Better late than never?

Well it's obvious I never got around to any more Blogging Beach Side. Apparently November is now Christmas the month of blogging, and I am even a few days behind in that. And I've lost my motivation. And now it's time for bed. Here's to tomorrow's post.

Blogging Beach Side Series: Take 1

Well, almost beach side. I'm a little hesitant to take my computer out on the actual beach.. but my vantage point is still very nice.

(view from the porch of my beach house)
Summer is for all intents and purposes over; well, again.. almost. It's been 7 or 8 years since I've last stayed at a beach house for vacation, and this Labor Day has allowed me to break that dry spell. A friend and I are renting a beach house in North Carolina for one week. It's a week with hopes of sand, sun, and relaxation. Of course, we're both in school, so we'll have to take breaks and sit down to study or work on projects, but it's not good to be out in the sun all day anyway. There's always the option of sitting on the porch, sipping coffee while listening to the waves crash in the short, short distance away (as I'm doing right now).

We both really wanted to get away on a vacation, and since we've been to this beach before, it was a no-brainer. After a little bit of negotiation on my friend's part, we got the house at a discounted rate. It was already cheaper than a lot of houses (the house is 2nd row, so right across from the beach) but it was nice to get an even better discount anyway. So with both of our (work) schedules cleared, we cemented our plan.

The plan was to leave around 1am and drive all night. 1am turned into 3am turned into leaving at 5:15am. We both needed a little bit of sleep, so we took a nap before we left. My problem is I had a hard time getting to and staying asleep.. so I was still tired when we set off. Driving tired is not something I recommend. I wasn't too tired that I couldn't drive, so I took the first leg. With our car loaded, bikes strapped to the back, and fun music to set the pace (again, thanks to Jess), we said goodbye to C-bus. I like driving at night because there is less traffic on the road, however, I was thankful when the sun came up. Driving in the daytime isn't as tiring on the eyes, and I got us as far as the Tamarack: "Best of West Virginia" before trading off driving duty. Now, as bad as it is to drive tired, it's almost just as bad to navigate while tired. Luckily the majority of the driving is a straight shot; we only went out of our way slightly once or twice. At least the drive was beautiful! Lots of mountains and hills and trees:

We purposefully went out of our way to go visit a friend of Jess' in North Wilkesboro, NC. Afterall, what's 20 miles when you're driving 610? They hadn't seen each other in about 3 years, so that small detour was well worth it.
So we stopped at her friend's fine bicycle establishment so they could catch up.
I left for a little while to go directly across the street to, where else, the library!
I went in to the Wilkes County Public library of theAppalacian Regional Library to see if they had public computers.

Since we detoured I wanted to print new directions from that point to avoid driving confusion. Luckily for me, they indeed had internet computers, and allowed guest passes (hello again, Envisionware) so I was able to print them off (thank you, Google Maps), look around a bit, then head back to the bike shop.
And it was on the road again. And me being me, I had to check 50 times to make sure the bikes were still strapped on the back of the car (and not on the highway or in someone's windshield).

Since North Caroline is a big effing state, we had another 5 hours ahead of us (which fortunately didn't take us that long since my friend has a lead foot).
We finally arrived in Brunswick county around 5:30. It was such a relief! Here's a view from the bridge:

We got our keys, found our house, and unloaded. We even had a little friend waiting to greet us:

Typically on the first night we would have headed back out to buy supplies for the week, but we decided to ride to the convenience store on the beach and order a pizza. I definitely slept well that night.

I woke up early the next day around 6am, but didn't get out of bed. I wrestled with the idea of walking across the street and watch the sunrise, but the comfy bed won this time. I think I ended up sleeping for another hour or so. Even though I didn't make it for the sunrise, it was my first destination of the day. I crossed the street, walked to the beach, and let the surf casually roll up to me and over my toes. I walked a little bit (not too far) and jogged back (literally 2 minutes) before coming back to the walkway to the street. I stopped to take a few pictures first, then headed back to the house.

