Tashka Trail Run - Question

So - I had originally signed up for the 50K Tashka Trail Run. However, since I haven't done a good job of training (due to the intestinal issues) I decided to just run the 25K. I figured:

1) it would be unhealthy for me to run 50K without training and,
2) I probably wouldn't be able to run fast enough to make the 50K cut-off times.

Soooo, I just did the math for the cut off times, and I only have to run a minimum of 17 minute miles.... which is really equivalent to fast-paced hike for me. So I'm wondering - should I go ahead the 50K?

The race is on December 11th, and to be completely honest I have not been training at all. I pretty much lost all motivation to when I decided to just do the 25K because I know that I can get off the couch and finish a 25K with no issues. I may be slow, but I can go the distance.

Other things to know: 50K = 30 miles, which is a couple miles longer than a marathon. 25K = 15 miles, which is a couple miles longer than a half-marathon. The longest I have ever run at one time was 13 miles.

Thoughts? Advice?

Day 14 - Your earliest memory.

I'm not sure which of these came first, so I'm going to give them both.

Memory Uno
The day our family picked up Mindy, my first dog. I remember looking at her through a chain link fence. Mindy was pretty much the best dog ever. She would sometimes sleep in my bed with me at night, she would play with us in the backyard. One time she even got stuck with me at the bottom of the huge hill in our back yard because it was slicked down with ice in the winter. She protected us from snakes and was pretty much the best guiding guard dog ever. Mindy died on February 5th, 2000.

Memory Dos
I remember Dad letting me strum his guitar while he played the cords. I know I was pretty young in this memory because we didn't have the addition on the house yet, and the striped yellow-ish low couch was in the front room.

Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.

Move:
Brevard, NC
Boulder, CO
Gatlinburg, TN

Visit:
Singapore
Yosemite
Joshua Tree
Ireland
The Gunks (again)
Nantucket (again)
Red Rocks
Germany
Spain

Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.

I'm skipping some days because they were stupid. Here is my Monday in bullets:

• 6:00 AM Alarm goes off
• 6:30 AM craaaaawl out of bed
• Got ready for work
  
• 7:30 AM Derek dropped me off at work
• Spent morning fixing errors in the library catalog
  
• 11:30 AM LUNCH BREAK
  
• Mad dash to Publix
• 11:45 AM bought giant turkey for SLIS potluck
• 12:00 PM delivered turkey to SLIS
  
• Turkey was hot, I burned my hands
• 12:30 PM Lunch break officially over
  
• Mad dash back to work
• 12:45 PM ate protein bar since I didn't actually get to eat lunch
• 4:45 PM work day done
  
• Mad dash to back to SLIS for Town Hall Meeting
• 5:00 PM Town Hall Meeting starts
  
• 6:00 PM Meeting over
  
• Time to start on library homework!
• 6:15 PM lost in basement of library
• 6:30 PM met up with classmates to finish library homework
• 7:30 PM starving, gave up on homework
• 7:45 PM picked up Derek & pizza for dinner
• 8:45 PM realized pizza was a baaaaad choice
• 10:40 PM still feeling effects of pizza
• 11:40 PM stared at ceiling while trying to fall asleep
• Pizza was a baaaad choice

That was my Monday!!

Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.

Laaaaaaaame.

I've had many super satisfying moments in my life. None really stands out as being way better than all others. Maybe when I pop out a kid, that will be the moment.

For now, here are some super high highlights:

1. The first time got Lucy to stop crying all by myself.
   
2. Any time I lead a climbing route
3. Passing the AP US History exam in high school
4. All that graduating & school stuff I've done
5. Finishing the Twisted Ankle Trail Run
6. Every day of my honeymoon
7. The day I was offered the job at HSL. I pulled over the car and did a screaming happy dance on the side of the road. I got a lot of honks.
   

This list could go on a very long time :) but we'll cap it here because I have loads of work to be doing!

Is this real life?

Clearly I fell off the 30 day challenge bandwagon. Sorry about that. I went climbing. And then work and school happened again. And this Thursday is Thanksgiving, so I've been trying to get ready for that. So I'll update on real life then return to the 30 day challenge fun.

Climbing:
Derek and I went to T-Wall Thursday through Saturday and it was super fantastically amazing. A much needed break from library land. Garret joined us for the second half of the trip and it was awesome to see him too.

I led three 5.7's - Nappy, Plastic Toys, and NutraSweet. It took me about an hour to do each one, and I maaaaay have freaked out a bit on Plastic Toys (hilarious since that one is actually the least physically demanding of the three). But I'm still pretty happy about the leads. I want to go back and try some more T-Wall 5.7's until I"m comfortable enough/competent enough that I can lead any of them in 30 minutes.

I also belayed two seconds for the first time - and daaaang was that hard to keep up with. I got my ropes all messy and sad. But it worked. I guess. I need way more practice on that front.

School:
My two classes are wrapping up for the semester, and it is definitely crunch time. Really, I should be doing homework and not blogging. But whatever. My brain needs a break from library stuff. I'm registered for my Spring classes. I'm going to take my last core class and and do an independent study. I had planned on doing a third course (which would make me a full-time student), but I no longer think that would be wise. I have enough demands on my time without doing school AND work full-time.

One of those demands that I don't think I've blogged on yet is that I am the president of the Student Advisory Council/Committee (hah. I seriously can't remember which it is - we just call it SAC). We've already participated in 3 events, and this semester's SAC has only been up and running a month. Pure insanity that is. But it's totally worth the intense time commitment. I'm getting to know my classmates so much better than I had been by just going to class. Plus, I'm forced to deal with my fear of public speaking - accck, LOL!

Work:
Still loving it. Pretty excited that some of my school work is going to be applicable to my work work.

Health:
Tonsillectomy is still scheduled for December 17th.


I think that's it for now. 30 Day Challenge to be continued...

Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.

Definition from some woo-woo website:

Leo is a Fixed Fire sign ruled by the Sun. As the fifth sign in the zodiac, the Leo individual is ambitious, confident, independent, loyal and generous. These are magnetic and influential people who are especially in their element when they have an appreciative audience.

Leo is thought of as a "royal" sign due to their symbol, the lion or king of the jungle, and is smart and refined, though this very feature of their personality may subject them to become somewhat vain and overbearing.

As Leo is ruled by the Sun, the Leo personality at its best is that of a bright, shining light that easily holds all its subjects within a safe, secure orbit around itself. These are warm, caring, giving people who will make it their mission to make the lives of those around them very comfortable as long as they feel appreciation for their efforts. However, without enough appreciation, Leo can become domineering, bossy, and stubborn, believing they are right and everyone else is wrong. Leos are also extremely sensitive to criticism and will rarely forgive a perceived slight. The Leo personality is intelligent and motivated, and often seeks out situations that put them in the spotlight, where they can be very effective. Again, however, if the ego is left unchecked, some Leos may become quite arrogant, doing things that are not acceptable "because they can."

My thoughts:

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Okay, this is fun.

In certain situations I can be anything listed above. But that's the key to writing good woo-woo.

I do think I'm typically a bright/shiny person, big on smiling. I do enjoy helping people and I do enjoy getting credit. I love telling stories and being the center of attention when I know what is expected of me and what to do. But if I am at all unsure, I am extremely uncomfortable being the center of attention. Ex: public speaking = horrifying, acting in a play = fantastic fun. And yeah, I totally hold a grudge when I shouldn't. I should probably knock that off.

Posting this early cause I am going CLIMBING!!!

Day 06 - Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.

1. I climb rocks
2. Drugs in the Valium family induce panic attacks for me
3. I have run a half-marathon
4. I'm going to run another half-marathon next month
5. I am terrified of water, spiders, public speaking, and wearing shorts
6. My patron saint is Teresa de Lisieux
7. I'm in library school
8. I'm crafty - I like to make jewelry, sew, knit, paint, write
9. I am completely tone deaf
10. I love gardening
11. If I have a daughter I would like to name her Joanna Marie after my mother & sister & me
    
12. I am NOT pregnant. #11 is a couple years off still
13. I feel like I try just about anything once. gymnastics, ballet, violin, guitar, kayaking...
    
14. I did not realize it would be so hard to think of 30 things; I love talking about me; this should be easier
15. I SHOULD be doing my homework right now. It's totally due tomorrow.
    
