Yes, that's right. My half marathon training officially began yesterday! Yikes! I'm a little intimidated at the task ahead. I will be running a half marathon on Memorial Day. That means I only have 97 days to get myself ready - AHHHH!!! I'm officially nervous.
Now, when I say I'll be running the half marathon I use the term running very, and I mean very loosely. I've never been much of a runner. I had to work very hard to be able to even run a mile at first. Besides that I am very SLOW! Some people don't realize the truth of that last statement until they see me in action. It's true, I'm a slow runner. I probably jog at most people's walking pace and that's okay with me.
Last year we had a 5K as a church activity. One of my friends and I decided to run it together. She was nervous because she didn't think she'd be able to run the whole time. I told her not to worry - that we could stop and walk whenever she needed to. As soon as we started to "run" however, she looked at me, smiled and said, "I'm not worried anymore. I can run the whole time with you." Yep, that's right! Wasn't that sweet?! :)
You'll never hear me claim to be good at this. I'm one of those runners that puts the competition at ease. As nervous as I am, though, I'm also excited. I know it will feel so incredibly awesome to cross that finish line on May 30, even if I am coming in at 3 mph. So, wish me luck because I will be running this race in 96 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes, and 49 seconds, 48, 47, 46, 45...
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Never Compare Yourself to Itzhak Perlman
I got my violin fixed. One thing crossed of my list of things to do this year! Awesome! It's been so fun to remember the joy this kind of music gave me!
Well, I've been practicing and I'm a little rusty to say the least, but getting better with each practice session. I have a goal that I mentioned in a previous post (also on my list at the side of this blog) to relearn my favorite song I used to play on the violin: Concerto No. 1 in A minor by J. B. Accolay. I decided to go to youtube for a little inspiration and found a beautiful recording of it (click here to listen) performed by one of the most amazing violinists to ever live! It makes my goal to relearn it seem a lot cooler, but also a little unreachable.
What I have learned: Never Compare Yourself to Itzhak Perlman.
Well, I've been practicing and I'm a little rusty to say the least, but getting better with each practice session. I have a goal that I mentioned in a previous post (also on my list at the side of this blog) to relearn my favorite song I used to play on the violin: Concerto No. 1 in A minor by J. B. Accolay. I decided to go to youtube for a little inspiration and found a beautiful recording of it (click here to listen) performed by one of the most amazing violinists to ever live! It makes my goal to relearn it seem a lot cooler, but also a little unreachable.
What I have learned: Never Compare Yourself to Itzhak Perlman.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Word of the Day
I have a love of the English language. Knowing this, you might think that if words brought me that much joy, I might know a few more of them. But, alas, I have a very small vocabulary! In hopes to broaden my vocabulary one year, I asked for a word of the day calendar for Christmas. I had visions of eloquent speeches (given by me of course), not sitting beside my dictionary as I read books for people my own age, and understanding one of my parents' conversations (they have good vocabularies - how did I not inherit this?) without needing to ask them what a word meant. A word of the day calendar would deliver my hopes and dreams, right?
I knew, the very moment I opened my gift from a loving Santa, that I would sound much more intelligent within weeks, if not days. I opened the page: utmost - 1: situated at the farthest or most distant point: extreme. Other definitions followed. This won't be too bad. I can use this word to gain the utmost respect from the brilliant people of the world - NO PROB!
The next day: gadarene: headlong or precipitate. Ummm...should I admit that I don't actually understand this definition. Should you need a dictionary to look up the words you don't understand in your word of the day calendar? Precipitate??? Isn't that when rain or snow falls from clouds in the sky? How will I ever use this word???
After I got over the initial shock of a daunting word, I thought, "If all the words were as common and easy to use as utmost, there wouldn't really be a point to this calendar, right?" I can give this a shot.
I've decided that tonight is the night I'm going to use this new word. I will ask my husband to pass the gadarene salt while at the dinner table. See, I'm using new words! Already my vocabulary is expanding!!!
Think anyone will notice that I still don't know how to use this word in context? Hope not.
I knew, the very moment I opened my gift from a loving Santa, that I would sound much more intelligent within weeks, if not days. I opened the page: utmost - 1: situated at the farthest or most distant point: extreme. Other definitions followed. This won't be too bad. I can use this word to gain the utmost respect from the brilliant people of the world - NO PROB!
