Author: Jenna

Jenna Volden has a degree in business and has spent the last 10 plus years working for others. She believes it is time to start her own photography and writing business. She enjoys running, coffee and helping others achieve their goals. Gluten-free foods are a lifestyle, not a choice, for her due to celiac disease. She is currently based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Travel Planning

Posted on by Jenna

How do you plan your travels? 

Some people love the freedom of vacation. They fly by the seat of their pants. Make no plans, not even hotel reservations (this would freak me out). Others like to have a general idea of where they are staying and what they want to see. And then some make an itinerary and plan every second of every day. I fall somewhere between having a general idea and having an itinerary. I like to have a good idea of what we will be doing but leave wiggle room for some spontaneous fun or an afternoon lounging at the beach or pool.

How do you pick where you are going?

Some people have bucket lists. They want to check off from a list. Every restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Every state or country. Others want to only hit tropical locals. We want to catch all the National Parks, MLB stadiums, and NHL arenas. I also have a deep desire to visit the Countries our ancestors came from. Plus, I want to stay in a hut over the ocean and to swim with manatees and otters. So many adventures out there to have!

So, how do you pick? And once you choose, how do you make those plans?

Start with your time and budget. How much vacation time do you get in the year? Do you have to use it or lose it? Does it roll over to sick after a certain amount? How much time does your spouse have available? Decide on how long your vacation will be and go from there.

Look at your budget. What can you afford? You do not want to go into debt to pay for a vacation. That may mean going places closer to home for a long weekend until you can save up for that trip to Europe or Asia. 

If you have a week, how will you get there? Is it a road trip, or will you fly to your destination? How much gas will you need? Look at airline prices and rental cars versus public transportation costs. Once you’ve got your timeline and budget, decide where you are going. 

This is the fun part.

You’ve got your length, you’ve got your budget, and now you’ve picked your destination! It’s time to figure out what you are going to do while there and start making your reservations. 

Here are a few tips for saving money when planning your vacation:

  1. Use places like Costco or Sam’s Club. We used Costco each time we went to Hawaii. We priced out the hotel, airfare, and car rental through other travel sites. We saved thousands of dollars by using Costco packages.
  2. If you are going to a city that has a CityPass and you enjoy museums, zoos, and other attractions offered, take advantage! We have done the CityPass in NYC and Chicago and definitely got our money’s worth.
  3. If you fly a particular airline a lot, look into a credit card to earn mileage. We fly Delta and have their American Express card, which gives us two free checked bags and early boarding. We use the card for vacation expenses only and pay off the balance after each trip. This way, we know how much we spent and only have to track one card.

What to do while on vacation?

How do you decide what to do and where to go when you visit a new place? We prefer to find local restaurants to eat at, not national chains when we are in a new city. We spend some time ahead of our trip looking up places to try. This is especially important because of my celiac disease. We need to have an idea of several places that are safe for me. 

There are tons of ways to find appealing restaurants. I usually start with google. Because of my dietary restrictions, I search for gluten-free CITY, but if you can eat anything, try searching near your hotel. Do you have a particular type of food you like? Google Pho and the city or vegan and the city. You can usually find blogs or newspaper articles with top X lists. Those are great places to start. And once you’re in town, ask locals where they like to go. A lot of hotels have concierges for this exact reason. Use the resource!

We usually try to eat a huge breakfast and then an early dinner. We typically head to places either near where we are staying or our destination. It doesn’t always work out that way, but we try to maximize our time and travel. Often we don’t have lunch. We may have an afternoon snack if we come across something. For example, in Hawaii, we usually have an afternoon shave ice break.

How do you plot and plan your vacations and travels?

Finding Consistency

Posted on by Jenna

Every week, every day, even, there are different challenges. Some days I’m able to overcome obstacles, big and small. Other days, I just can’t. But the important thing is I keep getting up every day and trying again.

Every year I say I’m going to be more consistent. To show up every day. I’ve been working on this for the last year or two, and I feel I’m getting better, but there’s always room for improvement.

These past few weeks have been difficult for me for various reasons. I had my period, which makes me incredibly emotional and fatigued. Then I had the first anniversary of my dad’s death. This week I feel incredibly run down as if I was on the verge of getting sick (half my co-workers seem to be), but my body is fighting it off. I’m going to bed before 9 pm, which is a little odd for me.

I may have taken more rest days these past few weeks, but I keep getting back at my workouts. My weight has been steady, and my mileage decent. I was even faster on my 5k trail race than I expected. My dog also got a distance PR. She did 3.5 miles with me! My goal is to work her up to 5 miles. She’s done over 4 miles hiking, so I’m pretty sure she can do it. (I won’t ever push her. I make sure to take her back home if she’s not interested).

