Mission Accomplished!!

Two posts ago I told you I got in a pool and attempted to swim, I have gone each week at least once well maybe I didn't go the week of Thanksgiving but I have stuck with it, each time getting a little more confident. Last week I was ready to try the full length but chickened out and told myself I might try this week but definitely by the end of the year was my goal. Today Dec 13, almost exactly one month since I started, I swam the full distance. perhaps it was the one on one today. I love the Tuesday/Thursday class because there is hardly anyone in the pool and usually only one other person in the class. As I drove home I told myself " I am stronger today than yesterday." I thought about it and really I should say that every day, What do I do each day that makes me a stronger person than yesterday, whether it is a stronger woman, a stronger mom, a stronger athlete, a stronger wife, a stronger friend.... what am I doing today that will make me stronger tomorrow.. Today I am a stronger athlete! and I am all smiles :)

South Davis Turkey Trot 2011

It is funny after you sign up for something how you regret your decision, I decided to have Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year, it has been a while since the family had gotten together. I also wanted to do a turkey trot, last year I did the Human Race and this year my eyes were set on the South Davis Turkey Trot, ok honestly it was because I knew they gave out medals and I LOVE medals! I got up at 5am to get the turkey in the oven, I planned on going back to sleep but I woke Don up and he was watching tv when I went back in the room so I didn't go back to sleep. we finally rolled out of bed a little before 7 to get dressed and head out. We had a minor car problem but we were able to make it. As we decided to do a quick warm up jog I was getting strategy in my head. We headed to the start line. I went closer to the front of the pack then I usually do. Don encouraged me to go further but I didn't, I felt comfortable where I was. As they finally started the race I felt good and I found a good pace. I did have a goal to be under 28 minutes, I couldn't remember what my PR was. As we rounded the corner after the first mile the road went up a hill, not a huge hill, just a slight incline. A lot of people started to walk and I passed many people but I also felt myself slow down, I looked at my watch and it said I was running a 10 min pace. I told myself I needed to pick it up, after the 2 mile mark I saw my two cute nieces who volunteered at the water stop. It was the pick me up I needed and I shouted that I loved them and had a second wind. As I finally saw the corner to turn and head down to the finish I felt that last bit of energy serge through me. I picked it up and started passing a few more people. As I was running toward the finish I swear I heard people calling my name. As I passed one last person and ran through the finish I felt good! I did it in 28:17, definitely not my best. I found Don and we went and got an orange (my fave after a race!) and some water and then we walked back toward the finish where I saw another niece, her husband and my BIL who all came to cheer my sister on it was so sweet, we sat and waited but then decided I would run back to help her finish. She wasn't too far back and I didn't tell her who was waiting at the finish. I helped her pick up her pace and make a good strong finish. I am so proud of her she did get a PR! And so did Don! We wanted to wait around to see if Don had placed. finally they announced the results were posted as they started to read the awards, We went over to the results and tried to make sense of them as I looked up I saw MY name with a number 1 next to it!! I took 1st place in the Athena 39 and under division!! I was so excited I started shouting to Wendy I won! I won! I was running around! I was so excited! Then I went back and found out Don took 1st too in his division, Clydesdale 39 and under!! We brought home a couple of giant pumpkin pies!
Although I feel like I haven't been doing much this month I have, I have been doing a ton of cross training, kickboxing, swimming,sadly I will be lucky to break 20 miles running.
Next month a new chapter begins, I will be starting Marathon training for the Salt Lake Marathon in April and the Ogden the in May. Whew! I am looking forward to next year!

ps I will also be looking for a Tri to do :)

Do I need a new blog name?

I have taken another step~Late spring I jumped on the cycling wagon, got a bike and did some rides. I always said this would be the winter I started to swim, Did I ever believe I would? let me give you some back ground-first off I love the water! I love to be in it I love to look at it! come on!! I'm a Pisces! I should live in it right?? Well when I was three I was at a family reunion up at Bear lake (Utah/Idaho boarder). My cousin (10 years old), let's call him Tommy, decided to take me and another cousin (5 years old), let's call him Bobby, out on a little raft. You know what's coming right? We went out about 100 yards and Bobby started to rock the boat an we flipped it. This is the first memory I can recall, underwater plants, and I was so scared Jaws was coming for me. Well Tommy held our heads above the water. I remember looking toward the beach and seeing my aunt Christine with her pants rolled up running toward us knowing I was gonna be ok cuz she was a nurse. And that's all I remember. Nice first memory huh?

