My friend Julie shared this link with me on Face Book, and it amazed me so much that I decided to share it with all of you.
This video combines several things near and dear to my heart. Children, dogs, the ocean, and an incredible story of some one with a Traumatic Brain Injury doing something he clearly loves.
Enjoy this video
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Winds of Change Aren't So Strong After All
Well, I thought the winds of change were blowing in my life, and I was hopeful.
But, it turned out to be more of a slight summer breeze, rather than the major change in weather pattern that I was hoping for.
I have learned a great deal in the past couple of weeks. About myself, my husband, and life in general.
I did meet with the man from the company I wrote a letter to, and I walked away believing it was a great meeting. We seemed to have similar visions for where things could go in this venture. He said that he had to meet with his accountant and put together some numbers. He said that he'd get back to me soon with the next steps in the process. I walked away from the meeting energized and excited.
I came home and shared the news with Kevin. As excited and enthusiastic as I was, he was equally anxious and fearful. There were too many unknowns for him, and he couldn't get comfortable with the idea of believing it will all be okay. As we were talking all of this out over a few days, I also had a job offer from my former employer.
Herein lied my dilemma: The company I used to work for wanted an acceptance or denial of the position by this past Weds. I hadn't heard from the other company by Wednesday night.
And, I was faced with some difficult decisions at the last minute. Do I accept the sure thing, or take the chance?
Continue to listen to my heart, or play it safe?
Do I chose My goals and dreams at the expense of my husbands comfort level?
Ultimately, I chose to accept the job offer from my previous employer. It is a job I know and like. I'm good at it. In today's economy, I was lucky to have three agencies to choose from. So, I chose the one I am most comfortable with.
The dust is still settling from the decision I've made and the events leading up to it. I'm not sure yet what the long term results will be from my decisions. I do know that I'll still pursue getting my USAT Tri Coaching certification. In the spring, I may look to start up another running club for girls, although I don't think it will be through Girls Inc. again.
And the Beat Goes On...
But, it turned out to be more of a slight summer breeze, rather than the major change in weather pattern that I was hoping for.
I have learned a great deal in the past couple of weeks. About myself, my husband, and life in general.
I did meet with the man from the company I wrote a letter to, and I walked away believing it was a great meeting. We seemed to have similar visions for where things could go in this venture. He said that he had to meet with his accountant and put together some numbers. He said that he'd get back to me soon with the next steps in the process. I walked away from the meeting energized and excited.
I came home and shared the news with Kevin. As excited and enthusiastic as I was, he was equally anxious and fearful. There were too many unknowns for him, and he couldn't get comfortable with the idea of believing it will all be okay. As we were talking all of this out over a few days, I also had a job offer from my former employer.
Herein lied my dilemma: The company I used to work for wanted an acceptance or denial of the position by this past Weds. I hadn't heard from the other company by Wednesday night.
And, I was faced with some difficult decisions at the last minute. Do I accept the sure thing, or take the chance?
Continue to listen to my heart, or play it safe?
Do I chose My goals and dreams at the expense of my husbands comfort level?
Ultimately, I chose to accept the job offer from my previous employer. It is a job I know and like. I'm good at it. In today's economy, I was lucky to have three agencies to choose from. So, I chose the one I am most comfortable with.
The dust is still settling from the decision I've made and the events leading up to it. I'm not sure yet what the long term results will be from my decisions. I do know that I'll still pursue getting my USAT Tri Coaching certification. In the spring, I may look to start up another running club for girls, although I don't think it will be through Girls Inc. again.
And the Beat Goes On...
Saturday, September 11, 2010
2nd Annual DACC Tri Report
Well, I'm not really going to give a report. I did terribly. It was the Worst race I've ever had. I've been in a bad mood all day because of it- beating myself up; thinking I shouldn't have even bothered to go.
And then, I got a big slice of humble pie, courtesy of this man.
I woke up this morning, and I felt sick. My husband and kids didn't come to cheer me on. My leg and foot went numb during the bike ride (and stayed that way for most of the run), and I was ridiculously slow in every leg of the race. But, I am healthy enough to be out there. My injuries and illnesses are not life threatening, and even though I woke up sick and injured, I chose to go to the race.
