A Little Blurry

There is so much to say about my experience at boot camp and there is a football game on that i would like to watch as well. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the beginning of boot camp. Receiving and forming week or whatever else those weeks are called are such a blur to me.

Here is what I recall:

The first two days I did not sleep. No one slept. I was up for two days straight. I remember being thirsty, scared, homesick, and just plain frightened. When we did get water, we also go box chow. Box chow is the worst food ever. In the box is a terrible meat sandwich, chips, cookies, raisins, an apple, granola bar, and powder Gatorade. The drill instructor was screaming at me to eat the meat sandwich so I did. What was I going to say? “Um, excuse me. I’m vegetarian.” That was the only time I ate meat though.

Those first few days of no sleep and barely any food, I lost three pounds. In total, I lost 13 pounds surprisingly.

During phase one of boot camp you do martial arts. For me, I despised martial arts. It was repetive. In addition, I swear everything at boot camp had the fun sucked out of it. Martial arts could have been a blast, but it wasn’t. There was swim qualifications were during phase one too. I thought we would learn to swim so I was excited. However, the qualification for swimming was for you to know how to stay afloat. I passed the first day.

I can’t recall any more from phase one. There was initial PFT testing. That involves flexed arm hang, crunches, and a 1.5 mile run. I did 70 seconds for the flex arm hang, 144 crunches, and I came in first in the run. In all the runs, I came in first. The runs only went up to 3 miles though. For the final PFT test, I ran three miles in 18:04. That combined with my flex arm hang of 1:29 and my crunches, which were 149. My score of the PFT combined with my CFT score. With that, I won Ironwoman. I was the most physically fit of my company. Do you know how much that means to me? That’s like the only thing I remember of boot camp.

Phase 2? Well, we were at the rifle range. I remember that because I loved shooting. I got sharpshooter.

As for phase three, still a blur. I only remember Liberty Sunday, Family Day, and leaving the damn island. The Crucible went by rapidly that I don’t remember all the details.

I don’t know what was in the water, but it made my memory disappear. All I can is that I am so happy to be home although I leave February 13th for MCT school for 29 days. Booooo. I am not looking forward to it at all.

To conclude what I have to say, Marine boot camp is 90% mental and drill. It’s not physical whatsoever. I was challenged. I am a new person now. I would take a bullet for any girl in my platoon. I would fight for any American’s freedom. I still have barely any confidence, but I am a new person. I feel different. The experience was worth it.

As for now, I just want to get back to normal blogging where I talk about running constantly. I want to comment and read your blogs again, but I can’t seem to find the time.

Anyway, when I arrived home Saturday, I ran 16 miles. My pace was awful so I am not even going to say it. What can I expect? I haven’t ran that far in three months. In the end of my run, my calves were killing. However, the run itself was great. I did not turn on music for the first hour. Amazing run.

Today I returned to the gym.

I was expecting people to be like, “Hey, Christy. Where have you been for three months?” Instead, they were like, “Hey.” I get to go to my gym for free though. That’s rather awesome. My spin class was killer. My body is sore. See, I was not physical challenged at boot camp. Now I feel so behind. I know MCT school will kick my ass though.

My shirt kicks ass though.

Well, I apologize for how choppy this post is. I just wanted to get something on here. I’ll answer any questions you guys have about boot camp. Just let me know.

The questions I received so far are:

- Was the food good? Well, as a vegetarian, I did not eat much. Breakfast I would eat fruit, eggs, and cottage cheese. Lunch was spinach and veggies. Dinner was more spinach, veggies, and maybe rice. I got lucky if there was fish, egg salad, or tuna. Otherwise, I did not eat much. Eating now at home is making my stomach weary. I feel sick, but extremely hungry. I think I was in starvation mode because I cannot stop eating. I still weigh 111 though. I really suffered mentally with eating. I feel like my eating disorder re-kicked in and now it’s on my mind 24/7.

- Were there scheduled eating times or snacks allowed? We had scheduled time for chow. Breakfast was around 4:30 am, lunch was around 11:30, and dinner was at five. There were no snacks except for at The Crucible, since that is 54 hours long with hiking. We received MRE’s there (meals ready to eat). Those were good and we could snack on them throughout the day when there was time.