I also finished strong in my weight lifting challenge. I can see lots of little changes, and I’m excited to keep moving forward with the new JG40 program! It’s 12 weeks of 3 full-body workouts. And they are KILLER. I cannot recommend it enough.

How are you doing at achieving your goals? Fitness or otherwise? What’s something you do to keep yourself working towards those goals?

trail running

Estrella 5K – October 2019

Posted on by Jenna

I had my first race since I broke my leg. And it was on the trails. To say I was nervous is an understatement.

I was getting ready to leave while my dog was screaming at me. Shadow was very upset she wasn’t going. I gathered up everything and headed out the door. I went to check-in, got my bib, and realized I forgot my bib belt. DOH!

Of course, since I got a new vehicle, I didn’t have my spare safety pins either.

I sat in my truck and tried to figure out how to attach my bib to my hydration vest. I eventually realized I could tie it to the back of my vest. It stayed on! I only checked once in the middle of the race.

The Estrella 5k is done twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. It’s the same course, but it reverses for the fall. This October, I finished in 40:10 and a year ago 41:34. WOW! And here I was worried that I would be super slow and shakey on my return! (For reference I did the course in May in 38:10).

So even though I started off a little anxiety-ridden, I had a pretty good race!

As I was running the course, I was thinking about things I would want to write about in my race re-cap. But can I remember any of them now? Nope. I started out in the third wave. There are usually three or four waves, and you just go in whatever wave you want. The race coordinator sends them off every 30-60 seconds. I typically go in the second wave, towards the back. I figured I’d do the third because I didn’t know how my race would go.

I probably would have been ok in the second wave. I was at the front and passed several people immediately. I then followed another woman (maybe a bit too close, but she was running the exact pace I wanted). The first part of the 5k was pretty even elevation wise, not too much up and down. I ran the first mile and had no issues.

It started to get a little more challenging in mile two. I ran most of it but walked a few of the inclines. This was also the point I made the observation that I need to eat more before a trail race. I had a bowl of picky oats (half serving), and four Gu chews about 10 minutes before the race. It was not enough.

I think I walked most of mile three. It had ALL the elevation. I tried to run on the declines and more flat parts. This is probably why I’m faster in the spring… we get the elevation done early!

I had one moment of panic. I was running down a decline and felt my right ankle/leg twist. For a second, I had sheer terror of re-breaking my leg. Thankfully I did not break it, nor did I really do any damage at all. It was fine, and I continued on.

Do you have races you do every year and can compare your performance to? If so, which races?

marathon

To marathon or no?

Posted on by Jenna

Back in January, I signed up for a marathon in January 2020. I was focused and ready. I knew this was going to be my best year yet, and I would finally finish a marathon. I was going strong for six months.

And then I broke my leg.

marathon

I was devastated at the time. I figured that was it, marathon chances out the door. Before I got the cast-off, I started thinking, maybe I could still do this. I was well trained before so I can recover quickly! Once the cast was off, my optimism began to wear off. It was a struggle even to walk. The doctor had me wait a few weeks to start running. I did and then started out really slow.

It felt like I was never going to get to two-mile runs, let alone 20. I gave up on the idea of a marathon. Again. September came, and I would have been starting a marathon plan. I was depressed a bit. I decided I would never run a marathon.

I spoke with my running coach and asked to get back on the schedule for October. She asked about the marathon, and I told her I wasn’t planning to do it. I didn’t want to defer to January 2021 or drop to the half marathon, so I was planning to do the 10K in January.

marathon

I got my October schedule and looked it over. I was a little surprised at the number of miles, including long runs. I asked her if she was still planning for me to run the marathon. She said no, but we ended up talking a bit about it, and I decided to give it a try.

I am running a goddamn marathon in January.

Depending what plan you look like I am either 4 weeks or 2 weeks behind or right on schedule. I am definitely not planning to push myself for my original time goal. My only goal for January is to finish twenty-six point fucking two. When I finish, I can always decide to go for a better time at another marathon. My first and only goal right now is to complete a marathon finally. I feel like I’ve been chasing this dream for several years. I need it to happen.

I want to try to document this journey better than I have been. I want to try to write a weekly post about training.

So here’s a little mini summary of marathon training, week 1:
Monday:
3.25 miles
Glute-focus total body weight lifting
Tuesday:
2.05 miles
Upper body focus total body weight lifting
Wednesday:
4.05 miles
Thursday:
2.0 miles
Lower body focus total body weight lifting
Friday:
Rest day (mental health break)
Saturday:
6.1 miles
Sunday:
Rest

Total miles run: 17.45
Mile goal for October: 90-ish miles

What’s one goal you’ve been chasing for a while and really want to accomplish?

As always, I post my daily workouts on Instagram and Twitter if you want to follow along!

