The Long Awaited Book Review Post

Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin:
I enjoyed this one.  Was occasionally a little confused on the plot, but was always eventually led out.  Really liked the voice of the writing, and the depiction of Texas.  There were several quotes where I was just all, "Texas!" complete with fist pump.  Highly recommended.

Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafron:
I was a little disturbed by the occasional obviousness that books that I hadn’t read were written about these people and this world before.  I also, at times, had trouble following the thread of the story.  Fermin’s story was really engaging, but the rest of it was just meh for me.

Restoration by Olaf Olaffson:
Spoiler alert: not a fan of this one.  Was interested to see what would happen, but do NOT care to read about dying kids, affairs, husbands that loved people and then died and were rotting ON THE PROPERTY.  Nope.

Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison:
I didn’t expect to like this one.  It seemed like such a downer.  But I immediately liked the “realness” and humor of Ben’s voice and through that I felt for him.  I also loved the story lines, Trev finds a crush, Ben finds forgiveness for HIMSELF, which is the most important thing of all.  Highly recommended.

Tigers in Red Weather by Lisa Klaussmann:
Loved the shifting points of view in sections, so you get the story from one, then some overlap and additional info from someone else, etc.  Loved Nick’s feeling of detachment that felt so real to me.  Thought it was a lovely book, great read.  Didn’t like the last maybe… 5 pages, though.  The ending was just…wtf??  Recommended.

Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian:

I really enjoyed this book.  Loved the juxtaposition of modern and the story.  Did not expect what the secret was.  Occasionally was very aware that bits of the story were being written as fiction and found that a little jarring, but it was written into the story that way.  Very engrossing treatment of an underrepresented and horrifying historical event with a very satisfying ending.

Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel:
Loved, loved, loved, LOVED.  Solid 4+ stars until I read the ending and then, crying, BOOM, 5 stars.  That and when I went back and looked at how many passages I had highlighted, WOW!  READ THIS.  Do not pass go - it is worth the $200.

Finished Fallen Angels last night.  Will review with February's reviews.  Working on Killing Moon now.

February Goals

January goals:
January's athletic goal is P90X oriented.  I want to do 6 days a week, every other day P90X and the days in between core work plus some sort of aerobic cross training.  So going off the P90X recommended order, here:

1: Chest & Back

2: Core 1/XT

3: Plyometrics

4: Core 2/XT

5: Yoga X

6: Core 3/XT

7: Rest

8: Arms & Shoulders

9: Core 1/XT

10: Legs and Back

11: Core 2/XT

12: Kenpo

13: Core 3/XT

14: Rest

Rinse, repeat.

Book goal: let's go with 4 again.  I've got 2 Kindle library books checked out (Goodbye for Now and Fallen Angels), so those HAVE to get done.  And I really need to finally finish Killing Moon.  And I've already started Something Red.  So those 4, and all are related to my committee, btw.  More would be better, too!

Financial goal: Pay off Edward.

House goal: work on AD's - maids.


January goal review:
Exercise: Well, I did a lot of P90X, but it ended up not being in the pattern I originally set up due to the seperation and house situation.  I am very pleased with what I did do, though.

Books:  Well, I only read 2 books.  I'm honestly disappointed in myself.  I did get more than halfway into two others, though.  I'm going to be up the creek if I don't pick this up though.  Reviews to follow.

Financial goal: DONE!

House goal: scheduled for today, YAY!!!!

February goals:
Exercise goal: continue with the P90X, the biking, the core, and add running back in when I can.
Book goal: finish Fallen Angels and Killing Moon.  Plus AT LEAST 2 more for the committee.
Financial goal: on hold right now until things even out with me and P.
House goal: get shower fixed at house, get AD's house the rest of the way cleaned out.

I Ran This Morning!

This is the part where I apologize for still not posting the End of the World Half race report, in which I tell you that I got injured, hence why I'm all excited about a little run this morning.

This is also the part where I have decided to come (at least a little) clean about what is going on in my world.  Mostly because it is my reality and it is impacting obviously my life, but also my exercise. 

So, P and I aren't living together right now.  We are trading weeks, one of us keeps Z in our house, the other lives in AD house.  And then we switch.  We are often still sharing weekends, to try to give some level of normalcy to Z.  I will not go into the nitty gritty of why all of this is happening.  Nor will I postulate on the future.  This is the now that I am living.

So, how has that impacted my exercise?  Well, I can't run in the morning when I'm at home any more, because there is no sleeping adult to leave with Z.  And I'm still not sure about running at AD's house.  I mean, I need to.  I will.  I just need to get out of my head about learning new routes in a new neighborhood, that's all.  Wasn't a problem, really, because I was giving my knee a month off, but it is time to start running again, so all of this will need to get worked out.

What I have been doing is riding my bike on the trainer on the weeks that I have Z, and doing core work.  I am very pleased with that.  And on the weeks that I'm at AD house I've been doing P90X, all hard core like.  I am also very pleased with that!

And last night P stayed over so he could watch the Super Bowl on the nice TV with DVR, so there was a sleeping adult to leave in the house, so I ran!  I only went 3 miles, but I was so very pleased that I have not lost all my stamina or wind.  I did 3 sets of 9/1s.  And it was... perfect.  I love running and missed it so much!

So there it is.  Out there.  For those of you who know me in real life, I'm still not advertising this, ok?  But I need this blog.  And what I found is that I can't censor that aspect of my life from here and still be able to really write.  I know I could go private, but I don't want to.  I started this blog a long time ago to document my running journey, and this freaking bumpy road that I am currently on is a part of that.  I own that.  It is where I am now.  And hopefully, I'll be running on it.

