the may foodie penpal.

can you believe that today is the last day of may?? how did that happen? how is it officially summer? the first part of this year has flown by! may now also makes my 3rd month in the new foodie penpal adventure. it seriously is so fun if you dont already partake, please sign up. you never know, we might get matched up! heres the way it works if you havent heard...

*each month you are paired up with a new blogger or reader in a different part of the country.

*on the 5th of each month you will receive your penpal and have 48 hours to contact them.

*now who you send to will be sending to someone else, so it is almost a pay it forward thing!

*there is a $15 limit on the package you send and it is filled with all your favorite things. local favorites, healthy or splurge snacks. emails are exchanged to find out about dietary restrictions (diabetic, gluten-free, vegetarian, etc) and if there is anything you just plain dont like. it may be 1 large item or a few small items, up to the sender. and away you go!

*you must also include something written like a note or card or recipe, its up to you.

*by the 15th of the month you must drop it in the mail and at the end of the month everyone posts on the same day!

 

so onto the deliciousness of this month! i was graciously sent a box by willow and got to put together my own package for a reader named jo ann. ::side note. do you guys send your boxes through the post office?! i know lindsay always reminds us this is a good idea, but seriously it is soooo much easier, faster, and cheaper than going through a ups!:: i got that lovely orange slip in my mailbox on friday afternoon that meant i had a package and richard picked it up for me saturday morning so i had a fun box when i came home from work! there were lots of new things this month and a few that were a little outside my normal comfort zone. but i mean this is the whole point, finding new foods you may never try on your own. 

yum, yum!

i was super excited about the trail mix 1st thing. i have seen it everywhere recently and been wanting to try it. this one has a little cinnamon something in it along with cranberries, its delicious! the raspberry lemonade is yummy, very summery and perfect for this time of the year. i am always up for trying new bars which she included a couple. a new bar in a previous package has become my new favorite. the soy chips i actually passed on to a friend that loved them because im not really a bbq fan. but dont worry, they went to a good home:) willows hand written note explained everything and the last line was my favorite. "and, no box is complete without chocolate!" this was of course what i dug into 1st :) you never know when a wrapping talks about a certain amount of cocoa, but dang this one was/is super good! i am holding on to my last few pieces and am so glad im the only that eats chocolate at my house:) 

thank you willow and jo ann, who i got a very sweet email from thanking me so much for her package! the box was great and filled with lots of new things. if you havent signed up, head over to this page at the lean green bean blog and sign up for next month!

the post 3 1/2 marathons in a row and triathlon blues.

during the end of my triathlon training i was sooo looking forward to a training break. i had been non-stop since about july last year and was for sure ready to take it a little slower for awhile. when i found out i got into nike i was super excited and knew that i could have my break and still have plenty of time to be race ready. well that much anticipated break came and at first my body loved it. run when i wanted and however far i felt like that day at any pace, or rest when i felt like it. then it didnt really know what to do or react.

now what?

all the while everything else in my life really started to build up. work was getting really crazy and sometimes my job is just hard. my class at the time was getting to the final and it was completely overwhelming and really hard. i was also beginning to look at my life as i realized i had graduated exactly 5 years ago and what had i done. there were things i had accomplished i wouldnt trade for the world, but felt incredibly stuck in my current situation. while all this was building i was able to keep it under control for the most part until my brother came home that weekend. after he graciously took me being upset about him not being there or asking about my triathlon and our pure excitement about nike, he told the big reason he had come home, he was being deployed in about 45 days. at first i was ok, i asked a lot of questions and he answered as much as he could. it wasnt until we came back from running errands that day that it hit me, he was really leaving.

didnt we just get to do this?!

that was the straw that broke the camels back. that next week i was a mess. i couldnt focus, keep myself together at work, my runs werent the same, and i couldnt shake this terrible feeling. i broke down a few times, tried to go home from work, and not unload everything on my richard or my family as much as i could. when i couldnt get right after running and had a full breakdown in my bosses office 1 thursday i realized there was something bigger going on. we talked for awhile and i started thinking about post-partum depression. now i didnt think i was fully depressed plus i hadnt given birth. but i did start some research and found that it could be a very real possiblity. you have this buildup for an incredibly long time and then just like that, its over.


