Jogging Beats Blogging

All it Takes is All You've Got

2011-05-25T15:45:00.001-06:00

Warning: LONG POST! Only for me for historical purposes and future races. Do not torture yourself by reading it! Unless, of course, you like pain or to hear about other people's. lol

If you are a runner then you have to know a little bit about math. Math never was my favorite subject, but I did learn a few things. One being that when something is divided by two you get half of what you were dividing. And so I naturally assume that the same principle would apply to running. Mainly that running a half marathon requires only half the training and that you can technically can get prepared for it in half the time. It also stands to reason that it would only take half the mental strength as a full and hopefully be only half as painful.

Grade: F

I have run several half marathons and have always really enjoyed the distance. To me it really seems like half the pain, half the emotions, half the nerves, half the training, half the recovery, half the mental stability as a full. Maybe even less. I have actually really loved all of my half marathons.

Until now.

I signed up to run the OGDEN MARATHON nine months ago, just two weeks after I ran the Top of Utah full marathon when I was still in lala land and high on the adrenaline. At the time I had no idea my IT (iliotibial) bands were going to start screaming at me for several months preventing me from running it. I was just so excited to run Ogden! I kept hoping that I would be able to get in the training and they would heal and I could still do it, but in February when I had to start the training, I knew deep down that I should not do the full. My IT bands were feeling much better, but I was also feeling strongly that my body was not up to doing more than one marathon a year. I didn't want to have healed it only to injure it again. I just knew that it wasn't in the cards for May. Those calculations were 100% on.

Grade: A+

So, I decided I would do the half instead and put my focus on that. I ran the Ogden half a few years ago and absolutely loved the course and was looking forward to this run for a long time. I was well trained for it and ready to go. The Saturday before, my training schedule called for a 12 miler and so I followed the plan. At mile 8.5 into that run, my knees started to ache and then my left one seriously flared up. My IT band again. Instead of stopping, I was determined to get in those 12 miles and I ran through the pain. A big no-no. But I did the math and decided I could make it 4.5 more.

Grade: F-

In case you didn't catch that, it should say, "I decided I could make it 3.5 more." Just testing to see what grade you got in math. =) By mile 10 I was seriously limping as I ran. Now that is a pretty sight, let me tell you! At 11.5 I was no longer able to run as my knee started to give out on me. I used to be so good at listening to my body and obeying it, but lately I have been more determined to just suck it up and run through the pain. Not smart! All that does is increase the injury. I took it easy the rest of the week, just walking with zero running, rolling it out with my foam roller a lot, and taking Celebrex hoping it would heal by the starting gun. I even started on Glucosamine Chondroitin.

The marathon was scheduled for the 21st but I also had been invited to go to Park City with some high school friends for that weekend. I knew I wouldn't get much sleep in Park City, but didn't want to miss it either. I decided to go and just force myself to go to bed at a decent hour on Friday night. I had real good intentions. We left on Thursday morning and had so much fun that we all stayed up until 3:30 a.m.! Come Friday night I knew I had to get some sleep or I would never be able to function, let alone run a half marathon. I ended up getting to bed at midnight and back up at 4:00 a.m. I never sleep much on race day eve anyway, so I felt I would be okay. Besides once the adrenaline started kicking in, I knew I would be fine.

I drove to the starting line of the half because of the fact that I was in Park City and also because I was running the half with a full bib because they refuse to let you transfer from race to race. That is one of my pet peeves about marathon's, especially ones that you have to sign up for NINE months in advance! Who knows what is going to happen in that amount of time? When I arrived I saw that I was surrounded by others doing the same thing. I talked to some about getting on the bus and they said the organizers didn't check their bibs. One of them also said they thought our chips would activate and count us for the half. Another said we would be disqualified or be a DNF or DNS. I personally didn't care either way. I just wanted to run it!

I got in line for the porta potties but realized I would never be done before the gun and so I just got in line for the race. I wasn't as nervous as I usually am for some reason. Probably due to lack of sleep and my zombie-ish-ness. The gun went off and I remember thinking as I started to run that I wasn't feeling it today. My lungs were feeling heavy and my calves were cramping from step one. But, about a mile and a half into it, I started to feel good. Real good! That lasted for another half mile when my left IT band started to scream LOUDLY! I was NOT prepared for that, and I immediately knew from the severity of the pain that came on so strong and fast, that it wasn't going to go away. I was more than discouraged, but, I kept running and turned on my iPod and tried to zone out in the music. It didn't work. I had to stop and stretch and after that I felt a bit better for about 10 steps. So I stopped and stretched it again. And again. And again. And again. I could only go about a quarter of a mile each time before it became so bad I didn't know what else to do.

Mile TWO! Really?

That has never happened to me in the history of my running career. NEVER! Not even on a training run. I would expect it at mile eight or nine maybe, but not TWO! The stretching just was not helping. About mile four my knee almost gave out on me. I was so frustrated! Every time I stopped to stretch, I watched so many runners pass me by. I hated that! I knew my time was going down the drain and fast. I was really hoping for a new PR on this race and all those hopes were going down the mountain along with the very full and rapid river. About mile five, it sunk in that I was going to have to finish this race with this pain because it was not going away, or... quit. I knew I couldn't quit, and so once I decided to stick it out, the emotions started to surface. I have never become emotional in a race (with the exception of mile 21-24 of my marathon) until now.

I felt desperate and wasn't sure what to do. All I knew was I didn't want to run another 8 miles like that. Deep down I knew I shouldn't be running with that kind of pain because it was probably doing a lot of damage with each step I took. I was really wishing I had a knee band or brace. At the mile six aid station I asked them if it was also a first aid stop. It wasn't, but they had some Corban and so I had them wrap my knee. They used the entire roll and a lot of my time! As soon as I started to run, I knew it was not going to be a solution but more of a problem. I stopped and unwrapped it as fast as I could and re-wrapped it much different and tighter. I am sure it was a sight seeing me trying to bite half of it off with my teeth in order to shorten it. I started to run and could tell I got it a little too tight. It was seriously cutting off my circulation! I stopped again and re-wrapped it a little looser this time. The third time was the charm. Even though I knew it was still too tight, I didn't care because it gave me some relief! That pressure was really helping. Either that or it stopped the blood flow so it numbed it! I didn't care. I just was grateful I could run without limping as bad. It was still painful and I didn't push it, but was just so relieved it wasn't getting worse. It gave me hope I could do the next 7 miles.

Even though I was feeling very disappointed because I was still unable to run at my usual pace, the beauty of that course was spectacular! My surroundings had me in awe. I felt the greatest little moments of pure joy. There is no way unless you have experienced it, to describe the feeling of running in God's splendor with hundreds of other runners all trying to reach the same goal. I have felt a runner's high before, but this was beyond that. I felt so ALIVE! And I felt so grateful I could RUN! Albeit, like a cripple, but I could still run! The weather was absolutely perfect and I wanted to just burst. The freeing feeling of running was never stronger for me and even though I had to hold back, it felt so good to be running that race. Or maybe it was just the euphoria I was feeling that the pain wasn't as torturous as before. Whatever it was, I soaked it all in and just smiled and cherished each moment!

THIS IS WHY I RUN!

Those moments are rare, but when they come, all the early morning runs in the snow, rain , hail, and sleet are worth it. All the dogs chasing me with vampire teeth and all the moments of wanting to quit due to pure exhaustion are worth it. All the sore and aching muscles and all the torturous hill runs are worth it.

The good news is by mile 9 or so, I was feeling like I would be able to go those 3 miles without being lifted off the street in a stretcher. I had run the course before and unlike the Top of Utah Marathon (WHY I did that one for my first marathon I will NEVER know!) I was looking forward to the miles ahead because I knew how gorgeous the scenery was. No hills, to speak of, and lots of great cheering crowds. By mile 11.5, I decided to push it and add some speed. I knew whatever happened at that point, that I could handle it for a mile and a half. When I got about 50 yards from the finish line, I took off on a full boar sprint! I was shocked and amazed that after what a horrible run I had, that I finished strong.

I was happy I was done. But not just half as happy as when I finished the full. Mathematically speaking, I would say I was more than half as happy. I won't get into fractions, or I will lose you...no, actually I will lose me. I never did like fractions. But this I do get... a half a marathon may give you as much satisfaction as a full when you give it all you've got. And all it takes IS all you've got. That I do know. Running is like that. I have learned so much about myself from this simple sport than I could have any other way. I am stronger than I knew. I am weaker than I knew. I am tougher than I knew. I am more emotional than I knew. I am more competitive than I knew. I am more stubborn than I knew. I am more grateful than I knew. I am more determined than I knew. And I am better at math than I knew! Who knew? ☺

I crossed the finish line with a time of 2:11! I was SHOCKED! Truly shocked. I had my running app going on my phone, but for some reason my fully charged battery died about mile 6. I had ZERO idea what my time or pace was. I only knew I watched people pass me instead of me passing them from mile 2 to mile 11.5. I honestly thought I was going to be around 2:50 or even 3:00. I felt like I had run with tar filled legs. My PR for a half is 2:02. I was wanting to set a new PR and was hoping for a sub 2:00, (thanks Jen for putting that into my head!) So instead of being happy and ecstatic that I did so well considering the circumstances, I was completely BUMMED! Mainly because I knew that had my STUPID IT BAND cooperated (at least beyond mile TWO!) I could have set that PR! Sooooooooo frustrating! And I knew that if I had not ran that extra 3.5 miles on my training run, I probably would have fared much better.

Luckily Dave was there to set me straight and keep me focused on the fact that even with the problems, I still got a great time. I still am having a hard time grasping and knowing that it could have been my best race EVER. Once again... that's running. I have to also focus on the fact that it could have been much worse too. I could have been peeled off the street and carried off in a stretcher and not finished. And the bottom line is, I was still able to feel a love for this sport even though it doesn't always turn out perfectly. It RARELY turns out perfectly. In fact, does anyone know if it has ever turned out perfectly? You have to be a little crazy to be a runner. THAT I do know.

As far as my official time, my name showed up with the FULL results with a made up time. They have my time as 4:42 for the full. Interesting. I guess they somehow predicted from my 13.1 miles what my 26.2 would be. I guess I'd give them a A- for that. I'm just glad I wasn't a DNS or DNF.

Final Grade: A+
Citizenship grade: U (for Unsatisfactory IT Band behavior!)

Photos - (may need to click to enlarge)

Buses lining up dropping off runners
Bon fires to keep warm

The infamous PORTA POTTIES!
A runner's best friend or worst enemy!

Waiting for the start

Approximately 2400 runners!

There is one huge half mile hill at the beginning and I loved the signs after we climbed the hill.

Helicopter shots.
Can you see me down there waving?

Soldiers at the aid stations

Runner's stretching... (at least I think that is what the guy on the far right is doing!)
I spent a lot of time doing this. Not something I am used to.

Check out that river and waterfall!
This is the most gorgeous scenery of any run I've experienced.

You can see why Runner's World ranked this marathon as one of the top 10 in the nation!

Since the run was ran on the day of the RAPTURE, these signs were my favorite! My phone battery died and so I couldn't get pix of the real signs. I found these on line so I wouldn't forget.

The finish line. I'm not in this photo. No one that came to support me actually saw me cross it. =(

Happy to be done and still standing!

My "tourniquet" replaced by ice.

My boys and Dave came to support me. My mom did too, but I didn't find her until after and I had no camera.

I waited for Jen to finish the full. My running buds Heather and Jen.

I was honestly afraid after this experience that my knees were going to prevent me from running any more long distance races again. It's been a few days now and I am about to sign up for my next half marathon in July. Did I mention runners are crazy?

If not, I probably don't have to...

Things NOT to Do While Running

2011-05-25T15:39:00.002-06:00

Today I went on a run. Just like I do nearly every day. Only today was my dreaded HILL DAY. That translates into running UP and DOWN the most torturous hills in my area. I only do them once a week but I never look forward to it.

Until today.

I knew that today would be the LAST time I had to endure them for a while because the Ogden Marathon (half) I am registered for is in less than two weeks and I am supposed to be tapering! Plus it was RAINING! Always a bonus in my book. I LOVE running in rain.

I ran my hills. But instead of going home on my regular route, I decided to take a short cut.

#1 Thing NOT to do while running.

Do not take short cuts. At least if your short cut requires climbing up half the mountain (AFTER running hills) and then having to climb over a barbed wire fence in your best running pants. Not a good idea. Um...I will leave it at that.

After I crossed the fence and was into the wilderness area, I was grateful it was raining because I knew (or hoped) that meant NO rattlesnakes would be out and the mountain lions would also be in their cozy dens trying to stay out of the rain. So I felt totally safe!

#2 Thing NOT to do while running.

Never feel safe while all alone on a wild mountain. You just never know what things might jump out at you. Things like dogs that are NOT on a leash! But, we will come back to that.

In the photo below you can see the orange netting that is a barrier to keep people like me out of the area inside it.

Well, I decided to break Rule #1 and take another short cut. It was raining after all. So instead of running all the way around the detour, I decided to cut through where there was an opening in the netting. In order to do this I had to either leap across the ravine or go down it very carefully. I chose the latter.

#3 Thing NOT to do while running.

Do not cross wet ravines. Crossing a ravine on a dry day is one thing, but crossing it after it has rained for three days straight is another. The dirt was so soft and unstable that it forced me down without any traction. I flew down that 8 foot ravine and then had to immediately go up the other side. I almost fell back down into the deep rut, but luckily there was a piece of rebar sticking out I grabbed onto. It was all good. Or so I thought.

My NEW shoes were totally covered in mud! Clear up to my socks. I was not sure how I was going to ever get them clean again. Luckily the construction workers have made a little creek to divert the waterfall water. I used that to wash them. My feet were SOGGY now!

BUT...

All was well. All was well. So off I went. I continued on and saw many beautiful sites of the city below.

You can even the skeleton of the temple steeple in this one if you look close enough. (click to enlarge)

I saw a LOT of puddles and wet roads.

And check out this new look-out point the construction workers have made.
Now you can find your thrill on Aspen Drive Hill! Crazy!

Just about then, I reached into my pocket to get my phone. NO PHONE. I had it on my RunKeeper app to measure my distance and time but had not noticed I hadn't received any updates on it for a while. The lady's voice that updates is so annoying that I am surprised I didn't notice.

#4 Thing NOT to do while running.

Don't ignore the fact that the annoying lady has gone bye-bye.

In my panic I began searching everywhere for it and started to back track. I had a feeling it was either in the little stream coming down the mountain where I washed off my shoes OR it was where I had jumped the ravine. I scoured every inch of where I previously stepped on my way back. Nothing in sight. UNTIL....

Suddenly I looked up and saw THIS coming rapidly (or more like rabidly!) at me!

Remember rule #2? Never feel safe?

Okay I must confess THIS is NOT what I saw.

I had lost my phone so how could I have taken a picture?! For all you know THIS is what I saw! I guess you will never know! ☺
BUT it was something like this only MUCH MUCH meaner and more FEROCIOUS looking with very cloudy and penetrating eyes that were looking right at my throat! It looked like a mini German shepherd only with a Doberman's face.

