First free weekend in ... Can't recall

With my time as a volunteer at Tuscobia (150-mile and 75-mile ultra) last weekend, I had this weekend as the first one in so long that I was free from any obligation.  It was something I looked forward to...  Since I quit tennis two weeks ago, my last two work weeks are closer to 50-hour weeks as opposed to the 72 I had averaged for the first 50 weeks of 2011.  Shelley was going to Nebraska, and my son is in Chile (yes, the country), so it was just me and a dog.  Not even my dog, but one who is aging like me, and we are bonding...

It was great to see these superhumans in Tuscobia. The guy's move is from Texas, and unlike others, he dressed lightly. (Note: no gloves!)  Hell, I was cold out there. But he was walking/jogging, and I was standing. I started volunteering at 1:00 PM Friday and left at about 1 PM Saturday. I got about 45 minutes of sleep between 6:45 AM and 7:30 AM. Other than that, time flew by, being around great people and good friends.
With shorter work weeks, I have gotten in regular workouts. That is good as I have been so stressed and have had a short time. I have worked out at least 30 minutes a day on average, with today being 2.5 hours. I feel fatter but better. I always feel worse for the first few weeks of working out until it becomes a habit. So, I hope that at the turn of the year, I will have three regular weeks under my belt and be able to form the habit.

A synopsis would be appropriate since I have not posted much on this blog in 2011.  Here are the bullet points highlighted:

• January, I realized my son had brought bedbugs back from his trip earlier in the year.  That was a fight...  Nothing has happened for 9 months now, so I conquered that beast.  Really sucked at the time!
• In February, I moved to Apple Valley. As many have known, I had many medical issues and decided it may be the place I lived. So I moved in with my girlfriend. (I actually am not living in sin; I live in the basement of the dwelling.  But then, does that really matter to anyone?)  But she had a wedding and other big expenses coming, so it was a great benefit for her as well.
• In April, due to the 18+ mile one-way bike ride to work, I added a Bionx Electric Assist Kit to my Cannondale Quick 5. It really allowed me to bike commute daily without needing a day's rest between the 36+ daily miles.
• Without running since Grandma's 2010, my son took me out for a 3-mile training run the week before Grandma's 2011, and then we ran it together. So my streak is now 27 consecutive years as an official finisher. He was a lifesaver and stayed with me the whole way, and we had fun. What a cherished memory that will always be!
• Moved my son (twice) to Golden, Colorado, in July.
• My girlfriend was distant as she was so busy planning a wedding (no, not me - her daughter), and that was shortly followed by a two-week trip to Italy - to visit her other daughter. (See the picture below - what a beautiful couple)
• Volunteered at the ST 100 at the 42-mile mark.  Great weather for the spectator, but the poor runner had the heat to beat the crap out of them.  My aid station looked more like an M.A.S.H. unit, but only smiles!
• I interviewed in a few locations far from here and had an offer in Idaho.  I did not accept the offer, but I have regretted that a few times.  When life is hard, and relationships are strained, a new start is sometimes the way to go, but I have not been one to run from issues.  There were 100 reasons to go and a few to stay.  Today, I regret the decision, tomorrow I may be glad I made that decision.  That is how it has been for the past month since turning down the lateral move professionally.
• December 9th - the end of USTA for me.  I bid farewell to the USTA forever.  Just like when I left baseball unpinning, I knew I would never look back and was ready to hang it up.  Over 10 years, and it was getting to be 35-40 weekends a year, I no longer enjoyed that hobby!  I learned the phrase, "You can not put a price on passion, but it only takes one idiot to take it away.  In this case, it was an administrator or two and a few parents, but they made it miserable to volunteer or be a part of the organization.
• Finished the year with 2,265 bike miles, 645 elliptical miles, and 29.2 running miles.  Did not track walking miles, but must have a few hundred?

After my last tennis event, Shelley took me to the Holiday Lights Benefit Concert at the Brave New Workshop. It was a great time, and we saw a local performer I knew nothing about. She is Keri Noble. IMPRESSED WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. Check her out. She is a great songwriter with heart and soul in her music.

As some may know, we have been four staff members short at the office. With the down economy, we could survive with two less, but four has been hard. We are getting a new staff member soon (mid- to Late January). That will help, although, as usual, this is the time of year we are less busy, so we can train them before the storm hits in March.

All in all, it seems that my body and life are changing very fast as I near 50. I think I have experienced more change in the past 18 months than in the decade prior. It almost felt like I was getting divorced all over again, but the changes were not related to other humans, just me. If that makes sense.

So now I look at 2012.  Looking ahead, I need to put the weight down.  The right knee I had surgery on feels OK, with an occasional painful twinge.  I will continue to nurse and care appropriately for my body to get me back into shape.  I do not aspire to run any races next year, but I plan on volunteering at ST 100 again. 

I will keep you all posted. Until then, carry on.