- How much running was there or any form of cardio? Not much. We did not run much at all.

- Best and worst memory? Like I said, my memory is awful. My worst memory is something I don’t even want to mention on here. My best is graduating.

- Daily routine? Chow, drill, classes maybe, PT maybe, chow, more drill, more classes maybe, chow, free time, letters, bed. My day started at 4:00 and ended at 8:00.

- Friendships? I made so many friends. Most of the girls I got along with where in their 20′s. Throughout my whole life I always got along with people who were older than me. Anyway, there was 54 girls in my platoon. Some girls I could not stand, but I would take a bullet for them.

I’ll end this post with recent eats and other eats from, like, November. Enjoy.

Jalapeno poppers
Mushroom pot pie
Flatbread w/ salad
Tofu sandwich w/ salad

That’s all, folks!  

Running with the Stars

Hi ya’ll!

I have some exciting news. Yes, it has to with running. What else would it be about?

Last week I covered 49+ miles. Or maybe it was 47. All I know is that I am slowly coming out of my running rut. I almost did 50 miles in  week, dude. I’m happy even though some of the mileage was done on a treadmill. Good times, man.

I ran yesterday in my Newton’s (review coming up) and Tuesday I had a blast doing a track workout.

Guess who I ran with? I’ll give you a hint…

I’m not done yet.

I’m not saying we were just on the same track, but we did a few laps together. I don’t know how it even happened, but the girl I was running with (Amy), started talking to Kara. It was strange, but so awesome. I felt so intimated and extremely slow while I did my workout and they went on to do their’s.

Ahhh. Anyway, my workout looked like this:

- Warm-up drills
- One 800 (2:30 pace or something like that)
- Seven 400′s (1:20 ish)
- Two 100′s
- Running barefoot in ice-cold grass

I’m actually sore from that. I’m not use to speed work. I did that workout with my pal Amy and some other women.

Afterwards, Amy pulled me aside and asked me if I was interested in triathlons. Of course I am. She told me there is no reason I couldn’t become pro or elite. She said, “I’m slower than you and I make money racing. You aren’t even in your prime years yet.”

Knock on wood. Seriously. I can’t even imagine or put it into words how much I want that. I want so badly.

You know, every time I have a little running rut, I always begin running again and fall in love with it in a completely new way. It’s incredible.

If only my pace would kick back up. It will. I always say that. It’s odd because I ran the same path Monday as I did last week, but at a 7:17 pace verses at 6:59. Maybe it’s because I ran ten miles the day before? I don’t know.

If loving running is a sin, send me to hell.

And for all of you who believe I am an ‘exercise addict‘, you may very well kiss my…

…except my ass didn’t make the picture. Oh well. You get my point.

In case you haven’t realized, my title is obviously a reference to Dancing with the Stars. I love that show and I really wish I could dance.

I took a dance class senior year and I loved it. My teacher was a real bitch witch who put me in the back because she hated me. No really. She despised me probably because I told her off and left too many times to pee.

Anyway.

Is anyone watching it? If you do not watch Dancing with the Stars, do it just for this man: Tristan MacManus.

He’s Nancy’s partner and I find his to be gorgeous. Nancy is my favorite by the way. Don’t hate her. 

Anyway, I hope all of you are doing well. Catch me up on your lives! 

You guys are great. Enjoy my honorable eats.

 I go through two tubs a week
Mushroom + onion sandwich

“Number one is to just gain a passion for running.  To love the morning, to love the trail, to love the pace on the track.  And if some kid gets really good at it, that’s cool too.”
–Pat Tyson 

Get Use to It

You guys should really get use to me being gone all the time. In a few weeks I will be gone for three months.

Sorry to disappoint you. I know how much you all (maybe like two people) love me and my bitchiness.

It’s all good though. It’s all good.

Anyway…

Heyo!

Today included me riding my bike to the gym,

 My awesome bike shorts that give me a butt

sweating on the elliptical, lifting weights, running a mile, and then going to the Marine’s office.

There I did 100 sit ups. Killed it.

Did a flex arm hang for 70 seconds. Died.

