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?

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.

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.

weekend highlights

Yep.  I'm posting a weekend update on a Wednesday.  Busy season, anyone?

weekend - it's over already?

Woorrrkkk...
 is crazy.

Today is the 15th of September. Today is also a Monday. I work in taxes.

 I am looking forward to a happy hour at the end of this day.



 Saturday morning, Sean and I rode the Park to Port ride - a 20 mile, family friendly bike ride from Hermann Park to the Port of Houston. Both of these landmarks are celebrating their 100th birthdays, so the ride was one event of many to celebrate. The weather was icky - drizzly rain, grey skies, chilly temperatures. (I'm a Houston girl and consider 75 degrees to be chilly. Don't judge.) Hence the hot mess that is my hair. I mean, I'm no beauty queen after any event, but that right there is out of control.

But hey, it's tax season, so I'm just happy to get outside - rain or shine.

Saturday afternoon I went to...(drumroll please) work. Yes, it's lame. No, I do not have a picture.

But to combat the lameness, Saturday evening the mister and I tried a new dessert/coffee/wine/beer place. Sounds awesome? It was awesome. You should go.

Red Dessert Dive

Sunday after church I did... you guessed it... more work!

Womp womp.

Did I mentioned that today is deadline day?
Happy taxes, all you corporations and partnerships!

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. :)

May: 5k Foam Fest

Have I mentioned how much I love fun runs?

I love the themes and the after-parties and the costumes and the crowds and all the festivities.  The 5k Foam Fest was a 5k run with obstacles, which was so fun!  Most of the big obstacles were inflatables.  And they were covered in foam.  And I loved it.  We also climbed over a rope net, crawled under some wires through the mud, ran across a floating path, and crossed the finish line by going down a huge inflatable slide. So. Fun.

Go get some exercise! You'll have a blast, I just know it.

March: Center SpringFest Metric Century (a.k.a. my first ride)

For my first ever official road race, I knew I would need to train up:

• Cardio - I ran regularly more than zero times since that February 5k. 
• Technique - I got on a bike for the first time in 10 years.  And did that at least four times!  And I'm not even talking about the stationary bike, so we're serious here.
• Endurance - Rode 10 miles with Sean one Saturday to see how I'd hold up.  We did stop somewhere in the middle to pet some puppies that were up for adoption, but we can just call that a water break, right?
• Mental preparation - I signed us up, so it was do or die.  Or forfeit the registration fee.  So as I said, do or die.

What could go wrong?

The ride we signed up for was only the 23 miler, which I was assured by friends and family that a newbie like me could complete.  After all, I was not going for time, just survival. 

Then, a week before the ride, I get an email.  "Lucky you!  More miles for your dollar!"

Come again?

Due to construction, there had to be a little rerouting for the ride.  The new path was 30 miles now.  I know that adding seven miles to a 63 mile ride is no big deal, but I'm signed up for the 23 miler!  I've never done this before!  I'M NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT!  

(Spoiler alert - I made it)

Sean talked some sense into me and we agreed not to bail.  The ride was out in Sealy (beautiful countryside, some terrible roads), so Sean and I got up before dawn to head out of town.  We stuffed both bikes in my Camry (do what you gotta do) drove 45 minutes out to Sealy, unpacked and reassembled our bikes, and headed over to the starting line.  I'll admit, I was pretty nervous about the beginning of the group ride.  If one rider goes down, we ALL go down.  I wasn't worried about falling so much as about being that person.  That person who ends up being part of a post like this because she fell at the starting line and took down half the riders.  Geez, doesn't she know how to ride a bike?

Luckily, my shaky start did not cause a mass wreck, so my first goal was done!  Survival of the starting line!  I even managed to flip my pedals and get my feet in my cages in the mass of people.  Sound tricky?  You're right, it is.

Once we got going, I was feeling pretty good.  Sean and I caught up to a woman who was taking a slow and steady pace that he thought I could manage.  We kept pace and I was feeling pretty professional (mile 8ish).  Then Sean mentioned that he needed a bathroom break.  Fine by me - I'm just along for the ride.  Just ahead is a little country store and the neon is on!  Open for business at 8am!  It must be meant for us, right?

Wrong.  Sean didn't like the look of it for his potty stop.  So we kept riding.  Into the countryside.  With no more country stores.  Another mile or so.

Sean: "Ok, I've really got to go."

Me: "Ok pull over.  How about that tree?"

Sean: "No! People will SEE me!"

Another half a mile.

Me: "What about behind that wall?"

Sean: "That is someone's property!  I can't do that!"  (Fair enough, but it was the driveway, and I was suggesting he go on the other side of the wall, not the driveway side.  Desperate times and all that).

Another half mile or so, and Sean is sort of groaning at this point.  I'm a little concerned he's going to die.  Because I'm pretty convinced that if the country store wasn't good enough, he's certainly not going to just go for it.  Luckily for hubs we come across a little country lane that is BETWEEN properties and has LOTS of trees.  He tumbles off his bike and takes care of business.  Irony of ironies, that's when a ride marshall passes by... 

but luckily does not see us.  Crisis averted.  Let the adventure continue!

Now that I had my sunshiny ride partner back instead of the panic-stricken fellow I had been following, our ride took a turn for the better.  Morale was up.  The actual sun came out, and warmed us up from the chilly morning that had been numbing our fingers and noses.  We got past the roughest roads and were enjoying the new pavement.  We were still fighting a pretty strong headwind, but that's so much better in the sunshine.

We made it halfway through the ride to the pit stop.  There were peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, cookies, water, and plenty of other tasty power snack options.  There were also port-a-potties.  And nice, clean ones.  Poor Sean.

After a quick snack break and selfie, we got back on the road.  The weather had turned b-e-a-utiful and we were having a blast.  Laughing and cruising and just all around enjoying ourselves.  We were making good time; our headwind had become a tailwind since the trail was a loop and we were past the turnaround.  We knew we were getting close and just had one more leg to go!

We take a left, following some riders in front of us, and the path stops looking familiar.  The course looped back around on the same path, so it should look familiar.  We pull over, and sure enough, we had taken a wrong turn.  We were not the only ones stopped on our incorrect road, and luckily we were not far from our last turn.  We all head back, picking up other riders who had apparently made the same mistake.  We get to the intersection, and the right turn doesn't look familiar either.  However, it's a three-way intersection, so the right turn has to be right, right?

Wrong.  A mile down the road, we figure that we're lost again.  There are other riders going the other way, saying that now we've made a wrong turn.  Well shoot.  You may be thinking, "oh, at least it's just a mile - not too bad."  Wrong.  Remember how the ride had already gotten longer?  Well that mile was mile 27ish.  And we were not even close to the finish line.  We pull up the ride map again, and it looks like that intersection should have been four ways!  Well if we weren't able to find AN ENTIRE ROAD we figured we might as well just take the road we're on.  We could see from Google that it would eventually get us to the finish, it was just the looooonnggg way back.

I would like to tell you that I was brave.  That I was all "hakuna matata and get on your bikes!  We'll have a great time!  We'll feel successful and make it in record speed!"

But I wasn't.  I was way past my limit and being lost was that last straw.  I was tired and hungry and sore and worst of all, we were now back to battling that headwind as we looped around.  I cried a little was not a very happy camper.

But y'all, I MADE IT!  35 miles!  Sure, my legs were jello and I slept the rest of the day, but who's here to judge?  Sean and I will chock this one up to a "bonding experience," and I'll cross March off the list.  Happy riding!