For the love of Lavender.... and running!

Ok all of you 'she runs like a girl' followers....It's time to sign up the Young Living lavender farms 5k! This will be a unique opportunity to run through the lavender fields. After the race they are having family fun stuff and activities, as well as "you pick" lavender. They have a free wreath making class as well. My sister Katie even plans to run it with her 8 year old. What a fun mommy thing! Sign up with our team name, and plan a fun day with all of us!

http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/company/farms/lavenderharvest5k.html

The Glorious Ogden Half Marathon (by: Kristin)

This race is dedicated to:

Mr. Hottie McHotterson

I barely slept the night before the race- lots of tossing and turning and checking the clock.  I have decided I hate race mornings with their painfully early hours and endless to-dos (up at 3:30, drink water, bathroom, Glide, belt, outfit, chip, bib, drink water, winter clothes, bathroom, sunscreen, hair, face, shoes, map...).  Matt took me to the buses where I met up with D, S, Amber, Rick, and Julie.  The bus ride up took forever!  I wondered if they had mistaken us for the full marathoners.  The drives are always humbing,, helping you realize just how long the race actually is.  The race starts up lovely Ogden Canyon in a charming city called Eden.  There we racers waited for a looong time (the other thing I don't like about race morning). 

The temp was a little cold at the start, but I must say that the weather throughout the entire race was absolutely perfect.  It was nice and sunny, yet cool with a slight breeze.  We keep getting lucky in our races, weather-wise. 

As we all kindof got into the groove of our paces, Danna and I paired off, and within a mile or 2 Suzy caught up to us (6 months pregnant, might I add?) and we ran together for a while.  D and S knew I wanted a PR this race, and I was determined to run alone if needed.  They tend to have to make bathroom stops often.  When aid stations were coming up they would sprint ahead and make a VERY speedy bathroom visit.  I would slow down a bit and we'd get together again.  At one point I realized that I really needed to speed up if I was going to make my PR.  We were having so much fun chatting and it was just like the old training runs we 3 used to do together (we haven't had a really long 'long run' together in ages).  

Then I had an epiphany.  Why was it important for me to beat my PR?  I'm not a fast runner, I'm not trying to qualify for anything.  What I like about running and racing is the experience of it.  A PR is nothing but me competing with myself and possibly not enjoying races as much.  I decided to stick with the girls and love the race.  And seriously, this race was just pure joy!  It's so nice to feel good, run with fabulous girlfriends, and just take it all in.  

The aid stations for this race were every single mile!  And they had the genius idea of letting local businesses run the aid stations.  Every station is basically an ad for that business, and they compete which each other to have the coolest station.  It's ridiculous how full our belt pouches were by the end of the race.  They gave away such things as...a whole pack of Five brand gum, every flavor of GU and Clif Bar at every station, otter pops, hard candies, skittles, twizzlers, pretzels, fruit, other candy, and every first aid item imaginable (Icy Hot, Vasoline, Sunscreen packets, etc.)  How fun is that.  Danna, for example, had over $15 worth of GU in her belt at the finish line.  Funny!

As for the course itself, it was absolutely gorgeous!  We ran through the beautiful canyon, always next to either a big pretty lake with boats and ducks, or a lovely river with charming little houses all along it.  And the hills were green and gorgeous.  Then we run through this charming little series of parks on a running trail- under trees, under and over bridges, through tunnels.  The race ends on Historic 25th Street with a huge crowd. 

A few other pluses for this race:

None of the aid station bathrooms had a line!!  Ever!  And this is the only race I've ever run where all the spectators actually cheer for you!  (Not just for their loved one.)   I mean all of them!  And all the volunteers had cow bells or music or something.  They were scattered all along the course and constantly cheering.  So great!  I have nothing but utter praise for the Ogden 1/2.  We may consider the full next year it was so great!  Oh, and the drop bags?  Perfectly organized and ready for you to pick them up yourself.  I know you were all wondering.

Okay, so at about mile 10.5 or 11 we were running along happily, and Matt called my cell.  He told me exactly what time I had to finish if I was going to make a PR and told me to pick up the pace!  I did the math and realized a PR was possible, but only if I ran faster than I ever run.  I was feeling so good, I figured, what the heck!  Danna and Suzy agreed to do it with me (the babes) and we kicked it into high gear.  We were furiously passing people and started even getting annoyed that they were constantly in the way (so not our usual style).  We were constantly shouting, "On your left!" and weaving through the people.  Thanks to their Garmins, we were ever aware of our speed too.  After a while, as you can imagine, we got veeery tired (I remind you again, Suzy is 6 mos. pregnant)!  We were doing over 2 minutes per mile faster than our norm.  

