Video fail

The good news is that I finally completed my 18 miler after procrastinating for days!  The bad news is that my flip cam was not fully charged, thus leaving you with this unsatisfying video...

So what I was saying was that I'm back home in Crystal Lake and gosh am I so pleasantly surprised with this weather!  Knowing I'd be home at this part of winter did scare me a little but my run actually made me quite warm!  I love when people take advantage of the weather like this.  I saw many runners and walkers and even ice fishers (each time I passed them I said a little prayer for the ice not to melt until they left the ice!).  I mean, it's clear that once again I am slacking on this whole training thing.  I'll even admit I was a bit nervous this morning.  I knew that I'd enjoy the run once I was in the middle because I cannot stress how therapeutic it is to run and be completely alone with your thoughts.  The first half mile was not enjoyable but I eventually got it in gear and continued on.  By mile 13 I was aching.  I kept reminding myself how lucky I am for such a beautiful day.  I was certainly not eager to run in the bitter cold.  All in all, I spent my run thinking about everything under the moon.  Before I knew it, I was done.  Whew.  I am one sore lady.  

Only one more (maybe two) extremely long runs before the big marathon day!  How is it February tomorrow?  Have a great start to the month!  I shall leave you with this.  

        Best, 

               Anne

All the rain in this town and still the sky was blue

       Best, 

              Anne

Why does it always end up like this? Something that we don't determine.

Rafa came into my life on November 8th, 2011.  After finding him online, I placed a bid and before I knew it, ebay said he was mine.  (Or I rescued him).  As soon as I met him, he seemed attached.  He followed me to the bathroom, bedroom, anywhere.  It made me smile.  He would sit with his back nudged to Emily and I.  Manners weren't critical at this point.  I just appreciated him being around.  The first couple weeks were interesting but I enjoyed them.  It was something completely new and I realized that this dog made me laugh on many occasions.  Surely it wasn't all glitz and glam with this cutie patootie.  He also started to show a side of himself that did not appear immediately.  Once his honeymoon phase was over, he quickly showed us how things would be.  I wish that honeymoon phase turned into a long, happy non-Hollywood marriage.   

 Although Rafa was not the largest dog in our apartment complex, he started to get restless.  While he seemed okay with the space of the apartment, he was very curious, and not in the good way.  He decided to get into anything he could, bite anything he could, bark at anyone he could, bother anyone who was merely breathing. This saddened me and stressed me out more than I imagined.  The thing was, I could handle anything inside the apartment.  Keeping things out of his reach was manageable.  Blocking off the kitchen was something that could be done if it meant having a dog who didn't present himself with a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth.  Hiding the couch pillows and keeping a bottle of carpet cleaner in close proximity was no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

The main problem with this deceivingly adorable dog, would occur when we stepped outside the apartment.  He created a sense of fear in the eyes of residents as well as myself.  Upon seeing anyone in the hallway or elevator, Rafa barked, growled, lunged, and appeared as the aggressive dog I'd hope would never show up.  People refused to get on the elevator with him.  Heaven forbid anyone was patiently waiting for an elevator because as soon as Rafa saw them, it was go time.  I couldn't say he was harmless to the people because he clearly did not look harmless.  How would I know what he would do if he got his paws on anyone?  That thought scared me enough to take the stairs down and up 10 flights each time to avoid people at all costs.  Unfortunately, there were times we would run into people on the staircase which was also a major stressor.  I took Rafa to a personal trainer where she noticed his aggressive behaviors immediately.  We went through a few drills where I had to reward him with hot dog bits (don't get me started) and I learned some new advice and tricks for Rafa at the apartment.  As I tried to keep his attention while walking through hallways, I only could to a certain extent but once any person became present, all bets were off.  The aggressive behavior turned on like the flip of a switch.  The other day a man walked out of his room very quickly, too quick for me to react, and Rafa immediately jumped on him and scratched him.  I was traumatized.  I am traumatized.  It was too late to hide in the staircase.  It was too late to crouch down to hold Rafa back.  It was too late to pull him in any opposite direction.  It was too late.  

Rafa is leaving today.  For good.  It devastates me that these situations have occurred and could not be stopped.  It was only a matter of time before something very extreme happened and I do not wish that upon anyone, not even myself.  I love Rafa.  I truly do.  I know he will be in better hands as he is going to live in a house, not an apartment, and not near elevators.  I'm lucky to have such nice loved ones in my life who have listened to me cry or talk about how stressful this has been or how much he has touched my life.  I'm thankful for their kind words, support, and telling me this is the right thing for everyone, including Rafa.  

