NaNoWriMo: final day

In honor of the end of NaNoWriMo 2009 (you still have 1 hour and 50 minute remaining, those of you who are on the West Coast and still madly typing away toward the last minute), I found a YouTube video - for all we have written this month, be it 50k, or 100k or 10k. We are leaving this month with that many more words of our stories written than we started it with.

Congratulations on whatever you have written or are still to write in the now, 1 hour and 47 minutes.



Way to go, everyone!

NaNo-Marathon: lessons in acceptance

Well, I walked the half marathon this morning. I suppose I could say record time, since it's the first one I've ever done. But I didn't quite make my goal of 17 minute miles, but I was less than a minute off in miles per minute (3h 55m instead of 3h 47m). I'll take that time; I completed 13.1 miles when a week ago I wasn't sure I was even going to be able to do it at any pace.

It's like with my NaNoNovel - I made the 50k at 1:45 AM on Wednesday 11/27 and feel proud to have done that. But my goal this year was to have completed the story by midnight on November 30th. I will not do that. My story is a mystery about a relay walking team whose quest for personal bests becomes a quest for survival. At my current word count of about 51,500 words, the characters have just arrived in the town the day before the event. I estimate I'll need about another 20,000 or so words to complete the story. Even if I wrote from now until midnight tomorrow (which isn't going to happen), I don't think I could do it. It would be a pace I can't sustain, especially not when I'll probably go to bed early, being pooped from the half marathon this morning. Nope.

Aside from personal accomplishment, each activity also provided me with a great community of fellow travelers in the journeys.

For the Seattle Marathon, there was a great community of friends from the Miss Fit Dragons - Karen, Teri, Kathleen, and Tawna - who agreed to do the event. Everyone provided mutual support and encouragement. This morning, a cousin and a husband joined in the walking - Rob and Angie - and it was great to have them with us. Among our supporters and cheering section were other husbands and a daughter - Louie, Lindsay, and Bob. I also want to say a special thank you to Karen for walking with me and being my personal encourager today; she could have completed the 13.1 miles at least half an hour earlier on her own, but our conversation and her "c'mon, Dot"s helped me keep going when I thought I couldn't do it. And a special thanks to Teri, who showed me some awesome trails, hills, training spots in Portland that I never knew existed. To both of them - thank you for joining me on the 9+ mile walks. It helped. A lot.

For NaNoWriMo, my community of writers went beyond local friends. My writing community included many in the Portland area, and a few from places such as Egypt, Wisconsin, New York, Chicago, and Texas - emails and forum posts helped keep ideas percolating and helped keep me typing. I want to especially thank Jenny for the multiple writing meet-ups at various hours of the day and days of the week and her email support. She is an awesome writer and she is an awesome human being. A big thanks to Christi for all of her support and blog comments and words of encouragement and congratulations. And to Alexander who gave it a shot and met up with us a few times to write. He and I will be working on completing our novels in December - as will, I think, Jenny and Christi.

November was a challenge I took on with excitement and a willingness to try what some people said was impossible: NaNoWriMo and training for a half marathon simultaneously, while maintaining my regular work and teaching. Two major events completed. Personal goals not met, but the minimum requirements met.

I am humbled and on my way to acceptance.

NaNoWriMo & Half Marathon

I am on the brink of the finish line for both events. Yes, I hit the 50k on my second nanonovel, but the sprinting continues and the story goes on. As of just before midnight yesterday, my current count is 51,549 words.

With the half marathon, that will be over about 24 hours from now. I picked up my bib and race pack yesterday. They included a chip! I hadn't planned on that, but I find myself with a little more excitement about my pace than I had been. I had almost given up the pace issue - well, accepted that I may not make my pace because of getting that lengthy cold (which is 90-95% gone). But now, with my cold nearly gone, the predicted excellent weather, and a timing chip - well, I may just be able to push myself a little more than I thought I could on Wednesday.

