Vacation Day 5 (Wednesday)

It's so hard to believe that my trip is already half way over... I really don't ever want to leave :( I'm trying hard not to think about it and just enjoy every last minute that I have here.

I actually slept in a little bit today (since when is 8am sleeping in?!?!?!). I had planned an 11 mile run for the day, and I was only half looking forward to completing it. Thankfully, it was still 50 degrees when I headed out, which made me very excited to go (it was probably already 80 at home at that point).

I think the best way to describe my run, was "Sightseeing Bend/ The Deschutes River By Foot". I ran about a mile and a half from my Aunt's house to the beginning of the trial head. From there I followed a dirt path that took me along the left side of the River. I eventually ran all the way up to what Bend calls the "Old Mill District". The way my Aunt Described it to me, is that it use to be a huge land mass with nothing on it until a businessman bought up all of the property and decided to put a shopping center in its place. The architecture of the buildings is really impressive, and it looked like it had some really nice stores and restaurants in it.

The path continued on to an Amphitheater, and then I sort of got lost. I just turned around and kept running until I reached a bridge that took me to the right side of the. I knew I needed to add some junk miles to get the mileage I needed, so I just ran along that portion of river and came back to where I started.

Oh, but that was not the only portion if the trail. I found a more wooded area that ran along the river, so I started running along that. It was kind of exciting, because I believe that it counted as running my first "trail". I was dodging trees and rocks, enjoying the sound of the river and loving every moment of it. after about a mile down the river, there was a foot bridge that lead me over to the opposite side of the river (The one I started this crazy run on). By the time I made it back to the trail head, I had run about 9 miles.

I started to head back to my Aunt's house hoping that I would fill my 11 mile quota without having to go too much further than her property. The only thing I didn't plan too well, was the fact that most of this was UPHILL!!! I thought I was going to die... but I took the rest of the run slowly and just kept telling myself that I just needed to finish!!! Of course right at that moment some young kid came WHIPPING past me, and left me in his dust :(

I still kept trucking and trying to calculate if I was going to be able to go straight to my aunt's house and make my 11 miles. I must of been dazing off because all of a sudden I looked to my right and found this beautiful lady...

Deer that Scared me, and then made me happy :)

To be honest... she scared the shit out of me! She was literally about 10 feet away from me, and I did not want her to think that I was coming after her babies and attack me. But she didn't... she just stood there and posed for me while I took her picture :)

I made it back to my aunt's house with 11.15 miles in 1:41. I can honestly say this was one of the most adventurous and challenging runs I have ever done. By the time I got home, I was completely depleted of all energy and want for anything... Other than food and my bed.

To be honest, I had a bit of an upset stomach and a migraine after this run. I'm not sure if it is the altitude, or the delicious dinner I ate last night... but I was pretty funky. I showered, re hydrated, took some meds and lied down for awhile. Then it was time to get on with the plans for the day...

SHOPPING!!!!

I'm not sure if you all know this... but Oregon has NOOOOOO SAAAAALES TAAAAX!!! So, we decided to take advantage of this generous gift and went to the local Kohl's. I got a couple cute things (yoga pants, a sun dress, a top), but Ray was the one who made out like a bandit! We also hit up TJ Maxx, but I didn't find anything :(

By the time we finished shopping it was already 2 o'clock and we hadn't eaten lunch. Mexican food is kind of a big deal in my family, so my Aunt took us to a Mexican place that she likes called El Rancho Grande.

Since we have been making a habit of it, we found a nice little table outside. The weather is so nice out here, it would be a shame to eat indoors. The name of this restaurant says it all. First off, they brought us Chips and Salsa (duh... its a Mexican Restaurant). But this was no ordinary chips and salsa... This was the BEST order of Chips and Salsa I have ever had in my entire life!!!! The salsa was perfectly spicy and had so much real flavor!!! The chips were perfectly fried, with barely any salt on them... just how I like it :) We went through 2 baskets between the 4 of us

For lunch, I ordered the Enchilada plate with black beans and requested that they add avocado. 

I would love to say that I didn't demolish this entire plate... but other than about 8 bites... I DID!!! And I don't regret a single bite. Each of us ate until we stuffed ourselves with delicious Mexican food!!! To help get rid of some of the "full tummy" feeling, we took some Goofy pictures with the giant bulls that were in and outside of the restaurant!

Then we went to Best Buy to try to look for a new lap top for me, since I killed mine at the beginning of the trip. I think I found one that I want, but I wasn't comfortable picking it up today and decided I needed to sleep on it. Big purchases make me nervous... :/

Our last trip of the day was to the CUTEST outdoor market that they call the "Fruit Loop". It's all organic farmers from Central Oregon who come out every week to sell their goods. We bought fresh jellies, fruits, veggies, and COOKIES!!! The only thing that sucked was the fact that i was too full to taste test all of the delicious samples they had out :(

I promise their are more pictures to come, but I still cant upload them yet. I was still full until 8 tonight! We had already agreed that we were eating left overs tonight, because we still had so much pasta and pizza left over from previous meal that we needed to eat up. I made myself a spinach, strawberry, blueberry, cucumber and tomato salad to start and then had a little of each of the pasta and pizza. 

