I'm Nerdy and I Love It

The dating life of a female athlete is far from relaxing. When boys want to get to know me, they are usually forced to get "actively" involved in my life (haha). This guy at the bank used to ask me out for drinks every time I would go in; each time, I would remind him that I don't drink because I'm in training. One day, it finally hit him that going out to a bar wasn't going to get my attention and if he kept asking me to do so, he would continue to have his offer turned down. I remember the day I walked in and he said, "I'm going to start running. When I get good at it, would you please go on a run with me and we'll call it a date?"

Since I started taking my training seriously, I've been on maybe 3 or 4 real dates; by real date, I mean the kind where the boy brings you flowers and you have to worry about your hair being perfect and wear the dress that shows off your toned calves and ordering the proper thing off the menu. Most of my "dates" this past year have been ocean swims, two-hour long bike rides, late-night hikes, speed work on a grass hill and maybe, if I get lucky, a quick protein shake to end the night.

When a boy decides he wants to know me better, he ends up running ten miles, taking an hour-long Ashlee Power Cycle class (which is not easy) or sweating out his daily fluids in my plyometrics class. These are not normal activities for some. Only the strongest survive. The guy at the bank gave up before he even started. It's hard to date me, true story, not gonna lie to you.

Don't get me wrong, I love going on dates that don't involve doing stadiums at the track. Occassionally you will see me eating sushi, walking on the beach or sitting at the movie theater. I love, love, LOVE getting flowers and feeling special. My training schedule just does not allow for much of this.

Life Behind Bars

 It is hysterical when people come into class and they say to me, "I have been up since 7AM and I had to work until 5PM. I am so grumpy. Don't push me today because I really don't even want to be here. I would rather be in bed. Do you realize how long my day has been?!" Sometimes I want to look at them and say, "I work 7 days a week. Week days I work 5:30AM until 10:00PM most days with a very short lunch break. My weekends are only slightly less packed. Shut up and get your butt on the treadmill." Instead I smile and tell them I understand, but I have faith in them. I have to remind myself that just like I get irritated by them complaining to me about their "busy" schedule, there are people out there that work more than me AND hate their jobs and would roll their eyes if I told them that I "had to" work out for 15 hours a day. Oh, boo-hoo, Ashlee. No, seriously, I love my jobs. Although I may be exhausted at times, I could not be more satisfied with the line of work I've chosen. Moral to my story: maybe I'm meant to date my bike, my running shoes and my swim cap. Three different significant others? Man, I'll never be lonely! Oh gosh, I'm a dork.

Now, time to catch up on the week. I did my swim test last Thursday afternoon in the outdoor pool. Unfortunately, I swam the 1000 yards in the same amount of time I did my swim test last month. This is probably due to the fact that I have not been swimming much as of late. Yesterday, Matt and I did some swimming; his mom is an instructor and his dad is a lifeguard, so he was able to give me some pointers; I tried them out and immediately noticed some improvement. That was a good feeling, so I'm more motivated to get back in the pool this week.

Friday... what did I do? Oh, I slept through Drea's class because I was exhausted. I figured it was the one day of the week where I had a choice as to whether I would go to class or not, so I chose to sleep. I'm bummed that I missed the class, but I needed that sleep so badly. Tuesday's no-sleep night has been hanging onto me like a child hangs onto his mother on his first day of school.

I did have to wake up and go to work eventually. I ran 9 miles and taught Pilates and that was it workout wise. The rest of the day was just work, training Richard and hanging out with Ben. The 9 miles felt good though. 3-mile warm-up in 28:32; 4 miles in 30:40 (7:40 avg pace); 2-mile cool down in 18:11. It felt good. As I was running along the beach, I remembered back to when I used to run this same stretch about 3 months ago. That used to kill me. Now it feels easy. Ladies and gentlemen, I think I'm finally a runner... maybe. If I have to second guess myself, does that mean I'm not there yet?

Saturday morning, I must have been exhausted, because I slept straight through my alarm and woke up half an hour late for work. Shoot. I hopped out of bed and threw my clothes on. This was a bad week for it to happen because we are in the middle of a calorie-burn challenge at work and everyone is trying to get in early and burn those buggers. I rushed out the door and apologized to the eleven people standing outside in the cold. To be honest, I'm shocked they waited thirty minutes. The rest of my classes that day were wonderful though. I fleeted, I flitted and I was my energetic little Ashlee self. During Pilates, Yumi mentioned that after doing this class, she felt muscles she didn't know she had. Doing laundry the next day, her quads killed her. Barbara had her heart rate monitor on and we checked the numbers. In my Pilates class, one burns approximately 411 calories in 45-minutes. That is no cardio workout, but dang, that's not too shabby! Indeed, I am taking a bow right now. I'm fairly proud of that accomplishment, thank you very much.

Tea Latte... a poor substitute for my coffee



My Dad posted this and it's exactly how I felt last week.


After Pilates, I met Dani in Maui El Diablo (MED) to have her run test. She did so well! All the older guys were standing watching her (let's be honest, they were checking her out). They would come up to me and ask, "Is that your friend? She's been running as long as I've been here! Is she just trying to show off?" She improved her last run test by a full 2 laps. I was so proud of her!