I stopped dead in my tracks hoping I could buy some time while the owner called him off. The owner called him. But NOT off! He just called his name as if he were running after a ball. I began to panic as I saw him coming faster and getting more aggressive. The owner just quietly called his name again but it was too late. He was ALL over me! Which brings me to the:

#5 Thing NOT to while running.

Do NOT forget your Pepper Spray! I wished I'd had it with me. I would have ripped it out and sprayed it...

...AT THE OWNER!

He should have had that mutt on a leash even IF they were on the mountain. There are always runners and hikers up there. Lucky for me, the dog was not vicious once he attacked me. In fact, he liked me. And of course, I liked him too even if he was turning my solid color pants and jacket in a print. Dog-paw print. I can't help but like dogs. It's the owners I have issues with!

I was definitely covered with his muddy paw prints! And he just kept jumping on me! Again and again and again and the owner didn't take control of him. I could NOT believe it! He even went and got his paws in the creek and I just knew he was going to jump on me again but now with those wet little paws, but thankfully some kind of divine intervention occurred and he took off. Whew. Even though I LOVE dogs, I am sure if he had come at me with those very wet muddy paws, I would have picked up a rock and threw it by this point! Of course, once again, I would have aimed it at the owner!

Once they took off, I checked everywhere near the little creek for my phone, but to no avail. I kept running back to the ravine. I looked closely but I couldn't see anything. I kept checking and kept praying that I would find it when suddenly I saw a teeny tiny spot of purple showing through the dirt. Could it be? YES IT WAS! My phone! Nearly completely buried in the dirt, but right where I had jumped across.

It was in that hole you can see.

What a relief! It was covered in dirt and I was hoping it was not damaged but when I turned it on, the annoying lady confirmed it was just fine. I had never been so happy to hear that voice in my life!

I got back on the trail and began running when two SUV's appeared from no where and nearly sprayed me with muddy water. Thankfully they had enough consideration to go slow as they passed me. They gave me a funny look when they saw the paw prints all over me. They were probably thinking I was some super hero that had just had a little wrestling match with a mountain lion and won. I just waved majestically.

I began to reach home and since I knew I was safe from rattlers today, I didn't want to take the trail, so I started to climb down the rocks. The VERY WET rocks.

#6 Thing NOT to do while running.

Don't abandon the trail when it's raining. Adventure is fun BUT it is always better to stay on the trail. Especially if it is raining. I took a little slip and nearly sprained my ankle. Honest, I did.

These photos aren't staged at all.

#7 Thing NOT to do while running.

Do not stage photos not matter how convincing you think they are. If you do, people won't believe the rest of your story either!

I got off the rocks and onto the very rock path that led to my home. I must say I was grateful to be alive and well. And here all this time I thought it was mountain lions and rattlesnakes I had to fear while running the mountain. Little did I know it would now become how I was going to get those blasted paw printed stains out of my clothes.

These photos do not even do justice to the fact that I was also covered in paw prints and mud in the back.

I'm trying to show my muddy sleeve, NOT demonstrate how tough I am, even if I did just wrestle a mountain lion.

#8 Thing NOT to do while running the mountain.

Don't tell people that you were attacked by a dog. And especially don't write a blog post about it. Just let the paw prints do the talking. If word gets out you were attacked by a mountain lion and won the battle, you could become rich and famous!

It Will Feel Better When It Stops Hurting!

2010-10-08T14:34:00.010-06:00

First words:

I DID IT!!! I REALLY DID IT!!!

Second words:

AND I DIDN'T DIE!!! (completely anyway!)

I am happy to report that I ran and survived 26.2 miles! And without the need of a stretcher or ambulance.

I ran the Top of Utah Marathon on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. The course begins at Hardware Ranch in Cache Valley and ends in the city of Logan. I decided to do this in June just before the Ragnar Relay, but after many marathon runners told me it was not a good one to do for my first because the last six miles are tougher than other Utah marathons and the first 14 miles really hammer your legs because of the downhill, I decided against it after all. I respect and FEAR the distance of 26.2 and I didn't want anything but a wonderful course to do for my first. First? Listen to me! This was to be my ONE AND ONLY! Either way, I decided to wait until next year and do the Ogden or the Utah Valley Marathon because everyone really loves those.

BUT... I just kept toying with the idea because I felt like I was really in good training shape after the Ragnar and I prefer to run (train) in the summer vs the winter and if I didn't do this one then I would have to train in the winter freezing my buns on my long runs. That just didn't appeal to me. I would rather do a 20 mile training run in 85° than 25° any day! So, I decided to just bite the bullet and go for it! Then when I heard my friend Heather was going to do it also, I knew it was the right choice. So I jumped in with both feet (literally) and began to train for three long months!

WARNING: This post is long. 26.2 miles is long too. Enough said.

I started to get nervous on the Monday before, and started to stress about every little detail. I was worried what miles to GU (gel) and which GU to use and how much and what I should eat the morning of and the night before. I was obsessed with the weather forecast and prayed hard for a beautiful WARM day. And most important of all → WHAT TO WEAR! ☺ Packet pick ups were the night before and I also had to get to my son's varsity football game where he was starting, so I couldn't be late. It was also our 28th wedding Anniversary. I knew I had to be up by 3:15 a.m. and I didn't want to be eating after the game, so I went to Rumbi Grill to carb load on some brown rice and veggies after the expo on my way to the game. How romantic to eat dinner in the car, by yourself on your anniversary! We decided to celebrate another night. Have I mentioned running a marathon consumes you? Well, it does!

I was finally starting to get excited about this ordeal and so got everything ready to go early in the day, but I ended staying up until almost midnight with so many details to worry and think about. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be sleeping a wink anyway because of the nerves.

D-day arrived and I once again went over in my head everything I would need to remember, like what miles to GU on and the reason WHY I WAS DOING THIS. I wrote Tyson's name on my hand so when things started to get tough (which I knew they would) I would remember that I was dedicating this to him in his memory because when things got tough for him, he didn't quit or give up. Nor could I. I am healthy and physically able to run a marathon, whereas he was not. I CAN do it and so I wanted to do it for him in honor of his amazing courage and dignity that he so overly possessed.

Rob and Heather showed up at 4:30 a.m. Dave was up with me and so I asked him to come along for the ride to help calm my nerves. I used the travel time to write on my hand the miles I needed to GU because when those long miles start to set in, it's hard to even remember your name, let alone anything else important! We arrived at Merlin Olsen Park in Logan and bid our farewells. I told Dave it might be the last time he sees me alive and so maybe he should start preparing my funeral on the ride back.

We loaded the buses at the finish line and traveled to the starting line. It seemed like that ride took forever. Once there, the first item on our list was to hit the porta potties! There was already a line, but we had to do what we had to do. The temperature felt like it was around 40°; much warmer than I had anticipated thankfully! We walked down to the warming tents. YES, warming tents! They were awesome. We were packed inside like sardines, but it was so warm and cozy no one seemed to mind. Some people were even sleeping inside.

WHO could sleep at a time like this!?

About 6:45 a.m. me and Heather headed outside to drop off our clothing bag in the bus. I took off my cute DI jacket that I bought so I could toss it on the side of the road when I no longer needed it, knowing I would never see it again, but I really liked it and decided to keep it. So in the bag it went and I put on another one that I didn't care about.

You could feel the tension and excitement start to build. Everyone started to line up behind the starting line according to their predicted finishing times. Elites in the front - slow pokes in the back, with everyone else in between. Me and Heather noticed we were standing in the 3:30 pace group (pretty elite) and started to laugh. We thought we probably faked some of them out and made them think we were elite runners. We eased back to the 4:30 sign. Then the five minute warning gun went off and the chatter noise level escalated and everyone started to get excited. Right then, I realized I needed to make another trip to the porta potty! It was quite a hike and I knew I'd never be back in time and so I just danced around and hoped the feeling was just from nerves and the cold and would go away once I started running.

THE GUN WENT OFF and so did we! It took us almost a minute to cross the pad that reads your chip and records your exact time. Not too bad considering there was almost 3000 runners.

Oh you could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was chatting and glad to finally be starting on this long journey. There was a couple we talked to that said they were from Florida and just decided on Wed. that they were going to run it. They were worried about the altitude's effect on them. Ya think?

The next thing I know we are at mile ONE! I didn't believe it because it didn't feel like we had already ran a mile. Then mile TWO! And THREE! They were just sailing by. It was a great feeling. And the best part was my injury hadn't flared up once. I wasn't feeling as good cardiovascular wise as I usually do and that started to worry me a bit. Nothing like I did at the half marathon. I knew it was from the lack of running for those two weeks before to heal my injury AND.... I STILL needed to visit the Porta Potty! At each mile marker they had a couple of them but there was always a line and I did not want to have to wait in line so I kept running. Finally about mile seven or eight, I decided to follow suite of the others that also didn't want to wait and ran into the bushes! The worst part of that was coming out of the bushes with everyone watching me knowing full well what I had been doing! I ran back in and tried to catch up to Heather, but of course it was now UPHILL! I pushed it hard and finally caught up.

There were many medics on bikes and a lot of campers down the canyon. I was looking forward to mile 14 where spectators were finally allowed. It was amazing to me how fast it came. We were still feeling strong and had kept up our pace perfectly. I looked for Dave in the crowd but couldn't see him, but Jen, Julie, and Abby were there cheering us on with a poster! It helps so much to see someone you know that came just to cheer you on. It gives you that boost that you so desperately need!

We were now out of the canyon and on normal streets. At about mile 16 one of our fellow runners we were chatting with said that we were almost to the single digits. I realized she meant the miles that were now left were no longer double digits. The countdown was on and we only had 9 more to go! Only NINE? Actually that sounded really encouraging at that point. The run was going great and we were both feeling pretty good but starting to feel it at MILE 17. My hamstrings were getting really tight and my calves were starting to cramp. That's when I saw Dave. He was just arriving at the point where we were passing and so we didn't get to really talk to him. At the aid station at mile 17, Jen caught up to us with some Advil for Heather. I did a half GU and took some Tylenol and some Advil as well.

Bad idea.

I had been pleasantly surprised that my injury did not flare up once at this point, but I was so nervous it would that I decided to take the meds BEFORE to catch it before it did. My "doc" advised me to only take three Advil, but I decided that the way I was feeling would just get worse and that four would be much better for when it did. Next time I will listen to my doc. I basically took them on an empty stomach (other than a little Gatorade and a half a GU gel) and I started to feel my stomach protest. I took out the pretzel sticks I had brought and started to eat a few of those to help curb things. I knew the salt would also help with the calf cramps as well. Another bad idea. They didn't sit well in my stomach. But it was still all good... for now.

We kept running and at aid station 19 the only thing I could do was water. I was still feeling good, though not great, and was grateful my injury was not flaring up. I didn't have one single problem with it during the race or after. That was a miracle! Those two weeks of not running must have helped it heal as well as the blessing Dave gave me that morning. Me and Heather both did some heavy duty stretching at that station. The hams and calves were even tighter and so I did whatever stretches I could to try and loosen things up. Then we took off once again. At mile 21 Dave finally caught up to us and it was so good to see him. He told us we were looking great. I was still feeling good but noticed my pace was starting to slow down a bit. Heather said the song "Highway to Hell" just came on her Ipod; talk about perfect timing. The calves were really starting to cramp hard now and my stomach was feeling the effects of the Advil and becoming very queasy and unsettled.

At about mile 21 1/2 just as we turned a corner to go up a hill my calves got even worse and felt like knives were slicing through them. I knew I was going to have to actually walk for a bit or collapse. I told Heather to go ahead and I would catch up. We had previously decided that if one or the other had any problems that the other was to just go and not stop. We knew there would be plenty of assistance along the way if we really needed it but we also needed to run our own races.

The calf cramping was becoming very intense - almost debilitating, but the nausea was the worst. It was very difficult to see her running ahead and that's when I knew it was becoming all mental. The body did not want to go on, just the mind. The mind was becoming unsure as well. Then the frustration and despair hit me so fast! I was becoming very emotional, a tell-tale sign the blood gluose levels were getting low. As I watched Heather keep running and knowing how I was feeling, and knowing I still had four and half more miles to go, and knowing that the pain was not likely to ease up but only get much worse, I wanted to give up.

I wanted to quit!

I wanted it to be over right then. I immediately called Dave and as soon as I heard his voice the tears started to flow. I told him that I couldn't do it. That I was not going to make it. That it was just too hard. I remember he kind of chuckled and said, "I just saw you half a mile ago and you looked great! You can do it." He then told me that he would meet me at mile 22. I told him that I didn't think I could go that far. Looking back now, I realize how humorous that must have sounded since it was just a half a mile! Though at the time I was dead serious. Everything inside of me wanted to quit. The pain was too much. The thought of running four more miles feeling like I was at the moment was too overwhelming.

But I pushed on.

Mile 22 had another aid station and as I approached it I knew I needed to drink some gatorade if I even stood a chance at finishing, but my stomach wouldn't even tolerate much more than a tiny sip of water. I don't remember much about that aid station and I don't even remember being let down that Dave wasn't there. I just kept running through the pain and hoped I would see him soon. I needed some encouragement big time. The tears started to flow again. I had on sunglasses so it wasn't real noticable. I tried so hard to stay positive; to repeat the many running mantras I had memorized for this moment. It was all futile because all I could think about was to keep pushing. Most of the runners at this point were in their own world now trying with all they had to keep moving. All I wanted at that point was for another runner to pat me on the back and tell me I could do it. But no one did.

Then I saw Dave!

He was with Heather's husband Rob at about mile 23 and he yelled out at me or I doubt I would have seen him. I could tell I was not functioning on full brain power at this point. There was a fork in the road and even though the runners ahead of me were turning right, I didn't really notice and when I got there I honestly did not know which way to go. I yelled at Dave, "Which way do I go?" He yelled back, "Choose the right!". After seeing him I was feeling a little stronger but still feeling thrashed. Three more miles to go. One of the girls I had talked to earlier was now by my side and struggling too. She gave me that much needed pat on the back and told me I was doing great. She was angel #1.

Then there was another hill! Oh glory! There were so many stinkin' hills those last six miles I was going to scream if I saw another one. Well probably not scream. I didn't have enough left in me to do that! Not huge hills but inclined enough to cause excruciating pain with each step. Then a sweet girl named Katie ran by me and told me I was doing great. She then asked me if I wanted her to cheer me on at the finish line and all I could say was, "I don't think I am going to make it to the finish line." She encouraged me on and ran off. About 3o seconds later she turned around and came running back to me and asked me if I wanted her to run with me. I said, "YES!" with as much enthusiasm as was possible in my state. We chatted about how this was her third time running this marathon and she was a returned missionary. I asked her what her previous times were and she said around 4:30. I immediately told her to please go ahead because that was my goal time and I knew that I wasn't going to quite reach it. She was sweet and told me that it was okay and that she felt inspired to come back and run with me. She was angel #2. Interestingly after about a half mile she said she was cramping and was going to have to stop. Then she ran ahead of me and I didn't see her again.

