England gets a bad rap for being cloudy and rainy. Yes, winters are fairly gloomy with standard cloud cover, fog, and only 8 hours or so of daylight. But summers? England summers are just bursting with beauty. It still rains off and on, but the rain makes possible the bright green fields and tapestries of flowers growing both in the wild and in perfectly tended gardens. The rain showers also bring rainbows, with incredible regularity. I have seen more rainbows in the last 2 or 3 months than I have in the last 2 or 3 years. Unfortunately, I see most of them while driving, so I don't get pictures... but a part of me is okay with that. It makes seeing one that much more special. I was lucky enough to arrive here during the summer (5 days until my one-year anniversary... can't believe it!), and I think that is one reason I instantly fell in love with this place.
It is Saturday after an extremely long two weeks. I was basically doing three jobs during this time... escorting and planning activities for another group of AFROTC cadets, filling a staff briefing position in the exercise on base, plus my real job in the weather station. It was a lot of long hours, but I'd say everything went about as well as could be expected.
Last weekend, a couple friends and I went to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. It was just over a 3-hour drive, and traffic getting into the event was awful, but it was definitely worth the trip. We got to see aircraft and demo teams from so many different countries, plus plenty of USAF assets. One of our Lakenheath pilot friends flew an F-15 in formation, and the F-22 demo was unbelievable. On the way back, we stopped in Oxford and had a really awesome dinner, though it was too late for sightseeing. Here is the photo album from the trip: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=465034&id=701905001&l=4d6cfd314f
Lisa arrives tomorrow!!! EXCITED!!! :-D It will be so much fun to have her here and go fun places and hang out with friends. Also, we passed "cancellation Friday" without a phone call, so I am hoping this means all systems are go for our Paris trip next weekend! We haven't decided exactly what we are going to do while she is here and when (except for Paris), but some of the ideas we've talked about are Warwick or Leeds Castle, definitely London for a day, Bury St. Edmunds, Cadbury World (chocolate factory), and Cambridge. Can't wait!
Training continues for the Newark Half Marathon (2 weeks away, yikes...). Last week's long run was not as good as I had hoped, so we will see what happens when I head out for another this evening. I just made hotel reservations in Nottingham today, so that makes it more exciting. We decided to stay in Nottingham for the weekend for sightseeing purposes, and just drive to Newark (about 30 min away) on race morning. I hope we get cooler weather for it... last week I ran in 80+ temps and it was not fun.
Good List:
1. Planning trips. Excited for so many options with Lisa, and the topic of a beach weekend (Spain?) over Labor Day has been brought up with friends!
2. My OCF Bible study. As tired as I am on some Friday evenings, I never regret the time with these wonderful people and hearing God speak through them. :)
3. Making progress on a goal.
4. Watching friends inhale my Reese's peanut butter cup cookies.
5. Running.
6. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
7. Job satisfaction. A couple of the AFROTC kids thanked me so genuinely for a couple of the things I did for them... made the long hours worth it.
8. New friends.
9. Taylor Swift. Go ahead and make fun of me, but that girl has the right song for every one of my moods.
10. Last but not least... Rainbows! :)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Events
A new friend asked me last week if I wanted to visit Brighton Beach with her this past weekend... the answer was of course a "yes", but I was on weather standby and therefore could not go outside of 1 hour from the base (Brighton Beach is south of London, about 2.5 hours away). My first thought was "how about next weekend?" But then I remembered we would be in the middle of an exercise on base and effectively on call again. The weekend after that, I am on weather standby again, and then Lisa arrives on Sunday. The last weekend in July, Lisa and I are going to Paris for her 21st birthday. The first weekend in August is the half marathon in Nottingham. Eek! How did my next month get planned already?
Yes, the last two of those weekends are fun things vs. un-fun things, but for some reason having weekends planned out (whether I like the plans or not) just makes it seem like they will come and go faster than if I didn't have plans yet. Does that make any sense at all? I don't know... maybe I'm just being grumpy about being tied to the base for 3 weekends in a row. I really shouldn't complain, the AF is the reason I get to live here in the first place.
Have I talked about the August half marathon yet? Possibly not, since I was so bad about blogging in June. I had originally decided that the Berlin rollerblade marathon on Sep 26 would be my fall event to train for after I recovered from the May marathon. But after Martin didn't get the time he wanted in his Memorial Day half marathon, he decided to pick an August half and train hard for it (since he hadn't trained at all for the May race), and try to break 1:30. (For those of you trying to do the math in your head, that is a 6:52 mile pace for 13.1 miles... craziness.) Well, I have been saying since my first half marathon over 2 years ago that I wanted to break 2:00 (a much more reasonable 9:09 pace), and the idea of reaching a goal like that proved to be too hard to resist... I signed up for the August half.
The race is in Newark, a smaller town just outside of Nottingham (yes, of Robin Hood fame). I'm looking forward to exploring another part of England I haven't visited yet... races are such great excuses to travel! The training is actually going pretty well so far. I haven't done long enough distances yet to gauge whether I can go fast enough for long enough to hit my goal, but my pace has been getting steadily faster on shorter 3-4 mile runs. It's exciting to think about having a great race and getting a time I want, after the disappointment in Edinburgh. And just in case you were wondering, I am definitely still going to Berlin for the rollerblade marathon in Sep. :)
Another fall event that I failed to mention in June (when I bought tickets) is... Lifehouse is coming to London in October!!!!!!!!!!!! (Deserving of more exclamation points, but I think you get the point.) I found out through a post from the band's Facebook account, and I literally half-screamed/half-squealed when I saw it. You can ask my dad, who was sitting across the room from me when it happened... I think I scared him. Besides the fact that Lifehouse is my favorite band EVER, that I've seen them in concert 5 times and met them twice, and that I have a major celebrity-crush on Jason Wade (lead singer)... I haven't been to a concert in forever!!! I'm not even going to try and figure out what the last one was because it will depress me, but I definitely have not been to one since coming to England. So excited!
