Pirate Plunder Pride!

Happy victory dance!  Yesterday I competed in the Pirate Plunder Adventure race - my first ever competitive race event. I completed 4.1 miles and every one of the 17 obstacles in UNDER 55 minutes! It was challenging, but with the my pal Cheryl right beside me and our friends Marci & Mindi cheering us on, we persevered and crossed the finish line. I had dirt EVERYWHERE and I'm a wee bit sore today, but it was so worth it! I had been looking forward to this race for some time; I began training for it 8 weeks ago using the C25K (Couch to 5 Kilometer) app on my phone, running 3 times a week with a little bit of yoga in the mornings. I had such a grand time, I want to do another race - maybe a Zombie Run, the Spartan race, or the Warrior Dash. Whose with me?! Having something to look forward to motivates me, and keeps me hitting the pavement!

As far as the rest of my life, it's going good! I am enjoying co-teaching 6th grade reading, still learning lots and am anticipating my December graduation with a masters degree. Then I'll hopefully find work subbing until I can land a dream job somewhere. Wish me luck!  I temporarily strayed from veganism, but I'm back at it. I'm ordering some books on how to eat meat free while training for races and an active lifestyle. I am not currently training in jujitsu, as school is taking the priority right now, but I hope to make room in my schedule again next month - I honestly miss it!

Jamie continues to heal; he is making progress with his new speech pathologist. I am hoping he will be able to start college soon, but his work schedule at the clinic has been crazy busy.  Once things settle down for him, though, he intends to research his options and keep moving towards PA school!
Please keep him in your prayers; your support has worked wonders for his healing and I'd like to see the inertia continue to carry him towards his passions & dreams!

I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends soon - a Halloween housewarming, a thanksgiving throng, and a Christmas congregation! Looks like I have the next few months covered, but I'll type at you before then! Until next time, thank-you so much for your love and continued encouragement!

Long Time, No Post!

I intended to post much sooner than now, however school has kept me pretty busy! I have tried many new recipes, but alas, have missed several days in my challenge. No worries, I will still make 30 vegan recipes, it will just take me into October.  Of the recipes I have created this month, my favorite are the enchiladas with potato kale filling, shiitake udon with home made seitan, gumbo, and udon curry.  There have been several epic fails, including a phyllo pie with kasha (which I have discovered I don't much care for), and mistakes from two attempts at gourmet bean chili (the first one over-cooked & became dog food while the second one over soaked and became refried beans).  The third attempt at gourmet bean chilli succeeded, and the only reason it is considered gourmet, is because that is how the jar of free beans I received from my friends was labeled.  Nothing fancy about the chilli itself, I was just glad I finally made a decent batch! My almond cookies were ok - But only the batch I gave to my cousin were very soft. The rest were best dipped in tea or coffee due to the crunchiness. Also, the baked beans were alright, but a bit overpowering for more than a few bites at a time.  Best served as a side dish rather than an entree!

School is going well.  I have awesome teammates, but I do miss my last team. At least I get to see them and catch up at Friday seminar.  This semester is going by so fast - before I know it, December will be here and I'll be finished! I am learning so much. This program is very cool, and I am thankful I get to be a part of it.  I am excited for the day I receive a position and a classroom, because I am learning so much to implement!

I am still training for the Pirate Plunder on October 7th. I am running more than 2 miles at a time now. Although, I've been having sinus issues the last few weeks & the reduced air quality from all the wildfires around the valley certainly do not help my running! I'm also striving for daily yoga practice, even if my sessions consist of just 6 repetitions of sun salute. Hey, you need to start somewhere!

I will endeavor to post more regularly.  I appreciate all your support!

Barriers Breached!

Today I breached two barriers I've been working towards overcoming: I ran 2 miles and I weighed in at under 150lbs! I don't remember if I have ever run 2 miles straight, and the last time I weighed les than 150lbs was probably well over a year ago. Fortunately, my two goals of training for the Pirate Plunder and reducing my body fat ratio go hand in hand! I'm not overly concerned with what the scale says, however the 'healthy' weight for my 5'3 frame is closer to 130lbs according to the BMI, however dated. I look at it as a good indicator, but the true test of fitness for me is if I can keep up the exercise and healthy eating. Along those lines, two more days do my vegan cooking challenge have seen me toasting pitas and creating an udon curry, mostly from scratch. My dinners are delicious, fairly nutritious, and an adventure to prepare. Plus, my co-teachers are usually intrigued by what I unpack. Just wait until my 30 Days of Bentos challenge! Thanks again for all your love and support!

