2011 in Rewind

I intended to write this article on New Year’s Eve while waiting to leave for the NYE Party @ the Wyn Chicago. “Best laid plans…” and all, but it didn’t happen. I’m writing this now with almost the whole month of January 2012 behind me, and I’m a little more relaxed, and definitely have a better perspective on the past year of my life.

I started out last year with a goal, albeit crazy to me at the time. Run 13.1 miles in May. Why? I promised some close friends during an office party that I would do it with them. They shall remain nameless, but they never made to the start line with me. No matter, I have lots of friends, and another one took their spot and would be with me on race day.

My plan consisted of a running plan from Active.com, and joining Jenny Craig. I had been running consistently over the past year, but was still carrying about 70 lbs. of extra weight that my doctors and I would like to see go away.

The months passed, and a few races occurred in between, and race day had arrived. I was worried, and the weather wasn’t perfect, but I had trained for this and would not be denied. My friend and I met at the start line, wished each other a good race, and then made our way down the LSD trail south for 6 mi. The return trip was grueling needless to say, and I definitely learned more about myself than I could have in other races. My sheer will to finish the race is what propelled me through the finish line.

Let’s do it again! Soon after this race, I decided to do this again near the end of the summer. A few days off, and I was back at it with race fever. I participated in several more races for the next half. Training made the summer fly by much faster than I would have liked, but our (Lisbett, JP, and I) vacation to San Diego was a wonderful respite from the hectic training schedule and what will soon become the worst project of my career.

San Diego! It’s true if you haven’t been here, this place is beautiful. Food, nature, and weather…it’s all perfect and definitely worth a look if you haven’t been there. I think we saw the major attractions, with a short trip up to Temecula for some wine tasting. The resort we stayed is beautiful, and had plenty for us do do without leaving the grounds. A return trip is definitely in order, but this time we’ll probably stay local and enjoy the surrounding area more.

Before leaving for my vacation, the project I was working on was starting to become more busy. I had prepared my team as best I could, and for the most part they performed perfectly. The “BUT” of the story is that I would have to leave Lisbett and JP at the airport on the return trip and head north to Santa Monica to return to work. Sounds fun right? I thought it would be an adventure, but I was sad to see my travel companions leave, and we definitely considered them tagging along with me but in the end it didn’t work out. This event was foreshadowing of long days, late nights, and near break downs for the next five months.

Near the end of every project I work on, I try to consider what I could have done to make it better. I have been on several “death march” projects, which makes me think I might be the culprit. In the end, I alone cannot cause an entire project to break down, nor can I make it better. There’s a reason there isn’t an “I” in team, and I truly believe without them we would not have been able to complete the project. The people I work with are my closest friends, worst critics, and sometimes my enemies. In the end, I like to think we trust each other and would go to war with them again if necessary. I look forward to a chance to do it again, while trying to not lose so many hours of sleep. The cost to my personal health during this project was enormous and only now am I overcoming the damage it had caused. I gained nearly 15 lbs. between July and December, and probably did more damage to my liver than necessary.

The remainder of the year sped by with holiday shopping early in November, a quick trip to Wisconsin Dells, and the completion of the first phase of my project. The past year was being replayed over in my mind while waiting to leave for the NYE party, and there was plenty more things that happened, which made this article relatively difficult to write. I’m writing this almost four weeks after that day, and on Saturday I’ll be doing my first half for 2012. I’m still worried about the race, but at least I know I have plenty of experience behind me to get me through all 13.1 miles.

- g

Happy Holidays!

The holidays always seem to creep up on me, and when they do they’re gone before I really enjoy them.  It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed the holidays as much as I do today, and I’m trying to maximize them while trying to balance the rest of my crazy life.

