March Madness

As I wrap up packing for the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, the SXSW of the public health world, I'm thinking of all the things that were going on this week.

Sunday: Worked a lot to prep for trip. Went to the renovated and recently reopened Palace Theatre to see Phantogram, after grabbing a beer at the Amsterdam Bar for the first time.

Monday: Worked a lot to prep for trip.

Tuesday: Worked a lot to prep for trip, practiced Irish dance, rounded up the final responses from our BikeMS team about jersey sizes.

Wednesday: Biked to work for the first time in a while (the "while" part of this statement is concerning to me, and perhaps to you), practiced Irish dance, submitted jersey order for the ton of new riders (!) on our team.

Thursday: Worked a lot to prep for trip, practiced Irish dance, piled all dance gear in one spot.

Friday: Did Irish dance from about 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Worked.

Saturday: Worked, sent out gift cards to riders who won our March fundraising challenge, did Irish dance from about 3 until 5:30, hung out with friends and my visiting parents.

Sunday: Met my parents for breakfast, did Irish dance from about 1 until 5, went to the Amsterdam Bar for a beer for the second time ever, and the second time this week.

Not much biking. Not much fundraising. Plenty of shamrocks. And now, Austin... And after that, trivia night!

I'm still okay for training for the MS 150, but I had higher hopes for where I would be bike fitnesswise right about now. I also had hoped to have started some bike shopping by now. Ooh-la-la, such a dramatic cliffhanger!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2017

Proud Captain Reflections

As I sit here with my gauche (not to be confused with gaucho, which would be totally different) bedtime dinner of chips, salsa, and Belgian dubbel beer, grateful for the fact that I wore leggings under my pants to work today, so I just had to strip off a layer of clothing to "change into" my pajamas when I got home from work at 9:30, I'm reflecting on my day.

Sure, it would've been nice to bike to work today, but the wind was fierce and it was late when I drove home. Sure, I would've liked to started shopping for a new bike(!), but I probably don't have enough money squirreled away yet.

In the end it was a productive night.

I spent the evening prepping for the performance reviews for the 9 attorneys who work on my team (and am grateful that #10 doesn't start until Monday). I decided that I really like reading their self-evaluations, seeing what was noteworthy in their minds, what they are proud of, what they want to achieve.

I decided that's also the fun part about being captain of our BikeMS team: watching the training, hearing people talk at the overnight stop about how it is going, seeing them cross the finish line, so proud, so tired, so grateful, so huggy.

We have a lot of new riders this year. I have more questions about logistics and things like that, but I love the fact that I get to see most of my teammates (I am not the fastest, but I finish earlier than most) cross the finish line. Seeing these new folks at the finish, as they realize what they accomplished, makes the work worth the effort.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2017

(p.s. This week is MS Awareness Week. Please feel free to share my fundraising link and blog with others.)