Lake to Lake Relay

This past weekend we headed down to the sunshine of St George Utah for a quick 50 mile relay with Tom and JaNae. It was so beautiful, definitely a rave run. I didn't have my camera on either of my legs but did take some at the finish line.
We headed down on Friday grabbed a bite to eat then headed back to the condo via a road trip to Walmart. We got back about 11ish and went to bed, We had to be to the start by 7:45 and it was a 45 minute drive but we wanted to be early enough for pictures. which I don't have yet.
JaNae was leg one, Tom's friend Susan leg 2, Don was leg 3, I was 4 and Tom was 5. It went so quick I ran one of my best times the first leg and didn't have enough time to recover to do really good my second leg. I only had about 3 hours it seems to recover, and leg two was a difficult dirt road that was very hilly, It's name is The Dirty Hill Climber, It had about three really big hills. It is rewarded with a prize at the end. This year was a sweat towel, which I will post a picture when I get one :)

We finished by 3:30. Our team came in 41 out of 112 teams and 17 out of 51 in our CO-ED division. We did the 50 miles in 7 hours and 23 minutes!

We ended up having to get new tires and had dinner and were able to be home about 10:30pm! like I said, quick trip!

This was a fun run but I don't know if I would do it again.

oops too many miles today!!

I had my route mapped out an deja vu from last week. My aunt and uncle used to live out here somewhere and I swear I saw the road that we used to turn down so I decided to check it out. I had my watch I can adjust my route accordingly. so off I go down unknown roads only to think I don't remember the road being that long.. well I didn't go the whole way it could have been but I knew the next street down could have been it too.. that one was definitely not it cuz it was a dead end. so off I go back on course I was feeling good and listening to The Marathon Show podcast. which I absolutely love!! It helps the run go quick! So The show finished just about when I got home. I planned to stop and fill my water bottles and go on for the second half. When I got home I remembered I had some coconut water in the fridge and had been wanting to try it out on a run so I filled my water bottle with it. It was strawberry guava flavored and delicious! so I kept changing my course since my first route I had run almost 10 miles. oh brother so I figured approximately in my head and went for it. as I was checking my mileage I stopped my watch. I didn't know I had till about what I thought was a mile later but was more like a mile and a half. I figured I had lost about a mile so Some how thought I needed to go to just over 17 miles and be good. so that's what I did. When I came home I remapped where I had gone and it said 19.16 miles. You know what? I felt GREAT!!! I ran my fastest miles the at about 16 and the mile I lost I know was fast and was looking forward to checking out that too!! oh well!! I am supposed to run 20 next week but because we are going to St George to run Lake to Lake I won't be running it so it is a good compromise. which I though about doing anyway! lol some times mistakes turn out good. It was cold and my legs were freezing I went in shorts so I skipped the ice bath. I am still starving and very thirsty!!! next big run will be in 3 weeks.

oh one more thing.. About The Marathon Show.. oh this is crazy.. Joe, the podcast host, is gonna be at Utah Valley... I have been dieing to meet him. when you listen to him a lot you feel like friends.... do I seriously run another marathon this spring??? really?? should I??? EEK!!! I WANT TOO!!!!! I know DOn will want to cuz it can be his first :) it would be my 4th!!!

long and miserable

I have read or been told you can only do as much as you planned. You can't take another step further. I have lived this many times and yesterday was no exception! I had 16 miles on the plan and was excited to get them going!! I haven't run that far consecutively since the Ogden Marathon last spring!!

My sister Anna was here this past week and she was planning on leaving on Thursday. She planned on leaving about noon so I asked if she could pick up Sadie. According to my calculations I would be about 30 minutes late to get her so Anna agreed to. I got up and got dressed and was gonna drop off my kids a few minutes early so that I could get a jump start on my run but Anna was up and told me to go, she would drop the kids off! YAY! THANK YOU ANNA!!

It was about 31° when I went. 16 miles is long and I planned a route then decided to do an out and back right before I left. I didn't stick to that plan. My foot started hurting at mile 3 and hurt on and off the whole time. :( It seemed like forever getting to 8 miles. I was thankfully for my new playlist on my Shuffle. It is really great to have good upbeat music when you are feeling low.