The first step was to plan my new year eve with all my friends.  The planning is complete, and we’ll be together at one of the Chicago NYE hotel parties.  So many people have this preconceived idea about these parties, but my first experience was so good that I decided I wanted to repeat it this year with some enhancements.  First, you have to have the right state of mind.  Accept the fact it’s going to be crazy, there are lots of people, and you may not get that special attention you’ve come to expect with your favorite bartender.  The next come to Jesus moment is you’re going to pay more than you’d like for the experience.  Yea, it’s over one hundred dollars for a ticket, and yes it’s probably more than you spend on a Friday night, but this is NYE and it’s finally the special occasion that you’ve been looking forward to all year (at least I do).  Planning this event several weeks back was my first enhancement.  Planning was tough since so many folks have a hard time planning that far ahead with what has become the normal chaotic life.  The next enhancement was to bite the bullet and rent a room.  Yes. I live downtown, why would I do this?  Well, it’s really simple actually.  The party can begin when you check into the hotel, and it won’t end until you close your lids in the next morning if you so desire.  Reserving a room allows both you and your date flexibility that would otherwise not be possible if you’re not staying at the hotel (which I’m sure is intended).

The next step was to finish Christmas shopping prior to December.  Shopping for someone special has always been something I enjoy doing.  I typically have an “ah-ha” moment where I know exactly what I’ll be buying for the person in question.  Most of the time it’s very specific, so buying early is key to my successful shopping experience.  My Christmas shopping started well before Thanksgiving because I knew that I wouldn’t have much time or patience for other shoppers as it got closer to December 25th.  I can say with the exception of a few items, I have all my major purchases complete, and I’m ready for the holidays to begin.  Now, we’ll see if they really like them.

The last step to maximizing my holiday experience is getting the heck out of town.  The plan for a vacation was hatched back in October, and it included white sandy beaches and drinks poolside.  Unfortunately, little did I know, those plans should have been made in September (a lesson learned and will be applied next year).  The backup plan still includes drinks by the pool, but they’ll be served by folks in Wisconsin.  I’ll still have a great time, and I guess the best part I won’t have to climb on a plane.

Happy Holidays Folks!

Bloody nipples, farmer blows, and other things I learned while training.

Training is over.

My half marathon goal was hatched among two groups of friends with a gin ‘n tonic in hand, and not much thought.  My commitment to most things is unwavering, so once the deed was done, I needed to come up with a plan.  The plan included ceasing to drink alcohol, joining Jenny Craig (again), and signing up for an Active.com half marathon plan.

Three and half months later, I’m a different person.  I’ve lost more than fifty pounds, can run more than ten miles, and still wonder why I decided to stop drinking alcohol.  Looking back on what I’ve accomplished, I’m not surprised, but I’m definitely proud of my achievement.  I don’t begin what I can’t finish, and I never think I can’t do something.  That character flaw is what keeps me going when running in the blistering cold along the lake, trying to bend more than the male body is built, and attempting something my genes go against.

During one of my many runs, my chest started to have piercing pain in two central areas.  I’ve never been into masochism, but I imagined it would feel similar in nature.  I disrobed in the locker room to find that my nipples had developed scabs.  I was like a proud breast feeding mother looking down at my bloody nipples, and realized I had reached another running milestone.  I needed nipple coverage.

Farmer Blows (aka Bum Blows for the urban minded) are the secret that no runner with any salt will discuss in public.  So you’re running along the lake, it’s pitch black, and your sinuses have decided to stage a fire drill.  What do you do?  Blow your nose right?  Hold up, you don’t have tissue, and you can’t stop for a simple nose clearing.  Yep, you guessed it, you hold one sinus, close your mouth, and let it rip.  You hope no one sees you, you miss your clothing and shoes, and you don’t lose much time in this endeavor.  I won’t say I’ve done this, but like many a runner before me, I can see when it might be necessary.

It’s the food stupid.  I spent the better part of last year running my ass off.  I would run one or two 5Ks every month starting in May, and some days I would run and then ride (Chinatown 5K + Late Ride).  I think I lost twenty pounds the whole year, which returned with a vengeance during the holiday parties and late night clubbing.  The food and drink I was putting in my pie hole was sabotaging my secret goal of looking good.  I needed a change, and Jenny Craig provided a framework for me to accomplish my athletic goals.  Planning meals, packing food, carrying my lunch and sometimes dinner every day has really depressed me at some points.  If not for the results I was seeing every week, I think I would have given up.  Unfortunately, the results are in, and I know it was the right decision to modify my dangerous eating and drinking habits.

