November Fitness Calendar!

Hey Everyone!!

I'm back at this thing just in time to warm you guys up for the holidays.

Personally I've spent the last month resembling something like a potato, okay, that's not entirely true, I've been super busy- just not with working out.

I had jammed my hip forward in it's socket and finally made it to physical therapy to help get things back in line (shout out to my awesome physical therapist for almost completely eliminating my daily pain in one visit!) That means that I'm finally ready to get back into my workout routines.

This last year has been nothing short of crazy, 99% of my physical activity has been from hiking, hula hoops, and dragon staff and frankly I'm ready to get back into a little running and weight training. So those of you out there who are feeling the same, LET'S DO IT!

Since I'm just easing back into this all this month I thought I'd share this simple plan with you. Here's the run down.

4 nights of activity for at least 30 minutes this month.

Sunday - I'm hitting stairs with my hiking pack. I'm going to be spending this winter getting used to carrying a heavy pack while gaining elevation. I went out over the summer and thought I was all jazzy and ready to take on a 22 mile backpacking trip... HA! made it about 6 miles with my pack before my boyfriend and I decided to set up camp. First time is always a good learning experience ;)  I'll share more about this in another post.

Monday- Hello running, I haven't run since probably march, so I'm taking this one slow. Do what you can, do it for a half hour.

Wednesday- Kick butt!!! I will be doing a lot of random circuit things because my boyfriend runs a boot camp and is tackling this months workouts with me. (I'll be sure to share what we end up doing as we go). I gave a sample of something you might try... find whatever you want to do and do it... if you end up not liking something - change it or just push through.

Friday- FLOW! for some of you this might mean yoga, some of you might want to dance, maybe you hula hoop (or maybe you want to learn to hula hoop, comment and I can help get you started). For me the point of flow Friday is to find the freedom in physical expression, to move from the center of my soul and to release whatever garbage or excitement has built up that week. Flow, movement meditation and dance have been a foundation for me this year and I'm not about to push it out of my schedule.


That's it - it's that simple. Do what you can and do it with heart, even with thanksgiving and school and all of life's silly business... We can't forget that one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to move and take care of the body, there should always be time for you.

Happy New Year - Recap

I think last year I said I would blog more, so naturally I blogged less...

2014 was a HUGE year for me. 

kicked it off with trapeze class, Hawaii, pancakes and booze art show, opened my etsy shop, started my website, presented at RAW, ran a half marathon, art shows throughout the summer, a camping trip in the Redwoods, a solo weekend trip to Portland, new job, new art, new adventures. It was an amazing year!!!! 

This year is already off to a great start. I'm leaving for Hawaii again in 4 days! I can't believe it been a year already! 

I finally started a series of art on wood panels (I've been meaning to really dive in and explore this for over a year now) and when I get back from Hawaii I'll be showing for two months at the Fremont Art Walk. 

I think one of the things I'm most excited about this year is my new fitness plans... I've decided to run a mile a day as my new years resolution and so far go good, granted we're only 2 weeks in... but I'm going strong and as I expected, it's forcing me to put my health and fitness at the forefront of my day and ultimately everything finds its place after that... I've had more energy, more balance, and a greater sense of accomplishment than I've been able to maintain for some time now. This year is the year I plan to line it all up so to speak.... I've spent the last few years developing these tools to sculpt my life into what I want it to be, and maybe I'm speaking too soon but I feel like this is the year it all starts to come together. 

Just wanted to pop in and say hello again, let you know that I'm still here, still working, and still excited to share with whoever this blog falls upon.  

Pancakes and Booze - Take 2!

Hey I know all things art (and I in general) have been off the radar. I've had some fun this summer and done some shows here and there and am currently gearing up for the Pancakes and Booze show again this coming weekend! I really loved doing this event last time, it was such a great intro to the displaying-art world.

Something that will be a bit interesting about this go around will be that I'm not showing a complete set. The last few months  my work has been transitioning from melted wax as my base medium to acrylic paints. I've dabbled with drip paintings, basic acrylic techniques, watercolors (again), pastels, wood burning, even some portrait drawing... I honestly really struggled the last few months with figuring out where or how to take the next step in my art, how to stay true to what I personally want to explore and how to maintain my style in the process of learning.  Its been a trip and I'm really excited to share some of the things I've done, even if sharing an incomplete, mismatched, set is a bit outside my perfectionist comfort zone. This is the REAL stuff... the experiments, the new growth!

I tossed in a couple of my drip paintings... I'm having a hard time deciding which to hang... there's a giraffe that I think is trying to make a debut... I just got my elephant and goldfish prints up in my etsy shop. The goldfish original was one of my first to sell in this set...S/he got shipped off to California last month sometime. :)

Stay tuned for an update on the show!!

