Author: Fallon @ Slacker Runner

2021… Meh

2021 was…. Yeah.

I don’t think anyone got what they were expecting this year nor the number of curve balls thrown.

So, 2021 in bullets

  • Started the year with big goals- 50k. 😂😂😂
  • Broke the big toe on left foot running trails in January. Devil shoes.
  • Learned that I did not know how to swallow and went to speech therapy for 14ish weeks to relearn.
  • Went to Yosemite for the first time, when can I go back???
  • It was determined I do not in fact, have asthma. Who knew? Granted Paradoxical vocal cord dys-yadda yadda is much harder to say. Again, a benefit of speech therapy.
  • Diagnosed with multiple melanomas. All removed with clean margins but those are some very scary words. Think I’ve have a biopsy or excision every couple of months this year. Boo. Wear your sunblock!
  • Drove to Idaho/ Washington for first road race since March 2020. Coeur d’Alene is gorgeous. I’m jealous of that running path. Not of Spokane though, ha!
  • Turned a milestone birthday and still not sure how I feel about it or what I have to show for that many years. 🤨
  • Ran another live race in Santa Rosa that felt surprisingly great until it didn’t.
  • Ran one of my favorite trail races again and still smiled even when I wanted to fall down and cry, I was so tired. I’ll be back.
  • I ran more trails in my area but still have so many more to run. 2 of those pics are above.
  • Work is good, stressful but good. Not gonna lie, being customer facing 2 years into a pandemic has shown me a new level of stress.
  • I had a couple more trips planned for the year but well, life.
  • Broke the 2 little toes on my right foot in the beginning of December. Oops. I live up to my nickname of destructo girl, I really do.
  • I ran way less miles in 2021 than planned but any miles are good miles, right?

So yeah, 2021 was yeah. I’m not holding 2022 to anything.

Oldie but a Goody (hopefully)

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Reposting from back when I felt more creative years ago – very first year of this blog. 😂

Also same disclaimer as 7 years ago, the tune is not mine just the words, still no money for anyone to sue me.😂

Also I did eventually run the Strip at night with RnR so maybe I should update this a bit. And this year’s PR might have been in Slacker-ness but I can still dream right?

Merry Christmas!

Hello

And I ran away again. Oops.

Maybe I should stop saying oops. Things have been a little off lately. Work always gets a crazy around the the holidays but I feel like it’s turned up a notch this year. Plus, the change in my meds may be throwing me for a loop. I mean I cried over a pizza last week. A pizza! Who does that? Also a couple of Christmas commercials have made me teary eyed. Commercials, not even cheesy Hallmark channel movies.

I have been running, barely, but have been attempting at least. Some roads, some trails. I got new shoes and have been trying to put some miles on them. Slow miles are still miles, right?

I’m on vacation this week. All of my plans fell through, Mother Nature had other ideas. I haven’t yet decided if that was a good thing to a bad thing. We shall see. I do have some backup options but sleeping in my own bed does sound the better idea so far.

I feel like there is so much more I want to type but I can’t get the thoughts right in my head yet. Or what’s in my head doesn’t seem the same once it’s on the page, err screen.

So hopefully, it won’t be as long until I update again.😂🤣

And How?

How??

How is it the week of Thanksgiving? Could someone take their foot off the gas pedal, please? I may have a Christmas tree or 2 up, I still feel like time is flying too fast.

Between going back to work last week and still feeling off due to the medication change, I didn’t even attempt any weekday runs. I did lament over the lack of treadmill though. It’s not even the cost- don’t get me wrong, they are expensive- but I have no where to put a treadmill. Short of buying a new outdoor shed for it. And let’s be real, that’s just too extra.

So, weekend running it was. Or planned to be. I headed out for a few miles just like planned. I was slower than molasses but it felt pretty good. I really do feel like my running joy is coming back, I just still have trouble getting out the door.

Sunday turned messy. My tv boxes needed replacing and they said Sunday between 12-4. Then ghosted us. WTH? I was so mad. It ruined my whole day. Yes, I know I should have run in the morning but I didn’t want to. That’s on me. The rest of the day, not so much. Again, I wanted a treadmill. Also I may have done a little too much online shopping while I was waiting for the tv people. Oops.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, who is getting out for a Turkey Trot? I’m volunteering at a local one but hoping to get out for a few miles after that. We don’t eat too early on Thanksgiving but fairly early. And there will be no running after that. Even though turkey is not really my thing, I will likely eat more than I should. And then back to work on Friday.

I need to get my trail legs back under me, I have big plans for some future adventures. Fingers crossed. Also not too fond of my trail shoes right now but what else is new. I swear I never used to have these issues, haha.

Any plans for the week?

Hey Now

Once again, I disappeared longer than planned. Oops.

I actually had last week off of work as a postponed vacation from October. It was only going to be a couple of days but combined with Veteran’s Day, it turned into the whole week. I didn’t really have any plans but sometimes those weeks are needed.

I ran some, I slept some, I ate yummy food and watched some movies. There may or may not be a Christmas Tree up. Maybe 2. I also may have gone full Hallmark channel character and there may be a 7 foot tree in my bedroom. May be.

I had my quarterly strip search with the dermatologist and they took another biopsy. This time higher on my back. And damn did it hurt more than the last ones. I swear it even hurt more than the full on melanoma incisions and those needed stitches. It put running on the backburner the last few days of vacation as I couldn’t figure out a sports bra that didn’t hurt. Boo. Good news is that although it did show cancerous cells, they said the got it all.

I also made the choice to stop 2 of my medications. I’ve been thinking about it for some time now as I honestly think the side effects were outweighing the positives. Whether or not that remains to be true though is still to be seen. So it’s been a detoxing couple weeks.

I was actually running consistent and smart at the beginning of vacation. I was really enjoying my runs. I wish I could say I was continuing that this week but damn I forgot how dark it is now when I get out of work. I’m not adjusted yet even though I usually love this time of year. I have all of my lights ready though.

One of my favorite local races is this weekend. Rescheduled from it’s usual month. I so want to run it. However even I am not stupid enough to jump into a half marathon right now. But I am sad.

I am also still in denial that next week is Thanksgiving though. How is that even possible? I just can’t wrap my head around it.

So, how have you been?