We began to groan and complain around mile 12.5.  We were desperate to see the finish line. The closer we got the more we panted and grimmaced,  Adam was there taking our picture at one point and possibly thinking, "Wow, I've never seen them like that.  Did they hit the wall or something?"  We soon caught sight of the finish line and were outright whining (except Danna, who was the faithful cheerleader.  You see, she's been speed and distance training diligently.  We saw the pay-off here as she endured much better than we).  At mile 13 we were in sheer survival mode.  I was doing mantras in my head like never before.  Just when I was near despair, the huge Ogden High School band (right next to us) started banging their drums to the perfect, intense beat and their big brass sound willed me forward.  I heard Matt scream my name near the finish and had only enough energy to smile at him desperately and blow him a kiss.  Danna, Suzy and I finished holding hands!  And then it was straight to the mist showers for a loooong turn.  

Then someone generously doused Suzy with their water bottle.  (She was suddenly way overheated.)  Danna took her to the shade and she was soaking wet.  Then she suddenly got way too cold and started shivering.  Luckily my cousin Jen was a first aid girl there. Long story short, we took Suz to the medical tent where she got such fun medical treatments as this:

Sun + space blanket + new clothes.  I'll let Suzy or Danna tell the rest of that story, but bottom line- Suzy and the baby are ok!  I also went into the medical tent and got iced (my co-worker Michelle was working there too and wrapped the ice for me).  Matt may not have gotten a volunteer shirt this time, but he did sneak into the finisher fair with me.  Races must bring out his mischievous side.  

Ams finished magnificently too- and at a sweet pace, might I add.  We went to look at the chip times and mine was the exact same as my previous PR.  I was pissed!  All that work for nothing!!  But, there is a good ending to this tale my friends.  When the official times came out online, mine was ONE MINUTE faster than my previous PR!  Hahaha!  Yessssss!  And it was all worth it.

Ice ice baby.

Also note the unusally tan legs (if you know my white self at all).  Thanks Clarins.

XOXO

~K

PS: My finish time: 2:31:57

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

Kristin's SLC Half Marathon race report

It's Kristin!  Brace yourself- this is a long one.

Woot!  I ran the SLC Half last weekend and had a great time!  The weather was perfect, and I was in good company.  I haven't raced since October, so it was so exciting to be there among the HUGE crowd of runners again and feel the race adrenaline.  I must admit to feeling jealous of the full marathoners, and also being in awe of them a bit (despite having recently run a full myself!).

The morning went like this:  Matt gets up after a sleepless night worrying about the race (to race or not to race with his lack of training and bad knee).  He finally decides to bag it and come cheer instead.  I go through the whole lengthy race morning routine including: Glide, sunscreen, belt prep, makeup (and next year I'll be adding self-tanner!  Don't hate, low maintenance ladies!  See my white flesh in the pictures below and understand.), outfit, nutrition, etc., etc., etc.

Then we go to pick up Danna and her madre.  Danna has a near panic attack when Matt changes his parking spot in her driveway "Kristin!!  YOUR CAR'S MOVING!!!"  I have a near panic atack thinking...What?!!  Isn't Matt driving it?!  Are we having a race morning emergency?!  Waaaa!!!  ...But no, it's just Matt moving the car and we laugh and realize the race morning jitters are fully upon us.


We take the TRAX train to the starting line.  This part of the day includes such fun stories as: meeting up with Ksenia (D's quasi-sister), lots of racers giving us advice as runners on race day are want to do, a sardine-packed and smelly train ride (How do people already stink?), and me playing a trick on an over-zealous and insane public transit man.


Then the wait.  I love looking at the other runners, their routines, their outfits, their race day choices.  There was some excellent people-watching that morning.  Rock music blared, and we waited in line at the bathrooms most of the hour.  The national anthem was awesome- so many thousands of people watching the flag- I love it.  Then the gun went off!


We started mid-pack which was new for me (in the full marathon we let the crowd go before we began wayyy back there).  It was fun to run in the crowd! We started nice and slow which was tough- I hate having so many runners pass by- and our first walk break felt downright embarrassing.  I wanted to tell the runners, "Hey, we don't really need this!  We're just trying to be smart, okay?!" 

There were a few organization issues this race- looong lines at the bathrooms, ran out of cups at one of the aid stations, and the bag drop was a mess (more on that below).  D and her mom stopped for a bathroom break and Ksenia and I continued without them for the rest of the race.  We bonded (huh, Ksenia?) big time, which is what happens when you train and race with someone.  Danna and I are tied together for life fo'sho'.  Ksenia and I had a great time chatting about running, enjoying the course and the perfect weather, checking out all the interesting people (like the guy on the side of the road cooking bacon for any interested runners, and the [then soon to be] winner of the full marathon passing us with a huge, honking police entourage).  My favorite part of the race was the trek toward the city and capital building (uphill in fact).  It was very epic.


I sprinted at the end which was probably not wise.  In order to knock mere seconds off my time, I got some foot soreness I think.  It was just so fun!