Now, I'm going to go sample some of the cookies we bought for dessert :)

The

Vacation Day 4 (Tuesday)

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I didn't get to post yesterday, I was wiped out by 7:30pm and just did not have the energy to blog about the exciting day I had.

Lucky for you, I have a JUST enough energy to blog about it now :)

Tuesday Morning was another early rise day for me, but I did not make it out for a run. But that's OK, because it was a cross training day :) I sat out on my aunt's patio while I ate my oatmeal and drank my tea and just enjoyed all the beautiful scenery the city of Bend has to offer. A few minutes later my mom and Ray joined me. After they ate their breakfast, we all decided to take a walk together around the neighborhood. It was another beautifully quiet morning on the block.

After that, we all came home, got dressed, and headed out to Elk Lake to spend the day with Sun and Fun!!! My mom and Ray went Kayaking in a double person Kayak, and I tried Paddle Boarding for the first time :) I've seen other people paddle board, and I always thought that there was NO way that I could have the coordination to do it... but guess what... I DO!!!

The guy that was running the rental spot helped me get on the board (which he also did with the people he helped before me) and gave me the basic, "steering" tutorial. Heading out on the water was nice and easy (the wind was blowing that direction). It felt really nice to be in my bathing suit and have the sun on my back with the wind lightly blowing on my face. Once I decided it was time to return in the opposite direction (roughly 15/20 minutes later), I turned the board around and started to head back to shore.

One minor problem... THE WIND!!!

I was paddling head-on into some very strong winds the entire time I paddled back to shore. Let me tell you... This was no easy feat. I think I paddled non-stop for about 45 minutes trying to get back to shore. I thought I was going to die. At one point I had to drop to my knees (OK... you can giggle) and finished paddling back most of the way in that position. I now have indents on both knees from that (OK... one last giggle).

Thank Goodness my parents stayed pretty close to me while we were on the water, otherwise I might not have had the motivation and effort to make the return trip. They talked to me and motivated me the entire way back.

The wind subsided for the last couple hundred yards, and made for a very smooth end of my journey. I even felt brave enough to try to stand back up so that I could ride in that same way I rode out. To my surprise, I stood back up without falling :)

When we all rallied back on shore, it was time to head back to the house. On the way home, we made a quick stop to see "Big Eddy". Big Eddy is a section of the river that has some class 3 water rapids on it. We are thinking about scheduling a trip for Friday, and Mom wanted to see how "bad" they were before she would agree to go. We were in luck, there was a group of Water Rafters going through the Eddy right when we got there.

The first raft made it through PERFECTLY, but the second one (a raft full of 4 adult men) had a little trouble on the second rapid and capsized!!! We didn't want Mom to see THAT!!! They all managed to get safely back into their raft and were ready for the next rapid. We watched two more rafts full of people (some even had tiny children) make it through the rapids without any problems.

It looks like SO MUCH FUN!!! But Ray and I were having a hard time convincing Mom that it was something she would enjoy doing. With even motivation, we talked her into it :) We are scheduled to go rafting Friday afternoon!!! I can't wait!

After we viewed Big Eddy we were all kinda tuckered out and I was starving! I whipped together a salad with spinach and egg whites. A little later we all showered and got ready to go out to dinner. We ate at a restaurant in Downtown Bend that my Aunt and Uncle really enjoy going to when they have company in town called The Pine Tavern. It is one of the oldest restaurants in Bend, and it sits right next to Mirror Lake and Drake Park. They have outdoor seating that allows you to view both while you dine. The really cool thing about the restaurant it that they became so popular that they had to add on to the property. When they began making the plans to do so, they realized that there was a huge pine tree right in the middle of where they planned to add on. Instead of cutting the tree down, they just built the restaurant around it. So now, there is a fresh and real pine tree in their main dining area.

Our dinner was delicious. We ordered a bottle of Red Wine to share amongst the table to start. Then, we were given these Buttered Scones (which are not really scones at all) to eat with delicious home made honey butter. To be honest... I could have just eaten that for dinner and been fine. With our dinner orders we all got house salads as well. I ordered mine with Marion Berry dressing. Also delicious.

For dinner, I ordered the Hazelnut Pesto Pasta. It was pasta with zucchini, artichokes, mushrooms, pesto sauce and topped with hazelnuts. It was by far one of the best pastas I've ever had. The only problem is... they gave me enough for 4 people to eat!!! I barely made a dent in my dinner, and I was stuffed.

