Motocross (Finally!)

AHRMA is real motocross. I just felt that had to be said first. Shane used to race in Supercross. So when I asked if he wanted to road trip with me to see my dad race in "motocross" he thought thats what he was going to see. Some of the differences are:

Supercross
- Guys break something practically every race.
- Not a lot of good sportsmanship (threatening for passes on turns etc.)
- As my pop calls them "the guys that tuck their ears into their hat" (the style is just really different)
- The track is more complicated and more set up for show boating and tricks.

Vintage Motocross
+ Guys get hurt from time to time (my dad broke his neck in 6 places during a race) but rarely.
+ Amazing sportsmanship! The guys who race are older and if they aren't older its because someone got their son into it. As a result I think the vibe is more relaxed.
+ Its vintage. Not everyone tries to hold down the OG style. My dad does (as you will see with his striped shirt).
+ The track is set up for SPEED! Man do these guys go fast! I love it.

Pretty sure thats Mr Mann on 83. Both bikes are BSA, the same kind my dad races

I hadn't seen my dad race since I was about 5 years old so I was really excited to go. I had so much fun. We had real tea time with the family that put on the race! I met the famous Dick Mann and his ADORABLE wife who had the most beautiful german shepherd. Once Shane saw that it was NOT supercross he decided he wanted to try it out! When we got home we even hauled down a 1975 Kawasaki he plans to race! It was quite magical. I hope if anyone of you out there has an interest you'll check out vintage motocross.

1. Shane and I being goof balls in the car ride up

2. Hills off I-5. So neat!

3. My dad. Here he comes

4. There he goes!

1. My dad let Shane ride his bike! It was so neat!!

2. Dad accepting his award for getting 4 in the day. He won 1st in his class!! So proud!

3. An example of the good sportsmanship. My dad giving the next award.

Running V. Me

I've written about this before but I still am super perplexed.

Via We Heart It

Some back story on my relationship with running is this: Exercise and I are ultimate foes. When I was in 8th grade I managed to sneak my way out of PE forever thanks to a doctors note and "messed up cartilage in my knees". I hated doing any kind of activity. However, the only time in my youth spent doing anything to be considered "athletic" was back in the 6th grade! I was well on my way to becoming a jock. I played basketball, volleyball, was on pep squad and was looking into trying out for track! Thats where it all ended.

Via We Heart It

I was a smoker for a lot of years. Almost 3 years ago I got really fed up with having crappy lungs, smelling gross and started to loath the all around act of smoking. So, cold turkey, I gave it up. In previous efforts to kick that habit my main deterrent was the weight gain. In an effort to not let that happen I ran. I remember sort of feeling like a baby bird. Everything was super awkward and scary. I even was chased down by vicious chiwawas! Thinking back on the early days I really enjoyed running. I even ran in Portland on a visit once. It was my first run on an incline! Was. Not. Ready. Someone even purposely tried to hit me with their car (motorists hate runners and bicyclists)!

excuses to not run vary:
- I'm too tired
- Its too hot/cold
- I'll do it tomorrow
- I have shin splints (which was super common when I first started running)
- I hate running
- Its too dark (that happened a lot when we "fell back" for fall)
- I have allergies

Oh the excuses! When I shoot one of these at my friend Jimmy (who has completed 2 marathons and runs 6+ miles a week) he usually tells me to "quit my bitching" and tells me some horrifying story of him puking and continuing running (it may sound mean but it actually motivates me a lot!). Or the time he had pneumonia and he ran anyway coughing junk up from his lungs the entire way (he is going to be one crotchety old man!). I have my first 5k coming up in April and I haven't ran even a mile in 2 almost 3 weeks. I am kinda nervous I wont find the motivation to do it. I am terrified I will wimp out. Let people and myself down. I'm scared I wont be able to run. Before I found out I had pneumonia I had a feeling there was something up with my lungs. I figured it was allergies or something. All of a sudden I was almost totally out of breath from walking up my stairs (even Shane said something then). Half a mile into a run I would be coughing so bad I almost threw up (TMI, whatevs) and would run/walk back home. I felt totally defeated. I am so scared my lungs are going to fail me again. Not to mention my uber supportive family who cares about me (wink) says to me when I mention trying to run " Don't push yourself". I don't know what to do.

