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

One glorious run

A random pic from chillin' at Suzy's a couple weeks ago.

It's Kristin. I had one of those runs yesterday where you remember why you love doing this. It was one of those runs where you feel all infused with bliss and gratitude! I did 8 miles and didn't really feel the need to walk, didn't need GUs or Gatorade (though I did take a GU near the end to avoid issues). I slept in and had a sunny run. I got sunburned even though I wore sunscreen! Spring was in the air. The cool breeze was refreshing once I warmed up and I left my gloves, jacket, underarmour shirt, long-sleeved tee, extra pants, scarf and hat ALL in the car! And I added sunglasses. I loved it! It felt so good to get some sun; I could practically feel the Vitamin D getting absorbed. All the other runners looked psyched too. It was good to get that much mileage in. OH! (Danna I know you hate to miss this.) I also saw a fox across the river! He was in full view and gorgeous, and kept lunging into the water. Fishing? So so cool. The sound of the birds and the river are still fresh in my mind.

Running alone can be so nice sometimes just to clear your head. I run off negativity and stress, and I get so many ideas. My ideas mostly involve blogging ideas, relationship ideas, or spiritual insights. Jeff Galloway says your mind is at peak creativity and insightful-ness during a run, and that many studies have shown that runners have more positive attitude traits than non-runners.

Well, not all runs are easy or glorious, that's for sure. When things aren't going well, my advice is to try some of the following ideas:

• ipods! I like my aerobics mixes
• partners (come join us for example!). Nothing gets you on the trail at 5 like knowing someone is waiting for you.
• mantras. Try finding your own positive mantra for those really tough runs. My sister Mikelle does this a lot and has had great success.
  
• walk break! :)
• buy a new running item. It makes getting out on the trail fun.
• distractions! Like a piece of candy, a gummy bear, gum, a mint, a pretzel; or thinking about your environment, your life, what running is doing for your body, what road markers you've passed and which are coming up, etc.

What else works for you guys?

PS: Look at the cool GUs Danna got me for Christmas! I don't know if you can see them, but they say "Keep Going 2010" and they are vanilla gingerbread-flavored.
They're really good- I love em! Thanks D.

XOXO
~K

Run Dumb

K and I ran this morning with Friend Lindsey. She is from Palm Springs. She is an Occupational Therapist. She is in love with a boy named Sam. Sam works for Murray city... he works on the up-keep of the parkway. We now have an in! (ok, other than you Mayor Dan, but you're the big guns, we save our favors until they're huge to come to you. no offense.) Kristin has this intricate plan that Murray city police officers as they patrol the parkway should randomly check for leashes and to ensure owners have a baggie on them. It's actually quite a hilarious plan.

Speaking of hilarious, I once read a question posed to the illustrious Jeff Galloway. The runner asked why after a longer run they felt like they couldn't think as quickly, got confused more easily. Jeff replied that becasue the brain's fuel is glucose, and that can be the first thing burned, at the end of a long run, you might not have adequate stores until eating. TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN! I'm here to tell you- During a long run, EVERYTHING is super, hilarious, funniest thing you ever heard. Also, do not make tomorrow's running plans then, because it results in embarrasing texts later in the day "...Uh, what time tomorrow again?" You also are physically incapable of ordering food at a restaurant. " What were my choices again? Hash browns or fries huh? Uh, uh, hmmm. let me think here." . It's not good, and your running partners will tease you about it FOREVER! We call it "run-dumb".

Good luck with your long runs tomorrow! And good luck choosing pancakes or french toast afterwards--- impossible.

Friends and family are forever

Hey all- It's Danna. What a week. I was literally packed, prepared, and at the plane this week to go to Haiti with my mom for relief efforts. We had weight issues on the plane due to being notified at the last minute we needed to take all of our water for the entire team of 150 for the entire 21 days. My mom and I both really felt the right thing to do was to volunteer to not go. For every person who insisted they NEEDED to go, medical supplies were taken off the plane. We both thought, this is NOT right. We didn't want to go for our ego's, we were there to help. We waited until the last literal minute at the airport just in case the weight and balances of the plane logistics changed, but in the end, I think we chose well, to help by staying home.
It was disappointing, because we really wanted to help, but I think we did, by the choice we made. We may have to option of going in three weeks, but I think I'll decompress and evaluate if the decision comes to fruition.


Anyway- I was going to name this post "total nerds" because my mom and I obviously are, as you can tell from the above picture! We now have almost identical gear- right down to our garmins. I think when people see us running together they laugh. But we should be used to that by now!
This week we received a comment from a reader Brandi who recently lost a baby. She is a sweetheart. Her story is amazing and heart-breaking. She wants to begin running again to help heal her heart.
Over the past years- I have had disappointments, sadness, and fear. I'm sure everyone reading this has. Sometimes it can be hard to know how to feel better, or how to deal with hard feelings. I am amazed at how running clears my head. I can literally feel sorted-out after a run. I find this to be especially true with running outdoors. It seems that nature is God's domain. Just being outside when I run or walk helps. I also love running with my friends. Kristin, Suzy, Ksenia, my mom. There is a power of healing when women band together. I believe that marriages are happier when women have close friends. It's really not realistic or even fair to depend on one person to meet your needs. I think the best gift you can give a husband is to have your own, close friends. If you don't feel like you have friends like that now, here is the formula. Ready to know the secret? Here it is... Pray about it. Ask for it. Then just start running. God will work out the rest. Running has been a good friend to me. Trust God to take care of you and He will.
Of course, we would always love to run with you too!



We are all trying to be better, fitter, happier people at the end of this year. Make running with friends a central part. You will amaze yourself by who you are in December, even July. We know you can do it- just ask us!

you asked for it...

Hi- It's Danna! Well, I have been asked a lot about my crazy family since my last post. So, I thought you might like a couple pics. These are from last Easter:

Matt and K found the coveted chocolate bunny. Notice Ksenia in the background.
The easter egg hunt is CUT THROAT! Small children are pushed aside, and "adults" throw hissy fits over things like, "that was my chocolate bunny! give it back....." Lowering of standards would be entered about at this point.


The official lighting platform for each person's rocket. The police were not here yet at this point.
Notice all the sane people standing BACK at a safe distace.


It takes A LOT of concentration ok? Devan is a ring leader.

The big one. Notice it's propped up with duct tape. typical




Houston- we have lift-off! It's officially a holiday with Danna's family.

Ski free- and stuff you'll wish you didn't know

Hey - It's Danna! Ok, I'll be honest, before there was 'run like a girl' there was 'ski like a girl'. In fact, a little trivia point for you here- we came up with the 'she runs like a girl' name from a playlist I have on my I-pod- ski like a girl. I ski with my mom during the winter about once a week. We have a riot. Of course, all I see of her is the snow she is kicking up in my face, but cest la vie right?

Notice my cool helmet! It has speakers in the ears, so I had to have a ski play-list. Actually the helmet came to be because I have these brothers that are super crazy insane.

Case and Point(s): We snorkled in Florida- they were reprimanded by the captain of our boat for "hasseling the sharks". They have installed a zip-line from the top of my parent's property to the back, and then when new babies are born in the family, they have contests to see who can get the youngest kid down on it. Preferably alive. They build home-made rockets and light them off scaring neighbors and police alike every Easter. They rock climb stuff that pro's wouldn't. These are the examples I can think of on a whim. Back to the helmet... They are the kind of skiers that you only see as they fly off the cliff above you. They break new skis every year, get kicked out of resorts, and break legs as a general practice. Ask me sometime about the calls I get at all hours...
Misc brother: "hey"
Me: "hey. do you know what time it is?"
Misc brother: "he, he yeah, so uh, whats up?"
Me: "what now?"
Misc brother: "so I was just wondering what you think I should do, cause I think I can see the
bone almost through the skin on my leg"
Me:" well, I think I would see a doctor"
Misc brother:" yeah, well, I'm kinda in the middle of the mountian. (insert painful little laugh)
Me:" so get patrol to pull you out on a tobaggan"
Misc brother:"Well, I think I'll try to ski down on one leg, uh, what do you think?"
Me: "Sounds stupid, but whatever."
Misc brother "ok, thanks, talk to ya later"

And then he really does ski down.