October 2014 Workout Plan

Okay here it is guys... Sorry it's a little late, I took on a new job and it's kept me on my toes while I get into the swing of my new routine.

Last night was my first night of Hot Yoga at this awesome little studio in Renton. I got one of those living social deals for 1 month unlimited yoga sessions! WOOHOO. This month's plan is designed to use it to the fullest. SOOOO if you're hankering for some Hot Yoga, or regular yoga, or any other class for that matter now is the time to go for it!!! Feel free to edit as you see fit, remember these plans are just MY base, make your workout fit YOU!

Double Throwback - See Jane Run Half Marathon

 Okay I just have to say this was an AWESOME event - except for the fact that it was in the middle of July... can you say hot snot?!

So this was my second half marathon... I had completed the one back in January and set out on my training with the goal of beating my previous time - 2hours and 58 minutes... I was originally shooting to shave 10 minutes off my time. I would really like to finish my half marathons in 2:30-2:45 but the heat was killer and my training had kind of piddled out at the end of it all... I realized I need to adjust training to about 14 weeks instead of 12 or 16... NEXT TIME! Anyway, long story short I set out on one of the hottest days of the summer to run all the way around lake union and I managed to beat my last time by 6 minutes! its not a HUGE improvement but its that much closer to the 2:45 time I'm working toward! My favorite part was these giant chalk boards where people could write what they run for, oh and the awesome champagne glasses - real glass! when you're used to getting a red solo cup of beer after a run, the fancy glass seems like a huge upgrade!

I've taken a break from the distance running to focus on yoga and strength training but this will always be a huge part of my life (as long as my body allows). I never thought I'd be a runner but here I am, two half marathons, a tough mudder, and a handful of 5ks under my belt and I don't see anything stopping me anytime soon.

Throwback Thursday! - Summer Art Shows

 Its been a little while since I've posted anything art related, which is kind of funny considering how much I've been doing with it recently.

A long long time ago, all the way back in April, I did the Pancakes and Booze show at El Corazon downtown. It was a great show where I met new artist friends and dipped my toes into all that is showing art... That night was a blast, I got rid of a few prints, had my face painted and got to test the water before my show in June - this was my first real event.

June came up fast but I produced a TON of new work to show. I started doing some dot work and really tried stretching my concepts; working on bigger canvas and venturing into a new realm of control for my work. It was time consuming but it paid off! The RAW show was amazing!!!! Set up went smoothly, I got rid of a ton of work and really came out of there stunned with how far this has come since I started a couple years ago! I finally felt like I had done something big! RAW has been a great platform for me. They even made this little artist interview!

I'm gearing up now for another Pancakes and Booze show in November where I'll be showing new work done on wood panels rather than canvas and I'm really excited about the new art that's been happening (I've ventured a bit from sea to land), but alas - that is for a different post!

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September Fitness Challenge

it's been SO LONG!!!

I have an unbelievable amount of things to update you on, from the finishing time of my last half maratho and the art show at Neumos, to all of my upcoming adventures! I always feel blessed that life has a way of swooping me up and getting me lost in the hustle and bustle, and then I finally find these moments to sit down and reflect on the wonderful things that have happened. These are all stories for another post though, let me not get distracted.

SO here were are... heading into the last few weeks of August (can you believe that?!) and I'm approaching my next birthday. As excited as I am, I can't help but feel this urgency to make and meet new fitness goals. Over the last few weeks I've gotten really interested in Acroyoga. If you have no idea what I'm talking about check out this video! (and then find me an equally amazing man that wants to be my partner). Needless to say I'm no where near confident enough to step into that arena of fitness but I'm not discouraged from working toward it. This September will be the start of my three month push plan.... I'll be designing my workout routine to really push myself toward the areas of fitness I've avoided for whatever reason. I'll be sharing my calendar and workout details at the end of each month so anyone that wants to join me is more than welcomed!

A little bit about the plan - you'll notice September is a bunch of two mile runs.... I struggled with only writing down two miles, but I know that I have a tendency to really push my cardio, I'm a cardio junkie, but that doesn't really line up with my strength training goals... This run+circuit plan will hopefully help me bridge that gap. You'll also notice that I've got a yoga class once a week - I'd encourage everyone to find some group class to hit, try something new kickboxing, hot yoga, crossfit...whatever you want. There's also hoop/dance sessions on my "rest" days... I know not everyone is into hula hooping (But you should be!!!!) Just consider this day to be a day for you to be playfully active. maybe that just means a walk, maybe it means blasting your jam first thing when you get up and having a full blown spazz attack... whatever it is, just have fun and keep moving! Last but not least... each month will have its own little challenge wrapped in: September we will eliminate ALL alcohol consumption and UPPPP the water intake, October we will eliminate processed sugars and make at least one day a week meatless, and in November we are going Gluten Free entirely (this is something I've already cut down to a minimum, alcohol being my major culprit, followed closely by Daves Killer Bread) I'll be putting up recipes during the October and November so you guys will know what I'm eating and I'll even be sharing my GF Thanksgiving plan!!!! WOOOHOO! SO ALL ABOARD! We're gonna finish this year in the best way possible!!!

