The Conundrum

Happy birthday, Jessica!

Peas in a pod. D'awww

Love you!

You're the best little sister anyone could ever ask for! From giving me attention when I'm being annoying to eating/craving delicious foods with me at all hours of the day to getting hyper in the middle of the night, I'm so glad that we're best friends. I hope you have a great birthday week (that's right my family pulls the birthday card for a whole 7 days)!

***

So now that the mud run is over, I'm trying to figure out what to do with myself. In order to get my butt up enjoy working out, I need some sort of goal to keep me motivated.

So, I've decided that I want to run an actual 5k. While the mud run was a little longer--and I imagine harder--than a 5k race, I want to experience running a more typical running race. Plus, hopefully I will be running an average of 3 miles or more whenever I run until then. 

I know you're thinking "Oh no, not another one" too. Yes another one! Let's see some enthusiasm :)

Right now I'm deciding between two different races: LA's Cancer Challenge 5k/10k Halloween race or the Santa Monica 5000 5k/10k race.

Ideally I would love to do the Halloween race (it's on the 30th of October) with a friend, but I'm not sure how many people are going to want to get up early on the Sunday morning of Halloween weekend. Definitely not most college students (including me). The Santa Monica 5000 is on October 2, but then I don't get to wear a costume when I run. I'm not joking that is a major con in my book. I still want the run to actually be fun. Ugh, dilemmas. Any thoughts?

Until I set that goal in stone, my future workout schedule for the week is going to include my free 3 day pass to Spectrum gym that I won at a fair. Since I haven't been able to step inside a gym all summer, I'm super excited to go to some sort of workout classes. I'm feeling like trying out Zumba. That is if my legs recover tomorrow because I can barely walk today when my dad and I took the dog around the neighborhood.

I also want to try the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout video I got with my Border's gift card. Seeing as how I am in love with her and need want to work on strength training, I am pumped to try it out sometime soon. 

Oh hey, girl. Can I have your abs/arms/legs/smirk? Please?

PS I'm also hardcore craving watermelon and iced coffee. Even though I'm not a caffeine type of girl (an odd healthy trait I actually naturally possess), I feel like I might be making a rare trip to Starbucks soon. And an even more exciting expedition that will end with me a watermelon and a spoon. Nom. 

So there are all my goals for now! And of course my food desires (speaking of which check out these cupcakes from Connie...now that brings food desire to a whole new level).  Now, I'm off to bed!

Mud Run!

I ran my first race! Today, I completed the Irvine Lake Mud Run--a 3.5 mile race (it was over a 5k and under 4 miles) that contained countless obstacles.

I was on a 4 person co ed team with Scott, Ali (my running buddy that I've mention a billion times on here:), and her boyfriend Grant. Also known as Team JAGS (Julia, Ali, Grant, Scott). None of us have ever had any experience in running events (besides high school track a few years ago), so the experience was really new to us. Which means Ali and I we were really nervous.

The great thing about the Mud Run was that everyone was just running for fun. There was no way to know your times (well, know them easily... I heard you could look online), and your team had to finish the race locking arms. Meaning that the guys had to stay at our pace ;)

I had SO much fun! One thing that surprised me was actually how muddy we got (you would think the term mud run would have given that one away) and how difficult the run was. I did not account for how heavy tennis shoes are when they are completely caked in mud. The run was really physically challenging for me, but with the exception of walking through water stations and a quick break during a hellish stretch, we ran the whole time.
Also, I thought it was interesting how the majority of the obstacles (and all of the mud pits) were at the beginning and end of the race. Within the first minute of the race, we were already knee deep in mud, and setting out on countless obstacles (like tires and wood fences) that were ahead of us. However, the majority of mile 2 was just a really hot, dry stretch (did I mention it was 80 degrees?) that felt like trudging with all the mud drying on us. The end of the run was really fun with tons of mud pits and obstacles. My favorite was definitely army crawling through the mud.

After the race, we took our after pictures, and went to get cleaned off. The lines for the showers was super long, so we decided just to get hosed off instead. And by hosed off I mean hit with two high pressure hoses by two guys standing above the horde of muddy runners. That little experience on its own was actually a really fun part of the experience.

I'll probably go into more detail about today when the professional pictures from the race go up, but for now here are some of my pictures from today. I particularly love the before and after ones.

Before

Starting out super clean

Showing off how ready we are for the mud run (yes I'm super short and squatting)

Team JAGS!

After

Team JAGS after the run

This picture is ridiculous. I have never been more dirty in my life.

I feel so proud and exhilarated that I ran the mud run today. It was a lot of fun, and I'm very happy. I'm also very sore already. My legs are killing me.

I would love to do it again in the future, and was super lucky to have such good friends to run it with.

Love from a Muggle

I finally saw the last Harry Potter movie. After growing up with them, reading all the books (multiple times), seeing all the movies, and obsessing over the characters, I can't believe it's finally over.

The movie was amazing. I laughed, and I cried a lot. At everything. Scott was very impressed.

Plus, Ron and Hermione are adorable. You guys know I obsess over love Ron Weasley.

I feel like Harry Potter deserved a post of its own. 

But on a more blog related topic, I have my mud run tomorrow! I'm super nervous, so wish me luck! 

Gush about Harry Potter √ Mention how nervous I am for tomorrow √ I think I've about covered it for tonight. See you tomorrow!

Coconut-Raspberry Thumbprint

I think my siblings are conspiring. After my last unusual inspiration to bake, they decided to undertake a baking expedition of their own.

But you know I have to talk about my run(s) first. Yesterday, I met up with my friend Sarah to go for a run around the golf course. We ended up running the uphills and walking the downhills and straights. Which was actually fun because during the runs she always pushes me (imagine if Jillian Michaels was your best friend) and then talk the whole time we walk.

Today, I had a really disappointing run. Ali and I ran only for about 20 minutes, but the whole time I felt gross and just heavy. It was not an energizing run that I felt good after at all instead I felt out of shape. I guess it was just one of those days. On the bright side, it was an absolutely gorgeous place we were running. It was right along the cliffs and the turn around point was by a cute light house.

Ok so this was off google image but shhh...

I'm hoping tomorrow's run feels better than today did.

Anyway, my brother and sister decided they were going to make coconut raspberry thumbprint cookies. So while they got all excited making the cookie dough, I just relaxed and did my own thing and snuck bites of cookie dough. Their excitement diminished the second they got to the boring, making the actual cookie dough ball part. Where of course they left all the work to me...I cry conspiracy. Especially since I was not planning on dessert tonight. 

It's a good thing they were delicious. Like very delicious. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the flour, coconut, baking soda, and salt together. In another bowl beat the butter and sugar together until it's fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Then, beat in the dry ingredients at a medium low speed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes (aka the point where the siblings abandoned the cookies). 

Roll the dough into balls and bake them for 14 minutes. After 14 minutes take out them and press little dents in the middle of the cookies and bake for 5 more minutes. Let cookies cool.

Putting jelly on them

And enjoy!