I hope running is like riding a bike

My MP3 player is sitting next to me at my desk, charging as we speak. And my pair of trusty running shoes, the funky green ones that guided me along a 13.1 mile journey in September? They're sitting in the backseat of my car.

Because tonight, I plan on venturing over to the YMCA for the first time in probably 8 months. And the plan involves stepping on the treadmill to nowhere and running.

Yes folks. Tonight I plan to run. Hopefully I don't die.

I'm a bit nervous though. I mean seriously, I haven't run since Nov. 1. There was the nasty cold and of course we can't forget about the month-long period I spent curled up in a fetal position with a throbbing head. Not really conducive running states of mind if you ask me.

So now it's been 2 months since I last ran. And I've felt it. Not only do I feel extremely weak, like I lost all of the small amount of strength I once had, but I feel like my endurance is gone. At this point, I don't think I it would be possible to run 3 miles much less the 13.1 miles I ran in September. And that's frightening since I have a date circled on my calendar in mid-April that involves a half marathon I'd like to run.

So I'm hoping to jump back on the treadmill tonight. I'm worried I'm not going to be able to make it very far. Seriously. At this point I'm aiming for running a mile. Maybe a mile and a half. I just have to remember it all starts with the baby steps. And in my case I'd feel pretty happy with some baby steps tonight.

I did read for part of 2007

Remember how I used to read? I do. But books definitely were not a priority on my list of things to do during the last two months of the year, mostly due to a throbbing head that made it difficult to keep my eyes open. Which is why I was incapable of finishing a single book during the month of December.

But still. I did read in 2007. Back at the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself to finish 40 books. And I'm happy to announce that I met that goal. I finished 44 complete books. That checks in a 16,505 pages worth of words. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

So what did I read? There were some good ones. And some not so good ones. But here's a look at the titles I finished during 2007:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Twenty Something: The Quarter-Life Crisis of Jack Lancaster by Iain Hollingshead
3. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
4. Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry
5. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
6. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
7. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
8. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
9. The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
10. Good Times, Bad Boys by Melanie Murray
11. The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters by Chip Kidd
12. The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey
13. You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
14. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
15. Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
16. Little Children by Tom Perrotta
17. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
18. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
19. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
20. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
21. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
22. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
23. The 25 Greatest Moments in Camp Randall History by Mike Lucas
24. Off Main Street: Barnstormers, Prophets and Gatemouth's Gator by Michael Perry
25. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
26. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
27. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
28. A Match Made on Madison by Dee Davis
29. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
30. Little Girls in Pretty Boxes by Joan Ryan
31. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
32. The Final Frontiersman by James Campbell
33. The Time It Takes to Fall by Margaret Lazarus Dean
34. Year of the Dog by Shelby Hearon
35. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen
36. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
37. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
38. Slightly Single by Wendy Markham
39. Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
40. Slightly Engaged by Wendy Markham
41. Slightly Married by Wendy Markham
42. The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer
43. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
44. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

This year I think I'm shooting for another 40 books. I know, I should increase my goal. Make it a bit harder. But I've found that 40 is a reasonable number for me to aim for without becoming overwhelmed.

And there's good news. I've actually been able to read again the past few days! As in, I'm almost done with The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which I started back in the middle of November. So hopefully there will be some progress on the 40 book goal I've set for myself.

I'm going to have nightmares about physical therapy

Excuse me while I whine momentarily.

Physical therapy? It sucks. And it hurts.

As part of the throbbing head debacle that I've been dealing with for the past month, I started going to see a chiropractor, who wanted to me to start seeing the physical therapist in his office as well. Because apparently my posture isn't the best and it could be playing a slight role in my throbbing head.

I figured, why not. Anything to get rid of this throbbing. Because throbbing? It's not so much fun. So I went to the therapist. And at first it wasn't so bad. It was just stretching stuff with my neck and upper back area. I figured I could handle it.

But the therapy sessions haven't gotten harder. Much harder.

I've graduated on to crazy stuff involving resistance bands, some kind of crazy head contraption and weights. I mean seriously, sometimes the therapist is making me do stuff that I don't even think is possible. Because your arms? Mine don't move in the directions that my therapist wants them to move in. And today? After I spent an hour going through the exercises, stretches and strength-building stuff, my back is in pain! It aches so much sitting in my desk chair all day has been uncomfortable.

I know. I know. I'm a baby. Therapy is supposed to hurt. Because it's supposed to make you feel better. And maybe, just maybe, if I followed through and did perform all of my stretches I'm supposed to be doing three times a day, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

But still. Physical therapy? It's painful man.

Lucky for me, I scheduled my last appointment with the therapist today. And what's in store for me that day? Apparently it's the final session in order to "finalize" my at-home regiment. Fun.

Resolutions? Do I really need to make resolutions?

Even though I don't technically have a 2008 calendar hanging on my wall yet, it's the new year. And I guess that means I need to make some resolutions. Because that's what you do when the new year rolls around, right?

Honestly, I don't have a ton of goals for the year. I'm pretty happy with where I am at the moment. I mean, I like my job. I have good friends. And my hobbies are pretty satisfying.

But resolutions. I need to make a few, because goals? They're always helpful and if anything it gives me something to work towards.

So I present to you, Badgergirl's goals for 2008:

• I want to keep running. I picked up the habit again in 2007 and it was a fairly productive year. I finished a few 5Ks and my first half marathon. And for 2008, I think I want to aim for some more half marathon finishes, possibility one in the spring and one in the fall. But I'll let you know what I decide once the starting gun gets a bit closer.
• Lose that pesky 6 pounds that have been hanging around for the past year or so. That 6 pounds will put me at the goal weight that I set for myself back when I started this weight loss journey in 2005.
• I want to be happy. I know I'm pretty satisfied where I am right now, but I like being happy. And I think I'm at a place in my life where I have the friends, family and extra stuff that makes me happy. And I think I want to keep it like that.
• I want to blog a bit more. Maybe I'll shot for once a day or 5 times a week.
• Books. I'm aiming for finishing another 40 books this year.
• Most importantly, I want to stay healthy. Because I spent way to much time in doctors offices and hospitals in 2007. And that, my friends, was not fun.

