards that are being consolidated on July 1st together so that staff could start to meet each other. I know this isn't easy for staff from either location, especially knowing about the staff cuts that come with the consolidated Boards. All-in-all it was not a terrible afternoon, the food was good and we all laughed a little, and lets face it these decisions are all beyond our control at this point so there is no point in stressing over it all... it's either start looking for a new job and get out now OR wait and see what happens once the dust has settled! I have finally decided on the later, and am actually quite comfortable with it (most of the time) since I am hoping that there are at least two positions I could be placed in, I feel my chances are on the plus side of 50/50. However, that being said...the 18th is the Board Meeting where the Executive Director will be named and obviously that may change my somewhat easygoing attitude towards all this -- but again, that's Thursday, this is only Tuesday and there's plenty of work to be dealt with in the here and now.

Christmas has somehow crept up on me and is now only, what, 9 days away.... I have shopping to finish (and some to even start) as well as a very small get together planned for this Sunday to prepare for... I had toyed with not decorating this year, but a very good friend convinced me otherwise, so basically Santa came and threw-up in my house again this year leaving his little Santa/Christmas-sy remnants everywhere. I still have not picked up a tree. I have a great pre-lit tree that I bought about 4 years ago that I love, but here's a question for ya -- what happens when the lights decide to stop working?, which is what happened last Christmas and I've changed fuses, checked bulbs and have no clue what the deal is and last year ended up having to put lights on tree (which was no fun). So anyhow, I decided a real live tree would be great to have, I haven't had a live tree since moving into my house (6 years now), maybe it was more fun when I had them in the apartment when I wasn't supposed to?, I don't know...anyhow, with guests coming by this weekend if I'm getting a tree I better do it pretty darn soon! tick-tock

I hope everyone is having a great time and enjoying this current snow-free zone we are experiencing here in Cleveland -- we all know it'll be here by the shovels full soon enough!

What Doesn't Kill You...

Had a podiatrist appointment on December 1st and x-rays were taken and my left foot was taped up... I was back in the doctor's office on the 5th getting my feet molded for orthotic inserts and Yes, there is a bone spur (albeit a small one) on my left heel. Wonderful. The doctor is hopeful that after the inserts come in (in about 2 weeks) and some break in time (about 1 week), that I should be able to start getting back into running. So 2 weeks + 1 week = crossed fingers that I can start back running by either the end of the year or in the New Year! -- presumptuous to look for a 5k for New Year's Day?! lol, maybe a little.


So since the current situation dictates "minimal to no impact" I guess the elliptical machines will become my new best friends at the gym. yippee. And here's the totals for the past week:

12/01 - 4.68 miles
12/02 - 3.57 miles
12/03 - 3.03 miles; 1 hour training session with trainer-Steve
12/04 - off
12/05 - 3.37 miles
12/06 - 3.00 miles; 1 hour training session with trainer-Steve
12/07 - off
17.65 miles for the week -- need to get those numbers up!

So December 6th would mark my halfway point from when my new target weight goal was set and the target completion date. Now, this whole fitness thing and signing up with trainer-Steve has never been about the number on the scale, it was about getting in shape and feeling better; but after reaching that first goal, I've been pretty excited about reaching this new number and I know with my vacation and the Holiday's in between that it wouldn't be the easiest and so I am trying to keep myself in check by not getting hung up on the "number"... so that being said, I got on the gym scale on the 3rd (just to get an idea of how I had fared through New Orleans and Thanksgiving) and I was down 6 more pounds! Which puts me right on target. Now it's just staying motivated and getting through the Christmas lunches, dinners and parties (we just had boxes of chocolate delivered to the office!!!), there's 4 weeks and 6 more pounds to get through...

Monthly totals

So here's what I ran for the rest of November...

11/10 - 5.00 miles treadmill
11/11 - 5.40 miles treadmill
11/12 - 3.10 miles treadmill - session with trainer-Steve
11/13 - 3.00 miles treadmill
11/14 - 4.00 miles treadmill (now granted this was all walking due to my left heel, but I'm counting it anyways!)
11/15 - 3.36 miles elliptical - session with trainer-Steve
11/16 - off - signed up for New Orleans 5k, bought new shoes

Total for week - 23.86

11/17 - 5.00 miles treadmill - morning
2.00 miles outside - evening
11/18 - off - unscheduled off day, up late night before watching the Browns
11/19 - 5.00 miles treadmill
11/20 - 5.00 miles treadmill
11/21 - 5.00 miles treadmill
11/22 - off - travel, trip to New Orleans
11/23 - 3.1 Ole Man River 5k

Total for week - 25.10

11/24 - off - travel, back from New Orleans :(
11/25 - off - left foot/heel hurts to put weight on; think the 4-5 hours walking around after the 5k really took its toll...crap...
11/26 - 9.50 miles bike - session with trainer-Steve (first session in 11 days)
11/27 - 5.00 miles bike, before heading out for turkey at my sisters had to skip the turkey run in Avon due to heel issues
11/28 - 3.75 miles elliptical, back was tightening up and it felt good to be moving
4.00 miles bike
11/29 - 4.60 miles elliptical
11/30 - off

Total for week - 18.50 miles bike; 8.60 miles elliptical

Totals for month (adding elliptical and running together):

week ending 11/02 - 21.40
week ending 11/09 - 24.00
week ending 11/16 - 23.86
week ending 11/23 - 25.10
week ending 11/30 - 8.60
** 102.96 TOTAL **

Hopefully the rest and stretching will help clear up the plantar fasciitis soon... Bypassing the Reindeer Run this Saturday (unless of course if everything miraculously feels better come Saturday morning -- hey one can always hope!)