Happy Thanksgiving!

Drew and I celebrated Thanksgiving by running the 37th Annual Turkey Trot 3.5 Mile Run with the Guam Running Club. Drew came in 12th; I came in 64th. We had a brief torrential downpour prior to the start of the race that left me with squishing shoes and soaked socks and part of the race was cross-country. However, I did win a beach chair and Drew won two coffee mugs and a $20 gift certificate to National Office Supply in the post-race raffle so we did very well.

By the time Drew and I returned home, it was time to start the potatoes for the Orphans' Thanksgiving Potluck at Calvo Beach. This year, Panini went with us. Panini is a full-blooded Chamorro Sport Hound. Previously, this breed was classified as "boonie dog."

We had a great time sharing food and stories while enjoying the beach and the warm weather. The picture features Drew playing checkers against Sarah with bottle caps and baby coconuts. King me, baby!

NaNoWriMo - Losing Very Quickly...

Well, less than four days separates the winners from the losers, the wheat from the chaff, the women from the girls...

Here's my sorry word count:

Seabee 5K and Diabetes 5K

Well, this is the last time I anticipate the family running all week-end with me.... 

There were two races scheduled. Gregg played golf on Saturday, so the rest of us ran the flat course at Chamorro Village. Coming off my most-excellent time last week, I was certain I could trim half a minute off. I was wrong and turned in a disappointing 27 minutes 55 seconds. Another runner told me this course was actually 3.12 miles and the race last week was short. 

On Sunday, I had four numbers but I was the only runner because everyone else wanted to sleep in. The race grand prize was two round-trip tickets to Cairns. Unfortunately, my luck was so bad, I couldn't even win a 12-pack of diet Pepsi. Oh well. I ratcheted my race times back because of Saturday's performance and the fact that this was a hilly course, ending with an uphill sprint to the finish. Lo! and behold! I turned in a reasonable 27 minutes 33 seconds and I asked the runner next to me if he thought the course was short. He thought it was just right, having run the PIC 5K a few weeks earlier. I overheard the the runner to my left tell someone else she was convinced the course was long because she and her son turned in a 34 minute run time when they expected 31 minutes. I guess it all evens out.

I Got My Purple Belt!

This is what I've been practicing toward since starting class. It has always amazed me that I can throw people heavier than me with no effort. Of course, they need to be moving so I can use their momentum. But, I am thrilled and hope to continue my studies when I leave Guam. 

Sensei notified the base newspaper and they sent a reporter to interview me.

Judo lessons teach skills for the mat and for life

NaNoWriMo Update

Well, the news is not pretty. It is nearly half over and I have a whopping 10,988 words in my account. That's only 20% of the way. I will be honest. I have not devoted myself fully to this task. Now, I could complain that the family and the dog have really taken a toll on my discretionary time (and while that would be true), the sad fact is, I have not pencilled this in as a priority in my life.

I've been using John Truby's book, Anatomy of Story, to help me understand where I want to go and why my characters want to do what they do. I think I've managed to come up with some compelling situations and characters. Now I just have to keep my butt in the chair.

Outstanding Performance at the Armed Forces Committee Inaugural 5K!

I hadn't planned on running the 5K today since we are also scheduled for the PIC 5K tomorrow. When I found out there was a unit competition and Naval Hospital was encouraged to participate, I asked Drew if he wanted to run on Saturday AND Sunday. "Sure, Mom," he said. "We can run both days and I can rest on Monday." They don't have school on Monday.

It was my best time so far. I turned in 26:42 which means I was running 8:36 splits. I am SO thrilled. I hadn't even been running except for around a few blocks in the morning with our new dog (well, she's new to us, not so new to the world). What made the difference is my diet. I must have been hovering around low normal for a while then plummeted to real anemia (H&H: 10 & 32) for the past few months. I started taking iron and also supplemented my diet with a protein powder. I truly believe that has made all the difference. If I actually get out and train, I might even meet my goals for a sub-24:00 5K by the end of the year (I was thinking I was going to have to settle for consolation prize for my New Year's resolution). Now I have hope.

Drew was just a little in front of me this time. His time today was 26:12, not good enough to compete with the 13 year-old cross country boys from GW. Anna turned in a respectable 39-minute 5K---she is not a runner and despite my cautions, she wore denim shorts. Now she knows why I advise the knit shorts---chafing.

I am woefully behind on my NaNoWriMo project---but I have the rest of today to scribble several thousand words and get caught up. Remember---NO EDITING! That comes in December.