Happy New Year!

Quick post to usher in the new year! Wow. The last week has been BUSY! 

Work has been busy, and will get REALLY busy after 1/1. I think the older adults get all excited  ( or the activity directors do) and we get going into the new years with some speed!

Lots of friends: Marit my MN gal at heart, Angela a FLA girl at heart, and I had a great coffee date earlier this week. 

 Then today we got in an outdoor ride. I am not going to impress you with the numbers because I believe firmly that nobody needs a champion in january, and riding 25 miles outside sure beats 25 miles on the trainer. Even if it isnt EPIC, WE ROCK and RODE 5 hour, type ride.
When you live in MN and your roads look like this on DEC 31, you just take what you can get.

 I admit i look a bit pained, but even when there is no snow, the wind is biting and it's still below 32 degrees. But taking my gloves off to play photo-op didnt leave my paws lifeless. So it wasnt too bad. And Yes i was 5 feet from home just in case.

Rich has been having a rougher go of it this round of chemo. So lets hope its the holiday hype and excitement that has him fatigued. I sure think that is what it is. So many things to do, and so little sleep to be had. As for new years resolutions?? Well if you are posting all over FB about all the self improvement things you are going to do, then just know i will block you. Think about what you can do to help someone, or to help yourself without deprivation. It's pretty amazing how clear I seem to see things when  all that is important to you is suddenly hanging in the balance. I wish going Gluten Free or losing 5 lbs would make my husbands cancer go away, but it wont.
Be healthy and count your blessings and lets have a great 2012!

On a Personal Note...

Ok boys get over it, but I need my girl peeps to chime in on something.
I have Fibrocystic Breasts. I have always had dense tissue and have had a few times with pain/swelling around my cycle. They always told me to be careful with caffeine, and I dont abuse or USE it but do drink green tea each day and sometimes a 1/2 caff latte or cappucino. But never more than one and not everyday.

The last few months ( Well since October) I have been suffereing BIG. TIME. I have been to the MD twice, and now she is sending me to get an Ultrasound and LIKELY cyst aspiration.
This summer i was fine, and i was ABUSING caffeine in the form of POWERGELS:) LOL.

I am 99% confident these are just that. Benign Cysts. And I am 99% confident that I am fine, other than i will step away when you try to hug me and lying prone makes me weep. I feel like i have a DD cup when it is more like an A. I had a breast MRI and it was clear...

So any thoughts? All the actual research i read says the caffeine thing is not proven. Even my MD said she would rather have a cyst than give up her coffee:) LOL.

She also told me this HURTS. I have had ALOT of needles put in my body ( acupuncture to prolo to cortisone) and this one freaks me out the most bc i cant even IMAGINE a needle going in there.

Rich is good, by the way:)
thanks for your ideas!!!
PS not pregnant, but that DID cross my mind!

Winter 2011

Winter has been a mixed bag. In one sense the true northerner in me misses the white stuff. It's just plain weird to have rain all day in mid december and to hear that golf courses are open. Lest you think its warm its not. It's this eery windchill with wet conditions, that seems to be what I think the Pac. NW is like. Having never been there i am not sure! Here is our yard today:

Golf Anyone?

 Here is our yard last year, this was even after the snow had melted a bit. I guess technically its our driveway but i just couldnt find the snow rake for the roof pics ( i must have burned them)

 What has me going strong?
Not Swimming. I am not sure why but i have been hating swimming. That isnt true. I dont hate it but its just plain drudgery to get me there, and if i dont go at dark o thirty i dont want to go. Part of it is the pool issues with the poop, that wasnt so fun, then there is the chlorinated " I smell " issue. And of course the pool temp. I cant say i have been swimming slow, I mean i went to the cold pool monday and i swam FAST. We had a faster wrkout ( T pace) and i swear i wonder if i was on another planet when i swam that test, bc I think " I cant swim that pace unless its 10x100!" SO i try. And monday i blew a gasket. My delts and my pecs and my Lats screamed and actually I didnt swim again till today.
What gets me swimming:

Latte Art at Nina's coffee cafe!

 What else is going on? I am actually liking this view. Granted i havent had any really long trainer rides but as the weather has been so nice I should be out on my Cross bike, but that will come, timing is everything and right now Rich isnt able to ride outside with me so its nice to be home and sweating, and watching the Tennis Channel. I mix it up actually, i usually listen to great music and have the TV on mute or low. I have tried some reality shows like Housewives of __________, but usually that just starts to annoy me. Tennis seems to always be it. Or any sporting event that i sorta "Get" and can follow. The Aussie Open is coming up and in January I expect the rides to get a bit longer so I am excited to have some TV to go with that.

what do you watch when you ride indoors?

While I am on a winding no purpose post, what did you all think of the NBC IM coverage? I havent seen it all, but each year, of the past 2-3 years when i have known more of you that have gone, and you are people like me, AG'ers not pros, not 17 hour racers, i am struck with the question of WHY they dont showcase or at least mention the bulk of the racers that are working/family people/AG qualifiers that are the PACK. They arent winning, nor are they falling into Road signs and looking like they have absolutely NO CORE support left, nada, scary, nothing, blinded or about to have a stroke. Ok that was my view of those last guys. Seriously? Not healthy, but of course "Its not the falling down its the getting back up that matters." Um yeah but maybe i just am jaded by my work in health care, but what is healthy about that? Nothing, maybe that is the point. It gets viewers.

But what about the pack, the normal people? I didnt see any of you! Boo!

So the weekend is here, tonight is martini night where i have orders to drink martinis. The first is fun, the 2nd is a mistake. Lets see if i make a mistake tonight:) And Yes i have a driver! happy weekend!

The BAG

I wish i had some riveting news to post. But in a way I am glad i dont. I have been wanting to blog the last week but really, there is not much going on in MN in December. We are finally in winter, and must i say I am feeling about 10% of the winter blues, and though that may sound sad, it's really not nearly as bad as it was last year at this time. I still have some patches of sidewalk and road that are visible, I have had few delays from weather related traffic snafus, and today was the first day i really had to cover my face for parts of my run. Not so bad.

I must add that when i went out to run last week after a swim and had not dried my hair, enough...I knew it was time to add another BAG to the bag lady routine when i leave the house at dark o'thirty. The bag this morning contained:

Boure winter wool socks
Shoes ( gotta check twice on this one)
Heavy Winter Gear West windproof Sugoi jacket
Under Armour stretchy winter top
Sleeveless base layer ( Craft)
Lobster gloves
two hats one tight that covers my ears and another looser one on top
neck gaiter that can be pulled up and down prn ( as needed)
Road ID ( eeks i forgot this today, sorta freaked me out) but i had my Y membership card
Compression shorts/capris ( today i wore capris), I like CWX the others dont squish me enough.
Addidas running tights with reflective stripes, even tho today it was sunny, with all the icey roads and cars parked our drivers dont see runners OR bikers, even in broad daylight.
**These tights are not super tight nor are they alladin pants, and they are OLD. VERY Old. Like so old i am fearful they may not make it thru the winter. If you have ideas, let me know. I dont need lulu tights, got those, these need to be functional and kinda thick. I have some CRAFT winter riding pants, but those are for SUB zero.

So today's temp was 8 and windchill of about 0. Running into the wind my HR shot up, mouth into gaiter for sure for the into the wind part, then when i turned around i was good! Pace came up, and i could breathe. I was SO GLAD i went outside. IT takes days like today to realize what your limits are. and i havent found it yet. usually its lack of sun and windchill below 0, and when in doubt i run loops close to home or to my starting point.

So. That means i am running! This is fun, this is good. I am so thrilled to be feeling healthy, feeling good, and at the same time telling myself that nobody needs a champion in January. ( But i do hope to run a half marathon in Naples in January, so that is something to look forward to)
The Drudgery of going to the pool is made easier by my swimming pal Steve ( not in a speedo) another Steve, and without him i think i would pull my eyes out and roll over in bed. I do that anyways as Steve usually wants to swim at like 5 am and i somehow coax him into the LATEST possible swim time before we are overtaken with classes and turds. By the way, the turd caper is solved? or is it?
There have been no incidents in a week, but i am suspcicious. Many of you asked how they knew it was an adult? Well i guess they know bc no kids are in the pool from 8-10 am...and it wasnt there before that. Rumor has it someone was taking some diet supplement and it makes one...well...loose. Ok then, that is about all i need to tell you. But the chemical count is high and you can smell me from the next room, or so my husband says.

Speaking of Rich, he is doing great. We head into another chemo round next week but thankfully we have the week before Xmas off so he can enjoy that time and not be bogged down too much. He still never complains and lives his life to the fullest each day. Lots to be thankful for!

Ok that is it from Sunny and cold MN! Have a great weekend!