tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73646188400737659972024-02-18T23:28:01.874-08:00a natural blondeJennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-6738654847027178512018-11-15T09:45:00.001-08:002018-11-15T09:45:21.342-08:003.5 Weeks Out from 70.3 #2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BGfLZFOeJLNEez8DtO8OrrjO_GXKboaB3mx978OUiOSGxHLw9ybeT_tenY8JE8wNGf8OOsMxHPVI5-tySyDAynhUAXCPUYSczAKRFekLV88EvUNCRsdiCnYPIIaftQccDqCEtlmmi80/s1600/Kokopelli1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1099" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BGfLZFOeJLNEez8DtO8OrrjO_GXKboaB3mx978OUiOSGxHLw9ybeT_tenY8JE8wNGf8OOsMxHPVI5-tySyDAynhUAXCPUYSczAKRFekLV88EvUNCRsdiCnYPIIaftQccDqCEtlmmi80/s400/Kokopelli1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kokopelli 2018: 19 minute PR!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I know it’s been forever and a day since I’ve written
anything on here but I did a relatively good job at blogging my first 70.3 and
I really want to have some things written down for <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/indian-wells-la-quinta.aspx" target="_blank">my next one</a> coming up in 3.5
weeks!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>How I’m Feeling: </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Good for the most part! I dealt with some burnout a few
weeks ago which felt pretty normal. I was ready to be done and a little
tired/stressed about the volume I was putting in. Thankfully that passed and
instead I’m starting to deal with the gentle hum of race anxiety kicking in. I
feel like I’m in better shape than I was for AZ and that the
varied workouts have done a lot of good in making me feel fit while still
getting the miles/time in. When I trained for AZ, my workouts were super
consistent. I knew that I was always doing hill repeats on Wednesday’s, running
on Thursday’s, swimming on Friday’s and that I had a long run and long bike
every weekend. This training is far more variable, but I enjoy it. Nothing has
ever really felt like it wasn’t benefiting me and aside from some super long
runs I’ve hit all the mileage needed to complete the race feeling good. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What are you worried about?</b></div>
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-The general timeline of getting to Indian Wells, athlete
check-in, bike drop off, wetsuit drop off, food, hotel, relax, etc just feels a
little rushed. Which is understandable given that we’re showing up on Saturday
instead of Friday. I’m sure it’ll all work out fine but I can’t help but be a
little anxious with the sped up timeline. <o:p></o:p></div>
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-The cold swim. Mentally, I know I’ve got the stamina to
deal with a really cold swim but I’m a little worried about my body shutting
down. I already get cold really easily and knowing that I likely won’t be able
to feel my face, hands, and feet during the swim is stressful. However, the
swim is such a short part of the day and the rest of the weather should be so
nice that I’m trying to get a few more OWS’s in so that I can put this out of
my mind and just enjoy the race. <o:p></o:p></div>
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-Not PR’ing the distance. Just a tiny worry that I’ll have
put all this work in and feel like I’m significantly faster only to not end up
being faster. However! Even a few minutes is a PR and I’m hoping I can hit it but we’ll
just have to wait and see. And accept that I need to be comfortable being uncomfortable <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span>.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Favorite part of training/favorite training moments:</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg_OZqdhpA7ZJhpOTjgSGLef5FLXERKH_1JtVVZYejtNr_ikGtPQkiocQNq20M3GSxqcAHMlPCf8juqs5oXGXBP82wVtvR5RroYs7ml7dWCzZiD2B5sIbe5pAg0otEZruHPY0efqh3Q8/s1600/Swimsunrise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg_OZqdhpA7ZJhpOTjgSGLef5FLXERKH_1JtVVZYejtNr_ikGtPQkiocQNq20M3GSxqcAHMlPCf8juqs5oXGXBP82wVtvR5RroYs7ml7dWCzZiD2B5sIbe5pAg0otEZruHPY0efqh3Q8/s400/Swimsunrise.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS VIEW [praise hands emoji]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />-Sunrise swims. Or sunrise anything really. I will forever
love a beautiful sunrise over a sunset. There is nothing I love more than
pausing during a swim/bike/run to take in a cotton candy sky. Funnily enough,
the day that I consider my worst training day had little glimmers of beauty
that I still think about. It was supposed to be a 45min OWS, 40mi bike and
30min run. But the weather just sucked. The water was so choppy that every time
I went to breathe I got a gallon of water in my mouth and I couldn’t time my
stroke with the waves, BUT the sunrise was absolutely breathtaking. And as I
was out in the water feeling really annoyed that I was out there, one of the
girls I was swimming with stopped and said “you guys, look at this, look at how
beautiful it is out here. We are SO lucky to be seeing this” As much I was
mostly hating every minute, it was beautiful and I was lucky to be out there
doing something I love with people that share the same interest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX9QLMM8tOLY_iU9OgYj9zjUNmXwxGiEkRGoa2SC-zZkQl3jaRPS8rNGdKOxnzRYemwaapRqTQqTug7Prz1Lt1tCKh7wYNFIIZ451aXb-st3_Cnz7j15kS5OR2KPeFIHE-RDbRdlQUuk/s1600/30swim.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX9QLMM8tOLY_iU9OgYj9zjUNmXwxGiEkRGoa2SC-zZkQl3jaRPS8rNGdKOxnzRYemwaapRqTQqTug7Prz1Lt1tCKh7wYNFIIZ451aXb-st3_Cnz7j15kS5OR2KPeFIHE-RDbRdlQUuk/s400/30swim.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a better idea in my head lol. 3000 yards to celebrate 30 years!</td></tr>
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<br />-My longest swims since high school. 2 miles of swimming
makes you feel UNSTOPPABLE. Also, celebrating turning 30 with 3000 yards was
really fun. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvcerKhbLE8clJSBxWfPjSPJQIA0ArPYqYtX1bOUV2SfVFvq84eC1z74MvAMIBKw7RPTuvs-q98oeApvPxsXV-go9G2omKqRa2OHywbixe5JIFvMB_MPRi9We0jdTCouiay39hSE2Li8/s1600/Bikesunrise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvcerKhbLE8clJSBxWfPjSPJQIA0ArPYqYtX1bOUV2SfVFvq84eC1z74MvAMIBKw7RPTuvs-q98oeApvPxsXV-go9G2omKqRa2OHywbixe5JIFvMB_MPRi9We0jdTCouiay39hSE2Li8/s400/Bikesunrise.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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-Feeling incredibly comfortable on my bike. One of the
things I am most grateful for from my last 70.3 was turning into someone that
truly loves cycling. When I first started riding I felt like there were SO many
things to keep track of while riding that I had a hard time fully letting go.
And now I feel so relaxed on the bike. My bike genuinely feels like an
extension of me (which I know sounds cheesy but it’s true). Shifting
feels like second nature, I know how hard to push and I pull more, and I’ve
grown to not despise the trainer (which is BIG). I’m really hoping that this
skill, in particular, pays off on a flat course. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTI9KGJJ0gmnEvDdzaAP0Ym6GVgSdagoFt0W30M8THymUh3iOEC14itETcsez9YVa7YJOvNmf-pIKvPa7Py57iHPU5KoFU-HwnQR6HCDzbU5-s3dBgl33eYKyKutBf7pOUECikyz6_W4/s1600/OWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1264" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTI9KGJJ0gmnEvDdzaAP0Ym6GVgSdagoFt0W30M8THymUh3iOEC14itETcsez9YVa7YJOvNmf-pIKvPa7Py57iHPU5KoFU-HwnQR6HCDzbU5-s3dBgl33eYKyKutBf7pOUECikyz6_W4/s400/OWS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>General Thoughts:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This weekend Corrina and I are driving down to Indian Wells
to complete the bike course with the <a href="https://www.saltonseatriathlonclub.com/" target="_blank">Salton Sea Tri Club</a> and I’m looking
forward to it. It should be a lot of fun to ride the course at least once so
that I know what to expect on race day. Plus, Corrina and I are perfect travel
buddies so it’ll be so fun to have another quick weekend trip with her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Next week should be my longest run and I’m looking forward
to see the kind of pace I can put in. I’ve done really well on my bricks and
I’m hoping this means a faster run time at the race! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall, I'm really excited for this race. I'm excited to not feel like I'm dying on the run because the weather should be in the 70s-80s (vs. the 90s for AZ), I'm excited for a flat-ish course and hope I can pull off faster than 15mph (what I did for AZ) and I'm excited to see Palm Springs!</div>
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-59489338329276739202018-04-25T15:40:00.001-07:002018-04-25T15:40:41.302-07:00Field Work Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxxvMHVQUCl-cl79xjmpulAd8oRjUL95geChZOuguqysIWQjx76NG2UFYjBWP42Vm8PKhV407qr0cpc7meynAARXfurqTXCJx6zoCHsMqnWBq22U67ng8-CuBjyeT6X990EgMwOqd_Tg/s1600/IMG_5754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxxvMHVQUCl-cl79xjmpulAd8oRjUL95geChZOuguqysIWQjx76NG2UFYjBWP42Vm8PKhV407qr0cpc7meynAARXfurqTXCJx6zoCHsMqnWBq22U67ng8-CuBjyeT6X990EgMwOqd_Tg/s400/IMG_5754.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Sooooo, it's been a hot minute since I've been on here 😀. Let's not pretend that I'm going to fill in the blog with everything that has happened the past two years. Because you know it's been mostly the same stuff. Which isn't to say that things haven't happened but for the most part, life goes on.<br />
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Today I was riding in the boat back to Park Moabi after a long morning of marsh bird surveys and was struck by just how grateful I am that this is my job. I thought to myself that I should take note of this. Because there are days when I am not grateful for my job. There are days when I'm a zombie because I work insane hours (yesterday), days when I have bug bites the size of golf balls, or days when things go wrong and I work a really long day. But still, I have a fantastic job. When I'm out in the field I am often having a ton of fun. For the most part I get along really well with my coworkers.<br />
<br />
Today I finished my banana and didn't turn around to hand my coworker my peel. Just reached my hand back knowing that he'd put my peel where it was supposed to go and him or I would take care of it when we got back to the dock. He mentioned that we must have some sort of familiarity with each other that I can hand him a banana peel without looking or saying a thing and he'd know what to do. Seems like a silly thing, but one that I am grateful for.<br />
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I am grateful that every spring I look forward to wildflowers blooming, spending a week on the river waking up too early and going to bed too early but seeing the sun rise over the water every morning. I am grateful that I get to experience ALL the sunshine and that it fills my cup to be outdoors and that I get PAID to be out there. I get to eat at really great restaurants, workout at a gym on my schedule and do far too much reading.<br />
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I know I'm lucky. Really I do. On the weeks when I'm in the office, I'm so grateful for a week in my home but I'm always looking forward to a bit of a break in the field as well. The view below is my office when I'm in the field and I know it could be a whole lot worse. <br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-66249088795979373032016-10-21T19:39:00.001-07:002016-10-21T19:45:00.317-07:00Ironman 70.3 Arizona Recap Part Two<style>
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RACE DAY!</div>
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The plan was to be leaving Breezy’s by 5-5:10, walking into
transition by 5:30, out of transition by 6:15 (to wait forever, this was the
worst part of the way this race was set up), wetsuit on around 7:30, gun goes
off for the swim at 7:56! Mission accomplished. We chatted with Ron, cheered on
the guys that started at 6:20 when they came out of the water, took more
photos, and went to the bathroom a billion times (stress man, it’s no fun). I got my
wetsuit on at 7:30, kissed my husband goodbye, took one last photo with Ron and
then off to the swim! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAosq0uKepBnhxJMUsT10tdgp0SoRcy-VIbn-hgcyeh63fXEve0prfbIblamnsnkB6ieP4-fV3u6b-VtgVz_zMqAm6gumdZOQPlRED9ZZKXVpy6iLLt0UhE6PSuRyurVVV74zWh_pb-Lw/s1600/IMG_9184.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAosq0uKepBnhxJMUsT10tdgp0SoRcy-VIbn-hgcyeh63fXEve0prfbIblamnsnkB6ieP4-fV3u6b-VtgVz_zMqAm6gumdZOQPlRED9ZZKXVpy6iLLt0UhE6PSuRyurVVV74zWh_pb-Lw/s640/IMG_9184.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm right in the middle! You can see the glare of my goggles from the sun. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The swim went well! The best part was swimming along the sea
wall and having Chris and his parents walk with me the entire time. It was so
encouraging to look up to breathe every time and see them cheering. They
motivated me to really smooth out my stroke, concentrate on attempting to swim
in a straight line and to be as fast as I could while still feeling pretty
comfortable. Let me just say, the water was pretty gross. It was a great temp
but it was murky as all heck. You could not see someone kicking directly in front
of you! However, I’ve swam in similar conditions so it wasn’t too big of a
deal. I did get a quick foot cramp maybe 10 minutes into the swim and I
remember thinking ‘this is not how I wanted to start this race!’ I was able to
relax my foot enough that it didn’t come back but then on the backside of the
race course I dealt with cramps in both my calves (thankfully not at the same
time!). I told myself if I could just use my arms the rest of the swim then my
legs would feel fine on the bike and that I could take a salt pill as soon as I
got to transition. I finished up, was helped up the stairs and then helped out
of my wetsuit. Seriously, all tri’s need wetsuit strippers. I saw so many
people not take advantage of this and I’m just confused as to why you wouldn’t.