Top Five Travel Tips

Posted on by Jenna

I know, another video? Yes! I recorded this a while back and feel like now is the time to share. This is much shorter than the last vlog, coming in under 10 minutes. I hope you enjoy it!

My Favorite Image – Details

Posted on by Jenna

Sometimes you don’t need or want a face in the photo.

details

But, you say, I thought documentary was all about capturing my family and their personalities!

Documentary sessions are many things, including showing your personalities. But it’s also about capturing the details. Do you remember what your babies fingers or toes looked like? Did they look like sausages or more like a grand pianist? It’s ok if you don’t know. Children grow so quickly it can be hard to recall everything about them.

Getting the details can be tough. You may not know that those little fingers are your favorite. You may not realize how much you like the way your husband’s arm flexes when he flips the pancakes. You might not know that you bite your lip before you respond to make sure you give a thoughtful reply.

You may not be able to tell me what you want documented.

So I look and watch and try to capture the moments that seem to matter — sometimes zooming in on details that seem important or repetitive. I try to look for something you may want later. These little details are harder to find in a short session, but I try. I study. I observe. Because I know you will love them when your baby grows up and no longer has those cute lil sausage fingers.

Alone the photo may not seem like much, but within the rest of the pictures, they tell a story. Like this image. I am utterly in love with his lil sausage fingers on the playground. He wasn’t sure about the playground at first. He kind of ran around a bit and then slowly started climbing and trying to get mom’s attention. He was standing up on a platform, and I saw his little hands and got in close to them. He was so proud of himself climbing up there all by himself!

I made the artistic choice to only offer this image in black and white. Without color, you feel more. The bright green of the playground was distracting in this particular image. I really wanted the docus to be his hands.

What little thing would you like documented about your family?

Broken Leg Recovery

Posted on by Jenna

I realize I haven’t written in a while…

This summer has been odd, to say the least. As you read a few months ago, I broke my leg. The cast came off in mid-July, and I was cleated to start working out/moving more around the middle of August.

I thought it would be reasonably straightforward. I figured I could bounce back no problem because I was so active before and it was a “clean break” that healed perfectly.

Boy was I wrong!

I started off with re-learning how to walk. I still used the crutches for about a week after then went down to one crutch. After about two weeks, I was finally crutch free! But it was so hard even to walk. I found some PT exercises to work on my mobility and slowly tried to walk a bit more each day.

When I finally decided to start running, I was so scared. I was afraid I wouldn’t remember how to do it. I googled and found a comeback plan for broken legs (written by a runner/PT) and decided to go for it. The plan called for 4:30 minutes walking, followed by 30 seconds of running for 30 minutes. I laced up my shoes, harnessed the dog, and headed out.

It was hard, but I did it! I ran (walked) for 30 minutes!

The idea of the plan is to build up the run by 30 seconds and reduce walking by the same until you can run for 30 minutes. It’s hard; some days are easier than others. Sometimes it’s not meant to be. Recovery is taking longer than I would have thought. I’m currently stuck on running for 4 minutes and walking for 1. I’m making sure I feel comfortable with each increase before moving on.

I recently ran Friday, Saturday, and Monday plus went out hiking (for the first time since I broke my leg) on Sunday. It was difficult. I wanted to move to the 4:30 running, but I know I’m not up to it yet.

It’s a struggle. I’m not being consistent, which I know I need to be because I’m not where I want to be. To get where I want to be, I have to be consistent and keep trying. My brain and body are at war.

I have three trail races coming up this year in October (5K), November (6K), and December (7K). I will do these for sure. I will probably run/walk them and not worry about time. I was so hoping to keep improving at this series. I rocked them this spring!

I’m signed up for a marathon in January, but I will not be doing that. I have until December 5th to decide if I want to defer or drop to the half or 10k. I’m about 99.9% sure I don’t want to defer and about 95% sure I don’t want to do the half yet again. I may do the 10K since I’ve already paid.

I keep seeing races I want to do, but I’m trying not to sign up for any until I am back to “normal” whatever that means. Once I have a better feel for my limits, I can determine what distances would suit me at different races.

How do you keep moving forward in the face of adversity?

Top 5 Things You Can Do To Save The Earth

Posted on by Jenna

Some days it seems we hear another way the earth is being destroyed or an animal in danger of becoming extinct. 

Often it feels hopeless. You struggle with what you can do to help. But you know what? Every little thing you do each day adds up and makes a difference. Remember, it’s ok to start small.