S0- the norm in our family is slightly off-kelter. When I skiied with them 2 years ago- I was stupid enough to try to keep up with them, long story short- went off an unmarked drop-off, LANDED IT(!) then quickly tried to not meet some trees close up, and the end result was two very injured thumbs. Adam then insisted on the helmet. Hence the ski play list!!!! Long story to explain a play-list right? These two really are the ones responsible for all the craziness. It's their fault. We all agree on that.

We do, as a side note, pick up strays too. Ksenia- you've seen her on the site, she is training for the SLC Half with us. We got her from Russia- and we kept her. She is my sister now.
We also have "the hobo" he just moved in downstairs one day, and we kept him too. He is now one of the crazy brothers referred to in the above stories.

So, I am skiing with my mom and dad for cross-training. Something else you should know about us- we don't pay for anything you don't have to. So here is the ultimate FREE cross training tip of the year- Ski Alta. You can ski every day there after 3pm for free. Yep- free. The lifts are limited, but hey- it's free. Most Utah ski resorts have some variant of this program, but Alta is the only one who does it every day, the same way. We love it- free skiing. That is our kind of sport.

So while we are on the subject of family- we received this question from my sister Buffy: she has her own brand of craziness, but it translates into 7 minute miles, so... why didn't that speed demon kind of crazy happen to me is the real question here. But here it is:

"Ok, She Runs Like a Girl Runners, I need some help and advice... I have BAD feet! I have always had bad feet, but now that I am long distance running, my feet really hurt and I need to baby them NOW and prevent major damage, so I can keep running. Does the tennis ball theory work? Should I soak them in cold epsom salt after runs? Should I take Ibuprofen??? Any other ideas? Thanks for your help!"

So, this is my answer. Yes- ice. Kinda yes- Ibuprofen. Yes- Epsom salts. Sure- try the tennis ball. NOTHING will make the difference that wearing Dansko clogs will. Nothing. I'd like to bear my testimony of clogs. (ha ha, but not really) All the girls in the fam have bad feet. I tried all those things, plus cutom fit VERY expensive orthotics, Designer drug prescription anti-inflammatories, and anything else I could think of. Nothing actaully FIXED the problem until I started wearing clogs most days. I still wear stillettos and wedges and boots with a great heel etc, but for my day to day shoes, it's the clogs. I actually think they look really cute and I can be on my feet all day, and my feet don't even twinge any more- ever. Clogs will FIX your feet. We can shop for them when you come out to visit!

Does anybody else have some ideas for foot pain? Let's hear what you all think!

Don't forget to get a run in today!

To race or not to race.

Happy Birthday to Danna! Here we are with a few friends at Dear Lizzie!

It's Kristin here.

This last week's medium run we did 7 miles. (Suz wasn't with us- refusing to subject her lungs to the nasty inverted air quality of last week. I don't blame her.) It was a fantastic run for me! I felt great the whole run- just relishing that runner's high, and the feeling of catharsis that comes with a good long run. This was the first run in months that wasn't a struggle. To be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk. Lately running has been so...grueling for me. I've tried to keep up with D and S, but my body's clearly not in as good of shape as theirs lately. This whole foot injury resting thing has taken me backward big time. Sometimes I hate to admit this, knowing people may hear it and think, "You struggled for months until you got back into the groove? No thanks- running's not for me." But it's worth it! The company was worth it, and the feeling after the run, the caloric burning, the sense of discipline and accomplishment, the fellowship with other runners. Anyway, Iw as so happy to finally be feeling great again! Hang in there new runners, it's so worth it.

On our long run we ran a different trail- one we haven't run in a while. We talked about work, family, cute husbands, running itself (as always), blogging, future races. Danna's really interested in running the Wasatch Back this year- a killer 2-day relay race through the mountain passes that is a blast. Anyone done it? I'm so tempted, bu THE HILLS! I'm so not a hill person. We are also considering the San Francisco Nike women's marathon in the fall (also very hilly of course- San Francisco) where you get a Tiffany Necklace at the end as your medal, served on a silver platter by the local firemen dressed in tuxes. How can a girl resist. Oh hills, why must you torment me? But for the little robin's egg blue box, I think I just might. Suzy, wanna come?


I say run while you can! What if next year you're pregnant? Or have a (non-running-induced) injury? Or what if the air quality makes running impossible? Or... You just never know.

