Time sprints on!

Here we are at the end of March and it has been almost 2 months since I last updated this blog.  I swear I lose whole weeks sometimes in the course of working, training and enjoying life.  As much as I would like to keep my daily life at a nice, steady marathon pace, it appears there are other forces at work and it is mostly a full out sprint!

February was a bit of a challenge, to put it mildly.  I was asked to complete two new modules for the software application I am working on, both within the space of 5 weeks.  The problem?  Each application was predicted to take 4-5 weeks all by itself.  The solution?  "We'll pay you for the overtime"  The result?  One very tired software engineer and some very happy end-users.  While it is a wonderful feeling to be able to deliver tools that make people's lives easier, I am still recovering from the exhaustion.  Luckily my boss is great and isn't letting this become a habit.

March has brought with it rain and lots more training.  As I spent most of February behind a keyboard, my training was lacking a lot.  I am almost up to full speed again, however there were some painful and tired days in the past few weeks.  I am staring down 10 weeks until the big race and only 1 week until my tune-up 1/2 marathon.  The "tune-up" is going to be more like a slog however I am doing it with a good friend here, so it should be fun no matter what my time is.

I have also come to the realization that splits aren't everything in my training/racing arsenal.  While I am continuing to push myself to better times and longer outings, I am also taking the time to enjoy the process.  I often get caught up in the mental talk of "how can I possibly still be at this pace" and "wow - I used to be able to crank out these miles with no problem".  Those statements are true, however I am a couple years older and a few pounds stouter than I was then.  I have to remember that I will get back to that point, it is just going to take a little bit long and some more effort.

So, tomorrow I will do a 10K to just myself a boost before the 1/2 next weekend.  In 10 weeks, I am going to kick the "Turtle" course and have a great time doing it!

Happy outdoor activities all! :)

Ever so timely

"But where you are now doesn't determine where you can be if you decide to change.  Make tomorrow healthier than today.  And keep going.  One day at a time.  Transformation doesn't happen overnight, and yet incremental changes in diet and exercise can make dramatic differences when done consistently over a period of time.  Health and satisfaction result.  And hope."  - Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life Daily Challenge


I write often on here of Mr. Dungy's inspirations that I absorb on a daily basis however today's was particularly poignant.  I received an email earlier in the day that was very disappointing to me although not unexpected.  It has me fired up to make some changes and prove something primarily to myself.  I then picked up Edd (the iPad) to read my daily passage as I had not had a good opportunity earlier in the day, to discover a passage on our bodies being temple to God.  It was as if someone had read my mind and knew exactly what I needed to hear.


I am competing in a 1/2 Ironman on June 2nd of this year.  It is a race I am dedicating to my mom as well as other people in my life with MS.  I am hoping to raise $100 for every mile I am covering which I felt was motivation enough.  Now, I have even more.  It's time to get the rear in gear, as my mom would say.


I have a ton of excuses that I am going to have to shove aside.  Yes, I am dead tired most evenings.  Yes, I am suffering from the effects of the vog.  Yes, I am working extra hours to get a couple of projects done for work.  Yes, I am in danger of getting a migraine.  Yes, I am slower than I want to be.  Guess what?  Yep, you got it - none of that is preventing me from training and getting ready for my race.  I have been doing much better over the past 2 weeks, so steps in the right direction.


My mother- and father-in-law are here this week.  It is wonderful to see them and get to at least spend a few hours of every day catching up.  We are hoping to have some fun over the weekend and do a few touristy things.  I can tell they really miss Justin and a day doesn't go by that they don't make a remark about us moving back to Seattle.  They are certainly pushing us to come back sooner rather than later.  I definitely miss some things about Seattle however I think I mostly miss the mainland way of life more than any particular place.  We'll see what the next few months bring.  In the meantime, we'll enjoy their company for the next week.


25 days and counting....

Another week in the books

This was a long one - even though I had Monday off of work.  After spending the week recovering from my 1/2 marathon jaunt, I took off for a 5K training run/walk last evening.  Well, I can officially say that I am still very sore and my muscles haven't forgiven me for the abuse I subjected them to last Sunday.  I am still a bit sore today from that short little foray however I feel good about having gone out.