So, I'm working on changing the tapes that have been running in my head all day. I'm working to reframe the experience into something positive. And, I'm working on figuring out how to bounce back to race times that I can be happier with.
Then, I thought of my baby dragonfly. Early in the race, I looked down at my handle bars, and noticed a baby dragonfly hanging out for the ride. He hung on for the entire 10 miles. Some one said, "Hey- they're good luck!" and now I realize, I finished a race under less than ideal physical conditions. I didn't drown, fall off my bike or twist my ankle on the run. Maybe he did bring me good luck. Maybe that was the best I could hope for today.
And then, I got a big slice of humble pie, courtesy of this man.
I woke up this morning, and I felt sick. My husband and kids didn't come to cheer me on. My leg and foot went numb during the bike ride (and stayed that way for most of the run), and I was ridiculously slow in every leg of the race. But, I am healthy enough to be out there. My injuries and illnesses are not life threatening, and even though I woke up sick and injured, I chose to go to the race.
So, I'm working on changing the tapes that have been running in my head all day. I'm working to reframe the experience into something positive. And, I'm working on figuring out how to bounce back to race times that I can be happier with.
Then, I thought of my baby dragonfly. Early in the race, I looked down at my handle bars, and noticed a baby dragonfly hanging out for the ride. He hung on for the entire 10 miles. Some one said, "Hey- they're good luck!" and now I realize, I finished a race under less than ideal physical conditions. I didn't drown, fall off my bike or twist my ankle on the run. Maybe he did bring me good luck. Maybe that was the best I could hope for today.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Saturday's race
This Saturday is the second annual DACC Tri in Duanesburg. This is the race I did last fall, and the water was so cold, the race organizers would only say "Last week the water temp was about 55".
I hope it's warmer this year.
I will also note, that my training has been spotty and pathetic. So, although I'll post a race report, please do not expect any thing spectacular.
The good news is, the distances are completely manageable, so I should have fun!
I hope it's warmer this year.
I will also note, that my training has been spotty and pathetic. So, although I'll post a race report, please do not expect any thing spectacular.
The good news is, the distances are completely manageable, so I should have fun!
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Winds of Change
Last night I had a dream that I was facing a tornado. The funnel cloud was completely black and filled most of the sky. As I watched it come closer, there was an ominous feeling in the air. I stood in the window and watched it coming right toward me. My mom was there. So were Mack, Jack, and our Dog. Kevin and Shayna were not there, but intuitively, I knew they were safe.
In this dream, I was starting to panic. How will I keep my babies safe? What will we do if the tornado hits? Every thing will change, and life as we know it will never be the same.
And then my Mom took my arm and said, "take care of right now. It's scary, but every thing will be okay." And, I knew she was right.
Well, it doesn't take a dream expert to figure this one out. I've been facing some big changes in my life, and I'll fill you in.
First; work. And, this is a big one. As many of you know, I came to my current job over two years ago. I was recruited by the company to start the department up. Until recently, I loved my job. I felt that the company was working hard to become clinically sound, and to truly put people first in all decisions. I felt that upper management was working to shift the perspective of the company, and I was happy to be part of the shift. I loved going to work. I loved the team that I was working with. Then, sometime this spring, we got a new regional manager. He replaced our office manager with one of his golf buddies. They made it very clear that they see no value in my job- because it doesn't make enough of a profit for the company. They said it loudly, and in front of the entire office. The RM said, he'd like to eliminate the position in every office across the state. Well, that was the gust of wind, that set the stage for the impending Tornado.
Things progressed in a downward spiral from that day on. Finally, 3 weeks ago, I realized that the office I'm in, is the most unhealthy work environment I have ever been in. So, I resigned. I wanted to walk out immediately, but forced myself to be responsible, and gave a notice.
Ahh. The tornado.
I have no job lined up. I have three offers from other area agencies, to do the same job that I am doing now.But here's the truth: I don't know that I want to do it any more. And, in my career, if your heart isn't in it, then you shouldn't be doing it.
Some one asked me what my fantasy job is. It took me about a day to realize where my heart is truly at at this point in my life. The problem is, the career I want doesn't exist. At least not in this area.
