Chick'd!

First off, let me say thank you to all the comments made on the Maui post! You guy are so awesome it blows my mind. 


For example. Sophia from Raven Waves sent me the sweetest package, and it arrived today. It was full of healthy snack goodies, and some other fun products. She is an angel, and I am so grateful! 


I also received two other packages in the mail, one from my guy best friend Patrick who sent me a Timmy Tebow Denver Broncos jersey. If you remember from my Three Tangent Tuesday post, I am obsessed with Tebow. I am so excited for this! :) I now have a Tebow Gators jersey (though it doesn't have his name since he was in college) and a Tebow Broncos jersey. I'm so happy. 


My girl Melanie who is currently stationed in Japan also sent me some Japanese goodies. Not so healthy, but worth every bite. Yum. She also sent me a cute top, some oragami paper, and a gorgeous mirror with a Japanese scene on the cover. She is the same gorgeous girl who sent me  the Valentine's Day package a few weeks ago. I'm seriously getting spoiled here. Here's a group photo of all my stuffs!

Now. On to the important news I have.


Yesterday I said I was going for a run, and boy did I. I ran outside, in Africa heat, with the sun beating down on me. I only ran 2.25 miles, but here's what made me so excited. I ran, at my natural pace, the first mile in 8:40, and the second mile in 9:13. Without a treadmill making me. In those conditions! 


I mean, don't get me wrong, I felt like I was going to die that last 1/4 mile, but I did it. I used to struggle with a 10:00 minute pace, and I now I ran 2 miles at roughly the pace I want to finish my half-marathon in! (Now I just have to sustain it for 11.1 more miles...) I have improved so much. It's proving to me that speed work and intervals do work. 


I even chick'd a guy. Oh yeah. One of the Japanese guys here on base. I just ran right past him. I felt so awesome. (Now, to be completely honest... these Japanese guys are no joke at running. They are fast, so this guy was probably on like mile 15 or something. But I will pretend he wasn't, and feel better about myself.) 


Afterwards I sat down on the soccer field in the shade to stretch. I sat there for like five minutes just enjoying the breeze and the immense runner's high I was feeling. I think it was the best I've felt since coming to Africa. 


So awesome.


Tomorrow is back to intervals, and I have to say, for once I am actually looking forward to almost making myself puke. Yesterday totally filled me with the motivation I've been lacking lately. :)

Me, post run, all red-faced and happy.

Vibram FAIL....

Workout: Killer Ab Workout / 25 lunges / 20 minutes weights (chest) / 30 minutes elliptical


I have a few things to talk about today, which is why my post is so late, hehe. First off.


The original plan for today was to run, and to run in these:

My Vibram Five Fingers.

Well, you know the saying, "The road to hell was paved with good intentions"? Yeah. That applied to me today. 

I love these shoes, usually. I mean, LOVE. Today, however was a different story. I put them on an immediately it didn't feel right. My calves were already sore (I think they were just tight from all the boots-on-gravel walking) and I don't know how these shoes affect everyone, but they always seem to work my calves the most. But I said, Oh well. and went about my business. Completed my ab workout, (I seriously love this ab set pretty hardcore) then did my weights, and went to the treadmill fully prepared to run. Pssssh. I didn't make it 1/4 of a mile before I pushed the STOP button. It hurt. Not in a good, this is awesome, way hurt. 

So I moved to the elliptical and decided I'd run tomorrow in my nice cushioned calves lovin' tennis shoes. But about 10 minutes into that, my feet starting hurting. I was seriously annoyed by this time. I mean, I've worn these darn shoes multiple times, so it's not like I was completely new to them. Although I hadn't worn them in quite a while because my base looks like this:

I'm sorry. But walking on those rocks hurts.

So I finished my workout, stretched and started walking home. On that. It's like a 3/4 mile walk. I just made that number up, but it is my guess. :) Luckily, a really nice officer drove by in a Gator and offered me a ride. Um, yes please. Don't worry. In the States I only get in windowless vans with strangers. I have standards.

