Running and Hiking

Last week was a super low mileage week. It was hot. I spent a lot of time in the pool and not running or hiking or even walking. It was way too hot for the Moon Dog, so I didn't even get those miles. Now that the heat is a little more tolerable, I wanted to get in some more miles.

Sunday I went for a run. It was a beautiful morning, and I did about 3 miles. It felt good. I zoned out and just enjoyed the nature around me. I remembered to stretch after, which is something I forget regularly. I've been trying to be better about it. My foot has been bothering me a little, and I know it's because my legs are tight.

Today I went for a hike with a friend. The trail we wanted to do was blocked by road work, so we went to Devil's Gulch. I haven't been on that trail in a few years. It's a really nice hike. Mostly downhill on the way out. We ended up going out to a pond instead of the gulch, and we took a different trail out to avoid going up the stone stairs. They are brutal even on the way down.

It's summer in Vermont, so there were a bunch of deer flies on our way back. Even so, it was an awesome hike. I am so happy I can be active again. I missed it so much.

There's the pond!

Father's Day Hike

Yesterday my whole family went on an awesome hike up Burnt Mountain. We said our last goodbyes to Dad on his favorite mountain, rocked out to some of his favorite songs, and toasted him with his favorite beer. He would have loved it.

My dad taught me a lot of things. Too many to list. He was the one who first introduced me to weight lifting. He taught me to appreciate being alone in the wilderness. We shared some really great hikes together. He is at the root of a lot of my favorite things. I miss him so much. I'm really glad we could celebrate him in such a perfect way. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful time with family.

I love these people so much.

Photos by Dori Baker & Dave Boucher

Yesterday was awesome. I did my first solo hike and ended up having the mountain to myself. I didn't see anyone else until I was on my way back down. The weather was perfect. It was super windy at the top, but it was refreshing.

I'm not saying that the answer to life's problems are on the top of a mountain, but ...

It was a tough hike. I was definitely tired and a bit sore. It was not all pretty, but I pushed myself. I felt really accomplished when I got to the top. Not because I completed it. I've done that hike quite a few times. I was proud that I'd gone alone. I've never done a solo hike. I've always been too scared. I've been letting fear keep me from a lot of things. I'm done with that now.

I'm so glad I went. I'll definitely go again.

I Am So Lucky

I am so lucky. My ankle is healing quickly. Certain movements still make it twinge, but it's holding up well. I've been testing it. Coming back from an injury always makes me nervous. With the run, it was the first few steps that worried me. Once I'd run a little, I relaxed and really enjoyed it.

On Monday I decided to try hiking. We did a short, easy hike that was new to us. Family hikes are one of my absolute favorite things. We had so much fun. The kids have been finding new places to practice TKD, and the wide trail and a gigantic boulder were perfect. The Artist practiced Do San on the big rock, and the Bean practiced her bo staff pattern with a long stick.

It was a nice, easy hike. The weather was perfect. It was two miles out and back. My ankle held up until we were on our way down. It didn't give out, but it ached. I had to go slow and focus on stepping lightly. It hurt for a little while after we were done, but it didn't swell any more and felt better after about an hour. I was worried it would hurt the next morning, but it was fine.

Did I mention how lucky I am?

Yesterday, I didn't feel great, so I rested. My legs were a little sore from the hike, but it was not too bad. I didn't miss many workouts, but on the days when I couldn't walk at all, I was convinced that I was losing strength. The mind is always the biggest obstacle.

This morning, Moon Dog and I went for our usual walk. I also got in a strength workout. It was unnerving. I haven't lifted anything heavy since I hurt myself. I dropped the weight down a little bit, and I did a shorter workout. The first rep was terrifying. After my ankle held, I had an awesome workout.

Thursday's Workout

Squats  135#  6 reps x 2
Push-ups level 3  15 reps x 2
Won Hyo x 4

Plie squats  135#  6 reps  x 2
Push-ups level 2  15 reps x 2
Won Hyo x 4  (*felt a twinge in my ankle and decided to shorten my workout)

Dead lifts  115#  5 reps x 2
Modified one-arm push-ups level 1  8 reps/side x 2
Chon Gi, Dan Gun, Do San, & Won Hyo  x 2


I've set a new goal. It's simple but will also take consistent effort to achieve it. Perfect for my super busy life. The big, final goal is to be able to do a full one-armed push-up on the floor (both sides). I am breaking this into smaller goals. The first is to be able to do a full rep on level one*. I plan to achieve this by doing daily reps (as far down as I can go). After I achieve that, I will move on to level 2, level 3, and finally the floor.

