Patience; the new endurance sport.

I took my Iron...and of course the lady at the health food store talked me into a homeopathic thyroid thinger.  Whatever, we'll see what happens.  At least this morning I didn't feel like death, per usual.  Still struggleing to maintain 9-9:30's. I found three recently hatched blue robin eggs on the trail and stuck them in my pocket to bring home and show my kids.  I don't know why I still do that, they think it's gross.  Also, two snakes on the trail.  Reminded me of the time that parakeet attacked me (I thought I was 'saving' it and it bit me).  After I ran, got hooked up to go w/ Josse and Ericka and mark the course for the RED HOT PINK CHICKS half saturday next.  We rock.  It's going to be fun!!!!!

I ran without my Garmin, slowly, relishing the cool morning and stopping to catch my breath and then run fast little segments. It was a lovely morning.  It's the beginning of a very busy, fun couple of days. 

Stayed up so late at a party last night, got up at 5:30 so I could meet Josse and Ericka at vivan park and then drive down to the RHPC start so we could mark the course. Josse is looking fine at 30 weeks prego and Ericka and I (at least I) was thrilled to be outside, jog slow, stop to spray paint the pavement (shhh don't tell), drink, and watch Josse chat with her many adoring fans along the trail.  It was a cool, refreshing morning, with easy running, and easy friends.  I am totally renewed from a combination of lowered mileage, and maybe iron suppliments.  Feeling better every day.  This week,  I'm having a few signs made for the RHPC half marathon next Saturday.  My daughter is putting together the finisher's medals tonight.  Cathrine is coming, and my friend Marisa's coming and bringing a friend.  It's going to be a fun little run.  So looking forward to being in the canyon again next weekend. 

Me and the kids were LATE!!!! we had to park about a mile from the start, and run down 9th East as the 10K starters were running up it--cheered Michelle (looking strong and determined) as she ran up the road in the leader pack.  We jogged down to the 5K start line and there was NO ONE in sight, but the people starting to put it away.  They said it was still on so I lifted my arms as I crossed it (as if it were the finish line) and I yelled "Hey!I WON!!"  Everyone laughed, and so we began the run in earnest.  We'd already warmed up and as soon as we were about .2 down the road my daughter asked if she could go ahead as we were catching up to the last people.  I saw her strong legs keep a steady pace as she dissapered in front of me catching up with the croud. I forgot I was wearing this crazy tall red white and blue star-spangled head band with red sparkelers sticking out of each star point and so when I ran out onto University I was reminded when everyone started cheering and yelling "Way to Go Star Hat Lady!!"  The whole run was like that.  I was thinking "Hey, this is nothing, I ran a half marathon in a full wedding gown"-- but they all loved the patriotic headgear. We cheered for Michelle again the elites passed us. The croud, and the attention, and running aside and noticing the elite runners gave my son a rush.  I found myself trailing him as he ran ahead.  I held his pace and just talked from behind about locking in his pace, passing people using as little energy as possible, picking people off the hill as he strided up it, and sprinting through the finishers chute. I was really, really surprized by how strong and smooth he was running (8:30 m/m). Both of my kids really impressed me.  My girl waited for me at the finish -- she'd had trouble maintaining her pace up the hill. I'll check the chip times later.  But the whole experience was not bad.  In the end, they were both proud of themselves and chatting excitedly to each other about how their race went.  I absolutely loved it.  July 4, 2010 will become one of my fondest memories. 

No running because I got up at 4:30 to hike Timpanogos.  We hiked 8 hours (12 miles) but since we forgot our crampons and hiking poles, we forfitted the last part of the summit--there's still a ton of snow up there. Regardless, the journey was gorgeous. The meadows are filled with a huge assortment of flowes: columbine, lupine, buttercups, coral bells and many others.  We'll go back in late August when there is less snow.

Ran with my daugther and 3 of her soccer team mates.  They rang the doorbell at 6:30, and there they were.  My daughter came running down the stairs and said "Oh, I forgot to tell you I invited them."  I wanted to go 6 today, but oh well. 

