3 miles...

I've been wanting to get faster. My goal is to run a comfortable 8:30 pace by my next half marathon in April. So, this morning I did 3 miles around the lake. I have this thing for Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins that come out around Halloween. I promised myself that if I could run 3 miles faster than 31 minutes that I'd earn my favorite treat. 

I headed out and got the first mile down in 10 minutes. The second mile I pushed a little harder and finished around 9 minutes. I stopped a couple times in that second mile to catch my breath and I'm going to work on running straight without stopping for a faster pace. The third mile I ran around 10 minutes for 3 miles under 30 minutes. 

I'm pretty amazed with myself. I ran so much last month... a marathon, a 5k, and a half marathon. Sometimes I wonder how I do these things and honestly I don't know, but I do know I'm really blessed. Jason's been so great with watching the kids and everything. :)

Oh, so I've been having a tough time with the new Weight Watchers Points Plus, but last week I promised I'd track every day last week and I did. I tracked and I lost 4.4lbs this week!! :) Yay! It's just what I needed to get me motivated to keep going. I'm totally going to keep it up!

Lucy Activewear Sale

Hey! Just thought you guys would like to know that Lucy Activewear is having a sale on Saturday. There are some shirts and running pants I've been eyeballing and Saturday will be a great day to get something. Go check 'em out!

The crazy adventure otherwise known as the Provo Halloween Half

It all started last year when I registered for the race. After some issues with my pregnancy I had to bail out before the race and transfer my registration to this year. After lots of emails in attempts to contact someone who works for the race I finally got it confirmed that my registration would be transferred. Which brings us to September of this year. In an attempt to verify that my registration was transferred I tried contacting through emails, the website, and then finally facebook before it was confermed that my registration was transfered. 

Soooo... Now, it's the day before the race around 1:45 I drive an hour down to Provo (through INSANE traffic) to find the mall full of cars. After finally finding a spot I go inside and see (picture #1) a line stretching from one end of the mall to the other (I'm talking at least 2000+ people in line). This mall isn't tiny, so, I know I'm going to be waiting for a while. It's a good thing I had my phone cause I kept checking their facebook page to find out what was going on. I waited in line for an hour and a half before reaching the doors to registration only to find the room completely full of people trying to get their packets. A friend of mine tells me where to go and I make my way in only to find my packet isn't there. After talking to 5 different people, looking through the registration boxes 10 times and coming up empty I ask a guy for a new bib number. He points me in the direction of the bib checker who's having a rough time. She informs me that she can't give me a new bib unless she has the old bib. Well, that helps... I DON'T HAVE AN OLD BIB!! So, she looks me up in the computer only to find that I'm not actually in there. The guy didn't transfer my registration like he said he was going to. The lady was so stressed out with everything she just gave me a bib and took my info. I just had to cross my fingers my info I just gave her wouldn't be lost in the shuffle and it'd work in the morning. After spending 2 hours in the mall I start to go back home only to find that I-15 was a parking lot and I'd have to take State Street as far as I could. Well, yada, yada, yada... it ended up taking me FOREVER to get home and I ended up spending 5 1/2 hours round trip getting a packet that didn't exist.

Finally, it's race morning (Picture #2). I'm up at 3:45 and the race doesn't start until 9:20. (Which is CRAZY! Who starts a race that late?) I didn't want to risk traffic and any more organization problems on their part, so I made sure I had plenty of time to get on their first bus at 5:30. I forgot to grab something for breakfast other than a banana and I knew I'd have a TON of time to eat, so I got some McDonalds oatmeal and a hot cocoa (picture #3). I got to the bus pick up in time to get on the first bus. It was a nice bus, heated and comfy. The bus driver did well, until he passed the start line and went too far up the mountain. He started hitting the switchbacks and the back tires started going off the edge at one point which started freaking everyone out. Rather than go up the rest of the way with the driver about half the bus (including me) got off and walked a half a mile back down to the start. It was pitch black, but a few people used their phones as flash lights so, that helped. Oh, and since it was SO dark you could see the stars SO clearly. It was pretty cool! We made it down to where the start was supposed to be only to find no one there and no lights directing us where to go. There was supposed to be a BIG heated tent for everyone to hang out in. 

After standing around for 15 minutes a runner comes and lets us know he found the tent. (Picture #4) It was still cold inside, but I was sure after more people came it'd warm up. I sat down on the cold ground and started playing on my phone to pass the time. (Picture #5) 

After getting bored and not warming up enough I made my way through a TON of people (Picture #6) to the front of the tent where the heaters were (I should have gone up there in the first place!) I'm glad I moved to the front cause that's where all the entertaining people were. There was one chick dancing around and the more the music played the more people joined in. (Picture #7) It was really fun to see everyone dressed up. At one point my bro called so I had to make my way through all the people outside where it was FREEZING! It was 27 degrees out there. Burrrr! I saw a couple friends which was nice cause I rarely race with anyone I know. I made my way back into the tent to the front and had to step over a couple people who were asleep on the floor. Talk about crazy, it was shoulder to shoulder standing where they were laying. Not the best idea...

Finally after waiting forever it was time to race! One last potty break (Picture #8) with a beautiful view and it was time to make my way towards the start. Another quarter mile walk to the start and we were good to go. (Picture #9) There were so many people there that they had to start in 2 groups. I was in the second group because I wasn't sure if I could finish before 2.10 which was the cut off for the 1st group. 

I headed out and it was ALL downhill for the first few miles. About an hour in Jason calls to see how I was doing. I love that he calls!! It makes it so much easier when people talk to me while I run. I was really amazed with myself. I reached 6 miles before an hour! I was feeling good when my sister called around mile 7. She thought I was holding my phone up to my ear the whole time. No way! I keep my headphones in and I can still talk and run at the same time. So, she stayed on the phone with me for a couple of miles and played some song requests from her kids. There were some funny ones like this one. It was nice talking and listening to her cause my right calf was cramping up some and it helped me not focus on that. 

At one point, about mile 10, I think, I passed a dad pushing his son in a wheelchair. Talk about amazing! They didn't say anything to me and I didn't say anything to them, but in just passing them I could feel the pure love of theirs. It gave me goosebumps all over and made me tear up some. Talk about amazing! What a wonderful father. It helped me to keep going. I made it until there was a half a mile left and I had to call someone to talk me through the last little bit. I had pushed so hard for so long that my mind wanted to stop. I called my bro, Adam, and he talked me through it. I finished strong in 2.22.39! (Picture #10) Almost a PR.... That's ok, next time I'll totally smash it. 

