Get Outta My Head!

Welcome to Ashlee's mind. It's a strange and scary place, so grab a bike and let's get to exploring. On the right you will see a window into one of my classes from the week. Ooooo looks like a disaster! Let's go on an adventure, shall we?

It's Thursday. Last night I got three hours of sleep. Just couldn't sleep. It happens. It's already noon and I've been teaching classes since 5:45AM. I'm tired, but I'm about to teach my favorite cycle class and I'm excited to see my friends... I mean, the members that take my class. I get to work five minutes early and take my time filling up my water bottle. When did Josh put that dorky sticker on his car? I say hello to Mavel and Cody and grab a towel before walking to the cycle room. For the first time in weeks, no one is waiting outside the room for me to open the door; however, like my cat knows the second I pull out a can of cat food, my cyclists know it the moment I walk to the door. Within thirty seconds, Barry, Dave and Lydia are already setting up their bikes. Sweet! I love it when they come to my classes! They encourage and entertain me so much during my class.

I walk to the closet to pull out my power zone boards. Barry starts talking to me about my reasoning behind power zone training. He wants to know what else I can use watt training for. He starts to ask about the method we use at my other gym. How and where did I discover power zone training? I'm getting distracted. I want to keep talking to him, but there is a new girl in the corner and I have to make sure she knows what she's doing.

A mom walks in with her eleven-year-old daughter Katie. "My daughter is going to take your class today. She's eleven but the front desk says it's okay. Are you okay with it," she asks politely.

"Oh shoot," I think. "I have to try to explain the watts to them. I hope she understands. Shoot! Two minutes until class starts. Well, it's going to be a challenge, but here it goes.."

"Alright, my class is a little different. We work with..." I begin, but don't get far before being interrupted.

"How do I tighten her cages," Katie's mom asks.

"Oh, the strap is put on wrong. Let's set you up on another bike."

"Friend," I hear a familiar voice behind me. Sophia is here! Yay! But shoot, I need to get class started. And this little girl is getting on a new bike for the third time. Uhmm... Alright, it's time for class. I'll just have them warm up while I set up my bike. "Oh hey, Ethan! Long time no see! Grab a bike!"

"Alright, start with a 90 cadence or higher, gear 9-13. We will warm-up for five minutes," I get them started while I hop on. No way! I totally forgot to turn on the fan next to the closet. "Keep warming up," I yell as I hop off my bike. I jump back on my bike.

"You didn't turn your fan on either," teases Dave. Where is my head?

"I'm sorry! Okay, in one minute, we will do one minute right leg only, one minute left leg only, three times each leg."

"What zone should we be in," questions Barry.

"No zone, just extended warm-up. If you're new to class or if you've forgotten, my name is Ashlee and I will be with you for the next hour. Get excited! Alright, everyone put your hands up in the air. Wave them in the air. Great, now we've shaken hands." I crack up. No one else laughs. Ouch. Tough crowd. Then they get it. Ohhhhh now they chuckle.

"Is  your middle name Cornball," Barry asks.

"No," I respond as my eyes light up. "But that would be awesome! Make sure you finish your water bottle before the end of class. If you don't, you have to do 15..."

Dave and Barry chime in, "Push-ups!"

I explain the average watt test to my new students then tell the other members, "While they test, you will come out of the saddle for thirty seconds with a 70 cadence, then follow it with 30 seconds seated at 90 or more cadence. We will do that 5 times, so five minutes total extended warm-up."

"What zone," Dave asks.

"Still warming up. Just keep the cadence, gear 11-15."

"Hey Ashlee," Dave starts. "You know how cigarette packs have a warning lable on them saying they are hazardous for one's health? You should have a warning sign on the door saying, 'Warning! This is an Ashlee class'." I laugh. Hard. Thank you, Dave, for making me feel like a stud.

Two and a half minutes into the test, the sound on my phone gives up. The music won't play. I try restarting the program. That doesn't help. I restart the phone. Nothing. "Does anyone have an iPod with appropriate music? Sophia, do you have your iPhone," I plead.

"Yeah," she give me a glimpse of hope then quickly shuts it down. "Oh, no, I don't."

Oh no! I'm panicking. "Does anyone have music?!" Okay, relax, Ash. There are always the lame back-up CDs in the closet. Why-oh-why did I forget my iPhone in the car?

"I have an iPod in my bag if someone wants to grab it," offers Ethan. "I would get it, but I'm testing." Atta boy. You keep testing, Stud.

Mike walks in.

"Mike!!!!" The class seems excited to see him. "Grab Ethan's iPod out of his bag," demands Dave.

"No, no. Mike, here's your power card. Grab a bike. I'll find the iPod," I tell him. I dig through Ethan's entire bag. Where is this thing?!!? Ugh... finally! I don't even know how much time is left in the test. Eff.

"Last thirty seconds," I comment. Oh man. This class is no good. Why am I so off today? Oh yeah. I stayed up late reading. "Sorry guys. I've gotten six hours of sleep the past 48 hours." I need to start going to bed earlier.

We start getting into the workout. "Take it up to zone 3 with 100 RPMs and get comfortable," I command. "You're here for three minutes. Get excited." A weak "woooo" come from the mouths of Yolanda and Kashmira. I laugh. "Well, at least two of you are excited. Let's go!" And zone three we dominate. Zone 3 is followed by an 80 cadence in zone 4, which is followed by one minute in zone 2 with a cadence of 110-120. Two minute recovery and repeat three times.

Dang. My legs are tired. I am not even supposed to cycle today. Honestly, I have got to stop overtraining myself!

"Okay, now it's time for the real fun," I inform the class. "We will be working in zone 5! Get excited!" The right hand of the room lets out some "Wooo's". "There we go! Let's go 15 seconds zone 5, 15 seconds recover. Thirty seconds on, thirty off. Forty-five on, 45 off. One minute zone 5. Yup, one minute. One minute recovery. Here we go!"  Off we go! "Dig, dig, dig, dig! Woooo! How you feeling!?!" Shouts and cheers come from the cyclists in front of me. "What happened to this side of the room," I ask Yolanda and Kashmira.

"I'm in zone 5," comes Yolanda's excuse.

I love it!

We finish the class and stretch out. Perfect! And class is dismissed. Goodbye, my little cyclists!

And that is the end of our tour. Thank you for coming and have a wonderful afternoon. Make wise choices!

I'm a Palm Tree!

