Party Like It's 1999.

So, I was thinking today.

Per my last blog post, you're probably shocked. I understand that.

So when January 1, 2012 rolls around, I will be two days into my "On Ice" experience. Given that I will probably be doing more scrambling/dashing/scurrying (read: trying to make sense of my new surroundings far away from all civilization) than actual rational thinking, I figured I should go ahead and write up my New Year's resolutions.

So, here we go.

• Crochet an afghan
• Read 52 books, one for each week of the year:
1. The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
2. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Child Soldier (Ishmael Beah)
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O'Dell)
4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddan)
5. Animal Farm (George Orwell)
6. Halfway to Heaven: My White-Knuckled--and Knuckleheaded--Quest for the Rocky Mountain High  (Mark Obmascik)
7. Play It As It Lays (Joan Didion)
8. Crazy Love (Francis Chan)
9. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
10. Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
11. Cry, the Beloved Country (Alan Paton)
12. Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)
13. Traveling Mercies (Anne Lammott)
14. Schindler's List (Thomas Keneally)
15. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)...a little bit embarrassed to say I read it. A little bit proud to say that having read it, I don't understand the hype and I kind of thought it was silly.
16. Daniel (Henning Mankell)
17. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Alan Bradley)
18. The Great Divorce (CS Lewis)
19. Bossypants (Tina Fey)
20. Even Silence Has an End (Ingrid Bentancourt)
21. Love Wins (Rob Bell)
22. Girl with a Pearl Earring (Tracy Chevalier)
23. The Kitchen House (Kathleen Grissom)
• Hike five more 14ers
1. Mt. Evans (6/24/12)
2. Grays Peak (7/4/12)
3. Torreys Peak (7/4/12)
4. Missouri Mountain (7/29/12)
5. Mt. Democrat (8/4/12)
6. Mt. Lincoln (8/4/12)
7. Mt. Bross (8/4/12)
• Run two 5ks and one 10k
• 10k: McMurdo Station Scott Hut Run
• Travel New Zealand...... :) 

That's all I can think of for now. Maybe I'll post more as I think of them.

Peace, Love, & StickingToMyGoals.

Slacker.

I have officially completed one of the goals I established after moving to Denver: run a half marathon in the Mile High City. I guess my ambitions ran away from me (haha, pun kind of intended), and I ended up signing up for the Slacker Half Marathon -- the highest downhill race in the country. It starts at Loveland Ski Area, at a whopping 10,630 feet above sea level, and travels down 8,400 feet to Georgetown. I was super excited to run it, but also really nervous, because it's taken me about half a year to really feel comfortable running at 5,280 feet! But, I did it anyway, and the good news is: I SURVIVED.

Granted, I was hobbling over the finish line, but I did, in fact, survive. The first five miles of the run were breathtaking -- we ran through a forest of densely-packed evergreens, complete with about four or so waterfalls trickling so beautifully down the mountain. Ahh.

The next 8 miles? Not so much. Still beautiful terrain, of course (how could it not be gorgeous in the Rockies?), but that constant downhill really starts wearing on your knees...and your right leg's IT band. Oh, and it got even better when they threw a half mile climb in the middle of the course (read: half mile climb of death in full mountain sunshine). So by the time I made it down the mountain and back into Georgetown, I was pretty beat! I finished in 2:28, which certainly was not what I was aiming for, but I guess running 13 miles down a mountain with hardly any oxygen is something not many people can say they can do! So, I'm proud of myself. But mostly, I'm really glad it's over.

3 half marathons down....zero more to go. I think I'll stick with 5k's and 10k's from now on.

Also: A shout out to hubby Mike Wall, who took care of me as I, er...got sick, the entire car ride home. And who went to the grocery store to get me 2 Gatorades, 1 Vitamin Water (NOT VITAMIN WATER ZERO), and some redwhiteandblue popsicles. (Apparently, I was very specific in my post-run delirium). He has also declared that I am cut off from pursuing any more half marathon endeavors, and I honestly don't blame him.

The rest of our weekend was lazy: lounging at the pool with church friends, hanging out at City Park Jazz with more friends (and family!), and watching Arrested Development until we fell asleep.

Overall, a great weekend. I feel like I end most of my posts that way, which is a good thing I guess :)

Peace, love, & NoMoreHalfMarathons.