I need to get to some house cleaning (more specifically, Mini-title-finding...), so I'll leave you with a Good List:
Good List
1. Cooler temperatures. It has been in the low 80s, which constitutes a heat wave for England... and with no AC, not so much fun to sleep in... tonight it is in the 60s and I have my windows open :)
2. Lazy Sunday afternoons reading a book in the sun in my backyard.
3. New blog posts from one of my favorite bloggers. :)
4. Pictures. Facebook and otherwise, they keep me updated on the lives of both old and new friends.
5. Fast customer service. Thank you SanDisk!
6. Naps.
7. Plans falling into place at the last minute. In the case of my next round of AFROTC cadets visiting this week, I really hope this continues...
8. Challenges.
9. Laughing so hard you can't breathe. :)
10. Buffalo Chicken sandwiches. Thank you Charley's!
Yes, the last two of those weekends are fun things vs. un-fun things, but for some reason having weekends planned out (whether I like the plans or not) just makes it seem like they will come and go faster than if I didn't have plans yet. Does that make any sense at all? I don't know... maybe I'm just being grumpy about being tied to the base for 3 weekends in a row. I really shouldn't complain, the AF is the reason I get to live here in the first place.
Have I talked about the August half marathon yet? Possibly not, since I was so bad about blogging in June. I had originally decided that the Berlin rollerblade marathon on Sep 26 would be my fall event to train for after I recovered from the May marathon. But after Martin didn't get the time he wanted in his Memorial Day half marathon, he decided to pick an August half and train hard for it (since he hadn't trained at all for the May race), and try to break 1:30. (For those of you trying to do the math in your head, that is a 6:52 mile pace for 13.1 miles... craziness.) Well, I have been saying since my first half marathon over 2 years ago that I wanted to break 2:00 (a much more reasonable 9:09 pace), and the idea of reaching a goal like that proved to be too hard to resist... I signed up for the August half.
The race is in Newark, a smaller town just outside of Nottingham (yes, of Robin Hood fame). I'm looking forward to exploring another part of England I haven't visited yet... races are such great excuses to travel! The training is actually going pretty well so far. I haven't done long enough distances yet to gauge whether I can go fast enough for long enough to hit my goal, but my pace has been getting steadily faster on shorter 3-4 mile runs. It's exciting to think about having a great race and getting a time I want, after the disappointment in Edinburgh. And just in case you were wondering, I am definitely still going to Berlin for the rollerblade marathon in Sep. :)
Another fall event that I failed to mention in June (when I bought tickets) is... Lifehouse is coming to London in October!!!!!!!!!!!! (Deserving of more exclamation points, but I think you get the point.) I found out through a post from the band's Facebook account, and I literally half-screamed/half-squealed when I saw it. You can ask my dad, who was sitting across the room from me when it happened... I think I scared him. Besides the fact that Lifehouse is my favorite band EVER, that I've seen them in concert 5 times and met them twice, and that I have a major celebrity-crush on Jason Wade (lead singer)... I haven't been to a concert in forever!!! I'm not even going to try and figure out what the last one was because it will depress me, but I definitely have not been to one since coming to England. So excited!
I need to get to some house cleaning (more specifically, Mini-title-finding...), so I'll leave you with a Good List:
Good List
1. Cooler temperatures. It has been in the low 80s, which constitutes a heat wave for England... and with no AC, not so much fun to sleep in... tonight it is in the 60s and I have my windows open :)
2. Lazy Sunday afternoons reading a book in the sun in my backyard.
3. New blog posts from one of my favorite bloggers. :)
4. Pictures. Facebook and otherwise, they keep me updated on the lives of both old and new friends.
5. Fast customer service. Thank you SanDisk!
6. Naps.
7. Plans falling into place at the last minute. In the case of my next round of AFROTC cadets visiting this week, I really hope this continues...
8. Challenges.
9. Laughing so hard you can't breathe. :)
10. Buffalo Chicken sandwiches. Thank you Charley's!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July?
Can someone please tell me where the first six months of 2010 went??? I'm serious. Just yesterday it was January... They say time flies when you're having fun, so I guess that is proving to be true. I cannot believe that on July 29th (23 days from now), I will have been here at Lakenheath for a whole year. I think I am becoming more thankful every day for my assignment extension. If I had to think about being halfway through my time here already, I would be going crazy right now. When I actually look back at everything I've done in the last 11ish months, I know it is a lot, but I just feel like there is SO much more I want to do here!