Just like while we were on the lake, it was very windy at dinner. After we were done, we came home and just relaxed. It feels so strange to just lie in bed at 7:30pm and say to myself, "I'm done for the day". I have to keep reminding myself that I am on vacation and it is "OK" to do NOTHING!!!

So, that's what I did, and I couldn't be happier :)

Vacation Day 3

Man oh man... Who knew relaxing could be so tiring?!?! After I updated last night I had a really hard time falling asleep :( I think I finally passed out around 11:30, but was Wide awake at 2:30!!!

I dozed on and off until 4 and think I finally fell completely back to sleep only to find myself awake again at 5:30am (WTF!?!? Doesn't my body know I'm on vacation?!?!?!)

When I was still awake at 6:30 I said "screw it" and got up and went running. And boy am I glad I did :) it was only 54 degrees out when I ran and it was so peaceful, quiet and serene. I even saw a deer in the woods I was running by!!! I had to stop and take a picture ( although not a very good one).

A few miles later I saw a couple swans at a nearby lake. They were nestled and sleeping, so I didn't stop and take a photo ( how rude would that be?!?!?!)

When I got back home, mom and Ray were awake, which meant it was time to get going! We ate breakfast together on the patio and quietly got ready for our day. We drove out to Sahalie Falls and did an amazingly refreshing 4 mile hike to some waterfalls. The hike was actually kind of chilly, and I wish I had brought a jacket. There were two different water falls and a ton of rapids for us to see. I took a lot of photos on my other camera. I will be able to upload them one day :/

The hike was pretty easy, and Mom seemed to really enjoy it. It was a great trip for the family. We all ate healthy snacks of fruit and homemade trail like mine (kashi cereal and nut clusters!!). I scarfed half the bag, and stopped myself so that I could eat lunch.

Afterwards we stopped in Black Butte for lunch at a restaurant called Rob's Pub that my aunt recommended. They offer outdoor seating that overlooks a golf course and the mountains, so of course we sat outside.

Fair Warning: We did not have the best experience, but we tried to make the best of it. Our server took forever to greet us or take our order and we were all starving!!! The people sitting next to us who came in about 10 minutes later than us were able to order and eat before we did :( (lucky bastards). Our view was not that great. The chairs were comfortable, but they sit too low to really have any more of a view than a bush and some golf holes. The food was pretty good though. I ordered the grilled veggie sandwich and opted for fruit instead of fries ( go me!!!). I was so hungry I almost forgot to take a picture.

The sandwich was pretty good once I added some greens from my mom's salad she didn't want. I did find a piece of meat in my sandwich, which was a little unsettling, but I don't think I ate any...

We left lunch and headed to Sister's, Oregon. A quaint little town full of shops and eateries. We mainly did it to walk off lunch. They had a fro yo shop, buyer turned it down!!! For the first time in my life I was too full for fro yo!!! After all my hard workouts today I didn't want to totally wreck my day (plus there's still dinner!!!)

I did come home and make a lovely Greek yogurt parfait about an hour later. For dinner I had a glass of white wine, a salad with hummus, and a mix of brown rice, black beans, avocado and corn :)

We spent the evening enjoying each-others company and sitting on the patio chatting.

I also had a mini snickers almond bar for dessert :)

It's only 9:30pm and I'm exhausted! I hope I get better sleep tonight so I can enjoy tomorrow. I think I'm going to get to try paddle boarding for the first time :)

Wish me luck!!!

Vacation Day 2: Part 2

Greetings from Bend, Oregon!!!

We made quite a few stops along the way, because my mother and I have the tiniest bladder's EVER. We also stopped for lunch at Subway an hour out of town. I had a veggie delight with avocado.

Duh...Liscious!!!

Caveat... This subway did not have actual avocados... But an avocado "paste" ( ok, guacamole) that they squeezed out of a tube and spread on the sandwich. At first, I was really mad and almost grossed out by this. However, after eating it... I was sold!!!

Nothing but Blue Skies, do I see!!!

We arrived in Bend around 2:30pm. From the moment I arrived, I fell in love <3  Fresh air, tall trees, pristine lakes, cooler temperatures and all the furry creatures :)Not to mention, my Aunt's house, where we are staying, is GORGEOUS. It is in a private community that was built around a golf course and club. Literally, the course is part of her backyard. Lots of lush green scenery around here :)

We spent most of the afternoon and evening catching up with my aunt and uncle and just enjoying the view from their backyard. It was so relaxing. My aunt made salad and a roast for dinner.

I ate a romaine salad with tomato, broccoli, black beans and raspberry vinegarette dressing. I wanted to go for a run after dinner, so I kept it light.

View from my Aunt's back patio

I went out for a 6 mile run at around 6:30pm. There is a paved path that loops all around the property grounds that was easy to follow (aka I don't get lost!!!) It was gorgeous!!! Much nicer than my usual run view. It was a nice out and back loop that had rolling hills ( code for challenging, but not impossible).

