I never really know what to do with myself from January 1 - April 1. I just sort of hang around. Waiting. Sometimes eating well, sometimes not., Sometimes working out, sometimes not. I don't know if this is a good thing yet or not. The annual lull.

Not that it matters any more because it's just about over. Next week I start up the Disney cycle. 9 mos, 3 sets of 3 mos. This is what's worked for me in the past and I'm not going to mess with it.

First set? Just getting back in the groove, all easy peasy. No pressure.

Second set? Training for miles, medium pressure. Gives me a good idea of whether or not I'm going to be ready and if there are problems I still have some time to work them out without panic.

Third set? Pressure's on. Big time. Because it's not just the miles, it's the holiday pitfalls to navigate myself through.

I was peeking at archives to see how I was feeling in previous Aprils. Now with a baby in tow, I thank the heavens I also don't have to be worrying about fundraising on the side. One day I'd like to do that again, but not any time soon.

I was also thinking about my attempt at Disney last year and why I couldn't finish so I can resovle those issues so they don't come up again this year.

I don't have the temperment to train in one cycle. Too intense and makes me nervy. I need three sets to ramp up to it.

I overestimated my family support. I look back on Julia's first year of life, and it wasn't just doom and gloom over the half-marathon... I had to listen to doom and gloom predictions for everything from my C-sect recovery to breastfeeding to infant potty training, to delaying solids, to discipline to... sapped a lot of my emotional energy to have to defend my choices at every turn. Why do people do this to new mothers? I have no idea.

This year I'm not bothering to tell the family what I'm up to. Needless grief.

I underestimated Julia's need for me as an infant. It wasn't so bad in the early part of training, but as the walks got longer it got really frustrating not to be able to carry one all the way through without having to pause to stop for nursing or potty or something. As a toddler she's needing me less and I have more experience now in shifting her schedule to accomodate my needs so that ought to solve that. Plus I'm making mom friends and working out babysitting swapping so that is a plus I did not have last year.

I got a free blank calendar template for MS Word and typed up my schedule. Had to shove some things around to accomodate vacations and major holidays but it looks decent.

So here we go again. :)