Posts

Posted on

Best ideas while hiking

Today was a good day.

I took my Winnie-dog on a hike to Marjorie Swope. My new, adopted pup Goldie has only been with me a week so she isn’t quite ready for a trip in the car to hike; a few more weeks. When Winnie left the house and saw the car running with the hatch open, she acted like a puppy dancing and thrashing about – so excited to go on a hike. 

 I drove to Marjorie Swope. Winnie and I hiked for 3 glorious miles and we didn’t see a soul.

While hiking I had a good work idea; get the team together on a group hangout and talk about our days. It turned out to be really fun listening to my co-workers who have turned into teachers. It was good to hear everyone is doing well.

It’s been one full week we have been working from home. Our team is doing the best they can in the current situation.

Now as evening approaches I am writing using my story ideas from the morning hike. I caught my two dogs finally bonding with Goldie resting her head on Winnie. [Blog post image above. Heart melting.]

We made it through the week. Thank goodness for time outside. Happy to spend the evening writing and relaxing.

Posted on

Training Update, Pivoting

A buzzword I’ve been hearing lately is a pivot. 
That is what training and life have been like lately – I’m pivoting. 

While the coronavirus and lifestyle changes don’t really affect me in the sense that I don’t go out a lot or congregate in groups all that much, now I just don’t have that option. I’m not complaining, not at all, because I have everything I need. It’s what everyone has to do now – pivot – make changes and adjust thinking and activities. I still have a job; that’s always good. 

Take a deep breath.

What I like about the concept of pivoting is that it doesn’t mean desperation; it can be additional growth. It’s changing what you do right now to maintain your vision; your vision of what the future will be.

While races are canceled and training is in flux, I still am running, walking a lot and reading. 

Race calendar updated
This week’s training plan

The world is changing – every year brings something we didn’t expect; globally and locally. As a GenXer this is our world, something we always have lived with and for me it makes me not trust anyone or anything. America’s neglected ‘middle child’. Could it be true that “being in the middle is a power place to be.” Doubt it.

Ha. But I’m getting away from my point. 

Maybe pivoting is what I’ve been doing all my life, always re-imagining what I could do and be. Maybe it’s time to reassess and make some changes. Pivot.

Posted on

Kearsarge Redux, Goldie Love

Today was a Kearsarge redux. 

I needed to hike something familiar, by myself and get my heart pumping. I headed back to Kearsarge with the hope of two loops. No dogs.

A solo hike was just what I needed to get some perspective, stop thinking about the news and just get to the top of a mountain. 

So icy!

I knew the trail was going to be icy, and it was but it was never ending ice today. At the top I decided to head down the Rollins Trail to see where it went, since I’ve never done it. I passed the Lincoln Trail, which I knew I would do next time, and part of the SRKG. [I’ll be running the 3-day Stage Race in August.] On my way back to the top I took this video.

Very windy at the top but magnificent views.

I headed down the Winslow Trail thinking that it would be less icy and I could run; nope. It was more icy than last Sunday. Less snow pack, more ice. So many people not even wearing spikes. I headed home after one loop and will live another day.

Week One with Goldie is just about over. She is becoming herself. She is a crazy puppy with a sweet personality. I just love her. Winnie just ignores her, for now.

Monday it’s back to work. I’m not sure if it will be a work from home day but it’s an option.

Posted on

Umstead 100 Canceled

I was expecting it.

It’s not a shock.

The race is canceled, as I’m sure all spring races will be. 

My training was going badly anyway. 

I’m not sure I was even ready for the race. 

But my true goal is to finish a 100 mile race in 2020. 

There is time. There is always time.

I’m just going to write, walk my dogs, run, bike and work.

Posted on

Pandemic Plan for Self Isolation, Write A Book

Amid the crisis and hunkering down, I decided that I will start writing my second book. I’ve been procrastinating writing it. I’ve started a million times, with twenty different titles and topics. Fiction or Nonfiction. I have had so many starts and stops. I have so many half completed essays and chapters. 

For over 20 years I’ve been journaling and I write almost every day. I’ve been starting to notice a pattern in what I write about in my journal and morning pages. There are two recurring themes: fixing mistakes and second chances. 

These themes are the working title, too. 

Chapters include: Dogs, Work, Men, Plans, Endurance Training, Friends, Travel and most importantly and most likely the most cathartic to write: Family. 

One thing that will be woven through all these chapters is the idea that we are all so scared. We (and I mean me) are scared to accept new responsibilities, to get our hearts broken (again), that we will lose our job, that a plan falls through that you had your heart set on, that you aren’t good enough or strong enough to finish a big race. And when it comes to family, people you know so well, well, they are more scared than you are. I thought my family had it all together. They are all just as scared as everyone else.

Families are hard, hard, hard. Anne Lamott

I have so much material to make people laugh, cry, shake their heads in agreement – and mostly just to remember the good things in life we sometimes forget about. 

See – the thing is – I screw up. A lot. I’m impulsive. I’m impatient. I worry. I’m worst-case-scenario girl. But despite all the screws ups, I also try to fix them. I’m not afraid to say sorry. Sometimes I get second chances. Second chances are the BEST! These are the stories I want to tell.

And so it begins …..