PIT STOP: I'm Still Here...5 Quick Randoms...

Hey all...Just a quick note to say 5 quick things:

1. I hope y'all are at or nearing the end of your racing seasons and that you had an awesome year!  Use this cooler weather to start ratcheting back and entering the off-season - which doesn't mean to be sedentary! 
2. I've been pretty silent lately because I'm still trying to get my feet under me.  Haven't quite had the motivation to sit and write blogs, even though I feel I "should."  What this time has taught is that every time I say I "should," I probably need to be re-thinking my priorities.   There are lots of things on a consistent basis that we do because we think we "should" and it ends up adding a lot of stress.  We either need to eliminate the "should" in our life, or change our mentality about what we think we "should" do and try to make it something we "want" to do.  
3. I recently adopted a new dog!  And what a difference she's made.  Her name is Addie and she's a 6-year-old pit mix.  I adopted her from the Stafford County Animal Shelter, which has to euthanize for space.  So she was 6th on the "all dogs go to Heaven" list.  But I saved her and, in the process, gave some breathing room to other poor souls on the list.  October is adopt a shelter pet month, so if you've been thinking about it, there's no better time! And what a great way to do something great for another living being, in addition to adding some love and laughs to your household!  I've also created a Facebook page for Addie and will soon have a blog for her to spread information about how wonderful and misunderstood pitbulls are, and provide other dog-friendly advice/education.  Stay tuned for her blog, but her Facebook page (where she already has 1/2 as many friends as I do!) is www.facebook.com/addiethepitmix
4. I've been doing physical therapy for my knee issues that started earlier this year.  I think it's helping and would probably help more if I actually did the exercises every day like I'm supposed to!  But I did a 5k last weekend and it was my 2nd best 5k time ever, so hopefully that's a good sign!  One of the blogs I do want to do is about the exercises I've been using, so stayed tuned for this as well...
5. A friend of mine completed the Grindstone 100-mile trail run this weekend (which was actually 102 miles!).  It took her 36.5 hours, over 2 nites, through some very grueling terrain.  I don't know how she did it!  In my mind, she's a true champion.  One definition of "champion" is a fighter or warrior.  She's also a Goddess - one who's admired and idolized and is a symbol of grace and beauty.  It's made me think about what goals I want to set to show off my Warrior Goddess.  Now that the race season is winding down, it's the perfect time to start thinking about your goals for next year so that you can plan your off-season accordingly.  

That's all for now...hopefully I'll be back soon...In the meantime, here are some questions and a picture of Addie: 

Addie is a 61-lb lap dog and total goofball...I'm so lucky to have found her!

1.  How was your race season?  What was your best race and why? 

2.  In what ways do you "should" yourself into doing things?  Are there "shoulds" that you could either eliminate or try to change to "wants?"

3.  Have you ever adopted a shelter pet?  Share pics if you have them!

4.  Have you suffered any injuries this season?  Have you recovered from them and, if so, how?

5.  What goals have you accomplished or can you set for yourself for next year to show your Warrior Goddess or Warrior God qualities?