Since I was a bad blogger and wrote all of two times in June, I will attempt to update you on what has been keeping me so busy. My parents came to visit during the first half of June, so we were in and out of town doing all kinds of fun things. The day they arrived, I met them in London and we stayed for the weekend and hit most of the sights in the city. We rode the London Eye (giant Ferris wheel), saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and went on a boat tour of the Thames River, among other things. Here is a picture of Mom and me with the London Eye in the background:
Since I was a bad blogger and wrote all of two times in June, I will attempt to update you on what has been keeping me so busy. My parents came to visit during the first half of June, so we were in and out of town doing all kinds of fun things. The day they arrived, I met them in London and we stayed for the weekend and hit most of the sights in the city. We rode the London Eye (giant Ferris wheel), saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and went on a boat tour of the Thames River, among other things. Here is a picture of Mom and me with the London Eye in the background:
I had to work a couple days during the week, but we made day trips to Bury St Edmunds and Ely, plus Mom and I went to tea with the women from my Bible study at a cute little tea room in Mildenhall. The next weekend, our Paris trip was unfortunately cancelled, but we made the best of it by traveling to my favorite place in England (yep, Dover!) to see Dover Castle, hike the White Cliffs, visit the Canterbury Cathedral, and eat at my favorite restaurant in Canterbury. On Sunday, my Cambridge friends Kathryn and Mark were nice enough to meet us in Cambridge for a tour of the University grounds and buildings, then my parents and I went punting on the Cam River. Here is a picture of Mom and Dad enjoying the ride in the punt:
They also got to meet a few of my friends, watch a couple softball games, ride in my Mini, and visit the house they lived in while stationed here almost 30 years ago. On the days I had to work, I was very spoiled by the things they found to keep themselves busy: Dad washed both of my cars, fixed and hung two big picture frames, and Mom vaccuumed my house from top to bottom, among other things. Don't I have great parents? :) I am very excited for my sister to come visit at the end of this month, too. She will be here for her 21st birthday weekend, and we are planning a trip to Paris to celebrate! Here is the link to the photo album from my parents' visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=450020&id=701905001&l=4cb67bd732
The second half of June was mostly consumed with hosting 21 Air Force ROTC cadets at Lakenheath, a project I somehow found myself as one of the main coordinators for. It was a crazy busy week and a half of very long and stressful days, but for the most part I think it went well. Being around these mostly 19-year-old college freshmen made me feel somewhat old, but mostly in a good way. I think I have changed a lot (for the better, I hope) since I was that age, and it was funny to remember being in their shoes.
The summer PCS (military-speak for "moving") season is in full swing, and unfortunately this meant my good friend Alex left Lakenheath for Boston at the end of June. I will miss her a lot, but I am sure we will see each other again... she is already trying to convince me to qualify for the Boston Marathon as an excuse to visit her! :) The night before she flew out from London, a few of us took the train into the city with her and enjoyed a last night out on the town before crashing in her super-awesome hotel right across from Big Ben. Here is a pic of Alex and me on the Westminster Bridge:
The most recent fun summer event was the 4th of July celebration at RAF Feltwell, a huge carnival-like party sponsored by both Lakenheath and Mildenhall. There was a 5K run on the morning of the 4th, which Martin and I ran despite having sore and exhausted legs from a tough workout at PT on Friday. It was not a very well-attended race, which resulted in another 2nd place female finish for me... amusing considering I wasn't even sure my legs could make it 3.1 miles that day! That night, we went back and rode some awesome rides, played games (even won a stuffed animal or two), and of course watched the fireworks display after it got slightly dark at 10pm. Pictures from this and other fun summer outings are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=451942&id=701905001&l=ba768a2e1f
I'm going to close with an idea 100% stolen from my cousin Amy, the famous "Good List". These are things that have made me happy, reminded me to be thankful, or stuck out as being just plain GOOD recently:
Good List
1. England. I am reminded daily (whether I realize it or not) how blessed I am to live here and have the experiences I am having.
2. Songs that you can't help turning up and singing really loud in the car. :)
3. Reconnections.
4. Forgiveness.
5. The joy that only comes from driving with the convertible top down. B-)
6. New friends.
7. Fireworks. One of those things that reminds you of so many good times spent watching them with family and friends over the years.
8. Green tea.
9. Sleeping in. (!!!)
10. The OG softball team. We lost in the playoffs tonight, so our season is over, but it was a great 2 months spending 2 evenings a week with fun people.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Life... and Time
Arg... so much to catch up on, but there is a post I have been trying to type up for almost a month now, and I think it is finally going to happen tonight. However, it may not be what you are expecting... I want to take a break from the "travel diary" aspect of this blog to write about some things that have been bouncing around in my head recently. (So I guess that is my disclaimer, serious blog ahead vs. fun travel stuff...)
A lot of things have happened recently to highlight (for me, at least), the fragility of life... in the sense that it is so easily gone. I found out via Facebook the other day that a guy I dated briefly in high school had died... 3 years ago. Obviously, we had not kept in touch, but it is still unsettling to think that someone you shared time with as a young person not so long ago is no longer alive. On the same Facebook page, someone had listed 5 other members of that high school class (he was a year older than me) who had also died. I knew 4 of them... and had only heard about one of the deaths. Again, I was not close to any of them, but it is so weird to think about how I knew these people as high school kids. I mean, high school is that time when everyone is just so focused on the future and excited about plans for life... and none of those plans include dying before your 10-year high school reunion. Whether we admit it or not, it just forces the question... why them? Or even closer to home... why not me?