The medal for this race was pretty cool. (Picture #11) It's one of my favorites. I have 7 medals now... It's so hard to believe that I've run 5 half marathons and 2 marathons in the past 2 years. I can't wait to run more! 

When I got home yesterday I was rolling out and icing my muscles, but for some reason I couldn't position myself right to get my calf rolled out right, so I handed a rolling pin to my oldest and she got to work. (Picture #12) She thought it was fun. Haha! It felt good when she was rolling it. I may have to get her to do it again today cause....today.... OUCH.... That's all I gotta say.... I hurt. My right calf is sore and my left hip muscles are just aching. My butt hurts too, down hill races are killer. I didn't feel this bad after my marathon and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it wasn't down hill. Oh well, it's a good kind of pain. Jason laughs and says that I do it to myself. True, I do... and it's all worth it. :)

SoJo 5k

I've been a super slacker lately on this blog. I'm going to do my best to write more often. I have some new goals, so I'm sure writing down what's happening will help a lot with that.

I ran the SoJo 5k a couple weekends ago. It was only a week after my marathon and I thought I'd do pretty good since my muscles were feeling great. I met up with my friend Sue (She's a super AMAZING runner.) at the race and warmed up some before. I'm sure warming up helped cause I surprised myself with the race. The wind was blowing some and it was chilly, but I ran my fastest 5k since having Rose. I was amazed! 31.58 was my time.

There was a couple spots in the race where I wanted to slow down and walk just cause I could, but I kept telling myself that I just ran 26.2 miles and 3 miles isn't going to kill me. I kept it up and finished strong. After the race I hung out a bit with Sue and then left to go home and help Jason with the kids. I never stay for the awards since I never win anything, but guess what!!! 

Sue contacted me and told me that I got 2nd place in my division!! Let me tell ya, it pays to sign up in the Athena Division (girls over 150lbs can sign up in this division). I was 2nd out of 9 people and only a minute-ish shy of beating the 1st place chick. I would have gotten 8th place if I was in my age division.

I may just have to stay longer for those awards from now on. You just never know if you've won something.

Well, the next thing coming up for me is the Halloween Half. It's this Saturday. I've been looking forward to this race for the past 2 years. I'm so excited!! I'm not sure yet if I'll dress up as anything, but I do know it's going to be fun! :)

2nd Marathon In The Books

I got up at 2:45 this morning and set out to run the Layton Marathon. It was snowing slightly at the start and my toes were numb from the wetness/cold. I'm glad I decided to make a quick little fleece throw to use at the start since it was going to be cold the night before. 

Things started out good. The timing company was having issues so it was a gun start. I'm glad I was toward the front of the line. There were only 250 or so runners. 

I felt good until about mile 20 when I started losing my concentration. I kept going though and finished in 5.40.23! That's a 15 minute PR! :) Yay!

Longest ever

Today I ran my longest training run EVER....

I ran 20 miles!!!!!!

Layton Marathon is in 2 weeks...eeek!

8 great miles

Well, I'll be doing the St. George Marathon NEXT year. The lady in charge was nice enough to switch my entry to next year. This year though, on the 8th of October, I'll be running the Layton Marathon. I'm excited to run it. 9 months after having Rose.... I love when I amaze myself. :)

This morning I pushed the girls 8 miles around the lake. I'm getting better each time I push the stroller. I'm so surprised I ran 8 miles in 1.36. Crazy, I'm getting faster!! :) It was easier too. It's taking less effort.

Halfway through I had a lady pushing a stroller stop me and tell me that I was her motivation to keep going. I love when I motivate others. It makes it all that much more worth it, ya know? What a great run.

Rose was amazing the whole time. She took a nap and then had a bottle and was just great. Annabelle on the other hand wanted help with something every mile, tough, but you do what you gotta do. I've got 16 scheduled for Saturday and my oldest turns 7. It'll be an awesome weekend.

I can't believe it!

I just WON an entry into the St. George Marathon!!! 

I just can't believe it. It's only 24 days away, but I'm SO excited! I'm pumped!! I've been training for the Layton Marathon, but I'm totally going to switch and run this one. I did 8 miles this morning pushing the girls in the stroller, so I know I'm building those muscles. :) I've been SO excited all day about it. I've always thought it'd be fun to run, but you have to put your name into the lottery to even try to get in. WOW! I'm just so happy! My 1st marathon 8.5 months after having Rose. :D

14 miles!

Longest run since having Rosalie. I woke up yesterday morning an hour past my alarm going off. That's one thing wrong with having your phone right next to your bed.... You turn off your alarm without knowing it.

Anyway, I got up and headed out the door. I did the first 6 miles around the house and then decided that I'd run to weight watchers rather than run around in circles. It was a really nice run. I even did it faster than my half marathon by 12 minutes. I think it helped that I did it super early in the morning and it was in the 50's out rather than the 80's. I'm not a fan of running in the heat. I'd rather run in the snow any day.

I felt great though. It was nice to do 14 at a good pace and not feel sluggish. I hope to only get stronger. :)

South Valley Half Marathon

I woke up and walked over to the bus pick up area and loaded onto the first bus. There were 5 porta-potties and 300ish (maybe more, I didn't count) people waiting to use them. Haha! That's one plus about getting on the first bus. You're always the first to get in line for the bathrooms. 

Anyway, we started out watching the sun rise above the mountains while running down the canyon. It was really pretty. I started out just fine, I ran the first 6 miles without stopping and I felt fine. Well, that was until I realized that I forgot my GU and there weren't any at the water stops. The hills killed my energy and I walked/ran the rest of the way. 

I didn't expect the hill to be that big. I will say though, my outlook on this race compared to the last half was amazingly different. I was a lot more positive this time around. Maybe cause I knew the area, I don't know... But, it was a good race. I was drained, but it was good. :)

Caleb saw me coming up to the finish line and ran across it with me. They called out my name and said they loved seeing all the "helpers". Caleb was so proud to run with me the last few feet.