Then, my recruiter drove me to the track where we had a tea party where I ran two miles in 18:04. Don’t laugh. I know I fail at running now. I did do my first mile in 6:28. That’s something considering I pulled something in my quad and it hurts like a bitch.

I haven’t run in… a few weeks. Seriously at least. I run at least a mile or two daily, but other than that, I have no desire to run so why force it, you know?

This happened before though except for not that long. I just biked instead everyday. Whatever. I better like running soon since I will be doing it all the time at boot camp.

Aye, I got results and photos from Race the Reaper that I did October 1st.

I game in 5th place in my heap, 51 place overall, and 6th female overall. I feel like I could have definitely done better. Whatever.

As you can see, I was pissed. What’s new?

So, I have been meaning to talk about my acupuncture appointments. I have had three acupuncture appointments and all of them were great. The first time I did it, I had a Groupon.

I did have a problem with my right foot again. After the appointment, my foot did feel better. Then, I went to a new acupuncture place that my mom paid for and, afterwards, my foot felt brand new. It helped so much and I was able to run better immediately. Of course, I still iced my foot, wore compression socks, and toe separater(?) socks to increase my recovery.

Even though I didn’t feel like running, I ran to test out my foot and to see if the acupunture indeed helped. It did in my opinion.

Acupuncture isn’t even painful. Basically, you get very fine point needles put wherever you feel some type of pain. The needles sit there for, like, 30 minutes while you sleep.

“Acupuncture, the treatment of pain and injury using thin, disposable needles, has a history dating back thousands of years in China. Although its practice and theory have evolved since being introduced to Japan, both styles share a similar focus: reducing pain and muscle imbalances by treating specific points of the body. Russ Stram, a New York-based licensed acupuncturist at Brill Physical Therapy, practices a mixed style. “Acupuncture follows Chinese medicine theory with the philosophy of restoring balance to the body,” he explains. “A practitioner takes a thorough history and examines the body for tight and painful areas, choosing points based on the meridian point system.” (Source.)

If you are a runner and are experience some muscle soreness or another type of injury, I recommend acupuncture instead of seeing a doctor who will just tell you to stop running.

“But more than recovery from injury, acupuncture’s greatest potential may come in injury prevention. According to Stram, “Running and training hard, whether it is fast acceleration sprints or long distance, takes a toll on the body. This is especially true of problem areas such as the back, hips and legs, which are most affected by running. Acupuncture needles can get directly to deep muscle bands to maximize the treatment effect. ” (Source.)

I loved acupuncture and will be going back once more before I leave in November.

Also, don’t be afraid to try a few different acupuncture specialists until you find one you like. My first experience with acupuncture was just okay so I tried it again and found someone better who knew what they were talking about. It was fantastic. Don’t be afraid of needles either. You literally feel nothing.

So, I’m going to wrap this up with some honorable eats:

 Tamale w/ tofu

Black bean burger

Not that great tasting, but I like that it’s crunchy
 I just started eating this bread. Love it.

Worst Blogger Ever

Hey, hey!

I apologize for being the worst blogger ever, but I have been super busy at work and when it came to sleep over blogging, I picked sleep.

Did you miss me and my classy mirror shots of myself?

I’ve been working full days since Sunday and today was finally a day off from work. It’s actually my rest day too. My legs and upper body are so sore. I don’t know what’s going on. I just knew that I needed a day to sleep (ten hours!) and relax before Race the Reaper tomorrow!

In Race the Reaper, there is a 1000 ft climb and 18+ obstacles. The obstacles look tougher than Warrior Dash. Sorry to anyone who did the Warrior Dash, but rednecks could do it (and they did by walking).

It’s not like you guys have missed much. I bought two weighted vests to run in to train for the Marines and I have been running somewhat. Running sucks. I can’t get into it. To be honest, I have been a little insane and have been running on a treadmill. That’s the only way I sway my mind away from running into the zone… of watching TV and singing to Pink.

Only one run did I do outside and I got into the zone. So much that I looked at my watch, saw I was four minutes faster than the last time I ran the same path, and I fell. Yeah, I tripped on a flat sidewalk on a busy road.

