If you don't live around where I do, you may not understand the agony of having to start a new school year the first week of August, which is one of the most beautiful-weather months of the year. But around here, we do a lot of things that don't make sense, and school-scheduling is one of them. When I started uploading pictures for this post, it was Saturday, July 27th, when we had one full week of summer left and just a couple days beyond that. I feel like I haven't had any summer yet because I've been so busy!
I finally got to have a weekend that felt like it was actually summer! After Chantal and Cherie's party and my run home, I fixed a yummy pancake breakfast before heading to the lake. We got out pretty late, but it was a good day to because there wasn't that many friends out. I skied once, but it was pretty bumpy. Later, we drove some more and found a place in German Creek (Bean Station) with amazing water! There I skied a long run down and back and loved it! Skiing is such a rush. It's so different from the other activities I do and gives me a chance to sing to the top of my lungs without anyone hearing me.
I usually have almost every weekend like this, but this year has been a lot different. This day was like a flashback, especially with the sleepover.
Pretty white duck! Around here, those are uncommon. We usually have the wild, dark-colored ones.
I am the queen of fresh fruit! Here I was munching on a nectarine from our local farmers' market.
Do you see how full this calendar is? This isn't all either. Never a dull moment...I try to make it colorful, literally and figuratively (calendar and life)!
I thought this news shot from Knoxville looked intimidating. I recently made a tweet of "50 shades of Morristown's weather." True. All in one day. Sunday night, even had terrible storms with thunder, constant lightning, pouring rain, hail and funnel clouds in some areas.
Dad's spaghetti is the bomb! It's not very Italian, we say, but more like "American style" with beef, onions, bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, and lots of spices! It was a beautiful night to eat out on the porch.
Post-run pumpkin pancake with pumpkin seeds to add a crunch and some sausage to add protien to refuel my muscles. Two-a-days call for yummy, yet fulfilling breakfasts.
This comic says what always in the back of my mind with being a Christian athlete, especially with the competitive opportunities I have been graciously given.
During the summer, I love to soak up every last bit of sunshine I can! I am a summer-lover more than any weather. Most days, I am outside until dinner is served.
True.
True times two.
Fast-Food is nasty.
My grandparents are so cute! I love when they come for dinner or when we go see them.
Doing all this extra running this summer requires extra food. One way I get that in at night after my workouts are done is making protein smoothies and shakes! My friends and I love to smapchat each other all our flavors and creations!
Sophie is such a funny kitty. We love to watch her climb around crazy places at home! She has great balance.
Crazy things...this is at the major intersection in Morristown. He is on top of his car, no shirt, with a huge knife. We won't go into details.
I am in love with my honey vanilla maple protein shakes! They are especially great after an especially tough day of running or workouts to add extra fuel between dinner and dessert. The flavor is addicting and the texture perfectly like a milkshake!
These are a new one for me! I got them for when I need a little something more, but don't have a lot of time to whip up a lot. They are yummy and fast, but not a lot of calories or fat. Just a great sweet treat!
Yay for indian runs on one-person-width trails! Coach Farmer sends us on the most unsmart things (in our opinion) sometimes, like having to pass people where there is obviously no room to pass! I took a face plant this morning. My knees are already terribly scarred, so I told him that it just added to the decorations.
As I have mentioned, I have become addicted to coconut. For a tasty re-and-pre-fuel breakfast, I whipped up cream of wheat, coconut flakes (which add a nice crunch and texture), coconut extract, and dark chocoloate protein shake.
Every once and a while, I get an email from Survey Monkey Contribute informing me that I have a new survey available to take. I used to love taking surveys when I was younger, and still do, so it is even better when a little bit of my time benefits others! On this site, you can choose an organization, and money will be donated to them whenever you take one of the surveys.
I have not tried this limited batch flavor, but I think it would be in my grocery cart if it was sold in stores near me. Peanut Butter & Co makes what I think is one of the best nut butters available.
They teamed up with Turkey Hill to make a banana peanut butter ice cream with their Smooth Operator peanut butter!
I just love my Sunday school/small group! My college leader, Jenna, who you can check out her Twitter life now as you see her above, cracks me up every time her presence is around. She has been dieting and trying to live healthier, and tweeted this at me one afternoon. Made my day!