Sophia and I met up for a ten-mile run after that. We cruised along the beach. I had forgotten my running shoes, so I was wearing my old Saucony's with the Yankz... not the best for running long distances. The warm-up was a little rough. Ben met up with us right before mile two and that's when I found my drive. I mean, of course I want to impress Sophia, but with a guy around, you can't go easy, you have to show your worth. It helped to have two people, who think that I'm supposed to be good at this or something, running with me because it motivated me to keep going. There were definitely moments (miles 8-10) where I wanted to walk the rest of the way, but I didn't. I finished in 1:29.04, which I'm not too bummed about since I was wearing the wrong shoes. AND I am now past my 100 miles for the month. Can't wait to see how far I go in March! We stretched out afterwards and walked over to get a smoothie with some protein. Guess what, blogesphere? I did an incredible thing!!! I ran over ten miles and followed it with about a mile walk with Sophia and I DID NOT FALL!!!! Be proud, be very proud. Yay! The curse may be broken! Oh shoot... where is the wood for me to knock on?!

Sunday morning I woke up early and got to work twenty-five minutes ahead of time. I figured I should make up for Saturday. Cycle and Circuit went by pretty quickly, so I rushed home, threw on a dress and headed to the beach to meet Sophia for "Sophia's Day of Love" (aka Sophia's birthday. Weston will get it. Don't worry about it). Unfortunately, the restaurant was jam-packed, so I had to take off and meet Richard to train. We did lunges, high knee drills, skipping and three hill repeats. I made him do the stairs himself so I could run to teach a personal cycling class for my friends. Nancy had asked me to do it so we could finally hang out, but guess who didn't show up? It was okay though. It was a fun, challenging class and it felt good. I was bummed that I was inside on such a gorgeous day though. Matt and I hopped in the pool afterwards, which I've already filled you in on.

That evening, we went to church and Sophia and I had a birthday dinner afterwards. Then, we went to the store and got chocolate. I may have made brownies and eaten several by myself after she left. I may have done this while watching Prison Break and working on my bank statements. I may be a fatty. Love me or leave me.

This morning's cycle class was fun! I walked in to my 19 smiling students. "Good morning class," I began. "How are you alll today?" No response. "That good, eh? Well, let's get warmed up. This morning, I have created a playlist in which every single song has the word love in it. We only have a couple days left of February, so we have to get the most out of Valentines Day while we can." They were not looking thrilled. "I know, guys, you thought you were done with the lovey dovey stuff half a month ago, but... you're not!" So they were forced to listen to love songs. "I bet I know what the next song will be about..." Ha. Oh, you love me, don't you? That's okay, Jesus loves me.

Alright, I'm off to Drea's strength class. Gotta get me some hip strength!

Life Without Coffee

Last Tuesday, I had two cups of coffee. Yes, two. I knew it was my last chance to fuel up before lent. Oh, why did I decide to give up on coffee? I am sorry, my dearest caffeine container, for I have deserted you! Seriously, I miss my coffee! And it doesn't help that I only slept 3 hours on Tuesday night and 5.5 hours last night. Honestly, I don't know how I am awake right now... if you could call what I am "being awake".

Wednesday was rough. Somehow I had tons of energy for my cycle class, so they got their butts kicked. Then I met up with the kiddos at the coffee shop. Why did I put myself into a place of temptation? I have no freaking clue! But I resisted the temptation and sipped on my water. The energy stuck with me throughout my aerobics and balance classes and into lunch. I had a wonderful lunch date, so maybe the anticipation of good food and fellowship was what kept me going through my morning routine.

After lunch, I decided to go home and shower off before work. I saw my bed and decided maybe a shower could wait. I set an alarm, read a little bit of a book my parents gave me for Christmas and fell asleep. Rarely am I able to sleep in the middle of the day, but I did it! Unfortunately, when my alarm went off, I couldn't get myself up. I called into work and my appointment had cancelled, so I slept a little more, than got up and made green tea. How good would coffee taste in that moment? My tin of BirdRock was sitting lonely on the counter, beckoning me to throw some in my espresso machine. Alas, I had to resist.

Work went well. I won't go into details. I taught classes, trained people... it was magical. Sophia and Jameisha were talking at the end of my class.

"Are you training for something," asked Jameisha.

"You are always training for something when you take an Ashlee class," came Sophia's response. I love my friends.

I thought I would fall asleep immediately when I got home, but I couldn't. I had to be at work at 5:30 AM and I still had to shower and prepare for my long day beforehand. It was difficult getting out of bed, but it had to be done. Cycle went well, aqua aerobics was fun, my clients were great... but the real thrill of my day was my lunch hour cycle class! One of the gentleman walked in and asked, "So are you going to be mean or nice today?" That's when I decided to make it even harder than was planned. The class only lasted for 45-minutes, but every single one of the 23 participants left class drenched in sweat. Yup, that's right. They don't call me "Guantanamo" for nothing.

This blog really doesn't have much to say... probably because I'm barely awake right now. Mostly, I wanted to post the pictures from Windansea and the race! They are here!

The hut

Best Parents

My beach

Mwah-hahaha. They haven't seen this yet, but Cody and Sophia got new haircuts!

And I thought it would be stupid to pose

I want to grow up to be like Weston

Dying

Weston said Country Girl must have been playing

Place Weston's photo up top and mine on bottom

Like A Cat Up A Tree

When we first got my cat Spaz, she chased a squirrel up a tree and couldn’t get down. We had to call the firefighters to come get the cat out of the tree. This morning, I felt like Spaz, hopeless and scared up in the tree. Nash and I had plans to meet at 6:00AM at El Diablo/ in Maui (can you tell I haven’t named it yet?). My bed felt so good. I snoozed my alarm for 45 minutes before I finally crawled out and made my BirdRock coffee and chomped on a banana. There I was, ready to go. I had my things packed for work, grabbed my phone and ran down the stairs, slamming the front door behind me. “Oh…. Dumb,” I thought. Yes, my keys were not in my hand. Instead, the coffee mug had taken their place. “Well, hmm…. What should I do? Maybe I can break in through the kitchen window?”

