I'm not crazy...I'm just bored!!

Shaggy Mountain loop. Faster than last week, but not by much! 1:12

Another track run with Amy this morning. Nice easy pace. I needed to sleep in, I was tired!

Pacing the 1:50 group. A little fast, but overall an okay finish. The mile 12 marker was off so I thought I was late. Everyone assumed the same thing I did, so many were early! There was a little kid (11, I think) that was running his first half with me. Boy was that kid motivated! I was so impressed and as we drew closer to the end of the route he started fading, but we were able to pick up his spirits and bring him in. It was a very moving finish! Especially because I did have to leave him to stay on pace (again, the mile 12 thing) and a guy running with us both, that was a dad, dropped back to help him in. It was also the dad's first half. His wife had made a goal for him to run a marathon this year and this was his first step. She'd passed away in February and so this was his tribute to her and many other supporters were there too. For him to sacrifice that for the little kid just impressed the crap out of me! It really was a great race to pace. Lots of good memories. Including Jonathan sleeping in and missing the buses, but speeding to the start and barely making it! LOL! he will never live that one down. Also, the guy telling me I made it look so easy. A sign in one hand, a drink in the other just chatting away. I love pacing and the friends I meet!!!

Drove down and back with Mike. He had a great race and took me to this bakery afterward with very yummy sweet rolls. I need to find my way back there.

8 miles by my lonesome, but I took the kids to the dentist and Amy offered to watch Adam so that I could run outside. Oh, it was a nice run. Easy with some music and just hanging out to enjoy it all. 8:16AP with all the nice hills back up to Amy's house. I'm certainly grateful for a good friend that loves to run and has kids my kids age that we can help each other out with babysitting. I'll miss her when she moves :/ okay, I'm writing this after she is gone...I DO miss her!!

Ahh, the Tuesday Ten. It was nice to have Danielle and Amy there. Two other girls! I hope Danielle keeps coming with us. I enjoyed her company, even though she and Chad wasted me on the last mile. This will be called my snot run! I thought I had allergies, but realized a few days later it was some sort of cold. Blech! Anyway, I SO needed a tissue. It was really bad. My shirt was full and so was my snotty nose. I stopped to ask Dawn dropping Anne off at the Stake Center if I could bum a tissue. Oh, it was heavenly! The reason why I couldn't keep up at the end was that I had to keep stopping to blow my nose!! ugh, that was a bad run. AP 8:16

Amy met me early at my house since she only wanted 5 (tapering for Ogden) and we did that together and then despite wanting to quit I finished up another 5K to get my 8 in for the morning. The only good thing was stopping to say hello to Dawn at the church and blowing my nose and then getting home just as the rain started. Glad I went early!  8:33 AP - I'm tired!

Slept in and hit the pool. Swam for an hour or so. I once had the laps recorded...but I guess remembering them for over a month isn't my strong suit. Maybe I should blog regularly?!?

Got up early to get a decent run in. I'd offered to watch Amy's kids so she didn't have to go to the gym and I wanted it over with. So I went. Glad to have Craig home to get kids up and not have to stress. Plus, Friday is late start for Lauren! 

Ran the HH course w/out the out and backs and starting at my house. A good run! 8:22 AP with a few nice low 7's in the last few miles. Love a good downhill finish. 

Scott Stoddard drove past me along Rosecrest and then tagged me in FB as a good running example with reflective clothing and running on the proper side of the street. I'm such a shining example :)

Oh my word. I haven't been out on my bike much, and I'm sure I have been out times I didn't record it here since I've been such a bad blogger, but I really hadn't been out enough to attempt a century! BUT, I'd earned a free entry last year and I wasn't going to let it go to waste. Lauren was registered for the 20 and since we started at different times it really gave me a lot of anxiety about making sure my boys were taken care of and that everyone could get where they needed to go. Luckily, the Lord is in the details of our lives and I was able to work everything out. I did end up buying Lauren a cell phone, but only because I was a little worried and wanted her to be able to call for help if needed...or have someone be able to call me if she wasn't able to! 

Lauren finished well in 1:45 for the 20 miler and even left behind the TTT women that were supposed to be her safety enterouge. I think the hail and rain helped her push a little to finish. I still tease her about the fact that she never went to the feed tables to get chocolate, licorice, sandwiches etc. She certainly knows better now. 

