Happy Fall Out Boy Day

I'm boring but overcompensate with headlines and flash, flash, flash photography.

Friends

God created Eve for Adam why? Well, so they could procreate, but I think it's also because He knew the importance of having a good friend.

Sometimes I forgot how important it is to get your butt kicked by a good friend.

Two weeks ago, Amy, Jack and I packed our bags and drove up to Tahoe. We spent the weekend with my dear friends Rachael, Tucker, Dan, Amanda and Grylls. It was amazing. We were able to spend a couple of days snowboarding with Tucker.  Beautiful views, great snow, perfect company... a perfect weekend getaway. While we were there, Amy agreed to go on a run with me; unfortunately, she had forgotten her running shoes. I had my big, clunky snow boots, so I let her wear my WaveRiders and I took the boots for a spin. I had thrown my tailbone off our first day boarding and I could feel my butt sting with every clunk of my boots on the icy road. My legs were heavy and it was difficult to get a high turnover rate. My right leg began giving me grief and I could feel a hole beginning to form on my medial malleolus. Ouch! Amy was kind enough to switch shoes with me at our turn around point, but the damage was done. Injured coccyx, scared malleolus, but a happy heart. (Awww, how cheesy am I?)

in his element

this is what happiness looks like

first time ever throwing darts... maybe I'm a little proud.

When I returned, my training volume picked up. It felt like all I was ever doing was working and training. The only time I was seeing my friends was when we walked past each other in the parking lot or when they would come into the shop to get their gait analyzed. I finally figured out that I could find other ways to see them: Invite them to train with me!

Last Wednesday morning, Sarah met up with me bright and early to do some swimming. Jameisha was lifeguarding and when I finished my second set of 14:00 for distance, Sarah and Jameisha told me how good my form looked. YAY! I've been working hard at fixing my form and I think it is finally showing in my final numbers. I flow well in the water and I can feel my lats really pulling against the water. After the swim, we made our way over to Whole Foods and grabbed breakfast together. The perfect end to a great swim and the perfect beginning to a great day!

Thursday night after work, Jameisha and I made plans to swim. Walking to the pool, I passed Kristine and invited her to join us. We all met in the pool for a speed session. Jameisha and I pushed really hard as we raced each other and the clock. We started with a 300 yard warm-up,6x50yd fast with :45 RI, 200 easy followed by 12x75 fast with :20 RI and a 400 CD. It hurt so badly and there were lots of times where I did not want to finish. On the 9th round of 75's, I was strong and I could feel Jameisha slowing. She fooled me though. The tables were turned on the tenth round. Jameisha finished strong as I painfully gasped for air. Whoops of pain and accomplishment escaped my lips as I reached the wall. Two more rounds to go. Only two more. One, two. Six touches of the wall. Time for some whooping.

Last Sunday, I decided to go at it all on my own. It was warm out when I started my trail run. I discovered a new trail and followed it uphill... then up some more... then a little bit more. I had told my mom where I would be running and promised to let her know when I finished. Unfortunately, my memory is not so good. When I finished my run, I scurried to work, did a 2,000 yard swim then went home and made dinner. I left my phone n the kitchen, ringer off. Three hours later, I logged onto the internet and got a message from my mom. "Call me right away". ...oops. I found my phone, multiple missed calls and several unread texts greeting me on the lock screen. Amy was out on the trails looking for me and my parents were wracking their brain over how to find me (it didn't help that someone died on the same trail the weekend prior).

Monday was a long cycle day, so I did an hour and a half on the stationary bike then met up with Kristine to bike on the beach for another 90 minutes. Even though it was a slower, easy ride, Kristine and I had a great time together.

Tuesday morning, I forced myself out of bed to jog over to the track for whatever Rusty had in store for me. When I got to the track, I did an extra 800 warm-up then hopped in with my original group for 800 at a 7:50/mile pace. Wow... that was easy. We finished the 800 and, while the rest of my group put their hands on their knees and keeled over, I did a recovery jog down the lane. When I returned, Rusty surprised me by telling me to move up a group with Truli, Jim and Stuart. I hung onto Truli's shoulder for the 800 as well as the next mile at 7:15. Truli and Jim told me to join them for a recovery lap before the next 800. I think it was that lap that did me in. The following two 800's were painful (aka filled with pain). By the second 800, my pace had slowed way the h-e-double hockey sticks down. I could not hold on to the men's shoulders. I debated what quitting would look like. Probably not pretty. Probably lots of disappointed eyes would fall my way... or eyes of understanding ("I've been there")...  I would not be that girl. I finished 100 meters behind Jim and Stuart. Hey, let's do another mile! I tried to get my hips in front of my toes. "Fall forward". It still hurt. I sprinted the last 100 meters and finished :10 behind the gentlemen. Jim and I faced another 2 sets of 400 meters. 1:37? Man... that lady doing it in :50 makes me look like goldfish food. George joined me for a mile cool-down around the track then I jogged back home to shower off and lay motionless in bed before trying to do a bike ride.