As I approached mile 24, I saw the first aid help and ran over to get some numbing spray on my calves. I did that at mile 23 as well and even though it didn't help much, the cool spray at least made it feel better for a second or two. The EMT asked me if I wanted to sit down but I told him if I did I would never get back up.

We were on Main Street now and I was hoping all the spectators and traffic would help keep my mind off the torture of each step. I was wrong. The pain was bad. Really bad. I was hurting in places I had never even given thought to before. Then a girl I had been chatting with about mile 16 ran up along side me. We started to chat and she was struggling to keep going as well. Just the little bit we talked was helpful to keep my mind off the steps even if it was not for long. We saw the hill on Main and she said, "There is no way I am running that one." I agreed. But she did. And because she did so did I. I knew if I had stopped running, then I might not be able to start again at that point.

The next aid station was at mile 25. I have no recall of much of mile 24. It is a blur. I am not sure how I got through other than all the distractions on Main. There were people here and there waiting for their runner to cheer them on, but I wish more would have cheered us all on while they waited. The ones that did helped more than they know. Once again I just ran past the volunteers holding out cups of water with tears streaming down my face. I still couldn't even drink anything. They were great at cheering us on as we passed. There were several runners along side of the aid stations and side of the road in tears at this point. I was getting more hopeful just knowing that the finish line was so close... yet so far.

I turned off Main on another hill and was cursing the race organizers for yet another hill when I turned to see a long straight away ahead. I was done. So done. I just wanted to cross that finish line and I knew I was going to have to push myself so far beyond my limits to get there. But I knew the only way to feel better, to end this insanity, to stop, to rest, was to push hard because stopping before the finish was not an option. Just then an arm was around me and a voice saying, "Mom, you are doing great! You are almost there!" It was my son McKay! Angel #4. All I could say to him was, "HOW MUCH FARTHER?" He ran along side of me for almost a mile though I didn't know it because he was off the side following me. Then I turned another corner and saw the mile marker 26!!! I had never been so happy to see anything in my life! But then a huge let down because there was NO FINISH LINE!!! I knew I must be in a bad dream! This had to be a nightmare! Then another runner yelled out, "Point two! Just point two!" I had forgotten about the stinkin' POINT TWO!!! I remember feeling just sick that I had to run another point two. Just then McKay once again came up to me when I needed it most and told me I was doing great.

I was so ready to be done. I was pretty sure they measured that last mile wrong because it felt like it was seven miles, not one! Then Jen came running out to me and told me that I was almost there. Once again all I could say was, "How much farther?" She said, "About two blocks." That about did me in. I didn't think I could run two more steps let alone two more blocks!

We turned the corner and I saw the finish line. That should have been one of the greatest sights in my life, but it was more like seeing a mirage knowing it is there but I will never reach it. It seemed so far away that I didn't think I could make it. Then another runner we had been chatting with earlier ran up to me and said, "We're almost there. This is where we turn it on and sprint!" All I could say back to her was, "I am not going to make it that far." It is so comical now to go back and realize how silly and ridiculous that sounds but at the time it was my reality. Those last steps seemed longer than the entire marathon put together.

As I got closer, a wave of excitement began to rush over me and I allowed myself to think how amazing it will be when that medal is placed around my neck. I wanted it so badly. I dug as deep as I have ever dug to find every last ounce of energy and gave it all I had.

The announcer said,"Now finishing- Jodi ______ from (and my city)" Those words didn't even phase me. I didn't care. All I cared about was that I CROSSED THAT LINE and now I could STOP RUNNING!!!!

Once my feet crossed that line, the tears began flowing again only this time they were tears of INTENSE RELIEF. Ugly tears, but a beautiful moment! It didn't hit me right off that I had just completed a MARATHON! I just wanted to find my family and friends and rest. But I was amazed... relieved... and it was all worth it!

I was a bit disappointed that I hadn't reached my goal of 4:30, but with the way I was feeling those last four miles, I am now just grateful I finished and 4:44 which isn't that far off is still a respectable time. Heck after running that thing...I am here to say, ANY time is respectable! I do have to agree with other runners that say, "The marathon doesn't even begin until mile 20." I was secretly hoping that wasn't true, but now I am here to say it is! Or mile 21 and 1/2 in my case.

I was surprised how light headed I became about 30 minutes after. I nearly went down a couple of times and so decided it was time to sit. Not sure if that was a good idea or not. It felt like rigamortis was beginning to set in! Standing up and getting the muscles to work was even worse. But I had plenty of help to assist me as I began to walk again. I felt like a 90 year old. Dave and my Dad brought me some chocolate milk. That tasted so good, but I couldn't drink much. I heard the massage line was moving fast and so I hustled over. As fast as a 90 year old can hustle with people assisting her. The massages were only supposed to last about 10 minutes but the guy I got gave me at least a 3o minute one. It hurt so good. He was the Weber State Football team's sports therapist. If I could have, I would have stayed there all day while he massaged my screaming muscles.

The recovery was slow. I felt like I had been run over by a steamroller; hit by a semi or a locamotive. Stairs... Oh the stairs! For the first couple of days I actually slid down the bannister because it was easier than bending my knees. The only muscles I had to support me in the process were my hand and arm muscles. It was probably a good way to end up really injured. A video of that would have given a good laugh to future grandchildren someday.

I have always said running a marathon is a lot like having a baby. One of my first thoughts when I crossed that finish line was, "WHY oh WHY would anyone EVER do this more than once?!!!" I think I recall thinking those same thoughts after delivering my first son. We had only been home from the marathon for 30 minutes when I looked Dave straight in the eye and told him to NEVER EVER under any circumstances let me do this again! Words that I'm sure have been spoken in more than one labor and delivery room. But as I look at the long journey as a whole and remember the pride and joy, and the overall amazing experience...I've been thinking to myself, "Well, maybe just one more..." It has barely been two weeks and I just registered and paid today for the Ogden Marathon in May!

Yep, it's true. As they say, "Running is a mental sport - and we're all insane!" This pretty much confirms that.

It was definitely a life changing experience for me. I guess the best way to describe it is a feeling of empowerment. I feel empowered now knowing that because I was able to endure this, there is nothing I can not endure. I feel like I have accomplished one of the most challenging tests not only physically, but maybe even more so mentally, that I will ever do. I have already noticed that when things get hard either physically (like trying to run five miles the other day while still feeling the painful after effects of the marathon), or mentally (like tackling a huge mess -aka flooded basement last week), that I have more strength to carry on. I am sure it will carry over into all aspects of my life. I am definitely not the same woman that started the race. I now know deep down that I am able to keep going even when I want to quit more than anything. I may have to dig deep - really deep- to find the courage and strength to keep going forward, but it's there when I reach for it. It is a great feeling of security to know I have that inside me.

I CAN DO HARD THINGS!

That is what we are trying to teach the youth in our church. We can all do hard things. There is more inside each of us than we even realize. And the good news is, we don't even have to run a marathon to discover it. Life has a way of bringing that out in each of us when we least expect it.

Running a marathon is loaded with life lessons. Maybe someday I will write a post on just a few of them. The analogies are endless. But the one I will take with me forever is that no matter how hard things seem...how painful they become... there is always something left inside to make it through. And you don't have to do it alone. There will be angels sent to help you on your journey, no matter how long or how hard. You are never alone.

One last thing...This will be the POINT TWO of the post. Yep, just when you thought it was finally over...there's more! As most of you know, whenever I see a penny or coin laying somewhere, I always pick it up knowing it is a hello from Tyson. I wrote a post about it HERE if you are interested. Knowing that I dedicated this marathon to Tyson and ran it in his memory, I fully expected to find at least ONE penny or coin. I was a bit disappointed when I didn't. I am however very grateful I didn't see one during those last four miles because if I had reached down to pick it up, I am pretty sure I would have stayed in that position permanently! I mentioned it to Dave one night and the very next day, I was reading some status updates on Facebook and one person wrote how she kept seeing the numbers 444 everywhere lately and asked if anyone knew if it meant something. One of the comments someone left was that those numbers mean angels are surrounding you at that moment. I immediately got chills when I read that because my time was 4:44. Of course I googled it and read more about how those numbers mean angels are near and that three fours always represent angels.

♪♫*Enter Twilight Zone music* ♫♪

I am not one to believe in a lot of that superstitious stuff or get into the realm of weirdness associated with it, BUT the feeling I had when I read that confirmed to me that it was Tyson's way of letting me know he was there by my side the whole way. And especially when I crossed that finish line. Did I mention this was a life changing experience?

For you bud...

I just ran 26.2 miles and all I got was this thermo-nuclear glowing shirt!!!

I THINK NOT!!! ↓

A MUST see!

↓

It will feel better when it quits hurting!

"ONLY THOSE WHO RISK GOING TOO FAR CAN POSSIBLY FIND OUT FAR ONE CAN GO." -TS Eliot

Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay 2010

2010-07-05T15:49:00.005-06:00

Two weekends ago I ran AND survived the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay.

The Wasatch Back is a 188 mile relay that begins in Logan and ends in Park City. You must run in a team of 12 and have two vehicles with six team members in each. Each member has three legs (Oh I wish I had THREE legs...it would have made it so much easier!) to run with distances from 3 to 9 miles each. My total mileage was almost 14 (thanks to an unexpected added 1/2 mile or so on my last leg.) There must be a member of your team running at all times until you reach the finish line. Yes, that means running in the dark is part of the race. When you are not running you are in the vehicle at all times giving support to your runner. When your second vehicle is running their legs your vehicle can take a short break, usually two hours or so.

I had been anticipating this race for over a year since I was asked to do it last year but had to back out due to an injury. Maybe anticipating isn't the right word. The closer it got the less I was anticipating it and the more I was fearing it. I have heard stories. And the closer it got the more stories I was hearing. Stories that made me question my sanity and intelligence. Stories that made me ask daily, "What have I got myself into?" Stories that made me wonder why I would want to put myself through 36 + hours of near non-stop driving and hard running with no sleep, no showering, and no flushing toilets with five other women crammed into a car that are also sleep, shower, and luxury commode deprived.

But NOW I know why I would put myself through it. Here's a few reasons why:

Friendship with other runners
Bonding with great women
A great sense of accomplishment
Realizing I am not the only crazy out there
Feeling an amazing sense of pride for my team
Watching and learning from the other women courage and perseverance under extreme circumstances that would try the best of us but seeing them hold on without giving up even once. (Natalie feeling sick and looking like death warmed over right before her last leg of 7 miles uphill and still doing it even though she did not want to. Jen making it through her tough 8 mile up-hiller in the killer heat with a hip injury and a smile on her face.)
The realization that running is also a team sport
Learning you can never have too many Wheat Thins or string cheese in a car of six women
The knowledge that you should never bring hair spray to a race even if you are having a very, very bad hair day
Gaining a testimony that Imodium is the best drug on the planet next to Celebrex
Coming to the realization that even though a starting time at 5 a.m. seemed like a major pain, we discovered we were the FIRST ones to use the Porta Potties!!! That's a serious plus!
Discovering I am pretty much the only human on the planet not hooked on Diet Coke or Pepsi
Learning I can go without chocolate for 36 hours when I am too tired to care...well I could have had it not been for the Peanut M&M's I found in my bag around hour 26. ☺
Getting the hint that my picture requests of extreme sleep deprived and sore team members does not put them in their happy place.
Discovering I have the ability to sleep (albeit for only 20 minutes) in a smelly high school gym full of other non-showered runners on only a wrestling mat and sleeping bag with background noise of zipping and un-zipping bags, coughing, people whispering, people talking loudly in the hall, and a large man snoring up a serious storm while another man who had finally had enough jumps up and yells, "REALLY?, Reaaaaaaalllly?"
The knowledge that doing hard things can also be a lot of FUN!

We met the night before to decorate the SUV ↓

After we gear loaded, we carbo loaded even though we had to be up by 2:45 a.m.! We were getting a little punchy even before we were sleep deprived. Not a good sign...

We arrived at 4 a.m. Our team was one of the first to start off the race at 5 a.m.

One of the best parts of the race is seeing the crazy way people decorate their vehicles. To say it was entertaining would be a huge understatement.

Or the way they decorate themselves ↓

We really like this guy. We bonded.☺And that's what it's all about..."bonding". His whole team was hilarious.

My FIRST leg! It was 5.1 miles. It was my longest but not hardest. The temperature was still pretty cool.

I ran somewhere near Morgan.

Support from my wonderful team-mate Jennifer ↑

Heather, Jennifer, me, Jen ↓

Like I said "very entertaining"!

Some of my favorite sights along the way ↓

Yep that's ↓ a purple bikini on that van!

Resting and eating after our first leg at Snow Basin.

Getting ready for my second leg.

This leg was only 4.2 miles but it was 82° and seriously hot. It was the first time all year I had ran in that kind of heat. My run was towards Avon Pass.

Mel waiting for me at the exchange↓

I was sooooooooooo happy to see that exchange! Even happier I had made good time.

We saw these guys on Jen's second leg.

After our second legs we went to Summit High School to eat a spaghetti dinner and try and rest for a couple of hours.

Luckily we were one of the first groups to arrive at the gym so we had prime pick of where we wanted to crash. After eating and a lovely wet wipe bath, we tried to rest even though we only had an hour and a half. But even 10 minutes felt good to rest. We didn't get much sleep, if any, because if we weren't hearing the zipping and un-zipping of sleeping bags, we were hearing loud talk in the halls, and some guy snoring up a storm! He was going for it and finally one of the other guys that had finally had it and sat up yelling loudly, "REALLY? Reeeeeeaaaaaaaaally?" It was hilarious.

This was a common sight along the way. It looked like a bunch of body bags to me. I must admit there was a time or two that I would have welcomed a body bag!

The team names were so creative and funny. Here are some of my favorite ones:

(click to enlarge)

The quotes on this van were great. Especially "Spandex is a privilege, not a right."

Giving each other team support with water or whatever else was requested.

After we rested for a couple of hours, we had to head out once again for our third legs. We left the high school about 11:30 p.m. and met up at the next exchange by 1 a.m. Heather got to be first to run in the dark. ALL of us were required to wear reflective vests from 7:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. for safety reasons since in the Las Vegas Ragnar, two people were killed last year during the dark runs.

Even though we were more than excited to get our third legs over with, it still took all we had to push ourselves to feel motivated to do them. By this time we were extremely sleep deprived and our bodies had already put out so much for the first two legs. But everyone was a trooper and came through with flying colors...or maybe I should say flying reflective vests.

My adrenaline got pumping about 20 minutes before my turn thankfully, and I was excited for this leg. It was 3.8 miles and a very steep downhill. I have not had a lot of experience in downhill running, but I knew it was going to feel good on the lungs even though it would pound the rest of my body.

I ran down the Jordanelle Reservoir canyon. It was VERY dark and quiet. I never even saw another runner the whole run on this one so it was kind of spooky to be out there alone with just the night time critters. The only noise was when our van or other team vans would pass by cheering me on. At one point I turned off my Ipod to just see what it was like. It was so quiet and spooky that I immediately turned it back on and cranked it way up! But I have to say this was my favorite leg. It was fun running downhill fast! I felt it for days after, but it was still fun!