*When I worked with a trainer, she had me do push-ups on various levels using the bar that holds up the back of the bench. My bench at home has three levels. Level one is the highest setting - the easiest one to do push-ups on. Level three is almost floor level. It's still one of my absolute favorite exercises. My favorite thing to do is max. reps at each level 1, 2, 3, 2, 1. Nothing feels the way my arms do after that.

This workout was one of the last tests for my ankle. I'm feeling a lot more confident. TKD will be the last test, but I think it will be okay. I'm going to be really careful about any twisting motions, but it should be fine. I'm so excited to get back to regular training. I need that daily dose of endorphins. I'm ready to get my strength back.

Epic Hike

Yesterday the Artist and I had another "epic adventure." He wanted to hike Jay Peak, and I was up for it. The weather was perfect, and we had a good hike. He set a good pace, and I was working to keep up.

This is what life is about.

My legs were feeling it this morning. My poor calves are destroyed. I took the Moon Dog for a walk, which helped a little. Luckily, today was back and shoulders day.

I focused on Barbell Rows and Dumbbell Shoulder Presses. I started with the bar. I wanted to go easy to start. Rows are not my strongest move. I kept the presses low weight / high rep.

Friday's Workout

Barbell Rows  //  Dumbbell Shoulder Presses
45# 12 reps          #10 15 reps
55# 12 reps          #10 15 reps
65# 10 reps          #10 15 reps
75# 8 reps            #10 15 reps
85# 4 reps            #10 15 reps

Not the hardest workout I've done this week, but I am feel great. I love how strong I feel when I lift. It's been a good week. Looking forward to the weekend and another week of getting strong.

Awesome Hike / Fabulous Run / Shaky Muscle Stage

It's been a long time since I posted. I've been keeping busy and eating better. I've been trying to exercise more regularly.

The Artist and I went on an awesome hike up Elmore Mountain and went swimming after. It was so much fun.

Our hike was following a very difficult TKD class. The kids had a tough class too. Lots of pushups and conditioning. The adult class had circuit training, too. One of my favorites. We were super sore for the hike, but it was awesome.

Yesterday, I went for a run. It was the first one in a while, and it was fantastic. I didn't try to go fast, but I wanted to run the whole time. The road was recently paved, which made for a wonderfully smooth run. The hills didn't seem too bad, and it was a beautiful day. It felt great.

I asked Andy to pick me up after about 45 minutes. It ended up being a little longer, but I ran the whole way and felt good. I covered almost 4 miles. Not bad.

This morning I did an upper body workout. I love lifting. I know I've said it before, but every time I lift I feel happier. I got to the shaky muscle stage today, which is the best feeling.

Not quite done for today. The Artist and I are going for a run. He wants to do the Leaf Peeper 5k again this fall, so we're "in training." Love running with my boy!

Hiking 2016 - Burnt

One of my goals for 2016 is to hike more. This is a personal goal as well as a family goal, and so far, it's going well. We went for a hike yesterday. The kids had never been up Burnt Mt., which is one of my favorite hikes. It's kind of long, but it is beautiful and very remote.

It was an absolutely perfect day for hiking. We took our time and took lots of water and snack breaks. Everyone had a good time. We met a few people on the trail, but we had the top to ourselves. We spent a lot of time up there, taking in the view and enjoying a nice, cool breeze.

In total we hiked 5.5 miles. It's the longest the kids have hiked, and they were very proud of their effort. We had a nice conversation about perseverance and indomitable spirit (thank you TKD). These are the best family moments. There were also moments of grumpy attitudes, but I expect that when they're challenging themselves. By the end, we had all fallen at least once and were hurting, tired, and hungry. Everyone tried their best to stay positive, and we had a great day on the mountain.

Laraway DOMS

Today was a perfect day for hiking, so Andy and I took advantage of a free morning and hiked Laraway Mountain. It was a sweaty hike, but it was beautiful at the top. So worth it. I love this hike. It winds through the woods and then climbs up to these amazing walls of rock. One of my favorites.

Hiking hair, don't care. :)

Worth every drop of sweat.

