Weekend Success!

I took my rest day on Friday so I could kick butt at 31 Heroes on Saturday with my Battle Buddy from Iraq, Molly. We did the fundraiser last year at Al Asad, but it was a little different, instead of running with sandbags (which ironically we didn't have) we did tire flips, instead of a rope climb we did pull ups, and we did different numbers of thrusters and box jumps. 

We "won" last year. 

We did 75# for the thrusters - 8 reps, I scaled the rope climb - 6 reps, and 11 box jumps - 24" Rx'd. The workout is 31 minutes long and you switch off with your partner who is running 400m with a sand bag, we used 25#. It was exhausting, but totally worth it. We completed 6 rounds with an additional 3 thrusters, not too shabby. 

Thrusters!

Molly can actually climb the rope. 

That's me in the background scaling. 

We're pretty badass. 

This morning I ran 10 miles and it felt great! Shockingly actually. I ran nearly the whole time, only stopping to take a couple pictures, eat a few Gu Chomps, and refill my water bottle. It was a little painful, but overall really great. I finished in 2:03 averaging 12:30 miles, next week's long run in 14 miles, I think that is where I'll really regret missing those runs before. 


Here are the pictures I stopped to take. 

Aspiration and Literature by Rock Creek Park. 

Sacrifice on Memorial Bridge. 

John Paul Jones, Father of the US Navy. 

Almost there

My run got cut a little short because I overestimated DC traffic, that never happens. So while I was finishing up mile 3 I got a call from my mom that they were at my apartment. Instead of doing all 6 miles I wrapped it up with 4.5, but it was worth it to spend more time with the rents. Did get a few pictures by the WWII memorial though.
Another early day at work tomorrow, then judging a high school computer competition.

Party all the time

Where to start? Last Wednesday, ran three miles before I loaded up, got on the train and headed up to BWI and flew to San Diego. 


I had an amazing time in SD, shared a condo with three of my favorite ladies, ran 6.5 miles with them, went to my college best friend's wedding, and hit the Gaslamp for a bachelorette party for another Navy friend. 

Running at Sunset Cliffs. 

Best Day Ever Face!

My legs were a little more sore from dancing than from running this weekend, and I don't know why my crazy ass thought I would be able to get a long run in after a transcontinental flight... 

Besties!

But this week is going well so far. CrossFit on Monday, we got to a 2 rep max, I got up to 115#. Then did three sets of 2@90%. The MetCon was 3 RFT of 50 double unders, 10 push jerks with 75#, 30 second rest then max chest to bar pull ups, followed by a minute rest. I finished in about 13 minutes, with all the rest the time isn't all that important. I was mostly proud that I got 20 double unders in a row during one of the rounds. 


Tuesday morning Christine and I did a 6 mile run, I felt pretty good for it. Then CorssFit was more running. 5 rounds of 300m row and 200m sprint followed by 2 minutes of rest. I finished in 20:15. I had to do some math for my round splits and had to take a picture so I wouldn't forget the times. 

This morning we did 5 miles, it was a little rough, but got through it. 


I've been having trouble getting back on East Coast time, partially because of the Olympics. So no yoga tonight because I fell asleep after work... oops. 


Won't be able to run in the morning because I'm on duty and have to get into work early, there's no way I can get up any earlier, so I'll just run after work. 

Headed back to Cali, Cali

I'm on leave! Going to San Diego for my college bestie's wedding. 

Ran 3 miles this morning trying to keep a 10k pace, about 11 min miles. Went pretty well even though my plantar fasciitis was acting up. I've been rolling my foot on a frozen golf ball, it's like heaven. 

Hit up CrossFit tonight as well. We did 8 rounds of a clean progression: tall clean, hang power clean, and hang squat clean with 55#. 

The MetCon was 3 rounds of 7 Front Squats 65#, 14 Burpees, 21 Wall Balls 12# with 2 minute breaks between rounds. I finished in 11:20, not too shabby. 

Run in the morning then off to California!

