The Year I will never forget - 2013

CHEERS to the life lessons learned in 2013 and the ones to come for 2014.


The Year 2013 started off on a painful note. My dearest grandmother, my foundation and my inspiration for the 36 years of my existence passed away on January 11, 2013. She was close to 93 years old. There will be a whole post dedicated to my beautiful grandmother, because stating she was my foundation and inspiration only scratches the surface of the significance she played in my life. The loss of my grandmother has shaken the core of how I used to view the world and has left a massive void in my life. Cheers to my grandmother.

This was the last time I hugged my grandmother - June 2012. I was about 28 weeks pregnant. Had I known this was my last hug, I would have made it last longer.

In March of 2013, my husband made a career move that allowed me to become a stay at home mother. However, I had to spend three months as a full-time single parent to two girls, a cat and a dog and finish out the remainder of the school year before transitioning from a School Psychologist to a Stay at Home Mom. We had to relocate to a new city and my husband left ahead of us.

In June of 2013, my daughters and I joined my husband in our new city. We moved from the big city to a small town with a population of about 13,000. Cheers to life changes that expand your horizon, because living in a small town is a unique experience.

Camping in the wilderness of Eastern Oregon.

In September of 2013, I started running once again. I'm grateful running is a part of my life again. Cheers to running.

I'm hoping 2014 will bring my family, friends, and the entire world health, joy, peace, and happiness. Cheers!

A Tale of Two Cultures

I was born in Esteli, Nicaragua. I moved to the United States at the age of six. As a result, I grew up immersed in two different cultures - the mainstream culture of the United States and my Latin American culture.

In school, we spoke English, at home we spoke Spanish. In School we ate foods that did not include rice and beans as part of our daily serving, while at home, we rarely consumed food that did not include either rice or beans (or both). Perhaps what became very evident during my upbringing was the contrast between the level of participation in sports between my Latin American culture and that of the United States. I'm sure there were/are a significant amount of factors in my household (and culture) that placed participating in sports at the bottom of the totem pole. We had one car for a household that included six children and four adults. There just wasn't enough man power to drive anyone around to various games. There also wasn't money to pay for athletic apparel or uniforms. Furthermore, the last thing my mother wanted to do was attend a game after standing for eight long hours in a chicken factory removing bones from chicken breast and thighs. In my Latin American culture, participating in organized sports was something that just wasn't the norm for the average person - especially if you were a female.

When we had the privilege of owning a Nintendo, my mother found the entertainment system a nuisance because it ran up the electricity. Never were we told to go outside and play. In fact, I was the first female in my household that learned to ride a bike and learned how to swim (both my grandmother and mother did not know how to ride bikes or swim).

There are many times in my life when I look back at my high school years and wished I would have had enough self-confidence to try out for track and field, or soccer. It wasn't until I joined the Marine Corps at the age of 21 that I realized I would have really enjoyed partaking in organized sports. At times, I have a bit of resentment at my family's ignorant ways (and I say that with sadness and resignation). While I am intellectually aware of the fact that in no way shape or form was my family trying to impede me from being the best I could as evidenced by our move to this great nation we call America, there is a part of me that wished they would have encouraged me to try out for something. When running became a staple in my life, the response I received was tepid. My grandmother thought it was not good for me because it would make me skinnier and therefore I would be extremely unhealthy.

As a mother of two daughters, I want for my daughters to understand that working out is part of the norm in our household. My older daughter seems to have little interest in sports, but I still encourage her to at least give herself an opportunity to experience what it feels like to be a part of a team. I don't want to impose my childhood desires on her (alright, sometimes I do, but I'm not perfect), but I also don't want for her to ever say that I did not encourage her to try something new and discover whether she may actually enjoy it.

Sometimes late at night (like tonight), I lay and wonder how my life would have been different had I been more involved in sports. All the thinking makes my brain hurt, but at the end of the day, the only thing different would have been the replacement of my feelings of resentment for feelings that just don't exist. Perhaps those feelings of resentment have fueled my passion for running and furthered my desires to challenge myself physically and mentally. It has taken away my fears and replaced them with passion and determination. I am less afraid of failing now than I was during the years in which we believe we are invincible. Perhaps I may have had a late start in the field of running, but I've always seen the importance of challenging oneself, being a team player, and understanding that if you want to savor the flavor of success, you've got to put some sweat equity and earn it.

