Ok, so I'm back on here after a somewhat long hiatus. It seems my now bi-weekly drives to Farmington jar my creative writing juices. So here goes...
We have a wedding date! (finally!) October 5th, 5:00 at FUMC in Durango. Most of the planning and prep is done. No stress there, which is surprising for a wedding.
Roni and I had a huge summer. There are no two ways about it. We each worked at our respective places of employment with "gazelle intensity" and easily put in 50-60 hours each week on top of driving between Durango and Creede every week. We're not yet debt free but this summer was very solid in terms of moving us ahead. To catch everyone up to speed: after reading Total Money Makeover in September, starting a budget in October, and taking Financial Peace this spring, we have paid off and cut up our only credit card, my car, and one small-ish student loan. All that remains are our student loans. We still have a big mountain to climb but we're working it. Sallie Mae can move out anytime, that's ok with us. Between the two of us, we work for Fort Lewis College, San Juan College, First United Methodist Church, Katzin Music, Piedra Vista High School and have private students of our own. Our weeks are a little hectic but we're making it work (and we even have most Saturdays to ourselves).
Clarinet-wise, I think things are at least on track. I'm preparing for a big semester in that department as well. I am performing with in a trio in mid-September on the Gordon Jacob Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano as well as the Mozart Kegelstatt and a couple Dvorak Serenades. We'll be at the Silverton Fall Colors Chamber Music Festival as well as at Fort Lewis College on September 17th. Additionally, I am preparing a solo recital of the Copland Concerto, Piazzolla Histoire du Tango, and Villa-Lobos Choros No. 2. The Copland and V.L. are in good shape, but the Piazzolla has some work to be done... mostly technical as many of the licks don't lay very well under the fingers. It'll be ready by October 28th.
The real frustration is in running. No races this summer but I wouldn't have been in great shape anyway. The calf-thingee from this spring is still rearing it's ugly head from time to time so I'm not at all happy about that. The compression sleeves are a help, though I wish they were a little better (any suggestions?). I really would like to be in the 15-20 hour/week range with this but I'm currently closer to 5-10. I'll start posting workouts when I getting into the double digit hours again. I would say this is due to 2-parts busy, 1-part injury prevention/ mitigation. Not a good combo. I did discover the beauty of the Riverview Athletic Complex (aka a decent sized softball/soccer complex with very runable grass). I aim to make that a staple of my week, possibly sans shoes. It's a little more than .6 miles from my house and couldn't be any closer to my office at the church. (Funny side story: a young guy from the school, probably 6 or 7 years old, was walking home one afternoon and screamed at me to "Put some pants on, you freak." I told him that wasn't very nice and he sprinted home. You could tell he was having a bad day from the way he left school. I love split shorts.) Additionally, I've really enjoyed the Junction Creek trail but recent cycling activities have drawn huge crowds there and I spend a good chunk of time dodging bikers who are screaming down the trails at unsafe speeds. It's a great place to train as it's shady and open most of the year, includes some good sized, runable climbs, etc. I'm simply not a fan of the psycho cyclists. The Mike and Susie trails behind Raider Ridge are decent but tough due to the constant undulation. In that same area, Horsethief Road is an enjoyable, smooth area that may be better suited for a relaxing mid-distance run. The upside is that I'm using my HRM more and dialing in on the appropriate effort for each workout. I've switched from a numbers-based display to a %-based display and it seems to be working a little better.
Obviously, time management is kind of an issue here. Overall, I think I'm quite adept at it and manage myself quite well. I don't mind getting up at 5:00 or going to bed late, if need be. I do stress a little more than I should during my pre-dawn runs. I'm usually on time for things and during those runs, I worry that if something happens (i.e. my calf acts up and I have to walk home), I'll be inexcusably late for any subsequent appointments--especially on days when I have to drive to Farmington, NM. I've never really been able to relax during a mid-day workout unless it was at the gym (but who wants to run on a treadmill when the weather is decent?) So it's easier to wait until I get home which is always risky. It is at this time of the day, I'm hungry, tired, and pretty ready just to read a book or crash on the couch with the wife and dog. Tuesdays are always hard. One day at a time, I suppose. On Wednesdays, there really is no option to running before work since choir rehearsal goes until 8:30 PM. It still stresses me out. I would really love to consistently have a 2-3 hour run before my day gets going. Sounds like a goal to me. I do think that 5:00AM is about my limit, though, especially when the day could go until 9:00 PM. So here goes. I'll post later with an update.