The training is over, but the goal still looms.  I haven’t run the half marathon yet, and I’m four days away from running my first ten mile race competitively.  The difference is I know I can do it.  Sure, I knew that before, but when pressed to actually do it, I know I can.  I’ve learned more about myself than running these past few months, and I know when race day comes, I’ll really see who I am.  I look forward to that day, and will be raising my number one finger when I cross the finish line.

week 4

Twenty pounds, that’s how much I’ve lost in four weeks. Why did it take so long? I haven’t been this “light” for about two years. I don’t understand completely why, but how much I was eating or thought I needed to eat was the reason for my weight being high. I’m learning to eat less while still feeling full, and staying away from things that prevent me from meeting or exceeding my goal.

Going out, and still loving it. Sure, I’ve gone out with my friends for drinks, but I’ve opted for the club soda and lime, diet drink, or my new favorite sugar free red bull (thanks Dos Diablos bar temptress). I call it planning for success. I eat before I go out, and make sure to steer clear of drinking and food. I’ve done well so far, but it’s not been easy. I keep my goal in my mind, and ask myself “do I really want to look like a fool trying to run a half marathon with a fat tire around his waist?” The answer in most cases is NO!

Working out is painful. Yea, I racked up five miles in one day on the treadmill, gone to two weight training classes, and run for more than thirty-five minutes on the treadmill the other days. Four days straight of working out is tough, but not having a gym on the weekend makes it tough to get those days in on Saturday and Sunday. I may need to revisit not having a gym membership if I can’t work in training on the weekends in February.

week 2 & 3

I’ve completed weeks two and three of my training program.  I’ve lost about 15 lbs. and become a regular at kettlebell training class.  I feel like I’m making good progress but starting to question my ability to really do this race.  I never like to do things “just to complete”, instead I do them to be as good as I can be at what ever I’m doing.   My social life is completely orthogonal to my training program, which is making it more difficult than usual.  I already have four birthdays and two football games to attend to this weekend.  Of course, I’m not complaining, some folks don’t have two friends to rub together, but it does make planning meals, runs and cross training difficult.

Eating well, skipping booze, and exercising like crazy makes me feel good.  My only regret is that it’s taken me this long to realize it.  I hope it’s not too late.

week 1

I started this post with “Day 1″ and then realized that might be too ambitious to write an entry every day of my training for 2011.  Last year, I ran nine 5K races, and one 8K race.  I used the couch to 5K running program, joined TEAMiFIT’s summer boot camp, used a free Turbulence Training workout, and finally used Andy Whittfield’s Lift to Lose Workout program.  Unfortunately, there was something missing from my training program.  I still weigh too much for my height.

This year will be different.  I have started a well known diet plan and purchased a half marathon training program.  I started both today, and my hope is that I’ll not only finish the half marathon, but I’ll be lighter when I do cross the line.

facebook

“I’m not joining. ”

Those words were uttered from my lips ever since I heard about facebook.  I thought it was for college kids, or people who didn’t have anything else to do.  I was wrong.

Over the past few weeks, I have become so intangled with facebook that I can’t see life without it now.  I’ve joined groups, become a fan of all sorts of stuff, posted all sorts of things about my life, and more importantly, I’ve reconnected with people from my past.

My office is receiving client requests to build facebook applications, so I spent a day trying to learn their architecture and API.  It’s a complicated framework that would require a significant effort to learn and understand, but more importantly, the applications developed should be designed around the guiding principles sent forth by the folks at facebook.

My interest in facebook has grown exponentially, and I look forward to being a part of the growing community and enhancing their applications.

georgia trip (wednesday)

The drive to Savannah was uneventful, and the scenary was just a little more interesting than an episode of “Two and Half Men”.  On Tuesday, Mom and I went on the Paula Deen Tour, where we met Cindy, our wise tour guide.  I have never seen an episode of Paula’s Home Cooking, and honestly couldn’t have cared less about Mrs. Deen.  Cindy made this lady come to life for me, and really gave us lots of tasty bits of information about this lady from Albany, GA.  I now have a new appreciation for Mrs. Deen, and at least two inches of waistline thanks to her “Home Cooking”.  Thanks Paula! 