Ah, the first morning at the beach with my friend. First on our agenda? Food? no. Store? no. Bike ride? Yes! We hopped on our bikes and headed down the strip, riding just under 5 miles. We do have a goal of riding the entire strip in one go before we leave. Then it was onto the store to gather food and other supplies needed for our week here. Other than linens, NOTHING is provided (toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, not even bin liners) so we had a few things to supply. By the time we got back it was perfect beach weather, so we packed a lunch, and made our way to the beach.

Sun, sun and more sun. A nap was definitely called for later in the day. But more on that later.

A Whirlwind of Activity

No, this isn't a posting about a hurricane or tornado (though "Irene" is apparently heading towards the east coast... be kind to my friends). There's change a-comin' and I want to take it in stride. The first happened last week: my supervisor resigned. She's moving onto other opportunities and I wish her the best. So until her spot is filled (unfortunately I cannot go for it - I lack the required degree), I and my fellow Youth Services staff of 2 must make sure everything is in order -- and trust me, there's a lot going on right now. Oh, if only I had that degree.. oh wait, that leads me into another upcoming change. I'll be starting school. Next week. For that degree.
This coming Monday I start a graduate program through Kent State University in Library Science. I'm gonna be a li-berry-an. Right now I'm the next best thing (Library Assistant) in the children's dept for my local library. I plan on focusing in that area in school as well, but I will not limit myself to only that. I'm looking forward to the technical side of libraries, and as of right now, the idea of the information architecture and "User Experience" intrigues me.
I thought I had more going on right now, but I guess not. I'm looking forward to a beach vacation next week (Irene needs to not ruin that either), starting school (excited and nervous), and overall new possibilities.

We have a winner!

Apparently this is the summer for me to win a few contests; namely raffle drawings. At the beginning of the summer I signed up for the summer reading club through the Upper Arlington Public Library. It was easy enough to sign up online, and submit book reviews for title's I've read this summer. They had weekly raffle drawings, and I won a $10 Giant Eagle gift card! Not too shabby. I'm not exactly foreign to the idea of pushing prizes for encouraging reading, as I do the same at my own job (a different library... shhh.. don't tell!). I did not know, however, what the prizes were or how often they would be handed out. When I saw I had a missed call from the UA library, my first instinct was to do a mental scan of the books I had out, wondering if I accidentally kept something way past due. But nope, it was to inform me of my prize.
Well, that was just my first. Another raffle I won is associated with the organization, Consider Biking. During the month of July I logged my bike rides, whether for exercise, errands, social outings, via Ridenet.net, and was automatically entered into a drawing because I had at least 3 logged entries for using my bike as my mode of transportation to run my errands. I didn't even know they were having a July contest! So now I'll have the opportunity to get a 30 minute massage from Massagebee Sports & Wellness Therapy.
So here's to continuing reading and biking, and a life of good surprises.

I am Triathlete

So, I had my first triathlon.
I finished(!!!)
I always feel the need to qualify the fact that it was a mini triathlon (shorter distances, even than a sprint), as if completing the smaller one makes it less of an accomplishment. Either way, I should be proud of myself for trying, and finishing, right? I could be in the same place as last summer.. the idea of competing, but sitting at home, not signing up. I know I am proud of myself on one level because I love to tell people I participated in a (mini) triathlon, showing them the photo I took with my phone, showing off my medal (that they give everyone [insert winking emoticon here]).
The day of the race I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted to; waking up at 3am and trying to go back to sleep only to wake up at 5a can do that. It didn't take me too long to get myself together, but I did not anticipate the pre-departure, bike mounting excitement. Apparently it's still dark at 5:30 in the morning. Most of you would say, "well, duh!" But I gotta tell you, I haven't seen 5am in a while. Anyway, I'm going to leave, taking all my gear and my bike, and I get to my car and realize I have to put together my bike rack on my car, and then mount it. It would have been easier if it were a newer rack with those handy dandy ratchet type fasteners, but no. Ties, ties, and more ties. In the dark. I mean, there were some parking lot lights, but it was not as well lit as I would have liked it to be. I think a part of my nervousness was just driving on the highway with my bike on the back of my car. I've driven around town with it, but never above 35mph. BUT I do have to say that driving on the highway at 5:30a on a Saturday is the PERFECT time to test it out.. as there was practically no traffic... so no worries that if the bike DID fall off, it would cause a crazy crash and damage other people's car.
But we made it, bike and all. We met up with my friend who did the race as well (her gazillionth tri). I finished in 1 hour 2 minutes and 58 seconds. Not too bad. I'll just have to beat that time next race.

