What have I done lately?

I'm too tired. Make ME a sandwich!!!

I have this intense urge to sit down and write but my ass has been too busy with random domestic duties to blog... not to mention I have next to nothing to talk about.  The holidays are quickly seeping into my quality blog and facebook time. I'm not sure what to think about that. This year the holidays are stressing me out a little more than usual and hiding behind my computer helps. On the bright side, I'm slowly transitioning back into my career (I've been out of touch with the business in order to focus on the kids) and I've been squeezing in some quality design time which includes getting back into web development. My youngest will be in kindergarten next year and I am getting a little free time back to dedicate to the business.

So what the hell have I been up to lately?  

Well, for one, designing the latest children's album for a super cool guy, The Piano Man. His music isn't the cheesy, cutesy kid stuff. I really hate syrupy kid's music. Ok. Maybe its a little cheesy, but cheesy in a cool way. And the kids LOVE this guy!!! His latest album is called Monkey Feet which alludes to those crazy five fingers that all us minimal runners have probably tried at some point or other. He has some great songs on this album.

Monkey Feet Cover, by The Piano Man

In addition to helping Seth get started on his logo name and identity for his gym he will be opening within the next year, I've also been getting my feet wet again in the web development department working on a simple website idea for a friend of mine who is a music therapist. The site should be going live sometime soon.

McConnell Music Therapy Services

And who would have thought that getting drunk and running barefoot with a bunch of crazies in NYC would lead to my latest contact with some peeps over at Merrell who have asked me to participate in an online discussion about women and minimal/barefoot running. Barefoot and minimalist running has been a fun experiment and I'm super excited about this and am looking forward to sharing my experiences and opinions on the subject. But more details about that later.

I am also currently working on some new tshirt designs for another giveaway soon!! Its been a while since my last giveaway and getting back into my design is fueling the fiyah again. I gotta get it out.

and... I've also been cooking, baking, and entertaining. A lot. 

My Dirty Nipples. The naughtiest tasty morsels you will ever eat.

Paleo mini coconut tarts

Coconut tart fail

Kinda paleo lasagna

Paleo shrimp and pork dumpling soup

But what about running or training? Have I done any workovers?

I'm just getting back into it, so for a while there... not really. Part of that is strategic training as you probably know by now. But also part of that is laziness.

After my marathon I kinda went into a little funk (hence all the design and domestication). The marathon was such a huge achievement for me that the days afterward felt so anticlimactic. I actually took almost a week off of workovers and did fuck all. It was both good and bad. It was hard to motivate myself to do anything without a goal ahead of me but it felt good to just blow off commitment.

I've been trying really hard to figure out what my next goal(s) will be. Seth asked me to give him several goals and sub-goals that I want to achieve. I'm struggling hardcore with this. Running the marathon without the ITB shit was like a dream. Seriously. It happened. I also know that all the hard work and training had a LOT to do with it, but also my attitude. I was determined not to let it defeat me and it didn't. But I need to try it again. You know? I need to duplicate the results to be convinced. I just want to see if it wasn't a fluke. And I wonder if I could run it faster next time. Without pain. I definitely took it easy on purpose and know if I didn't have to do that I would have been able to push a little more.

So I've decided my next goal will be a Spring 50k. I really enjoyed the marathon length but wouldn't mind trying something longer. I have a couple options. Well, actually, not really. One of my options ( Way Too Cool 50k, Cool CA) is a local race that is by lottery only so if I register it will be luck if I get in. The other possibility ( Pirate's Cove, Marin Headlands CA) might give me an opportunity to meet fellow blogger Vanessa (Vanessa Runs) and Robert (a.k.a Shacky) who I "met" on the BRS forums. I was hoping to finally meet Vanessa at the NYC Barefoot Run, but unfortunately, she was not able to make it to that event. Shacky posted this event to my facebook page as a possibility for a spring ultra. If they register for this race I probably will too.

So beyond the 50k, what are my other goals?

I have other goals. Some are pretty tangible (like the 50k) and others are there just below the surface where even I have a hard time pinning them down or maybe just admitting to myself that they are goals in the first place. If I don't admit them, they're not real and I don't have to be accountable, right? 

I have this ridiculous rule in my head: Never say out loud to anyone what my real goal is. As long as its private no one will know if I fail.

I know. Lame. And such a cop-out.

Problem is, I consider myself a doer, not a talker. If I say I'm going to do something, I do it. I commit myself 100%. It gets done. Period. End of story. I won't commit myself if I can't follow through. That's a good thing in business. A bad thing for personal growth.

So yes. I have other much BIGGER goals. I always have. I just never knew how to get there. It scares the shit out of my husband, which is another reason why I try not to share them with him. Honestly, this marathon was a breaking open point for me. I don't know what future goals hold for me, but I'm willing to work hard. It feels a little lonely not being able to share it with others though.

So my goal at this most critical moment in time is to get through the holidays in one piece. After that it will be no holds barred and we'll see what happens.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .