Hello, Again.

Well, I decided I can't commit time to blogging at the moment. Maybe someday, sometime, but right now, I am busy with school and working out. Story of my life. I want to try (again) and post about things that are happening with my life, my adventures, goals, failures, and triumphs. And, while doing so, if you can relate to me, you laugh, smile, or I inspire you, then I am doing exactly what I inteded to do. 

Currently, I have been running. 

Some runs are really good, and others I can not wait until they are over. A friend ask me how I run, that she could never do that. I though about that question, and I answered with this, "there is something about running and not having to stop, to run by the river, or be able to look at the mountains, and know that you can go as far as you'd like. I get the feeling that I did when I would swim continuous laps, I get lost in the moment, listening, looking and smelling all the things that are around me." ( sometimes the views and smells are not pleasant haha) 

To clarify, I am not running a crazy amount, or putting in tons of miles (yet). I am probably running 10-15 miles a week. I will run a couple 3 mile runs, and a 5-6 mile run through the week. I am still nursing a sprained ankle that I got towards the end of January. Seriously, spraining something is THE worst! I would have rather broken it, because then I know I could cast it, let the bone heal, and be back at it, after some therapy and strengthening. With a sprain, it is a guessing game on when it will be better, and just do what I can on the days that it feels good. 

For Christmas, I asked for gift cards so I could get a  Garmin 620,  it was my motivation to get back to training, and a tool to help me reach my goal of running a half-marathon under 2 hours, I am waiting for Nike to announce their raffle/lottery entry for the NWM in San Francisco, in October, this is where I am hoping to reach this goal! Garmin has a few different models, depending on your budget, or what you are looking to do with your training. I love that they sync up with Strava, which is a free running app,  unless you wanted to go premium, but the basic does all that I want/need it to, Strava can be used with iPhone or Android. When you use the app, or log in online you will see a dashboard where you can see friends activity, runs and achievements, and can give them kudos! I love it! 

Other than trying to run at least 3 times a week, I have been doing my CrossFit workouts. The CrossFit OPEN recently finished, I did not sign up for it, I didn't want to spend $20 for to compare myself to others, and see what I couldn't do. Although, now, looking back, I wish I would have. I no longer see it as what I cant do and why should I pay for that? I see it as what I need to work on (even though I knew I would find weaknesses, no matter what).
 I can do handstands!------------------>
Through out the OPEN I got down two movements that I have had told myself I couldn't do, way to go positivity right? I can do single pull ups, working on getting kipping pull ups now! I also learned hand stand push ups,with a plate, I can't quite go down to the ground haha! I am just glad I conquered my fear of being upside down!

After doing the best that I could do with the 5 workouts, looking back I am most proud of my performance on 14.3 and 14.5... They were two workouts that I could do, I felt that they complimented my strengths in different ways. 14.3 was physical strength, getting through 17 reps at 185 dead lifts, and still feeling strong after was something I didnt think that I could achieve.
<--- (these are pics from 14.5, thrusters and burpees for time!)
With 14.5 I was surprised how fast I pushed through the thrusters and burpees. I think that my endurance from running really helped with this workout. I finished in 15:49. Personally, what I learned from the OPEN is that my biggest competition is myself, I need to stop focusing on what everyone else is doing, dig deep, and do the best that I can do.

Other than that, I am staying busy with work and school, but here are a few of my personal tips that I would give to someone who is trying to get back into their normal workout routine after an injury, time off, or a loss of motivation: Take it easy, do what you can, and no matter how sore or tired you are the next day, try to get up and move around. Push that lactic acid around, don't let it hold you back! and drink TONS of water, that always helps!

                                                      Thanks for reading,
                                                         xoxo,


                                                         Tori