Still sick...and a big step forward

Home today - no work, except for my writing and photography. And no one home either - R is off today and hanging out with friends. I have to somehow make a semi-miraculous recovery and take J to her soccer tournament game tonight, and N and their stepsister. Yikes, I hope I don't get pneumonia being out there tonight. I really just have to get them there, then I can go home. Their dad (X man) is picking them up.

But I did inch closer to my marathon commitment this morning. I finally registered for the Rock n Roll Arizona. Double yikes - first marathon, hopefully not my last. As late as last night, I was dithering about whether I should do this one, Austin, Napa Valley or another Arizona race called the Lost Dutchman Marathon, even though we already booked the flight to Phoenix in January and reserved the hotel in Scottsdale. But because of cost and logistics, I finally settled on this one. I think it'll be a good first-time one, even though there's a six-mile out and back on the SAME road. And it's not even a nice looking one.

Crazy? Sure.

Muddling through

For the last four days, I've been battling a cold. Needless to say, my marathon training has come to a screeching halt. Yeah, I know that I could probably keep running, do an easy 30 minute jaunt, but I'm really trying to get at least back to normal breathing and energy levels, and not feel like I've been it by an 18-wheeler.

I've been debating or not to go to work. Today especially, since I do not have any kids I need to see and I'm sorely tempted to keep writing and querying my travel articles. I also need to critique a friend's article, which initially looked really good. So much to do, not quite 100% healthy enough to do it all.

Oh well...keep plugging anyway. That's what I tell my kids when they're not feeling well but aren't running a fever. Kind of sad, I know - we have to keep pushing onward and keep moving. Wouldn't it just be nice to take a real breather and have the time to get completely healthy?

Crazy in the heat

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I am currently training for a marathon. Even though I've attempted this nutty goal before, illness or injury always prevented me from going further and making it. I've now run three half-marathons, and will be running the Denver Rock n Roll half in two weeks. I debated on whether or not to run it, but it came down to a friend calling and telling me that she and her 12-year-old son would be doing it. So will I now, apparently. The nice thing is, I know what to expect from it. Getting through it, though, will be another matter.

So far, so good with the training. I'd probably be doing better if I was with a group, but I'm kind of afraid to run with others. You'd never guess from the way my body is built, but I'm a slug. Slower than a turtle or a penguin. When I run, I barely move - but I really love running. It makes me feel invincible when I've run six miles, and now I've done that on a regular basis.

The aim is to make the Arizona Rock n Roll marathon in January, MLK weekend. I don't mind going to Arizona, since I lived there for two years going to grad school. And despite its crazy conservative reputation, I really enjoy some things about the place. Besides, we will be sick of winter by that point, and it'll be good to be in warm sun. Even if I'm going to ruin it by running, then slogging through 26.2 miles.

Awesome weekend

Although I'm missing my kids something fierce, last weekend in Snowmass/Aspen was awesome, and R and I had fun. As with Beaver Creek, I wish I could go back there when the snow falls and ski, but I'm not sure when that will be.

Here are some photos of our time there...

Maroon Bells (of course, the weather didn't cooperate the day we went)








And the Snowmass Balloon Festival

We'd definitely like to return!

Off to Snowmass tomorrow

First post in a while...I really wanted to get something written in San Francisco when we were there over Labor Day weekend, but it was crazy busy (isn't everything?).

Plus, I got injured on my long run, so much to the point that I went to Kaiser on Labor Day (thanks, $100 after hours co-pay), only to find out that I didn't break my left hand. Also scraped up my knee - as usual - and bruised my shoulder. My hand did swell up enough that I couldn't fit my wedding rings on until yesterday, ten days after the fact. But I'm finally on the mend.

So R and I are leaving for Snowmass Village tomorrow, just west of Aspen. I'm there to take pictures and hopefully get an article or two from it. Since I've never been there, I'm really excited to be going.

Hope I'll be posting in a few days here...