Running

This time last year my husband and I were prepping for my first half marathon. The 3M is supposed to be fast, fun & easy. Because it was my first race at no time did i think 13.1 miles = easy. Our preparation included lots and lots of running which proved to be a great personal challenge and stress reliever. At the time we were all about getting rest & eating routine meals to ensure there were no digestive issues during the race. Is this TMI?

Our distance running stopped after my 2nd half marathon and the fact that my IT band issues were not getting better. Instead of running the long distance races both Ron and I are planning to cheer on our friends and volunteer instead. This Sunday I have pledged to get up early and help motivate runners from the sideline of the 3M. We have also volunteered on Valentine's Day for the Austin Marathon. Need a new T-Shirt size, you may see us there.

Even though i'd like to be blogging about running the 3M again I'll stick to the shorter distances. After all, 3 - 5 miles is still something to be proud of.

Gardening Calendar for 2009

I've decided to kick off 2009 by creating a calendar for our yard/garden work. My hour long effort has resulted in a monthly plan of what to do and when to do it. I hope this will help me (and you if you are in central Texas) beat the heat & produce the best possible results. Most of this is specifically for things that Ron & I like so this won't be fully comprehensive.

January:

• Plant a tree for peace in the new year
• Buy seeds & spring bulbs online
  
• Compost your garden & pull weeds
• Start seeds in a warm & dry place
• Prune trees (that don't flower in the spring)
• Plant strawberries
• Plant roses (not bare root)

February

• Plant potatoes
• Start a compost pile (if you don't already have one)
• Cut back roses by 1/3rd
  
• After last frost plant peppers & beans

March

• Plant tomatoes & fertilize every 3 weeks
  
• Plant melons
• Fertilize the lawn (after it has been mowed at least 2 times)
• Plant bare root roses

April

• Plant caladium, gladiolas, dahlia, calla lilly, or canna lilly bulbs
• Fertilize tomatoes

May

• Harvest garlic - let dry with the stems
• Can harvest some potatoes
• Fertilize roses & lawn
• Fertilize tomatoes every 3 weeks

June

• Plant Zinnias with Vegetable garden
• Fertilize tomatoes every 3 weeks

July

• Prune Tomatoes if needed
• Fertilize Roses
• Fertilize tomatoes every 3 weeks

August

• Fertilize tomatoes every 3 weeks

September

• Fertilize lawn

October

• Divide & transplant iris (every 3 years)
• Plant fall flowers
• Plant strawberries
• Plant shrubs, trees or perrennials
• Plant garlic

November

• Plant indian paintbrush seeds
• Plant bluebonnet seeds
• Trim crape myrtle
• Plant bulbs to ensure they bloom for the holiday

December

• Plant daffodils & other spring bulbs

If you are wanting more tips I really like http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/. Hopefully I can stick to this each month and i'm sure i'll make changes for next year based on how it all goes.