In 79 days...

With 11 other nuts, I will be running this...

In terrain that looks like this....

Which means that between now and then, I'm going to spend approximately 60 hours in the next 10 weeks doing a whole bunch of this...

What did I ever do before I took up running?

Turkey Trot 2010

I started my Thanksgiving morning at the Turkey Trot in Midway. When we raced it was below zero- FREEZING is totally an understatement. When the runners crossed the finish line they were covered in frost because your sweat would just instantly freeze. I wish I had my camera to capture Dallas' brother Austin- he won an award for best frozen beard.

I raced well and was able to take 2nd place overall in women. I had a PR with a 21:47 5K- a 7:20 avg/mile. I had to push hard to beat my little neighbor boy, Zak Kohler. The kid is 10 and is a machine! I came in a minute or so after Austin which means I have a new goal- beat my bearded brother-in-law.

Zak and Mindy Kohler, Katie Nelson, Me

Hard Core

Hard Core (adjective)- Running 5.25 miles in a blizzard.
Crazy (adjective)- Running 5.25 miles in a blizzard.
The winter running had to begin sometime.

Did it!!!

I won't go into too many details, but for now just know that I....

• Hit my goal exactly with an 8:25/mile pace, and 1:50 finishing time.
• Nursed a dang side ache between miles 6-8; those side aches will get you every time!
• Cried when I finished my hardest race to date. So grateful my family was there to see me accomplish my goal. It made victory even sweeter!
• Finished 7th in my age group and 36th overall. The winner finished the 13.1 in 1:20 with a 6 min/mile pace! Amazing!

I love running because so many people are able to win- in their own personal and fantastic way.

Mindy and I at the finish. Mindy ran an awesome race too, hitting a personal best and nearly catching me in the end!

That Girl's An Assassin, too...

I run my half tomorrow.

I would be totally lying if I didn't say I had butterflies in my stomach as I sit in my basement typing this post.

I've worked really hard to get to this point; many long runs, sprint work outs, eating better, mental preparation, memorization of the course... I couldn't be any more prepared to run this half than I am right now.

I've set pretty high goals for myself. I want to finish the race with an average of 8:25/mile. That would mean running the 13.1 in just under 1 hour and 50 minutes- the Boston Qualifying time. I barely hit my goal by the skin of my teeth last time (8:28.mile), and I honestly would love to finish in about 1 hr 47 min tomorrow, but I'm trying to be reasonable. And not too hard on myself.

I just finished putting the songs on my iPod that I will be running through- Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus, All American Rejects, Glee, John Mayer, and with hopes of finishing the race with "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. As I was listening to them the words from Empire State of Mind sung by the Glee Cast really hit me- "In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh, there's nothing you can't do now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York."

I may not be in New York, but maybe that pavement is where my dreams are made right now. I'm doing it. I'm out there running hard and doing good.

And I'm gonna kill this race.

Ready

13.1 miles
5 bugs stuck to my lips, one in my eye, and many many more stuck to my forehead
600+ feet in altitude gain
180 bpm average heart rate
1:50 total time; which is exactly Boston qualifying time
1 t-shirt made that says, "This One's For You, Lola!"
11 days until I run the PINK Series Half Marathon in Park City for breast cancer awareness

I'm ready to race.

Push and Pull

I didn't think I would run the Swiss Days 10K that was taking place in Midway today... until my friend Mindy Kohler tempted me with having all of us wear our socks from the Ragnar.
HOW COULD I RESIST THAT?

Mindy Kohler, Laura Means, Audra Thomas, Amy, Holly Roylance

I couldn't.
So, we suited up in our gnarly socks and we all ran a personal best. I took 2nd place in my division and 14th overall finishing the 10K in 47:50.5 with an average of 7 minutes and 41 seconds/mile. There were about 600 runners in this race. I was so proud of myself! Darcy and I pushed and pulled each other along all the way to the end, again. What would I do without such an awesome running partner? I will tell you what I'd do- walk. It's good to have someone that pushes you along sometimes.
Did I mention that I won a hat? Because I did. And it's awesome.

FINISHERS!! Me, Darcy Haas, Mindy, Audra, Laura

Utah's Toughest 10K

I ran Utah's Toughest 10K at Soldier Hollow on Saturday. Before we started we were able to talk to one of the race directors. She told us that the course was difficult, but beautiful, and that the pace was 10 minutes slower than your average flat 10K pace. I'm glad she told me this because I had grossly underestimated the course. It was much more difficult than I had anticipated,but lucky for me I had an incredible running partner to help push me along. My friend Darcy Haas ran by my side the entire time, and I was able to finish the race in 58:32.2. I placed 2nd in my division (women ages 25-29) and 10th overall in women. Not bad for my second race! I'm excited to keep training harder and become a more competitive runner.

