Spring Retirement 2023

Another year, another update. Short and sweet, I've officially retired from my engineering job. I'm just starting week 4 of retirement and so far I haven't been (too) bored. The temperate spring weather enables all sorts of activities, from gardening to outdoor fitness to photographing all sorts of spring flowers.

 

 

 

 
I'm settling in, navigating and tweaking a new daily rhythm which includes working on my photography, writing and other creative activities. So more to come.

Read more...

Life's Curveballs

Hindsight is 20/20 and can help put into perspective these crazy days with all of its doomsday pandemic reports. Chaos reigns, mass media allows it to infiltrate our core being. Is it any wonder we’ve become anxiety ridden society? I put it all into perspective....

Rewind 12 months - my daughter, like most seniors in college trying to figure out what direction to take, chose to build upon her study abroad program in Africa and decided to pursue an opportunity in the Peace Corps. She applied in January to an available position in Mongolia and while she had hoped to serve in Africa, she took the assignment in Asia. She was scheduled to leave in late May, two weeks after graduation.
Most of March and April were spent preparing for graduation and her planned future in Mongolia. Life, though filled with daily stresses, seemed to progress “on plan”. I enjoyed the anticipation of commencement and attended several campus event with Erica and her friends.
Erica was also training for her first half marathon with my run club so I saw her frequently.

Then what felt like a life altering event occurred - while running the half marathon Erica sustained a stress fracture in her fibula. Upon seeing the xrays days after the race (she did finish; we thought the injury was a muscle strain), we realized the Peace Corps would pull her medical clearance. She would not go to Mongolia in May.

We didn't know she had broken her fibula!

Life’s once clear path flipped and curved into a murky abyss.

I admit I was stressed about the situation because I do not like sudden change that I cannot control. In addition to these changes, Erica’s personal mobility took a hit - she was put into a medical boot, given crutches with instructions for no weight bearing movement. I then realized how unfriendly campus could be, with its sprawling grounds and barebones handicap access. While I’m sure the university is fully compliant with the ADA laws, this sudden change was not easy to adjust to on the fly. (And I now fully appreciate such ADA laws and requirements). She essentially moved back home and I drove her to the last few weeks of classes and Final exams. She graduated gracefully sporting those crutches across the stage. She certainly stood out! The day after graduation, she and several friends flew to St. Thomas - crutches be damned!

Crutching Across the Stage to Receive her Diploma

Amidst all these events, Erica made alternate plans for the summer. She got a summer job teaching science to under privileged girls in Chicago. After 6 weeks the fracture healed and she applied for another opening in the Peace Corps - an assignment in Africa. She was offered a position to work in Guinea as an AgroForestry volunteer, a position better aligned with her interests and degree. This job would start in December.

The initiator - the broken fibula that felt like a huge disruption at the time, really served as a course adjustment and allowed all of us room to accept the oncoming change.

Erica spent her summer in the Big City, clearly enjoyed teaching science and making an impact on her students. She was able to join our extended family’s grand vacation in Hilton Head. She worked at the horse barn until departing in December.

How Often Do All the Cousins Get together? Not Often Enough

I was able to accompany her to her departure city of Washington DC and give her a big hug before setting her off on her great adventure. Had she gone to Mongolia, I would have missed that departure.

As of mid February, she has been officially installed in her village where she will serve over the next two years. While life there exhibits hardships and challenges, she has made friends and strives to make a difference.

Featured on the Peace Corps Guinea IG Feed for International Women's Day!

Had she gone to Mongolia, she would be coming back to the US, a mere 6 months into her official assignment. Last week, Peace Corps evacuated all their workers in Mongolia due to the coronavirus. These events cemented in my mind - she was never meant to go to Mongolia. She is exactly where she’s supposed to be. And if she gets sent home from Africa, then it will be OK.

The lesson to be learned here? To be content with the change and challenges presented to us in this crazy thing called life. Perhaps what you planned for and worked towards didn’t pan out and carves out into another direction. Do the best you can with a positive attitude. Ask for help. Build a community of friends to support you in the good and the bad. Don’t be afraid of change. Take it in faith that things will work out.

Read more...

My 2018 Running Year - The Worst and Best Year

Yeah, yeah, almost 2 months into 2019 and here comes a recap of last year?
Forgive and indulge me a little bit - even though we are well into 2019, last year's experiences still continue to mold me and I constantly need to be reminded that success does not hinge on running "X" miles a week. Read on to get the rest of the story:

2018 - It was the worst year of running, it was the best year in spite of that.

