MIA

Well, not really.

It's only been 20 days but for me that is a long time to be away from my beloved blog.  To say that those days were overwhelming would not be describing it to it's full potential.  Still adjusting to the single life, I've been happy but so busy.  I was trying to get ready for Ragnar and working my 2 jobs.  Plus, my AirMed job requires I have to do lots of off shift training, meetings, etc.  I spent a couple of weeks flying so much that I had no time to catch up around the house or my bills or anything.  When I went to Rock Springs I ended up charting and flying.  It really is a blast, but the timing was not very convenient.  But then again, is it ever. 

SO I survived.  I managed to get all my work done and catch up on some stuff on the house and last Tuesday I went to work in Ogden and felt awesome!  I can do this.  I can have my house, work and keep up on life.  Just not my blog, so much.  I feel very lucky to be able to work enough to support having a house and the health to work hard!

Enough about that.  It wasn't that anything worth blogging was going on!  It was a wonderful busy month!  Here is my 3 week catch up in pics/comments.

Three day detox.  I would have to give it one thumb up and one thumb down.  Too many carbs for my low carb body.  I didn't feel good enough at the end to do it again. 

Started trail running.

But first I watched some horses talk about my decision.  They were planning on saving me if I got lost.

My first trail run was on the Corner Canyon Trails.  My brother showed me a map and I printed it out and made a plan.



 I call it the run that almost DIDN'T happen.  I drove all the way there (about 20 minutes) and realized I forgot my NEW trail running shoes.  GAH!  Thankfully I've been running around town in some Saucony Guide 5's and I just laced them up tight and took off.  They did a great job and washed up just fine after.

It was a huge success and I loved every minute of it.  So much so that I went trail running the next Saturday also.

My favorite bottle holder and my map.  I actually used it a couple of times.  There was also lots of people on the trails that were helpful.  It was hottie heaven.  I need to hang out there more often!

WORK

Practicing with our NVG's.  It could be construed as Shenanigans.  But it was work people, WORK!

BIRTHDAYS!

June is a big birthday month.  Daniel was born on the 12th and my birthday is the 16th.  He is 18 now, and he's my youngest.  Guess I'm done?

Family BBQ and cake.  We like to keep it casual.

Jake and his beautiful girlfriend Emily

Taking pictures.  Because my kids are awesome.

And my daughter is so funny and beautiful.  I don't know if it was parenting skills, genetic or luck but all my kids are fantastic, kind, smart and funny.  They are super cute too!

My oldest, Austin.  I was playing hockey ball with Ted the dog.  That way he keeps moving and Ted has fun too.  He is getting ready to start his new job at Halliburton and has been mostly staying with us.  He's done a great job helping around the house, feeding the dogs, exercising Ted...eating. 

Hahaha

GRANDSONS!

Lyndsi and Brent came into town to visit family and I had a chance to hang with the boys for a few hours.  They are healthy, cute and smart!  I smooched lots of cheeks. 

MY Birthday

Terri, on the far left and I share a birthday month.  At work I use to bring a cake that we would share.  We asked some friends to come celebrate with us at Cafe Madrid and had a great time with lots of Sangria and friendship!

I went out to dinner with Tera and Jason the next night, but alas, no pictures.

BROTHER; aka animal!

I heard through my great blogging friend Susette, that there was going to be a Corner Canyon ultra.  I had planned to run there so I decided to run up Millcreek that day instead.  Then I thought, I wonder if my brother Joe is running it?  I texted him and yes, he was!  I planned my run so that I could drive down to the finish after and see him come in.

He came in FOURTH on his very first 50K ultra!

I knew the first three runners, they were all residents at the U. They were all 10 years younger then my brother, who is 41. 

BOOM.

IN YOUR FACE.

Maybe deep inside that talent genetically lies in me.  :::Shrug::::

WORK

Late call on one of my rotor shifts.  Up in the mountains.  We had to hike.  I was wearing my winter boots since my regular boots were in Rock Springs.  They worked out wonderfully.  I have been told that hiking is involved with my job and there it was!  It was a beautiful night and the ground crew were amazing!  It's definitely a call I won't forget!

That's it! All caught up.

Good times.

Now I will put together some posts so that you can see how the antics continue.

NOW.....here comes the Ragnar!

What do you do when you feel very overwhelmed??

I take any opportunity to nap.  I don't know why, but the lack of sleep makes me unable to cope with daily life when I get too overwhelmed.

Blog on....................

Blog or Life change

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately.  A lot of running blogs.  I am always craving more information and finding people that have the same struggles that I do.  Although there doesn't seem to be many blogs about the challenges of a middle aged woman with kids of legal age, a blossoming career and the struggles of keeping the peri-menopausal body and mind under control.  Plus, I love running.  I love reading all things running.  I also love blogging about my daily life. I can look back and see how things were and what I've learned.  It's the best journal out there.  Once in a while my husband will peruse my posts. Imagine it's like reading my mind at times.  Magic. 

I'd like to re-name the blog.  Let's face it.  It's more about me then my crew.  Although I love my family dearly and they warrant mention on here occasionally, they are a busy crowd.  I can be home for three days straight and see the two kids that live here for a total of an hour each.  I just don't know what to re-name it.  I guess I could call it "middle aged woman in peri-menopausal crisis that runs....and flies".  

I understand that I have mentioned menopause twice, well now three, times in two paragraphs. If you have to ask, you don't understand.  Mother nature is very angry.  No one warns you either.  You just wake up morning after morning thinking, "you've GOT to be kidding me"!!   Don't ever say I didn't warn you.

RUNNING!