Back From Summer Break...

     In my last blog entry I announced my intention to bring balance back for my mind, body, and soul.   I committed to at least weekly entries on my blog, detailing my adventures and progress, and although I am remiss in my weekly entries, I have been making progress!  Although I took a short hiatus from training in Jui Jitsu, I am still preparing for the Pirate Plunder (4 mile obstacle course race in October) - today I ran for two 8 minute segments with a 5 minute walking break in between.  I am continuing to eat vegan, and have lost an average of 1lb per week! Additionally, I have decided to do a 30 Day Challenge each month.  This month: 30 Days of Vegan Cooking, where I will try a new recipe for each day this month - but more on that later.

     I visited Jamie in Colorado Springs in early August. It was the anniversary of his ordeal. He is still healing, and continues to improve.  Physically he is healed.  Mentally, spiritually, & emotionally, well those take more time and care for everyone. But he has tenacity, and he will accomplish his goals.  I will cheer him on every step of the way because I have absolute faith he will succeed. 

     The last bit of summer vacation was spent with my cousin Kristina, my sister Bridget, and friends at the Washington Midsummer Rennisiansce Faire, which was cathartic as I went last year right after learning of Jamie's injury. I am so grateful for my cousins' support as well as family friend Trek, Susie, another dear cousin, and her friend Mike who was a wounded warrior and helped me understand some of what Jamie would be going through. I am blessed to have so many people that love me.

I started school again, co-teaching 6th grade reading at Toppenish Middle School and I am really enjoying it! My core teacher graduated from my program last year and is amazing! Our principal is supportive and wonderful - I am looking forward to how much stronger of a teacher this experience will help me become.

Ok - so the 30 Day Vegan Recipe Challenge: so far I made my first ever lasagna (absolutely excellent) using recipes from my Veganomicon, including a cashew 'riccotta' and a marinara sauce; as well as a basmati rice & lentil dish. Yes, that's only 2 and today is September 3rd, but I'm counting the lasagna as two - it was a lot of work but SO worth it! Stay tuned, and thank-you for all your love and support!

A New Begining...

     As many of my friends and family know, this past year has been a difficult one. On August 12th, 2011 my husband Jamie was injured when an IED detonated while he was on mission in Afghanistan. He sustained a subdurmal hematoma to the right side of his brain, peppering/shrapnel wounds, and damage to his hearing.  His was classified as moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI).  To put it in perspective, a concussion is considered a minor TBI, while a major TBI results in a coma. We spent the next two months in San Antonio, Texas; after which Jamie insisted I return to Washington and begin my graduate studies.
     Now, the recovery timeline for a moderate TBI is usually 9-18 months. But Jamie returned to his unit's rear detachment less than 6 months after the blast, on December 1st, 2011.  He was able to come home to Washington on leave for Christmas & New Years. But as astounding as his progress was, there were still hurdles to overcome.  The damaged part of Jamie's brain controls recall function.  So, even though Jamie is just as intelligent as he ever was, sometimes it takes him a little longer to access archived information, and storage of new inforormatiom isn't always executed properly.  He's constantly working to repair those processes, but in the interim it can make life more challenging than usual.  
     Although Jamie endured the detonation, we both faced the fallout.  In that instant, our lives were altered forever.  I tried to be strong, and even thought I was succeeding for a while, but it felt like my world was unravelling.  Months later, I took a hard look at myself, and realized I was a different person.  How could I have changed so much in such a short time?! Who is this woman? I used to be kind, sweet, happy and perpetually optimistic - always finding a cloud's silver lining, even if I had to look at the situation from another perspective.   What I observed instead was a bitterly disappointed, short tempered, hyper-critical shrew.  
     As Jamie walks his road to recovery, I have decided to embark on a journey to bring peace and happiness back into my life. I have so many wonderful and inspirational people around me; I am taking note of their examples and emulating what I admire, so I may restore balance to my mind, body, and soul.  I am adjusting what I eat, I am training in Jui Jitsu as well as preparing for a 4 mile obstacle course race in October, and am doing as many fun and fullfilling activities with friends and family as I can, while finishing my Masters in Teaching this fall (I enjoy alliteration).  I invite you to follow me on my path towards discovery - I am committing to at least weekly entries on my blog, detailing my adventures and progress.  Through this, I will feel as though I am accountable to you, all who are supporting me, which will help me stick to my goals.  So thank you, in advance for traveling with me - I am blessed with your love and encouragement!
PS I will also be trying to catch up with a different friend or family member every day! I'll be reaching out to you soon!