But, alas, it didn't stop me from developing a very irritating bruise right on the bottom of my heel. So now I'm limping. I'm praying it goes away while I sleep the day away so I can run tonight. Wish me luck.

Now onto more important things. Like cookies.

Yeah, I got this in the mail today.

Let's just say the candy fast ended tonight... And I'm not sorry.

Basically, one of my girlfriends sent me a rocking Valentine's Day package. It had:

+FOUR different kinds of Girl Scout cookies (Thin Mints, Shortbread, Thanks-A-Lots, and Somoans)

+Bag of Sweathearts Conversation Hearts (yum...)

+Little complilation of Ferrerra Rocher truffles

+magazines (Runner's World, Cosmo, Women's Health, Mad Libs, etc.)

+Wedding Book

+Victorias Secret lotion and Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer

+Super sweet Card

+Face Mask

So, I wasn't going to insult her by not eating the entire bag of candy. That would be rude, guys. Hehe. I did have some help from my co-workers, and the no candy is back on tomorrow. (I obviously am an all-or-nothing kinda girl...) But seriously, it was wonderful. Wonderful.

I was gonna post my eats, but other than candy and girl scout cookies.... it was pretty healthy. Lol. So I don't feel very guilty, and this post is long enough. So I leave you guys with this:

I wasn't kidding when I said I live in a shipping container...

and

Because I know you guys like to see my sweaty hair and go to sleep now bags...

Have a wonderful day y'all. :)

Thoughtful Gifts

Today was a wonderful day.

My Captain received like TWENTY boxes in the mail today. I guess there is a company in Washington that sends care packages to soldiers/airmen/marines/sailors (woo hoo) that are stationed overseas for the holidays. And boy did they.

Some of the things we received:
+ Trader Joes freeze dried strawberried
+ Trader Joe's chocolate
+ Like 8,000 types of tea, hot chocolate and instant coffee (even Starbucks VIA - score!)
+ An ENTIRE box worth's of candy/gum.
+ Socks
+ Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotions, body sprays, etc
+ Microwavable meals
+ Trail Mix
+ Magazines and books
+ A Barbie ice pack. Yeah, that's mine.... Hey! I'm injured!
... and the list goes on.

I was like a kid in a candy store (almost literally, there was so much candy!), and it was super fun going through this stuff. Then we divvied up the thank you cards, and I got all teary eyed writing mine, just because it was so dang THOUGHTFUL of these people. They don't even KNOW us! I was so moved and touched. This holiday season has been really difficult for me, and I am just so thankful. There I go getting all weepy again.

I've decided to do this when I get back to the States. Perhaps Shane and I will have a new Christmas tradition. I'm going to put feelers out at my mom's church, since they have such a large congregation, and I'm sure they'd love to get in on this.

On a similar note, I also received some personal Christmas cards which also made me cry. I miss my family and so dang much. I will be sure to remember these moments the next time I want to strangle them. See, now I even have proof on the interwebs! :-)

It's a Wonderful Life

This is what I spent the morning doing.

Life is pretty hard, huh? (Notice the beautiful cross Shane sent me for Christmas? Boy do I love that man.) I almost felt like I was back in Hawaii, and could go get a Planet Smoothie (my favorite) afterwards. It was nice for a while. :-)


Then I went to my shop and found I had mail! Care package! I love my wonderful mother. She sent me a great Christmasy package full of Bridal magazines, hot chocolate mix, homemade Christmas cookies, presents (Yay!), granola bars, etc. I love her dearly. Seriously. People do not realize how important care packages are to those deployed. Especially this time of year when all I want in the world is to be with my hubby and family. So if you know anyone who is or will be deployed, keep that thought in your head. 


This is what my crafty mom did. Please ignore the hideous gold color of the sheets. It's what the store out here had.....

Moral of the story? Today has been a pretty awesome day!