We have a wedding date! (finally!) October 5th, 5:00 at FUMC in Durango. Most of the planning and prep is done. No stress there, which is surprising for a wedding.
Roni and I had a huge summer. There are no two ways about it. We each worked at our respective places of employment with "gazelle intensity" and easily put in 50-60 hours each week on top of driving between Durango and Creede every week. We're not yet debt free but this summer was very solid in terms of moving us ahead. To catch everyone up to speed: after reading Total Money Makeover in September, starting a budget in October, and taking Financial Peace this spring, we have paid off and cut up our only credit card, my car, and one small-ish student loan. All that remains are our student loans. We still have a big mountain to climb but we're working it. Sallie Mae can move out anytime, that's ok with us. Between the two of us, we work for Fort Lewis College, San Juan College, First United Methodist Church, Katzin Music, Piedra Vista High School and have private students of our own. Our weeks are a little hectic but we're making it work (and we even have most Saturdays to ourselves).
Clarinet-wise, I think things are at least on track. I'm preparing for a big semester in that department as well. I am performing with in a trio in mid-September on the Gordon Jacob Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano as well as the Mozart Kegelstatt and a couple Dvorak Serenades. We'll be at the Silverton Fall Colors Chamber Music Festival as well as at Fort Lewis College on September 17th. Additionally, I am preparing a solo recital of the Copland Concerto, Piazzolla Histoire du Tango, and Villa-Lobos Choros No. 2. The Copland and V.L. are in good shape, but the Piazzolla has some work to be done... mostly technical as many of the licks don't lay very well under the fingers. It'll be ready by October 28th.
The real frustration is in running. No races this summer but I wouldn't have been in great shape anyway. The calf-thingee from this spring is still rearing it's ugly head from time to time so I'm not at all happy about that. The compression sleeves are a help, though I wish they were a little better (any suggestions?). I really would like to be in the 15-20 hour/week range with this but I'm currently closer to 5-10. I'll start posting workouts when I getting into the double digit hours again. I would say this is due to 2-parts busy, 1-part injury prevention/ mitigation. Not a good combo. I did discover the beauty of the Riverview Athletic Complex (aka a decent sized softball/soccer complex with very runable grass). I aim to make that a staple of my week, possibly sans shoes. It's a little more than .6 miles from my house and couldn't be any closer to my office at the church. (Funny side story: a young guy from the school, probably 6 or 7 years old, was walking home one afternoon and screamed at me to "Put some pants on, you freak." I told him that wasn't very nice and he sprinted home. You could tell he was having a bad day from the way he left school. I love split shorts.) Additionally, I've really enjoyed the Junction Creek trail but recent cycling activities have drawn huge crowds there and I spend a good chunk of time dodging bikers who are screaming down the trails at unsafe speeds. It's a great place to train as it's shady and open most of the year, includes some good sized, runable climbs, etc. I'm simply not a fan of the psycho cyclists. The Mike and Susie trails behind Raider Ridge are decent but tough due to the constant undulation. In that same area, Horsethief Road is an enjoyable, smooth area that may be better suited for a relaxing mid-distance run. The upside is that I'm using my HRM more and dialing in on the appropriate effort for each workout. I've switched from a numbers-based display to a %-based display and it seems to be working a little better.
Obviously, time management is kind of an issue here. Overall, I think I'm quite adept at it and manage myself quite well. I don't mind getting up at 5:00 or going to bed late, if need be. I do stress a little more than I should during my pre-dawn runs. I'm usually on time for things and during those runs, I worry that if something happens (i.e. my calf acts up and I have to walk home), I'll be inexcusably late for any subsequent appointments--especially on days when I have to drive to Farmington, NM. I've never really been able to relax during a mid-day workout unless it was at the gym (but who wants to run on a treadmill when the weather is decent?) So it's easier to wait until I get home which is always risky. It is at this time of the day, I'm hungry, tired, and pretty ready just to read a book or crash on the couch with the wife and dog. Tuesdays are always hard. One day at a time, I suppose. On Wednesdays, there really is no option to running before work since choir rehearsal goes until 8:30 PM. It still stresses me out. I would really love to consistently have a 2-3 hour run before my day gets going. Sounds like a goal to me. I do think that 5:00AM is about my limit, though, especially when the day could go until 9:00 PM. So here goes. I'll post later with an update.