Another thing we thought was just crazy for Coach Farmer to tell us to do was, well, hard to explain. We have a time trial, which I was lucky to miss because of camp, at the beginning of June that goes on our Panther Creek 5k course. There had been terrible wind and storms lately, which is when Farmer loves to put us on trails. Why, we do not know. He says it makes us better, physically and mentally stronger. You can't even imagine how messed up the trail was. I wish I had pictures. Trees down everywhere, mud slick spots, and mud puddles. It was steeplechase along one point where I hurdled three consecutive trees. We also had to crawl through/under some others. It is safe to say that times were not accurate. We split into two teams to race it. Another thing to throw us off, we did it entirely backwards. The way we had to work that also made it almost a quarter mile or so longer. The winning team, pictured above, got monkeys that link together. Now we have them to pass around the team when people succeed all season.
One of my running friends from nearby Greeneville recently moved to Florida, and I saw a picture of where they were featured in their town's newspaper!
One of my friend's daddy makes best with me at the big post season race, Footlocker South Region, each year that I run it, that if I beat a certain time, he owes me dessert. Well, after about 8 months, here it is! Katlyn called me up and they treated me to Sweet CeCe's frozen yogurt!
The store we have in Morristown is not done by weight, but a flat rate cup, although it is still self serve. I got two different sized cups. One doesn't do for me after summer days.
It's so cute in our Sweet CeCe's store!
Happy friends must have their photo taken!
This is the monkey that I have for being on the winning team! (By now it has been passed on to several others)
Here are some goofy pictures of the people who were in charge of bringing me my phone down to the pool to play a "game" in the parking lot. #Blackmail
Why waste the beautiful sunshine doing core work inside, when you could be outside soaking up the sun?
A tasty breakfast I whipped up post/rerun this summer: vanilla almond coconut cream of wheat, using the new Blue Diamond Toasted Coconut almonds chopped, almond with coconut, almond coconut blend milk and a tad of flavoring extract.
I redownloaded my vine account so that I could add a funny team video, and I later went back to look at my old videos. I had totally forgotten many of these memories! It's so great to go back and have things to look and laugh at!
I just love garlic! Not only the taste, but the smell as well. Call me weird if you want.
New dinner recipe! Chicken salad, healthy and nutritious, accompanied by another one of my favorites, roasted vegetables.
Each year, our cross country team hosts a race at our state park, Panther Creek, in order to raise money for our booster club. It's a 5k called the Trojan Trek. Team members are allowed to run, but most choose to work it, since we run at the park pretty much every day.
Azalia is the kitty-cat-finder! She found one at a track meet in the spring, now a race in the summer! Jessica was dying to take it home.
What a beautiful day to spend a little time in, God's creation-the outside and the Bible!
I sent this to my friend because, at this point, we considered that seriously sleeping in!
Sunday was the annual Sub Deb Pledge Tea, where we welcome all the freshmen girls and their mothers who come along into our club. These pictures are of the girls at my table and the group of junior actives. Each year the Morristown Country Club is the location for the occasion, and everyone dresses up all fancy. Truthfully, we are not all that fancy, except for a few of us.
After the tea, I headed out to the lake where my family had already gone and taken the boat. I wasn't too concerned about making it a long day; I consider a successful lake day one with a great, long waterski! And that's what I did.
I have recently signed up for the Spartan Race food and Workout of the Day emails, and I am really enjoying it! I haven't done any workouts yet, but I plan to in the cross country off season. The foods, however, can go year round! Each week, they choose a food to be the base for each day's recipe.
I was not about to lose that key or let it flop around. That would be either tragic or annoying. Luckily, it was neither.
For some reason, I got on a juice kick, so I bought three flavors at one time! It took me a while to get them all drank!
I am usually looking forward to the start of school, but not anymore. I love summer life and being free, and school is just not so motivating anymore.
One thing that got me moving on the first day back was the first XC Bible study at Chick-fil-a for the year! They have new coffees now, too, straight from Farmers to help them out.
I agree. I do not want to eat food if it's not for the taste!
Post-long-run-on-the-first-day-of-school pancakes! I did a little over 14 miles, 9 of which were with two teammates.
We have a secret sister thing on our team, and today I was super pumped to get a first day of school gift!
School is on the go, and now I have NO FREE TIME. However, I feel led to share my life, so I will do my best to keep posting when I can.
