While June was an awesome month, July not quite so much. This emotional roller coaster I’ve been on for the past year is continuing to derail me but I’ve made some decisions to start making some changes to get off this coaster so hopefully August will come with some clarity & peace.
July kicked off with the Crown City Classic 12k on July 3. The first race back in San Diego since early 2020. It was nice to see my Arete teammates & cheer them on. I had a decent race considering how little I have been running. It was about a minute slower per mile than last time I ran this race, but considering, I’m happy.
I tried a new pair of shoes for this and the San Diego Half that I ran later in the month. I have really been liking New Balance lately and got a pair of the New Balance RC Elite 2 which I really like! To me, they feel a little stiff as you are putting them on but once you stand up, they are like little clouds on your feet.
After the race we went home and got ready to drive up to Bishop so we could hike White Mountain & then hit up Death Valley NPS so Sean could do an hour or so of training in the heat.
White Mountain – well – it’s a very easy hike outside the altitude – the part that makes it the most challenging is the drive to the trail head. 16 miles of super sharp, rocky trail. My friend Catra told us to drive very carefully because a lot of people get flats which made me quite nervous because my new Crosstrek has run-flat tires which are expensive to replace LOL. So each way it took us over 90 min to get to/from the trailhead to the main road.
The nice things about White Mountain are 1) you don’t need a permit, 2) it’s a pretty easy trail to actually hike outside the elevation & 3) because of the crazy drive there weren’t too many people there.
Cons: It is a really long drive & there is a potential to get a flat so make sure you have a spare, etc. because there is minimal cell service. It’s also beautiful but there is a lot of cover so you are exposed the whole time unlike when we went to San Gorgonio and were in the forest a good portion of the time.
I did not go to the summit. I went up to about 13,000ish feet and then decided I was done. I’m not sure why I quit, maybe it was the slight headache I had, maybe it was that I’m not in my best physical or mental shape right now, I don’t actually know, but I was done and after a few minutes of pouting I turned around and headed back while Sean went to the top.
The next day we went to Death Valley so Sean could 1) get an idea of the course and 2) so he could do a run in the heat as prep for Badwater 135.
Back home again, we hit up Cowles Mountain for a few hikes the next week, I went to Phoenix for work and I decided that I wasn’t going to crew Sean at Badwater.
I ran the San Diego Half Marathon, which is normally in March, while Sean was gone and had a fun time even though it was really hot out!
Now for my July stats:
Running – I did 2 races, the 12k and the half and this was a good portion of the running I did last month. I think I came in at around 40ish miles for the month?
Peloton – I biked more last month than I ran – 29 rides for 122 miles including a 2021 PR in Kendall’s Gwen Stefani ride.
Strength – I probably say this every month but it’s really the only thing I’m consistent on right now. I think I missed 2 days due to work because it is really hard to do anything on the days when I’m getting up super early & am on all day long.
Campaigns – I probably have never shared why I do a lot of ads on here and on my IG, but I honestly love trying new things and sharing with you all. Some things are more athlete driven, others are food related, because I love food and some are for things that I just want to try. I do get paid to post about some products, others it’s just a product exchange, but I do try my best to share my personal thoughts but also keep in mind that just because something doesn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else.
So that being said in July I shared posts about Silk Oat Milk, which is super yummy!! Ultima Replenisher’s new Mocktini flavors. I gave away some products from Sideaway Foods, I also gave away a super cool Rumpl x All Trails blanket. I shared Oofos Woodland Camo sandals that are perfect for post run/hike. And the FlexTemp™️ Hot & Cold Joint Wrap from Sunbeam.
I’ve got a few new projects coming up in August and we have a few trips planned which will be really nice. Also, NYC Marathon training kicks off.
How was your July?
