26.2 Miles

In about 9 hours from now, I’m going to cross the start line for my very first full marathon.   That day finally here.    4 plus month of training, three hundred plus miles, a few injuries, challenges after challenges, I am finally here.   It’s been absolutely awesome journey and whatever happen tomorrow, I know I am going to give it my best, and more.

I will have my phone with me (no, please do not call me as I will ignore you) and I have this cool app called runmeter installed.   This app allowed me to find out my pace, how many miles I’ve been running and my time.   It also allowed you to talk to me.   Yes, this app will read your tweet or facebook message to me.   If you are familiar with twitter, you will see the tweet from me that indicate the start of my running.   From that moment on, if you tweet me, the app will read those to me (someone please tweet me with different language other than English, I’m so curious on how that sound!).   It’s super cool.   If you are a facebook person, the same app will post the message on my facebook wall that indicate the start of my run.   Please do comment under that post, as I will hear your comment.   Say something funny.   Something encouraging.   Do a tongue-twister words.   Spell things backward.   Tell me that you believe in me, that I can really do this as there will be moment that I’m going to second-guess myself, especially after 18 miles (or right now as I write this).

Thank you for walking (or running) beside me throughout this journey.   It’s been awesome.   YOU are awesome.

See you tomorrow on the other side of the finish line.

2011 in one word: AWESOME

I have read a lot of posts lately that talk about accomplishment or things you didn’t do last year, or even summaries about the whole year, and they were all interesting to read.   Those blogs really made me play the 2011 year in my head.   You know, like those old movie projectors (remember those?  before the HD video out of youtube? I don’t personally, but I have seen old movies that reference them…)

Anyway, I’m going to just list those here.   Both.  Things I did, and I didn’t do and hope that I can be better this year.  Better on things I did, and actually accomplish things that I didn’t.

Without further ado, here goes, in no specific order:

•  Be more active, physically

Back in March when my health were improved, I made a vow to be more active, physically.   I started to hike more, and more and visit the gym more.   I gained more energy and actually able to chase my kiddos around.  I think I accomplished a lot on this front.  Note to self for this year is to be more active with my kiddos.   I want to engage them on different sports and the freedom for them to try variety of them.

• Lost weight

As a result of being active, I dropped 28lbs pound.   Yes people, I actually weigh 28lbs heavier last year.   There.  I said it out loud.   Note to self for this year is to maintain them, which I believe is as hard as losing them.

• Summit Mt. Rainier

I love the mountain.  I absolutely love it.  I love to be in the mountain.   Mt. Rainier hold a special place in my heart, not only because it absolutely gorgeous, but because I stood on it’s summit on August 2005.   Since then, I have many challenges in my life, health related and I always want to go back.   I tried, and gave it all, and more but I didn’t make it to the summit.   Note to self for this year is to try it again.   It’s the journey to get there that completely awesome.   Well, to be able to stand on its summit again won’t hurt either.

• Half-Marathon

After the climb, I was dare challenged by Karen Lopez (t) to also run a half-marathon.   Looking back, I wasn’t sure why I actually agreed to this because running was never been my thing.   I actually tried NOT to do any run on my cardiovascular activity.  I did pretty much any cardio, other than running.    Long story short, I agreed.   Then I had to open my mouth and tell the whole internet my twitter friends and even blog them, so now I have public accountability to actually do it.   I finished upright and smiling.   It was the best dare challenge.   I fell in love with running and even want to do it more, hence the next bullet point

• Run More

This is one of the goal that I made after I accomplished one.   Inspired by my half-marathon, I want to do more.  I want to run more so I decided to register myself to a full marathon.   Even though as I write this, I haven’t complete the race yet, I think I can proudly say that I did run more on 2011 than the rest of the previous years combine.  310 miles in 4 months.   I’m patting myself in the back with a cheek-to-cheek smile right now.  Note to self for this year is to run even more.  I am three days away from my first marathon.   That will put this year in a great start

• Healthy lifestyle

While are at on the fitness theme, one of the thing that I accomplished last year is also have a healthy lifestyle.   That included the choice of food that I eat.  Late night donut binge is no longer in the agenda (occasionally cupcakes are okay).    I didn’t feel we accomplished a lot as we still ate out quite a bit, so note to self for this year is to cook more at home (Yes, I’m talking to you, John)   I am at fault on this more than anything because well, it took an effort to actually do this.   I can come up with ‘I’m tired after all day of work and climb/marathon training’ excuse but I’m not the only working mother out there.   So let just say, I’m going to be better this year.

