And aside from my nose , I felt great. There were moments when I cursed my lungs for feeling like they wouldn’t keep up with my legs and wished the post-nasal drip would stop, as it was making me nauseous, but otherwise things were going well.

Mile 10 is when the issues  started. I had been running uphill since mile 7.5 and the steepness of the course at mile 10.5 literally chewed me up and spit me out. The fact that we were in the woods, in silence, and every. single. person ahead of me was walking. I wanted to quit right then and there.

I felt like I had nothing more to give. My body started to remind me just how sick i was. My pace slowed. I even had a moment where I wished I would just throw up so I could have an excuse to stop. Classy, I know. (sidenote: this thought enters my mind at least once during every race I run!)

At any rate, I made it out of the woods. Saw John cheering me at the top of the hill. And mustered all I could to push that last 3 miles out.

And I crossed the finish line seconds from my 2008 PR. Seconds. I know!!

And as bummed as I was I had to keep the following in mind.

1. I still ran 25 seconds per mile faster than any other half marathon that I’ve raced in the last 5 years
2. I finished 7th out of 450+ women, 36^th out of 900 total runners and 2^nd in my age group!
3. I was very sick

I had originally decided that this would be my last half for a while. I wanted to focus on shorter distances, faster times and more variety of sport. But I also had planned to ‘go out with a bang’. There’s a race on July 4^th that I have every intention of running, except this past week my left hamstring has felt NOT OK. Like not being able to run more than 1 mile OK. So we will see how July 4th goes. Until then I’m going to feel proud of my accomplishment, and share with you how I fueled before, during and after the race, since so many people ask me for tips on that.

Fuel your Race!

Day Before: drinking lots of electrolytes, carbohydrates at every meal and low fiber throughout the day.

Night before dinner: mix of easily digestible protein, carbohydrate and fat and low fiber. My fav: sweet potato with coconut oil, pan seared tofu, roasted asparagus, baby spinach salad with avocado. Since it was my birthday I might have finished dinner with a large piece of homemade blueberry pie (thanks to an adorable husband).

Pre-Race fuel: easy to digest carbohydrate with some protein and fat (if >1hr before race). I ate: 1 slice sprouted bread toasted (Trader Joes sprouted whole wheat to be exact), half a banana, spoonful of almond butter and some Vega Endurance gel as jam. Small cup coffee, glass of water.

5 min before:  Vega’s Pre Workout Energizer mixed with VERY little water (I have a pre-race pee’ing issue!) . This stuff is amazing and I highly recommend (ignore the color, it’s because it’s so so concentrated). For the sake of length I won’t get into it here but if you guys are interested leave a message and I can write a post about all it has to offer!

Mid-race: take it from the girl that used to be really good at not fueling properly and seriously hitting the wall too many times to count that you should take a gel, chew, energy drink 45 minutes into exercise. You’ll deplete at 60 minutes and you DONT want to deplete and then refuel during a race…you’ll totally feel it. Usually gels are my fuel of choice but for this race I felt so sick and it was so humid that a thick gel was making me incredibly nauseous. Before the race, I happened to mix a ½ a Vega gel into a small water bottle and ½ a serving of pre-workout energizer and I actually drank that and water throughout the first half of the race. At mile 8 i choked down ½ a gel because I knew I would need it for the hills but it was totally miserable. 

Recover: I felt pretty good after the race, but not hungry at all. Zero appetite. Looking back I wish I had forced myself to drink recovery accelerator to start replenishing but at the time the thought of anything, and especially anything flavored, made me gag. I thought I just needed time so I went home, actually made John some French toast, showered and then ate a bowl of oatmeal.

…And then my body rebelled in a big way and I didn’t get out of bed until 7am the following morning.

What are you training for this summer? Follow me and track your training on daily mile! And share your favorite pre, mid and post workout eats! Lets all learn from each other.

Until next time, happy running. Happy racing!! 

For that first race, I fueled primarily on a pre-race bagel and a bag of jelly belly’s that my mom had waiting for me at mile 7, which I actually never even used. Imagine my potential if I had actually fueled mid-run! I never thought about what I ate during training, except for those longer runs where I would dream of Spelt  Right bagels waiting for me in my kitchen.

I also didn’t really realize just how well I had done. I gave it my all, had fun, and was excited to do it again! But that was it. Up until that point I really didn’t think about time or training that much.

But somewhere between crossing that finish line in October 2008 and last Saturday I started to pay attention. And care. I started reading things like Runner’s World magazine. I religiously tracked (and still track) my daily runs and paces. I started purposely choosing foods with activity in  mind. Heck, I even became a dietitian.  But I never ran that fast.

Sure, I’ve come close to that mile pace now and again, but never crushed it, like I know deep down I have the potential to.

So one day this winter. When the weather was drab and job searching was seemingly going no where fast, I picked up “Hanson’s Marathon Method” and started reading about running, and more specifically about running fast. And right then and there, 2 pages in, I decided I was going to sign up for a half this spring. But not just run it, race it. And I was going to wave that 2008 PR goodbye.

I started following the plan in the book – the plan that, if followed, would let you run ‘your fastest marathon.’ I was already running pretty high (for me) weekly mileage and felt that I could jump right into the plan.  And, even though it was written for a marathon and I had signed up to run a half, I decided to keep all the daily run distances the same, adjusting only the longest runs down by about 2/3 of what they actually prescribed (mostly because who wants to run 16 miles if they don’t really have to?)

I also was paying attention to my eating. While not feeling like i was depriving my body of foods it wanted, I was, by choice, eating predominantly plant- based with occasional eggs and fish and a few bites of meat here and there. I noticed improved digestion, less bloating and less fatigue when I eat like this and those 3 factors alone keep me fueling plant-strong.

So as winter turned to spring I continued to train, and I trained hard. I ran 40-50 mile weeks with one to two 8-10mile speed work and tempo runs worked into each week.

My speed work was at a pace I never imagined I could sustain. My ‘comfortable pace’ was slowly getting far faster than I ever imagined.

Then, ironically enough, while I was dumping all my energy and focus into training and nutrition to fuel my sport, I was offered a job with a company whose mission it is to fuel your body with clean, plant-based nutrition. Nutrition that will allow you to push harder, last longer and take it to the next level! And it did.

I began fueling exclusively with the Vega Sport System and I saw even greater improvement.

And while long weeks of traveling for work sort of threw my training a curve ball, I knew that even if quantity decreased a bit, the quality of most of my runs were what mattered.  And with the ability to fit in 3 solid runs a week on those traveling weeks I knew I still had a pretty good chance at my goal.

Until the week before the race. And, go figure, I got sick. Not just a little cold but full on stomach, chest, head miserableness. Halfway through the week I passed it onto John. And, as optimistic as I tried to be, we were both headed into my much anticipated birthday / race weekend full of antibiotics, stuffy noses, and grumpiness.

We woke up Saturday and tried to be optimistic. We picked up my race packet in the afternoon and that night we ate like I was racing. We made our race “plan.”

I was lucky enough that this race was fairly small and in my town. So, I told myself I would just go out and run like it was any old Sunday morning.  If I had to walk I would, and if I really didn’t feel well, John could easily rescue me with the car.  On the surface it was a great plan.  Deep down I hated it.

But even though I woke up Sunday morning stuffy and coughy, I also woke up ready to race.

do you recognize this outfit? except for that first half marathon i’ve only ever raced half’s in these shorts and tank. dont ask.

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I am excited to tell you the ‘glory-details’ of the day but for the sake of length, your time, and perhaps your interest i’ll save it for this afternoon. Come back if you want to learn more. If not, thanks for listening and I’ll see ya next week!

Upstairs Downstairs: Like Downton Abbey, this series follows the aristocratic dramas of a wealthy British family and the servants who toil for them.  A revival of the original BBC series, this version is set in London right before the second World War II.  Dramatic and soapy.  I wish there were more than two seasons.

Parks and Recreation:  How did I not watch this show earlier?  I mean, I had heard about the whole “Treat Yo Self” joke but didn’t get how funny this show is.  I think the real genius of this show is that it’s hilarious but all the characters are still nice to each other…even Gerry.

Bunheads: This show satisfies my younger, musical theater loving, Gilmore Girls watching self. Campy, ridiculous, and totally verbose.  Don’t judge me.

Wallander: A big thank you to Scandinavia for originating The Killing, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and Wallander.  And thanks to the British and US film/TV industries for making English versions. I love moody police procedurals and Kenneth Branagh is great as the title character.  Moody and dark.  Perfect for stormy days.