An annoying chirping noise broke my sleep this morning. Usually I hit my alarm about 7-8 times before I actually get out of bed; however, this morning I knew I had to get up and get moving. I needed time to shower and go home to get my yoga mat before Drea's class. I was so proud of myself. I showered quickly, took care of the dogs, got my suit ready to swim afterwards and got in the car with 25 minutes until class.

"Wait a second, the sun is starting to come up," I thought to myself. "Usually it doesn't start to rise until after class. Oh... wait... is it... an hour later than I thought. It's now 6:40, not 5:40."By the time I got to class, it would already be over. Thank goodness I had my swimsuit in my car. I drove to the pool to find Summer life guarding. She greeted me with a huge smile. It helped motivate me to jump right in the warm water. Off I went. 300 meter warm-up, 200 meter kick, 200 meter closed fist drill, 400 meter swimming with a shirt on to work on force, 200 meter recovery swim, 250 meter kick, 250 meter cool down. An hour swim total. Perfect. At least I got some sort of work out in.

Next, it was time to teach at Fit Buddha. One woman showed up for class, so I gave Mindy one hell of a kick Buddha-y workout! Marcus was teaching, so after my class, he asked if I wanted to stay and take his Combo class: 30 minutes on the megaformer combined with 30 minutes on the bike. Totally made up for missing Drea's class. Well, to be honest, nothing could make up for missing Drea's class, but it sure helped me not to feel like a complete slacker.

I needed to go sign my time card at work, which meant I had to pass my favorite brunch restaurant. I could have resisted the temptation of a yummy soy latte and the gluten-free chocolate banana bread, but to be honest, I didn't want to resist. It sounded delicious and I needed some sort of protein, even though that wasn't the best source.

Last Sunday, my family came into town. It was wonderful to see them! Not often do I get to spend time with my three favorite people in the world. We had some great meals together, enjoyed a wonderful evening at church, said our goodbyes to Rebecca and went paddle boarding at the beach. Well, Sam went paddle boarding. Sam is Kaylee's goofy boyfriend. He fits right in with the family.

Waiting in line at Disneyland

When I first met Sam, I told myself I had to act normal so I wouldn't embarrass Kaylee. I am a dork. If you read my blog or know me at all, you know that I am the dorkiest of all dorks. I took my seat in the car next to Sam with my headphones on, staying quiet while listening to my music. The music was filling my head and carrying my mind away with its melody. I put my arms up in the air and waved them side to side. Sam looked at me. A strange expression crossed his face. I looked over at him and shrugged; "I'm a palm tree,"  I said matter of factly. So much for making a good impression.

Good news, Sam didn't judge me. And if he did, well, he loves Star Wars, so we're okay.

I am Woman... Hear my Stomach Growl

After keeping record of my daily calorie consumption on the MyFitnessPal application, I realized I was devouring over 3000 calories a day. "But you're working out all day," said Sharon, as if that gave me an excuse to eat whatever and whenever I wanted. Yes, I am, but if you laid out the amount of food I eat every day, there would be no room left on my dining room table. It's sad, really. I may be working out and keeping a consistent body weight; however, if I want to be light on my bike and easier on my knees, I should eat a bit healthier. More greens, less chocolate.

Oh chocolate. How delicious is chocolate? Well, let me tell you... chocolate is so delicious that I would give up triathlons to sit around and get fat on chocolate all day... well, maybe I would. I ate really healthy today... then I bought a chocolate bar. At least it was organic! I had a friend who had this amazing life goal of growing up to get fat, fat, fat. So fat, in fact, that he would not be able to fit through his front door and when he died of obesity, they would have to use a forklift to get him out of his living room. Unfortunately, this friend died skinny, so I am debating whether or not to live out his dream. Hey, it would be a delicious life.

My new life of luxury

 My training has gone to the dogs. I remember the base period when I way overtrained. Now that I'm in build, I'm skipping workouts, choosing friends over training, eating poorly... ugh. What has gotten into me lately?! It's a little discouraging, but I'm trying to get back on track. I remember when my life was training. My friends were nonexistent. My reading material was Joe Friel's blog. Now my life is relaxing when I'm not working. My friends are dogs that I take on long walks throughout beautiful neighborhoods. My reading material is The Hunger Games, which has nothing to do with training. Discipline, where hath thou gone? I want you back!

The big event is a month away. I am supposed to race this weekend, but I have no motivation. My knee is acting up and my shoulder is giving me grief. Dude, shake it off! Someone needs to kick my butt! Sounds like it's time for a Drea class in the morning!

Dreams Really Do Come True

Every little girl has a dream; mine was to be famous. My dream was to sing on stage and create music that everyone would listen to for years to come, just like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

My dream has come true, just not the way I had imagined. Yesterday, I locked myself out of my house... again. I called my roommate and made my way over to the laundromat to pick up the spare key from her. As I trudged through the rain up to the glass door, a man looked over at me and asked, "Aren't you the instructor at (name of one of the gyms I work at)?"

"Yes, sir, that would be me. I take it you're a member?"

"Yeah. I see you there a lot. What do you teach?"

"Pilates, Cycle, Strength and Conditioning, Aqua Aerobics..." (shall I continue).

"When do you teach?"

"Throughout the week. You can look me up on the schedule. My name is Ashlee. What was yours? Nice to meet you. Hopefully I'll see you in class soon!"

Well, that was fun. The more places I work, the more people I get to know and the harder it becomes to go anywhere without running into a familiar face. Not gonna lie... I sortof love it. Though, I am starting to wonder if I've become one of those instructors who is good, but knows it. For instance, Sophia was commenting that this one boy was cute, but he knew it, so it detracted from his attractiveness. I worry that this will become me. Last week, I caught myself shouting out, "Welcome to an Ashlee class!" during a zone 5 (100%+ effort level) when I knew everyone was dying. Have I passed the, "Hey, Ashlee is a great instructor" level and reached the "Dang, that girl is full of herself" level? I certainly hope I never get there!

Friday, March 17, during strength class, Drea complimented me in front of the entire class. Twice. She first complimented my haircut and how much she loved it. Then she called me out during one of our moves: "Perfect form, Ashlee!" She didn't call anyone else out. Drea loves me! Yay! This is the woman whom I respect so much and aspire to be like and she is telling me how great I am! Solid!

The next day, I went on a run and a swim. I can't even remember what I did later that day... shoot, it has been a long time since I wrote last. Oh! I swam at work because it was raining and my run was on the elliptical. I walked in and all of the lanes were full. A good ten minutes went by before I threw in the towel and borrowed Jameisha's shoes before settling in on the Arc Trainer. So sad... and boring. But I did it! Josh texted me awhile later to let me know there was room in the pool. The swim was great. I got it out of the way and my shoulder didn't hurt too much.

