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.