A Long Post,,, the past few years in review

Yesterday marked my one year anniversary from quitting my first “real” job. What a year to reflect upon!! December 2006 I graduated with my PhD in physical organic chemistry with what seemed to be the “perfect” job in hand…..little did I know…So, my fiancé at the time (husband, love of my life, and rock now:) helped me pack and we embarked on a year long journey and life in Houston TX. I like to compare it to Dante’s journey into hell.
To sum it up in a nutshell, the job sucked, I didn’t much like Houston (actually, I loathed it, but I made some really good friends whom I “get” why they live there…just not the place for me). I think Gregory and I went through our first “big” challenge as a couple; we pushed, pulled and lifted each other through that year…and yes, we survived! In the period of a year, we held down two demanding full time jobs, got married (twice!), were in Europe for the happiest and saddest moments of our lives (getting married and Gregory’s father passing on), spent more time in the ER than we would like, dealt with some cancer scares, and a broken hip (again!!). …2007 was a long, miserable year.
You can imagine the relief when I walked out the doors of the company I had worked for just a year for with a plane ticket in hand to Boulder!! I envisioned happiness, relaxation and a “better” life in 2008….But, so many things weighed on me, like “what the F*&3K am I going to do with my PhD??”
Now I get to reflect on 2008, and I like to call it a year of “growth.” I have grown in maturity, confidence, and physical capability. Most importantly, I have grown into my “own skin.” I am not sure why I pursued a chemistry career, and I can contemplate it for hours on end, but it comes down to the fact that when I was partying like a rock star in college, it was the only subject I could keep the grades (I also had a very supportive mentor that pushed me to be all I could be, so Rik if you are reading this, thanks!)…. the story begins and ends…I am now working with my husband and designing websites. Gregory showed me the basics and like a bird learning to fly, I had a slow start, but once I read some books and experimented, my wings spread wide and I love my new career!! I no longer go through the day looking at the clock, and Gregory has to pull me away from my computer sometimes. I find myself comfortable, excited and ready for each day rather than dreading it; a huge change from last year. In a way, I feel like the person who is on those commercials who is preaching “reach your goals, make your dreams come true!!” and I can honestly say that I was not like that leaving Houston…I was down in the dumps…it takes time to figure out what is right for you, it takes time… it took almost a year for me. I think the most important thing is to start small and everyday when you wake up, try and make the most of your day, take the good with the bad, but never tell yourself “you can’t” rather ask yourself “what do I need to do” in order to reach your dreams/goals…and never, ever let anyone tell you that you can’t!!!
I am entering 2009 with a new set of goals and in a much better position than I was last year. That is not without challenges in 2008!! This was a rough, tough; suck it up year as well. I am not trying to write a novel, but 2008 had its fair share of rocky moments. However, none were really work/career related. I have the most awesome husband who understands and has actually been through his own “what makes you happy” crisis (that is why he has his own company that is doing really great at the moment!!) And he made this a smooth transition for me. He also believes that I have “potential” (to qualify for Kona)…but to me, when you move to Boulder, that means nothingJ 2008 was a unique experience for me as well, because I finally had a chance to be coached by Wolfgang one-on-one…and I will tell you, he whooped my arsss over and over and over again. It would have to be a whole new post to talk about how Wolfgang’s coaching strategies in real person (maybe because I do every workout now) vs. coaching via email. Lets just put it this way..I had nooo idea what was in store for me, and felt like an ostrich just taking its head out of the sand. But… it worked!

Anyhow, the race year was rather unusual..in a negative yet positive way...Wolfgang told me to do an early season ½ IM , so we went down to Dallas…however, my new (replaced) bike frame did not make it because it was cracked by Fed Ex on the way down to the race. I ended up renting a bike from a local bike store and was ready to go…S&#t happens, you deal with it. We thought it would be fun to enter me into an elite wave so I could “push” myself….or at least have an idea of how fast I should be swimming! That went well, then I flatted and the spare kit CO2 inflater did not work (I am not blaming, this is my fault, I should have tested it b4 hand)_ and I waited 25 min for support. So I hauled ass, died on the run and another lesson was learned… I was only 5min slower than my fastest time and had only been under Mr. W’s supervision for 3 months!!
Then comes Ironman France…I almost died (literally). Somewhere between the bike and the run I became low on salt (never happened b4) and thought I was dehydrated and worked myself into a state of severe hyponatremia (after the race medics thought I was dehydrated to and gave me 3 bags of IV!!). So I ended up with seizures, the ER, the works and a 30 minute PR!!
I was unstoppable (well, perhaps scared shitless and knew if I didn’t do this race I would be handing in the towels for a long, long time) so I continued on to IMWI. What a blessing in disguise!! The race was on “home turf” for me I had a crapload of fun!! All I wanted was a healthy finish. And finish I did!! Healthy, full of life and knocked over 30 minutes off my Nice time on a spent body!!
That being said, I missed a roll down slot to Kona by one place…why on earth would it roll down, who the heck would give up a spot??…well, that is because the lady who got second place decided not to go. It was her first IM (can you imagine!!) and wasn’t sure…damn!! Funny thing is now that I am getting settled and branching out in Boulder, I joined a group of ladies who run and the lady who earned the slot but turned it down is running with me!! And she is one of the nicest people I know!! I don’t even think she realizes her talent!! Next year I hope she takes the slot wherever she qualifies because she deserves it and I want her to give the ladies a run for their money in KONA!
So yes, a year of ups and downs, but one to grown and learn from. I am sooo excited for this year, whatever is in store for me, bring it on!!!