Climbing the gate up to my rooftop is not an easy task, but this wasn’t the first time I had done it. At least this time I wasn’t wearing skinny jeans, cowboy boots and a silk top. I pulled myself up over the downstairs neighbor’s room and scaled my way to the window, noticing the molding on top of her roof, wondering if it would give way and I would wind up in bed with her… that would be awkward. I tore the screen out and tried to open the window. Of course it wouldn’t budge. Thank goodness I had decided to stick my phone in my pocket just in case.

6:10AM… TEXT MAVEL: “Are you awake?” Response: “Hi! Yeah, I’m at work!” Me: “Do you have your keys? I’m stuck on the roof.” Response: “Oh no! No, Andrew dropped me off.”

FAIL.

6:12AM… TEXT ANNAGRACE AND JUDY: “Are you awake?” Response: none.

FAIL.

6:20AM… CALL JOSH: “I’m sorry to wake you, but I’m stuck on my rooftop. Will you come save me?”

CA-CHING! Third time's a charm.

So, as I waited for Josh to come to my rescue, I watched the sunrise. It was beautiful. I would love to build a balcony and watch it rise over the ocean every day. Maybe then I could hide a spare key on that balcony. During my time of sunrise enjoyment, Josh pulled up and shook his head.

“How exactly do you want me to help you,” he asked.

“Just make sure I don’t stab my face out with the fence on my way down,” I pleaded. “I can’t see anything and there is nothing to hold onto.”

So he guided my feet into their proper positioning and I was safely on the ground soon enough. He dropped me off at the Jankes’ house where I waited outside until they responded to my text! Yay! After getting my spare key from them, I walked home and got in my car to go run. I didn’t want to risk being late to work, so I did my speed work on the treadmill (ugh!). 2 mile warm-up, 4x300m 5k race pace with 100m jogs in between, 2x400m 5k race pace with 100m jogs in between, 2x800m 5k race pace with 100m jogs in between and a 1-mile cool-down.

2-mile warm-up: 20:11

300m’s: 1:39, 1:31, 1:22, 1:29

4oom’s: 1:58, 2:00

800m’s: 3:55, 3:49

1-mile cool down: 8:50

During my lunch break, I met up with Carol for a cool (and when I say cool, I mean ice cubes in the refrigerator cold) ocean swim. Yes, it is mid-February and Carol and I are swimming in the ocean. Sometimes I wonder if I am crazy… then I remember that I am insane. We got in the water and I panicked. “So cold, so cold, so cold! Can’t breath! Ahh,” I thought to myself as I whacked the water with my arms and legs like a mosquito struggling to get out of a Jell-O mold.

“How you doin’?” Carol asked, looking back.

“Great! Hey,” I started. “If you want to go on and just turn around when you’re ready, I’m TOTALLY cool with that!”

“Oh, I’m good.”

“No, really, TOTALLY cool…”

Then I stopped panicking. I focused on my form. Breathe, face in…. AHHHHH! So cold! Can’t get my breath out! Panic! Panic! No! Stop! Breathe, stroke 1, 2, breath 3.  And there it was. I totally relaxed. I didn’t think about the recent shark sighting down the coast or the fact that my toes were numb (okay, maybe I thought about those things a little bit); instead, I realized that I was having so much more fun being out in the ocean than I had ever had in the pool. The rest of the swim, I spent in total bliss.

When I got home, I showered off, hopped on my bike and rode out to Katie’s house for a home-cooked meal and prayer. It was so good! Great time of fellowship and yumminess before work.

Yesterday, my cycle classes were all fun and intense! I kept the members in zones three and five with short recoveries. The best part of my classes is the smiles on the member’s faces when they finish. The harder I make the class, the more they enjoy it and that is so awesome to see! I put my iPhone on shuffle for my first class and loved the mix so much, I just used it for the others.

During strength class yesterday morning after my first cycle class, my hip flexors were exhausted. I felt like I couldn't finish any of the moves. Thank goodness Sophia was there! Fortunately, the class went by quickly and I rushed home, changed and got ready to hike a 2500 elevation climb with Ben. I think that might have been the highest peak I’ve done (not positive about that), but I had great company, awesome conversation and gorgeous views. Ben admitted that he didn't think I would be as fast as I was. Teaches him to wear Chocos to hike! Although, he's hardcore like that, so I don't think that bothered him. 

I ended the evening by making Richard do stadiums after doing my evening cycle class. Soon, he is going to be tougher than me! … oh wait, he already is! ;)

More Than Just a Running Shoe

Every moment of our lives, we are faced with decisions we must make: What to eat for breakfast, whether you should go back inside the house to grab the one item you forgot, who to say hello to, what to order at the coffee shop... the list goes on. For this example, I will use running shoes.

Say I have a pair of Brooks running shoes that I absolutely love. Sure, they are starting to lose their cushion and color due to the fact that I have logged hundreds of miles on them, but I like them. I am happy and satisfied with them. They feel good, look good and are there for me when I need them. They have supported me throughout the miles, helped me keep running, inspired me, motivated me... I may be ready to move on from these shoes, but I still love the memories that I have had with and am still making with those shoes.