Coming off my 2017, with all its accomplishments, why wouldn’t 2018 eclipse it all? Several reasons emerged - my Pride went before the fall, age caught up with even me, and well, maybe it just wouldn’t be the year where I smashed all my goals regardless how hard I tried to control things. Yes, I am an admitted control freak (just ask my kids and they will resoundingly nod their heads).

I couldn’t control my left hip’s pain and I didn’t foresee tearing something in my right glute (an injury obtained while doing yoga of all things). I could only adjust and force myself to be patient. But, these injuries forced me to slow down, adjust my workouts, divert my focus and in the end, resulted in a 2018 full of rich experiences.

What went down: due to nagging left hip pain and lack of trail miles, I withdrew from my planned spring ultra. What I did instead: after a year’s hiatus, I returned to the pool and realized it wasn’t so bad. I drew solace from the dark and cold winter mornings, somewhat thankful I didn’t have to brave those elements on the road.

Instead of running that ultra during spring break week, I traveled to Thailand with my daughter, sister and a local running friend! The impetus of the trip was my daughter’s desire to visit a high school friend studying abroad. We flew over together then parted ways once I had delivered her to her friend’s place in Bangkok. My local running friend, Brenda, and I met up with my sister in Chiangmai. We hiked up a mountain, visited temples, took a Thai cooking class and interacted with elephants. We flew to Phuket, relaxed on the beach, kayaked in sea hongs of Phang Nga Bay, experienced bio luminescent show and had a wonderful vacation.








I rested my hip and returned to running in time for the Illinois Marathon weekend. But no Marathon for me. Instead, our family (me, husband Scott, kids Erica and Brian) formed a team and ran the Marathon Relay. I have wanted to do this as a family for many years but could never convince the non-runners. While we’ve all run 5ks , the 6+ mile distance seemed long for the kids. Erica has been running more and it was her desire to field a team that tipped the scales.
Scott ran the first leg, then I met Erica at the first exchange (she had to work earlier that morning). Erica took the second leg and Scott and I made our way to the next exchange point. I ran the third leg, enjoying the thinned running field. The last exchange is located approximately 2 miles from our house, perfect for our son who would run the last portion of the race. Perfect because this allowed him to sleep in while the rest of us were on the course!
We met Brian at the entrance to Memorial stadium, ran in together and crossed the finish line. We were blessed with perfect weather that day - sun and mid 50s. It doesn’t get much better.


I spent the rest of spring slowly regaining mileage. Winter's grip held spring captive and when it let go, summer barreled straight in. Cold then hot. Brian graduated from high school, and suddenly it was summer.



One morning, I received a text from my sister about a “vendor she uses at work who is the title sponsor of the NYC marathon” (TCS! Tata Consulting Services) and “extending an invitation for her work team to participate in the NYC marathon”.
OMG, the NYC Marathon! I've entered the lottery 4 times and 4 times been rejected....

Long story short, my sister manages to get me and her husband entries into NYC. And not just regular entries but VIP entries (special bus, special area in the Athletes' Village, special Finish line treatment and more).

I start rebuilding miles. Cross training. I get the official invite in mid June.
Then I injure myself doing yoga on Friday, July 13. I’m not a superstitious person, but seriously?
I assume the pain in my butt will go away in a few weeks but it doesn’t. By September I realize that I won’t be able to execute a normal marathon training cycle and start weighing options:
1. Drop out of the NYC Marathon
2. Do whatever I can from a training perspective, start the marathon and do the best I can. I could take a DNF (Did Not Finish) if things got really bad.

I go with Option 2 - because when will I ever get this opportunity again? I follow several talented runners from my Run club via Strava and one of them is injured yet continuing to train for her fall marathon via the elliptical. I follow her lead and embark on a non traditional training program of swimming, cycling and elliptical. I incorporated a run-walk strategy 3 weeks prior to the race. My “20 miler” was replaced by 50 laps in the pool, 30 minutes of pool jogging, one hour cycling class then 6 miles using a 1:30 run, :30 walk cycle. I peaked my running at 8 miles, the week before the marathon.

Instead of my normal 10 minute pace, I ran - walked the marathon with my sister and had a great time. If I hadn’t been injured, I would have run my own race. In the end, this was a great way to soak up NYC, support my sister and her first marathon experience. I wouldn’t change it for even a BQ. (Ok, maybe I would for that).