Rescue Me:  I watched this show for a few seasons when it first came out but lost track after a while.  Centered on a dysfunctional New York City fireman post-9/11, it’s a great dark comedy. I’ve also like Denis Leary since those obnoxious MTV commercials he did in the early 90′s. Excellent binge watching material.

What shows (new or old) are on your list? Secondly, who’s ready for the sun to come out on a regular basis?

I finally couldn’t take it any more and made Conor be my lookout while I ran over in the pouring rain the other night and rescued an armful. He didn’t get it and laughed at me the entire time. I kinda don’t blame him. I’m sure I looked like a fool.  Don’t worry, I left plenty to maintain the house’s curb appeal. In honor of everyone’s favorite (fleeting) flower, here are some selections from Instagram:

Happy Friday!!

Lately, my life has been completely consumed by work, which happens to have manifested itself into four jobs. It’s been hard to get my mind off of all of the new and challenging endeavors going on, and it’s really got my wheels turning about the whole setup.

Here is what I’m thinking…All of the people I currently work for took a risk and pursued a passion and succeeded. They all started somewhere and had rough times and then one day decided to take the plunge. They still work hard and will for many years to come, but they can always step back and see what they have built. They are self-employed.

Guess what? Both of my parents are self employed and both have been self employed not only my whole life, but (almost) their whole lives as well. My mom lived off bartending tips while she taught herself how to paint. My dad was a self-taught furniture builder and wooden sign carver and later taught himself celestial navigation so he could get his Captain’s license. They followed their passions and they put my brother and me through college.

And they had fun doing it!

Guess what else? One of those four people I work for is me. I’m already doing it. I’m just not doing it enough (yet) to cut the tethers. At this point, I guess I need to work the “next 8 hours” on getting ahead.

I have no beef with working for people, especially passionate entrepreneurs. I do have a slow burn deep in my chest (are you thinking E.T.? me too.) that tells me that I will follow in their footsteps, regardless of how challenging and unpredictable the experience has been for them. I will do it for the same reason Juliette Binoche packs up and leaves town whenever a North wind blows in Chocolat. I will do it because I was raised this way. I will do it because it’s an accomplishment that would feel really damn good. I’m suddenly pretty sure that it’s the only way I will find real fulfillment.

When I get in a restless mood like I am in today, my Mom says she can hear me searching for peace. The thing is, she also told me about a year ago that she’s not sure if I’ll ever really find it, and for that reason I’m a lot like her. This means my mind is not quiet and my spirit is not tempered. I will do this because I need to  get. shit. done.

I’ll consider this post my manifesto. No, there’s no business plan yet, but there is this quote that I have always loved and always keep very close…

~ Sandra Cisneros

…and there’s that John Robshaw notebook where I write all of my inspirational quotes.

{Mark my words.}

And, while I could go into a diatribe on the rules behind each of these, that wasn’t really my interest for this post. Plus, my friend and public health classmate, Bridgette Kidd, already did that far more succinctly than I ever could so why reinvent the wheel right? Go read her blog instead.

One of the labeling terms I’ve been particularly interest in is the claim “Raw”

But, I’m here to say that after doing some digging on the FDA website (see hideous image below) I threw in the towel and emailed the girl I know could say it far better than I could.

 Meet my wicked-smart, progressive, nutrition policy advocate, classmate and friend (the one whose blog you just visited above) Bridgette! I am so excited to have Bridgette posting on The Loud and Clear. Her perspective is insightful, her writing thought provoking. So today I let Bridgette do the heavy digging and shed some light for us on “RAW”

For decades, food companies have been using health claims to sell products, as they can provide a health halo for foods that might otherwise be perceived as junk food.  Unfortunately, these healthful sounding phrases such as ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ seldom mean what consumers think they do.  Words and phrases that denote health, but still have vague or non-existent legal definitions, offer food companies an easy way to cash-in on the latest health trends, as there is usually little legal backlash for misleading claims.

The term ‘raw’ is just another word that the food industry can use to take advantage of the slow-moving politics involved in food labeling regulations.  When raw foodists purchase products labeled as ‘raw’, they expect that the food has not been cooked and that it has been very minimally processed.   But, to date, there is no law, rules, or guidelines for using the term ‘raw’ on food packaging.  The FDA only regulates the term ‘pasteurized’, which they suggest consumers look for when purchasing dairy products (and this is only because the agency’s current stance on raw dairy is that it is dangerous for human consumption).

