Who is that large man behind us, you may be asking? Or maybe it’s so obvious you aren’t asking at all! It’s the new Martin Luther King, Jr. statue erected near the National Mall in DC.

On Saturday, we met for a 4-mile run and brunch as a farewell to Taishya — who is leaving us for Colorado! She has been a huge part of making our Back On My Feet team a real success in the past year and we are all sad to see her go.

Running in front of the Lincoln Memorial

We made the run very leisurely and tried to stay together as a group. Man, I was not having it though! I had eaten a doughnut early that morning because it sounded so good but running on sugar didn’t do much for me. Luckily, we were going slow and it was a beautiful day.

The tourists were out in full swing and we had to dodge and weave our way through tour groups and over crumbling sidewalks. But it was fun 🙂 We even sang the CSS cheer really loudly through the crowds and with all of our BOMF t-shirts proudly displayed, I’m sure a few new people were introduced to Back on My Feet!

After the run, we gathered on a lawn area to have brunch. I was all too happy to collapse next to a tree trunk and dig in. I am not sure why my body has been so tired this weekend. Even this morning, I only did 2 miles and felt worn out. Maybe it’s all the Crossfit I’ve been doing? Not sure but trying to listen to my body.

I read somewhere that getting the body you want — muscle tone, etc. — is like 70% diet and 30% work out. Well, I can see where I’m going wrong on that one. I definitely eat healthy much of the time but I often overeat and definitely indulge way too much on weekends. It’s hard to change but…

We couldn’t have asked for a better day for a picnic! I have been so loving my Saturdays lately. I remember the days when I worked in restaurants and a hotel…never a Saturday off. I was so envious of those who worked regular Monday through Friday jobs. I’m actually still pretty thankful that I get to enjoy that kind of schedule today.

In Other News

Giovanna is completely adorable — still — in her summer gear:

Also — I’m really proud of my Dad for running a 13.1 mile trail run last weekend called Dances with Dirt on Gnaw Bone, Indiana (isn’t that the greatest name EVER for a town?!) I love that my whole family embraces the fitness lifetsyle. Here he is with his hard-won medal:

Lastly, don’t tell him I said so but I think Rick is just the cutest when it comes to his plants. He has bought about 5 different kinds of plants — things like cilantro and tomatoes — and tends to them on the porch. He loves the act of growing them and keeping them alive each day. He’s got a very nature-y side to him — loves all animals and plants and the outdoors. It’s one of the things I love most about him. Took a shot of him tending to the porch garden this weekend:

Oh yeah — and last week, I got to attend a really cool ceremony hosted by President George W. Bush! I’ve always wanted to meet him and this was the first time I saw him in person. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to shake his hand but I was very close to him and Laura Bush. It was a really cool experience. He was speaking on human rights around the world — something that is near and dear to my heart. It was a bipartisan, non-political cause that everyone can get on board with. I wrote about it for the Foundry here.  

Took this awesome photo: