updates

My daughter turned 1 earlier this month. This was definitely the fastest year of my life! I wonder if they will all go by this quickly from here on out. I'm sure I would have been just as happy if we had a boy, but I just love having a little girl. I don't think I could even imagine anything greater than being a dad to my daughter.

Past several weeks have been a series of false starts on the exercise front. For a week I was hitting it hard.......running, biking, weights, kettlebell...........a bit too hard though. One day I woke up completely wiped and void of energy/motivation, and it took a full week to get it back. When I did get it back I decided to only work out once a day (instead of the 2x per day that I was doing), but then I got sick. So, here we are, day 3 of not being able to work out due to a cold. 'Tis the season.

For the 2nd year in a row, did not get my name selected for Hardrock 100. That one was pretty much a relief. For the 3rd year in a row, did not get my name pulled for MMT. Something about that set me off and I was feeling pretty crappy about it. I did not know what I was going to do in 2012 regarding races. Then at some point it occurred to me, there is much more to it than just slogging through crappy weather all winter, then showing up for a race in May. There is value in the preparation for the race, in terms of the discipline required, as well as the fitness gains that are made. Also, there is value in the time spent with the other people I choose to run with. Therefore, I have a good feeling about this winter/spring in terms of my training, as well as races I am thinking about (which include MMT -- I will be at worst, #48 on the wait list, which I think means I've got a very strong chance of eventually getting in).

Then, for the summer, I can take full advantage of the bike riding and swimming that the weather allows for, and hopefully do a triathlon of some distance.

I am strongly considering buying a sleeping bag rated for -15 ºF (a full 47 degrees F BELOW the freezing point of water) and doing some winter camping. That could allow for some very interesting opportunities regarding camping in the Laurel Highlands, and waking up for some long runs!