As I run I kept asking myself why am I punishing myself with another marathon and not just 1 but 2!! WHY!!! SOMEONE TELL ME!!! OK I know why, It is because I know I can, I love to push myself!! and yes I am soo excited to do it!! I really am!! I just can't wait till it is over!! I didn't take pictures which I usually do... I guess it was because I kept on the roads and didn't do any trails. I have no idea how many I am supposed to do next week and I don't really want to look!!

2 weeks till Lake to Lake Relay. I am excited for it!!! Plus I have been going over Ragnar legs and getting things moving for the Wasatch Back and it is making me excited!! the most exciting thing... By the time WB is here I will have 2 more marathons and a century under my belt!

Happy Running~

South Davis Sweethearts 5k

This 5k marks the one year anniversary of my sweet husband starting his own adventures in running. Last year I signed up for this "sweethearts" run and wanted him to come run it with me. He was so sweet and reluctantly said ok so I signed him up. He ran once before the 5k and I beat him! woohoo!! ok fast forward to this past weekend.... HE has fallin in love with running. in fact he is so stinkin fast!! This 5k he took 8th place over all!!!! Out of 420 people he came in 8th!! I am soo proud of him!! Even though my hobby now costs twice as much :(

ok you came here to read about me not him. ;) I hadn't really thought about PRing or anything just getting out and running the best I could and hopefully placing top 3 in my division since I took 2nd last year. I have been cross training like crazy and marathon training. On Tuesday I felt a little something coming on and felt a little better Wednesday but still wasn't feeling 100% so Thursday I worked out HARD! I did three workouts, I did a sports cycling class, swam and ran 3 miles. Went to Bunko in the evening and on the way home it really started hitting my and I woke up feeling really bad Friday. Thank goodness I didn't have huge expectations for the race. I though well I will just do what I feel, If I am not feeling hot I will run it with one of my sisters or walk it with Bridgette. Oh I didn't mention. We made this one a big family event!! I signed up all my kids and all my sisters came out along with 3 nephews and 1 niece, plus our usual family volunteers! Jacob couldn't run so my nephew took his spot.

So when I woke up on Saturday feeling so sore from Thursday, couldn't breath through my nose, throat made it HURT to swallow. I felt like crap!! I just though I guess I will just walk it. I don't want to sit out. Don got me some cold medicine and we headed out when everyone was ready.

We got there and I could breath again but it was a little cold. We got our bibs on and I went out and stretched out and did a little warm up. We walked to the start line and we were chatting with some friends when all of a sudden they started counting down and we were surrounded by people. We took off and I just told myself don't take off too fast, but I felt great I ran and felt like I was running fast. I didn't want to look at my watch and jinx myself but I knew I was running good. This is the third time running this course so I knew it. when we turned the first corner it is a slight incline and it hits a lot of people and this is where I like to be strong, and I was I passed a lot of people. when we got to the next corner which is about halfway I looked at my watch. it said 13 minutes! whew!! I just kept going and I felt soo good!! I was passing more than being passed. :) When I got to about 2 1/2 I was watching for Don cuz I told him to some back and run with one of my sisters or with Cora. He didn't come and didn't come. I turned the last major corner and was running in when I finally saw him heading out. I was tired!!!! I didn't have a sprint left in me but I pushed a little harder and saw Owen and Sadie cheering me on!! As I ran a cross the line I didn't see a clock but I was SPENT!! I gave it all!!! I looked at my watch and it said 27:05!! I PR'ed!!! WOOHOO!!! I went to the water spot and got me some oranges bagel and water and started walking toward the kids and my mom and they announced they would start calling raffle numbers by bib number so I looked down and read mine in case they called it... they did!! it was the second one called!! YAY!! I walked over to the kids and said I just got called in the raffle so I walked to the tables and got my prize which was a little pink envelope. I walked back to my mom and opened it and it was packed with stuff!! The first thing I pulled out was a $50 GC to Dick's Sporting Goods! then a free pizza and a free smoothie then my mom pulled out the last thing and unfolded it. I seriously started crying when I looked down and read it, it was so unbelievable to me!! It was an entry into the SL marathon!! The marathon I am training for but haven't registered for!! I was soo happy!! I ran back and got Rachel's and Cora's butts running to the finish. After everyone was in it was time for the kids 1k, Owen and Sadie ran it. Don ran with Sadie. We hung around for the awards. There was a big group around the results so I didn't go over to check mine. As they were calling them out I noticed there wasn't anyone around so I went over but Anna stopped me and told me I came in 2nd in my division!!! YAY!!
So another race, Don came in 1st in his age group! I came in 2nd! yippee!!