So what did 2018 teach me from a running / fitness perspective? To be patient with injury recovery, to embrace the circumstances and do the best you can. Don’t let past accomplishments dictate how you face current challenges. I will never repeat the 5K PRs I earned in my 20’s. I doubt I will ever BQ. I’m ok with all that. Even with the lowest yearly mileage since 2012 and my worst marathon finish, I had an incredible running year. I expect 2019 will have its ups and downs but I intend to keep moving forward.

Read more...

The Catch Up - May 2016 - More Horses, Travel and Concerts

I'm back, this time with an update from May.

IHSA Nationals
Erica competed in the Intercollegiate Horse Show National Competition in the “Horse Capital of the US”, aka Lexington, Kentucky, held at the Kentucky Horse Park. The event was held in the Alltech Arena – a world class facility. She hit the big time!

Scenes from Kentucky Horse park, simply idyllic with the gently rolling hills and green pastures, speckled with horses (of course):


We made friends with this big boy:




In this shot of the arena, the course is set up for the jumping events and gives you an idea of how big the place is.



The staging area for the horses looked like a mosh pit of horses...


In Competition:




While she didn’t place in her event, this experience as a freshman in college means she’s going to work harder to earn another chance to compete at the National level. I am super proud of my horse loving daughter!

Trip to the UK (London and Cardiff)
The day after Nationals, I got on a plane and traveled to the UK to run a training session for work. Highlights – I got to visit with my sister and her family in London and the weather was sunnier than normal.

...so sunny and warm that ice cream with a chocolate flake was in order for the kids. The flake pops out of the top of the ice cream like a straw. I ended up buying a box of it on my way home.

As usual, we made our way down to the Thames.


The wisteria was in full bloom, adorning all the doorways.


The training session I ran was held in Cardiff, Wales, about a 2 hour train ride to the west. I was able to explore the city of Cardiff, Wales via the lens of daylight (the last time I was there in the perpetual darkness of winter), met some new running friends and ran some cool routes.

Cardiff Castle Along my Run Through Bute Park

The Pierhead Building at Cardiff Bay

Along Waterfront Park

Wales Millennium Center

On the “Dimmer” side, I managed to catch the intestinal bug my sister was harboring and well, that was not fun. Fortunately, the brunt of that hit mid-week; I delegated sections of the training course to my work colleagues and quarantined myself to the hotel room. The hotel was quite accommodating, supplying me with complimentary room service and whatever else I wanted (Yeah, I get that they didn’t want me wandering the halls and spreading this to other guests). I only missed one day of the training and didn’t have any issues traveling back to the US.

May Birthdays
Scott and I celebrated our “last birthday” before the big 5-0. My friend, Jill, had extra tickets to see James Taylor in concert, so I got a special birthday gift from her. It is amazing that he is almost 70 years old, still performing on tour and sounding great.

And I'm 49

The kids officially wrapped up the school year and settled into their summer routines - May was gone in a flash.

Read more...

The Prairie Fields - Rest And Heal

Some photos I captured walking around the prairie last Saturday - the bright sunshine tempered the brisk wind, although it felt more like March than February.



Normally, I spend my Saturday mornings running - it is my designated "long run" day, but not last weekend. The previous Monday, I managed to strain my quad in yoga class while stretching it (aggressively) - the muscle "popped", then hurt and I knew that was trouble.



Nevertheless, it has all turned out fine. I foam rolled / massaged the muscle and resulting knot, put my leg into a compression sleeve, elevated it, and (most importantly) simply rested it. Normal walking wasn't painful, but descending the stairs served as a reminder that all was not normal. I was mentally ready to take 3-4 weeks off, because the reality is unless you take the time to heal, the injury will always linger and make you pay later on.



Somehow, on Friday afternoon the pain simply no longer existed. I could still feel the knot on my quad, but no other remnants of the injury.

I felt it prudent to give it another day, so I substituted a long swim in lieu of my normal long run. And added a leisurely walk around the prairie with my camera. The following day, I ran 3 miles without any issues.


Photography note - I shot the above photo using the "back button focus" technique, something a little different for me and technique I will continue to practice.

So, what did I learn? One - to take it easier on the stretching in yoga. Two - 5 days off from running, interval training, yoga and my normal intense activities forced me to reset. I should take breaks like that more often. Three - the body is an incredible machine, never to be underestimated.

Read more...