SO HELPFUL. </div>
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Swim time: 39:54.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dgwzT-rXRsTZa4y_6y4cKnLIPqG0tlqJd8TJtzwgZO68Gun3NGdYIJbgEf1DDpwz-kyTwLwHIwCCKm2YjnHoljmgaKhKytO2WrUiD779V-9uzleu_vkPcStUZPS0ENvOwxtgXfwVukI/s1600/5_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_006639-4587240.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dgwzT-rXRsTZa4y_6y4cKnLIPqG0tlqJd8TJtzwgZO68Gun3NGdYIJbgEf1DDpwz-kyTwLwHIwCCKm2YjnHoljmgaKhKytO2WrUiD779V-9uzleu_vkPcStUZPS0ENvOwxtgXfwVukI/s640/5_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_006639-4587240.JPG" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>I was having A LOT of trouble with my <span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>dang watch<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>. Thank<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>fully one thi<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>ng remedied this: wetsuit strippers ;)</u></span></u></span></u></span></u></span></u></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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Transition 1: 4:28</div>
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Salt pill in, socks and cycling shoes on, helmet on, slather
on sunscreen as well as I could, chapstick, wave to Chris and tell him I have
calf cramps lol and then on to the bike!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d1t0rOsAKsz2jJBGrjrWfvNxMKMYtlUmJgpce_spBL8iX0CBgL2ov-bwYzgBZKhz0QK1UdqACu2th-S-0adb2YcEgu6jEF6ANNz9cFiWjaZkw2g9MdsVAA1Faci4sUVnjTzCtERGoIA/s1600/2_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_003140-4587237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d1t0rOsAKsz2jJBGrjrWfvNxMKMYtlUmJgpce_spBL8iX0CBgL2ov-bwYzgBZKhz0QK1UdqACu2th-S-0adb2YcEgu6jEF6ANNz9cFiWjaZkw2g9MdsVAA1Faci4sUVnjTzCtERGoIA/s640/2_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_003140-4587237.JPG" width="425" /></a> </div>
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The bike course was three loops in and around Tempe. For the
most part it was flat and FAST with one hill and one longer gradual uphill that
I disliked more than the actual hill. There were lots of turns and I was really
grateful that most of my practice rides also include lots of tight turns. They
were no big deal! I went out a bit too fast on my first lap but heck, this is
my first rodeo so I’m okay with it. I was having a lot of fun. Smiling at
spectators, passing people (!), and enjoying my aero bars. The one major hang-up
was some bizarre cramping about halfway through the first lap. I was just in so
much pain. I couldn’t inhale fully and was having to really focus on pushing my
stomach out with belly breathing. I think it was the salt pill which helped the
calf cramps but possibly caused some GI issues. Also, it was really hot. That
second and third lap it really started to heat up and I was looking forward to
the aid stations just so that I could grab a bottle of water and douse my head
and back with it. My race plan called for UCAN at 1:30 which helped and then
rice cake at 3 hours. Worked perfectly. I did not want that rice cake and I
remember fighting back tears on the last lap of the bike course because my
quads were cramping but I was scared of taking another salt pill, my nether
regions were sick of sitting on the damn bike and that this was fun but not
some miraculous experience and that I should’ve put more raspberries in my rice
cake lol. The emotions you go through! I did stop on the second lap to fill up my
two bottles. One with cold water (which wasn’t that cold) and one with ¾ water,
¼ Gatorade which I was using to try and stave off cramps and foggy brain from
needing sugar and forgetting my honey stingers. Overall, I averaged 15.7 mph! I
have never ridden this fast in my life, it completely makes sense that I was in
quite a bit of pain when I got off my bike. This is also proof to Chris that I
am very much a “recreational rider” for the most part but that I can bike much
faster than I normally do. To which I say NOPE. Flat and fast is so much
different than the hills we ride on in Vegas!</div>
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Bike time: 3:33:49, avg 15.7 mi/h</div>
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Transition 2: 4:28 (yup, exact same time. Who knows how I
pulled this off)</div>
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Bike shoes, socks, gloves off, helmet off, suck down part of
a UCAN, swig of Gatorade (disgusting, it was SO hot), race belt on, visor on,
balegas (run socks) and run shoes on, wave to Chris and family, tell them the
salt pill nearly killed me lol, shuffle out of transition!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24xqMsUyRcFMZcFJbDlcy8mKhzhhwEjU5GA9yNrSC2CkloZnaUpQJoRwRdT31GijKS0TYJYnwpZp-_Dw8BjJIE0SLoPTSgbWdxasQ3Zek3RvAC8pu4TpErukJc396JecyDTzMYMQZXlM/s1600/19_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_022823-4587254.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24xqMsUyRcFMZcFJbDlcy8mKhzhhwEjU5GA9yNrSC2CkloZnaUpQJoRwRdT31GijKS0TYJYnwpZp-_Dw8BjJIE0SLoPTSgbWdxasQ3Zek3RvAC8pu4TpErukJc396JecyDTzMYMQZXlM/s640/19_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_022823-4587254.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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The run course was 2 loops around Tempe Town Lake and let me
tell you, it was HOT. I ran by Ron right out of transition and he complimented
me on my good rhythm and form. I was feeling slow but my legs felt surprisingly
okay. The race plan was to skip nutrition on the first 4-5 aid stations. This wasn’t
going to work as I was pretty darn thirsty coming out of T2. I aimed for a
little bit of water for those first couple aid stations and knew I would add in
Gatorade on the later ones. The best part of racing Ironman (and something I
witnessed firsthand when I volunteered for Silverman) is that they do a REALLY
good job of taking care of athletes. If the day is hotter than expected they
make sure there is ice at every aid station, they stock their aid stations full
of volunteers so you don’t have to work hard to get nutrition, they WANT you to
succeed, it is awesome. I chatted with other athletes when I needed to walk,
tried to run as much as possible and accepted that the run was not going to be
my fastest because it was just so darn hot. That being said, I somehow got a
second wind on the second lap. I knew that I just had to make it one more time
around the lake and then I would be DONE. Then I could cheer and celebrate and
get out of my wet kit and everything else I had been hoping for. I ran a good portion
of miles 6-9 and got so many encouraging comments that I was looking strong,
that I was killing it on the run when so many people were walking and that I
was almost there. I dumped ice down my bra and did water-gatorade-water at
every aid station. It worked perfectly. I took pretzels on lap 1 and on lap 2
around mile 10 to help with quad cramps but for the most part felt good (just
hot). On mile 12 I told myself to run that last mile. I kept looking for Chris
as he had met me at mile 5-6 on the first lap but eventually realized that he
would likely be in the finishers chute and that I had better pick up my damn
legs and finish. I walked for a bit and then picked up the pace when I had
maybe a half mile to go. The thrill (and pain) of that last section is
something I will never forget. The energy is infectious. So many people are
cheering for you and they don’t even know you! I gave Ron a high five, ran up
that last hill and then threw my hands in the air as I crossed that finish
line! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5hk7g8Jsv0cJQPylBRypdil20ui0pdcsU9Vc6cgijQPNKqXWiFFIspRcxFxZFvroK1RGQfrgBQGi4JhjdiixePrHJ9JowExSM4_k2E9qB2HbN6hMwHYnSZGpZkpHEcW_QwgrlgdIDOA/s1600/32_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_036937-4587267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5hk7g8Jsv0cJQPylBRypdil20ui0pdcsU9Vc6cgijQPNKqXWiFFIspRcxFxZFvroK1RGQfrgBQGi4JhjdiixePrHJ9JowExSM4_k2E9qB2HbN6hMwHYnSZGpZkpHEcW_QwgrlgdIDOA/s640/32_m-100740794-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1592_036937-4587267.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall finish time: 6:59:31</div>
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DONE AND DONE. Officially half crazy, officially completed
70.3 miles in 90+ temps. I collected my finisher’s medal and hat, took my water
and shuffled over to my family to cry lol. We took photos, I stood in front of
the mister truck (which was AMAZING) and then was even more thrilled to find
out that they had PIZZA, fruit, cookies, beer, etc for the athletes.<br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">You guys, this was one of the best experiences
in the world. I got pretty badly sunburned, my tan lines are even more
outrageous than they were before, my back is chafed, and for several days my quads felt like they
had pins and needles in them but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was so
worth it. Worth all the soreness, the never getting to sleep in, the long
training days, the lack of work being done around the house, the never-ending
tiredness, the not always getting to eat what I wanted because food=fuel and
all the $$ that went towards this dream. I loved it, I love this sport and I
really can’t wait to do another one. </span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-90373892085400292442016-10-20T19:40:00.000-07:002016-10-20T19:40:02.947-07:00Ironman 70.3 Arizona Race Recap Part 1
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgJ2ksQNuPMVA9Fcdk2ygZaHgs5WJ2DBzLWC1ewbhJCgCOupHXCq4KLMj9HGMo5DzSFUbfIHRiCUG-YeqXOrojvgKbuB7ItrQz96C47Vy14DFrlWFr5t9qdTONl3pd9uYf6hs9tCgDuo/s1600/IMG_3937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgJ2ksQNuPMVA9Fcdk2ygZaHgs5WJ2DBzLWC1ewbhJCgCOupHXCq4KLMj9HGMo5DzSFUbfIHRiCUG-YeqXOrojvgKbuB7ItrQz96C47Vy14DFrlWFr5t9qdTONl3pd9uYf6hs9tCgDuo/s400/IMG_3937.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Annnndddd, just like that it’s done. It is such an odd
feeling to be on the flip side of this journey that I’ve been hoping and
working towards for 3 solid years (and many more years before that). I’ve
wanted to compete in tri’s since I worked as a lifeguard in high school. In
2013 I finally got the chance to compete in my first sprint distance tri
(Irongirl) and I’ve been completely hooked since then. The race and the entire
weekend was (for the most part) everything I wanted it to be. I worked really
hard to get to this point and I really am proud for what I’ve accomplished. Today
I’ll recap the overall weekend and tomorrow I’ll post about the race! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraJAraU5R2vt7wnP7rq9xBTzYBwIj38fLZmmHoOTYBZUIaVpVHKJZiv11MuTsMMOcSzx4UUJIKmEiNzbR3BRgJ-aQ_5TpKxgztEdfKypHr5vQGoUMQbrHdEAxUvAoiN8wh0dUv-lK2E8/s1600/IMG_3945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraJAraU5R2vt7wnP7rq9xBTzYBwIj38fLZmmHoOTYBZUIaVpVHKJZiv11MuTsMMOcSzx4UUJIKmEiNzbR3BRgJ-aQ_5TpKxgztEdfKypHr5vQGoUMQbrHdEAxUvAoiN8wh0dUv-lK2E8/s400/IMG_3945.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Overall weekend:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SO much fun! We left on Friday morning after getting brunch
at our favorite place and it was a wonderful way to start the weekend. Traffic
wasn’t bad heading down to Tempe and I did a good job at making sure I stayed
hydrated as I knew the race was going to be a warm one. We got my stuff dropped
off at my dear friend’s house and then headed over to athlete check-in. This
part of the weekend was one of the parts I’ve been looking forward to the most.
