Fun at work!

I thought I'd share a couple projects I've been working on lately that have been super fun to create. Phil Eaton, the President of SPU, has spent a lot of time this past year talking about flourishing, so that's been my key inspiration for some recent University materials. The first part of this "series" were the banners that are hung throughout campus. The visual inspiration came from Fabien Barral. He is incredibly talented, and my first thought was to have him actually do some custom illustrations for us. However, due to our tight schedule and the fact that he lives in, oh, France, we had to do the illustrations ourselves. Chris (one of my design colleagues) and I had a fun afternoon creating some watercolor textures:

Hard at work!

Dale (my boss) was super supportive, really believing I could come up with something beautiful. I am stoked about the final product:

Designed with a helpful hand from Chris!

 Here's an example of one hanging on campus:

 

And finally, here's a teeny sample of a version that will displayed in five separate pieces in various hallways/rooms (I know it's hard to envision the final product. I'll post a picture after they've been delivered and installed!):

The next part of this series will be materials for Homecoming 2012. I'll post images when I'm able! Yay for pretty stuff to look at! :)

Running, kipping, and everything in between

Running.

I ran my first official half-marathon on September 18. I went into it not even knowing if I would be able to finish (due to persistent knee pain), and somehow during this "practice" race I managed to hit the goal I had set for the end of November. I was choking back tears sporadically throughout the run, feeling so grateful to be running at all; so grateful for Darrick, who I got to see every few miles, cheering me on. My smile was so big when I finished, I thought I might pull a cheek muscle! I found out I finished 9th out of 625 women (what?!?) and that I had finished 1st in my age group (what?!?). But the biggest shock and best feeling was when we made our way to the results tent, I typed in my bib number, and there it displayed my average pace: 7'31" per mile. Then there were tears. I felt like God had completely answered every breathless prayer I uttered during the race, "Lord, give me wings like eagles, let me run and not grow tired." He did, and I did. And not only did he give me wings, he gave me angels. The first came in the form of my CrossFit coach/doctor (Dr. Tri) who claimed he could fix my knee. Well, he did! Thank you, angel number one. The second angel came in the form of an older man with a bit of a pot-belly… and also wearing a skirt. He was my pacing angel at the You Go Girl! race (skirts provided to all pacers by the sponsor). I was the only girl who ran next to him for the entire race, and he coached me through the whole thing; up hills ("Short strides. Lean into it. Power through."); along long, flat stretches ("We're cruising here for awhile. Relax. Find your breath."); and into the finish ("When you get to the top of that hill, you don't need to have anything left — See that girl? Catch her.") Thank you, angel number two. And thank you, Lord, for caring about something so small in the grand scheme of things, but so big to me.

The You Go Girl! half-marathon. Some girl in a cute outfit (she was running the 10k, so not my competition!); Bob, my pacing angel; and me!

Kipping.

Yes, I meant to write "kipping" which is my latest goal achieved and a huge confidence-builder! So, as you may or may not know, I started doing CrossFit about 6 or 7 weeks ago, and I LOVE it! Both Darrick and I are convinced that it had a lot to do with my race performance, by building both physical and mental strength (but probably mostly mental!) We've been discovering that our bodies are capable of much more than what we allow them to do. Think about the feats of strength people perform in "fight or flight" situations. When that adrenaline kicks in, you find out that your muscles really are up to the task! Darrick is on Day 7 of "30 Days of Fran" (CrossFit names many of their workouts after women: see Fran being done in the video below.) He's doing this workout everyday for 30 days, and already it's incredible to see how his time has dramatically improved. It's certainly not strength alone (after a mere 7 days), and maybe some of it is muscle memory (though I'm not sure how long it takes until muscle memory really takes effect), so that means that it's pretty much all in his head! His brain is tapping into strength that he had, but hadn't been using. Awesome! The lesson is, we are capable of far, far more than we realize. For example, I haven't been able to do a pullup since the second grade (and I'm just assuming I could do one then, because I don't actually have any memory of that). When I first started CrossFit, I heard about "kipping" pullups, which basically allows you to use all the muscles in your body (and momentum, if you're good at it) to get your chin over the bar. I thought it would be forever before I could do one of these, but while messing around at the box (CrossFit speak for gym) on Thursday morning after the workout, I did my first kipping pullup! I couldn't wait to get to Darrick's gym that night to show him, and I did five in a row! Giddy me!! I couldn't believe it. Below is a video of rockstar Miranda Oldroyd doing Fran, which is a 21/15/9 workout: 21 thrusters, 21 pullups; 15 thrusters, 15 pullups; 9 thrusters, 9 pullups — all as fast as you can. From what I understand, a sub 10-minute Fran time is a great goal for someone who's a consistent CrossFitter. Sub 5-minutes is freaking amazing. She does it in 3'19". Holy canoli. Anywho, in her first set of pullups, she is doing butterfly kipping, which is one type of (really intense) kipping. Then as she gets fatigued on her set of 15, she switches to "regular" kipping. I seriously can't wait to practice more! Oh, and she does puke at the end, but they warn you, so turn it off if you need to! :)

Everything in between.

As I'm training the Seattle half-marathon (Thanksgiving weekend), I am so thankful for these successes that keep me going. Whenever I mention this particular race to anyone, their eyes get real big and they say "man, that's a really hard course" (italics meant to represent the serious tone in their voice). Awesome. Now whenever I think about it, my legs gets weak and I have mini panic attacks. Angel Dr. Tri gave me a pretty intense training schedule, with workouts that have a way of simultaneously making me feel like a champion and like a failure, which I'm sure is the idea because it keeps me working hard. But in spite of (or maybe because of) this roller-coaster of emotion, I am increasingly happy to be healthy, to have the use of my whole body and be capable of using it well, to learn more everyday about this incredible human body that God created and all the things it can do. What a gift!

I wish the same for everyone — that we would all find joy in our bodies. Obviously, with Darrick's career change, helping other people get there is his daily focus. I have a feeling God won't let this passion in me go to waste either. ;)

Training inspiration

It was a fairly exhausting week of workouts this past week and I was sooooo ready for my TWO rest days IN A ROW. That was awesome. :)

However, this morning I am getting back into it and heading out on a 10-miler. I've been learning a lot about training and it turns out I've sort of been doing it wrong. My workouts should be mostly easy and hard, but not so much in the middle. And I'm pretty much always in the middle. Woops. For example, last weekend my 10-mile pace was 40" to 1'40" faster than what it should have been. That's a lot!! So this morning my goal is to PACE MYSELF, which is one of my biggest struggles as a runner.


But before that, the primary goal is always just to finish. And here are some inspirational quotes and lines from songs that have been pumping me up:

Don't wish it was easier. Wish you were better. (Written on board at crossfit.)

I gotta taste it and I gotta have it and I gotta cut all through this traffic just to be at the top of the throne but I know I gotta have it. (Busta Rhymes, "Look at me Now")

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment you own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime. (Eminem, "Lose Yourself")

Of course you're going to feel tired. … By becoming used to the sensation of fatigue and responding with assurance you can train yourself to run through it. (Complete Book of Women's Running)

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

(Athleta)

Life update, a couple pictures, and some blog love

It has been forever since my last post! Here is the craziness of our lives in a nutshell:

Darrick is well on his way to a career change, but that means he is working at one gym, being mentored at another, and still bartending one night a week. On top of that, he is studying for his personal training certification and up until last weekend had been training for his Ironman 70.3. Oh, and he's also starting a business with two other friends. No biggie. :)


Here's a quick run-down of our weekends for the last month and a half:

7/9–10: Darrick and I ride the Seattle to Portland Bike Classic 2011: 100 miles each day.

7/17: Darrick competes in Tri-Rock, an Olympic distance triathlon, taking more than 20 minutes (!) off his time from his first tri (Lavaman in Hawaii this past March).

7/21–24: One of our best friends (and part-owner of The Rugged Elite), Tony Z., comes to visit. The guys get a Rugged Elite video filmed and will soon be raising money on Kickstarter — so exciting!