Photo by of Evan Janke

After the swim, I went home and cooked green food for my friends. The meal consisted of artichoke, edamame, pesto pasta, green beans, asparagus, kale, avocado... I think that's it. For dessert, I baked a grasshopper pie. My friend time is pretty limited, so it was wonderful to take an evening off and just enjoy the company while eating and playing Taboo (which Sarah, Jameisha and I totally won!). We even created green beer in honor of Saint Patrick's Day; yes, that was the reason for all the green food.

Evan and Ty

The little rascal on my lap. Photo by Evan Janke.

Sunday was another rainy day, so after work, I sat on a stationary bike for three hours on end. Grrrr... so bored. I watched all the episodes of How I Met Your Mother that I have been missing lately. That's always entertaining.

Enjoying my oatmeal in the rain.

It was a light week in the training department. Rest and Test week, I call it. Great time to relax, walk the dogs and enjoy the pool at the house I was house sitting.

During Thursday's cycle class, a group of the hardcore cycle guys were sitting in the corner chatting after class. "No secrets in the front of the room, boys," I scolded jokingly. They walked up to me: "Ashlee, we took a poll. We decided that you are officially more insane than Drea." I laughed, "Well, thank you, but Drea still kicks my butt, so she wins in my book." However, I have to admit that is the best compliment I could be paid. My life goal is fulfilled! Now, if only I could have her body...

My new headshot by Evan Janke

Last Saturday, I had a bunch of new people in my Pilates class. Staci walked in halfway during class. "How do you guys do this," she groaned. "Becky, do you do this class every week? Dang! That's how you got so lean and toned! This class is hard!" Staci is a beast when it comes to cardio, so I love it when she tells me how sore she feels after my core sessions. Tom, Jennifer and Staci all commented on their sore butts the next day.

"Does this class ever get easier," Staci moaned.

"No," Becky responded. "It gets more painful every week."

"I took a week off," Kelly stated. "And it feels like this is the first class I've ever done."

Awwww thanks, ladies.

After work, I met up with James, Christine and Dani for tri practice. The girls and I put on our wetsuits and hopped in the 53 degree water. They had sleeves on their suits, but I had no such luck. After the first minute in the water, I couldn't even feel my arms anymore. My legs were moving faster than they've ever moved before. "Watch me do step aerobics," I blurted to the girls. Brrrr! But we stayed in for a good twenty minutes. My friend Oliver was out there surfing and he said there were whales in the water. Awesome, I totally swam with whales and didn't even know it!

As we exited the water, we came across a crab the size of a large tree trunk. This thing was amazing! We ran up the steps to the parking lot where James was waiting with the bikes. The transition time was not short, but we hopped on our bikes and rode for an hour. I was not supposed to bike that day, but somehow I ended up in the lead for most of the ride. We bricked the bike with a quick run around the lagoon, then chatted by the cars for a bit afterward.

Sunday was another rainy day. What is with this weather? I was supposed to do a trail run before work, but decided to wait until after work since Richard couldn't meet until later. The mud was thick and deep. My shoes were layered with mud and I slipped and slid all around the mud. My playlist was epic though! Best playlist ever! I have the most random taste in music, but it couldn't inspire me more. Allow me to share:

1. Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
2. Back in Black- ACDC
3. After Your Heart- Phil Wickham
4. Be There Again- Mike Edel
5. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked- Cage the Elephant
6. Gettin' Jiggy With It- Will Smith
7. Beautiful- Under the Influence of Giants
8. All of Your Love- HelloGoodbye
9. Beggin'- Madcon
10. Titanium- Sia
11. Gold Gun Girls- Metric
12. Bodysnatchers- Radiohead
13. Sun Hands- Local Natives
14. Approach the Bench- The Audition
15. Bounce- The Cab
16. Boys! Grab Your Guns- My American Heart
17. Go Tell The World- Joy Zipper
18. Devotion and Desire- Bayside
19. Electable (Give It Up)- Jimmy Eat World
20. Burning Man- Third Eye Blind
21. Heart in a Cage- The Strokes
22. Embrace the Martian- Crookers
23. Fader- The Temper Trap
24. Crazy- Gnarles Barkley
25. Club Can't Handle Me- Flo Rida
26.  Follow You Down- Gin Blossoms
27. Country Girl- Luke Brian
28. Forget You- Gwyneth Paltrow
29. All My Life- Foo Fighters
30. O.N.E.- Yeasayer
31. Go Baby- Lupe Fiasco
32. Make Me Wanna Die- The Pretty Reckless
33. Invincible- OKGo

http://youtu.be/X7tZMn5dJh8

This is a music video of the song World News by Local Natives. Love, love, love this album for trail running!

After my run, I met up with my family for a portabello mushroom sandwich, mud-covered butt and all.

I'm Sweaty and I Know It

(Pre-note: this is a really old blog I never posted.)

"I'm going to go sit down now, because you're so sexy, my knees are weak." Really? Really? An older man said this to me as I passed him at the gym. Okay, two things I hate: when old, dirty men hit on me and when sleezy guys whistle at me on the street. During my aqua aerobics class, these two old men always sit on the bleachers behind me and watch me... from behind... in my swimsuit. It is so not cool. One of them asked for my e-mail last week so he could hire me as his personal trainer... so not cool. Another man, Mark, comes to the gym and hits on me every time I see him. I'll be with a client and he will come over and try to tell me all about his busy sex life when he was my age. Then he proceeds to say things to me that make me blush and all I can do is ignore him. Ugh!

Now, when little boys have a crush on me, that's precious. This thirteen-year-old kid Aaron used to work out with me every Friday night. One Friday, I stayed late with him so he could finish his test. His mom came in to check in on him. When she introduced herself to me, she said, "Ohhhh... you're Ashlee. Aaron talks about you all the time. He has the biggest crush on you!" The poor boy turned beet red.

Last week, Brian brought his eleven-year-old son to work out. A couple days later, Brian came in and said, "My son had such a great time! He admitted that every time you walked by, he would work harder to try to impress you." I told that to another guy in one of my classes and he admitted he does the same thing... but he's 26... that's a little different.