It’s okay. I didn’t cry. Come on. I’m tougher than that.

My pace is getting there. Let’s just say that.

I like running on the treadmill because I force myself to go faster. Unfortunately, I’m still running like seven minute miles and my legs hate it. However, last week, I got 34.67 miles in. I don’t think I got that many miles in this week.

Whatever. When I do run, I just make it worth it.

I think I ran Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I can’t remember. I have a memory of a fish. Maybe that’s why I like running. I can never remember when I ran last.

By the way, thanks for all the incredible comments on my last post.

I do have a confession to make.  I stumbled across some of those pro-thin websites on Tumblr. This is why I don’t have a Tumblr any longer. I would just look at those stupid photos of stupid girls with arms that size of a worm. Then I think that, “I could still be that. I could still not eat.” In reality, I could. I know I can. I have done it before, but this time I love food and I don’t want to see myself that way.

It’s pathetic.  Perhaps jealousy too, but it is pathetic.

Never would I want to stop eating.  I would never get to enjoy this:

Hummus + pretzels

King Harvest makes the best hummus. They make jalapeno hummus, chipotle hummus, black olive hummus… so good.

I’ve also been eating these every day:

It’s fake beef jerky. All of them have, like, 13 grams of protein for less than 200 calories.

Other recent eats include:

 Carrot cake
Barley salad
quiche Veggie chicken wrap

That should do it for now! I’ll have a better post tomorrow. Until then, I want to know what your favorite songs are currently that you like to work out to. I need some new tunes. 

“You train best where you are the happiest.”
                                  –FRANK SHORTER

Go Big or Go Home

No matter how long I have been running and no matter how any miles I have racked up in the past months, taking two weeks off from running was actually the hardest part.

I was burnt out. Every run was awful and I didn’t even want to run after awhile.

Then, when I reduced my mileage to about twenty miles, my foot began to hurt. Go figure. After that, I really had to stop running. I didn’t run for over a week or so and today I finally got out to run.

I ran a long time (with several breaks and I didn’t plan on it). I ran about 9.9 miles on my own at an extremely fat, ugly, slow pace. Then, I ran three miles with my dog Dean. He was pulling me at points.

Christy, why didn’t you ease your way into it? Uh, I don’t know. Because I’m stupid.

I’m a person that either goes big or goes home. I could barely run twenty minutes straight on this run without walking. Do you know how big of a kick in the teeth that is to someone who can run six-minute miles for 14 miles?

I felt like an out of shape runner. The elliptical is great for cross training and burning off cheesecake, but that’s about it. It doesn’t make you a better runner. It doesn’t guarantee that when you do begin running again, you’ll still be able to run three miles in less than 30 minutes.

Building mileage is tough. Forcing yourself to run just to hit a certain mile or to give yourself an ego boost is difficult. Not running is rough too. Well, for me at least. Some people go their whole life without running. No problem for them. For me, it’s tough. I like to run. I want to run.

Getting back into running… that’s the worst. I only took two weeks off (barely) and I wanted to die while on my run.

Running is always easier said than done. It is not an easy sport. There is always room for improvement. A few days of not running and you can be either slower or faster than the last time you ran. I was hella slow today. Building my speed up and my mileage is going to be brutal. However, I’m a strange little bird that likes it. I don’t mind sweating so much that my eyes start to burn. I don’t mind the dirt on the side of my legs. I don’t know how it got there, but it’s there. I don’t mind being out of breath to the point that I think I should stop, but I don’t. Moreover, I don’t mind pushing through that nagging voice that tells me how worthless I am because I’m not as fast as other runners (cough, Tara and Hollie).

If my foot doesn’t hurt tomorrow, I’ll run for an hour. I could do a long run on Saturday if I want to die before I’m twenty, but we’ll see how that goes.

As you can see, I am the kind of person that goes big or I won’t do it at all. I even worked out with the Marines today. It was actually a workout/circuit that got me sweaty. It was tough though. I definitely need to step up my game. 

In other news, I bought these bad boys. Or rather my mother’s credit card did.

They are Merrell Barefoot shoes. I’m going to start wearing them at work. I got red though.

