the rage week 2 recap.

this week seriously kicked my ass! it was the first full week of triathlon training and it was definitely hard. the 2-a-days are tough and make me hungry all the time haha! 

sunday~rest.

rest

richard and i celebrated valentines day part 1 sunday so i was really glad it was a rest day as well. with the first week behind me it was nice to just hang out.

monday~500m swim am. 4-5 mile run pm.

550m swim

4.72 miles = 43:00 minutes/9:06 min/miles

the am swim didnt start out exactly like i was hoping. i was so stuck in my head that the 1st 200m were terrible. i finally signed up for race officially, kept waking up thinking my alarm wasnt going to go off so i would be late, am i really doing this. after i shook it out things went smoothly. i think it all started to hit me in a big way. 

i met up with the group that ended up only being 3 of us. the weather was awful, it looked like it was going to rain all day which would have been way better than the terrible wind we ran into all the way the hill, and it was really cold. i was feeling good and ready to fun but the wind just kicked my butt.

tuesday~600m swim.

700m swim

it was the first day i really felt strong and comfortable! the meters ticked off easily and i knew i could do more than 600m. i tried ear plugs for the first time which were ok, just need to play with them a little more. but not having water in my ears was totally worth it! and it was valentines day:)

wednesday~spin class.

6am spin = 20 miles

i havent sweated that much in a long time. she kept with the new thing of 23 minutes of work, 30 second rest, 16 minutes of work. i mean wow. 

thursday~500m swim. body pump class.

600m swim am

6am body pump  

this was one of those swims where you just zone out and before you know it your done. i was feeling good and even finished a little faster so i added some extra meters.

body pump still kicked my butt this week! its only the 2nd week of this release and it is seriously hard. especially after swimming first. i did start scheduling myself to come in at 10a instead of 9a so i was able to take a nap which was a huge help for the rest of the day!

friday~10 mile bike.

10.12 miles = 45 minutes/13.5mph

the bike is just mean. i expected it to be semi-easy and i would be able to get on it and go. turns out it was anything but. the bike is wobbly, the seat is incredibly hard that my va jay jay hurt for 2 days, 40* biking is totally different than 40* running, and cars are scary! i definitely needed to take it so someone could help me adjust it. i completed my 10 miles but it wasnt the greatest experience ever.

it looks so nice here.

saturday~4-6 miles.

5.31 miles = 50:58 minutes/9:35 min/mile

i dont think i have ever been so excited to run! it was the same clothes, the same aches when i started, the same route, i didnt have to think about anything. i was hoping for a little faster pace but was plenty happy with it. this run definitely reaffirmed that i am a runner. no matter what i decide about this triathlon thing in the future i will always be a runner:)

totals for the week = 1850m swam+30.13mi biked+10.03mi run 

this was my first full 6-day week and it was definitely hard. it made me very glad im a runner and already had a base from something. i cant even imagine going into all 3 sports fresh without any practice. i can see myself getting a little stronger with the swim and the 2nd week of 2-a-days was better than last week. this wont be easy but i am ready for the challenge!

61 days to the rage triathlon!!!

the day of mushy, gushy love stuff

happy valentines day! i know it was yesterday but i couldn't tell you all about the day before it happened, duh. we did an extended day of love because of work schedules and it being on a tuesday. which was of course is ok with me :)

we decided to really celebrate sunday because it was the only day we actually had to ourselves. it was very low-key and that was plenty good with me. in the spirit of valentines day richard let me pick a girly movie to go see and then we were going to dinner after. i had told him weeks before that i wanted to see the vow and he had agreed, but i kinda kept waiting for him to take it back haha. i mean it is really girly. he stuck to his word and after a very lazy morning of sleeping in (i love sundays) we headed over to town square to catch the last matinee of the day.