Even with my light dinner, I totally ended up with an upset stomach. I don't normally eat that close to a run, but I was enjoying the time with my family. They're completely worth an upset tummy!

After my run I had some almond milk and half a nectarine with some Sobe Lifewater while we chatted some more. About an hour later I had half a western bagel honey wheat bagel with chunky peanut butter. It helped settle my stomach a little, but still not 100% better.

Were planning on doing some hiking to waterfalls tomorrow, so I will not be running tomorrow morning. I'm exhausted and ready to rest before day 2 in Oregon!

Vacation day 2: Part 1

Greetings from Redding, Ca!!!

We are back on the road, and finishing the 2nd stretch of our road trip to Oregon.

When I last left you we had just begun our trip. For our first 6 hours did quite a bit to make the time pass. I read my new Fitness magazine, caught up on following other blogs, and began re-reading a book I bought about 3 years ago ( the most recent Dan Brown - author of the Da Vinci code- novel). I also grazed just a little bit. I had a protein shake, grapes, some sweet potato fries, a nectarine, and mini Graham cracker squares. Fir lunch I ha a kale salad wig raspberry vinaigrette dressing (yuuuum). I tried to keep my grazing healthy because it is so easy to fall into a boredom feeding frenzy during long car ride. I think I did pretty darn well!

The rolling hills

I managed to stay awake for the whole ride other than a quick 15 minute cat nap here and there right before we hit Sacramento. We stopped in Sacramento at around 5:30pm to visit and have dinner with my best friend, Talia. It was perfect timing... We were all getting a little cabin feverish and we were Hungry!!!

I have been craving Pizza and Beer for a couple weeks now so I requested the best pizza in town. What better time to quell that craving than day 1 of a vacation after making a new PR following a 10k?!?!

Talia took us to a nice restaurant called Chicago Fire. It is a lot like BJ's brewery, which is one of my FAVORITE places to enjoy pizza and beer. To drink, I ordered a pint of Blue Moon (with an orange). My icy cold beer hit the spot... I had to stop myself from ordering a second glass!!! Mom ordered a small caesar salad that I had a few bites of. Their homemade croutons were amazing!!! For dinner I ordered a thin crust, personal vegetarian pizza. It came with onions, bell peppers and olives... I had them add spinach and jalapeños.

Now... My idea of a personal pizza is a small circle cut into 4 chubby triangles. What did I get, you ask?!?!?! A massive pizza the size of a frisbee cut into squares! The pizza was delicious, but I was only able to eat three of the 10 sections.

For dessert, because there is always dessert, we ordered one of their chocolate chip pizza cookies. It was served in a small deep dish round ( the size I expected my pizza to be) with a half an inch of fresh chocolate chip cookie, an inch of vanilla ice cream and another inch of whipped cream and topped with a maraschino cherry. Thank God I was already pretty full an only took a few bites ( and ate the cherry!)

We were all stuffed after dinner, so we decided to take a walk before jumping back in the car. Talia took us all around her neighborhood, which was quaint, quiet and peaceful.

Before we knew it, it was time to jump our settled bellies back in the car. We said our goodbyes and headed on to Redding, our rest stop for the evening. We made it there a little after 11pm and got the last available room at the La Quinta hotel ( there was a fire in Redding and a lot of residents had to be evacuated so there wasn't a lot of vacancies). It wasn't the best hotel, but it was better than sleeping in the car.

We woke up at 7:30 this morning and jumped into gear. We grabbed breakfast at the hotel's continental spread ( I had oatmeal with banana almonds and syrup, 1 and a half hard boiled egg whites and a bite of mom's Belgian waffle), cleaned up and are back on the road. This part of the drive is much nicer, and more scenic than yesterday's drive, and were planning to make a few pit stops. We're expected to arrive in Bend around 2 o'clock today leaving us plenty of time to play :)

Pretty much the same Breakfast I ate at home!

Speaking of Play today, it's my Grandpa's 75 birthday!!! I love that man more than anything and I am so thankful to gave shared another year with him!

Happy Birthday, Pap!!!

Make Every Woman Count 10k Race Review

Happy Saturday!!!

I hope everyone is doing well and feeling good... Because I know I am :)

I'm updating my blog from the car, on my cell phone. We are currently on our way to Bend, Oregon for a week long vacation of fun an adventure!!! I'm also using my phone because I dropped my lap top while I was packing :/ When I opened it in the car, the screen gave me nothing but blurry lines!!! I'm not sure if this problem can be fixed or not, but I think I may be buying a new laptop while in Bend. My heart stopped, but to find an upside to this, Oregon have lower sales tax... That's a plus, right?!?!

As you can tell by my title, I ran another race this morning!!! I have to be honest, this was one of my favorite races to compete in. It was a 10k, and all of the proceeds went to the West Valley Breast Cancer Center to help fund for breast examinations for clients who can't afford it (I love racing for a cause!)

