July Doldrums

Since it's been such a long time since my last post (my apologies, dedicated readers), I've decided to buck up and give you a rundown of the past few weeks. Here's the recap:

In case you forgot, I went to San Francisco for a weekend getaway the last weekend of June. Although I've been there multiple times, I hadn't been there for about nine years (since my 21st birthday, to be exact). I LOVE this city. Great weather, beautiful, cute neighborhoods, and...HILLS. Yes, we were "overserved" in Napa Valley, and we went to the wharf (UGH! Not my favorite place) for overpriced crab. But...I did get a workout in almost every day, and this includes running the HILLS (these things should be illegal; seriously). I met up with a Saturday morning running group that meets at Club One, a gym at the upscale Fairmont. They were very friendly and the lead trainer gave tons of tips about running in the city. Not only did I meet new people, but I also learned the layout of the city. PERFECT.

While I did not want to leave the land of trolleys, I had to return to Des Moines for the Fourth of July. Luckily, my hill training in San Francisco prepared me for the annual Fourth of July run in a nearby suburb. Before this 5k, my PR was 25:30. I knew I could run faster than that, but I didn't expect to reduce it by much more than a minute and a half. Well, dear readers, yours truly clocked in at 23:30. Although this may be somewhat slow to all of my elite runner-readers, this is fast for a short and stubby girl like me. To celebrate, I went home and watched a little of the Real Housewives of New Jersey (bad, I know), while making a homemade batch of Guinness baked beans for a party. These beans were amazing, I have to admit. They were renamed "sassy beans" at the party; quite fitting, as they did have a kick.

After a long weekend of Fourth of July festivities, I've been focused on hill and strength training. I also started another round of yoga today. So, yoga isn't really something I get excited for, but I always feel great after a session. I feel that it's a decent workout for balance and flexibility; I also feel SO relaxed when the instructor says, "Namaste."

Dear readers, on that note, I think this is the perfect time to end this entry with, "Namaste."