Friday Five Randomness

It's Friday and this Friday's Five contains random snippets from our lives.

1. I encountered a fellow runner Thursday morning while I was out walking. We only know each other very casually through some mutual friends, but we pass each other frequently while running. She came upon me and slowed down enough to inquire “Not running?”, to which I replied “No - injury”. She threw up her hands and declared “Oh, I HATE injuries” and proceeded to provide encouragement like “Oh, you’ll be back before you know it…. Take your time to get healed up properly“. And that is what I love about the running community.
2. The Girl turned 18 this week. Eighteen. Which means (in Illinois), she can legally purchase cigarettes and lottery tickets! She is no longer bound to the various driver’s restrictions (number of people in the car and curfew). But she still struggles with reading a map and navigating unfamiliar areas.

3. Our cat, Louie gave us a scare Wednesday evening, when we thought he had been let outside and was nowhere to be found. We searched high and low, even enlisting the help of neighbor friends. At 9pm, I figured he was going to be out all night long (and I was not going to get any sleep worrying about him) when he sauntered up from the basement, looking groggy. We had searched the basement previously, so who know where he goes and hides himself! I swear, his stealth mojo is super strong.



So Cute, Such a Troublemaker

4. I had an unexpected trip to Chicago - I had to drive to O’Hare early Tuesday morning to pick up Scott and the Boy after their flight home was canceled Monday night. What craziness - there were storms in the area that impacted flights leaving O'Hare for a couple hours, but the little puddle jumper from here to ORD simply goes back and forth, so I'm not sure why it got canceled. With their flight canceled they were left stranded - there were no available hotel rooms, no rental cars and not even a guarantee of getting on a Tuesday flight.
5. I don't like celery, but my friend, Jill, left me with a bunch of celery sticks. I don't like throwing perfectly good food away, so I did some research and learned that celery can be used in fruit smoothies. The best part - you can't even tell it's there.

Can't Taste The Celery in the Final Product

I'm looking forward to the weekend! I will probably drive back up to Chicagoland with my friend and our boys to celebrate one of her boy's birthdays. Hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

Shared with Five on Friday

Read more...

Class Of 2015 - Prom

My senior daughter's high school prom was held this past weekend - it is so much fun to watch them in their fancy gowns and formal ware. Getting ready can be a bit stressful (read - I was responsible for braiding my daughter's hair, so that's the main source of stress), we always seem to be running late, but in the end, the kids have a great time.



The Seniors always meet at the Country Club for pre-prom photos with their classmates. It was a bit rainy, thankfully just a light on-off drizzle. It's a great time to see the parents of the kids, meet the parents of your daughter's date and catch up with those students you have known since they were little.



These two have been friends since first grade.


And these four, can't you tell they are troublemakers?

I seriously don't understand these poses, whatever happened to silly bunny ears?

A great group of friends, who will remember these times fondly.


For some reason, I love this photo - such a sign of the times, the constant capturing of the moment using your cell phone camera.



It was a busy and fun evening for everyone.

Read more...

The Friday Five - Smiles

Five things from this past week that made me smile

1. The fact that my kids completely demolished the pasta dish I made on Wednesday night – pasta with roasted red pepper sauce, artichoke hearts and grilled chicken. In the past, such a combination would have elicited complaints and general “food drama”.
2. Discernibly longer days, ie glimpses of the sunrise at 6:30am and daylight past 5pm! Here's proof - a photo taken at 6:30, on the cusp of daybreak:

Winter Morning

3. Serendipitous radio play of two songs from The Soundtrack of my Life – Father Figure by George Michael and Sweet Sensation by INXS. Felt like I was in college again
4. Hubby, who just started going to yoga class with me, mentioning he wants to go early so we can “get a good spot”. Hey, maybe I’ve converted him to this yoga thing.
5. My daughter’s tweet about me: “Mom yelling downstairs: ‘Louie what outfit should I wear?’ (louie is our cat)”.

Yeah, Creeping on my Daughter

I want to clarify that this tweet isn’t 100% true. The exact quote was ‘Louie, what YOGA outfit should I wear?’

Seriously, don’t we all ask our pets what we should wear? After all, they don’t judge, give unconditional approval…

... and make the best post-run napping partners.

Hope you have a great Super Bowl Weekend!

Read more...

Friday Five - Gratitude

Well, I sort of dropped off the face of blog-land these past two weeks.

