Wedding Anniversary – Year One

1 year ago today I married a man who is my friend, my workout buddy, and my partner in all things both nefarious and non. We met in high school, when he was a freshman and I was a sophomore, and dated for a year before going our separate ways. We got back together in December of 2007, and have been together ever since.

Our wedding was like us, non-religious, full of family and friends, and relatively unfussy. It was held in his parents’ backyard, with homemade mexican food, homemade bouquets, and a friend as a photographer. It was a perfect day, and the only party I can ever remember enjoying from start to finish (as an introvert, parties and I have a tenuous relationship).

For our first wedding anniversary, we decided that we would give each other a traditional gift (paper), which would by necessity reflect our tight financial situation. We also made each other homemade cards (made while sitting across from each other at the kitchen table and watching The Daily Show). We decided that a fun anniversary tradition would be to do something old (an activity we usually do), and something new (an activity we haven’t tried before).

Leo gave me a book I’ve been wanting for my collection, and the most hilarious card I’ve ever gotten. He also got a handmade card, and a guide to some of the best trail hikes and campsites in our area.

Bitterblue!

Card Front

Card Interior! I love it.

Then we went for a run (which we do all the time) to the new Crunch gym in Burbank! They let us participate in a group fitness class as part of a free trial. The gym was beautiful, and if I had the money for a membership, I’d be in there every day playing with the kettlebells and the nifty treadmills (you can go uphill, or downhill!).

At Crunch post-workout

We went to an “Ultimate Conditioning” group class, which used to be my mainstay back in college. I didn’t enjoy it as much this time, as I’ve gotten way too used to Crossfit style workouts, and this was way too high-rep, instructor speed. But We enjoyed working out together, and then ran home.

Bacon! And wine.

With a quick stop at Trader Joe’s first. Wine and bacon for dinner!

While not fancy or elaborate, it was the best first anniversary I could ask for, since I was celebrating it with my favorite person. Here’s to many more years!

First Dance at Sunset

12athon: Month Six

Because we’re halfway through the 12athon, and because I wanted a challenge, I decided to tackle Macchu Picchu (Machu Picchu: 12 miles up a hill. Can be the same hill, but the distance you travel downhill to run back up doesn’t count. 24 POINTS), and the Slacker’s 12-Hour Race (Slacker’s 12-Hour Race (AKA The 12 MPH): Run 1 mile during every hourly increment for 12 consecutive hours. 24 POINTS. 4 more points if you end at 12 p.m. (noon).). And because I was doing it anyway, I claimed points for Sunrise  (Sunrise: See the sunrise during your run. Find your local sunrise time on SunriseSunset.com. 4 POINTS).

Because we live very near a straight 1-mile stretch up a hill, my husband (who is awesome) came up with a great plan. We staggered the runs so that we started one on a “40” increment, and then started the next one on the hour. This allowed for around 1:20 between running legs, and still made sure I was running each leg within the allotted hour period.

During the Night Legs (first 6 miles) my husband took our car to the top of the hill, rode his bike down, and then rode the bike back up with me. This arrangement meant that I ran 3 extra miles (down the hill between legs) but felt safer in the dark.

During the Day Legs, he’d drive the car to the top, meet me there and drive me to the bottom, drop me off, and then drive to the top again. He was great about stopping partway up the hill to see if I needed water or any assistance.

Mile One

 

Mile Two

Mile Three

Mile Four

Mile Five

Mile Six

Mile Seven

Mile Eight

Mile Nine

Mile Ten

Mile Eleven

Mile Twelve

I managed to pull out a great split on the last leg, and it was pretty amazing to be done. It’s not that the 12 miles are hard (although the uphill is pretty killer), but being awake and having to run so frequently is mentally draining. We came back after every set and watched Big Bang Theory or Iron Chef America while snacking, so I wasn’t tempted to fall asleep and give up.

Elevation Chart for the Route

I’m so glad I tried these two challenges, and I hope I’m not too sore tomorrow! Video from my support crew will come when we’re not too tired. 🙂