High Five! YMCA 5K-Thanksgiving Morning!

On Thanksgiving morning I thought it would be a fun idea to run a local 5K! My Friend took this funny picture at the starting line. Yup! That's my hand sticking up in the air! There were about 1800 runners so it was kind of hard to spot me! Go Turkey!!

I DID IT!

This is the moment I anticipate when running a race...the finish! Here I am at the end of the Moab Half Marathon. The race was a good one and definately a challenge considering there were three or four "decent" hills to climb! This race brings the total to 4 and 4...4 Half Marathons and 4 Full Marathons!

Moab Half Marathon-October 2008

We did it! My sister, Jessica, and I finished the Moab Half Marathon...and we are still smiling! We had a great time together along the way! We are already looking forward to the Salt Lake Marathon in April 2009!

Ahhhhhh New Shoes!

Monday I purchased my 6th pair of running shoes. I am currently "breaking them in" for my half marathon in a week. I have been running in the same brand for the past two years and just love em! Only 350 miles until I get a new pair!...and spend another 100 bucks! :)

I GOT SOUL!!!

I did a long run yesterday, in preparation for my next race. An avid runner knows about the "350 mile" rule. You should never go more than 350 miles on one pair of shoes. Honestly, I totally agree with this rule and advise any other serious runner to do the same! These shoes have gone about 400 miles and are to be retired tomorrow when I purchase a brand new shiny pair! I took this photo to show you just how much "Soul" I got! The squished berries added a nice touch as well! :)

Running Memories....

So I was looking at my medals this morning and thinkinb about how each and every medal hanging brings back so many memories...good and bad! In two weeks I will have the wonderful opportunity to earn yet another one in the "Other Half" half marathon in Moab, UT. I asked myself what to do if I run out of hooks! Well it just so happens that the hooks are desingned in such a way that they can be removed and moved down without creating a sticky mess! :) I want to be a "Marathon Mommy!"

28 Days to Go! Moab Here I Come!

My half Marathon race in Moab, UT is 28 days from today! I am so excited to run this race with my sister! This is her first big race and we are both anxiously awaiting the starting line!

ADT Half Marathon-Labor Day 2008

Here is a photo of me running the ADT half marathon on Labor Day. It't the only one I have at the actual race itself since my hubby forgot the camera! Can you see the pain and agony in my nuscles??? :)

Running in the Rain!...

You really should try this sometime...running 5 miles in the pouring rain! Just avoid the lightning though, it really isn't that safe...not that I would even know! :)

MMMM....Marathon Medals.....

Apparently my dog Sam thinks my medals taste good. He tried to steal my most recent earning... YOU GOTTA EARN IT BABY! :)

ADT Half Marathon-Labor Day 2008

Ok, so I decided about two weeks before this race to finally sign up for it! I have been training for a half marathon in Moab at the end of October, so I thought this might boost my confidence and test my strength! I did better than I thought I would! That's one more medal for the collection!

"The Other Half 2008"...Here I Come!

The last two years I have run "The Other Half" half-marathon in Moab, Utah. I am already signed up to run it again this October, but this time it will be ten times better because my big sister will be running it with me! This will be her first big race, and our first big race together! We are really looking forward to sharing this experience!

Next Up...Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run

Ok, so it has been a LONG time since I have added a new post to my running blog...sorry about that! No, I haven't been lazy, and Yes I have been running. The move kind of bumped things back a bit. I usually run the Salt Lake Marathon every year, but we moved to Colorado Springs a few weeks before the actual race...bummer. Wayne and I have finally settled into our new townhome and I am of course scanning runner's mags and websites to find upcoming races in the area. This one seemed awsome! It is a ten mile run through beautiful and inspiring Garden of the Gods! The race is a few weeks from now, but I have heard that it is a very difficult race so therefore I need to train even harder than I ever have! I will post pics when I cross the finish line!

My First Marathon!

