Training

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“64x2x5″

400m run, warmup

64 pull-ups
64 box jumps
64 sit ups
64 squats
64 burpees

Repeat x 2 — partner workout

Ok – I was a little nervous about the pull-ups. Since I uh, I’ve never done any (and yeah, I’ve tried). But I could do jump-ups, which were allowed — and I did them, all. So that was pretty cool. I did the box jumps, easily (to be fair, it was a little box). When I’m at the gym doing box jumps, boxes are about double the height, but I don’t usually do them as fast (but that’s the idea, competing). When you’re working to prove yourself to your new partner, you’re pretty motivated to keep a fast pace (especially since she looked a little scared, after I told her this was my first crossfit class).

We crushed the weighted team sit ups (we were only using a 10# plate — again, I’m doing these at the gym, but with 45#).  Same with the squats — killed it. This is where I was actually much faster than my partner. I helped pick up the slack here, after struggling a bit with the pull-ups (especially 2nd round) — she picked up my slack there. I could’ve done all the squats, for the both of us (you had to make up whatever your partner couldn’t do — that’s how the team exercises worked). Didn’t even hurt.

The burpees killed me. Dirty, sweaty, dead. Still got through ‘em. Didn’t slack on my share. But — dead. In the good way though. Seriously dirty though, throwing yourself on the ground 64 times. I had to take a shower when I got home; somehow dirt got all up under my clothes? –  haha! Funny sight. Cleavage dirt. Was pretty impressive, really.

Summary? Loved it. An hour working out, hard, with about 20 bad-ass, tough chicks. And I held my own. We were the second team to finish, and it was super fun. You’re encouraging/encouraged by everyone else — but you’re also competing against them (and yourself, and the clock). And — I’ve been missing that. Friendly, healthy competition. To push yourself, see what you’re capable — to prove yourself, and to show off, when you’ve been working really hard putting in all this effort! Shit — you get to see what all this new muscle actually can do. I’ve been working it, all by my damn self — and finally, I can tell the difference. I rocked that workout. It felt natural.

I’m really good at competing. I’m super competitive, by nature. If you didn’t know that, you’ve really missed out on a great side of me (it’s not the crazy-mean kind — it’s the crazy-fun kind). Now I have an outlet. I’ve been training for this moment. I’m in love. And oh, also — I think someone beat me up overnight. Or maybe I got hit by a truck? Not sure which. Dang. Feels good to be sore like this though, like you did something right! Yeah, excited. So fun to be excited about something new. Happy girl!

What Does This Box Do..?

 

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Ha – well hey, neat.

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(I’ll take the praise, compliments, and confessions of love & adoration too, of course).

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Countdown – 1 Week

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One more week — until next Friday, the day we leave. Then you won’t hear from me, until the following week.. if I ever come back. There’s a good possibility, you know. I could live a happy life, somewhere on a beach.

Counting In Years

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This year, my best friend Caitlyn will get married. She’ll be 27. She met Patrick the same year I met Lee, and they’ve been together just as long. This was in 2004. I was 19 years old, and she was 18. I ran away with Lee right after I turned 20. I was married by 22.

Do you know how long it’s been since 2004? 9 years.

It is 3287 days from the start date to the end date, but not including the end date

Or 9 years excluding the end date

Alternative time units

3287 days can be converted to one of these units:

• 283,996,800 seconds
• 4,733,280 minutes
• 78,888 hours
• 469 weeks (rounded down)

That’s pretty crazy. Mostly, because when you break it down, 9 years doesn’t seem like that long. Only x days. Real units of time. Weeks, and mornings, and weekends, and summers. Nine Christmas eves — 7 great vacations, 18 combined birthday parties. When you start counting in years, makes it seem like a unit of time hard to understand. It lumps it all together, in ways that make you forget the smaller pieces. It’s hard to explain. I like seeing it this way, better.

Do you know what happens after 9 years — these years, after you’ve met someone, when you were nearly just a child to begin with? A lot. And those two simple words couldn’t explain it enough. You change — a lot. You change as a person. You grow up, while you’re in a relationship with another person, who is also growing up. You’re learning how to be an adult, with this other person, who also has no idea. And when you are done growing up, when you finally start feeling like an adult – you are both very different people. Different than it was when you were still just teenagers. You’ve changed. And you don’t necessarily expect it. You don’t intend to change who you are, even after all these years.