I have to admit that I love the way I've been motivating people. My mom sends me texts all the time telling me how long she worked out for, Kristina sends me her miles that she ran, Nicole asked me for swim workouts, people ask me for training advice... it's so cool to have helped motivate my friends and family to live healthier. Sophia sent me the greatest text the other day. I truly feel like I've found my calling. When I was younger, I wanted to be a professional singer; I never would have imagined myself doing triathlons and encouraging the people around me to be more active. I definitely never would have imagined myself running over 100 miles a month (P.S. I went WAY over my goal for February! Yay!).

Thursday, I taught aqua aerobics and circuit classes and cycle. My cycle class was overfilled. There are twenty-three bikes, including the instructor bike. I gave mine up to a member and still had people poking their heads in to see if there was room. David, Mike and Barry told me they thought I was taking Drea's place as the "Drill Seargent". I will never be Drea, but that is awesome that they think I'm that tough! I love that over half of that class is these big, strong men who are so into my class! They motivate me to push harder. They refer to me as "Seargent" and I give them the boot. One of them asked if I was ever in the army... weird... that's the 7th person to ask me that this week, no joke. Are my workouts that intense? When I take a Drea class, I don't feel like they are; although, I feel like it's easier to teach than to take a class.

I did my swim, beating my times by quite a bit... 10:00 warm-up, 10:00 technique drills, 10:00 force drills, 20:00 muscular endurance sets and 10:00 cool down. After Matt gave me those pointers, I can feel the difference in my form. I feel a lot stronger and more confident in the water.

Marcus taught Fit Buddha on Thursday, so I went in to try a MegaFormer class.... it killed me. This thing is the most brutal thing I have done in my entire life. My Wednesday night class was hard, but this was a different level of hard. I am hooked! Marcus is so knowledgable and I am excited to have the opportunity to learn from him! I wish I had more time to take classes there.

After FitBuddha, I raced over to the pool and taught my tri group. I had them do the same set I did earlier. They performed well and I finished the night with 3 miles of sprints with Richard.

Friday morning I had my running strength class. Bob told me I wouldn't be teaching Pilates on Saturday, so I gave it all I had. I was definitely feeling it afterwards. Gosh darn that Drea! Why does she have to be so gosh darn cute and kick-butt? Grrr... but I love it. People love pain.

Speaking of pain, when I went to teach Pilates this afternoon, I ran into Vince, who had taken my class Wednesday night. He said he will never take my class again. He was so sore that he skipped work on Thursday. I giggled when he told me about wandering through the grocery store after class and having to keep himself upright with his grocery cart because his legs were shaking so badly. Is it bad that I laugh at people's pain? Eek.

Then I walked into my Pilates class. Lorind was there and she was so excited to see me. "You're subbing," she asked. "Pilates is the hardest class I've ever taken and your's is the hardest Pilates class I've ever taken." Why, thank you, Lorind. This coming from a woman who has taken every class imaginable. Solid. In the middle of class, Kim said if I start teaching this class on a more regular basis, they will have to rename it "Power Pilates". Last week, I had a new person in the class and she didn't finish. She left early. Actually, most the class left early. Actually, no one finished the class last week. They all told me it was too hard. Oops. Lorind said someone was throwing up in the bathroom afterward because of my class. I feel so badly! I had a new woman today, so I was a teensy-weensy bit nicer. I think she enjoyed it! At least, I hope so!

I almost cried when I told my aerobics class I would only be there for two more weeks. Lynn came up to me afterwards and said that was the worst news she'd heard in a year... this coming from a woman who sees death and illness every day... it almost made me cry. She recently told me that mine was the best aerobics class they have ever had at the retirement center. I love my active older adults. They will be missed.

After work this evening, I cycled for 30 miles, all of it was working on speed skills. It killed me. I feel so out of shape on the bike. I'm not sure what to do to build my maximum power, but I want to do some research because I should have a higher power output with how often and how hard I cycle.

Sticks And Stones

Without hesitation, Anne Marie dives into the ocean fully dressed in heels and an expensive dress, ignoring the calls of the man behind her. Her love interest, Matt, walks in after her, though you can tell he is not excited to get his suit wet. This is a scene from Blue Crush where surfer Anne Marie finds out she is not certain of anything in her life. During her little temper tantrum, Matt asks her, "What is it that you want?"

"What do I want," she responds, taking in a big gulp of ocean water. Then she goes on to tell him exactly what she wants. She has a purpose, a goal for her life.

One of my all-time favorite photos by one of my all-time favorite people.

 Photo courtesy of Evan Janke.

 

Seven. That is the number of jobs I currently have; actually, it's the number of places I work. If you count job titles, I actually have thirteen jobs. I teach cycle, Pilates, Pure Awesomeness, aqua aerobics, aerobics, balance, etc. I'm a triathlon coach. I have my own clients. I'm an athletic trainer. Yesterday I was talking to one of the members at my gym.

"Well, I gave my two weeks notice," I informed her. "But my boss talked me into staying, so now I have seven jobs."

"What are your jobs?"  I listed them off. "Oh," she seemed shocked. "So you actually have seven jobs." Did you think I was lying to you?

(Side story: I gave my notice at the retirement center. I told them two weeks, but gave them three. Then all of my active older adults were really sad I was leaving. Millie told the class this: "I have been taking this aerobics class for the past 27 years and Ashlee's is by far the best class I have ever taken. She challenges us and keeps us moving the entire time. She believes we can do more than most others do. I will truly miss going to her class." It made me sad. So I decided to keep my job there, but drop it down to once a week. Oh man... what have I done?)

I guess I'll be teaching on this stage awhile longer...

So what do I want? Why do I work seven jobs? Why do I train over 30 hours a week? These jobs started as a way to pay off my school loans. Going to a school that costs $48,000 a year was not the brightest decision I ever made, though it may have been one of the best decisions I have made. I'll be paying off my school loans for years upon years, no matter what job I work, so what makes me stay with these jobs now? And why do I keep taking on new responsibilities? To be honest, I like being crazy. I like a packed schedule. My last semester of college, I had five jobs and seven classes; it killed me. When I have spare time though, I don't really know what to do with myself. So I work instead. I love my jobs and I love the connections/friends I've made through all of my classes. (Yes, I consider the members to be my friends.)

