2014 Resolution Wrap Up

What a year it has been! As 2014 draws to a close, I am happy to report that I finally completed a new year's resolution! I completed one active event each month of 2014. Every kind of event from old favorites to my first bicycle ride to traipsing all over Israel to my first triathlon. And I learned so much and experienced so many new things along the way.

Here's a no brainer for you: training helps. Throughout the year, I was in all kinds of shape for the different events. When I was training regularly, I felt strong and confident and (obviously) finished with better results. When I had been a little lax on training (read: NOT training), I felt unprepared and struggled through the event. So guess what? Training and regular exercise makes a difference! Good thing you stopped by to gather that little nugget of wisdom.

Perhaps a more important lesson, I learned how to define my own success. The world bombards us with widely-accepted definitions: winning, power, fame, money, etc. For a series of races, winning would pretty clearly be considered success. But what else? In each ride, race, and event, there were thousands of people participating. Does that mean only a handful of those people each time are successful? Of course not. For me, there were a few "successes" throughout the year.

First, finishing. I tried a few new activities, and a couple of them made me pretty nervous. So the goal was not always never winning, or even besting a personal time, but rather just to push through. To be stronger than my fear and to push my body through physical weakness or exhaustion. I finished every activity. Some stronger than others, to be sure, but I crossed each finish line on my own volition. And so I count each race a success. Moreover, I completed a new year's resolution, and I don't know that I've ever done that before. I stuck it out each race and each month, and I'm happy to be crossing the finish line for 2014.

Another valuable lesson learned and practiced was the good ole "no excuses." One event, each month, for an entire year. No excuses. I didn't give up the time we got lost on a course, or the time I left my swim gear at home, or when the weather was particularly nasty. I had a goal I wanted to complete, and to make that happen, I couldn't make excuses. Good practice for a life lesson.

Third, I can't discount the self-awareness and self-confidence I am taking away from this experience. I learned to be proud of the finish lines I crossed, the time goals I met, and stepping out of my comfort zone. When the triathlon was going so terribly, I resigned myself to being in last place (womp womp) and set out to just finish and keep my chin up. I turned my negative thoughts around during my hardest event of the year, and told myself that I was capable and I would be proud of finishing. When we were lost on a bike course, I swallowed my panic and stuck it out on my bike to finish the ride. This year, I accomplished goals I hadn't even imagined setting on January 1st. And that is a pretty incredible feeling.

All in all, I count the year of 2014 a smashing success. Now I am ready and excited for the adventures that 2015 will bring!

Did you stick with your new year's resolution?
What did you learn in 2014?
Are you ready for the new year?

December: 12k of Christmas

Merry Christmas! This December event marks the completion of my 2014 New Year's Resolution. How exciting is that? It seems like it couldn't possibly have been a year ago that I first made that resolution. I'll post a final wrap up soon, but first, let's talk about the 12k of Christmas!



I ran the 6k portion of this run last year, and it did not go well. The weather was so humid it felt like we were swimming, and I was out of shape to boot. Since I've been running, this year went so much better, and I was able to run the full 12k! I finished in 1:22:51.5, which was about an 11:15/mile pace. I'm pretty happy with that, since I was running fairly casually with my friend, Rose, and the Mister.

The race was very well organized. We started at Fish Plaza at the Wortham Theater Center, which is a great area in Downtown. Unfortunately though, the course was really boring. First of all, the 12k course was just two times around the 6k loop, which means we would already be running the exact same path twice. Even worse, that 6k loop? It wasn't a loop. It was a U-turn. Which means that we ran down Memorial Drive, then up Memorial... then down Memorial... then up Memorial again. Not very motivating. For the 6-9k, we actually played "I Spy," we were so bored.

Oh well. At least the course was pretty! Even if we had to look at it 4 times. :)

AND we got a finisher medal. And who doesn't love getting a medal?

Altogether, I really enjoy this event. For a new event, it is wonderfully organized and well put together. This year's course was different from last year's, so I have high hopes for the course interest to improve. The 12k of Christmas is a festive end to a year of active events, and a festive beginning to my holiday break. It definitely helped me stay motivated to run during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Between the Christmas parties, hosting Christmas Cookie Decorating, buying and wrapping gifts, and packing for vacation, it was good to know I had to be ready for the 12k. All about that motivation.

How do you stay motivated during the holiday season?

fall bucket list - recap

This post should probably have been written two weeks ago, followed by a charming Christmas/winter bucket list. But that would require me to be on top of my game, which is just not the story around here lately. So forgive me for being late to the party, but cheers to fall!

> pumpkin patch  - Yes, indeed! I love how our family photos turned out!



> pumpkin spice latte - Do you know what I discovered? I think I'm over pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. (Say what?!) I only had one this season, and it just wasn't that exciting. You know what is delicious though? The salted caramel mocha. Yum.

> decorate pumpkins - I passed on carving this season, and opted for a couple of different pumpkin decorating ideas. I thought they turned out pretty cute.



> make baked-pumpkin-something - I made this tasty banana pumpkin bread to take to Waco as a hosting gift/snack to share. It was delicious.