A friend of mine just lost his 23-year-old brother in a car accident... only two years after his mother's death. I have a 20-year-old sister and a mother who I both love very much... why have I been so blessed to have them still alive and very much a part of my life, while my friend has had to deal with the unimaginable pain of losing not just one, but both? Another friend and his family received news that their 4-year-old son might have lymphoma. He is currently undergoing tests to make a final diagnosis, but what must be going through the minds of those parents? The fear of not knowing whether your small child is going to face the horrors of cancer treatments with no cure, or he could just be anemic? The human body is such a strange thing... we all (at least sometimes) go through life feeling invincible... when in reality the human body is susceptible to so many things. I mean, all the body is is a mass of soft tissue and relatively breakable bones... what are our chances against speeding cars, falls, diseases, weapons, etc? Any of those things can extinguish life in a moment.
Another event brought to my attention by Facebook was the one-year anniversary of the death of a female Air Force intel Lieutenant from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. I did not know this girl, but we had several mutual friends, who were all devastated by the news of her death a year ago. I could try to explain why this event hits so close to home for me, but first, I think you should read something I read a year ago, posted just after she died: http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2009/05/21/god-speed-1lt-roslyn-l-schulte/
Wow. I can't read that without crying, and I didn't even know Roslyn. But you know what? I feel like I could have. Maybe if I had known her, we would have been friends. Or even more, when I read that story, her name could represent so many of my friends. Having been in the Air Force for almost 4 years now, the majority of people I know have deployed, and we all will at some point. The fighter squadron I got to know at Red Flag is currently deployed. In an ABC news video from the deployed area, I saw the guys I sat around a table laughing with at PF Changs in Vegas now flying combat missions over Afghanistan. When people deploy from here, you never really think that they might not come back. I bet everyone expected Roslyn to come back too.
So what do you do, knowing that your life and the lives of those you love are so fragile? Do you live in fear, wondering every minute whether you will see another sunrise, whether everyone you know will survive driving to and from work, whether the goodbye you say to a friend will be the last one? How would your brain even function if you did that? What kind of life would that be?
And here's another thing to bounce around... I've been thinking a lot lately about time. There are so many Bible passages that speak of everything coming in God's time, not ours. I'll admit these are sometimes a frustrating, if not painful, read when there is something in life I want NOW, not later. But why is it so hard to trust when it has proven to be true so many times in my life? I've used this example before, but I literally felt like God had slammed the door on my dreams when I was assigned to Louisiana instead of Germany. 4 years later, I'm living in England and have never been happier in my life. God knew ALL along about the joy I would find here... why was it so hard for me to believe something like this could be in store? And why now, when I see something in front of me that I want so badly, do I still find it so hard to wait until God makes the time right for me to have it?
I guess it just seems like there are two different aspects of life to think about. Yes, I want things to happen in my life according to God's time. But with life being so obviously not guaranteed from one day to the next, I feel like time might just run out, that I'll miss out on something. How can these two aspects ever be reconciled?
So here's what I think. As much as I hate to use a cliche, I really believe the truth behind the saying "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." Driving home from a softball game the other night while the sun was setting, I watched the sky turn the most amazing shades of pink, red, and orange above the bright green fields dotted with fluffy white sheep. My brain had been running a million miles an hour being frustrated about a situation, but it grinded to a halt to take in the beauty of the scence. It reminded me of how lucky I am to be here, and I started thinking about all of the unbelievable experiences I have had, all of the amazing people I have gotten to know. Yes, there are things I want to happen in the future. But I can't let that overshadow the beauty of things that are happening NOW. These are the times I will look back on as some of the best in my life. I can't live them being afraid of what will or will not happen in the future.
This post was not intended to be depressing. The point is actually the opposite, that life is too beautiful to be depressing. Little things like spending a night laughing with friends, walking around town in the warm sunshine, eating a perfectly grilled steak... these are the things that bring a smile to your face without even trying. My cousin Amy writes a blog, and I absolutely love her "Good Lists"... lists of good things in her life that particular day/week, ranging from serious/sentimental (like her husband) to minute/laughable (like coffee). They always make me smile and wish I wrote more "Good Lists", whether actually in writing or just in my mind.
So as I wrap this up, my mood is thankful. It is through the joy that God has brought me in my life that I can trust Him with my future, at the same time that I say a prayer for the families dealing with the pain of things I cannot comprehend. Life is beautiful and something to be treasured... I want to realize that instead of letting it just pass me by.
A lot of things have happened recently to highlight (for me, at least), the fragility of life... in the sense that it is so easily gone. I found out via Facebook the other day that a guy I dated briefly in high school had died... 3 years ago. Obviously, we had not kept in touch, but it is still unsettling to think that someone you shared time with as a young person not so long ago is no longer alive. On the same Facebook page, someone had listed 5 other members of that high school class (he was a year older than me) who had also died. I knew 4 of them... and had only heard about one of the deaths. Again, I was not close to any of them, but it is so weird to think about how I knew these people as high school kids. I mean, high school is that time when everyone is just so focused on the future and excited about plans for life... and none of those plans include dying before your 10-year high school reunion. Whether we admit it or not, it just forces the question... why them? Or even closer to home... why not me?