Today I alternately worked on the client application and prepared for my in-laws to be in town.  I needed to finish up a certain part of the application prior to a Monday morning meeting, so I knocked that out in about 4 hours.  I also wanted to organize our kitchen before my mother-in-law saw what a mess it is.  My "breaks" from working were spent emptying out kitchen cabinets, wiping them all down and then applying a new, better looking liner before neatly replacing the contents.  It looks *so* much better although I am only about 1/2 done.


I also updated our downstairs bathroom - adding a couple of new pictures and an everlasting flower arrangement.  :)  We have lots of live greenery in the house however I wanted something in there that wasn't going to be high maintenance.  Let's face it - keeping bathrooms sparkling clean and neat is enough of a chore without adding the hassle of replacing cut flowers on a regular basis!


I am looking forward to the NFL Conference Championships tomorrow!  They should both be good games although I'm not really pulling for any of the teams at this point.  I was really hoping that Houston would make it - they seemed like the only one of my teams this year that had a real shot.  Oh well, it's still fun to watch.  Football season is drawing to a close but that only means that we are that much closer to March Madness!  Absolutely the *best* time of the year for sports...in my humble opinion, of course.


Mr. Dungy continues to provide great and inspirational guidance on a daily basis.  There was one day that I couldn't quite figure out how to apply it to my own daily life however it still made me reflect and think about it which is wonderful.  After a particularly crazy week of work, I am happy that I am making a habit of taking the time out of my day for some reflection.  Good stuff.


21 days and counting...;)

Phew...that was a challenge!

Yesterday I completed a 13.1 mile run/walk to benefit the Leukemia Society. Nike+ teamed up with the society to organize a worldwide virtual half marathon to raise funds and awareness for the deadly blood cancers. I raced my first ever triathlon for the society and am proud to support their cause.


I had signed up for the event some months ago when I felt better and was trying to get back into shape. My migraine issues have kept me sidelined for the most part so I wasn't as prepared as I hoped to be. By mile 9 I was feeling it and by mile 11 it was really starting to hurt. I wanted to call it a day and skip finishing the full distance but then I remembered my discomfort paled in comparison to those I was competing for. The patients with blood diseases can't call it a day or just quit because it's hard. So I took a few mental deep breaths and pushed through.


As I write this I am soaking my muscles in Epsom salts, hoping to loosen them up a bit before I retire for the night. While last night and today haven't been ideal, I learned something about myself - I am stronger than I thought. I would have liked to finish the distance stronger and faster than I did, however the most important part is that I didn't give in. My daily readings have been reminding me that we can do more than we sometimes lead ourselves to believe. No one was watching me or expecting me to finish however I knew I had to. It is a great feeling - hopefully one I can build on for the next few months.


I also decided this weekend that I would dedicate my half Ironman to raising funds for the MS Society, my mom and my cousin. I want my hard work to benefit more than just myself. It is a great way to become even more motivated in my goals. It will also help keep me off the Dr. Pepper - 16 days and counting!

Location:Alapoai St,Mililani,United States

Some time away

Today's reading is especially poignant and timely. It is all about taking a few minutes (or more) away from all of the pressures and demands of regular life. It mentions stepping away from the phone, meetings and other time demands to think and focus on you and your beliefs; especially your relationship with God.

I feel particularly under the gun with my current assignment. I have been assigned almost double the work and lost all other resources to assist and delegate to. It is now just me with the original system to complete as well as a second complete system. I am trying to be smart about it and make good decisions so that what I create for one system has the potential to be utilized in the other however there are still parts that will always be separate. I sometimes sit in meetings and just try to keep by head near the surface by the end, forget above water at this point. So when I read today's reading, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I do need to take time away and to not get completely wrapped up.

I am very thankful that we started this Uncommon challenge. If nothing else, it gives me a little time every day to reflect on what is truly important in life. Once again Mr. Dungy has my admiration! It's all about making goals and priorities manageable and attainable.