in the research it talked about this happening to runners and the best way to combat it was to line up your next something before you finished your current training. i realized i pretty much had always done this without knowing it. i did have nike, but it wasnt for 5 months and i knew that was too long to wait. the thing it didnt talk about was what to do when your actually in it or how to get out. it sounded like a "each runner has to find their way." what does that mean? i was looking for some direction here people! it seems that no one really talks about any of this. i decided i want to put myself out there so others can know that it really does happen to people.


now its been about 2 weeks since the culmination of everything and i am still trying to kick the end of this funk.  i also have been doing some research into another 1/2 before nike, which i know sounds a little nuts, but everything seems more balanced when i have a training plan and working toward something closer than 5 months from now. luckily when i pitched that idea to richard he hopped on board right away, knowing the same thing. i have been keeping very busy, as always, and still running of course, but i know inside i am not back to my whole normal self quite yet. i am signed up for a 5k with a friend doing her very 1st one this weekend and cant help but secretly hope this will be the final push i need to get back on track!

plus i get a date with this guy on sunday!
maybe that will help too :)

the 3 year runniversary

today is an important and fun day for me. it is the exact day, 3 years ago that i took my first steps running :) if you missed it last year here is the whole story! the short version is i had always put a 1/2 marathon on my bucket list but continued to think it wasnt the right time to train and actually do it. till i visited a very wise friend in nashville and he told me it was never going to be the perfect time, i would just need to do it. turned out to be good advice as i sit here 3 years later with a million things changed since receiving that fantastic advice.

not everything has been running related though. for example...

*i met richard which changed everything (for the best!). i learned what it was really like to have a supportive boyfriend that would wake up wayyy before any normal person to come with me to watch me run, i mean how awesome is that :) 

love :)

*i started a blog! i always loved writing and thought a blog would be so cool but had no idea what i would write about, until i moved in with a boy.

*i started my masters degree! something i never thought i would do, ever. its like running has made me reach for higher things :)

now the running stuff! in the last year i have grown as a runner like crazy and even switched my view on a few things. 

#5 the long beach marathon and half maradthon

long beach, california

october 9th, 2011

finished in 2:03:56!! after not getting into my dream race and my original one being cancelled i decided it was all a sign to get me back to long beach. this time it was just richard and i on our own adventure. my secret goal was to break 2:10:00 and i had no idea that the feeling of the course flying by was really happening until i crossed the finish line to find richard and hear the unbelievable news!! 

running and vacation :)

 #6 rock and roll vegas marathon and half marathon

las vegas, nevada

december 4th, 2011

 finished in 2:00:38!! i had no intentions of running this race so close to long beach, until i heard it was at night on the strip. just like that i had signed up and was doing the quickest turnaround ever. i crossed my fingers for a sub-2:00 and came so incredibly close. by now youve heard all the craziness with the race, the mass people, the water claims, and the changes that are coming for next year. if i had to rewind and do it all again...totally signing up:)

theres always a plan ;)

#7 tinkerbell inaugural half marathon

anaheim, ca

january 29th, 2012

 finished in 2:05:30!! this race was all about fun. it was the last one in my crazy 15 week schedule and i am so glad tinkerbell was last. they took us a different route than the disneyland half in september and being all-womens i got to start in corral a! that meant shorter lines at the characters and a finish time i didnt even fathom. plus i got to participate in my moms "last 1/2." thats what she tells me anyway ;)

no disney adventure is complete without mickey!

 #1 (and only) the rage triathlon

las vegas, nv

april 21st, 2012

 finished in 5:14:31!! i finished. that was all that mattered at the end of the day. it was the hardest thing i have ever done and i am glad i can cross it off the bucket list. and somehow it refocused my love for running. it made me realize this is my true sport and the thing i will always stick with. 

best support team ever!

this year i also remembered what it was like to have fun while running and it didnt have to be time goals or worrying about mileage all the time. its good to have a blast too!

the color run!
2/25 las vegas, nv

the warrior dash!
4/28 phoenix, az

 i cant wait to see where this next year will take me:) now its time to celebrate!

the whats next question.

it seems as soon as i come back from a race, any race, the first question out of peoples mouths is "so whats next on your crazy race calendar?" well as soon as the triathlon was over i had the warrior dash the next weekend. it fell perfectly and we had a blast!

