2009 Goals

2008 wasn't really a fantastic year for achieving goals. Although I did manage to run that one half marathon before everything in our lives fell to pieces. Well - that is probably a little bit of a negative way of looking at it isn't it? Here is a run down of 2008's happenings in our family:

• Jan - April 2008 Trained for and completed the Brisbane Half marathon
• March 2008 - Jo (Mark's mum) diagnosed with Oesophageal Cancer
• March 2008 - I scored my new job here in Canberra and plans were set in place to move in May
• April - Further diagnosis for Jo - this is a slow and frustrating process
  
• May 2008 - Came down to Canberra to help out with Jo - went out for a bike ride and broke my Elbow - out of all fitness action for 2 months. Work start date postponed because I couldn't drive. Jo commenced Chemo.
• June 2008 - Commence at my New Job, Mark remained in Brisbane for 6 weeks to finalise the house and finish up at his job.
• June 2008 - I find out that we are expecting a baby.
  
• June - End August - Morning Sickness and a Canberra winter. Urgh. Need I say more.
• July 2008 - Mark commenced his new job in Canberra
  
• August 2008 - Jo finishes up Chemo and it appears as though things are looking up.
• September 2008 - Jo scheduled to have operation to remove Cancer and part of her Oesophageas. This was unsuccessful - the cancer had progressed too far and at this stage further treatment was futile.
• October 2008 - mark and I finalise the purchase of our new house in Canberra and move from Jo's to the new house. We like our new house. Mark continues to go to Jo's a few afternoons per week to walk the dog.
• November 2008 - Jo deteriorates further but the doctors seem unable to fix any of the problems at this point. It is very frustrating.
  
• December 2008 - Jo has some radiation treatment to ease her problems with vomiting and bleeding. It seems to work and she is able to eat again. She remains in hospital for 3 weeks and doesn't seem to improve - although the hospital wants to discharge her home. She goes to a respite bed at Claire Holland House Palliative care facility in Canberra with the view to recovering to a point where she can go home. It appeared as though this would happen - however her fast deterioration over the christmas week ultimately ended with her passing on Boxing Day. Her funeral was held on New Years Eve, 2008.
• December 2008 - I am now 8 and a half months pregnant and looking forward to a New Year with MANY MANY less stressfull events in our lives

SO 2009 can Only be better right?

The first hurdle to get through is to meet the newest member of our family in February sometime. We aren't really looking much past then at this point. However, I am keen to regain my fitness so I only have two goals this year that are fitness related. They are:

• To get back into a routine of training and complete the Melbourne Half Marathon in October 2009.
• To regain my core strength and work on balancing my glutes and hamstrings out with my quads. I never again want to have SI Joint pain like I have endured for the past 9 months!

I have a wonderful supportive husband and family here in Canberra and they are all supportive of me achieving these goals - even with having a new baby in February. Starting with baby steps - I hope to be back running 3x per week by May and then start the slow build up of kilometers to be fit enough for 21km by October.

Not too long and you will be reading a fitness blog here again! Yay!