Alternative title: Running into my 60s

Too much to put into one post! Last week I tackled 2012 – 2017; you can read that here. Now we’re on to 2018 – 2022, although in retrospect, 2022 is just starting — but hey, we’re ending with me leaving my 50s behind. Spoiler Alert: the 50s were rocky, but there were still many good times.

I did it! 18 miles! No, I never regretted not doing a marathon after. There’s a huge difference between 18 miles and 26.2.

2018: 18 for 2018
2018 was a big year in different ways. I got the cockeyed idea for 18 in 2018. I’d always wondered what lay beyond 13.1 miles, but definitely wasn’t feeling ready to tackle a marathon. So I settled on an 18.12 mile race — automatic PR, right? Read about it here.

I was still working with my coach, Rachel @ Runningonhappy, and she set up my training brilliantly. I ran a half in ID about a month before the 1812 Challenge — it ended up being a cluster, but also my last half PR and another downhill race. I met up with two Skirt Sport Ambassadors in ID, one of whom I’d met at my half in WA. Read about the ID race here.

Then I had a 15 mile run, then a 17 mile run, and I was ready. It was a very warm and humid day, but it had also been a warm and humid summer. I took it easy and I finished before the time limit, which had worried me a little. I had corresponded with another person who was running the race, and I actually found her and ran with her a while — completely unplanned and I didn’t even know what she looked like!

When I did MD, a few years back, we stopped midway in Ocean City, NJ — a beach town I fell in love with. So I ran the Ocean City Half. On a very hot day. It almost did me in (read about it here), but afterward I enjoyed our stay in Ocean City.

On a personal note, 2018 was the year Gizmo was diagnosed with kidney disease. It was the year that I kept a whopper of a secret from y’all. Mr. Judy was very unexpectedly laid off that Summer. In fact, we debated whether or not we should even go to ID, but it had been a long time since we’d had a vacation and we had a great time despite all the bad news.

At the time Mr. Judy understandably didn’t want me to share the news on the blog. He has since made peace with what went down, since it’s almost 4 years ago. He  contracted for several years.

I met Cari @ Travelingwithcari for a hot minute when we went into NYC to see Paul Simon in the Fall (we already had the tickets).

I love BDR races, but the course for Savannah (another inaugural race) was just okay — which is too bad, because it’s such a fun city!

2019: Oy! What a Year! Who knew it would be my last half?
I gave myself a birthday present in 2019: I ran the BDR Savannah Race (where I met up with another blogger). Although I hate training through the Winter, a half is a nice birthday present and I’d long wanted to go to Savannah. We escaped literally in a blizzard.

I also met with with a couple of Skirt Sports Ambassadors at the race, and while I had a good time, I had a blood blister (the only time I’ve ever lost a toenail) that made the last few miles of the race so painful. You can read about the race here. Who knew that would be my last half — for now, anyway?

I called him my sweet boy, because that’s exactly what he was. His brother Simba could be a real PITA sometimes. That’s Bandit’s tail in the background, LOL!

On the personal side, we had to put Gizmo to sleep shortly before this race. You can read about Gizmo here and here (again, bring tissues!).

I started my Yoga Teacher Training in the Summer. I chose an online program because we really though we were going to move out of state for a new job for Mr. Judy, but alas it obviously did not happen.

My Dad was hospitalized in the Fall. One of the best and worst days of my life was the day I learned that I had passed my YTT (taking the test and filming my practicum while my Dad was in the hospital!), which was also the day the hospital gave me four hours to pick a rehab for my Dad.

Which began another round of driving to my parents, driving out to the rehab so my mom could visit, driving back for about a month. He came home with an aide, but he was a totally changed man, and by the end of the year we had to put him in a nursing home.

On the positive side, despite really not wanting to do it, I started my YouTube Channel at the very end of 2019, which of course you can visit here. I began teaching Yoga to a private student and also group classes at the local Humane Society (the Humane Society got the money, I donated my time and got some experience).

2020: It can only get better, right? Well, you know . . .
There were no races in 2020. Oh, I’d signed up for Revel Mt. Hood (another downhill race) in the Summer. I was so excited about this race, and a fellow blogger (who no longer blogs) was also going to run it. Well, it was 2020 and we all know what went down.

