I'm giving Brooke's Skinny Snowman Challenge another try this year. I started last year but never followed through.

It's only $5 and supports basic healthy habits like logging food and drinking water, but also some self-care strategies like focusing on the positive and taking time for myself every day.

It's no secret that I have been struggling with these kinds of habits, so I'm hoping this will help me finish out the year on a positive note.

A used one. The new ones are a bit out of my price range. My last car was a new car, which I recently wrecked by sliding through a red light in the rain. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

I had been toying with the idea of an electric vehicle, because my workplace has 4 charging stations right up front in the big parking lot, but the price was prohibitive. Today after swim practice, I happened to notice my coach had a Volt in the parking lot, and asked him about it. He bought his used.

On a whim I started searching for a used one locally and I bought one. They are doing some minor appearance work on it so I won't get it until late next week. I can't wait!

I thought about buying another new vehicle, but I'm over the big payments. Besides, I still don't know what will happen long-term with my job.

Most triathletes I know eagerly start signing up for races after they finish their final race of the season. After Cedar Point, I was not really interested in thinking about next year, or even very interested in training at all. I took about six weeks to get out of the doldrums -- I did a few workouts a week, a big switch from the summer when I had 1-2 workouts almost every day. To be honest, I needed that time and the rest.

The first glimmer of interest I had in next season was when a friend posted about Epic Races' Battle of Waterloo, a crazy 10-leg multisport race. I'm already signed up. I think that will be my big race next season.

I'm also planning to do the 5K Swim to the Moon again. I'll probably do the Sylvania Triathlon as a relay with my husband. He can do the run and I'll do the rest -- I never really want to do that run course again, it's horrible. I will find another Olympic distance to try instead.

All of my training buddies are into Ironman and Half-Iron races and I'm not so sure that's for me. They're so expensive and time-consuming and my job situation is still in a sort of limbo. I don't want to overcommit, especially since I don't have a permanent, full-time position yet.

I think training with a coach last year was one of the best decisions I made, but this year, I want to run things for myself and find a way to push myself without feeling like all I do is race, train, work, eat, and sleep.