Top 5 Things You Can Do To Save The Earth

  1. The staple: Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reduce your intake and look for items with little to no packaging. Reuse what you can or donate/sell things you think are useless. Someone else might be able to reuse it! Recycle as much as you can. Check your areas recycling guidelines and follow them! If your city doesn’t recycle, look for dropoffs that accept recyclable items. 
  2. Try a meatless Monday each week. Eating meat can have a negative impact because of how meat is processed. I would never tell you to go vegan or vegetarian because I know it’s not for everyone but us meat-eaters can help but reducing how much meat we eat. And don’t worry, you can still eat cheese and eggs because it’s a different process! You can also switch to small, local farms to buy your meat from instead.
  3. Drive less. Try taking public transportation or biking when possible. Combine your errands. Stop at the store on the way home instead of going home and then back out again. If you can, telework once a week.
  4. Volunteer for a cleanup. A local Phoenix area company, Keep Nature Wild, does cleanups and lists them on the website. Anyone can show up. Start looking on google to find local cleanups in your area! Or start plogging. Pick up trash on your daily walk or run. It will keep both you and the earth healthier! Plus you don’t have to wait for an event. You can just walk out your front door!
  5. Make your home more efficient. Swap out traditional lightbulbs for CFLs which last longer and use less energy. Program your thermostat to use less heat/AC when you’re not home. Change or clean your air filters, so your AC runs better.

See? Nothing too hard or difficult and nothing that costs a ton of money! Just small, easy things you can start doing now! How will you help save the earth?

Did you know that with each print purchase I donate 15% of the sale price to the National Park Foundation? I believe we need to keep these lands for future generations to enjoy. Shop Now. 

My Favorite Landscape Image – Antelope Canyon

Posted on by Jenna

In 2018 we traveled a lot. I want to share some of my favorite images from the places we went to. Up first? Antelope Canyon. Two magical slot canyons in northern Arizona.

Upper Antelope Canyon is known for “the” light beam. The canyon is narrower at the top, which creates the light beams. I did capture “the” beam but my favorite was a different light beam. Everyone wants the get the shot. Sometimes though it pays to look around and take some different shots and angles.

Like what you see? You can buy this image as a print or another one in my shop! Check it out now.

When Vacation Bites Back

Posted on by Jenna

Early on a Wednesday, we packed up the car and drove the 10 hours to Yosemite National Park. We were going to spend three full days exploring the park. Thursday morning, we got up early, had a filling breakfast, and headed into the park. We were going to hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. We took our time going up and made it the 3.5 miles around lunchtime. We had a picnic lunch by the river and watched people climbing on rocks a tad to close to the raging waters. After lunch and a few photos, we decided to head down. We proceeded slowly and with caution because going done was harder than up! We were nearing the end, less than half a mile from the parking lot.

The switchbacks were extra slippery due to the fresh dirt/manure mixture the Rangers were putting down that morning. We picked our way slowly and carefully down. As we turned a corner of a switchback, I suddenly slipped. I heard a pop, and then I went down. Shock set in. What had happened?? I looked down, and my ankle was about three times its usual size. At first, we thought maybe it was a bad sprain. We sat with it elevated for about 10-15 minutes. I tried to get up, but as soon as I tried to limp forward, my ankle collapsed.

AT THIS POINT, I KNEW WE HAD TO CALL THE RANGERS.

We waited for rescue to come. Two came to assess the situation. The EMT was pretty sure it was broken based on my reactions to certain spots he touched. They asked if I could make it down on crutches. I may have laughed at that point. Could you imagine going down switchbacks on crutches? That meant I got carried out on the big wheel. It was a different way to see a trail. I could only see the sky and tops of trees. I heard over the radio there was a car accident with an altercation.

Once in the car, we headed to the Yosemite Hospital. Well, they had a hectic day and were unable to see me. We drove the 30ish minutes out of the park and another 30 minutes to Oakhurst only to have the Urgent Care not answer (despite it being 15 minutes before close). We finally found an ER about 30 minutes away.

At the ER, the doctor didn’t necessarily think it was broken at first. The X-Ray tech took her first X-Ray from the top. She looked at the image and then had me turn my right leg to the left, takes the X-Ray, looks at the picture, and then I hear,

“OHHHH.” THAT WAS ALL I NEEDED TO KNOW IT WAS BROKEN.

We, well I, spent Friday on the couch bingeing Deadwood and reading Alex Cross. We drove around a bit on Saturday to places I could see from the car or nearby. Sunday we headed home. I cannot recommend being a passenger in a vehicle with a splint on your broken leg for 9 hours. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, ALL YOU CAN DO IS ACCEPT IT.

  • No matter how prepared you are, accidents still occur.
  • Sitting around is hard when you are used to being active.
  • I won’t let this deter me from future adventures.

I do have a few photos from Yosemite that I’ll be editing and adding to the shop. We tried to make the best of our shortened vacation! (We were supposed to go to Kings and Sequoia Canyon on Sunday for a few days).

WHAT IS YOUR BEST WORST VACATION STORY?