Crawling to the end, and proud of it

It's Kristin.

Today's run was TOUGH for me.  I felt gaspy and sluggish pretty much the entire run- almost 3 hours of running.  I frequently found myself with my tongue hanging out, canine-like.  Hayley is a saint and lengthened her run to be with whiny me.  Why was the run so hard?  I thinking I was tired, ate me GU and drank my water in a weird sequence, ate a weird dinner last night, cross-trained and "toned" heavily on Wednesday which I'm not used to...you get the idea.  I was supposed to run 2 more miles, but quickly and easily justified cutting it short.  Now I'm doing what I love to do best after a rough run- icing and lounging in bed.  (And listening to the rain too!)  I have a lot to do but I'm going to do as much as I can off my feet.  Matt's downstairs doing P-90X.  And looking VERY cute in his SLC half marathon technical T, might I add?

On a lighter note, I have some big news!!  D and I signed up for A FULL MARATHON this year!  This is a huge deal and I am very excited to report that it is the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon.  There with be rock bands all along the course, about 15,000 runners, and they even shut down the Vegas strip for us to run through!  The race is December 5th if you wanna join us or cheer us on. 

We were rejected from another race we tried to enter- the San Francisco Women's marathon.  Bummer!  D is considering doing St. George again, and- get this- the Dublin Ireland Marathon!!  If I could afford that trip I would so be there with her.  Anyone wanna donate to my cause?  :)

Well, all I have to say about my current state is that I do feel proud of myself for what I have accomplished with my running in the past year.  I started training for my first marathon a year ago- running very slowly and never having run more that 3 miles.  Now I've run a marathon!  And today, I persisted in running for hours despite feeling totally tired, and in all reality having the power to call Matt to come pick me up and drive me home at any point if I wanted to.  But I di'n'.  Hayley and I kept saying, "Ok, we got this, we can DO this," during the last 3 miles or so.  


And now a little shout out to my sister Karin, and my friends Amber (aka "Ambleh") and Hayley today, who both ran further than they ever have in their life, IN the rain, AT a decent pace.  I'm very proud, ladies!  And do my little Rosie who just signed up for her first marathon too!  Can't wait to cheer you on in St. George!

XOXO

~K

New girl, big run, little secret

PS: Check out our recent giveaway!

So there's a new girl who joined our little running group recently.  Allow me to introduce cute little Hayley.  She and I ran 8 miles together today ( I did a total of 14).  Always nice to break up the run with friends.  Hayley and I gabbed about running plans, life story-type stuff...and then we confessed.  Sometimes running makes us feel...bloated.  Do you guys relate?  I mean, could it be the sugar?  The agitation of bouncing along?  The metabolizing?  Or maybe it's not running related at all?  We need advice, runners.  Or at the very least, I'm wanting a little validation and reassurance. 

Hayley:

This was my longest long run since the Marathon back in October!  I'm so proud- my foot really held up well!  I've been trying to run more on my mid-foot lately which seems to help.  Eat it, PF!!  During the run I tried the GU Chomps for the first time and loved themmmm!  Much easier, cleaner, and yummier!  I thought they tasted like a really great fruit snack.  I'm a fan-- goodbye gels!  I also ran a couple miles with a random gentleman on the trail.  He gave me some great advice.  One of those veteran runners who's done every race out there and loved all my questions.  We're tight now.  I also found it interesting that he too runs with pepper spray.  Keeps it right in his hand, finger on the trigger!  He says he's used it several times on charging dogs.  Hmm.  Hayley and I later ran into him and he convinced us to look into the Hobble Creek half marathon- apparently the best in UT.  Anyone done it?

Well, after the run I'm just feeling great!  I felt well prepared for it, the air was clean and refreshing, Hayley and I commented that the wildlife sounds in the air were great!  And the ducks are so funny to watch as they waddle around the grass.  The book I just finished- Committed- described ducks as "walking around, muttering to each other about the latest duck scandal."  That's exactly what it seems like- I love it.  I did get cold on the run.  My bum was so numb I didn't even realize my red Gatorade had dripped all down my shirt and pants (I've washed my white stuff twice today...with both sports wash and stain sprays and can't get it out!)

Today I also watched General Conference and it was fabulous!  Matt and I hung out and lounged around the house.  Conference weekends are my favorite!  We also ate tons of Easter candy and have decided Milky Way eggs are the best.

Happy Easter!
~K

Gearing up for the blizzard?

Kristin again...

Check out my previous post for our giveaway!

Yesterday there was a big fire in SLC.  It filled the windy air with ash and by the afternoon the entire valley was shrouded in an ash powder (it was really beautiful and really chalky-tasting...ew).  We were crazy to get up and run this morning.  But we're bad, we're bad, you know it!  So we got up in the rainy/snowy morning and ran (Hayley, D and I).  I tried to keep my mouth covered in my scarf as much as I could.  And my hair from turning into a fro.  Curly-haired running girls- wassup!  

It's been snowing all day and we're planning to run tomorrow.  I'm excited- it may be the last snowy run of the year and, shockingly, I have missed it!  I am also excited to finally try out my Stabilicers which Heather from the 32 North company generously let me try out!  Here I am putting them on for the first time:

The concentration...

Sweet success!!

I also have a new system for my running garb.  No, I will not be throwing it over the banister every morning (Matt's going to be thrilled).  I'm keeping what I plan to wear (clean stuff) in this basket- in the bathroom, right next to the beloved towel spa D gave me for finishing my first marathon!

And the reusable or wet stuff goes on these hooks.  Isn't this a cute shelf I found for super cheap at Tai Pan Trading?  Thanks to Matty Fatty for the installation.  (And Dad too for the borrowed tools.)

Well, now that my bathroom is ready, my Stabilicers are ready, and my alarm clock is set, I better get to sleep.  Otherwise I might have to kill someone when the alarm sounds at Vicky:thirty.  Full report on Stabilicers coming soon!

Love, K

XOXO

What BFF's are for

~It's Kristin~ 

I'm working on a little art project tonight.  My sister gave me this great idea.  She has super cute pieces of paper or thank you notes or something framed all in a row above her bed and it looks fabulous.  I asked her to do some for me and she did the 2 pictured above as part of my Christmas present last year.  So now I'm making 7 new big ones for my entry hallway.

Here's my favorite print (above).

I was having a hard time picking the paper I liked best.... 

I called for reinforcements...

What are BFF's for anyway?  I mean, last night I went and looked at the shoes she was deciding on at Nordy's.  It's so nice to know you have a third opinion (after the husband's opinion, of course) available when you need it.  Incidentally, Matt also has excellent taste and helped me arrange and sort through most of the project!

I'll post a shot of the finalized display soon.  I'm excited!

And she went with me yesterday to pick out new running shoes!!  Yes, a trip to SLRC where we are regulars.  There was a new sales guy there- Dave.  At first we were not enjoying Dave.  He was the first to offer us help and we didn't know how to say, "Uh, no thanks, we don'' know you yet."  Dave seemed arrogant and made a statements about my PF being with me for life.  No, Dave!!  But then Dave grew on us and we may just work with him again.  We've been shopping for a new shoe guru since Seth, our running idol, quit.  (PS:  He came in 3rd in the St. George Marathon we ran in the fall!)

Here's my new garb!  Can you spy, with your little eye: a GU, Adidas, Smartwool, Matt's first pair of running socks, an extra jumbo sized body glide!, blister shield, Saucony's (40% off baby!), and (this is a hard one- bonus if you can spot it!) an injured foot.

I LOVE having new running stuff.  Can't wait to bust out the new shoes tomorrow.  I never anticipated buying a pair of Adidas, but Dave recommended them and they were so comfy and felt just perfect as far as arch support for my PF and all.  I jogged around the store and fell in love!  And I've always wanted Smartwool socks.  D's always raving about them.  I knew it was time for new shoes because I was having weird aches and pains in random novel places.  And I was past mileage for my other shoes.

Any of you runner girls recommend any sports bras?  Nothing fancy needed- I'm cheap!

D and I have a cool giveaway coming up so be sure to stay tuned!

XOXO

~K

Slushy Saturday

It's Kristin.
In case you're not up for working out lately, here's a little motivation:

This is from Irene's blog.

As you can see from our sidebar, our run today was rough!  We ran in this heavy sleet and were soaked and chilled to the bone by the end.  We couldn't even conjure that, "Look how bad A we are for running in the rain and snow," feeling.  Well, some runs go that way.  For the rest of the day I felt great though!  Weird.

It wasn't slick enough though, for me to try out my new Stabilicers.  I'm afraid I may not get an opportunity, but I will say that I have read tons of reviews about them lately and people love them!  I'm excited to give them a whirl- and what a nice company.  Thanks Heather!  

Tonight I threw Matt a 30th Birthday party.  It was so fun and Matt loved it.  Look at the fun cake I made:

It had crushed Oreos that look like dirt, but you can't tell very well in the picture.

And there were cute little hangy-down things all over that said "30." Adam and Danna put them up!

What a seriously cute Birthday Boy, right?

XOXO

~K

Catching up a bit

It's Kristin again!

Well, I'm headed to bed, but I couldn't resist posting tonight.  Sometimes I just get the blogging bug.  I've been thinking lately about starting a personal blog (as opposed to a group running blog) because I just find blogging so fun and interesting.

Running-wise it's been a good week.  I've taken a fair amount of rest days- partially out of sheer laziness and partially because my foot has been aching again.  Curse you PF!  I tried choclate milk after my last couple runs as many of you suggested.  It was yummy and...well I don't know if I felt any significant difference, but I did seem to get my bounce back after the drink.  In other words I got over that post-run sluggish feeling.  It's pretty humorous for Matt to see me walk in the door after really long runs- all stiff and lethargic.  "Untie my shoelaces, K?  I need something salty...help."  

As for as other aspects of my life...  I just finished 3 books: Holes, Eat Pray Love, and Funny in Farsi.  Liked it, Loved 2/3rds of it, Fun, respectively.  D and I went on a super fun road trip this weekend to Lava Hot Springs.  Don't worry- our husbands were busy with other commitments and very happy for us (aka not feeling resentful or left out).  I've never stayed in a B&B before and it was AWESOME!  I have so much to say, but at this late hour, I'll simply say that Lava is a fascinatingly odd and quirkily charming town.  Now I get why people go there all the time.  It's not just the water park, eh?  Danna- we should have found a cool running trail up there (but our 12 miler was already done that morning)!  A few fun things that happened in Lava:

• The Bed and Breakfast owners hovered around us all the time in a charming and funny little way.  We became very tight by the end.
• We soaked in the city's hot pools and saw some INTERESTING folks.  Such as the man with star tatoos on his nipples.  Weird. 
• We got to have a late check-out which equated with reading Runners World and Real Simple Magazines (thanks Megan!) and lounging around, having a 2nd breakfast, and even catching the owner driving by to check on/spy on us after a while.  Busted!

Look even a couch for the purses!

XOXO

~K

It's all about relationships

by: Kristin

Now that the Bachelor is over, I'm bored of it.  But many of you emailed and asked about the results.  If you don't know yet- he picked VIENNA!  What can we learn from this, single people?  Infatuation is blind- you must use your head and listen to the unbiased people around you.  Interesting points in the episode?  Jake's family initially saw what a scary girl Vienna is and didn't like her.  Then they strangely "saw the light" and apologized for judging her and told Jake they approved.  Nooo!  You fools!  Did the producers pay you to do that or what??  Ali is the next Bachelorette!  (She's the one who had to leave the show cuz her job demanded she return.  She works for Facebook.)  Jake is going to be on Dancing with the Stars (as is Kate Gosselin- weird).  We all had fun yelling and rolling our eyes at the screen.  Danna said, "If Tenley says, 'I value marriage," ONE MORE TIME..."   I think Tenley did talk their relationship to death.  But she's sweet and I hope she meets a nice guy.  As for you, Vienna, grow up!

So, yesterday I ran with...you'll never guess who (unless you already read the sidebar)...Ma Husband!  Yes, and even more unbelievable is that HE was the one who requested the afternoon run.  I first suspected that he was an imposter in my husband's body, but no.  We had a great little run on the parkway.  So nice to run in the sun!  He looked super cute in his running garb- too bad I didn't snap a picture for you!  

Check out this amazing site D found with a list of every US marathon!

It's that painful time again when I have to fork out some serious dough for a new pair of running shoes.  What shoes do you pronators love?  I haven't loved my Ascics 2140s for some reason, but I love my Mizuno Wave Inspires.  I'm debating inserts vs no inserts...so hard!  And our favorite employee at the Salt Lake Running Company is quitting!  A running shoe relationship is crucial.  We start from scratch again.  Oh the agony.

XOXO

~K

Kristin did a bad, bad thing

I get NOTHING done on Monday nights thanks to Kristin. It's completly her fault, and none of my own. At all. I am obsessed with THE BACHELOR.... how embarrassing.

I have never had a reason to be excited for Mondays before, but now I literally count down the days until the next episode. I don't watch much tv, but I'm sad to report I plan my life around it. K talked me into watching a few episodes, and now I am caught in their web. I heard the girls on the "Good Things Utah" morning show commenting that married women seem obsessed with it. It's true! Why is that? Please tell me! I have the most fabulous husband on the planet, and all I say to him on Mondays betgween 7 and 9 is, "Can it wait until a commercial?" There is no hope for me is there?!

On to better topics... Don't you just love the Olympics! I like to watch to athletes compete, see the excited fans etc. But, the thing I turn up the volume for, are the stories of people's lives. I like to hear the story of the figure skaters that were partners, and fell in love and are now married. I like to watch Apollo Anton Ohno interact with his father- who is also his coach. I like to hear about the obstacles overcome, and watch the impossible become history. When I watch the stories and the athletes I want to get out and RUN like crazy. I find that challenging myself- in my sport of running, seems to fulfill the same need I see in those faces on tv. (Not the bachelor, the Olympics. ha ha) I believe we all have an innate need to continually challenge ourselves. Look at how you feel after you complete a run when you didn't feel like even getting up. It's good for our self esteem. Keep running, keep getting up, keep challenging yourself, keep dreaming. We may not end up in the olympics, or on the bachelor, but then again, didn't we just say how great it is when the impossible happens?