7/30–8/2: Davey and his amazing girlfriend Becca come to visit from the Chi. So, so good to see them… I feel like I kind of grew up with Davey. He saw me through my punk rock and rude girl stages. :)

8/5–8/15: Dad and Jane come to visit (they traveled around Western Washington during the week while D and I worked). I had such a wonderful time with them. They even helped me with tons of stuff around the house, which was absolutely amazing. I am actually sitting in the kitchen looking out all the shiny, perfectly clear (not a smudge anywhere!) windows they washed for us. Wow. The only bad part is that it's getting harder and harder to say goodbye to family when they leave. That will definitely be changing in the future!

8/7: Uncle Rob comes in and he and Darrick compete in the Vashon Island Heart of the Sound Sprint Triathlon. I believe Darrick won by about 12 seconds. :) So much fun! 

8/14: Darrick competes in the Lake Stevens Ironman 70.3. That's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. Yowzers. He kind of fell off his training schedule because of other priorities, so it was a tough race for him, but I am so proud that he finished!! Go babe go!!

So, you can see why I haven't posted in awhile! I'll try to be better, I promise. :) In the meantime, if you're just looking for some good blog reading, here are (some of) my favorites:

Joyful Ambiguity Written by my bestest friend from Seattle. Honest, beautiful blog about life and being a mom to a perfect (in my humble opinion) baby boy.
Vizzion Quest See my cousin Joe ride his bike across the US!
The Ray in Spain The adventures of my cousin Rachel who lives in Gijón Asturias. Great tips if you're planning on traveling to Spain!
Empower to the People Co-written by two very inspiring friends, describing their experiences in Uganda and Afghanistan.
No Small Dreams One of my fabulous coworkers! Great style tips and super fun links. 
Raven + Lily "A socially responsible brand dedicated to empowering impoverished women through design." Awesome, right?
My New Roots  Delicious (healthy) recipes and thorough nutrition information. Her writing style makes it fun to read about food!
Rockstar Diaries Incredibly adorable family and beautiful photography.
Pure Style Home This girl has amazing style and is so creative.


Happy Saturday everyone!

My sport is your sport's punishment

 

I love that feeling after a workout and your endorphins are doing whatever it is that endorphins do that make you feel so good. I have that feeling right now. It might also help that it is a gorgeous day here in good 'ol Seattle. :)

Speaking of workouts and endorphins, I have something to share that I wasn't really planning on sharing I think because deep down I don't really like accountability. Here it is: I am training for the Seattle half-marathon in November, with a "practice" half in September. I realize that doesn't sound like a big deal to a lot of people, but it totally is for me! I've been a runner my whole life and have never done an official half-marathon (or full, obviously, but that doesn't even sound fun to me!) I was training for a half a few years ago, but quit because of a calf injury. And since then I've been afraid of doing one because during my training, I started to hate running. And I love running! So why am I changing my mind all of a sudden? I think it's because since that time I've learned how to challenge my body (and my mind, for that matter) in so many different aspects, and have loooooved the process. Perhaps I'm a little wonky, but there you go. So I am running these not just for fun (although I'll love it) and not just for the t-shirt (though that's pretty exciting), but toward a goal that I can sweat my pa-tooty off for. So the big question in all your minds is probably, "What's your goal?" My goal is to run the September race in 8-minute miles, and the November race in 7:30-minute miles. Yikes! The hubster and I ran a 13.1 about a month ago and our pace was 8:21. So is my goal doable? I think so. Is it going to be a huge challenge? Uh, yep. Is it scary as hell??? YES! :)

So, if you find any running inspiration you'd like to send my way, please do! My bestest bud from college gave me a great women's running book a few years ago and I've been diving in! That's where I read that a goal should be attainable, but challenging enough that there's a chance you won't reach it. I concurred, and so my goal was set.

Oh, and one minor caveat I haven't mentioned is that ever since Darrick and I rode our bikes to Portland during the STP, I've had some pretty intense knee pain. I'm currently in physical therapy (and yes, I'm still training), so if you have the gift of healing, I'd appreciate it if you'd send a little word Upstairs for me. :)

Goooooooooooo TEAM! Woo!