Training Update

We are now a few weeks into training for our upcoming 5k and we are feeling pretty good about it. We are doing most of it together and are enjoying the time that we get to spend together while doing it. Here is a glimpse of what our schedule looks like.

Monday: Training with our fabulous trainer, Dani. I have been working with her for about a year and a half and Dan has recently joined us. I really enjoy having him there with me, especially when I can kick his butt!
Tuesday: This is our midweek run day. We are slowing increasing each week to make 3 miles for our 5k in a month. Dan has also researched training programs, which will tell us how much we are going to run each week in preparation for the race.
Wednesday: Rest.
Thursday: Workout of our choosing. Dan will probably be doing a long bike ride or an Insanity video and I will be doing Pilates. The studio I have been going to has a stretch based class on Thursdays and it is wonderful!
Friday: Swim Day! I am so glad to have this in our routine! I grew up swimming and even taught swim lessons in high school, so it is one of my most favorite things to do. Dan has not been so confident about it, but has really stepped up and is doing great. When we did our first swim a few weeks ago after not swimming for a few years it was so AMAZING!
Saturday: This will be our long run day. Right now the runs will be the same length as the Tuesday runs, but as we work towards the marathon, the Saturday distances will increase.
Sunday: Rest or fun exercise day. This could be a run or bike ride on the beach or a hike through Daley Ranch.

We are really enjoying our training so far, and loving doing it together. This is all to reach the goal of running the Grape Day 5k on September 7th. We would love to have people join us for the race! So sign up today before the cost goes up in August!

Humbled by the 5k

Not even 24 hours after I wrote the blog about our Bucket List did Dan begin surfing the internet for 5ks as well as training programs. We decided that we would give the Grape Day 5k a try as it is local and the race is in September, which would give us enough time to prepare. Dan then got extremely gung-ho and found several more races for us to tackle. No, not other 5ks, that would be too easy! He found a 10k on Thanksgiving, a 15k in January, a half marathon in March and then the ultimate goal of completing the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego on May 31, 2014. While we have signed up for the 5k, we are going to wait at least a few weeks to see how running works for us, but we are definitely planning to sign up! If you would like to join us for any of the races, please do!

As I mentioned, in addition to signing us up for the 5k, Dan found us a training program for the run (he also found training programs for the other runs as well). Each week you are to run a specified distance three times a week, another three times a week you can run, rest, or do some other exercise, and the the final day of the week you rest. The specific program he found has us start by running 1.5 miles 3 days a week, and then increasing a quarter mile each week for 8 weeks until you are running 3 miles and then you are good to go for the race.

We both haven't run in quite some time, so needless to say I was a little nervous. So we decided to do a trial day this past Sunday where we would give it our best to run 1.5 miles without stopping. Dan wanted to push it and try and push it and run at a pace of 6.5 miles an hour or FASTER. I thought he was crazy and so he agreed we could run at a pace of 6 miles per hour. I was so nervous that I would not be able to make the 1.5 miles since the last time we ran I had to stop (mind you it was 1.5 miles up hill, but that is neither here nor there). However, I felt like I rocked it. My heart rate monitor didn't ever reach the point where it was beeping (when I reach my max heart rate), and I felt totally in control the entire time.  In fact, I felt like I could run longer! I was so proud of myself and on cloud nine.

Monday we saw our trainer for our usual butt kicking session, and I still felt great. For our next 1.5 mile we decided to go run at the Strand, which is a road right next to the beach. This past Saturday when we did our bike ride to the beach, Dan measured .75 miles on the Strand, so we would know where the half way point was for our 1.5 mile run. This run was much different. While my heart rate monitor didn't ever beep, I was wiped out! My calves were beyond sore. My entire body was drained! We went home and took a short nap.  I needed it because I had signed up for a Pilates class later that night. By the end of the night my calves were on fire and spirits were down. I felt if I couldn't run 1.5 miles without my legs killing me how could I do a 5k, or 26.2? Dan was very encouraging.  He said we could push our run days around if we needed to and he would not let me give up!

Our next run is planned for tomorrow.  Wish us luck!