I loved Everything about this race! They had a full out health expo complete with lots of free goodies (my favorite). I think I walked away with 2 bags full of new products to try :) like the activate water I'm drinking now. You twist the cap and it puts fresh vitamins in your water. It's ok in taste...but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

This course was familiar to me because the event was held at the park that I do my large runs at, But their path was a little bit different from my usual one.

One of my pet peeves is when races don't have clear track markers or mile markers on the course. This was NOT an issue with this race. This course was a little confusing, but they made sure they had markers and volunteers cheering at every twist and turn. This was so helpful, and I know I really appreciated it. They also had plenty of water stations along the course, Thankfully. For the first time ever, I used almost all of them!!!

My only complaint about this race was that it started too late. The 10k start time was 8:10am!!! It was already warm and humid at 7:15am. It made this run more challenging... But I suppose that's not a bad thing.

I feel I ran this race really well. I was worried that I broke the cardinal rule of racing and started too strong for mile 1 and 2. I didn't want to end up dropping out early, but I held my own pretty well. Mile 3 I was starting to feel the heat and started getting flashbacks to my long run from Wednesday. I muscled up trying to keep pace with another runner and moved forward.

The first water station was at mile 3. I drank a little, and poured most of it on my head. (did I mention it was hot?!?!) Mile 4 was fine, and I maintained my pace. There was another water stop a half a mile up so I took another cup and poured it on me.

Mile 5 was rough. I was hot, here was NO shade and my legs started to weaken and I felt like I was losing steam... But when I saw the marker for mile 6, and I saw 49:37 on my watch... I pushed on my reserve stores!

In the last .2 miles I was neck and neck with a younger guy who gave me quite the challenge. I pushed as hard as I could and crossed the finish line at 51:12 ( a new PR!!!). This race was chipped through the bib ( another race bonus!!!) so I will have their official results soon too.

This race was also really special because my grandparents came out to watch! Usually I don't have anyone at my races, and it was so nice to have them there supporting me!

I picked up the last of my free goodies and headed home to shower and finish packing!!! This race also wins best shirt given out to participants :) I hope they offer this race again, because I will surely compete.

Super Comfy!!!

All in all, a good morning (minus the death of my lap top). I'm really looking forward to the rest of my vacation :)

I hope you guys can see my pictures... I've never updated from my phone before. There will be more to come!

Grandpa's Birthday and a Giant Eclair!!!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Today was an extraordinary day!!! Today was my last day of work, we celebrated my grandpa's birthday and it is the night before my next race!!! Too many good things in one 24 hour setting. My day started with a beautiful sunrise on my way into work...

Then, work was crazy busy, which meant it went by VERY quickly :). I hadn't been drinking coffee for about the last month or so (not for any particular reason) and I broke that today with a delicious Iced Cafe Americano with soy and splenda....

I wasn't even able to drink HALF of it... so I put it in the fridge for a little pick me up tomorrow morning before the race. Either way, I am now OFFICIALLY ON VACATION!!!

After work, I met my family to celebrate my grandfather's 75th birthday at one of his favorite Restaurants Brent's Deli. This is an important birthday celebration, because my Grandfather is an amazing man! He was more of a father to me, than any man I have ever known and he lets me know all the time that he loves me just the way I am!

The Love of My Life <3 td="td">

Our party of 8 had an amazing time at dinner. I talked racing with my aunt (who has competed in an Ironman competition), school with my uncle and enjoyed the company of my parents and grandparents.

actual portion of fries NOT pictured!

For dinner I had the Veggie Burger with Sweet Potato Fries :). I'm not sure this was a GREAT idea with my race tomorrow, but it's only a 10k, so I'm not too worried... plus it was delicious. I actually think this may have been the best veggie burger I have ever had!!! I had PLENTY of sweet potato fries left over, so I brought them home for me to munch on during our drive tomorrow :)

One of the reasons my family likes going to Brent's is for their desserts... mainly their GIANT ECLAIRS!!! Of course we had to order one for my grandpa.

Be-Ware of the E-Claire!!!

My grandpa likes to joke around with his age and ALWAYS reverses the numbers (last year he turned 47...). He was nice enough to share with everyone. I had a small bite of the piece my grandma took.

I think I've finished packing... (is a girl ever done?!?!) and i should be sleeping to get some good rest for my 10k tomorrow.

Right after the race we are leaving for Bend :) I am going to be gone until next Sunday. I will try to update as often as possible, but I may not be able to post everyday. Either way... I will have plenty of photos and stories for you guys as I go along.

See You At The Finish Line!!!

A Bad Day...

Today was all around not a very good day...