Note: Skip Lady & Son’s and head out to Bubba’s Oyster Bar, it’s much less crowded, and the food is as good or better.

We started our trip back to Chicago from Savannah on Wednesday.  We left our hotel about 7:45 AM CST and planned to stay the night in Elizabethtown, KY.  We made it to Chattanooga in about five hours, and had lunch at a lovely Cracker Barrel.  I have now eaten way too much southern food, and will be fasting for the remainder of the month.  We then drove through Tennesse and into Kentucky for the last leg of our trip for the day.

We made reservations at the Comfort Inn for Wednesday night.  The Holiday Inn was booked so my second option was the Comfort Inn.  If you’ve been following our trip, this place ranks third in the places we’ve stayed.  We initially got off at the wrong exit, so we had to back track a bit and the entrance of the hotel is camouflaged with a gas station.  After backing up a side road, and turning around I made it to the lobby of the motel.  I checked in, the ladies joked about giving me a smoking room, and I raced out of the lobby since neither of them realized that I had just drove ten hours.  The first problem is they didn’t tell me where to park for our room, and the second problem is the building doesn’t have any signs to direct us to our room.  I guess you’re supposed to know that 417 is on the second floor of the building.  After dragging our bags up two flights of stairs, we found our room with no help from our friends in the lobby.  I would like to thaink our fellow hotel guests who explained the hotel layout.

I’m enjoying the softness of the Comfort Inn mattress right now, but I have no doubt sleep will be elusive tonight while I’m worring about the germs that are all around me.

georgia trip (sunday)

I have family that lives near Atlanta (Grayson, GA), and it was time to make the trip down there again.  I visited them several years ago as part of a business trip, and discovered a beautiful part of the country while I was out there.  The trip this time around would be a little different since it was on my dime and my Mom would be traveling with me.  Yes, cringe, traveling with family can always be difficult (see my trip to Orlando post), but I know that time with family is important so I decided to plunge ahead.

I’m a planner, so I decided early on that driving was the best option.  My Mom is older, so traveling by air is difficult because of all the walking, standing around, and security.  If we drove, I could pick her up and we could be off on the road.  I reserved a car through Enterprise (great rental company), and decided we would leave early (~2 AM) in the morning and be in Atlanta by early afternoon.

Traveling by car introduces problems one doesn’t consider when traveling by air such as fuel costs, food, how many times you’ll stop, and what route you’ll take, etc.  I’m not as health conscious as I should be, but I knew that stopping at McDonald’s for more than a potty break is not a good idea.  So I googled some food ideas, and made my trip to Whole Foods to gather supplies.  I bought cheese, fruit, and some ingredients for a trail mix that should be published (dark chocolate chips, pine nuts, peanuts, and dried cranberries)!  Mom did the same, and also brought things for a picnic midway through the trip.

The route from Chicago to Atlanta is pretty simple, but the cost of fuel was a cause for concern.  My current vehicle is a Ford F-250 pickup, which should be retired since the cost to drive it is more than anyone should pay to drive, which is one reason I decided to rent a vehicle that would be more economical.  Renting the car was a great idea for more than just being green.  The amount of wear and tear on the vehicle while you’re traveling long distances is pretty high, and that came to light when my Mom grabbed hold of her Starbucks coffee with an iron grip and proceeded to splash coffee all over the brand new car.  I’m a neat freak, so the idea of having coffee all over a car, regardless of the owner, is intolerable for me.  So, if you can afford it, rent the car for the long family trip, it’s worth it not only from an economical fuel consumption point of view, but also the knowledge that your own family isn’t destroying the interior of your own vehicle.

Driving from Chicago takes a certain amount of adventurous spirit and some plain old stamina.  I knew from my research that drinking coffee and eating donuts would cause significant energy crashes, so my goal was to limit the coffee and carbs and focus on high energy foods.  I was successful by drinking plenty of water, eating fruits and trail mix.  The combination of filling foods and the sweetness of chocolate definitely made a difference.  I drank one cup of coffee in the morning, thankfully I didn’t spill a drop, and the rest of the day was filled with water and trail mix.

