And Breathe....

So we finally received the news about my dad this week and it is good! The cancer has not spread. So he will just have to go in and have it removed and then begin the monitoring. And man, it feels like a 10,000 pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I heard the news and could have screamed with relief! Now it is not to say that we are totally in the clear, but at least we know it is not as bad as it could have been.

So having received the best and only Christmas gift I wanted, I am now set and ready for the new year! Ready to move on with life and get back to the good things!

Speaking of which I begin my coached training again on 12/20. It should be quite interesting considering I have been doing my own thing for a few months now. So it might be a little shock to the system. The good thing is that I have gotten on an early morning schedule, so hopefully I will be able to stick with the 6am workouts and have my evenings free. I think my first race back will be the Manhattan Half marathon on Jan 22nd. I did it last year and although cold, it fun. So I think I will make that my goal! Let's see how that goes.

For now I need to just focus on getting healthly. I am heading to the dr in a few minutes to conquer my cold and then I am going to take a week to relax and mentally prepare for the 2011 season. But I did want to check in and share my good news!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Snow.....Really?

Ok, ok, I know it is December, but the weather hasn't been that bad, then all of a sudden it is freezing and then snow flurries! Come on! Can't we ease into the bad weather? I have been in my house all day working with the heat pumped up to 74 degrees, I feel like I live in an igloo, or it might be because I am not feel all that good.

On Friday, I taught my 2 spin classes then headed over to my friends house to celebrate Hanukkah by making latkes and eating way too many of them! Then on Saturday, some good friends and their baby came to stay over for the rest of the weekend. Now I love babies, and this one is absolutely adorable, but man, they are my kryptonite! This morning, I woke up to teach and I was beat! I felt weak and tired, despite my 3 hour nap on Sunday and 9pm bed time. With vacation nearing I better beat this one soon!

This week should be an interesting one. I have my fingers crossed that dad gets a good report from the doctor tomorrow. To beat the anxiety before it gets to my head tomorrow, I plan on going to the gym early in the morning, getting on the treadmill and not getting off until I can't run another step. Then I have a long day of work ahead of me.

As for the rest of today it is work then another spin class. I figure I won't be able to move my legs by Wednesday, if I do this right! Then it is time it finish up the 2011 race schedule. Any suggestions?

I Just Keep on Keepin on

So I think it is safe to say that I have put my body through the wringer this week. By tonight I will have taught 5 spinning classes, 1 sculpting class and still gotten in a workout each day. But hey, this is how I deal with messes in my life, and the benefit is that by the time I get home, all I want to do is sleep, so less time to think.

Today my dad goes for his bone marrow scan and we will find out exactly what the prognosis is next week. So lots of positive thoughts and prayers this weekend and maybe on Monday we will get some good news.

As for this weekend, we will have a lot of things to keep us entertained. We have some good friends coming into town with their 10 month old and I am sure we will have our hands full. And I plan on enjoying some body pump and body flow to keep my energy in check. Other than that I will just keep on keepin on.

Just Trying to Be Normal.....Not that Easy

Sorry I have been MIA for a bit. I have been laying low and dealing with life. I think I just need for this year to be over. It has been one of those years you want to forget and the hits just keep on coming.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and friends. Nick and I host every year and it is so much fun getting all of the food ready. We have it down to a science. We were even able to sneak in an hour at the gym before putting the turkey in the oven.

Then I headed to New Hope, PA with Nick. We stayed at an adorable Bed and Breakfast and spent the weekend hiking and sightseeing. We tend to go out there every two years and find a new place to stay and it seems regardless of where we stay, it is still always a bit creepy. There is something strange about walking into a house and borrowing a room for the weekend. But The Fox and Hound Inn was definitely worth it.

After a relaxing weekend we headed home for yet another sucker punch from life. I found out that another family member has cancer. So this year we have had, 2 people with cancer, me in the hospital and then all the other everyday issues that families have. And man this was it, it was the last straw, and I lost it. Now I am really ready for this year to end. But hey, as my dad put it, "We never question all of the good things that happen in our lives, and ask why they happened. So why question the bad. Just deal with the days as the come" and now that is what I am trying to do.