Do you have anything you resent from your childhood? How has it fueled your goals in life?

Crossfit and Running

I'm going to say the word - "Crossfit." Whatever feelings the word conjured, please know I'm not here to promote Crossfit. Rather, I'm conveying my story of how Crossfit has impacted my running.

I started Crossfit in the middle of October of this year. I was told by the Crossfit instructor I would be a faster, stronger runner (I was skeptical) and recommended 3-4 Crossfit sessions a week with two scheduled runs - a long run and a speed training run.

Here is exactly what I did starting October 16th, which was the beginning of my first Crossfit Session.

October 16 - Crossfit - I detailed my First Crossfit Session
Warm-up: 5 minutes on bicycle
Strength Training: Shoulder Press, Max Weight: 40lbs 5 repetition 30lbs 20 repetition
Bicycle: 10 second sprint with 50 second rest for a total of 5 minutes.
Clean Reps with PVC bar (I still have not mastered cleans)
End of Training: Push Sled w/long stride 2 times and Run with sled two times

October 17 - Crossfit
Warm-up: 5 minutes on bike
Strength training: Floor Press, Max Weight 45lbs 2 sets of 10
WOD (Workout of the Day):
100 pull-ups (assisted with resistance band)
100 sit-ups
50 air squats (Was told to do 50 because it was my second session)
50 push-ups (on knees)

October 19 - Run
7.5 miles
Pace: 10:33 (Was sore from previous workout)

October 21 - Crossfit
Warm-up is the same throughout
Strength Training: Front Squat, 45lbs 6 reps, Max 65lbs 5 sets of 4
WOD: Nancy (5 rounds of: 400m run, 15 reps Overhead squat - I used 25lb bar, which was easy but the next bar was too hard)

October 22 - Run (with Jogging Stroller)
4.03 miles
Pace: 10:49

October 23 - Crossfit
Deadlift : Max 60lbs, 1 set of 4 reps
21-15-9 Deadlift and Box Jumps (21 deadlifts followed by 21 box jumps, 15 deadlifts followed by 15 box jumps)

October 24 - Crossfit
Floor Press: Max 65lbs 4 rep Max
50-40-30-20-10 Plate overhead walking lunge and double unders (I used no weights because I stated I had a long run and did not want to be sore and I can't do double unders so I had to triple the jumps - 150 instead of 50)

October 26 - Run
Approximately 8.3 miles, not timed

October 28 - Crossfit
Front Squat - Max 70lbs 3x3 (3 seconds down, 3 hold in bottom, fast-up)
WOD: Fran 21-15-9 (21 thrusters followed by 21 pull-ups etc, etc,)

October 29 - Crossfit
The Sevens - This was one of the most challenging workouts and I wrote all about this particular Hero Workout

October 30 - Crossfit
Deadlift - Practice Form
40-20-10 (Slam ball and lunges)

November 1 - Run
4.03 miles
Pace: 9:37

November 3 - Run
8.51 miles
Pace: 9:46

November 4 - Crossfit
Front Squat: Max 70lbs 5 sets of 3
WOD: 43 reps of Sit-ups, Wall-balls, Burpee Pull-ups, Double Unders (2 rounds)

November 6 - Crossfit
Deadlifts - 6 reps on the minute for 6 minutes (70lbs)
WOD: 3 rounds of Wall Walks (5 times), Deadlift (50lbs), Slamball (10 times with 15lbs), Toe 2 Bar (10 times)

November 7 - Crossfit
Shoulder Press: Max 50lbs 4 reps
Floor Press: Max 50lbs 2 reps
WOD: Row 300 meters
3 rounds: 20 push-ups, 20 V-ups
2 rounds: 30 Russian Kettle Ball Swings, 30 Kettle Ball Goblet Squats
1 round: 40 pull-ups, 40 sit-ups
Row 300 meters

November 8 - Run
3.2 miles
Pace: 9:07

November 11 - Run
10 miles
Pace: 10:04

November 12 - Crossfit
Cleans: 3 reps on the minute for 7 minutes (I practiced form because I can't get these cleans - grrrrr)
WOD: Bar Curl - 1-10-1