How to Train for a Half Marathon

Okay guys, here I am for another fitness inspired post.

Let me start off by saying I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL. I am NOT a trainer. I am an average person who figured this weight loss/exercise thing out (with lots of research and common sense) and I only want to share my experience, tips, tricks, and fumbles.

As you may know from prior posts, I ran one other 1/2 marathon and am currently 6 weeks away from my next one, I've run the Tough Mudder and a hand full or of 5ks. Also for the record, I'm not a fast runner... I'm not some super athlete and none of this came easy to me. My persistence and dedication to being healthier is what made me lose over 100lbs and undertake long distance running. A lot of people would be embarrassed about running(jogging? for those who are like "weak") at 5mp but I cant even begin to explain
how proud I feel when I finish a
9 mile run at that pace. When I first started walking/jogging, "wogging" as I called it, I would close myself up in my parents basement, get on the treadmill, turn on Eminem's "lose yourself" and try my hardest to run (at 5mph) for the entire song... it was MONTHS before I could run for the entire 5 minutes... months.... I was so out of shape!  I can now keep that pace for over 2 hours, success, I'd say.  Anyway, there you have it, that's my fitness resume/experience, take my advice at your own risk. :)

My last training plan was a bit of a struggle... I had copied one of those 12 weeks to a half marathon and it was definitely a struggle for me to keep up with, each week the long run increased by a mile, which was 1 pretty hard to do every week and 2. if you miss even ONE long run you feel like you're behind... try missing two? you're either cutting your distance or your tapper and I needed both... This training session is going so much better I had to share.

Tips, Tricks, and Honest Facts for the Average Person Who is Also an Aspiring Long Distance Runner
(you see why the title was "how to train for a half"?)

1. Be able to jog 3 miles... if you're wogging your 5k's....13.1miles is gonna seem like forever - DOABLE but forever...

2. Realize the magnitude of your commitment - You should set aside 4 months for training.... that's right ladies and gentleman... the average joe shmoe over here would recommend FOUR (4)  months to gradually increase your runs, allow for life happenings, and ultimately lower your stress levels (maybe I'm just too high strung?)

3. It is manageable. This is a non-competitive sport; this is something where you just have to consistently show up and put in the work and you WILL be able to finish. No doubt about it. No matter how long it takes you - You are going to finish.

4. Pick your season wisely. Remember, this isn't just one race day... this is 4 months of training... 4 months of running outside. Think about your schedule, the weather, do you mind running in the dark? I didn't think about those things... Thankfully we had a beautiful fall but as we got closer to December and the days got shorter and wetter, I would have traded those crunchy leaves under my feet for an 8:00 sunset any day. This Spring training is working well for me... enjoying all the evenings as the sun started staying out... now I find myself waiting a bit longer so its not so hot after work. Anyway - THINK ABOUT IT!

5. It's okay to slow down, its not okay to stop. Don't get discouraged if you have to slow down. It's too easy to let being tired trick you into being done. Of course you're tired, you're rounding out your 8th mile and you still have two to go, and you have a blister, and the sun's too hot, and you forgot your chapstick... but I guarantee you'll regret it more if you don't finish. I bet if that long run was race day you'd finish...(because what kind of person drops out 2 miles from their goal!?)

6. Don't be afraid to be a slow runner... I used to feel like every time I got passed by someone my form was off, I felt like a turtle crawling through molasses, my chest got tight, I'd try to go faster because I should be going faster, right? WRONG. This is you time... this is about FINDing YOUR PACE. The pace that you can run at and forget you're running... It might sound like horse shit but its there... find it!

7. Salt and Water. Let me just say, I'm a sweaty mess when I run... its gross (as it should be) and when you are someone who sweats as much as I do, you are losing a couple important things, water obviously, and sodium (see I'm an average person, not some super athlete so this thought never crossed my mind, and yes I really didn't make the connection between the sodium in sports drinks until this late in life - see previous comment about not being into sports). Simple solution - hydration pack and gummy snacks. For some reason I felt like I would be a dweeb for carrying a hydration pack, yes most people don't race with them "because there are water stations" and they hand out snacks and yada yada yada. but I have control issues, I'm a sweaty, salty mess (gimme snacks now!), and I enjoy the convenience. All of that was enough to make my runs more enjoyable and thus make me say "Screw what everyone else is doing? this works perfect for me". Bottom line - listen to your body, stay hydrated and energized, even if you have to tote around a waterbottle and mini snack pack.