Work was long and challenging. I had to deal with a racist and condescending client for the majority of the day. I have now learned that I have a very short fuse for ignorant people who do not understand the suffering of others...I'm trying not to let this get the best of me so that I can serve this client fairly, but I left eh office today stating that I was not going to talk to him and that he better not ask me for ANYTHING in the next 24 hours (I was really mad and was talking out of anger).

I was stuck at work 2 hours longer than I was suppose to be and didn't get on the freeway until about 6:20pm. Low and behold there was a HUGE ACCIDENT on one of the busiest freeways in LA. There was a big rig that over turned and spilled oil all over most of the lanes. Traffic was horrendous!!! It took me 3 hours to get home (meaning I got home at 9:15pm).

I was tired, cranky, upset, and STARVING by the time I actually got home. I scarfed a vegetarian corn dog and made a salad... pathetic. I did a little more packing before I curled up and made a phone call to my best friend :)

Nothing makes ya feel better than having a chat with your best friend.

Like I said... it wasn't a very good day... but tomorrow should be better :)

Fastest Weekend Ever

I can not believe it is already my Sunday night and that I have to get up early and go to work tomorrow :(

On the bright side... I only have two more work days standing in between me and my Vacation!!! I'm still in the process of doing laundry, but packing has officially begun

This is only suitcase number 1...

I actually really hate packing. I always feel like I have to bring my ENTIRE wardrobe with me, and I just really get frustrated. Probably because I have too much clothes... Either way... I'm excited to almost be on vacation. I was discussing it with my best friend, Allison, last night and I haven't had a REAL week long vacation in almost 4 years!!! Needless to say that it is WAAAY overdue.

Although packing is not something that I enjoy, I have done a couple things to prep for my trip that have been quite enjoyable. Like....

Getting my toes done!!! It looks like blue in this picture, but its really purple! 

My feet needed this so badly. I've been getting really bad calluses on my big toes and pinkie toes... as well as blisters on my toes. I'm pretty sure you can see ALL of them in this picture... and I am sorry to anyone who thinks toes are disgusting... especially my toes :(

After I got my toes done, Mom and I went to Target to pick up a few Vacation Items. I was mainly going to pick up a new Lithium Ion battery for my camera :). All of the pictures I've been posting are from my iPhone... and I really don't want to just use that while I'm in Bend. So, I'm really excited that I will have my camera up and running for the week.

I went to bed kinda early last night and made dinner really easy. I was suppose to get up early this morning to go on an 11 mile run... but i sorta failed at that. I did manage to get out of bed by 8am and started my run shortly after 9. Thank goodness that it was cooler today than it has been for the past few weeks, but it was still hotter than a jalapenos coochie!!!

My run did not start out smooth either. I did my warm up run from my car to the track, and after stretching, I realized i left my techno 4.0 watch in the car!!! Being the time/distance obsessed person that I am, I ran back to the car to get it and ran back to my starting position. I turned the watch on once I started, because I felt it was only fair I got to log that distance. I earned a whole quarter mile!!!

To get the full 11 miles I planned on running the 3 mile loop at Balboa Park, than the 5 mile loop and then repeating the 3 mile loop. I started my run, and was actually ready to give up in mile one. I started bargaining that maybe I only needed to do a 3 mile run... and that there was no way that this was safe. I made it through mile 3 and began the 5 mile loop thinking that this was how I was going to die.

Then, the most glorious thing happened....

courtesy of plano.com

Somewhere in mile 4... the park had their sprinklers on. I ran and frolicked through that water like I was a 5 year old on the hottest day of the year. It was amazing.

To be honest... I think those sprinklers saved my life. I don't think I would have made it through the 5 mile loop if it wasn't for those sprinklers :)

By the time I finished the 5 mile loop, my watch told me that I had completed 8.5 miles and that it was already 10:20! I knew there was no way I had enough time, energy or WATER to finish another 3 mile loop. Instead I just ran the straight line up and back for the last 1.5 miles and completed a 10 mile run. When I added my initial .25 of a mile (and the 1:44 seconds it took me to complete it) I wound up with a grand total of 10.25 miles in 1:32:25.
Not my best run, but certainly not my worst.

I also tried a new energy product during this run.

courtesy of greatracenutrition.com

I liked the shok bloks, but I found that it was really hard to breathe, chew and run at the same time... So I decided to try one of the Gu packets I got for free after the Seashore Half Marathon. 

To be honest... I had very mixed feelings about it. On the one hand... it tasted like cookie dough... and anyone who knows me... knows that I love cookie dough. On the other hand, the texture was a little bizarre and, no pun intended, "hard to swallow". It also had a strange coffee after taste that was both enjoyed and disliked. I only ate half the package, and I don't know that I will be finishing it any time soon. I know there is an energy product out there for me, I just haven't found it yet :/

I was a little disappointed with myself for this run. I know I could have finished, but it was my fault that I didn't. If only I had gotten up earlier, I would have had my 11, and I could have felt like I achieved my goals for the day.