So instead of remembering Rafa as an aggressive dog who created a sense of fear in others, I want to remember him in other ways.  I will remember him curling up on the end of the couch closing his eyes.  I will remember his ears perking up at the sound of anything.  I will remember his folded ear and his straight ear.  I will remember his big puppy dog eyes that looked up and melted my heart.  I will remember chasing him down the hallway as he sprinted from one end to the other.  I will remember him sitting next to me and trying to give me kisses in December when I was sad.  I will remember him meeting my family and loving them and showering them with kisses (including John's iPad!).  I will remember taking him to Bellingham and Portland.  I will remember him running in the apartment so fast that he would hit the wall before he could stop himself.  I will remember his shadow outside of my bedroom door, knowing that he was waiting there in the morning until I woke up.  I will remember running with him when he would pee every 10 seconds.  I will remember having him get up from his bed the second I opened the door.  I will remember him being scared of his reflection in the window.  I will remember his beautiful coat of fur.  I will remember how many times he made me laugh.  I will remember how I felt like a proud mother and wanted to capture all of his cute moments.  I will remember having a friend who left a last impression on me for over 2 months of my entire life.  

I will miss you, Rafa.  I wish you all the very best.  Take care, bud.

          Best,
                 Anne

That's all

       Best, 

              Anne

Rambling Anne

I've been a little out of it as far as blogging goes.  I've been a little preoccupied by one of the best tennis tournaments and I have been trying to wrap my head around the fact that it's nearing the end of January.  I'm honestly not sure how it happened, but gosh, I feel like I always say that once it hits the end of the month.  Real original, Anne.  Even still, I am thrilled it's almost February!  For the record, I do not think I have ever said that in my life.  I relate February to the worst month of winter, school, nothing to look forward to, etc.  Truly, I think the month is close to my least favorite.  BUT, this time, I am not in school.  I'm looking forward to traveling home for two weeks instead.  And when you ask me what I have been dreaming about most (because you always ask me that)?  Sure, I could say hugging my family, catching up with friends, or eating delicious home cooked meals made by my beautiful mother.  Except, I've really been dreaming about flannel sheets.  Yes, flannel sheets.  Warm, soft, aged, flannel sheets.  While flannel sheets are on my mind 75% of the day, I still am ecstatic to go home for all of those other great reasons!  I know that I will probably hit the worst of the weather but this time I am okay with it.  As long as I don't slip on ice and crack my elbow again like my last trip home.  That really was the ice-ing on the top of the cake.

Have a pleasant Sunday.  I'll be back tomorrow talking about my lack of running and 17 miler I have rescheduled for the morning.  I'm my own running boss...

       Best,
              Anne

Snow days

Hi there.
We have had a few interesting days in Seattle.  For one, it snowed a lot.  This means the city shut down almost completely.  Thankfully I did not have to  would never drive in such conditions so I was able to relax at the apartment as I watched the snow swirl in the bitter air.  I prayed that I would not see any accidents as I watched trucks turn and fish tail until they were able to drive properly on the road.  The problem is that Seattle does not prepare for this sort of snow/ice storm.  I never could understand that.  Sure, it doesn't happen often but it seems that each time it does people say that Seattle is not equipped to plow and salt all of the roads in a timely manner. If you keep saying that, doesn't it mean that for a few days every year or so, it's vital to clear the roads for a safe city?  Even still, I was grateful for a couple days to regroup.  To relax.  To stay warm.  To reflect. To walk around a calm and peaceful, snowy city.  To be.

We are back to rain now, but the feeling is comfortably familiar.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and a relaxing weekend.  I'll leave you with a few nice images I found while I relaxed the past two days.

images via Pinterest

         Best, 

                Anne

Oh my darling

image via Pinterest

          Best, 

               Anne

Back to San Francisco I go

Hi guys, 

Sorry, I have been away but HEY I'm here.  Not much to report other than I am happy to have a flight booked to San Francisco the day before the marathon in Napa Valley.  I feel like I just decided I was going to run this marathon but here I am a month and some weeks away from running it!  Heavens to Betsy!  I'm truly excited to fly to San Francisco.  First, you know just how much I love airports!  Especially going to new airports!  In a pretty city such as San Francisco!  Gosh, I'm excited. Clearly. Second, I'll be able to see a friend in San Francisco and family before heading to Napa to prepare for the race.  I'm really gearing up for the post race wine drinking but even still, I'll prepare to the very best of my ability.  On that note, I better shower after my 6 miler.  By the way, I've missed you guys.

images via Pinterest

           Best, 

                  Anne 

Before or After?

