june 2012

miles run: 73.45 (up 10 from may)

other workouts: bootcamp (x10), bike rides (x3, 34+ miles)

days off: 5 (!!! this is a big improvement for me as i have struggled with missing half a month's worth of workouts for like two years)

netflix obsession(s)/fail: say yes to the dress - atlanta. that show is so much better with southern divas and large african american families!

artistic/creative outlet/new thing i tried: horseback riding (another groupon) in the rain (therefore no action photos)

this was my horse for the day, max

to whom i think i am allergic because i sneezed for the next week

new food i tried: zucchini bread (josh's garden is thriving with monster zucchini)

one of the monster zucchinis - as long as my thigh from hip to knee

book(s) read:
all the pretty horses (cormac mccarthy) - well, i tried to read this one. i read maybe 10 pages and gave up. didn't grab me.

the pillars of the earth (ken follett) - long book (973 pages) but i read it in 2 days (mostly on the beach). takes place in the 1100s and i certainly never thought i'd be into a medieval-times book. the foundation of the book was based on the author's interest in the european cathedrals, and it is pretty cool to think about how the gorgeous buildings were built way back when, with no technology or machinery, and still stand strong today. don't worry, the book is fiction. i doubt i could have read almost 1,000 pages of architecture drivel (even though i once aspired to be an architect).

run like a girl: how strong women make happy lives (mina samuels) - another good read that leaves you feeling full of girl power! well, maybe not if you're a male. run like a girl contains mini-stories of real-life women, their involvement in sports and the impact of those experiences on the rest of their lives. definitely a worthy read for every woman!

second wind (cami ostman) - such a good read! cami is one of few women who have ran marathons on all seven continents. i was inspired by her - overcoming the ups and downs in her life and always striving to succeed. the chapter about her panama marathon was just nuts. i don't know if i would have had the gumption and grace that she had!

disclaimer: i received a free copy of both run like a girl and second wind in exchange for doing a blog review of the books. they were both easy and interesting reads and while i enjoyed them both, second wind was more my "style". run like a girl motivated me to put on my big girl pants and embrace girl power. second wind reminded me to stick to my dreams and to look for lessons and experiences in everything.

number of blog visitors: 686 (a significant drop, but i assume that's because i went mia for two weeks)

number of doctor visits: 2

number of pounds lost: 4

number of pounds re-gained while on vacation: 4

number of postcards received: 0 (though i already got a few in for july's tally!)

sunset at south beach

june running was very kind to me. last week was vacation and i diligently logged 22.10 miles! being on vacation also enabled me to "miss out" on the streak of 100° temps, darn. previously i've been logging a big 15-ish miles (if i wasn't busy slacking off). i tracked my hr, aiming to keep it in the 150's, my easy zone. i've since forgotten the fancy terms for heart rate monitor training so i'll just say my "easy zone". i was pleased to see i held a sub-10:00 pace while still keeping my hr down; i know it's progress!

dead horseshoe crab washed ashore

a ghost crab