So, I did some research, to determine if this area would support the career I want. And, I think it does. I drafted a letter to a local business owner, pitching my idea. He responded this week. He's been thinking along the same lines as me, and he wants to meet with me to see about joining his team!
I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to give a huge thanks to my friend/cousin Kathy, for being willing to read the letter and brainstorm with me about how to approach this idea. So, Thanks Kath! I also want to thank Ryder for taking the time to listen to me, and for walking with my while I started to sort the whole mess out in my head. And Shayna, for being so incredibly supportive of my dream. Of course, Kevin for being willing to listen to me complain about my current situation, before I got up the courage to resign. Finally, to Mary. She asked me what my dream job would be, and didn't laugh when I told her. Since then, she has sent me countless links and sources of information to help me out.
Seperate from that, I have decided to pursue getting my level one coaching certificate from USAT for Triathlon. This will be an extended process, as all the classes are full for the year. 2011 classes have not yet been posted.But, I'm doing some of the preliminary stuff to get going.
I should tell you that the dream ended with the tornado turning at the last minute, and every thing was okay. Different, from the experience; but okay.
In this dream, I was starting to panic. How will I keep my babies safe? What will we do if the tornado hits? Every thing will change, and life as we know it will never be the same.
And then my Mom took my arm and said, "take care of right now. It's scary, but every thing will be okay." And, I knew she was right.
Well, it doesn't take a dream expert to figure this one out. I've been facing some big changes in my life, and I'll fill you in.
First; work. And, this is a big one. As many of you know, I came to my current job over two years ago. I was recruited by the company to start the department up. Until recently, I loved my job. I felt that the company was working hard to become clinically sound, and to truly put people first in all decisions. I felt that upper management was working to shift the perspective of the company, and I was happy to be part of the shift. I loved going to work. I loved the team that I was working with. Then, sometime this spring, we got a new regional manager. He replaced our office manager with one of his golf buddies. They made it very clear that they see no value in my job- because it doesn't make enough of a profit for the company. They said it loudly, and in front of the entire office. The RM said, he'd like to eliminate the position in every office across the state. Well, that was the gust of wind, that set the stage for the impending Tornado.
Things progressed in a downward spiral from that day on. Finally, 3 weeks ago, I realized that the office I'm in, is the most unhealthy work environment I have ever been in. So, I resigned. I wanted to walk out immediately, but forced myself to be responsible, and gave a notice.
Ahh. The tornado.
I have no job lined up. I have three offers from other area agencies, to do the same job that I am doing now.But here's the truth: I don't know that I want to do it any more. And, in my career, if your heart isn't in it, then you shouldn't be doing it.
Some one asked me what my fantasy job is. It took me about a day to realize where my heart is truly at at this point in my life. The problem is, the career I want doesn't exist. At least not in this area.
So, I did some research, to determine if this area would support the career I want. And, I think it does. I drafted a letter to a local business owner, pitching my idea. He responded this week. He's been thinking along the same lines as me, and he wants to meet with me to see about joining his team!
I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to give a huge thanks to my friend/cousin Kathy, for being willing to read the letter and brainstorm with me about how to approach this idea. So, Thanks Kath! I also want to thank Ryder for taking the time to listen to me, and for walking with my while I started to sort the whole mess out in my head. And Shayna, for being so incredibly supportive of my dream. Of course, Kevin for being willing to listen to me complain about my current situation, before I got up the courage to resign. Finally, to Mary. She asked me what my dream job would be, and didn't laugh when I told her. Since then, she has sent me countless links and sources of information to help me out.
Seperate from that, I have decided to pursue getting my level one coaching certificate from USAT for Triathlon. This will be an extended process, as all the classes are full for the year. 2011 classes have not yet been posted.But, I'm doing some of the preliminary stuff to get going.
I should tell you that the dream ended with the tornado turning at the last minute, and every thing was okay. Different, from the experience; but okay.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Northern Columbia Triathlon
First, a disclaimer: The entry for my parent 50th anniversary is coming. I've had some challenges with the photos.
Race report:
August 8th was the 6th annual Northern Columbia Tri. It was the second year in a row that I competed. I knew that I was grossly unprepared for the run leg, but the race is for such a great cause, I couldn't resist entering. All proceeds from this race go to research for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Every one who works on this event volunteers 100% of their time.
