How to define 2013?

The year can be boiled down to three pictures and three words...

 

PAINFUL

yes, this is my x-ray...which I saw for the first time today

 

REAFFIRMING

yes, this is my husband...who'd kill me if he knew I posted this

 FAMILY

yes, these are my kids...who inspire me every single day

2013 was the hardest year of my life...but it finished up well, creating a nice segue into the New Year. I'm ready for 2014. 

May it grace us all with an abundance of joy and good health.

Cheers!

2012: Making a silk purse out of a sow's ear

The year started out on a low. 

First of all, we were burgled in early January. It sucked. 

Then there was my health. Perpetually struggling, hurting, and exhausted...I knew something was wrong. While my erratic hip remains somewhat mysterious, medical testing revealed ridiculously low serotonin levels, which explained a large part of the struggle. This information facilitated my climb out of the abyss. 

Along my journey to clarity and health, I had some 'bomb' races...Kaiser 5K, Oakland Marathon Relay and Bay to Breakers. The difficult place with regard to my health and these less-than wonderful "race" experiences led me to pull out of two races I had excitedly entered...the Eugene marathon and the San Francisco 1st half-marathon.

I managed to run a lot of hills and frequently on trails, but I wasn't able run very many miles. I did, however, run one mile in less than seven minutes and blew my own mind.

I discovered the Don't Run, Run Faster Training Plan which led to my triple gold medal performance at The Ellimpics and a set of wonderful legs at Hood to Coast as a part of Nuun's Afternuun Delight Team Morning as well as my first female finish on Thanksgiving at the Sonoma 5K Turkey Trot.

The late spring brought some fun recognition. I was chosen again as a BlogHer Voices of the Year honoree (see button in sidebar) and I won a spot on Nuun's Hood to Coast teams...with my "creepy" and "just wrong" video...

The spring also brought my first blog-related paycheck! Building my financial empire one dollar at a time ;-) Other notable firsts this year included: rock climbing, hamsterballing, and sparkle skirts...all of which threw me well out of my comfort zone.

2012 also involved loads of family fun. In addition to trips to the beach and the Space and Science Center and numerous walks by the Bay, we went to the zoo about 142 times...and even saw an elephant penis. Big and exciting stuff, people.

The year has really run the gamut on all levels...physical (as outlined above), emotional, relational, spiritual... It has been a year of great change and opened eyes. I've learned how to better care for myself, the true value of rest and meditation, the importance of compassion and an open heart. My sense of perspective has broadened tenfold or more. So much growth...and so many growing pains. What a year. 

I finished my running for the year with donuts and friends.

And I finished my momming for the year at...where else?... the zoo :)

Following these two trajectories, may the coming year be filled with sweetness, love, joy and adventure for us all!

Making Changes that Work

The kids and I survived our wild New Year's Eve slumber party, and my husband's rendition of "If I Were A Rich Man" was a huge hit at the party he attended. We all brought in 2012 exactly how we wished. I think he might have liked less of a hangover, but he did get to spend New Year's Day laying very low for the most part...unlike me.

A few days ago I mentioned that I am re-learning how to run...again. After two mellow 3-mile runs in my new shoes with my new gait, I hit the trail yesterday for 8 brutal, hilly miles. I ran unbelievably slow but maintained my form the whole way. My schedule had 12-13 miles on it...which I set out to do...but I figured 8 miles holding my form with incredibly tight, sore calves while simultaneously working my quads, glutes, and hamstrings differently AND asking my feet to take the load in a new way was more than adequate. Plus it was getting dark and I was kind of nervous about being on the trail at night... alone ...except for maybe the coyotes, mountain lions, and serial killers.

It was the first 8 miles of this...

I knew I was going to want some crowd support on this run, so I asked my husband to drag the kids out to meet me at Mile 5...right before the biggest hill and the beginning of the 'turnaround' loop (the halfway mark is somewhere on this middle-of-nowhere loop). As I was running slower than usual and the sky was getting darker and darker and I was feeling more and more sore, I knew before I even saw them that 13 miles was not going to happen. It was so sweet to see them when I did :) They asked "Are you in a race, mom?" I said, "No, just practicing." Then I asked them to hang out for another half-hour while I did the loop so they could give me a lift back to the truck...I knew I was going to be toast by the time I finished that piece. They kindly obliged...so, yeah, a pussy pick-up. I am totally fine with that...I do believe an additional 5 miles would have had "INJURY" written all over it.

Now 14 miles into this shoe/gait change, my legs are really sore. All over. It is, however, that good kind of sore of muscles having worked hard and not the pain of injury. My hip is no more tender or sore after my run than before my run, which is very different from how things were using my old shoes and my old way of running. I do believe this indicates that these changes are working for my body :)

I've been rollling, Sticking, stretching, massaging, and icing my legs like there is no tomorrow. The soreness in my calves is starting to decrease some today...I think...a little.

Also on the topic of making changes, I made a New Year's Resolution... I now have a bedtime.

Do you do the resolution thing? 

I couldn't end 2011 with a post about the stupid door-to-door Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman...

It's New Year's Eve.

I'm hitting the hard stuff...

 ...and it's only 8 o'clock.

I rarely drink soda...especially not caffeinated soda, so I really am livin' large tonight. 

My husband just left for the party to sing in the New Year. Everyone is to bring a song that will represent their 2012. I told him to pick "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. Instead, he chose "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof...but he changed the title to "When I AM a Rich Man" and rewrote the lyrics to reflect what he wants to have in his life. Clever man, he. 

I do kind of wish I were going, but someone has to hold down the fort. So instead I'm sneakily sucking down Dr. Pepper in a dark corner in the kitchen while watching movies with my older three kids. We are having a slumber party in the family room...they are so excited. 

I know they look glazed over...a screen'll do that to a body...

but they really are excited.

Before he left, my husband made stuffed mushrooms as his potluck contribution to the singing party...and he pulled out a Granny's Gadget for their preparation :) Unfortunately, I was not around for the initial usage, but Baby X and I staged a re-enactment for your viewing pleasure...my camera work is not as professional as my husband's...and it was very challenging to ad-lib the narrative and wield the camera and direct the action all at the same time :P

Nonetheless, I give you...

#31

Ooops!

Forgot...it's been a long while so I'm cutting myself some slack...

Had to tack this on...my Granny's Gadgets video policy is 

~ONE TAKE~

so no do-over to get the big thumbs up in there at the end.

And on that note...

I am giving this year...this two thousand eleven...this year of super cool happenings and then some...

two big thumbs up :)

Wishing each and every one of you all the wonderment and joy life has to offer in 2012.