I love running.  Around March I got all sassy and thought I could run without my inserts.  I had new shoes and was sure I could do some short treadmill workouts.  I thought it would strengthen my foot.  I was wrong.  I was so wrong.  Welcome back plantar fasciitis!  I missed you (NOT).  I took one year off running and limped for over 2 years fixing my last round with it.  I immediately went to my favorite podiatrist, who was the only one that fixed it.  Not physical therapy or anything else, only the custom inserts and strict instructions to wear only good solid shoes.  (Yeah!  new running shoes!)  My podiatrist, who has very little personality and even less sense of humor, laughed at me!  Yes, laughed!  He readjusted my inserts, giggled again and then told me I know what to do and to do it.  I have written about the shot of cortisone I endured about 3 weeks ago but besides that I have committed to a super serious regime of plantar healing.  Massage, ice, elevation and bio freeze.  Everyday my friends.  Everyday.  So far it's working pretty good.  Nothing wrong with sitting around with your feet elevated.  

On that subject (not really) I bought a new paddle brush from Aveda and I love it, love it, love it.  Sometimes I just brush my hair to brush it.  Plus I get to count and admire my grey hair that needs a touch up.  

Speaking of getting old.   I am blessed to have the red neck (teehee) of a high school student straight out of the back seat covered in hickeys.  Poikiloderma is the name.  My only treatment, because I am cheap, is bleaching cream and lots of sunscreen.  Because of this my face washing steps have quadrupled.  Soap, toner, lotion, sunscreen, bleach cream and occasionally some retinol cream to ninja block some wrinkles.

It's not a rumor, I love Saucony brand running shoes.  I have 5 pairs right now.  That may not seem like a lot BUT I have only been running in them for about 8 months. I was an Asics girl before and even briefly cheated with New Balance and Brooks, but now I've settled down and made a commitment. Yes, yes, it's love.  

I did buy Daniel some shoes.  He has some awful feet!  They are as flat as Fred Flintstones, horrible pronation along with collapsing ankles.  It hurts to watch him walk barefoot.  I've taken him to an orthopedic surgeon twice!  Only thing to do is get sensible shoes.  Daniel is 17.  He hasn't seen a sensible shoe since he was a toddler.  Big skate shoes whose laces are never tied is what he prefers.  Finally, after complaining for the 100th time that his feet hurt and for the 100th time me telling him he has to wear good shoes and inserts he is coming around.  He promised to wear these lovely size 13 Nike's.  Recommended by the running shoe guy and on sale for only 88 bucks.  Daniel better wear them!

Today was a rest day.  Thank god too!!  After speed work on Friday I thought I would survive a Pilates Reformer Jump class.  Holy Hannah did my quads burn.  From about jump 3, they started burning.  Then I told my instructor she was short.  Pain doesn't bring out the best in me.  I made it through but I cancelled a regular Reformer class this morning.  I have a long run (13 miles) tomorrow early AM and I would like to not die.  I am eating cashews and popcorn though...you know, to carb load.  

Blog on............

Exhausted

Flew early this AM. I'm hanging out in the off-duty apartment for a day before my next shift. Movies, snacks and lots of water with NUUN. Recovery day squared.

Blog on............

Give me Strength!

I’m having one of those weeks.  You know the ones.  Where it takes you DAYS to do what can be done in one day, you always look tired and you dream of taking long naps.  These periods of time happen once in a while to me and I can’t figure out what precipitates it.  My shifts last week were not necessarily tiring. I had an all night flight, but I had plenty of rest and sleep when I got home.  I have just been dragging.  I have made it to every Pilate’s class and worked out every day but Sunday.  I thought if I gave myself a day off from the gym then I would feel a little better.  Not so much. I even drank lots of water and my favorite hydration drink, NUUN. 

I had a list of things I needed to get done when I got home from work last Friday.  I had calls to make, projects to finish and bills to pay. It’s now Tuesday night and I still have a cabin project to do and a phone call to make.  I could have done it all in a day, but magically dragged it out for 4 and tomorrow will be five.  The good news is, it will be all done before I go back to work on Thursday in Rock Springs for 5 days. 

After much thought in the past 2 days of why I feel this way I’m sure it is a combination of stuff. First, I think I’m a little depressed. This is what happens when I can’t run. Any runner will back me up when I say that injury is a throw down.  Add that to the stress Matt and I have with all our travels coupled with having 2 teenagers at home that are struggling to find their independence and I have a trifecta for sadness.  Another thing, I dropped my carbohydrate intake under 80-100 to lose the last few pounds I want to lose and that can make your energy levels drop briefly.  At least I’ve lost a few pounds!  Woot Woot!  Stress at work, stress at home,the never ending dog hair and the heat.  Tada!  There it is.  Doesn’t make it easier, but it does make it better to know the possibilities in my lack of energy and motivation.   It’s hard to be filled with too much self-pity when I realize how silly it is and how hard things could be.  Plus there are many times when I've had the same stress or even more and managed to keep my energy up and motivation going.   It could be my monthly cycle or (heaven forbid) I finally go into menopause!  (completely sarcastic)

So I took a long nap this afternoon.  I didn’t think I would sleep after 9 hours last night, but I did.  I owned that nap!  It was spectacular in so many ways. 

This is exactly how I feel.

Daniel is feeling it too.

So the pity party is winding down, I plan to give out the party treats and start cleaning up tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Blog on................

Suffer

From insomnia and boredom. I already bought some running socks - orange - and now I've eaten 3/4th of a container of delicious ice cream made from coconut milk.

Carb loading for my rest day!

I'd be skinny and rich if I could sleep easier and always remember a book to read!