So here I am 36 years old and I have had a terrifying fear of deep water. If I get in above my chest I start to panic. Well why am I telling you this big long story?? I attended a masters swim class yesterday! Anyone that knows me knows what a big deal this is for me! It is a huge step!

I can't believe I am doing it! I swam a little. I think once I can keep my hips and legs up and learn to breath while swimming it should come on pretty easy. I am so excited to think that maybe I will be doing a Triathlon next summer! Perhaps I should set a goal to do the Bear Lake Brawl, it is a Tri they do the swim part in Bear Lake. I would definitely feel I have conquered that fear if I can accomplish that! I also started some other cross training activities and signed up for the Ogden Marathon again! I am excited for next year, I won't have so many events I am gonna work harder for the ones I am doing. This year was quantity, next year is quality! haha!

I want to INSPIRE!

There is nothing like the feeling you get when someone comes to you and says "I want to start running, can you help me?"! I have been running 3 years now! When I started I felt I was in a world of my own, trying to figure things out. I found an online forum on cafemom.com and made some distant friends on there, then I discovered dailymile.com through someone on there and started to log my miles. I had them post right to facebook. It felt silly at first, like I was bragging so I took it off and people asked if I was still running, they told me they loved to see what I was doing. So I added it back onto facebook.
Last summer my sister was having really bad foot problems her dr told her to start running! WOW! So I helped her and my other sister with a couch to 5k program. And they did it but my sister, the one with the foot problems, didn't like it and she stopped but my other sister kept going! She has even done a half marathon. This past summer out of the blue my oldest sister decided she was gonna start too. She wanted to run the family 5k at the reunion. I helped her find a program because she didn't have the full 9 weeks to do it, she ended up getting sick but she walked most of the 5k.
I had an open spot at Napa and I knew if I asked her she would do it so I did and I was soo right! She started training and she did the relay with me! She loves running now, she said she is addicted. I have helped her through some running down days and LOVED listening to her messages, still out of breath, from really GREAT runs!! She signed up for the Tuscon Half Marathon in December, oh how I wish I could be there at the finish line to see her cross! She is loosing weight and made a commitment to me to stop smoking by February when we run another relay together.
About a month ago I had another friend tell me she wanted to start she is on week 3 of the C25k! She posted that a month ago she couldn't even run 1 minute but that now she could run 3 minutes straight!!
Gosh I am so proud of my girls!! I hope I can always help and inspire them to be healthy and fit.

Napa Valley Ragnar Relay!

First let me start by saying this was THE BEST Ragnar yet!!

Last winter they announced this new location for Ragnar, sounded pretty nice I felt around and thought I could put a team together, got on Facebook and started hounding people. Finally got the monies and commitments in February and signed up! I was pretty excited but being in the Marathon brain I put it aside. Summer was crazy and before I knew it here we were in September and less than a month to go. We only had to replace two people after the original registration! So Van 1 ended up being Mitch and Erin Proctor, Clayton and Marcy Jones, Mike and Michelle Lamoreaux. Van 2 was Vanessa Christensen, Mary Howell, JaNae Eldredge, and my 2 sisters Anna and Wendy and of course me :)

We had some problems with our transmission and Don said he didn't think it was a good idea to take it, We got another van to take but Wednesday night as we packed we just couldn't do it. Don decided to let us take the Expedition, He did a quick oil change and transmission service on it while we packed it. Thank Heavens for such a wonderful man as my husband!!! We finally rolled out of Salt Lake around 8:30-9pm. We drove through the night. We switched drivers off and on to keep us going.

