A Trip Home

I have always referred to it (the trip) as going home, I have not lived there for 19 years but when I cross that California line I feel “at home”. This was a trip for my siblings to get together with our parents and talk about the not so fun stuff in life, planning for the future, the will’s, the estate etc. My parents decided to lighten the mood right from the start, as we arrived late, 11 pm at night, I walked in the house to find this…..

They thought it was funny, I was confused hahaha. I lightened up when I saw the flowers in hand and heard them laughing. The weekend was filled with long talks, lots of good food and just a sense of “being home”.

My mom enjoys almost nothing more than the cool pool in the summer and even better her water aerobics class. This day she happened to be the substitute instructor to a pool full of ladies ready to work out. My sister REALLY didn’t want to join but did and I think enjoyed it. The smile on my mom’s face every time she introduced her daughters was priceless.

I love to run in different places, and having a training run on the schedule while in Cali was a perfect opportunity to run through the old neighborhood. Can I just say when you are young everything seems so big, so grand and as I ran through the streets that I once experienced my childhood on they seemed so small. I was lost in memories as the miles passed quickly, running past houses and recalling what friend had lived there, yards I remember playing in and the street corner I would walk to and meet my childhood bestie because it was exactly half way from her house to mine. The corner store we would scrape together all of our change to walk the mile, at the time I was sure it was more like 5 miles, to and buy candy.

I passed the house I grew up in pausing to see it how I remembered it not how it currently looks totally remodeled and different. That house was truly “the house that built me” (I think that’s a country song title lol). There is something extremely therapeutic about going back to your past and that day I needed that! I made my way back to my parent’s house, hot, sweaty, fulfilled.

It doesn’t happen often, in fact I couldn’t remember in the past 20 years more than a handful of times us 3 sibling had all been together, it is sad really, our lives are not that busy, we don’t live that far apart that we cannot make this happen more often! It brought our parents so much joy and they deserve us to make more of an effort.

With the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay in the books, I look back at the pro’s and con’s and why I would or would not do another relay.

6 people , most the time friends, family and sometimes new acquaintances, start out on a journey to cover 197 miles (with the help of 6 other runners in a second van , most the time people I don’t even know). An early wake up call, which is not an unknown to most runners who train for long distances, becomes the start of the adventure that will last at the least 24 hours more realistically 34.

I loved the dynamic we had this year, Myself and Brad, I was so excited to participate in an event with him that I have done several times and have tried to explain to him what it’s all about , but really it’s one of those you have to be there kinda events. Melanie, my dear friend who I find more and more we like and dislike the same things and we LOVE to push ourselves, sometimes to our detriment.

Morris my long time Boss/Friend Mentor I have not ran with him but he had taken it up recently and was eager to join, and I think he knew what he was getting himself into because he has been around me and Mel when we get a little crazy! But knowing Brad was going to be along made him feel better.

Then Alyssa and Lacie , Melanies gorgeous daughters, beautiful, good runners, cute little runner legs that look great in little running shorts, GET THE POINT , they are HOT!

We had a pretty uneventful day each runner had a good run for our first legs, we were ready for some food, Jimmy Johns hit that spot, and to clean up and get back on deck for our second legs. We met back up with Van 2 at Snowbasin Resort and started our journey when they handed off to Brad who took off up a ski lift hill for about 1 and a half miles the out to a highway Trappers Loop running 8 very downhill miles in the heat.

I ended my 2nd run into Morgan High School tired and hungry to be greeted by a bag of Arbys regular roastbeef sandwiches………STOP THE CAR……… really? I see this food 5 days a week, smell it, cook it, serve it, minimally eat it, (NOT because it’s not a GREAT product) but 15 years later it doesn’t really do it for me all the time, especially after having run 9 miles that day and been up since 4 am. Tired, sweaty and well….. Alright, you better have brought arbys sauce with that! Insert regular into mouth.

We were tired it was late and van 2 had taken on the running duties for now, we figured we might have about 4-6 max hours to get sleep and food if needed, the others were still devouring the regular roast beefs as if they were steak dinners, we were lost and decided by the time we took to find a relative’s house who had a beautiful large and long comfy couch for us to crash on we would maybe get 30 minutes of sleep, So somehow without any communication from anyone other than “I have to pee NOW!” we pulled over on the side of the road went out behind some structure to pee then got back in the van it was like a game where ever you are sitting simply lay your head to the left or to the right and go to sleep, and we did! I would arise to consciousness once in a while taking a deep breath and realizing that I probably should do that again the stagnant air in the van was a culmination of everyone efforts that day and was starting to ripen.

We arouse at the sound of a text from Van 2 saying there were getting close, we had slept like that in the van for about 2.5 hours was my estimate as I awoke I was overcome with emotions and wanted to cry at the thought of getting out of the van (we are all starting to have the sore muscles set in at this point) having to run yet again in the same clothes we had had on since yesterday afternoon. The silence in the van told me loud and clear the others felt the same way, it was the first time I personally asked myself “Why the hell do you do these things!?”

We sent brad off on his last leg , knowing his calf’s had given him much grief on previous runs but knowing this one was flat hopping they would hold out, he came around the corner obviously in pain yet still running, he said he felt his calf muscle snap … great! Weve pushed the Ironman to far and injured him. We each completed our last legs, and searched for some fine dining in Heber Utah, we found it at “the Hub” they had me with the big sign out front that read “Breakfast served all day” (it was almost 2pm) they had Morris at the fact it was attached to a gas station LOL, just kidding I think he had a therapeutic breakthrough at that moment (and the fact he was outvoted) as he threw caution to the wind and walked into the little greasy diner.