One day, I realize it's time to take a break from running. I say goodbye to my Brooks, but I'm not quite ready to move on to the next thing. I decide I want to focus on something else for awhile. Maybe I will take up rock climbing! Maybe I will use the money I would have spent on new shoes to go on vacation. The options are endless and I am so excited for this stage of my life!

Then a new shoe presents itself to me. Imagine the  most ideal pair of shoes; these are the shoes I've only dreamed of. In high school, I made a list of the best qualities possible in a running shoe. On this list were several traits that no one shoe should be able to possess, but somehow this shoe promises all of these and more. You know your parents would approve of these shoes. Your best friend is in love with these shoes and she hasn't even seen them! You decide to try them on... oh no... they feel great, but something in you tells you that you're not ready for that ideal shoe. You still long for the adventures of rock climbing and traveling and being without a running shoe. But what if you give up on a great running opportunity?

...Obviously, this is about more than just a running shoe.


Back to the training world...

Thursday, I taught aqua aerobics and cycle. I made my cycle class due the entire thing standing once again and they were amped!!! About a third of the way into class, Country Girl by Luke Bryan came blasting through my Iphone. "Uhoh," I warned my class. "I may start dancing soon." They laughed, probably hoping it wouldn't happen, but happen it did. "Got a little boom in my big truck. Gonna open up the doors and turn it up..." Aw man! Great song!

After class, I went on a trail run on my old college stomping grounds. It felt so good to be up there again, looking over the ocean. Sometimes I wish I was still in college. I dropped by my favorite professor's office to see if he was in, but find him, I could not. I finished my run, logging 6 miles. That makes 20 miles for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday combined.

After the run, I did a quick swim. When I say quick, I mean quick. After 45-minutes, I was over it. I had not brought a routine with me, so I was doing mostly pulling and freestyle and I just was not feeling it. I got out early and went to El Diablo/Maui to meet up with Richard. We did stadiums and Pilates.

Friday morning I had my running strength class with Drea. For a second week, I had a really hard time getting out of bed and getting to class. I don't know what it is, but I have been so tired this week! The class was difficult, simply because it hurts to put any body weight on my cut-up right forearm. But I got through it. I was going to go swimming, but I decided I would rather go home and try to clean a little. Cleaning turned into eating a big bowl of Bob's Red Mill Organic rolled oats while watching the second season of Prison Break. So much for a clean house.

I taught aerobics and balance then met up with Sophia to lift weights and eat Backyard Bowls. After we finished, I needed to get my bike ride in, so I rode out to the beach and back, working on speed skills. I had just enough time to decide what to wear to sushi that night and get to work. After three classes, Ben picked me up at work and took me out to one of my all-time favorite sushi places. It was delicious! When we finished our rolls, we went down to the beach and walked along the sand until the time got late and I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

Saturday morning, I taught then met up with my Tri group for a bike ride. We've had another woman join! Julie is her name and she is a doll! I am very excited for our new addition! It was a quick hour of bike riding along the beach, which we bricked with a 1.5 mile run and I followed with a swim. I swam 1200 yards before I decided I was over it and got out. I'm still in Base 2, which means Build 1 starts next week. Once the build period starts, I won't be able to just stop a workout. If I can give up early now, I might as well, especially if I'm not enjoying it.

Jameisha and I met up at the bike shop so I could try on my new kit for my tri team and she could look at bikes. We met Adrian who works there and helped us out. He is going up to Oregon next month to ride! I'm so jealous! He told me I should try mountain biking, which I said no to, but you never know... I could love it.

My new tri suit fit

After ordering my suit, Ben and I grabbed coffee and walked along the beach to watch the sunset. The weather was a little gloomy, so I didn't expect much of a sunset. I was astonished when Ben interrupted me in the middle of my story to point out the sky. Wow! It was one of the most vibrant pink sunsets I had ever witnessed. It was beautiful and I was so glad that I was taking time to enjoy it.

Once it got dark, we drove over to REI and explored. Mmmmm  I love REI. I bought some new Hammer Gels and Honey Stinger blocks. Yes, I am a happy girl. More sugar for my sugar jar!

Yesterday was long run day! I met up with Richard after work and we ran hill repeats and stairs for five miles. As soon as we finished, Mavel and I met up for a 10-mile run along the cliffs. It was the most ideal day for a run. I felt strong the entire way! We averaged an 8:44 pace, which is faster than I ran my race last weekend! I didn't feel tired at all! It was a fantastic run with a wonderful friend! I'm so glad I got her to go running again! In the past six days, I have logged 30.5 miles. 19.5 miles to go by the end of the month!



London Bridges Falling Down

Sophia and I drove home Tuesday. Of course, I started the morning with a dance party; unfortunately, Sophia wasn't feeling it that morning.

We grabbed our Bird Rock Coffee with the parents then sadly made our way to the car. Goodbye, San Diego! I will see you next month!


These are Sophia's awesome new Lulus! So glad she kept them!

 Of course the road trip was awesome! We started off with my Country Girl song so I could do some shaking and some shimmying. We stopped and saw my dear friend Lara and her new baby Abraham. I cannot believe that Lara is married with a baby now! It is absolutely crazy! But I am so happy for her! Being with Dana on Monday and Lara on Tuesday made me realize how much I miss my college community. I am seriously considering moving down to San Diego as originally intended and getting plugged in with people my age. Dana's lease is up in half a year, so this may be the perfect opportunity for us to live together once again. There are so many fitness opportunities there and most of my dad's side of the family is in the area... there really isn't much reason not to go.


