resolutions

Last year instead of making resolutions I thought about things I wanted to leave behind in 2010, and things I wanted to run towards in 2011. Overall I think I did pretty well keeping to them. This year I am going to keep those resolutions in my mind, and add a few things I want to do over the year.

1. Read at least one book a month, even during the school year. (Way harder than you would think.)
2. Catch up on my scrapbooks. This one will take awhile, I don't think I've done anything in them since I was 21...I think I need to move to digital.
3. Run a race in another state-I don't care the distance. Even better, run a race in a city I have never been to before with one of my running buddies. Abby? Amy? You ready?
4. Keep putting myself out there. No matter how hard it is.

What are you changing? Leaving behind? Working on?

keep austin weird

One of my goals after my half marathon was to run 4 runs before the summer was over. I am close to accomplishing that goal! (My mile time has also gone down, another one of my goals.) I've done the Run to the Sun, Bun Run, and this weekend the Keep Austin Weird 5k. (Although I don't think I'll be counting it as one of my four...you'll understand by the end of the post.)

Before the run at 7 pm, in June, in Texas with 100+ degree heat, they have a festival. People dress up, there are bands that play, and there are a lot of vendors selling food, drinks, and things made by locals. Crissy and I went as Hooters girls (Rebecca said our outfits were oxymorons) and Evan, Crissy's husband was Hulk Hogan. Before we left we youtubed different Hulk videos so he could see and practice things to do and say. Evan was planning on staying in character the whole time. As we were walking to the festival we must have been there a little early because we didn't see anyone dressed up and Evan was starting to freak out. All of his fears were quickly gone.

I loved that Crissy was standing outside the port-a-potties with her phone ready to take a picture. That's not weird for the other guys coming out or anything.

Evan was THE hit of the festival! The moment we walked in people started asking to take pictures of him!! We decided to take a tally of all the pictures he was in, and we finally stopped counting when he had taken 30 pictures, and was interviewed for a Dallas radio station (hopefully they will post it soon, and I'll of course share with you), the Austin American Statesman (the link doesn't work anymore), Austin 360, and some news station. The best question the radio guy asked was "Do you always have to flex when you talk?" 

We ran into one of his wrestling rivals! We wanted Evan to pick him up and hold him over his head, but he wouldn't.

See that crowd surrounding him? Each one of them took turns taking pictures with him. 

When the race started, everyone was running like normal. After a water and gatorade station we were all starting to feel the heat and drinks we had had, so we decided to stop running at mile 1. From there on we walked like half of the other "runners." Normally throughout the route you will have water and gatorade stations. This one had that, along with a game stop, 2 photo booths, 2 vodka shot stops, a wine stop, pizza, and Amy's even had a stop where they pass out scoops of ice cream. Walking the last 2 miles was the best idea ever!

They had to have been hot.

Of course we stopped at the photo booth! People kept yelling at the Hulk as they walked or ran by.

It was the most fun, and slowest 5k I think I will ever do! Now back to my real running to get ready for my 4th of July 5k.

goals

I finished my half marathon a week ago and have been looking through some running blogs ever since. All of them mention the need for goals after the race you've been training for so you don't totally stop running. One blog I started reading mentions the need for multiple goals so you don't get lost. Here are my new goals:

1. I will run at least 4 races before summer is over.
1. I'm doing the Run for the Sun in May with the Casis group: 90 mile relay
2. Schlotzky's Bun Run with Emily: 5k
3. possibly the Cap 10k
4. ?
2. I will consistently run 3 miles without walking.
3. Speed up my mile time.
4. Run 10 miles a week.

No, I don't think I can handle a full marathon, but I definitely think I will be running another half marathon in the fall or winter when the weather is cooler. I'm already looking around for my next half! (Amy is hoping I'll do the one in Dallas in December with her...I just might!)

resolutions

I'm not the type to typically make a New Years resolution because I know after about a month I'm kind of over it, and don't care anymore. Because of this I don't really make any anymore. However, when I was reading Mile Markers yesterday, it made me think about making my resolutions differently than I had before.

 "...this year I will keep it simple. Three things that I can keep top of mind at all times, and therefore quickly assess the rapid-fire decisions of life and determine whether something fits for me or not. Before midnight tomorrow, I will come up with three things that will be left behind in 2010, and three things that call me forward in 2011. It sounds simple enough.

Think about it for yourself. What gets left, and where are you heading?"

I've decided that I will do what Kritsin is doing this year. Instead of making one, or several daunting resolutions I am going to split my focus a bit. Here goes:

What I am leaving behind:

1. self-doubt
2. holding on to old anger, and situations I can't change
3. obsessing over the small things
   

Where I am heading:

1. continuing to challenge myself without giving up on myself, even if that means running a full marathon next time
2. being the best aunt, friend, teacher I can be
3. keeping all my doors and windows open...to the unknown, to opportunities...

As I start off this year I will follow suit and ask myself, am I heading where I want to? Or am I falling backwards into old habits or thinking? Let's see how my resolutions work this year.

Happy New Year everyone!