in between the 2 races i got the BEST racing news ever...i won the lottery!!!! thats right after 2 years i finally got in to the nike womens marathon and 1/2 marathon :):) after months of waiting to register, then waiting weeks, to find out if i made it i got the greatest facebook post that i was in! richard came running into the room when he was up for the gym that i needed to check my email cause i got in, he was so excited :)

after that question was answered, the next was who was i taking? this has been a question in my house for 2 years, well really 3 since i found out about the race on a trip to san francisco. its a special place to me as i would love to live there one day, but also to richard and i. that was our 1st trip together after only 3 months of dating and essentially the make it or break it as most people said to our relationship. its where we really grew close and he told me he loved me for the 1st time :) however it is an all-womens race and my mom has always said, you wont go without me would you?

san francisco:)

the moment i fell in love with the race!

i was having a really hard time trying to decide when i got a text message from one of my best friends jessica congratulating me on getting in and asking who i was taking. she had already hopped online to find cheap plane tickets and was ready to go if i said yes! i wanted to take them all and richard and my mom were constantly trying to one up each other, at one point richard was talking about making charts/graphs to win his place on the trip ha! it was hilarious and soo sweet that they both wanted to go so badly. richard even sweetened the pot with the idea of staying an extra few days and spending time just the 2 of us. while i loved the sentiment, an idea popped in my head. what if we all go together on friday, then the family (which of course means jessica) heads home monday morning, then richard and i can stay till wednesday for some time together! 

its gonna be a reunion!!
hopefully my brother will make it too!

after passing everyone and the go-ahead from all parties we are all heading to san francisco on october 12th!!! there are already conversations about signs and having t-shirts made, ha! i also get to meet this awesome girl who i teamed up with and got us in :) i seriously cant wait. i realize that is like the understatement of the year. i mean all of my co-workers bombarded me when they found out the news, guess everyone knew who bad i wanted this :)

155 days and counting...

the warrior dash, phoenix 2012.

i think it was right about a year ago when richard came to me and said he and his friends were going to sign up for this crazy 3 mile obstacle course in california. i was all in to be a spectator/cheerleader for his 1st race...until i saw this video...

there was no way i was sitting on the sides while the boys did this super fun race! i told him i was in and the guys seemed ok with it. however as it all started to get closer and they realized this would actually be serious work they all dropped out, so we trudged ahead on our own. we decided to schedule it around what we wanted and that meant after england and out of town for richards 1st race. we chose phoenix cause it was close and we had really good friends to hang out with for the weekend. turns out it would be the 2nd time in 2 weeks we would be there!

friday right around noon we loaded up the car and headed south to mike and loras house. i was coming off my triathlon, was feeling good but a little worried about the obstacle side of the things while richard is a gym rat and lifts 5 days a week but doesnt do much cardio. we are like 2 peas in opposite pods haha. the drive was easy and we made it plenty of time to carb up for dinner and head home to watch a movie. our wave was to go at 130p the next day so we needed to hydrate and rest to be warrior ready!

the battleground was located in florence, about an hour outside phoenix, mike and lora both had things going on so we would see them later in the day. we picked up jessica (best cheerleader/photographer ever!) right on time at about 11a and headed out there. it ended up being a little bit further than expected, but with a quick hussle to the battleground we made it to check-in with plenty of time. it was a HOT one, 93* as we grabbed our bibs, sunscreened up, checked our gear, tacked on our warrior stickers, and made out way to the start line. every 1/2 hour they let about 200 people go so we weaved our way into the crowd after saying goodbye to jessica. and right on time we were off!

warrior up!

about a mile in we hit the 1st obstacle, which meant lots of running 1st. richard had learned a bit about taking off too fast in the color run so we stuck together weaving through some of the other people. it was much easier since everyone was there to run to find a groove and head to the swinging tires. once through there we had to climb the scary wall! its flat and has a rope with knots in it to help you up. i made it up fairly quickly but the climb down the other side was not good with someone afraid of heights! richard zipped through and helped me down with lots of encouragement:) i felt better after the 1st one and we headed off to the next ones!

it was really hot and the ground was super uneven. they added an extra water station thank goodness and we gladly took it! we continued on over cars and sliding down fireman poles. there were a few more scary walls, but i completed every obstacle! richard was great and stayed with me the whole time. he was so good at the obstacles and i was really good at the running. however that doesnt make such a good time for a finisher lol. as we were in between obstacles i decided this was definitely going to be my only! i told him next time he needed to find some friends that werent going to back out and they could all do it together, i would gladly be at the finish line taking pictures! he also thinking about stepping up his game and possibly doing a spartan race in the future, crazy i know.