Chattanooga is the gateway to the South, and as it turns out on a Friday a wasteland of angry drivers sitting in traffic.  The Vice President decided it was a good time to stop traffic just before rush hour and caused delays of about one-half hour.  The next delay was caused by a series of car accidents, which I’m sure are the result of people not paying attention while driving (texting while driving is not a good idea).  After approximately sixteen hours of driving, we’re sitting in a sea of traffic as wide as the Nile river.  Stamina kicks in, and I push my body and mind to stay focused on the goal of getting to my family’s home.  I’m a casual athlete, and I have to say this was a difficult task since I had very little sleep and had been listening to either satellite radio or the wonderful tales of my Mother (interpret how ever you like).  We made it to our destination without getting lost, but I was physically and mentally exhausted.  I ate the most wonderful meal before falling into bed almost nineteen hours after the time I had embarked on this trip.

That was Friday.  We spent Saturday socializing with our family, which is what I call social sparring.  You spend the time asking questions, getting to know your opponent, and figure out ways to entertain each other with interesting stories that make each other laugh.  Life is good when you have family that you can spend time with, and even better when they’re better hosts than the best hotel.  I know we’ll be sad to leave, but I’m sure they’ll be happy to have their home back and not have to cater to our every need.  Our next stop is Savannah, where we’ll be staying in a downtown hotel and taking the Paula Dean tour.  So I better get some more coffee and enjoy my time on the deck before we’re back on the road again.

home improvement?

I started doing home improvement when I purchased my first townhouse in Highland, Indiana.  I was married then, and we were living in a 2 bd/ba apartment in Griffith, Indiana, which was nice, but we really needed more space.  We drove by this new development all the time (it used to be a lumber yard, but burned down many years earlier), and I convinced my ex that we should check out these new places, which lead to us buying one of their larger models.  We bought new furniture, installed light fixtures, painted, and even did some crown molding.  I would say this is where I cut my teeth on doing work around the house

Several years later and some unruly neighbors, we decided that we should make the move to single family home ownership (SFHO).  We looked for many weeks, but didn’t find anything that we thought we could afford or work for us.  We both agreed the neighborhood south of Wicker Park was perfect since it was close to the train station and had the charm of an old neighborhood.  A phenomenon that I now realize is typical for me, I found the place we would buy.  The 4 br/2 ba house was 50+ years old, had only two owners, and was large enough for all our stuff.  We started home ownership on the floor of our new sun room with two Dunkin Donut coffees and donuts.

Old houses need tender loving care, and that lesson was made apparent on day one of SFHO.  I was eating breakfast in the dining room, and suddenly it started to rain into my cereal.  The upstairs shower was leaking, so the bathroom needed to be gutted and redone!  We did some of the work such as the demo, installing the sub floor for the tub, insulation, and painting.  We hired a plumber to redo the pipes, install the new shower enclosure, and bathroom fixtures.  We hired a general contractor to redo some of the wiring, install a new bathroom light with fan, wall sconces, and finish the drywall around the new shower.  We also installed a custom countertop and large mirror with cut outs for the wall sconces.  We had some problems with the contractors such as the shower head was installed too low, the fan was not vented properly, and I ended up finishing the trim work around the shower.

The bathroom was the first of many home improvement projects that we took on. In the end, I believe it contributed to our divorce because it became our obsession and we forgot to improve our relationship.  Things happen for a reason, and I’m happy to be living in a snug little condo in the middle of the near west side of Chicago (which I found in the Red Eye).  I no longer have a “honey-do-list”, and don’t have to worry about making repairs.  My condo is new construction, and doesn’t need the level of care that my old house needed.  I learned so much while remodeling the house, but I’m glad to have put away my tools.  I’m sure I’ll take on a new project in the future, but right now I’m glad to be living in the city.  I now have time to enjoy Chicago, and be free of the worry of home ownership and improvement.

condo master bedroom