I remember being a lifeguard in college and seeing the Ironman village at
multi-gen and wanting so badly to be a part of it. I remember seeing friends
post about their Ironman athlete wristband and wanting so badly to have one of
my own (still have it on by the way). So to go to the check-in and sign the
paperwork and walk through the merchandise tent knowing that I was days away
from being able to call myself a (half) Ironman was so overwhelming. We picked
out the bag I was eyeing and a hat and took a few photos before heading over to
my other bestie’s house to have dinner and make rice cakes <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbod6bBvQfACuFu4MKKrful7qFF4jEt6CJ6jODSU7HKsn3TX7oRiK6kn93jfbuwKAncewW6VJcsBWxKbbu-dmyv9pyFD2i1yMprNjTLIPflSFF51bKP6iK0NeBsl_J0SzPF5LWYGAHfE/s1600/IMG_3946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbod6bBvQfACuFu4MKKrful7qFF4jEt6CJ6jODSU7HKsn3TX7oRiK6kn93jfbuwKAncewW6VJcsBWxKbbu-dmyv9pyFD2i1yMprNjTLIPflSFF51bKP6iK0NeBsl_J0SzPF5LWYGAHfE/s400/IMG_3946.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On Saturday my main goal was to stay hydrated,
memorize my race plan, stay calm, MEET MELISSA HARTWIG and get to bed at a
decent time. Mission accomplished. We got my shakeout bike and run done (which
helped calm all my nerves), went to the athlete briefing, got a delicious
breakfast, dropped my bike off and then headed over to a local bookstore to
meet Melissa. You guys, this was the second best part of my weekend. She is
even more gorgeous in person, so kind, so down to earth and genuinely wants to
see every person succeed with Whole30 and life after Whole30. I know I can be a
bit of a nut job with Whole30 so this was like a dream come true. To tell her
(quickly) about how whole30 has changed me for the better was just so exciting.
She is awesome. And we got a couple photos and I about died from excitement! To
end the day, my dear friend's Nikki and Niki found this awesome restaurant where we could
order gluten-free delicious food that was pretty much exactly what I wanted. It
took SO much stress away from me. The restaurant was gorgeous and it was so fun
to chat with my girls about whole30 and the race and life in general for a
couple hours before heading back to Breezy’s to go through my bag one more time
and get some sleep! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tomorrow: Part 2! </span>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-24972852713925804042016-10-12T17:42:00.001-07:002016-10-12T17:42:16.351-07:003 Days Out
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That’s it. 3 full days away from my first 70.3 and of course
I have ALL THE FEELS. For the most part I have done a really good job
distracting myself. Over the weekend I was worried that I would become a stress
ball so to circumvent that I just planned lots of activities! On Saturday I
slept in (it was glorious), made a lazy brunch, prepped the dessert/main dish I
was bringing to the family get together that evening, shopped for birthday
presents and enjoyed getting a bit dressed up. On Sunday I got up early and
visited the local orchard with my sister. We picked apples, carrots, sweet
potatoes, beets, greens, and zucchini. We ate apple cider donuts and kettle
corn and it was wonderful! I came home and Chris and I began painting our
bedroom (something we’ve put off for MONTHS). We still have one more wall to do
and some touch-ups but it looks so good! And on Monday I had the day off so I
cleaned the house, did more painting, went to lunch with Chris, got my race
nails done (!!) and cooked dinner. ALL these things have worked miracles on
helping me manage the <s>stress </s>excitement of the race. And for the most
part I do feel really good. </div>
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In previous races I’ve been just so worried about everything
that could go wrong for the week up to my race. This time, I KNOW I’ve put in
the training. I know that I am very well prepared for this race and I know that
come race day, everything I’ve been working towards will kick in and the stress
will melt away because I’m doing something fun, something I love. </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After 4ish days off from working out I was so
incredibly grateful to hop in the pool yesterday. It didn’t matter that I was
swimming later than normal because my usual pool is closed, or that my stomach
wasn’t feeling the greatest. All that mattered was that I was in my element.
One, two, three, breathe, one, two, three, breathe, kick harder, pull stronger,
turn on the ‘after burners’, rest, start again. Those thoughts are the best
part about swimming. Everything else just tends to fall away and all that
matters is that you’re working hard, fighting for that pace despite it being
the last set and racing the person next to you without them knowing ;) And for
that, I am grateful. Grateful for this body that has adapted to every challenge
I’ve thrown at it, that has leaned out in ways I didn’t think were possible (not
that I really care these days what it looks like), and that has carried me to
this point. I CAN NOT wait to toe that start line on Sunday. To pull harder
than I have on a swim, to use these legs to their fullest potential, to fuel
properly, to push hard on the run even though it’s going to be hot and then to
cross that finish line so I can give my husband the biggest hug ever for
putting up with this training and to hug my best friend for constantly listening
to me ramble on about bike seats and tri kits and to kiss her adorable little
baby because I hope she grows up knowing that she can do ANYTHING she sets her
mind to. Wow. That was a run-on sentence if there ever was one. But really,
this is going to be good. I really really hope it goes awesome. Catch you on
the flip side ;</span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-52655458079935224542016-09-16T19:21:00.002-07:002016-09-16T19:21:12.175-07:00Kokopelli Race Report
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Well, I am entering the week of training that marks ONE
month till race day and I have A LOT of thoughts about it. This past weekend I
raced at the BBSC Kokopelli tri in Hurricane, UT and it went relatively well.
Leading up to the race I was STRESSED, as usual. I worried that my leg injury
would deter me from doing well, that my lack of open water swims would mean
that the swim would be too difficult, that the amount of rest I’m getting (or
lack thereof) would mean I wouldn’t succeed, that not having my nutrition
nailed down 100% would mean I would feel awful on the run, and on and on.
Really, I could go on for hours regarding the things that stress me out pre-race.
But I had gone over the course maps, I’d planned out my nutrition, Chris
cleaned and prepped my bike and I was ready to just get it over with by the
time we left for St. George around noon on Friday. </div>
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We checked in and unloaded our stuff quickly so that we
could get over to packet pick-up and then off to meet my coach and the teenage
tri kids that he is coaching, for dinner. Prior to this race I normally prep my
dinner and just heat it up in the hotel room. It’s a little sad lol but it
means I know exactly what I’m eating the night before and I know exactly how it
will react with my stupidly sensitive system. My coach invited us to the
potluck they were planning with the stipulation of bringing a side and I jumped
at the chance as I hoped it would allow me to calm down a bit being around
other anxious triathletes, the food would be healthy and it seemed like a
better option than being anxious in my hotel room while Chris tried to get me
to calm down. In retrospect, it worked well but I really do need more carbs the
night before. I had grilled chicken and a huge salad with lots of avocado and
while that meant everything went well, it also meant that my body didn’t feel
as primed as it could have. </div>
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The day before the race the water temp was 80 degrees so I
had planned not to wear my wetsuit even though I brought it just in case. Of
course, on the day of the race they found a spot where they could measure 75
degrees so the race turned out to be wetsuit legal. I still didn’t wear my
wetsuit. I missed the buoyancy but that was more than made up by the fact that
I felt comfortable in the water and I could breathe easily. </div>
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Swim: 31:53</div>
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The gun went off at 7:40 and we were off! My age group was
pretty small which was nice. I ended up veering a bit off course (I am directionally
challenged) but eventually found a few people to sight with and made it out
of the water in 31 minutes. I was hoping for closer to 25 but no big deal. </div>
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T1: 2:39</div>
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Annnddd on to the bike! My super conservative goal was to be
under 2 hours, my coach’s goal for me was to complete the bike in 1:30-1:40.
I’m happy to report I made it in exactly 1:30! The bike was a lot of fun.
Lately I’ve felt that I’ve been putting a lot of time in on the bike and it’s
paying off. There was one huge hill (aptly titled ‘The Beast’) and I had to
take a very quick break on it as I just couldn’t get my breathing under control
but after the break I powered up the hill half standing and the other half
sitting and felt like the rest of the ride would go well. The ONE complaint I
have is that the road was so incredibly rough. Oh my goodness, I wanted to be
in aero position as much as possible but my arms were shaking too much from the
road that it just wasn’t the most comfortable. While I did start to get a
little uncomfortable towards the end I did my very best to encourage each and
every person I passed with a ‘Great job!’ Tri is an individual sport (one of
the reasons I love it so much) and so on race day it can feel like you’re just
out there doing a long bike followed by a long run. The best parts of tri are
seeing people push harder than they ever have, seeing people not give up even
when it’s hot and tired and getting passed by the lady that just fixed her own
flat and has 20 years on you ;) </div>
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Bike: 1:30</div>
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Off the bike quickly to change my socks and shoes, grab my
visor and water bottle and head out for the run! </div>
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T2: 1:58</div>
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It did not go as well as I had wanted it to go. I felt slow,
it was hard to get my legs going, I walked A LOT. I told myself if I could make
it to the turn-around I would run the whole way back. I did not run the whole
way back. BUT I finished and I tried hard and I know the work I need to do in
order to make sure this does not happen at Tempe as I have 13 miles to run, not
6. </div>
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Run: 1:19 (gah, trying not to beat myself up over this time)</div>
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Lessons learned:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- I need more food than macadamia nuts and strawberries. My
arms felt sore and tired during the swim, something a little unusual as I
normally feel pretty darn comfortable in the water even if I’m not considered “fast”
by most standards</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- I will need more UCAN in T2 for Tempe rather than just 1
shot of it at 1:30</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- I need more carbs the night before, I really missed the
sweet potatoes I normally have</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- I need more salt before and during the race. My quads began
to cramp during the last half of the run and it wasn’t something I was
expecting this time around as that normally happens with me on the bike.
Realizing that this is a time-dependent problem makes it an easy fix but still
a little annoying. </div>
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- I need to drink LESS Gatorade on the run. As I expected, I
never get to drink anything but water and UCAN on my runs so I always get a
little excited at the thrill of Gatorade (I’m telling you, it’s the little
things) and I end up drinking it at every aid station. WHICH, to be fair, was
what my race plan was according to my coach. The problem is, my stomach just
cannot handle that much Gatorade/liquid while running. I need minimal water
while running and just ended up with too much liquid in my belly which meant
that those last couple miles when I can normally “turn on the after-burners”…I
could not push harder. </div>
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- I need to put body glide ALL OVER my neck lol. This is the
second race where I’ve chafed terribly on my neck and I originally thought it
was from my wetsuit, nope, even just a tri-kit will cause chafing. Use body
glide EVERYWHERE </div>
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I’m sure I’m missing more lessons but this is all I can
think of right now and they’re pretty big ones. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another thing I would like to touch on is that during parts
of this race (and for the past couple weeks) I’ve lost the fun of triathlon.