I did it! 2nd half since having Rosalie! :)

I'd run it again. Though, I think it would be better in the fall when it cools down since there wasn't much trees along the route and it was pretty hot out. 

Good race!

10 miles on a monday

Yeah, so that's how my 10 miles were today. Pretty crazy if you ask me. The downhill wasn't so bad, it was the uphill on the way back that made my GU and ibuprofen start coming back up. It's all good though. I don't throw up, I kept on keeping on and finished my 10 miles in 2 hours. Plus, after my run I weighed in (because what's a better time to weigh in than right after a long run) and I'm FINALLY out of the 190s. Yay! I feel good, my legs feel good. I think I did really well. I'm proud of myself for getting up at 4:45 and heading out the door. :)

Keep going..

Last night I went to bed around 1. My mommy radar was on full blast with Jason not there, so every little creak or bump in the night had me awake and wondering what was going on. I wasn't sure if I'd get up and go this morning since I went to bed late, but I set my alarm anyway. 

Along comes 5 am and the alarm goes off and I'm wide awake. I didn't argue with myself, I just got up and got at it. 6 miles with a few fartleks thrown in. About halfway through I just felt like I was going to fall asleep. Is it possible to fall asleep while running? Cause that's totally what it felt like. My run turned into a walk, but I finished my miles. I'm so much happier when I run. Though, today I feel so drained. I think I'm getting a head cold. I'm sure after a shower and some food I'll feel much better. 

After 6 miles. I may not look drained, but boy do I feel it!

Good thing tomorrow is an easy day. I just need to get some good sleep and then I'll be fine. This summer has been rough on my sleep for some reason. 

The first step

The first step for me when it comes to running is the actual getting out and doing it. I woke up this morning when the alarm went off at 5:15 and then crawled back into bed and fought with myself for 15 minutes on if I should run now or wait until later in the day.

I ended up getting up and going. 5 miles DONE! Slow, but comfortable. I really need to get to bed earlier. I think that's what's making me feel so slow. Going to bed at 11-12, waking up at 5, and then chasing kids all day... somethings not right in that picture. I need to go to bed around 10 or something.

I feel proud of myself for getting out there and going this morning. It took a lot of prayer, but I did it and everything worked out great. I really wanted to start August off on the right foot. Can you believe it's August already?? Man, times flies!

Morning

Last night I set out my clothes and set my alarm. I had 8 miles scheduled for today and I had high hopes. I set my alarm up at the top of the shower in the bathroom so there was no chance of hitting snooze and rolling back into bed.

My alarm went off this morning at 5:15 and I headed out. It was a slow jog this morning. I wasn't going fast by any means, but I did 8 miles without stopping. I've been a little down lately with my running because I have been feeling a little alone. With my parents in Africa and Jason taking care of the kids while I run/race, I've felt like I haven't had the support I wish I had. They do the best they can and I'm not blaming them, but sometimes I just imagine how awesome it would be to be running a race and see my family and friends cheering me on along the way with signs and all that stuff. 

The sunrise on my run this morning. BEAUTIFUL!

While I was running this morning I decided that if I am going to do this I need to do this for me. I need to trust myself and my abilities. I know that I have the ability to do this. I've done it before and I can do it again. I am a better mother and wife when I run. I'm a kinder person when I take care of myself.  I just have to remember that I am never really alone and I have all the support I need.

Anyway, my run went well. I felt good! I'm really proud of myself. We were in Montana visiting my grandmas all week and we didn't get home until late last night. Go me. :)

This week

Well.... I've been running a lot this week and I've been sticking to my training. It's been tough convincing myself to get out and run. Yeah, I really like running and I enjoy the alone time, but honestly I have been having a tough time with the mental part of running. My mind just isn't into it. After mile 2 I'm counting down the steps until it's over. I'm also having a tough time not stopping to walk. It's not like my muscles ache and it's not like it's too hard, it's just that I get this STRONG desire to walk.

I'm going with the thought that if I just get out every day and run then my mind will fall into place with my heart and my running will get easier.

What do you do to get over the mental hurdles that come with running???

Hobbler Half 5k & Mack Family Croc Walk

Yesterday morning I woke up at 530 and headed out the door for a fun day full of events. The first thing was the Hobbler Half 5k. It was a little under an hour away from the house so, I had to get up early so I could get there on time. 

Today was my weigh in day (which isn't the best idea for race day) and I tend to not eat or drink as much as I should before I weigh. Thinking back now, I should have just weighed at home before I left. Oh, well. I got to the race early and had plenty of time to walk around and talk to friends. 

The race started a little late due to the timing company being late, but that's ok. We started out good, I felt a little slow. (I haven't run in 2 weeks since my half.) I did well until mile 2 and then I felt drained. So, I did the whole walk/run thing. I finished the race in 36.02! Not bad considering I walked some of it. It's amazing how 2 years ago when I first started running again it took me over 47 minutes to run a 5k and that was with "running" the whole time. 

After I crossed the line I got in the car and went another 40 minutes back up, towards home, to a fun walk for a great cause. My parents are in Sierra Leone serving a mission and one of the other missionary couples had a daughter living just a few miles from me. Well, a couple months ago, while 8 months pregnant, she passed away and the baby didn't make it either. (Read the story here.) So, the community got together to help support this father and his 3 kids.

Orange was her favorite color and she wore orange Crocs at the hospital, so everyone wore orange and Crocs donated an orange pair of Crocs for all of those who did the Crocwalk. :)

(The Kimball's, Wendy's parents. This is the other couple that was serving with my parents in Sierra Leone.)

The amazing thing about this event was the fact that there were more people there than were at the Hobbler Half 5k. I love when a whole community comes together to help someone in need. :)

When the walk was over we headed home and I weighed in and lost 3.6 lbs this week! I love weigh in weeks like this! :)  

Mmmm...

I was reading this blog yesterday and she was making her own LARABARs. I've never had one before, but it looked tasty so, I went to the store and got some dates. Yeah... dates look weird! I wasn't too sure about it, but I figured I'd add some Nutella to the mix and it'd make everything taste great.

(Not the BEST picture, but they're oh, so good!)

This morning I threw a pound of dates, a cup of cashews, and a couple big spoonfuls of Nutella into my food processor and made myself my own Nutella Larabars. I laid it all out in an 8x8 pan and put it in the fridge for about an hour and they were good to go. They taste kinda like brownies. They were just the right texture and even my daughter who doesn't like nuts or Nutella (weirdo!) ate them and wanted more. That's the other cool thing about these, they're made with "good for you" stuff so you don't have to feel guilty eating it. 