Rock Climbing!!

So I've always wanted to go rock climbing.  For one thing, not sure exactly how to say this, but I always just thought it'd be something that my body could do.  And it looked fun.  And like problem solving.  And good exercise.  All things that I'm a fan of.

So amongst all the crossroading that has been going on around here, J and I decided we were gonna go.  She got a Groupon and we went last Friday.

Dudes, rock climbing is awesome!  I really want to do it again.  Killer upper body workout.  Great mind workout.  Really fun.

But what I didn't expect was how it would stretch me.  I didn't expect to be scared.  I'm not scared of heights.  But I'm not gonna lie, when I got to the top and looked down, wowzers!  And when I fell off the wall, scariest thing EVER.  Seriously.  And that's another thing I didn't expect - how much you need to trust.  You need to trust yourself that you can do it.  You need to trust your partner taking up your slack and lowering you down.  And you need to trust that someone set up that rope system properly.  So it was a mental stretch along with a physical workout.  I felt simultaneously shockingly vulnerable and physically capable and mentally engaged.  And that is a powerful thing.

The other thing that J and I noticed was that rock climbing is a metaphor for life.  It is hard.  Uphill battle.  It takes focus, determination, flexibility, and a little help from your friends, and sometimes a little help from the random stranger guy you just met.  When you fall down, you have to pick yourself up and try again.  Sometimes you need to stand back and plot your course, but other times you only need to see one move into the future.  Ha, and sometimes your friends on the ground can see the move you need to make more clearly that you can.  And once you see the move, you need to MAKE IT, go, NOW, because hanging on the wall thinking about the move only weakens your muscles while you wait.  Ultimately only you can make the move.

Rock climbing.  Metaphor for life.

January Goals

So, even though I haven't written my race report yet, you know I pulled out of the Day After the End of the World Half after 7 miles.  This was because at the End of the World Half I felt my right knee, the old injury from Oct 2009, tweaking around 11 miles in.  When I started the next day, it hurt from the very first step.  Those 7 miles were mostly walking, with walking itself hurting by mile 5, so I pulled out to try and avoid a long-term injury.

I have to say all of that to explain that January's athletic goal is P90X oriented.  I want to do 6 days a week, every other day P90X and the days in between core work plus some sort of aerobic cross training.  So going off the P90X recommended order, here:

1: Chest & Back

2: Core 1/XT

3: Plyometrics

4: Core 2/XT

5: Yoga X

6: Core 3/XT

7: Rest

8: Arms & Shoulders

9: Core 1/XT

10: Legs and Back

11: Core 2/XT

12: Kenpo

13: Core 3/XT

14: Rest

Rinse, repeat.

Today was day 4, and I've ridden my trainer both times for XT.  I am not ruling out a run in another week or two, but I'm really trying to listen to my knee, so we'll see.  Oh, and also, I'M SO SORE!!!

Book goal: let's go with 4 again.  I've got 2 Kindle library books checked out (Goodbye for Now and Fallen Angels), so those HAVE to get done.  And I really need to finally finish Killing Moon.  And I've already started Something Red.  So those 4, and all are related to my committee, btw.  More would be better, too!

Financial goal: Pay off Edward.

House goal: work on AD's - maids.

2013 Resolution

My resolution for 2013 is to find my happiness.  Wherever it is, whatever it takes, whatever it means.

I still think I'll do monthly goals.  But things are so up in the air right now that a month in advance is about all I can handle.  Little steps.  Towards happiness.  In happiness.

2013: be happy.

Go!

12 in 2012 - The Great Goal Review Post

Goals for the Year:
Lose 12 pounds in 2012.  Weight on 1/1 was 138.8.  Weight on 12/1 was 130.8.  Weight on 1/1 was 131.6, but really, less than a pound over the holidays = SOLD.  I didn't lose 12 lbs this year, but honestly I never thought I would.  I set the goal high and really just hoped to go sub-130.  I *did* manage that, even if only for a few days, but I'm within spitting distance of it now and know I'll hit that target range for good very soon.  All in all, didn't make my goal, but I count this a success.
Read at least 12 books (other than to my child) in 2012.  Got my 4 required books read, but barely. Total to 99 for the year!  Blew this one out of the water!
Race 12 times in 2012. 2.5 this month.  Completed the La Porte By the Bay Half, the End of the World Half, and half of the Day after the End of the World Half for my first DNF ever.  Race reports to follow.  Means I'm left with 11 for the year.  But, BUT considering how crappily the year started with all the DNS's and everything, I'm really pretty pleased with this.
And I have one other secret 12 goal. 1?  Maybe?  But met this goal a long time ago.

Goals for December:
Continued progress towards 2012 goals.  It may be unreasonable, but I'd really like to go sub 130 on my weight for the first time this year.  Check!
Complete 3 half marathons, and don't lose my mojo after.  Fail.  Started 3, finished 2.  But as I'll explain in my race report, I think DNF'ing was absolutely the right choice, and the HARDER choice, and I'm proud of myself for making it.
Start core work again. And maybe P90X after the races.  P90X started on 12/31.  Core work started with the new year.  Check.
Pick back up the committee reading, hard core.  Better, but need to keep at it.
Financial goals: liquidate SMH and reallocate to J. Get direct deposit for N.  Fail and check.  Ok.
House goals: get another quote on the floors, pick a company, and get started! Finish cleaning out AD's house AND get the maids in there AND get a quote on the work we need done there.  Massive fail.  This was probably too much to ask for a holiday month.
Other: enjoy the holidays. :-)  Not exactly - the stuff going on in my personal life really put a damper on the holidays for me this year.