This morning, I Ran down to the lake and the fields are filled with cows and their calves.  The little ones just stare at you as you run by. They don't even have enough sense to run away from us even though we stick them with red-hot branding irons and then slaughter them like barbarians (well, some of us). The morning was hot-- not like these other cool mornings we've been having.  It finally feels like summer out there. Today's my girl's birthday. She was born at 8:57 a.m. so after my run, that's when I woke her up with a pan of sizzling bacon (her favorite, and something we RARELY eat). She was so happy.    9:25 ap

The funnest part of my day was going with Josse to put up the 5K,10K, and 1/2 marathon turn around signs at 9 o'clock at night.  I don't know why I thought the evening time would be best (well, I wanted to make sure the signs would not be vandalized by the longboarders in the early evning on the trail).  We could not remember where to enter onto the trail and where the 10K marker was (was it east or west of Glenn Park?)  We walked like 3 miles, in the dark, carrying a sign, and rubber sledge mallot (hammer) and a can of spray paint as our only protection.  We braved the wreckless late evening longboarders, a quasi homless guy with a 7 foot walking stick and pitch black tunnels of trees.  It was exciting.  The 1/2 marathon turn around sign was pretty uneventful. Josse knew just where to park near the dam. But by the time we were heading to the 5K turn around point (at the huge electrical plant at the mouth of the canyon) there was a lot of lightening.  My better sence told me it was a bad idea to go near there, but we were already neck deep.  So we waded down the embankment, walked 300 feet surrounded by 20 foot tall electrical generators in a lightnight storm to place that sign.  When we walked back to the car, there was a big, fat 4 1/2 foot snake in the middle of the trail.  We must have scared it out of the bushes on our way down.  Josse tried to scare it away  by stomping--I had to be ready to jump between her and the snack so it would bite me instead of her (she's pregnant you know).  It was a very exciting night and we didn't get home until well after 11.  THAT was an adventure!

Diamonds and Titanium RED HOT PINK CHICKS 2nd Annual Half Marathon

OK, so I got 4 hours of sleep but was really glad we'd placed the signs the night before. Driving home last night, it rained hard, like tropical big fat drops of rain.  I wondered if the signs would still be up in the morning.  I picked up Catherine at 6:00 and headed up the canyon.  When we arrived we spied several pink tutus, hot pink demi-gloves, diamond and titanium bling-bling rings, pink tights, pink bandanas, and all manner of Red and Pink combinations (Michelle won for the best red/pink combo--especially the lipstick).  Ericka and Karen were pinked out as well (loved the pink and the  pink and black tiger stirpes!).  Everyone really dressed for the ocassion, which was fun.  Kelly gave us our awsome new RHPC t-shirts and Marion gave us our race instructions; and we were off!  Catherine and I were taking it easy, ran a bit with Smooth who very quickly caught up to others.  Cath and I went slow and just ran it like a training run.  We drank from my favorite mountain drinking fountain on the way up.  Most of the regular runners had already hit the turn around point when we were still about a mile away from it. We stopped at the half way point and I could really feel my glutes/hams, so I streched for a bit at the fence on the lake.  I've dropped my mileage the last two weeks and going up that canyon was noticeable.  But overall, I felt better and stronger than the last 12 miler a two weekends ago.  I credit the iron. We ran down the canyon with some nice easy 9's.  Catherine had to find a potty (Usually that's me!) but we were way beyond the park and not quite at the mouth of the canyon.  It was a very nice, easy run.  A back-on-the-horse kind of run from Utah Valley marathon.  I think I can hold onto 9:30's at Park City. But the multiple Spring marathons  (and training) wore me down these past few months. I really lost steam after Boston.  I don't know how others train with such prolonged inetensity and run back to back marathons. I think it will take a few more years to ease into multiple marathons run with any amount of grace.  Even in my attempt, I have been careful to avoid injury (except for that little achilles thing).  Anyway, got back to the park where we received our enormous diamond ring finisher's medals and titanium tiara's.  Once the majority of  the racers were in, Marion told the legend of the multi-colored glitter rooster and gave it to McKenzie to pass the gauntlet to the new winner Michelle.  There were cheers and applause, and Michelle became the pround new owner of the coveted Red Hot Pink (and orange,yellow, purple, and green) Chick. We then ate quinoa fruit salad, garden salads, fresh salsa, fresh fruit and dip.  And some smart-alick brought a bag of Reeses Peanut Butter cups, which I tried to avoid lookit at for very long.  Hey, I ate  half a sheet cake this week by myself from my daugter's birthday.  I did not need more sugar. Catherine got to meet the other RHPC, we had a  yummy breakfast, I sat in the river with Michelle, and chatted with Rachel and her sweet new baby.  I love this race, I love coming to see these girls run.  There are some really amazing runners in this group.  When my company visiting from California asked me how I did it (How I got up so early, ran a half marathon, and then hiked the rest of hte day).  I said it's easy when you're excited to do it, and it's something you've really looked forward to.  I had great energy the whole rest of the day and enjoyed seeing the photos of the event posted later.  It was a great day.