That evening, Kristine and I braved the cold and swam outdoors. A couple thousand meters later, I went home and got a good night's sleep before waking up early the next morning and biking to the gym to swim all over again. My body felt worn from the day before. I thought maybe I would turn the bike, swim, bike into a triathlon and finish my run then, but I had no energy. Instead, I saved the run for later that evening before teaching my plyometrics class.

Training with friends? It helps. I definitely feel like I've been getting my butt kicked. A girl with a good training plan and great friends is a happy girl.

26 on the 26th

Sandy Hook Benefit Run/Walk in Santa Barbara January 26, 2013

Santa Barbara Running Company is hosting a local benefit run/walk for Sandy Hook Elementary School. This run/walk is in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newton, Connecticut. It is a family friendly event. This is not a race, just a fun run/walk for charity.

If you sign up at one of our stores prior to the event, your name will be entered into a raffle for fun prizes. It is a $20 entry fee. For every $20 we get, Santa Barbara Running Co. will donate $6.

We will meet at Leadbetter Beach on January 26, 2013. A registration table will be up at 9:30AM and the event will begin at 10:00AM. Participants will have the opportunity to run/walk for twenty-six minutes, though we encourage you to continue your activity beyond the twenty-six minutes. All proceeds will go to those who lost their family and loved ones in the recent school shooting.

In addition to your registration fee of $20, you are welcome to donate additional money, supplies for the running event, or collect extra donations if you choose. We will have some water and snacks and hope to have some donations of food but be sure to bring your own supplies for the day. Spread the word; bring your friends and family. Let's honor the kids and teachers who were taken far too soon!

Kissing the Lipless

Sometimes, God puts a monkey wrench in our plans. Oh, just a heads up: This blog has nothing to do with my training. If you only read this blog for that information, you can skip this one. Otherwise, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

I have found that almost every time I try to make plans or imagine an event occurring a certain way, God likes to remind me of how small I am and how big he is. It's like He is laughing at my belief that I can actually plan my life. This was made abundantly clear to me (once again) on a recent trip to see some friends. I had big plans for what was going to happen. I planned ahead. I bought a special outfit, got my hair cut and was ready for the big event. The big event had no grand finale and my wallet was left a little emptier, my hair a little shorter.

At first, I was disappointed. After some discussion with my dear friend Amy, I realized I was grateful for the monkey wrench. God had bigger plans for me. Then I realized there was something standing between me and my relationship with God. That something was me.

We all know I enjoy a challenge. With the New Year comes a new opportunity to challenge oneself: Set goals, discover oneself, decide what you want from life. This year I want to pursue God. I have noticed that one of my love languages is physical touch. From past events, I don't feel like I have worth unless a man wants to kiss me. So I am going to take that away this year. I have decided not to kiss anyone in the year of 2013. I think it will be good. It will challenge others to pursue me on different levels and it will challenge me to trust God and put my life in his hands.

Challenge? Maybe. Yes. Challenge accepted.

Toenails Are For Sissies

It was only 10AM and I had already run 9 miles, gone swimming for an hour and taught a cycle class. Just a typical day in the life of Ashlee.

My workouts have become a little more aggressive and time consuming. Three-four workouts a day on top of my classes. Yesterday on my easy run, my quads and calves could feel the effects of two hard runs prior that week. Sunday afternoon, I ran a timed 5k with Chad. Chad is one of the coolest guys I know and I'm really glad I've gotten to know him more through our workouts. He has such an incredible story and it is amazing what he and his wife are able to accomplish with four kids under the age of four. We met on the track around 3PM, right after I had eaten a giant burrito with Amy (knowing fully well I would feel nauseous during the test). After warming up, Jason had Chad and me line up at the waterfall and off we went. Three miles plus some. No big deal, right? But it was.

I started with a 7:00 mile. No problem. Then I lost everything. There was no digging deeper because there was no dirt left to dig into... it was all cement. All I wanted to do was pull off to the side and vomit. I could feel the amazingly-delicious-at-the-time burrito bouncing around threatening to take its second breath of life. Dig a little deeper when you think you can't dig no more. Okay, Jason Aldeen... I'll try. I checked my watch. I had slowed to an 8:00 pace. Ouch. Chad lapped me. Ouch. Just one more mile. Stay down, lunch. Stay down.