When I came to where the exchange was supposed to be, I couldn't see any signs. I finally saw one that was by a very dark dirt road going uphill. My exchange was supposed to be on a flat area. I was really confused if I should turn up the dark hill or keep going. Since there were no other runners in sight except one about 1/2 mile behind me, I kept going to where I could see a small red light. When I got there, the volunteer told me I had gone too far and missed my turn just like the other runners. She told me I would have to run up the hill about a half mile to the exchange that way. I told her that it was NOT MARKED clearly and to please fix it before everyone did the same thing. I ran up the hairy hill but I was not a happy camper knowing it was going to cost us time not to mention I wasn't mentally prepared for ending my long downhill with such a steep uphill. Once there my team was so happy to see me because they had been driving all over looking for the exchange too and lost me. I passed off to Mel, who also had to run an extra half mile because the volunteers put the exchange in the wrong spot. We were told they later fixed it. Grr... We figure we lost about 10 to 15 minutes on our time. That was added to the other 15 or so we lost because one of our runners in the other van arrived at his exchange too soon and they penalize you if you do that. So he had to sit and wait until the exact time he could cross the exchange. Overall our total time reflects about 30 minutes longer than we actually ran it.

Once we all finished out last leg we were feeling like we were on our last leg and headed to Mel's sister house in Heber for a shower! She was so gracious to accomodate six sweaty, sleep deprived, weary women into her home at 6 a.m. on a Saturday! When we arrived she and her husband were cooking us a HUGE breakfast with everything you can imagine! They were great. They even set up their hide-a-bed so we could rest if we wanted. We only had about an hour and a half before we had to meet the full team at the finish line in Park City but we were so grateful to them for their hospitality!

Notice the hot air balloons in the background.

After the third leg we changed our name to:

We kept track of our kills but we didn't even see hardly any runners on our 2nd and 3rd legs. A kill is when you pass another runner.

We arrived at the Canyons in Park City and waited for our final runner in Van 2 to arrive so we could all cross the FINISH LINE together.

Our time was 29:29 but with the problems it was really more like 29:00. Still with the official time we placed 146th out of 660 mixed teams!!! We were much faster than we had hoped for! Lips, Hips, and Asphalt rocks!

We rode the tram down to our car and headed for home sweet home.

Our full team with our medals.

I've had several people ask me if I want to do it again next year. My response is always, "That's like asking a woman who just gave birth if she wants to have more children."

NEVER again... until next time! ☺

Turkey (aka KILLER) Trot

2010-05-04T14:37:00.000-06:00

Ah...the Turkey Trot. This one I have done each year since I started this insane sport of running. It's not my favorite race because it's a four miler and the route is repeated twice. Oh, and the last mile and a half is up-hill. I always hate it when they do that! I wasn't going to run it this year because I haven't been running as many miles each day lately due to the SWINE FLU I had in October. I am surprised how hard it has been to come back lung wise from that dang flu. So, I have been taking it pretty easy and only running about two-three miles. I have also done a lot of power walking when I didn't feel up to running. Last week when I ran, I thought I was going to kill over on a three miler and so I decided to NOT do the Turkey Trot this year. But on Thursday I got in a really good four mile run and felt good so I decided to go for it. Besides, the prizes are awesome! You win a turkey for 1st place and Pumpkin Pie for placing 2nd to 5th (Ithink) in your age division.

I was disappointed my Ipod's battery was dead but besides that everything was going great for the first two and half miles. That's when a lady in my age group passed me. It wouldn't have been so bad but I was in the lead for my age group as far as I could tell and I knew that was my turkey gobbling right away from me as she ran past. The same thing happened last year! And in the exact same spot! Last year I tried and tried to catch up and pass the thief, but to no avail. My turkey ran away from me right before my eyes. Therefore, I was more determined than ever to not allow that to happen again. The woman passed me when we were on our last downhill patch of the race, just before we turned the corner to run the remaining mile and half UP hill! But that didn't seem to register in my brain at the time. All I was thinking about was taking that turkey home this year. So I pushed it and I pushed it until I pushed my way right past her.

Big mistake.

I even got a pretty good lead on her. The next thing I knew my body was telling me in NO uncertain terms that I was an idiot! Feeling that pain, I knew it was right. This is usually a pretty easy race for me. I was surprised that my body was telling me to STOP running and walk. Walking in a race is something that I have prided myself on never doing. For some silly reason I don't feel like qualify as a real runner if I walk even a few steps in a race. Totally dumb I know. Welp, this time, I really had no choice. I had a killer side ache and my lungs were screaming for me to stop...that is nothing new really and I usually can just run through the pain until it subsides some, but this time I had weakness in my legs and arms and felt really light headed as well. Every part of my body was yelling at me to stop and walk before I collapsed. I was really hurting. I gave it all I had until I finally had to stop and walk or I knew I would be laying on the pavement.

No sooner had I done so when I saw my turkey thief run right past me again. At that point, I didn't care. I was trying to recover but it wasn't happening. The next thing I knew my two good friends Jen and Heather had caught up to me and were by my side asking me if I was okay. They stopped running and walked with me. I explained to them what was going on and to pleeeeeeeeease go on ahead and keep running. They just kept encouraging me and walking with me. Heather told me to run through the pain. I told her that was usually doable, but it wasn't happening today for some reason. Just then another one of my friends, Jody, drove slowly past us with her camera. She yelled out, "What are you walking for? This is a race!" She started taking pictures of us and so for the sake of the photo we knew had to start running again.

We still had about a mile to go - UP hill of course! As I ran I honestly didn't think I would survive that mile. I was still hurting bad, but I kept pushing it and held on to Jen and Heather's pace. I think that mile was one of the hardest things I have done in my life. If it hadn't been for my friends, I know I would have walked most of that mile. But with them by my side, I knew I could do it....maybe ---- somehow. I also knew if I stopped again that they would too and I was not going to allow that.

It was getting progressively harder with each step. I was feeling agony in so many ways. I dug deep and somehow found the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And then... there she was! My turkey thief! Right in front of us. We had caught up to her! I received a burst of strength at that moment. As I ran past her, I was feeling like I might cross that finish line after all!

I kept repeating to myself the mantra, "I can do hard things!" It gave me what I needed to keep going. We were close now. As we turned the final bend we could see the finish line.

What a sight for sore eyes....legs, arms, lungs, head, knees, feet, heart!

Jen's daughter Abby ran up to us and encouraged us to the finish line with her chants of, "Go Mom beat Jodi" over and over. She eventually switched to "Go Jodi beat Mom!". That was exactly what we both needed to hear to get us to sprint to that line. We crossed the finish line together.

I am not sure the last time I felt such a huge relief as I did at that moment. I tried to get my race sticker off so they could write my time down but I was unable to remove it. One of the race volunteers had to remove it for me. As soon as they did, I dropped to the ground. That is a big no-no and I knew I needed to just walk until I had cooled down but I had nothing left to give. I was unable to stand let alone walk. At most races they provide water after the race, but not so this time. I could have used some water. I could have used a stretcher too! I recovered quickly though and was feeling completely normal within a few minutes.

The best part of all was I took FIRST PLACE in my age division and WON that blasted turkey after all! Woot-woot! Or should I say, "gobble- gobble!" Even better was my age division was the largest and so they ended up dividing it into two groups when they gave out the awards. I was, of course, in the older half, but I still took first in both. I still do not know where the strength came from that took me across that finish line. But I know one thing for certain, I will never doubt again that...

I CAN DO HARD THINGS!

Starting to run again for sake of this photo! ↓ That is the biggest fake smile slapped on my face! The last thing I felt like was SMILING!

Me and Jen nearing the finish line. Her daughter Abby and friend Maddy are cheering us on. The near turkey thief is in the rear with the sunglasses. Heather is in front of us.

We are almost there!!! WHAT? I'm smiling again? I think I was SO happy the end was in sight! Or maybe it's that I knew the potential turkey thief was not going to gain on us now! lol There she is in the back still trying to steal MY turkey! Ha-ha

WE did it!!! My TWO good samaritan friends!!! Thank you guys!!!

Accepting my prize! The turkey is mine!!! I worked hard for that sucker!

Our a- "WARD" winning team! The cute kids ran the kid's 2 miler and they did awesome. Those are pumpkin pies they are holding. Cute Maddy got 1st and won a turkey too! Jen and Heather placed 2nd and 3rd in their age division (a much younger one than mine) and won pies! We could have had a ward party with all that food!

Gotta love this butterball! Although McKay was very disappointed I didn't bring home a pumpkin pie like I have every other year from this race. Maybe next year... Nah! I am going for the turkey again if it kills me!

My sweet and very thoughtful husband Dave gave me a bouquet of flowers for winning. He's the man!

My next race is the SANTA RUN next week! I am sooooooooooooooooooo excited for this one I can hardly stand it! Everyone dresses up like Santa (you receive a Santa hat, shirt, and beard with registration) for the entire run. There are helpers (elves) along the way serving milk and cookies at the aid stations. I can not wait! Jen and Heather are also doing this one with me. We are wearing matching Santa pants and red and white stripped socks. It's all about FUN!!!!! HO HO HO!!!!

This is a photo of last year's Santa Run from their website.↑

Here's a cute idea for Thanksgiving ↓ GOBBLE-GOBBLE!

They are made with Ritz crackers, candy kiss, frosting, candy corn, and a carmel. SO CUTE but SO EASY!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

Running Against the Wind...

2010-05-04T14:27:00.002-06:00

...and RAIN and SNOW and COLD! Basically MOTHER NATURE in general!

I know I shouldn't complain, and honestly I usually don't, BUT really.... here it is May, (yes MAY!) and I am still wearing my winter clothes to run in. I have actually put them away about six different times so far as Mother Nature and all her bipolar-ness has teased me time and time again with a warm day here and there. Which, of course, gets my hopes up thinking SPRING really is coming only to have them dashed (once again) by 30 degree temps and more snow, hail, or freezing rain. I think she needs some serious meds to help her control her vicious mood swings. I'll be speaking to the doc about that.

It really takes the fun out of running when you keep getting teased like that. Once I have run in warm sun and shorts (even once), it's ten times harder to even want to step out the door if it's not even above 35°! I guess that's why it's good I am in training for something because then I have no choice really. I don't own a treadmill (aka dreadmill to me) because part of the reason I love to run is being outdoors. I can handle winter weather WHEN IT IS WINTER, but not when it is SUPPOSED to be spring! Okay my venting is done... mostly at least.

Since I wrote about last week's not so fun long run, I felt like I needed to write about this week's because it went much better... even though this isn't my running blog.

As I took off, I wasn't sure what kind of mileage I would get. 11 miles was my goal, but I wasn't feeling too great when I left and so I just told myself I would get in as many as I could. In my head I was thinking even five would suffice. The first two miles weren't too bad, but then the wind became out of control and I was fighting every single step. It felt like I wasn't even moving foward even though I kept stepping. It wasn't always a head wind, but even from the side it was very difficult to press on. I don't think I have experienced wind like that before.

As I inched my way forward, I started to feel sick. By this time I was out in the boonies with the cows and horses and they didn't seem too interested in my dilemma so I just kept pressing forward. The wind was becoming almost too much to fight against. My ears were starting to really ache from the force of it and when it became too painful I turned around against it and jogged backwards. I had removed my outer jacket earlier and tied it around my waist, but I soon found a better use for it. ↓

This helped my earache immensely. And I didn't care what I looked like because I was on a barren road. I didn't think much of it until I ran past a horse and a cow and they just starred at me. Normally they just ignore me. The horse looked spooked! He just starred... and then started to back up. When I came right up to the fence near him, he jumped up, and then back, and took off very fast while keeping his eyes on me. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. He looked like he had seen a ghost!

I am definitely NOT a horse whisperer...a ghost whisperer maybe.

Or maybe the Running Nun?

I finally gave in to my stomach and tried to walk it off. I knew there was a bathroom and a water fountain about a mile away, so I kept going until I arrived. After that pit stop, I felt much better and set off again with a new wind...literally. It had really eased up.

I did make it my 11 miles and the last mile was the complete opposite of last weeks. The song "I'm Alive" by Celine Deon came on my Ipod and so I cranked it up really loud. This song is my first choice for getting me through the worst pain or slump in running. It works every time. It is my favorite song to run to when I am nearing the finish line in my races. It gives me some kind of magical power to forget all the pain and aches and just sail through. My last mile is all uphill, including a pretty hefty one and I breezed right through it (pun intended). I was hurting, but nothing like last week. In fact, I was sure I could have kept going if I needed to.

The best part was I didn't have ANY after effects. No soreness, no pain, no wanting to take a long nap. I didn't even need Advil! I felt great the rest of the day and I have ever since. I needed this good run to keep me motivated to keep training. The Ragnar countdown is on and this run gave me the confidence I am going to need to take the plunge. My time wasn't great due to the forced walking and gail force winds, but I did get the miles in and I am ready for more!

I am just happy I didn't feel like
←THIS again after!

Maybe I'll make it after all...

Wish me luck!

Pennies AND Twenties From Heaven!

2010-04-29T14:42:00.001-06:00

If you haven't read my post "Pennies From Heaven" you can read it HERE. This one won't make much sense if you haven't read that one.

I am currently training for the Ragnar Relay Race in June and so I have been trying to squeeze in my running when I can. Today I had a nail appointment and so I decided to run to it and home. As I was walking out of the salon onto the sidewalks of our town's Main Street to continue my run home, I was doing my usual looking for pennies that I always do. I thought I had a pretty good chance of finding at least one coin in that area. The last couple of weeks, I thought I would find a lot more than normal mainly because I have been getting in some long runs (10 milers) and thought my odds would go up covering so much more ground. But it didn't seem to be. I found a few, but not what I had hoped. I just figured Tyson must be pretty busy with much more important things to do right now.

As I started walking down the sidewalk, I hadn't taken more than 20 steps when I looked down and saw THIS ↓

Yep, a TWENTY DOLLAR BILL!!! I immediately picked it up and started to look around for someone who may have dropped it. There wasn't a soul in sight. I stood there waiting for a while in case someone came back to look for it, but no one did and so I put it in my pocket with a huge smile on my face as I uttered the words, "Thanks Tyson. Guess this is your way of making up for the drought the last couple of weeks. Good move buddy!"

Pennies AND TWENTIES from heaven now?

Oh dear, I am afraid my expectations have just gone way up!