On the personal side my Dad passed away in January 2020. He just decided he’d had enough and stopped eating. Thank God he didn’t have to suffer through COVID. I did write a memorial for  him here.

Mr. Judy went to a conference out West, and I gave serious consideration to going with him. But I figured we had this epic trip to OR planned . . . whoops. Yeah, just as Mr. Judy came back, COVID cases began to appear (luckily not for him).

For months I couldn’t go see my mom. When we finally could, we had to meet up outside, sitting on either end of a bench. I stopped teaching Yoga except via my YouTube Channel (and occasionally on Facebook).

In the Fall Lola hurt one paw and we had to carry her everywhere (including at my mom’s!). She was just getting over that when she got sick. She was gone after an intense week of kidney failure, crossing the Rainbow Bridge on Halloween. At least like Gizmo, she’d had a good, long life. I never wrote a memorial post about Lola, and I really should do that.

This was so Lola. She was very high strung but also really knew how to relax.

2021: A Glimmer of Hope
Still not racing. Oh, there were some races again, but it still didn’t feel like the right thing to do (for me). After I finally could get vaccinated, though, I began to think maybe in the Fall . . .

I took my RRCA Level One Coaching Course that Summer and passed.

I also started a 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training, but it’s been on hold for a long time now. The beauty of online trainings, although my first YTT was not self paced. I don’t think I could have done that now with what’s been going on in my life. I still do plan to finish it — at some point.

I have watched and took notes on almost all the videos and did almost all the 20 hours of karma Yoga (basically my YouTube videos, but they had to be full classes and that is time consuming to film and upload!).

We finally did get away from home though! It had been 2 and half years since we had taken anything but a day trip. The first trip was to bury my Dad, but it got better from there — and despite the reason for that trip, we also had some fun on Long Island.

We had booked an AirBnB near Lake Placid for July. I’d gone to camp in Lake Placid as a kid (literally in the middle of the lake!) and also been with my parents. I’d wanted to go back ever since we moved here, really. The night before my mom fell and broke her hip. We didn’t think surgery would happen quickly, but it did, so with a packed car and out on a hike, we turned around, went home, and I headed down to be with her at the hospital.

Readers of this blog pretty much know what happened — although the surgery was a great success, there was rehab, there were several trips to the hospital that Fall, and it’s been a long, slow decline for my mom who is now on Hospice.

I’ve been going back and forth regularly since July, often having to stay over a few nights, sleeping on the couch since the aide has the second bedroom.

On a brighter note, we also visited friends in ME and had a lovely time. They were wonderful hosts and have a beautiful home. We escaped to Lake Minnewaska around our anniversary and had a great time — despite the Nor’easter one day.

2022: Goodbye 50s, Hello 60s
Running continues to be low key for now. I think about racing every now and again, but I just don’t want to have the extra stress of training while life continues to be uncertain. I’d like to be here, hopefully, when my mom’s time comes.

I wonder sometimes, too, if my Achilles will stand up to 13.1 miles now. Or how slow I’ve become. Hopefully some day I’ll have the answer to both questions.

Final Thoughts
My 50s were definitely the best of times and the worst of times. At the moment I’m in caregiving mode, again, and while I don’t see that changing anytime soon, I also know it will not go on for years. Well, not for my mom, anyway.

Bandit is an old dog (somewhere around 13), so his time will come some day, too. Once he’s gone and we’ve moved, maybe I can have cats again. There are definitely things I don’t miss about cats, but in the end I do miss cats.

I’m sure I’ll buy a new car at some point in the next decade, but I’m beginning to think maybe my present car will hang on to 25! Who knows? Just three years to go!

This next chapter of my life should have us exploring new places, for fun and with an eye towards settling somewhere sunnier. I’m under no illusion that moving will be easy — I’ve moved about 5 times since college, although one move was just a few blocks from our apartment to our house in TX. This time we don’t have an employer to pay for the move! Moving is hard, no doubt about it.

I will miss the friends I’ve made here. Making new friends will not be easy. I think we will both be happier in a different location, though.

I have not ruled out a marathon some day, either. My guess is I won’t finish a half in every state, but you never know. If I ever do run a marathon, it will have to have easy logistics, a great course, and a very generous finish time. And some decent swag!

I expect to keep running through my 60s, and hiking, and practicing Yoga, of course!

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.