I finished in 23:24. Not so good. I need to shave 6:07 off of that and run another 3.1 miles at that pace if I want to finish first in February.

So, I lost my fifth toenail this week... but it doesn't even look like it because it's so callused. You know you're a runner when... PS you're welcome for the lovely image. 

That night, after work, I went to the pool to swim. I had forgotten that the pool closes early on Sunday, but the lifeguard allowed me to swim for 10:00 before he had to take off for the evening (I had to do a little flirting to get an extra 2:00, of course). 550 meters... better than nothing, I guess

Monday was an easy day and I didn't try to push on any of my workouts.

Rusty gave me some grief for not running with the group last Saturday, so I woke up early Tuesday morning to meet up with them. After warming up for 20:00, he asked me what my 5k time was. I told him 23:24 and he informed me that my warm-up was the same pace as my 5k time. He told me to run 3 sets of 2x400's at 1:48 with 1x800 at 3:37. The first two sets felt fine, but the last set was on my own and it pretty badly. It felt invigorating, but I definitely knew I was getting a good workout.

After cooling down on the track, I taught a cycle class. "Wow," a triathlete in my class said. "I hate cycle classes, but that was so fun! I'm going to come back again!" I finished the workout with 1850 yards in the pool. Halfway through my swim, aqua aerobics began. Something about the older people getting in the water gives it a funny consistency. I'm not joking; honestly, I wish I was. The water is a little thicker and tastes like strong perfume and urine. I forced myself to push through it. Since a class was in session, only one lane was open. A man with a snorkel was enjoying the second half of my lane. Then a third man joined. He was a strong swimmer, so I didn't mind circle swimming too much (one of the things I dislike most about the pool), but when a fourth man joined, the lane seemed a little crowded. With only 300 meters to go, I forced myself to stick around and finish strong, then I rinsed off and headed home.

That evening, I rode my bike to work. The weather was crisp and it was an easy and quick ride. Unfortunately, it is dark when I get off of work. It's not the smartest idea to bike home in the dark, but I wore my reflective gear and a headlamp. During one portion of the ride, I heard something rustling in a nearby bush and I swear I have never peddled so quickly in my life. Of course, I was met by a ditch while going all out speed and that was a little nerve racking, but I caught myself and corrected my wheel, making it home safely. Don't worry, Dad.. I took my knife and pepper spray. I was a good girl.

Wednesday was another busy day workout wise. I woke up late and allowed myself to stay in bed and read Drea's blog while cuddling with Scofield and laughing at texts being exchanged with my new friend Micah. When I finally stretched and leaped across the room over my mess, I threw on a swimsuit and headed out to the pool. Of course, I was dreading getting in the water, so I stopped by Peet's and got a cappuccino instead. I sat outside of the gym for a good 10:00, sipping the warm froth and texting Micah. I tried to give myself a pep talk; You can do this, Ash. There aren't too many people here. Just get it done and you can go home to shower before class. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish. 

The lanes were packed, but I found room in the slow lane and eased my way into the water. Let's do this. I warmed up for 350m then started my first 12:00 swim with flippers. At the end, I had traveled 650m. When I came up for a 2:00 break and ten seconds before it was time to begin my second 12:00 without fins, a cute French woman wanted to have a conversation. We spoke for awhile and I finally told her I had to return to my training. After 12:00, I added another 575m to my total. The woman introduced me to her male French friend who I was sharing my lane with. He informed me that I was much too fast to be swimming in the slow lane. I tried to convince him he was wrong, but as I looked around, I realized he was right... I think my swimming skills have slightly matured and I'm ready for the next level. I guess that's a good sign, right?

My skin is super sensitive due to a second degree sunburn I got when I was in high school. When I swim, my goggles always leave a mark and they last until early afternoon... yeah, really attractive. So I wore my awkward goggle eyes to the next gym to teach Power Cycle. There were three new members in class and they all seemed a bit hesitant, but excited to try something new. I made the class a little easier than normal, but by the end, everyone (including myself) was literally drenched in sweat. I swear I work my hardest at that gym even though there is no screen telling me my power output. I left feeling super confident about my abilities as an instructor.

Immediately after cycle, I drove out to my favorite beach for a 4 mile plus easy run.

Later at work, my cousin Jack Coleman came to see me! I ran across to the bike shop and threw my arms around him. "Do you greet all your customers that way," a man asked me. It was so great to have my cousin here! We met up with Amy after work and went to Eureka Burger. I don't know why Amy and I like to eat huge meals before my hard workouts, but we both ordered the fig burger. Jack ordered last; "I'll have the steak salad," he told the waitress. Thanks for making us look bad, Jack.