SIDENOTE: My brother-in-law called a few hours after I posted this. He said HE just found a 20 dollar bill in Albertson's by the Chinese food section laying on the floor. Chinese just happened to be Tyson's favorite food. I totally did NOT believe him at first....what are the odds? But it's true! How crazy is that? Heaven is obviously not having a recession right now!!! ☺

Lips, Hips, and Asphalt

2010-04-24T14:29:00.000-06:00

10 miles. Today. Running. Now barely walking. Seriously feeling it.
9 toes hurting. One was numb.
8 muscles (at least) asking me WHY I'm torturing them.
7 thoughts of "Why do I enjoy inflicting pain on myself?"
6 thoughts of "Buck up! It's ONLY 10 miles!"
5 thoughts of "Do I really want to a run a marathon? That's 16 MORE miles!"
4 hours to re-coop.
3 Ibuprofen immediately administered upon arriving home.
2 hip flexors screaming.
1 IPOD dead battery. (Definitely a blessing in disguise or I might have kept going,)

I am in training for the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay that is in June. I also ran 10 miles last Saturday. And 9 miles the previous Monday. Those are my long runs. I try to run 4 to 6 miles three times a week as well. I haven't been running more than 8 miles at a time since my injury last year. And, my body is letting me know. I have run two half marathons (13.1 miles -emphasis on the point 1 - that little point 1 is huge!) but once you stop the training, you lose it. Use it or lose it kind of thing.

Last Saturday when I got back from my run, I felt just like I did the very first time I ran 10 miles three years ago. I remember I came home and laid down to just rest for a bit and woke up three hours later. I just wanted to sleep. I was also hurting so bad that I wasn't walking too well. After a while I got used to it and was fine after a long run. I thought I had passed that point of total exhaustion for good with my running, but then I quit running long distances last year due to an injury and so now I guess my body is letting me know that I have to get used to it all over again.

Last Saturday, I ran early and felt like I was worthless the rest of the day. I didn't sleep for three hours, but wasn't super productive either. Today I went out later hoping to get stuff done BEFORE in case it had the same effect on me. Good thing, because I am worthless today as well. Maybe next week I'll go at night so I will be worthless when it's time for bed instead! That would also help my training since the Ragnar requires runs at night in the dark.

The Ragnar Relay is a 188 mile course that is ran in about 24 hours non-stop by a team of 12. Each member has three legs to run. Everyone's legs are different as far as mileage and elevation. They are rated from Easy to Very Hard. The longest total distance for one runner is 20 miles and the shortest is 12. My total running distance is 13.1 miles (yes a half marathon in distance!) The legs are split up over the course and so you may be running at midnight or 3 a.m. depending on your legs. I haven't found out my times yet, but I know I have at least one in the dark. I most excited for that one!

It may sound crazy, but it is a PARTY! I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I was registered with the team ENERGIZER RUNNIES last year, but had to drop out because of my injury. I was so bummed. I heard they have over 1000 teams this year. WOW! Major party! That's 1000 x 12 people! It is SOLD OUT! It's going to be one serious party. There is no sleep involved for at least 24 hours unless you are lucky to catch a cat nap here and there when you aren't running your legs. Each team has two vehicles that the non runners travel in and follow their runner. For more info go
HERE.

Our team name this year is LIPS, HIPS, and ASPHALT. Each team decorates their vehicles and wears crazy costumes. They give away prizes for the best in each category.

The part I am most excited about is my awesome friends Jen, Heather, Mel, and Jen D. are on my team. I love each one of them so much and I know it will be SO MUCH FUN!!! It will also be fun making new friends with the others that are on the team as well. We have nine women and three men. The men are being good sports about the name and what we are planning for costumes.

One thing for sure is I need to get back to the gym to my strength training classes to help me be a stronger runner as well. Those 5:45 a.m. classes are killers, but I can tell a huge difference in my running when I'm not faithful at attending. I am just grateful Mother Nature has decided to give us at least a few days each week of sunshine. I have put away my winter running clothes FOUR times already this spring, only to get them back out when the temps drop again. We will have a few days in the 60's and then the next day it is back in the 30's. Here's hoping her mood swings have finally stabilized!

I'll end on a quote that made me chuckle this week...

"Life is short. Running makes it seem longer." ~ Baron Hansen

♥Pennies From Heaven♥

2010-04-14T14:41:00.000-06:00

Ever since Tyson passed away, I have had some very amazing experiences that has confirmed in my heart that he lives and watches over us.

One day, just a little while after he passed away, I was really missing him and expressed in my heart that I wished he could find a way to let me know he was around and still thinking of us. Immediately after, I looked down and found a shiny copper penny laying right before me. I wondered to myself if maybe, just maybe, this was a little gift from heaven via Tyson. I felt that it was, but once I read the date on the penny and saw it was 1988, I KNEW it was from him.

He was born in 1988.

I was sure he was smiling above with that sweet grin of his that won everyone's heart while saying, "There ya go Mom. Of course I am thinking about ya. Love ya Mom."

Since that day, I have had some of the most incredible experiences in finding pennies and other coins that I know are from him. Each day when I go out and run, I now look for coins. And nearly each day I find at least one. Not really significant on it's own I know, but what makes it so, is the fact that I usually run the same route each day and yet, I will find a coin in the most remote place that wasn't there the day before and no one could have possibly just dropped it, because not many people go where I run.

There have been many times when I am having a bad day and I will just say in my heart, "Tys buddy, if you are around today, can you just say hi." Within seconds (literally seconds), I will find a coin or in some cases, several coins along the way until I am home. I will find them when we go to some event after having just said, "Tyson sure would have loved this." I find them on family vacations in the most remotest of places. Other times, I will find them right in front of me.

One of the most amazing experiences I've had was when one day I was out running and really struggling with missing him. It had been a rough week. A really rough week. The entire route of my run I was hoping to find just one coin to comfort me and make me feel him near. Nothing. I kept searching. Nothing. I kept an eagle eye out for a coin, any coin. Nothing. Finally, I was nearing my home and feeling even worse that I hadn't found one on the day I most needed to. Just a few steps from my house, I saw something shiny in front of me. I was so hoping it was a shiny dime or quarter. As I got closer I could tell it was not a coin. My hopes dashed once again. As I approached it, I still wasn't sure what it was. I reached down to get a closer look and discovered it was a mini Snickers bar.

My heart skipped a beat.

Now that doesn't sound like anything miraculous to anyone else, but mini Snickers were Tyson's most favorite candy in the whole world.

Coincidence?

Maybe....

But to this mom, I knew it was my sweet angel boy in heaven sending his struggling mom a gift, a tender mercy, to comfort me and let me KNOW that he loves me dearly and is there.

I could go on and on with the stories and experiences I've had, but suffice it to say, I believe the coins I find nearly each day, are his way of letting me know he loves me and is still very close to our family.

Pennies From Heaven

When an Angel misses you,

they toss a penny down to let you know they care.

Never enough time to spend on earth,

but in our hearts they will always be there.

Love is never lost,

smiles never forgotten,

the memories are burned so deep.

We wish we could have kept you here forever.

but your soul is God's to keep.

So when you're sad,

tears falling to the ground,

you see a shimmer by your shoe,

Pick up that penny,

look to heaven and know

an Angel is watching over you!

By: Kirby Tracy

I collect them in this seashell box ↓ I got in Hawaii. Tyson LOVED Hawaii.

My collection has grown much larger than this now.

Sometimes they are worn and weathered...

and sometimes they are shiny and bright.

But just the same, they are from a dear angel in heaven.♥

Running With the Ho-Ho's

2009-11-29T14:33:00.001-07:00

There is a race called the SANTA RUN that I heard about last year and really wanted to do with my friends, but we heard about it too late and couldn't get registered on time. Sooo...we all planned on doing it for sure this year! Not everyone could do it, but three of us did and we had a BLAST!!!

SANTA RUN 2009

Click to enlarge

Me with my friends and fellow running Santa's ---Heather and Jen.

Here we are hanging with the other 297 Santas listening to instructions before the start of the race. The race was held at 4:30 p.m. right before the Holiday Light Parade.

We dressed alike and even though there were tons of others dressed just as unique, we got a lot of compliments and stares (and people taking our picture). Must have been that we were all three alike! Or possibly the socks or suspenders??? No, it had to be the cute shorts Jen made us!

They had us do SANTA WARM-UPS before the start of the race.

We did "Hat, Beard, Belly, and Boots" (a version of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes) and then some calisthenics while we counted with HO-HO's. VERY FUN!

On our marks... get set...

GO!!!!! We are just to the right of the yellow stroller. The first green light is above Jen's head. Look for the socks! lol (click to enlarge)

We are seriously having TOO MUCH FUN! Okay, not seriously...we took nothing serious about this race at all!

The 5K route (3.1 miles) went down four blocks and then turned back the other way and repeated three times along the Holiday Light Parade route.

We saw a lot of interesting sights along the way!

As I said before, we didn't take this race seriously. We all carried our cameras and stopped A LOT to take tons of photos. Jen cracked me up because she wanted to NOT SWEAT because she knew we would be freezing by the time the parade started that we were all staying to watch. A good idea, but not really possible in a 5K...even when you are stopping a lot and not pushing it.

The aid stations had cute little elves serving COOKIES and MILK!!!

Yes, we had to stop and take our photo with the Santa's little helper and PRETEND we are eating the cookies and milk. They just don't sit well in your stomach when you are running a race... but cute idea anyway!!!

One of Santa's larger elves....

Yes, another stop! We just HAD to take our picture with this band!!!

Back to the pavement.....

We turned a corner and saw the FINISH LINE. For some reason this race seemed longer than most 5K's. Hmm...I wonder if it's because we stopped to take photos so much?!!! As you can see below, sometimes we didn't even stop to take the photo!

Our time was pathetic, but all in all not too bad considering all our stops! lol

We had to stand in line after crossing the finish line to turn in our race number. That's a first.

Some photographer guy that stalked us the entire race, asked if he could photograph us after we finished.

MY cheerleaders!!! AND action photographer!

It was just a little windy at times!!!

Look who we found!!! ↓ He was just walking down the street as if some normal pedestrian. We stopped and asked if we could have our photo with him. He said sure. He was the REAL thing! It was HIM, I know it!

A little later Jen took her son Logan over to see him and look what he gave her!!! ↓ SEE I TOLD YOU! I JUST KNEW IT!!! It IS him!!!!

We stayed and watched the Holiday Light Parade. HUGE crowds even though it was FREEZING!!!

After the parade (well, after WE had seen enough) we all walked to Costa Vida to eat dinner.

A HO-HO time was had by all!!! I can't wait for next year!!!

I'M BACK!!!! I FIXED IT!!!! YIPEE!!!

2009-11-04T16:12:00.003-07:00

Well, I have been AWOL from this blog for NINE MONTHS!!!! Yes NINE!!!! That is because I lost the ability to see and read the posts! Yes, this little section of what you are currently reading simply....

VANISHED! DISAPPEARED! VAMOOSHED!

I really had NO idea what happened. It is impossible to get a hold of blogger and so I asked other bloggers but no one had any idea.

Then the other night as I was laying in bed, the thought occured to me to take off the last post to see if that had some glitch in it that may have caused it. I honestly didn't think it would help, but VIOLA! back to normal! YEA!!!! It was the photo in the post that seemed to be the problem. No more picture! Small price to pay to have my blog back!

Now the problem will be to see if I can keep it updated! I have slacked off with my regular one and so I hope I can keep this one going. The other problem is I am positive I have lost ALL my readers...of course! Oh well, maybe someone will stumble onto it and find something worth commenting on!

YIPPEE!!!!!

Peach Days 10K

2009-09-07T14:38:00.001-06:00

This year I ran my third Peach Days 10K. I was not as prepared for it this year as the last two years, but what the heck, I did it anyway.

Heading out the door↑

"Trying" to head out the door! ↓ Yes I am on the phone! Talking to Sego Lily telling them I am going to be needing a massage soon! :D

In the parking lot before the race...getting ready to make a run for it.

I really wish I had a picture of the racers all lined up before the gun went off. There were a LOT of racers again this year! Almost 400! The conditions were NOT very conducive to getting a good time because the WIND was just blowing and pushing so hard. The temp was perfect, but the WIND was a pain! Running against the wind is one of the hardest and most grueling energy depleters there is for a runner. It's ten times worse when it's uphill! There is a part on the course that has a killer uphill, and this year, the wind happened to be the worst at that point.

I was trying so hard to get catch up to a couple of big guys so they could break the wind for me. I kept pushing it and pushing it so I could. Going uphill on the hardest part of the course is not a good idea when the wind is blowing so hard against you. I felt like I was running in slow motion because even though I was really pushing it, it felt like I was barely moving. When I finally got behind my big wind breakers, I didn't notice any change. Other than I was exhausted! Luckily after I reached the top of the hill, I had about half mile of downhill to recover.

Still running. This was just after the hard hill and wind! Only about half way. That's why I'm still smiling and giving the thumbs up.

The course goes right past my cul-de-sac. Almost to my house. So tempting to go up and grab some Gatorade and a little nap!

The last part of the race is a steady TWO mile uphill climb that you run in front of the parade spectators. The good thing about it is that there are so many people cheering you on when you need it the most. The bad thing is that if you want to quit, you don't dare! Well, maybe that's a good thing too!

I have to admit, this was the FIRST race I have ever ran that I honestly wanted to quit. Either that or DIE first!!! Not even the two half marathons were this hard. I was really feeling it and wasn't sure if I had it in me what it took to cross that finish line this year. I kept pushing it and began looking for my fam. My sister-in-law told me where she was going to be saving a spot for all of us. When I finally got to that point, I saw her on her cell phone and a male runner that had just collapsed laying on her tarp. He didn't look so good, but I kept going knowing she had it under control. Each year, there are runners that collapse or are taken off in an ambulance. I have to admit the thought crossed my mind that if I fake a collapse then I won't have to finish this! In fact, I was beginning to think I might not need to "fake" it. As I kept running uphill towards that much desired finish line, an ambulance came rushing by me. I was certain it was going to the man on my SIL's tarp. I was right. (See sidenote at bottom)

I don't know where it came from, but I found what I needed to cross the finish line. It was hard. It was very hard, but I did it. I don't know what made it so tough for me this year, other than the wind. Most runners were complaining about how much harder it felt this year. The Peach Days course is touted as the hardest 10K in the state. Runners come from all over for the challenge. This year there were runners from Canada, New York, Hollywood, and all over the west.

My friend Mont (on right) about to storm across the finish line.

Oh! Almost there! NOTHING has looked this good to me in a very long time!!!

I REALLY wanted to beat my last year's time. Just missed it by a minute! Guess that's not too bad considering the wind really slowed me down. At this point, all I wanted was to STOP running!!!

WATER! I NEED water!!! This is the first race EVER that I sat down! It was also the first ever that I felt nauseated after I stopped. I was feeling EVERY inch of those six miles! Luckily, I started to feel much better after about 20 minutes.

Wow! Even a smile! Jen, ALWAYS my supportive friend, asking me how it went.

Survivors of the grueling 2009 Peach Days torture run! ↓

Julie, Mont, and me. Mont is holding our pal Mike's number because he had to "dash" off.

So happy we made it and lived to tell about it! And I am NOT joking about this either!!! (read SIDENOTE at bottom)

The best part was I got a MEDAL!!!! I placed third in my age division! WOOT-WOOT!!! I was sooooooooo happy!!! Was NOT expecting that!!! I came in 153rd out of 389 runners! Not bad, for an old woman!!! Especially considering the majority of runners are much younger than I am! Well, I don't want to emphasize "much", but you know what I mean! Ha!

