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Running in the new year with the Dingos: January 2014

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#1 ·
It's the New Year! Time for making goals and looking ahead to healthy living in 2014!

New visitors to the Dingo Thread may ask, "but, what is a Dingo?"

Dingoes are mamas (defined loosely, when needed) who run, walk, cycle, tri, and participate in whatever sport they need to sustain their awesome mama selves in lives that are definitely dynamic. Sometimes, a Dingo is injured, or life takes a turn, and she has to take a break from her chosen sport. Whether active or aspiring, Dingoes support one another in spirit. When two Dingoes are in the same place at the same time, something incredibly special happens. This is called a Dingo Meetup. They are relatively rare, and so we try to record them with photographic evidence.

Are you a Dingo? You just might be, if:

You sometimes perform acts of brilliance in order to squeeze a workout into a busy week.

You're never ashamed of coming in at the back of the pack, even if you're used to coming in faster.

You have found yourself sincerely respecting and admiring moms in all forms, observing how they're doing it for love, and growing from their experiences as well as your own

You won't know until you try, and all comers are welcome.
 
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#3 ·
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Happy New Year, my friends!
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Wishing you and your families much love, peace and happiness to come in 2014.

In retrospect, I had a pretty darn good 2013. I stayed healthy, I got to run NYC, I made good on my vow to go on at least one date in the next year...
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I'm both excited and a little terrified about what 2014 holds in store for me. Ironman, for sure. Who knows what on the dating front (did I mention that C's lease is up in April
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)? And hoping my kiddo gets a little more used to sharing mommy (and that I have the wisdom to make sure that he doesn't feel neglected or left out in the process)...

I had the pleasure of being the admit nurse for the first baby born in 2014 at our hospital. We had one mom that tried really hard to hold her baby in, but couldn't and baby came flying out at 11:51.
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Unfortunately, the mom who did deliver had severe pre-eclampsia and had to have a c-section, so I don't think she really appreciated it as much as she otherwise may have. Well, that and she was spanish-speaking only, and while I *think* my espanol was sufficient enough to tell her that she had the first baby of 2014, I could have been telling her something entirely different.
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Ok, so I'm pretty sure I got it across. And hopefully later today, she'll be feeling better and can actually enjoy it a little!

rr~30 minutes of core/strength on today's schedule, which I busted out pretty much as soon as I got home, and now it is time to head for bed.
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#6 ·
Happy New Year, Dingoes!

Gaye, your 2013 really was pretty darn good!

Looking back, I'd certainly not say this was one of my best, but it was far from the worst. I think we're coming into 2014 with a lot of clarity about what we hope for in the coming decade, and what we can do to make things happen. I am going to try to finally grow into this writing thing.

I meant to run but stayed out late, and eventually got out for a walk. Also wrote about half of a story today, and hope to complete the first draft tomorrow. Have been keeping up with goals to walk or run daily, and to write daily. Started a Whole 30 today, too.
 
#7 ·
Happy New Years! I declared that the office needs to be usable as an office for more than DH's computer games. I've spend most of today cleaning the basement so that we can clear out the office.

I'm about 10% into the task...

WHat's your favorite chairty that does pickup of household items, clothes, toys, and books?
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geofizz View Post

WHat's your favorite chairty that does pickup of household items, clothes, toys, and books?
This is a very local question (as I've found from moving around a lot in the 90s).

I use goodwill here -- they recycle a lot, they hire a lot of people who otherwise couldn't/wouldn't work. Salvation Army bugs me because of some homophobic stuff that went on. I feel like in your area there's a Volunteers of America or something like that?

Warm clothes: I take those down to the kids' closet charity or to the mission where they serve meals every day.

Misc. household stuff: we have a loaves and fishes house locally that helps with getting homeless people placed into an apartment.
 
#9 ·
Happy new years, Dingo mamas!

2013 was not a great year for me but I started off 2014 with a bang -- a 10K PR!!!!! I felt great this morning, decided to do a local race with some friends, and despite the bitter cold ran a 57:xx (not sure yet!). Pretty excited.

So, Mel, when you get to the race results list, can you please put up for me the Somerville Jingle Bell Run that was 12/22, time 27:54, and the Gordy's First Race 1/1/2014 57:xx (I will edit that when I get the results later).

off to EAT.
 
#10 ·
Canadian Diabetes Association. Probably not very helpful for you, Geo...

Both kids seem to have hit growth spurts. In the youngest this manifests as losing her sense of the margins of her body and crashing into things. The oldest just sleeps more and drags and complains about having to do anything remotely physical. Naturally I'm insisting they both get on bikes so I can run. Praying for minimal crashes and whining.
 
#12 ·
Yeah, I feared it was too local of a question. Volunteers indeed had been a good option here, except they've become hard to work with -- drivers won't come to the back of the house (no fence, drive way all the way to the back. THE DRIvers drive up, see nothing on the front step, drive off, don't see the request I'd put in to get it off the back), long time before pickup (3-4 weeks). I doubt goodwill does pickup. Guess I'll have to schlep.

Yay PR!