Another weekend of epic failure

Well, at least as far as running is concerned. I will blame it on my being a last minute packer. I remember looking at my running shoes and telling myself "Don't forget to pack them." And I did. And I didn't realize it until I was back in Detroit, and considering that I missed my first flight, had I realized it sooner I totally could have gotten them. Oh well, it was a good weekend except for that. And I got to hang out with my cousins for a bit before my flight and didn't have to pay for parking, though I will NEVER drive to BWI again, I will always take the metro and MARC. 

Everyone in my family loves chocolate, yes all of them. 

I headed home for my friend Emily's birthday, she's in town from Switzerland while she waits on some paperwork for a work visa. There was also a first birthday for my friend's baby. It was an adorable party, the theme was "You are my sunshine" and there were lots of suns cut out of paper plates with Maggie's hand prints on them and HUNDREDS of pictures hung on twine with mini clothes pins like streamers all down the walls. There was also tons of great food and I got to hang out with three of my best friends from high school. 

Book that doubles as a birthday card? Yes!

She loved the clothes too. 

We left the party after a few hours because my friend Steph had to work them Emily and I went shopping, that part was pretty phenomenal, we purchased a whole outfit in about an hour from three stores. Emily is basically my personal shopper and the reason I don't just wear Penn State shirts everyday and my huge Casio G-Shock watch everywhere (she had to talk me out of wearing it to prom). I got a dress at Marshalls, some AMAZING sandals at Famous Footwear, and jewelry at JCPenny. A great trip and I wore the outfit out that night and will probably wear it for the rehearsal dinner this Thursday. My favorite purchase was by far the sandals. 

Aren't they cute! [Source]

That night we went out in Royal Oak for Emily's birthday after her dad made us a wonderful dinner. We met up with our friends Ryan and Alexa who she went to school with and I used to hang out with in San Diego, but they just moved to Austin so Ryan can start the MBA program at UT. I was so glad to see them! They had just had dinner with some of their other friends so we all hung out to grab a drink. We started out at a bar called Goodnite Gracie, but it was way too loud for conversation so we went down the street to a seafood restaurant with a good looking bar and hung out there for another couple of hours. I had such a great time and am grateful that I got to spend Emily's birthday with her for the first time in a long time.

Sunday morning I grabbed breakfast with my parents on our way to the airport then headed back south. I hung out with the cousins a bit more then headed home to run... then I may have fallen asleep on the couch. Whoops?

Today was great because I got a call in the morning (while still laying in bed talking myself into getting up) that there was a water main break and to hold off on coming in. They eventually fixed it, but because I already had my computer here they let me work from home. Win. I had another chiro appointment after work and then hit up Crossfit tonight. 

We worked on shoulder press progressions. 

3-3-3 Strict Press - I got up to 75#

2-2-2 Push Press - I got up to 95#

1-1-1-1-1 Push Jerk - I got up to 120#

Pretty proud of myself for all that. I think those are all PRs. 

The MetCon was really fun. Okay maybe not. Two rounds of 200m run with 45# plate (25# for ladies), 200m farmer's carry with as much as you could carry (I did 35# kettle bells each hand), and a 200m sprint. I finished in 8:36 so I was really happy with that as well. 

Now I'm going to hit up the foam roller and get some sleep because I do actually have to go to work tomorrow. 

Man am I lazy

This may be why diaries have never worked for me before, oh well, I'm back now. 

So last Friday I took my off day with pleasure, went to the chiropractor, worked from home then had a great night with friends. First we went to Truckeroo, which is an awesome food truck event at the "Fairgrounds" by the ballpark, so only about 3 blocks away. 

My friend Sam enjoying some potstickers from Hot People. 

Next we went over to the Smithsonian Sculpture Garden for Jazz in the Park. It was very fun, we got to hang out and talk, listen to some music and drink some really overpriced sangria. 

Genuinely no idea what this is supposed to be. 

Again, no idea, but it looks pretty cool. 

After that we headed to Momoyama sushi for some dinner, it's pretty much the only sushi restaurant I've yet found within a reasonable distance, and it's cheap and delicious. 

National Gallery of Art on the way. 

Also a statue of a Union General Meade near the restaurant. 

So after some awesome sushi we headed to Iron Horse in Chinatown. They have skeeball, which to me says awesome bar, but I didn't get to play because some people were hogging nearly all night. It was really fun because one of my old shipmates moved into town and made the trek from Georgetown to hang out. It was really great to see him, we haven't hung out since before I went to Iraq and he went to Afghanistan. 