Me and my medal!!!!

Another Peach Days 10K down! I hope next year's is a little more of a fun run! Fun run? Did I say that? I am sure that's an oxymoron!

VERY SAD SIDENOTE:

The runner that collapsed and was laying on my SIL's tarp, didn't make it. He stopped breathing and the paramedics were unable to revive him. He was only 32 years old (I believe) and a seasoned runner. He ultimately died of cardiac arrest, but I still haven't heard the report on the autopsy. It has been very hard on my sister in law as she was the one that saw him start to stagger in the road and so she went up to him and asked if he was okay. He didn't respond and so she helped get him off the road and onto her tarp. He collapsed on her before she could get him all the way off the street. Several people started CPR, but were never able to get a pulse. Once the ambulance arrived, they shocked his heart, but no avail. It was very sad. Isn't running supposed to be GOOD for you???

I am still alive ~ really...

2009-02-11T16:02:00.007-07:00

Slacker!!! Slacker!!! Slacker!!!

ME!

This winter has been a bigger challenge to keep running for me than last year. Last year I was out in the very freezin' temps nearly every day. I was a he-woman! This year I have been a she-man. Not sure what that means but it seems like it would be the opposite of he-woman and so I am going to use it.

Last year my cut off temp was 11 degrees. This year it started about 28 and then kept going up, and now it's about 40! I am not a fan of the cold. I did my best and went out as frequently as my wimpy body would tolerate, but then I discovered the treadmill. I have never owned a treadmill. Now I know why. When the weather got to be too dangerous with ice packed roads and snow covered streets, I decided to stay at the gym after my Body Sculpt (weight training) class and run on the treadmill. I never run farther than about three miles on it though and so I know I am losing some of my stamina. I have learned one thing though....I HATE THE TREADMILL!

I don't like to see how far I still have left to go when I am already feeling like killing over. When I am outside running it isn't an issue how much time I have left. I know how much farther I have to go and that has never been something I focus on when I am outside. There is something to be said for fresh air and being out in the world around others. They also added two cardio classes at the gym that I attend each week that helps to substitute for a couple of runs. I enjoy them even if it is a pain to get up at 5:30 a.m. five days a week now.

There hasn't been any races to train for either and so that has contributed to my lack of motivation to get out as well. I was asked to be part of a team for the Wasatch Back in June or July and I am having serious doubts if I can do it or not. It sounds very grueling, in many ways harder than a marathon. I have been really stressing about that.

I just want winter to END so I can get back out there and enjoy my runs again! Has anyone else ever got in a winter rut before? I hope I haven't lost too much in my slump!

Snowman Shuffle

2008-12-13T21:57:00.009-07:00

The SNOWMAN SHUFFLE 5K was held last Saturday. The weather was a little chilly, but right before the race the sun came out in all it's glory and really warmed things up. It was no comparison to last year when we ran in a flippin' blizzard! This year was so much better.
They had approximately 140 runners. I was happy that I got 2nd in my age division. 42nd overall. But disappointed that I ran 14 seconds faster last year. My time was 27:52. Last year it was 27.38. With the conditions being so much better I thought I would be faster this year. But I guess it makes a big difference in my training. I haven't been running as much this past month as I usually do and it takes it toll. I have had a harder time climatizing this year for some reason. I do not enjoy going out in the bitter cold at all!

This year I paced myself much better than last year. Last year I started out fast thinking I could maintain that pace the entire race. I was wrong. I had to slow down and even walk for a short distance, which is taboo for me. I really had a hard time getting back into my grove after that. This year I started out even more slowly than I normally do because I wanted to conserve some energy for the big hill. I maintained that pace pretty much the entire route. I did push it down the hill to make up for lost time going up the blasted thing, and I got a killer side ache about a half mile into it, but was able to relieve it after about another half mile.

Ready to run!

Here we are with this year's sweatshirts. They are much cuter than last years, but I wish they would make them in women's sizes instead of just mens!

Julie crossing the finish line in all her elf-dom.

Here I am accepting my 2nd place ribbon. Last year I didn't even place in the top three. So even though I was 14 seconds under last year, I was happy. They also widened our age range this year due to the large number of runners. There was a span of seven years in my category. I didn't beat my record, but I still placed.

Mike, Andrew, and Neil also ran it. I was bummed because Andrew and Niel's time was better than mine this race and I always finish before they do. I think they have been training harder!

Cheese!

All in all it was a fun run. I am pretty sure the weather will never be better for this run than it was this year. We were all shedding our jackets before the finish line and there were several runners in shorts and tank tops. Pretty unusual for a Utah December run! My lungs weren't even burning this year running up the very steep and very long killer hill! Can't wait until next year... or can I?

Turkey Trot!

2008-11-22T12:17:00.011-07:00

Today was the annual ...

I wasn't totally set on running it this year since my running has been almost non-existent the past two weeks. I was afraid I wouldn't be conditioned enough to run the 4 miles at a fast pace especially in the cold. I am not a fan of running in the cold!

But my friend Julie called me early this morning and said she was going to do it and so I decided I would too. We headed to the park and registered.

I was happy to see Kiela (one of my Young Women girls) registering too! She is on the far left.

No - registering isn't this much fun....we were just having a moment (inside joke!)

Here we are getting ready to line-up looking all fresh and spry!!!

Here is Julie AFTER the 4 miles not looking so fresh and spry. She finished with a huge amount of blood on her shoe! She wasn't sure what was going on because she didn't feel any pain. Looking at the blood was pain enough for me! When she removed her shoe and sock, she discovered that one of her toenails had been cutting into the side of one of her toes. Ouch! I was amazed at the amount of blood that could produce! She really is a trooper!!!

My time was 34:53

One second off from last year! Unfortunately it was one second slower instead of faster. But, oh well... I survived and I finished. In fact...

I WON a Pumpkin Pie because I took 2nd!!!

I was happy because I took 3rd last year.

As I was running I was so excited because I knew I was in the lead of those in my age division. That was until about a half a mile into it when I saw Jennifer D. pass me! As she ran past me I said GOODBYE to my TURKEY! The first place winner in each age division won a turkey. DANG! Maybe next year!

Kiela won 1st in her age division! Woo-hoo!

This is a photo of all those in our ward that ran it. Here we are looking like we are getting ready to go to a ward dinner! They gave out pies to some of those that didn't place since they had extras. Mike (the tall guy) got 3rd and Julie did too.

By that last half mile I was thinking they should change the name from the

↓

to the

↓

I was feeling a little wobbly! But, I am glad I did it. The pie was heavenly!!!

Spooktacular Run

2008-10-25T12:02:00.022-06:00

Today I ran the Spooktacular 5K in Mantua. I had never ran this one before and it sounded fun since I am HUGE Halloween fan. I mainly wanted the shirt, but they ran out because they weren't expecting such a large turnout and so they promised to mail them. I didn't decide to do it until yesterday. It was either this or a long run today. I thought this sounded much funner!

I was pretty jazzed though because I took 1st Place in my age division!!! And 18th overall.

My time was 27:08 which isn't my best for a 5K, but I wasn't surprised because the altitude is higher in Mantua (in the mountains) and the first part was pretty rigorous with some major and looooong lasting hills! I was definitely struggling more to breath on this race. It was one of (if not thee) hardest 5k's I have done so far due to the hills and altitude. The temp was pretty chilly. I think at race start time it was somewhere in the high 30's. Brrrr...... Can I just say once again that I am NOT ready for winter! Bring back the heat!

Julie also ran it. Here we are before the race showing our ~~muscles~~ toughness.

Running through the campground.

CHEESE!!! Look at that hair! What a boof!

It was a beautiful course and a gorgeous (though cold) fall day.

Julie nearing the finish line.

My 1st place ribbon and the cookies I won. Yes - cookies! Wouldn't want those calories I burned during the run to not be immediately replaced now would we? Hmm....seems like granola bars would be more appropriate! Oh well, I was just grateful for anything since I didn't get my shirt! It was well organzied and they had a great turnout. I would guess about 75-80 or so runners in the 5K and about 40 in the Kids K. There were about 10-12 in my age division...(age 40-49). It made me excited and motivated to get planning the Memorial Run for Tyson!

We did it!

It really was...

What a Slacker!

2008-10-13T11:48:00.003-06:00

I can't believe what a total slacker I have been about posting on here, as well as reading all my favorite other running blogs! I think without a huge goal in mind (aka MARATHON!), I just didn't have a lot of motivation to post.

BUT, I have still kept up my running. I probably average about 20 miles a week. Some weeks more and some less. This week will be fitting into the less category. I pulled a muscle in my back at the gym on Friday morning and so that has put me out of commission for a while I am fretting. I guess I can't complain because it was PERFECT timing considering winter decided to show up early this year...yeah like on FRIDAY! It snowed this weekend and today's morning temperature was 27 degrees! YOWZA! That is a bone chiller morning. I have to admit I was glad I had a good excuse not to attempt a run this morning. I know I am not even close to being climatized and I dread getting used to running in the cold again. Didn't I just barely DO that? Summer just flew! Mainly because where I live we didn't get spring. Winter decided to ENDURE and ENDURE until about June, when it suddenly decided it was time for summer. Now, we aren't getting our fair share of fall! It seriously went from being in the 80's to almost overnight in the 20's! It only confirms to me I really hate winter! So WHY do I live in a place that has winter for nearly six months out of 12? Who knows? I'm crazy that way I guess. If I could I would be a running

for those six months and only run when it's warm! But, then I would miss some of my favorite things that occur ONCE I am climatized, like running when the snow is softly falling, feeling the peace and quiet of a winter morning, and being able to be outside and soak in that little bit of sun that does shine through every so often. I have come to NEED the time I spend outdoors, no matter the temperature. Being outside just somehow restores my soul and gives me what I need to feel good inside and out. I can tell a big difference in my mood when I am not able to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Just being outside for even a short walk does my mind and body wonders. Sooo....I will quit my griping about the cold and just focus on how much better I will feel after I force myself out in those freezing temps! I promise...At least once my back feels a little better! Who knows by then maybe it will have warmed up some!!! I can always hope!

Peach Days 10K

2008-09-30T21:39:00.011-06:00

I have been such a slacker about posting on here as of late. So much so that when I went to post the Peach Days 10K results I did it on here instead! What does that tell you??? I decided it would be much easier to link to it than re-do the whole thing. I could copy and paste but photos don't like to do that! Sooooo.... for the FULL story please go HERE.

Here are a few photos so I will at least have some record of it on here!

The cool t-shirt and my medal!

Almost there!

My official time was posted as 53:43! I shaved over three minutes off of my time from last year!

I won third in my age division!!! WOOT!

Mirian, Me, and Julie

Jen brought me these amazing flowers!!! I still can't believe she did that!

PURPLE MAN!!! To read more about him go to the link above!

It was a great, although tough race this year. I am glad I did it and I am once again looking forward to next year!

Top of Utah Half Marathon!

2008-08-25T21:57:00.002-06:00

Oh the aching feet! The sore knees! The screaming hamstrings! The painful hip flexors! The entire aching body! That's what you get when you decide to run 13.1 miles without any walking breaks. And get it good, you do! Trust me on that...

I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon on Saturday and it WAS GREAT!!! A much better experience than my first one, although I think I was much more prepared and trained for that than this one. Now, when I say it was great, keep it in mind that I do NOT mean the time spent running. No, no, no.... the great part is the fact that I DID it and FINISHED and had a great time! Not to mention the fact that I wasn't part of the road kill we saw along the way!

The best part was Jen decided at the last minute to run it too! She has been having some knee issues and wasn't sure if she could, but she did! I was so glad I didn't have to go it alone. We stayed together and kept each other going the entire distance. It was quite the experience from the get go. Jen picked me up at 5 a.m. and then we drove the 30 minutes to the park where registration was. It was pretty nippy, but that didn't stop all those crazies from doing it. They bused us up to the starting point and then we stood in line for the porta potties. That was an act of bravery in itself because these were much more "scent" sational then most. I did get some good lung strengthening while inside it though because I couldn't (or wouldn't!) breath! As soon as we finished our business, we were smashed as tight as sardines waiting for the starting gun to go off. We wanted to move to the back, but it was impossible to even turn or move in anyway. Talk about squished! It was crazy! I am not sure, but I think there was close to 1500 runners!

Still very dark. We had to be on the buses by 6:15 a.m.

That's Jen smiling wondering what in the heck we were thinking!

I didn't get a very good shot of the porta potties. There were 10 times this many!

As we were riding the looooong bus ride up, I was looking out the window thinking how VERY, VERY far it was and I was going to run it???? We rode the exact route we would be running, only in reverse. Jen told me to try and not think about that. Very good idea. Before we began, I noticed my iPod's little light was on which means the battery is near death. GREAT! I had forgot to charge it! I was not happy! I have to have my running songs during these long runs or I might die. Really, I might! I actually almost forgot to even bring it with me entirely. I was just not as prepared for this run as my last one. It's a miracle I remembered my running shoes! I decided I would hold off on turning on the iPod until mile 10 1/2 where the mile and half hill began. I knew I would need it most then.

Patiently waiting for the gun!

As soon as we started out, I got a really nasty side ache and it just wouldn't go away. I wish I knew what caused those things so I could somehow learn to avoid them. I ran with it for about the first two miles and then it decided it wanted to switch to my other side. And switch it did. After another mile or two, it finally went away. Thankfully! The course was GORGEOUS and it was a lot of down hill while we were in the canyon. I wonder if that is why my feet felt like they were literally on fire for most of it. My knees are obviously not used to the down hill and so they started to hurt about mile seven. The temperature was perfect and we had a wonderful and refreshing light breeze. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was 60 degrees when we finished. We saw some interesting road kill in the canyon including two skunks, one unidentifiable animal, and we counted up to 14 smashed snakes. Counting the dead snakes helped to keep my mind off my lack of tunes. I was just grateful I didn't end up as part of the road kill! Even though there were a few times I actually wish I had. There were more than a few times that I really wanted to quit.

I took this as we were running...

Looks a little tired don't ya think? Hee hee

Neither of us took a watch and so we had absolutely NO idea how were doing with time. We decided that this was going to be a FUN RUN (the biggest oxymoron around btw!) and that if we had our watches then we would be worrying about our time and trying to push it harder. So since we liberated ourselves from them, we just went with the flow. Neither of us stopped to walk at all, and only slowed down while at the aid stations to drink some Gatorade and eat an orange slice. On the very last aid station at mile 11, I actually stopped to drink it and I noticed my legs completely stiffened up on me. I was getting real tired by then and Jen said she was too. But we kept on moving knowing that we only two more miles to go. The uphill at the end was pure cruelty on the race organizers part! I think every single race I have ever ran always ends with the last stretch being uphill! Why do they do that? I figure they must not be long distance runners or they would make sure it was always downhill! Same concept of a man designing kitchen appliances or bras!

This was about mile 11. We had lots of people cheering us on! Thankfully!