as we got to the end i was ready to hop in that mud and cross the line. the whole time i kept waiting for the myesterious water slide obstacle that i had seen in the video. i was teased twice only to find nothing on the other side. then came the fire, it was wayyy cool to jump through. and finally the infamous mud! you basically just have to jump right in, no really thats what happens. mind you it was about 2 in the afternoon and it has been stirred up since roughly 9am. so you are really swimming through it. you have to get deep in there because there is barbed wire above your head to keep you really in there. it was gross i wont lie, but seriously sooo fun! 

winning!

we made it!

richard got out 1st after dunking his entire head in and waited for me to cross the finish line together :) we are officially warriors!!!

its all about the bling:)

we found jessica pretty easily after and she just laughed and laughed at how messy we were! she had taken great pictures and we headed over to the warrior helmet for the finisher one. on the way i finally got to meet this awesome girl! we had tried to meet up before but couldnt find each other and then randomly ran into each other at the end. why did we not take a picture?? oh because i was still sopping mud and she had just finished getting clean haha!. afterward we did my 2nd favorite thing of the day, get hosed off, literally. you stand in a line over a wood platform and 2 guys with huge firehouses just go up and down the line while you stand there till your done. it was actually really fun! 

all clean!

finally able to move without cracking we wandered around for a bit grabbing something to eat and souveniors. seeing all the costumes people wore (we saw tutus and floaties on guys wearing speedos, hilarious!) and of course we had to claim our free beers! well jessica drank mine of course. its like tradition :)

we headed home soon after, well once we changed before getting in the car. i would definitley suggest throwing a pair of flipflops in your bag to check so you can just chuck your shoes in the donation pile. also a fresh smelling trashbag to put all your clothes in was a perfect idea. a frozen gatorade big enough to share tasted fantastic after the hot sun as well!

this was a really fun race! glad i did it, once. if you are looking for something a little different definitely grab some friends and tackle this sucker. everyone was super nice and no one pushed or shoved on the obstacles. all the participants helped each other over the wall or climbing over the ropes. ps a few days later we were still finding mud in richards ears from the dive he took :)

the april training recap.

total mileage: 176.05 miles!!

# runs/mileage: 10/42.61 miles

# rides/mileage: 8/117.14 miles

# swim/meters: 8/8,550 meters
highest weekly mileage: 64.32 miles
# rest days: 11

favorite run: the warrior dash! the full recap is coming soon, but seriously the craziest thing ive done and so worth all the mud :)

most hardcore run: the rage run. my head was super in it and ready to go. my body not so much. getting the 2 to catch up with each other was rough and took awhile. but i finished! 

current reads: the last night at chateau marmont by lauren weisberger. i love her! she wrote the devil wears prada and i have been in love ever since. her new one comes out this summer, i cant wait!

current shame-inducing guilty pleasure: giving back all the tri stuff i borrowed. hehe. the feeling i had giving back sandy her bike and loading all the books derrick gave me into the car to return was such a freeing feeling.

current obsession: a very important lottery i got into...

current drink: nothing new to be honest.

current song: anything by luke bryan! tiffany and i saw him on fremont at the end of march and let me tell you, if hes coming to town near you its a must to go see him! amazing in concert and damn does he have a cute butt:)

current wish-list: to make my big girl debt go away. i keep thinking i have it just figured out something else fun comes up i want to do! now its nothing crazy out of control, just more than i would like to be there. can i just go back to being a kid again?! haha.

current need: honestly nothing. i am pretty content right now:)

current triumph: becoming a triathlete and a warrior in the same month!

current bane of my existence: helping my body figure out this weird in between time. it was willing to take the time last week since it was just after a race, but this week and going forward might be a bit difficult. if i can make through this training cycle, i can make through anything!

current goal: to love my rest time. sometimes for a runner its hard to do that, which i know sounds silly. but this may be exactly what i need :)

current indulgence: ice cream. its always one of the first things to come back after a race, and dang i missed it! 

blizzards make everything better:)

current excitement: to tell people i am a triathlete. you may doubt me, but bring it on. i can take it and conquer it!