8. Invest in quality gear. Don't skimp yourself. Shoes are most important. Socks are right up there because there's nothing worse than blisters on weird parts of your sweaty feet. I spent a lot of time looking at the tread on my shoes to see where they were wearing down. The Nike's I wore prior to my first pair of Asics showed signs of over pronation (they were worn on the outside of the shoe). After a little research about shoes that would help cater to that and factoring in my weight and distance running I picked up a pair of Asics Kayano 19. I LOVE THEM. I don't have knee pains, my shins don't hurt and they have worn almost perfectly on the ball of the foot which means my form has DRASTICALLY improved. I'm not saying that's the shoe for everyone, I'm saying take time to get to know your feet and your form and cater to that. If you need help they have great running shops that do the work for you.

9. Its a mind game. The only thing that will stop you from not finishing is you thinking you cant. When you don't want to run, put your shoes on and just head out for one mile... during that mile think about all the reasons you enjoy running, the reasons you signed up for the race... Also whenever you reach the halfway point - is there really a reason to not finish? you've finished the hardest part. Or my favorite game - The victory mile - I always find myself struggling to finish the last mile of a long run but sure enough I get my final wind when I remind myself of race day... how that last mile will feel and how it rounds off the journey, how it makes it the end... imagine running 4 laps around a stadium with a crowd cheering... the last mile count as my "victory laps"

10. YOU ARE AN AMAZING MACHINE  - You're body will not give up on you if you work with it, if you cater to it, if you take care of it. Your legs were designed to run, your lungs to breathe. Don't be afraid to push yourself each day to the point you're struggling. YOU CAN DO IT!

Catch up - HAWAII

 Aloha! I can not believe I am writing this entry 3 months after my trip. I'm slightly ashamed but at the same time I really feel as though I needed that time to process everything that happened on the Big Island. It was truly a grand adventure and I can't image having missed the opportunity to meet such an amazing and vibrant group of women (and men!) First and foremost a GIANT thank you to the wonderful Shakti Sunfire. She is a graceful, majestic, loving, and fierce soul. She offers so much more than people could ever pay for, I cant honestly remember what the trip cost in total (even with the rental car) because ultimately the experience was beyond worth it. No words can express the gratitude I feel in my heart for each of the people I connected with that week. Anah - you are also a passionate and amazingly talented, and hilarious instructor. THANK YOU! and equally, my dear Tarah, you are a gem! I'm so blessed!!!!!!

Can you tell I had a good trip!?!

I spent a week in paradise with beautiful women practicing the beautiful flow art of hula hooping... it was completely indescribable. Morning breakfast, fresh coffee, yoga class, hoop sessions, lunch, more hoop, dinner, wine, volcanoes, snorkeling... SEND ME BACK NOW!!!!!

Most importantly this trip was a venture into myself... it was a time for me to be completely alone... to depend on the new community around me rather than anything familiar. it was a time for me to try new things, to go new places, to embrace this new me that I have been working so hard to create. This was a time for me to sit back and say... Look at what you have done... Life is paradise... this trip made me thankful for who I am, for the love and skills that I have to offer, and equally for the beautiful and good qualities in all of the people around me. This trip - appropriately titled "Initiate" - was the beginning of a new chapter... a new mentality.. a new me. 

Things since Hawaii have been a little crazy to say the least. I have been to a few different shows; Noah Gundersen, Beats Antique (where my car window got smashed out), Mortified (Portland trip). I'm training for another half marathon (run forest run!). I'm created a TON of art and was part of the Pancakes and Booze show. I am prepping for the Seattle RAW art show in June which means more arting :P  plus the usual work, cupcakes, yada yada yada.... How about I don't give away ALL of my upcoming blogs... I really want to try and get back into this... I find it to be therapeutic, even if people only come to see my workout things (which there will be more of!)

Anyway, Stay tuned. I haven't given up on this yet!

New art is underway

Well I made it home from Hawaii - talk about an adventure! I can't wait to write my entry about it and share that adventure with you but tonight its about art. I came back from my trip feeling really revived - encouraged to pursue my biggest dreams, to broaden my horizons, and embrace where I'm at.

I have to take a moment to say, I am so thankful for everyone that has supported me up to this point, especially to those in the beginning that really believed in me when I doubted myself. Without your faith and encouragement I may never have considered myself an artist, I may never have reached out to share my work with others; I may have never learned to freely give my heart and soul to those around me. I am so thankful to those now, who are with me in this fresh beginning, who see what I've been doing inside my shell and are calling me out into the light and finally I am SO incredibly thankful for those who will be there in my next beginning, my next project, my next style... I'm thankful for all the blessings that are already on their way to me. THANK YOU!