About halfway through the hike my legs started to hurt. A lot. My hips, glutes, and hamstrings were screaming. Then I remembered - TKD two days ago. My DOMS never kick in until 2 days later, and they showed up just in time for the hike.

My legs are super sore tonight. I'm also beginning to feel the back/shoulder workout that I did on Wednesday. It was a good one. I love DOMS.

Travel, Hike, Love

Life has been a whirlwind.

Last week I got to take an awesome trip with my favorite person. We spent a couple days in Knoxville, TN and had a blast. It's a cool city with lots of good food. We stayed within walking distance of downtown, so we got in quite a bit of exercise. Which was good since we spent a lot of time sitting in our car on the way down and back.

It was great to have an adventure. We used to travel quite a bit, and our honeymoon was driving across the country and staying in campgrounds. This time we didn't go as far, and we stayed in places we rented from Air BnB. It was a great early anniversary celebration. My husband is the master of planning unique, inexpensive trips., and we had so much fun!

The best part about any trip is coming home. The kids stayed with their grandparents, and it was the longest we've been away from them. I definitely missed them, and it was nice to pick them up and go home to our very-happy-to-see-us pets.

My goal when we got back was to continue being active and really work on consistency. I knew this was going to be a challenge. I have theatre camp all week, and that means long days. So far I've done pretty well. We got home on Friday and had all of Saturday free for a family adventure.

The Artist and I started the day with a run. He really enjoys running, and I love the company. He asked if we could go for a run, and I can never say no to that. He chose the route - a mile of almost constant uphill. Usually, we do walk/run intervals. This time he wanted to run the hills and walk the small amount of flat area. That last hill was killer. I love running with him because he pushes me. He would be a great trainer. He's absolutely relentless.

During our walking breaks we had some great conversation. He has so many great ideas, and I really love the person he is becoming. After a brief rest at the top of the biggest hill, we sprinted down the hill to our house. Everyone else was awake, and it was time to hike Wheeler Mountain.

This was a new hike for all of us, and we had a blast. My dad got me a book of day hikes in VT, and it suggested going up the red trail (if you chose to) and back down the white trail. The white trail was longer but in the trees and less steep. The red trail was steep, open, and shorter. We were planning to follow the white trail up and back. I have a fear of heights, and while I do try to challenge it, I was not looking for anything scary. Just a nice, fun family hike.

In true Andy and Em fashion, we chose the wrong trail. It ended up being a great choice. We went up the red trail and down the white. It was incredible. It was terrifying, but I kept my eyes down and kept going. When we got to a flat part I would look out at the view, and it was magical.

It was like being in a Tolkein novel. Incredible.

I'm so glad that we took that trail. It was not easy, but it was so worth it.

Saturday was a very active day. 

On Sunday, I decided to do leg day. I'm easing myself back into lifting, and I love it. In addition to leg day I did "pool circuits" with the kids. We've been creating workouts in the pool. It's so much fun and good exercise.

Monday I got up ready to run. It had been a while, and I didn't have a lot of time. Still, I felt ready to go and got in 2.5 miles. It felt good. I haven't had a good run in a long time, and I needed one. I ran almost the entire thing. I've been taking a lot of walking breaks lately, and I was happy I didn't need them this time. It's amazing what a few days of exercise and better eating can do.

Yesterday was a tough one. It was a good day. I got up early and did a chest/back workout. I had a great day at camp except someone kicked over my coffee, and I had no caffeine all day. By the time camp was over, I was tired. 

But, my day wasn't over. I watched the kids' TKD classes, and then I had class. I was excited to be back since I missed the week before, but I was also feeling incredibly exhausted. It ended up being a great class. It was a lot of conditioning, and we were moving almost the whole time. I like classes like that. They're difficult but keep me focused. It was also one of those days when things clicked, and I felt good about how I did. That doesn't happen all the time, but it's nice when it does. 

I was completely wiped out when I got home and went to bed early. This morning I'm feeling pretty sore. My back is really tight from lifting, and my legs are SO SORE from class. Today is going to be a yoga/patterns day. Something to loosen up my muscles while giving me time to recover.

I've got workouts planned for the rest of the week, and I am determined to stick with it. Consistency is the goal! 