I love simple treats that are good for you. :)

American Fork Canyon Half Marathon

Better late than never, right? ;)

 I ran in honor of my Aunt Marena on the right. :)

I got up yesterday morning at 3 am to run 13.1 miles. Yeah, I'm a little nuts, but it was fun (well, for the most part.) I woke up and finished my shirt that I started the night before. I picked a dark blue shirt for colon cancer and freezer paper stenciled the words on with silver. The only thing I did wrong was I put too thick of a coat on it and it wasn't dry when I pulled it off so the letters looked a little funky. Anyway after messing with that for a little bit I got my breakfast ready (oatmeal and banana) and was about to walk out the door when Annabelle woke up wanting a blanket and a drink. I hurried and got her all settled and left. I got down the street and realized I forgot a hair tie. I can't run without my hair back... I don't know how some women do it. It would annoy the crap out of me. 

Anyway, I made it down there and on the second bus up the canyon. It was super dark and a little chilly when we got up there. I brought a blanket with me to use, but at the last minute I decided it wasn't that cold so I left it in the car before getting on the bus (I shoulda brought it. Oh, well...)

Start-Mile 3

Well, the race started on time (6am), but for some reason I was thinking it was supposed to start at 630 and that's what I told Jason (more on that later). We started out going down hill through the canyon.  Before mile one we ran through a little river going across the road. There was no way to miss it, so my feet were soaked with ice cold mountain water. From then on the miles just flew by. I was going at around a 1040 pace and I was feeling really comfortable.  When mile 3.1 hit I thought, "10 miles to go. I can do this. I've done this before." For some reason I wasn't feeling the music I had so, for the majority of my race I just enjoyed what was going on around me.

Mile 4-7

I was feeling AWESOME! Down hill all the way. I was letting my feet go with the down hill and I felt great. I was down to a 930 pace when my garmin lost reception and got a little screwy. At mile 7 it said I did a 639 mile and that my fastest pace was a 315 mile (YEAH RIGHT!!) There's no way I could EVER go that fast. I caught up to this one guy and my feet fell in line with his and it totally got me in the groove. I kept thinking, "1, 2, 3, 4...1, 2, 3, 4" over and over in my head. (I know, I'm weird...)

Mile 8-10

I was out of the canyon and things were starting to level out. No more down hill and my legs were starting to feel it. I ended up running with this one lady for a couple miles and saw that we were ahead of the 2.20 pacer. I was so shocked that I was that far ahead of him, but I started to slow and he passed me. 

Last night I watched this video (it's SOO funny!) and when my mind started wandering, I started thinking to myself about how I've never had to go #2 while running and how I would totally hold it in if it was me. Yeah, I jinxed myself. Around mile 9 I started to feel it. OOOooh, did I feel it. (A jalapeno burger from Carl Jr's is NOT the best pre race dinner.) I passed an aid station and the port-a-potties cause there was a major line and I didn't want to waste my time waiting in line. I shoulda though cause around mile 10 I REALLY really really had to go. So bad that each time I started to run I had to stop and walk cause I was totally going to mess myself. lol!

Mile 11-13.1

Around mile 10.5 there was a single port-a-potty on the side of the road that I was lucky enough to use without having to wait too long. I ended up wasting what felt like 5 minutes at the potty. After that I felt better, but my legs were feeling the little break and they didn't want to go fast. I tried using my music, but I still wasn't feeling it. It was actually making me go slower. I needed someone to talk to and no one was around so, I tried calling my brother and he didn't answer so, I called my mom in Africa. 

I was starting to get all emotional around mile 11.75 telling my mom that I hate running races alone and I really hope Jason is there at the finish cause I really need support right now. My mom and dad were driving through the jungle in West Africa with some missionaries when I called. She told me to just imagine my dad waiting for me and running the last bit with me (that's what he did at my full marathon last year) and that my aunt Marena was there by my side. I could hear the missionaries in the background saying I was doing good and to keep going. I started getting all choked up and hung up and started running again. My bro called when I had less than a mile to go. My legs wanted to walk, but my heart wanted to run. I really just wanted to be under 2.40 and I knew that if I kept walking I wouldn't make that. So, Adam told me to pretend like I was doing fartleks. Run some, walk some until I got to the end. I did and I saw the finish and kept running. 

Finish:

I crossed the line and my feet were killing me. I had a couple little blisters from some flip flops that I wore a week ago and I think the wet socks from the beginning made the blisters worse. I called Jason cause I didn't see him at the finish. I knew he was trying really hard to be there. I wasn't upset because I told him the wrong start time, so it was my fault. (Note to self: Tell Jason the RIGHT start time!) Brianna was SO sad because she wanted to cheer me on and didn't get the chance to. She even made a sign for me.

So, I did a fake finish so she could say, "Go ma!" It wasn't the same thing and she was still sad. Oh well, the next half is in August and it finishes right by my house so it'll be easier for them to be there at the end.

I ended up finishing the race in 2.36.02! Not bad!!! I finished and I reached my goal of being under 2.40. Imagine if I didn't waste time at the bathroom, I would have been even better. It's all good though. I did well. I'm proud of myself. I did really well, I mean really, it's only been 5 months since I had Rosalie. I wouldn't have EVER imagined running 5 months after any of the other kids. GO ME! :) 

I woke up this morning and my legs were ACHING!!! I swear I didn't feel this achy after the full marathon and I was prego at the time. I bet it was all the down hill that is making them ache so bad.

Now I gotta get some rest and get back to runnin' for my next half at the end of August. I just wanted to say thanks for all the support from you guys out there. It means a lot. :)

Race day tomorrow!!

So, tomorrow I'll be getting up at 3AM to run a race at 6:30AM in the mountains of Utah all for a great cause. Since the race is for cancer research I've decided that I'll be running for my Aunt Marena who died of cancer in 2005. She was such a wonderful woman.

Wish me luck! It'll be my first race since having Rosalie 5 months ago and I've been fighting a sore throat all week and I pray I feel 100% in the morning.