OKAY sappiness is over.

LOOK! I drew something ugly and mean looking!

 Its an angler fish... creeepy eh? it's not the cutest thing I've ever drawn but I like the idea of doing a small series of somewhat "rough" looking creatures and really, what better subjects than deep sea animals..... fish with razor teeth are pretty rough if you ask me.

Also, I sold my first mermaid girl... Maybe it just the fact that she was kind of different from my other paintings... maybe it was just that she didn't get to hang out very long.... but she was a hard one to let go of... I know there will be more but she was the first ya' know? (I apparently lied about the sappy part being over).

I'm trying really hard to figure out what my new routine will look like. Its time to start training for my half marathon but I have a lot of positive energy going with my art (and even my cupcakes) so this will be an interesting run. Good thing I got a lot of practice last year!

Upper Body Workout

Alright - the long awaited upper body workout... Again, thanks to a magnificent and dear friend of mine I have been able to add many wonderful workouts into my routine including this one. Each of these is done as a super set (like the lower body workout) Pick a weight that is comfortable for you,  grab your timer, toss in your favorite core exercises and give it a go!

[Weight exercise (12 reps) + Plyometrics (1min) + Core (30 reps)] x 3 sets

#1
Side lateral raise & Front Lateral raise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-3JnFrFUOw
(6 side + 6 front is one set)
High Knees

Core

#2
Dumb bell hammer curl Press http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNe0X-yf9gA
Mountain Climbers
Core

#3
Wide Lat pull down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9216fo6nA7A
Skater Jumps  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIcZK3c3g4
Core

#4
Barbell reverse grip curl press http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGrFOIfKsSw 
Butt Kickers
Core

#5
Upright row http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ju6kfBM7g
Single Leg Hops
Core

Also, I'd just like to take a moment to say that I attempted the "daily 110" on saturday and boy did it leave my legs ACHING! Granted, I haven't workout out since I ran the half marathon but I honestly wasn't expecting it to be that bad. Running through it once takes maybe 5 minutes tops, but the burn will last for days! I really recommend doing what you can (even if that means starting at half the reps or dropping the pistol squats and trading them for a different lower body). Its a challenge, but that's what it's meant to be. Despite being rather sore today I pushed through another set of them just to get a good idea of what I'm up against this month. Boy do I love a good challenge! In other exciting, and fitness related, news I ordered the DVD set of the Barre3 classes I did (and fell in love with) this last year. I'm SO stoked to be able to add that as a regular part of my routine and I'll be sure to write a nice review on them when they finally come in!!!

January Fitness Challenge

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen, if you're anything like me this holiday season has gotten a little out of hand. Luckily I'm ready to get into the new year and make it better than the last one, starting of course with a new workout schedule. Some of you might remember the last one, this one is definitely toned back a little and I'm looking forward to it a lot (is that weird?). Drum roll please.............

Now I know this little calendar needs some explaining  - I'm not really ready to jump back into a ton of running so this month I'm only doing short runs and really trying to mix things up (Obviously "hoop jam" has never been featured on my workout schedule and I know not everyone hula hoops - if you want to get into it let me know!!!) Also, I know its really hard to get outside for some people (especially if you live in a place that has real winters) so the biggest thing to know about this schedule is its totally adaptable.  Just notice there are 3 cardio days (mon., wed., fri.) and two strength training days. Saturday is meant to be a fun active day - maybe you do yoga, maybe you go for a walk, maybe you spend all day cleaning (I'm talking scrubbing the tub, mopping the floors, moving the furniture kind of cleaning - don't think laundry counts!) Make it work for you.

Next the Daily 110 is an adaptation of a daily challenge that I actually never completed. This is a reminder to give 110% every day...I'm gonna be shooting to do this in the morning or right before bed - I'm really a fit-it-in-where-I-can kind of person (so maybe that means doing it broken up during work - I dont know, we'll see) This one should be INSANELY manageable. Take a look:

 

Click here for a link to my lower body workout. 

Be on the lookout for my upper body routine coming in the next couple days. 

