Dear Blog

No, I am not breaking up with you... it's just been a long time, and I thought it was time to spend a little time here.

One of the reasons I have stopped chatting, is that I feel like I don't have a lot to say.

Of course another reason is that I have cheated on you a bit, with that thing called "Facebook".

So what has been going on? Really, this and that. Seems like my time gets put somewhere or another...

But really my life as of late, has consistede of mainly three things: Work, Running, and Jaycees.

Work:
It's been busy. My counterpart in the U.S. decided to go back to his old job, so I have been trying to do some work on that service area, and keeping tabs and calm the two people that they have working a temporary assignment in our department. And they keep throwing more projects at me. And my managers have finally decided to take my advise, and have me help them out with their incident investigations. Shocker of shockers - do it right the first time!

Running:
Had a bit of a time there... the right knee has given me problems the last couple of weeks. Did a killer of a run about 5 weeks ago. 18 miles, in stinkin' hot humid weather. I was that girl with a fork in me, I was DONE. So much so that I managed to FORGET MY iPOD on the ground at the place where the running group meets. Luckly, one of my friends noticed it and I got it back. That would have put a topper on the day, let me tell you!

But back to the knee. Had a 19-mile run set up with folks from our group, doing a fair portion of the marathon route, for traning and all that sort of thing. My knee started giving me problems at about mile 14 or 15, but I preservered. At about mile 16, where some fabulous ladies from the running group had set up a water/encouragement stop, I debated if I should continue or not. And I did. The last mile was killer. Until my whole knee went kind of numb. But I got to 19 miles. I could have gone further, had it not been for the knee. It stiffened up, so I took it easy that week, and then I tried to run 12 on my birthday, the 5th of September. Not good. Ran 6 walked 3. Went to visit the chiropractor, who told me he could get me in shape to run the marathon... it was an IT band problem.

So, I've been seeing him 2 or so times a week, and I've kept exercising and running. The only thing that bothers me, is that I wasn't able to get in that 20-miler I should have done last week. I feel right now that I started my taper too early, and I'm not gonna be able to do as well as I should.

Saturday, when we were up at Lake Itasca, I went out for a long run - after doing a pretty good 5-miler on Friday. I did about 10.5 miles. Was expecting to do 12-15 miles, but holy hannah... the hills. I ran on the bike path.... I was thinking "bike path I run on those all the time... 12 should be easy peasy" but this was not your rails to trails path. It was a path in a state park where the lake was formed by glaciers. Hills, hills, with a side of hills. But that day, in addition to the run, we hiked at least 4 miles, and went up the stairs to look out the top of a fire tower.

Jaycees:
Since I'm on the board this year, I've kind of felt that I have needed to participate in more events than I have in the past couple of years. Not a bad thing, but it takes up time. And next year, I will probably be busier, since I will be the Administrative Vice President. (Basically the President's bitch, or right hand man, whatever you prefer.) I felt kind of guilty not volunteering at an event this weekend, but I gave up last weekend's activities and running for convention...

Throw in the mix some assorted projects: gardening, canning, freezing vegetables, doing some alterations on a frend's bridesmaid dress, working on an afgahn for a friend's wedding, and general houscleaning, and that is what I have been doing.

Yep. And starting to get a little freaked out.

The marathon is in two weeks.
~a