Maybe I’m a Toys”R” Us Kid

As part of a leadership engagement cohort, with 12 other fabulous leading role models, one of the recent assignments was to reevaluate my individual development plan (or IDP). Might I digress for just a moment to say everyone should attend some kind of cohort of people striving to be their best. In 4 weeks, there’s been crying, laughing, cursing, and complaining. I highly recommend it!

Focus, Kel.

As a government civilian, having an approved IDP is just one of the many requirements. It is even a requirement for my team, most of whom are paid from a different pot of money yet also considered government employees. I know many people think an IDP is a colossal waste of time, that no one looks at them, and less take them seriously. Not I. I enjoy going over it with my employees as it provides a snapshot of their future plans, goals, and aspirations.

Between 2020 and 2024, my long-term goal was a PhD. In 2025, I moved it to the short term section. Now? I have a few blanks to fill.

What do I want to be when I grow up?

I love asking this question to transitioning service members, soon-to-be retirees, and anyone else on the cusp of life choices. I love how it implies we’re all growing up, and we have a vast world of options to explore. Because we do!

So I asked myself what do I want to be when I grow up? And a list developed.

1. Teach. I adore education and academia. I love to learn. I’d go back to college tomorrow.

2. There’s a specific job I look up from time to time. It’s a position I accidentally stumbled upon many years ago, but knew it was not the opportunity for me then. It won’t be an opportunity for several more years because it requires deployment cycles, travel, and a move. But it gets my heart beating overtime when I see it. I get that excited rush contemplating what it could do for my career, my mental health, and definitely my physical presence. Introducing the Fit Boss, and its fun equivalent, the Fun Boss. These are real titles. These roles assign you to a Navy big deck and send you out with 3,000 of your closest friends to maintain fitness, health, and MWR-related activities and requirements while deployed. One day, I’ll be a Fit Boss.

3. Entrepreneur. I want to open a running store / coffee house / bakery. I recognize these ideas may not align; however, tis my dream.

I’ll keep adding as I see fit, as my interests change, and/or as life gets more life-ier. Who knows. Maybe there’s an opportunity for a Fit Boss Coach Baker.

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I ask you –

Tell me – what do you want to be when you grow up?

(The post Maybe I’m a Toys”R” Us Kid first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Summer Planning

With an impending TN summer on the horizon for mini, I need to find things to do with my time. Things that don’t include cleaning or working.

Read all the books
Create a photo album of mini’s 2021 summer vacation photos + kindergarten photos
Organize mini’s massive amount of outgrown clothing
Write copious amounts of blog posts to make up for all the times I’m scrambling on Sundays.
Do nothing until approximately 24 hrs before mini returns, then frantically attempt to complete the above list.

All jokes aside. I sort of got a headstart on #1. Morgan from Oregon (soon to be known as just Morgan) gifted me this fantastic set of books by author Sarah Centrella. Her writing style is fun yet also very real. No spoilers from me. I love workbook-style books, too, so these are perfect for me. As I received my performance appraisal a short time ago, the final question was “What does Kelly see in her 10 year plan?” Can we just make it through today?! Luckily, I had already begun working through the guide for th we books so I was able to answer in the best way possible. “Let me get back to you!” No, I didn’t say that. For the most part.

a gift!

Broken record alert! Considering another run streak. Just to have a summer goal. Maybe June-July? One easy mile/day. More if I feel up to it. Obviously it would mostly all be treadmill miles because Texas summer is similar to the pits of hell. Pretty sure I’m right. The 5 day break we got from the heat was most appreciated, but don’t anticipate it happening again until…oh… probably November. Just something to consider. …the running. Not the heat. It stays. Moving on!

Short of registering for another degree and finishing up a book, I don’t know exactly what I want to accomplish this summer. Since those are revolving projects, best I stay the course. Hello, library!

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I ask you –

What are your summer plans?

Do you like self-help type books? If not, what is your favorite genre?

Vote yes or absolutely not: 60 day running streak!

BMW Dallas Half Marathon Recap!

Let’s start off with the good stuff, shall we, on this edition of the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Yes, I met my goal of a 2:10 half marathon! Specifically, I ran 2:10:45 with an avg 9:58 pace. I asked my feet to fly and they did what I’d trained for with an 8 min PR! It was a lovely 35° at the start line – I met the most awesome people! My 2:10 pace crew also seemed nice.

Now the bad. Allow me to be a bit dramatic. My pacers were pushing us 20-30 seconds faster than what we were told we’d be running. I was able to stay with them the first 5 miles, then I dropped back. I don’t train to run non-stop. In fact, only one time have I ever run an entire half marathon without walking. It’s just not me. I’m super proud for holding on for 5 miles! But that wasn’t the plan. After the race was over, I remembered hearing pacers talk about this course “running long”, no pun intended, which means in order for pacers to lead their runners across the finish line in their prescribed time, the pacers were going to have to run faster. My unofficial course time was 2:12, but Garmin showed I ran my 13.1 in 2:10. Thank you, Garmin! Finally! I reject the course time.