I lined up with Di and she had said she was willing to help me on my first century and stick with me. There may have been points she regretted that, but I was grateful for her patience and teaching me bike etiquitte! 

I still have PTSD from this ride. Di got a flat just into Saratoga and we got it changed quickly and someone stop with a pump which was nice! Weather had been decent up to this point. As we headed out to 5 mile pass...the wind came. Not bad, but I could tell it was a cross wind. Kristy and Jessica also stopped and we caught them and rode to the next aid station. When we turned around the wind was NOT fun! The group pretty much left me and this other girl who was a strong biker, but not feeling well that day. We drafted off each other and as we got closer into Eagle Mountain I noticed Di on the side changing another tire...luckily not hers. I told this girl I was going to stop and regroup. Turns out it was her friend that Di was helping! LOL! So, we rode into lunch together after getting the tire fixed. Lunch was good, but I was ready to get on the road. The wind was getting worse and it was coming from the North. We had a long way to go North to finish. The cross winds on the last stretch to Redwood were horrible, even keeping the bike steady was hard. Then we turned South, that was nice! But with each pedal South I knew I'd have to fight wind when we turned. Then we turned. Oh man, that wind was bad...and we had a long way to go. About 20+ miles. Luckily my trusty side-kick taught me how to draft and we changed about every minute. It was nice. We even ended up rotating with anyone who would latch on. Problem was some of them didn't understand regular drafting rotation so it was kind of haphazard, but it was certainly nice to draft!!! I'd never been a fan, but now I don't want to go back to solo riding in tris! We finally pulled with a group of about 6-8 of us to the top of Camp Williams (the girl I'd ridden with and Di had helped and their group joined us). Then when we turned up Porter Rockwell things got easier with a cross wind instead of the head wind and from there it was almost all downhill to Daybreak to finish. My butt wasn't horribly sore, my back was a bit, but more than anything I just wanted to go somewhere that I wouldn't feel wind on my face for the next 24 hours!!! I was SO sick of the wind. I still am. This is why I have PTSD about riding in the wind now. I know it is just going to be bad and if I'm alone it is going to be worse! ugh. I need to get out on my bike more. This was an incredible experience and I'm grateful I was able to power through. I'm now ready to sign up for a couple more centuries this summer!!!

It took us approx 6:45 of riding time to finish the 100 miles, which is a 15mph average. Which for the distance and the wind, I'll take! I was hoping for more like 17, but there is always next time :)

Mothers day must've worn me out. Planned on meeting Amy...slept until noon while Adam entertained himself :)

To make up for my marathon sleep yesterday I ran 3 to Amy's house, ran her 4 mile taper run with her then 3 home for a total of 10 to make up for my slacking. AP: 8:37

Took Adam to Kids club and got in a quick swim for 40 minutes and then took him to his swim class. He is too big for that class! But he has a good time.

I guess I decided I like riding my bike :) got in a quick ride while Adam was at preschool. 20.5 miles with an average speed of 18.1MPH. My goal is to work on biking and hit this loop occasionally to see how speed is going. As long as the wind is calm!

Ran 3 miles downhill with the jogger to the rec center with Adam. Then I met Amy and ran 3 on the track with her (okay, just one and then 2 alone) and then she gave us a ride home. It was nice to mix it up a little. 8:36AP with a headwind on the downhill!

Shaggy Mountain with Mike and Chad. A nice decent paced Shaggy - 1:10:33; 8:33AP. Not to shabby for recovering/tapering legs :) Can't wait for Ogden Saturday.

Watching Amy's kids in the AM, shuttling my kids around after school. Lauren is staying in Lehi so that she can get to her Women of Steel Tri tomorrow. Boys are at in-laws house so I can drive Amy to Ogden. I'm lucky to get to stay with Marci fee free! A great drive, picked up packets, dinner at an awesome restaurant with Toby, Marci and Amy then we all went to bed. It is always so late and you get up so early...blech. 

Toby's quest for the BQ!

