I am a WARRIOR!!!!

GRrrrrr....I made a lot of warrior angry noises today.

For once in my life.... It was appropriate, so I took full advantage.

Today was the WARRIOR DASH!

The weather has been stuck in this gloomy grey fog for days now, but I must say that during the race I was grateful for the cloud cover.

Pre-Race! We look sooo clean!
Also... Check out the chopped off hair!
Spur of the moment decision there.

Clean Shoes!

What makes a great parent?! Showing up! They were always there for Soccer games, now they are always there for my silly races! Nicole's parent's are basically my second parents, check out the awesome signs Kim made!

Getting ready to dash!
You started out with about a mile and a half run. Easy? Well it would be if it weren't through farm land. I almost twisted my ankle five times.
The first obstacle was called the barricade breakdown. You had to climb over a series of walls that were chest high then crawl under barbed wire.
The second was a wooden barricade that was about 20 feet tall. Using a rope. Then climb down the other side.
Then came the junk yard. Climbing over tires and broken down cars.
Then you had to maneuver your way through ricocheting tires.
Possibly the hardest was the teetering traverse... basically a bunch of of 2x4's nailed together to make a balance beam. that is 5 feet off the ground. Easy right? well not when everything is muddy and slick... So scary!
Next was a net you had crawl across
Another scary one was the black out... crawling under a short tent through the mud. Worse than it sounds trust me.
Next up... Deadman's Drop. A wall half the size of the first wall we had to summit... only this time you just have to jump. Well I got to the top, realized what I had to do and did the only thing that would save my poor calves/shins... I tucked and I rolled! After barely making contact with my feet I rolled right into a makeshift summersault.
Next up was not even an official obstacle, but there was about a quarter mile of muddy gooey clay that was slippery and would suck up your shoes if you weren't careful! Took soo much energy to get through!

Remember that one resolution... something about being fearless?
Well I had to conquer sooo many fears during this race!
The biggie was definitely heights.
I don't even like climbing up step ladders.... much less 30 foot high net things!
This was the third to last obstacle and one that spectators could actually see.

Please observe the, "Oh shit what did I get myself into?!" face!
Going up is always easy... its the getting back down that I have issues with! 

Second to last obstacle! The flames are bigger than they look.

The mud pit was a lot harder than it looks! They had random pit holes that you would fall in up to your waist.

I didn't just survive. I conquered!

We all did! Go team!

Just a little bit muddy.

I donated my shoes...

We have some interesting warrior faces.

Something like that!

Excited for the free beer!

Cheers!

Things are a Ch-Ch-Ch-Changing.

Well I declared it. I practically sung it from the roof tops.

SUMMER IS HERE!

I will now eat my words. (S's are very awkward to swallow...)

Maybe Summer was here.... for two exciting (work-filled) days.

But it left.

It left us longing for more.

Summer you little tease!

The clouds and sprinkles and mid-60's are here again. I think I need to double dose my vitamin d intake.... or just head for warmer weather.

Carly and I were just talking about how well the garden is doing despite the crappy weather.

Always the optimist I chimed in with, "Just imagine how great it would have been by now if we would have had a warm Summer."

Then we dreamt of the carrots, first round of beans, and the corn that we had to scrap in those first months.

But the glass is half full.

It's half full of lettuce.

No wait.

It is overflowing with lettuce.

If you need lettuce, let us know! (I love that sentence)

There are only a few Strawberries in my patch though... so I'm keeping those all to myself!

The garden has been one of my biggest preparers for getting really really muddy this weekend...

That's right! The Warrior Dash is this Sunday! I'm excited and nervous!

I Need You.

To vote for me!!!! It is that time of year again! The Best of North Kitsap. You may remember that last year I won!! Well this year I have really been slacking with the campaigning... So I'm hoping to get a couple of last minute votes! It takes a bit of time to fill the darn thing out, but I'd really really appreciate it! You can either go to the Hot Shots Java website or the North Kitsap Herald! Just remember.... Vote Elisa Best Barista :)

Habitual.