East Coast Trip

Shortly after school ended we packed our bags and headed to Connecticut to visit our dear friends Alex and Hetti. We began with a dinner in Boston with my sister who recently moved there, her boyfriend and my Mom who was visiting them.
The first week we were quite active with hiking a hill called Sleeping Giant several times (one day we did it twice!). Dan and Alex even did it again the first weekend while Hetti and I had a girls day with yoga and a picnic int he park.

Hetti and I after Yoga

The view of part of Sleeping Giant.

At the top of Sleeping Giant

We Did do some wine tasting!

Getting ready to taste at Paradise Hills Winery

Out front at Arrigoni Winery

We also spent 2 nights in Boston. The first night the 4 of us wandered around the downtown area seeing sights such as Quincy Market and then concluded our evening with Italian food int he North End. The full day that we were there Dan and Alex drove to New Hampshire to hike Mt. Washington; the tallest mountain in New England. After sleeping in, Hetti and I took several modes of public transportation and found our way to downtown Boston. There we spent the day eating, doing the Duck tour, and walking the Freedom trail. Our trip in Boston concluded the next day with a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery.

Ready for our Journey to begin

Self Explanatory

Dan heading into one of the bars we visited that night

About to enter the north end

Can you tell I am excited for the Duck tour?

At the start of the Freedom trail

On your mark, get set go! Freedom trail here we come!

The donkey of the Republican Party

The USS Constitution. The clouds make for a perfectly spooky picture!

The TD Garden, the final night of the  Stanley Cup

Dan examining the clarity of his Boston Lager. I did not enjoy the beer,

Alex the ever so generous pour master.

The final few days of our trip we spent relaxing with a few outings. Dan Discovered Glee shortly before the trip, so a lot of our down time was spent watching that. We also found out that the Connecticut river valley was once inhabited by dinosaurs and there is a State Park there where tracks were discovered in the 1960's. We spent a few afternoons there, a day at Hammonasset Beach...boy was it hot and sunny!

Dan so excited to touch the skink!

A cutting from a maple tree.

Real live dino tracks!

At the beach!

After our two week trip back east we came home just in time to get an oil change, go to the Del Mar Fair and re-pack our bags to head to Arizona.

We began by visiting my best friend April and her family at their new home in Maricopa. We spent 4th of July with them and watched the fire works from the back yard. The next leg of our Arizona journey took us to Phoenix area to visit one of my college roommates (Lesly) and her boyfriend Dan. Finally, we drove up to Kingman to visit with all of Dan's family that lives there. While I had my camera with me the entire trip...I did not take a single picture. Boo!

Baby Bucket List

A few weeks ago after lamenting to my college girlfriends about our inability to get pregnant, a friend suggested creating a “Baby Bucket List” of sorts to draw our attention away from trying to conceive and towards enjoying every moment of life that God has given us. While I must admit that Dan has been trying to get me to focus more on “living” rather than planning for baby, the thought of making a list with things to check off was something I could grab onto. So I did. That night I went home and began to research what should go on our list. The list is a work in progress, but here is what we have so far:

1. Travel
   a. International
   -Pyramids in Egypt
   -Shakespeare in London
   -Ireland
   -Coast of Croatia
   -Jamaica
   -Our friends' vacation spot in Mexico
   b. Domestic
   -Drive across country
   -Mt. Rushmore
   -New Orleans
   -Alaskan Cruise
   -Vegas...again
2. Camping at the beach
3. Run a 5k, then half and then full marathon   
4. Fly first class  
5. Stay for a few nights at the Hotel Del
6. Cooking class together
7. Trash the dress photo shoot
8. Boxing/self defense class
9. Save 6 months of expenses
10. Rent a limo and go on a wine tour
11.  Better our gardening skills

If you have any ideas of things that we should add…let us know! We will keep you posted on our progress and amendments we make to the list. 

Welcome!

Welcome to our Blog! This blog will have three main components:

1. Musings on what we have learned in our marriage  
2.  Updates on our Baby Bucket list completion 
3.  Random updates on how life is treating us at the moment

Hope you enjoy reading about our journey!