Still cleaning. WILL count as my workout for today.
 
#13 ·
Happy New Year Dingoes, or as I like to say Good Riddance 2013!

That was the worst. Some bright spots (school, back-packing in Yosemite, climbing Nationals), but overall, the worst.

Lovely impromptu dinner party last night, with the first friends we made when we moved here 9 years ago. They have experience in "fine" cooking, and also moved here from the Bay Area - they worked in some fancy restaurants there before moving here, so yeah, they brought truffle risotto and braised lamb shanks, and I made a lot of yummy veggies (roasted beet/feta salad, green beans with lemon rind, shallot, and shaved parm.), and my ice-cream brought down the house (coupled with the flourless chocolate cake). Mostly it was great to catch up with dear friends.

Nic - Woot
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What a wonderful note to start on

Jo - well done on the goal setting and meeting

Goals for the year are to surrender more, try to relax (these are hard for me; Im not sure how striving and being competitive fit with these), focus on what I love without self-judgement, embrace change, look for the good. And hopefully get to a less dynamic psychiatric space where exercise feels again like self-nurture, release, inspiration, and motivation
 
#14 ·
Happy New Year Mamas!

While 2013 wasn't the worst it certainly posed some challenges along the way and I'm not sorry to see it in the rearview.

RR: We took the kids on a hike up and down the local "mountain". It was probably about 3 miles and they did really well. When they were both tired out at the end and we were climbing uphill to get back to the car they resorted to singing silly songs rather than crying or whining. My babies are growing up!

Also did 30 squats with a 50# bag of chicken scratch on my shoulders. I didn't think it was so badass but when dh tried to do it I was worried for his safety, and I don't think he was pretending. Boxing starts back up tomorrow
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Goals: Well, despite having felt at a good place weightwise I've now tipped the balance with all my cavalier chowing down so after this evening's final party of the season I'll be back to grain and sugar shunning and making a concerted effort to eat salads even in the depths of the cold dark days which make me think more about whiskey toddies and creamed soups.
 
#15 ·
Fitness Goal for the year:

250 x 45 minute workouts.

That's essentially 5 a week.

FTR: I'm planning on 3 harder (run, ski, swim, bike, etc.) and 2 easier (45 minute dog walk) per week.

#1 is done. whew. got that out of the way.

I have a backlog of junk to deal with at work that I've been not so effectively ignoring. But I got big thing #1 done. Big thing 2 should be done tomorrow. Big thing 3 is tougher. But I'd like all 3 done before next Wednesday. It'll require the kind of discipline I have, but hate to use, so it hides in my back pocket for when I desperately need it.

Oh hey, Friday? Air temp is supposed to be a high ABOVE zero F, yes!!! My family is a little nutty inside.
 
#17 ·
1jooj--sorry to hear about DH and the ed issues. Seems like he does that to you on a regular basis and for absolutely no purpose.
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tjsmama--I've always wondered about whether HRs are affected by the altitude, because I too can barely run to keep my HR as low as it's supposed to be. I'll enjoy the rest of your IM training vicariously!

MelW--glad you "only" worked the 12-hour shift and ignored the snark. Some people are crazy.

Geo--good luck on the basement/office cleaning! That's got to be good karma for the coming year.

Nic--woot on the PR! Congrats!!!

sparkle--those are admirable goals. I'm going to cheerfully borrow your "embrace change," if I can.

kerc--Love the workout goals, and hope the mercury climbs a bit higher than that there and soon.
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lofty--hope your 2014 is a great deal better.

RR: started training for the Colfax Marathon with 4 on the treadmill. The marathon is offering an online training service for $20 that personalizes each week's workouts based on what you did the previous week, previous PRs, etc. It started as soon as one signed up for the race, so I figured $1/week was a pretty good deal for something that won't leave me guessing what I should do when some workouts get missed due to illness or whatnot.

Glad to be home. I'll summarize the rest of our travels as such: DH's grandmother has terminal liver cancer. She reached the point that she suddenly needed 24/7 in-home care this weekend, which added to already-existing stress. Saying goodbye was really hard on DH, as one might expect. We headed from there to visit my aunt and uncle in Massachusetts. We had a nice if brief visit and then headed back to the in-laws the next afternoon, and DH started to complain about how he wanted to be on the road earlier (hello, we were there less than 24 hours and haven't visited their house in a decade, so STHU). That was the prelude to a complete systems breakdown on a 4-1/2 hour car ride full of DH spewing, dredging up complaints he had from 5 and 10 years ago and generally raging on about how I'm the worst person on earth. It was ugly. Though it alternated with random crying, once it got dark, about how he was just so scared about the rest of the drive.
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I was driving and the roads were dry, but he went on and on about "high mountain peaks" and "icy mountain roads." Dude, we're from Colorado. The stretch between Albany and Plattsburgh doesn't hold a candle to the insanity that is I-70 in the mountains, and I've driven that in the dark under terrible conditions. Yay for uncontrolled anxiety.
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The long and short of it: he needs some short-term, fast-acting medication when we're headed into any family visit that's extra-stressful like that. It'll make me the bad guy to insist, but he cannot put the entire family through another car ride like that, ever.
 