I just love the South Davis race series!! they are always so organized and they always make it fun!! This is the third time I have done one of their races and I haven't been disappointed!

it might be a training run..

I loaded the marathon training plan on my phone and it said I was supposed to do some miles this week but my hip flexor and right calf have been a little irritated so I didn't do two of my runs. My long run this week called for 10 miles and Don wanted to run them with me but I am so much slower than him We did his 8 instead of going out the extra 2. excuses, excuses..

We ran to the trail and did most of the miles on the trail. It has been a while since I've been down but it felt great! Guess I will try to stick better to my training this week!

I made a huge commitment last week....

SO my cousin, JaNae did the ST George Marathon last year. It is a really popular marathon. and while there she found out about their racing series. If you sign up and do 2 of the races in southern Utah (one must be a STG city race) then you don't have to go through the lottery system for STG you are automatically in. Well she signed me up for it! I wasn't even sure I wanted to do it! Well we looked at calendars and figure the St George Half would be good and we planned Lake to Lake which is a short relay (gosh I'm a sucker for relays) and looked at a couple others. well in December I decided I just could do the half so I told her I wasn't gonna do it which pretty much meant I wasn't gonna be doing STG cuz I just didn't have it in me. Well gosh almost every runner friend I had that I talked to were talking about the half and that they were going so I started to want to go but still wasn't sure how I could work it all out money wise, plus Don and Jacob were gonna be in Yellowstone for scouts! Well a few weeks ago one of my new friends (that I hardly know) told me I could go down with her and stay at her friends house! Which meant I only would have to pay for half the gas and the race entry!! Oh so tempting!! So last week at Bunko I was really torn, the price was going up the next day, I hadn't told Don I wanted to do it... but oh man I did!! JaNae says I am gonna do the half! Tom is booking the room tonight! I said I really want to do it too!!! When I had told her I just couldn't do it she didn't plan to do it either. Late Friday night we had some friends over and Don was talking about going Yellowstone and I mentioned the half, And he was like that's fine. so I joked with one of them asking if she wanted to watch the three kids since her husband was going to Vegas with the Air Force. she didn't answer but I went right to the computer and signed up-I had about 2 hours till the price went up. As I sat in front of my computer signing up I realized the commitment I had just made.... I AM doing St George in October!!!