Don't worry - I still speak English

It's Kristin.

Guess who I went running with today... Suzy! Yes, and who had to slow down for whom? Suzy had to slow way down for me, bless her heart. I had had a BIG lunch and had major side aches. Luckily, side aches are rarely an issue now (in jr, high and high school though, I got them ALL the time while running). It was so nice to run with Suzy again! She kept commenting on how refreshing it was to be out there. The weather was cloudy and rainy, and it felt good! I got to wear my new undershirt (thank you Delta Airlines for losing my luggage for a day so I could shop at Target for some new running clothes- check out their super cheap stuff if you need a winter undershirt!).

Ok, I tried to take a picture, and accidentally took a video. And then the camera went dead. Haha!

And now a few notes to some of our blog readers:

Shane from the plane ride to Iowa- I lost that paper where I wrote the website you use for a running log! Can you comment and give it to me again??

Heather from Stabilicers- sorry for almost mistaking you for the Newton's guy!! I'm so glad you like you Dansko's. I can't figure out how to directly email you, but I'm a size 9. Can I try the Stabilicers? You're the best! Click on my profile under "about us" to email me. You're nice!

Dad- We get a kick out of your comments on our blog. I also want to share with everyone the hillarious story you sent in an email to Danny today (Danny's my brother, for those who don't know. He's in El Salvador.). Here it is:

Madre y yo just got back from Crossroads Fitness for our workout this morning. I must tell you how mean your mother can be. As I was standing on the scale and adjusting the weight, she snuck up behind me and put her foot on the scale, thus producing a false and alarming weight result. She later asked me what my weight was and then finally confessed her completely inappropriate and hurtful action. I freely forgave her and then asked, "what would be your reaction had I done that to you?" Without hesitation she said, "I would be really ticked off at you." Can you say "double standard"?

Ha ha!

I also went on a walk today with the hubs. At one point on our walk he gave me a loving swat on the bum. I jokingly said, "Who is the fairest woman in this land?" and he replied, "That which I have spanked." I laughed about it for hours.

Well, happy running everyone!

XOXO

~K

42.19 suena mejor que 26.2

Amigos mios! Para los que no hablan ingles, quise escribir en mi blog algo que pudieran entender. Lo siento, pues no he practicado mi espanol tanto para escribir super bien, pero aqui voy!

El ano pasado corri un maraton! Un maraton es 42.19 kilometros (o como decimos aca- 26.2 millas). Tuve que entrenar por como 6 meses para prepararme bien. Fue una experiencia inolvidable! Tanto el entrenamiento como el maraton mismo! Entrene con 2 amigas, Danna y Suzy. La conoci a Danna en mi barrio (servimos juntas en las MMJJ) y cuando ella se cambio de casa, conocio a Suzy en su nuevo barrio. Cuando entrenas para un maraton con algiuen, te acercas muchisimo a ella- pues pasan muchas horas juntas corriendo y hablando todo el tiempo. Se levantan a las 4, 5, o 6 de la manana a menudo, y pasan por muchas dificuldades alla en el corre.

Bueno, el entrenamiento fue una experiencia increible de verdad. Decidimos hacer un blog juntas para poder compartir nuestras experiencias con nuestros amigos. (Si nunca han visto un blog- es como un diario de vida. Y Uds. pueden hacer "commentarios" bajo cada poste- y nos encantan los commentarios! Hay que seleccionar la palabra "comments" y escribir tu commentario, entonces escoje "name/URL" y po tu nombre y escoje "publish your comment").

El maraton mismo era una experiencia TAN BACAN!!! Me encanto, en serio. Habiamos entrenado tan bien, que no nos cansamos demasiado, no teniamos dolor, y pudimos disfrutar de las montanas bonitas, la otra gente al lado nuestro, y de la emocion y el sentido de "logro" por haberlo hecho. No puedo expresar cuan especial fue!

Ya que lo hemos hecho, seguimos escribiendo en el blog nuestras experiencias continuas, corriendo, etc. (PD: Cuando escribi mi experiencia en el maraton, hice una lista de personas importantes e influyentes de mi vida. Dedique una milla a cada persona- click aca para ver la lista - hay que desplacer hacia abajo un poco.)

Bueno- espero que te haya gustado! Gracias por leer!

