Two Weekends: Glennon and 10-miler

Weekend 1: Glennon

Two weekends ago, I (Kelsey) got to see one of my heroes and role models speak about one of her newest books. Glennon Doyle Melton is the author of Carry On, Warrior and Love Warrior (currently NYT bestseller and Oprah's book club pick). She writes the truth about her life as a mom, partner, and woman in recovery from alcoholism and an eating disorder. She's also become an activist for women and children worldwide and for those with mental health issues. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to hear her speak free of charge and nearby. 

Glennon!

I also ran into the Director of the nonprofit I volunteer with and we both got a picture with Glennon.

Weekend 2: Reston Perfect 10-miler

This past weekend, we also ran a 10-miler race with Kelly and Alex! Mike and I warmed up with 3 miles because we technically need to be running long distances. We all did really well and loved the cooler weather! I averaged just under 9 min miles and Mike averaged around 8 min miles, I believe.

Before the start of the race!

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After with our medals! Then we headed to Ted's Bulletin for a solid recovery brunch.

Tomorrow, Mike and I are headed to Williamsburg to hang out with my family at Busch Gardens and I'm hoping the weather cooperates!

Labor Day Weekend

I always forget how hard September is. Summer seems like a drowsy buildup of projects and getting "ready" for the students to arrive. Then, when they get there, you just have to hope your preparation was good enough to get you through the challenge of the next month and a half. 

I suppose that's how the marathon will be. You just hope that by doing the painfully long runs you will be able to finish the race. Not even running for time. I just want to finish. And that's how I feel about September.

Looking back, it's starting to feel silly that I put all of this on my plate: marathon training, start of another school year, starting a new personal training gig, and some additional professional development gigs during such a busy season. But then I realize that sense of anxiousness is all fear. I'm afraid I won't finish. I'm afraid I won't be able everything perfectly. I'm afraid I'll drop the ball. 

And I remember that I don't have to do everything perfectly. I show up. I put in the work. I ask for breaks and rest. I ask for HELP. I lean in to the uncertainty and vulnerability. I care. I try. Even when I'm not sure what the outcome will be or IF I will be able to finish the race. Half of the battle is fully showing up for the challenge, and it wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy.

The mental challenge of getting through training during such a busy time, trying to rest enough, trying to eat and hydrate enough, and not quitting is harder than I thought it would be. And I'm so grateful I'm not doing it alone:)

Anyway here are pictures/adventures from Labor Day weekend: a much needed 3-day weekend!

-Kels

Friday night: Pineapple & Pearls dinner date

Last Friday Mike had made reservations for us at an incredible restaurant called Pineapple and Pearls. It was pretty fancy, but we felt the need to treat ourselves to a date night after a rough 2 weeks. It was incredible, and definitely one of our top dining experiences ever!

Friday evening after work, Mike was working late before our dinner reservation, and I took my time meandering through the city to listen to an awesome musician play some covers.

Pretty flowers outside Pineapple and Pearls.

Our last course at Pineapple and Pearls. The box was for if we were too full and wanted to take them home. We obviously ate them there:) I guess technically the last course was the flash brewed coffee and pistachio shortbread they sent us home with to enjoy the next morning for breakfast. Obviously they speak my love language (coffee&cookies).

Pineapple and Pearls complimentary cocktails to start the evening. One of my favorite parts of the entire experience was an ice cream course we had with several different flavored ice creams that Mike and I each split. The restaurant manager remarked that he'd never seen a couple so easily divide and conquer that dish equally. I married well.

Saturday and Sunday: Kels's Home and visiting Brian&Kay

Saturday we made it out to see my family and this almost 3 year old. <3 My sister got a new job so we were there to celebrate with her, see my grandma, and hung out with my mom/stepdad and some of their friends eating crabs.

Beautiful country sky on Saturday evening!

Another pretty sky view.

Wine tasting with the Paljugs in Charlottesville...Some amazing wine out there! Can't wait to meet Baby Paljug so soon!

Monday: 15 miles run to Mount Vernon

Last weekend we ran 15 miles (our longest run yet) from Gravelly point near Reagan airport to Mount Vernon. 

Recovering from our 15 mile run with Richard and pizza in Del Ray. 

Mike Goes on a Field Trip

Many people assume that because I am in the Navy, I have had the opportunity to do some "real" military training.  This is mostly false.  This past Friday, however, I had the opportunity to go down to Quantico for some training simulations.  I'm hopeful that nothing I learned will ever be useful to me in a practical sense, but it was a humbling experience getting a slightly better idea of what some of my clients might actually have to go through.

First, we got to go to a weapons simulator where real weapons had been modified to fire electronic signals at screen projections.  As these were enormous machine guns and rocket launchers, I was okay with the modification.  They were terrifying enough as-is.

And really, if the lawyer needs to know how to operate a grenade launcher, things are not going well.

The RLSO representatives.  All rifles are plastic.  Heavy plastic, but plastic.  Behind us is a vehicle rollover simulator which we were very bad at escaping.  Protip: the quick release seatbelt buckle must be facing outward, away from your body, in order to function as a quick release seatbelt buckle.