Okay, after the race there was a big issue.  The drop bags (these are bags of your stuff that you go pick up after the race- such as your jacket, and extra gear) were not well organized and you had to stand in a huge line that wasn't moving much and wrapped all around the post-race grounds.  I figured it was a 2-hour wait which is ridiculous after you've just raced and want to get off your feet.  Matt said, "Let's just ditch your stuff and go pick it up later."  But my cute new running shirt was in there and I was not about to ditch it.  We went to the back of the park- the area where the bags were held and tried to sweet-talk volunteers into looking for my bag.  It was total chaos and we were clearly not the only people who were trying to do so.  The poor volunteers were getting lots of angry hassling, the bags were still not fully sorted and poorly organized.  After lots of attempts at getting the bag in different creative ways, Matt had had it and said, "I'm going to go get the car, and by the time I get back if you don't have the bag, let's head."  Well, I tried, but it was just crazy and impossible.  I was about to give up and sure Matt was about to pull up, when I looked over at a strikingly handsome volunteer inside the fence sorting bags- it was Matt!!!  He had somehow obtained a volunteer shirt and was gathering mine and my friends' bags, as well as a few other desperate/begging runners around the fence.  He looked up at me with a mischievous grin and held his finger to his lips.  A few other runners said, "Wait, isn't that your husband?"  We all burst out laughing at his cleverness, and I ended up getting out of there much faster.  Matt loves me to tell this story.  It totally saved his "I didn't end up racing today" blues, and...well now he has a cute new shirt!

Well, that's race day for ya.  I am so glad I iced, so glad Ksenia had bottles, and so glad I discovered GU Chomps.  Enjoy a few pics!

XOXO
~K

Waiting for the TRAX with our fellow runners.

The bathroom lines at the starting line!          -and-         The first few minutes of running- check out the runners allllll the way down the street.

Mid-race and lookin' gooood ladies!

The finsihers.  Hotties!

The icing...oh the agony- this icing session hurt!

The finish line!

Bag chaos!  Can you spot Matt and his big grin here?
(Right in the center.)  Hee hee.

My most memorable run.

Hiya, It's Danna. If you are my mom reading this, warning, you are about to hate this.

This past Saturday was the Salt Lake City marathon and half marathon. As you all know, we have been helping my mom and Ksenia to train (or hindering their training is probably more accurate!)



Post run stretch!



Training run on the Parkway.


Runners World has been publishing a series of articles every month about "my most memorable run". They often say how difficult it is to narrow down your runs. I imagine that may be because of sheer quantitiy we runners tend to do, and also because of those endorphins- they make ya happy. Almost every run is a good run!

Saturday was a specail day for me. Running with my mom in her first race was the opportunity of a lifetime. She is amazing. To train and run your first race in your 60's is admirable. To train and place 7th in your age category is astounding. But it isn't her pace that is most special about my mom. I watched her work to finish training runs, and when it was hard, she would walk- for only a few seconds, then run again. She did this over and over until she reached her distance. One time we were all about half a mile from home when we reached distance. We all said, "Phew!" and began walking. Oh no, not my mom. She ran the rest of the way and waited for us on the porch at home. She never, ever gives up. I learned to just keep going when it's hard, from her. When we crossed the finish line, I was so proud of her. I will forever remember that smile on her face. It was perfection.

I got a real kick of watching my dad rush to several aide stations to cheer her on. I was proud of him too. They are who I hope to turn out to be.

And so Saturday, was my most memorable run.... I think it will be for a very long time.

There is something that bonds running partners together forever. How blessed am I to have it all wrapped up in one person- one of my best friends, my training partner, and of course, my mom.

I'm so proud of you mom. Thanks for running with me. I literally loved every minute.
Way to go 'she runs like a girl' team!!!!

Some legitimate things to whine about

It's Kristin!

I am currently sitting in bed with ice on my feet.  I ran 5 pretty fast miles today with D.  We were super impressed with ourselves and how good we felt.  I think my PF is flared up now though.  I can't take my Danskos off for a second these days- going barefoot seems to be a bad idea.  I feel the pain if I step on the ground barefoot.

It's so discouraging for runners to have injuries!  You're rarely in true pain, but it just messes with your running and future race plans in a way that is super discouraging!  Danna really wants to sign up now for fall marathons.  I really want to run one, but with my foot issues, I'm not sure I should sign up yet.  Any advice, PF-cursed people?  

Here are some races we are considering:

• Goblin Valley's Ultra Marathon
• Pros: it's an ultra- how cool!  People love it!  Only 200 get in
• Cons: includes lots of dirt and sand trails.  It's an ultra- scary!
• San Francisco's Nike Women's Marathon
• Pros: Tiffany necklace for finishers, amazing place to race, girl power!
• Cons: hilly, pricey with travel, and: hilly
• TOU (Top of Utah)
• Pros: No travel needed
• Cons: not exotic 
• Other?  Any recommendations, readers?  