Via We Heart It

Once I got past the initial hurdles of smoking; I started to look at my running and gym time differently. I liked to feel strong! Lets just face it, moving your body (in some way) makes you feel good! Chemically it gets those endorphins going which leads to yummy happy dopamine! We all love that. Right now from not running my knees and my hips are killing me! I crack almost every time I move. I feel lazy and gross and WEAK! As a result my self esteem has completely dropped and everyone around me is probably feeling the side effects of that.

Today I am going to do some yoga with Avalon. I am really excited (to hang out with Avalon)! I feel that yoga is a really great slow and steady start to get back to my more regimented tougher work out schedule.

Weekend Photo Dump

First, on Friday it snowed in Folsom. I missed it by 20 mins!!

Shane's roof

Then Saturday Shane and I took "the girls", aka My cousin and his sister of the same age, to a tattoo shop and then to lunch.

My cousin Avalon. She is so grown up looking! I love it!

Shane's sister. I loved her sunglasses!

Uhh the slouching. 

Then there was the Myspace Montage.

More reasons of why I love this man so unbelievably much!!

After we dropped off Avalon; Shane, the Sister and I made some pretty fantastic scores at the Goodwill. I can't wait to take some pictures and share. I found a really fabulous coral skirt that needs to be hemmed and two amazing tops!

Later Saturday night we had a double date with Shane and I's favorite couple/people. One of my favorite parts of being coupled is having awesome couple friends! I have never experienced anything like it! From what people tell us, people like to be around Shane and I. I suppose thats what happens when you find someone you are truly matched with. I know I LOVE being around these two...

Amineh and Alex. 

Huss & Sass

Sunday morning Shane and I woke up and got our favorite doughnuts. 

Thanks Marie's Doughnuts!!

I have a terrible addiction to the cream filled ones. I am extremely picky about having real whipped heavy cream on everything. These are TO DIE FOR!

Shane and I are one day down from our normal visiting time. Sundays he works on Shondra (his Subaru).  Some reeeaaaalllly big things are in the works. Life changing things for me! This is going to be a crazy next few weeks. Tomorrow I am going to make a few finalizing phone calls and I will post more of the details. Here is a hint: I would  LOVE for all of my readers to get involved in anyway you all can!!! 

Hope you guys all enjoy our last few days of February (I hate the spelling of that)!

Sun shiney.

Nothing terribly interesting over here.

I spent all weekend studying. Which is good because I am pretty much caught up now.

I went into the Navy to talk to them about my options there. Very unprofessional and unhelpful. I went home after "speaking" with them and studied more. I looked on the Army website and found a number for the California ROTC. I then got the number for the UC Davis ROTC head. 

I think I spoke to one of the most amazing women in the Army! She was very personable. I was able to ask her a ton of questions. She told me some of the things that will disqualify me (asthma, mental health problems...). I reluctantly asked her "how about tattoos?" she asked me what I had I told her my chest and arms. I could hear her as I was telling her sigh of relief. She said to me "Oh! (she possibly said honey), I have my arms and legs tattoos, the Army likes their ladies a little rough." I almost died!! This woman is a Captain! Nothing that couldn't be covered with a uniform of course. I just thought it was the coolest thing. I have spoken to Sacramento State's ROTC person before. He was a drab guy that was very discouraging. This lady must have so many people signing up to be officers due to her amazing personality alone!

I really like Oregon. But it would be a nice and easy transition to go over to UC Davis. I am torn still about doing psychology or history. I asked her about people doing history and the Army. It sounds like I would document a lot of things for military US history. Example. There is a unit of Archivists attached to a unit giving aid in Haiti. Sounds exciting!

In other news. Friday I am going to go down to Davis and see my cousin Avalon's twenties presentation.

She is the coolest 16 year old ever. Well, a neat person in general. She goes to this amazing high school. It's super hands on learning. The kids are total geeks! I would have fit in so well when I was that age. I wish they had a school like that when I was younger. My education history would be so much better! Av just finished statistics class. I am doing pre algebra/algebra. So Sunday she is going to help me a little. Probably a lot. She struggles with math like I do. I am pretty excited.

So bored.

So I will share some pictures I took with my photobooth

I haven't named her yet.

My old derby team colors. Which I sorta feel like unraveling.

sharing my new Macbook with my family. They are so amazing!

I feel in the Halloween mood for some reason. All  want to do is watch scary things. Maybe I will pop in the latest Harry Potter and knit! I should really teach myself to pearl