Con Carino,

Kristin

Running off the stress

Kristin here. I know I keep mentioning this is a stressful time for me, but it's true! I love what running does for me. D and I have remarked that during the times in our lives when we were marathon training or heavily involved in running, it truly made the difficulties of life live-able! Running keeps me sane. It feels so good when I'm pent up about something to just run it off and letting it all melt off onto the road. Ya know?

In one of my next posts, I'm going to be posting in Spanish. My friends from my time in Chile often comment that they peek at my blog for pictures only, but can't read anything so I thought it would be fun to tell them about my blog and my life in Spanish some time. You'll have to let me know if you're still able to understand my post for the most part...ha ha ha. Here's a quick vocab lesson:

• to run = correr
• race = correra
• marathon = maratón
• Danna = Danna
• Vicky:thirty = Vicky y media

Anyway, after a very stressful couple of days I am REALLY looking forward to running with Danna tomorrow and just decompressing. It's amazing the difference the runner's high makes. Plus, when I run, I also feel okay about comforting my stressed self with chocolate.

XOXO
~K

Iowa business trip

Hello! Kristin's writing. Here I am in Iowa in my little hotel room. What a crazy trip so far! First of all, there were two flights on the way here. On the first, it was a plane FULL of screaming children; some screaming in glee, some in sadness. The loudest happened to be kids of my old college friends from USU. All I know is the guy next to me and I were rudely awoken every couple minutes. Maddening! I felt a little like this lady:

Next flight- I sat by another guy who just happened to be....yep you guessed it! A hardcore runner. Awesome! So of course I talked his ear off. Shane- remember, I'm expecting you to comment! :) I got some great advice from him. BTW, he's currently training for an iron man triathlon! For those who don't know, that's a race that involves a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and a marathon (26.2 miles) run, raced in that order and without a break. I'm amazed people can even consider that! Shane and I commented to each other how inspiring it is to talk to fellow runners. It's so motivating. He told me I should use a roller to work on some of my tight muscles- he swears by that thing! And he told me about how much it helps him to hire a running coach (which Danna is doing right now!). We also talked about his love for his Garmin watch (jealous) and how he runs without gels/Gatorade/energy bars. It made me psyched to keep improving.

Then my luggage got lost. Ugh. I had to buy new stuff that night at Target, including running clothes! However I was cheered by our lovely hotel- I love hotels! It's been a blast having my own room and chillin. It is SOOOO cold here. I worked out in the hotel exercise room instead, which was great! I wish I had a gym membership. I also did cardio, some core strengthening and strength training for my deltoids and biceps. Tomorrow will be my 3rd and last workout here. Sad. Goodbye Mariott! Thanks for having a copy of the BoM since mine was lost for a bit. I didn't wanna miss my scripture study (I haven't missed in 15 years!!).
This is a shot of my room off the website. Sweet! I also got to bond with some rad co-workers of mine. We had a blast and ate some good food. We almost nearly died when my crazy boss Chris did a few wild tricks in our rental car. He's crazy!

I'm excited to get home though. I get homesick for Matt, and running-sick to run with D. :) I don't miss working or facing the difficult aspects of my new calling (but I do love the girls!). I'm excited to see the episode of my favorite show (The Bachelor! Yes, I'm a nerd.), and to stop having all-day meetings. Goodbye Iowa!

XOXO
~K

Why we haven't run or blogged

It's Kristin.

I haven't run since Monday, and haven't blogged in a week. My life has been crazy! I got called as YW president (in my church) which has suddenly taken over my life in a major way. Hopefully it will settle back down soon, but it's been very very busy. Danna got asked to go on a volunteer mission to Haiti with one days notice, further rocking my world. Then she was told nevermind. Then again, yes we need you. Then again- no nevermind we miscalculated our numbers. So you can imagine she's been busy in a crazy way too! See her on the news HERE. She's in several shots- can you spot her? It's like Where's Waldo! How about "Donde's Danna?" I like it.

My work stuff is really busy right now too. I have a relatively new student which can be a lot of help or a lot of extra time depending on the situation. Also, Matt's 30th Bday is coming up and I've been doing "30 Days of Birthday Surprises" for him each night. Like "30 Cupcakes," or "$30 to spend on ebay" or "Look- I organized the fridge" since the fridge being packed and messy drives him nuts. I think that may have been one of his favorites. It's been so fun to see Matt get so excited. Should I throw him a party too? A funny over-the-hill party? Or a traditional one? I'm so indecisive.