Beautiful Lara and Baby Abraham

Last night, I went on a night hike with Sophia and Ben; I asked what their biggest fears were. Ben responded that his biggest fear was that he will get comfortable in life. I don't know if I'm comfortable currently, but I'm definitely not uncomfortable. I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, I am blessed with a phenomenal family and sensational friends, I attended one of the best colleges in the United States, I work at a job where I am using my degree... I'm pretty comfortable. A huge part of me wants to move and to get outside of my comfort box, but I am so scared of leaving all I know and love. There is nothing better than going into a class and knowing the name of every person in the room... not only their first name, but also their last name, where they came from originally, how many children they have, their profession... I can tell you the names of Kristin's dogs, where Tim's kids go to summer camp, how many students are in Kim's class, Sabina's favorite movie.... I don't want to leave that! Someday, I know things will change, but for now, I'm comfortable. Maybe it is time to move to San Diego and challenge myself.

Anyway, back to the road trip...

We didn't run into very much traffic, so we got home with a little over an hour to spare. Nash told me I had to run 7 miles that day and I knew it wouldn't happen after work, due to the hike, so we did our run on the beach.

It was gorgeous outside and I was so grateful I had time to run! We ran the cliffs above the ocean. It's the same run I used to do every single day, but it was new for Sophia. We were cruising, going a little faster than we were supposed to for an easy run, but it felt good to run again. We had told Weston we would do another half marathon on Valentines day, so we had to get our mileage in. Haha. When we hit mile 2.75, I looked out to the ocean; it was so clear and blue. I was in awe of its beauty when my toe struck an obstacle and I slid for home base... I'm  not joking. It was as if I was diving for a volleyball. I am so fortunate I did not hit my face. My wrist bent at a funny angle, my right elbow slid across the concrete and my hips and knees took a beating. I got up and we walked about 400 meters so I could shake it off, then we started a light run back. The rest of the run really was light. We averaged about 10:00 miles. My clothing was rubbing against my wounds and it was not a fun feeling. I am so thankful Sophia was there, though embarassed that this was the third time she had witnessed me falling. This is so weird! I have never fallen while running until now and I can't understand what is wrong with me!

My body tells me no, but I won't stop 'cause I want more...

Yesterday I made some fun valentines for my coworkers and for Doug's birthday.

Sophia and I did a 7-mile speed run yesterday. 2-mile warm-up, 2x800m with a 400m rest, 4x400m with a 100m rest and a 2-mile cool down. Times:

2-mile warm-up:21:00
800m: 4:05
400m: 3:01
800m: 3:50
400m: 2:52
4x400m: 1:52, 1:54, 1:51, 1:42
2-mile cool down:18:56

Unfortunately, we had to do it on a treadmill, but we did it! We ended the night with Pure Awesomeness. Then I went home and fell backwards over a box and landed on my wrist... while texting Sophia. Sophia, you are my falling charm!!! Stop it!

She's Almost A Real Person Now!

There is nothing that tastes better in the morning than the oatmeal at my grandparents' house. Sophia and I sleepily made our way to the kitchen for a big bowl of steel-cut oats with strawberries, blueberries and bananas... Weston would be so proud. We took our time getting ready for the day. We had no place to be since we had both decided to take the day off. After listening to some good ol' country music, we drove down to Bird Rock Coffee (my favorite!!! Another first for Sophia) with my parents. We all took our coffee down to Windansea to watch the surf. Although, I forgot my coffee in the car, so they drank while I enjoyed life. Daddy let me borrow his camera and I took some awesome shots of the surfers. One guy had just arrived when we were hanging out at the shack, so I watched him duck dive his way out to sea. I am so grateful this surfer decided to come out when he did! He was making big air and busting out some gnarly 360's! Hello surf photography opportunity! I got some fun shots of him and the seagulls. I hoped he would come out of the water while we were still there, but he was having a fantastic surf session, so I didn't rush him. It took me back to my old dream of starting a surf magazine; maybe I should reacquaint myself with those aspirations.

As we walked up the steep cliff back to the car and hopped in, Sophia looked down at my feet.  "Where are your flip flops," she asked. Are you kidding me?! I have the memory of an 89-year-old with amnesia.







We went shopping in downtown La Jolla before meeting my family at Panera for lunch. My cousin Becca had brought her two sons along; Ryan and Aiden are adorable. Ryan, though only in first grade, can beat most of the fifth graders at his school in running competitions. He is part of the 100-mile club, which is a challenge to see which student can run an accumulative 100 miles during the school year. P.S. I love this idea and want to incorporate it into my life. Sophia and I are starting a 100-mile a month club if anyone would care to join us and be part of the challenge (Weston? Kristina?).

Ryan was so excited to hear all about our race yesterday. I told him I was hoping to run the Western States 100 in a couple of years and asked if he would care to do it with me. He looked skeptical. "Maybe... If I could go slow," he paused. "And if I could bring a water bottle." Alright, so I have a pacer! Sweet!