The next day: gadarene: headlong or precipitate. Ummm...should I admit that I don't actually understand this definition. Should you need a dictionary to look up the words you don't understand in your word of the day calendar? Precipitate??? Isn't that when rain or snow falls from clouds in the sky? How will I ever use this word???
After I got over the initial shock of a daunting word, I thought, "If all the words were as common and easy to use as utmost, there wouldn't really be a point to this calendar, right?" I can give this a shot.
I've decided that tonight is the night I'm going to use this new word. I will ask my husband to pass the gadarene salt while at the dinner table. See, I'm using new words! Already my vocabulary is expanding!!!
Think anyone will notice that I still don't know how to use this word in context? Hope not.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Lost in LOST
My husband and I started watching Lost on Netflix a couple months ago and were immediately hooked. Anyone who's ever watched this show knows how easily this can happen. Watching Lost was fun at first, and I guess still sort of is, but now it's more of an addiction or I might go as far to even call it a "responsibility" than something we do for fun because that's how it's starting to feel.
We've gotten so far into this series that I HAVE to make it to the end. In it's first 3 seasons it was quite enjoyable trying to figure out what was going on, but now that I'm almost through Season 5 with just one more to go I've "lost" all hope of ever figuring it out on my own. All my free time is now devoted to getting through this TV series. I've had to sacrifice a lot to make time to watch this show. This responsibility has taken over my life! I no longer have time to read, craft, sing, cook dinner, or clean the house (okay, I do the last two) anymore because I have a responsibilty to see this through to the end and I am determined to do so if it kills me.
Okay, so maybe this post is a little exaggerated. I do actually enjoy watching this show even though I'm sure I've dedicated way too many hours to it. I may however "lose" my mind if they introduce another character! I'm hoping to finish this series soon, so I can get back to the normal things in life like eating, sleeping, and showering! ;)
We've gotten so far into this series that I HAVE to make it to the end. In it's first 3 seasons it was quite enjoyable trying to figure out what was going on, but now that I'm almost through Season 5 with just one more to go I've "lost" all hope of ever figuring it out on my own. All my free time is now devoted to getting through this TV series. I've had to sacrifice a lot to make time to watch this show. This responsibility has taken over my life! I no longer have time to read, craft, sing, cook dinner, or clean the house (okay, I do the last two) anymore because I have a responsibilty to see this through to the end and I am determined to do so if it kills me.
Okay, so maybe this post is a little exaggerated. I do actually enjoy watching this show even though I'm sure I've dedicated way too many hours to it. I may however "lose" my mind if they introduce another character! I'm hoping to finish this series soon, so I can get back to the normal things in life like eating, sleeping, and showering! ;)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
To Be Completed in a Year
Hello all you super-ambitious overachievers! Have you ever made a gigantic to do list that was quite obviously optimistic and hardly achievable? Yep, me too. I make them daily. They usually look like this (a little OCD):
6:00 - Wake up/get ready to work out
6:10 - Run on treadmill
6:55 - Strength training (legs and arms)
7:10 - Shower/get ready (Yes, I only get 15 minutes to do this. Do I ever achieve this? Rarely)
7:25 - Read with my husband
7:40 - Get my daughter (we'll call her Bug)
7:45 - Feed Bug
8:00 - Have my own breakfast, kiss hubby goodbye
8:05 - Clean up breakfast/wipe kitchen counters, sweep, mop, and sanitize (all in 10 minutes)
8:15 - Clean family room and vacuum while entertaining Bug
8:23- Complete a grocery list comprised of only great deals and healthy food. Find the best coupons for every planned purchase - not just any coupon - the BEST!!!
8:30 - Do the grocery shopping, come home, put it away - all with Bug in arms or cart
8:55 - Save the world
9:00 - I think you get the idea...
I am one of those people that wants to accomplish everything in one day, heck, in one hour. Sound familiar??? Probably - we're a common group of people dwelling here on the earth. Sound possible? Nope!
I've been working on calming down, not being such a perfectionist. It will help my sanity, not to mention my husband's. However, I do not want to make that an excuse to get lazy. I still need things to work toward, things to get excited about, things to accomplish. I think we all do. So...I've come up with a list of 25 things to do in a year!!! 25 in a year? That's possible, right?I started this list on January 31, 2011 and the deadline is January 31, 2012. I'm excited! Should be fun. I'll make sure to update my progress. Obviously, being the super-overachiever I am by nature, I didn't make it too easy. It's ambitious, but...doable.