I woke up to a foggy, beautiful California! We were in the mountains it was so neat, we pulled off to take a potty break and decided to go to Denny's, since it was there. Well after breakfast we were on the rode again and drove to Oakland, across the bridge-ugh I had to drive that, sweaty palms and all!! and we finally came in to San Fransisco. We found our hotel but couldn't check in but they let us leave our luggage and we spent the rest of the day seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39. It was sooo neat!
We saw dolphins in the bay and seals at the pier. We had clam chowder which was sooo good! We shopped and took tons of pictures of the bridge, Alcatraz and of various things on the pier. We were getting tired but wanted to go to Ghiradelli Square when we got there we realized we were hungry again so we went down the street and ate. Then we had to drive Lombard Street before we could go back to the hotel, it is the crookedest street in the world. I didn't even know if we would make the turns it was soo crazy!! We dropped of some of the girls at the hotel and went to the store to get some things we forgot and filled up on gas. Went back to the hotel and slept till 4am got up and headed to the start line it was sooooo cold!! Our start time was 6am. Well we checked in and went through the process (if you've done a Ragnar you know the drill :) ) We went to the start line and were hanging out. it was abotu 20 minutes to go when Van 2 came up!!! YAY!! we did pictures and sent JaNae on her way! We were completely confused by the instructions and went to the wrong place. We figured them out and got to JaNae, she had been waiting a few minutes. She said it was only about 5 but she was probably just being nice.
Well I felt great and off I went I knew I only had 2.7 mile so I wanted to do it fast but not over do it. lucky for me it was mostly downhill into Sausalito. OMG!! What a gorgeous run!! It was still a little dark when I ran but the longer I ran the lighter it got! my only disappointment was that I wasn't closer to the ocean, I could see it but wasn't very close. I ran and finished the 2.7 in 24 minutes! WOWZERS!! Handed off to my sister Anna-who has only been running a little over 2 months, this was her first event! She did soo good I am so proud of her!! Next Mary ran. She is my neighbor she is almost 19, Next was Vanessa, she has been running almost a year and did awesome the last was my other sister Wendy ran, she is going on 1 year of running and has been doing great and she did fabulous!
The exchanges were so fun! We had 4 cowbells, ribbon twirlers and bubbles! And we did tunnels as the ran in to exchange. we went on to our next exchange to wait for van 2 to do their runs we were all pretty tired since we hadn't really slept much but we were able to catch some zz's at the park.
My second run was sooo windy and there was lots of old smooshed roadkill haha!! It was almost sunset and we were on back country roads in Petaluma for this one, as I came into the exchange Anna was lit up in her night gear! this was the only run I did in shorts and a tank top. During Anna's run I am sure I put on more clothes bacause it was getting cool. I got a phone call from Kristi, Anna's daughter saying Anna thought she was lost. I called Anna back and as she was grabbing her phone she fell and scratched her knees and palms. But she kept going and she wasn't lost, some times you go so long with out seeing another runner or sign you worry you are lost. I know I felt the same way on my first run! She came in and we cleaned her up and headed on. We came to an exchange it was dark and there was a burger place -Sequoia Burger. It smelt sooo good so a couple of us got food here. At our next big exchange Anna and I slept in the expedition and everyone else slept in the school. In the morning Vanessa said her foot was really sore and was thinking maybe she would run part of her run and I told her I could finish it for her if she wanted.
I was most nervous for my next run because it was over 9 miles! I have never been to this part of California, in fact I have only been twice once when I was 12 and once when I was 14. When we came to this area the smells were fabulous! I just couldn't get enough of it! It was dark when I started this 9 mile run in Napa, but slowly it got lighter-I never saw the sun rise it was foggy and cloudy and COLD! but the day was here and I could see the vineyards. I didn't have my phone and it is a good thing or else I would have been taking pictures! It was a hard run along a highway up and down the roads. I wondered what the people driving by thought seeing the people running. We got to a point where we had to cross the road so I had to stop knowing there was just about a mile left. There was finally a break in traffic but 3 other girls had caught up to me, one I had passed :(. I couldn't keep up with her. as I was running down the road I could see the exchange and a man came out to get his newspaper. He watched a few runners go by and as I approached he said we were ambitious this morning. I said we started yesterday day in San Fransisco he was like "WOW! Congratulations!" HAHA! As I came into the exchange I thought I could hear Mary yelling me in but as I got there and looked and looked they weren't there!!! I asked if it was hard to find since I had been running for over an hour and a half! Well I asked to borrow a phone and not knowing anyone's number I called Don and he called them just as they realized they were at the wrong exchange! They finally came after about 20 minutes. We sent Anna off then Mary, We talked to Vanessa and she decided it was just too much and so Mary and I decided to split her run. I would do the first part and mary would come in and finish it. so When we got to that exchange I ran 2.6 miles around a college campus and handed off to Mary. My running in Cali was over! I was done! I ended up running over 19 miles this weekend! We went to our final exchange then to the finish line to wait. We were originally scheduled to finish around 3 but I don't think we finished till almost 5. We were one of the first to start and one of the last to finish. I don't mind, I did this to have fun and it was so much more than that!! When our other van came the anticipation was crazy!! it was so excited!! There is nothing like a finish line!! We finished!!! Finally!! but sadly our Ragnar was over. We headed to the hotel and then decided to go out to dinner at Applebees. I could barely eat. we decided to just get up when ever and go we woke up about 6:30 and headed back to Salt Lake. We had fun talking and being crazy girls on the way home. We rolled into my house about 10:30pm. Like I said at the beginning this was the funnest Ragnar I have done yet!! I can't wait to go to Vegas with a van full of MY family next month!!