Also, in other news, I got a sick souvenir from the Warrior Dash. It was worse than that, honestly. Maybe I’m just a wimp badass.

You guys are lucky. My legs were shaved for this. They were looking nasty.

So, I been meaning to do a post on acupuncture for runners, but I’m curious about what you guys want to know. Do you want know what acupuncture actually is and why it’s helpful in the first place or what? Let me know. I got another appointment coming up too. Woo.

Well, well, well. I got some honorable eats…

Squash
Meatless meat + zucchini + tomatoes + goat cheese 

“I ran to be free; I ran to avoid pain; I ran to feel pain; I ran out of love and hate and anger and joy.”
                                          –DAGNY SCOTT

TGIW

Ello, mates!

Is anyone else’s wordpress reader not working? Mine isn’t showing any blogs. Boo. 

You know how some people cannot run unless there are headphones in their ear blasting Kesha or Rage Against the Machine?

I am not one of the people.

Due to my running funk, I decided to run hills with some music hoping that would motivate me to blast off.

Yeah, I got a headache.

Apparently, Pink and I don’t mix while running. No offense, Pink. I love ya, girl.

However, if I’m just chilling on the elliptical or pumping some iron, I need music. Otherwise, I get bored insanely fast. Just like in spin class. If the instructor is not up to par (cough, cough), the music better be good. If not, I’ll leave.

Currently, here’s my playlist:

I listen to a lot of comedy when I workout. I’m that weirdo who laughs out loud on the elliptical. It’s because I find The View hilarious. (Although I do love The View.)

That’s just a sample. Hopefully that give you guys some new tunes.

So, let’s get this party started again with WIAW (or Tuesday. Whateva.)

Pre-breakfast:

Breakfast:

Egg white omelette, tuna, chocolate almond milk,  banana

I haven’t been that hungry for breakfast, to be honest. I’m not hungry because I get home from work at 9:30 and eat dinner as well as a whole cake. Well, not a whole cake, but it feels like it. My food baby is then produced. 

Insert 12 mile run and cool down on the elliptical.

I decided to run my favorite running path in the hopes that it would take me out of my funk. It worked a bit. I really enjoyed my run for once. I didn’t check my pace though. It could have been definitely really slow despite the fact that I thought I was running quicker than Kara Goucher. 

Also, the weather was perfect!

In the past two weeks, the weather in the morning has been in the 80′s. I’m not use to that. Today it was rather cloudy.

I saw this driving home after my run. I was really jealous. Damn you, Hood to Coast runners. I would have given a lung to run it.

Insert five-minute shower and ten minutes of getting dressed.

Lunch:

  Greek yogurt + peanut butter + cereal + Luna bar + apple + grapes + vanilla protein powder + dates

Insert appointment with Marine recruiter.

I went to the Marine’s office today to talk with my recruiter about jobs. I decided I am going to re-take my ASVAB test to receive a higher technical score because I am interested in air traffic control. I also really like food services, but I don’t know how much I will enjoy it. I think I will, but air traffic control seems rather awesome.

Also, they moved my shipment date to November 7th. I guess I am okay with that. I need to fit in more studying time and memorization of ranks. 

My time management is alright, but I just need to prioritize my time. Reading Hunger Games and watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia need to go on the back burner.

Snacks:

 Sugar free oatmeal raisin cookie
Three shot Americano  

Dinner:

 Tamale x2 + zucchinni + onion rings
Goat cheese + pepper pizza x2

Dessert:

Happy Wednesday, ya’ll!

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners.  Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit.” - George Sheehan

Sleepy Time

Hey, hey!

I’m back home from my Marine adventure.

I don’t understand why people like hotels. 

I mean, sure you take picture of yourself, but I prefer my own bed that I occupy with all my pets.

I had to stay in a hotel Wednesday night since I had to be up my four (yes, four) for my physical. It turns out that the physical was just medical. I did have to do sit ups and a chin hang or whatever you want to call it, but that was that. I did have to pee in a cup… in front of someone. I got my blood drawn, hearing checked, eyes checked, and I had to walk like a duck. Apparently, being able to walk like a duck is so helpful in the Armed Forces.

Long story short, I qualify. I took an oath. I leave for boot camp October 24th. Whew.