Jack and Amy came to Pure Awesomeness that evening and it was so great to have them there along with all my other friends. I really love my cousin and it was fun watching him struggle through the workout. Growing up, I always felt like I had to impress my cousins. I never felt quite as cool or rebellious as they were. It made my night when after class, Jack came up to me and said, "Wow. That was amazing! I don't know how you do that. I kept looking at you waiting for you to take a break. Over the past two years, you have really been impressing me." Then he said, "Come here, Cuz," and gave me a big, sweaty, smelly hug. It made me feel so great about myself, my accomplishments and my ability. Plus, this morning when we went out to breakfast, he told me about how sore he was. Hehehe.

So that's it. Boring blog post, but that's about all I have been up to. Training is going really well, I'm still turning the boys down and choosing to run instead (will things ever change?), work is perfect... I can't complain. I saw a chiropractor for my shoulder today and, after a lot of cracking noises, I think he opened me up a bit. I'm going to test that out during my swim later this evening. It felt good during cycle class today though!

Muy Bonita

I have this friend named Nani. Yeah, she's pretty much the coolest person I know. No matter what time of day it is or where I am, when I am on the phone with Nani, I am smiling.

For some reason, people really like my smile. That is the number one thing I get complimented on, second being my butt (Laura upon hearing about the National Age Group Championship: "Girl! I told you that butt was gonna get you places!").

Last Saturday, before the REI garage sale, I gave Nani a little jingle jangle as I walked over to my favorite local coffee shop. I had parked my car at Matt's house and was walking the 4 blocks from there. I strolled down the street without a care in the world, elated to be talking to my Nani-meister.

Allow me to paint the picture for you: It's a chilly Saturday morning and I am bundled up in my new red flannel and my black Patagonia jacket. I've got my Lucky jeans and Toms on... nothing special. The air was brisk as I laughed into my green and yellow phone (Go Ducks!). Two cars pulled up to the stop sign across the street from me. The man in the first car waved to me.

"Hmm... I don't know that car," I think to myself. "It must be a client."

I give a slight wave back and continue on my way. The man in the car behind the first waves to me as well. Again, I wave back despite not recognizing the vehicle. The man pulls to the side of the road and waves me over. Though I am hesitant, I think he must need directions, so I walk toward the car, keeping a slight distance between my body and the car door.

The driver smiles at me and asks me my name.

"Oh... maybe he takes my cycle classes and can't remember my name," I ponder on the thought.

He asks if I speak Spanish.

"No."

He tells me I am muy bonita.

I must have heard him incorrectly. Is he really hitting on me and telling me I'm beautiful after I said I don't know Spanish?

"What," I ask.

"Muy bonita," he says.

I blush and laugh, thanking him kindly.

He proceeds to ask me if I have a boyfriend.

"Yes," I lie. "I do."

"Ohhh," he sighs, disappointment showing on his face. "Can I get your number?"

"No," I shoot back.

"No?" he asks.

"No."

And I walk away laughing my head off.

That's the end of my story. Happy Friday!

Things To Do When I Get Rich

Last year was by far the best New Years ever... but this was a close second.

Fresh snow, crisp mountain air, incredible friends, deep conversations: These were all included in my three day trip to Lake Tahoe.

View on my morning run. This is where Tucker lives. I hate him.

On New Years morning, I woke up to Tucker asking where my keys were so he could move Sweet Baby Sam (or Sammy, as he refers to "her"). Sleepily, I braved the cold air of the bedroom and threw the flannel blanket off to give him a big hug before he took off for work. I couldn't fall back asleep, but I was too cold to get out from the covers a second time, so I laid huddled in a ball for another half hour before I finally decided to run into town for coffee. Running in the ice is not the easiest thing, but I found if you keep running and don't slow down, your shoes won't slide as much, so it kept me going. When I arrived in town, I got coffee and called Nani to wish her a happy new year. We talked for half an hour as I looked out at the perfect crystal blue lake. I could not have asked for a better way to spend the first half of 2013. Later, Matt and I grabbed bagels and went snowboarding at Alpine. Hardly anyone was out, so I felt like every run I took was fresh and untouched. After boarding, Matt, Tucker and I headed over to South Lake Tahoe for dinner and drinks with Katy, Maria, Ben and Grylls.