#19 ·
Real -
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I never before this Fall experienced anxiety, and in fact, used to think that it was a matter of someone who frets too much. While I do think that some people are constitutionally more likely to 'have' anxiety - people who tend to mull things too much in general, for example - I now understand the surreal biochemical event that is another level of anxiety, which, I believe, can get easily compounded by meta-level anxiety (worry about the roads, or for me, anything that I normally experience mild anxiety over - my kids' safety and emotional well-being, socializing ... I have had panic attacks this year (I'm loathe to write too much about what I've learned about neurotransmitters for fear of having a screen full of related pop-up ads) which, while I understand their bio-chemical underpinnings, dont stop me from going down the same mental path, even as I am performing CBT on myself as strenuously as I can. All that to say - I have a point
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- when I have a panic attack, or serious anxiety, I find immediate relief from those homeopathic pills called Calm. I put one under my tongue to dissolve, and by the time its dissolved, I feel better. Not better, but I feel sane, so that I can psychologically better manage what is happening to me (I understand there is probably a meta-level placebo effect with the pills as well). They dont make the thoughts less intrusive or grim, but they take the edge off so I can better live with the thoughts until they pass, if that makes sense. They do make me a little sleepy - a very little - they have valerian (homeopathic, mind you), but not like I cant operate heavy machinery tired.
 
#20 ·
Real - that sounds so trying for you
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tjsmama - have fun IM training! I never did well with heart rate zones either.

kerc - hope it warms up for you! We're headed down into negatives tonight here, which hasn't happened for 15 years.

Heading out to shovel the pathetic 1" of snow we got off the driveway. Will do strength workout in the basement later.
 
#21 ·
Real - Yikes! Once the anxiety has cleared a bit can he reflect on how his behavior might be playing with the kids? Might he try the homeopathic remedy? I'm sorry to hear about his grandmother and I'm sorry that he's so off-kilter so often. I hope that this is the year when he decides to get some help, it's too much for you to have to deal with.
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JayGee - Welcome back. How was your internet-free time?

Sparkle - That dinner sounds really lovely, the company and menu.

Kerc - Hope you get through your Big Things and I'm impressed with your workout plan. It looks ambitious but not impossible.

Nic - Congrats! What a great way to start the year! I love it!
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Geo - Good luck with the donation pick-ups. I used to LOVE Salvation Army (Sal's) but now that I've heard about their unwavering view that gays are totally unacceptable I just can't stand to think how much money I've contributed to them over the years.

RR: Boxed. My legs are really sore now.
 
#22 ·
Hi mamas. Hope everyone affected is surviving the snowstorm and freezing cold ok. High today in western Mass. of 10*. It's colder by Kerc.
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In the end we got our 'real' vacation with Thurs. and today being snow days. Yippee. I wasn't ready to go back yet.

Headed out to the gym today and did a brick workout 2.5 miles on the treadmill, then 5 miles on the spinner bike (they have these new ones with a video screen and you can pick a course, etc. and there are other virtual bikers on the course, it's cool). Then another 2 or so miles on the mill. First mile of the second half was spaghetti legs. Yikes.

We're off to the Berkshires for the weekend; dh wants to try this resort and they are having a special. He and the kids can do snowtubing, snowboarding, whatever, and I can use the spa.
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I may actually do a little cross country skiing but truth is, winter sports are not my thing. We'll see.
 
#24 ·
Yesterday I did the New York Times "scientific" 7-minute HIIT with the kids. It was a breeze compared to bootcamp, which is similar intervals, but more/longer. Tonight is bootcamp. The tenure-track job offer from UBC Okanagan just came. The salary offer and research start up fund look good (as does the teaching/research load, especially in the first two years with less teaching to support more writing/research). The relocation $ looks low, but workable. We have the weekend to decide. I may head over to the other place for some dingo wisdom in a bit...
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geofizz View Post

Woah.
I know!!!

I've been here for , err, 14 winters and this has not ever happened. Predicted high temperature for my zip code Sunday: -12, Monday: -9. That's high temperature folks. High. And yes, I have a full set of wool long johns. I'm taking this opportunity (tomorrow's high of 13) to wash said long johns.

Today's workout: 1 hour splitting and moving firewood. (We keep 4 cords of wood near the back alley, and more like 1/2 cord of wood near the front porch. It's much easier to split wood when it's cold and also easier to move it on a sled, vs. on a wagon across grass). I then made it out for my 45 minutes of xc skiing. So day 3 and I've achieved 3 of 3. Yesss!

Today Dh hurt his shoulder today. (fell on the slippery steps). This helps explain why I did so much firewood moving. I'm seriously bummed.

mel: The tenure-track job offer from UBC Okanagan just came.

Whoa.

Nic: that kind of weekend sounds fun to me. Err the kind where my family is off doing something fun and I spend the weekend reading/knitting/in the sauna. I do like to do other things, but geez, every now and again it sounds awesome to do nothing at all.

Geo: hope the cleaning/purging goes well.
 
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