A friend of mine just lost his 23-year-old brother in a car accident... only two years after his mother's death. I have a 20-year-old sister and a mother who I both love very much... why have I been so blessed to have them still alive and very much a part of my life, while my friend has had to deal with the unimaginable pain of losing not just one, but both? Another friend and his family received news that their 4-year-old son might have lymphoma. He is currently undergoing tests to make a final diagnosis, but what must be going through the minds of those parents? The fear of not knowing whether your small child is going to face the horrors of cancer treatments with no cure, or he could just be anemic? The human body is such a strange thing... we all (at least sometimes) go through life feeling invincible... when in reality the human body is susceptible to so many things. I mean, all the body is is a mass of soft tissue and relatively breakable bones... what are our chances against speeding cars, falls, diseases, weapons, etc? Any of those things can extinguish life in a moment.
Another event brought to my attention by Facebook was the one-year anniversary of the death of a female Air Force intel Lieutenant from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. I did not know this girl, but we had several mutual friends, who were all devastated by the news of her death a year ago. I could try to explain why this event hits so close to home for me, but first, I think you should read something I read a year ago, posted just after she died: http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2009/05/21/god-speed-1lt-roslyn-l-schulte/
Wow. I can't read that without crying, and I didn't even know Roslyn. But you know what? I feel like I could have. Maybe if I had known her, we would have been friends. Or even more, when I read that story, her name could represent so many of my friends. Having been in the Air Force for almost 4 years now, the majority of people I know have deployed, and we all will at some point. The fighter squadron I got to know at Red Flag is currently deployed. In an ABC news video from the deployed area, I saw the guys I sat around a table laughing with at PF Changs in Vegas now flying combat missions over Afghanistan. When people deploy from here, you never really think that they might not come back. I bet everyone expected Roslyn to come back too.
So what do you do, knowing that your life and the lives of those you love are so fragile? Do you live in fear, wondering every minute whether you will see another sunrise, whether everyone you know will survive driving to and from work, whether the goodbye you say to a friend will be the last one? How would your brain even function if you did that? What kind of life would that be?
And here's another thing to bounce around... I've been thinking a lot lately about time. There are so many Bible passages that speak of everything coming in God's time, not ours. I'll admit these are sometimes a frustrating, if not painful, read when there is something in life I want NOW, not later. But why is it so hard to trust when it has proven to be true so many times in my life? I've used this example before, but I literally felt like God had slammed the door on my dreams when I was assigned to Louisiana instead of Germany. 4 years later, I'm living in England and have never been happier in my life. God knew ALL along about the joy I would find here... why was it so hard for me to believe something like this could be in store? And why now, when I see something in front of me that I want so badly, do I still find it so hard to wait until God makes the time right for me to have it?
I guess it just seems like there are two different aspects of life to think about. Yes, I want things to happen in my life according to God's time. But with life being so obviously not guaranteed from one day to the next, I feel like time might just run out, that I'll miss out on something. How can these two aspects ever be reconciled?
So here's what I think. As much as I hate to use a cliche, I really believe the truth behind the saying "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." Driving home from a softball game the other night while the sun was setting, I watched the sky turn the most amazing shades of pink, red, and orange above the bright green fields dotted with fluffy white sheep. My brain had been running a million miles an hour being frustrated about a situation, but it grinded to a halt to take in the beauty of the scence. It reminded me of how lucky I am to be here, and I started thinking about all of the unbelievable experiences I have had, all of the amazing people I have gotten to know. Yes, there are things I want to happen in the future. But I can't let that overshadow the beauty of things that are happening NOW. These are the times I will look back on as some of the best in my life. I can't live them being afraid of what will or will not happen in the future.
This post was not intended to be depressing. The point is actually the opposite, that life is too beautiful to be depressing. Little things like spending a night laughing with friends, walking around town in the warm sunshine, eating a perfectly grilled steak... these are the things that bring a smile to your face without even trying. My cousin Amy writes a blog, and I absolutely love her "Good Lists"... lists of good things in her life that particular day/week, ranging from serious/sentimental (like her husband) to minute/laughable (like coffee). They always make me smile and wish I wrote more "Good Lists", whether actually in writing or just in my mind.
So as I wrap this up, my mood is thankful. It is through the joy that God has brought me in my life that I can trust Him with my future, at the same time that I say a prayer for the families dealing with the pain of things I cannot comprehend. Life is beautiful and something to be treasured... I want to realize that instead of letting it just pass me by.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Edinburgh Marathon
So, this will have to be a marathon post to catch up since the last time I wrote... sorry! I really have tried to get this blog written a couple times last week, but it just never got finished... so here's my attempt to summarize. :)
Well, I survived the Edinburgh Marathon. Didn't make my goal time, but overall I would have to say it was a good race. We took the train to Edinburgh on Saturday and arrived in the early afternoon, then walked around the race expo and the gardens in the town centre (it was a beautiful sunny day) before checking into our hotel. The pre-race dinner choice was the Hard Rock Cafe, where I carb-ed up on Twisted Mac and Cheese. :)
Race morning dawned cloudy, gray, and cool. The forecast was for clearing, however, so I put on sunscreen just in case. Martin walked with me to my starting area and took a couple pics before the race started. Don't I look excited?
Race morning dawned cloudy, gray, and cool. The forecast was for clearing, however, so I put on sunscreen just in case. Martin walked with me to my starting area and took a couple pics before the race started. Don't I look excited?