Country Fest 5k

Yesterday I signed up last minute for a local 5k. I haven't run for about 2 weeks thanks to wussing out and not running in the San Antonio heat. I thought a 5k would be a good way to get back into things. Sooo... I signed up and picked up my packet.

This morning I got up at 5:30 and headed over to the race. It was a little chilly this morning, but it was the perfect running weather. I love weather like this. I think it was in the 60s this morning. 

 Anyway... They told us yesterday to pick up the timing chip this morning, well.... that didn't happen. For some reason they didn't have the chips so we weren't timed very well. I'm so glad I have my Garmin. I started out feeling great other than my lungs having to get used to breathing again. I was feeling a little burn, but I got used to it quick. 

The first mile passed by quickly and so did mile 2. I even passed the water station without really know it. I finished the race in 33.47 according to my garmin. That's almost a minute faster than my last 5k!! I'm so proud of myself for doing so well after so much time off. I felt really comfortable running today. I love when I go faster than I feel. 

Anyway... I hope everyone who ran today had a great run! :) 

Half marathon next Saturday!!!!! Eeek!!!

cookies

Why do cookies have to taste sooo good? I've done really well at staying away from them, but it's tough when your husband cracks open a box of Samoas and offers you some.


Starting WW tomorrow.

Half marathon in a week.

Possible 5k on Saturday.

Haven't run in 2 weeks.

Sore throat.

Tired.

A little depressed.

Need a good run.




The End....

SLACKER!

Yep, still in Texas and still haven't run. It's too hot.... That's my excuse. Tomorrow I have 10 miles scheduled. I wish I can get it in, but I have to drive 2 hours to Dallas to pick Jason up and 2 hours back to Waco or 5 hours back to San Antonio. We'll see. I really need to do it. All I've been doing for exercise is pushing a stroller in the 100 degree heat while checking out all the different sites with the family. Fun fun.

Yesterday I stepped on a toad....

 That's exciting right?  I stepped on the thing barefoot. GROSS!!! It still gives me the chills thinking about how it felt squishy on my heel. YUCK! I didn't squish it, it hopped away with no injuries, but still GROSS!

I was also stung by a bee on Monday. Not too big of a deal except it was on my elbow and I'm pretty allergic to the stinkin' things. My elbow swelled up and itched like mad. It's just now starting to go away. 

Oh well, it's been fun! I love spending time with my family. :) I'm going home soon and then I can get back to running. Hopefully I didn't lose too much of my training by missing these couple weeks. I have a half in less than 2 weeks!! Eeek!

San Antonio...freakin' HOT!

For the past few days I've been in San Antonio, TX visiting family. I've attempted to run a couple times, but by 7 am it's already in the 90's and the humidity is way up there so my 6 mile run on Saturday turned into a barely there 1.75 mile run. Call me crazy, but I'd rather take the altitude that Utah brings over the heat of Texas. Man, oh man...

I made up the other 4 miles by walking around the Alamo and the River walk down here. Pretty cool stuff....it was freakin' hot and I got a little tan, but the stuff was neat.

Later this week I'm going up to Waco and Dallas and I'm hoping to be able to workout at the fitness center at my bros place. I need to figure out something cause on Saturday I have a 11ish (hoping for more) mile run due.

I had the Utah Valley Half scheduled for this weekend, but I decided I didn't want to run my first half since having Rosalie and not have anyone there at the finish.Plus, I didn't want to fly home with 2 little ones by myself. Soooo, I switched it to the American Fork Half. It'll be a good race and it's for a good cause.

Hopefully this week I'll have a better post with some running included. :)

We've got a winner!

Thanks to all of those of you who entered the giveaway. 

Lucky number 6! Danae you won the Auria earphones! :) 

Email me your info and we'll get these sent out to ya.

This morning to celebrate my birthday AND National Running Day I went out for a 5 mile run and then came home to eat some birthday pancakes with a big "C" for Cathy in the center. :)

I was amazed with my run this morning. I started out feeling slow even though I was going much faster than I thought. I ended at a 10 minute mile pace. GO ME! :) I felt great!! I love runs where everything goes smoothly.

Early Morning Run

This morning I woke up at 4 to feed Rosalie and then headed out for my run. I know it's a little early to run especially on a Saturday, but we had my niece and nephew sleep over and I knew that if I didn't get my run in then, then it wasn't going to happen at all. 

My heart didn't want to run this morning. I didn't really want to, but I knew I wouldn't regret it if I did. This time I planned my route around a working water fountain so, I wouldn't have a repeat of last week. It seemed to help. I started out feeling good around 4 miles into it I stopped by the house and dropped off my jacket and kept going. I was pretty impressed with myself for still going after stopping at the house. I even did the first 4 miles without music. I had my music on me, but something in me just wanted to be alone with the morning and not be distracted by any music. 

I made it to about mile 7 and my mind was ready for the run to be over. I hate when that happens. I keep thinking about the end and it makes it that much harder to keep going. The music I turned on after mile 4 didn't seem to help. I started seeing more and more people out running around mile 8 so it kept me going. I knew I would be finishing soon so, I kept going. The back of my right knee started aching a little towards the end. I'm so nervous about that. I don't want a repeat of last time with the whole IT Band issues. They are NOT fun. 

Well, I finished! I did 9 miles in 1.52.24! Not bad. I walked the first 5 minutes and ran the rest. Pretty cool!

I walked 1.61 miles home as a cool down, so technically I went 10.61 miles this morning, but I'm weird and I just count the running. 

I wish I would have done better this week. I ran Monday and Saturday. Next week should be better. :) 

Oh! I'm down another 1.6 pounds this week!!! YAY!!

Auria Earphones Review and Giveaway (Giveaway Closed)

A little while ago I was contacted by the great people over at Auria.com to try out a pair of their Exceed model earphones. I was so excited to get my Glacier White pair in the mail.

Who doesn't have a couple pairs of earphones from your iPods laying around? I have them and have been using them, but they always hurt my hears. I even tried getting some of those ones that have a soft cushion, but either they didn't fit or they hurt so, after reading what Auria had to offer I couldn't wait to try them out.

I am totally one of those women who stick one in my ear and the other in my strap so I can hear. When I opened the package I tested it out. I put my earphones on and turned on my tunes. Jason talked loud and I could hear him. He talked soft and I could hear him. He even whispered and I could hear him. I like the fact that I could have them on and still be able to respond to my husband and kids without yelling.