Excuse me, does my watch look big?

FINALLY purchased a Garmin Forerunner 305 to help me train better. Now I can check my distance, pace, heart rate, time and calories all at a glance.

Christmas has come early, folks.

My First Ragnar- Wasatch Back 2010

You know when you have a baby and it is so hard to explain to other people who haven't had children how it really feels to have that experience, but if you are talking to someone that has had kids then you just have to give each other that same look that is full of total understanding?

That is how I feel about the Ragnar.

Preparing and running the Wasatch Back was a life changing experience for me. I will never again be the same, and I am so happy to have had this chance to change my lifestyle for the better. As I was reading through the "Ragmag" I read about Jim Tschabrun, the man that streamlines the Wasatch Back logistics. He said what I was thinking exactly when he wrote, "I love being able to see all of the runners on race day, to watch the camaraderie, the effort, the fatigue, the hilarity, the humanity and kindness, the competitiveness, the shattered obstacles -- it's really a chance to see the fruits of your labors."

It was heart wrenching to see some of those people out there, who were obviously not runners, pushing it up that hill and working their guts out to be able to accomplish the goal they set for themselves. When they reached it, the whole exchange would celebrate with them because they earned their glory.

21.2 miles after I began, I earned mine. Finishing with an average of an 8 min 55 second mile, I have never been so proud of myself for accomplishing a goal. I've literally run my butt off for 6 months, and it was excruciatingly wonderful to slap that bracelet onto the next runner, my friend and running partner Audra Thomas, for the last time.

Oorah!!!!

Van #1 of Footloose Friends ready to go: Kelleen Potter, Marissa Hermanson, Mindy Kohler, Cindy Judd, Amy Nicoll, Audra Thomas

I was a landmark for people on the first leg- ("Our runner is just after that girl in the pink socks!")

The nerves. They were eating me alive.

Audra- runner #2- coming over the top of her first climb. Mindy- runner #3- passing the bracelet to Kelleen- runner #4- at their first exchange.Cindy- runner #5- finishing up the nasty climb up Avon Pass.
Marissa- runner #6- making the descent into Ogden Valley. Seeing members from Van #2 at the first major exchange. Katie Nelson- runner #11, and Darcy Haas- runner #10 (the "Ragnar" leg) and our team captain. Meeting up with team Icy Hot that had a few of my cousins as well as my baby brother Clay. Pictured here are Joy Boaz and Laura McAllister at Snow Basin. Ragnar Cheerleaders Leslee and Kenny Wilson. (Behind every good runner is an even better support system). He's just so cute!
A lady in the line for the Honey Buckets at Snow Basin commented on how skinny we were. It's true. It must be in the genes. Trying to drown out the jitters in tunes before leg #2- the descent down Trapper's Loop. I was right to be nervous about it. It slapped me around, and I screamed at it when I wrapped it up- "Make it stop! Make it stop!" Dallas brought the kids up to Kamas to see me finish leg #3 from Oakley to Kamas. I've never been so happy to see their faces. This is Laura after she finished her last leg from Francis up to the top of Jordanelle. It's a nasty leg if it isn't your last one. She rocked it and was emotionally spent at the end. We all were.
Kim Wilson, Laura and Tyler McAllisterOur van; it was bright and colorful at the beginning, but was faded with sun and heat and dirt by the end. Just like us. Finished! Here we are at our final exchange. Cleaned up and headed up the gondola to The Canyon's Resort in Park City where we would be there to greet the rest of our team. Amazing what a shower can do for your spirits.
Running to the finish with Carissa Pugmire- runner #12- in the lead.

Now I get it, Clay.
I'm ready for the next challenge.

Progress

I ran 10.2 miles today.

Just the fact that I can actually say that baffles me. When I first started running the furthest I could go was 5 blocks, and after I ran that 5 blocks I thought I was going to die. Literally- I was getting light headed and had a hard time breathing. It took me 15 minutes to go 3/4 of a mile. Today I ran with an average of a 9'26" mile. Only the day before that I ran a smaller loop of 3 and 3/4 miles with an average of 8'40".

The human body is amazing. My body has abilities that I couldn't even fathom less than 6 months ago. My testimony of the Word of Wisdom has grown so much since I began running. I have always had a testimony of the "Do Not's" (drugs, alcohol...), but the "Do's" are harder- you have to work at those. This running program has changed me for the better. I have never felt healthier in my entire life. I can now say that I can "run and not be weary."