Recently, I've been dating. I really should start an entirely different blog about the dates I've been on because it's quite hysterical, but I figure part of my life has to be private, right? So, I've been going on these dates and it's been really fun, but the more I get to know these new men, the more I miss the simplicity of my old relationship. Training and work are my number one priorities. I have told each date this before we even go out; I like to be up front and honest. There have been a couple of dates I've cancelled on simply because I needed time to train. My training is my life. I hate it at times, but I know it's worth it. Sometimes I wonder if I do it to get a good body so boys will be attracted to me. That can't be it because I have my choice of men and I'm still choosing running instead of them. Next I wonder if I train to be the best. That's not it either because I don't have the natural ability to be number one. Honestly, I think I train so that people think I'm insane. Let me be frank: I love it when people leave my class moaning or comment that they saw me running on the beach and they wish they had the dedication I have. I have chosen the life of a mediocre athlete over having a boyfriend. Is there something inherently wrong with that?

Yesterday, I swam with my ex-boyfriend. It wasn't intentional. I went into the pool to swim and the only lane without two people in it already was the one he was swimming in. So I hopped in. It was just like old times. Since he is a triathlete as well, and has a schedule that is just as crazy as mine, if not even more insane, our dates used to be going for a swim, doing a 50-mile bike ride or running on the track. He was more of a training buddy than a boyfriend, but that was the way I liked it. For the first time in my life, I don't want a boyfriend right now. I want time to grow closer to God, find my athletic limits, discover what I want from life, maybe write a book, learn how to rock climb... I could probably do these things with a boyfriend in my life, but I don't really want the stress that comes along with that.

Oh yes, the drama of boys.
Him: Why haven't you texted me all day?
Me: I'm at work.
Him: What are you doing Friday night?
Me: I work then train until late.
Him: What about afterwards?
Me: I'm sleeping. I work at 6AM.
Him: Oh.  (Five minutes pass) Is this how it's always going to be? Are you always going to choose your bike over me?
Me: Probably. I warned you.

I've had that conversation twice in the past week. Maybe it's a phase of my life. Maybe I haven't met the right guy. I have found that no one can keep up with me, let alone wants to keep up with me.

Fuel for my workouts.

My training schedule:

Monday: Cycle, Swim, Lift weights, Pilates, Cycle some more, Run
Tuesday: Run, Swim, Circuit
Wednesday: Cycle, Run, Cycle some more, Mega-former, Plyometrics
Thursday: Cycle, Run, Swim
Friday: Strength, Cycle, Swim
Saturday: Swim, Run, Pilates
Sunday: Cycle

So... that's my life. It doesn't leave much time for a social life. Maybe I'll make more training buddies. If you want to be my training buddy, let me know!

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!!

https://apps.facebook.com/oakleyperform/contests/188363/voteable_entries/46866367

All You've Ever Wanted To Know

Five Questions You Always Want to Ask a Triathlete:

1. What’s worth more? Your bike or your car and what do you ride?

At this moment in time, my bike is probably worth more than my car. Sometimes I get hesitant to put my bike in the back of my car when I'm going on a road trip because what if someone breaks into my car and takes my bike? Don't get me wrong, I looooooOOOOOoooove my Sweet Baby Sam (that's my car's name), but his brakes have had problems in the past and I've run him pretty dry. I ride the Giant Avail and I love it! She's so light and smooth, though I have to admit I get envious of other bikes. Especially when they are ultra-light and turquoise, like the Giant that Dani just got.  It's funny... we're never satisfied with what we have. We want, want, want and when we finally get, we want something else.

2. Who or what got you started in Triathlon? 

One of the gyms I work at has a triathlon training program. I would always see them training while I was working and wished I could be a part of their team. At the time, I was dating a man who was just getting into triathlons as well. He was a phenomenal swimmer and I was good on the bike, so we helped each other out while training. I joined my gym's team and signed up for the next race. Because I was nervous to go out there and compete alone, Josh came to support me and cheer me on. He let me borrow books about how to transition and what to take with you on race day. We did a lot of ocean swims so I would feel more comfortable in the cold, dark water. He was a huge motivator in my journey into triathlon.

3. Socks or No Socks? 

You know, I like to run with socks. I don't mind doing the bike without socks, but when it comes to the run, I need my socks. What I like to do is come out of the water (I never wear socks for the swim- haha), put on my cycle shoes and do the ride without socks. Then I come back where my socks are turned half inside out. By that time, my feet are fairly dry, so I slip the socks on before my shoes and away I go!

4. Music or No Music When you Train?

Suprisingly enough, I don't really listen to music when I train. I don't have the underwater casing for my Ipod and listening to music on a bike is never a good idea. Sometimes for long runs, I will turn on some beats, but I find that I go faster without music. When I do listen to music, it's completely random. I will throw in some country, some heavy metal, a little EDM... even some Sufjan Stevens! Whatever keeps me moving!

Bonus round…. favorite recovery food/drink?

I just started using ZipVit Recovery Drink Rapide. It's vanilla flavored. I also really enjoy digging into a burrito when I'm done with a hard workout.

Every Day is a Good Day to PR

"Mommy, I can't go on. My feet won't go a step further," the little girl looked up at her mother with her puppy dog eyes, ready to cry.

"Honey," the mother calmly responded. "I know you're tired, but we must go on. It is in your weakness that you become stronger. When you are tired and you push through it, that is how you build strength."

Wow. I kept running by the mother and daughter. It was my ninth mile and I still had three to go. I was becoming weak. I hadn't brought any fuel or water with me. The mother was so right, though; I needed to push through this. Only by pumping my tired legs would I get back to the car. Twelve miles with an 8:44 pace... not too bad. Not as fast as I was hoping, but not horrible. Did I feel stronger? Ehh... my feet didn't, but I was proud of myself. I refueled with a peanut butter smoothie and a visit with my friend Lynn.

I'm in Build 1 of my training. Actually, I think I may even be a week behind somehow. During Base 1, I pushed myself way too hard; with all the classes I teach on top of all my strenuous training, I think I overdid it. Base 2 was a bit better because I allowed myself to go easier. Base 3 was not so pretty. I skipped a lot of swim workouts... Guys, I really hate the pool. So Build 1 was going to make up for Base 3... or, it was supposed to. Then my life started changing; new job opportunities, deciding to give up old jobs, going on dates, taking trips... Build 1 has been worse than Base 3 as far as skipping workouts. In his book, Joe Friel says, "Do not skip a workout in Build 1 or else you will not do well on race day". Well, that stinks. I'm sitting here thinking, "Do I even continue to train? I'm growing so tired of the way it interferes with my life. I don't even enjoy it anymore. When I miss a workout, I'm devastated. My social life is basically nonexistent and my friends are upset that they never see me anymore. I'm tired all the time. I've considered quitting jobs in order to have more time to train. I've already missed three swim workouts and one run... do I just throw in the towel and call it a night?"