Therefore, food companies have the freedom to place the word ‘raw’ on their packaging using their own definitions. The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘raw’ is:

1. Uncooked
2. Being in or nearly in it’s natural state; not yet processed

But, depending on the industry of the given food, the term could simply mean ‘not roasted’ or ‘not refined’ or ‘not pasteurized’. Or, companies can set a temperature limit for heating during the manufacturing process that is far greater than the 115°F that most raw foodists would consider acceptable.

Further, companies may use the term even though it only applies to part of the process rather than the entire process the food undergoes.  For instance, most nut and seed butters are heated during the grinding process as a result of the machinery getting hot. Dehydrated fruits are frequently pre-blanched and exposed to drying temperatures in excess of 200°F.  Even cold-pressed oils become heated as a result of a high-speed procedure.  And, just a few years ago, the Almond Board of California self-regulated its own labeling system, allowing all of their pasteurized almonds to still be labeled as raw, even though the process requires temperatures up to 158°F.

So what does this mean? The more the raw food movement gains momentum, the more products we will likely find on the shelf touting their ‘raw’ status.  Whether you are part of the raw food community or not, always be weary of front-of-package food labels involving health and nutrition.  These health claims only exist to sell products.  If you want to be 100% certain about a product, look at the part of the package that is regulated, like the ingredients list and nutrition facts.  Or (as is the case when searching for raw, organic, and gmo-free products), you may need to contact the manufacturer of the product directly.

Inspired by local cheesemakers, I decided to try my hand at making cheese. I started with the two easiest varieties: ricotta and mozzarella.  I’ve decided to share my favorite ricotta recipe with you today, because it was ridiculously easy to make and didn’t require any special ingredients (unlike the mozza.).  I played around with a few recipes from the web, and found that the one from Smitten Kitchen is my absolute favorite.  Deb uses lemon juice instead of vinegar (sorry, Ina) to cause the milk to curdle, which I found creates a much smoother, more natural taste in the final product. Plus, the very slight hint of lemon really brightens the flavor of the cheese.

I said you don’t need any super special ingredients and that is true.  But there are two pieces of equipment required that you may not have on hand: a candy thermometer and cheesecloth. Once you’ve got those two items, you’re good to go.  Check out the recipe from Smitten Kitchen below with some slight variations that helped it to work for me, and check out Deb’s original post for some enticing (and healthifying) versions.  While the steps to making ricotta are very easy, I found that getting the right texture requires a bit more trial and error.  So far, I have made this ricotta recipe three times.  Every time was absolutely delicious, but every time the consistency was a bit too watery for my taste.  I have been playing around with amounts of acid, draining time, and cooking time to try to find a combination that works just right for me.  Now, I can’t promise that what works for me will definitely work for you.  However, I can promise that even any “failed” trials will still be absolutely delicious and worth the effort. All of this just goes to show you that while making cheese is a science, it’s also an art.

Ricotta Cheese very slightly adapted from the recipe on Smitten Kitchen, with my notes

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream (check out Smitten Kitchen blog for more notes on healthier versions)

a pinch of salt

3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice

Combine the milk and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed pot.  Attach the thermometer.  Heat until the milk mixture reaches 190 degrees, stirring occasionally.  While the milk is heating, squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl.  The more acid, the more the milk will curdle.  The consistency of my ricotta was too watery for my liking, but when I added more lemon juice it solidified more.  Try your first recipe with 3 1/2 tablespoons and adjust the recipe the next time you make it.  Adding lemon juice after this step when I realized the milk was not curdling as expected did not work for me. (A few more notes on consistency to come.)

Immediately upon adding the lemon juice, stir twice slowly.  Remove from the heat. Let the mixture sit, undisturbed for 5 minutes.  (Deb does this step differently, so check out her blog for other options.)

In the meantime, line a colander with cheesecloth. A few notes on this: 1. I put my colander in a bowl the first time around.  This was a bad idea, as so much why drained from the cheese that it prevented the whey from draining completely.  If you are going to drain into a bowl and not into a sink, for example, make sure you empty the bowl every so often to allow the whey to fully separate from the ricotta.  2.  Every time I made this, I doubled over the cheese cloth.  The next time, I will try with just a single layer to see if that enables me to get a thicker consistency.

