More sponge-like behavior

I believe in my past blog about being a sponge, it was mostly focused on random hobbies and activities that I've participated in due to my "associations" with various guys. I just want to inform you all that I can also be a hobby-parasite of other people as well. For example, on my recent trip home to Utah, Emily and our friend Abby (Hawkins) Gonzalez, were meeting to go for a run, and since I didn't have anything else to do, in an unprecedented move, I decided to go with them. We ended up running 5.5 miles--which is farther than I've ever run before in my life, and it wasn't so bad, especially considering the change of altitude and the chimichanga I'd eaten only a few hours before. Since that run went so well, I figured I might as well join them for the 4th of July 10K run as well. (Since then, I've realized that one 5.5 mile run the week before is not actually the most highly recommended training schedule out on the market.)

I thought I was going to die pretty much the whole way. I kept thinking that I'd stop and walk, and just when I was going to, Emily and Abby started talking about how much fun this was (lies!), and that I could do it (I was pretty sure that was a lie as well, but I decided to try). It turns out that I can do it. Em and I finished in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 14 seconds. My dad took a picture of us from his spot on the parade route. I wish I had a copy of it to post here, although I doubt it turned out that well. Just when we got to him, the camera shut off, so we were kind of jogging in place, and Emily put her hand out so that it was covering my face. But still, it would have given documented proof that I actually participated in a 10K run. (And FYI I'm signing up to run another one in Holidaysburg, PA in October, but I think I might actually train for that one.)

Now that I've mentioned absorbing activities from my sister, I feel like it's okay to go back to talking about that which I've absorbed from Justin. Who would have guessed that I would ever be a rock climber? Well, I use that term loosely. I'm not super great at it, but I do own my own pair of climbing shoes. (This falls in the same category of considering myself a tennis player because I have a sweet tennis outfit.) Maybe all these years that I've considered myself a fairly boring person, I've been wrong. Maybe, despite my parents best efforts, I am actually an outdoorsy kind of gal. My mom has been telling me for years that I'm kind of sickly and will most likely die of some heinous auto-immune disease at an early age, but I think it's time that I fight back! I think I might be sporty!

Anyway, Justin came out to Utah for a week of my stay, and we went on two adventures. The first was rock climbing in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was my second time climbing outside, and it turned out to be a lot more difficult than Justin had intended. We were doing a two part climb, and I made successfully to the top of the first half, which I consider quite a feat--especially considering the fact that I had run a 10K that was completely physically unprepared for the day previous. I think that must be why I completely broke down in physical and emotional exhaustion after the first half. I had Justin lower me back down (where I waited for 4 hours for Justin and Katie (our friend from DC) to finish the route and get back to the bottom). I took a nice nap in the bushes.

The other adventure that Justin and I had (besides throwing Justin into the deep end of Durham St. George vacation) was canyoneering in Zions National Park. I hadn't ever done anything like it before, but it was the most fun hike I've ever done. We repelled 7 times--the last one was a 200 ft free repel. I felt pretty tough. And at the end, we got to hitch hike back to our car. It was fabulous. Here are some choice pics from the canyon:

My first big repel of the day

Aren't we cute? I'm sure glad that boulder didn't fall and squish us!

The last big repel--straight down on the rope.

Justin is crazy.