My 2011 Goals

Here are my small goals this year:

1. Learn to change a tire.
2. Do an Olympic Distance Triathlon. Swim 1500 meter bike 30miles, run 6.2 miles
3. Read/Listen to at least 8 books this year. The book club will help.
4. Pay off car.
5. Lose 15 pounds.
6. Look good naked.
7. Written monthly budgets.
8. Mail Birthday cards to family and friends (very hard for me).
9. Get a wall calendar to remind me of birthdays.
10. Organize the garage/basement and get a shed to put the stuff that is in the garage.
11. Cook one new recipe a month, like below - a Turkey was new for me in 2010.

Earth to Kelly

I am here! Its been busy! A quick update since my last post:

1. I finished my half marathon (13.1 miles) in 2 hours 22 minutes 11 seconds!
2. Keith broke his right leg (fibula) on October 14. He had to have surgery and is still on crutches, but slowly walking with some weight on it.
3. I ran over a deer with my dodge intrepid and the insurance co. totaled the vehicle. I bought a 2008 Saturn Vue with AWD. I love it! I have had it for exactly a week!
4. We bought an XBOX 360 with Kinnect! Its so much fun!
5. My brother has moved to this neck of the woods, well Holland, so that's been fun hanging out with him more often.
6. Oh, since Keith broke his leg, we didn't travel for Thanksgiving, so I cooked a Turkey for the first time, it came out and was good!

Those are the major things, i hope to blog more, but I always say that!

Sports and Technology! My two favorites have collided with me!

Well, I guess the Nike iPod Fit has been around for a few years, but I have never had one. So I have a had some Best Buy gift cards in my wallet and decided to go and browse Best Buy. I found that the Nike iPod Fit was only $29.99. This is something I have always wanted, and always thought it was over $100. So I immediately bought this and took it home to try.



The Nike iPod Fit is a little sensor that goes in/on your shoe and syncs up with your iPod Touch or Nano. I have used it with my Touch only because, well, there is an App for that. :) The App tells me distance, current pace. I can listen to my music and then just touch a button on my iPod, and the woman will cut in while my music fades down and say in robot like voice, "Current distance, two point 1 two miles, current pace, nine forty eight, current time, twenty minutes and twenty seconds." I can also watch it on the screen as I run. I just love the fact that I can see how fast I am going, something I never know (unless on a treadmill) until my run is over with and have to calculate average pace.

The only downside was when I bought it, I forgot I didn't have Nike shoes. So I had to buy a little shoe pouch for $6 (found at Dicks) to tie on top of my shoe into the laces.

I have used it for 3 runs now and do like it alot. When I sync my iPod, it asks me if I would like to upload my runs to my Nike account, so I can track my history. Pretty cool!!!

Lilith Fair - Chicago

Some pictures of Lilith Fair - Chicago - July 17, 2010 at Tinley Park.

The lineup was:
Courtyard Hounds - (Dixie Chicks minus Natalie Maines - awesome duo!! Get their cd)
Heart - they still sound and look (from 1000 feet away) amazing
Mary J. Blige - stole the show, I am now a new fan, she can belt it out!!!
Sarah McLachlan - outstanding as always, just bummed she only sang for an hour.

My Journey to 13.1

Well, I did it. Well, not just yet, but I took the first step to run and complete a half marathon on Oct 17, 2010!!! I signed up for the Grand Rapids Half Marathon. In my head I had the idea I would "train" for this and sign up if I felt good about it. I have been sort of following a training plan by Hal Higdon...a 12 week plan to a half marathon for beginners. A Half Marathon is 13.1 miles!!! 13.1 miles!! Last week I got an email from Gazelle Sports saying if I signed up at their store I would save $10. You know me, I like to save money and also felt this was a sign, so this past Saturday I drove there and signed up! Now I am committed. To be honest, I have days where I feel great and I am committed, on other days I am like, what did my evil twin do to me? She signed me up for 13.1 miles? What the hell? Its a vicious fight in my head!

See, a couple years ago I had tried to train for this with a friend, didn't sign up thinking I might not like it. I believe I got up to mile 8 or 9, and believe me, that was quite a feat, and I think I was like, "F THIS!!! What I am doing?" Well, these past couple years have been quite different. I feel like I am mentally stronger and have more determination than ever. In the past year or so, I have completed 5 triathlons, a 10K, and countless 5ks. I feel like I am ready to conquer something bigger, and see if I can do it? Hmmm....is this my evil twin talking again?

Well, this past Sunday I had to run 5 miles for my long run, the long runs are always on the weekends, and gradually build up to 10 miles (I don't even run 13 until the marathon?? Weird.) Then during the week, I run three other shorter distance runs.

I am writing this blog for #1, keep myself motivated and to give me a track record of my journey to the 13.1. Sure I will post other things besides running, but this will help me stay motivated and give me a sense of accomplishment when I can come back here in a few weeks and say how I ran 8 miles!! Woo hoo!

Diamonds are a girls best friend.

Well, I am talking about a softball diamond for me. Although my softball season this year, I have really cut down. Remember when I was playing 4 nights a week? Well last year I cut it down to 3 nights a week, and now this year I play 2 nights a week. And its perfect. Monday is co-ed league that Keith plays on too (and beer drinking. Currently we are named 3 STRIKES YOUR OUT but we are looking fora new team name. Tuesday is my Women's league, HOT STIX. Both teams we ended up in third place. My women's team actually was in a 3 way tie for first, but then they took the games that we went head to head with and ended up working out for 3rd place. Bummer. I wanted a champion shirt!! :) Playoffs start tonight for women's league, and we are going all the way!!!! Then second session of summer starts and goes through mid September. Summer is flying!

4th of July weekend

We had a great 4th of July weekend. This year we actually didn't go anywhere, stayed i GR and it was nice. Saturday I had my second triathlon of the year at Bostwick Lake and did well. My best time overall - 1 hour 26 minutes. The event was .4 mile swim, 14 mile bike and 3 mile run.












We bought one of those above ground pools from Walmart and filled it up a couple days prior and thank god! It was a hot one, upper 80s to 93 this weekend. I don't consider this a real pool having grown up with one, but I am so glad we have it. I laid on the pool raft for about 4 hours, lol! Relaxing! Keith took me out for dinner for my birthday, we ate at Tres Lobos, a mexican restaurant down the road, then had some Maggie Moos! I crashed about 9pm thought that night since I did my tri and hadn't had a nap.












Sunday we had a small cookout, not too many people in town, but cooked out, played baggo, cards, pool volleyball....yes we found a small volleyball net for $10...cheesy, but fun! Celebrated my birthday, sported a mohawk and oh, catch phrase!!! Later that night we watched fireworks from our backyard from the neighbors who put on a good show...thank you neighbors for spending probably over $500 on illegal fireworks! Later that evening we did some shots and sang kaaroke in the basement on the big screen.












Monday we did 9 holes of golf at Indian Trails. I shot a 56, Keith shot a 57. Hole 1 killed me with an 11! And Keith lost 4 balls today. Lol! That is least favorite part of golf, finding balls!

Well, time to make some dinner, leftover ribs?