Happy Independence Day!

I cannot express enough just how grateful I am to

1. be an American

2. serve in the world's finest Navy

and 

3. actually be in the United States to celebrate our independence. 

Last year I was in Baghdad and we had several incoming alarms throughout the day. The year before that I was in San Diego. 2009 I was in the Indian Ocean in the roughest seas imaginable. 2008 I was in Sasebo, Japan. And 2007 I was in Jebel Ali, UAE on shore patrol keeping sailors in line. I feel so blessed that I got to spend this year in our nation's capitol watching fireworks after several years overseas. 

Anyway, workouts. Tuesday I ran 4 miles in the morning with Christine doing Fartleks, it was not very fun, especially after the workout on Monday. That night I headed to the baseball game with one of my shipmates and a battle buddy from Iraq. 

Clutch seats!

Hello Bryce Harper!

We ended up leaving in the 6th inning with the threat of a storm and the promise of a ride on a yacht. We didn't actually get to leave the pier, but I can safely say that was the nicest ship I have ever been on. We really wanted to take it for a spin, but that wasn't in the cards.

 

Full moon over the Kennedy Center from Georgetown. 

Wednesday began with a hellacious Crossfit WOD at the "Exorcist stairs." I've never seen the Exorcist and I have no great desire see that movie, and even less now that I've had to run up those damn stairs! Here's a picture of the WOD, and what I looked like after it: 

Basically it was as many rounds as possible doing 10 squats with a sandbag, then running up the stairs, then 20 mountain climbers as you could do, but in the 30 minute AMRAP you also had to get in 30 pull-ups and 30 dips. I finished 5 rounds and all of the pull-ups and dips, my goal was 4 rounds, so I was very happy with my effort.

I didn't count, but someone else said there were 72 steps. 

No surprise this is straight out of a horror movie.

After that Christine and I went and got Pinkberry (the line for Georgetown cupcake was far too long). It was a delightful treat.

I bummed around the house the rest of the day catching up on my DVR until one of the girls I work with and her husband came over to watch the fireworks. My balcony worked out perfectly and I will definitely be planning a party next year. 

A little blurry, but I didn't want to include McDonalds in the foreground. 

Today should have been a 4 mile run, but I was a wee bit sore from the stairs and got up late because I had a half day at work. These are all excuses, I'll probably run in the morning to make up for it. 

I did make it to Crossfit because the WOD didn't look that bad, overhead squats and pull ups. 

10-9-8...1 Overhead Squats and

1-2-3...10 Pull-ups

I used 55# for the overhead squats and used the aide of the box for the pull-ups like a champ. I finished in 8:41. Biggest thing I saw was that I need to work on my pull-ups! I was one of the only girls who couldn't do them. 

Tomorrow I have my lactate threshold test at the Pentagon which should help me find my optimum heart rate for training. There may or may not be 4 miles in the morning. Then Saturday I'm doing the Rebel Race with my cousin in Maryland, it will be muddy and super fun, I can't wait!