SOAR reunion #mostamazingpeopleiknow

As I sat by the fire at Maria's house last night, she told me about their "Things to do when we have $$" list. It included simple things, such as get candles, to more complex things, such as visit Berkley. I began thinking about my bucket list, which includes the following items: Live in Switzerland for at least 3 months, write a novel, pay off my school loans and live simply for one year. Then I thought about the goals Sophie gave me before she left Wyoming: Visit North Carolina, write three beautiful notes of encouragement and leave them inside random books in a bookstore, sing Gold on the Ceiling as loud as you can in an elevator and submit at least one piece of your writing to a newspaper. Most importantly was the goal: Learn how to whistle.

Well, it is 2013, which is an opportunity to set new goals, big and small. I was listening to a worship song on my drive home with the verse, "There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning". I cannot say 2012 was painful, but I can say that 2013 holds the promise of joy. So, here are some of my goals for 2013; some are big, some are small, all are doable. I cannot guarantee that these will all be checked off my list by December 31st of next year, but I can guarantee that I will try my darndest to make these goals become a reality.

1. Save up to visit/move to New Zealand

My Poppy constantly encouraged me to visit New Zealand. I would always tell him I wanted to move to Australia for college and he would say, "Ashlee, I think you should go to New Zealand. Here is a magazine with pictures of New Zealand. You would like it." I think he was right; I would like it. This past weekend at Tucker's, I met a girl named Amanda who is so fun and outgoing. She agreed to move to New Zealand with me. I have talked about this for years and it has yet to happen. At home, I have a bank shaped like a whale and I put all of my spare change into it. So far, I have saved over $300 for New Zealand, but I know I need A LOT MORE before my dream becomes I reality. My goal this year is to never spend spare change and to try to use cash to pay for things more so I can save up to go to NZ.


2. Visit Tahoe at least once more before the season is over

As soon as my board hit the snow, I remembered why I loved snowboarding. Just like running, snowboarding is an individual sport. It's just you and the mountain. There is so much peace found on the mountain. I am constantly challenged physically and mentally and I enjoy that feeling. I want to get back out there to see my friends and to hit the slopes again. Also, I would like to try skiing again.


3. Write notes of encouragement to my friends on a regular basis

Matt mentioned that he admired the way I treat my friendships. He said he could tell my friends were important to me. I'm really glad that is noticeable to other people. It is so important to remind people why they mean so much to you. Admiration shouldn't be reserved for birthdays and holidays; the people who are important to you should be reminded of their worth constantly. I want to do this through beautiful handwritten notes made with love. They will all be handwritten, handcrafted and (if possible) hand-delivered. Sophie will be receiving the very first one. I already have the design in my head.

4. Complete all of the things on Sophie's list

1. Visit North Carolina
2. Write three beautiful notes of encouragement and leave them inside random books in a bookstore
3. Sing Gold on the Ceiling as loud as you can in an elevator
4. Submit at least one piece of my writing to a newspaper
5. Dance in the rain
6. Eat something cooked in bacon grease (this one I don't think I will ever do... Sorry, Sophie- no desire to accomplish this one.)
7. Help an old lady carry groceries to her car
8. Read Wild: Lost and Found on the PCT
9. Take a picture of three different cashiers and send them to her (I have to be in the picture with them)
10. Learn how to whistle

5. Hike the Pacific Crest Trail

I already have friends I want to do this with. It is going to happen. Summer 2013! Grylls, Sabrina, Amanda--> let's go!

6. Live simply for a year

I own a lot of junk. I want to de-junktify my life. I only want to own things I need. If any of you are good at organizing and willing to help me get rid of stuff, please help!!! I only want the necessities.

7. Run every day of the year

Even if it's only for 20 minutes.

8. Draw closer to Christ

Through prayer, meditation, reading, worship, the people I surround myself with, etc. I want to read more books by Francis Chan and I would like to meet with Lisa, Lara and Paige on a more regular basis. A couple of my friend and I have been having a lot of conversations about religion lately and it is causing me to really solidify the reasons why I believe in God and how I want that to affect my lifestyle. I think living more simply will be a result of this as well as a huge challenge.

9. Get more sleep

That is a start.

Thank you to my wonderful friends for a perfect start to 2013.

Matt, thank you for putting up with my quirkiness for three days straight and for driving all the way to Tahoe with me.

Rachael, thank you for staying up so late just to see me and catch up on life.

Tucker, thank you for your amazing hugs and for always being you.

Grylls, thank you for being my best friend; I love you more than the SSS and FTKs love hot cocoa.

Maria, thank you for your sweet spirit and cheery smile. I always feel so encouraged around you.

Katy, thank you for your excellent approach to life. I want to be more like you in so many ways.

I love you all! I hope to see you again soon!

4 pound gnar burger that Tucker, Matt and Dave shared while I ate my salad like a good athlete

Yes, yes, yes, yes- please, Sir, may I have some more?