When you’re 19, you already feel pretty grown up. You’re making all the decisions for yourself. You’ve been working for nearly 5 years, you are supporting yourself and paying your bills. You’re even legally able to make big decisions, like quitting school and moving out of state. Without anyone’s permission, even! But you don’t know very much at all. You don’t know anything about yourself. You don’t know what you like, or want. And it’s not your fault — you don’t know, because you’re still so new. You’re not supposed to know yet. But it’s difficult; to find out about yourself, when you’ve already promised yourself to another. You miss the opportunity to know yourself, first. They don’t know you’re going to change, later. They don’t know they’re going to change, either.

And then when you are changing, and still growing up, it’s so gradual that you can’t really tell, not all at once. It takes time. You’re older, all of a sudden, and one day you’ll know. You’ll be able to tell, what you want, and don’t want. You’ll know what you like, and don’t like. You’ll have finally earned the experience to know the difference. And it’ll be hard to say something, or do something, because that’s something you have to learn how to do, also. It’ll be hard, because it’s not just you growing, and it’s not just your wants and likes and dislikes. You made this really huge promise, a really long time ago. You’re supposed to figure it out together. Nobody explains this to you, when you’re 19. You think everything is very romantic. And it is.

It’s during this gradual time, the time when you haven’t quite yet realized that you’ve changed yet — that’s when counting years gets tricky. You don’t want to lump all that time together like that. You want it all to count. You don’t want to look back and say — “Well, those years sure went by fast, without me even noticing. Did you notice? Did you change? Cause I feel like I’ve changed.” It’s scary, to do that. It’s terrifying, to feel that.

And that is where I’m at, today.

Caitlyn is marrying Patrick, after dating for nearly 9 years. I’m still married, after all that same time. I wonder if things would be any different, with scenarios swapped. I wonder if things would be different at all.

 

No Reason

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I’m feeling pretty good this morning. Pretty funny, even. I got very little sleep — woke up even earlier to finish the cupcakes I didn’t start until 10:30pm last night, I’m only a few sips into my first cup of coffee, and all of those facts might be contributing towards my somewhat silly feeling this morning. But I’m happy — and so happily willing to take a silly mood. Yes. I’ll take it.

So I made Lemon raspberry cupcakes — they’re just perfect for spring & summer, my mom asked me to make them so I get those points (eh, points) and they turned out great. Seriously one of my favorite recipes – it’s the same I use for margarita cupcakes too, just sub the lime & tequila for lemon. So good.

I’m listening to some great music. I’ve got a great playlist going on. Not even sick of it yet! I’ll give it another week or so haha, but a lot of new artists, plus some of the crap I listen to on XM and put on my iPod for working out — overall, pretty pleased! Plus I upgraded to Spotify premium — oh yeah, I have rich blood. Feelin’ pretty fancy, getting it on my phone, AND no ads. Oooh. Yeah.

I’m tan. No wait — burnt. Cause I burned myself yesterday. My face. I even have funny little face lines. It’ll fade, but it was a surprise to wake up to this morning. It was kinda more like a test anyway — washed my face before tanning, and didn’t reapply sunscreen. Had it coming! The rest of me? More tan than I’ve ever been. My friends? Probably won’t be able to tell. Hahaha. Psh. I can tell.

Umm.. today is Thursday, so maybe I’m in a good mood cause tomorrow is Friday? — which is when we’re celebrating my birthday with my family; then Saturday is my 28th bday! Yikes. But this weekend should be fun. Not to mention, it’s the LAST weekend before vacation. That’s something to get excited about, right there. I am excited, already. Of course. Birthday is incidental. Just nice timing, to already be excited. Bonus good.

New hair, as of yesterday! Love it! Lightened up a little bit for summer — I’d been sporting a shade darker than my natural color anyway, and I’m trying to get back to a closer brunette, not so dark for my skin (usually white, today– pink). We put in some caramel highlights, and I’m really pretty pleased about it. Love this girl, anyway. Going to crossfit with her tonight. Will let you know how that feels, tomorrow.

Speaking of workouts — loving the gym again. My month of yoga expired, but really I only miss yoga for the time I got to spend with the girls. I’m way more into working out by myself, upstairs — w/ my medicine ball, box jumps, ab routines, etc — late at night. It’s my time to unwind and de-stress; I hardly see anyone (if at all); when my iPod dies, I can play music on my phone w/o bothering anyone; plus, bonus — my routine is awesome, kicks my ass. I feel pretty tough. Yesterday I added a few new things, since I’d left my phone at home.. different variations on squats and lunges, some new abs I’d seen online. Verdict? Sore today — so, considering that a success. I’m going to have to come up w/ a workout plan for vacation — after the past 5 months, I’m going to have a hard time taking off 8 days. We’ll see.

And last thought for today.. my ring. I let it soak in Windex overnight, a trick another friend said she does — and it looks amazing this morning, just like she said! I’ll keep doing it. Sparkley. Oooh.