I also gave a recap of my Run Into the New Year 5K — fingers crossed that I can get Nesa on to give her recap.

I’m still not sure what I want out of 2012, how about you?

Happy Running!

Music is Get Up! by The Alice Project

Subscribe in iTunes
Listen to this episode

Well, let me clarify that. I found a post that I drafted about this time last year, however I never finished it.

Wanna do in 2011

• Run the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon in May, and do it faster than I did the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon.
• Read one book a month (audiobooks count).
• Bike the entire Oak Leaf bike trail in Milwaukee, it’s about 76 miles and I’ve done one half, and the other half, but never all of it together

Let me break down my ‘wanna do list’: The Cellcom marathon did not happen, I got bronchitis and had to switch to the half instead. I set a personal record of 2:28:15 on that course though, despite the weather (freaking cold and 30 mph winds). I am still in shock over that PR.

The book thing? Since joining the BlogHer Book Club I’m averaging one book every two weeks. I’m ending 2011 having read 20 books! I accomplished a goal!!

Biking the Oak Leaf? That did not happen. Sure I biked some of the Oak Leaf, as I do every summer, but I never ventured around the entire loop. I spent a lot of time biking in Menomonee Falls on the Bug Line though, loving every minute of it.

What else did I accomplish in 2011 that I hadn’t set a goal for, but still did?

• Movie Day: 2011: Where I see every single Academy Award best picture nominated movie. Actually, I try to see as many of the movies that are nominated as I can in all of the categories. I try to get a jump start with the Golden Globes because sometimes the same movies are nominated for both.
• Here I come to save the stray: Where I helped my brother save a stray dog.
• Announcing the Junior Announcer: Along with the help of my parents who got the oil change and with it the entry form, I made my daughter’s dream come true and she was chosen to be on the jumbotron at the Brewer’s game.
• How Well Do You Know Your Kid: I scored higher on the test than my husband! #winning
• Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat: I ran Ragnar!!! And then Nesa and I became inseparable.
• Wordless Wednesday: Yoga fun: I successfully did a yoga arm balance that I had been trying for over two years!
• 100 Miles: For the first time that I know of I ran a total of 100 miles in one month.
• It was a revenge half marathon: After not starting the Madison Mini I ran a revenge half marathon the next week.
• Lakefront Marathon 2011: I *cough* ran *injured* *cough* *tripped over my dog in September* the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon.
• Whodunit? I did it!: I *finally* visited Mystery One Bookstore. FINALLY!
• RnRLV takes a nose dive: I went to Vegas for the first time EVER! AND I survived the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon … with Nesa, duh.

Overall 2011 was an interesting year. I was diagnosed with TMJ, I came down with bronchitis, I tripped over my dog and killed my right knee in the process. I ran three half marathons, one full marathon, finished my first trail event, ran a total (so far) of 844 miles, biked 397 miles, and gave heart rate training a try.

What’s up for 2012? Right now my goal on dailymile is: Rock the Icebreaker Indoor 5k, have a great time at the New Orleans Half Marathon and then get ready for Ragnar Chicago! Do I want to set bigger or more clear goals? Do I want to run a certain number of miles by the end of the year? I’m not sure yet. I suppose that’s something to think about as I ring in the new year.

More later!

However, please don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this book and I was fascinated in the journey that led this girl to become Empress of Byzantine Rome. I think this book could easily be compared to The Red Tent by Anita Diamont – which I loved!

If you’d like to join the conversation about Theodora, you can do so here: Do you fit in or do you stand out?

I’m giving away my copy of the book here.