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the theater was a pretty full, lots of couples lol. it was really good and i definitely cried. hopeless romantic, what can i say. plus we saw good previews, a new nicholas sparks movie that richard is not super excited about lol and a really funny one with jason segal and emily blunt, that one he actually suggested we should see.

we had decided on cheesecake factory for dinner since we hadn't been in a really long time and by the time we got there i was starving. it was almost 8p and i was ready for dinner. i even branched out and got something new (that's a big deal, i tend to order my usual, whatever that is at that particular restaurant)! of course saving room for cheesecake to take home with me.

yum yum!

once full from dinner we just went home and watched the bachelor. serious bonus of living together, when you have nothing else to do you can always just stay home or go early and still be together. it was the perfect way to end the weekend and celebrate the day of love!

i had bought richards gift on a whim thursday evening last week. i was trying to rack my brain hard for ideas, boy are really hard to buy valentines gifts for! after wandering around kohls on my lunch break i went into the kitchen section and saw a small deep fryer. now the entire time we have been dating he has been dreaming about owning one. he always talks about it in a longing way when we go into the kitchen places. so i went back to work and read some reviews to find that people didnt have great things to say about it. instead i did some more research and decided to go to target on the way home. i found a great brand, double the size, and on sale for the same price, sold! friday evening i took it into work with me to hide it under my desk all weekend because there wasnt anywhere to store it at home. 

monday night richard informs me that i have to wait for my present until valentines night when he gets home because he has to go out and get it during the day. needless to say i was not super excited about this idea. i was at the point where i was questioning (come on you all do it) about getting the right thing. plus this meant i had to wait until at least 11p before he got home anyway. 

valentines day seemed to go by very quickly and i only saw richard for a few minutes in the morning. long enough to wish each other "happy valentines day" and be off to work. afterwards i came home and decided i was actually going to wrap the sucker, it was huge, to pass my time till he got home. that night he came busting in the door ready for something haha. his gift was sitting on the ottoman, there was no hiding it, and he wanted to open it right away. as soon as he tore into it i saw his face light up and get so excited! i knew i had the right gift. and then he went into listing all the things he could now deep-fry, it was hilarious.

told you it was a big one!

finally it was my turn and after closing my eyes for awhile and hearing him scavenge all over the apartment i opened them to wayyy more then i was expecting! first there was a card (last year, no card, not ok) that was sooo cute and funny. and there were flowers! he has been getting my hints more and more ;) i got another princess towards completing my train, shes beautiful of course. and to top it all off...real chocolate! i had hinted suggested asked for real chocolate this year. as much as i like hersheys and ghiradelli, i wanted the good stuff. the things you cant buy at target or the grocery store. and man did he come through! chocolate-covered strawberries and a hand picked box of ethel m chocolates, my favorite. let me tell you, they are amazing! i will make those last as longggg as possible. 

aurora:)

any card that starts out with "hey, gorgeous"
is ok in my book!

this was a great valentines day for us! after all the holiday craziness, i loved how low-key it was and it was just the 2 of us. plus we got to stretch it out as long as we wanted :) i am seriously the luckiest girl, baby i love you.

the rage week 1 recap.

so after the big announcement yesterday its time to tell you all about the things i actually did this week. i have been pretty quiet on dailymile this week for a reason, i wasnt ready to tell you all about the things i did. now its time to let it all out!


sunday~rest.
rest


monday~4-5 miles.
4.72 miles = 42:19 minutes/8:57 min/mile


finally back with the group and it felt good. i was trying to keep up with derrick the whole night who was in a serious groove. we had a new guy this week which i was of course very excited about. i did try to slow derrick down by telling him about my triathlon decision, which did work a little. he actually decided to sign up for the same event!


tuesday~300 meters
500 meters = 30 minutes


it was time to face fears, get into a pool, and see what happens. i realized i was not good, like at all. i was exhausted and out of breath. the cap did not keep my hair dry like i thought it would and the googles kept falling. i also realized this was going to be my biggest challenge.

cant believe my hair fit in that thing!

wednesday~spin.
6am spin class


i was very glad to get back to some normalcy and be back in spin class. this class was friggin hard. the instructor came up with a new routine that went 23 minutes straight, a 30 second break, then 16 minutes straight. wow, killer.


