Beach Day

Sunday was the first beach day of summer. It was a glorious day.

It was perfect weather, and the water was actually warm enough to swim in without having to "get used to it" – if you know what I mean.

It was wonderful, but all that time in the sun sure takes it out of you. I swam a lot yesterday and bodysurfed in the waves, which were absolutely HUGE, and it took a lot out of me.

In all honesty I'm exhausted, but in a great way. Monday is getting better, the further along it goes. I'm slowly regaining my energy back.

Warrior Dash weekend...

Last weekend Dave and I went on a little mud run date. We ran the Warrior Dash in San Dimas - about an hour and a half away from home. Last year we got a promo email to try this mud run out, and it sounded like fun, so we signed up. Well we finally went, and it turned out to be a blast. It went by incredibly fast, we finished the run in around 30 minutes. I remember crawling through the mud pit and turning around to see the FINISH line and said, "That's it? We're done!!" I guess we are getting faster! :)

Dave and I had a blast on the obstacles, which were more challenging than we expected. I discovered I am no good at monkey bars. Something I need to work on. This photo was taken before a pretty nasty-looking fall from that second bar...

 Dave had no issues with them. 

Of course there were the fun obstacles like the slide and the fire jump,
which always make for good photos. 

And then there was MUD.... 

This was probably one of my favorite locations to run. Most runs we have done have taken place in remote, dry desert areas and have been really dusty. This location was lush, green and had amazing views of the nearby lake at the top of the hills we had to hike. I really enjoyed the Warrior Dash and would totally do it again. 

I'm Engaged!!!!!!!

Our San Francisco trip couldn't have gone any better.

Thursday night we arrived at our hotel, got all of our belongings into the room and went to sleep. The following day (Valentines Day) we decided to go for a long run from our hotel in the Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was such a beautiful day, running along the water watching the fog roll in towards the bridge.

After our run, we got some lunch and went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the afternoon/evening. Dave had instructed me to get very dressed up because he wanted to take Valentines Day portraits with the Golden Gate in the background.

A few hours later we were all dressed up and ready to go. We drove out over the bridge to our usual "lookout spot" over above Sausalito.... but the fog had completely engulfed the bridge. We could barely even see it when we were driving on it! Dave was extremely disappointed. Me being the (slightly) unsuspecting girlfriend I said "Well, at least we've taken pictures here before... it's not the end of the world!" -- But that didn't stop Dave. He had a plan B, so we drove back over the bridge and to the Palace of Fine Arts - which is equally as stunning.

As the sun was setting, Dave set up his camera and stood next to me for a couple of photos....

Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!!!!!

Of course I said YES.

Let the wedding planning begin!!!

After calling all of our nearest and dearest friends and family, we sent out a few photos showing our pure excitement... and the ring of course!

The fun wasn't even over then. Dave had planned a very romantic dinner on this little island off of Pier 39, where we celebrated our engagement over a bottle of wine, dinner and a delicious chocolate dessert with the cutest message on it....

I could definitely get used to being a fiancé.

This was by far the best day of my life, and I am so thankful that Dave is so well prepared and managed to find a way to document his adorable proposal. I can't wait to become Mrs. Cox!

Spartan Super: Part 1

This weekend I was scheduled to run a Sunday Spartan Sprint, and Dave was scheduled to run the Super Spartan (8 miles!). We set off Friday evening, checked into our hotel, and woke up bright and early Saturday morning and headed to the event location.

8 + miles.... 20+ obstacles....  :)

On the way there, Dave and I half-jokingly talked about the possibility of me running with him in the 8 miler. After he expressed some serious excitement about having a running buddy, we both looked at each other and I said "If they let me sign up at the event, I'll do it with you!"

I wanted a challenge. Mind you, I'd never run more than 6 miles and all of my mud run experiences have been 5K distances, but I wanted to see what I was capable of. I knew I was capable of running another 3 mile obstacle race, but 8 miles? I had confidence, but this was definitely a significantly larger accomplishment. And of course, once I walked up to the registration tent, they let me sign up in the same wave as Dave's. And excited panic immediately set in.