So my initial reaction to this news was to lay low. I took on some extra classes at the gym and I have been taking out my frustrations on the treadmill and teaching spin. I just feel bad for the students! :-) And now I am just dealing.

But I don't want to end this on a sad note, so I will also share with you, what I have been doing as I finish up my stretch of working from home. So now I present to you, Mullet Dog:

Ahhh Monday.....So We Meet Again

What a weekend is all I have to say! The weekend started off with a Friday night spin class for 1 person, since she has been coming to my classes for the past 5 years, I figured I would just bite the bullet and teach. Followed by a fantastic dinner of fresh whole wheat pasta with pan seared scallops in garlic and oil. And let me tell you, it was delicious! I still can't really taste or smell anything, but I can tell when there are certain strong tastes or scents to things. For instance I can tell when there is garlic in my food, but it doesn't taste the way garlic used to taste or the way it tastes for normal people. Strange right?

And moving on! On Saturday we got up nice and early and headed over to Breakneck Ridge for our 5.5 mile hike. I had my new hiking boots on and man, did they make a difference. It made the whole rock scramble super easy! We decided that now that we have mastered Breakneck, it is time to move onto another challenge. So we are heading to hike part of the Appalachian Trail in the next few weekends and see how that goes. It is nice to have something other than swimming, biking and running to do in the off season.

After our day of hiking we heading over to our friends house for the annual Coed-Fest Beer Pong Tournament. And the good news is, this time we didn't lose totally! We didn't make it to the second round, but we did win a few games. This then lead to more good news, we didn't have to stay until the end! So after our loss we hung out for a bit then headed home to get some rest.

Sunday I got up nice and early and decided that today would be my day off. Then I sat around for a few hours and got bored and decided to go try a BodyFlow class. This is a class which is a cross between yoga and pilates. I am not normally into the yoga workout but I figure it can't hurt to work on my flexibility a bit. So I went for an hour and worked on it. Then it was football time, and the Bills finally won a game! I forgot what that felt like for a while! While out watching the game we made a nice bit vat of mushroom chili which we will try tonight after spin class.

This week calls for detoxing and relaxing. It is going to be a busy work week, so I am going to try to at least limit my stress during off hours! Let's see how that turns out.

Crappy Monday!!!

What a day! It has been sleeting here in New Jersey for the past 4 hours, and I am cold! But for some reason, I just want to go work out! I taught spin this morning, took a nap and got to work, and now I am just antsy! I ran 6 miles yesterday, just to see how it would feel and also maybe to see if I could do it and I loved it! There is a part of me that is thinking maybe I should just focus on running this year, but then I realize that is the scared part of me, the part I have to ignore. A part of me that I didn't think existed but I guess it is just my brain trying to play it safe.

So now I am looking forward to my second spin class tonight. I am thinking I might head over a little early to get in a quick run (obsessed much?). My friend that I am training and I are heading into our 4 week of our "Get in shape mission" and it is our 4th week of weight lifting. Let's see how I feel by the end of this week!

Then tonight we continue planning for Sedona. Happy Monday everyone, have a great week!

Let's Not Think About What Could Have Been

This weekend could have been my weekend, the end of my relationship with the New York Marathon. Instead I have to endure another year of this love/hate relationship until I can have my revenge. Instead of running 26.2 I ran 5. And although that doesn't sound like much to anyone, that has been my longest run in 3 months! My, how times and goals can change!!

Tomorrow we are going to take on Breakneck Ridge again, now that we have a better idea of how it works, and we won't have our little lost dog friend with us, we might be able to navigate a little better. I also have acquired some new hiking boots for my weekend hiking trips and my upcoming week in New Mexico and Arizona, and I am excited to try them out. And I am hoping since I have added lifting back into my regiment that I may not be as sore this time around!

Then Sunday we will venture into the city so I can be a spectator. There is just something about the New York Marathon that is inspiring and energizing. So instead of participating in it this year, I am going to use it to help get me back into racing mode.

I will be back to coached training next month, and I am hoping to start racing, well at least the running portion of racing, in January. This weekend, watching some phenomenal athletes might be just what the doctor ordered. And on that note, I am off to nap, which is just what my body has ordered! Enjoy the weekend!