Something that I think every athlete deals with and yet I don’t see it
mentioned much on social media or blogs. It needs to be said: sometimes
training is not going to be fun. It’s going to feel like work and that is
NORMAL. You are allowed to get burnt out, you’re allowed to feel annoyed at
constantly being sore and tired and you’re definitely allowed to take a rest
day when you need a rest day. During parts of the run all I could think was
that this was not fun. That parts of me were hurting that I was sick of
hurting, that I just wanted to nap, etc etc. BUT the difference is that
after having a couple weeks where I’ve just been feeling unmotivated I’m ready
to turn things around. I chose this race, I chose this goal, I am putting in
this work so that at the end of October 16<sup>th</sup> I can say that I
completed 70.3 miles. That I swam over a mile AND THEN I biked 56 miles AND
THEN I ran a half marathon. Something that a select few get to say. Something
that I will relish and cherish because this summer hasn’t been the most fun
summer. I miss swimming Friday afternoons for fun, I miss lifting weights in a
class and I do really miss sleeping in on the weekends. But I’ve got plenty
of time left to do those things and as much as I am looking forward to life
after 70.3 I’m still really looking forward to that race day.</div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-23048674462251263382016-08-18T15:03:00.001-07:002016-08-18T15:03:47.768-07:00August update Well, once a month updates aren't bad, right?! I have no clue what week I am on for training just that vacay number one is up next week and then the week after that is peak week. The week I've affectionately thought of as "throw everything you possibly could at your body and see how it goes," which should be fun [insert wide eyed emoji].<br />
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Life on the whole has been really good these days. I had a solid two weeks in the office/at home which does wonders for my mental health (even if I go a little nuts being in the office), I spent a weekend in Phoenix with my best friend and her new baby and it was so much fun to hang out, catch up, cuddle that little babe and get to run somewhere new. I spent another weekend in Oceanside with ALL of my sisters and it was a blast. So much good food, a little time spent at the beach and lots of laughs. I can't wait until Shelly moves back to Vegas so we can hang out more often. And training, training is going well. I'm dealing with a small setback of peroneal tendinitis (again) but I've got a plan of attack and the pain isn't so bad that I can't train.<br />
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Now for photos!<br />
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This was a 40 (technically 42) mile ride. It was HOT and so so smokey but I remember it going really well despite those conditions. Chris had a bit of a tough time but I'm just so grateful that he's been willing to do so many of my long bikes with me. They are a challenge and they are always made better with him. <br />
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8 solo miles and it was kind of lovely. My goal on long runs is always to negative split, however, this doesn't always happen (heck, it almost never happens). I did make it happen on this run though and it was so exciting! I was able to keep my average under 10min/mi and really pushed to hit a 9:30-8:30 pace on that last mile. I may have overheated a tiny bit hence the sitting selfie but it was a good one. <br />
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Swimming with Kristen! I am so so grateful for this wonderful girl. She is always up to join me for an early morning swim and I love the company. She got to use fins on the 300s we did because...300 hard is really freaking hard. <br />
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Another group of incredible ladies! I try my very best to make as many group rides and group runs as possible because so much of my training is alone (something I'm still trying to find enjoyment in). This week was hard efforts for a 1/2mi, easy-ish 1/4mi then hard again for another 1/2mi and 1mi cool down 5 times through. The first time I rode with this group I had a hard time keeping up with everyone. I was perfectly fine with being at the back of the pack but took it as a bit of a challenge to be better the next time I showed up to ride. Well, what do ya know, I was able to keep up and even pass a couple ladies this time around and it was a pretty good feeling ;). Just a few words about the increase in strength and speed...HILL REPEATS ARE EVERYTHING. Seriously, if you want to kick things into high gear you need to be doing hill repeats. I am getting so much better because of them. <br />
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A beautiful sunrise on my 6 mile run in Phoenix. It was humid from the storm we had the night before but it was just so beautiful. I came upon an intersection around mile two and there was a woodpecker singing on every corner. It was such a fun experience. I cannot wait till I can visit again and Niki is back to running so that we can enjoy these views together! <br />
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Obligatory photo of me with the new mama and baby :) Reagan is just perfection and I was so happy to help Niki with anything she needed for the weekend. She is killing this mama thing! <br />
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Shopping in Encinitas! Super gorgeous city and perfect weather all weekend! <br />
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Hanging out at the San Diego botanical garden. So gorgeous. It overlooks the ocean in parts of it and there were too many plants I loved.<br />
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My goal of this trip was to take lots and lots of group shots because I just don't have enough of me and my sisters. I think we accomplished it! This was in the bamboo garden part of the botanical garden. I had no idea there were so many species! </div>
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This took like five tries to get and we got A LOT of laughs and looks from other beach goers...all totally worth it. I cannot wait to print and frame some of these in the new house! </div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-43050726920976057512016-07-22T17:28:00.001-07:002016-07-22T17:28:46.878-07:0070.3 Training So I'm on week 6 (I think) of half-ironman training. The last time I wrote, training had just began and I was PUMPED. Guess what...still super excited over here ;) with a heavy dash of tiredness lol. My coach is super run focused (which I love) so my training doesn't look much different than when I was training for a half marathon except for the long bikes on the weekend and the addition of bricks. There have been really good days and there have been days when I'm just done.<br />
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A few weeks ago we did 7 miles and ran down to the dam and back. While it was super hot and I was still having a lot of trouble adjusting to the heat (and possibly dealing with a super wacky hormone fluctuation) the views were absolutely gorgeous and I was so grateful that we pushed through it. <br />
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And this one was from one of the hardest workouts I've completed to date. Gah, it was so bad. We rode the loop (35 miles) and dealt with 20-30mph gusts THE ENTIRE TIME. I was thisclose to shedding tears multiple times on that route. At one point we were headed up the biggest hill on the route and going a whole FOUR miles per hour and man was it defeating. The plus side to this is that from here on out any bike ride I do is going to feel significantly easier lol. Perspective, its a useful tool!<br />
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This run was serious proof that running in the heat is so much harder than running in cooler temps. We had a monsoon roll through the night before my long run (8 miles I think) so my starting temp was 73!! Oh, what a difference it made! I still wasn't super fast but I was much faster than I had been simply because my body wasn't working SO hard to just stay cool. So worth being completely drenched in sweat from the humidity. <br />
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I am incredibly grateful that my coach and I are on the same page when it comes to lifting. I'm currently still incorporating it in twice a week and while those double workout days are rough they are well worth the gains you make in speed and strength. Having strong legs makes swimming, running and biking so much easier! This is when I hit the goal I made this year to be able to squat my body weight. Ha, granted I now weigh 5lb more than when I made that goal because #gainz (HA) so I need to adjust it but it was still so exciting to know that my body can handle that much weight! <br />
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Last one! This was from my first brick this weekend (20 mile bike + 5 mile run) and it was SUCH a rewarding workout. So much of training just feels like putting in the time and effort and feeling tired and hoping that it's all working. It was a lot of fun to push myself a bit harder on the bike and to really try and push it on the run even though I knew I was going to be fatigued. It ended up going SO well! I was a mph faster on my bike than I normally am and although my run time could have been faster I put in a really good effort and felt I could have gone longer (which is good!).<br />
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Overall, I'm still excited, still mostly happy that I chose to do this and trying to maintain as much perspective on it. I still have a long way to go. My schedule is done through my race and it is so overwhelming to look ahead and see that I will have a 60 mile ride or a 13 mile run (on my birthday no less ;) but it is also so exciting to see my body change and adapt to what I'm putting it through. Its easy to see why people get hooked on this stuff ;)<br />
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Up for this weekend: 10 mile run on Saturday and 40 mile ride on Sunday. Wish me luck!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-27642761123022195952016-07-21T14:59:00.001-07:002016-07-21T14:59:10.569-07:00Garter Snake Work Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLv_xrVk6wzMI9zQrXx5hu1CdbRMzDrsRnCTxmDc_5hQF70nIiNGMn6OUP6m4LxVDKDAnX41ZgOnhZ8LMuEv7Pfl0RWp8ue5hbunMu6nhQZwYq0-sCr6o-Ea5R4UxtQnFU9dMeV-AkTY/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4G0HDLi5wGzvflmtpihjSQ1ajUjJCf3-I29ujJLnw-U5PFOzCcYrMYgg2H7ROHDqMbaXibD1y917krf0U0zDg1yzRVcxkatAw0Aec3Rt9OKNG3OQbLGfGHKRUJKHkLI30A8L9gsyo50A/s1600/IMG_2785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4G0HDLi5wGzvflmtpihjSQ1ajUjJCf3-I29ujJLnw-U5PFOzCcYrMYgg2H7ROHDqMbaXibD1y917krf0U0zDg1yzRVcxkatAw0Aec3Rt9OKNG3OQbLGfGHKRUJKHkLI30A8L9gsyo50A/s640/IMG_2785.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was close to 25lb of traps on my back at this point. So much fun!</td></tr>
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Several weeks ago I got to go on one of the best work trips of my career. We recently found a species of snake at one of our restoration sites that hadn't been found in the area since the 1900s. Because of this rediscovery they will most likely be added to our list of covered species that we build and maintain habitat for. In order to survey for these snakes, we need a permit and in order to get a permit you need trap hours and experience. Thankfully, Arizona Game and Fish were planning on a survey this summer and they invited us out in order to gain the survey hours needed! To be honest, I was apprehensive about the trip. I was to stay in a field house, bring all my own food, possibly share a room, do field work I was not used to annndddd socialize more than I am used to. I spent the better part of a weekend preparing for the week and had mostly calmed myself down about the trip. I was rewarded with one of the most fun trips I've taken in a long time! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLv_xrVk6wzMI9zQrXx5hu1CdbRMzDrsRnCTxmDc_5hQF70nIiNGMn6OUP6m4LxVDKDAnX41ZgOnhZ8LMuEv7Pfl0RWp8ue5hbunMu6nhQZwYq0-sCr6o-Ea5R4UxtQnFU9dMeV-AkTY/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLv_xrVk6wzMI9zQrXx5hu1CdbRMzDrsRnCTxmDc_5hQF70nIiNGMn6OUP6m4LxVDKDAnX41ZgOnhZ8LMuEv7Pfl0RWp8ue5hbunMu6nhQZwYq0-sCr6o-Ea5R4UxtQnFU9dMeV-AkTY/s640/IMG_2796.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The above photo is the view I had every morning while I ate my breakfast [insert heart eye emoji]! It was so incredibly pleasant to work hard enough that I slept well each night, get a full 8 hours of sleep, have 1 1/2-2 hours to prepare for the day, eat exactly what I wanted and to be disconnected from most of social media for the week. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoEcS2O-YdPbIUgdZeqnOzDxRyXPZ-itmlQvLmjZjVmJAOwdSzzwH05Kc-EjFGbLUgTx__2UbHxc1aPpqbdXwFvGhJRSCY25m5tkQh0I7NtBrFMDWqwGjgAJEEBuZ3hID2PPkdmzrG34/s1600/IMG_2820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoEcS2O-YdPbIUgdZeqnOzDxRyXPZ-itmlQvLmjZjVmJAOwdSzzwH05Kc-EjFGbLUgTx__2UbHxc1aPpqbdXwFvGhJRSCY25m5tkQh0I7NtBrFMDWqwGjgAJEEBuZ3hID2PPkdmzrG34/s640/IMG_2820.JPG" width="640" /> </a></div>