When I saw that finish line way in the distance, it was a sight for sore ~~eyes~~ legs. Dave had brought McKay and Taylor to cheer me across it. I was grateful for their support. I am amazed how much it boosts me when I see even total strangers along the route cheering me on. It really helps. The best part was my time was 2:02:04!!!! Not bad at all for an old woman! I was excited about that. I was hoping to finish by at least 2:10. Jen and I checked out the trophies because they are so unique and not your typical trophy. They are these Aztec looking runners on a rock. Pretty cool. I have to say I was coveting one! We didn't stay for the awards because with over a thousand runners, what is the point? In my mind there was no way I even stood a chance for an award. In this race they give awards to the top six in each age division, which I think is great. Most races only give out the top three. When I got home and checked out my place on the website, it said I came in SEVENTH in my age division! OH! How sad!!! That meant I only had to run 56 seconds faster to have placed sixth and receive one of those cool trophies because the sixth place runner was 56 sec. ahead of me. If she had been three or four minutes faster, then I wouldn't have cared so much. But 56 sec! I could have easily cut that off my time. IF I had only known. Oh well...coming in seventh out of 45 or more is pretty encouraging to me even if I didn't get one of those cool trophies! But dang! Actually double dang because some of them were purple!!!

The TOTALLY AWESOME TROPHIES!!!!

I was so completely tired and exhausted when I got home. I took a Celebrex immediately upon walking in the door, but I think I should have taken it before the race. I wasn't too sore...yet! But oh boy! I was directly after! My knees were the sorest they have ever been. This is a new thing to me to be so incredibly sore. I really couldn't walk without looking like I am 90 years old. I iced the knees, hoping that would help somewhat. I didn't feel any relief until Sunday morning, but then my quads were sooooooooooo sore! I think my entire body is pretty angry at me for putting it through that! Walking downstairs is a joke unless I go backwards. Even then it takes me four times longer than it should. I am now kicking myself for not following Jeff Galloway's plan of walking one minute for each mile you run. He claims that will totally eliminate any soreness after. Next time.... WHAT? Did I say next time??? I must be also having some kind of mental distress along with the physical or I wouldn't have said that! However, during the run I decided running a full is not for me. There is NO way I could have added 13 MORE miles to that run and still be among the living. BUT....today, I am now thinking I could do it if I was trained well enough. Crazy! Totally insane I know!!! But... isn't that what all runners are? I am beginning to really believe that! Well, crazy in a sane sort of way.

Here we come....almost there!

Trying to wave and run at the same time....surprised I didn't trip!

Almost to the finish line!!! Whew...

WE DID IT!!! I think we look a little bushed!

Trying to recover

My fans!

This place was packed!

Totally crazy!

Using our last bit of energy to grab the Gatorade!

Here I am back at home icing my knees.

My buddy McKay letting me hold him!

I wrote most of this on Saturday, and I am posting it on Monday night. I am still pretty sore. Yesterday it was torture to sit down or to stand back up. Talk about screaming quads and hamstrings! Today I am finally able to walk without looking like I broke something!

Overall, the experience was great! I am glad I went through with it even though I really needed a bit more training. Next time I want to run it under two hours. Yep, there is that "next time" again! Hmm...

Wish me Luck!

2008-08-21T12:00:00.002-06:00

Please do because I am going to need it!!!
Yep, I have FINALLY committed to run the Top of Utah Half Marathon Saturday! I have really struggled this entire summer with committing myself to doing the FULL marathon in September. That decision was made for me due to my lack of training. I have concluded summer is too insane to be able to invest the huge amount of time needed to train for a full. But, I had ALWAYS planned on doing the half...until about three weeks ago. I just wasn't sure if I could even pull off the half. I have been a real slacker when it comes to my long runs. Not by choice...but by circumstance really. Life has just got in the way. I hadn't signed up because I just wasn't sure it was going to happen. That added to my lack of committment. I have learned that signing up EARLY will contribute to my motivation because money is now involved! lol Then when my long runs became more "short", I thought I was probably crazy to even attempt it. I was so ready when I ran my first half marathon in May. But I am so NOT ready for this one. There is NO TURNING BACK now!

When I was out running yesterday, I ran into (literally!) my good friend Jen and so we ran together. That was fun since we haven't done that for a while. She is dealing with some knee issues right now and though I have tried and tried to talk her into doing the half all summer, she was pretty determined not to. BUT...I was so excited when she told me yesterday that she is now considering doing it !!!! She has to see if her knees will cooperate first and then she will decide. I am hoping that they will behave and let her do it!!! That would make it so much more fun for me!!!

My next post on here will be of my experience (be it good or bad) with the half. WISH ME LUCK!!! I am gonna need it...

End of Summer 5K Race!!!

2008-08-16T13:27:00.019-06:00

I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first? Hmmm??? Good or Bad??? Bad or Good??? Since I can't wait for your comments before I post this, I will choose for you. I will give you the good news FIRST. This morning I ran another 5K race. It was called the End of Summer 5K. Nope, that is NOT the good news. Having the summer come to an end is bad news for me. Even though I have run a lot of these (well, a lot to me anyway) this one was a FIRST for me because I took FIRST in my age division!

Woo-hoo! Three cheers! Rah-rah! Yippee!

THAT is the good news! I have never taken first place before and so I was pretty psyched. I came in 22nd overall!!!

Okay, okay...I am getting a little overly excited considering the bad news. The bad news is there were only three in my age division. But hey, a first place ribbon is a first place ribbon...right? I could have just posted that I won first place and left it at that and no one would be none the wiser. But...being the cool person that I am, I decided to fully disclose the dark side too.

The course was the exact same one as the Firecracker 5K that I ran on the 4th of July. I was hoping to improve my time by a minute or so, but unfortunately I increased it by 15 seconds. I am using the excuse that I am one year older since I ran the July 4th race. This is totally and completely true. My birthday was August 2nd. So technically I am one year older. That would explain the extra 15 seconds... naturally. Increasing 15 seconds every year isn't too bad if you ask me. And if you take into consideration that the wind was a little wild, then maybe my older age should only account for 10 seconds. Works for me! I know... whatever...

There was a 65 year old woman who also ran it and she was awesome. She said this was only her fourth race and she did really well. She came in almost last, but was an inspiration to all of us other oldies out there! I hope I am still spry and running at that age! I have been in races before with 80+ year old men before and they are amazing! Either way, me and my buds felt a tad bit old because this race had a ton of the youngster boys cross country track team runners in it because they sponsored it.

This is me with my friends Mitzi and Julie BEFORE the race.

Here we are AFTER the race. We all got a ribbon for placing in our age groups! Woo-hoo!

Me and my very special and very prized BLUE RIBBON! I love it so much I am holding it upside down!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day for a race! Temps were perfect! Not too hot or too cold. Just a little windy. The half marathon is next Saturday!!! Not sure I am ready to handle that again!

Just Didn't Have it in Me

2008-08-12T22:06:00.005-06:00

Today I had planned on doing my long run. The temp was only 62 degrees when I began. Pretty nice! But I just wasn't feeling the energy I knew I needed to make it that far. I kept at it but I was also so not there mentally. I had a lot on my mind today and was just not able to keep my pace up. I stopped to walk a lot more than usual. I knew by mile four that there was no way I was going to make it 11 miles today. So when I got to the high school I decided to stop and watch my 17 year old son at football practice for a while. There was a bunch of women running the track and I thought maybe I should just join them and watch practice at the same time. But I just wasn't motivated enough. I decided to just bag my long run and try and do it on Thursday. I realized I really hadn't eaten many carbs yesterday or drank a lot of water and I wonder if that affected my energy today. It was just not there. I was pretty discouraged with myself. Usually I can push through it and eventually pull it off, but not today. I can't blame the heat because it was only 72 degrees when I got home. I know that there will be good days and bad days, but it's hard to just let it go when you are having a bad day. The frustrating thing is on my last mile, I finally started to get in the groove physically and wondered if I could keep going. But I could tell I still didn't have it mentally. Running is so much mental that I didn't even push it. I just came inside and ate breakfast. Oh well, tomorrow is another day! When I google earthed my distance I was even MORE frustrated because I went almost NINE miles! If I would have just got in another two miles I wouldn't have to do it again on Thursday! Well, maybe I would since I really did walk more than I should and stopped to watch the football practice for about 30 minutes. Let's hope I feel it on Thursday. Ugh!

Total Distance:

8.67 miles

WISHY-WASHY ME

2008-08-11T20:43:00.005-06:00

As usual life has been crazy! I spent four days last week at girl's camp and so my training once again has suffered! I am pretty sure I am not doing the full marathon in September unless some kind of miracle happens and I am able to get up to 20 miles in the next few weeks! UGH! I AM doing the half in two weeks though. I DO feel like I am prepared enough for that one. It is the Top of Utah and that is the same course as the full....only half. I think I will see how it goes and then make my final decision after. I am not sure if ANYBODY has ever been so wishy-washy about doing a marathon as I am. I guess in the back of my mind I think that I can decide based upon how I feel a month before. Not a good plan I know! I REALLY wanted to do it, but summer has proved to be a tough time to train with it being so busy and so many interruptions in my training schedule. The heat doesn't help much either, but then if it was winter I would be complaining about the cold! Go figure! I am okay with not doing it and putting my energy into training for the Ogden Marathon in May. My main worries are what if I can't do it in May because of an injury or some other crazy thing! I know that is crazy to even think that, but I feel pressured into doing it now while I am injury free. However, if I do it and am not really ready for it then I risk injuring myself while running it. So, logically I should NOT even consider doing it at this point, but my heart doesn't want to miss the opportunity in case it is the only one I get. Kinda silly I KNOW, but that's how I am thinking right now.

I ran five miles on Monday last week before girl's camp and did a five mile hike at camp that was a killer, but was good cross training! I wanted do my long run on Saturday but I got out too late and it was 400 degrees by mile six and so I ended it at that. I also ran five today. I am planning on doing my long run either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Total distance:
Monday 5 miles
Thursday 5 mile hike
Saturday 6 miles
Monday 5 miles

"DO NOTS" For Those Long Runs

2008-08-03T17:42:00.011-06:00

Yesterday I did my long run.

My plan was to do a 10 miler. It was only 9.64.

My plan was to leave by 7:00 a.m. I left at 7:54 a.m.

My plan was to have great music blasting in my ears to keep my mind off my body pain. My IPOD battery died at mile two.

My plan was to run with no stops. I stopped and chatted with a good running friend I hadn't talked to for a while for almost an hour.

My plan was to not encounter any wild critters. I encountered baby skunks. At least I think they were skunks. I am now fairly convinced they were just kittens.

My plan was to not answer my cell phone unless the call was from home. I answered four non-home calls.

My plan was to make it back before it got too hot. It was 250 degrees before I returned.

My plan was to return no later than 9:30 a.m. I arrived home at 10:30 a.m.

My plan was to blog about my run as soon as I returned. I was too late and I had no time.

My plan was to have a quick recovery. I did.

I guess one out of ten isn't so bad. Hmm... Whatever.

For future reference I am making a note to self.

NOTE TO SELF:

TOP TEN DO NOTS FOR LONG RUNS

*1 Google Earth your route BEFORE you leave, not AFTER you return. It is always so disappointing to think you ran farther than you really did!

*2 Get out of bed early even IF it seems too hard at the time. You will feel fine and just dandy-roo after about 10 minutes of being up. It is much harder to run in 250 degree heat than it is to get up at 6:30 a.m. Much harder!

*3 Charge your dang IPOD! That little flashing light means the battery is about to die. If that happens on your way home from your last run, then CHARGE IT!

*4 When you run into a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Run WITH her while you talk. Especially since she was on a run too! Who cares if she is heading the other way. An hour of talking and not running is a WHOLE HOUR of NOT RUNNING!

*5 If you even think you see wild skunks, (whether you do or not) then either turn around and head back the other direction or run like H-E-double hockey sticks!!!

*6 When you forget your phone in the first place, do NOT go back and get it. If you do go back and get it, then when it rings just let it ring. EVEN. IF. IT. IS. YOUR. BIRTHDAY. If it is that important they will leave a message and you won't have to listen to them sing Happy Birthday to you. You can just delete it before they finish the chorus!

*7 If you don't want to run in extremely high temps then re- read #2. Repeat it over and over in your mind. Just get up girl!

*8 If you want to return by a specified time then follow ALL of the above!

*9 If you want to blog about your run before you forget the details then once again...DO THE ABOVE!

*10 For a quick recovery...well that's a stumper! It would logically seem that doing the above would provide a quick recovery, but since you had a quick recovery and did none of the above, then I guess it stands to reason that sometimes being a slacker pays off! Thank goodness! I was really hoping someone would tell you that!

Total Distance: 9.64 miles

I'm Part of the BEST OF THE BLOGS on Title Nine!

2008-07-31T20:31:00.013-06:00

Title Nine Sports, a great company that sells amazing athletic clothes for women, requested to publish part of my running blog on their Best Of the Blogs webpage! I was really honored that they would even ask! Jen is on it too! You can check it out HERE. Or you can go directly to my page HERE.

I think I am excited mainly because I am hoping it will generate more traffic here from other runners that can inspire ME! I am needing some of that inspiration right now! I am having some heavy decisions to make concerning the marathon in September in the next day or two. I am afraid the decision has already been made due to my lack of hard training this summer. I realize now that summer is a hard time to train for a biggy. Life gets so busy and so crazy this time of year, that I have found my training has taken a back seat to everything else! Not good, when time is of the essence! I have decided to run the Top of Utah half marathon on August 23rd. But as far as the full...it's not looking good!

Please feel completely free to leave your comments and any advice or just inspiration you can share! I love meeting new people this way!!!

Thanks again Title Nine! Be sure and check them out HERE.

That Dam Race

2008-07-19T17:25:00.005-06:00

Today I ran the Mantua Dam Race which means I have been running now for ONE YEAR! Last year the Dam Race was my first race ever and is really the reason I am still running today. The main reason I ran it last year was so I could get the t-shirt that says I Survived the Dam Race! I was so happy that I finished it last year when the farthest I had ever run previous was only two miles. I ran the entire 4.7 mile route last year without one break and that really motivated me to feel like running was something I could do. Yes, me! Run! That was huge for me since I have always HATED to run. Even just one mile a little over a year ago seemed impossible to me. So today in a way is my one year running anniversary...my "runniversary"!

The route is beautiful and wraps around the entire Mantua Dam. The 4.7 mile course is mostly on a dirt road with lots of little pebbles that tend to make it a little tricky to keep your footing at times. Right before the gun went off one of the men in charge told us that he ran the course yesterday and saw a huge blow snake! I was not grateful for that last bit of information right before taking off! Luckily I didn't see anything except a few cows, but a few of the others that I went up with did see a snake! In some ways I do wish I had seen one because I am pretty sure it would have improved my time!

Speaking of time, last year I didn't pay much attention to my exact time because I was just happy to cross the finish line. It was around 44 minutes I think. This year I shaved some time off of that and finished in 41:50! I was real happy with the fact that I have actually got faster and not slower like I was worried about. I placed 6th in my age group.

There was a group of six of us that ran it this year. Unfortunately no one that I ran with last year was able to do it this year.