I was totally inspired by this video I found this morning. This guy video taped his Disneyworld Marathon. The nostalgia actually brought tears to my eyes- especially watching the starting line (warning: hand-held camera=shaky running footage), seeing the other runners, the crowd, the whole marathon atmosphere. Can't wait to do it again.



Ksenia left a question on our last post:
Great resolutions! Sorry I couldn't make it for the run with you guys this week. I did about 6 miles today! I feel great. There is nothing better than that feeling of achievement when I finish my run. I agree with you that I really start enjoying it fully only after mile 3!

If I run in the morning, at around 8-9, do I need to eat breakfast? My stomach seems to deal with the run better if I don't. What is the official runner's doctrine on that?

Thanks! You guys are my inspiration!

My thoughts are as follows: We 3 think eating before the race is a good idea, as it settles your stomach. Gels and Gatorade are hard on the stomach. However if you are going to do this you need to practice on the long training runs. We liked a half or full piece of (dry) toast, (D likes a hard-boiled egg), and 1/2 a banana. We also practiced with bananas and pretzels mid-run since that's what the aid stations hand out. Avoid fatty foods, dairy, too much protein, too much fiber/roughage. Also, drink liquids (6-8 oz) as soon as you get up, then 6-8 oz/hour (Galloway's Book on Running p. 90) before you run. I have never been able to eat before a run until I started practicing. I had to put the toast in the toaster the second I got up so I wasn't eating too close to the run.

XOXO

~K

Training for your spring half marathons

Danna cracking up about a hilarious joke I must've told.

Kristin, relishing the joy of her new baby lap-top from Matt!

Ha ha! Yes, we like to lounge in bed all day on Saturday's. Usually in our own respective beds, but when there's serious blogging to do- we don't mind sharing the space. That's just the kind of bff's we are! :P

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey all! It's actually Danna AND Kristin! We are sitting side-by-side with our little computers hammering out the details for all our trainees for the upcoming race season.

We are all signed up for both the SLC and the Ogden Half Marathons! This is the great news Kristin eluded to in her last post. We didn't think we could get into the Ogden, but thanks to Danna's skills of persuasion and our running blog- we're in!! If you wanna run it too, you can still sign up for the Salt Lake! We have "She Runs Like a Girl" team and we welcome anyone who wants to to join us for our Saturday runs.

Every week we will give you the week's training schedule for whichever half-marathon you are running! Both races are known to be well run and scenic. Super! We are SO excited! Our 'she runs like a girl' team rocks! Ogden Marathon has even asked our team for feedback to use for promotion for next year's race- you'll be famous!!

Here are the schedules in their entirety for convenience. Each week we will post what you should run, what you need to concentrate on, tips for that specific week, and what equipment/nutrition you need to have. You are going to be a super-star and we are going to help you! Check back often to stay up-to-date. Please feel free to ask questions or comment on how you are feeling.

Here we are with our little Saturday running group! My [Danna's] mom and my Russian sister, Ksenia. We had a great run today.


Plan on running Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays (whether you run with us or not) with a walk on Thursdays. The remaining days are rest days, which means REST.

Salt Lake Half Marathon Training Schedule:

Race Day Saturday April 17th,
Every Monday and Wednesday, Run 30 min
Every Thursday go for an easy walk.

Here are the mileages for the Saturdays:

Jan 9-Run/Walk 5 miles
Jan 16- Run/Walk 2.5 miles
Jan 23-Run/Walk 6.5 miles
Jan 30-Run/Walk 3 miles
Feb 6- Run/Walk 8 miles
Feb 13- Run/Walk 3 miles
Feb 20-Run/Walk 9.5 miles
Feb 27- Run/Walk 4 miles
Mar 6- Run/Walk 11 miles
Mar 13- Run/Walk 4 miles
Mar 20-Run/Walk 12.5 miles
Mar 27-Run/Walk 4 miles
April 3- Run/Walk 14 miles
April 10-Run/Walk 5 miles
April 17- Race Day!

Ogden Half Marathon Training Schedule:

Race Day, Sat, May 15th
Every Monday and Wednesday run 30 minutes
Every Thursday go for an easy walk.

