Winding Down

See that countdown timer over on the left side of my blog? It's scary. Watching the seconds tick down until Disney. For the last 2 months, my life has been centered on Half-Marathon training - even when we traveled to Cozumel for 13 days and I was scuba diving. I had to schedule my runs before and after dive days so I wouldn't get "bent." Did it, too -- ran once out past the airport onto a gravel road where horses and campesino cowboys rode right towards me, headed for the big Mexican Independence Day parade; and again up north, at night, past the lighthouse and beach partygoers drinking beer and margaritas while I panted heavily, looking for water.

Guess it's that time of year when I start to "wind down" and think about the past: where we've been, where we're headed. I've been reminiscing about friends and family a lot recently. Always think a lot about my FBI friends and family - Brian (who has hopefully recovered from kidney stone surgery) and Faye; Allen (who calls me every year about this time); my former L.A. partner, Rich; Kenny D. (who is trying to get a crime scene job with the PD where I work now), Susan and Erich (now in Sofia, I think; I lose track of which embassy she is at!); Chaplain James Quinn, and my fellow runners on L.A. "Baker to Vegas" relay teams.

Family: Linda, my multi-talented sister, whose 7MSN blog I read every morning, before the paper - in fact, instead of the paper. I'm so excited because I should be receiving our Christmas gift from Linda today: even though I didn't win the Great 7MSN Giveaway, I asked for a canvas print of Micio for Christmas, and we collectively designed a really cool image. Mom and Dad (the best Micio pet-sitter!): we're planning a new traditional holiday here at the Villa: salmon on the grill, with baby potatoes, cranberries, and Whole Foods fruit tart. We saw J.P. while we were in Tampa on Tuesday night; he's headed up to New Jersey to visit Pat, Jr., and all the "Ants" at Christmas (we were invited, too, but we're not crazy; it's TOO COLD). The Antonas make me think of Claudia and Kevin and how much fun we had with them during our L.A. visit in September. And they make me think of Nolia and her family - I wish I would have taken the time to see them while we were in Tampa; I'm really concerned about how they are faring in these hard economic times - but I just couldn't face dealing with their marital difficulties.

Especially since Gianni and I celebrated our 13th wedding Anniversary yesterday! Where has the time gone? This is us, all dressed up for Thanksgiving Dinner in Cozumel. Kind of funny in retrospect: I'm not wearing a red dress (like I did for my wedding, but I'm still wearing red - a Mexican shawl this time!) Seems like it was just yesterday that we were packing up the condo and furnishings in L.A., getting married on Catalina Island, and traveling across country to Florida. A whole new life in Florida. New friends, new "family", new experiences.

Here's a picture of our "new family" at dinner one night in Cozumel:
Me on the left, with Andrew & Serena, Alex & Tracey, Gianni, and DAD! What fun we had eating tapas, laughing and planning our next trip.

Which brings me back full circle: past and future. I'm thinking Cozumel again next year (of course). Italy again? Fiji? First, of course, there's Orlando and Disney: and, I repeat, take a look at that countdown timer clock over there on the left. How much longer do I have to train? Gotta run hills tonight .... oh no, my aching calf!

Running at O'Dark Thirty

I had to keep telling myself, "It's a good thing. You can do this. Running early in the morning will be good training/practice for Disney." And I do believe that.

This morning was my first group run -- or at least since running with my New Agent's Class at FBI Academy in Quantico during summer 1990! The group I joined, Gold Coast Runners, has a 1/2 Marathon Training Program. I joined Tuesday night; time trialed on the track with a 2 mile run at a 10:12 pace - and really had to push myself to do that. I was happy with the time; not happy with my performance vis-a-vis others in the club - I came in near the end of the pack.

But this morning - despite an auspicious beginning (I really did set my alarm clock for 5:00 a.m.; I just forgot to turn it on!) - I made it on time to the start and ran with the 4 leaders for the entire run. Everyone else who finished ahead of me on the track was *behind* me this morning. Guess it's true. I am built for endurance - not speed.

Don't think I'll ever really enjoy early morning running. But ... springing up out of bed at the very last minute, rushing to throw water on my face and swish toothpaste around, then throwing on running clothes I had religiously laid out last night ... well, it vividly reminded me of early SWAT missions.

Brian, my former partner, always used to tell us, "We leave at O'Dark Thirty." That's me, meeting in the dark to be with a bunch of other crazies -- FBI Agents or runners.