Happy In The Woods

Yesterday I lived the life of a cat. I laid in bed until it became uncomfortable, moved to the couch, sat until I was uncomfortable, repeat. I napped. I put my feet up and relaxed. It was great, but it also served a purpose.

I really wanted to hike today. Because of training, I haven't been able to do much hiking, and I missed it. I was pretty wrecked after the half, and I was worried I would be too sore/sick for hiking. I tried to rest as completely as possible. I drank tons of water. I ate well. I stretched. I went to bed early. I did everything I could to be ready to hike this morning.

Surprisingly, I woke up feeling pretty good. A little tight in the hamstrings and calves, but not too bad. I was so excited. I like running, but it is a challenge. A love/hate relationship. I have to work to enjoy it. Races are fun, but it is not a calming atmosphere. It's exciting, and the people watching is great. It's a fun thing to do once in a while, but it challenges me in every way. I am not comfortable. I never relax.

Hiking, while challenging, is my comfort zone. I am happy in the woods. I like taking my time and taking in the views. It's still hard work, but it's much more relaxed. It's a pretty amazing feeling to be the only people on a mountain. Nothing but nature on every side. I love it.

Ahhh...that's better. :)

Complications

Sometimes things don't go as planned. When I was training for a marathon, I was strict with my training and made myself crazy. Flexibility is important. One (or more) missed workouts is not a big deal. Giving up is.

My first major complication was a three week long sickness. That has finally passed, and I am feeling like a human being again. I tried to keep up my mileage, but I missed quite a bit of running as well as TKD practice.

Sometimes my decisions create the complications. Example: On Sunday I was supposed to do a 12 mile run. I went hiking with my friends instead. I don't regret it. I love hiking and haven't been able to go lately. My legs felt like I had run 12 miles even though I only hiked 4.

This morning I was going to make up my long run, but there were car issues. Not enough time for a long run. Instead I took Moon Dog for a walk and practiced all of my TKD patterns. The last tournament of the season is coming up (still not 100% sure I'll do it), and we have testing coming up as well. I need as much practice as possible.

I'll try for my run again tomorrow. If I can't make it work until the weekend, I'm not going to beat myself up. It is what it is. I know I can do the distance, and I know the race is going to be a blast.

Setting Goals For Motivation

March has begun and so has official half marathon training. I'm ready. The roads were icy today, so I did a run on the treadmill. I did minute intervals of walking and running. Nothing difficult, but miles are miles. I also did a back/leg workout with some pushups thrown in for fun. It was great.
I'm excited for a long run this weekend. Long, slow runs are my favorite.

I'm looking forward to several races this year. Nothing longer than a half, and I am doing them with family and friends. The goals are to keep running all year and have fun. I know eventually it will become a habit again, but getting started is tough. These races should keep me motivated.

I'm also making other plans for spring.

Thanks, mom and dad for the awesome gift!!!

I'm really looking forward to an active spring/summer. I'd like to do the Leaf Peeper again with the Artist, so that will be my fall goal - along with more hiking. I need to keep setting goals and keep myself motivated!!

Last Day of 2015

Last day of 2015
2015 wasn't a bad year. It wasn't a great year. I feel like it was a transition year, which is not a very comfortable thing.

Things have been changing, and I see more changes coming in the future. I've done a season at my new job, and I can see where I need to cut back. This year has been a level of busy that I don't want to repeat. It was too much, and I want more time to spend with my family and just relax. Calmer in 2016. This is my constant goal. I know we'll still be busy, but I know I can make it a little less hectic.

I also feel like my writing "career" has taken the most miniscule step forward this year. Super tiny change, yet it feels like the biggest. I have a lot of writing plans for 2016. One is to finish editing my next book and send it out into the world. Really excited about it. This one has been in the works for quite a while - in one form or another.

I want to get back into training and running in 2016. I've got a couple race goals, a couple TKD goals, and lots of hiking and lifting goals. I want to be as active as I used to be, and I want to try new things.

Change is good, and it is constant. Looking forward to a whole year of new experiences.

A Week Of Exercise

Last week was a pretty good week. It started out rough. Monday I had a tough TKD class. I was feeling really off, and nothing went well. I was frustrated. I decided that Tuesday would be a better day, and I would practice TKD. I want to improve. That takes work. I did a circuit workout of TKD and practiced my pattern. I followed that with a heavy leg workout. It was a good day.