I got to the lake at about 7:30, with a race start time of 8AM. I was in the first wave of swimmers- so all men and women from 35 to 44. That's a huge group of fast swimmers.The lake is pretty, and there aren't a lot of weeds until the end. Good news: I didn't get kicked in the head this year, and my time was a whopping 9 seconds faster than in 2009!
I knew what to expect in the transition this year. And I've learned how much a slow transition can affect your overall time. In this race, there is not transition times. Both swim to bike and bike to run transitions are included in the overall bike time.
This year I had a few successes on the bike. First, I took 8 minutes off my bike time from last year! Second, last year there were 3 hills that I had to walk a portion of. This year, I didn't walk any portion of the bike leg. I climbed all three hills. The only problem I had on the bike was that on the first major hill, my foot came out of my pedal as I was switching gears (about a 100 yards from the top). It threw me off the bike, and I lost about 3 minutes catching my breath and checking my foot that got twisted in the fall.
The run: YUCK! This is the part of this race that always makes me question my sanity. Most sprint Tri's end with a 3.1 mile run. Not this one! Oh no! That would be much to easy! The NCT finishes with a hilly 4.5 mile run! I knew that I was not prepared to run this whole race. I knew I'd need to take a few walk breaks. Really, the first 3 miles of this run are uphill. Part of it is a 7% grade. Because of my foot injuries from March, I have done minimal hill work in training. So, I told myself I'd keep this race fun, and if the run stopped being fun, I' walk.
Ummm- throwing up during a run definitely qualifies as not fun. Throwing up twice is even worse. So, I walked about 1.5 miles of the 4.5 mile run. That's less than half, but more than I wanted to walk. The other disappointing piece of this run, is that I'm pretty sure it's longer than the race lists it at. Both "Mapmyrun" and mapquest show it as 4.8 miles. Trust me, that extra .3 mile makes a significant difference after a hilly 20 mile bike ride. Overall, my run was almost 3 minutes slower than last year.
Overall- I improved my time by 5 minutes! Not bad for still having foot pain that is flaring up pretty regularly.
And today, every bone, muscle, tendon and piece of cartilage from my hips down is aching and demanding ibuprofen! I'd say it qualifies as a great race.
Next up: The 2nd Annual DACC Sprint on September 11th. As an added bonus, my 14 year old niece, Emma has voiced a desire to do the race with me! I'm excited to help her train.
Stay tuned for our adventures.
Race report:
August 8th was the 6th annual Northern Columbia Tri. It was the second year in a row that I competed. I knew that I was grossly unprepared for the run leg, but the race is for such a great cause, I couldn't resist entering. All proceeds from this race go to research for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Every one who works on this event volunteers 100% of their time.
I got to the lake at about 7:30, with a race start time of 8AM. I was in the first wave of swimmers- so all men and women from 35 to 44. That's a huge group of fast swimmers.The lake is pretty, and there aren't a lot of weeds until the end. Good news: I didn't get kicked in the head this year, and my time was a whopping 9 seconds faster than in 2009!
I knew what to expect in the transition this year. And I've learned how much a slow transition can affect your overall time. In this race, there is not transition times. Both swim to bike and bike to run transitions are included in the overall bike time.
This year I had a few successes on the bike. First, I took 8 minutes off my bike time from last year! Second, last year there were 3 hills that I had to walk a portion of. This year, I didn't walk any portion of the bike leg. I climbed all three hills. The only problem I had on the bike was that on the first major hill, my foot came out of my pedal as I was switching gears (about a 100 yards from the top). It threw me off the bike, and I lost about 3 minutes catching my breath and checking my foot that got twisted in the fall.
The run: YUCK! This is the part of this race that always makes me question my sanity. Most sprint Tri's end with a 3.1 mile run. Not this one! Oh no! That would be much to easy! The NCT finishes with a hilly 4.5 mile run! I knew that I was not prepared to run this whole race. I knew I'd need to take a few walk breaks. Really, the first 3 miles of this run are uphill. Part of it is a 7% grade. Because of my foot injuries from March, I have done minimal hill work in training. So, I told myself I'd keep this race fun, and if the run stopped being fun, I' walk.