My goal pace was a 10-min mile, and I started out comfortably running a 9:30. The sun came out around mile 4, and it started getting hot. Yes, it was only 70 degrees or so, but when you train in 55ish-degree weather, that is a big difference! Also, there was little to no shade on the course, so no escape from the heat. (Glad I decided to put on that sunscreen!) I managed to keep my pace under 10-min until mile 11, when the heat started getting to me. I probably should have started drinking more water earlier, but since I hadn't trained with it much, I thought I'd be good. I was wearing my Garmin GPS watch (one of the most amazing products I have ever bought in my life), and I knew I was in trouble when it seemed to take forever to get from 11.2 to 11.5 miles.
Almost without meaning to, I dropped to a walk, then immediately started freaking out. I can't start walking at mile 11! There are 15 more miles to go! I was supposed to run the entire thing! I know for a fact I can run 20 in a row, I just did it 2 weeks ago! I don't think I have ever had a real panic attack, but this was a pretty good mental breakdown. Luckily, somehow, I managed to tell my brain to STOP, calm down, and you will make this okay. The race is not over, nor is my chance to finish it well. After a minute or so of this forced calming, I started running again and mercifully came upon a water station quickly, where I drank a good amount of water and felt a lot more hydrated. I kept running until after the half-marathon point, where I excitedly noted a PR (personal record) of 2:07! My best time for a half-marathon previously had been 2:10, so the 2:07 was a great confidence booster.
Almost without meaning to, I dropped to a walk, then immediately started freaking out. I can't start walking at mile 11! There are 15 more miles to go! I was supposed to run the entire thing! I know for a fact I can run 20 in a row, I just did it 2 weeks ago! I don't think I have ever had a real panic attack, but this was a pretty good mental breakdown. Luckily, somehow, I managed to tell my brain to STOP, calm down, and you will make this okay. The race is not over, nor is my chance to finish it well. After a minute or so of this forced calming, I started running again and mercifully came upon a water station quickly, where I drank a good amount of water and felt a lot more hydrated. I kept running until after the half-marathon point, where I excitedly noted a PR (personal record) of 2:07! My best time for a half-marathon previously had been 2:10, so the 2:07 was a great confidence booster.
It would make a great story at this point to tell you I didn't walk for the rest of the race and smashed my goal time, but the truth is, I really faded after the halfway point. The heat got to me physically and mentally, and I had to settle for alternating running and walking to finish the race. I had just passed the 25-mile point and was planning to start another walk break when I looked ahead along the side of the course and saw Martin with my camera. Now, I'll be honest, as much as I appreciated my travel buddy on this trip, my first thought was "NOOOOO!" Haha. Because the small bit of pride and competitiveness I had left would not let me take a walk break in front of a friend with a camera. :-P
Sooo... I ran the last mile to the finish, though it was not a very fun mile. Here is a picture of me close to the finish, and believe me, the smile was much more about being almost done than being caught on camera. ;-)
I finished in 4:58:07, which I'll admit was disappointing after a goal of 4:30. But on the bright side, it was 10 minutes faster than my Big Sur Marathon time of 5:08, and I managed to come in sub-5 hours, which is a small victory. When someone asks you your marathon time, it's nice to start with a 4 instead of a 5. :) I posted a bunch more pictures and one video from the race and the trip on Facebook, so check them out here if you'd like to see more: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=433864&id=701905001&l=fcc8c9f7b2
After spending a couple days in Edinburgh after the marathon, I came back to a short but busy work week before Memorial Day weekend. Now, some of you dedicated readers (if there are any of you, haha) might remember that I was supposed to run the Dover Half Marathon back in February, but it got postponed due to the course being too icy. Well, it was postponed until May 31st, exactly 8 days after my marathon. Understandably (I hope), I decided not to run it, but Martin, who had also planned to run in February, decided to run the rescheduled race this past weekend. I was excited to go along as his travel buddy because a) he was such an awesome race buddy in Edinburgh for me and I wanted to return the favor, and b) I love Dover!!!
We drove down on Sunday and explored a couple new areas as well as visiting some old favorites. The race was on Monday morning at a park north of Dover. Unfortunately for the runners, the weather was not great - cold, wet (luckily not raining), and windy. A tiny part of me wished I was running (being around so many runners getting ready for a race just has that effect), but most of me was very happy to just be Martin's "race crew" this time. :) He ran a good race, didn't quite meet his goal but given that the course was ridiculously hilly (removed any reservations I had about not running, haha) and that he hadn't really trained for the event, still posted a very impressive time. We stopped in Canterbury for a post-race lunch at the amazing restaurant we found there in February, and it did not disappoint the second time around! :)
So now I am halfway through another short work week, with only two days until my parents arrive in London...YAY!!! I am very much looking forward to their visit, we have so many fun things planned. I will be driving down to meet them in London for the weekend, then they will come back here for the week. We will probably do a couple day trips to Bury St Edmunds and Dover, with a couple days of work (for me) mixed in, plus an OG softball game or two, haha. The next weekend, we are going to Paris on a base-sponsored trip, which I am really excited about. I have wanted to visit Paris ever since taking high school French, and the frantic rush through the Paris train and metro system on our adventure back from Italy did NOT count!
This also means I have almost no time left to clean the house before they arrive (oops)... so I might have to consider this post finished. 0:-) Thanks for the congrats and comments already on my marathon pics, and I hope you all had an excellent Memorial Day weekend!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Marathon in 2 days!