I took the Armed Forces test on Wednesday too. My recruiter claims I did a very good job, but perhaps I will still re-take it. It’s a little tradition that before you take the test, you get a Snickers and a Red Bull. Yes, Red Bull. As in a lot of sugar. I had both. In less than five minutes.

I am not calling myself a Marine yet. I will consider myself one after I make it through boot camp.

I still celebrated with ice cream though.

Now, it’s all about me finding a job for after boot camp. I have no idea what I want to do!

Since I was up at four and I didn’t go to bed until 10:30 ish, you can imagine how exhausted I was today. I didn’t really eat that great of a breakfast, I didn’t have an actual lunch besides a Luna bar and fruit, but when I got home, I started eating a banana. I know I am tired when I’m bitchy. My mom ate the rest of my banana and I started crying. That means I am tired as hell. I took a nap for six hours. I woke up, actually had a meal, and then ate cookies.

My plan was to sleep then work out. Guess what, guys? I didn’t work out. I didn’t want to. I needed the rest day to sleep. Usually on rest days I am so hungry, but that didn’t happen probably because I slept for most of the day.

It felt so nice to sleep. I cannot remember the last time I got a full night’s sleep.

To be honest, I totally have this great idea in my head for what I want to post about, but I’d figure I would keep this post short and sweet with the updates.

Instead, update me with what you have been up to! How is life treating you all?

Now on to honorable eats:
 Eating my dinner on a hotel bed
 Greek yogurt in a jar w/ protein cookie
Watermelon banana smoothie
Trader Joe’s onion rings

“Afraid you havent got what it takes? Then get it! Feed your mind.”

Lazy Weekend

Your comments were incredible in my last post. I hope you guys know how beautiful and strong you are. It’s true.

What a lazy weekend I had.

I went shopping…

Check out my new watch, yo.

I also got some new V-neck shirts from Victoria’s Secret and Target as well as Pac Sun. Then, I got another pair of tempo shorts to add to my collection.

Read until I fell asleep…

I drunk a lot of ice coffee…

Thank you, Starbucks, for spelling my name correctly. 

Ate a lot…

 I am never  going back to regular ice cream again.
Eggs + mushroom leek tart + potato knish

Moreover, I decided to add more weight lifting days in my schedule.

On days that I lift, I will only run for an hour or less (if it’s an easy run day). I really do love lifting and it’s obvious I have gained muscle.

I believe I gained eight pounds in the past few weeks. Initially, I had no idea why. I mean, I was eating the same and working out the same so why was I gaining? Why all of a sudden would I gain weight like crazy? It had to be muscle because I went to shopping and I still fit in all the same sizes. At Forever 21, I could fit in a double zero or zero. (They are cheaply made clothes though.) Then, at Lucky’s, I could fit in a zero. Sorry if a size zero is shocking to you, but it’s what I am. I use to be a size 9 so… whatever.

Anyway, I love lifting weights. However, I hate the weight lifting routines or whatever you want to call them in Women’s Health Magazine. Fitness and Shape have worse examples. They literally say grab a five-pound dumbbell and do a rep 898484 times. Literally that number, guys.

Men’s Health Magazine, on the other hand, has great workouts. My brother gets the magazine, but I end up ‘borrowing’ it from him. I really do not think he uses it, to be honest (not rude), because he beer belly still exists. That’s beside the point. Men’s Health Magazine is for anyone who is serious about lifting and fitness in general. Also, the meal plans are awesome. They are not 1,500 calories, but hell of a lot more.

Besides, Men’s Health puts rather attractive men on the cover.

I know this week, thanks to Men’s Health, I will be doing this upper body workout. If I’m going to be a Marine, I need some arm strength.

WEEKLY PROGRESS TEST
EXERCISE		SETS	REPS
1	Inverted Row	1	As many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Retest weekly.