Two doors down from Panera sits a little shop I like to call... LuluLemon. Yes, it was time for a reward for running so well yesterday. There's always an excuse to buy new Lulu, right? I thought of a few: It's Valentines Day!, this shop has clothes our shop doesn't carry, that striped sports bra is so me... as well as the bright pink tank top. So we got Lulu. And I got Lucy running tights. And Sophia got an amazing cupcake and scarf. No more purchases for me this month. (Insert Sophia's pants)

We went home and threw on our racing shoes... it was time to see what Ryan was made of. Ryan, Aiden, Becca, Paul, Sophia, Daddy and I made our way to my grandfather's tennis courts. We lined up and got ready to race three laps. "Ready," Ryan started. "Set! Go!" We all scurried across the courts. Aw man... his little legs move quickly! We had a blast! He kept trying to hold my hand and pull me back, but he didn't need to... that boy is as fast as Dash from The Incredibles!

After the race, we drove back to Bird Rock to meet my bestie Dana! As soon as we got there, it started pouring! Sophia and I were speeding through the rain when my flip flop struck cobblestone and KABOOM! Down I went. I looked up at Sophia with puppy dog eyes. Really? My Lulus were so wet right on the butt. So fun! But seeing Dana's face made everything better!

We drank our Bird Rock and decided to walk down to Bird Rock Surf Shop then drive to Pacific Beach. The sunset was incredible that night as we drove to La Jolla Shores for a sushi dinner with my parents.

It's Valentines Day

A weekend of firsts it was for Sophia. First time in Downey (for water and Coffee Bean), first time in San Diego, first time meeting my extended family, first time successfully using chopsticks, first half marathon, first time hanging out with Weston, first time at the San Diego Zoo... lucky girl. Those are some great firsts!

Friday night, we had girls' night at my house: painting, movie and conversation. I started a painting, but have yet to finish. I'm not the biggest fan of this one thus far.

Saturday morning, I taught four classes before getting on the road to San Diego. During my Pilates class, I kicked butt! Within the first fifteen minutes, Yumi exclaimed, "This hurts more than being in labor!" Everyone laughed really hard and Heather said, "How is that for birth control?" Halfway through class, I yelled, "C'mon, give it all you got! It's not like anyone is running a half marathon or anything tomorrow!" Yeah... I don't think anyone knew I actually was. I totally wore myself out during class, but it was so good! My glutes were hating me! But I was wearing my new bright pink pants and my neon pink Lulu Energy Bra and a white lace tank and I felt like a giant Valentine! After work, I was walking home and had to wait at the stop light. I swear every guy that passed me turned their head to see my face. They must have all seen my big booty in my pink pants and thought, "What kind of white girl has a butt that big?!"

My little sister is my very best friend. I am a goofball and no one has ever fully accepted that except my sister and parents... until now. Sophia understands me! It is unbelievably wonderful! She is quirky, I am bizarre and together we are a mixture of... well, it's Valentines Day. We goofed off in the car, we made fools of ourselves in Downey, we made the boys at Sushi on the Rock II wish they were our dates, I screamed about a reverse ladybug while Sophia took photos... it was a fantastic road trip.

Weston was waiting for us when we returned home. The night consisted of two hours of me going through my 8,129 songs on ITunes and making a running playlist. I spent so much time and dedication to make the most ideal running playlist. Music was purchased, songs were arranged... it was going to be epic. This was the mix that was going to help take me to the top during my race!

After my mix was complete, Sophia and I curled up into bed and Weston settled in the bedroom adjoining ours. We should have been tired, but after making our playlists and having all of the electricity in the back apartment go out, we were on a high. Giggles came from our room and the rice paper walls could not muffle the sound for Weston; the poor boy had to deal with our high school girl immaturity. We were having so much fun on our slumber party, we didn't want it to end. We finally fell asleep.

Encouraging (?) picture from Mavel

5:20AM
Good morning, Sophia! We woke up before the alarm went off and Sophia told me all about my "mmhmm" responses to her sneezes during the night. Yes, it is true... I talk in my sleep. I "mmhmm" in my sleep. Mmhmm. Then I showed her my moves for Luke Bryan's "Country Girl", which is my "get psyched" song. Weston witnessed a portion of it, too, unfortunately. I threw in some of my hippy dancing. Yes, hippy dancing to country music. It is fabulous. Please ask to see my dance sometime. You will not be disappointed.

We went into the main house and made our oatmeal with bananas, strawberries, nuts and peanut butter. Weston had his special oatmeal planned out plus a protein drink. We were set. We climbed into the back of my parents' car and off we went.