There's a couple of cool things that these babies do. 

1. You can hear the things around you.

2. There are control buttons on the cord where you can change the song, pause the song, skip a song. No more fumbling with your iPod at the start of the race. 

3. You can answer you phone with the control buttons! I'm one of those crazies that will answer my phone mid run and talk. When I was doing my marathon my little brother called me about 10 times and each time I had to fumble with my phone to answer him. NOT ANYMORE! Now I just push a button. 

4. There's also a little clip that will clip your cords to your shirt so they won't flap all over the place while you run. I couldn't find my Auria earphones yesterday and I had to use the ones that came with my iPod...yeah...I hated how the cords kept tugging the buds out of my ears and how the cords kept flapping all over. Needless to say, after my run I went in search for my Auria earphones and found them! 

Soooo.... Do you want a pair??

All you have to do is leave a separate comment for each entry!

• Tell me why you want these awesome earphones!
• Like Auria and Facebook HERE 
• Tell me your favorite song to run to. I need a new play list for my half!
• Follow my blog if you don’t already 
• FB, Tweet or mention this giveaway on your blog 

The giveaway will end next Tuesday May 31st at midnight and the winner will be announced the morning of Wednesday June 1st (My birthday!!! Hehehe!)

The past couple days...

This week I went a total of 25 miles! I kept up with my runs and did everyone this week. Some of the days I went farther than I was scheduled. On Friday I did a 4 mile run where I took my time and felt easy. I felt like I was back to where I was before I had Rosalie. It's such a difference when your legs do what your heart wants. I know I may not be fast (read: 11-12 min average pace) and I may never win any awards in my age group (besides this one), but this momma is made for endurance. I can go, go, go. I can keep going when others quit and to me that is something to be proud of. :) 

Yesterday I got up at 5 after feeding Rosalie and headed out. I went 8 miles! I love that I could go 8 miles before anyone else woke up. The one thing I did wrong with my run was my lack of water. I was 4.5 miles into it when I stopped at the park to get some water at the water fountain and realized that they haven't turned the water on for the year yet for some stupid reason. So, I kept running and stopped at the bathrooms that they built only to find that they were both locked since it was so early in the morning. I ended up finding a faucet on the side of the building and used that. Haha! Next time I'm bringing water or I'll stash some along the way. 

Well, after my run I weighed and guess what!!! I'm out of the 200's! I've lost 17 pounds since having Rosalie. Yay! Only 35 more to go. :) I just hope I can keep up the weight loss like it's been going the past couple weeks.

I read this quote today... It's totally going to be my motto this week.

"Next time you want to give up - push on. Next time you want to skip a run - don't. Next time you want to ease up on your body - tell your body you run the show, not it." -Mile Posts

I hope everyone has an AWESOME week!!

Superhero Walk

This evening we went on a walk as a family around the lake. I pushed the BOB and the babies while Jason and the kids ran ahead. Jason is a BIG comic book fan so, the kids have grown up knowing all about all the different superheroes. Today while we walked Caleb was Flash, Brianna was Superwoman, and Jason was Superman. Their goal was to protect the "Tank" (aka me and the babies with the BOB) with a BIG engine (my butt. lol!) that has a lot of power. They had SO much fun running around even with the chance of rain. After about a mile the heroes were starting to lose their powers and the "Tank" had to carry them.

While we were walking we saw that the orange and blue ribbon from Chelsea's Virtual Race a year ago was still there! It's a little faded, but it's still there. Pretty cool, huh? I wonder how long it'll be there.

I just love walks like this with the family. I can't wait until the weather makes up it's mind so we can do this more often. We ended up going 2 miles, not bad...not bad.

11 miles today? Sure, why not....

This morning I got up, got ready, and headed out for my run. I figured I'd go around the lake today since I had so far to go. My goal was to go 7 miles, but I was scheduled for 80 minutes total. Could I go 7 miles in an hour and 20 minutes? The answer: YES! Well, technically it took me 1.23.43 to go 7 miles, but still 7 miles!!! The further I go the more I'm surprised with how well I'm doing for having a baby only (almost) 4 months ago. I wasn't able to run this much this soon after having any of the other kids. 

The first 2 miles were SO easy. I felt great! I kept it up and around mile 4.5 I was starting to feel a little slower. I stopped for a second to take a breath, but I kept going. I saw a fellow blogger (That was you right, Whitney? lol) at the beginning of the run and I kept telling myself that I had to keep going cause I was sure I'd pass by her again. I couldn't be walking when that happened. lol! That and the fact that I had my Garmin set to count down the miles and not show the time really helped me keep it up.  I think I'll do that from now on with my watch. 

Anyway, I finished up my run strong and I feel GREAT!!

When I got home and Jason decided he wanted to go for a walk/run around the lake with the kids. Sooo.... I got the BOB all ready and we headed out. B rode her bike, our boy walked, and the babies were in the stroller. Jason was walking beside me when Caleb ran up to Jason and says, "Let's run dad!" So, he grabbed his daddy's hand and off they went. Ahead of me I could see them running then stopping, then running again. It was so cute! Apparently Caleb kept telling him to run then walk then run. Haha! Such a great dad to keep going with him. We ended up going 4 miles.  The kids did well and the rain held off until we got home.

A total of 11 miles for me today!! I'm a little sore, but that's to be expected.

27 days until my half marathon!!! If I can go 11 miles today I'm sure I can go 13 in a month. 

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!

Provo City 5k and cookies

It's a couple days late, but here's the recap!

I got up Saturday morning early and headed down to Provo for the race. Since I had to leave early Jason decided to stay home with all the kids rather than have to herd them around the finish line while I was running. It was a good idea since there was a good amount of people out there waiting for the half marathon and 5k to start. 4 kids under 6 is a little tough for 1 person. That's ok. :)

So, I meet up with Sue and get ready for the race to start. My mom was on the phone texting me from Africa. It's pretty cool that we can do that cause it was like she was there at the start with me cheering me on. When the race started I kept hearing my phone ding with each text she sent. (After the race I saw that she was writing "GO GO GO!!" I love my momma!) I started out good. I always feel like I'm going a lot slower than I am. The first mile went by quick. I looked at my watch and saw I was going at a 10.45 pace! I just kept wondering if I could keep up that pace the whole time. I did pretty well. My mind started thinking about the finish when I hit mile 2, but I was able to keep my pace around 10.30-11.00.