Then I remember what the mother said to her daughter: "It is in your weakness that you become stronger." To add to that, 2 Corinthians 12:9 reads: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." "When I fall down, you pick me up. When I am dry, you fill my cup." My favorite verse is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

Last Friday, I was in Drea's running strength class. As we were holding one-legged bridges, I glanced up at the wall in front of me. On it was a license plate that read "Go PR". Go PR. Every day is a chance to set a new personal record, whether it be running faster, swimming longer, instructing a better class, cleaning my house... I mean, there are so many opportunities to PR. Since Friday, I have been encouraging myself through my workouts with that thought. "Go PR, Ash. Now is your chance. Show yourself what you are made up. Push through the weakness. Build that strength. Go PR."


Full moon behind the light.

  Last Thursday, I walked into cycle and handed out the students' laminated power zone cards.

"Are you kidding me," David began. "You are way too into this."

"I just want to give you the best workout possible," was my response.

Some people love my new power workouts. Others, not so much. The people that are there just to get a workout and have fun... well, most of them like my classes. My class really is designed for the road cyclist. Mark and I were talking about that this morning after my 6AM class. "I really like your workouts," he began. "It feels like I'm really on the road. They train me for my events better than some of the other cycle classes offered here." See? Some people appreciate the power training. Others don't want to fuss with numbers. They would rather just speed up when I say sprint and climb when I say add gear.

On Thursday, I swam, but I did not run. On Friday, I made up for the run (which you're not supposed to do, but I've screwed up my training so much anyway, why not just screw it up some more) after Pilates then biked later in the day. That night, I trained Richard, but I decided not to do the workout with him since I had a dinner date later. Saturday, I ran twelve miles at an 8:44 pace. I was supposed to swim after, but when I got to the pool, I just couldn't motivate myself to get in. It was pathetic. I walked into the pool area, went to the dressing room, put on my pink suit and stood there. Then I put on my sweatshirt, wrapped my towel around my waist and walked to my car. So much for swimming.

I love Ruben's!

 Sunday was good though. After work and training Richard, I drove out to a town about an hour away. I hadn't been there since the first of January. I rode my bike 30 miles then grabbed a burrito at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant Josh introduced me to and drove straight to church. The ride was great; it is one of my all-time favorite rides. I really wanted some alone time, so it was nice to just reflect as I rode. There is a pretty abandoned area with water storage towers lining the bike path. There was graffiti all over the towers. Call me strange, but I love graffiti. Something about it is just so creative and fun. I enjoyed checking out all of the cool art as I made my way down the path.

Collage of my Sunday



View from my ride

 This week has held lots of adventures; not only did I get to do a long bike ride and a hard tempo run (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printer/1,7124,s6-238-267--11909-0,00.html), I also was able to try out a lot of fun restaurants this week. On Thursday night, I went to Arch Rock Fish. On Friday, I had filet mignon and grilled artichoke at Lucky's. On Saturday, I had lamb at the Wine Cask. On Sunday, I had a lamb burger at The Brewhouse. Yes, I know how to eat well. All of the restaurants were delicious.

Arch Rock Fish has a youthful atmosphere and amazing guacamole!

Photo courtesy of Google

Lucky's was super fancy. Derek pretended he was Edward Norton and I was Cameron Diaz. Yeah, I wouldn't say we fit the parts, but it was fun anyway. The owner came and made certain we were happy where we were sitting and had everything we needed. Maybe Derek does look like a movie star?

Photo courtesy of Google

 Wine Cask was also very upscale. I wore jeans and the moment I walked in, I regretted my decision. Everyone was dressed up very nicely. The wine was phenomenal and my lamb was perfect.

Photo courtesy of Google

Sunday was girls' night. Rebecca, Sarah, Sophia and I had a laid back dinner at the Brewhouse where we exchanged stories, laughed the night away and made plans for St Patrick's Day.

Photo courtesy of Google

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

My freshman year of high school, I used to do 1,000 sit-ups a day, every day, rain or shine. This started because of a magazine interview I read on Usher and how he got his abs of goodness gracious me-oh-my-ness. I figured if Usher could do 1,000 sit-ups a day, I could do 1,000 crunches a day. So, whether that meant doing them on the bleachers before a volleyball game, on the floor in my bedroom or on the grass during lunch, they got done. Did I get my Usher abs, you ask? Indeed, I did get some abs. I remember my friend Tori commenting about my abs as we were getting ready for winter formal. I was wearing a tight green gown and you could see the definition. My friends envied my stomach and you can be assured that I was proud of my work.

Well, freshman year came and went, as did my abdominals. I've always had a thinner middle, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that the definition started coming back. One thing I hate about California women is their tendency to run in their sports bras. Some women can pull it off, but others really should not try. I've always been scared that I fall under the latter category. Last Friday, on my way to San Diego, I stopped to run a bit. The sun was bright, the air was warm, my stomach was fish belly white, so I decided to take the plunge and run in my cute little Lulu sports bra. Honestly, I don't know what I looked like. The abs might have been firm... there might have been a jiggle with every step my foot took... the whiteness of my belly might have been enough to blind everyone who saw me so they wouldn't see the fat anyway... I really don't know; however, I do know I was a bit self conscious. I don't think the topless running will be happening again in the near future... at least not anywhere where I might run into someone I know.


Yay! Abdominals!

The run that day was good though. I was supposed to do ten miles, but really wanted to get down to San Diego for Dana's birthday dinner. I decided to squeeze in four miles and complete the rest later if I had time (which I never got to... so sad). I completed four miles in 30:00, maintaining a 7:50 pace. Not too bad. I was exhausted though. Four was about all I could manage. I still had to swim and finish my run, so I got in my car and started driving. Honestly, I should have stopped somewhere along the way and gone to a gym to use the pool, but I don't know the areas that I was driving through and didn't want to wind up in a sketchy neighborhood. I should have swam before I even left town, but I really wanted to get through the traffic. So much for missing traffic. Does 7 hours of sitting in traffic amount to the same power output as swimming for an hour and running an extra 6 miles? Let's pretend it does. At least I got my four miles plus an intense Pilates class in.
San Diego was awesome! I was able to spend the entire weekend with my bestie, Dana; my cousin Jack was in town, so I got to see him and my uncle; I had a delicious breakfast with my grandparents; my super pregnant cousin Lauryn and I got to catch up; Lara, Abraham and I had a wonderful time at church together. See? Great weekend! Saturday night, Dana made us all dinner for her birthday. We were supposed to go bowling afterwards, but we fell asleep instead. The next morning, Marissa, Dana and I had breakfast then went our separate ways. I met up with Lara and her baby and husband at church. It was such a great sermon and I'm so glad I went!