My List
1. Try 10 new recipes
2. Learn 10 songs on the piano
3. Get my violin fixed
4. Relearn my favorite song on the violin
5. Run a half marathon - I've already signed up and am scared out of my mind
6. Write a creative story - HUGE stretch for me
7. Memorize 10 poems/quotes/scriptures
8. Update my family blog 30 or more times
9. Read 20 books, two of which have to be nonfiction (or more)
10. Learn the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute
11. Build up my food storage
12. Clean out and organize my bedroom closet
13. Organize my computer room
14. Decorate the computer room
15. Plant flowers in the front and backyard
16. Record a CD - my dad has really been wanting me to do this. It will just be for my family and friends. I'm not trying to become Taylor Swift or anything.
17. Crochet a hat for my nephew
18. Do something for someone else daily - needs to be outside of my family at least twice a week
19. Complete 5 sewing/crafty projects - cannot include other items on this list such as hat for nephew. This one will be tricky due to the fact that I'm a master at starting project, but horrible at finishing them.
20. Set up my sewing/crafty corner
21. Get family pictures taken
22. Make a quiet book - I'll be doing this with a group of girls and I'm way excited about it!
23. Go on a vacation with my husband - just for fun!
24. Work on learning Portuguese - my husband is fluent
25. Write 10 letters or cards to people and actually MAIL them
So...too ambitious? It think it will be tricky, but possible! Ready...set...here I go!!!
6:00 - Wake up/get ready to work out
6:10 - Run on treadmill
6:55 - Strength training (legs and arms)
7:10 - Shower/get ready (Yes, I only get 15 minutes to do this. Do I ever achieve this? Rarely)
7:25 - Read with my husband
7:40 - Get my daughter (we'll call her Bug)
7:45 - Feed Bug
8:00 - Have my own breakfast, kiss hubby goodbye
8:05 - Clean up breakfast/wipe kitchen counters, sweep, mop, and sanitize (all in 10 minutes)
8:15 - Clean family room and vacuum while entertaining Bug
8:23- Complete a grocery list comprised of only great deals and healthy food. Find the best coupons for every planned purchase - not just any coupon - the BEST!!!
8:30 - Do the grocery shopping, come home, put it away - all with Bug in arms or cart
8:55 - Save the world
9:00 - I think you get the idea...
I am one of those people that wants to accomplish everything in one day, heck, in one hour. Sound familiar??? Probably - we're a common group of people dwelling here on the earth. Sound possible? Nope!
I've been working on calming down, not being such a perfectionist. It will help my sanity, not to mention my husband's. However, I do not want to make that an excuse to get lazy. I still need things to work toward, things to get excited about, things to accomplish. I think we all do. So...I've come up with a list of 25 things to do in a year!!! 25 in a year? That's possible, right?I started this list on January 31, 2011 and the deadline is January 31, 2012. I'm excited! Should be fun. I'll make sure to update my progress. Obviously, being the super-overachiever I am by nature, I didn't make it too easy. It's ambitious, but...doable.
My List
1. Try 10 new recipes
2. Learn 10 songs on the piano
3. Get my violin fixed
4. Relearn my favorite song on the violin
5. Run a half marathon - I've already signed up and am scared out of my mind
6. Write a creative story - HUGE stretch for me
7. Memorize 10 poems/quotes/scriptures
8. Update my family blog 30 or more times
9. Read 20 books, two of which have to be nonfiction (or more)
10. Learn the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute
11. Build up my food storage
12. Clean out and organize my bedroom closet
13. Organize my computer room
14. Decorate the computer room
15. Plant flowers in the front and backyard
16. Record a CD - my dad has really been wanting me to do this. It will just be for my family and friends. I'm not trying to become Taylor Swift or anything.
17. Crochet a hat for my nephew
18. Do something for someone else daily - needs to be outside of my family at least twice a week
19. Complete 5 sewing/crafty projects - cannot include other items on this list such as hat for nephew. This one will be tricky due to the fact that I'm a master at starting project, but horrible at finishing them.
20. Set up my sewing/crafty corner
21. Get family pictures taken
22. Make a quiet book - I'll be doing this with a group of girls and I'm way excited about it!
23. Go on a vacation with my husband - just for fun!
24. Work on learning Portuguese - my husband is fluent
25. Write 10 letters or cards to people and actually MAIL them
So...too ambitious? It think it will be tricky, but possible! Ready...set...here I go!!!
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