They say that human beings are creatures of habit.... I would have to agree. It seems to me that my good habits are a whole lot easier to break than my bad ones.... like eating healthy, exercising, blog writing, and reading..... The things that I want to keep up on are the things that I have to work the hardest for. Taking a few days off the blog became taking a full week off! But there is good news there... I've been reading and keeping up with my training, so all is not lost. These next few weeks may be a bit sporadic with the blogging, lots of adventures that will keep me muddy away from the computer.... but pictures will eventually make it up!

So how about an update?!

Half-Marathon Training:
This past week I did really well. I stuck to my plan! The only day I went off course was on Saturday. I was supposed to run 6 miles. Since I didn't have enough time I decided I would just run a really fast 3 miles. Under 29 minutes on the treadmill for me is unheard of. For some reason treadmill running is more comfortable at a 10 minute mile pace. It feels uncomfortable and almost silly to run faster than that. The downside of running faster is that I also run much harder, so I was feeling it for the next two days (which were thankfully a cross-training and a rest day). Yesterday I went back to the PT (finally!) I sort of got the feeling that he is confused as to why I'm still hurting. But this morning after the electrosound therapy and sleeping in my compression sleeves I felt a little better and I'm ready for my 2 mile run today!

Reading:
I've been hooked by the summer reading bug! Something about this time of year makes me want to sit down and read read read! I think I can probably link it back to my school days when Summer was the only time I was able to read something I actually wanted to! I remember the summer I graduated from college I read like 40 books because finally I had a choice!

The Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
I would love to say that this is a book that even non-runners could enjoy, but I don't really think that is true. Too many of his stories are play-by-plays of his races. I completely gobbled this book up! Dean describes his journey into running. After a terrible high school coach he quits running until his 30th birthday, he then describes how he became obsessed with the sport and became an ultramarathoner. I liked the honesty with which he writes. He isn't afraid to tell an embarrassing story. I felt inspired by the way he juggled a full-time job and family while training for some of the most difficult races in the world. The time and dedication it takes to push your body to those extremes is so motivating. You should check out more about Dean Karnazes.... he is amazing! Running 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states?! Or maybe running a marathon to the South Pole... or how about running across the country?! Crazy inspiring.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
We all know I love me some young adult novels, but recently I've been pretty disappointed with everything I've picked up. It feels like the same story over and over again. But when I saw this book at the store, saying that it had won some award, I picked it up. I am very glad I did. It was such a welcome change to read a YA book that didn't involve vampires or werewolves... or both. There was a touch of the supernatural here though, but not the fantasy type, more of the spiritual. What I like about this book was how real the protagonist was.... she was written with such honesty. There was also a depth to this book. It isn't just a love story, although there is a boy. This is a story about this girls life...... of choosing life. Parts of this book are heartbreaking so be warned. I surprisingly didn't cry, but I could have.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
What I love most about my Nook is that when I finish a book that I didn't know was a series.... I don't even have to change out of my Pajamas to get it! This is the follow up to If I Stay. I have to say this isn't as good of a book. It couldn't stand alone and probably should have just been the last 208 pages of the first book. But I would have been so mad if she would have just left the story the way it was. This book ties all of the loose ends of the romantic half of the first book. This is just the story of a girl and a boy, without any supernatural mumbojumbo. If you like easy to read YA novels you should pick these up.

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
If you are looking for something a little more thought provoking... Pick up The Abstinence Teacher. This book stirs up a lot issues.... issues people don't usually like to talk about, like religion and sex. I'm not really sure yet if I liked this book or not. It is an un-put-down-able books, but I think the ending was a little too quick for me. I like a book that at least ties up a few loose ends.

I really enjoyed the characters but at times they were a little extreme (the protagonist switches back and forth which some people hate, but I like). I felt like Perrotta told the story well from both sides. I'm not really sure how to describe it without telling too much..... but here goes. Ruth is a health teacher at the local jr. high. Recently a new church has moved in to town and has influenced her curriculum. She creates a bit of scandal when it becomes a strictly abstinence only subject. The other character is Tim, a recovering drug addict who was saved by the church. This is the story of an unlikely friendship and following the path that you believe in.


No photo today... cause I gotta run! Literally! :)

You're a Grand Old Flag.