After church, I drove all the way back to Dana's, got in her car, which we named Einstein, and drove back up to have lunch at Fidel's. The food was completely worth the two hours of sitting in the car! Delicious. I showed Dana around Solana Beach, then we drove down to Coronado to have dinner with her fabulous parents. They live in the cutest house in the most adorable neighborhood; pretty much, I want to be them. Dana's dad barbecued for us and her mom made a fantastic salad. We spent the majority of the night in laughter. They tried to convince me to move down. I'm seriously thinking about it.

Sunday was my first rest day in... well, awhile. That was weird. So Monday, I went to the gym and did some unorganized cycling with some weight lifting. I finished earlier than planned, so I drove up to my grandparents' house and decided to run around their neighborhood. I ran about 50 yards before I decided I didn't want to run, so I turned around and walked back.

My grandparents' house is my favorite place in the world. Some people love Europe, some love Hawaii, I love my grandparents'. My Papa Jack built this oriental style house and everything about it makes me smile. I love being there. It may have something to do with the memories from my childhood, but I love that house. If I could own any house, I would spend the rest of my life in that home.

Mer and Papa took me to the La Jolla Shores for breakfast. Papa ordered the Belgian waffle with fresh fruit; Mer ordered the Eggs Benedict. It was my turn. The waiter looked at me expectantly. "May I please have the oatmeal," I placed my order.

"Really?" He looked shocked.

"Yes?" I was beginning to question my choice of breakfast.

"But that's so boring," he claimed. Ouch. I'm boring.

"No, it's not," I tried to convince myself. And it wasn't! It was a huge bowl of oatmeal with walnuts, brown sugar, raisins and steamed milk. Ha! So not boring! It was fabulous!

Boring? I don't think so...

When you are with your grandparents, you know the categories of conversations that must be had: 1. Any boyfriends? 2. What are your plans for today? 3. What is your next step in life? We didn't talk about the first category this time, but we talked about my plans for the day, which included looking for places to live and work in San Diego. Eyebrows lifted. "So, what do you plan to do here?" We chatted. I told them I felt I had found my passion in triathlon training and designing and implementing new classes. "All I have to do is marry wealthy and I'm set for life," I joked. Papa's response: "If you do that, you'll have other things to stress about." That is true. It is like the movie Midnight in Paris. Owen Wilson's character is so caught up in how great the 20's in Paris were, that he forgets to enjoy the present. When he gets a chance to live in the 20's, he realizes everyone there wants to live in the past, or what their idea of the perfect era was. No one is ever satisfied with the present day and living in the moment. No matter what I do with my life or where I live, there will be stresses in my life. I just need to enjoy every moment as it happens. I'm really happy where I am at the moment, so do I want to leave it to try a new adventure or do I want to stay in the happy zone until I'm ready for the next step?

Best Friends!

The rest of Monday was spent at my salon, getting my hair all pretty, then with Dana at BirdRock and Solana Beach. I am so glad Dana is my bestie. She is hysterical, loyal, patient and a great listener. We saw some great shops we really liked and ate some yummy food. Then it was time to get on the road. I left super late at night, so I didn't get home until past midnight. It was hard to stay awake, but I made it!

New Pretty Haircut

My energy to stay awake on the drive

My Tuesday morning class was cancelled due to no one signing up, so I slept in an extra hour then got up and cleaned. Sooooo fun. I was able to get a six mile run in though. The first third of it was all downhill with the wind to my back. I finished four miles in 27:20. That couldn't be right, could it? I had already started running uphill against the wind and it was brutal. There were times when I wasn't certain if I was actually traveling or if I was just running in place. In my head, there was no way I could finish six miles with that pace. Amazingly enough, I got back to my car at the top of the hill and saw that I had completed 6.01 miles in 43:24... that's a 7:14 pace. Uhmm.... hello! I'm a fricken stud! 

I drove home to hop in the shower and realized I had left my house key inside. Ugh... you would think I would learn... nope! So I kept my sweaty skin nice and salty all day until I taught circuit class then went to home group. Anyone that had the chance to sit next to me must have felt pretty darn lucky...

Wednesday's cycle class was a great one... lots of sweaty bodies left the room. Then came aerobics and balance. Just another Wednesday. I took Marcus' cycle class at noon and got some sprints in, then bricked the ride with a run. The run did not go so well. So much for being a fricken stud. I did some speed work, but it took me twenty minutes to warm-up and even then, I didn't feel quite warm. I finished five miles and gave up. Dumb. But it was time for work. I taught my classes then got ready to teach Pure Awesomeness. I thought maybe I would go easy on the class since I killed them last week, but there were three new people and I couldn't have them thinking Pure Awesomeness is easy. So I did some strength work. At the end, two of the girls said it was too hard for them and they wanted to leave during but didn't want the class to see them leave, so they stuck around. They told me it was just too hard and they wouldn't be back again. C'mon!!! You need to stretch your limits if you're going to improve!!! That's why I'm proud of my parents. When they text me and say they are going to the gym for half an hour, I tease them for only going for thirty minutes. Next thing I know, I have a text saying they stayed for forty-five... much better. I'm a firm believer in challenging yourself.

Last night, Richard gave me my check. "You have to promise not to spend this all at LuluLemon," he stated. "You have enough cute outfits. Haha, oh Richard. This morning, after finishing my 6 and 7AM classes, I stopped by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to get a tea latte. The barista saw me and his eyes lit up. "Hi! You're back! You must LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this place!" Shoot... do I really go in that often?! Maybe once a day is too much... I walked into my second job and Jameisha was going through a newspaper. "This girl looks like you," she pointed. "Hardcore. And she's smiling." Haha. Thanks, Jameisha. These are a few of my vices: Lulu, coffee shops and being hardcore.

Hardcore Me?

Breakfast... just for you, Weston.

Nicknames

Guantanamo. Ashlee the Hammer. “Darn that Ashlee”. Wheatzie. Shlee. Prancis. Go ahead and call me nice, but never call me easy because I will turn around and kick your booty.