Allow the ricotta to drain for at least an hour.  The longer it drains, the thicker it becomes. It will get thicker as it cools, too, so take the texture at an hour and imagine it about 15% thicker – that will be your final product.  In the pictures above, the ricotta drained for an hour (albeit into a bowl of whey), but it was very spreadable and very flavorful.  The ricotta can be used any way you would use store-bought ricotta, but I definitely recommend using it as a showcase ingredient the first few times you make it at home.

I’m still a fan of gallery walls but since this wall faces our bed, I’m thinking that one large piece would be more calming than a jumble of family photos staring me in the face every morning.  Here are a few (very different) things I’m loving:

KnenaNicole on Etsy (33″ x 44″)

windylanestudio on Etsy (17″ x 22″)

thegretest on Etsy (36″ x 41″)

Which would you choose?

As for hanging options, framing can clearly be pretty expensive when you’re dealing with large pieces. The wonderful and talented Emily Henderson did something really cool that I’m dying to try out if I go the poster route.  She blew up a client’s vintage postcards to poster size and sandwiched them between pieces of plexiglass with brass L-brackets.

Check out this video.  She demonstrates what I’m talking about around the -00:05:08 mark.  Really, you should just watch the whole episode.  She’s my favorite.

Remember when I told you that seeds were magic? Yeah…most of them are magically dead.  A weird mold issue killed one whole tray and another 25% either never sprouted or died in the remaining trays. I lovingly nursed the rest of them for ten weeks until they seemed hearty enough to go outside.  I cleared one of the garden beds and planted them before I went to Denver.  Then I came home and some critter had eaten them all. Every. Damn. One. As we’ve said before, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in the DIY department over here.

I’ll be cleaning out the garden again (thanks oak tree) and heading to the nursery for more plants.  Womp womp.

In brighter news, this arrived on my porch yesterday:

That, my friends, is the foam I ordered for the porch cushion.  Turns out, we built the bench to such monstrous proportions that I couldn’t find foam that was wide enough without special ordering it.  Who thinks I’ll be able to sew a cover for it without throwing my sewing machine out the window?  Stay tuned, it should make for an interesting before and after.  Can’t wait to get the porch project wrapped up!

Lastly, Conor’s parents booked tickets to come see us in July.  I’m so excited to see them and show off the house but it means I need to get the guest room sorted out.  In typical fashion, it’s sort of the Land of Misfit Furniture.  It’s also the dumping ground for in-progress projects and things we’re too lazy to bring down to the cellar.  It’s scary in there.  However,  I think this will shame me into making it more hospitable.  Again, there’s some great before and after potential here.

What you can’t see are the boxes piled at the end of the bed and the closet full of junk.  I’m going to ignore that for now though and focus on finding a dresser at the flea market this weekend. I think I’m keeping the room’s paint color since it’s in pretty good shape but here’s what else I’m thinking:

• Clear the room of whatever doesn’t belong in there (including the couch cushion we were using on the porch)
• Hang curtains
• Buy a dresser and other storage
• Rearrange the furniture
• Fix the rattling window
• Make sure it’s guest friendly (coat hangers, towels, etc.)
• Hang artwork
• Figure out a headboard

Do you guys have any projects on the horizon?  I’d love to hear about them.  Maybe we can keep each other honest?

While I only half-love racing (love the ‘after’, hate following a plan and the morning-of jitters), I love running.  It’s been part of the ritual that I use to start my day for a long time now. I often joke that it’s my morning coffee. It’s my time away from screens, a time to clear my mind and a time to just be with me. Sure, there are days I’m mentally scrolling through my loooong to-do list, there are some days I’m pushing myself – pace, distance, both – testing my limits, and there are some days that I’m just plain walking up a hill because I’m too tired, mentally and physically to do any more, but it still feels good to be out there. Alone. Before the day gets started.  And, regardless of the run, it’s me time. It’s my time.

Because of the ritual and the loving relationship I’ve developed, combined with a full work-day and a handful of other extra’s I enjoy like cooking, hanging with my husband, and mindlessly reading blogs, I typically leave little time in my day for other activity.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Pure Barre, I love Vinyasa flow yoga, and I love spinning. I just love running a bit more. So the days (which are more and more often now) I have to choose one over the other, I’m usually choosing running. This is especially the case when I’m training for a race.

