What?!? A new post?!?

I have completely dropped the ball with this blog.  I remember that I have one, but it just hasn't worked it's way to the top of the priority list for a while. 

Summer was crazy and fast.  I was in charge of girl's camp and hand sewed 23 owls for the girls there, along with all the thoughts, food planning and prep, etc.  Someone once asked me if prom or girl's camp was easier.  I think girl's camp could be, but for me it wasn't.  I had leaders who wanted to be the girls again, sneaking out at 2 or 3 in the morning to scare the girls, etc.  However, I heard from many of the girls that it was their favorite girl's camp ever (even from the Laurels who knew better...) so I consider it a success and worth it.

I started the summer really hitting the workouts well.  I hit a PR in the Summer Games 5k and was feeling amazing and then really did a number on my ankle playing volleyball (AGAIN!!!)  and was back to square one, again.  I'm tentatively planning on participating in this triathlon because I have always wanted to do one and I think I could do this one.  I don't have to register until the week before though, so I'm not completely committed.  But with this in mind I'm really paying attention to my nutrition again, pushing my workouts HARD (just ask my legs today) and making getting up at 5 am completely worth it.  I don't just want to maintain, I want to improve.

I'm also chasing my other passion with determination - writing.  Since moving, I have found a few ladies who are also chasing this dream.  We have a writer's group every other week, pushing, questioning, complimenting and improving our writing.  I'm going to attend two different writer's conferences in the next few months, taking advantage of the chance to hear from professionals, push to get to my goal of publication and quit pushing this back with a someday attitude.  Sure, I'm only 33 and have a lot of life left, but these are goals that I have had that I have let be taken over by other things (pinterest, facebook, tv shows) - things that aren't worthwhile. 

I'm going to try to keep track of what's going on here, but if I have 30 minutes left at the end of the day before I collapse from exhaustion, it's got to go to the book.  Don't worry, you avid readers.  I will be asking for some favors in reading it when I get it to a point where you aren't going to be annoyed at the plot gaps, incomplete characters or things that just don't make sense.  And if you really don't want to read it, also don't worry.  I'm not going to ask anyone who isn't completely gung ho - you all have busy lives as well :) 

Summer To Do List - Summer Games

Anyone who has lived in Cedar anytime during the last 20+ years knows about the Utah Summer Games.  Sure, there are people elsewhere who do to, but it is an integral part of summer in Cedar.  It's a statewide  "Olympics" of sort, with competitors ranging from 5-95+. 

I first started participating in the Summer Games in middle school as a swimmer.  I have vivid memories of freezing outside after swimming my race because the wind inevitably was blowing and the pool water was cold and so I shivered.  I did an okay job, winning a few medals in some races.  I also participated in high school, playing basketball and volleyball.  My first basketball game I played in the Summer Games was with a silicone cast on my hand because I broke it about 10 days before on an inbound play.

The point of all this?  Well, remember the last post - the one with all the food?  Consider that and the fact that I have really been working at getting in shape this year and I had a realization.  For me to make and eat what I want, I have to workout REALLY hard.  And the greatest exercise to lose weight has to be high impact. 

 (Funny thing - this picture came from a website also called Random Thoughts - hilarious huh!)

So this year, I'm playing volleyball in the Summer Games again (I did last  year) and running a 5k.  I ran one on Labor Day of last year, but then embarked on double foot surgeries and had to rebuild.  I'm super excited for volleyball, but training with focus on the 5k - I really want to break 30 minutes.

Some people who ran cross country in high school may look at 30 minutes in astonishment because they were at least five minutes faster, but the one I ran in September I was at about 33 minutes and 20 pounds heavier. 

This is a struggle for me - I probably could have been a runner but never really enjoyed it.  But I think I'm catching the bug enough that in the back of my mind I'm considering a 1/2 marathon, at night, down the Las Vegas strip in December.

Obviously I need to get a few 5ks and a 10k or two under my belt, but I think there is a chance. 

What are you doing now that is hard for you?