7:11AM Get the bibs. Check.
7:20AM Stand in line for the restroom. Check.
7:28AM Complain about being cold and decide whether we would wear our long sleeve technical tees or not. Decide to stick with our short sleeves/tank tops. Check.
7:30AM Double knot our laces. Check.
7:49AM Walk down to the starting line with the masses. Check.
7:55AM Realize there is no time for a warm-up. Check.
7:56AM Turn on my Ipod and realize my playlist didn't upload. Check.
8:00AM Start jogging in place and trying to maneuver around the slow runners to find our place. Check.
8:04AM Lose Sophia in the crowd. Check.
8:08.43AM Mile 1
8:11AM Catch up to Weston again. Check.
8:16.13AM Mile 2
8:23AM Force myself to think of 10 reasons I'm happy to be here today:
    1. I would be getting ready to walk to work right now.
    2. I don't have to work today or tomorrow.
    3. I'm with Weston and Sophia.
    4. My knee doesn't hurt yet.
    5. My family, friends and home group are all praying for my knee right now.
    6. It is a beautiful day.
    7. I can run.
    8. My pace is faster than I planned... shoot... should I slow down?... nope.
    9. I get to eat Mexican food when this is over.
    10. My pants are bright pink.
8:24.52AM Mile 3
8:26AM More hills?!?
8:28AM Will this hill ever end? Hips forward, hips forward.
8:29AM Oh good. A flat stretch.
8:31AM Another hill?!!!? "Hey Weston. I'll race you up that hill..."
8:32.40AM Mile 4
8:36AM Wow... it is beautiful here!!!
8:36.30AM Wow... my legs hurt. I want to walk. "Hey Weston, go ahead without me. Don't wait up." Weston: "No, no, it's more fun running with someone else." Me: "Poor Sophia."
8:37AM Maybe I should turn back for Sophia? But I don't know where she is. Is that her? No... Shoot!
8:41.55AM Mile 5 Shoot... I'm losing my speed. I started way too fast. I need to slow down. It's too late to slow down. This is a training run, Ashlee. You are not running to compete, you are running for fun. It's okay to walk for a little bit. No, it's not. Weston isn't walking.
8:43AM These hills are killing me. Don't act up, knee... Bye, Weston!
8:52.15AM Mile 6
8:53AM Where is Weston? Is that him? No... shoot. Oh well. Maybe I'll walk this next hill? Not going to walk... Don't do it, Ash.
8:56AM Just pass these guys.
8:57AM How did that bimbo just pass me? Get your hips forward.
9:01.43AM Mile 7
9:05AM Time for my Hammer Gel. Water? Yes, please. Bathroom? I'll hold it.
9:11.20AM Mile 8
9:12AM Okay, I got this.
9:18AM I've really got this! I just passed everyone who passed me earlier!!! This is awesome! Check out my groove! Everyone is looking at me like, "Where did she get her energy?"
9:19AM Hips forward! Charge!
9:20AM I want to dance.
9:21.33AM Mile 9
9:24AM Hills.... Hills! HILLS!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Okay, got it.
9:32.10 Mile 10
9:34AM I got this.
9:40.28 Mile 11 Two miles! Yay! Pace yourself, Ash. Pace yourself! Stop trying to race this guy... he's only 17!  .... Yeah, race him...
9:48.13 Mile 12
9:50AM This 17 year old thinks he is going to beat me... won't let that happen, will I?
9:52AM I don't think I can take one more step. Oh look! That woman is dressed like the Queen of England!
9:54AM .10 Miles?! Ugh... just be done!
9:54.56AM There's Weston.
9:55.07AM Oh, Dad is video taping...
9:55.13AM Sprint, Ashlee, Sprint!
9:55.15AM Hi Mom!!
9:55.17AM Eff... I'm going to collapse...
9:55.34AM I did it! I did it! PR! YAY!!
9:55.45AM Just keep walking...
9:58AM Time to find Sophia!

Who is who?

We finished the race strong and tired and went to Fidel's for Mexican food. Delicious! I love the taste of great food after an epic workout. And I got to see my Aunt Trace Ann and Uncle Cole! What a wonderful sight!

Weston captured the look on my face when Sophia turned down guacamole. Is she crazy?

It was so nice to have my parents at the run supporting me. They have never seen me run before, so it was encouraging to know they were proud of me and would be there to help me no matter what. It was cool to watch Sophia start and finish her first race! She beat her goal time and I was so proud of her (2:12.09)! Weston also set a PR (personal record), finishing in 1:49.23. He was fantastic! I love running with him! I cannot wait until our next event! I also PRed (that makes three of us!) with a finish time of 1:55.34, 8:49 pace. It's not great, but I'm happy with it. That was exactly 3:50 minutes faster than my Santa Barbara half marathon time!

Showers felt so good after the run. We collected our things and left for the zoo. I kept trying to text Dana, who had missed the race because she thought races were in the afternoon? Haha. "Zoo?" I texted. She called. "Zoo tomorrow. Zoo tomorrow." Nooooooooooo! So she did not join us at the zoo. Sad day.

The zoo was awesome! We got Weston an "It's my birthday" sticker, texted Steven nonstop and tried to wake the animals up from their slumber. I was exhausted. I'm not sure how Weston and Sophia were holding up, but I wished I was sitting in a dark movie theater, not walking around looking at awesome giraffes (my favorite!) and elephants (Kaylee's favorite)! Overall, great day at the zoo with my wonderful parents and my awesome friends.

We finished the perfect day with dinner at The Fig Tree Cafe. It was fantastic! One of the best meals I've ever had! Our waiter was hysterical, too, and played Whitney Houston throughout our entire meal. We took lots of pictures for Mavel because she always takes photos of delicious food and we wanted it to be our turn to make her jealous. Mom, Sophia and I shared shots... yup, shots... of energy and antioxidants: Mangosteen, Acai and Goji. Yummmm. We each ordered a different salad. Dad and Weston ordered the chicken and potatoes.

It was time for Peet's Coffee. Yippee! So we walk in and we're standing around chitchatting. Sophia grabs my arm. "I need to show you something," she said. "What?" She wouldn't tell me. She pulled and she pointed. "Is she pointing at that girl? Oh my goodness... she is pointing at that girl! And she is getting really close to her! This is embarrassing! Oh wait... I know that girl! It's... Megan!" So fun!

I can't wait for what tomorrow holds!

