177 days to go - Runyon Rundown

Yesterday's trail route.

RT about 3 miles ish.

178 days to go

A Sunday morning planned workout with Erika turned into a impromptu morning hike with Shannon! Erika had been called into work, and I jumped on the opportunity to catch up with Shannon for a post-Xmas christmas exchange coffee! Shannon told me to keep my workout clothes on and we'd head for a hike.

I said YES (before I gave myself a chance to make excuses and say no.) I let Shannon do all the picking of intensities cause left to my own devices, would have probably opt for a short walk around the block :) (hey, at least I know myself!)

We went to Runyon Canyon... and so did all of Los Angeles. But who could blame them?! It is a gorgeous day! Clear as anything! I could see the Pacific Ocean clearly! Culver City, Downtown. It truly is the perfect Sunday.

Shannon and I greeted all the pups that came our war... and there were a TON. And since I was wearing the wrong type of pants for hiking, ended up stripping down to my sports bra (ahhhh! - a first) and thick sweaty sweat pants!

For your optical own safety, I did NOT include a front shot of my stomach. But instead have provided a drawing...

I was thrilled ... when the hike was over, naturally, but very pleased to have gotten some exercise in.

181 days to go - a WHOLE lot of Food!

On Wednesdays at Whole Foods, their phenomenal salad bar selection is on sale. Instead of $7.99 per pound, its only 5.99 per pound!

I know, not CHEAP, but the selection of yummy food is outrageous! The greens, the grains and the ethnic fare is fun and always changing. Never to be tired of the same bars. Last night, I was treated to some chicken masala and a make your own pho soup bar!!!

It was so much fun. And I love to eat, so anything to make the whole thing more entertaining... I'm a kid in a candy store!

Healthy options that don't cost and arm and a leg (cause I'll need those for hiking Half Dome) that I don't have to cook myself is FANTASTIC in my book!

182 days to go

I feeling the pain from yesterday's work out. YAY.

I'm also feeling the pain because I have recently learned that I have yet another obsticle to overcome... no, not the 16 miles of hiking... up hill both ways (haha)

Yosemite has now put permit requirements for anyone who summits Half Dome, 7 days a week. Last year, they were required for people who summitted on Fridays, Saturday, Sundays and holidays.

So what this means for me is, I need to wake up AGAIN early, on a specific day in May to try to secure enough permits for my group... Last year, these sold out in 7 minutes... Another crappy crapshoot is... if it rains, and I have to stall my climb. It's advised that NO ONE should summit Half Dome if its raining, or if a thunderstorm is coming through.

I'm not sure how that will work. Besides... praying. I hope to get my hands on permits. I guess I'll just to have act as if I got them, and start my hiking!

Here is the press release if anyone wants to read it!

http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/hdpermits3.htm

183 days to go ... I'm back!!!!

I text confirmed with Erika last night, silently hoping she would NOT be available for my first day back since before the holidays... no such luck. She was free as a bird!

I silently hoped that when my alarm went off at 5:45 am this morning that there would be a text from Erika saying she was too hung over to make it over to

the park... no such luck.

I was all layered up, complete with a set of thermal undershirt and pants and when I arrived at the park... it was still dark. I can't believe how many people were already there. I mean, not a TON, but there were people there.

First up, jogging. 2 times around the field. Blah. My heart was pounding by the first stretch, but I was treated to an amazingly beautiful sunrise in while running East. Fine, I'll take whatever beauty I can muster up at 6:30 am... just knowing the husband was warm in bed, snoring away and I... huffing and puffing!

It was an arms day! I'm officially on the pretty sunshine yellow 10 pound free weights. I'm gonna feel some muscles tomorrow!

I am contemplating bringing my new little camera that i got for Christmas to the work outs. I mean, who doesn't enjoy my drawings, but my talents with a pencil only go so far!

I borrowed this photo from my friend Jodi's facebook wall today... this is what I was running with... pretty amazing!

Hike up Fryman Canyon

My buddy Andrea invited me on a hike on Saturday. It ended up being perfect cause Erika has other plans, so my normal Saturday workout was postponed.

We went to Fryman Canyon which... is the first place pretty much that I ever hiked in California. I went with my friend Shannon, YEARS ago. And is a really great relaxing not TOO hard, not TOO easy hike. Likes of greenery. Lots of puppies on leashes. And at the end, you travel down a road which I am told houses both Teri Hatcher and George Clooney (the only man I would leave my husband for).

While Andrea and I were at a nice incline, our hearts pumping... something happened that made our heart pump 1000x hider... we came upon a RATTLESNAKE!

He/she was tinyish. And only partially on the well traveled dirt path. I could see its rattle sitting in the grass. This was only the second time that I've seen a snake in the wild while on a hike. It was a first for Andrea. I grabbed on to her to stop her from moving, but only freaked her out more as she jumped in the direction of the slithery guy!

We jumped to the other side of the path, alerting the pair of friends who were just a couple feet away from us with their dog of our findings. We scurried away, certainly taking notice of our elevated heart rate. But I really enjoyed spending some much needed Girly Talk time with Andrea, AND breaking a sweat. Especially since it was a GORGEOUS day in Los Angeles.

"I forgot to bring my rope"

So, I'm back in the swing of things knowing that at any moment life will throw me a curve ball and mess up my schedules and routines, but that's life.

I've been working 1 on 1 with Erika as our group has sadly disintegrated. I hate change. Tammy felt that Erika was not violent enough and started taking up krav maga where she boasts "I learned how to break a dude's thumb last night."

Kazeem has opted to spend his freer time with his kids... lame. :)

And then there was me. Which is FINE, except Erika has nothing else to look at but MY struggling face in pain which leaves me feeling VERY self-conscious. I'm working on learning how to not care :)

Never trust a girl who starts off a session with "I forgot to bring my rope". She improvised and used her jacket... which could have used a stretch, and got one.

She wrapped the sweatshirt around my waist and told me to run as fast as I could... while she held me back with her own straight and friction from the rug! It was really to witness. Thankfully... no one was there to witness.