Another hiatus...another month, haha. Things have been absolutely crazy in my life, and I think it's safe to say that it's been quite a rough end to 2011. A recap:
-I ran the Twin Cities Marathon in early October, at the beginning of which I was feeling great. I was keeping up with the 4:15 pace group even after stopping at the bathroom before mile 1 (yes, I'm a nervous runner that way...always stopping to pee before the first 5K
)! The race started at 8:30, which was a relatively late start, so I was glad I got to sleep in a little (though not so happy when the hotel restaurant that said they'd be open for marathon runners in the morning wasn't and I had to force the front desk to call up there and have them let me in), and it was a beautiful day for a race. My pace holder even had me hold the balloon stick because she had to dip off to the bathroom! All in all, I thought I was going to cruise to a 4:15 finish. However, at the water station at Mile 17, I got a shooting pain in my right leg, and 30 seconds later I was down on the ground, unable to get up. It was upsetting to see everyone passing me, but at the same time I just wanted to get up and finish--and apparently I wasn't the only one. The day had heated up to around 80 degrees and people were seizing up left and right. I finished in just over 4:40, which was disappointing, but I've since taken it as a setback and a reminder that I need to train harder with a more realistic goal in mind.
-My dating life has been all over the place and, to say the least, disheartening. After going on several blind dates and being set up a few times, I started to lose hope--and the need--of getting a boyfriend. I look back on it and I ask myself how I could have been so stupid, but one thing that I've learned to do this year is try to give myself a little bit of a break every once in a while. I'm young, I'm growing, and I'm learning more about myself and others--and if guys want to continue screwing me over, then so be it. :lol: I spent many days at the end of this year in my bed, upset over things that I can't control, rather than focusing on things that I can, and I really let it get me down. I didn't see my friends, I didn't focus on school as much as I should have, and I really took a hit in the self-esteem department. I know that LA is not the place for me, and as much as it sucks now, I'll be gone in 6-7 months and onto somewhere new, so I need to see the positive side of things. And as much as it's no fun to go to bed alone every night or not have someone to text when you're feeling lonely, the world is going to work its magic, and I need to sit back and see what happens.
-(
CAUTION: Parents may want to close their ears on this one...I have a couple friends who are parents who got really upset with me for talking to them about this.) My parents' relationship with me has really gone downhill, to the point where I think I've determined that I don't want them to be a part of my life anymore. It was stretched to the brink when they came out to LA for parents' weekend and continued to argue over every little thing, because neither of them are willing to give in (they've been divorced for 10 years and this is only the third time they've been in the same room since). Once of those topics happened to be my graduation this May, which I know is going to be a mess logistically between those two. Well, such conversations led into in an explosive argument that ended in me telling them not to come to my graduation, because it's my day and I don't want them ruining it with their own plans. Oops.
Fast forward to this week, where I forced to split the week between my parents, 4 days with my dad in Aruba, and 4 days with my mom at WDW. According to my mom, I'm an awful son because I couldn't get two weeks off of work (sorry, that's not the way it works in the news business), and my dad managed to bring his 23 year old girlfriend with him on the trip without telling me. Again, arguments ensued that involved me being silent most of this trip, because I really have had it. I'm tired of my mom being so set in her ways and not willing to change to adapt to any kind of relationship that she wants to have with me. Everything is about her, everything is always her way, and everything that she does is always right. Meanwhile, my dad is just a pathetic ******* who really can't do anything but work and tell me how much he wished I had a real job. I almost (
almost) dropped the bomb on them that I was gay and that I never wanted to see them again, including graduation, but then I realized I was just going to be as petty as they were, and I've since realized that graduation is (as much as I hate to admit it) their day just as much as it is mine. I have my whole life to be independent and not have to deal with them, so in the grand scheme of things, 6 months is not that much longer to go.
Sorry if that sounded muttled or disorganized, but I just needed to get some of that out.
ANYWAY, what's better than reflecting on the past is looking ahead to the new year. So, some running goals that I have:
1. Keep a running log every time I run.
2. Run at least two marathons this year.
3. Run a marathon in under 4:10:00.
3.5. Keep this blog updated!!
goodvibes)
I've learned a lot about manageable goals, and tangible ones, and I think that setting these three solid goals are enough to get me jump started for a great 2012. Including running this in March of course...
That's right, I'm back on the bandwagon and I'll be headed down to NOLA in just over two months to run the 4th out of 51 on my list. Just because I've hit a couple speed bumps on the way doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying.
Thanks to anyone and everyone who has been reading my journal over the past year and a half, it's been a great journey--but we should
all be looking ahead to what's to come. Because personally, I know I can't wait.
Merry Christmas everyone!! (and Happy Holidays to everyone else
)