It's a long time until February

Apparently the Blue Screen of Death means exactly that. Death.

I took my computer to Best Buy yesterday because it still wasn't working. I went up to the Geek Squad man and told him about the Blue Screen of Death when he asked me what was wrong with it. He just chuckled. Looking back, probably not a good sign.

So the Geek Squad man tried to turn my computer on. Tried being the key word. Because the Geek Squad man? He couldn't even get a Blue Screen of Death. Because the computer wouldn't even turn on! Just a whirring sound from the fan. And a black screen. Hmmm. Not good.

It didn't take long for the Geek Squad man to tell me what he thought was wrong. Apparently he believes the motherboard is dead. As in non-functioning and it won't ever function again. As in my computer was dead.

Luckily for me, I was smart enough to invest in a service plan back when I bought my computer in February 2006. Yes, that's right folks. The dead computer? It's not even two years old yet. But it's dead. Since I have this service plan, I can have it repaired for free though.

There is a bad side though. I will be without my computer for at least a month! The dead computer is getting shipped off to some place that will fix it, but the estimated finished time is currently Jan. 28. And that's only if I'm lucky and there's a motherboard waiting around this fixing place. If the motherboard has to be ordered, it could take even longer before I get the dead computer back. And I won't know it's ready until the no-longer dead computer makes its way back to Best Buy and is ready to be picked up. No heads up or anything.

This, my friends, does not make me happy. I'm going to have to go a month without my computer? How am I going to waste time at home at night? And what about the stuff that's currently on my computer that I'm going to lose? And the Internet service I have? I'm still going to have to pay for it, yet I obviously won't be able to use it for the next month. And let's not even think about having to reinstall a bunch of crap that will magically disappear when they decide to reload my operating system and blank out my hard drive.

Sigh.

Meeting the family? I survived

Meeting the family? Turns out it wasn't too bad.

The Coach and I left for the family gathering around 1 p.m. Saturday, after watching Michael Flowers hit a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to give my Badgers an upset over (then ranked) No. 9 Texas on the road.

And then it was time for us to hit the road to the southeastern part of the state.

We were actually the first to arrive at his mom's house. So it wasn't too overwhelming meeting a ton of family at once. Although 20 minutes after our arrival it was me who was answering the phone, mostly because The Coach and his mom were elbow deep in getting some kind of appetizer ready. That phone call lead to an early introduction to The Coach's brother, who was on his way over to the gathering.

Within an hour or so, the house was full of people. There was lots of food and laughing. Stories were told and drinks were shared. And not once during the day did I feel out of place, even though I was clearly the "New Girl" who hadn't been around this family before. In fact, the only hard time I got was from The Coach's brother, who told me I was expected to eat three plates of food and keep up with him in the number of beers consumed. Yeah, I didn't quite fulfill those expectations.

As people trickled out of the house at the end of the gathering, I got lots of "nice to meet yous" and warm handshakes. But a handshake wasn't going to do for The Coach's mom, who even got me a Christmas gift! Instead I got a big hug and a "see you again soon."

As we were driving back north to The City on the Water, I asked The Coach how he thought the day went. He said I did a good job and not to worry, that he was sure his family liked me. And apparently they did, since that's what his mother told him in a follow up phone call the next day.

So one family has been met. Now it's just time for The Coach to meet mine. And I'm pretty sure he'll do a good job and they'll like him.

As long as the weather isn't crappy, I'm in for a big event

I'm looking forward to the weekend, yet at the same time, I'm a bit nervous.

See, I have plans this weekend. As in the kind of plans that I haven't participated in in about five or six years. Plans that can make a girl nervous.

I'm meeting The Coach's family on Saturday.

Eek!

And while I say I'm nervous, I don't think it will be too bad. I mean, I'm a big kid. I can handle meeting new people (for crying out loud, I'm a reporter, I talk to strangers all the time!) and I generally think I'm a nice person. And besides, as long as The Coach is by my side I think I'll get through this day-long meeting just fine.

I've been poked and prodded, but this? It's uncomfortable

I've had to do a lot of things in order to help solve the throbbing in my head. And I'm not even thinking about the insane number of high powered drugs that have been pumped into my body (and therefore wrecking havoc with my monthly visitor).

I've been stuck with way too many needles so my blood could be drawn. There were MRIs and CT scans. And don't forget the day when a doctor stuck needles in my my spine in order to collect spinal fluid. Needless to say, it's been a bit painful.

By far, the most painless treatments so far have been my visits to the chiropractor. But he's also got me seeing a physical therapist who works at his office. And mostly the therapist has me doing a bunch of stretching stuff in an attempt to help build up my muscles in my neck and shoulder area. Because apparently I don't have the best posture. Today I had to work with some resistance bands, and although I'm a bit sore, it didn't hurt.

But then the therapist decided on another form of treatment. And this one? It's a bit uncomfortable at times. Because I've been taped. Yes, there is tape running from my collar bone up and over my shoulders to midway down my back. It's supposed to help with my posture. Like when I start slouching it becomes uncomfortable. Luckily I don't slouch too much. It's just the tape? It's a bit uncomfortable. And it itches. And it's warm.

But I have to keep wearing it. After a couple of days and a few showers, the tape will start to come off by itself. Then I can just have The Coach rip it off. And I can be tapeless.