What an awesome July 4th Celebration!

We spent it on my cousin Scott's houseboat on Lake Union.
There was awesome food and drinks.
Great company.
Great weather.
Trapeze artists next door.
Kayaking.
And Good Conversation!

The weather was perfect! Summer is finally here!

I love living near the water... I can't imagine being in the middle of the country!

We found a local p-patch!

So many great ideas.

It was so fun to walk through and actually know what some of the plants are!
We've come so far!

Going over to Seattle makes me want to live in Seattle!

Yay for family!
 I love this photo of my Uncle Frank, cousin Scott, Auntie Trese, cousin Rebecca, and cousin Matt!

The fireworks did not disappoint!!
This was my first really big fireworks show in Seattle.
I'm usually not a fan of the 4th of July.
I don't like setting off fireworks myself.
But I will say that this was probably the best 4th ever.
Such a great time!
Thanks for being such a great host Scott!

In other news...So far I've stuck to my new training plan. Yesterday's run felt great... it was only 2.5 miles but I didn't feel much pain. It has been interesting how different I feel on a run day compared to cross training/weight lifting day. I feel like I get a better workout when I run, but I think weightlifting really takes it out of me.... or maybe the sun really takes it out of me. I can't get enough of these nice days we are having! Walking to work once again!

What's in You Salad Spinner?

Check out how amazing the garden at Carly's house has become! We have gotten so much lettuce and are just now starting to harvest some peas, spinach and green onion! Of course all the credit goes to Carly on the upkeep! 

Peas!

Callen likes to "help."

Not proper garden shoes!

When I look at the before garden photos I'm in awe of how amazing they look now!
Also, I'm in awe of how terrible the weather was outside! Grey, dreary, and rainy.
Pictures like this make me appreciate even overcast summer days!
I don't know if I can handle another winter like the last one!
Running doesn't create enough endorphins to get me through!

My little container garden at my little house has been doing quite nicely as well!
Check out my salad spinner!
Bistro lettuce, rainbow chard, kale and Carly lettuce!

Today I finished my first Activetrax workout at the Y. It is an awesome program where you go through the weight room with a personal trainer and they set you up with an online account that creates personal workouts for you. After each workout you enter in what you were able to do and it formats your next workout accordingly. It is fantastic.... And free! I'm on my way to being strong! And let me tell you, working out with weights is such a welcome challenge!

Yesterday I ran 5 hard miles. The terrain wasn't hard... but my body didn't want to cooperate! For one thing I had waited a week since my last run. I've been busy trying new classes and cross training at the Y. I need to remember to focus on running! It was also incredibly hot (anything above 60 is hot, so upper 70's is considered sweltering!) I haven't run in weather over 70 since I don't even know when... maybe Hawaii, but that was only a mile or two tops. I'm also feeling the effects of my poor diet. If I'm going to get serious about my running goals, I need to: 1. run more 2. fuel better.

Here is the new workout plan... it is simplified from my last one. I like simple. Simple I can stick to and remember!

Monday: Strength and Cross training 

Tuesday: Easy run and abs

Wednesday:Strength and Cross training

Thursday Easy run and abs

Friday Strength and light Cross training

Saturday: Long run

Sunday: Stretch/rest day

It sounds simple, but there is a lot more going on here than when I trained for my first half. The strength training is really hard for me, but I think only running three days a week will let me heal. I also need to cut back on the fun classes I've been doing. They have been fun, but super hard on my calves. Half of the boot camp class is completed on on bosu ball. I just couldn't figure out why I was hurting when I was barely running! So for a little while I'm going to just do cycling and maybe some pilates/yoga as far as classes go. 

Half way through the year... since I already completed one of my resolutions, how about a new goal?! Set a new PR by breaking 2:20! I know it is only a little goal, but getting my time under 11 minute miles would be awesome. And it will get my confidence up for when I run a full marathon next year!

I'm off to bed. July 3rd is not a holiday... try to tell that to the people in town. Some people have to wake up at 5 am tomorrow people!!!! oh well, ear plugs will be my friend!

Have a safe and happy Fourth! God Bless America! :)