2005... A Year in Review
Kevin did this and it looked like fun. Plus I'm having trouble sleeping because Ken isn't here tonight.
The New Year was rung in with a great showing of Napoleon Dynamite with Peter and Jenna. We were so into the movie we missed the ball drop! Shortly after that, I had my ACL surgery. I had a few docs and physical therapists say it would be highly unlikely I would log roll in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, or at all in the summer. Nothing like a threat like that to kick in the determination. At least an hour and a half a day of rehab for the next four months, and I was back to running and log rolling with a much greater love and appreciation for what my body is capable of.
Winter was a busy blur of work and physical therapy. Thank god I had Ken to keep me sane. Although with how busy he was with school, I'm sure he'd say the same thing!
In the spring, Ken and I ran a 5K or 10K race almost every weekend. I actually won one! It's a great way to give money to charity, and an ever better way to stay in shape!
Mid May Olivia and I got a half log in the pool at Supreme. Thus began our insane log rolling training. Soon after we started teaching our classes on Lake Wingra and the summer defined by log rolling and boom running began. We taught classes and trained at the lake about 3 - 4 hours daily. Every weekend was a trip to some major tournament. Work slowed down as it usually does during the summer months, but log rolling made life busier than ever! I got fourth at the World Championships, and won my first professional log rolling tournament in Grand Marias, Minnesota.
In June (thanks to the wonderful help of Ken, Jamie, Kevin, Olivia, the Judds, and my Daddy... Ken's "silly" idea of having a boom run in lake Wingra became a reality. My dad drove hours and hours, Jamie and Kevin did the grunt work of finding the logs, Olivia and her family helped fund it, and Ken put the huge thing together! Olivia, Ken, and I trained our butts off on that thing and it really paid off. Ken held his own as a first year boom runner; impressing all of the pros. And he also proved himself an amazing first year log roller by getting a fall on a pro! Olivia placed 6th in the boom at the World Championships, and I happily won third. The boom running season came to a spectacular end when I won the STIHL Timbersport Series Championships in the boom run. I beat the unbeatable Mandy (I love you Mandy, you're amazing) and felt really darn good about myself.
Ken, Olivia, and I had some wonderful travels and memories over the summer because of this great sport. But when the summer was over, it was almost a relief to get back to normal. I never thought I'd say this, but I was pretty darn burnt out.
The end of the summer Ken and I finally moved into our beautiful apartment on the lake. The kitties love all of the animals out the millions of windows we have. They also have more room to run, play, and break things. We have wonderful neighbors and the best view in Madison.
This fall Ken went back to school and it took over his friggin' life. It's amazing what those vet students have to go through. But he successfully completed his first spay and now knows more than I'd ever want to know about pigs.
I spend the fall dieting down for Fitness America Nationals. The diet, training and routine went really well. I didn't have to change anything because nobody saw my routine last year with the whole knee incident! I won a small show in Wausau, WI in October. After some finishing touches (and more insane dieting) I went out to Cali for two more shows. I placed fourth at the Ms. Fitness Universe pageant (against some amazing competition!) and met some wonderful people. I stayed with Maggie and Emily and was so happy to see them all again. Olivia met me out there at the end of the week and my stressed out self did the best I could to show her around my old stomping grounds. The actual Fitness America contest was much too stressful this year. I was nervous as hell (mostly with memories of my injury the year before) and was always stuck in traffic trying to get to the competition. I did fairly well, placing 13th. My goal was top 20, so I was pleased.
My best friend Erin got engaged! Bob bought the ring and showed me ahead of time. Man was that a hard secret to keep! Now it's time for wedding planning fun! Thanksgiving came soon after Fitness America (thank GOD!) and Ken and I decided to cook for my mom and Dad. Did we ever make an amazing meal! Ken is the master of good turkey, and I tried my hand at pumpkin pie and stuffing. With Ken's help we were able to get my mom out of the nursing home to our apartment. It was my best Thanksgiving ever.
And finally... Christmas! In case you didn't read the last post... my dad and I drove down to Indiana and had an amazing time. Lots of reminiscing, laughing, sleeping, and of course, eating! My cousin Heather is pregnant, and handling things really well, with a very supportive fiancé. Amy found a new great guy who made us all smile.
This year was nothing short of wonderful. And it wouldn't have been possible without my family, amazing friends, great job, and the love of my life.