Swim, cycle, repeat.. no, run!

Tomorrow I am competing in my first triathlon. The day is here. My hope is to at least finish and I have good feelings about it. It is a mini afterall. I'm glad I was able to go today and pick up my race packet. I just hope I don't oversleep (I did that once for a 5k)! The race starts at 7a, and my goal is to be there at 6:15a. It's been a few months since I've seen 6am, so hopefully we will greet each other with mutual respect :)

The heat index has been up again, so having the race early in the morning is a blessing.

Boy, does she get around

Cycling is definitely on the rise. I see more cyclists everywhere I go, and it's no wonder when there are more programs and incentives to get folks out from behind the [steering] wheel and onto the (spoke) wheel. The bike enthusiasts at my own work try to rally others to commute and complete their errands, in the name of team comradery, health, and, well, being kinder to Mother Earth. All of these things appeal to me, and while I signed up for a program, I hadn't really spent much time on my bike, especially not riding to work. I worry about getting to work, and that shower I took in the morning was for nothing. I worry about getting hit by a car, or just not having the stamina to bike fast enough to get me to work on time. Don't get me wrong, I have done it once or twice, and it turned out OK; I know I just need to do it. And more often than not.. it's simply laziness. Motivation is definitely a good thing to have, especially when you pay for it. Literally. You may recall from earlier posts that I entered myself into a mini-triathlon race, and it is right around the corner. Part of the race is a 7 mile bike, and it would be a horrible, HORRIBLE idea to wait until race day to hop on the bike.. I don't know if you've ever biked for a while.. stopped.. then go at it again.. it.. is.. painful. Ladies, you learn what makes the groin area throb (and not in a good way).
So, biking more often (especially over he next week) is a must for me. It helps that I got a new (to me) road bike. It's cute. It's older. It's the perfect starter road bike for me. I also have a biking buddy, and I can say without a doubt that it makes cycling more enjoyable. Granted, the only riding I've done on my own so far has been to work or around the neighborhood to run errands, and the road I must travel.. well.. sucks. Even driving in a car.. it's not great. The plus side to it, is that there are more cyclists on the road, and especially in my neighborhood, so I think the drivers around the area I live are getting more used to it. I hope.

permanency

I've always liked tattoos and I've seen many that are sexy. Some are unfortunate, and many should never have been done, but I've been thinking more and more about getting one myself. I seem to be drawn to sleeves; multiple tattoos that blend well into each other to create a work of art. I doubt I would ever get a sleeve myself (as I'm hesitant to get even one) but I do tend to like them. Especially half sleeves. I've always liked the idea of getting a phoenix, but have really yet to find any designs I love. I suppose I just need to go talk to an artist and work with them on an idea.
I have an instagram account where I've been following several tattoo artists that have great designs. Unfortunately, most of them live hundreds of miles away from me. I've come across an apprentice that has absolutely amazing artwork. If you have the chance, check out Kim-Ahn Nguyen's Art blog. Love it. She even has an etsy shop too. I'm thinking that I'll get a small one to start out to see if I even would want a larger one. It will a celebration of myself for finishing my mini-tri coming up next month. I'll post pics.

It takes time, I know

I've started back into working out. Jogging, biking, and light weight lifting. It's only been about a week of consistently doing something active, if only for 20 minutes (with the exception of today.) I'm back into it for the fun of it, for the training of it (mini-triathlon countdown), and for the health aspects of it. Not to mention my waist size. I've never really considered myself chubby until now. My belly has a roll to it, and my upper arms have a slight jiggle to them. Eating bad and lack of exercise (and maybe age?) has gotten to me. Granted, I still weigh less than the most I've weighed, but combine weight gain with a few more gray hairs, and perhaps you get the more self conscious me. I know it will take time to shed some pounds and get a little more toned, but I am impatient for it!