And now, running. Ah running- I need you right now! I need to run off some stress, and I need to be with Danna. You know that feeling where you're about to part with someone super close to you for a month or a summer? And it's right when you really need them and you feel all desperate and selfish ("Haiti?! What about ME?!")? And you realize your reaction to their news is not right, but you feel like your tongue has a mind of its own ("Ok, so I know you're leaving for Haiti tomorrow and it's 1 am and you are going to be camping on the ground, debriding wounds, comforting orphans, and eating 2 granola bars and an MRE as you hike 12 miles to the city each day?" **Note: these details are all true!** "Well, what are some other things that I need to put on my presidency meeting agenda? I need help, sister! I'm stressed!")? Well, I've been there this week. Missing Danna already, and now she and her 25 lb. backpack aren't even going to have to leave me afterall! I'm so sad for Haiti, cuz homegirl is a FABULOUS nurse and a dedicated hard worker like you've never seen!! And so's her mama, who almost went too!

K, don't be offended of my seemingly light treatment of the Haiti theme. I really feel so sorry about the pain and suffering going on there and would gladly give up Danna and lots of other stuff to help them out. I donated here if you wanna join me. 100% of the money goes to the people themselves for their needs and care. I just did a tiny bit of inward whining about being without her for so long in such a crazy time. Suzy's not able to run for a while either due to some health issues, so I'd be out there on the trail. Just me and the guy in the bushes (and the cops). :)

Anyway, this weekend is my trip to Iowa- it's a business trip, but I get to stay in my own hotel room for the first time in my life! I'm totally psyched, and you will most definitely be receiving a blog entry summing up the sweet experience. And get this- the concierge has located a fun river pathway I can run on! Cool, eh? My boss said he would run with me. Not sure that's gonna work. 1)I'm super slow compared to most athletic men. 2)Awkward? 3)What if I want a walk break? "Um boss? Can we walk for a minute? You can run on ahead if you don't wanna walk with me..." I dunno.

Well, blog readers. Thanks for being faithful and asking for new posts. We feel loved and needed. And remember- this is the year to run!

This weekend's training (from Galloway's "Novice" schedule):

SLC, UT 1/2 Marathoners
Saturday: 3 Miles


Ogden, UT 1/2 Marathoners
Saturday: 4 Miles

Buffy- I wanna learn the foot taping method you mentioned in your comment! I wanna buy clogs too. I think I also wanna buy one of those ties or boots that stretches your calf and plantar fascia all night.

XOXO
~K

Working on the blog, working on the bod

Hey, it's Kristin.

Browsing around and reading other people's blogs has become my favorite hobby lately. And not just runners' blogs (though I do enjoy those quite often). I like blogs full of eye candy and ideas, blogs about moms' lives (even though I don't have kids yet), and blogs about my friends and family. Blogs are so cool! You can read about people's lives, and ideas, and creations, and advice- all for free! It's crazy. And I love the novelty of them. I like thinking about things to blog about, and reading people's comments. Ok, I'll stop being blogsessed now.

Today D and I went for a run. It's been a bizarre running week for us. One day the ground was slick with new snow and slush and we couldn't run cuz we were sliding all over the place. Out of kindness, D didn't wear her Yaktrax (so we could be equals) and we forged the trail together. Instead of running we walked up and down a hill we call "glute hill" for it's tendency to work our bums. We must've walked up and down that thing for over an hour. Then yesterday the mad howling wind scared me back to bed (Danna will run in anything though. She was probably disappointed). I could just imagine coming home all face-chafed and frazzled after trying to run in that insane wind. And my bed's comfy-ness didn't help. I probably should've stayed up and done a work-out video, but...I didn't occur to me since I was part zombie still. PS: Runners- do you run in crazy wind? Advice?


Today we finally got in a good run. It was an afternoon/evening run. (Suzy's kind of out of commission for a bit right now and that's why we haven't run with her lately.) I love night runs. Totally different that AM runs. That ethereal fog and moonlight are so cool in the mornings! But at night the city is alive, and the air is warmer. So refreshing. Anyway, we just did 5 miles, but it was fun and a nice way to end our crazy work weeks. Our bodies really needed that run too! After skipping too many days we can really feel the lost conditioning!

Side note: I called the cops on a guy on the trail whom I saw sitting in the bushes. I actually call the local police quite often. I think they must roll their eyes when they look at the caller ID: "It's her again!" I call them when there are suspicious lurkers in the bushes (tonight), or obnoxious drunk people on the train, or people trying to start fights, or teens with illegal substances, or even people without a leash whose dogs are running (and pooping) rampant all over the parkway! Yes, I'm that lady. And proud of it, darn it!

Oh!! This week I'm going on a business trip to Coralville Iowa. We're checking out the nearby hospital and tring to implement some of their technology. I'm definitely going to have to find a cool place to run. Anyone know the area?! Running trails? Cool spots?

XOXO
~K

Tuesday Night Musings

Kristin again.

Ahh, the rest day. Yes I love to run, but I love my rest days!