I had 7 kids between the ages of 10-14 who wanted to run this morning. It started with my daughter and/or son running with Marsha and I.  Then Marsha's daughter (who is my daughter's team mate). Then Marsha's daughter's neighbor's daughter (who is also a soccer team mate). The the neighbor boys who play basketball with my son every afternoon.   Today they all showed up, on time and ready to run. So off we went.  Since we had enough runners, and all seem to run about the same speed as me (9-9:40's) we did ladders (run in a line, and the last runner has to sprint to the front).  We ran that way for 2 miles.  They all went 4 with me, and I ran one extra.  It was really fun to have all those kids with me running their hearts out.  We got a lot of thumbs up and smiles from passers by along the way. 

Just my regular a.m run down by the lake with the dogs.  I ran a few quick intervals (1/16ths), inspired by running ladders yesterday.  I didn't push my pace too much, but it felt good to try and go a little faster.  Although I'm still so tired when I run, and by the time I go to bed at the end of each night, I am delirious.  My poor kids try to talk to me while we all lay in bed and I'm usually a gonner within seconds. 

av 9:40 I have so much to do to get my kids ready to fly tomorrow.  I ran pretty well today, felt strong and enjoyed the cool morning.  

I could not bring myself to run yesterday. I wanted to run my regular 6 route this morning, but I have to save up for tomorrow's big run.  Also, I'm bushed.  I spent most of Wednesday until 1:30 a.m. packing and repacking my kids suitcases and wrapping gifts for my in laws.  It is such a long flight to Chile, I'm having nightmares about the plane disintigrating mid air like that flight last year from Brazil to Paris.  I've had nightmares about police and terrorist for two nights.  I hate being separated from my children, even if I know they are going to their grandparents house.  

My kids are safely at their abuelitos house in Chile.  I am not enjoying my time alone as much as I'd imagined.  I sat on my front porch as I usually do on summer evenings and found the lack of 8-10 children shooting hoops, sidewalk drawing, or climbing the trees , rather sad.  Even the cat and dogs kept looking at me for guidence about how they should spend their energy.  They all sat at my feet as I rocked in the rocking chair looking at the mountain.  All of us wondering what it is we're normally doing this time of night.  Got up this morning at 5:30 to run with Cath. We'd planned 16, but she had to be somewhere by 9:00 and so had to be home by 8:30.  I did the best I could, and kept a good 9 m/m pace for about 7 miles, but then just pooped out and ran really slowly the rest of the way.  We only ran 14 together, and then I came home, ran one more mile with the dogs and took the most luxurious dive in the river.  Me and the dogs floated around in that early morning chilly water, relishing the deep clear liquid shining in the sunlight, and surrounding our bodies with icy pleasure.  So it was icing in the river, only funner, and with dogs.  It was kind of fun to just loiter around in the river, walk home, do sit ups & push ups and then enjoy my totally clean and silent house for an hour.  Soon enough I'll be jetting to Chile myself.  Until then, what to do with all this extra time???

AP 9:40--Ran with my dogs per usual, put in a few extra just cause I'm going so slow these days.

8:59/9:13/9:43/9:30/9:57/9:46. Everything snowballed today.  I have so many things to do to get ready for this trip and when I get back there are 3 huge things happening the days after I get back (closing on the house, moving, parties, my sister coming). I don't handle stress very well. I just wanted to focus on my trip and make the most out of my vacation. Got most everything packed and I'm ready to get to Chile.  It's winter and so I had to pack all my winter running gear and a rain jacket.  I hope my shoes will dry between runs.  It's so wet there and nothing dries. I have to do a 16 and a 20 while I'm there. 

I'm preblogging my run tommorrow morning since I won't have time to do it.  I'm finally all packed--all the gifts and my bulky winter stuff.  I'll run in the morning and then catch my flight to Atlanta (4.5 hours), then from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile (overnight--10 hours), then from Santiago to Temuco (1.5 hours). The trip takes about 28 hours total.  It's a killer--and I hate to fly.  I can't wait to see my babies.  I miss them.  I'm also looking forward to seeing old friends and eating a lot of sea food.  If I can just survive the trip. I won't be  able to run again until Friday.  I could try to Thursday night, but I have a feeling there is going to be a party when I get there....so. Wish me luck traveling, and trying to get my running done in that cold and rain!