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These petroglyphs were right behind the house we were staying in and the sunset was incredible every evening! On most of my trips, I'm relatively quiet while we're doing field work and the time we have outside of work is spent in my room reading or checking out Pinterest. For once, I did not have that option and in preparation of it, I downloaded several books on my kindle so that if we did have downtime I could just read (aka avoid people lol). What surprised me most is that instead of reading, I played dice games with the other part of the crew, chatted about work and life stuff while eating dinner, explored the entire ranch and in general just chilled. It was so very relaxing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw8DqCfCQb3yFhswDzXu1QpcPZfmWXAbNBIbPbBPP1bDiZAQYkRic75MSmRjoX6mnzFFN0X6FZ8CwA41QBWtzy0qh-4PvL158a3yGm3-Z2DVs-0LbhuHSsQG_8vu_1T_jUvYDxLNqGYI/s1600/IMG_2839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5IjyCOUqJ_ojyZInGd_Ovt2ozrsLNpOvJs7CMAV9fbxYYooS-3fIBxsRy0xBJVJNLki4rHWffPMehkDNu4SL3NjjZ9sKWZZgWCFnv34-gxq2fsAD5c3KkPO1MggM1UyKtwIinyPowDk/s1600/IMG_2784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5IjyCOUqJ_ojyZInGd_Ovt2ozrsLNpOvJs7CMAV9fbxYYooS-3fIBxsRy0xBJVJNLki4rHWffPMehkDNu4SL3NjjZ9sKWZZgWCFnv34-gxq2fsAD5c3KkPO1MggM1UyKtwIinyPowDk/s640/IMG_2784.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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As most of my work is spent in converted agriculture fields, spending so much time in the water was a blast! The work was challenging, let's be clear, we hiked over 8 miles each day and it wasn't a leisurely stroll. I was happily surprised that the lead biologist was as speedy of a hiker as I was and that it was a fun challenge to keep up with him ;) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw8DqCfCQb3yFhswDzXu1QpcPZfmWXAbNBIbPbBPP1bDiZAQYkRic75MSmRjoX6mnzFFN0X6FZ8CwA41QBWtzy0qh-4PvL158a3yGm3-Z2DVs-0LbhuHSsQG_8vu_1T_jUvYDxLNqGYI/s1600/IMG_2839.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw8DqCfCQb3yFhswDzXu1QpcPZfmWXAbNBIbPbBPP1bDiZAQYkRic75MSmRjoX6mnzFFN0X6FZ8CwA41QBWtzy0qh-4PvL158a3yGm3-Z2DVs-0LbhuHSsQG_8vu_1T_jUvYDxLNqGYI/s640/IMG_2839.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And last but not least, we actually didn't end up seeing any snakes of the species we were hoping for (they hadn't been seen in the area for over 30 years so hopes weren't super high) but we did see this awesome guy as well as a couple Colorado river toads, skunks, raptors, a California king snake and one other diamondback!<br />
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I can't stress enough how important it can be to step out of your comfort zone every now and then. I LOVE routine, not having a plan seriously stresses me out. BUT if I had turned down this trip or done my usual recluse thing every night I would have missed out on such fantastic conversations, a whole lot of laughs and a small group of new biologist friends that I hope to work with again. So totally worth it.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-58860756790278129822016-06-16T19:34:00.000-07:002016-06-16T19:34:36.405-07:00Back at it? Maybe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOK-oV-ag_lSTyr7gx2frC3qeQt_zqHW9hER62wnchWOjxzx3CPj2RXAoGBdIxwBg9a3vRrVVXlObBAU3nM1hKPvcpAePjZL1d9XWcWi5T4SKtx8hHpj63nffwde_TUMqA9i20hEr05A/s1600/IMG_2593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOK-oV-ag_lSTyr7gx2frC3qeQt_zqHW9hER62wnchWOjxzx3CPj2RXAoGBdIxwBg9a3vRrVVXlObBAU3nM1hKPvcpAePjZL1d9XWcWi5T4SKtx8hHpj63nffwde_TUMqA9i20hEr05A/s400/IMG_2593.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've been debating for some time whether to revive this blog of mine or not. To be honest, I'm busy. BUT, everyone is busy. And really, I think we're all a little less busy than we think we are. You see, I like having a blog because I gave up writing in a journal years ago. It just got to be too much. I am already an obsessive list-maker, I didn't want to add in MORE writing. In addition, all my old journals were just filled with thoughts about the boys I liked and church and what not. Which isn't really relevant these days. Having a blog means that I can talk about things going on in my life, have an outlet for the hundreds of photos I take and maybe inspire one or two people about the things that interest me. So I still haven't decided whether to start up a new blog or keep this one but we'll see!<br />
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Current things of interest:<br />
-We bought a house in March (!), it is currently being built and should be done around the 4th of July. We are STOKED<br />
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-Speaking of <i>we</i>: uh, we got married. Last November and it was awesome.<br />
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-70.3 training started this week and I KNOW that it's too soon to speak about how excited I am but...I'm really excited. I love goals, I love fitness and I really love having a plan. The current goal is to just stay relatively chill about things. I have a tendency to get a bit obsessive when it comes to fitness and I really would like to make sure my friends still like me at the end of the day.<br />
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-I read through all my old posts and there is so much I want to talk about and also some things that don't need further discussion. Something to talk about: whole30. It has been a year since I did my first round and man do I have some thoughts on it.<br />
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-Work is still work. Apparently 2014 was rough? After reading through my old posts I'm realizing that they worked me WAY harder that first full field season. Through some changes I helped to implement, I think we are all much happier with the amount of time we are in the field. At least I am.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-73070193362139167912015-06-17T11:16:00.002-07:002015-06-17T11:16:52.285-07:00Whole30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5mY4nO_3nl-ZCaU0MjRLZs55TUCRkIecAjB41AQdHgNjRHIDvZm7PhTulYu7fUx1aoBBhQ5fQYOJ-eP3D5Hxn_Sq5kKGqDNtt3wZGJYq2i2f8rzSNwyrhizHKSRBvS4zNvLzcQ6zYDs/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5mY4nO_3nl-ZCaU0MjRLZs55TUCRkIecAjB41AQdHgNjRHIDvZm7PhTulYu7fUx1aoBBhQ5fQYOJ-eP3D5Hxn_Sq5kKGqDNtt3wZGJYq2i2f8rzSNwyrhizHKSRBvS4zNvLzcQ6zYDs/s400/index.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">WHOLE30 Week 1:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t feel like I write a whole lot on here
because I often feel like I don’t really have much new stuff to offer and that
I often prefer to read a book or work on wedding stuff than blather on about
the workouts I’m doing or the changes I’m making. BUT sometimes, I deem
something important enough and I feel like if I DON’T write about it, I’m going
to drive all of my friends crazy because I can’t shut up about it…Enter
<a href="http://whole30.com/" target="_blank">Whole30</a>. As you may know, it’s a lifestyle change not simply a change in diet
and as the website and book claim…it will change your life. I could explain
exactly what it entails but there are SO many blogs that already do just that.
The gist is, eat whole foods for 30 days. See what changes. No sugar, wheat,
legumes, dairy but unlimited vegetables, protein, healthy fat and a fair amount
of fruit. Chris and I started last Monday on June 8. We are currently on day 10. A recap for the next few days will hopefully come by the end of this week as I should be dealing with a few fun challenges this week!</span></span><br />
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Day 1: </div>
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Breakfast was a frittata, lunch was protein salad and dinner
was spaghetti squash with ground beef and tomato sauce. First impressions: oh
my goodness, this frittata is wonderful. However, I’m beginning to get a
headache and feel a little sluggish already. YAY</div>
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Day 2: </div>
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Southwest scramble for breakfast, leftovers for lunch and
dinner was chicken, roasted veggies and a cabbage slaw. Results: the tiredness,
oh the tiredness. That and the dull headache that never went away. But overall,
loving all the food. Also, it is not noted in the book but I had some serious
bloating Monday and Tuesday. TMI perhaps? My belly just felt like I had eaten
wayyy too much salt. Which was not the case. Thankfully, Wednesday things got
slightly better.</div>
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Day 3: </div>
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Southwest scramble for breakfast, protein salad for lunch
and a compliant torturous dinner out at California Pizza Kitchen. Results: I
got up for an early morning swim with a friend that was a wonderful start to my
day! Breakfast was pretty good, nothing too exciting. I was ravenous after
swimming and was happily surprised that the eggs held me over for most of the
way till lunch. However, I started getting a bit queasy and fatigued towards
the end of the day. My lunch was waayyy too creamy and I couldn’t finish it for
fear that I was going to end up hurling. Ugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, the headache got quite a bit worse towards the end of work. I was
still able to fit in BBG arms and abs and get ready for dinner in time! I had
scoped out the menu at CPK and even called ahead to make sure that what Chris
and I were going to order was going to be compliant. The waiter was more than
happy to accommodate my request of a salad instead of the succotash that came
with my salmon and it was so so nice to see my friends. I really love these
girls and their significant others and although my headache worsened into sinus
pressure and bizarrely joint pain, it was worth it! Also of note, I say
torturous just because it was a pizza place. Chris and I love pizza and here we
were, relegated to getting something VERY healthy and perhaps not our first
pick. But we made it. Onto day 4!</div>
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Day 4: </div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Southwest scramble again for breakfast, giant
green salad for lunch and steak with veggies and sweet potatoes for dinner.
Results: breakfast really did not go well. I woke up very dizzy and nauseous
and had to force down my eggs. I was STILL feeling pretty awful close to lunch
time. I decided to try some lemon ginger tea and I genuinely think that was the
only thing to fix my appetite. Lunch was really really good. I switched to a
giant green salad with a homemade vinaigrette instead of a mayo based protein
and it helped so much. I really should have known that since I had trouble
stomaching cream based proteins prior to whole30 that something similar made
with fantastic ingredients really wasn’t going change my mind. I had a little
trouble finishing ALL of it but got through most of it. Day 4 is also when my
headaches finally began to go away (HOORAY)! I was finally feeling mostly
better. Some slight stomach issues on this day as well but overall, okay. </span>
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 5: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Southwest scramble for breakfast, green salad planned for
lunch and taco salad planned for dinner. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Results: WOO! Currently feeling SO much better. The one
downside is that Chris seems to have entered where I was on Wednesday and part
of Thursday =/. But, we all are on our own timeline and I know that it will get
easier for him in the next couple days. While I am kind of over the southwest
scramble I’m looking forward to coming up with a few new recipes this weekend
for my 4 day work trip next week AND coming up with ways we can treat/reward
ourselves for making it through another week that doesn’t involve food. So much
of our routine on the weekend involves food. We look forward to brunch at our
favorite place every week, we eat out for dinner usually once or twice
(possibly every night if I’ve been on travel all week and cannot muster the
energy or excitement to cook), and I truly do love to bake. With Whole30, we
are changing those habits. We’re going to go see a movie instead, we’re going
to look for compliant foods, and we’re going to meal prep successfully so that
both Chris and I can have a great week 2. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few days ago I would have told you that I didn’t think I
could do this. I was cranky, annoyed and frustrated with the amount of changes
I was trying to make in a short amount of time. Today I can tell you that we
are going to do this. It’s not always going to be easy but its only 30 days.
