Oh Hai, welcome to Rachelhop!

Thanks for stopping by, whether it was on purpose or accidental.

I like to think of this blog as a healthy living blog centered around food, fitness, and my family.  But truthfully I guess it’s pretty much just focused around me.

Background

I am a 27 28 29 years old transplant from the east coast now living in the San Francisco Bay Area.  This blog is not my day job (or my side job), but just a hobby.  My attempt to release some steam, share my life, and connect with the world.

Food

I love food.  Period.  I love to cook it, bake it, eat it, photograph it, talk about it, look at it…

I am not a trained chef in any way, shape, or form.  In fact, most of my recipes are kitchen experiments with things I have seen or thought of and believed they looked delicious or interesting.  Some turn out great, some are disasters.  But I always have fun along the way!

Fitness

I have loved running since I was young.  My dad was a runner, and I always wanted to do everything that he did – so by default I wanted to be a runner too.  He used to go out on his runs (too long for my little legs to come along) and then take me for a jog around the block when he got home.  As I got older, the runs got a little longer until eventually I was able to go along with him on his routes.  In junior high school, I joined the gym and started going regularly.  I found that I really enjoyed it – just putting on my music (started with a portable cassette player, and eventually graduated to a portable CD player) and having time to myself, just doing my own thing.  It quickly became a routine part of my life, and has been ever since.  I am really thankful that I was introduced to exercise from an early age because I was able to make it a habit.  I continued my running and gym-going through high school and college.  Although my weight has gone up and down, my exercising has always been consistent.  Nowadays, when I don’t get to go to the gym or to exercise, I don’t feel good.  I love to share that excitement with other people, and can’t wait to pass it on to my own family (which is growing right this very second!)

I love to run in races and have participated in many.  In 2006, I ran my first marathon – the Silicon Valley marathon.  The training and the actual marathon itself were such awesome experiences, I couldn’t wait to do it again.

In 2008, however, I was rushed to the emergency room with severe abdominal pains.  I had an obstruction and perforation in my colon and had to have immediate abdominal surgery that evening.  I was in the hospital for three weeks, was released and went home for a week, and then had another complication and had to go back for an additional week.  During most of that time, I could barely get out of bed or walk, let alone try any exercise.  It was really difficult, both physically and mentally.  About a month after the surgery, I started walking.  Very, very slowly.  I couldn’t go further than 100 yards or so, and could barely make it up the stairs in my house.  Three months after the surgery I was able to start going to the gym again, although I was very limited in that I could only do the elliptical or the stationary bike – things that didn’t involve moving or working my core at all.  Six months after the surgery I was able to start running again.  That was TOUGH.  I went from being able to run a Boston-qualifying marathon time to barely being able to jog a half mile before having to stop and rest.

The journey was long and hard, but I am now back to complete health and can do any exercise or activity I want.  As horrible as the whole experience was, it really made me appreciate my life and my health and all of the amazing things that my body (no matter how imperfect it may be) allows me to do every day.  I no longer take anything for granted and recognize that each day is a gift.

After building running and exercise back into my life, I trained for and ran the Lausanne Marathon in 2009.  My time was a little more than 1/2 hour slower than my last marathon, and it was definitely no Boston qualifying time.  But I enjoyed myself and proved that I can do this.  I am (we ALL are) so much stronger than we think.  In 2011, I was a pacer for the San Francisco Marathon Training Program and I ran the San Francisco Marathon in July, and the NorCal Marathon in October.

Family

In April 2011, I married my wonderful husband, Stephen.

It was an incredible day and I have beautiful memories.  S is from Switzerland, where his family still lives, and my family is all on the east coast.  So the best thing of all about the wedding was that it gave our families the opportunity to meet and spend time together – something they will likely never be able to do again.

The other two members of our family are our kitties, JB and Mendy.

Then, right after the NorCal marathon in October, we found out that I was pregnant.  The baby is due July 4, 2012, and we are so excited for this new addition to our family!

Disclaimer

I have no formal education in nutrition or exercise science – just a love for them both and my own personal research and experiences.  My dream is to pursue education in health and wellness, but I have a few other things I have to complete in my current career first.

Again, thanks for reading Rachelhop.  I welcome any comments or questions.  Feel free to email me at:  Rachel@rachelhop.com