November 13 - Crossfit
Deadlift: Max 125lbs (My weight!!!!) 5 repetitions
WOD: 3 rounds
Row 500 meters, 12 Double Unders, 24 box jumps, 12 toe 2 bar

November 15 - Crossfit
Heavy Pull-Ups (least resistant band) 5 sets of 3
WOD: Thrusters (25,20,15,10,5)
Double Unders (50,40,30,20,10)

November 18 - Crossfit
Front Squat: Max 115lbs (getting stronger) 1 RM, 65lbs 20 RM
WOD: Partner Step-Up (10-1) (Stepped on box with weights 10x, partner stepped next, 9x, 8x, etc., etc.,)

November 20 - Crossfit
Deadlifts: 125lbs 4 times on the minute for 7 minutes
WOD: AMRAP (as many repetitions as possible) for 12 minutes
Squat Clean (45lb bar)
Box Jump 5x
KB Swing 5x (35lbs)
Slam Ball 5x (25lbs)

November 20 - Run
4 miles
Pace: 9:10

November 23 - Crossfit
5 miles
Pace: 9:18

November 25 - Run
4 miles
Pace: 9:18

November 26 - Crossfit

November 27 - Pilates

November 28 - Run
4.23 miles
Pace: 9:47

So here are some comparative results after one month and a half of Crossfit:

Prior to Crossfit

With Crossfit


















I've shaved 8 minutes overall with less running and most importantly, I am running pain free with less weekly mileage.

Arguable Points:
I had just started running and it could be argued that my time could have improved with more running or any other strength training.

I live in a city with an elevation of 2743 feet above sea level and the last run was done in a city with an elevation of 12 feet above sea level.

The temperature was warmer in October than in November.

I'm consuming less calories now that I've stopped nursing and am more conscientious of the food I eat, so I've lost 4 pounds, which may have contributed to better performance.

For now, I really feel strong physically and it transfers to my running, which leads me to believe Crossfit has helped me run faster and stronger.

What are your thoughts on Crossfit? What strength training do you incorporate into your training to make you a stronger, faster runner?

The Elf on the Shelf

It's approximately 1:06 in the morning and The Elf on the Shelf is keeping me awake. My 9 year-old daughter decided to write him a letter and I had to oblige. Unfortunately, I was dead tired after putting both her and the 1-year-old to bed and forgot about (Buddy) The Elf. Fortunately I have one of those internal mother-will-not-get-sound-sleep-until-the-job-gets-done clock and woke up to get the job done. In all honesty, I've never read the story of The Elf on the Shelf because being that we don't celebrate said tradition in Latin America, I've never put any thought into actually reading it. The Elf has actually been in my daughter's room sitting on a shelf and played with since she got it as a gift two years ago. It wasn't until we moved to a new city this past summer that three neighbor girls who happened to be younger than my daughter pointed him out and questioned why the Elf was not at the North Pole like their Elf was.

My daughter, in fear of risking the possibility he could lose his magic decided to put him away. On Monday morning, her neighbor friend informed my daughter her Elf was back from the North Pole and raved about his existence. Because my daughter is on the threshold of still believing and beginning to doubt, I wasn't sure how she'd respond to her younger friend. I stretched out my antennae ears as far as I could and overheard her discussing with her friend why her Elf did not have magic. Both her and her friend agreed that the Elf needed a name so that he could actually feel like he was part of the family. They placed him on the shelf and waved goodbye to the new member of our family.

And so I, upon learning my daughter was still filled with the innocence of believing in fairy tales, decided to play along. I absolutely loved the look on my daughter's face when she came home on Monday after school and saw her Elf had moved from the spot she and her friend left him that morning when they took off for school. It was even more heartwarming when she told me she couldn't wait to tell her friend the news about her Elf. I'm quite certain I won't have this opportunity come next year when she'll find her younger's friend proclamation of the Elf's return from the North Pole as childish. For now, I'll cherish the moment of my little girl who is growing too fast before my eyes. I also need to go read the story of The Elf on the Shelf so I don't get any curveballs thrown my way. Off to bed to catch some much needed sleep.

What traditions do you have with your children? What traditions did you have as a child that you are sharing with your children?

Buddy, The Elf

My mini panther, Blossom, keeping me company.