I know what you're thinking..., "10.25 miles is GREAT, so quit your complaining!!!" But I cant help it. I don't like setting a goal for myself and missing it. Especially when it's my fault that I didn't finish. I decided that I was going to do a 6 mile run when I get home from work tomorrow to make up for my lost mile.

The rest of the day was spent at the Suicide Prevention Center, relaxing, doing laundry and starting to pack :). I cant believe I'm two days away from another race and some much needed time off!

What was your favorite summer activity to keep cool growing up?!?!

My Internship Interview

Hi Guys,

Today was a very exciting, and exhausting day... and it's not even over yet. This morning I got to meet with my Field Instructors at Communities in Schools today. I really hate going to interviews (although I don't technically think this was an interview). I always feel like I've worn the wrong thing, or that I wont come off as eloquent as educated as I know I am (primarily because I turn into a rambling IDIOT during these things), or, there is always the fear that I wont like them!!!

However, this was not the case with this "interview". First, I made sure that I wore my lucky outfit

This outfit got me my current job :)

And I made sure I had two copies of my resume... just in case. One of the best things about this internship is that it is 20 minutes away from my house! Yes, I will NOT be commuting for HOURS on end everyday this year!!! I am so excited! And I don't have to start until 9am... so I will actually be able to sleep until after the sun come sup. Does this GET any better?!?!

When I walked into my Supervisors office I was amazed. This guy is like the Don Corleone of the Gang Intervention world!!! He had a huge desk in the middle of the office with posters, awards and pictures all over the walls. His name is Bobby Arias and he is the President of the company. He is a USC graduate (we'll forgive him) and he is very passionate about training new students and making sure that they are given the most opportunities and really utilized in their internships. He has been in the field and has a lot of connections in the community.

My other field Supervisor is Raymundo Zacarias. He's the assistant president of the company and was actually a USC intern there about 3 years ago (what does that say about opportunities to move up in the company). He's really focused on using clinical aspects and expanding his own training so that he can help us learn more.

I had a meeting with both of them at the same time, and I have to admit it was a little overwhelming. They both talk more than I do!!! (sometimes at the same time!). They put a lot of information out to me, but I really liked everything they had to say :)

This internship is going to be something VERY different than what I am used to, and I think I am up for the challenge. After all, I'm not going to graduate school to simple learn things I already know. I'm just nervous that I am not going to live up to their expectations. No negative talk... I am going to ROCK this internship and make it mine!!!

To be honest, I feel really lucky to have been placed at this site. I am really excited to be spending the next year working with these two men and the community that they serve.

Tyler came out to visit me today so that we could have a celebratory lunch. He placed a bid in on a really big job, and it got approved (yay for work!!!) and my new placement. We went to one of our favorite places Sharky's. It's an organic, Mexican food place that has the best Veggie and Tofu Burrito in the world.

They also have the best guacamole and Iced tea! Tyler and I split the burrito, so I only ate half. I also got to bring home the majority of my guacamole and salsa to use later. They have a Bahamian Iced tea that is to die for!!! All and all it was a delicious lunch.

For desert we attempted to go to Menchie's to get frozen Yogurt, but they were PACKED!!! An elementary school event had to have just gotten out, because there were hoards of mother's with children everywhere. We left and went to a smaller place by my house called Frutsi.

I got Cake Batter with Dulce de Leche and topped it coconut, cinnamon toast crunch and blueberries! Because of the the space in time between lunch and getting yogurt I was actually to full to eat it. So it is sitting in my fridge and waiting to be eaten a little later :)

We were so full from lunch, that Tyler and I came home and went straight into nap land!!!

I'm finishing up my Crisis Line shift and then I'm heading to go get my nails done with mom (a MUCH needed pedicure!!!) Then we are headed to Target to do some shopping for our vacation!!!

A busy day, and I'm already ready to go back to sleep!

My Faux Sunday

Today was a Monday for most. However, today was my Friday!!! and I treated it like a Sunday!!! (I know that doesn't make ANY sense... but trust me)

Today was mixed bag kind of day. It started out with my workout... that I REALLY did not want to do :/ I actually made it out of bed by 8am and did the run i intended to do. Buuuut My stomach was acting all "icky" and doing 8 rounds of hill repeats did not sound like a fun idea.

To be honest... I did not think I was going to finish my run. First of all, I had to use the bathroom the ENTIRE time. By the time I got to the 3 lap, I was convinced I was just going to do 6 and run back home. Then at lap 6 I thought... "I can do two more," and I did :). It was really difficult though.

This type of training has taught me a couple of lessons.

1. How much harder it is to run uphill than just run a flat trail
2. How much quicker the mind gives up before the body ever does.
3. I will most likely always finish a scheduled work out, even if I go into it thinking I wont finish

I'm sure there were other things that this type of training has showed me, but those seem to be the most important.