Yikes! The Edinburgh Marathon is this Sunday... 2 days away! I am definitely getting nervous, but also excited. I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but the OG Commander's wife, the OG Deputy Commander's wife, and the OSS (my squadron) commander's wife are ALL running this marathon too. So, pretty much my whole chain of command will be there when I run... no pressure, right? Haha. Actually, the wives (and their husbands) are all pretty cool, and have been really nice and friendly to me every time the marathon has come up in conversation. Just based on build, I expected them all to be faster than me, but actually the two I have talked to most are expecting to run about the same time I am, so we may even run part of the race together. It'll be fun to know a few people in the crowd of 40,000, plus Martin is coming as my travel buddy, so I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend.
We are leaving tomorrow morning, and I still need to pack (this should not surprise anyone). I think packing is the most stressful part of getting ready for a marathon... I am super-paranoid about forgetting something! I think I haven't gotten too nervous about the whole thing yet because I've been too busy this week to really think about it, and maybe that's not a bad thing. As long as I get packed up and get to Edinburgh tomorrow in enough time to settle in and figure out where I need to go on Sunday morning, I won't be too stressed by race time.
Everyone who has been to Edinburgh says it is a beautiful area, so I hope my legs will function enough on Monday to permit a little sightseeing. And maybe a visit to a spa? Haha, we will see... I really must get to packing since we have an early train, so I think that is all I have to say for now. Will try to post on Sunday night to let you know I survived! :)
We are leaving tomorrow morning, and I still need to pack (this should not surprise anyone). I think packing is the most stressful part of getting ready for a marathon... I am super-paranoid about forgetting something! I think I haven't gotten too nervous about the whole thing yet because I've been too busy this week to really think about it, and maybe that's not a bad thing. As long as I get packed up and get to Edinburgh tomorrow in enough time to settle in and figure out where I need to go on Sunday morning, I won't be too stressed by race time.
Everyone who has been to Edinburgh says it is a beautiful area, so I hope my legs will function enough on Monday to permit a little sightseeing. And maybe a visit to a spa? Haha, we will see... I really must get to packing since we have an early train, so I think that is all I have to say for now. Will try to post on Sunday night to let you know I survived! :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Yay Weekends
You know how sometimes you just really need a weekend? This was a long, stressful, and frustrating week on so many levels... and as much as I love my job and the people I interact with on a daily basis, by this Friday I was mentally fried. I kind of wanted to avoid everyone and just sleep until Monday. But then the weekend arrived, and I was blessed to spend time with so many great friends who all remind me why I'm so happy here. :)
I am not going to go into detail on the low points of last week, because the details aren't really important... everyone deals with tough stuff every day, right? That's just life. I get accused of being "too happy" on a fairly regular basis, but it's not because my life is perfect or that I always get what I want. Really, is anyone's life like that? Doubt it. Life really hurts sometimes, and I don't think it is presumptuous to assume you all can agree with me. But at the same time, I have come to realize that even when life hurts, if I just take one minute to look around me, I'll find so many overwhelming reasons that life is, above all, beautiful. And the joy that comes from that is a light that can't be put out.
On one sad note, the Col and his family who have been leading OCF for the last 4 years are moving to Alaska this summer. Col W left yesterday, and his family will follow next month after one of the high schoolers graduates. The whole family has been such an amazing presence in the Lakenheath community, not just in OCF, and they will all be sorely missed. I can't put into words how much they have meant to me and the OCF family as leaders, mentors, and friends. It is so sad to see them go, but I know they will be just as much of a blessing to the Elmendorf community as they have been to us. I was honored to attend Col W's fini flight and farewell luncheon at the end of the week, both great events to honor a great man.
So, what happened this weekend that reminded me of how beautiful life is? To begin, we had a squadron hail and farewell on Friday afternoon after work. I got to catch up with some people I either hadn't seen in a while or don't see very often, ate some great food, and laughed watching a couple friends repeatedly sneak into the food line to grab more of my chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes it's the little things, you know? :) OCF that night was bittersweet... sad to say goodbye to Col W, but happy to know that the group will still be a family and looking forward to welcoming new members as others depart.
Saturday morning was a 5K/10K race on base, and though I tried to convince the weather flight to run with me, no one took the bait. Martin came (so nice to have at least one friend who actually enjoys running!), and there was a family I knew from the Mildenhall weather flight, but overall attendance was pretty low. The upside of this was... I took 2nd place in the women's 10K! Haha. I think I would have been 5th in the 5K (counted 4 girls ahead of me on the turnaround), but only one of them continued on for the 10K, so I won a T-shirt and $5 gift card for the BX. Sweet! Martin took 2nd in the men's 5K (and not just because attendance was low, he is actually super-fast, haha), then ran with me for the second half of my 10K. The weather was great and it was a fun event to get out and run with other people... the 2nd place finish was just icing on the cake. :)
I don't think I have mentioned this before, but I have decided (*cough* have been pressured into by Jose *cough*) to play softball on the OG intramural team this summer. For those who didn't know, I played on my church team in high school, and had fun but was never very good. I've always thought it would be fun to play intramurals, but have been too afraid of dragging the team down or embarrasing myself. The potential for those things is still there, but for some reason I have decided to give it a try this season. The first game is Tuesday, and unfortunately the only practice was held on Friday evening during OCF, so I couldn't go. I was terrified that the first time I would touch a glove or bat in 8 years (yikes, has it really been 8 years since I graduated high school?) would be on Tuesday in front of everyone (including our OG commander/soon-to-be wing commander), so I convinced Martin to run through a few softball drills with me after the race on Saturday. We went out to the field and I was relieved to find that I could hit the ball on a somewhat regular basis, as well as being fairly successful at throwing and catching. I will probably be one of the weaker players on the team, but it is really nice to know I will not be a complete disaster, so chalk that up as a positive note for the weekend!