Wednesday and Thursday got away from me. I walked the Moon Dog, but that was the only exercise I did. Friday I did a heavy dead lift / pushup workout followed by an upper body workout. I've lost a little strength, but I'm still at a pretty good dead lift weight.

Saturday was another day off. Too much going on. Sunday I went for an amazing hike with my friends. It's almost peak foliage, and it was a beautiful morning.

This morning I ran with a friend. It was a beautiful morning, and we did just under 4 miles. Great start to the day, and it really helped loosen up my sore legs. I walked Moon Dog another 2 miles, and I have TKD tonight. I'm feeling really motivated today. I might throw in a biceps/triceps/shoulders workout, too. I've missed lifting.

Hello, DOMS

It's been 2 days since I did Leg Day. Hello, DOMS.

My legs hurt a lot. I haven't been this sore in a long time, and honestly, I'm enjoying it. I pushed myself to do a hard workout, and I followed it up by working out with a couple of my clients that evening (again - tons of leg stuff).

I've been feeling a lot more motivated lately. Some of it has to do with not being sick anymore (yay!), but some of it also comes from dropping down to the 5k. I didn't realized how stressed I was about the half until I decided not to do it. I'm sleeping better, feeling calmer, and have so much more motivation. Still, I don't need any of those reasons to justify my choice. The Artist is so excited about the race, and that is all I need as proof that I made the right decision. We're going to have so much fun!

My growing motivation has been bleeding over into other areas of my life. I'm working on several writing projects right now and have been making a lot more progress lately. I'm getting in at least an hour of work every day. I'll take what I can get.

I'm super excited to go hiking on Saturday morning. It's foliage season and the perfect weather for hiking. Plus, I love an early morning hike with friends.

Life is good.

Annual Birthday Hike

Confession time. I missed my last long run. My half is in a week and a half, and I'm feeling pretty confident. Not that I will be fast. It's going to be a long run. I'm hoping there isn't a cutoff time, but I'm okay, no matter how long it takes. I took a long time off from running. I am not in the same shape I was, and if I can complete the half I will be happy.

I missed my run on Sunday. I slept through all of my alarms. I don't remember them going off, but I must have turned them off. I tried running later in the day, but it just didn't happen. I walked 4 miles. I ran a little, but it was a struggle.

Monday I had TKD. It was a great class. We learned a fun, new punch. It took me a long time to figure it out. My pattern is getting better. I'm definitely struggling with parts of it, but it's slowly getting better. I don't think I've ever worked so hard to perfect something. I've had to really focus on the tiny details. It was a great class, and my muscles were sore this morning.

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, and that means hiking. Every year she goes for hike. Last year we hiked Laraway. This year she wanted to do Jay Peak. I love Jay. It was a great day for a hike. We had a lot of fun and lots of good girl talk.

I followed our hike with yoga and a run with the kids. I'm definitely sore this morning.

Still, I got up early this morning and went for a run with Tracy. It ended up being a lot of walking. I stepped on some loose rocks and twisted my knee. It was not feeling good this morning, so I took it easy. Something is better than nothing.

I'm feeling completely wiped out. Just exhausted. The Artist is home today, too. Not feeling well, tired. Looks like we're staying home and napping today. He's already asleep.

I'm trying to stay positive about the race. The usual doubts are creeping in. Trying to focus on finishing and having fun. Time doesn't matter. Finish. Have fun. That's my mantra for this one. It's so nice to be back to running and actually enjoying it. That's the most important thing.

Perfection.

Yesterday was perfection.

Our summer was more work than play, and we really needed a good family day. We surprisingly had an empty schedule yesterday, and we decided it was a family fun day.

I had a run planned, so I went out before anyone else was awake and did 7.5 miles. It wasn't as long as I should have gone, but I knew I couldn't be completely spent for our family day. I also had a few technical difficulties while running that reminded me that I need to buy some more Glide. Ouch.

Once everyone was awake and showered, we went out for breakfast at the Dairy Center. Good food. Good prices. Great staff. It was a perfect start to our adventures. We needed the fuel.

Next we packed up and went to Mt. Pisgah. It is a beautiful hike, and we stopped a lot to climb big rocks and play in the streams and little waterfalls. The end of the hike is super steep, and we all struggled with it. But, no one complained. We tried to keep it fun. The view was total worth it. We had a picnic and stared at Lake Willoughby. It's one of the most beautiful places in Vermont.