 There's a fun 5K Danna told me about in July.  You run through lavender fields, and get fun swag, and even get to pick as much lavender as you want after the race and there are lavender wreath-making classes!  How fun is that?

Well, goodnight my dears!  Pray for my feet to heal, will you? 

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

Danna is the Snow Champion

This is Suzy. I wish I had remembered my camera early in the morning to take a picture of awesome Danna. But, at least I made it to the run. Does anyone know of any marathons or any races that require you to run in the cold and snow? Danna should enter every single one of them and win them too. That girl is made for winter running! She is like the energizer bunny - she does not stop, she does not slow, she pushes the pace. Wow! You go Danna! I don't know how you do it!

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

We're ba-ack!

Ok, here's what we have decided:

We want to blog more often, and we decided to make our posts shorter and get a little more organized. We will be blogging about our running, work-out, and life adventures everyday. Here's the schedule:

Mondays: Danna
Tuesdays: Kristin
Wednesdays: Suzy
Thursdays: Danna
Fridays: Suzy
Saturdays: whoever feels like it!
Sundays: Kristin

We just have too many fun, inspirational, and deliciously sarcastic things to share about our little hobby-turned-obsession.

On a side note we had a great run today! It was only 7.5 degrees out there! The great thing is that we're really getting this winter running thing down to a science! If Danna emails me tonight I'll post a picture of our frozen eyelashes, frosted hats ponytails and backs, and/or the large square block of solid ice on D's bum as her water bottle leaked drip by drip. Waa haa haa. I poked it and it made a hilarious crunch.

We also need to tell you that we have new appreciation for the beauty of winter having seen it through sleepy, moon-lit fog. The pine trees were perfectly coated with thick jagged frost and the ground sparkled like diamonds. Oh! And our footfalls made that satisfying creaky sound you hear when you're snow-shoeing alone in the mountains. Awesome!

Karin's post

Karin posted on her blog about the marathon too. Just thought I'd share:

http://thedancefam.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-george-marathon.html

The Aftermath

It's Kristin.

Who am I?? Now that the Marathon is over we are feeling a tiny bit lost, Danna, Suzy and I. We don't know when to work out, how many miles to run, what to eat. I seriously had to work on not having straight carbs all the time. That was a bit of a bummer. I love you angelhair pasta!

Well, after the race, Danna and I felt good. We went for a walk that night, stopped limping, never napped, and we just watched General Conference with the boys. We were feeling pretty proud of our quick recovery.

But oh! The next day. The next day our quads were shot. I literally could not flex them. To sit or stand required much grunting, use of arms, and asking for help (or just violently plopping into a seat.) Once I warmed up, however, I could walk pretty normal, and I was determined to glide into work on Monday injury free, dang it! Unfortunately, my foot had other ideas. The tendinitis was back with a vengeance. My left foot was pretty achy and to this day I wear slippers wherever I go in the house. I'm back on Cortizone, and I'm not able to do a lot of walking. I just want it to heal so I can run again.

I actually did my first post-marathon run this last week (3 miles) and my foot was not too happy. Meet my 2 new BFF's: Icy Hot and Tiger Balm. Good thing Matt thinks they smell good! (Note to others in pain: I recommend Tiger Balm pain patches from Shopko! I do not however recommend the Icy Hot rub-on stick.) I feel like my heart and body want to run and the foot is holding us back! Curse you traitorous appendage! ***fist shake*** Yesterday I cross-trained and Suzy and Danna ran without me. I was so jealous! I actually biked to where they were and rode alongside them for a while. :(

On a more positive note, the high that I got after the marathon was amazing! I was actually feeling intense feelings of elation for an entire week! That alone was worth the race.

What now? I think we will run a race next spring. Danna's shins need some healing, and so does my foot. Suzy, on the other hand, was born to run and her body is ready for more! People, she ran 3 miles the Wednesday after her marathon, and 8 that Saturday with no problem!

Other weird or random facts:

• Since the marathon, I can hold my breath for minutes! It's amazing. How can I put this new talent to good use?
• I got so many fun and lovely emails, texts and comments from friends and even strangers last week- thank you so much! What a blast!
• My new lifetime goal is to some day qualify for the Boston Marathon! Think I can do it?
• Over the course of our training we ran over 600 miles! I lost 3 sweatshirts and a pair of pants along the parkway. I lost 0 pounds. I did however gain a stomach of steel (meaning I can eat anything on the run), abs of steel, and really buff legs.
  
• I finally got my hair done again. I have dark hair and bangs again! Woot.
• Because of our training, we have inspired (as far as I can remember) 9 people to start training for their own marathon, 3 for a half, and others to start just working out. See all the good that came from our diligence? :)
• I want to try a triathlon some day. But the swimming part is scary. And the fact that my bike is crap.
• Running in the fall is not so bad. You can sleep in later and you get to do the most gratifying of all tasks- crunching crispy leaves under your shoes and feeling/hearing them shatter into a thousand pieces. Over and over.
  