I'll write this up tomorrow. It is 1:30 and I need to go to bed. 5 weeks in one day with a long Boston write up is enough :)

I was very stoked to run this race! Although I got to the bus a little later than I thought I would, Amy and Toby waited for Marci and me to get there. We found all of our peeps at the bus and luckily we all got on the bus together and had a typical ride up to the top. Amy was ready to hit her PR and Toby was more than ready to hit that BQ and I was SO ready to help her take on that journey.

It was nice at the top because they'd poured out rocks so we weren't in a muddy cow patty field! I made the rounds visiting and saying hello to lots of peeps then met back at the fire to get our final nerves out and get ready to run.

We lined up and Marci, Toby and I started off. Toby's sister in law joined us for a few of the first miles and we had a good chat and we were just cruising at a little below pace, but not too fast. Around mile 8 I asked Toby to check in on herself and she said she wasn't feeling good. That it was feeling too hard for mile 8. I got worried about her, but figured that a good gu stop would pick her up and we had a little in the bank and so I knew we'd be okay. I just kept doing my best to keep her mind off her pain and keep her mind positive. I don't think it worked. Poor Toby just kept falling behind and I could tell she knew the BQ goal she'd worked SO hard for SO long was slipping through her fingers.

There is lots and lots and lots I could journal/blog about with this next situation, but I'm going to leave the details to my personal journal and not here. Suffice it to say I was VERY excited that Smooth was going to be at the half and that she was waiting for Lowell to come by and was going to join him for the last half. I kept thinking what a boost it would be for Toby to see her and to feel her spirit! Toby made a pop stop and ironically, Smooth was taking a pop break at the exact same time :/ so we missed seeing her.

The hills took a bit out of Toby and for some crazy reason I was just feeling incredible. Emotionally and physically. I wanted SO badly to transfer that energy to Toby. My heart was just hurting for her. I know. I've been in that position 10 times! A perfectly trained for marathon that should've been a BQ and I get nothing. Something horrible happens and I beat myself down over and over again thinking it would never happen. I tried to stay positive and chatting to not just Toby but others around us, because I knew Toby was more than done. It has been too long, but I met a crazy French friend. Oh, he was incredible and I had a great time getting to know him. He would pull ahead of us and then we'd catch up and I'd tell him he'd better start running as I caught him :) He was very responsive to my pacing and good about being silly with me. I wish we wouldn't have lost him around mile 22. Around mile 20 we pick up Bradley. He gave Toby the look, the "what the heck are you doing here" look. She gave the look back with a few words that didn't mince feelings about how she was doing and why she was where she was.

As we came down the final stretch of the canyon I tried to have her push speed just to change up her turnover pace and help her get out of her "grind". I hope something I said was successful or at least that my rambling made her mind think about how much she hates me and not running and the situation :)

After we got out of the canyon Toby's family was right on the other side of the tunnel. She took a moment to say hello to them and made me cry. I hate how emotional running can be! Okay, not really :) It was amazing what that little visit did for her. She started running with resolve to finish. She had a grit and determination in her eye I hadn't seen for many miles.

I was SO impressed with how she barrelled forward through the last few miles. She never gave up and she kept passing people like crazy. She was determined. She knew how to get it done and she certainly didn't need any more of me or my antics, but it is what she signed up for and I wasn't giving up to her or leaving her at this point...despite all of her pleading for me to run my own race :)

We had a great race and I was SO impressed with Toby's push and will to finish. She asked what she did wrong. I told her it was nothing. The heat, the day, our bodies. I tried to tell her that she did the best she could for the day and the circumstances and it was nothing she did or didn't do. I've failed BQ tries more than I've succeeded. It is hard. Some people effortlessly hit a BQ or much better on their first try and the rest of us have to fight tooth and nail over and over and over again to get there. I know she has it in her. I KNOW it! Her training is more than spot on and she will get there and achieve. It will come.

After the race I chatted it up with many, many people and had just a great time getting to know some new friends and hearing stories SO similar to Toby's. It truly was just the day and not her at all. I waited until Smooth and Lowell came through and Marci and I visited with them for a while. Then I had to head home to get my triathalete and my boys from grandparents. What a wild and crazy day, but I'm SO glad I had the opportunity to be with Toby through this journey. I love that lady and I can't wait to see her get that BQ!