WORKOUT 1 (WEEK 1)
EXERCISE		SETS	REPS	REST
1	Deadlift	3	3	60 s
2A	Pullup	3	6-8	0 s
2B	Back Raise	3	6-8	60 s

WORKOUT 2 (WEEK 2)
EXERCISE		SETS	REPS	REST
1	Deadlift	3	3-5	60 s
2A	Inverted Row	3	10	0 s
2B	Lat Pulldown	3	10-12	60 s

WORKOUT 3 (WEEK 3)
EXERCISE		SETS	REPS	REST
1A	Scapula Pulldown	4	10	0 s
1B	Barbell Shrug	4	12	0 s
1C	Back Raise	4	12	90 s

WORKOUT 4 (WEEK 4)
EXERCISE		SETS	REPS	REST
1A	Face Pull	3	6-10	0 s
1B	Lat Pulldown	3	8-15	0 s
1C	Back Raise	3	10-15	90 s

  The Payoff   

• Bigger Muscle This workout trains your rear deltoids, rhomboids, and trapezius—all commonly neglected muscles of your upper body. By shoring up these weak spots, you’ll pack on muscle and build a more symmetrical physique. 
• A Wider Upper Back The pullup and lat pulldown in this workout are slightly different from standard versions. You’ll initiate each move by sliding your shoulder blades down. This allows your lats to contract through a larger range of motion, so they develop fully. 
• Total-Body Strength The deadlift is more than just a muscle builder for your lower back and hamstrings. It strengthens your back from top to bottom and conditions your “posterior chain”—all the muscles on the back of your body—to work in coordination.

Week in Review:

Monday: 9.61 miles @ 7.0 average pace
Tuesday: 10.41 miles @ 7:11 average pace (it was hella hot and I didn’t expect to go that long)
Wednesday: 5.15 miles @ 7:03 average pace
Thursday: 11.53 miles @ 6:53 average pace
Friday: Weights + Elliptical
Saturday: 13.66 mile trail run @ whatever pace. My watch says 7:48, but that would be feel like walking for me so I don’t think that is correct.
Sunday: Weight class + 15 minute spin class (I was bored so I left) + 4-5 mile run (I didn’t have my Garmin) + elliptical to cool down
Total mileage: 50.36 plus 4-5 miles 

Hell yeah! In the 50′s finally even though my first three runs of the week were slow. I didn’t really focus on my pace as much as I didn’t my mileage. So, this week I should really focus on both. 

Have a good second week of August!

“Now bid me run, And I will strive things impossible.”
- William Shakespear, Julius Caesar

I’m a Warrior

I don’t want you guys to think I am a wish-washy person. I am always very confident in my decisions.

You know how originally I was interested in the Marines? I didn’t say this on the blog, but I had an appointment with a Marine Recruiter today. I did not mention it because I do not want to be discouraged… or perhaps jinx myself some how or another. My folks were already leaning me towards the Air Force, but I myself, secretly, was leaning towards the Marines.

The Marines is tough. No joke.

I find that appealing.

First of all, I did request information from the Marines and they actually personally contacted me. I liked that. I talked with a Marine over the phone and he told me I sounded like a very intelligent young woman thus I scheduled an appointment, yet I was already thinking I would just do the Air Force. Just.

I walked into the Marine’s office. I talked with the Recruiter and I just felt comfortable unlike in the Air Force’s office. He asked me questions, I did a test, and I was qualified for the Marines. The recruiter liked my attitude and the fact that I desired a challenged. He seemed impressed, so my mom claims.

I also did this little word test where I placed the qualities of Marine in order of what I thought was the most important to least. One of them that I picked was ‘self discipline/independence’ and I placed that as my second most imperative quality that I liked/wanted. Turns out, that precise quality was one that most people who become a Marine or already are one, put as their top three qualities.

I felt a sense of purpose with joining the Marines. I felt like it was not all focused on education and ‘here are your benefits for good health insurance so you can join’ type of deal. It looks beyond challenge mentally and physically. I want that so badly. I don’t even care that the basic training camp is in South Carolina. I will deal with it because I want it.

When the Recruiter asked if I wanted to be a Marine, I said yes and I wanted to cry because I knew it was true. Unlike the Air Force, I do not feel that nervous. I feel more excited than any other emotion.

I don’t want to go into too much more detail, but I am very confident in my decision.

Now on to issues that you guys will find interesting like the fact that my sense of style is improving. I say that with a grain of salt.