Here are the Saturday long runs:

Jan 23-Run/Walk 3 miles
Jan 30-Run/Walk 4 miles
Feb 6-Run/Walk 5 miles
Feb 13-Run/Walk 2.5 miles
Feb 20-Run/Walk 6.5 miles
Feb 27-Run/Walk 3 miles
Mar 6- Run/Walk 8 miles
Mar 13-Run/Walk 3 miles
Mar 20-Run/Walk 9.5 miles
Mar 27-Run/Walk 4 miles
Apr 3-Run/Walk 11 miles
Apr 10-Run/Walk 4 miles
Apr 17-Run/Walk 12.5 miles
Apr 24-Run/Walk 4 miles
May 1- Run/Walk 14 miles
May 8-Run/Walk 5 miles
May 15- Race Day

Any questions??

These are Jeff Galloway's running schedules. You should check his web-site for more detailed information and running precautions. "If you are already doing more than is on this schedule, you can continue to maintain that schedule, as long as your legs are recovering quickly between runs. You may begin on the week which has a long run as long as you're currently running." You can link to his site here. We assume no responsibility for injuries acquired during training. Consult a doctor before beginning any new work-out. :)

XOXO,
K & D

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

Running under the blue moon

Posted by: Kristin

Bundled up before the run. After a few minutes that scarf and my coat were gone!

My first experience wearing a grocery store bag on my feet for a snowy trail. Highly recommended! Didn't cause hot feet or discomfort at all! I think adding that foot powder we like would've been even better.

Note to self- trim toenails more often. My pinky nail jabbed me all through the run!

I just found out that last night (December 31st) was a blue moon! A blue moon is the rare situation in which there is a full moon twice in one month. This only occurs one every 2-3 years. Hence the famous phrase "once in a blue moon." No, it's not a person mooning you when they're cold.

Well, most people have to wait until it gets dark to enjoy the blue moon, but we 3 got to see it nice and early Wednesday morning. We didn't realize it was a blue moon at the time, but we did get look at it and comment on how full and beautiful it looked. Seriously, winter morning runs are so gorgeous!

What a beautiful run! But a seriously tough one for me. I think I'm majorly out of shape compared to D and S. I was huffing and puffing and begging for walks. They were gliding along like nimble gazelles, and I was a clumsy rhino in the few inches of soft/sandy snow. They were Olympic speed skaters and I was just putting on my first skates; they were Thumper on the ice and I was Bambi. You get the idea- I was working hard! D and S had their Yaktrax. I'm considering getting something like that, cuz my bod was so so sore from stabilizing the whole run! Sheesh!
Here's D's sidewalk to give you an idea of the snow depth- our path was NOT plowed, thankyouverymuch.

Me, coyly showing my frosty hat.
I really wanted to get a shot of D's hair- white with frost, but I kid you not, 5-10 seconds after we entered her house the frost was melted!

This pic doesn't do justice to the bright red stripes on my ribs and belly. Even after the hot shower these spots stayed super red from being cold! This always happens where I have excess body fat (yes I have a bit over my ribs there). Weird! A fun reminder of where you need to lose a little! Not.

Wish you could see this pic up close! Suzy's hairs were each individually wrapped in frost- just like pine needles get in the morning. It looked so cool. It was cooler that usual since we ran through some seriously wet foggy spots. It felt like running through a humidifier's stream!

Hey!! No one has said anything about my last post where we invited y'all to run with us! No takers? What if it's at 11:00 am? C'mon, don't be afraid, ladies!

Happy New Year! XOXO

APX alarm protects more than just your home

So many exciting things have happened lately. Where to begin...

First, I want to tell about our run a couple of weeks ago- the biggest run yet- 16 miles!! Can you believe it? I'm amazed at myself! And the strangest thing is, it wasn't even hard- it felt good. Weird!!

The weather that morning. Rain!

Danna, Suzy, and I arrived at our new trail after much driving around in circles in the rain. We finally found the spot where we could park on the Legacy Parkway trail in Davis County- my favorite location yet! Oh yeah, it was pouring! It was pre-crack of dawn. It was freezing. Who'dve thought to check the weather in the middle of August? We've never really run in heavy rain before. If the girls had said, "Let's bag it," I was game. We wimpily sat in the car for a WHILE, reapplying bodyglide, staring at the trail, leaning on the head rests.

My hood was scant protection against the downpour. I rage against nature.

When we finally stepped out, we were immediately frozen and drenched. None of us wanted to get our only hoodies soaked and render them useless before we even started, so we took them off and huddled together under a covering.