You can do anything for 30 days. That and what a gift to be able to complain
about eating healthy, mostly organic whole foods for an entire month. How many
people get to have that opportunity? Not many, I count myself as very lucky
that I get to. </span></div>
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Week 2 Update coming up next!</div>
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Also, it should be noted: I really doubt that anyone is going to read through this whole thing. Its a lot of chat about food but I knew that if I didn't write this stuff down that I would forget why I'm doing this and that Chris and I will fall right back into our old habits when we finish this. We do not plan to do this. Hence, the lengthiness. </div>
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-35307781415095980042015-05-14T19:24:00.001-07:002015-05-14T19:26:03.663-07:00OC Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HTJTf6z5rBhhyphenhyphen_o6biX9NmAm9dl6eUewRQ1t_3fl-ILdGl5c53YWVD4zFiiC44gsgnH8R6im9gtKOizT7cqBzi0qMkv9tX9yLRhh0eZo2r9S5oJZtR9Ecmo9JRQjYqjXTeVwcH33JVc/s1600/IMG_8717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HTJTf6z5rBhhyphenhyphen_o6biX9NmAm9dl6eUewRQ1t_3fl-ILdGl5c53YWVD4zFiiC44gsgnH8R6im9gtKOizT7cqBzi0qMkv9tX9yLRhh0eZo2r9S5oJZtR9Ecmo9JRQjYqjXTeVwcH33JVc/s640/IMG_8717.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Another fitness goal complete! On May 3rd I competed in my second half marathon with my seriously awesome fiance, friends I've known since high school and their also incredibly awesome partners. To be completely honest, I had no clue how this race was going to go. Throughout my training I dealt with shin splints, IT band pain, a freak spider bite, foot pain, a complete change in my gait AND the ever present running cramps. I say this not to ask for your pity but to say that HOLY HECK, I went through all that stuff and still came out with a four minute PR which means that I should really start to try and believe in myself. Now to recap!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjxaAAJebEMw6GV0pEWigbT6vQNjueGEZZ9zo4-bNenEVtJmzj94It3Z-ropwKerLlzWa0w_272ItAWF3kdwgb5gpFozYotWyKrRTeJ6cgpfRz_Qhy-l-KK4AyXFD0DJhI0T5DzRCYsM/s1600/IMG_8723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjxaAAJebEMw6GV0pEWigbT6vQNjueGEZZ9zo4-bNenEVtJmzj94It3Z-ropwKerLlzWa0w_272ItAWF3kdwgb5gpFozYotWyKrRTeJ6cgpfRz_Qhy-l-KK4AyXFD0DJhI0T5DzRCYsM/s640/IMG_8723.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Chris and I drove down Friday night after picking up my race tank from Niki (aka the #bestrunningpartnerever) and crashed pretty quickly. On Saturday we slept in, went for our quick 2mi shake out run on the beach (first pic) and overall felt pretty darn good. We had brunch and then met up with everyone at the expo to pick up our bibs, shirts and other miscellaneous stuff you get at races. We had dinner at a delicious italian restaurant and then all went our separate ways to try and get to bed early for our 4AM wake-up call. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqU0eAK564W69hw72NSskmVvAfnqeCCVu3bzQAkACLH1MZxStJTtiAJKwQQcPaLlLldUWeC6jLrMbV7ZNtXkFj59K2NdoW2aFvTOMff_t6QF2xsFZvFPkTVXHi4dQEQYEAcb-OY5NA7o/s1600/IMG_8741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqU0eAK564W69hw72NSskmVvAfnqeCCVu3bzQAkACLH1MZxStJTtiAJKwQQcPaLlLldUWeC6jLrMbV7ZNtXkFj59K2NdoW2aFvTOMff_t6QF2xsFZvFPkTVXHi4dQEQYEAcb-OY5NA7o/s640/IMG_8741.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
The morning of the race I was freaking out a bit. Actually freaking out a lot. I was so immensely worried that I would slow Chris down, or deal with running cramps in the first mile or deal with random ITB pain. I am SO thankful for this man. This was his first race longer than a 5k and here I was freaking out and he was the epitome of calm. Our training had been all over the place due to my random ailments, him getting a cold and him also dealing with some shin splints. I was NOT feeling prepared. But the gun went off and off we went!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYl85bO1tfalJ94wlHlIEu5X7joz9iMC8pql0joD6lFupl5RenxdLL0Wf9sdqreR4wxVC_8IAkiaUA9X-L_ubPziryT-MPOSLjVxxeEevazNY94oGi_kDVjNm7QZFbQhcwQW1r-jkIzxk/s1600/IMG_8725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYl85bO1tfalJ94wlHlIEu5X7joz9iMC8pql0joD6lFupl5RenxdLL0Wf9sdqreR4wxVC_8IAkiaUA9X-L_ubPziryT-MPOSLjVxxeEevazNY94oGi_kDVjNm7QZFbQhcwQW1r-jkIzxk/s640/IMG_8725.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
I took this pic right around mile 3. This was a HUGE race compared to all the ones I've done in the past. There were over 22,000 runners [insert wide eyed emoji]. At first it was a little difficult trying to dodge everyone who had a different pace but I think around mile 8 or 9 I just kept thinking, 'this is awesome, look at all these totally different people crushing their goals.'<br />
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We didn't quite pace ourselves the way I had planned to or expected to but I was genuinely just so excited that I was running without pain that I told myself to just keep running and deal with the change in pace when I started to slow down. I know we definitely started to slow down a bit at mile 10 which I had planned on. I made sure we both focused on our form and took in as much fuel as we needed/could. We finished in 2:20...4 minutes faster than my first one despite all our setbacks =). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCOOriSuEcgc5R7kCdjhH4j6RogSR1RWdLCAivsLCj1MBVbXoNIRevKvEZJhisA7tJSZ1EKBvGWlsV0RyHmF6hBh_PXtXWeTi3ozvFR4Jkq_tsl9ev7QN-saZhcFMLhyphenhyphenru3wj-K2SA50/s1600/IMG_8728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCOOriSuEcgc5R7kCdjhH4j6RogSR1RWdLCAivsLCj1MBVbXoNIRevKvEZJhisA7tJSZ1EKBvGWlsV0RyHmF6hBh_PXtXWeTi3ozvFR4Jkq_tsl9ev7QN-saZhcFMLhyphenhyphenru3wj-K2SA50/s400/IMG_8728.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOUJHsmTDdBd9SFFWS8Ntxdfy2Xva7c9NsTyAaGdygxgK0oHcBl9G7nV9iJlLuhlxbhnfK6bxUokoXRDUaNZQA1P9qRBWFpIHnhL8VM9z5KQGEdk1a2TBjxMlerLY06KmqMWGRi_1SMQ/s1600/IMG_8732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOUJHsmTDdBd9SFFWS8Ntxdfy2Xva7c9NsTyAaGdygxgK0oHcBl9G7nV9iJlLuhlxbhnfK6bxUokoXRDUaNZQA1P9qRBWFpIHnhL8VM9z5KQGEdk1a2TBjxMlerLY06KmqMWGRi_1SMQ/s400/IMG_8732.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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After the race we took our obligatory group picture and hobbled around a bit ;). I was surprised by how different the pain was post-race. Yes it hurt, you do not run 13.1 miles and not hurt afterwards but after my first one I very much felt that if I did not keep moving I would fall over. After this one there was pain but getting in and out of the car was okay and we were fine at brunch and somewhat okay at the beach later. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly5qvWiosehPfl66gw_L6ojWuje57Jq4pzwK4Hqb-5ONIEn7VWHfEW2eIsLVkhOUXTmHItLyEOupLz0CutdvJP9h_F0WZBZKJosbQ13eHfBndAAwhqDWNtTDFJOibCFQvnW8I2-XR3WA/s1600/IMG_8738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly5qvWiosehPfl66gw_L6ojWuje57Jq4pzwK4Hqb-5ONIEn7VWHfEW2eIsLVkhOUXTmHItLyEOupLz0CutdvJP9h_F0WZBZKJosbQ13eHfBndAAwhqDWNtTDFJOibCFQvnW8I2-XR3WA/s640/IMG_8738.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a kickass group of people. I am so incredibly proud of all of them for doing a fantastic job on their first HALF. </td></tr>
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These two girls are one in a million. They endlessly listen to me ramble on about fitness stuff and are willing to take a risk on training advice that I offer. They both are so strong and I LOVE that they #runlikeagirl. Congrats you two, I can't wait for the next one ;)! </div>
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-67426319769382261032015-04-26T13:25:00.001-07:002015-04-26T13:25:48.623-07:00The Third Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_kOgml7mkWFn6nnhpQIyOTWa4a0IDHRJ4AC51KmP8EVrKS-q8pTKmT0U5yZfQHHtFE8lHhFDZK6wf81fyTFbeJpL5IZuVecsREoDKdj9Q3OYALgqasE8i6CTE1A3l8-1c9sxQbkzZrs/s1600/IMG_8537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_kOgml7mkWFn6nnhpQIyOTWa4a0IDHRJ4AC51KmP8EVrKS-q8pTKmT0U5yZfQHHtFE8lHhFDZK6wf81fyTFbeJpL5IZuVecsREoDKdj9Q3OYALgqasE8i6CTE1A3l8-1c9sxQbkzZrs/s1600/IMG_8537.jpg" height="640" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Last weekend I competed in my third triathlon and it went fantastic! This race was the one to replace the crappy memory of last year's olympic distance race. I chose to do the sprint knowing that I wouldn't have a ton of time to train and that it would most likely be pretty darn hot. And I'm glad that I did! </div>
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I was scheduled to start swimming at 7:35AM and we had a whole 2-3 minutes to spare after getting my transition set up, a bathroom break and a heavy application of sunscreen. This was the first race that I got to wear a full wetsuit and man am I glad that I took the plunge and purchased it. It kept me so much warmer than the sleeveless one and the buoyancy difference was significant. Last year, I had a huge struggle with the swim. It felt like it never ended, I was freezing the entire time and because of being so cold I had cramping as soon as I got on the bike. This year...much different. I was cold but warmed up quickly, it was a relatively quick swim and I was much warmer when I had gotten out of the water. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into the water! I'm in there somewhere ;)</td></tr>
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After my swim, I took about 4 minutes in transition and moved onto the bike pretty quickly. I did my best to keep my legs moving as fast as possible and to just get my breathing in order. We had a hill immediately out of the gate but then it was mostly rolling hills up to the turn around. Like I said, I did not have a ton of time to train for this race. I tried to get a bike and swim in each week as well as my running for the half marathon we have next week. I was very grateful that the few biking sessions I had done were very hill heavy! You can always tell when people didn't train on hills. They would pass me on the downhill and I would pass them on the uphill. Always a good feeling! </div>
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Annnddd now onto the last leg, the run! I was the most apprehensive about this portion because I have had injury after injury for the past several months. I was dealing with IT band pain just the day before and was not thrilled about having to push myself to think of my form and landing throughout the 3 miles. That and of course I dealt with cramps immediately after T2 -_-. It certainly didn't help that the first 1.5mi were on a really crappy dirt trail. I believe I came close to tripping and twisting my ankle at least 4-5 times. Once we hit the pavement I was able to find my stride and the only issue I was having was with my side cramps. But coming into the finish line I was blinded (in the best possible way) by Niki's signs and was able to sprint that last little bit which felt fantastic!<br />
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I seriously have the BEST cheering team. Niki and her husband were there, my handsome fiance was there (though he's kind of required to be), and Chris' parents are always there to cheer me to the finish. I can't tell you how much cheering helps. You realize that if you don't push hard, they came out for nothing and that they love you and want to succeed so why not shoot for it? It's by far one of my favorite parts about racing. <br />
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And now the next thing on the calendar is the OC Half Marathon next weekend. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I am thoroughly looking forward to getting it over with. I miss riding my bike, I'm pretty annoyed with running and I want to start BBG back up again. One more week!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-81015509907608077962015-02-12T12:23:00.002-08:002015-02-12T12:23:26.816-08:00Engaged.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The next order of business on getting this ole' blog up to speed is telling you a little bit about us getting engaged! This first picture was about a couple weeks before Christmas and as Chris described it, "everyone knew that I was about to propose besides you!" lol so kind of him. He proposed on Christmas morning after we had already opened our presents and I swear to you, I was ecstatic already over everything he had gotten me. I was pretty sure he was planning on proposing that morning so when we had finished all the presents and he hadn't, I just figured I was wrong. Well, then he went messing around with something in the garage, came back inside, got down on one knee and of course I said yes! It was perfect. I've mentioned this story to a few people and several people have asked "well, was there family there?" and my response is always, 'oh my gosh no, thank goodness, that would have been so awkward.' It is such a personal moment! To have to share that with family and not be 100% genuine in the moment would just not have been okay and thankfully Chris was fully aware of that. </div>
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The next day we went to the Children's Museum in Vegas and found this AWESOME life size lite brite that my niece and Chris got creative with. It made for such a cute photo! <br />
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And then of course, we celebrated the next day with brunch at our favorite place. Oh how we wish we could get this place to cater our brunch wedding. We're here every weekend! Also, Chris does not look enthused because I'm taking his picture before 11am on a Sunday. I promise, he was happy. <br />