thursday~500 meter swim and body pump.
500 meters = 30 minutes
6am spin


my very first double day. i wont lie, i have avoided these in previous training cycles for a reason, they are hard! this time i used my inhaler which made a big difference and i was a little bit more confident getting into the pool. i didnt have put my foot down as often. afterward i changed for body pump and had a gu to charge up. this class was hard. i was sooo super sore all day and knew friday was going to be tough to get out of bed. being through 2 tough workouts i was starving and gave up my power nap for a better breakfast. definitely a good idea for food, however i was soo tired all day. i need to get my schedule figured out to make it all work.

friday~rest.
rest


i had signed up for a 10k saturday morning and knew a rest day was important. especially after waking up and barely being able to get out of bed. the best part of the day was my dinner date with my best friend so i could carb up and we could do some much needed catching up. it was soo much fun!

girls night is never complete without dessert:)

saturday~love on the run 10k.
6.2 miles = 56:31 minutes/9:05 min/mile


it had been quite awhile since i done an actual 10k race and it was time for a new pr. richard came with me and i was very excited for him to come with. it was a really small race and a little bit hillier than i expected. i definitely beat myself up a little bit for feeling like this was harder than i thought it would be. there werent mile markers on the course so i got a little confused but there was a 1.5 mile turnaround for the 5k which meant there was only 1.5 miles left so i kicked it up. i crossed the finish line the 2nd female and set a huge pr! afterward richard and i celebrated over breakfast at an amazing pancake restaurant. it was sooooo good. they specialize in different types of pancakes and is getting super popular in vegas. delicious!

smore pancakes! heck yes!

totals for the week = 10.93mi ran + 1000m swam + 1 day of cross-training


this week was a huge eye-opener for me. it seriously kicked my ass. i found my weakness fairly easily and made a training plan accordingly. i also remembered how tough the first week of a training is in a new cycle. however, i am soo glad i got to tell everyone about my next race and get to try something totally new!


69 days till the rage triathlon!!!

the big secret.

so yes i have been absent for a few days, i know. but i just couldnt be here posting about other things when i couldnt yet tell you the thing i really wanted to. it was just too hard. plus i wasnt really ready to say all these things out loud yet because as soon as you do they become real. and you have to stick to the things you say, for real. 

after great support from a loving boyfriend (whos having just as hard of a time keeping it a secret as i am), supportive family, and friends cheering me on...i am now ready to tell the world. i have finally decided on my next race, and its a big one. i am going to do a... TRIATHLON!!!! omg, i know. 

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i realized a long time ago that i dont have a full marathon in me. i have mad, mad respect for those that do seriously. but its not in me. i love coming home from a 10/11/12 mile long run and know that the finish line is not far from that. i cant even wrap my head around coming home from those long runs and know that i am not even halfway. so i was in my spin class on january the 4th and thought hmmm...maybe i could do this.  i came home and put it out of my head for a few days knowing that tinkerbell was coming and thats what i needed to focus on. then i started to do a little research which quickly took over and completely freaked me out. there was so much, and things to buy, and theories to subscribe too, and nutrition. i couldnt handle it all. so i put it out of mind, i had to and continued soaking up my tinkerbell training. 

after 2 weeks i was ready to tell richard. he was the only one (sorry mom) i was ready to even think about it with. and i hadnt even said a word to anyone about it. i told him the night we went to see phantom over dinner and got no reaction. like literally none. he just looked at me and said i knew it was only a matter of time. i cant lie, i was a little disappointed. then he started making comments here and there about how cool this was going to be. and that he would be dating a triathlete, or what a cool medal to put on the wall, and i cant wait to see your moms reaction when you tell her. so i knew he was in. i even decided on my distance, the olympic. thats a 1500m (.93 mile) swim, 24.8 mile bike, and a 10k run. holy crap.

he has been there supporting me
since my very 1st race!!

once i finished tinkerbell i texted a family friend that was a competitive swimmer and just completed her 1st 1/2 ironman last year so i could ask questions. i met her for lunch and got the perfect reaction, excitement! being a swimmer herself, she was great to talk to since i am terrified about the swim. she was sooo helpful and knowledgeable about the technical stuff and the girly stuff like what to wear. i had let it slip to my runner group friend and he had given me a few pointers that satisfied me till i was really ready to start having conversations about it. i had decided before pushing it all aside that i would do a local one at lake mead on april 21st called rage. it had the 3 distances, which i had just learned about, and i didnt have to travel. with all the other costs going into this i wasnt ready to add more. 