DC Court of Appeals on the way to the bar.

Saturday was supposed to be a trip to the beach with my family but it was storming all morning so that went out the window. We ended up dong some shopping at the ReStore, it's a store that sells really cheap home improvement stuff and furniture which has been donated to Habitat for Humanity that they can't use for one reason or another. My cousins bought a huge coffee table for their basement which is the perfect height for kicking up your feet and for little Mackie to draw on. The night ended with Love Actually from Netflix, my cousin's wife had never seen it and I could not let that continue, such a great movie!


Sunday was fun filled and action packed. It started with mini golf at the National Building Museum. 

Sam again. 

This hole was really creative, but I didn't do so well at it. 

My friend Jacob at the hole which is a model of the park going in by my house. 

Each hole was designed and built by a DC firm and had a DC theme. 

This may have been the most creative one, it's a model of the Potomac River's topography, or whatever the underwater equivalent is.

Jacob giving it a shot. 

Our whole little group. 

While this outing was really fun, it took FOREVER! We got there at noon (it opened at 1100) and had to wait in line for tickets, then in line for the actual mini golf. Sunday probably wasn't a good choice, but they are only open until 1700 on weekdays and I don't think my boss would let me take off early to go play putt-putt. 

My friend Diane ended up coming into town Sunday night and we grabbed some dinner on 8th street and caught up. She ended up staying until Wednesday morning, which is part of why I haven't written in forever. 

In any case, running didn't really happen this weekend so I tried to make up for it on Monday with 5 miles. Then we did hills on Tuesday, running up Capitol Hill four times. Wednesday was four miles. Today was supposed to be six, but I was whipped, Christine and I ended up walking three this morning and I walked three on my way home from Crossfit. I want to get the miles in, but I also don't want to overtrain or burn out. I think not skipping weekends will keep me on track. 

I felt exhausted this morning and then all day, I really think I need my rest day tomorrow. 

Did Crossfit Monday, it was a double Tabata workout with kettle bell swings and V-situps. I used a 25# kettle bell and got over 200 total reps in the 16 rounds (8 of each). I can't remember the number, whoops. 

Screen on the Green walking home from Crossfit on Monday.

I really love the way the Capitol looks all lit up. 

I really can't remember what building this is, or why I took a picture. Oh well. 

Went back to Crossfit tonight, it was a benchmark WOD, these are used to measure your progress through time, so I think we'll do it again in a month or so. Today was "Isabel" it is 30 Power Snatches for time. I used 65# and finished in 4:08. I'm pretty pleased with that, the coach said four minutes is a good time and means you were scaled appropriately. I'm pretty sure if I tried to do the Rx'd 95# I would have collapsed. 

After the WOD I felt revitalized and wanted to run home, but had brought a bag which would have been cumbersome and annoying, so I just walked, but I took a new route. 

Smithsonian Castle with amazingly few people around, in fact the whole mall was pretty barren. 

Statue outside of the National Museum of the American Indian. They apparently have amazing food which I will have to check out soon. 

Part of the Botanical Gardens and what I believe is the Longfellow building behind it. I hadn't noticed before today that there was even a fountain in this garden. 

Now I'm home, just finished a protein shake and watching a lightening storm roll in. 

Hump Day

Went for a three mile run this morning, which should have been easier than it was. Christine and I were both SUPER tight and had trouble getting moving. But we finished and I even did some striders afterwards to try and stretch my legs out. 

In an effort to stretch we decided to go to the free yoga in Yards Park again tonight. It was great and went really fast. There was all sorts of activity tonight, kinds in the fountain and pool, a couple shooting pregnancy photos by the water and the Capitol area Army band was doing a concert!

After we finished we walked over and heard the last few songs. We could hear them all through the yoga class as well. I was tickled that they played "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" that song makes me think of my dad because he and I talked about it after I saw this video.

 

They played a couple fun patriotic songs at the end like a service medley and "The Stars and Stripes Forever." They were really good and it was a fun little thing to end the night.

 

Now I'm fighting with HBO Go and will probably end up calling them. Grr.