2011 in Review

What a year it has been! Lots of memorable moments. Here are some highlights -  most are walks but some other things worth mentioning too! (The links are to my original posts on that subject.)

January - I got my first, and so far - only, tattoo! It hurt like hell but it was totally worth it! I wanted a tattoo for about four years before I actually got it. I wanted to make sure I was getting something meaningful to me and not just inking my skin "just because." When I saw this design, I knew immediately this was The One. I walk and I love walking for a cause - breast cancer. This was the p.e.r.f.e.c.t. tattoo for me.

February - My first race for the year was the Max Muscle Half Marathon. It was VERY COLD (28 degrees F) and it was actually spitting tiny little snow flakes off and on. I suffered MAJOR leg cramps, starting in my calves and working up to the front of my thighs. I had not experienced cramps like that before and have not since, thank goodness! It must have been the fridged temps.  I can't say I enjoyed the race (I was in too much pain) but I was proud to do it and happy to complete it!

I was able to go to Washington, D.C. to see my brother, his wife and my niece - a part of my family I don't get to see often enough. My niece is just a wee one (currently 28 months old) and not seeing her often is pretty sad. Kids grow up so quickly and I am really missing out! At least the times we do get together are enjoyed.  I had a great visit! My mother had been out there and was coming back home in February so we took a four-day train trip back across the U.S. together. That train ride was a hoot! We had SO MUCH FUN! When you are staying in a sleeper car with your neighbors only FEET from your bed, you become fast friends! haha It was great!

Mom and Me

Maxine and Emmy

My brother, Russ

 March - Jet-setting again! I was able to go to my hometown in Texas to visit a very dear friend - Sally - who had cancer and a lot of terrible, resulting issues. She was doing well but we kept things low-key so she didn't get too tired. Her health was still fragile and to this day, she continues to fight for her life. Sally and I spent HOURS just talking... sharing our memories, our dreams, our sorrows, our tears and our laughter! We really had a nice visit. While there, I was also able to see some very special friends from my days of childhood... people who are STILL my friends today, YEARS later! I had a wonderful visit with everyone and wished I could have spent a lot more time there with each and every one of them. It was a really nice trip packed with good times and good memories. I wasn't there long but made the most of the time I had. The fact that people took time out of their busy lives to meet me for a drink or have lunch with me, drive me to the beach for a couple hours, drive six hours from their home because I was in town, etc. will forever be etched in my heart. I love my friends. I am so lucky to have them.

Me and Sally

Sally and Bernard

Me and Karen

Joyce, Rachel, Monica, Stennie, Me, Katie and Stephanie

Katie and Monica

Rebecca

Stephanie, Stennie and Me

April - I celebrated my 46th birthday and my 17th wedding anniversary! Both are accomplishments! What more can I say?! It was a good month!  ;)

May - Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon - I set a new half marathon PR at 3:04:57, averaging 14:06 minute miles. I had a great time walking it with two friends, one who was doing her first ever half marathon (she ROCKED it!).  I couldn't believe the hill we had to go up but then was thrilled when we were able to "roll" down the other side! At the finish line we were each given two beers and I chugged my first one down so quickly I was actually feeling a bit drunk before I even got started on the second one (which I gave away). We had a lot of fun that day!

Rum Run 10k - My daughter decided to join me on her very first race and she did really well! We were able to jog a lot of the route, which was mostly on a path through the Tualatin Community Park and then through neighborhoods, winding back around through the Park again. For someone who doesn't train at all, she blew me away by holding strong the entire 6.2 miles! Of course she is 24 years younger than I am so that probably had something to do with it but still... WOW.  I was so proud of her!  We finished in 1:27:40, averaging 13:39 minute miles (my fastest average E-V-E-R!). I LOVED having her there beside me - doing something together - something that I get so much out of.

June - Vancouver's Inaugural Marathon.  I was so happy to be a part of this race! So proud Vancouver had its OWN marathon! It was my second full marathon (the first being in Portland in October 2010), my first for 2011. I crossed the finish line in 6:22:15, setting a new full marathon PR, beating my previous full marathon by 7.5 minutes!

Summer Solstice - Ahhhhh... such a meaningful 6 miles! The Summer Solstice is the first event I ever walked in  (two and a half years ago) and it nearly killed me! Six miles was like walking a frickin' marathon to me at that time (not that I knew anything about what that felt like!). Six miles took me nearly two hours to walk and took me nearly four months to recover from. Seriously. I had to go back this June to pay homage to this very special event.  I finished in 1:25:50, averaging 14:18 minute miles.

July - After walking the full marathon in June, I wasn't looking for any new races to participate in. I needed a break to recoup from the heavy training schedule prior to the race. We also had plenty of plans with family.

Mexico - Husband, kids and I went to Husband's hometown in Mexico for (1) our oldest niece's wedding; (2) our youngest (at the time) nephew's baptism - we are his God parents; and (3) Husband's Grandmother's ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH (yes, that's right, 105th) birthday party! It was a wonderful time packed full of places to be and people to see! It was smoldering HOT to us Washingtonians but we somehow managed to survive it. When we weren't busy with one of the main events, we had fun walking to town (Did I mention that it was HOT?!), eating out and shopping. We spent the entire time surrounded by Spanish-speaking family members (enough to populate a small village!) and the Mexican culture at its finest! At Abuella's 105th birthday party, there were over 300 people in the room (all related!) and that was just ONE SIDE of Husband's family! That wasn't even close to being ALL of them because many were unable to make it! Unbelievable. You know, I can count on two hands (without even using all of my fingers!) the number of people on one side of my family. In fact, I would have a hard time using all of my fingers and toes when counting BOTH sides of my family! Jeez. Anyway, we had a really nice time and I honestly did not want to leave that quaint little life of simple (and happy) existence and siestas to come back home to reality.





 Camping - We also went on our yearly camping trip in July and really enjoyed the week away from televisions, phones and computers! My sister-in-law and I walked the loop around the campground several times (it is a little more than a mile each time around) to keep up our walking and to burn off the s'mores and alcohol we were consuming! On the last day at camp, she and I left hubby in charge of five kids and we drank an ENTIRE bottle of Sauza Tequila between the two of us in about a two hour period of time! No telling how we lived through it but we did and we had a a lot of fun doing it! haha Needless to say, I have not had more than a drink or two at one sitting since then and don't know when I will EVER eat spaghetti again! haha Fun but brutal!

August - Greater Portland Half Marathon. Not one of my favorite events but a race well done and another medal to add to my collection! (Those are muy importante, you know!) Most of the route was out in the rolling hills of the valley and it really was beautiful but what over-rode all that beauty was the highway we had to walk beside on a very narrow (actually, it was pretty much non-existent) shoulder, CROSSING that highway without the support of police, and walking on two lane roads going over those rolling hills without any traffic barriers or protection for us - the race participants - from the fast moving, seemingly unyielding, vehicles. Very nerve-wracking to say the least. I finished in 3:09, averaging 14:25 minute miles.

September - Eugene Women's Half Marathon. This was the first race I ever travelled out of town for, which was a huge highlight! Two friends and I drove three hours south and stayed the night in Eugene, Oregon. We had a great time having a "girls weekend getaway." The race, as the name suggests, was for women! The very few men who dared to participate were totally overrun by all of the estrogen walking around! (Walk at your own risk, Gentlemen! haha)  It was such a great route - mostly flat and along the Willamette River - and it was FUN! There was Godiva Chocolate waiting for us at the finish line so no dilly dallying for us! We were on a mission! I finished in 3:08:26, averaging 14:23 minute miles.

My 18 year old nephew, Enrique, came to live with us at the beginning of September. He is such a joy to have around and the most perfect house guest! He never leaves a mess, doesn't make a lot of noise, and helps with the yard, cars, dogs, house and  COOKING! He even taught me how to make salsa verde! (my favorite!)  He really is a nice addition to our family unit and I am so happy he is here with us and that he feels comfortable with us enough to make himself at home.

Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. My favorite of all events! This was my second year to participate in the 3-Day and I loved it just as much as last year! My sister-in-law came for her first time and we shared a tent together. It was a wonderful weekend! The two other walkers on my team were also first timers and they loved it too. In fact, all three of them have signed up for next year! We have another new person on our team too who is just as excited! I encourage anyone who has the slightest interest to come along and take part in this event. It is for such a great cause and I promise you it will change your life forever! It is an emotional, fun-filled, heart-felt weekend - worth every dollar you have to raise and every mile you walk for training and then over the three-day weekend.

October - A busy, busy month for me! And an exhausting one too.

 Portland Marathon. My second full marathon of the year and third ever. While walking it this year, I came to one big conclusion... 26.2 miles is a hell of a long way to walk! Damn. It really is. I once again set a new full marathon PR! I finished in 6:17:24, averaging a 14:24 minute mile, beating my old PR by 4:54! I felt great for most of the walk but then struggled with a sleeping foot issue (thinking it was because of my shoe... but it was from herniated discs in my lower spine) towards the end. I was completely exhausted when I crossed that finish line but was once again filled with an enormous amount of pride!

Girlfriends Half Marathon. One week after completing the Portland Marathon,  I was back out there participating in another walk! This one was a lot of fun (also supporting breast cancer) and I didn't really worry about time. I had FUN and ENJOYED it. That's all that mattered to me. I finished in 3:25:47, averaging 15:43 minute miles.

Back Issues. After seven back surgeries, a fusion, and then three good years of no back pain or problems, "Mr. Reality" kicked me in the gut once again! Back issues and nerve pain became a part of my every day life... AGAIN.  I am a much stronger person this time around - both physically and mentally - so I will NOT allow it to consume me. Or stop me. Not at all.

Run Like Hell Half Marathon.  This was the third weekend in a row for me to participate in a race! And... another new half marathon PR!! (This really was a great walking year for me!) I finished in 3:03:52, averaging 14:02 minute miles, and beating my old PR by 1:05 minutes!

1000 miles! I set a goal at the end of 2010 to walk 1000 miles in 2011. I reached that goal in October! Go me!

November - Seattle Half Marathon. My first event in Seattle (other than the 3-Day) and I loved it! A friend and I drove up the day before and stayed at my relatives' house. The race route was beautiful! Of course it rained and was windy and cold but what else would you expect in November in Seattle?! My sister-in-law joined us and this was her very first race. We finished in 3:05:24, averaging 14:08 minute miles. That is an AWESOME time for a first half marathon, especially one with plenty of hills! She got "the fever" and plans to join in on many more races!

November was the month I decided to get serious about losing the rest of my weight, although I haven't been going down the scale all that quickly! At least I am trying to be somewhat accountable. The holidays aren't exactly the best time to be dieting (as I've proven!) but hovering in the same weight range is far better than GAINING. January will be here soon enough and there won't be all the luncheons, dinners, and homemade goodies to deal with. I'm certainly not going to beat myself up over not reaching my goal of getting the remaining extra weight off in 2011 but I will renew the goal and work extra hard in 2012.

December - Here it is... the end of 2011. I look back and wonder where the year went?!

Jingle Bell 5k Run/Walk. It was my first time to do an official 5k and my mom's first time too! I've been walking with my mom a lot this year and usually we walk 6 miles together. I knew participating in a 5k event (3.1 miles) would be "a piece of cake" for her. We crossed that starting line and she took off like a shot! We weren't officially timed but I timed us on my Garmin and she did it in 48:05, averaging 15:30 minute miles. She rocked!

The following weekend we did the Holiday Half and 5k event. Mom participated in the 5k race while a friend and I participated in the half marathon.  Mom was out to see what she could do on her own while I was out to just walk and enjoy the race with no time in mind.  Mom finished in 50:51, averaging 16:22 minute miles. I finished in 3:19:46, averaging 15:14 minute miles. This was my last official race of the year.  :)

I walked a total of 1,177 miles in 2011 - enough distance to get me from Vancouver, Washington to 66 miles PAST Tijuana, Mexico!

I am going to be a walking coach with Vancouver Fit this season! I am so excited to meet new walkers, help them reach their goals and tell them that anything is possible! You just have to work for it.

Christmas was busy around my house with family in town.  My sister and her husband drove 3 hours south to get here, my mom came over from just a few miles away, and my brother, his wife and their two-year-old came from the east coast. The time was short (only three days) but we made the most of the family-packed visit. I'm so happy we were able to get together.

My family...
 Back Row - Russ (brother), Craig (brother-in-law), Maxine (sister-in-law), Me,
Ray (aka Husband), Enrique (nephew),
Front Row - Cynthia (sister), Matthew (son), Dolores (mom), Emmy (niece) and
Brittany (daughter)

We loooooove our sister!

Siblings



Me and my daughter,  Brittany

Goofing off with Mom

Here it is New Year's Eve, the last day of 2011. My sister and her husband are coming back down (via train) to visit for the weekend. I'm waiting for them to arrive! We are going to pick up Husband after he is finished working, pop into a friends' house and go have drinks. I'm dressing up (yes, ME) in my very first "little black dress". Well... okay... it isn't all that "little" but it is the only black dress I have ever owned and I am so proud of it! I bought black high heels just for the occasion. Wish me luck...  I hope I don't fall on my face! It has been a long time since I wore such high and mighty heels!

I saw a rainbow while I was out walking yesterday...

I took it as a promise that good things are to come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!

  

My 2012 goals:

• Continue my Weigh Day Wednesdays
• Reach my weight loss goal of 140 pounds (lose more if needed)
• Walk 1500 miles!
• Walk a half marathon in under 3 hours!

(I am sure there will be many more to add to this list!)

What are your goals for 2012?