So,  when my education team was challenged to try a new sport/activity, it was just the push I needed to put my running sneaks away for the day and try something that really has been on my mind for a while now.

Hello Crossfit.

Maybe because I know I can do 5 ‘real’ push-ups (that’s pushing it, and don’t even look at my form), likely because the last time my family decided to venture to the crossfit gym that said member came home and promptly vomited, and definitely because I hate venturing away from my daily routine, I’ve been putting this one off.

But I knew I had to do it and I had to not be a baby.

After all, if i was going to ‘talk-the-talk’ about trying new sports and exercising, i should probably be ‘walking-the-walk’, no?

So I found the place to go and reached out to set a time. I mentally committed and then announced it on all my social media channels so that there was no backing out.

And, because I’m so thoughtful, and didn’t want John to feel left out, I let him know he would be joining me for my first crossfit experience last Monday.

Monday 5pm came. I was nervous.

I had a quick intro from the crossfit-lady-in-charge, downed some Vega Pre-Workout Energizer and then ran ( literally, 200 meters to be exact ) right out of my comfort zone.

In addition to the run, the warm- up included 30 mountain climbers, 20 “cross-fit” squats, shoulder stretches and some sort of hanging on the bar that was supposed to prepare you for pull-ups. The warm- up nicely reminded me that i’m completely inflexible, my long legs make everything harder, (especially mountain climbers that require your feet to come up to your hands), and when you laugh , all said-form goes to hell.

Then it was time for the actual workout. And that’s when I learned exactly just how weak I was.

They separated John and I  and the girl I was paired with was some sort of mega crossfitter.  She was nice and scary all at the same time. Her cheerful fluorescent striped knee socks and matching hot pink tank and friendly personality made me feel right at home. Her muscles were another story. And while I (barely) lifted a bar with i’m-not-even-going-to-tell-you-how-much-weight, her little black spandex, ripped quads, jacked biceps and peppy voice kept saying:

“you’re a runner? If you come to crossfit you’ll be an animal”

“you can totally lift more, should i go get 20 more lbs?”

I looked over at John, relieved to see he appeared to also be semi-dying, and while my mind was responding with things like “i hate you. I don’t want to be an animal, ow my legs, my back, where’s John, help” all I could do was go through the motions, smile, quasi-laugh, and pray to the gods I would make it through 5 more dead lifts.

Which i did. I also jumped over a jump-rope a lot of times, did sit ups, shoulder presses, and was nicely told by in-charge lady that i was allowed to sit out for the head-stand push-ups. THANK GOD.

When we got in the car, I looked over at John. He was pouring sweat.

He was repeating phrases like “I’m so worked.” “I feel wrecked” “I’m NOT OK.”

And, I was getting mad. Why wasn’t I sweating? Why didn’t I feel ‘wrecked?’ Why didn’t I push myself harder? I thought i did? “I should have gone on a run”

We got home. John (smartly, and with my prompting;) ) drank Vega Recovery Accelerator and laid on the floor.

I foolishly did not (remember, i “didn’t feel worked”). I made dinner. Ate dinner. And then it happened.

2 hrs post and I had total jello legs. My back was screaming at me and my butt, oh my god my butt. I silently cursed myself for not drinking recovery accelerator and then for the 4 days after I shuffled along on a walk/run, cried a little every time i had to squat down and sit on the toilet, and silently cursed at any person who made me laugh. I got my butt kicked.

So, what’s the moral of this story? Challenge is good. Did I love it? Umm, not really. Do I know I need to give it at least 5 more tries, post half-marathon, absolutely. Monday’s crossfit experience reminded me of how important it is to be open-minded and try new things. How, in fitness, it’s so important to keep our bodies guessing and challenging them to do things out of our comfort zone. and the more we do it, the easier it gets (sort-of)

I went into crossfit with the mindset that I can’t do both. It’s either running or crossfit. And i’m obviously choosing running. And as i reflect back I realize i came out of it learning way more than i even realized.

I learned:

1.  Crossfit doesn’t have to replace running, in fact it can and will be a great complement to running.
2.  Never think you’re going to love something at the first go. Always try a new activity, or food, at least 5 times.
3. You are your biggest competitor and only you can push yourself. Never compare how hard you worked to how someone else feels (or how much they are sweating!)
4. I’m weak (OK we knew this, cross fit confirmed)
5. And, always take recovery accelerator.