Ummm- throwing up during a run definitely qualifies as not fun. Throwing up twice is even worse. So, I walked about 1.5 miles of the 4.5 mile run. That's less than half, but more than I wanted to walk. The other disappointing piece of this run, is that I'm pretty sure it's longer than the race lists it at. Both "Mapmyrun" and mapquest show it as 4.8 miles. Trust me, that extra .3 mile makes a significant difference after a hilly 20 mile bike ride. Overall, my run was almost 3 minutes slower than last year.
Overall- I improved my time by 5 minutes! Not bad for still having foot pain that is flaring up pretty regularly.
And today, every bone, muscle, tendon and piece of cartilage from my hips down is aching and demanding ibuprofen! I'd say it qualifies as a great race.
Next up: The 2nd Annual DACC Sprint on September 11th. As an added bonus, my 14 year old niece, Emma has voiced a desire to do the race with me! I'm excited to help her train.
Stay tuned for our adventures.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
comparison of rides
My brother in law is in town for a week. He brought his bike with him. Kevin, Paul and I took a great ride this morning. He took some great photos, so I'll let him give you a ride report. But, I used the ride as a training session for the tri. Here is the ride we did today:
In contrast, here is the bike course for the Columbia Tri!
I think I'll be okay.
In contrast, here is the bike course for the Columbia Tri!
I think I'll be okay.
Friday, July 23, 2010
A Week at Lewey Lake
We rented a cabin on Lewey Lake in the Adirondacks this past week. One of the amazing things about where we live, is that we are less than 2 hours away from the Adirondack Park.
Lewey is a small lake just south of Indian Lake. I had some trepidation about this vacation, because in my snobbery, I was worried that it couldn't compare to a week on the Cape. It was not a week on the Cape, but it was great in it's own right.
First, was the fact that we were able to bring Cammie with us. She had a fantastic time. She joined us for almost every outing and adventure that we took for the week. She spent hours on the beach with us, and nights by the fire.
We had opportunities to kayak and canoe several times. Mack and Jack both love to kayak, as do I. They both put a great deal of effort into learning how to paddle and steer this week. I think that Mack is almost ready to tackle a single kayak in calm water.
Shayna was with us for a few days.
The cabin sat on top of a hill. We walked across a beautiful field and were at the small sandy beach. The kids were able to play with a tube in the water, and they loved it!
On Thursday, we went for a short hike to Auger Falls. This is listed in several hiking books a s a child friendly hike, and it proved to be worth the walk.
After our trip to the falls, we were lead back to the car by our Forest Ninjas.
All together, it was a great week!
On a side a note, not much training happened this week!
Lewey is a small lake just south of Indian Lake. I had some trepidation about this vacation, because in my snobbery, I was worried that it couldn't compare to a week on the Cape. It was not a week on the Cape, but it was great in it's own right.
First, was the fact that we were able to bring Cammie with us. She had a fantastic time. She joined us for almost every outing and adventure that we took for the week. She spent hours on the beach with us, and nights by the fire.
We had opportunities to kayak and canoe several times. Mack and Jack both love to kayak, as do I. They both put a great deal of effort into learning how to paddle and steer this week. I think that Mack is almost ready to tackle a single kayak in calm water.
Shayna was with us for a few days.
The cabin sat on top of a hill. We walked across a beautiful field and were at the small sandy beach. The kids were able to play with a tube in the water, and they loved it!
On Thursday, we went for a short hike to Auger Falls. This is listed in several hiking books a s a child friendly hike, and it proved to be worth the walk.
After our trip to the falls, we were lead back to the car by our Forest Ninjas.
All together, it was a great week!
On a side a note, not much training happened this week!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Melissa Etheridge- Fearless Love
Last night Kevin and I went to the Opening night of Melissa Etheridge's "Fearless Love" tour.
Let me preface this post by saying that I'm not a musician. I'm just a huge fan who has some thoughts about the show.
Here in Albany, Melissa fans will ask each other, "What's the first show you went to?" If you answer, "Saratoga Winners", You are considered a true fan. I'm not saying I agree with it, but it is what it is.
And, I can proudly tell you that I was at Saratoga Winners that night in 1987! I've seen her half a dozen times since then, but have skipped her shows the last few times she's been in town.
