Two Little Runners in 2014

January

Kristen, finally 100% recovered from a sprained ankle (injured in May 2014), runs 2 PRs - in the 15K at the Resolution Run in Mission Bay, San Diego (1:06:55 (7:11 average pace)) and in the Carlsbad Half Marathon (1:33:42 (7:09 average pace)).

Penny moves back to Australia. Runs her first 5K, hates life, and vows never to do that shit again. Runs some cliffside trails and hangs out with bebes instead.

February

Kristen runs the UT California 10/20 in Del Mar in 1:09:55 (7:00 average pace) and enjoys temperatures in the 70s while the rest of the country experiences polar vortexes.

Penny moves to Sydney and starts a new job. Gets up to about 50 mpw.

March

Kristen PRs in a downhill 5K at the San Diego 5K (18:47 (6:03 average pace)).

Penny gets a stress fracture in the incredibly random cuboid bone. Goes undiagnosed for about 2 months. Quietly goes insane doing pool running and throwing heavy metal around the weight room.

April

Kristen runs some major hills in the Xterra Black Mountain 16K trail race (1:17:07 (8:03 average pace)) and the La Jolla Half Marathon (1:37:21 (7:27 average pace)), which is good enough for 2nd in the female 30-34 division in a pretty big regional race!

Xterra Black Mountain 16K Elevation Profile

Penny injured. Don't talk to me.

May

Kristen ran the Navy's Coronado 4-Mile Coronado Bridge run in 27:07 (6:47 average pace), placing 3rd female and winning a baseball autographed by Tyson Ross (the Padres' only All-Star this year). 

Penny still injured. Running, you are dead to me.

June

Kristen's main goal race this year was the San Diego Rock N Roll Half. Came close with 25 seconds of the goal 1:30:XX with a 1:31:24 (6:59 average pace). It's hard to be too disappointed when it is still a 2 minute PR!

Penny refriends running. She's fickle like that.

July

Kristen ran the Coronado Independence Day 15K and broke her January PR in the 15K by 1+ minute, finishing in 1:05:28 (7:02 average pace).

Penny injured again. This time its something weird in her ankle. Mother f**ker.

Explores some more of sydney and drinks an unreasonable amount of wine.

August

Kristen placed first in the San Diego Track Club's Balboa Park 8 miler in 58:25 (7:17 average pace). Kristen also ran the America's Finest City Half Marathon in 1:32:52 (7:05 average pace), missing the 1:30:XX again, and realizing that the warm SoCal weather is not so great when you are trying to race!

Penny starts running again again. 

Dont get too comfy in that thar running gear

September

A few days after writing on the blog, "I've figured out how to run hard and stay healthy," Kristen goes to doctor and finds out she has some scar tissue covering a tear in her hamstring. Womp-womp. 

Penny runs a bit. Gets excited. Does too much, too soon. Knows she will probably pay.

October

Kristen, still not running, takes up spinning. Spins so much that she gets runner's knee. Womp-womp.

Penny does in fact pay. Gets a small tear in her hip cartlege (labrum). Gives up and goes to Vanuatu. 

November

Kristen's back to running - 5 minutes at a time. Womp-womp. 

Penny still not running, drinks all the margaritas in Cabo to console herself. 

Occurs to her that she definitely has a margarita face.

December 

Kristen's back to long runs now. But any runs faster than 8:00 pace bother hammy. Contemplates ultras for a minute...and hopes for a healthier 2015!

After a tough year in and out of injury, Penny starts getting back into it. Runs a gorgeous but slow 6-miler for the last day of the year, spending most of it planning how to break out of the injury cycle in 2015. Declines to contemplate utras, but wishes KA all the best for that hot noise.

Happy New Year!

xx

Kristen and Penny

Two Lil Runners Together Again and... Cabo

So you may be aware that we recently went to Vanuatu; partly because i wrote another whole non-running blogpost on it... but also because I accidentally published a draft of this post the other night on my new tablet. I then proceeded to blame it on Kristen's tablet before realizing that it was totes my own user-error. Yaaaay Christmas spirit.

Anyway upon returning home from Vanuatu we realised we inmediately needed to book our next holiday. I wont explain the confluence of events that led to us having a few days in San Diego, then five days with which to vacation somewhere cool.... but needless to say it was very lucky. 

Of course the best bit was having the two lil runners together again for a few days...

Which if course meant coffees and pedicures...

And (unpictured) loads of vino....

 I'll spare you the gorgeous portrait of the Two Little Hangovers from the following morn...

Then husband and I took the 1.5 hour flight down to Cabo, where we stayed at the gorgeous and serene Cabo Surf Hotel, in between the two towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose.

We immediately went to the pool. 

And apart from some perfunctory trips to the two towns just to say we did, we pretty much stayed there for five days.



Can you blame us?

The rooms were all beautiful; spanish style with marble floors and beautiful big stone showers.

One of said token trips to town was to Cabo San Lucas, where we walked around town a bit...

Ate our 358th ceviche with tortilla chips...

And took a boat out to see the famous golden archway  (El Arco)

Topped off with beef and shrimp fajitas on the piers and the best home made stone ground corn tortillas of my life.

Second trip was to San Jose and shopping for Day of the Dead paraphanalia, which im slightly in love with.

The rest of the days were spent in the pool, by the pool, in the ocean, by the ocean...

You get the idea...

We occasionally got dressed in order to eat delicious tacos and drink all the margeritas of the world for dinner. 

Twas a gorgeous trip, and I would recommend our hotel to anyone travelling to Cabo.

I should mention that I did absolutely no running or exercise on this holiday - for seven days. Best.decision.ever. 

Vanuatu

A few months ago, we were having a boozey dinner with two great friends of ours, when they suggested we all go on holiday to a Pacific island for a few days. Of course the group agreed that this was a fabulous idea, but (at least me) kept in mind that it was one of those beer-fueled ideas that typically doesnt gain a lot of traction the following morning.

Well this one did. Long story short, we proceeded to book a four-day stint to Vanuatu. It was short notice, so none of us could take a ton of time off work, but the flights were only 3.5 hours, and we knew that if we didnt go soon, we just wouldnt end up doing it. 

Anyway, so back in October (Im behind in my blogging. WHAT.) I was starting the day with amazing tropical fruits and freshly shaved coconut (Im not that much of a coconut fan, but this stuff was heeeeaven);

Eaten with this view. We stayed at Breakas Beach Resort in Port Vila on the main island of Vanuatu.

We visited a place called the Blue Lagoon, with water the most distinctive and exquisite colour I have ever seen;

Even when it was overcast the water everywhere was stunning

You can.not. go on a tropical holiday and not drink out of a coconut. The hus in all his manly coconut-drinking glory:

Doin it right (but wishing I could slip some rum in there, just quietly)

Hot springs were sat in. Yes to that:

Husband and our other friend got mud baths, which was both hilarious and slightly disturbing to watch. I'll let you sit that one out. 

Many more beaches and water

Cocktails on the beach at dusk

Enormous seafood platters that never ended

Our little jungle hut

Yep

We took a boat around the island, and I wore a Castro hat

A coconut crab. I didnt eat this guy in particular, but his mates were delicious.

A sort of coconut-lime ceviche fish salad with rice, served in a delicious fresh coconut bowl. Yes please.

Want.to.go.back.....

It should be noted that there was no running - and indeed absolutely no exercise performed - on this holiday. Plenty of smiles though.