Saturday night was a farewell dinner for CeCe, one of the weather flight forecasters. It will be sad to see her go (we shared many fun memories at Red Flag in Vegas), but it's always fun to have one last night out with the flight members before someone departs. And as a bonus, this dinner was at my favorite restaurant in Bury St Edmunds! Those sweet potato fries alone can make up for a bad week... ;-) Sunday (today) was pretty low-key, which was nice after a full Saturday. I got to sleep in, which is a major boost on the happiness meter. People say sleep is overrated, but I have to disagree. I really like to sleep. It makes me a happier, less stressed, more productive, and less negatively-emotional individual. Yay sleep!
All of those things may not sound too exciting, but I think the point I am trying to make is that it's everything together that makes me love my life right now. I love all the people that God has given me the opportunity to share life with, and I love the hope and promise of good things to come even when current situations feel hopeless. With all the joy that brings, how can I not be joyful?
I am not going to go into detail on the low points of last week, because the details aren't really important... everyone deals with tough stuff every day, right? That's just life. I get accused of being "too happy" on a fairly regular basis, but it's not because my life is perfect or that I always get what I want. Really, is anyone's life like that? Doubt it. Life really hurts sometimes, and I don't think it is presumptuous to assume you all can agree with me. But at the same time, I have come to realize that even when life hurts, if I just take one minute to look around me, I'll find so many overwhelming reasons that life is, above all, beautiful. And the joy that comes from that is a light that can't be put out.
On one sad note, the Col and his family who have been leading OCF for the last 4 years are moving to Alaska this summer. Col W left yesterday, and his family will follow next month after one of the high schoolers graduates. The whole family has been such an amazing presence in the Lakenheath community, not just in OCF, and they will all be sorely missed. I can't put into words how much they have meant to me and the OCF family as leaders, mentors, and friends. It is so sad to see them go, but I know they will be just as much of a blessing to the Elmendorf community as they have been to us. I was honored to attend Col W's fini flight and farewell luncheon at the end of the week, both great events to honor a great man.
So, what happened this weekend that reminded me of how beautiful life is? To begin, we had a squadron hail and farewell on Friday afternoon after work. I got to catch up with some people I either hadn't seen in a while or don't see very often, ate some great food, and laughed watching a couple friends repeatedly sneak into the food line to grab more of my chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes it's the little things, you know? :) OCF that night was bittersweet... sad to say goodbye to Col W, but happy to know that the group will still be a family and looking forward to welcoming new members as others depart.
Saturday morning was a 5K/10K race on base, and though I tried to convince the weather flight to run with me, no one took the bait. Martin came (so nice to have at least one friend who actually enjoys running!), and there was a family I knew from the Mildenhall weather flight, but overall attendance was pretty low. The upside of this was... I took 2nd place in the women's 10K! Haha. I think I would have been 5th in the 5K (counted 4 girls ahead of me on the turnaround), but only one of them continued on for the 10K, so I won a T-shirt and $5 gift card for the BX. Sweet! Martin took 2nd in the men's 5K (and not just because attendance was low, he is actually super-fast, haha), then ran with me for the second half of my 10K. The weather was great and it was a fun event to get out and run with other people... the 2nd place finish was just icing on the cake. :)
I don't think I have mentioned this before, but I have decided (*cough* have been pressured into by Jose *cough*) to play softball on the OG intramural team this summer. For those who didn't know, I played on my church team in high school, and had fun but was never very good. I've always thought it would be fun to play intramurals, but have been too afraid of dragging the team down or embarrasing myself. The potential for those things is still there, but for some reason I have decided to give it a try this season. The first game is Tuesday, and unfortunately the only practice was held on Friday evening during OCF, so I couldn't go. I was terrified that the first time I would touch a glove or bat in 8 years (yikes, has it really been 8 years since I graduated high school?) would be on Tuesday in front of everyone (including our OG commander/soon-to-be wing commander), so I convinced Martin to run through a few softball drills with me after the race on Saturday. We went out to the field and I was relieved to find that I could hit the ball on a somewhat regular basis, as well as being fairly successful at throwing and catching. I will probably be one of the weaker players on the team, but it is really nice to know I will not be a complete disaster, so chalk that up as a positive note for the weekend!
Saturday night was a farewell dinner for CeCe, one of the weather flight forecasters. It will be sad to see her go (we shared many fun memories at Red Flag in Vegas), but it's always fun to have one last night out with the flight members before someone departs. And as a bonus, this dinner was at my favorite restaurant in Bury St Edmunds! Those sweet potato fries alone can make up for a bad week... ;-) Sunday (today) was pretty low-key, which was nice after a full Saturday. I got to sleep in, which is a major boost on the happiness meter. People say sleep is overrated, but I have to disagree. I really like to sleep. It makes me a happier, less stressed, more productive, and less negatively-emotional individual. Yay sleep!
All of those things may not sound too exciting, but I think the point I am trying to make is that it's everything together that makes me love my life right now. I love all the people that God has given me the opportunity to share life with, and I love the hope and promise of good things to come even when current situations feel hopeless. With all the joy that brings, how can I not be joyful?
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