Shauna, Julie, and me waiting for the results.

This year's t-shirt. I just LOVE these shirts!!!! I rotated this but it didn't come up rotated when I downloaded it. Hmm....

Firecracker 5K

2008-07-07T14:31:00.009-06:00

On the 4th of July I ran in a local Firecracker 5K. I met my friend Julie there with her niece. I wasn't sure what to expect since it was only the 2nd annual race of this kind. When I got there I was surprised there wasn't more people but after about 10 minutes they started to pour in. I saw a lot of other people I knew there. I wasn't one bit nervous for this race. That's a first for me! I guess since my last race was a half marathon I didn't feel any need to be nervous. I was using this one as a guide to see how I am doing time wise. I don't ever time myself while training and I have been worried that I have been losing speed. I was hoping this would give me a good idea of what is going on with all that.

The route was a really awesome one, other than I wasn't real thrilled that the last mile was uphill. I tried to conserve my energy at the beginning and pace myself. I didn't have a watch and so I had no idea how I was doing. After the first mile I kept passing people and no one passed me until the very end when I passed a girl and then she turned on the power and passed me back while she cruised to the finish line. I tried really hard to pass her back up, but I was trying to control my IPOD that had come unhooked from my shirt and was flying all over in between my legs! My time was my best so far for a 5K! It was 26:04. It would have been about 10 seconds better (25:54 - or so) except I had to slow down to control the IPOD before I tripped over the wires! I am sure I looked like a total idiot! Imagine if I HAD tripped! That happened about 75 yards before the finish line. But I was still happy with my time especially since I have still been fighting this chest cold for the past month!

I was disappointed in the organizers of the race though because they had no timing system other than they called out your time as you crossed the finish line. They didn't do a list of ages and places and so I have no idea how I did for my age group. One of the ladies there told me she thought I took first in my age division, but not sure how she would have calculated that without any real proof. They also didn't have ANY water at the end. We did get to have the city breakfast for free for entering, but that didn't start for at least 30 minutes after we finished. It wasn't very professionally done. But it was still fun and I was very happy that I have actually improved time wise instead of slowing down. I don't run real fast when I train and so I was pretty sure that had taken an effect on my speed.

I just ordered Jeff Galloway's new book on Marathon running and I am looking forward to seeing what he has to say about the training plan. I didn't do my long run on Saturday because I had read an excerpt from another of his books that said racing is really tough on your muscles and you need to allow your body time to recover from a race to prevent injury. I felt fine, but decided to not chance it. He also said that long runs can only be every other week in the beginning. So I wasn't real stressed. I will be interested to see what this book says about the training. Hopefully I didn't blow it already!

Great Long Run!

2008-06-27T10:21:00.010-06:00

I woke up this morning knowing that I had to do my long run no matter what since I have not been able to get one in for the past two or three weeks because of camp and youth conference and being sick. But when I am woke up I had a pretty nasty sore throat. What? Didn't I just get rid of that? It felt like what I had been battling a couple weeks ago that I THOUGHT I had got rid of for good! I knew it was not going to be a good day for a long run but I also knew I had to do it. I decided to just go out and see if I could even get in five or six miles. I was positive the whole thing was going to be a real struggle. Much to my surprise it was one of the best runs I have been on in a long time! My throat was fine once I got moving and I didn't have any body parts hurting the entire time! The only drawback was thirst! I didn't get out until around 7:45 a.m. but it was still in the 70's with a nice breeze blowing. I didn't scout out a route because I honestly didn't think I would be going too far because of my throat. I just ran and tried to estimate my distance by my time. I should know by now that I always estimate too short! I wanted to get in 10 miles and so when I got home and goggle earthed my distance I was really disappointed that I had only gone nine. Especially since I was still feeling good at the end and could have added another mile easily. Usually by the end my body is begging me to stop. Today was not like that at all. I didn't even need more than one walking break and that was up a big hill. I did stop to chat with the horses for a minute because they were in a good mood and very friendly today. And I saw some bunnies and so of course I had to watch them for a minute too! But other than that and my short pause to say hi to Tyson at the cemetery, I didn't need any breaks. I was doing great and had a lot of energy. I was really getting thirsty by about mile seven and I was so happy to see a drinking fountain on Main Street! I had just ran up a pretty big hill with a serious head wind when I saw it. Water! What a welcome sight! I didn't take any or stash any today because when I left I was sure it was not going to be a long run. I text Jen to see if she had already left since we hadn't made any plans to run together today. She text back about an hour later saying she was out. I was heading home by that point and so we didn't meet up. I was surprised how much I enjoyed today's run being alone. I have some great music on my IPOD that I was really getting into. Overall it was one of those runs that I actually enjoyed. I cherish those because they don't happen that often! I am a little concerned beacause I haven't even checked a training schedule to see how far I should be running if I am going to do that marathon. Sometimes I just prefer to go with how I feel, but I know that isn't wise. I plan on doing that today and see if I am even close to being where I need to be after such a long break. I still haven't committed to even doing the marathon because of being discouraged with being sick, but after today, I think I may be able to do it! Life has been so crazy that I haven't even blogged any of my runs this week. I will include the distances here.
Total distance today: 9.07 miles
Total distance Wed: 6.72 miles
Total distance Tues: 4.12 miles
Total distance Mon: 5:87 miles

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

2008-06-18T12:26:00.010-06:00

It has been a while since I posted. I think I am finally over my sickness. It really lingered on and just when I thought I was better, it would smack me down again. I went to a boy's camp as a camp mom last week. We were at Sundance up in the mountains and the altitude was pretty high. I was still not feeling all that great, in fact I ended up with food poisoning one night and was really sick! But I was able to handle one run while there and I am not sure if it was the altitude or trying to recover from the food poisoning (which totally dehydrated me if you know what I mean!) or the chest cold thing I was fighting, but it was REALLY tough to breath! AND it was UPHILL almost the entire way until I decided to turn around. I ran past Robert Redford's house but wasn't lucky enough to see him out jogging. The morning I really felt like running up there, I chickened out because it was really cold! Like in the 20's! So last week was pretty much a wash AGAIN as far as training goes. I did run a couple of days before we left, but nothing significant.

Here are some shots from my run at Sundance. This is Mt. Timpanogos

It was gorgeous up there!

This is the gate to Robert Redford's home.

These were posted all over around where he lives.

This is me (the rebel) running on private property! And I didn't even get prosecuted!

Yesterday I ran three miles. I would have gone farther but I had a hair appointment that I had to hurry and get home for. It was a great run though. I ran up every hill without stopping once. Even the last three killer ones. I think there is something mental going on when I know I only have to go three miles that makes it easier.

Today I went six and a half miles. I was determined to get in six and so I am glad I went a little more. That will make up for the time I spent at the farm. The little old farmer was there today and so we chatted a bit. He asked if I wanted three fresh chicken eggs. I had to decline since I was running and knew they would be scrambled eggs if I took them! Actually maybe I should have because it was so hot today that they would have been cooked scrambled eggs and probably done just in time to eat when I got home! I need to start going out earlier because it is getting pretty hot now. I watched some bunnies and talked to the horses for a bit too. That always brightens my runs! I didn't feel any effects of my sickness in my lungs at all and for the first time in a LONG time I had energy. Hopefully it has passed now and I can get on with my REAL training!
Total distance yesterday: 3 miles
Total distance today: 6.57 miles

I never get sick!

2008-06-07T08:42:00.009-06:00

This week has felt like a wash. I am still fighting whatever it is I have come down with. At first we thought it was strep because my throat was the only thing that was really bothering me. Then a cough started and now it's a productive cough. Whatever it is, it has decided to settle in my lungs. I almost lost my voice on Tuesday. I have been on antibiotics since Wednesday, but I am thinking it is viral because it seems to be going the wrong direction.

I did get out on Monday. I went to the gym for my strength training class and then tried to run, but only got in a couple of miles. This was before the cough and lungs were really involved. I also went out on Wednesday and really did well considering my lungs were now joining in on the fun. Jen called me on Thursday to see if I wanted to run our long run together that day instead of Saturday. I wasn't feeling that great and I knew a long run would be suicide, so I declined. Friday I went to my strength training class and then ran for five. I wasn't feeling all that great, but it's almost like my body needed it. My 'doc' wouldn't agree. He told me it would be hard on my lungs to run. I couldn't help it and so I went anyway! What a rebel I know! I took it easy at first but didn't stop until I got to the farm and that was only because I saw some bunnies and had to watch them for a few. I ran the rest of the three or so miles home. That totally surprised me. I didn't think my body would be able to do that. My lungs were fine. However by the last hill, my throat was really burning. And my hip flexors were pretty much screaming for me to stop the whole way. But I just ignored them.

So that brings me to today. I stayed up pretty late last night. My hubby was at an all night camp with my youngest and I went to a movie and dinner (well, really only dessert...creme' brulee~ oh heaven!!!) with a friend and so got home late, and then stayed up even later! I tend to do that when he is gone. Sooooo.... I slept right through my Zumba class! But, the way I was feeling this morning, it wouldn't have mattered. I don't know if I would have even gone anyway. Today is the worst I have felt all week. Not good, considering I need to get in a long run! I am still thinking about heading out and trying it, but I am wondering if I feel this way because I pushed it yesterday. Even though I was amazed at how effortlessly I was able to run yesterday, it's looking like it may not have been the best thing for me. Guess I should have listened to the doc! It's now 9:15 a.m. and perfect weather, but just not feeling up to it. But, if I know me, I bet I end up trying it, especially after all that creme' brulle! I do really feel like crap though. Not easy for someone like me, who never really gets sick, to be forced to take it easy. I'll let ya know later what I end up doing. At the moment I am ready to go get in the shower and let this body rest and try and recover. That's what I know I should do! Happy Saturday all!

Total distance Friday: 5 miles

Totally un-motivated

2008-06-02T17:52:00.010-06:00

I haven't been posting much about my training (or lack of!) because I am not really set on what I am training for. I have several small races on the agenda for this summer, but those aren't exactly worthy of some big training agenda. So each morning when I head out to run, I really just run as far as I feel like it, instead of as far as a training plan would tell me I need to. That isn't exactly the most motivating way to do things. And then when I am out running and start contemplating running a full marathon, I feel like there is NO way under the heavens I can do that. Lately just those five miles have been killers on some days. The LONG training runs that I know I will have to endure in order to run 26.2 miles are very overwhelming to me right now. I don't think running a 20 miler in the heat of August sounds very appealing at all! Just running a 20 miler in ANY weather doesn't sound appealing at ALL! Maybe I just need to keep my focus on the half marathon that is in August. I think I'm going to do for sure. I guess I just need to get registered and then it will be a for sure thing and I can focus on training for it. I have been doing cross training (weights) at the gym and attending a Zumba class (mostly for fun!), but as far as my running goes, I haven't run farther than five or six miles since the half marathon. I am also getting a little discouraged because my knees are starting to act up on me. They haven't really bothered me much considering how much I run, but lately I have been feeling both of them while on my run and then after. That is pretty discouraging because I have bad knees, but have been so fortunate they have held up so well this entire year. I keep wondering if it has anything to do with my new shoes. That is about when it all started. You would think it would have been before with my old shoes that had so many miles on them. The thing that is discouraging me the most is that now the weather is so warm (actually hot) and I am just not feeling the urge to run. I've waited for this warmth for months! Life has been very busy, and I have been able to squeeze in something each day, even if it's just a power walk, but I am feeling like a slacker once again. This is not the kind of post I like to write and I wasn't even going to post it, but decided it would be good for me to be able to go back and see how I was feeling once I am feeling motivated again! Hopefully anyway!

I have been fighting strep throat, but this morning I finally gave into taking some antibiotics. I think the strep made today's run a bit harder. Hopefully, that will pass and I will feel more like getting out there and making it count. I ran to the farm today. I haven't been that way for a while. I saw a bunch of bunnies and even some baby ones. They are so stinkin' cute! I was not feeling too powerful at the beginning and then I got a killer side ache and so I walked some. But by the end I was able to push it up the big hill and ran continuously the last three or so miles.

Total distance today: 5 miles

Total distance Mon: 5 miles

Total distance last Thur: 5 miles power walk

Total distance last Fri: 5 miles W/R

Total distance Sat: 2 miles plus Zumba

Oh what a beautiful morning!

2008-05-28T18:38:00.004-06:00

This morning I went out earlier than I usually do because I had to be at the school real early. It was around 50 degrees and overcast. There were dark clouds looming in the west and it was threatning rain. That is my very FAVORITE weather! I love rain and I don't think I could ever get sick of it! As I ran down one of the streets on my route, there was this AMAZING rainbow peeking through the VERY dark clouds. I took a photo on my cell phone, but it didn't do it justice and so I tried to find something similiar on line and these are the best I could do.
It was even more brilliant and beautiful than these. The sky was pure black behind the bright colors and it was one of the most spectacular sights I had ever seen. I only wish I would have had my real camera. I could have taken some amazing shots. It only lasted for a minute or two and it was gone. It was one of those brief moments in time that I was just lucky to be a part of.

Yesterday I ran five miles almost effortlessly, but today I only ran three and was struggling. Once again, I realized it was because of how I ate the day before. I know it is so important to eat well within one hour of exercising to help replenish what you just spent in energy. I know it makes a huge difference in how well I do the next day with my run. When I got back yesterday after my five miler, I didn't eat anything for almost two and half hours. I was waiting to go to lunch and I didn't want to spoil it. Not smart! I need to eat as soon as I walk in that door from my run in order to have the energy I need for the next day. I am amazed at the difference it makes. I need to do better with that! I am still trying to decide what to do about the full marathon. I think I am leaning more towards doing it now, but I am still not feeling real confident about being able to do it. 26.2 miles is a looooooooooooong way! A VERY long way!
Total distance: 3 miles
Total distance yesterday: 5 miles

The week after...

2008-05-25T07:50:00.007-06:00

This week I have pretty much taken it easy. Other than some cross training at the gym and a little salsa to spice things up! You can read about that here. I did run yesterday but only had time for about two or three miles. It felt good. The weather has been back to wintery temps again and it's rained almost everyday since Wednesday. I am sure this next week we will be in for blistering temps. It seems to be one extreme or the other this year. The lilacs are in full bloom right now and that is about three weeks later than usual due to the colder temps this spring.

I am trying to decide what to train for now. It's kind of like the day after Christmas and you look around and say, "Now what?" I have several races on the agenda for the summer, but nothing bigger than the Peach Days 10K. Dave thinks I should go for a full marathon. In my heart, I really want to do one, but have serious doubts about myself being able to do it. It's a formidable thought for me. I am toying with the idea of doing the Top of Utah one that is in September. Maybe I could be ready by then. They also have just a Half Marathon a month before in August that I for sure want to run. I keep thinking that this is my time and I will regret it if I don't do it now while I am injury free and still enjoy running. Hmm.... at least it gives me something to think about while I run this next week!

Made me laugh...

2008-05-22T09:30:00.003-06:00

Just had to share... ☺
You will have to pause the music on my playlist at the bottom to hear it well.