2013 Wrap-Up

For me, 2013 was truly one to remember. I love photographs, so to wrap up 2013, I wanted to share some of my favorite images of the year. Enjoy!

It brought me to the finish line of so many races...

 

 

..and also other fun adventures like vacations...

...exploring California...

...and finally finishing my graduate degree.

There were many miles in the pool,

on the bike,

and on foot.

And most importantly, I spent a lot of time friends both old and new.

   

Hope you had a great year too! I'm looking forward to more exciting times 2014! Thanks for reading along and sharing in my adventures.

What was one of your favorite adventures from 2013?

Passed!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I did officially pass my PhD defense this week! Very exciting!  Things went mostly smoothly during my presentation (with only a brief computer automatic restart shaking things up in the first few minutes). And I handed in all my final paperwork on Friday morning. It is so strange to be finished with my degree. But, I'm also excited to see wherever life will take me next.

This weekend we had some friends in town visiting, so it has been nice to relax and enjoy some quality time with friends. Plus, soon we'll be traveling home for the holidays too!

Of course, I couldn't miss my weekend run, so I made sure to get up on Saturday morning for a long run (seriously, I think long run Saturday is one of my favorite things ever). My knee has been bothering me a bit this week, so I was taking things easy. So while Ryan went out for a 19-miler, I aimed for something shorter, and then walked for a few miles. I ended up doing some running on trails rather than just the pavement, which was awesome! Total, I ran 9.5 miles, then walked almost 3.25. It made for a solid morning -- plus, how can you not enjoy a beautiful sunrise like this?!

So, how was your weekend? 

By the way, to celebrate the holidays, if you need to stock up on Nuun (a great stocking stuffer!!), you can get the friends and family discount for 20% off one order using the code HOLIDAY13 now through Dec 31!

It's the Sweet Life

Today is my and Ryan's 4th wedding anniversary! 

{photo credits: fotoimpressions.com}

We celebrated last night by cooking a tasty dinner together (Chicken with lemon & rosemary, and polenta -- recipes from Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking), followed by cannoli's, some sparkling wine, and watching a video our parents made for us before the wedding. It was lovely.

 

We were also looking through some photo albums from over the last couple years, and it was so much fun to see how much we have changed and grown even over just a few years. If you had told me 4 years ago that I was going to be training for my second marathon right now, I don't think I would have believed it. At that time I didn't really even think I could (or would want to) run more than 4 miles.

Both Ryan and I have become much more confident in our physical abilities through running, triathlon, and weightlifting (p90x!). We have also learned so much at our jobs and about each other. I am so grateful to have his support, but also to have him there to challenge me to push my boundaries and do whatever I really want to do. I really loved looking back and thinking about all these changes.

This weekend we will be going to Santa Rosa for a day trip as a little extra celebration. No major plans on what we are going to do there besides visit Russian River Brewing. Anyone have any suggestions?

How have you changed in the past few years?

10 Things About Me

I figured since I have mostly been writing about running, and am still new to the blogging world, that you might want to know a few things about me. So, here are 10 random things about me.

1. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. It is only enhanced by pairing with peanut butter. But generally I don't say no to most desserts.

2. I am still in school -- working on my graduate degree. My undergrad was at the University of Delaware, and I attended the University of Minnesota for my Master's degree. I'm now at the University of California Davis. Yes -- I have moved a lot.

3. I grew up in Webster, NY. The thing I miss the most about being in CA is spending lots of time with my family and friends! I also miss all the leaves being so many colors in the fall-- although my street is pretty nice.

4. I love beer and wine tasting. I'm spoiled for living in Northern CA with lots of both to choose from.

5. I got married to my husband Ryan in September 2009. He is wonderful and I am so thankful everyday that we are together. :)

6. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because everyone gets together to celebrate being thankful for what they have. And eating tasty food. Stuffing is my favorite side dish. Now that I can't as easily be with my family on Thanksgiving, I also love Christmas because I get to spend time with them. And Ryan's gets so excited about Christmas, so that also makes it fun.

7. Besides exercising, I love photography. I have mostly used iPhone photos so far on the blog, but hopefully I will get better at bringing out my nicer camera on a regular basis to take some of the photos with that too.

This was actually taken on the iPhone too...but maybe at some point I'll show you guys some others of my favorites.

8. I'm not usually very good at taking photos of myself, but this is probably the best one I've ever taken. I actually really like it.

9. Ryan and I like to do some homebrewing. It is awesome to make a tasty beer yourself, and then be able to share it with friends.


10. I love traveling, and always look forward to seeing new places, whether within the US or outside it. Road trips are SO much fun!



Tell me something about yourself!

Starting the journey

Yep, I'm starting a blog. I figure, I read enough of them so I might as well put myself out there too.

Who Am I?

I'm Kristen. I'm a 20-something girl who loves to exercise, trying to eat right (except for the occasional chocolatey snack), and defying my limitations. I'm a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering, so I'm also a bit of a nerd. I always want to learn more about how the body works, and enjoy reading as much as I can about health and fitness topics.

Besides working out, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Ryan, and our friends, imagining how I will DIY my house someday, and checking out the local hot spots.

My Active Lifestyle
Growing up, I was always interested in playing sports -- mostly soccer and gymnastics -- but I also competed in high school track to keep active during the soccer off season. When I was in 10th grade, I tore my ACL at an indoor soccer tournament. It took almost 2 months before I had surgery, where I found out I also tore my meniscus and had to be on crutches for 7 weeks! I worked so so hard to be able to get back to full soccer shape for my senior year... got a trainer, weight lifted, strengthened all my muscles. My first real game back -- I tore my other ACL!! Complete devastation.

I made myself bounce back and fully enjoyed track in the spring, and started playing ultimate frisbee when I went to college. I have always been cautious of my knees, and how they will react to running, or playing sports since those high school injuries. After moving to California for grad school, and not having any more college eligibility, I started running and going to the gym more to stay in shape. After Ryan completed his first half marathon in 2010, I was motivated to try pushing my own runs past the 2 or 3-mile mark, but was very nervous about how it would go.

I completed my first 5k in October 2010, 10k in February 2011, and half marathon in March 2011. Since then I have completed another 5k, and 10k, 4 half marathons, a sprint triathlon, and two 100-mile bike rides! I am so proud of myself for pushing myself and not letting my past injuries take control of my life.

I'm on my way to training for my first marathon, so I hope you will join me on this exciting journey!