There was this one dude that kept passing me then he'd stop to walk and I'd pass him and then he'd pass me and stop to walk. He did it the WHOLE race. Hey, if that's how you do it, go for it...just don't stop right in front of me and walk, at least move over to the right side or something. Anyway... I stopped and walked a second through the water station and then kept running. I haven't mastered the art of drinking while running. lol! A little while later I saw the finish line ahead of me and I wanted to go a little faster. I felt like I was slowing down (after looking on my Garmin later I wasn't. I was actually speeding up without knowing it.) so, I tried to pick up the pace cause I really wanted to finish faster than my last 5k. 

Well, I crossed the finish line at 35.34 which isn't bad! It's still faster than my last 5k by a minute, but the course was an extra .12 miles longer than it should have been. Sooooo... according to my Garmin I finished 2 minutes and 15 seconds faster than my last 5k at 34.15!! I'm just so amazed with myself that I am able to run a 5k in 34 minutes only 3 months after having a baby. I just wouldn't have ever thought that I could do that. You know what's even crazier? The last time I ran this race in 2009 I ran it in 44 minutes. That means I shaved 10 minutes off!!! Isn't that insane?!

I wonder what my next 5k will have in store for me.... :)

For Mother's Day Jason made me a yummy breakfast and took care of me all day. We had some family over for dinner and Jason asked if I could make some of my delicious cookies for dessert. You remember how I'm trying not to eat cookies until I'm 185, right? Well........ These cookies are my FAVORITE!!

Chocolate, pecan, and butterscotch chip cookies......MMMMMMmmmmm! How could I turn them down? They smelled sooooo good and I wanted to eat the dough soooo bad! I kept texting my brother asking if cookie dough was the same as cookies and telling him how tempting these soft chewy delicious bad boys were. The hardest part is when you take the cookies off and a cookie breaks. I HAVE to eat the broken part, it's something I've always done and I wanted to eat the broken piece so bad. But, my brother in law Anthony helped me out and ate all the broken pieces so I wouldn't. Haha! How nice of him, huh? Well, I got through the night without eating any cookies. It was SO hard. I could eat a dozen or more of those without batting an eye. I'm glad I did it though. I just proved to myself that I can stick to the things I decide to do.

This week will prove challenging. I will have to figure out a way to run since Jason won't be able to help me this week. I may just have to suck it up and pay a TON to have the people at the community center watch them while I run on the treadmill. J laughs at me he says I should just ask a friend to watch them for an hour, but I feel guilty. I'd use my BOB, but there's 3 kids and only 2 seats and it's cold and they wouldn't keep content for an hour. Oh well, I'll figure it out and I'll get my runs in. I can do hard things. :) 

I hope everyone has a GREAT week!

Happy Mother's Day!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!!

I can't wait until I can run with you again!! :) 

Next time we'll do a marathon together!

New shoes and sore legs

Yesterday I did fartleks and today my legs HURT! I went 4.44 miles! Talk about a good workout.

One thing yesterday's run told me was my shoes were shot. I needed new ones. So, today I went in and got those pretty shoes (the ones on my new header at the top of the blog). I tried on all sorts of shoes until I told them that I came last year and got some and I LOVED the shoes I had last time. He looked me up and pulled out the Brooks Defyance shoes. I was SO excited to see that they were orange, white, and gray. (My favorite color combo!) I can't wait to try them out on Saturday for the Provo City Marathon 5k. I bet they'll feel awesome!

The only thing though...I need my legs to feel better. My shins are a little sore and my legs are achy. I think I'll just go on a simple walk around the lake with the family today so they my legs can rest some.

2 spring miles

Aren't they pretty? They're from a tree outside my front window. I just love spring! 

This afternoon I went and did a quick 2 miler around the middle lake. It was nice. My legs didn't feel as tired as yesterday so, I was able to go a little faster. The only thing though is my form is WAY off. I really need to work on that. I wonder if that's what's contributing to my tired legs. I don't know...

I'm just glad I got my run in. It was such a beautiful spring day, a little over cast and windy, but still beautiful. It's a MILLION times better than the cold that's for sure. So, yesterday I come down stairs in my running gear and my oldest says, "Wow mom! Your belly and your arms are getting smaller." lol! Don't you just LOVE how honest kids are? 6.5 year olds crack me up. I'm glad she can see a difference. I want to be healthy and I want to lose this weight. Even though it's not coming off as fast as I'd like it to weight wise, it's still coming off. 

Tomorrow will be a fun run. I get to do fartleks. I hope my legs feel fresh so I can do them with no problems.

Ewwww!

I swallowed a gnat on my run today! Ewwww! That's what I get for running with my mouth open. Haha! My oldest told me to be careful last time I ran with her. The gnats around the lake can get bad.

Oh well, my run today made it all worth it. I'm getting a little faster. I was able to run/walk 4 miles in 51 minutes. My legs felt really tired today and I felt like I was going slow, but when I looked at my watch I was going a lot faster than I thought. 

I didn't post about it, but on Saturday I ran another 6 miles and I lost 2 more pounds. :) I almost reached my goal of 10 pounds in April...almost. I was 3 pounds shy. This month I'll do it! I also had the goal of not eating any cookies for the whole month, but without thinking about it I ate a stinking Oreo on the very last day. It sounds silly, but my biggest craving lately has been homemade cookies, so to go almost a whole month without eating a single cookie, that's a big deal to me. So, now I'm making the goal of no cookies until I'm 185. I think I can do it. 

I can't believe my half marathon is only 39 days away! Oooh, it's coming up QUICK! I hope my legs stop feeling tired by then. It sucks, I wish I knew what was causing it.

This is my "I just ran!" face. :)

I have a review coming up about some headphones or earbuds, or whatever you want to call them. They're pretty cool. 

I hope everyone has a great May!

Blog slacker....

I know I've been slacking on posting lately. Things have been so busy. BUT, I have been running still. Monday I did 3.58 miles around the lake, Tuesday I did a simple walk to the park with the kids, and today I did 4.04 miles!!