Here's to 45 more days of trying to be on good behavior and steering my eating habits towards better foods while getting in a little activity most days; (snack day at work didn't help). 45 days is just the starting goal. Here's to a lifetime of better choices.

Getting on with it

So the other day at a friend's baby shower, I realized as I was catching up with friends, that I do indeed have a race coming up that I feel totally unprepared for. The mini-triathlon at the end of July. When the weather first turned I was out almost everyday jogging. It was great. Good weather; felt great. Then I increasingly stayed inside doing nothing and eating everything I shouldn't. Some of the time too, I fell victim to my own thoughts and brooded in a messy depressed state. I then had surgery, and couldn't go out running even if I wanted to (and crazily enough I wanted to.. or at least told myself I did.. how convenient, right?)
So, here we are a month after my surgery. I finally got back to the gym the other day. I've been out jogging the past few days, and I even (gasp) started light weight lifting to start to tone my muscles. I do feel it's in a way a sort of last-minute panic motivation.. but hey.. at least it's not last second. There are 60 seconds in a minute and I'm going to try to make the best of the little time I feel I have to 'train' for the race. Granted, like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm doing it to finish, not to win. Rather, I'm not racing against other ladies. I'm in competition with myself. And I will win.

Why we do the tings we do: a morning, coffee sipping thought journey

I don't really see myself as a goal oriented person. Or maybe I'm such a goal oriented person I can't see it. I don't often find myself doing something for the sake of doing it, unless I have an external motivator/pressure. For instance, the triathlon I signed up for. Sure, I could just take a day to swim the 200+ yards, then jump on my bike and ride the 7 miles, and finish it off with a 2 mile run. But I won't. Unless I enter myself in a race. Sure, there's still the possibility I could wake up on race day and decide to stay in bed, but then I'd be kicking myself for wasting money on the entry fee.
But perhaps this isn't an uncommon theme in other people's lives. Why does anyone do any kid of competitive sport? I'm sure a part of it is to see how far you can push yourself.. but the bonus of it seems to be having others share in your accomplishments.
As I'm writing this, I realize that's not necessarily a bad thing, and I wonder at why I think it might be. Being your own person, is putting yourself out there. Being human is sharing your life with others.

Next Challenge

Two days ago I signed up for my first triathlon. Granted, it's a mini-triathlon, not even as long as a sprint, but I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I started participating in the Komen Columbus Race for the Cure(R) about 5 years ago, running in the 5k. I was never really a runner, but I've always been kind of athletic, participating in pick-up games or taking a class at a rec center. The first race I participated in, I finished in aprox 42 minutes. Personally, I think it was a little sooner than that, but I can only run as fast as the wave of people in front of me. Whether or not it was my own two legs, or the congestion, the next year, I improved my time! I shaved a whole 5 minutes off my time, crossing the finish-line at the 37 minute mark. I accidentally overslept the third year, didn't register the fourth year, which leads me to this year. I signed up again this year.. but I didn't run it. I was so looking forward to running it again this year, as I've already have been jogging outside in good weather so far, but I had good reason to walk it instead. A mere 3 days prior to the race, I had surgery on my right breast to remove a lump. The doctor was pretty sure it benign, and, thankfully it was. So, with a few friends from work, we all walked the race course, which we still finished in about an hour.
I still wanted to participate in a race of some sorts. Not necessarily to win, but more to attempt to beat my personal best time. I found out about the mini-triathlons last year, and had plenty of opportunities to sign up for one, but I never did. The HFP Racing holds annual series all around Ohio, one being a triathlon for women, and there were plenty to go to, but I didn't want to pay for registration, plus hotel fees to race in another city. I wanted my first to be close to home. So this year, I looked at the one being hosted at Alum Creek, during the Giant Eagle MultiSport Festival. It was perfect. I was still hesitant about signing up, but another friend said she would sign up with me if I did. So I did. And we are :)

The Beginning

Through life's little ups and downs, brawls, tears, kisses and loves, I dedicate this blog journal to me. I doubt this will be amazing or even useful to anyone else other than myself. I want this to be my central place to celebrate and trash the things in my life and where they take me.