Art Series

Ya know, I think I may have posted an entry  melting my very first wax painting creation thing and its kind of fun watching the progress I've made with the medium. I know I posted a bunch from my collection last year when I did the show at Starbucks but since then art has really taken the back burner... I did some drawings in Feb-March that I might revisit at some point but it was nothing that stuck... I dabbled with watercolors the last 6 months maybe and will continue playing with them because I enjoy their fluidity but recently I have found myself circling back to my roots - digging through my boxes (and bowls) of crayons and blasting away with my heat gun. I just thought I'd share really quick a few of the new paintings I've busted out this week. I'd like to do an underwater series since I've been drawn that category recently (no pun intended) I really loved using a different color in these ones... all of my paintings prior to this had the line work done in black and white but there's something special about the yellow in these ones... it works if you ask me. : )

So while we're on the topic of arts - about 4 months ago my little sister got me into hula hooping... Eventually I'll get down to making a fun post about it because next month I'm going to HAWAII for a hoop retreat! HOW FUN!?!?! I've never been to hawaii and I'm really looking forward to this! Does anyone else already have plans to make 2014 an awesome year?

My First Half Marathon

Okay, so obviously I've been pretty off the radar.... SO much has been going on this year that I've barely had time to breathe but today I crossed a major finish line...

As some of you might know I've been training for a half marathon since september... My first 5k was a mud run back in June and at the time it seemed like a big accomplishment - who would have thought not even a full 6 months later I'd complete the Seattle 1/2... I sure as heck didn't.

This has been a year full of personal challenges... rocky relationships, loss of loved ones, usual stress from work and art AND all of the running I decided to undertake, perhaps needless to say I often felt incredibly swamped and unsure how I would get it all done (or if I wanted to, or if it was worth it). Crossing that finish line after 13.1 miles and what I might call a "hell year" was not just a physical accomplishment... it was proof that I can and will overcome anything I set my mind to.

I guess lets take it from the top... at the beginning of the year I was not a runner - I didn't really like running that much but I loved the results so I did it... A normal "run" for me would be 2-2.75 miles with a mix of walking in there... certainly not a point you'd be at and think "oh I know what to do next, 13 miles!" I started pushing my runs to 3 miles trying to prep for the mass of 5ks I signed up for - again who starts running at the beginning of the year and then decides to run five 5ks in 4 months? - this girl.

Sometime in March (maybe?) was when I stumbled onto a zozi deal for the Seattle Half Marathon in December...It's kind of funny because I had swore up and down to my ex that I would NEVER run that far - it wasn't possible and I wasn't interested.... I guess in some sort of weird rebellion I paid for the deal and said "screw it, I can do anything" Let me just throw this out there... March is a pretty long time before December, I don't know how many of you have looked at a calendar lately but there are a lot of months to lose motivation and faith in yourself (but not if you are already committed to 5ks!) so I made a plan... My 5k's would act as buffer training before I actually needed to tack on a ton of miles.... I gotta say, it worked.... Every mud run, every color run, I was more confident in my ability to complete the distance, I watched my time improve, and I even got so cocky that I did the Tough Mudder in October. THE TOUGH MUDDER!? who is this girl? Who decides to tackle 12 miles of the most amazing bullshit, the weekend after a 5k mud run, on a day her run was supposed to max at 6miles? oh thats right - THIS GIRL! The tough mudder really sealed the deal for me... I had no doubt that I would cross the finish line of the Half Marathon no matter how long it took me and thats where the race against myself began....It had finally clicked in  me that I was a runner... me... right then, right there I was a runner because running isn't about how fast you're going - its the fact that you're going... what makes you a runner is the want inside of you to run... its walking down a beautiful trail and thinking "this would make a great run" its the eagerness your feet start to feel to move you faster, to let you cover more ground, and to let yourself experience the world in a way that we often fly by it....That was the point when my urge to run really took flight and I wasn't sure that my goal of just finishing was good enough.

My first time goal was 3 hours... If I could just make it in under 3 hours I would be happy. I would encourage others to just celebrate finishing the first one completely regardless of time but in case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of an overachiever.  Training during the month of October was AMAZING! I felt so good about my progress and I was really cutting my mile time down and even thought I'd maybe finish around 2:45 but things came to a bit of a halt when my dear friend's cervical cancer took a turn for the worst. I dropped a lot of what I was doing for a few weeks and focused on making "battle mode" t-shirts and visiting her in the hospital. It was a really emotional time that rocked me pretty hard and on top of that I was going back and forth with my doctor about my own health problems. By the end of the month all of the stress and sickness had put me nearly 3 weeks behind on my training schedule and the half was only 4 weeks away (2 of which I was supposed to use for tapering)... I tried to get caught up and altered the layout of my schedule a bit to accommodate the loss of time but nothing was really making me feel prepared. Mid November M passed away. Its still a fresh wound that brings tears to my eyes and became a focal point of my thoughts during my runs... the days I didn't want to get up and go outside, I went for her...