Then I had a genius idea! Matt used to sell security systems for a company called APX and all his old work shirts were in the trunk waiting to go to the D.I. We each put on a sweet blue APX shirt (I put on 2) and it totally did the trick! It was so funny though because the shirts were so manly and big, and all matchy-matchy too! People must've thought it was our team outfit! Ha ha! Plus we ran with our arms inside the shirts for at least a couple miles. And our water belts were inside too! We probably looked like a bunch of crazies. Out in the rain, armless, lumpy, matching. Go team APX!! Well of course these shirts are now a permanent car trunk item. You just never know when they'll come in handy again! Plus they have major sentimental value now.




As we warmed up, the weather actually felt really good, and the new scenery was great, the conversation was stellar, and the run was awesome!!

Then last Saturday, Danna and I ran in SLC- from Memory Grove up City Creek Canyon to the top and back. It was our designated "hill training week." Danna knew I was dreading hill training big time and am very freaked about the elevation changes on the actual St. George Marathon course. I have been whining and scared about it for weeks. I read all the St. George forums about it too, and freak myself out even more. We ran uphill for about 7 miles- torture for me! Then down for 5-6. Danna had to pull out all the big guns for me to be able to continue. She even provided me with motivational and distracting gifts throughout so that I would make it to the top. Like Jelly Belly energy beans, mango creme savers (PS: Adam, I know the Jelly Bellys were from you. You're the best!) which are surprisingly helpful. I even brought her a gift of my own! I put my hand on my bum at one point (no idea why now that you ask) and felt something strange. I said, "There's something on my bum!!" and after a short struggle, I pulled out:
A dish scrubbie pad! Yes, it had adhered its sneaky little self to my shorts' inner lining while in the dryer. Plus I wear the little Under Armor shorts under those. Wow. If anyone on that mountain had needed a pot scrubbed, I was their girl!

Danna also found a cute little cave. I was unable to join her in spelunking as: a.) it would have required that I climbed down and up a bunch of stairs, and my legs were already uber-stiff (and it was only about mile 7) so I'm pretty sure I never would have made it back up the stairs and b.) I was charitably trying to help her learn to use the timer button on her camera. :) Danna was way too spunky during hill training. She ran down and up those stairs twice! And at the end of our torturous run, she asked if we could run up the hill to the Avenues, and then down the steps to the car again. Um, no Danna. That's enough!! I told her she was more than welcome to do so, as long as she didn't mind walking home alone.

Here we are icing and stuff:

No, but seriously, the hill training wasn't as bad as I had feared. I really think Danna picked out a sick run this time and we got to see so many cool and beautiful (and blissfully distracting) things. Like Memory Grove when it's still dark! We also saw homeless people getting up in the morning, and druggies dealing, and dogs running around, and fellow St. George Marathon-ers. We ran for several miles near these 2 other guys training for St. George, and they were so funny. Might I add that they were veteran marathoners, and we passed them!! I hope they didn't see our high fives. They told us about other marathons they'd run, including one they ran next to none other than JEFF himself!! And we (D and I) talked together about every topic under the sun- from the gospel, to the differences between men and women, to life working in the hospital, to bristle pads of all things!!

Girl's camp

A couple weeks ago I was at girls' camp which was super fun- I love all the girls so much!! They are fabulous. Here's the only shot I took. What a lame camerawoman, right? Luckily, one of the YW -Bailey- helped me out and took 16 interesting shots of her own face. I have shared some real gems below from that sample.

Last week Matt and I spent the week with my fam and a few friends in Lake Powell. I did a lot of water running as X-training. Mikelle and I even got up at 6 one morning and went running on some hiking trails. It was fun. We got to drive the wave runner up a cool swampy river, saw baby frogs, ancient pictographs, we nearly sprained our ankles, and we rocked out with out ipods!On our way to the run!

Inside the boat

My dad has been feeling worried that the world may think I only ever wear a sweaty bun in my hair, to match my sweaty outfit and make-up-less face. (My parents have always been vehemently anti-bun.) Well, just for you, Daddio, I have included a few photos below, proving that I am not just Sweaty Bun Girl. And I do have an outfit other than that dang black and white one I think we are all a little sick of seeing on the blog by now.