I am a crazy person

If you recall, Deacon and I made a bucket list this summer, do you also remember the part where I wanted to run 300 miles? Well, on Saturday when I crossed the finish line at the Big Cottonwood half marathon it marked THREE HUNDRED FOUR miles. 304 long miles. Countless 4 am wakeup calls. Many, many jelly belly sport beans (with caffeine!) a whole lot of deer spotting's up emigration canyon, 3 porcupine ( I assume it was the same one each time??) sightings, 1 skunk, and 2 rabbit sightings and 1 snake sighting. Lots of entertaining conversations with running partners. One million pee stops on the side of the road and only 1 #2 stop (and I was prepared with a baby wipe and all!) tons of sweat. Not enough afternoon naps. So many moments of prayer and meditation. Countless hours of music listened to and one hilarious book on tape (this has changed running for me!) An overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my body and all the things it is capable of. I feel really proud of myself.

Now it is time to sleep in.

Running away

A few months ago I was feeling down and out. I had just had my third miscarriage and I was feeling so discouraged with my body. I hated feeling such sad thoughts about myself and I needed to do something that would make me love my body and myself more. Cheesy? Maybe, but necessary for my sanity.

I decided that I would run the Salt Lake city 1/2 marathon. I had five weeks to train and was probably crazy. Somehow the training really came together. I was able to work up to 10 miles with no injury or mishaps. While doing my long runs I thought a lot about my body and what it had been through. I found myself often times feeling so thankful for the body I have and for the ability to do things like run. Also a few prayers of thanks were said during the long quiet runs.

If you do not like to run it is hard to understand the desire to run 13.1 miles. Curtis will always think I am crazy for doing it, I feel crazy around mile ten, but finishing is one of the best feelings imaginable.

The race was fantastic, awesome course and I loved seeing so many people out running. My friend Jenny met me at mile 6 I was so grateful. Knowing that I had someone cheering me on was a huge motivator. And I got to ditch my jacket on her, thanks Jenny! And then seeing Kris my sister in law run and give me a big hug at the end was so fun! She is a great running partner even if she smokes me!

Of all the things I want to be or do in my life a runner is a big one, I am working on it! And I love my body for helping me become all the things I want to be.

Half Marathon!

My running buddy and the girl
who like me when we first started
training could barely run 30 min.
straight! Well look at us now!

Me and my brotherIsaac who
probably trained 1/3 as much as
I did and barely finished after me,
He did great!


Me and Angie. Angie is training for a
full marathon and did so awesome when
she saw her finish time she thought the
clock was broken!

Isaac slowly coming out of a diabetic

coma by eating 6 pieces of cantoloupe.

(not really but it seemed like it)

Deacon not happy that he woken up early.

But the three pf us sure happy to have finished!

Lots of Details coming right up! I am sure noone cares about this much (except my mom) but I want to remember them. Me Issac Kris and Angie all drove to Orem the night before and stayed at my awesome Grandmas house. We ate at the spaghetti factory to carb up and laughed and had a good time. Right before dinner all the sudden it dawned on me that I had left the single most important thing I needed for the race by my front door, my running shoes! All I could do was laugh, I decided rather than trying to convince Curt to drive me up my shoes I would just go to Nordstrom and buy a new pair of asics close to what I had been running in. The salesman kept laughing at me and I felt like such a moron. But I did not want to phsych myself out so I just bought a great pair of shoes and called it a night.

Then we headed to my Grandmas where we were staying the night. Angie and I shared a room and I felt like a kid having a sleepover all restless and giggly. It was a fun night of laughing and chatting until I had a rude awakening, literally at 4:30 am when it was time to head to the race. Then I wished I would have forced myself to fall asleep at 8:00 pm!

It was so cold at the top of Provo canyon! I was so glad I had a long sleeved shirt to wear. We had quite a bit of time before the race so we laughed at Isaac eating his energy "goo" and then he laughed at me actually gagging while I ate mine, how people can eat that crap is beyond me. The people watching was at its finest.

We finally started running andI felt great for the first 5 miles (like I usually do) then around mile 6 my shoes hurt and my toes were killing me. I knew at that point that 13 miles is not the best way to break in new running shoes, but what do ya do! The course was beautiful especially the huge waterfall on the side of the mountain.

Miles 9-11 felt like forever! I was so focused on my stupid toes and knee hurting that I could barely concentrate on running. At mile 11 I spotted my brother Issac and totally got a second wind. I ran the last two miles so fast and I felt great! I was so focused on sprinting to the finish line that I almost missed my family cheering me on! Curt got it on video, pretty funny.

Then I waited for Isaac to cross about three minutes after me and it was fun to cheer for him. I think it is so inspiring to see so many people pushing themselves and being active. I also loved when walkers or joggers running the other way would give high fives and cheer you on.

I finished in 2 hours 14 minutes, I can definately do my next one faster but I was happy to do it in under 2:15. I will do some other races, but that will be my last half anytime soon! Thanks Kris for going along with my crazy idea! Sure made it easier to have a partner! Thanks to my family who cheered me on, it totally gave me my second wind to know you would be there at the finish line.

Help!

My half marathon is less than a month away and I am in a bit of a slump. I feel like the right music would be just the right thing to give me the pick me up I need! So I need you! Please? Leave me a comment with you very favorite work out keep you running song. Just do it, I need all the motivation I can get!

Run for it

I have been up to a lot of running this last month or two. One day I just got a wild hair and asked my work out buddy my sister in law Kris if she wanted to train for a 1/2 marathon with me. It has always been something I have wanted to do and so I thought "why not I like to run and I am sure worse runners than me have done it". Sionce then I have found my self constantly looking for new routes to run and soliciting running partners. Just today I convinced my brother to sign up for the same 1/2 marathon!

The point of this post is that sinceI made the choice to do this run I find myself being altogether more active in my life. Today I was going to a program at my brothers school about 4 miles away and I thought I have a half hour why not run? I did and I was tired but as I type I feel happy. Find your inner runner/swimmer/dancer/singer whatever makes you happy.