Convoy simulator.  Probably one of the more advanced driving simulators that exists.

I got to be the turret gunner.

Today Kels and I continued our marathon training by running another 12 miles.  At some point I expect they will get easier, but I suppose not this week.

We started at the marina and then ran down Mount Vernon trail.

Made it!

Trip to Cumberland and Marathon Training Updates

This past weekend, Mike and I headed to Cumberland to see his family and celebrate Leslie's birthday. On our drive up Friday night, we stopped by an El Salvadorian restaurant for dinner. I'd been wanting to try "pupusas" for a while. They are a signature dish of El Salvador that is a handmade corn tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese, and sometimes pork. They were so delicious!

Pupusa Pic.

The next morning, Mike and I had a long run the next morning, so we woke up early to beat the heat. It was a beautiful 10 miles along the C&O canal, but still very hot and sweaty. We made sure to do plenty of stretching and cooling down after.

This was when I took a walking break:)

The Cumberland

Amphitheatre at the start of our route.

We look much better than I felt.

Later that day we went to the mall and went shopping. And Leslie, Linda, and Rachel rode around on these little automatic zoo animals that you could ride around the mall. You'll have to go to Leslie's Facebook for those gems. That night, we went out to The Henhouse which has amazing crabs, fried chicken, and of course, chicken noodle soup. I know Mike already posted about this, but the table did get to witness how ineffective I am at ordering. 

On our drive home, we ended up passing several vineyards in a row and ended up saying "alright, if we see 3 more, we have to stop at the 3rd one". And we did, so we did. 

I made Mike take a picture with a view of the mountains in the background. 

It was our first wine tasting together.

This was the point where we wanted to move in. 

Grapes!

As for marathon training updates, we're up to 13/14 miles on the weekends and are trying really hard to 1) eat a lot of good running fuel, 2) drink a ton of water, 3) rest and recover. I've also started putting my personal training knowledge to good use in designing exercises that will support our marathon recover. The kick I'm on right now is exercises that focus on the glutes (butt) and hamstrings (back of thigh) that will help support us during our longer runs. Mike even agreed to come with me to the gym on Monday so I can practice training by taking him through a sample workout:) I know my mom gets worried with me running such long distance, but we are staying as cool as possible, drinking lots of water, and running in areas with lots of others runners:) Let's just hope we can stay injury free for another 2 months!

Will and Adam, Sur La Table, Etc...

Alright, where did we leave off?

The weekend after Hamilton, Our friends Will (second from right) and Adam (not pictured) celebrated their 30th birthdays in DC at a place called the Bier Baron. I do not know where the rest of the pictures from this night went, but I'm sure they existed.  Was wonderful to catch up with some of our W&M friends!

And speaking of W&M friends...

Meimei came back from China!

I can't believe it has already been a year since she left.  Josh and Kelsey and I took her out to Lavagna, where we had pasta and meats and cheeses and other things that are sort of harder to find in China.  

And speaking of food...

Kelsey and I went to a couple of cooking classes at Sur la Table.

We learned how to deep fry fish...

and also how to make this stuff, which was probably better than the fish.

And we've been running a lot, even though it is very very hot, because we are still training for our marathon in October.

We also ran up in Maryland, where we went last weekend to celebrate Mom's birthday.

And we saw Nanny and Papa Buck at a restaurant! I'm so glad they got to witness Kelsey's patent-pending ordering technique.

Journey to Hamilton!

In October of 2015 all of our musical theater friends started deliriously ranting about a musical called "Hamilton," which we thought was a little silly given the fact that it was a musical about a treasury secretary who wrote a lot and was killed in a duel (which I only knew from a 90's "Got Milk" commercial).  Then we started listening to the music.  I bought the album almost immediately and started my own delirious ranting about the musical.  I also bought tickets for the next available (at normal ticket prices) weekend show in NYC, which happened to be in July 2016.  So that's where we went earlier this month.

Used credit card rewards points for a first class ticket from DC.  It did not get us there any faster than taking a bus, but now both of us can say we've flown first class exactly once.

And other credit card points for two nights at the nicest hotel I've stayed at in NYC and probably anywhere else.  Kelsey complains sometimes when I hand her a new card to use every few months, but I think she is starting to appreciate some of the benefits.

Hotel bathroom, with heated floors...

...and a TV embedded in the bathroom mirror so you could watch TV while taking a bath...

...and a little place to hold your tea.

On our way to the show!

Kelsey said she was not throwing away her guac, which was both funny and topical.

Finally outside the Richard Rodgers theater!

A picture of the set!

This also happened to be the day that many of the original cast were starring in their last show: including Lin Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., and Philippa Soo. We were so grateful to see all of them live!

Set at intermission.  People were hugging strangers and crying.  Kelsey was already out of tears at this point.

And that night we went to see Waitress, which probably would have won Best Musical had it been competing against anything other than Hamilton.

To sum up, we are super spoiled and all of our coworkers and friends hated us for very legitimate reasons.