My first Marathon was the 2005 Salt Lake Marathon. I was scared to death when the alarm went off at 4:30 am! I didn't know what to expect, what to eat, when to pee, bla bla bla. I remember just running, and running, and running, and running. Although I think it was more of a "hobble" than an acutal "run." Either way, when I crossed the finish line it changed my life forever!

The Aftermath...

The aftermath of the St. George Marathon. Notice my freakin awsome sock tan line!

Happiness is this moment...

Here's a clip from my running scrapbook. The St. George Marathon was not my favorite race, but I still had a wonderful experience running along an open road with thousands of other runners.

2005 St. George Marathon-Pneumonia Anyone?

I ran the 2005 St. George Marathon...and was in the Instacare 48 hours later. We arrived at the hotel the night before the race and that's when it all began. I felt achy, flu-like, and just crappy. Wayne and I convinced each other that I was just nervous and I would be ok after a good night's sleep. I crossed the finish line an hour later than planned. My family was in a panic, thinking that I might have been one of the 60+ runners taken off the course for heat exhaustion. I pushed through it all and ended up with a bad case of pneumonia in my left lung! The Dr. was amazed that I had just finished a marathon 48 hours before he treated me. The two weeks in bed was pretty miserable, but very much worth it!

Me and Wendy!

I met one of my frends, Wendy, at the finish line of the 2007 Salt Lake Marathon. I didn't know that she had run the race, and we actually ended up finishing about the same time. It's nice to know that there is someone out there you know who is doing something just as crazy as you are!

2007 Salt Lake Marathon

The Finish line of the Salt Lake Marathon is always a site to see, especially is you are a participant. As I turn the corner to come down the Gateway "tunnel," I always get a little teary-eyed. The streets are lined with people cheering for you and as happy as your are! There's music, plenty of food, and a whole lotta hugs and words of encouragement!

Yes, it was Snowing at the Starting Line...

So here I am at the starting line. If you've ever wondered what it looks like when you get there at 6 in the morning...here you go. There is usually music, bonfires, and lots and lots of freezing bodies that have to pee every 30 seconds either because of nervousness or they are just plain cold! On the bus ride up we kept seeing white, but couldn't really tell what it was because it was so dark. The sun just barely starting creeping over the gigantic rock formations and we could make out a dusting of...SNOW! I just prayed that it would go away before we started our journey back down the canyon.

You can see how cold everyone around me is by the way they are shoving their hands as far into their pockets as they can, and they all seem to have the same look on their faces. It's the " What am I doing up this early?" face! It's all part of the adventure!

1 Mile to Go!

We've only got one more mile to go. The green patch to the left of Joann is where the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Finish line are. We may have gained a minute or two on our time by taking this picture, but it defiately was worth taking! A runner saw us with the camera and hear us talking about taking the picture (that was a few miles back). She offered to capture this photo of us posing at mile marker 12.

"The Other Half" October, 2007 (Moab, UT)

Joann and I had a great time running together! Oh yeah, the yellow thing in my hand is in fact a disposable camera. I carried it the entire race, snapping photos of moments only participants could see. I've added a few to the page for you to enjoy!

Finished

I'm still smiling! Woo Hoo I did it! I am smiling but my legs are definately NOT. You gotta try this some time!

Moooove Through 13.1 Miles!

YES, I ran the entire 13.1 miles with them on...for no particular reason at all. I found them in a gift shop on main street the night before the race. Twelve hours later and $5 less in my wallet, I participated in the 2006 Moab Half Marathon with steer horns! A few people along the way asked me to "moo" for them...I gladly did!

Running Buddy

I met Joann on the bus to the starting line of "The Other Half" back in October of 2007. We met on the course at mile 3 and stayed together until the finish. I used to be a lone runner and not really worry about having a buddy, but now I understand why people don't fly solo. It's such a great experience to have someone to laugh with, talk with, and complain with! Thanks Joann for the great run!