Race day came up fast - it was 2 days after thanksgiving (who does that?!) and I'm SO SO thankful that my roommate signed up with me. We made it to the start and I told her that I'd be lucky to make it to the finish in under 3 hours (you cant imagine how disheartened I was at the thought) but I was hopeful that the new medicine I'm on would help... Armed with my camelbak, gummy snacks, and headphones I was ready to finish this - crawling across the finish if I had to because quitting was never an option. Despite having horrible stomach cramps that started at mile 2 and hit me off and on throughout the run, I kept going steady for the first 6.5 miles.... I thought about M frequently and there was even one point when I passed a spectator holding a sign that said "life is short, running makes it seem longer" and as tears swelled in my eyes a bit, I eased into my run and enjoyed the scenery, enjoyed breathing, enjoyed the distance I was going... The last 3 miles were the hardest on me... I was tired, I was 99% positive I wouldnt make it back in under 3 hours and I was just struggling to push myself to the end... As I approached the stadium I picked up the pace for the final jaunt; I ran passed the bleachers and onto the field where I could finally see the finish line and above it in huge numbers 2:57:45... I took off at a sprint, realizing I was just a couple hundred feet away from my goal of "under 3". I crossed the finish line at 2:58:07 and they placed a teal medal around my neck (for those who dont know teal is the ribbon color for ovarian and cervical cancer) and I could have burst into tears... I didn't though! My dad was there waiting for me with a hug (since my mom and sisters were in Australia at the time my only cheerleaders were my dad and a friend) and the rest is history.

So why did I give you all this information? Its my plea to you to do that things you think you can't; to do the things you don't think you're strong enough to accomplish. Its my encouragement to reach beyond whats right in front of you, to work hard against the odds, to fight back and to never give up on something. The world is full of plenty of people who will give up, quit, tap out, or not even try to begin with, and maybe its just fear of failure or maybe its something else, but don't let that person be you. Don't be a person that lets fear keep you from doing something crazy - something unimaginable - something unbelievable because this is it... this is your opportunity to shine and there are no excuses because people have the opportunity to shine brightest in the dark; you just have to choose it.

Tough Mudder Finisher 2013

Thats right ladies and gents, I finished the tough mudder - Completely unplanned on 1(ONE) day's notice!

okay - okay... I did skip a lot of the obstacles - no jumping off of platforms into muddy water, no ice tub swimming (I couldn't risk getting injured/sick before my 1/2 marathon) but any of you that have been on the course know there are some things that are just unavoidable; the cliff hanger, climbing in and out of muddy trenches, sliding down, climbing over and crawling under various hills, branches and objects. All in all it was crazy fun and one of the best experiences I've had. Just being in an environment where everyone struggling to some extent, tired, or in need of a helping hand and actually having all of the support you need is a wonderful feeling.

I was a little nervous going into this - not about the obstacles but rather the mileage... October 5th was supposed to be a nice 7 mile run for me that day... how I found myself trucking 11+ was a little beyond me... I wasnt sure how I'd do, if my legs would just give out or how much I'd run... I kept thinking back to the 9 mile hike I went on back in september and how incredibly sore my hips and knees were after that...  I was really expecting a bit of a struggle...and I found it around mile 7... We had just entered the portion of the course where there was maybe 3 miles without obstacles... it wrapped around a little pond through the woods and was really a decent view (there were so many great views of Mt. Rainier that day!!!) but the ground was at a slant and it really started to take a toll on my right ankle. I could feel my legs getting tired and I realized I was still only a little past the half way point... Sam tried to give me a little encouragement (after all he was the only reason I ended up here) and I just wasnt having it. We hammered out the next mile and it gave me time to regroup and focus on finishing. I cant tell you how excited I was to get to that mile 8 sign. it was also around that point that i ran into a friend from my freshman year of high school - who'da thought?! it was a great push to have an old friend running with me. We split up a little closer to the end after I stopped to ditch my socks which had given me a nasty blister on the arch of my foot. That blister made the last mile and a half a painful walk/jog but when I rounded the last corner to the final obstacle - ELECTROSHOCK therapy- I couldnt help but run. I'll be honest... I spent the entire 4 hours debating whether or not I'd actually run through the live wires at the end but coming around that corner, high-fiving the line of kids scattered down the finish line, all the cheering and the finisher headband just beyond the hanging wires, there was no doubt... I was going for it. I made it maybe 10 feet in before the wires dropped me... and I mean HARD. I didn't know what had hit me really... well I did - but it definitely wasnt what I was expecting. I laid there stunned momentarily thinking "crap- now i have to get back up and do this again" but almost parallel with that thought I was up and going and before I knew it I was through - and SO disoriented... There was probably a full 5 seconds where I just stood on the other side of the obstacle and looked at the finish line- the volunteers were like "come on! you did it!" and i just looked around like "wait this is the end!? I'm done?!" I could have cried... 6 months ago this would have seemed impossible to me.... 6 months ago I'd have told you "no way, I cant"... but I guess I don't live with that mentality anymore... "Lets do it!"