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Lastly, the obligatory ring picture. Because I seriously LOVE it. I actually wear a different (cheaper) ring while I'm on travel and I kind of miss my normal one while I'm gone. Its a little fun to get home from work all week and get to put that one on again. I absolutely adore it. <br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-32501031549080950982015-02-10T10:02:00.001-08:002015-02-10T10:09:11.639-08:00The most delayed post of all time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niki and I post-race. I had A LOT of trouble just standing there for the pic. </td></tr>
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Ahem. It's been a while. Like three to four months a while and A LOT has happened since then. One of my resolutions was to blog 3-4 times a month and well, it's February and I have blogged a total of zero times for 2015. Go me! But I'd like to change that. Field work is starting up again which means that I'll be stuck in a hotel room quite often for the next several months and what better way to pass the time than by blogging!<br />
So we need to review the fact that the last time I wrote, I wrote about half marathon training and considering I am about to start training for my SECOND one, we should discuss the first. In a word, it was awesome. It was hard and difficult and full of pain but I loved it. I got a cramp in my right side within one mile of the starting line (HA is what my body was saying) and Niki had to go ahead because she was kicking ass and feeling great. And, of course, that cramp stuck around ALL 13.1 MILES. However, I maintained an 11min/mile pace thanks to the incredible Edie Gracia (who I now run with a few times a month!). She was my pacer and I don't think I could have done it without her. She pushed me when it got really hard, she listened to me ramble about triathlons and then she added me to her running group on fb later that day and I have been running with them as often as I can. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Survived is right! </td></tr>
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As far as the pain goes. Severe pain showed up in my left foot two days afterward and I had to take a few months off running. However, because of that injury the world's best physical therapist was recommended to me and he has completely changed the way I run, the way I feel about running and how I approach strength training overall. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edie and I around mile 11</td></tr>
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I start training for the OC Half next week and this time I have 2 more friends (besides the gorgeous Niki) and my FIANCE (woo) running it with me! Bring it on OC.<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-80889731059349866762014-10-20T20:57:00.001-07:002014-10-20T20:57:21.051-07:00Hitting the wall of AWESOME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's discuss the roller coaster that is training for a half marathon. Although I will say that this roller coaster happens with almost every event I've trained for. You start out SUPER excited. You're so jazzed to reach a goal that you get a little overzealous. Maybe the training goes to your head, maybe you get injured or maybe you've committed to something that's just past your limits. And then you go through a time where you're sore all the time, you're tired frequently and you wonder what the heck you got yourself into. BUT then, then you hit the wall of awesome and you are back up on the top of that roller coaster ready for the big drop. I hit that wall last Friday. I had been feeling super worried about my run that day because it was at an unfamiliar time, the trail was one that seriously kicked my butt last year when I ran it training for Irongirl and I was running with a friend which I knew would be new. And yet, I got out there and ran one of my best runs yet. The pace felt easy, my legs felt great, I didn't need compression sleeves and I was totally excited to do abs afterwards. It was a BLAST.<br />
However, the awesomeness didn't stop there. You see, at the start of this journey my running partner and I had told each other that we wanted our legs in good enough shape that we could wear these tiny running shorts that our trainer wears consistently. A couple weeks into our training we both went and tried some on and immediately said "helllllllll no, I am never wearing those." Fast forward to the LAST week of our training and we both end up texting each other saying that we're going to go try the shorts on again because its the last week we have to give them another shot. Below is me in said shorts! You guys, I felt FANTASTIC in them. I was so proud of myself for accomplishing this goal and feeling good about it! I purchased those babies and tested them out on my last long run yesterday (which also went super well). <br />
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I don't want this to sound like a big brag-a-thon by me. I want it to sound inspiring. Training for something and seeing your body and fitness change is something I think everyone should aspire to do. It is so so exciting to reach a goal and know that you can go further. Get out of your comfort zone and do something that you didn't think you could do, because you totally can! Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-86327843429678409672014-09-18T14:17:00.000-07:002014-09-18T14:17:16.954-07:00Half Marathon Training<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuiQ5jAndgKgngLpyK4NlbELuoeB6MlR5Lf_bAGQSPbdcdUSsp_pQF9apixyZkBmOojjH-BSyzTsoyd2Jx_cBLAhNImHhrhIe8QoQE5zv6I82IGv9Z6NlE6t27f9vDb0IkuYl7S1K55Y/s1600/IMG_6117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuiQ5jAndgKgngLpyK4NlbELuoeB6MlR5Lf_bAGQSPbdcdUSsp_pQF9apixyZkBmOojjH-BSyzTsoyd2Jx_cBLAhNImHhrhIe8QoQE5zv6I82IGv9Z6NlE6t27f9vDb0IkuYl7S1K55Y/s1600/IMG_6117.JPG" height="400" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Shin splints. Have you ever had them? If not, let me explain. It's shooting pain down the front or back of your shin bone. It makes it difficult to walk, let alone, run. I had a lovely run-in with shin splints my second week of training and oh do they suck. I iced my shins, changed my shoes, tried running on a treadmill, tried going even slower (which is difficult, I run like a snail lol), and just could not shake them. The feeling of defeat was real. I felt like there was no way I was going to fix them in time to train for my race. A friend had mentioned that I could do the 10k instead which I had eventually resigned myself to until my trainer sent over some shin exercises and I found <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5902699/banish-shin-splints-forever-with-one-magical-exercise" target="_blank">another kind</a> online. So I got started with them and OH do they BURN. But I swear to you within a few days I was feeling better. I wasn't walking with pain, I jogged a bit and didn't feel like dying. I tested out my legs last Friday at the track at the gym and somehow was able to do 4.5 miles and it was AWESOME. Hence, the above picture of me grinning.</div>
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And then, over the weekend I got up at the crack of dawn and ran my first long run and didn't die. That is exciting stuff guys! And so I'm back at it and I could not be happier. I genuinely welcome the good pain I feel when I'm running. The kind that comes from forcing myself to be stronger. The kind that makes me out of breath but excited that the next time I do the same workout, it'll be easier. The picture below is after I finished some interval training my trainer had me do to get me back to my goal pace and it was full of the good pain. It was so so hard and so so worth it. I felt so incredibly accomplished afterwards. Even if my shins were aching a bit and my knees were done. I cannot wait for that half marathon. I am going to crush it. It is going to be hard but wonderful at the same time. I'll be able to cross another distance off my list and that it too exciting. <br />
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What have YOU been up to?? Tell me about your latest accomplishment!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-76550175284816761262014-09-02T21:12:00.001-07:002014-09-02T21:16:00.474-07:00San Diego Recap <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahh, San Diego. Our home away from home. As I mentioned in my last post, we spend a solid week here every year at the end of August (along with many other weekends) and it is always completely relaxing and restorative. This year I had ambitious plans to half-marathon train while on vacation...HA. Does anyone else realize the ridiculousness of this notion? Yeah, neither did I. So I got one run in, pictured below, and then I took 6 days off and I think I got one more run in later on in the week. And the relaxing route was so totally worth it. I felt crappy about it for a day or two but then got over it and realized that I should enjoy my vacation and not worry about "training." Especially considering how obnoxious my shins have been since I started this whole training thing. </div>
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We spent several days at the beach, ate A LOT of delicious food, went on long bike rides, saw dolphins in the ocean, had a bonfire on the beach and celebrated Chris' grandparents 55th(!) wedding anniversary. It was wonderful. I came home ready to eat clean, excited to spend time on our house and happy to sleep in my own bed for more than one night. </div>
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And now, pictures! Of which there really aren't that many because I was doing my best to ignore my phone. So so nice. Try it some time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4.5 very slow miles after taking several days off to ice the shins. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Cliffs, we got clouded out but it was still gorgeous </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset cliffs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like father, like son =)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4d_ZINhN4010zDYPYtsB7XuBUMJ8KstYXWZ0B1iD7jiA0QbrGLwVDCnWqAUuZYHvMPbcac_b6HzC2RtmHpFhpbKuemG47aJpCsWe6fPUw19HZWyekDTFHYAtSW6AYbtRufAHTFSXTlrU/s1600/IMG_5799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4d_ZINhN4010zDYPYtsB7XuBUMJ8KstYXWZ0B1iD7jiA0QbrGLwVDCnWqAUuZYHvMPbcac_b6HzC2RtmHpFhpbKuemG47aJpCsWe6fPUw19HZWyekDTFHYAtSW6AYbtRufAHTFSXTlrU/s1600/IMG_5799.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant bike sculpture!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl_hiAYw6yg2Mi2X6rzJfUMfdoQYy4QnsF1LEOpK-wvvAnm4Oy31RehQdttV7IoNiz55EbcTJJZ4AOy4-MnxwaycBM0qbkqqzivbKbhCJLCdWWmPVxOyGrNYu7dzj3rlAQYpno1ouqpA/s1600/IMG_5808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl_hiAYw6yg2Mi2X6rzJfUMfdoQYy4QnsF1LEOpK-wvvAnm4Oy31RehQdttV7IoNiz55EbcTJJZ4AOy4-MnxwaycBM0qbkqqzivbKbhCJLCdWWmPVxOyGrNYu7dzj3rlAQYpno1ouqpA/s1600/IMG_5808.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden hour <!--3--><!--3--></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth Chris to celebrate 55 years of marriage between Chris' grandparents</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from on top of the midway</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink lights for my road bike!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for bike the bay!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View atop the Coronado bride...taken while riding my bike of course.</td></tr>
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How was your August?? What are your goals/plans for September??<br />
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-16241572805683171342014-08-14T16:52:00.000-07:002014-08-14T16:52:04.955-07:00August and Training <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The month of August is finally here! It feels like my summer has been one blur of non-stop traveling for work and for fun. I had a full week in town towards the end of July and took full advantage of it by trying a new workout class, meeting with my trainer to get my half-marathon schedule figured out and getting plenty of time at home to hang out with my handsome boyfriend. </div>
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This month is easily one of my favorites because the summer heat starts to wane just a bit, its normally back-to-school time and we get to take a week-long vacation to San Diego. We leave for San Diego this Saturday and oh my goodness, I am excited. We've got rides planned, there are sunsets to be watched and there will be dinner at our favorite italian place. </div>
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Up in that picture you'll notice that I have half-marathon training written down. Now, to be clear, when I finished my olympic distance tri in April I made a huge fuss about the fact that I NEVER wanted to do anything close to that distance ever again. That tri was difficult and painful and it still sucks to recall it and yet I am here to say, never say never. You will eat your words. Despite all the signs my body gives me that it doesn't like distance anything, I am attempting to run a half-marathon on October 25th. A day that is near and dear to me because it was my first tri. And that tri was wonderful. I am so excited to be training for a new distance and to be "competing" in another all-girl event. My friend Niki signed up to do it as well and she is totally rocking her training thus far. While I was rocking my first week, my shins decided to keel over on my run this past Monday and I am now nursing shin splints. BUT after a couple days of rest and icing, I think I can be back in the game tomorrow with a 4-5 mile run. And if that goes well I will plan on my long run on Sunday in sunny SD. </div>
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Life is good these days. I am busy, I am fitting in my training and I am over the moon about a week away from work. </div>
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How is your August faring thus far?? </div>