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after talking with her it was time to tell my parents. i was thinking my dad would be totally ok with it, but my mom, probably not so much. she worries that im not taking enough rest and that im beating on my body. she wanted me to take at least 6 months off after tinkerbell from training/running anymore than a 10k, i talked her down to 4. i was nervous/anxious/excited all day i damn near blurted it out. my dad was soooo stoked. the whole meal he just kept grinning and saying a triathlon! it was seriously cute. my mom was instantly worried instead. she instantly whipped out her phone and started counting weeks. luckily i had real things to tell her from other athletes and the things i had read. she wasnt totally on board but did offer to ask around at her school about a bike, so i knew she was supportive. 

they are always there by my side!

since then its kind of taken on a life of its own. i started telling a few friends and the guys at my runner group. my running partner derrick was so excited he signed up for the same race and distance. i got advice from another friend and scored in her volunteering her road bike to complete the race in. my mom also came through and found 2 people the first day that were willing to let me borrow theirs if i needed it. richard has been concocting his 1st facebook status as soon as this goes up for days :) its seriously so cool to have him be so supportive in something completely opposite!

i have been doing some concocting of my own, as in a training plan. dang was this hard. i mean to fit it all in, and school, and work, and sleep, and a little bit of a life. wow. i dont know how people do this with kids. dang. after much research and blending plans together i have decided to swimming 3 days a week because that is my biggest weakness, biking 2 days, and running 2 days. i had to give up a rest day to make it all work so i made it count and put it on sundays so i can sleep in too. i kept in body pump so i can strengthen my upper body to help with the swimming and keep my lower body strong too. i have also added 2 double days. i have avoided these like the plague for years, i wont lie. but to get all this in and my body ready for things to come i had to. here it is though, always a moving target and subject to change. but the 1st week has been successful. check back tomorrow for the recap on that!

now dont worry, i will always be a runner. it is my first grown up sport love. this is just the next challenge and something i cant wait to try. i wont be the skinniest one out there or anywhere near the front. but i wont finish last. i will always return to running. it will always be my therapy and make my heart the happiest. 

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the tinkerbell race weekend.

its a few days late i know, but there were so many posts this week, i got a little caught up! back to last weekend we go! the friday before the race i was able to score off so i could sleep in and spend some time with richard before leaving for the weekend. im really starting to dig taking the friday off, it gives you that extra day of relaxation and able to get ready for the fun. this one was an especially good idea since richard wasn't coming with us to disneyland. we spent the day cleaning together and watching things on our dvr, it was perfect.

my mom came to pick me after she was done with school and we headed south to the happiest place on earth! we actually met my dad for dinner in barstow since he was also headed to southern california for a guys golf weekend. traffic was pretty easy and we made it to our hotel around 930p. we stayed at a different hotel than we did last time because my mom decided she wanted a change. the hotel looked great online, but when we got there we decided the pictures were a little deceiving and we should have stayed at the original hotel. mental note, dont let mom pick the hotels, stick to what you know.

the next morning was one of my favorite days of the weekend, expo day! we woke around 830a to be out the door by 930a to take the shuttle to the park and walk to the hotel through downtown disney. we planned to stop at the la brea bakery on the way to pick up a pastry to eat while walking but found they were under construction and luckily remembered about the coffee shop in the bookstore near the movie theater. downtown disney was packed with people headed into the parks and runners!

to get your bib you must go underneath the disneyland hotel to hand in your waiver, my line was of course the longest and mom was able to pick up her bib and our park tickets in the time it took to pick up mine. we headed back up stairs to take our picture with the cool backdrop and head inside to the expo. the line wasn't long but seemed to take forever. we took our pics which came out great and moved out of the way for the next group. unfortunately my mom was so worried about the pic on her phone she didnt clear the prop on the floor and fell smack on to her hands and knees in front of everyone! she was ok thank goodness, just embarrassed.