Poor Matt. Now that I'm training for some half marathons, he's back to the duty of going up and down the stairs to get things for me when I'm trying to "lay off the feet." I also ask for a "mini massage" every night as part of the whole tucking me in process. YES, I make my husband tuck me in. I highly recommend it. He's always hovering over his laptop while I do my get ready for bed process. This involved many things, from heating my pj's up in the towel spa D gave me as a gift for finishing the Marathon, to reading my scriptures, and goofing around until he starts nagging me to get to bed. Even though he stays up, I like that he makes me go to bed. Otherwise I dilly dally for hours, and play around on the blog, FB, and nieniedialogues. I start "over grooming," like touching up toenail polish, and looking at every one of my pores in the mirror.

I have decided not to run the Wasatch Back, but I feel a bit of anti-buyer's remorse. Krissy, have you run it? I'm scared of the intense hills! All the people on their website said it was the hardest (and most fun!) race of their lives. Harder than a marathon! If only you didn't have to stay up all night and then some!

This week, I have decided that it's time for me to start icing my foot again after runs. It's not so bad if you are wondering. I get cold really easily, but for some reason, icing always becomes very tolerable and almost comfy very fast! Must be the numbing effect.

I also really want to work on my running form this week. Short strides, pushing off with the toes, keeping my feet parallel (an issue of mine), and keeping my chest up and out so I'm never leaning forward. It's time to start getting ready to rock the Spring races!! I'm excited to run with so many friends in the races this year.

XOXO
-K

Running Resolutions

It is I. Kristin. (I originally put "it's me," but with a writer/grammarian for a spouse, that incorrect grammar's not going to fly.)



It's the beginning of a new year and I feel excited! What could this year hold for me? Last year I ran my first marathon- something I never thought I could do. Something I never wanted to do actually. I'm still so proud of myself when I think about it. I met Suzy last year too. And Danna, Suzy and I bonded in a way only girls who train for a marathon together can. What a fun year as far as running goes. I also learned last year that I actually enjoy running.

It just takes about 3 miles for me to start feeling that runner's high, and since I had never gotten that far, running was just a drag for me. I know that is not encouraging for non-runners. "Oh great. I won't feel good until I've run for a half an hour? I'll stick with the stationary bike." But it's so worth it when you get there! You feel that enjoyment and freshness runners are always talking about. You start to relish the feeling and the scenery. Your mind even opens up and you start getting ideas. Then you want to run more and more and it's not a fight with yourself anymore. Welllll, I think if we didn't have running partners waiting for us, we might struggle a bit more. It's just hard to slack when you know the others are totally there, ready to go, and ready to call you a wimp!

My New Year's Resolutions are:
Live the 2 day rule. (See D's last post)
Blog 2X a week +
Be diligent with my IT band stretches and VOM exercises daily
Run faster! Speech training.
Strength train 1X/week- a must for distance runners!
Love the runs! Run with fun fabulous people, enjoy every season and trail, relish that time.
Do a half marathon with Matt.

Getting ready for Saturday's run!

Here we come!

Rarrr!

Don't worry-I'm just stretching my achilles. :)

Anyone have tips for rotating pictures?

Me, freezing my ears off right before Danna's family drove my hat to me!

Half marathoners! Are you ready for your weekend long run? Call if you want to run with us (7 or 8 am?) and don't forget a headband for your ears! I also recommend heating your water up just a bit. Enjoy the run! 2010 is the year for me to love running more than ever.

XOXO
~K

Weekend of fabulousness. -or- Back in the running game!

This is Kristin.

Okay, okay, so I have missed a couple of my regularly scheduled blog entries. Whoopsie! (PS: Kristina Barss, what happened to your regular comment-making ways??)

Well, we have some super exciting news. To get the second bit of news, you'll have to check some of our up-coming blog entries, cuz I can't bear to say all the fun things in one shot!

See this sexy man I'm with? Well he and I have signed up for the SLC half marathon! Anyone else running it? It's going to be so much fun, and I'm psyched to run it with Matt. It's fun (and motivating) to have a big race to look forward to. Guess who else is running it. Danna! And her mom, and like a bunch of her other friends and family. My sister Karin and her hubby might run it too. What a blast!! Wanna join us? It's not too late to sign up.

Another bit of exciting news? My foot..........IS HEALED!!! Yes, it really is. I have been symptom free for several runs, and last week I ran 3 days, over 18 miles total- PAIN FREE! You have no idea how great this is, and what a relief it is too. (PS: My theory on what caused my plantar fasciitis? Not the marathon, but rather the soft flat shows I wore daily for weeks while trying to nurse my other injury.)

I had the BEST and most fabulous week last week. Having New Year's off, I lounged around in bed both Friday and Saturday until the afternoon really. Went running with D both days, and had a blast hanging out with that sexy guy in the photo up there. He spent all his Christmas gifts cards on fun things for us to do together. What a sweetheart.

