Monday, December 31, 2012

See ya next year!


(That's the line I get to use every 12/31.....and I make sure and get it in before anyone else does....so it's like it's mine)

2012 was a pretty random year. 

From a racing standpoint, I raced a 15k (I placed 3rd in the AG), but got injured a week before a HM and never really did anything after that.

We bought/sold a house and moved, we had a child, we had one spend 4 days in the Hospital, and there was laziness thrown in there.

I got back on track by laying down $625 to race an IM in May 2013 and began the training for that.  Unfortunatly, I've had to revmap the plan several times becuase of my sickness and the kids.  I'm finally to the piont of recovery and have redone the plan again.  Now....the goal is to finish the IM.  I can do this.  This can be done.

I start tomorrow morning with my annual 1/1 run.  Tomorrow starts some Tony Horton Beach Body Power 90 too.  I've vowed to do that once a day too....to help strength and additional cardio.

This is my year....2013.   I'm ready for you!

So....see y'all next year!

Friday, December 28, 2012

It's Mah Burfday!


....and I'm still sick.

As you can see, the 18th was my last post.  I ran that day.  I had planned on taking the next few days off because of the hams and turkeys event.  However, on Thursday (12/20) I woke up feeling run down with a nose full of snot and a slight 'drainage' cough.  That progressed over the next few days into a cold with lots of snot and a hacking cough.  I'm on the downhill of getting better and hoping to run on 1/1/13...which I do every year early in the morning.

10 days off while in IM training isn't the worst thing.....but it's not the best.

Balls to the wall, working out, making the right choices.....no excuses!

But tonight.....we drink!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

I'm a Turkey and I like to Ham it up


Today is day one of 3 that the HR department gives out turkeys and hams to each of our 1,100 employees.  It's tough work (I'm in the back of a refer truck lugging 50lb boxes of turkeys - 4 per box...and 30lb boxes of hams - 4 per box).  I get a great workout from this.

We also order over the amount, just in case we have additional employees that came aboard or in case there were some employees that missed the sign-up process.  We have always had left overs and we take them to local churches, the city run homeless shelter, and the firehouses and the PD sub-station that supports our campus.  They love receiving them and sometimes I get to sit on the firetruck and go *rreeerr, rreeerrr, reeerrrr* and pretend like I'm talking on the CB.

 Run tonight should be fun....3+ miles.  It's still in the 70's here.  So much for December weather......

Monday, December 17, 2012

*Untitled*


I'm typing this out before I have a title prepared....I'll think of one when I'm done (if at all).

On Friday....all of our days, across America, started out pretty much the same, especially the ones with kids.  I got mine ready for school, fixed her pancakes, made sure she had everything for school and we walked out the door.  It's our normal routine.  When we got to school, I dropped her off in the line and watched her walk in with her new "rolling backpack", meet a friend at the door who's parent had just dropped them off, hugged the gym teacher as they walked in.  So innocent....so routine.  We send our kids to school knowing that they will be taught, knowing that they will have fun, knowing that they will be safe.

By the time I got to work, the news had broken.  By lunch time, the numbers were in.  20 little kids (all my daughters age) were killed.  My heart sank.  I didn't know what to feel.  I didn't know how to feel.  I streamed the coverage on my computer and just stared blankly at the screen.  I sent Annie a few texts, I shot off some IM's to coworkers, I sent some texts out to friends.....but didn't leave my chair much.

When I got home on Friday afternoon.....I hugged J....a lot.  To the point of "DAAAADDDDYYY.....STOP".  I didn't mind.  I could hear her voice....the parents of the kids in CT will never hear those again.  I thought about the routineness of my day and what I did and what those parents did....probably the same damn thing. 

On Sunday I did a 9 mile run.  I thought A LOT about what happened.  About my family, about the other families.  My heart still hurts......

We talked with our daughter and gave her a high level overview of what happened.  We didn't want her to hear anything from other kids at school.  We told her to not discuss it with any students and if a kid starts talking about it, to walk away or tell them that they shouldn't talk about it. We didn't want her to hear false information or to make a bigger deal out of it.


Friday, December 14, 2012

Running Errands

Literally.....

So, I had 4 miles planned out last night (actually....from wednesday, but if you read that post, you'll see why I did it last night).....but the baby needed some infant Tylenol.  So...as there is a CVS 1.9 miles away, I decided to run to CVS, get the stuff, then run home.  It worked out great. 

Tonight is a concert that my baby-momma and I have been looking forward to.  Mr. Roger Creager.  Anytime he's in the area, we go see him.  Good performer, good guy.....should be a great itme.


Check him out!


Then tomorrow is a bunch of Christmas stuff.....there are different attractions in the area for kids and big kids.

Sunday will be my 9 miler (hopefully).....I did 7 last Sunday so trying to bump it up to 9.  I think I can, I think I can.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12-12-12....The last time for 89 years




This is why I didn't run this morning.....21 degrees?  Really?  That's just stoopid.  Plus it felt really good to sleep more.  I don't know why I pretend to want to get up in the morning.  I really don't.  I don't like it so much.  But....I'm going to have to get up soon in the AM to get through the workouts. 