• Raising awareness about charity and fundraising

There are a few charities that have a special place in my heart and this year I did four different fundraising for them.   I was shameless and persistent and never hesitate to educate others about the organization that I believed in.   Some of my friends have no ideas on things they do.   I think I did an awesome job this year.   Total I raised on four different fundraising event were over $20,000.00 which was unbelievable.   I am surrounded by very, very generous friends and colleagues.  I even inspired others to start their first own fundraising for the charities they believe it and they did absolutely awesome!

• Attend Technical Conferences and Training

Last year, I attended SQL Skills Immersion Performance Tuning Class, SQL Cruise Alaska, SQL Saturday Vancouver, SQL Saturday Olympia, SQL Saturday Chicago, SQL Saturday Portland and SQL PASS.   This list actually surpassed my expectation for technical conferences and training for a year.   I learned tremendously, made absolutely valuable professional contact, fabulous friends and really hit a jackpot with the combination of all.  This year, I want to even do more.   I don’t have a list yet, but I have a few SQL Saturday in mind on top of SQL PASS and another Immersion training.

• Write More

When I was at SQL Saturday Chicago, I attended pre-conference hosted by Brent Ozar (t).  Since then, my blog went to a complete make-over and I vowed to write more.   Well, I kinda failed on this part.   I didn’t write a lot on the technical/technology front.   In fact, I was seriously lacking on this area.   I did, however, write more on my training, both before the climb and half-marathon (and now my marathon).   Those were more ‘notes’ for myself and I didn’t think anybody actually read them.  Note to myself for next year is to have more technical/technology content on my blog rather than just blabbering about my training

• Presenting

Yeah.  Totally failed on this one.   Other than being on the panel for WIT Luncheon at SQL PASS, which I was still in awe that I was asked to sit on that panel next to others that I respect so much, I did not submit any abstract to any event.   A complete blow on this one.   I’m not so happy with myself on this end, but am making an effort, a lot effort to actually do it this year, not just talk about it.   Watch me community, I’ll be speaking (somewhere) this year.   There.  I open my big mouth again, now you can hold me accountable on this.

• Be a mentor

I always considered myself to be a good teacher.  I have patience (yes, yes I know – some of you probably raised your eyebrow) when I shared my knowledge.   Early last year, I was asked to be a mentor to a group of young women in Indonesia.    I did a few talk with them remotely and they have full access to me for questions about technology, career, IT, etc.    It took me a while to made them comfortable to talk to me but I am proud to say that these young smart women are no longer in the dark when it comes to technology industry.   They have the awareness on what they can do and live up to their potential.  The hope is they will have enough confidence to go after their dream.   Note to self about this topic, I want to do the same locally here.   I have a few career day talk (almost) scheduled for this year at my neighborhood school district.   Just as Kendra Little (t) said during one of the WIT talk — We need smart people in this industry.  And women is as smart as men, and there are absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t be crowding the technology field.

• Get a “board of director”

During SQL Cruise last summer, Buck Woody (t) told each one of the attendee to get a board of directors.   A group of people that you trusts, the one that you are going to consult and go to and help you made the good decision for your career.   Without naming names, I managed to get a bunch of great people to be my board of directors.  You know who you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart.    Note to self for this year is to sit on someone’s board of director and help them with their career.   Paying it forward

• Read 12 books, and review them

I failed.   I did not read 12 books in 2011.   Let alone review them.   I did read 5 though but didn’t even write a review.   Note to self for this year is to actually write the review for the books I read and make an effort to read one book a month.

• Never miss my children’s play/performance

Work-Life balance is absolutely important to me.  I am fortunate that my employer is very supportive with it and believe of the work-life balance.   I’m proud to say that I did not miss any of my kiddos play/performance last year and able to attend every one of their school events.   Note to self this year is to maintain that and to volunteer on their school to help out with an event.    Just one.  One event for a year shouldn’t be that hard, right?

