HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's been one heck of year!

The first one in I don't know how long, nothing has gone wrong and everything has gone so, so, so right.  Well unless you count that nasty nasty injury I had early April that sidelined me for 2 months and put me in the hands of a chiropractor.  But even with that...twas a wonderful WONDERFUL year!

While I did defer my Houston marathon to 2014, I do already have 3 races lined up for the first 6 months of 2013.

1. 
   

   
   

   New York City half marathon in March (got in through the lottery)

Bolder Boulder (one of the largest and most popular 10K's in the country; and probably one of the hardest)

A trail half marathon in June in South Dakota (the name escapes me right now)

All I can hope for now is that at least for the first race of the year, that the snow lets up and gives me the opportunity to run outside again.  With so much snow and it not melting (and drying up because melted snow just turns to ice each and every night), I have to run on the treadmill all the time. 

Hoping that within the next week at least the roads and/or sidewalks clear up enough so I can run outside again.  Even if it is below zero most mornings and in the 20's each evening. 

It's definitely a challenge getting out there when its that cold, but doable.  I got some cold weather running gear for Christmas which was greatly appreciated!

And one of the best and most surprising gifts I got this year???

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Been a Little Cold...

And we had a little snowstorm yesterday as well.

NBD.  Few inches but most everything was just blowing all over the place since it was so windy.  Yard ended up with accumulation of 2 inches; at least that is what was there when we got up this morning.

As I am typing this, its almost 6:20pm and the temp currently sits at 14deg.  Not sure why that surprises me since it only got up to 25deg today but at least the sun was out!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

What I Woke Up To This Morning....

A winter wonderland...In October  :)
And no I am not on vacation.  Went upstairs to the deck of my house and shot this beauty as the day was dawning.  Ended up with 8 inches of snow total for the day.
Simply beautiful!

I love my life!

Adios...Sayanora...Auf Wiedersehan...Goodbye

Well folks...this is it for a while.  For how long a while I have no idea, but honestly it might be permanent.

Life (YAY!) has taken over and I no longer a) feel compelled to b) have the time for and c) even want to .... blog anymore.

Those in the know, besties and through personally being connected via Facebook know already how wonderful life is for me now here in Nebraska!!!

I am finally all settled into the new house (the past 2 weeks of meeting movers both in Houston and then here in Nebraska have been exhausting) and it was wonderful to just walk out the back door this morning to run BEFORE WORK again and take off running in the 50 deg weather btw...It was 39deg Saturday morning!! 

Yesterday was the first real day of absolutely nothing .... cooking, laying around, and napping...it was indeed glorious!!!

The house is fantastic and obviously I still need a few things having all that extra space now, but all in good time.

Additionally I just never get around to reading blogs anymore either.  I read a few of my besties here and there when I find some spare quiet time maybe during lunch (like right now), but it isn't often and quite frankly I would rather catch up on my celebrity gossip and blogs with whole/real food recipes than reading day to day humdrum, I ran a 100 miles today because I dont have a job and/or supported by my husband and maybe I will have a baby and complain about that making me fat kind of blogs...

So anyway...its been real and its been fun, but it ain't been real fun :O) ...

But now its time to say Goodnight Gracie.  Until we meet again.

Goodnight Gracie.

Quickie...

I cannot begin to tell you how much I hated being in Houston those couple of days while the movers were doing what they do. The weather was exhausting along with the bazillion things I had to do…It was a quick down and back trip with me being so utterly exhausted by the time I left and then got back to Denver, only to have to drive a couple of hours just to get home…and then everything showing up here yesterday just meant another long day and a few more before I am all the way settled in, but I AM MOVED INTO MY NEW HOUSE!!! Only 20% of my stuff is out of boxes, but it will be complete when its complete. :O) The kitchen boxes (why are there SO MANY!??!?) will be tackled next and probably not until tomorrow as I am beyond physically exhausted.

For a week now I have barely eaten and barely slept….

Anyhoohoo…..

Thankfully Sunday when I met the folks after church to do the walk through on the house, it was spotless and my OCD self didn’t need to do any additional cleaning before the truck arrived with my stuff. I was a total slug on Sunday and it was glorious. And thankfully Monday was a holiday so there was that…I did get out for a short run/walk (still so sore from Saturdays run (not with KW afterall) and then CrossFit) that I didn’t know if I was going to be able to run…but it worked out OK; I just took it reallllly easy.

I have to say that the initial moving and new job did impact my training/running somewhat, last week and probably this week are really going to take the biggest hits in that department.

There are…and I never knew when this day might come that I thought this…but there are just things more important and more fun than spending my free time training (and running).

There. I said it.

Life is so wonderful. I am so blessed and completely happy. Its amazing.

I am still in the process of working through some of the mentality I had for so many years…about running…about what part it played in my life…and the folks that impacted my life during it; both positively...and negatively.

I obviously still love running, but I obviously love others things just as much, if not more.

I love my new house. I love love love my new job. I love my new friends. I love my new life.

And yes, I still love running.

But I also enjoy hiking. And exploring. And road trips :O) And of course I still love CrossFit.

So what does all of this mean?

Well right now it just means that I will run when I can, if I can, and for however many miles I want. Or don’t want.

I will still try to stick to my KW schedule, but I won’t be a slave to it.

I know that January will be here before I know it, and I’ll be ready.

Or ready enough anyway :O)

Texas in My Rearview!



Bye bye stuff!  See you later stuff!  Have a nice trip to Nebraska!!!

See you in a couple of days!!!

What Did I Say About No Plans!?

On Saturday morning while I was out doing my long run, my friend D had called and wanted to know if I wanted to drive into Ft. Collins for sushi and then on to Boulder to catch some of the 6th leg of the Pro USA Cycling race...

At first I said no, but once I got home and showered I changed my mind and called to see if she had already headed out...

Nope she was just filling up with gas...

So she swung by and picked me up...I was expecting her in her truck but nope...she had Barbie out for the day!!!

Then we were on our way!  Thank goodness for short hair!!!

Just entering into Wyoming

Dessert after a fab sushi lunch!  We split it :)

Cheese Importers...it was SO cold in there...they provide coats if you need one, but at least I had a long sleeve on and jeans...

I bought some fab cheese, fresh kalamata olives off the olive bar, some garlic olive oil, Bruschette and some orzo.  (We had a cooler in the trunk)

Approaching the Front Range of the Rockies...

Entering into Boulder

Trek Cycling had a patio with free Chipotle, beer and wine...I didnt end up buying anything but Diane got some new high dollar Shisamo (sp?) clip in shoes for her Trek

Jens Voigt made an appearance at the store and here he is signing Dianes Trek jersey she had bought in Singapore on her trip..

The sunset in our rear view on the way home....a long but wonderful day!!!!

 Honorable mentions with no photos...

Antelope, buffalo, deer, Clydesdales (all roaming around)

And then last but not least....3 camels!!!

I was like WTF?  But going 80mph in a convertible and seeing things almost last minute doesn't bode well for getting a photo op!!!