I'm not gonna lie, it also helps to have Johnny and the cast of Glee singing in your ear. Plus the view is awesome. I love my little mountain valley.

As I was running I was planning my trip to New York City to run the New York Marathon. Who's with me?

Titles

I've held many different titles in my life.
First there was DAUGHTER (to which I didn't even realize how special that was until last June when I got to hold my own).
One of my favorites is SISTER; I have been lucky enough to have some of the best siblings that I am still close with even though we are old-er and grown and on our own.
I'm a wife, mother, friend, neighbor, den mother, drama queen, cook, granddaughter, cousin, goofball, and many, many others.
One title I never thought I would hold is RUNNER.
When I began training for the Wasatch Back I did it because I was begged into it by a friend and I'm a sucker for a party. I never imagined that running would be something that I would look forward to every day.
It wasn't until a couple weeks ago that I actually felt like a runner. I was running the distance of my longest leg in the Ragnar- 5.1 miles- and at about mile 3.5 I really started thinking. After a 10 year hiatus after being a sprinter in 9th grade track-and-field, I was actually able to run. Not down the street. Not around the block. I was running for several miles. Most importantly, I was able to do it with minimal discomfort. Our bodies are incredible, and mine has never felt so healthy and alive.
Last week my family was put down by the stomach flu. In the middle of the night while I was completely delirious and attempting to care for my kids for what felt like the umpteenth time, I stubbed my toes. Hard. I'm not sure what I really injured, but it is keeping me from running. I miss the rhythm. I miss the burn in my lungs and the chill on my arms. I can't wait until my foot gets better so I can get back in my groove.
Because now, I am a runner.

Since my last post...

I've:

1. Planned den meetings for the month of February.
2. Visited my new nephew Kenneth Alden Wilson (Kenny) a few times.
3. Packed for and sent my boys off to Wyoming.
4. Been to 2 retirement parties for my very hard-working but soon to be sleeping father.
5. Visited a sick Grandma Jewel in the hospital (where it took her a good couple of minutes to remember who I am... sad).
6. Attended a cooking class at the U of U with sarcastic friend Brooke Moss where I learned about Chicken aux Champignon with Mornay sauce.
7. Cooked said Chicken aux Champignon (AKA Champion Chicken to the ignorant American). I also made the Mornay sauce with Sprite rather than white wine, and it turned out fabulously! Sweet and tangy without the alcoholic aftertaste. Plus I could drink the extra Sprite and that was a bonus. (Okay, well I couldn't drink the Sprite because I quit pop, but Dallas did and I know he enjoyed it.)
8. Been to the grocery store for the umpteenth time.
9. Put Will in time out more than I've been to the grocery store.
10. Been in my sister's car when we thought it was going to explode. (So that was a rare possibility, but a possibility all the same).
11. Ran 2 miles with a 9 minute average on each.
12. Read the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgham.
13. We won't even mention how many times I've fed children and changed diapers...

And now I'm going to bed.

Push Yourself

I don't know why I keep signing up for things that push me out of my comfort zone. I think it's because I am not going to school right now and I don't feel like I am growing and stretching quite like I used to. The first event was Grassroots; it was such a success that I decided to sign myself up for further torture: The Wasatch Back.

It is a 188 mile Ragnar Relay that is run with a team of 12 from Logan to Park City, UT. Previously I just mocked the runners that were crazy enough to willingly sign up for such agony

Now I'm one of them.

I am the proud runner of leg #4- possibly the easiest leg in the relay (Thank you Darcy Haas!!!), but it is still a challenge for a person that hasn't physically exerted herself since 9th grade track and field.

I began training one week ago today. I ran for 15 minutes at about 5PM, and I came home and collapsed for 45 minutes following my run. I was pretty sure I was going to die and that my brain was going to explode. Theater has made me soft. Turns out I was wrong because obviously I'm still alive to type this post. I have now completed a total of three 15 minute runs and I am surprised at how much easier it is to run those 15 minutes already. I know I can do it, and I am stoked to run with such a great group of women in this relay.

I bought these shoes today that I am hoping will carry me through my journey. It was funny when I was shopping for them. Normally I choose tennis shoes based on style rather than function. Today I gingerly tried on several pairs as if I were trying on friends. I was careful. I spent time with each pair; running up and down the aisle, chasing Will, even jumping up and down a bit. These made me feel stable. Secure. Plus, they were wide width :).

So here's to running... and hopefully not passing out or peeing my pants along the way.