So pro’s and con’s aside I think the relay thing is like having a child you seem to forget all the pain, discomfort and always seem to think it sounds like a great idea give or take 10 months later. I will cherish the memories I have created and been a part of and will I do it again?…… ask me in about 9 months, dont ask Brad though I cant use the child bearing analogy with him hahah.

What do you call a fake noodle?

An impasta…

So I have been thinking about this a lot lately, I have been running, trying to be a runner for almost 7 years now. I have countless 5k’s about 12 10k’s 2 half marathon’s one full marathon and 3 relays under my belt in this time. Let me state some other facts, I AM NOT fast, I do take walk breaks, I am not having the time of my life about 40% of the time I am running, I have very serious conversations with myself like “Why are you doing this?”

But for some reason when I am done I ALWAYS am grateful I went and feel like a runner I love what it does for me physically and it truly is my Prozac. I see “real” runners as I call them, and wish for talent, Brad is a natural athlete he can just run and run yet he dislikes it, it’s just not fair I have the desire he has the talent!

Another point of interest/frustration of why I feel like this. I live in the mecca of ultra athletes, triathletes, cyclits, Fast runners! If I could keep up I would have endless groups and venues to enjoy the social part of training, yet I have just a couple of training parnters that I feel comfortable with based on our paces. ps always recruiting!

Let me just clarify I am ok with being "that slow girl" as the saying goes "No matter how slow you go you are still lapping everybody on the couch" .......ok maybe that's a lie I have resigned myself to that, I will always hope for more "natural talent"

So because I cannot maintain anything under a 10 to 11 minute mile, because I often have to take a walk break can I really say I am a runner? Am I a jogger? Or am I an imposter?

Team Hallelujah!

Our next adventure will be Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay, I am SO excited and so is Brad (lol not really but he is being a good sport). When I announced to him he would be joining me on a 12 man relay team to run 200 miles (his legs are about 20 miles of that) just 6 weeks after Ironman and knowing that running is his least favorite I knew this might not go over well, he actually agreed. Its probably the only athletic event we will do together because he is way to fast for me to run with. I am excited to have my husband experience this with me this will be my third Ragnar.

Its like a 24 or in our case probably 30 hour party, sleep exhaustion sets in, the smell in the van starts to change, every muscle in your body hurts and your not sure how youll be able to run your third leg on no sleep and not much food but its pure adrenaline that gets you through. And the thought that your team of 12 runners just ran up and over some of the toughest, yet beautiful mountain ranges from Logan to Park City is amazing, its not for time it is to say "I DID IT!" Well and its for the car sticker, and temporary tattoos!

My Blog is Ugly!

If my blog was a living room it would look like this Ok I am a blog addict! I love reading people’s blogs, friends, family, even strangers. I learn so much from other people, I get inspired by the stories I read some of triumph and some from tragedy. They have cute little gadgets and fun things on them. However I feel like an inadequate blogger mostly because mine is, well just not very pretty! And as computer savvy as I think I am (key word THINK) I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make it cute. So please enjoy my words and not judge my decorating lol. And if you have any advice/help feel free to comment and guide me to a visually pleasing blog page. PS the girls at the top can stay I think they are pretty dang cute :)

Iron Brad!

May was such a blur that June showed up and I was a little confused of where the month had gone.

We started it off with Ironman which I was going to do a full entry on however I feel like everyone is Ironman’d out and has seen or heard about it on facebook, also every time I sat down to write the post I struggled to put the 17 hours of that day into words that would do it justice.

I will say Brad and I have been taken aback with how many people watched followed and supported him. We dont go many places lately that somebody doesnt stop him and say "hey you just did that Ironman didnt you" Its truely amazing how you can inpire someone with an event, with putting your heart and energy into acomplishing something most wouldnt even dream of attempting. I think if it sends any kind of message it should say "We CAN do hard things!" You have more inside of you than you believe you do, and Brad proved that, that day. Here is a few of my favorite pictures of the day.

And don’t you worry he isn’t over this little phase yet he signed up for St George Ironman 70.3 next May 4th, and has his sights set on Coeur de’Alene full Ironman just 8 weeks after that!

The little things.....

Between Ironman training, work, football, marathon training, volleyball, track, dental assisting school, I could go on and on..... We sometimes have failed to STOP and just enjoy each other as a family and to get out and enjoy the amazing place we live in. My girls aren’t getting any younger! And I want to soak up every moment with them I can.

Last week I went on my Annual Mothers Day Weekend girls overnighter to Fredonia with Mindy and Traci which included running the Kanab 10k. I absolutely cherish this time I get to spend with my “sole sisters” we stay up late eat a lot of chips and salsa; we laugh and cry talk about our dreams and our fears, it literally feeds my soul for months to come .

Any way while I was away Brad (his first weekend post Ironman) took the girls up to the mountains to go mountain biking, it warmed my heart that they were spending a day with their dad, their hero, laughing and having fun just spending time together.

"ITS ALOT OF LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE UP THE BIG THINGS IN LIFE"

These days together with the ones we cherish and love are small but really SO BIG!!