Work In Progress

February is almost half over so I'm sure that a fairly high percentage of resolutions have been thrown by the wayside because change is hard.  But then we set ourselves up for failure in that regard - too lofty of goals, too drastic of a change in behavior, etc.

I'm not one for resolutions, or more so not one for resolutions just because the calendar clicks over to January.  If there is something you need to change, identify it, make a plan, and try to change it.  After all we are all works in progress.

Update on the ankle:
Very, very, very pleased at this point.  I've had my last follow-up with the surgeon and have been given the all clear to do what I want.  I've been running the last month and I'm up to three days a week of an hour or so of running.  This is my last week of run-what-you-will runs though - Monday I start training for my first comeback race!

Originally the plan was to train for and race the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in Seattle.  I realized though that I was being too aggressive with that idea (see the whole "work in progress" thing - trying to be more realistic) so I'm training for the 10k at the Riverbank Run in May.  Still planning on running the HM in June, just not making it a goal race.

Along with that I'm trying a new training plan this time around - along with being more realistic my goal is to be more consistent so I'm backing off the number of runs/workouts and using the FIRST Run Less, Run Faster plan.  The link is to the second edition that comes out in April.  I'm currently using the first.  It only calls for three runs, all quality, each week and then supplements with cross training.  I'm not sure I'll limit myself to just three runs, but I'm not even thinking of trying to run more than 5 days per week.  Plus I'm really trying to work more strength training in this time around.  Generally I'm trying to take much better care of myself, I mean after all I am getting up there in years.

2012

I've noticed a trend.  By scrolling through Facebook and twitter I'm seeing a lot of "friends" celebrating the end of 2011 in a different manner this year.  Usually it's the same old "looking forward to next year" or "had a great year, looking forward to continuing that this year" kind of stuff.

This time?  Not so much.

The trend is that 2011 sucked.  Across the board.

It did for us!

T was on the shelf with the stress fracture/chondral injury from May 5 until the end of the year.
We lost family members:  T's great uncle, my father.  Which brings the total of family members no longer with us to 7 since July 2010.  Fun 18 months there.
I spent the last 10+ weeks of the year on the disabled list with the ankle surgery.
Add in the usual work stress, shitty economy, etc and 2011 is by far the worst year of my adult life.  Hands down!

So I'm joining the chorus of voices out there in the interwebs - thankfully 2011 is behind us.  On to 2012!

In fact, T and I are doing everything we can to make this year as positive as we can.  In fact we've taken to calling 2012 the "year of the Parkers".  A bit presumptuous of us?  Maybe, but I don't really give a shit because it has to be better than the last cycle around the sun.