Hello my friends!

So I originally came back to this page to listen and update my music, but decided I could pull myself out of blogging hiatus and write something. So....where to begin. I last updated in June eh? I can't even remember that far back.

In September, I started a new job at the UofM with NTS (Network and Telecommunication Services). My primary job is phone support, but half the day is spent writing technical documents and assisting with walk-in support. It's very nice to be back in academia, and I made it back just in time. There's currently a university-wide hiring "pause". But things are much slower paces and "results oriented" here rather than at RBC where everything was very "numbers oriented", which is understandable since it is a financial institution. It was a slight pay-cut coming here, but the benefits and room for growth far outweigh the difference in pay. It was a good move. High five to me.

In October, I completed my first and only marathon of my life; the Twin Cities marathon! It was a cold, wet and rather miserable day, but wow what an experience! A few of the moments that really stuck out for me were first, running past the Basilica of St. Mary and they had all of their church bells ringing and people cheering. It was SO loud and gave me goosebumps and I bounced past. Second of course was rounding the corner by the Cathedral of St. Paul and finally seeing the finish line and the massive American flag floating over the top. My goal for the marathon was to finish and I achieved that goal, but I greatly underestimated the race as a whole. The last 4 miles of the course and the subsequent 3 days were the most painful experienced of my life. I hit mile 22 and my body essentially shut down. Every step was a struggle as my back, legs and feet screamed at me to stop. But I pushed on. I don't remember my exact time, it wasn't good in runners terms I know, but I'm proud of the accomplishment.
As I mentioned, the evening after and the following 3 days were absolutely horrible on the pain scale. I was forced to shuffle everywhere I went as my legs and feet were so sore and tight. I read a rather lengthy article in Mens Health not too long after which talked about how much damage marathons do to your body, which is the main reason I'm never going to do another one. That's not meant to discourage anyone who's looking to do one, in fact, I highly recommend doing one just for the experience, but don't do it for the exercise. The marathon training is the part that's good for you. The event itself is not.

That's all for now. Till next time!