For the past few months I have been eating breakfast after my workout in the morning.  I have never been that person.  I have been the person who opens her eyes in the morning and expects a bowl of oatmeal to be staring back.  I am not certain how this started but it hasn't changed me too much.  Since I wake up so early to workout, I end up eating breakfast at a "normal" time by the time I'm done. It has been interesting to do this while training.  Sure, if I end up running at 2 pm obviously I have already had breakfast.  This is just if I have to workout before I work in the morning.  Today was the same as the past few months.  I woke up at 5 am and had a 14 miler on the docket.  I did not have time to eat and digest prior to running, so I just went for it.  Honestly, it was no problem.  It reminded me of Jackson Browne's hit, Running on Empty (Stomachs).  That was precisely what I was doing. (I'm not sure if you are aware, but I have this...quirk.  I change song titles and lyrics to relate to anything I do or see or think throughout the day.  It's a problem, but we can talk about it more later). Even still, I survived my 14 miles and I only started to feel starving around mile 10.  Not too bad!  I was capable of powering through the last 4 miles and then it was time to eat some breakfast and start work.  It's truly amazing what you can accomplish when it's still dark out.*

          Best,
                 Anne

*Mom, I didn't run outside...don't worry.

A new spin on marathon training

Enjoy! (I am not enjoying this image though...)

       Best,
             Anne

2012

Happy New Year, friends!

I hope you all had a beautiful 2011.  So many things happened in 2011!  Well, I mean, I would hope so if there are 365 days to fill.  Last year I made a list of goals to complete. Here they are:

-Drink more water -You bet!

-Sleep more-Ehhh. Nope. I definitely did not. 

-Eat more spinach-Yup! Yum.

-See my sister get married-Perhaps one of my favorite goals to complete! I will remember that excitement forever. I'm smiling at the thought of it all. 

-Not pass out when I give my maid of honor speech-BARELY completed this. 

-Travel often-I traveled home. I went on a road trip down the coast. 

-Work harder-Daily. 

-Graduate-Au revoir, WWU! 

-Run a race-I ran, like, 2 marathons...

-Volunteer more-Cancer Education Center for the win. 

-Drive less-Yes! Living in Seattle requires less driving. I guess the road trip to California didn't help, but I think I still drive less. And the road trip was worth it, okay?

-Change the world-Not yet...

So not bad, huh?  I set some good goals that can be used time and time again.  I haven't thought about resolutions or goals, but I have thought about the new year. 

I love the new year. I find it so beautiful that for that brief moment in time, everyone is so hopeful.  You can see the optimism in their eyes and you can hear the inspiration in their thoughts.  A new year requires new experiences.  There is no way around it.  I'm so grateful that we can start a new year with a new outlook and a sense of excitement.  We are all on the same page and though each year brings about different moments of happiness, sadness, excitement, and fear, we will get through everything.  There are no alternatives...at least in my book.  I'm a few chapters into my book and I certainly do not have all the answers but I'm hopeful for a good ending when I do reach that point. 

Seattle was 50 degrees today.  I'm always the one who cannot get over gorgeous days.  After lounging on the couch with Rafa, I decided to walk to the sculpture park and watch the sunset. I was left with my thoughts and my mind was running crazy today.  Watching the sunset, the walkers, the runners, the bikers, the picture takers, and the dogs made me feel entirely peaceful.  I was so happy being there and content with all of my surroundings.  I was hopeful.  I am hopeful. 

As you all start a new year, remember to remain hopeful.  Each day will bring new ideas, new experiences, new laughs, new smiles, new tears, new problems, new answers, and some day they will turn old.  It happens with each year.  2011 has come to a close, and though it was a wonderful year, we will never have moments of 2011 that are new.  Those moments will happen now. They will happen tomorrow. They will happen for the rest of 2012.  Please enjoy this year and welcome every moment with open arms.  Stay happy and healthy.  Hug your family and friends every single chance you can.  Hugging should be easy if your arms are already open. 

        Best, 

               Anne