Off The Radar

Helllllooooo out there!

It's been forever, but I haven't forgotten about you blog!!! I've just been incredibly busy doing tons of awesome things so I have something to write about.

I left you guys back in August with an update about my zombie run - since then I took a trip to Portland for The Color Run, Voodoo Donuts and to celebrate my 22nd birthday. I went camping at Silver Falls State park in Oregon also! that trip was AMAZING and I got to go on an 8 mile hike that featured 10 waterfalls!! AMAZING! I've been to the NW Chocolate festival - yum, started my official training for the Seattle Half Marathon (ran 6 miles last week!) and I just finished my last 5k before the half! Those are just the bigger things, I've also got some art stuff to update on and even some baking! PHEW! Needless to say when I have a little more time to upload my pictures, I'll be giving each of these topics a post of their own.

I'm excited to share whats been going on this summer- it's been a great one!

The Zombies Attacked

Wow! its been a while and there is so much I want to put up here! This has been an amazing summer and I've barely had a moment to breathe (hence the lack of blogging). I wouldn't have it any other way.

Today I participated in my 3rd 5K. The Zombie Run! it was a blast and fairly... rough at some points - I think some people forgot this wasn't real. Regardless it was a great way to enjoy a morning run!

And I must say, they really went all out setting the scene and making this a really great experience. I'm stoke to check this off my list of things "to do". Next run - The color run PORTLAND. That should be a great one too :)

Lower Body Workout

 Once upon a time I told you I'd give you a little more detail on my plans for "lower body" and "upper body". I'm very thankful for a fantastic friend of mine who helped me put this together. He's amazing and a huge inspiration to me! Thank you!

These are done in Super Sets... you'll go through each list three times before moving onto the next set of exercises.  I'm not going to post the weights to use pick something that is comfortable but challenging and pick whatever your favorite core is, mix it up, make it something that you enjoy doing!

Warm up for 5 mins on cardio machine


Set #1 (x3)
Deadlift = 20 reps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ef2pHDech0
Scissor kicks = 1 min  (on a  ball or face down on a bench) http://www.physicalfitnet.com/exercise_video/hip_extension_on_stability_ball_with_scissor_kick_.aspx
Core = 30 reps
- - - - - 
Set #2 (x3)
Weighted walking lunge
Flutter kicks = 1 min (on a  ball or face down on a bench) http://www.physicalfitnet.com/exercise_video/hip_extension_on_stability_ball_with_flutter_kick_.aspx
Core = 30 reps
- - - - - 
Set #3 (x3)
Leg Extention = 20 reps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyvSfVjQeL0
Leg Curl = 20 reps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELOCsoDSmrg
Core = 30 reps
- - - - - 
Set #4 (x3)
Leg Press = 20 reps
Calf Raise  = to failure
Core = 30 reps
 

Another episode of ... that life thing

So things have gotten a little away from me. So much actually, that I have three different calendars I'm frequently referencing. 

Once upon a time... I had this idea... it was a grand idea, marvelous, honestly, I almost thought it'd be perfect! This time! This time I got it right!!! Well here we are, a week into July and I'm way off track! I know, I know... "there's not only one track in life, maaaan, you create you're own path..." Ahem, I 

 just want my path to be over here ------>

 

 

and I'm...

 <-----over here.

As you can see, I've got a bit going on and had to adapt my schedule a little to be a bit more realistic... I'm trying to do that balancing thing so... we'll see how this goes...

I had a great trip to an Island with my friend that was a much needed get away from my phone, and all things crazy. I got a lot of art done and had someone place a cupcake order. I (eagerly) offered to throw my roommate's birthday party!!! And I've got the Color Run coming up this weekend.... Oh my sister asked if I'd be interested in doing a commissioned piece for her... which acted as a motivator to finish this project i've been stewing on forever! Yikes. 

So what does that mean 6 days a week dream? I might not see you for a while yet.... but on the brighter side... my new calendar is much more colorful! I even highlighted the fun things in blue! :)

Things don't always go according to plan

Hey! So, how did you all do on your June fitness challenge?

......  yeah, me too.

I really hit it off strong the first two weeks (that's normally the case for me) but after the mud run I got pretty sick. It really wiped me out for a bit over a week... and then I got part 1 of my new tattoo, dad's birthday, father's day, mom's new trip to Australia... excuses excuses... the point being, life got in the way again.

Anyway, the best part of this is getting to try again. Tomorrow I'll post the new July challenge (slightly modified from the last) and we'll give this baby another go!

I've got tons of art projects to put up here and in all the time that I haven't been working out, I've certainly been busy with other projects to compensate - can't wait to share them :P