3.5 hours and 8 miles of ridiculously steep hills and amazing obstacles later, Dave and I crossed the finish line. It was an amazing feeling having finished the longer distance.... and never having a moment of thinking I cannot do this. Sure there were moments of exhaustion, leg cramps and fatigue, but never any doubt that I would cross the finish line. I felt extremely proud of both of us.

^^ One of the obstacles from the race... The horizontal wall-climb. You must climb to the other side of the wall using only those little blocks you see there, and ring a bell at the other side to announce you've completed the task!! I made it across this one, and it was so much fun!

Photos of the actual race are obviously not posted yet, but we got to take plenty of photos at the event and in front of the Spartan Race signs. (We have two medals on because if you did 40 burpees after the finish line you got an extra medal) After completing this race (which is the mid-distance race), I think I want to try for the trifecta - which is completing all 3 races (4 mile, 8 mile, and 12 mile) in one calendar year. It's only January and I already have the 8 miler under my belt. I can do this!!!

I can't wait until the photos are posted! I'm sure there will be plenty of hilarious photos of us crawling thru the mud... I will definitely be sharing those the second they are up. :)

Thanksgiving weekend, workouts and a Frenchie

This weekend went by in a blur and I realized it had been way too long since my last post. My main goal this past weekend was to not focus the weekend too much around food, rather, focus the weekend on working out and getting things done.

On Thanksgiving Day, Dave and I got up early to run the Arroyo Verde hiking trail just a few miles away from our house. These photos were taken after the 4 mile run with our little fur-child, Phoebe. Below the trails is this beautiful little park. After our runs I always just want to lay down on a blanket in this park and take a long nap. 

We ate with my family later that afternoon at my Grandparents. Thanksgiving isn't the tradition it used to be because my grandparents aren't very mobile anymore, so we visit them in their retirement community, and it is usually over no later than 2:00 - which is always a little bit of a letdown. You know, since nothing is open on Thanksgiving, so there isn't much else for us to do. But we did enjoy a bottle of wine and some Lord Of The Rings.... I had never seen it, and Dave was appalled, so we watch it. Haha.

Friday morning (Black Friday) I decided to forgo the shopping experience and went to a 7:00 am boxing class at the (new) gym. Damn I love that class. It kicks your butt. Definitely worth getting up and going to. I need to remember that. 

 Olive was just being extra cute this weekend so I thought I'd post some photos of her squishy mug on here. In this photo she was very serious about me getting out of bed to feed her. Googly eyes and all. Girl loves her food. Hmmmmm I wonder where she got that from?

Later on Friday we decided to put up our Christmas decorations. Mostly the tree and the outdoor lights. I do love my little tree - covered in pinks and blues and starbucks cups and owls... It's my favorite night light. I wish I could keep it up for longer than a month.

 Olive and Phoebe were very curious about what the heck we were hanging on the house.

Saturday my parents held a non-formal Thanksgiving feast at their house. It was delicious, but again, I took no photos of the food. I guess I was really serious about not focusing too much on food that weekend. We did, however, get another workout in before the last feast of the weekend. My brother Shane invited us on a little hike up the trail behind my parents' house in Ojai. It was only a couple of miles but it definitely helped with all the food we had eaten over the weekend. It was also very special because I hadn't gone on this trail since I was in junior high, so there were lots of memories on this trail. Sometime soon Dave and I have agreed to do the FULL day hike to the top of the Topa Topa mountain (the top of the mountain in the photo below - I've heard its a cray hike but totally worth it)

And then Sunday was just another day of getting groceries and things in order for the week ahead. That concludes our crazy Thanksgiving weekend! I truly enjoyed the time off and all of the time we spent on exercise and getting outdoors. It was a great weekend.