Taking Back Wednesday

Another day from hell came to me on Wednesday. It started out REALLY well! Cycle class went well and everyone talked about how sore they were. La-di-da. Then Mavel and I got to Grind it up and chat over bagels. That was lovely. We had some great conversation and I left feeling stoked for my long day.

Then hell arrived. There was no parking at the retirement community, so I was running late for work and got scolded by one of the older ladies in my aerobics class. She did it nicely, but it irritated me. "We've been waiting for you," she exclaimed in her cheery voice. "Maybe if you had more than 5 visitor parking spots, it wouldn't be a problem," I thought to myself. After class, my keys went missing. I had planned to read Drea's blog during my 30-minute break between classes, but my phone was in my car and my keys were NO WHERE to be found. I searched and searched. I walked out to my car, which was parked far down the hill, and they weren't there either. "Bum!" I thought. I called my parents. Neither answered. "AAAAAGGGGHHHH," I groaned. Tears may have formed in my eyes a little bit, but I stayed strong. This is not the first time my keys have run away from me. I decided to check with the receptionist. Low and behold, someone had seen them on the floor in the kitchen when I picked up the water for class and turned them in. Praise Jesus!

I went to my next job later and was just stressed and unhappy all day. "Snap out of it," I thought, but everything seemed to be irritating me. I think I missed my parents a little too much. Circuit class went well though with five new people. Then I went up to my office and the tears came. I sat and I sobbed. Mavel came up and comforted me. Sophia made three. Doug came to give me a hug. Supportive friends are awesome! I really had nothing to cry about, I just wanted to be frustrated. Then the text arrived. I'm not even going to tell you what the text said or who it was from, but it got me excited. All of a sudden, I had to change my class routine. Since I have my half marathon this weekend, I was going to have an easy class, but this text changed my mind. "Alright," I thought. "How hard can I kick these people's butts?"

Class was so fun! I had twenty participants and they all had a good time! Not one person completed every single workout without having to take a break. Even Oliver, Jameisha and Austen, who have perfect form and are athletes, were struggling. Take that, Wednesday!!

After class, Sarah, Sophia and I grabbed dinner then I went home and talked to Steven for over an hour. I miss that kid so much! Steven, come home!!!

Thursday made up for Wednesday 100% and more! It was a fantastic day. I taught a 6AM and 7AM class for Bob then went to meet my first client at 8:15 at my next job. I was dreading teaching aqua aerobics, but it was actually really fun. It was a smaller class and everyone paid attention. Instead of the usual structure I follow, I switched it up a bit and class flew by! Next thing I knew, I was in the locker room changing and women were coming up telling me how they love that I'm always changing things and challenging them. It was very encouraging.

I went out to see my next client then taught cycle. Thursday's cycle class is my favorite! They are always ready to be pushed and challenged to the limits! Some of my morning usuals and a Monday participant came to the class because they wanted to take more of my classes. My class was filled. The Monday evening woman said, "I am so sore from standing on Monday! Please don't make us do that again!" I said I would make it easy since I have my event this weekend, but Barry looked over and said, "Easy?! Excuse me, what's your name again?" He's right... I don't have an easy button... So I just made it aggressive.  It was one of the best classes I've taught. At the end, I made everyone who hadn't finished their water do ten push-up holds. And they LOVED it!

Before running to my next job, I had an hour, so I swam. I gave up 45 minutes into it though because my shoulder was hurting. "If you listen to your body whisper, you'll never have to hear it scream." -Author Unknown. Me stopping when I'm hurt? I know... that doesn't happen. But I knew I needed to back off or else I wouldn't be able to swim for a couple of weeks. I can barely lift my arm at the moment.

From the pool, I drove out to the track to meet Dani and Richard. We did a 5-mile easy run then barefoot hill sprints with easy recoveries for an hour. After pushing them, I met up with Sophia and did a quick, light 25-minute run. Afterwards, I grabbed a smoothie and met up with Jameisha for the first Tri Club meeting of the year. It was great to hear the athlete's stories of Ironman successes and how much hiring a coach helped them. I'm tempted to hire a coach for my ultra-marathon and Ironman if I do them.

Perfect evening for an easy run.

After the meeting, I drove out to Evan's and saw his new apartment. Dang, that boy is clean! His apartment is so stylish. It looks like a page out of an interior designing catalog. He makes me so jealous! I wish I could be neat and tidy and clever like him. Evan is just the coolest guy. I am so grateful for his friendship. His mom was in one of my fitness classes and I fell in love with her immediately. As soon as I met her, I wanted to be like her when I grew up. Then I started training her daughter for soccer and fell in love with her. There was this adorable boy who I used to check into the gym when I worked front desk. When I found out it was Judy's son, I wasn't surprised. Of course the cutest boy I had ever seen is the son of the sweetest woman I have ever met. So we became fast friends and I adore that family. I would like to believe I'm actually a part of their family. I mean, I spent Thanksgiving with them. I'm pretty much the adopted daughter, right? And I'm meeting with Judy today for a lovely walk. Can't wait!

This morning, I had Drea's strength class. It was hard to get out of bed this morning, so I was a little late, but it still kicked my butt. I decided since I was so far north, I might as well go walk on the bluffs and spend some time with God. When I got back on the freeway to go to work though, I got stuck in traffic. Ugh. But class was great and I got to hang out with Sarah and life is so good. I am so tired and my body is hurting, but I could not be more excited for this weekend with Sophia and Weston! Let's go dominate, kids!