Oh heavens I felt good! I truly think this was my last good run. Even since right now as I'm tying this (6/23). I just felt incredible!! I've never had such a great run a Monday after a marathon. I even kept taking little side trips to keep the run a little longer. It was just incredible. It felt effortless and wonderful.

AP: 8:07 splits: 8:16, 7:43, 7:46, 7:53, 8:56, 8:45, 7:30

Oh the traditional post marathon get together! SO many Newtons killed Ogden that we had our donuts and chocolate milk party. Some walked, some ran, but we all had a great time and enjoyed some good food :) I ran a 5K loop beforehand with Chad, Amy and Mike then Jerry, Kim and Danielle joined us for another 3 mile loop, but they walked to keep their recovery plan and we ran again. After a chat and they left I was hesitant, but wanted to do the last loop. I did it, but it was NOT pretty!! I should've gone an extra 1/2 mile to take it to 10, but I had to get home. The gut wasn't happy. Anyway, a different day from yesterday, but I still got it done, right?

AP: 8:25 splits: 8:43, 8:49, 8:05, 8:04, 8:28, 8:04, 8:01, 8:44, 9:01, 7:58 (last /12 mile)

Due to my sleeping and procrastination I got to do a heat run at 1:00. I called it purposeful training for the TOZ relay coming up. After Ogden we all realized we needed a little more heat in our running. Well, it turned out well. I did take a couple stops for drinks and cool-downs, but the pace was nice.

AP: 8:08 splits: 7:54, 7:44, 8;38, 8:27, 8:27, 7:41

Shaggy Mountain run and feeling great. A good run. Nothing fantastic, but pretty good considering!

AP: 8:35 splits: 9:16, 9:30, 9:59, 9:04, 8:00, 8:28, 7:14, 7:35, 6:45 (last .25)

Met Shanna and Kelli at Butterfield Canyon. A great run up and down...I always like the down better than the up!

AP: 9:12 splits: 10:28, 10:09, 10:05, 8:13, 8:14, 8:06

Friday night Andy asked if I would be willing to pace 1:40 instead of 1:50. I understood it was a downhill course and figured I'd been feeling good this week so I'd go for it. But, I was hesitant. When I got there early Saturday morning I told Andy if he wanted a cheerleader pacer to put me at 1:50, but if he just wanted a warm body to finish in 1:40 I knew I could do it. Since the other pacers weren't comfortable or confident to take the faster spot for the sick pacer I stepped in. Kelli Davey was going to keep up with me and keep me on pace!

This race was unique in the fact that they had the girls start 30 min ahead of all the boys and the goal was to get in before any of the boys. If you did you got an extra medal. A fun concept for a race, but there were only 2 buses of people total at the start. The rain started gently falling just before the womens start.

The first mile I was supposed to pace 8:23...but it was CRAZY uphill! I'd say a good 8% incline and the mile was truly at the crest of the last hill. My mile timed in at  9:56! What the Heck?!? I was alredy 90 seconds off pace and it was only the first mile. I decided then and there that I was going to push until mile 4 and check time there. Until that point there were some downs, but also rollers, which meant uphills to again slow me. But by mile 4 I was on time again. I knew the course flattened out again the last 4 miles and with the downhill in the middle my legs would be toast, so I knew I needed a bit more of a bank to take on the last four.

I was in 4th place for the females as I pulled up to my first runner. She told me she had horrible blisters on her feet, and afterward I saw she really did! It was her first half and I worked with her for a bit until she stopped at and aid station. I kept just heading downhill to get a few more seconds.

Mile 9 you come out of the canyon and that flat finally hits. After a 7% downhill grade those flat rollers are tough on your legs. I was now in 3rd place and I was a little leery. Finally around mile 10 another woman caught me and I told her I had about 45 seconds in the bank and so she would be finishing under 1:40 if she kept her strong pace. I was honestly happy I wasn't in the top 3 any more.

After a couple of killer rollers that sucked the life out of me (seriously, this race was tough) then I came to the last crest and I could see the finish line. I had 2.5 minutes to get to the end. I had no idea how far I had to go and if I'd really make it in time or not. So I picked up the pace. I shouldn't have, but the mile markers were way off of my garmin and I didn't know what to trust. I crossed in 1:39:11 which wasn't too bad given not really knowing the course or accruacy of mile markers.