• Things I'll do differently for the next race? Do speed work, find more cheap deals at the expo center, have a colder ice bath afterward, run without my camera, not log meaningless details into my running log (like what I wore each run), do my arm tattoo a little better, remember by bib on race day, and make a cooler music list for my "alone runs."
  

More marathon pix!

A few choice selections from Karin's camera:

Karin liked this lady's outfit - "Show 'em you're a tiger!"

Evan was recruited to help with set-up!

Waiting...

And waiting some more...

Oh the waiting!!

Finally! The runners!!

Right after the finish line!

Matty and I.
He told me here that he has decided to run a marathon of his own! And added that he plans to do it without walk breaks, GU, or a GPS watch. Such a show-off! Good luck Mister!! :)

See the sweet poster Matt made me??

The girls with their new medals. They are made from the mountain rock- notice how ours are different colors.

The sobbing begins! :)
We made it!!

I ran a marathon!! I seriously can't believe it!

The Marathon!!! (Kristin's perspective)

Me before my final training run! Only 2 miles.

On the drive down to St. George I made poor Matt stop at the Beaver Chevron for this classic picture. His willingness was rewarded with Dairy Queen food.

There are some serious odd-balls in a marathon. Such as this guy- aka "Banana Man." after I passed him, and he cheered for me, he yelled, "Get your daily potassium!!"

This doesn't do justice to the usual amount of cups.

Danna had an unfortunate Gatorade Accident. So she covered it with water. Many spectators wondered why she was pouring water on her bazooms.

Creative volunteers: these are Gatorade cups stacked!

Rosie!!! How cute is she? We're her YW leaders. :)

My bus buddy (yes these pix are in random order. Matt's waiting for me to go to bed...no time to arrange!)

After the finish line with Matt. I'm a little weepy.

I wrote my name on my arm (after someone's advice) but it looks like nothing but a smear. Only one guy noticed and said my name. (I still haven't been able to wash it off! Longs sleeves everyday now!)

The Post-Marathonular Ice Bath: Don't be fooled by the smile. It's c-c-c-c-c-cold!

The full plunge!! Notice the cups of ice I also rubbed on my legs while under freezing water!

Some of the signs our peeps made! Thank you!!

A shot after leaving my dad and Mkl.

Lookin good ladies!

Off come the pants! Mile 10. Stop grabbing my bum, Danna!

The faithful video-taper, Mikelle. Glad we got this on tape! :)

Where do I begin?? First of all, let me say that Danna did an amazing job summing up the Marathon experience in her post below. I ditto all her feelings!

The day Matt and I arrived in St. George, we just took it easy, playing games, listening to chill music, watching Oprah :). I never get to watch day time TV so you better believe I saw some faves this weekend, such as Regis and Kelly, Oprah, Good Morning America, Good Things Utah, The View. I was is TV Land Heaven! I also ate a lot of carbs! I had pasta every day for a couple weeks up to the marathon. You won't hear me complainin either!

That night D and Adam arrived and D and I went to bed as early as we could, we being Marathon Nazis and all. The next day, after my TV adventures, we went out to eat at Matt's and my favorite b-fast joint: The Bear Paw. Matt lived in St. George while we were dating, so he knows the ropes around there. Then we all drove the 26.2 mile course. Talk about freak yourself out! The hills were more....hilly than I expected. And it was nothing but hills!! I tried to memorize as much as I could about the course, since knowing where I am tends to help me during long runs. I was full of excitement and nerves! It was a sobering and looong drive, but very cool to see other runners up there doing the same thing! People were already reading the aide stations, and family members were posting posters on the roadsides. Eeek! It was becoming very real.

Then we went to the Expo. I loved it! Super cheap gear, souvenirs, free samples of everything you can think of for a runner. I got my cholesterol and body fat tested. We picked up our bib numbers, shirts, posters. Danna didn't wanna be on her feet much, but I had to look at every single thing, while smiling and wishing good luck to all the other runners. Every person in the hall telling you you rock, good luck, thank you for running. We got to feel like celebrities for a couple of days. Seriously!

Then the All You Can Eat Pasta Dinner. I had dreamed of sitting next to cool veteran marathoners who would tell us their stories and give us advice. And my wish came true! Matt found us a perfect buddy to sit by and we had a blast talking to him and his wife. There were marathon stories galore! So fun.

The night before the marathon Danna and I set a total of 5 alarms between the 2 of us. We probably got up way too early. Then we got overly confident about the hour and left the house just in time for the last bus! When we got to the buses we were nervous and hurried. I was horrified to realize AFTER we got on the bus that I didn't have my bib or shoe chip!!!! After a near panic attack, getting back off the bus, running about 1/2 mile back and forth, and having the hubs return to bring me the bib (in record time, might I add- good job, boys!) I got my bib. Danna had also gone into "EMT calling the scene mode." I really appreciated her calming and authoritative ways in those moments (not to mention forgiving)!