That same week, some of my favorite people in the world came over.
It was so good to catch up with old college roommates and friends! I love em. I want them to move in with us. Will you guys?


They just happened to marry some of our college guy-friends. Why is Matt replaced in this picture with my friend Ryan? Ryan showed up, and Matt got the flu and went upstairs. I think he was sick of parading around the party in an N-95 mask. :) PS. I may even do a triathlon with some of these guys. Not sure I can swim though.

Another major highlight of the weekend?

What do you notice about the sky in this picture? That's right! It's not dark or sunrise-y. Yes, Danna and I ran in the afternoon! We both like to sleep in and laze in bed. I think we called each other around 2 pm asking, "Are you up?" And those runs were the funnest! (Even though I was a total wimp and needed pep talks all along the run. So out of shape. Curse you plantar fasciitis! **fist shake**) We had that really great kind of girl talk where you go home feeling awesome home refreshed. You know the ones. The runs where you laugh, yell, cry, reassure, thank, listen. I also finished The Book Thief, which D finished a few days earlier. That was one of the things that provoked tears on the run. Sad! Holocaust book! D loved it. I have mixed emotions.

Here's what I'm reading (and loving!) now:


XOXO -K

Adventurous Washington weekend

This is Kristin, posting to you live from Washington (state). Matt and I came to see our friends Matt and Alicia Curtis for Matt C's 30th Bday.

First of all, it's a 13 hour drive from SLC so we drove all night long. This was a rough night for many reasons. The weather was rainy and verrrry foggy, the roads were icy, and I had a hard time sleeping soundly (despite the fact that Matt is an excellent night/snow driver/stay-up -all-nighter. Alicia offered to get us a hotel room, but much to my disappointment, Matt said he'd prefer she just put the money toward our gas fill-ups to help with the over-all cost of the trip. I was bummed. :)

At about 2:30 Matt and I had a super scary experience in a snowy mountain. The battery light kept coming on, the head and dash lights kept getting dimmer, and the wipers kept getting slower. So did the car. Seriously, just writing about it gives me anxiety- it was so freaky! We couldn't find an exit and didn't think we'd make it to the next one (we later learned it was 20 more minutes away anyway). The car slowly came to a puttering stop and we barely made it off the road. We sat shivering and said a prayer. To make a long story short we had a long tow to the nearest town (which was behind us) and cost over $300! Then the alternator needed repair which cost ~$300. We had to sit and wait for the repair shop to open, wait for parts, wait for repairs... Oh and while we waited Matt slipped on the ice and dislocated his shoulder (again!!!) and we bummed a ride to the emergency room. Rough trip, eh?

Well, it was amazing to see our prayers answered in so many ways. On that mountain there was no phone reception, but somehow I just happened to have a bar left when we needed to call the police and tow truck (and Dad). We found the only spot where there was adequate shoulder to pull over. The repair shop said it would be 2 days but we found a nice local teen who fixed it for us that day (and ran to other towns looking for parts). The hospital had no drugs for Matt, but he was able to stand the "re-location" drug-free! What a stud! He's so awesome and tough. The towns people we amazing- offering rides, buying us breakfast, finding a mechanic. It was this hilariously classic small town where EVERYONE knew each other, and knew who we were within a couple hours. The town is called Cle Elum, Washington, and I think the following pictures sum it up.


I found them under Google images for Cle Elum. They are very Cle Elum-ish. Matt agrees.

FINALLY after a 24-hour+ journey, we were back on the road. We got to our friends' house, and went straight to the movie theater for Avatar in IMAX 3-D! It was so awesome, people. Then we went to Red Robin- Matt and Matt's favorite restaurant. Then we came home and crashed (poor Matt hadn't slept since we got up on Thursday)!

The trip was fun and therapeutic for all of us I think (once we got there!). We all love talking, and playing games. They are such good friends to us! We're leaving tomorrow morning. Needless to say I am dreading the drive home, but we decided to do it during the day this time.

During the trip I did get to go on a run! My foot is feeling better and better, and I had no pain at all! I ran around some of the neighborhoods and business areas (I may have done about 4 miles?) and had a great time. Seattle's weather is usually cloudy and misty or rainy. The air was completely saturated with mist and it was really refreshing to run through. It felt like running inside a humidifier! I loved seeing all the trees covered with moss. It was nice to have no snow. My new hat was perfect for the mist and the cool (see Suzy's post a week or so ago).

I love going running when I'm out of town! You get to check out new trails, new weather, and see the area from a runner's perspective. I also love passing fellow runners and sharing that, "We are awesome for being out here in this wet/cold weather" look.

Anyone ever run in a cool city while on vacation? We wanna hear about it.