• Build at least one Lego set

I hate to even say it that I did not build any Lego set last year.   Yes.  365 days and not one set build.   I owned a lot of Lego Set.  Too many to count and some of them are still sealed and never open.   I absolutely love Lego and want to actually open those boxes and build something this year.

• Call my grandmother at least every other week

My grandma is getting older.   I need to call and talk to her more often.   I have not been back to Jakarta, Indonesia since 1997 and that is a long time not to see your grandmother.   I need to communicate with her more.   I need to introduce her to Google hangout or Skype so she’s able to see my children.   Internet should shorten out the distance between me and her and I failed to do so

• Meeting and (blasting) all my goals at work

I’m not going to list my work goals here, but I can proudly said that I met every single one of them, and more.   Note to self this year is to challenge myself more at work.   To think more outside the box and do everything that I can to ensure my team member will get what they need to be successful.   I want to be one of those ‘I wish my manager is like that’ kind of person.

There.   I could go on and on, but I think that’s a good list.   Here’s to a great start of 2012 and hope for a continuous success.

My Name is Yanni. I’m a Runner.

I’m still in an awe.  I ran THREE HUNDRED TEN miles on 2011.   That’s a lot of miles, considered I started to run on August 2, 2011.   I did 55 runs with total 310 Miles.   Absolutely awesome.   If you told me a year ago, that I would run this much or even run at all, I would laugh and probably said that you crazy.   I always said before, I’m a mountaineer.  A hiker.  I’m NOT a runner and running is not my thing.   Well, look at me today.   I ran over 300 miles last year and about to take on the full marathon and I can say it without any hesitation now that I *am* a runner.

Looking back on all of those runs, reading on each note that I put after each of those runs – it brought me to the moment of each run.  The good run, and the bad run.   I had many challenges, and some of it, almost made me give up the whole thing but I didn’t.   I kept on running.  The support from my friends are unbelievable.   There were days that I absolutely didn’t feel like being out there and run, but I did it anyway mostly because I really couldn’t come up with any excuse for skipping them.    Public accountability, there’s nothing better than that for motivation to run.    Cold 30 degrees morning, 5 hours out on the trail with a constant cheer-tweets.   I am very blessed.   I’m surrounded by awesome people.

In my previous post, I talked about my injury.    Let me give you an update on that.    I saw a foot/ankle specialist the day after the incident.   He took one look at the xray, and looked at me, smiled, and said – this is not a fractured.   You have a sprained.   I almost fell off the chair.    WHAT DID YOU MEAN I HAVE NO FRACTURE??     He explained to me in a very simple analogy.   The duct tape analogy.   If you pulled a duct tape off the wall, and it pull a paint off it, that doesn’t mean the wall is broken.   When I twisted my ankle, my tendon pulled 0.03mm of the end of the bone.   I have no structural damaged.   I have a sprained ankle.   Does this mean the race is no longer out of the question?  Not necessary.   The hope just a wee bit bigger.    I had cheesiest cheek-to-cheek smile as the doctor leave the exam room, look at my husband in the eye and said, I’m SO going to do this race.

Thank you for many-many prayer regarding to this.   With the grace of God, a little miracle, my diagnosis changed.   And hopefully, I can have this ankle heal in time and actually do AND finish the race.   Keep that prayer coming!

The next day – I saw my Physical Therapist.   She worked on my ankle right away, did her thing to the muscle around it and gave me tons of homework.   Because of the injury, I have to retrain my nerve around it.   My balance is out of whack and it’s very important that I did a lot of balance routines.  And strength training.   I can’t run until the race day, but got an okay to do different cardiovascular activity like elliptical or stationary bike.   My hope just get bigger.

Today is Sunday, exactly 7 days before my race.    I’m optimistic.    I spent yesterday and today worked on my balance routines (four times a day) and strength training.   I did even a four set of  lunges today (Jes – that’s for you!).   Tomorrow, I have a date with my personal trainer for an hour of torture strength training session, designed just for me.   I had SO much help, and I’m so grateful for that.

Today is the first day of 2012.   I’m kicking it right.   Here’s to another year of full with happiness and healthy days.   For my people, you know who you are.  I love you.   Thank you for being such an awesome bunch.