> pumpkin beer - the Mister kept a log this season, and we tried seven different pumpkin beers! Our favorites were Harpoon's Pumpkin UFO and Karbach's Krunkin' Pumpkin. Do you have a favorite?

> cook ALL THE FALL RECIPES - I can definitely check this one off the list! The Mister and I made this delicious butternut squash soup a couple of times. We also tried charred Mexican zucchini, honey mustard quinoa, and this tasty salad. And of course, there were plenty of sweet potatoes!

> Make chili - We did score some of Mom's chili during the week of Thanksgiving, and made our own this past weekend. Texas comfort food.

> Baylor football game - Homecoming was wonderful. It was so great being back on campus and catching up with dear friends.

> finish closet detox - Ha. Remember how this was on the short list? Nope. I have been utilizing a capsule wardrobe for fall, but I haven't actually cleaned out the pieces that didn't make the cut. One step at a time, I suppose.

> camping - the Mister and I did get to escape to the woods for a short weekend trip.

> bike to Cypress - Nope. We basically ran out of free Saturdays. I'll have to schedule it in one of these days!

I loved having a bucket list for fall. It was a great way to keep track of all our traditions and the memories made this past season. I've got some great ideas for a winter bucket list, but we'll see if I can get that posted before spring. Just kidding! No, but really.

November: Turkey Trot

Nothing like a Turkey Trot to get you ready for the Thanksgiving feast!

This was my second year to run the Turkey Trot here in Houston, and I do believe this event is one of my favorites. It's a HUGE event - we're talking 15,000 people participating! The course is also through Uptown, which is just awesome. We run along streets that are usually jam-packed with traffic, so it's a cool feeling to be there on foot and in the middle of the road. Of course, 15,000 people just creates a different kind of traffic.


The Mister and I ran the 5k. One, because it's cheaper. Two, because it's shorter. And three, because there was a FEAST waiting! Can't have Turkey Trot time cutting into turkey time, can we?

I went into the run aiming to finish in under 35 minutes. I figured that was a realistic goal for the pace I'd been running while training, and I felt that it left enough wiggle room for stroller-dodging and human traffic jams. I'm happy to report that we crossed the finish line at 34:46! I am definitely proud of that time, and meeting a goal is such a good motivator.

The trot was festive, the crowd was lively, and the weather was beautiful. And best of all? Guilt free dessert!

Have you ever run a Turkey Trot?

October: Moonlight Bicycle Ramble

Oh my goodness.  SO. MUCH. FUN.  Saturday night the Mister and I rode all over this beautiful city in the middle of the night.  That's right, ladies and gentlemen - Westheimer, the Galleria, Allen Parkway, downtown Houston - all on bicycles!  Seriously, we rode down roads that I avoid in my vehicle.  The one with an engine.

We started rolling at the convention center at 12am Sunday morning. So many of the bicycles were decked out in rope lights and reflectors.  (I'll definitely be decorating my bicycle next year!) The whole group was so festive and ready to go.  The clock struck, and we were off!

fall bucket list

Hello all!  Hello fall!  The weather here in Houston is teasing us.  We've had a couple of days where it's dropped into the 60s (grab your coats!), but it's mostly holding in the high 80s with summer humidity still strong and thick.

Basically that just means we order our pumpkin spice lattes on ice.

September - Park to Port Ride

It's amazing to me how much more comfortable I am on a bike these days. You may remember how terrifying exciting my first official ride was.  I was all kinds of nervous beforehand, and was convinced that I would crash and/or humiliate myself.  Fast forward 6 months, and I love cycling!  I still stick to pretty casual rides, but I'm daydreaming about the MS150 in the future. :)

August: Triathlon (!)

SO INTENSE.  Y'all, a triathlon is no joke.  Last weekend, Sean and I completed a sprint distance triathlon in Clear Lake.

If you've been following along on my New Year's resolution, you'll know that I've completed my share of 5k fun runs and bike rides.  So when my friend, Gabby, asked if me if I wanted to do a triathlon with her, I was pumped!  Nervous for sure, but excited about the challenge.  Besides, she asked me in April, so I would have four months to train and would totally be prepared!

The Clear Lake sprint triathlon consisted of the following:

500yds swimming
23k biking (just over 14 miles)
2.1 mile run

Not too bad right?  I was completely confident about the running, since the distance was shorter than a 5k and I've been running those for years.  Also, running is my favorite sport (no hand-eye coordination or flying objects), so I could get excited about that leg..

I also wasn't worried about the cycling portion.  I'm not as experienced as the Mister in this portion, but we've completed several rides at longer distances, so I knew I could finish that leg strong, even if I had to take it slowly.

But swimming.  Oh my swimming.  This leg would be the challenge, so I knew I would have to focus most of my training here.  Get a Y membership, buy some goggles, learn to swim.  But with four summer months to train, I could definitely prepare for 500yds!

Which is true.  You can definitely learn to swim as sport in four months.  If you train.  Unfortunately, my work schedule stayed busy through the summer and I started working fall-busy-season overtime in July, only a couple of weeks after getting home from Israel.  I did get that Y membership, but it went unused too many days while I worked late.  Too often the story, isn't it?