16. I am addicted to romance novels and I really want to write one someday
17. Okay, yeah, I'm totally working on two right now, but they don't count because I've been working on them off and on for yeeeaaars now
18. I love sleeping where I can see stars
19. I am a champ at yoga
20. I have three potential dream careers: being a PhD librarian teaching & doing research at a university, owning my own rock climbing gym, owning my own romance novel book store with local artist crafts. pretty sure I can pull any one of those off while being a mommy.
    
21. Crown me queen for list making
22. A dirty bathtub really bothers me
23. holy cow this is taking forever
24. I have been baptized twice; once by my dad in the chilly ocean off of Nantucket, and once by my priest to make sure it stuck LOL
25. I have never broken a bone
26. I have been hit by a car while jogging
27. I have partially dislocated my shoulder
28. I'm not sure how many concussions I have had... helmets are clutch
29. I have gotten into a fist fight. but I was wearing a mascot costume at the time, so my punches were kind of off
30. I have climbed higher than some passenger jet engines cruise

Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life.

Haha, yeah. Because that's an appropriate topic for a public blog. However, since I've blown off the past two challenge-posts I will tell about a time I thought I was going to die. Well, one of a few times when I thought I was going to die. Sorry to those of you who already know this story.

About two weeks before Derek and I got married, we decided to go kayaking for the very first time. I know - right? Stupid, stupid plan.

Anyway, Derek and I went kayaking with my brother, David, and an experienced kayaker friend whose name I can't remember so we're gonna call him Pete. This was David's first time kayaking too. You see how this is getting set-up for major badness?

Pete got us ready to go in our kayaks and we went over a few basics of kayaking - how to paddle, what is an eddy, etc. Then, without so much as a practice-roll or wet exit, we paddled off into the rapids. The first rapid we tried went well - it was just a watery hole with no major rocks to knock us around. Feeling fortified, we hiked up river to try out a 'technical class three.' The classes of rapids go from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most challenging. A class 6 is considered impossible. Again, do you see how this is getting set up for major badness??

Pete paddled down the rapid first, and I was supposed to follow his line. Derek and David would follow me. I had almost made it to the end of the rapid went I overbalanced my boat and flipped upside-down. I remembered to lean forward onto my boat to protect my body from any rocks. It was a good thing I did because the water was so shallow that I immediately became pinned between the a rock and my boat, with my back against the rock and my all-of-me under water....

At this point, I was supposed to 'pull my skirt' - the waterproof fabric that was keeping me stuck in the boat so I could do a 'wet-exit' - get suctioned out of my boat by the water rushing into it, and swim to the surface (or in this case, just stand up). Eyes closed and breath held, I reached for the loop to pull my skirt loose. I pulled.

And nothing happened.

I pulled again.

Nothing happened.

I began yanking on the thing frantically to get it off as my lungs began to burn. Because of the way I was pinned and my complete lack of arm strength, I didn't have the leverage I needed to pop the skirt. It was at this point that I realized I could die in the next couple of minutes - literally.

Meanwhile, above the surface. Derek and David had been starting at the top of the rapid when they saw me flip. David, distracted by my situation, lost his concentration on his own paddling and also flipped.

Back beneath the water, I continued to pull at the skirt until I realized I could not hold my breath any longer. This probably only took 30 seconds since I was pretty much in panic mode. But it felt like forever. Still pinned against a rock, it hit me that no one was coming to rescue me. If I didn't want to drown, I had to do something and rescue myself. Then, I finally realized - I was pinned against a rock... and I was only in maybe one to two feet of water. Giving up on the pull-handle, I reached behind and pushed as hard as I could against the rock while craning my head over the side of my upside-down boat towards the surface.

Air!

But moving my boat caused it to get caught in the current again - and I was quickly shoved around and back under the water. As the boat shifted, I was pushed off of the rock and was left to flounder with no leverage once again. I went back to work on the pull-handle.

David, had been underwater when I got my gasp of air. He had quickly popped his skirt and was able to stand up, however he had not seen that I had been able to get air. As far as he know, I had been underwater for about a minute at this point. I'm pretty sure I scared a couple years off his life... (David, don't say anything if I got this part of the story wrong - it sounds super suspenseful like this)

As I continued to struggle with the pull-handle, I was running out of air once again. About ready to give up and try to push off whatever rocks I could find, my boat suddenly flipped upright - Pete had managed to paddle up the rapid to me, and was attempting to roll me upright. I got another gasp of air before we were both flipped back under the water.