Happy New Year.
Kevin did this and it looked like fun. Plus I'm having trouble sleeping because Ken isn't here tonight.
The New Year was rung in with a great showing of Napoleon Dynamite with Peter and Jenna. We were so into the movie we missed the ball drop! Shortly after that, I had my ACL surgery. I had a few docs and physical therapists say it would be highly unlikely I would log roll in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, or at all in the summer. Nothing like a threat like that to kick in the determination. At least an hour and a half a day of rehab for the next four months, and I was back to running and log rolling with a much greater love and appreciation for what my body is capable of.
Winter was a busy blur of work and physical therapy. Thank god I had Ken to keep me sane. Although with how busy he was with school, I'm sure he'd say the same thing!
In the spring, Ken and I ran a 5K or 10K race almost every weekend. I actually won one! It's a great way to give money to charity, and an ever better way to stay in shape!
Mid May Olivia and I got a half log in the pool at Supreme. Thus began our insane log rolling training. Soon after we started teaching our classes on Lake Wingra and the summer defined by log rolling and boom running began. We taught classes and trained at the lake about 3 - 4 hours daily. Every weekend was a trip to some major tournament. Work slowed down as it usually does during the summer months, but log rolling made life busier than ever! I got fourth at the World Championships, and won my first professional log rolling tournament in Grand Marias, Minnesota.
In June (thanks to the wonderful help of Ken, Jamie, Kevin, Olivia, the Judds, and my Daddy... Ken's "silly" idea of having a boom run in lake Wingra became a reality. My dad drove hours and hours, Jamie and Kevin did the grunt work of finding the logs, Olivia and her family helped fund it, and Ken put the huge thing together! Olivia, Ken, and I trained our butts off on that thing and it really paid off. Ken held his own as a first year boom runner; impressing all of the pros. And he also proved himself an amazing first year log roller by getting a fall on a pro! Olivia placed 6th in the boom at the World Championships, and I happily won third. The boom running season came to a spectacular end when I won the STIHL Timbersport Series Championships in the boom run. I beat the unbeatable Mandy (I love you Mandy, you're amazing) and felt really darn good about myself.
Ken, Olivia, and I had some wonderful travels and memories over the summer because of this great sport. But when the summer was over, it was almost a relief to get back to normal. I never thought I'd say this, but I was pretty darn burnt out.
The end of the summer Ken and I finally moved into our beautiful apartment on the lake. The kitties love all of the animals out the millions of windows we have. They also have more room to run, play, and break things. We have wonderful neighbors and the best view in Madison.
This fall Ken went back to school and it took over his friggin' life. It's amazing what those vet students have to go through. But he successfully completed his first spay and now knows more than I'd ever want to know about pigs.
I spend the fall dieting down for Fitness America Nationals. The diet, training and routine went really well. I didn't have to change anything because nobody saw my routine last year with the whole knee incident! I won a small show in Wausau, WI in October. After some finishing touches (and more insane dieting) I went out to Cali for two more shows. I placed fourth at the Ms. Fitness Universe pageant (against some amazing competition!) and met some wonderful people. I stayed with Maggie and Emily and was so happy to see them all again. Olivia met me out there at the end of the week and my stressed out self did the best I could to show her around my old stomping grounds. The actual Fitness America contest was much too stressful this year. I was nervous as hell (mostly with memories of my injury the year before) and was always stuck in traffic trying to get to the competition. I did fairly well, placing 13th. My goal was top 20, so I was pleased.
My best friend Erin got engaged! Bob bought the ring and showed me ahead of time. Man was that a hard secret to keep! Now it's time for wedding planning fun! Thanksgiving came soon after Fitness America (thank GOD!) and Ken and I decided to cook for my mom and Dad. Did we ever make an amazing meal! Ken is the master of good turkey, and I tried my hand at pumpkin pie and stuffing. With Ken's help we were able to get my mom out of the nursing home to our apartment. It was my best Thanksgiving ever.
And finally... Christmas! In case you didn't read the last post... my dad and I drove down to Indiana and had an amazing time. Lots of reminiscing, laughing, sleeping, and of course, eating! My cousin Heather is pregnant, and handling things really well, with a very supportive fiancé. Amy found a new great guy who made us all smile.
This year was nothing short of wonderful. And it wouldn't have been possible without my family, amazing friends, great job, and the love of my life.
Happy New Year.
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