the expo was good, but didn't seem to have a lot of runner things. it had lots of clothes and tutus you could buy for the next day but not quite the expo i was used to. the absolute best part was the pixie dust we got on the way out for luck! afterwards we met my brother for lunch at tortilla joes. he came all the way up to have lunch, hang out, and get some things mom had brought down for him. it was cool to just hang out and lunch was delicious! we wandered into the big disney store and the lego store of course before we decided it was time to head out.

dang, they can put mickey on anything!

man i wanted that churro.

once we said goodbye to kyle and got some ice on moms knee we headed up to the grove in la. i had been wanting to take my mom here forever but it never worked out because it was always so far away. it was super busy and fun to watch all the people after enduring mass la traffic. the main reason we headed up there was for the american girl place. i had a kiersten as a kid (ok, I still have her) and this place has everything ever made for their dolls. literally each girl has her own room full of all the clothes, accessories, travel items, and books. now american girl has evolved quite a bit, ok a ton, since i was a kid. my girl is now retired and so she no longer has a room:( we wandered in and out of the other stores and settled on maggianos for dinner. we tried a few other places but they didn't have the pasta few were looking for or the food was a little more out there then we were hoping for. it was delicious and we were very full heading back to disneyland.

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we set our alarm for a very early 3a for the next day and fell asleep after finishing up the last of my homework. check out my race recap for full details of the super fun, all women's race! the rest of the day was filled with post-race glory and disney. once we finished breakfast at ihop across the street from our hotel we hobbled back for showers and naps.

delicious!

once back at downtown disney we headed straight for haggen daz for some much deserved ice cream before heading into the park. we got into the park just in time for the afternoon mickeys soundsational parade! it was sooo cool and different then any of the other parades ive seen.

we spent the rest of the night in the park riding only the good rides and enjoying the post-race glow with churros! there were so many people in the parks with their medals or t-shirts from the race. we were constantly congratulating each other, plus anybody hobbling along you could pretty much tell ran that morning too haha. we probably would have stayed in the park longer but the matterhorn and small world were both closed and the fireworks got cancelled because of the imaginary wind.

i should have warned the people
around me that i scream haha!

that night i finally got a good night of sleep and could have slept the whole day away if we didn't have to go home. i was super sore and wasn't sure how i was going to sit in a car for 4 hours, but we stopped a few times on the way home. it was such a fun weekend to spend with my mom! we had a great time and really bonded together, if thats even possible, we're already really close lol. im glad we decided to make it a girls weekend and leave all the boys at home :)

no trip is complete to the magic kingdom
without a mickey sighting!

the 11 things post.

i was seriously so excited when warrior betsy tagged me for this post! so here it goes...

rules:
1. post these rules
2. you must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.
6. no stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. you legitimately have to tag 11 people as many as possible since so many have already done it!

11 random things about me:

1. i am legit afraid of the dark.

2. when my hair is up it has to have a coordinating bow!
3. i dont drink soda because i dont like the bubbles.
4. im not sure what i did before my iphone. love!

5. i usually leave the toothpaste cap off, for no reason at all.
6. all my shoes are in boxes in my closet.
7. i eat dessert after all my lunches and dinners. usually small things, but some sort of sweet.

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8. blue ink is my favorite to write in. i really hate writing in black
9. i pack my lunch almost everyday in a starbucks bag
10. when i drive i like to take my shoes off:)
11. i hate to put away laundry. i will fold all day, but cant stand to put it away.

see..

questions for me:

1. which of your race medals is your favorite? why?

~my princess ½ marathon medal from 2010. its sparkly and is one of the best races I have ever run.

2. it’s a leap year! what are you going to do with your extra day on february 29th?

            ~probably run;) and be thankful for another day. 

3. what food can you not live without?

            ~chocolate. not even a 2^nd thought!

4. what race is your dream race? why?