On the bus ride up I sat by the girl pictured. She hadn't trained for 3 weeks, had had some personal life crisis, and been ditched by her running partners. She told me her longest training run was 16 miles, and she had no GU. I got a little Jeff Galloway on her and gave her some major advice for hitting the wall. Danna and I had fun during the race, giving advice to struggling runners since we have read and practiced so many things. We like to be helpful. :D

When the run started, we took it niiiice and easy. I was totally fascinated by all the aspects and details that went into making this thing happen! There were 5500 or so runners (we found out later that this year's run set the all-time record for most number of participants in the St. George marathon). The ground was covered for the first several miles with sweaters, bags, pants, gloves. It's all going to the DI. Danna and I felt good from the start. Totally psyched, chatty. There were thousands of volunteers along the way. Med vans patrolled looking for people in need of help. At each aide station there were people handing out sticks of Vaseline, people gloved-up and ready to rub or massage you with Icy Hot or Bengay, Gatorade and water shouters practically begging you to take their cup. It was funny how some would pressure you, "C'mon, one water for the other hand!?" There was even a Kleenex person or 2- very helpful to have them actually! I cannot tell you how much trash was all over the ground! We had a hard time throwing our first GU down, even though we know they clean it up. But eventually you just join in the fun! We thanked every volunteer we saw, we were so happy to have them around! We were super chipper runners in case you couldn't tell.

Since I dedicated each mile to a separate person, I'd like to tell that person how it was at that mile:

1 Daddio - Well it was dark, chilly and exhilarating at this point! I remember it well. Lots of sweaters, lots of old and over weight people running near us since we started so late. Got excited thinking Dad was up and prepping to cheer. My Dad is the best!! What a perfect Dad.
2 Mili Silva - Passed out first mile marker! I told Danna the story of Mili's and my friendship and time as mission companions. Te amo, Negrita!
3 Annie Winn - Feeling great! Sun's starting to come up! Such a beautiful morning!! Dropped the 2 jackets I'd been toting around my waist in the box. At the end of this mile we hit our first aide station which was very exciting for a first-timer like me. Annie lives far away now but I think about her so much! I thought of her on this mile and the amazing bond we still have, and all of our adventures. I miss you!
4 Vicky Yocom - Still reminding ourselves to take things slow. We talked about you Vicky! And I pulled out my first Suzy quote strip (see D's post) and read it to us. Talked about how amazing Vicky is.
5 Rhonda Better - Took my first GU! Thought about Rhonda and our amazing time as nannies and neighbors. Rhonda you have impacted my life significantly! I want to live near each other again!! There were so many fun and funny signs along the road posted by friends and family. My fave was, "In our minds you are all Kenyans!!" Hahaha. I read every sign! You wouldn't want to miss one for yourself, you know!
6 The West Family (CT) - At this point we had some familiar friends in our little running pack. We were looking forward to seeing the boys, and dreading Veyo Hill a bit (or at least I was!) Started primping for the boys. Remembered my amazing nanny family in CT and what a great experience I had with them. They changed my life in many ways!
7 Kristina Barss - Krys, I picked this mile for you because there are 7 books in the HP series, and thinking of HP always reminds me of you. Remembering what a great roomate you were was awesome motivation for me on this very gruelling mile (steep uphill the entire mile). :) This was such a fun mile! We saw our husbands. Matt and I shared a passionate kiss and he cheered for me, gave me the items I had requested (mascara, sunglasses, visor...). The boys were so fun. Matt told me lots of encouraging things, and had even made a rad poster with a reference to an inside joke of ours. "What are your legs?! Springs! Steel springs!" He's a babe. It was easy to think of Krys after getting support from Matt because she was always a sweet and supportive roomate and friend- you rock, girl! The hill was harsh!
8 Ambleh Prince - Ams! I want you to run a marathon! Ay ay ay, this was the second half of Veyo hill, and then a porto-potty (thank you Kleenex lady!), and then a leveling off, and we picked up speed! This was the mile we kinda lost all the runners around us and took off!
9 Mommykins - Mile 9 had a fun little aide station as I recall. No more sweaters, but the CUPS! You couldn't even see the road at this station- I swear! It was all cups and wrappers and banana/orange peels. I started to feel warm in my long pants, wishing I'd left them with Matt. Still feeling great though! Mom, wish you were here! (But she had to prep all weekend for her new job as a H.S. music/choir teacher!)
10 Heather Taylor - Heather, my amazing cousin! How I love and miss thee. I want you to run a marathon! This mile rocked. Saw Dad, Mkl and their friend Joyce. They were super fun cheerers. I ditched the pants as shown with a little help from D. I gave hugs (not sweaty yet, don't worry.) Mikelle took a video and Dad ran with us for quite a while, chatting, excited. He and Matt both were very passionate cheerers for all the runners they saw. My dad even jogged along with several and heard their stories.
11 Liz Madrid - I remember thinking of Liz and planning to tell her the landscape was particularly pretty right here. What a great friend! At this point we were full of GUs, powerbars, Suzy quotes, and Gatorade. I think I was buzzin. (Note: I used to always get side aches when I ate ANYTHING prior to a work out. Now I can run with a rock in my stomach I'm sure.) I also got lots of whining from Danna when I forced walk breaks upon her. I told her at the half way point I would back off, but that she would thank me later.
12 Denise Frandsen - I remember some of the people we were running with at this point. 2 other guys doing the Galloway running program whom we would always say hi to as we passed each other back and forth: "Hi Galloway boys!" There were several older gentlemen kicking our butts! There were also many shameless pee-ers on the side of the road not hiding behind trees at all. Denise- you are fabulous! I thought of you and our nanny legacy. ECN to the max!
13 Mkl Memmott - I picked 13 for Mikelle because she just finished her first 1/2 marathon and rocked it! I thought of her and her fun, amazing ways. She is a very determined woman. I distinctly remember what the 13 mile sign and aide station was like. It was full of goodies and trash and lots of signs stating we were half way. Danna and I (and a neighboring runner) said to ourselves, "We don't feel half bad! I could turn around and go back to the start at this point and do just fine!" What an exciting feeling!!
14 Emily Stokes - Em is my cousin and I looked up to her so much as a kid and always wanted to be like her. When I thought of people who'd influenced me, I couldn't leave her off. All the advice and cousinly teachings she has given me over the years have stuck with me. This mile was hills, curves, and red rock. Running and chatting and digesting a minty cliff bar. Wishing I could wash my sticky/Vaseline-y hands, and Danna noting some Vaseline streaked across my face. (In case you're wondering, the Vaseline is for chafing and my armpits were feeling "burny." So I slathered on a full popsicle stick of it. I also got a calf and IT band massage- so sweet!)
15 Krissy Wyler - Krissy!! You are the person who got me into running and working out! I would not be doing this if we had never been friends. No doubt in my mind. Too bad I had to train for this, unlike you who could run one tomorrow and feel great. I thought of our many runs and long talks. I read a lot of Suzy's quotes to Danna here. We cut out a lot of walk breaks and just ran and ran. Danna was all for running and speeding up. I was still worried about paying for it later.
16 Karin Dance - For any of you who don't know Karin, she is simply fabulous. The funniest person I know, hands down. She is my little sis and I knew she'd be waiting for me at the 24 mile line. I dedicated this mile to you Kar, because I feel 16 was the age when I really started getting close to you and we actually stopped fighting and I loved you! The bonding and best friend hood began. Danna and I were still feeling good at this point. We were not taking so many walk breaks anymore.
17 Sarah Shaw - Sarah! You are such a special and amazing woman. You have influenced my life for good in ways you'll never know. I remember the rocks here started to turn colors- fading from red to white. Our friends Renee, Mitzie and Rosie were on the sidelines cheering like mad. The poor girls had to wait for a long time since Stan (Mitzie's husband) surely beat us by hours! They ran with us and looked so happy and proud. The whole crowd of runners was looking they were so exhuberant!
18 Danny Memmott - My brother is on a mission in El Salvador and Belize. He is super excited that I am doing this, and I thought of him. He's such a great and Christ-like person. I hope he's tearin it up out there today! Only, I also thought..."Man, it's really warning up. My body wants a walk break. There are lots of hills. And bridges, And photographers to pose for." I ate another GU. My 4th? 5th? I also picked up a couple un-touched Gels (a different brand of GU) on the road and Danna thought I was ghetto.
19 Holly Badurek - Holl! What can I possibly say to express what your friendship means to me? I love your stinkin guts! Please consider moving to Utah. On this mile, the canyon opened up and you could see down into the city. We were not talking to each other at this point. We went into a strange sort of auto-pilot and moved robotically forward. It wasn't unpleasant, but we were concentrating. Or zoning out. Not sure which.
20 Emmaline Sorenson - Emmaline! How I longed for you to sing "Dancing Through Life" to me at this point. I love you so so so much. Danna said we should just run until we got to her family and could stop for a walk/hug. They were at mile 23. Our semi-silence continued. Danna's knees were also starting to ache. Which is so weird since that's not been much of an issue during training. I remember we also hugged the inside of the curves when the road bend. No one else did. I's a 28 mile marathon if you don't.
21 Sarah Haslam - Dear kindred spirit- Sarah! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... You are the most fabulous example of goodness to me. I love our friendship! (Even though you broke up with me last week.) Well, let's be honest, it was warm. My body was desiring walkage. I was sick of eating sugar. However I was still feeling good, my friends! I can't say I hit any sort of wall or pain. But my toes did hurt I bit. I didn't want to tell you this, Danna, cuz I knew you'd make me eat a chunk of powerbar if I mentioned it. :)
22 Francisco Herrera - Fran- my most faithful and amazing "convert." I think the world of you! I was lucky to be the one to meet you when I did! Mile 22- We were getting to the crowds of cheerers here. The posters stopped, the roads had cars, and, I'll be honest. I was a little disappointed with the cheering. Oh, some of it was good, but many people were just sitting there. No cheers. C'mon St. George! I really needed you now!
23 Danna and Suzy - This is the farthest I have ever run! We saw Danna's family which was very exhilarating. We even cried! The siblings, nieces and nephews were sooo excited to see and cheer for Danna! Danna was super moved that they were here for her. And also, we were ready for a boost. Oh yeah, and that walk break I had been waiting for never really happened, unless you count a 5 second one while I took a drink from a volunteer. :P
24 Mery Carcamo Suarez - Okay, Mery will never read this since it's in English, so I'm jsut going to be honest. From about mile 23 on I never looked at or thought of my marathon list again. I was in survival mode. Danna and I felt that we could go the rest of our lives without unzipping our dang belt pouches. We were in those things constantly during the race. I was dying to see my sister Karin, Dave, and Evan. I heard Kar screaming as we rounded the corner into the neighborhoods and they had the best signs! Even Evan was holding one for "Auntie Kin Kin!!" :) See the video below for a re-cap of this moment. PS: Mery is the most wonderful person! I love her so much.
25 Matt - "God Save the Queen!" It's a marathon tradition to yell that at this point, but we forgot! We were in robot mode! At this point my feet hurt and I was breathing heavy. I actually had a sense of euphoria come over me though- despite my fatigue. It was exciting and I told Danna about it. We also disctracted each other from our fatigue by discussing a private matter we can never again repeat! :) Don't you all wish you could know. You'll have to run a marathon with me to find out. People, I was TIRED here. Just pushing along and begging the finish line to show itself around the corner. Matt, you need to know that although I didn't think of you in a dedicatory way on this mile, I thought of you more than anyone else during the race! I was so excited to make you proud of my accomplishment and to tell you every painstaking detail. I was also looking forward to finishing that kiss we started at mile 10. Ow ow!!
26 Jesus - So, how can you not dedicate a mile to Jesus? There were many people I wanted to put of the list, but I had to make tough choices! Matt said, "Take Jesus off. He'll understand more than anyone else." True! But I couldn't bare to do it, because if I am putting people who have influenced me there is no one more than Him! It was fitting that it was this most difficult mile of the race. I was really starting to drag. I didn't know at this point where the 25th, 26th, or .2 was, I just kept hoping the next corner was the final curve. But I felt a really self satisfying awareness that I was close and that I was really going to be able to finish strong. The streets were lined with spectators, and Danna and I had been passing people like mad for an hour or 2. We think people seemed impressed with out still-intact form and stamina! :)
.2 Janelle Swinton - Janelle is pure joy! Talk about a fun and loving girl. She is the bomb.com! We saw the finish line in the distance and I just thought- ugh! That seems further away that I want it to be. Danna got so excited and wanted to sprint. I blurted, "No! I can't!" Hahaha. Poor Danna- she could have sprinted people! Be impressed! All of a sudden we heard LOUD cheering! Our peeps were everywhere!! Being super crazy loud and excited! We held hands through the final kick feeling like champs. So so so awesome, I can't even describe it.