So the trip!! Melissa had invited me to drive down with her and her Husband-that seemed weird and one of the reasons I wasn't sure but I emailed her the next day asking if the offer was still out there and she said of course. I sent Kenz a message asking if she really could watch the kids then sent messages to a few other people asking if they could, My cousin replied back saying ya she could. so I had my sitter and my ride!! Melissa sends me a message a couple days later telling me her husband isn't going and that she is bringing another friend down. A little ease there on my part! Then Kenz texts me back saying yes she can watch the kids. Don said he felt better about her watching the kids so I text my cousin back saying I wouldn't need her after all but might need her in March (Lake to Lake). Everything was looking awesome! We left friday afternoon and headed down. as we came into town we were all so hungry so April (Melissa's friend) called her husband and told him to pick somewhere to eat and we would meet him there. SO we headed to Texas Roadhouse and he wasn't there yet!! so we went in got on the waiting list and had about45 minutes as we walked out he was out there and he told us we totally had time to get our packets so we drove over and got the packets and came back and had dinner. Then went back to their house watched some tv and a movie then went to bed. Got up to leave by 7. As I sat int he room packing my stuff back up I here a strange noise.... I thought Oh no it can't be! I walk over to the window and yes indeed! It was RAINING!! It was supposed to be beautiful and warm and SUNNY!!! it was cold rain too!! So we leave and head back to the Center and meet up with the people Melissa needed to meet up with-she was running it as a pacer. As we sat waiting my cousin Joe walks through the door! so we talked for a few and just hung around waiting for the start. I had not looked at the course or elevation so I had no idea what to expect. As we finally headed to the start line I ran into my next door neighbors sister-my neighbor came down with a fever and a horrible sore throat the night before so she decided not to run. we talked at the start then finally we started. She and her friend took off. I just took it easy and still felt like I was going to fast. I always kept her in my sight figuring I would catch up eventually. It was just sprinkling and finally it did stop raining at some point during the first few miles.
About mile 2 I finally started feeling good and eased into a comfortable pace, it was a fun hilly course and I had a better pace going up the hills than the flat spots. about mile 4 we were running up a hill and I was so close to my Yvette (neighbors sister) I knew I would finally catch her. I had originally planned to run a bit with her but I felt so awesome I just passed and kept going up the hill!! As I crested the hill and started running down I saw another friends brother (I had met at the start line) and we ran a bit together and I saw the 5 mile marker and said oh I want to take a picture of that! So I stopped and took a picture! I tried to post it to FB but it didn't post. I was at mile five and my time was 50:23 which was an awesome pace. We were in a neighborhood and came upon a bunch of palm trees so I stopped and took a pic, saw a pretty mountain and took another pic!

lol I was loving this course!! we came onto a trail and as we came around the hills between 8-9 (I think) I could see the finish but I could also see most of the rest of the course lined with runners way out and back. OH I just wanted to run through the fields and weeds to the finish! I looked up to the city and saw the temple and took a picture!

As we came down the hill the rest of the course was pretty flat. A tell tell sign you are getting close to the finish.. the faster runners start coming back to find friends and give encouragement. I kept waiting and waiting and FINALLY saw some one!! It was a good sign although I usually hate it I needed it this run!
About mile 11 it started to sprinkle and then started to down pour about mile 12. 12 1/2 the rain was just pouring down my face the sweat was going in my eyes. I felt like I was crying but wiped my eyes as good as I could and kept going I just needed to get to the viaduct and go under it and I would be able to see the finish. I picked it up and started to go as fast as I could. knowing I could stop the faster I got there!! I finished! WHEW!!! I had to wait for Melissa, she was pacing a slower pace. It was just raining soo much and it was so cold. I saw Joe again, watched for Yvette to come in but never saw her and then as I started to walk back through the finishers area I saw Karen and her brother and took a picture for them! They were heading to Vegas and had made a wager on the race and Karen had won. Saw the pacer before Melissa come in so I knew I still had to wait. So I walked around. I did finally find Yvette but she had already finished but Yvonne was with her so we chatted for a few minutes and I went off to find Melissa and they could go to get out of the rain! I found Melissa we went and stretched then left to head home. April had left her a message saying she had left her coat at the house so we decided to just stop and eat in St George before we headed home. The drive home was quick but we went through a patch of really slippy snowy roads. And saw a pretty rainbow!

It was a fun trip and I totally want to do that course again! So I think I might have had almost 10 people I know run that one! As for JaNae her son ended up being very sick and she ended up not going. I sure hope he is ok!

T-14 weeks

I am doing it again. I am planning another marathon.. or 4 this year, ya I'm doing 4... I had my doubts about St George but I am gonna go this next weekend and run the half, then the first weekend in March go back down for a relay. JaNae signed me up for the racers series, I have to do 2 races this year before may then I get an automatic entry into St George.

My first marathon this year will be the Salt Lake Marathon, It is on April 21st and I have had NO motivation to start, in fact the idea has been freaking me out lately. WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!! Ok take a deep breath Sheri, you have done this before.. it is possible! YOU CAN DO IT!!! Yes I CAN!!! Here we go I am gonna get with it and stick to it. I don't have a choice, I can't procrastinate any longer it has got to happen now...

I MUST BELIEVE!!



I MUST REMEMBER THE GLORY!!