~the nike womens ½ marathon in san francisco. richard and i were in sf right after my 1^st ½ and i wasn’t sure i was going to do another one until i saw the awesomeness of this race.

5. what cartoon character are you most like? why?

            ~jesse from toy story! spunky and fun loving:) 

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6. does each pair of sock have a “left” sock and a “right” sock?

            ~we’re lucky if my socks actually match haha!

7. what is your favorite way to cross train?

            ~spin and body pump hands down.

8. what is your favorite race shirt?

~the vegas ½ and tinkerbell. they are very different, but both womens fit which is probably why I love them so!

9. do you have a bucket list?

            ~technically yes. but it doesn’t have any dates, just things (lots) 

            i want to do.

10. do you have a certain song that you always put at the beginning of your playlists?

~it doesn’t always go at the beginning but i love run it by chris brown ft julez santana

11. do you think i am crazy for signing up for the tough mudder?

            ~absolutely! and i cant wait to hear all about it;)

questions for the next group:

1. what is your favorite post-race cocktail?

2. beach or mountains?

3. how many pairs of flip-flops do you own?

4. winter olympics or summer olympics?

5. your favorite birthday memory as a kid?

6. roadtrip or plane flight?

7. the first race you signed up for?

8. coffee or tea?

9. your favorite tv show on tv right now?

10. cake or pie?

11. what was the 1^st movie you remember watching as a kid?

alright ladies, your turn:

apartment thrifty chic

the blue-eyed runner

jill will run

life of a bama girl

life in lake country

marvelous misadventures of a foodie

missish

our new nest

will run for cupcakes

cant wait to see all your responses! and what did you think of mine;)

the january running recap.

total run mileage: 81.67 miles
highest weekly run mileage: 21.33 miles
# runs: 12
# rest days: 12

# xtraining workouts: 7

favorite run: the tinkerbell ½ marathon of course! the miles ticked by and i got to take pictures with some of my most beloved disney characters, how could it be anything but my favorite;)

princess heaven :)

most hardcore run: it was only a 4+ miler, but hands down the one i ran 2 days into the new year. awful might be an understatement. i was majorly feeling the effects of my new years eve partying and remembered why i have changed my life for the better and made the adjustments to running. it reminded me why i do what i do and the reason i eat the way i do.

current reads:  eeek! i didn’t read anything this month. well as long as the research articles and textbooks don’t count.

current shame-inducing guilty pleasure: hot chocolate. since cutting out ice cream and not having fun coffee this seems to be makes its way into my cups more often. it’s a happy medium that probably shouldn’t be there, but i let it anyway:)

current obsession: our new wall decal! its sooo cute and i have been dying for one to decorate the bedroom for a long time. i was pretty sure richard wasn’t going to love the idea, but he actually picked this one and wants to buy more for other rooms!

seriously love.

current drink: this month it was all about water and gatorade.

current song: ours by taylor swift. have you seen the video, seriously so good!

current wish-list: a new camera. i bought my current one about 4 ½ years ago and it really is time for a new one. i was hoping to purchase one before i leave for england, but its just not quite in the budget. 

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current need: to make decisions haha. im toying around with some races and need to just decide. oh the inward battle of a runner :)

current triumph: my rockin time at tinkerbell! im riding this wave as long as possible:)

current bane of my existence: the feeling of not having any me-time. i have rest days planned in and i take them gladly but they seem to fill up quickly with all the things i cant always do during the week. some weeks i feel like i am just running around like a chicken with my head cut off. maybe in february i can find some space for my own time:)

current goal: to break in my new running shoes! i had to finally buy new shoes and they showed up when i got back from tinkerbell. i don’t really have a training plan yet for my next thing (whatever that may be) so i just want to have fun breaking them in.

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current indulgence: mug cakes. seriously, have you tried them yet? so good and easy!

current excitement: officially finishing all 3 races in 16 weeks successfully. i didn’t have to walk, or scale back, or cut something out to make them happen, i just did it. and keeping a real life around it. i know that sounds silly, but sometimes this can be all encompassing and i was determined not to let and was successful:)