 Me winkin’ at you sexy guys that read my amazing blog

Gum in my mouth. Classy.

I wore this to work and the guy that I like told me, “Are your lips always that color… or is it the shirt?”

Hmmmmm. Alright. Good thing my mom sent me to an all girl school because I don’t know how to talk to guys so I just laughed and was like, “I don’t know. Dah dah durrrrr. I bet it’s this shirt. Hur hur hahha.”

At least he didn’t say anything about my black socks showing.

I could dress worse though.

Speaking of Britney Spears shoes, check out my new hamburger shoes.

They look great with my latest honorable eats:

I think I am going to end this post now. I have a much more serious post set up for tomorrow so keeping this one a bit lighthearted is for the best.

I’ll end on this note however:
That’s right, girlfriend. I am doing the Warrior Dash. Holla at your girl.

(Except I won’t talk like that at the Warrior Dash race because I don’t need my ass to be kicked. )

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every expirience in which you stop to look fear in the face. 

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Rethinking

Holla amigos! 

I left you guys with a cliff hanger yesterday, didn’t I? I watch too many soap operas so I must say I am a pro.

Well, let’s begin with Tuesday. I had a bit of breakdown before work and I started yelling anything and everything. What came out was, “I don’t want to go to Portland State. I hate Portland. Blah blah blah. College… yada yada…” You get my point. I came home that night and my mom and I had a talk.

I have always been fascinated by military life. In high school, I seriously considered joining the army. However, I went to college preparatory school where the army seemed to look down upon. College was the focus and women need an education, not the army. I have a great amount of respect for anyone in the military though. I want to be respected like that. Many times people have told me how I am not good enough, not strong enough, and not fast enough. Due to that, I have zero self-confidence.

I am now seriously thinking of joining the Air Force. I want to show others that college isn’t everything. You don’t have to go to college to gain independence. The Air Force will offer me confidence, discipline, and the skills I need to succeed that I feel like college will not give me. After orientation at Portland State the other week, I felt like I was going to loathe it. I didn’t like the people nor did I like the classes that I had to take. I didn’t think I would fit in. With the Air Force, I just might fit in. I just might show others how tough I am. I’m not just a tiny woman who is shy and quiet.

I was thinking of the Marines too, but I like the lifestyle of the Air Force a lot more. I watched the videos online and the Air Force really appealed to me.  Besides, I get run in the Air Force. I can still run cross-country, which is majorly important to me. Whatever I do, wherever I go, I do want to run.

Of course I’m nervous. What if they don’t take me? What if I’m too small? What if I’m not strong enough? Can I still be a vegetarian? Silly questions, I know.

However, I am seriously considering the Air Force. As soon as I have a day off from work (HA, fat chance), I am going to speak to a recruiter.

All I know is that college is not appealing to me currently. Oregon itself is not appealing to me. It never was. I moved to Oregon about six years ago because my brother wanted to. Yes, my brother told me parents he wanted to move so we did.

With all of this, my mom is supporting me… somewhat. She understands how badly I want to run at a professional level. She also would be so proud of me for going into the military. She told me she would be more proud if I went into the military than college because everyone goes to college now. She is just nervous if they don’t take me, then what? Will I end up like my brother who works nonstop because he didn’t go to college? Nonetheless, my mom said she would allow me six months to re-think what I want to do with my life if I decide to not go to college.

Let’s just hope they take me because I think I would actually fit in.

I just have a lot to think about. 

I feel like I still need to talk it over with someone. Someone who too is considering the military or someone who has been in the Air Force. I have watched the videos on the Air Force’s website, but all the videos just have men in them. How can I relate?

In other news, tomorrow is the Wildwood Trail Run. It’s another half marathon. I am thinking of it as another normal run and not a race because I won’t get home until 9:30 tonight due to work then I bet I won’t go to bed until 11 since I’ll just be awake. Ahhh!

Better get my ass in gear now though. I’ll be back to regular posting soon. Until then, have a good weekend!

Wish me luck!

“Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes his mind to do. We are capable of greater than we realize.”

- Norman Vincent Peale

Q&A:

• What are your views on the military?
• Ever had to really re-think your life?