This was where I got pissed off. I was not going to drown in one stupid foot of water. With the heat of my anger, I reached to pull the skirt handle again, throwing my weight back as a yanked on it - and POP! Water rushed into my boat, flushing me out. The water was shallow enough that I had to twist to get out from under the boat and wrenched my right knee.

And then I stood up.

Derek and David made it to me seconds later. I don't remember, but I"m pretty sure Pete got flushed back down the rapid - I made him lose his paddle when I flipped him or something like that. The entire ordeal took maaaybe 3 minutes. But I will never forget it.

Day 04 - Your views on religion.

The maker of this challenge was clearly trying to provoke some controversial conversations.

Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Wow. What a boring topic.

My views on Drugs and Alcohol
1. Don't break the law
2. Don't be an ass

Yeap. Pretty much sums it up for me!

Day 02 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.

In ten years... I will be 36. Dear sweet lord.

I hope that I will be a mom.

And I hope I will be back in school for my PhD in Library Science. And leading any 5.9 trad route that I find. I hope I have run a marathon by then. And a home-owner with a kick-ass garden.

But I really want to be a mom.

Day 01 - Your current relationship status.

Married!

30 Day Bandwagon

I am copy-catting Jenn because this looks fun. However, there will be some days I skip... I might make up other funny things to say on those days instead.

Anywho - here is the list:

Day 01 - Your current relationship status.
Day 02 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 04 - Your views on religion.
Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life.
Day 06 - Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Day 09 - How you hope your future will be like.
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.
Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
Day 14 - Your earliest memory.
Day 15 - The reason behind the name of your tumblr.
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.
Day 18 - Your beliefs.
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.
Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 famous guys who you find attractive.
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.
Day 27 - A problem that you have had.
Day 28 - Something that you miss.
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.
Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month.

Health Update

Sooooo..... The ENT says the tonsils must go. I'm getting them sliced-and-diced out on December 17th, and will hopefully be recovered enough to enjoy Christmas the following week. I'm taking at least one week off of work, potentially two.

The timing is actually pretty good - I will be on break from school; it will be after my half-marathon, and a little more than month before my next climbing competition. Plus, I've met my insurance deductible for the year (thanks to the ridiculous number of doctor's visits and tests I've had) so I won't have to pay more than a facility fee.

Once the tonsils are gone, the ENT, GI and my family doctor all think my GI issues will resolve as well. I hope they are right!

CT Scan Results

Sooooo.... nothing is wrong with me. At least, that's what the CT scan says. I have an appointment next week with an Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist to figure out why my 'normal' tonsils are producing boogers of puss that make me puke. Yeah, that's right - boogers of puss.

Yuuuummmm!!!

I really can't believe Derek still kisses me. I sure wouldn't.

Update

So, it's been a couple weeks. Here's what's been happenin'

Got a CT scan yesterday. Horrible and horribly funny. It really wouldn't have been a bad experience except that I'm apparently quiet terrified of all things hospital. I cried when they stuck me in the swirlie tube of death and I squealed when the contrast-drug thing made my arm burn. I also got jabbed in an artery, so there was a pretty huge bubble of blood under my skin. Looked like somebody crammed a golf ball in there.

Anywho - the CT scan was done to check out my tonsils b/c I'm on day....17 of antibiotics and still infected.

Still having intestinal issues, although they have improved since I have: started a new medicine; stopped sleeping laying down; stopped drinking coffee; stopped eating for 2 hours before bed; stopped eating meal-sized meals. I still haven't gotten my EGD - my fault because the doctor freaks me the heck out and I don't want to see him. I'm gonna find someone else.

In other news:

I've been raising a ruckus at school, trying to get classes scheduled. I have a feeling I am not my professors' favorite student right now. I'm president of the Student Advisory Council... which apparently doesn't work well if you also work full-time. I hope I can pull it off.

I took my first out-door whipper while climbing (big fall where you smack into the rock). I screamed like a tiny little girl with very large lungs. But I was quite unharmed and tried the climb again. And then gave up when I fell again. That route was "Thin in the Middle" at Sandrock, and I hope to go back and try it again. I did manage to lead "My Dog has Fleas" thanks to so awesome encouragement from my fellow climbers.

I've got to run to class now, so that's it for now. I've got a doctor's visit tomorrow to find out about the CT scan... wish me luck!