Kevin has never been to a Melissa Show. And, in fact, hasn't been to any "rock concert" (as he endearingly referred to it) since about 1990.
Okay-the show. I love the Palace. I love that there were more men than ever at this show, and that they weren't getting vibed out by most of the women.Which is amazing, since the first show I went to, there were about 3 guys there, and one of them almost got beat up for bumping into someone.
She didn't have an opening act. Just had some really funky music playing, with video of nature scenes in the background. It didn't really cut it for me. And it didn't get any one in the balcony up and on their feet by the time she hit the stage.
She opened with Fearless Love and went to Miss California. I have to admit, that if I hadn't heard an interview with her on NPR, I would never have realized that Miss California is a political statement.
She played through most of the Fearless Love album. She completely rocked the house with "Indiana", and I'm not sure she anticipated the audience response to that song. It was one of the few times during the show that I felt she was really connected to us, and completely in the moment.
She told us a few times that she's okay. I didn't particularly believe her. She was not her usual playful self. She didn't have stories between the songs, to keep us connected and engaged. It seemed that she was just moving through the set list. On one of her older songs (going blank on which one) she actually started with the second verse. She caught herself and kind of laughed- but the Melissa I've seen in the past would have really played that up.
At the end, she did "Bring me some Water: and "Like the Way I do", along with a couple of her other older songs. That got the audience going, but she never got us up on our feet. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that much of the audience was my age or older, and that no one wanted to stand all night in 100 degree weather. Or, that so many people were trying to "capture the moment" on their iphones, that they weren't actually enjoying the moment as it was occurring.
I'm glad I went. Her voice and talent remain an incredible force to be reckoned with. She plays that Ovation so effortlessly, it tricks you into thinking it's easy.I felt like she needed us last night, that she was drawing on us for strength and comfort. And you know what. I'm happy to give back to her. She's certainly pulled me through many heartaches over the years.
Let me preface this post by saying that I'm not a musician. I'm just a huge fan who has some thoughts about the show.
Here in Albany, Melissa fans will ask each other, "What's the first show you went to?" If you answer, "Saratoga Winners", You are considered a true fan. I'm not saying I agree with it, but it is what it is.
And, I can proudly tell you that I was at Saratoga Winners that night in 1987! I've seen her half a dozen times since then, but have skipped her shows the last few times she's been in town.
Kevin has never been to a Melissa Show. And, in fact, hasn't been to any "rock concert" (as he endearingly referred to it) since about 1990.
Okay-the show. I love the Palace. I love that there were more men than ever at this show, and that they weren't getting vibed out by most of the women.Which is amazing, since the first show I went to, there were about 3 guys there, and one of them almost got beat up for bumping into someone.
She didn't have an opening act. Just had some really funky music playing, with video of nature scenes in the background. It didn't really cut it for me. And it didn't get any one in the balcony up and on their feet by the time she hit the stage.
She opened with Fearless Love and went to Miss California. I have to admit, that if I hadn't heard an interview with her on NPR, I would never have realized that Miss California is a political statement.
She played through most of the Fearless Love album. She completely rocked the house with "Indiana", and I'm not sure she anticipated the audience response to that song. It was one of the few times during the show that I felt she was really connected to us, and completely in the moment.
She told us a few times that she's okay. I didn't particularly believe her. She was not her usual playful self. She didn't have stories between the songs, to keep us connected and engaged. It seemed that she was just moving through the set list. On one of her older songs (going blank on which one) she actually started with the second verse. She caught herself and kind of laughed- but the Melissa I've seen in the past would have really played that up.
At the end, she did "Bring me some Water: and "Like the Way I do", along with a couple of her other older songs. That got the audience going, but she never got us up on our feet. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that much of the audience was my age or older, and that no one wanted to stand all night in 100 degree weather. Or, that so many people were trying to "capture the moment" on their iphones, that they weren't actually enjoying the moment as it was occurring.
I'm glad I went. Her voice and talent remain an incredible force to be reckoned with. She plays that Ovation so effortlessly, it tricks you into thinking it's easy.I felt like she needed us last night, that she was drawing on us for strength and comfort. And you know what. I'm happy to give back to her. She's certainly pulled me through many heartaches over the years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)