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-37975925049576887862014-07-24T16:07:00.001-07:002014-07-25T18:36:17.572-07:00Tone it up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple weeks ago I felt super lucky to live in Las Vegas because the gorgeous, inspiring and forever fabulous girls behind the brand <a href="http://toneitup.com/" target="_blank">Tone it up </a>came to the Fashion Show to launch their line of Oakley sunnies! And it was AWESOME. I cannot tell you enough about the wonderfulness of the TIU community. I've only met most of these girls once and yet when we get together we can't stop talking and laughing and I feel like I've got a whole bunch of girlfriends instead of the zero I have most of the time lol. And Karena and Katrina themselves?! They're just as approachable, sweet and funny as they seem in all their pics, videos and their show.<br />
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I am continuously grateful for the community that they've built of confident, happy, healthy girls. I have made friends on IG that I genuinely think about on a day to day basis. I'm always excited to hear about Erin's next race, I love to see Niki's updates because she always looks adorable and happy and Ashley is about as friendly and inspiring as they come.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBHrygHNRxFmJRZnXVRPNF27-eea-q9-h_m4JxG7c2Qmuiy6Jzu394tBPft5zmJuw_oH1u_0HioEg0ondrHf5NNbNG7y90Bqkmzi62PdQ9mwsHsXT3XXsIXHJfRGphTP9Wyf5HxVTZuk/s1600/IMG_5412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBHrygHNRxFmJRZnXVRPNF27-eea-q9-h_m4JxG7c2Qmuiy6Jzu394tBPft5zmJuw_oH1u_0HioEg0ondrHf5NNbNG7y90Bqkmzi62PdQ9mwsHsXT3XXsIXHJfRGphTP9Wyf5HxVTZuk/s1600/IMG_5412.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
If you have been looking for inspiration to start training for a race, put more effort into what you're eating or just want to increase your fitness, look up the TIU girls. They're amazing. I am a forever fan.<br />
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P.S. If you're on IG, my personal account is @jennys_88 and my TIU account (where I post all my workouts to keep me accountable) is @jennys_tiu Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-17898956147540790712014-07-23T16:21:00.000-07:002014-07-23T16:21:19.323-07:00Girls Weekend 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hooray for another successful sister/mama trip to California! We haven't been on one for a few years now and it was long overdue. We drove down to Newport Beach last Friday and spent all of Saturday shopping, relaxing, eating and enjoying time with one another. The one downfall was that because Shelly lives in Colorado and doesn't have much flexibility to travel she couldn't join us =(. But we have a camping trip coming up in a few weeks and that should be a blast!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the mama</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matching sisters. Stupid beach with no sun =(</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneaky sunlight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tide pools! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's too cute. </td></tr>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-40360221350672028752014-06-01T14:08:00.000-07:002014-06-01T14:08:04.367-07:00SAN DIEGO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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San Diego has my heart. We got to sneak in a long weekend away in that oh-so-gorgeous town and it was 100% what I needed. The days were long, the weather was gorgeous AND I got a new bike =). We ate at our favorite places (twice at our breakfast place), biked around Coronado, played on the beach and slept in. I didn't worry about work, bills or my hair and it was awesome. Here are some pictures! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qkppEfdZ1iyor_DbbPA836DutbZP592yq-of9kwytMBSV8YigIstHot3PW2lKJ6pQsiiVTHHMm046ur9V3nJSLi4GgOzlvl43CP-updv46snEVrb9sBI7aoLbA2IIfHhA5-X3DpHyNU/s1600/IMG_5067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qkppEfdZ1iyor_DbbPA836DutbZP592yq-of9kwytMBSV8YigIstHot3PW2lKJ6pQsiiVTHHMm046ur9V3nJSLi4GgOzlvl43CP-updv46snEVrb9sBI7aoLbA2IIfHhA5-X3DpHyNU/s1600/IMG_5067.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">25+ miles and we didn't even notice.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKo7m8BlkD3O7XVBNfXebOxOJlzqVaFOoA3CaIZx1PC-YNUTfk_WhDIEl9Uy9LLj0DDrednM8rXPW2HGaiOnxbNnjvTJPeaPeY7u-VfmOUDMK9Zab4G_A9N2CMpaldBk0_s8naiMxv_Y/s1600/IMG_5068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKo7m8BlkD3O7XVBNfXebOxOJlzqVaFOoA3CaIZx1PC-YNUTfk_WhDIEl9Uy9LLj0DDrednM8rXPW2HGaiOnxbNnjvTJPeaPeY7u-VfmOUDMK9Zab4G_A9N2CMpaldBk0_s8naiMxv_Y/s1600/IMG_5068.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi2EXJGI-xA_l04O1ElHCUJntIESqiOHRpe-gjSdkNp1v0cs4UxZakVMBNGp6qpw82Wn_mRFyKdwLBeu3ryHZqsOegphHtd72P8FuCZC91cFhS_a8CyzwPIWweVLnAnkRoYzFwP6qkto/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi2EXJGI-xA_l04O1ElHCUJntIESqiOHRpe-gjSdkNp1v0cs4UxZakVMBNGp6qpw82Wn_mRFyKdwLBeu3ryHZqsOegphHtd72P8FuCZC91cFhS_a8CyzwPIWweVLnAnkRoYzFwP6qkto/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">happiness.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDYEinGf5MOFhTDb3ffISxD4uX6b60Csdk0L3xIhCFxBwqQNtZZF8pH3imivFWs_n2oRjQl0RL715cm5BKns2EzvWSw0BQL7EswTT0tNQ2T75pO9MZVQ0WLtCeVOuyDQDUGBtajsAqrE/s1600/IMG_5082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDYEinGf5MOFhTDb3ffISxD4uX6b60Csdk0L3xIhCFxBwqQNtZZF8pH3imivFWs_n2oRjQl0RL715cm5BKns2EzvWSw0BQL7EswTT0tNQ2T75pO9MZVQ0WLtCeVOuyDQDUGBtajsAqrE/s1600/IMG_5082.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx14TQa50Tt9xjCSt2ZHrWbBnqpiR_KjBNiMC5DgzFjszxdxaamjEufYdTeEnswJo12nwSsHSe6N1fA0GrwLu02jClMCnsXQ4-ZSVGCOwzrQF9Locynrow9q1sK3_6gUA3VCBys1arVY/s1600/IMG_5185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx14TQa50Tt9xjCSt2ZHrWbBnqpiR_KjBNiMC5DgzFjszxdxaamjEufYdTeEnswJo12nwSsHSe6N1fA0GrwLu02jClMCnsXQ4-ZSVGCOwzrQF9Locynrow9q1sK3_6gUA3VCBys1arVY/s1600/IMG_5185.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutpJQG4jh74wvVw2MpvGwUMnL5MRW1T_XjDUcjw8tFCv9ASD-TI-dpCs7oRORfw9BuJUueKrVSdYfUEwUxXnUD32AISZhF0hgwbjfpUhq1iCOOJN0eYjj6LuwyBOjN0ZNIsxM-ir0TF0/s1600/IMG_5190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutpJQG4jh74wvVw2MpvGwUMnL5MRW1T_XjDUcjw8tFCv9ASD-TI-dpCs7oRORfw9BuJUueKrVSdYfUEwUxXnUD32AISZhF0hgwbjfpUhq1iCOOJN0eYjj6LuwyBOjN0ZNIsxM-ir0TF0/s1600/IMG_5190.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">golden hour + handstands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n_mUa8Our_AUTbvD1JR2OHmS7IxXdxRr7KXpUk-aM5TO1OoRwfjNVUePmgXVA_eYYY3AjQkSiu5mF8qwKx096w-N1eRVPRn8yfMpaQz-N1G8T-zTyD7hBf6Nh81FASftgG4N3uAkZEE/s1600/IMG_5197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n_mUa8Our_AUTbvD1JR2OHmS7IxXdxRr7KXpUk-aM5TO1OoRwfjNVUePmgXVA_eYYY3AjQkSiu5mF8qwKx096w-N1eRVPRn8yfMpaQz-N1G8T-zTyD7hBf6Nh81FASftgG4N3uAkZEE/s1600/IMG_5197.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Walkers. If you are ever in SD, THIS is where you should go. </td></tr>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-60897126949983790672014-05-22T11:59:00.001-07:002014-05-22T11:59:10.327-07:00Stress and some happies<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L-OVqxaE7J2LHSigei2vdoHe1iMuyiRSl5au8x_i1AFb_n6yyC0-xS3hodrv7-_34oOGIRtRmpKLdObjlQh3_YtyZdu_4aZzPP8PtX63rpTGsFEQRBn6f7zEQljlBEi2SHyqkNFNJhs/s1600/IMG_3312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L-OVqxaE7J2LHSigei2vdoHe1iMuyiRSl5au8x_i1AFb_n6yyC0-xS3hodrv7-_34oOGIRtRmpKLdObjlQh3_YtyZdu_4aZzPP8PtX63rpTGsFEQRBn6f7zEQljlBEi2SHyqkNFNJhs/s1600/IMG_3312.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I have this job that involves lots and lots of travel. I am usually gone 3 out of the 4 weeks in every month and it is starting to seriously wear on me. When I graduated in December of last year I knew that my schedule would pick up. I knew that I would be busy and gone frequently and yet I was ready for it. I thought it would be no big deal. However, now that Chris and I live together and I am gone so much all I can think about is that I'd rather be at home. I'd rather be training at home, eating healthfully with the food I make and having more than two days to relax and run errands. But as of now, I can't really think of a way to change the amount of travel I'm doing. Summer is our busiest time and my only idea is to make sure my weekends are full of fun things and that I try and find the joy and happiness in my job.<br />
<a href="http://betterinrealife.com/" target="_blank">Lauren</a> frequently makes a list of all the happy things going on in her life to help refocus on the good things instead of the things that are not so fun and I LOVE this idea. It totally helps. What are the things happening in your life that are making you happy and keeping you smiling =)? Here are a few of mine:<br />
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*a new bikini for a long weekend in San Diego<br />
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*long days where the sun is up early in the morning and it stays out for hours in the evening<br />
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*REI's anniversary sale<br />
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*finding out that one of my <a href="http://theycallherthebreeze.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">best friends</a> is continuing on in school to get her PhD. I can't wait to call her a doctor!<br />
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*rocking the Bikini Series and feeling every muscle in my body getting tighter and more toned<br />
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*Bavarian cream turnovers from the Panderia in Blythe<br />
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*Expecting to fight off mosquitos all night surveying bats and not getting bit ONCE (its the little things people)<br />
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*fantastic self-tanner<br />
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*long swims in the sun<br />
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*a week at home. Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-67782240359810303522014-04-29T15:46:00.003-07:002014-04-29T15:46:27.893-07:00Obsessed.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMEU6S1HHDxV6w4NCEI5_E-3U_HWD8Iw-1u1flUoAHWVddrJr0JZqoIu38_gkpYXNA7lW7HRrpVQX4TqcO_B7l_UnBVrCWt22zOXMnALBhalOS0CZq-5bJoLMCj20BQRxDsmWH4sdj_w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-29+at+3.39.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMEU6S1HHDxV6w4NCEI5_E-3U_HWD8Iw-1u1flUoAHWVddrJr0JZqoIu38_gkpYXNA7lW7HRrpVQX4TqcO_B7l_UnBVrCWt22zOXMnALBhalOS0CZq-5bJoLMCj20BQRxDsmWH4sdj_w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-29+at+3.39.49+PM.png" height="359" width="400" /></a></div>
Guys. <a href="https://secure.ultracart.com/catalog/JOLYN" target="_blank">Jolyn</a> makes the BEST swimsuits ever for swimming laps and also for looking gorgeous laying by the pool. I have their triangle top and scoop bottoms in watermelon and highlighter yellow, respectively, and out of all the two pieces I've swam in over the years this one is my favorite. The tie straps allow for a perfect fit and the bottoms have a built-in drawstring so they don't budge while you're swimming. I've been lusting over their <a href="https://secure.ultracart.com/catalog/JOLYN/VENT.html" target="_blank">vent tops</a> and <a href="https://secure.ultracart.com/catalog/JOLYN/MIS.html" target="_blank">misfit tops</a> and gah, its killing me not to buy another set. But, alas, bills. Bills always win. Maybe if I actually complete Tone it Up's entire bikini series a new suit will be my reward. <br />
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Where do you get most of your suits? Please tell me I'm not the only one with a serious swimsuit addiction ;)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="https://secure.ultracart.com/catalog/JOLYN" target="_blank">Jolyn Swimwear</a></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364618840073765997.post-54045320236725254252014-04-25T16:08:00.000-07:002014-04-25T16:08:12.624-07:00The Happies When you have a rough week I think one of the easiest ways to turn your attitude around is to make a quick list of all the simple (or not so simple) things that make you happy. Here is my list for the week: <br />
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-Setting up an appointment for a couple new tattoos next week(!)<br />
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-Coming home to a clean and organized house (because I have the world's best boyfriend)<br />
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-beef flautas from a tiny Mexican place on the river <br />
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-summery nails<br />
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-a fresh hair trim<br />
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-sleeping wonderfully in hotel beds<br />
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-getting my tan back<br />
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-a happy, better adjusted cat<br />
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-finishing a good book and immediately starting on the next one<br />
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-warm, spring weather<br />
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-Easter dresses<br />
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-gopher snakes on the trail<br />
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-getting to watch one of the world triathlon championship races <br />
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What are your happies?? I know <a href="http://lsdupuis.com/" target="_blank">Lauren</a> got a new job and I have a good friend racing in her first olympic tri this weekend! Good Luck Erin!!<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16339981390563783698noreply@blogger.com0