Guantanamo became my name during a circuit class. Happy (yes, that really is his name!) used to come to my class every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Soon he realized my workout wasn’t going to be as refreshing as my bubbly personality. One day in the middle of a power drill, he cried out, “The harder you push us, the bigger your smile gets! Have you heard of Guantanamo? That’s what you remind me of!” Obviously, he wasn’t working hard enough if he could say all of this. But, it stuck. Honestly, I’m not even sure he knows my real name. He walks into cycle, “Guantanamo! Did you bring good music today?” I pass him in the hallway, “Guantanamo! Who are you going to torture today?” He peaks his head into my circuit class, “Keep kicking butt, Guantanamo!” Yes, sir.

Ashlee the Hammer was more recent. I overheard Heather making this reference to Ronan during a circuit class… right before she went into Pilates and REALLY got the hammer. “Darn that Ashlee” also came from the same group. It started with Terri (shout out to Terri! Miss you, Lady!), who was telling me that every time she woke up sore the next morning from a workout, she would shake her fist and say, “Darn that Ashlee”! Mary Lou said the same thing yesterday, except her wording was a little different/not so blog-friendly.

Wheatzie… Haha. Oh, that one is from middle school. Kristi and I used to make up nicknames for everyone in our middle/high school (all eleven of us). Her nickname was Spike because of basketball and her love of Spike Lee films. Mine was Wheatzie because I was super health consciences. Oh man, those were the days.

Shlee has a couple of stories behind it. Sho was the first one to start calling me Shlee almost two years ago. I guess that's one way to shorten my name. Next thing I knew, Eva, Sarah and Nancy were using the nickname. It sortof just stuck.

Prancis was a Cosy nickname for me because she claimed that when I run, I prance. Running on my toes makes me look like a reindeer? Well, there you have it… Prancis.

I love nicknames. I love giving nicknames, getting nicknames… I can’t even remember all of the nicknames I’ve had over my years of living.

Monday, after writing my wonderful blog, I went out to Fit Buddha Fitness. Juliana had recommended me to Marcus, so I didn’t even have to apply for the job. If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE Buddha. No, I am not a Buddhist, but I have always been drawn to little Buddha statues. Fit Buddha has been on my list of places to try, but with my work and training, I just haven’t had time. When Marcus contacted me and basically handed me the job on an oriental-style platter, I was more than ready to “kick some Buddha-y”, as he likes to say. There you have it… job number 6. I could not be more thrilled though! I will be teaching cycle classes and definitely want to have some friends there to support me through my first class. If you think you can make it, give me a call so we can save you a spot in the class!

That evening, I worked. The first two classes were a breeze. I was looking forward to the last class of the evening because some of my favorite clients usually come to that class. There was no way I could have been ready for what came during that last class though… I finished teaching the core routine to my five o’clock class then walked into the other room to find eighteen, count ‘em, eighteen new people! Brand new people. That is fantastic for business, but hectic for me! Trying to give six regular clients a great workout while teaching five different machines to eighteen individuals who have no idea what they’re doing is not an easy task. I lost my voice within the first ten minutes. It was stressful, true story, not gonna lie to you. The class went well though and I think the new people had a good time.

The treat came at the end of the evening, when I got to go enjoy a nice meal. It is not often that I get to just unwind. It felt great to put a nice outfit on and go downtown to a quiet restaurant. Resolution: I must do this more often. Maybe once or twice a month? Just for my sanity, if nothing else.

Tuesday morning, Dani and I cycled. It was quick, but it felt good. Ben sat and watched me as I drank my tea latte for twenty minutes after cycle. I went to work. Then, the good stuff came…

My favorite place to run

Anaerobic endurance run overlooking the beach. Thirty minutes of warm-up, 3x5:00 at 10k pace with 2:00 walk/jog recoveries and ten minutes of light jogging cool down. Total: 6 miles. Paces for the 3x5:00’s: 7:55, 7:59 and 8:00. It was a gorgeous day with an incredible view and I was just stoked on life. It felt easy and the warm-up wasn’t a challenge to get through like it can be at times. I absolutely loved it! Afterwards, I grabbed a sandwich for my carbs and protein intake, then I headed to the gym to swim.

I love my life

Usually I dread swimming, but I wanted to try out the pointers Matt had given me. My set called for 10x25yards working on technique drills, 5x100yards at 2:00 pace then twenty minutes of nonstop swimming at 2:28 pace. Well, the warm-up felt sloppy. I loved that I only had to do 25 yards before I got long recoveries, but I still couldn’t find my rhythm. Then came my 5x100 yards… they came naturally to me. They felt comfortable and strong. I was finishing in 1:51 instead of 2:00. My final twenty minutes felt really good, too. Typically, I am counting down the minutes until I can get out of the pool, but I didn’t mind staying right then. At one point, I even wondered if maybe I was beginning to enjoy swimming… no, could it be? No…

Rub a Dub Dub

Work came after. Then came circuit class. I had to skip home group because I wasn't feeling well. Bed never felt so good.

Wednesday morning I woke up and my leg was asleep. I could not move. Shoot! I called Cody and asked him to open up the cycle room so I could just rush in there as soon as I arrived. Fortunately, I got there right on time and got to work. On Monday, I had the class test to find their average watts. I made them cards so they can work in their zones from now on. We will be working with power so they can improve both speed and strength. I stayed after class to cycle a little longer on my own.

Power Zone Cards

After cycle, I went to work at the retirement home and put in my two weeks notice. I have been there for almost two years now and, as much as I love the people, it's time for me to move on to other things. I don't want to remain stagnant.

Later at work, I taught one of my best circuit classes ever. My Pure Awesomeness class was even better. I was on my game! I had 22 people (mostly men), including my boss. Within the first ten minutes, we were all DRENCHED in sweat. I don't think I've ever felt that confident about one of my classes. That was possibly the best class I've ever done... well, one of them. It's probably due to the fact that I was wearing my hot red pants, which seem to be woven out of some energy-giving material.

I've Got The Power

Wednesday's run was a 2-mile warm-up, 8x400s with 100m jog and a 2-mile cool-down. My times for the 400's were as follows: 1:50, 1:39, 1:45, 1:42, 1:44, 1:47, 1:49 and 1:44. Some of the guys that take Pure Awesomeness saw me running. "Do you ever stop?" Doug looked at the boys and said, "She's Ashlee... she doesn't know what stopping means."

I went home and recorded my calories, just to see what a typical day looks like for me. Uhmmm... it was frightening. I burned 2,256 calories through exercise alone and ate 2,876 calories. Dang! That is a lot of food! I was still down over 1,000 calories, but that's the amount some people eat in an entire day! I can't force myself to eat that in one sitting! Oh, the dilemma I face... yes, you can hate me right now.

Food! Love my Bob's Red Mill oatmeal!