One Crazy Summer!

I had decided early on in the year I wanted to do one race a month. SO January I squeezed in the New year 5k, February the Sweethearts 5k, March the St Patrick's Day 5k and Canyonlands Half Marathon, April I decided to skip because I couldn't fit anything in good with my marathon training schedule so I guess doing 2 in march counts right? :) So in May was my first marathon, About this time I found a trail runnign series I thought sounded cool so I signed up and that was one a month through the summer, June I did Wasatch Back and the Park City Mini Trail Series 5k. July, the PCMTS 10k and August gave me the 15k. Well as August slowly came around I was itching for a half I knew I had one later in the month but I just really loved the Moonlight half last year so I decided to do it again. So I did the half the night before the 15k. I also did Top Of Utah Half two weeks after the Moonlight Half-which makes me a half fanatic. :) oh but the most anticipated race of the year is now over-Napa Valley Ragnar-which I will blog about in a moment. So to finish off my year I have one more Ragnar a half and 2? 5k's. which will give me one a month (but April ) Pretty successful running year!

Wasatch Back 2011

Oh ya! My favorite race of the year!! I was on Team Legs, Breasts and Wings again! Cynthia, Debra, Laura, Lindsay, Sheri and Anne!











JaNae is still injured but she is soo awesome she came and drove so we didn't have to! plus I don't know if I could have done it with out her there!















I was runner 6 this year! During the first leg at the 1/2 to go point Cafe Rio (local restaurant) was there handing out sombrero's to all the runners. If you crossed with it on your head you got a free meal. Sadly mine would not stay on my head and after running almost 7 miles I didn't really care. The run was good and was my best out of the. 6.88 in 1:07.
second run was at about midnight and it was COLD!!! I wish I would have had my gloves! my hand kept going numb.8.23 in 1:33. pretty awful time, I was tired and it was all uphill up a mountain yes seriously up a mountain... When I got to the top and could look down onto the exchange I think the temp dropped 10 degrees-could've been the lake. I dunno!






This was right before my last leg. An easy 3.1 right no. not when your legs are soo sore you can barely walk!! I guess that's what ya get after running and then jumping in a car and not walking again for an hour or so :) 3.1 in 36 minutes. worst 5k pace ever for me!! oh well I had a blast! I love Ragnar! Can't wait till Napa Valley in September!!












this year was especially fun cause I knew Don would be out there running!! He was able to jump on a team with the runners from Wasatch running night runs! This is us at the finishing area! And now I put Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back 2011 in the books! Now I need to round up a team for next year so we can register next week!