After my run, I took a shower, made a smoothie, and put my "dinner" together. I was heading to Tyler's for a few hours and then going straight to my night time job. I put a delicious dinner salad together with plenty of healthy snacks to munch on throughout the evening.

Too bad I left it at home, and didn't realize it until I was 85% of the way to Tyler's house (he lives in Glendale, and I live in Chatsworth= approximately a 30 minute drive).

fail!!!

I was so angry with myself, because I knew it would not be worth it to drive all the way back home to pick it up... but I really wanted MY dinner that I spent MY time making.When I got to Tyler's we made ourselves some lunch.

Vegetarian sausage on a sandwich thin with spring mix and avocado (asparagus and carrots on the side).It was REALLY good... I ate the entire plate before I could even spell Yum!

Eating lunch made me think about my forgotten dinner. :(.   Tyler tried to cheer me up with a nice relaxing day by the pool

So that I had something to eat at work, we went to Ralph's and used their salad bar to make our own salads. I was actually really disappointed with their selection. I was craving garbanzo/kidney beans.. of which they had NONE!!! Some of their veggies also had  a dirty/gritty taste to them. Needless to say, I was not please. I didn't even finish my salad :(

They did have a nice pre-mixed Kale salad that was tasty, but the dressing was a little too strong for my taste. Since I didn't have any other snacks for the evening, I decided to try the Quaker Real Medleys Cherry and Pistachio.  

This... was... AMAZING!!! I don't think I have ever had anything that tasted so good. I ate the entire container in a matter of minutes, and then I could have eaten another one!

I also bought myself some containers of fruit... they were absolutely delish! Overall I spent like $17 on a dinner that I already had made at home, and that would have tasted better :/

But hopefully I have learned my lesson. Now, I am sitting at work Freezing my butt off and trying to stay awake.

I have a really big day tomorrow and I am really nervous. I am meeting with my field advisor for my internship, and I have SO many questions!!! Fingers crossed that it all goes well :)

A Case of the Lazzzzzzzies

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I hope you enjoyed your last day of freedom before you have to return to the work world... I know I did :) And how did I spend it, you ask?!?!

BEING THE LAZIEST GIRL ON THE PLANET!!!

OK... maybe not "THE" laziest, but I got pretty lazy today. I stayed in bed until 9:45 today, which means it was WAAAY too hot to try to go out and run 5 miles. Plus, I was a little sore from my big run yesterday and my big toe was hurting really bad. I have a HUGE blister on the outside of my right big toe that I accidentally popped yesterday. It's gotten pretty angry with me and is letting me know that it is NOT OK.

I didn't blow my workout of completely (Lord knows I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did). I decided that I was going to do a smaller run on the treadmill instead. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, except for the fact that I HATE running on the treadmill.

For some reason, it literally makes me want to punch a wall! I know I have bitched about them before... but I really mean it when I say I hate them. But, I imagine that all good runners prefer to run outdoors... right?!?!

Either way, I managed to squeak out a 3.6 mile run/walk and was satisfied with my workout for the day :) Not my best performance ever... but hey I got out of bed... you cant expect much more from me right now.

After my run... I sat around, took a nap, and eventually got ready to go to work. (this seems to be becoming a very bad habit of mine). I had every intention of jumping in the pool at some point... but I just never made it :(

For Lunch, I tried something new... sorta. I made a tofu and veggie sandwich with sweet potato wedges :)

I'm  not sure that I would make it again, but I did the job. I was actually REALLY full after finishing it... which is insane because I was STARVING while cooking it. I also had some grapes and cherries while I was cooking and after I ate. Come to think of it... I had a REALLY big lunch.

When I was putting my dinner together to head to work, I had the most Bizarre thing happen... THERE WAS NO PEANUT BUTTER IN MY HOUSE!!!



I do not think that in my 26 years of existence that anything like this has ever happened before. and I hope that it never happens again!!! I ended up having to go out and buy some more (obviously) so I would up picking up a Jar of Laura's Natural Peanut butter. I think I like it, but it is going to take some getting used to. 

For dinner I made one of my Summer Salads. For my late evening snack I tried something new...



This was from yesterday.. I did not have a nectarine tonight :(



A Flax seed whole wheat tortilla with Laura's Natural Peanut Butter and some strawberries/blueberries and a glass of Chocolate Almond Milk. I have been cravings so many delicious things lately, and I don't know what to do. I feel like my caloric intake is increasing, and I'm still HUNGRY!!! I don't know if I have just been under feeding my system this whole time, or if I am over feeding it now?!?!

It's moments like these that I wish I had a bowl of ice cream a Personal Trainer.

Either way... I'm 5 days away from vacation time/ race day and I'm just biding my time until it comes.


What would you do if you had no Peanut Butter left!?!?!
Do you prefer outside runs or indoor runs?!?!