I am on the 12th floor Sky Bar of the old Pedro de Valdivia Hotel in Valdivia Chile looking down on the river Calle Calle through rain dotted panes of glass. It is winter here, and raining constantly. I ran on the boardwalk down a few miles and into the neighborhood where I lived 21 years ago. I lived in this city 7 months and ended my LDS mission here. The good news is I brought the perfect running gear for wet rain. The bad new is, it's never going to dry out between runs. I forgot how out of place I am here. No one in their right mind would go outside today in this rain. People practically stop their cars to see who is running on the streets. Chile is like someone took cute clapboars housed neighborhoods of rural Switzerland, and then dropped them into south America and then never repainted. In the grey rain, I remembered the South of Chile rivals Russia for highest percentage of alcoholics. It feels like a sin to stay in this hotel, but free is free. It's amazing what love does. Twenty one years ago, I never noticed the peeling paint, the downtrodden-ness of the winter here, or the poverty (though 100 steps above Peru or Bolivia). All I saw were faces of people I loved and still do. I was wisked from home to home, from party to party yesterday until late into the night until finally I had to tell my friends and family that I hadn't slept in 2 days...so after 10.5 hours of sleep I got up and made a strange spectacle of myself wearing my fancy running gear past people waiting for the bus on the corner and people running out of cars into thei houses to escape the rain. It's like I'm an alien from another planet. Once I take off the running gear and go sit by the stove foe a cup of tea, I'm human again. It's been fun though. The great thing about Chileans, is that they all WANT you to do something extraordinary just so they can shake their heads and say stuff like "Did you know Luz ran 12 Kilometers today?" And then 5 people turn to you and say. "In this rain?! Are you crazy?" I didn't think it was so crazy before I got here, but suddenly I'm a local legend. It's ok, it's what they expect from us crazy gringas. AP 9:38 --PS I'm blogging from my blackberry so I apologize if mu writing is crazy, it's hard to write and edit on this thing!

I woke up to a beutiful clear winter day. On the river below my hotel window the skullers were already out rowing. I love how beautiful and smooth and fast they row. I decided to run over the bridge that leads to a place called Isla Teja. It houses one of Chile's most prestigioud universities, and medical schools, and the whole island was colonized by Germans. The countryside literally looks like the Swiss Alps except the Eucalyptis an Yew trees. There are also lots of Laurel and Arcacia trees. I ran out on a country road out toward an old Spanish fort on the coast, but about 5 miles out past the Kunnsman Bierhaus (das est gut bier is their motto, love the Germans...) I started to get to Farmland where the germans are fond of German Shepherd watchdogs. I braved a few miles with the Mace until I was WAY out there and realized if I got bit it would make a tough 6-8 miles back. I ran over bridges and wide bays and rivers that lead to the ocean. I met one other runner, A crazy-eyed white haired old German guy trotting down the road with his dog. He taled to me in german (lots of the Germans here seNd their kids to German schools and never intermarry, they assume anyone who looks like them is also German I guess). I ran back to the boardwalk which is made of cement and small stones and punded my way to 13 hars miless;which should have bee 16. I went back to the hotel and sat in a super hot tub that had a bathtub looking out over the river. I sat in that water until it was cold. I love a good hot bath after a run.

