Fall Bucket List

Happy Friday! As I mentioned before, I am super excited about the change of season. I've been seeing fun fall to-do lists on Pinterest and decided to draw-up my own, so as to include only things I am actually likely to do.

Two Weeks, Two Races (Part 2)

   
     Yay! It's officially fall. I couldn't be more excited for the change of season. I think fall is the best time of year for running, which is why I signed up for so many races in Sept., Oct., and Nov.!

     The second race I ran in September was the Paradise Valley Trail Run organized by Northwest Trail Runs. We had so much fun! I primarily registered for this race because Craig loves trail running, and it was at a park near where we lived.

San Juan Island: 1st Anniversary 5K

     Last year on our honeymoon, Craig surprised me with matching race shirts that said "Owen" on the back. He planned for us to do our own 5K on our honeymoon, and to make it an annual event. 

     This year, we spent our 1st anniversary on San Juan Island, off the coast of Washington. It was a super fun little adventure! And of course this provided the perfect location for our annual 5K.

Life After an Across-State Move

     This has been a crazy month! Craig started work at his new job the beginning of March. I have been interviewing for jobs all month. Interview-anxiety has really driven my running this month. After every interview, I feel wired and energetic, so I go for a run.

     It has been strange trying to adjust to our new home. I did not expect to miss Pullman so much. I think what I am really missing, though, is the freedom we had while Craig was getting his PhD. I got to see Craig a lot more often! That and I miss the people I knew and the familiarity of the town. I know that after we adjust, I will be a lot more happy in Western Washington, it's just a lot of change happening at once!

     I did do a lot of happy things this month. Here is a little recap.

Building a "Base" (aka wow I'm out of shape!)

     I had a whirlwind of a summer, marrying my best friend. Then we moved. Then the air quality was terrible from wildfire smoke. Basically, I didn't run too much towards the end of this summer, and my fitness suffered. I have new plan, though, to get back into running shape. 

Half-marathon Eve

At the finish of the half marathon in 2015

     Tomorrow morning I will be running in the Snake River Canyon Half Marathon! I am pretty psyched for it. This will be my third year participating. The prior two years, though, I was having severe shoulder pain. Now, I feel completely healthy! I am excited to see how I perform in comparison. 

A Walk in the Snow

     I've been in a bit of a sad mood lately. I was basically laid-off less than a week ago, so I guess it's to be expected that I'm a bit down. A long walk in the snow at Kamiak Butte was just what I needed to lift my mood.

Scenes From the Pacific Northwest

   

     Craig and I have been enjoying an extended winter break in Western WA. Craig got a new camera and has been taking gorgeous photos. We went for a walk at Lord Hill Park and got some beautiful shots.

Mt. Rainier and a Bubble Run

      Right before classes started up again, Craig and I were able to escape to Western Washington. We camped and hiked at Mt. Rainier. I ran in the Seattle Bubble Run with a friend (it was so fun!). Then, my extended family had a reunion! It was an awesome trip.

A week of adventures

   The past few days have been pretty eventful. I started out not feeling so well last week. My chest and upper back pain returned the beginning of June and has lingered through the month. Last time I met with my doctor, he recommended I get my heart checked out, so I had a "stress test" at the hospital on Wednesday. It actually wasn't so bad. The guy in charge was really nice and we talked about running most the time, so it wasn't super "stressful."

I'm a robot! Me at my treadmill stress test. 

 

Trip to Lucerne Guard Station

This last week, Craig and I traveled to the Lucerne Guard Station located off of Lake Chelan to visit Craig's grandparents who are volunteers for the Forest Service there.