So let's talk about race day.


We left super early so we could get there about 45 minutes before the transition area closed.  (Triathlon learning point: you set up your biking/running gear in the transition area before the race begins.  Googled this a lot pre-race.  Google answers all questions.)  I was feeling pretty good so far - race day morning was going much smoother than is typical for me: good breakfast, leaving early, feeling calm.  About 10 minutes from the race location (read: 30 minutes from home) the worst of the worst happened.  I had forgotten my swim gear.  I had gone over and over my transition pack to make sure I was ready to start those other legs when I got out of the water, so i didn't think about getting in the water...

Did y'all know a 2003 Camry can sustain 90+ mph for 30 miles?

Thankfully, we made it back in plenty of time to set up.  That everything-is-ruined feeling lifted, and normal race day butterflies took it's place.

The gun went off and the olympic distance folks took off.
Then the first men's wave.
Then Sean's wave.
Then the first ladies' wave.

My wave was the last wave, and finally it was my turn.  And swimming is HARD.  I was under-prepared physically and mentally.  We were in salt water, which drained my energy even faster.  I would swim a little bit, tire out, and flip over and float on my back.  I completed the swim portion in 17:51.4 - 18 agonizing minutes.  I was third-to-last out of the water, and last into the transition area, putting me in last place of my wave.

I want to be honest here.  There were some moments in the water that I was ready to quit.  I was on the verge of panicking.  I was angry at myself for not training enough.  I hadn't considered the fact that the swim was in salt water, and I was dehydrating quickly.  I hate losing, so I was feeling pretty down on myself for being one of the last people in the water.  I was angry and sad and overwhelmed and embarrassed.

About two-thirds through the swim, I realized that I was only thinking negative thoughts.  And that is not how you finish a race.  So I stopped those thoughts.  I swallowed my pride.  I was slow, but I was persevering.  I wouldn't win, but I would finish.  If it took me all day, I was going to complete this triathlon.  And I would finish with my head held high.  I would be proud of myself for my effort and my attitude, not my time at the finish line or my number in the ranking.

That's a lot of feelings for 17 minutes and 51.4 seconds.

I took my time at transition to rehydrate and prepare for the cycling portion.  I was last out of transition, but I was feeling so much better.  The cycling portion went smoothly and I was grateful to be out of the water and on the bike.  I passed the girl in front of me, but she passed me back when I pulled over for some water. (Note to self: get a squeeze bottle.  My bottle fits too tightly in the holder, so I had to pull over to get it out - otherwise I probably would have thrown myself into traffic.)  I did have to walk a portion of the Kemah Bridge, but I'm not ashamed, just disappointed.  Just before transition, I passed two ladies on their bikes, and it turns out they were in my wave!  My average pace on the bike was 12.6 mph, and my total bike time was 1:08:20.8.

My second transition was much quicker, and I started the run portion.  I drank an entire bottle of water before the first water station; my body was still so dehydrated from the salt and the heat.  I then drank another cup of water at the first water station, and dumped the second cup of ice water on my head.  BEST DECISION EVER.  I alternated running and walking, and really enjoyed the last leg of the race.  There were lots of race participants still on this portion, for both the olympic and sprint distances, and I was happy to have other people around.  And the volunteers at the water stations were so encouraging. I ran the last portion and finished with a smile for the camera!

Let's take another look at these happy finisher faces, shall we?



Total time: 2:05:06.8
Final place: 16/16 in my wave, 242/248 overall

Nothing to brag about, but I'm so proud to have finished!  I'll just plan on being the most improved participant next time. :)

new year's resolution

Because you've gotta have one, right?

 Let's be honest - there are very resolutions that I have kept in the past. I always start out with the best intentions, but usually break whatever self-improvement goal I've made before the end of January. Learn to sew? Dust is gathering on that machine. Read a new book every week? Well, maybe if the first one hadn't taken two months. Give up Dr. Pepper? Ha! Jokes on me.

 So this year, I had a brilliant idea. Why don't I make a resolution that I could actually keep? My attempts in previous years had either been too vague or left no wiggle room for slip-ups. If I just want to "learn" or "get better at" something, there was no starting point and no measurement. If I try to do something every day that I've never done before, what are my chances of succeeding?

 So instead of choosing some arbitrary goal, I picked a resolution that I have been working towards already. I am trying to be more diligent about sticking to an exercise schedule. And what I've learned is that if I don't have an event on the horizon, I don't have the motivation. So here's my resolution:


This year, I will complete one active event per month.

These events can include 5ks, 10ks, bike races, triathalons, and whatever other fun things come along. Theoretically, with one event a month, I will always be in training and always motivated! BUT since the resolution is a once-a-month activity, I have wiggle room. And if I don't stick completely to my training schedule, I haven't automatically failed a "work out every day" kind of resolution.

2014 is the year that I will keep my resolution. I've got January, February, March, and April events in my calendar. And the best part? I am excited about this resolution, inspired to succeed and looking forward to what the year will bring.

 Come along for the ride!