Progress: 2012

Last year I always thought it would have been so cool to know exactly how many miles I had run, swam, and biked but realized I would never be able to know this because I really didn't wouldn't ever start to keep track of my training until the weeks before a race.

However, since we are in a new year I now have the opportunity to keep track of all my training. I have a simple day calendar planner thing that I write everything down in in terms of running, biking, the time it took me to do key running/biking distances, gym workouts, and other important pieces of information.

Here is my progress so far for the year of 2012:


Week 1: Ran 16 miles, biked 113 miles

Week 2: Ran 18.5 miles, biked 146 miles

Week 3: Ran 20 miles, biked 213 miles

Week 4: Ran 22 miles, biked 149 miles


2012 Totals so far (as of 1/28): Ran 76.5 miles, Biked 621 miles

23 weeks!

My belly button changed from an "inny" to an "outy" today. I'm definitely getting bigger!

It's a Boy!

Chad and I went to the doctor today for my ultrasound to find out what we're having. It's a boy! We are thrilled! The ultrasound technician took pictures and measurements for over an hour. It was fun to see our little boy's arms, legs, feet, toes, hands, heart beating, ears, nose, face, etc. The ultrasound technician took and printed lots of pictures for us. She even did some 4-D ultrasound for no extra charge and we were able to see what our little boy's face looks likes. He was moving constantly during the ultrasound. She could barely get the measurements and pictures she needed. He is going to be an active little boy! Here are some pictures:

Screen Printing

Yesterday my good friend Tana taught me how to add designs to clothing by screen printing (Thanks Tana!). We created the design we wanted on her computer with her silhouette program, had the silhouette cut out the design on wax paper, and then ironed the wax paper onto the onesie. Then I used the wax paper as a stencil and painted inside it to produce the Ironbaby onesie you see below:

When Chad heard I was going to learn screen printing from Tana, it was actually his idea that I make this onesie. He wants our baby to wear it at his next Ironman triathlon race on June 24th in Idaho. It was really easy and fun to make and I look forward to doing lots more screen printing projects. I already have some ideas.

Colonials Basketball VIP Seats

Last week my principal sent out an email that she had 8 VIP tickets to go see the George Washington Colonials conference home opener basketball game and she would give them to the first people that responded to the email. I emailed her back as soon as I read the email that I would love a pair of tickets if there were still any left. I was lucky enough to get two tickets!

It was DCPS night so during one of the timeouts the anouncer recognized all the DCPS teachers in attendance and specifically all the teachers and staff from my school in the VIP section that had just switched buildings over the winter break (back to our newly renovated building that burned down last year). I hadn't been expecting this at all, but it made sense that my principal got the VIP tickets because of the transition our school had just gone through.

We had a great time doing something new out here in D.C.; these are some of the pictures that show just how sweet our seats were:


This is a picture and video from when they were recognizing the DCPS teachers. The video starts out a little hard to follow just what exactly is happening but about halfway through you can see pretty well that they are showing me on the big screen:

"17 Degrees Fahrenheit, Feels Like 6"

Take a close look at this picture. I took it in the morning one day last week to remember how cold it was here before I biked in to work. It was on January 4th to be more specific, just a couple days after we had been in Orange County with weather in the 70's and 80's nearly the entire time.

I happen to know for a fact that this was the coldest weather that I have ever ridden my bike to work in because of something unique that happened during the morning commute that had never happened before or since: the water inside my Camelbak water tube froze solid. In case you're not aware of what a Camelbak is, it is basically a big water pouch you carry around in your backpack that has a long straw-like tube coming out of it that you can conveniently drink from while you are biking or doing any type of physical activity (see picture below from a similar but not nearly as cold morning ride). At first I didn't realize what had happened, but it didn't take long to figure out. I should have realized what was happening sooner when the water started getting REALLY cold and difficult to drink out of the tube. Once it was frozen, I tried to warm it up and break up the ice while I was biking but there was no way that was going to happen (6 degrees with the wind chill....forget about it!). I have ridden in very cold weather before, even in the teens and possibly single digits, but the water in my Camelbak had never frozen solid before.

This was a cycling 'first' that I don't particularly want to do again any time soon.

Christmas in California

Michelle and I had the good fortune to spend the Christmas holiday season with friends and family in beautiful Orange County, California. This was the first time I had been back to where I grew up since right before Michelle and I got engaged about four and half years ago. One thing that hadn't changed a bit was the year-round amazing weather. This was something we enjoyed from the moment we got off the plane til the moment we got back on one when it was time to go home. As nice as the weather was, the best part was of course getting to spend a week and a half with my parents, my brother, and some of my uncles and cousins that I hadn't seen in a long time.

We did so many fun things, here are just a few of the highlites:

Christmas Morning!

One of Michelle's favorite presents was a simple one: this key chain from my mom that said 'Mom' on it:

Long Beach: we ate dinner at a Mexican food restaurant named Pancho's that I remember from when I was a little kid (and by the way it hasn't changed a bit); also my cousin showed us around some of the coolest decorated neighborhoods (Canal Street to be specific) that we had ever seen.

Fabulous Hollywood: my uncle drove us around Hollywood and we got to see all the iconic sights. We even drove up pretty close to the famous 'Hollywood' sign even though the locals hate it when tourists do it.

In & Out!!!

My dog Grommie (named after the show Wallace and Grommit of course) who we have had since she was just a puppy that could sit in the palm of my hand. She has slowed down a lot since then; she is something like 84 in doggy years.

Going on long runs in the California Desert:

Great Falls at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal State Park

Despite the cold weather here in D.C., Michelle and I are still finding lots of fun things to do. Recently I discovered the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal State Park in the D.C./Maryland area when I was on a long bike ride in an area I don't normally go to. The State Park was in an absolutely gorgeous area, one you would be surprised to find in the D.C. area. Michelle and I decided to drive there and then walk around on a day when it was (relatively) nice outside. To our pleasant surprise, inside the C&O Canal State Park was one of the two main places you can visit and view the Great Falls river/waterfalls area. This was also a place we wanted to visit because we had heard so many positive things about the area. It definitely didn't disappoint! We were thrilled to get to walk around on some of the trails and look at the beautiful and fascinating historical sights that comprise the Great Falls and C&O Canal State Park. We look forward to going back again with more time and exploring the area more thoroughly.