Sunday, December 21, 2008

All change..

A few things haven't changed since I last posted:
  • it is, once again, 3 weeks since I last posted..
  • I am still keeping up my maintenance runs, managing a good 10 miler every weekend. This is a big change (bingo!) from my past post-marathon periods where I have taken it very easy between training schedules. I'm hoping a base of 20-25 miles per week will make marathon training easier.. Of which more, later.
A big thing has changed, however, which goes some way towards explaining why it's been 3 weeks since I've last posted:
  • the prospects for my freelance career have taken a bit of a downward turn. Various opportunities have become much less concrete in current climate;
  • and as a result I have decided I need to stay in my current position for little bit longer. Writing this down feels like such a climb-down. It very much felt like that. I was so looking forward to being completely freelance. However, economic necessity and practical considerations forced me to reconsider. It was not an easy decision to make, but it's done.
  • Not all is bad though. As a result of my uncharacteristic frankness with my boss, concrete steps are being taken to hire me an assistant in the New Year. The list of jobs I put together that I no longer wanted to do? That has become her job description... She's a nice person as well and I'm looking forward to working with her.
So after a tough week where I really wasn't sure which way to go (and lots of runs trying to work things out in my head) I am back at work and, strangely enough, feeling quite optimistic about it all. We shall see how it goes.

A further set-back in terms of blogging, reading and posting has been the death of my beloved PowerBook's hard drive AND the back-up drive. (For those of you not aware of this - do NOT use Time Machine to back up your hard drive. If your hard drive becomes corrupted, the corruption is copied to Time Machine.) So after an agonizing and extremely expensive week I am now the owner of a new MacBook and of a new external hard drive filled with data recovered by a data recovery firm. It's a good thing I still have a job to pay for it all ;).

It's taken me a while to get back up and running on my new computer and to get my stuff together. The inevitable race towards Christmas with presents to plan, buy and wrap, Christmas trees to decorate, parties to go to, children's school performances to go to and cater for has meants that my free time has been non-existent. I'm not too displeased with my time management at the moment but I DO feel like I'm on a roller coaster.

Running has, once again, proved a lifeline. With everything that has been going I have been managing to keep it up. I have more or less decided on a schedule for London and I hope to post about it this week. My long runs are generally decent - today's 10 miler was tough but I was exhausted so it was a real "eating the elephant in small bites" run (to paraphrase the INCREDIBLE MarathonChris). I am ready. I can see that the next year is going to be busy and challenging but running is the thread that keeps me together - that returns me to me every day and forces me to consider and check myself.

I am going to bed now and am really hoping to post more this week. I am working tomorrow and Tuesday and then Tuesday night my family and I and a mountain of presents will be taking the Pride of Hull from Hull to Rotterdam overnight (the least glamorous ferry journey imaginable, take it from me - from one horrible ugly industrial city across a rough and ugly sea to another horrible ugly industrial city) to get to Holland and to my parents - in bucolic Oosterbeek - for Christmas eve. The week pans out as Chrismas day, boxing day, my son's birthday (Maritza's birthday buddy) and my mother's birthday - 4 days of parties. Once again, running will preserve my sanity - and my waistline...

But I hope to be posting from the frontline of my life - and I wish you all the most wonderful of Christmases. May all your dreams come true.

12 comments:

Road Warrior said...

So glad to hear you're alive and kicking! Have a great holiday, Petra.

Irish Blue said...

Sounds like you are busy, but keeping it sane with your running. Way to go!

We miss you, but we understand. Merry Christmas to you and yours Petra!

ps - I'm dyin' to know the sched for London!

Irish Blue said...

Sounds like you are busy, but keeping it sane with your running. Way to go!

We miss you, but we understand. Merry Christmas to you and yours Petra!

ps - I'm dyin' to know the sched for London!

peter said...

Running is a lifeline, ah yes. Sounds like things are progressing in your household. Enjoy the holidays!

Jade Lady said...

I didn't know you were a mac user! On the job front, hey...you got to do, what you got to do. Have a wonderful holiday season!

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Susan said...

"Running is the thread that keeps me together." I love that. So very true for so many of us!

I admire your ability to do 10-milers with no race in near sight. That is awesome!

It certainly sounds like you are keeping everything under control... and soooooo many people ARE NOT this time of year. Way to go, girl!

We have our first Prepared Childbirth" class tonight. I may need to channel some of your calmness! :)

jen said...

Happy Holidays Petra!

I'm glad to hear you are making the most of your situation with work- I know you have big dreams but the situation right now is forcing us all to just do the best we can. I'm sure things will come around for you again, keep those dreams alive!

Great job keeping up with your running, that's impressive. A strong base will definitely be a benefit when training begins.

Have a wonderful holiday vacation- take some pictures of Christmas in Holland- I'd love to see them! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!! :)

Marathon Maritza said...

Ah yes, the old running lifeline...I'm using it lately too!

Glad to hear you are feeling positive with your job situation and may the new year make it everything you hope it is!

I'm sure I'll see ya on FB, but happy holidays to you and your family and a big happy birthday to my birthday buddy!

Aron said...

sounds like even though you had to re-think things they are positive and you have a great outlook on it!

hope you have a great holiday season :)

jeanne said...

don't use timemachine!!! ut-oh.....

happy christmas, it sound lovely to me!

Cory said...

Merry Christmas to you and yours!