After we got back to our car it was time for the next phase of our trip - swimming. But, I surprised the kids by stopping for ice cream at a nearby store. We sat outside and looked at the lake while we ate. Then we finally went and got in the water that we'd been staring at all day.

It was such a great day and very much needed. Everyone was in good spirits, and we just enjoyed being together. The kids were completely exhausted and went to sleep without a complaint. Perfect.

Everyone was sore this morning. My legs are really, really sore. And, I have TKD tonight. Should be an interesting class. But, no matter how difficult it is tonight, it was totally worth it. And as the Artist said this morning, "even if it's hard it will make you 100 times better."

Happy hikers

Perfection.

Today began perfectly.

We got up earlier than usual and were on the mountain by 4:30am. It was a dark hike up the mountain, but we were greeted by an absolutely perfect sunrise at the top. I can't think of a better way to start the day.

It was a fast hike, too. We got to the top in 50 minutes. My legs were feeling it. I had TKD last night, and we did a ton of hip, glutes, and leg work. My muscles were jelly by the time we got to the top.

Today, we're finishing up Rock Camp. It's been a fun week at work. It's been really great to watch the kids learn and improve over the week, and they're so excited for their performance tonight. I am so grateful to have a job that I enjoy.

I'm also hoping to get some writing done this afternoon. I've got several projects going right now, including a new play. On Sunday I get to go see one of my scripts performed as part of Ten Fest, a show made up of ten short plays (10 minutes each). I've been lucky enough to have my scripts chosen for this show several times, but this is the first time in years that I've been able to go see the show. I'm excited. I'm bringing the Bean with me. I think she'll love it.

Hiking and writing. Today is a good day.

Brutal Morning Hike

My legs are officially toast.

Wednesday's leg workout and yesterday's run added up to a very uncomfortable hike this morning. I was up before the sun to hike Haystack. I've hiked it before with Tracy, and I remembered that it was tough. I haven't been doing nearly enough hiking this summer, and combined with the already exhausted legs, I knew I was in for a rough hike.

Haystack is steep. We spent most of the time scrambling up steep, slippery rocks and avoiding (or not) deep, sucking mud puddles. It was challenging but also a lot of fun. It was really nice to have some time with friends and be out in nature, even if it was brutal.

About two-thirds of the way up, my legs started to get really, really tired. They were wobbly, and my pace was definitely slowing down. I felt better when we finally got to the top and had a snack. It was foggy, and we didn't have a view, but it was still great to be at the top.

The thing about Haystack is that going down is a lot harder than going up. All of those slippery rocks that we climbed? Now we got to go down. I spent a lot of time on my backside. It was kind of fun to slide down the rocks, though it ruined my yoga pants. I was prepared for this and wore my oldest, rattiest pair. It was their final hurrah.

It was a great morning, and I've been hobbling around all day. Tomorrow is definitely an upper body day.

Good hike.

This Is Show Week

This weekend was killer. Thursday night I had someone drop out of my show. We have a week left, so the stress the last few days has been massive.

Friday I had a few hours of peace. I got up super early and hiked Jay with Tracy and Kelee. Sitting on a mountain at 6am is a moment of perfect peace.

I could have stayed forever.

But, back to reality. It was tech weekend. Three days of work and sleepless nights.

My existence right now.

This morning my cast was supposed to be featured on a morning TV program, but we were bumped for coverage of flooding. I was up and caffeinated at 3am with no where to go. I took a nap, but I am still feeling exhausted. This show is taking a lot out of me, and I feel like I've hit a wall. I don't have the energy to exercise and my willpower is almost non-existent. This is show week.

Still, I love what I do. The show is coming along really well, and my cast is fabulous. I found someone to take over the role that was abandoned, and she's going to be great. I'm really excited for tonight's rehearsal. We're putting it all together. Costumes, lights, pit band, etc. It's my favorite rehearsal.

Show week always takes a toll on me. I take a break from exercise. I don't eat very well. I don't sleep. I'm trying to do better than usual. I'm sticking to my running plan (except my long run on Sunday - 2 hours of sleep and a thunderstorm squashed that). I'm trying to eat well. I'd say it's been about 60/40. Sleep has been my biggest issue. That should get better now that everything is coming together.

I'll be back on track soon.