I have been having a very interesting stay. Because of my husband's business they've been putting us up in thje fanciest hotels in town. I never visited Chile this way. The hotels are standard Marriot or Hiatt fare, and so for the most part I've been warm. The thing I remember most while I'm out during the day is how they don't heat public spaces. So the gymnasiums where my husband is holding training camps are COLD. I don't know how they stand to wear shorts--even to train. The temps outside are perfect--but it's often colder inside of places than outside. I remember that going to church on Sundays was like sitting in hell (oh the irony) for 3 hours. You really knew if someone wanted to become a member of the Mormon Church if they were baptized in winter--not only was the water just above freezimg, the room temperature was so low their bodies and breath would steam up after they were done. I think we are in the 56 or 66th parallel which is the same as British Colombia. Anyway, after getting dragged around for days, braving street dogs, gawking/whistling groups of men, and pounding rain--I relented and used the elliptical yesterday to recover from the pavement beating I took a few days ago, and used the on the treadmill today. It counts in Km per hour--all I know is I ran 12 KM and it took me a little over an hour. I sweat more than anyone else in the room. There I was again--the giant, loud, sweaty American--leaking all over the machines. Regardless of my effort, I will gain 10 pounds on this trip. Every friend of mine from my mission, every family member of my husband greets us with "once" which is like English Tea--meat sandwiches, cookies and small cakes with hot herb tea or postum-like coffee. And then we have business dinners Spanish style late into each night (10:00 pm to midnight) for business with the press, the team owners, the trainers and other investors. Funny- I never thought of myself as a trophey wife because I'm so indelicate and unschooled in the ways of manners and femininity in general--but here, if I keep my mouth shut, and they all see me as that crazy Ameican marathon runner wife---I'm actually a marital asset for once. It's refreshing change. Tomorrow, I get a day off and wil get to run far out into the countryside where we have a large family dairy. Love the germans and their cattle, fresh honey and homemaded cheeses. Did I mention 10 pounds??? Make it 15. I would have to run 10 miles a day to escape the damage. It's spectacular fun though. Wouldn't miss any of it for the world.

I am so far out in the country at my husband's cousin's house. The closest town is Panguipulli or Los Lagos. They own hundreds of acres and have a dairy. We've ridden horses out on the pampa (cleared mountain meadows) out to the waterfalls and around the cattle. We saw how they milk the cows and looked inside the enormous vat of fresh milk. Because of the country guard dogs, I ran around a field 6 tomes. I ran about 40 minutes, but I didn't have more time. We're riding to to the falls of Huillo Huillo to have an evening picnic Gaucho style. They keep me up so late, stuff me full every second, and I can not keep a decent schedule. But my kids are riding horses with their cousins, and I am in heaven outside. Fresh air. Fresh country cheeses, honey, homemade bread. It is so beautiful here I can hadley take it in. The running however is....well, I'm doing what I can. It's been fun, and I'm way outside of my comfort zone, traveling deep muddy roads in 4x4, a real adventure.

This morning I was literally thrown out of the side of the bed because of 4.7 grade earthquake at 6:00 a.m.  I was on my side, almost at the edge and had no idea what was going on.  The sound of the constant rain drowned out any earthquake noise (like I've heard before in California), all I knew was that I was waking up falling to the ground and my husband was asking if I could feel what was happening.  They are still having aftershocks from the huge 9.1 earthquake they had in February.  Today I tried to get outside to run, but when I ran down the dirt roads, they were spotted with deep puddles, and within 1 K either direction, I'd run into the guard dogs of the farm workers.  I was running with the cousin's black lab, he held them off for me, but it's scary when two or three dogs start snarraling at each other. I then tried to run in a huge field behind the house where there were cattle grazing, but once I got about half way around the field, my shoes were soaked by the wet grass and 40 cows were gathering speed to follow me.  It's underving to have  heard to young cattle run toward you and then follow you in circles.  The cousins laughed when I told them about the cows, they just said the cows are gossipy and like to see what's going on.  Still, yucky running, so I ended up just walking an hour and running about 20 minutes.

We got to my husband's family's town today where my husband knew the owner of "Life-Fitness  24 hour gym".  Standard Gym fare.  They had spin and yoga classes going on and at least 12 ellipticals, tredmills, and cycles.  I ran 8 KM on the treadmill and did another 25 minutes on the ellpitical while I watched telenovelas and New Adventures of Old Christine with subtitles.

I ran 25 K on a treadmill.  I was supposed to run 20 miles today, but it will have to wait until I run with Catherine next week.  I'll just tack on a few extra to our 16.  I wanted to run outside this morning, they sky had cleared the temperature was perfect, but I never lived in this town and I don't know my way around Temuco.  It's a bigger town than any that we've visited so far (Puerto Montt, Valdivia, Osorno, Los Lagos).  I meant to write this down last week about running out into the Isla -- the cool weather or the rest, or something was giving me an extra lift.  I'd run 7 miles before I looked at my Garmin to notice I'd been averaging 9's.  All this summer, I just resigned to the fact that I'm not accostomed to running back to back marathons and that out of sheer exhaustion, I was resigned to running 9:40's the rest of the summer. But that cool weather and the excitement of running by the ocean and being in a new place had me sailing right along.  Running on the treadmill just isn't the same, but it got the job (at least part of the job done).  Just two more days of shorter runs that I can do around town.  Those will be fun to find a few miles around here and enjoy looking at Temuco on foot.