Day 11 of ZERO Dr. Pepper!!

Location:Alapoai St,Mililani,United States

Self-control and discipline

The lessons of today's reading are things we all know about and yet struggle with. It's so much easier to set the goal than it is to put in the work to accomplish it. It is much easier to take the day off to relax than to put in just that little extra time. Every day we are faced with challenges, decisions and obstacles that test both our self-control and discipline.

I sincerely want to finish my 100 day challenge and yet I find myself falling behind a bit on it. In some areas I am excelling but overall I am failing to meet my own expectations. Now those of you that know me know that I usually expect more of myself than I do of others, so sometimes I can push too hard. Right now I have to acknowledge the fact that I am using my health and my environment as excuses to slack off on my challenge. Did the vog really throw me for a loop yesterday? Yes, it did however I could have read a book or done some online research to further my knowledge. I could have gone to the gym for my walk/run instead of taking the day off.

It is a true test of discipline when you are solely accountable to yourself. It is much easier to push through or ignore the excuses when others are counting on you. My goal for this week - no more excuses!

On a very positive note - 8 days and no soda!! It was hard today with play-off football, friends and specialty nachos but I made it through. I did have a bit of ice cream but that can be forgiven once in awhile, right. ;)

Location:Alapoai St,Mililani,United States

Ah, so this is what it feels like!

I awoke this morning without any trace of a headache for the first time since our arrival on the islands. I had forgotten how pleasant a feeling that is. I noticed the smell of the flowers in my neighborhood and had a smile on my face. When you get used to dealing with the day blocking out a (mild) headache you forget to notice little things around you.

On my 100 day journey I have been reading my daily words of wisdom from my favorite coach, Tony Dungy. Mr. Dungy is the type of religious person I can truly respect - he quietly and effectively goes about living his life in a way he feels reflects his beliefs. While most people know about and respect his beliefs, they aren't splashed all over the headlines and thrown in your face. It is refreshing.

Mr. Dungy starts each daily reading off with a verse from the Bible and then goes on to discuss how to apply it to your every day life. His readings are primarily geared towards men to support his All Pro Dad initiative however there is something for everyone. I am enjoying it and hope that with the fog lifted I'll be more able to apply his teachings.

I am also on day 5 of my no soda and very little sugar exercise. Having a migraine for the past 3 days has made that a little easier so we'll see how today goes. It will be lovely not to be dependent on DP to make it through a day - especially at work. I have never been a fan of any dependency and this is my worst vice. When I lived in Prague I rarely drank soda although I did drink a rather tasty black tea every morning. I definitely felt better than I have since (and probably for some time prior) therefore I am determined to get back to that state. Perhaps it will also help with my headaches although I didn't start getting those until long after I had returned.

100 days to change your life

Last spring I ran across this article talking about how you can dramatically change your life, for the better, in 100 days.  My husband and I embarked upon the journey at that point and saw remarkable changes although it was cut short due to the move to the islands.  Since them we have talked about getting back to it and scheduling another 100 days - so no time like the present, right?  It is amazing what one can accomplish if you just set tangible and specific goals for yourself.  It is much harder to while away a day when you make a commitment to something.  The author suggests the following steps to get started:  (Please see her post for detailed explanations and samples)

Step 1: Choose Your Changes - choose 3 specific goals

Step 2: Drafting Your Change Chart - break each goal into actionable steps

Step 3: Writing Your Goals Down & Getting Going!

So, here I go!  My goals for 1 January - 10 April are as follows:

Goal 1: Get (back) into shape

• Run 9:10 pace for ½ marathon
• Swim at least once a week
• Increase overall stamina

Goal 2: Launch 'Races' and 'Training' portions of NYT

• Document requirements
• 52 race overviews – 1 for each state & 2 championships (by end of 2012)
• Research races for Washington state
• Finish coding race search engine
• Finish 'My Training Center'
• Launch Beta site

Goal 3: "Uncommon Life" Challenge

• Read the daily passage every morning