We received less than optimal news related to my hubby’s job and I’m feeling very unmotivated and lazy to write anything or take photos. In reality, our situation is manageable and not cataclysmic – there are many worse situations within my circle of friends, so I can’t complain. We’ll get through just fine.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving, so in the celebration of the season, I am listing five things I am grateful for this November:

1. Great Health – something we tend to take for granted.
2. College tests, applications and acceptances – my daughter has been accepted at Michigan State and is still applying to other colleges.
3. Good friends – whether near or far, web-based or not (I don’t want to use the term virtual friend, as they are as real as it gets), the support of friends conquers all.
4. Ample resources – in the US, we have access to so much.
5. Warm, cozy socks. I’m partial to Smart Wool socks. Unfortunately, my kids love them too and my daughter takes mine all the time, leaving me with cold, cotton socks. Fortunately, I recently received a coupon for a 20% discount. I hear they make great stocking stuffers....

And a photo to share - a kaleidoscope of colors, one of the first photos taken with my new iPhone 6!



Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Read more...

The Friday Five - Summer Review

Summer Lights Up the Boston Skyline

With the official start of Autumn this past Tuesday, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the past summer.

1. The weather - Again, I'm fixated on the weather. This summer's cooler than normal temperatures, coupled with ample rain was simply perfect. For the first summer ever, I didn't have to water the lawn!
2. We moved our daughter's horse, Caesar, to a new barn, a great place that is much closer to our house (10 minutes away vs 30 minutes).
3. I took my son and one of his friends to Boston and had a great time. I visited my parents, staying in their Plymouth home, probably for the last time (they plan to sell the house soon).
4. I participated in a month long on-line yoga challenge, focusing on arm balances. I don't often mention my yoga pursuits here, and this challenge was just that - very challenging, but I a learned a ton. If you care to see the poses, head over to this set on my Flickr Stream.
5. Even with the good, there was some sadness this summer. My good friend, Kellie, moved away, my violin teacher decided to stop teaching and I lost a running partner. But with each change, we grow and adapt. I am blessed by so much, regardless of the season.

Did you have a great summer?

Read more...

The Friday Five

Five things I'm thinking about this Friday

• It's our 22nd wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary, Scott!

Not the best photo of the two of us, but the latest one I had on my phone - taken in June.

• Since it's almost the middle of September, I really need to update my blog header! Maybe I'll work on that this weekend (instead of cleaning up the yard - wait, I really need to weed the garden, even though that 5 foot high thistle must really look impressive from the street).

• It feels like Fall outside and I am not complaining - I'm breaking out some cozy leggings and boots for the football game tonight.

• It's exactly one month until the Chicago Marathon. Those little aches and pains in my knee and ankles are calling out to me a little more. I've been mitigating / managing with increased stretching, foam rolling, strength exercises and acupuncture. Yes, I started acupuncture sessions in late July as a part of my "three pronged attack" on my ankle injury [The other two prongs - seeing a foot doctor who prescribed deep tissue massage and a physical therapy assessment]. A running friend recommended a local, very affordable acupuncturist and after the results I've seen, I am sold on the treatment. Here is some background on the practice of acupuncture:

The technique of acupuncture involves placing hair-thin needles in various pressure points (called acupoints) throughout the body. Stimulating these points is believed to promote the body's natural healing capabilities and enhance its function.

• This week's excitement - yesterday, I took my son to the Doctor's office / clinic to have blood drawn to check for Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunity. The state of Illinois requires all incoming high school freshmen to have their Varicella vaccine / booster. My son was exposed to the chickenpox when he was 18 months old at daycare. We opted to give him the Varicella vaccine when we learned he had been exposed in an attempt to lessen / prevent the illness. He did break out into a half dozen small blisters, a very mild case. Because of this, a booster shot is not needed.
  I don't, however, have documentation of the confirmed case of the chickenpox, so a blood test is needed to satisfy the State requirement.
This was my son's first time having his blood drawn, and during the process, he passed out! The "Nurse Alert" was sounded in the clinic, and I watched as three nurses, one EMT and an administrator descended upon my son. I wasn't too freaked out as I have personally passed out at least three times (once after a weight lifting session in High school, once in a store and the third time during immunizations I had before traveling to China - I blogged about it here. Scott passed out after having blood drawn at work and in the same clinic as today's episode. I guess it runs in the family. I am thankful for the nurses' quick and thorough response. He won't be too keen to donate to the blood drive, though.

What's happening on your Friday?

Read more...