2009 Reflected

2009 was a good year to me. I had some great achievements and some losses. Here is 2009 in remembrance:

1. Finishing Ironman. I completed Ironman Arizona after months of very long weekends spent on my bike and in my running shoes and swimming laps in the pool. During the heat of the summer, I had to awake in the 4 o'clock hour to beat the triple digit temps. But, when all is said and done, I crossed the finish line to a very challenging endurance event and now I am an Ironman finisher. It was an amazing euphoria.

2. Running the Copenhagen marathon. In my quest to run a marathon on every continent, I participated in this Denmark race and visited the land of models, aka Sweden, while there.

3. My best birthday ever. I went to LA to the Festival of Books and personally met my future husband Curtis Stone. He signed his new cookbook and wrote "happy, happy birthday Jennifer." Sigh :) My dad also surprised me and appeared in Newport Beach in California on my birthday. I was so happy that weekend and nothing will top that b-day.

4. Getting braces on and off. For four months I had these ugly white braces which made me feel like I was 12 years old. But after a quick 4 months, they were removed and a straighter smile was found beneath that gastly metal. I now smile in photographs. Yes, it was dang expensive and yes, it was worth every penny.

5. Seeing Dinner Impossible filmed in person. At an Ironman dinner, the Food Network was filming the show right in front of me. Robert Irvine was feeding hungry triathletes. As a Food Network addict, I was giddy as a school girl. You can ask anyone who was there.

6. My brother moving to Utah. He got a job in Herriman and took off :(

7. A major bike accident in July that left me with stitches, a sprained wrist and scars for life. I completely lost consciousness in my fall and luckily two men driving by found me.

8. A friendship ending. I received a letter by mail from a friend that I have known for 9 years now. She was very candid in her letter explaining all the things she didn't like about me. It made me change the way I view things and I feel like a much more positive person because of it. I tried to take a sad situation and turn it into a learning experience. I also ended a friendship with another person. Sometimes in life you have to learn to let go to become something better.

9. Not getting a wanted opportunity. Enough said about that.

10. Participating in 30 races. This was a year devoted to training and racing. I competed in events ranging from a 5K to a full Ironman. My muscles can feel it and after Ironman my stamina isn't what it was before the race, but I am proud of my accomplishments in my marathon and triathlon life.

Here's to a wonderful 2010! I am looking forward to it. I will have to write down my new year's resolutions.