Sorry, that was all very long. but I had to record it lest I forget some day and regret it! After we crossed we walked in the mist showers and that felt awesome. We were given our medals and kept saying "We did it!" I got pretty emotional. Karin found me first I was all choked up. I went to hug her and she said, "You're sweaty!" Ha ha! Then Matt came and I REALLY cried. Then Danna and I hugged for a long time and I SOBBED like a wee baby. I can't really describe what I was feeling, but it was definitely a good feeling. The high lasted me a full week! We ate treats, and I removed my shoes- ouch! My feet were really hurting now.

I buzzed home for a freezing ice bath! YOWCH! And a short shower. Danna and I highly recommend ice baths, short showers (not a long hot 20 minute one which will enhance the swelling) and a walk or jog that afternoon. We were feeling shockingly great! Not even limping when we got going for a sec!

Well, I think I've blabbered long enough, even though I have much more to say. Such as how I saw Aida that night at Tuachan. D and I never napped- though we tried but we were too wired. My breathing seemed really loud in my ears all day. D, Rosie and I stayed up till 3 chatting and laughing, till Danna got loopy and hilarious and we forced her to bed. My quads were SHOT the next day. I have been wearing slippers every day since (at home). The tendonitis is back with a vengeance!

BUT! All in all - it was JUST spectacular. A total joy. I want you all to run one- it's unforgettable! Okay, I'll stop gushing now, but...

Oh! And I didn't even lose a toenail!