Today, is a "taking it easy" day all around. Stretched this morning. Showered late. Found the lovely Tillicum Place Cafe just a few blocks from the hotel for brunch (the hotel restaurant stops breakfast at 10:30 - on a Saturday?!?!) - where I got a simple, non-spicy, non-greasy, easy on the digestive system small (yay!) omelette, with simple potatoes, and a tasty fruit garnish, and a small pot of french press. Yummy, simple, yet flavorful - perfect for the protein, some carbs, not a huge portion, non challenging to my system, good fuel for tomorrow. Easy.

That's the goal for today: easy does it. I probably won't nano today, but I may work on a piece I'm thinking of submitting for a contest; if I do, the deadline is Monday. I will write a pre-first-half-marathon piece, as well. And strech some more. Walk to Buca di Beppo for dinner with my fitness friends at 5. Then, read, watch tv, take a bath - I don't know - rest. And to bed early because I'll be getting up about 5:30 AM so I'll have time for water and a carb-protein breakfast with time to digest it before the race.

Me, in Seattle, takin' it easy in preparation for my first half marathon and then the final write on my nanonovel. I at least want the novel's main event started before the end of NaNoWriMo.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

NaNoWriMo: day 27

I wrote a little bit today. Not a lot because I brought the train up to Seattle in preparation for my half marathon on Sunday. One reason I brought the train up was so I could use that time for writing. But I did not get much done for two reasons (1) lack of sleep necessitated a nap, and (2) my laptop battery has a really short life. Really. It went from 97% to 25% in about 35 minutes. Ouch.

Still, I did manage another 600+ words. I may do more in a little while. I spent the afternoon going to Blue C Sushi - my favorite Kaiten style sushi and the only one I know who has Gomasee (steamed spinach piles in a sesame soy sauce). Then I went to pick up my race packet: bib, timing chip (that may spurn me on to go for the time a little! as long as my lungs hold out), race shirt - and, of course, to walk the expo and look at things and pick up a few things. I love running/walking event expos - so much cool stuff to look at.

And I've been back in my hotel for about and hour now, indulging in a little television (yeah, for Law and Order, and CSI). Think I'll write for a little while more then go to sleep.

Yawn. It feels great to be past the 50,000 and I do want to maintain momentum on this story. It would be a very difficult one to put down and pick back up after a month or two.

NaNoWriMo: day 26 early morning

At 1:45 AM I became a winner. Yes, I passed the 50,000 mark (50,159 currently). My characters have arrived at their destination, although the event has yet to start.

I am a Winner!

Now, home to sleep so that I can get up and bake the turkey! I haven't done this in years, but am confident I'll remember how, with the help of a recipe. (Oh, look, my contractions are back! Yay)

Marathon Wish

On Sunday, November 29th, I will be participating in my first half marathon in Seattle. (Yes, I have been training for a half marathon and writing the draft of a 50,000+ word novel simultaneously, on top of my regular life.) I really really want it to NOT be raining. Please. So I am really happy to see the following weather prediction for Sunday for Seattle:

Seattle, WA

-Fri----- ---Sat---------Sun
---- - -----
48° | 42° -47° | 44°- --51° | 43°

All I am asking for is *no rain.* I can deal with the cold (layers that come off and go back on as needed) and a little wind. But, please, no rain. So: please pray or chant or sing or send out energy waves, or whatever you do that Sunday in Seattle there is no rain. I like the above prediction. That would be perfect. Just perfect.

Thank you. *grin*

(Back to the nanonovel; I am currently at 48,832. Almost at 50k. I will make it tonight (which is now the morning, but who's counting, right?))

nano nearing midnight update

With ten minutes to go until midnight, my word count on my 2009 nanonovel is 47,581.

NaNoWriMo: day 25

This is the day I was hoping to have the 50,000 done. I don't think I am going to make it, but I am close. And I am at one of my favorite writing spots - one of the few 24 hour joints with coffee and wifi and lighting in Portland. So I will see what I can do in the next 85 minutes. But, as of right now, my total word count is: 45,328.

nano night notes

Today I spent a couple hours between an appointment, errands, and work doing what? Oh, writing! My evening word count - and perhaps my final number for the day - is:

43,468

(and it seems we are getting to the main event in the story - finally!)