Today's run/walk was a good one. This is how it went walk 5- run 20 at 5k pace- walk 5- run 1 mile under 11 minutes- walk 10. I started out awesome! I did the first mile in 12.30 which isn't bad considering I walked the first 5 minutes of it. The second mile was 11.09! Then I walked 5 and ran the last mile under 11 minutes. Sure, it was 10:57, but it was still under 11. lol! I was so drained halfway through that last mile that I had to stop for a second and catch my breath and then keep going. Talk about a TOUGH workout. I'm just glad I did it and was able to accomplish my goal. I love that I'm able to keep my pace and I'm going faster. I just love that feeling after a GREAT run. It just makes you feel soo accomplished.

Well, 44 days until my half marathon. CRAZY! It's coming up fast and I'm excited. A little nervous, but still excited. It'll be a good race. I just love the half marathon. I think it's my favorite distance.

Tomorrow's another "rest" day which is good after today's run, but I'm more excited about Saturday's run. 65 minutes I'm scheduled to run and 10 to walk. I love long runs!!

I hope everyone's week is going well!

104 miles!

This morning I got up and ran 6.03 miles!! WHAT?! Yes, yes I did. How awesome is that??? I actually ran 5 and walked the last one, but still.... 6 miles is awesome!

As of today I have gone a total of 104 miles since I started back running. Pretty cool! I'm just so excited about how my running is going. I'm really amazed with myself. I still have to tell myself to go when I don't want to. It really is a mental thing. That and there's that fine balance of pushing yourself and pushing yourself too hard. My shins were a little achy yesterday and today which was the main reason I walked the last mile this morning.

Anyway, today was a good run. I hope everyone else has a great weekend!

First time ever...

This is the first time I've ever kept up running while on vacation. Yay! On Tuesday I was scheduled for 20 walk and my strength exercises. It was a rest day. But, the hotel has a cool treadmill so I had to test it out. I walked for 10 minutes and then ran. I started out at 5.0 and quickly pushed it up to 5.5. I felt great! The treadmill was nice and smooth and I didn't feel like it was yanking my feet under me. (You know how some treadmills do that...) I was so surprised with myself for going 5.5 mph. I'm starting to go faster!

Well, yesterday I was stuck in the hotel ALL. DAY. LONG with 4 kids that wanted to get out. It was fun. When Jason got back around 9 I ran out the door and hit the treadmill for my run. 50 minutes running each mile at a 11:30 pace, with a 5 minute walk between each mile. I started out awesome. The first 2 miles flew by like it was nothing. I was even going at a 5.6 pace the whole time. The walks in between were helpful, but when mile 3 came around... that one was tough. I had drained all my energy and I could feel it. My hands were like magnets to the hand rails and the more I thought about it the harder it was to not hold on. I lowered the pace some and still felt the need to hold on for a couple seconds. Soooo...I caved and held on for about a minute or so. I finally finished the mile and had another 5 minute walk to finish it off. After about 3 of the 5 minutes I was feeling good and decided to run the last minute at a 6.0 pace. I know a minute isn't very long, but I did it. I ran at 6.0! 

I came up stairs and iced my legs, they were a little sore, and went to bed. I feel great for keeping it up while on the road. I've never done this before and it's awesome that my hubby is so helpful and willing to watch the kids while I get my exercise in. 

I'm just amazed at how well I'm doing. Yesterday marked 3 months since little Rosalie was born. She's such a good baby. It really helps!

(I had one if her smiling, but it was all blurry... Oh well, maybe next time.)

Yay!

Well, today started off great. I woke up and went on my run for today. I was scheduled to run 30 and walk 10. I was debating on running outside, but it was raining and me being the silly person I am decided that I'd just go to the gym and run on the treadmill. I didn't want my hair to get soaked with rain before my weigh in. lol!

So, I got to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. I started out walking 5 minutes and then I began to run. After 10 minutes I was feeling comfy so I decided to up the pace. I ended up getting up to 5.0! I know I went faster than that on Saturday, but for me the treadmill is harder cause you have to stay at a consistent pace the whole time and when you run on the road your pace changes naturally.

Around 14 minutes I wanted to hold onto the sides. My legs were starting to feel it, but they weren't drained. It's like my mind realizes when things are starting to get tough an it wants to quit. BUT, I DIDN'T! I kept going, but my mind kept nagging. "Hold onto the sides, it's ok." How can I say I ran it without holding on if I hold on? The funny thing is, I really didn't need to hold on. I was comfortable, but I was having to work at it.

Well, I finished it without holding on. 3.04 miles in 40 minutes. Really not bad considering I walked for 10 of those minutes.

I came home after that and weighed and I lost 3.4 pounds this last week!!!6 more pounds and I'll be under the 200's!!! Go me!

This week will be fun. We're going on vacation to California. My goal is to eat lots of fruits and veggies and run at the hotel's fitness center.

I hope everyone has a GREAT week!!

Salt Lake City 5k

I don't have any pictures from the race, oh well, that's ok. 

This morning I got up at 5:15 and got ready for the race. I got downtown by 6:45 since the race started at 7:10. I went alone this time. I didn't want Jason to have to wake the kids up so early and then have to keep them in one place while I raced. They would have been super cranky... 

I had some oatmeal before I left the house, but when I got to the race my stomach was growling so I ate a GU right before the race started. I think it helped cause get this.... I shaved 2 minutes and 23 seconds off of my last 5k time!! How awesome is that?? I ran it in 36.33! I love it! 

My legs felt great. I didn't feel winded or drained at the end, that's what I was hoping for. It's nice when running feels natural. The only thing that I am having to train more than my legs is my mind. I really have to work at not giving up. There was a hill halfway through the race and I looked up and my brain started with the "walk...it's ok. No one will blame you for walking. It's ok. Give your legs a rest." Then the other side of me started saying "keep it up, you're doing great. Just keep your mind on the road and focus on the next step. One foot after the other. You've got this. Keep it up." I made it up the hill without stopping and I finished the race at an 11.41 pace. LOVE IT!

After the race I met up with my friend Sue. It's always nice to see her. I want to be a racer like her one day. She always wins! She's a super fast runner. She did great at this race. We run a couple of the same races every year. It's nice on days like this when I'm at a race alone to know someone there. :)

I got home just in time to feed Rosalie. She woke up about 5 minutes after I walked in the door. Talk about perfect timing! 

I can't wait to see how I do at the next race. It'll be great!