I was trying to think of a cleaver run for 12-12-12.

I can't run 12 miles tonight so that's out.

If you add all of them up it's 36....I guess I could run 3.6 miles.....but I'm supposed to do 4.

I don't know....I'm out.  We'll see what I do today.  Check back tomorrow. 



Monday, December 10, 2012

Lights, Camera, Action


This weekend we did a "main stay" in our Christmas traditions....we went to see the house that, to me....started it all with the "music to lights".  The guy is great.  He designs the City of Frisco's main street lights too.


We also did "Deerfield" in Plano which is near where my wife grew up and they used to do that.  Starting the traditions!

On Satruday, we did the Plano Parade, saw Santa (the real one....not one of his helpers that dress up like him....the REAL Santa).


Mind if I grab your beard....cuz it's what I like to do


On Sunday morning....before the "cold front" hit, I went out for 7 miles.  It was a balmy 65 degrees with 93% humidity.  It was not fun toward the end.  I had planned the route where my 7 miles hit about a 1/4 mile from the house, so I could walk it in (plus....there's a big ass hill right there that I really don't want to run up after trudging through 7.  Just as I hit the Garmin to stop at mile 7, I hear a "HONK" and a hot blonde waiving at me.  It's my wife.  They were headed to breakfast so I sprinted to the intersection and jumped in....all sweaty and hot....

The front pushed in around 2pm and it got gradually colder......then we woke up to this.

Blizzard-mageddon 2012......the media had a field day with this.....the morning news was dedicated to the snow.

Oh the humanity....send FEMA.  It's bad....really bad.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the Fandango

On Wednesday night, I set out for a typical and uneventful 3 miles.  As I get near the first corner and street light....I see my shadow.  For some reason, I thought....there's my silhouette.....my silhouette-o of a man.....

And it was downhill from there.  Have you ever had Bohemian Rhapsody stuck in your head?  For 3 miles?  Not on your iPod....just you singing it.  Just your thoughts.  Well.....I have and it's not fun.

Yesterday was my "Leadership McKinney" class.....where we learn aspects of city governement, laws, procedures, etc.  Bascially training us to be....well...leaders in the community.  Right now, I serve on two city board.  One is the Veterans Memorial Park (I'm the Vice-Chair) and the other is the Chamber of Commerce board.  Both are very interesting.  Through these boards and my Leadership class, I've become pretty connected in our town of 130,000 people.  I know people now.  And now I can say "yeah, I know that guy" or "I gotta guy that I can call".  Pretty soon....I shall be Mayor of this town.  You can refer to me as Mayor, just to see if I respond and to see how that flows.  Mayor Donovan.  Or Mayor Brad (if I'm going for the cool aspect)

Last night was a good 4 miles.  The weather is great and I'm building the mileage for the IM.  Well....kinda.


Mama mia, Mama mia! Let me go!
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me!
for me!
for me!!
(Insert Waynes World Headbanging scene)

So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh baby -- can't do this to me, baby
Just gotta get out -- just gotta get right outta here

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Jack Shit - Part 2


That's what I DIDN'T do.....what, what?!?!?!!??!

Ran 5 miles last night (what I should have done on Saturday or Sunday) but it felt great.  No issues with soreness or pain.  not even today.

So....get this....2 big pieces of news.....

1)  Jilian ran with me last night.  Granted it was for a half mile, but she was a trooper.  We held a good pace, talked about Christmas lights, and what she wanted to do with our lights next year.  She wants to run with me more.  I may have a running buddy!

2)  Reese slept thru the night.  I really hesitated to bring this up, but it's been so over the past 2 nights.  Let's hope this trend continutes.  We put her in the pack and play last night around 8pm.  She fussed and farted but never 'freaked out'.  She finally put herself to sleep around 9.  She woke up around 1:45am but wasn't screaming....again...just a little fussy.  So I put her in bed with me and got her back to sleep.  What seemed like about an hour later, she woke up...SCREAMING.  She was hungry.  I wanted more sleep becuase I was groggy.  I hit the "light" button on my Garmin 210 (shamless plug) and saw that it was 5:45!!!!!.  HELL YEAH!  I happily got up to get her bottle and get her fed.  She passed back out and I started getting ready for work.

Tonight is my off night, so I'll shave my head, go to the store, take care of chores.  Gotta keep the wifey happy and do my part!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Jack Shit


That's what I did this weekend.

Saturday I set out on my run but got a pretty bad knee pain (in both knees) around the 200m mark.  Decided that I'd run on Sunday.

Well....guess who had 8 beers and a shot on Saturday night?

Sunday was a wash.  Then by the time I recovered the Cowboys started and I had to watch the game.  Then Bob Costas started in on Guns and I almost went out then because I was a tad miffed at his idiotic statements.....but alas....I did not.

Then....this morning, I didn't want to get out of bed, so tonight I go for my Saturday run of 5 miles.