Be prepared.

Its fitting that yesterday was April Fool's Day, because it marked the beginning of one of the most insanely busy months I have ever faced in a lifetime of insane busy-ness. I have known this month was coming since the beginning of this semester, and yet I still feel totally overwhelmed and unprepared. Here's a quick run-down of the highlights:

Sunday, April 3, 8am: The Striders' Cherry Pit 10-miler. Last year, I ran this having not run more than a 5K since the B&A Half-Marathon in early March. I swore I would not do that again... Guess who's doing that again?

Sunday, April 3, 4-6pm: The first meeting of my tri-training class, during which we will be doing a bike ride and 1-mile run. I finally picked up a bike yesterday, which I will take out today for my first actual, outdoor bike ride in about 12 years. Combine my inexperience on the bike with the fatigue I'll be feeling from the 10-miler in the morning and you get some major insecurity. The last-picked-kid-in-gym-class in me is a little nervous that I'll get kicked out of the class.

Thursday, April 7:  Presentation in my Career counseling class. This is probably the thing I'm best prepared for and least worried about this month. Phew!

Saturday, April 9: Montgomery County Road Runner's Difficult Cross-Country 8K. This is a race I ran last year and loved, but I have not run XC since last summer, so I'm a bit afraid of twisting my ankle (or worse). I may skip this if I'm too behind on schoolwork, but I really want to run it.

Sunday, April 10th: Tri-training class #2, in which we will be swimming. I am terrified. I have been struggling to keep up with my swim practices and I still can't seem to swim underwater.

Thursday, April 14th: Academic Day of Reckoning #1: I have major assignments due in two out of three classes. I have a little done on each, but not nearly enough given...

Saturday, April 16th: Day of Reckoning #2: I take the National Counselor Exam, a comprehensive exam on all four years of my counseling studies, which I have to pass in order to be licensed. Why did two of my professors make major assignments due the same week that many of my classmates and I are taking this exam? Your guess is as good as mine.

Sunday, April 17th: Tri-training class #3. This one is on the bike again. I hope to feel more comfortable by then.

Thursday, April 21st: My good friend is going to have the greatest birthday party ever, and I am going to lend my DJ skills. This will be fun, but I wish I had more time to plan for it, because it needs to be good!

Saturday, April 22nd: My friend Pat and I will be in Ridgway, PA for our friends' wedding, which is preceded by the annual Ridgway Triathlon: 5 miles running, 15 miles biking, 9 miles canoeing. I will run, Pat will bike, we will both canoe. I'm a little afraid of the last part, because we have only practiced a few times and 9 miles is a long way in a canoe. Also, we don't start until 11am and need to be done in time to start the wedding festivities at 5pm.

Thursday, April 28th: Day of Reckoning #3: My pro-seminar paper (which is Loyola's equivalent of a thesis) is due. I have a near-complete draft of this (we've been turning in chapters all semester), but it is ROUGH, and I would like to turn in a much better finished product.

Sunday, April 30th: The second annual Arbutus Spring Fling 5K, organized by my running buddy Val.

Sunday, May 1st: Tri-training class #4. Swimming again (shudder).

Thursday, May 5th: My last day of classes at Loyola! This is happy, but the joy is diminished somewhat by the fact that I'll be taking a final in Career and maybe turning in all of our other assignments. My Career prof likes to give assignments, but not due dates, so I have a bunch of work that I know will be due sometime before May 5th. Awesome.

Sunday, May 8th: I will be in Texas to DJ my friend Mindy's wedding. Much like the birthday party, I am excited about this, but wish I had more time to prepare.

The rest of May and all of June are also packed with activities, but they are largely of the fun kind and none of them require me to prepare anything. Its the preparation that gets to me. Before being diagnosed with ADHD, I had no preparation skills whatsoever. No matter what my task, I would put off dealing with it until the very last second, then realize I could not possibly get it done, and then drop out or submit it late, depending on the task in question. It got to a point where I would sign up for something or receive an assignment and just assume I would not get it done. It was an awful way to live.

Since ADHD treatment entered my life, things have improved dramatically. I now approach every task knowing I will finish it on time, one way or another. I am also much, much better at planning and starting things early so that I don't have to do everything at the last minute. Still, I do a lot more at the last minute than I would like. I am not facing a single task this month for which I am 100% unprepared, but I definitely feel like I could be more prepared for most of them.

When I face months like this, I always wonder- does this happen to everyone? Is there anyone who manages to organize their tasks and stick to a schedule so that they have little or no stress at the last minute? If so, please let me know, because I would love to meet this person and learn his or her secrets.

Back to studying and bike riding!