The Official Website of Ultra Athlete Shanna Armstrong

I am home

Moving-  I have moved into my new cute house.  I got my keys on Friday afternoon after I took my exam.  I got to move two loads and then had to go and work at the chiropractors.  It was killing me with exitement to get home to start unpacking.  I stayed up most of the night going through the stuff I had gotten out of storage.   At first I was enjoying getting everything out of boxes but after several of them i noticed my taste had changed.  

My clothing looked like it would have fit on a little girl.  It also smelled like it had been in a box and I hardly had room for it in this littlee tiny house.   i started making a goodwill pile and now it is a huge pile.   My taste in decor have changed as well.  I had a jungle room in my old house that was sort of my workout room.  I inherited this huge mask that was about 5 feet tall from one of my grandfathers.   When I started traveling I collected masks for this room and through a leapard bedspread out on the bed in that room.   There really is not any room for all of that decor and i am doing my house with a japanese theme and shoji doors to go  with my massage.  There is really only enough room for the stuff I got from Japan now. I have two collectors masks from Japan so those are staying up in the house.  

I love my house.  It is just perfect and now I have it ready to start massaging tomorrow.   I know I could have taken my time un packing but I did not want to be worried about doing it when I started school on Tuesday.  I still have lots to do but is it not so bad now.   I have a two car garage and it is full.  I dont see how two cars could have fit into it anyway but my van sure wont.  It is full of kayaks and bike stuff.  i have way toooo much stuff!

Failed-  I did not pass the physical agility test Thursday.  We had a maze, ladder climb, charged hose drag, ventilation simulator, dummy drag, fan carry, and ladder pull.   I will pass this someday.  It waas cold and rainy that morning.  The first test I took was in the morning.  I took my boots thinking I might need to use them instead of my running shoes.   I looked around and no one else had them on so I did not change them.  Big Mistake!  The charged hose is the hardest part.  Guys were not passing the test from this particular event either.  This got me nervous but no too bad.  I was not sure how to really do it but I gave it my best shot.  when the hose got harder to pull I was trying not to loose my momentum and my shoe came off.  I was then trying to walk sideways to finish but the hose waas too hard to pull after I lost my momentum.  I did not make it past the hose drag.

I was told I could come back that afternoon.  I really wanted to try again so I dished out the money again for more punishment.  It was still cold nad I waited another 2 hours in the cold at least to take my test.  I made it a little further but not the full 100 feet.  some of it is technique but some of it is just not having the strength yet.   I will get it but it was not going to happen even if i got another change.  I am all cool with it.  I am taking these tests for the experience and know taht someday i will start passing them.

Gigathlon-  well I am on my awy to training for the gigathlon.  I am only 20 minutes away now from Arlington and some skaters meet there to skate.  I did not do much of anything else but I did get my butt out to meet these guys today.   It started out rough with me showing up late.  i drove to the wrong spot to wait and saw to recreational skaters out.  i asked them if i could skate with them and they looked at me like I was nuts.  i drove around the park again and found the skater people all matching and looking cool.   I got out of my van and greeted them.  One guy named Johnny was really nice in taking me in under his wing.  They were on a rougher part of the parking lot like it was not a bug deal.  i got my skates on and when I started to move I almost fell down.   I probably looked like Bambi but Johnny came to my rescue.  I skated with him and one of  the fist things he did was take me thorugh a traffic light and up a hill.  I was scared about coming down it but he told me that he would help me.  I really just had a good time.   I could have skated longer but my feet were starting to bother me.  I tense up really bad when i get on the skates.  My veins still have chicken blood in them from skating at the gigathlon.  Johnny is a really funnny charactor.   He does not skate with this gang often but I do hope to see him more.  In the meantime i hvae found a great place to practice that is not far off.  It also has some easy mountain bike trails to get me started.