So here’s the ugly. Because I spent the first almost half of the race running faster than I had trained for, miles 6-11 were brutal. The walking increased, even though I was still mostly holding on to a 9:45 pace. I began to favor my left hip/leg/hamstring/knee which caused a lot of pain in my right foot. So glad I decided to put BCAAs in my CamelBak and fuel with jelly beans. Even then, those middle miles felt awful.

pre-race injury treatment – long story for another day

Overall, course support was amazing! There were people giving out donuts, beer, mixed drinks, extra energy bars, and who knows what else. The water stops – though I used my own hydration – were frequent and plentiful. The bands on nearly every other street corner were more entertaining than anything I’ve seen in a Rock n Roll event. And those events should be bursting with music! Finish line food was great: pizza, tacos, bananas, enrrgy bars, more Gatorade, tons of chocolate milk, sweets; it was all incredible!

Morgan from Oregon kicked butt out there! She, too, dealt with the disappointment of a long course and too-fast pacers, but I think she rocked it! She’s got an upcoming 15k event and we’ve discussed a late summer run nearer to her so we’ll see.

At this moment, I’m retiring from the half marathon. Remind me next time I tell you all I want to race again!

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I ask you –

How was your weekend? Anything exciting?

Runners, do you write motivational things on your pace band, arm, etc?

Chance I’ll stay “retired”: 60/40

Buckets of Lists!

(pt 2 of my bucket series)

I could have my very own Cool Runnings experience. Check it out!

Always wanted to learn how to curl. Curling is like shuffleboard meets bowling. Since I’m not too bad at bowling and shuffleboard is fun, too, then I think I’d be a natural. Who knows. Maybe I missed my Olympic calling!

Volleyball season is….errrr, was…upon us; specifically, mud volleyball. In true Texas fashion. But I kind of got my feelings hurt when I went to sign up and the lady I’ve been communicating with for over a year suddenly forgot who I was and told me if a team was looking for a player, she’d call me. Rather dismissively. I was supposed to be her teammate. Sigh. What can you do? Spectatorship is my new position.

Winner, winner!

Spoiler alert…I killed the first game. The second game killed me. Way to be humble, Kel. I also golfed a few days prior to the bowling excursion! It did not go well at all. And the bugs kept attacking us. I don’t like bugs. The good news is I didn’t break any clubs, windows, or body parts. Never mind that one time my golf ball hit the golf cart. Minor.

Then I found myself at a change of command ceremony humming “Anchors Aweigh”. Whoopsies! What do you mean the Air Force doesn’t sing Anchors Aweigh?! Couldn’t have been as bad as everyone looking at each other, lips moving, no sound coming forth. Pretty sure they didn’t know the words. Calamity of errors!

Weirdly, I haven’t heard one Navy song yet on this base. Troubling. And where’s the reveille tunes? What about Sailors in their dress whites? You know, the little things. P.S. while you’re reading this, I am on vacation enjoying the sun and sounds of the ocean. Scheduling programs really are lifesavers!

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I ask you –

Have you seen the movie Cool Runnings? If not, why not?

Have you been bowling lately?

Tell me your favorite winter sport! Drinking coffee haHA

Streaking. Again. No, not that kind.

Typical of 2020, and now 2021, to have me changing my plans every few weeks. I’m working on being flexible, spontaneous…all those things I’m really not.

Back up a little. Remember when I committed to a run streak in January? The only reason I’m not behooving you to remember when I completed the run streak in January is because the stomach bug from hell invaded my body and I have zero recollection of a few days. I ran 27 days. But who’s counting?

credit to polinakovaleva.com via pexels.com

Fast forward. May 1st began a new opportunity for a run streak. Since I nixed the Memorial Day runs in favor of survival (the heat could kill me), I wanted something to keep me running. Enter the run streak! 11 miles was my longest run in April so I feel confident a run streak can be progressive.

Surprisingly, not one time since January have I used a treadmill. I’m free! Yes, I’m lucky to have one but it’s such a fun sucker. Plugging away on a black belt of doom, going nowhere not even fast. Ugh. No thanks.

But if the weather becomes unmanageable, my trusty steed of running equipment will be there. Patiently waiting. Which reminds me I really gotta find that big fan. Because if anyone can have a heat stroke indoors, it would be me.

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I ask you –

May goals?

Do you have indoor sporting equipment? I can see how golf wouldn’t be ideal.

Tell me your Memorial Day plans!