Cold

So, it's been a while since I last wrote anything. A lot has changed! We up and moved from Switzerland to Wisconsin and settling in hasn't exactly been easy. Let's just say that Northerners are not any where near as friendly as Texans.

Summer was great for running! I ran everywhere we visited. Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming and a bit of Nebraska. It was great. Haven't been doing so much in the last couple of weeks because it has been COLD!! Windy, cold, rainy, ugh. Gotta figure out how to get out there and run in this stuff because it is here to stay. (At least until May.)

A great bit of news is that after 18 years of staying home with my babies, I am gainfully employed! I got a job at the YMCA's childcare facility. They pay sucks, but the job will be great. I love working with kids, and my measly little paycheck will help pay for me to go back to school.

Speaking of back to school, the kids love their new school. #1 is finally so involved in activities, I can't keep track of her. This is wonderful! Band, orchestra, choir, advanced placement classes. Yay!

Until later....

The 1/2 I really want to do

Hello, everyone! I hope this new year brings good health, happiness, lots of laughter and love for you. 2010 is over and 2011 has barely begun. Has anyone made any resolutions or commitments for 2011? I have made one. Only 1. That is enough for me. Are you curious?

My goal (the one and only) is to complete a marathon this year. The plan is to run/walk it. There you go. That's it. I'm sure I can do it.

Okay, on to other topics. I have had my eye on this half marathon for years. About 7 years now, ever since I started running longer distances than 5 and 10k. It is a tough, tough run. It's in Wyoming, on this stretch of land between Laramie and Cheyenne. Absolutely gorgeous scenery, desolate area, few people. My favorite type of run. Here is the link:

http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon/

Check it out. I know I can do it, there is no time limit, just be done before dark. I can take my time and plod along up the mountain. It's a thought...

Knee injury

Wow, what a couple of weeks. I felt so good right after the Lausanne 10k, getting my personal best and running such a great race! Monday came crashing down, though. I’d been fighting a cold the previous week and it caught up with me. Coughing, sore throat, serious sinus congestion, ugh. Took me all week to recuperate and I was unable to run. It was nice staying home, though! I crocheted, worked on the kitchen, and washed gazillion loads of laundry. It ended up being a productive week.

I was ready to go Monday; I ran some with my friend JM. The cold was still hanging on and we ran VERY, very slowly. Which is fine, I ran! However, the rest of the week my running has been put on hold. I have an injury. There is no great story behind it, but I’ll share it anyway.

This past weekend, I broke two of my favorite champagne glasses. They were so beautiful. Heart shaped, heavy at the base, thinning out to the top. We’ve had them since before we got married, 17 years ago; used them at our wedding for a toast; they’ve moved from California to Texas to Switzerland and survived all those moves. Until the day I decide to wash them! Oh well, c’est la vie. I cleaned up the bits and pieces and threw them in the trash, and didn’t give them a second thought.

Monday afternoon, 3:25 pm, right before pick up, I was taking the trash to the car so that I could drop it off at the huge bins that we take our trash to. Since the bag was a bit heavy, I decided to help it move along with my foot. Not a good idea when there is broken glass in a plastic trash bag. Zing! The glass had broken through the bag, ripped my pants and gave me a great slice below the knee. Dang! I looked at it, and never having a cut like this before decided that I’d better have it checked out. Three stitches later, I’m home.

That’s the story. No running for a few days. That’s how it goes.

Have a great weekend!

Running on Vacation

For the past week, other than recovering from jetlag, I have been debating on what to write about. My brain has been going non-stop since we arrived home from the USA. A lot happened during my visit, other than drinking too much with my wonderful family and friends. (My liver will need a few weeks to recover!) I’ve thought about friendship and what a gift that is, family and how wonderful and crazy that can be. I’ve thought about life in the US versus life here in Switzerland, and finally I thought about the one thing that clears my head of all this: running. Running helps me think, and it clears my head of all the noise and chatter that goes on.

I managed quite a few runs while on my trip. My first day in Denver, I managed to go running with my Sis on this beautiful trail where there were elk grazing! Getting up at 4:45 while on vacation stinks, but this was worth it, I got to see this amazing sunrise over Denver and then to see elk grazing on the trail. No other run during my trip beat that. In Montana, I ran with one of my favorite nieces along a two lane highway near Absarokee. The run ended with coffee in Fishtail, Montana. An old rancher remarked to us, “Wouldn’t it have been better to run downhill instead of up?!” At which point I told my niece, “I knew that was all uphill! Dang!!” She laughed and the next day we started on the other side of Fishtail, towards Hannah, Montana, and ran downhill to Fishtail. However, the point where we were left at started at the top of a hill, heading downhill only to discover there was some serious hill climbing to do before any descent was made. Two more beautiful morning runs, surrounded by prairies that led to the mountains of Red Lodge, Montana, with two amazing sunrises and the best coffee ever. If you are ever in Fishtail, Montana, get yourself to Potter’s. You will be happy that you did.

Okay, school run time, will share more later!