The Official Website of Ultra Athlete Shanna Armstrong

I LOVE my house!!!!!!!

Friday night-  today it is a huge celebration.  I have spent over 10 hours on the phone getting my computer up and running.   I finally got my internet up and running wirless.  I wont even bore you with the details of what all went on but lets just say I had every problem you could possibly have.  I actually just went and got a new router with warrenty just so I coudl get decent tech support to get me up and running.  My warrenty was out on my router so the tech support  for the router would not help me out at all.  They had to once I was with a new router.  i actually refused to do it myself and made them do the remote serice.   I built a fire in my  fire place while they figured things out.  the fire just smoked the house up but i got that figured out later.   I got to go through my paper work and organize tonight.  Now I think I can finally get back to a little bit of a normal life with a schedule…..just kidding…..I will never be normal and dont care to be.

School-  I like all my classes.   I really was enjoying the Anatomy class until this past week when we went into chemistry.  i might as well have been Charlie Brown with the teacher talking in some weird language.   I tried to follow but I can tell this is going to be my weak spot.   I am leaving to Puerto Rico next wednesday and will miss one day of class in each of the subjects.  i do have my teachers blessings with this but will have to make up for it before I leave.  this means  chemistry test on Tuesday before I leave…….yikes!   I also have to give a speech Tuesday and have a lab test.    My plan is to spend the weekend studying now that I am sort of organized.  i actually enjoy school.

Puerto Rico-  i finally got on my bike today.  Getting on the internet could be a bad thing.  I got the new series of 24 up and running.   this really sucks me into the TV for some dumb reason.  I am 8 episodes behind.   This means I have 8 hours of training to do before I can get caught up.   I got on the bike and road just 1.5 hours today watching two of the episodes.  i wanted to ride more but to tell you the truth my legs did not want to do any more.  How am I goint to do 375 miles in less than a week?  I will make it work but it is my way of jump starting off my season and getting off my butt.  True I have been training but not like I usually do.   Puerto Rico has about 400 riders.  I rode in the lead pack last year and almost killed myself.  I am not sure if I am going to do that this year or not.  First I need to fix my flat.  My bike has not been on the road since ultraman.   i noticed it was flat when I unloaded it here in my new house.   the chain is rusted to but I dont care…..I am going!     i got on the mountain bike once this week.  We have been having some crappy weather and the trails have been closed.   Now they will be closed for a month with all the rain we just got.   There really have not been any chances to get out on the bike much.  Sure my ranonnuer friends get out when it is in the 20’s but I dont move when it is that cold.   I figure I train enough all year that taking some time off was a good thing.   I just did  not expect it to be almost 2.5 months.

Running-  this is going ok but not consistant yet.   i have been getting up and going to swim early and then trying to run before class.  I am usuallly starving and falllinig asleep while on the treadmill so i find myself looking at  the magazine rack.   I ran with the Lukes running club last week but it was just a 10 mile run with a 4 mile tempo.  it was fun but I think I am running a 50k in less then a month…..it is going to be one long run!   50ks are not so bad when you build up to them but when you dont they really suck.   it is here in Fort Worth so close to home.  i will just treat it as a long training day.   the running will come but it does not have to come yet.  i really will just be running on the trails in Switzerland in July.  My big run is not until November….so what is the rush anyway?

Swimming-this was going great until yesterday.  Well never mind.  I waas pretty much drowning in swim practice.   I did learn that some people just swim 50 yds short to make the interval.  I dont get any rest and my back tightens up.   My neck gave me crap this week.  I have a real old injury and it does  not take much for my neck to strain.   I did a long swim workout on Tuesday and then pulled my neck muscles picking up my back pack Wednesday.  I could not turn my head yesterday and today.   It will get better but this neck thing sucks.  It is  part of the real reason that I want to be a fire fighter.  I would love some good health insurance someday.   My neck hates long massage days too.   It seems like some days just a sneeze could mess it up.  My smimming is going to get back to the way it was in the old days if I keep swimming with the team.   I DO plan to swim with them as often as possible.   Some day I wont be drowning in the workouts.

My new house-   i love it!!!!I dont think I could be more statisfied with my new house.   I love it more nad more every day.   I forgot what is was like to be alone.  My grandad was 91 so I never ran arouund the house in anything but full clothing.  I always took my clothes to the bathroom and tried to put them on on wet skin after my shower.   I dont run around naked but I dont have to worry about it either.   I can stand in my closet in my robe and decide what the heck to wear.   I do however miss my granddad and could not have ahd a better roomate.   I found out that his house sold back in Lubbock and it really hit me kind of hard.   I guess it is the reality that he is not there anymore and that is not my home anymore.   this is why my new house is such perfect timing.  I am still in a funk but the excitement of my new house helps.   i know he is with me always but I cant help but miss him.   I have this huge cabinet in my house that has all if his War War 11 stuff in it.   It is a memorial and he would be proud of me showing it off.   It was almost tooo big for this little house but it is fitting in just fine.   It is the largest peice of furniture in my house.  I has old japanese bombs and grenades on it so it really makes a statement.

So I made a fire tonight.  I tried to be cheap and just bought some wood.  I smoked the house up trying to get it to light with some branches.  the flute was not open.  I gave up and then organized my paper work.  I decided to use it to get the fire wood going and ahve a nice fire and internet to relax with.   My house is pretty darn cool.   Next time I am going to just spend the extra money on the log that lights up itself.  I bet I went through two lighters to get the fire going.  Have I mentioned that I love my new house?   I almost dont want to go to Puero Rico now that I have my own place.