The rain was constant the whole time and we got awfully cold at the end. I and most of the other pacers passed on our AG placing awards. When I stepped down from the 1st place position the 4th place girl that stepped up to the podium had such a happy look on her face! It was totally worth giving up the medal (even though I worked HARD for it!) just to see how happy she was for working so hard.

A great race and an amazing exerperience with Kelli Davy driving up and back. Another early morning and drive to Ogden...

Shaggy Mountain Memeorial Day Run. I thought it would be fun to get together with some running friends for a long group run on the holiday that we didn't have to pay for. Well, it grew bigger than I'd ever imagined! But, it was oh so good!

Kelli, Kimberly and Jerry helped me mark the course Sunday night. It only took a good 3 hours!

About 50 people showed up at my house to run 14, 10, 8 or 7 miles through Shaggy Mountain. I was excited to share my favorite run with so many awesome runners!!

We started up Moody hill and oh how people loved it :) I walked. Amy, Kelli Davy and I stayed together. Our legs were simply trashed from the half Saturday. That downhill killed our quads! We pushed through and enjoyed meeting up with some of the 10 milers Mom (Laura Western) and Jerry. He was still recovering from Ogden. Then we all just kind of stuck together and ran the course home. Johhny Ahn and a couple others had hooked in with us and I loved to see everyone's faces as they catch the first look at the last Mother Hill. We picked up a couple more there that had gotten a little lost.

We all hung out at my house in the backyard afterward and had some good food and fun memories building the pyramid out in Egypt :) What an incredible morning! Galen and Angie got a little lost, but our incredible Aid station worker Dulcie kept good track of them and I went and found them on my bike and brought them in. I got some personal time to chat with both of them and I really just had an incredible morning!! Couldn't have asked for anything better.

Until that afternoon...the cops showed up! Seriously. Someone from hi-country had yelled at some of the runners, but then they followed the flags back to my house and then called the police. Because technically we were trespassing, but...we were just running through and not trying to be a nuisance. meh anyway, they'd filed a case number against me, but the cop was very understanding and since I was cooperative and explained my position well they didn't press charges, but just gave us a warning. Now I get nervous every time I run in Shaggy Mountiain, but I'm currently working with the board to get official permission to run up there...with a small group :)

My legs are officially BEAT! 6.2 miles dragging around the hood. Ugh. Probably should've rested.

Much needed rest day. Just did a nice swim to give the legs a break.

I guess the swim did me good. Shaggy Mountain in 1:09...the fastest I've done it in a while. Slowest uphill mile was 9:40 which is really good!

TOZ relay coming up this weekend!

Top of Zion Relay. We left Friday morning and drove down. Kimberly, Lisa, Aaron and Stuart. We met Melissa down there and then Kimberly was the first to run. The team had been working hard and we were van 2 and so we had a good reputation to keep going. We'd won last year (I'd bowed out, but gotten a super fast replacement for me!) so we also had some people hunting for our heads!

My first legs was down Hell's Backbone. Wow. More uphill than expected, but the 14% grade downhill was incredible! I was hauling and keeping my AP under the expected 7:15. Until the last stinking half mile. Just after lower calf creek falls (which I remember going to with Craig's family when Lauren was a baby) and just as you cross the mile 6 marker you get uphill. After all the downhill it takes a toll on your legs and I wasn't ready for it, so I sucked it up BIG time. I now am ready to go back and take on that dumb hill and conquer it in style! Watch out you 250 ft of gain in 1/2 mile. I'm coming for you and you're not taking me down this time!!

6.5 miles - 7:31AP splits: 7:06, 7:08, 7:11, 6:57, 6:24, 7:39, 13:00 (last 1/2...a little walking?)

After everyone finished their legs we got subway and headed to the next exchange we slept our only really good sleep, but I tried to sleep in the car on the back seat and it wasn't comfortable or much sleeping :/ I would come to regret this!

Our next legs were in the dark. Kimberly again started us out and she used my garmin since hers was out of batteries. She did a great job and exceeded her expected AP. We were ahead of time!

My leg was a flat/uphill this time. I knew with my tired legs from the week before I wasn't going to kill anything here, but I just tried to push and stay steady. My legs were done and the dumb light from the airport that would spin around and flash me every 10 seconds would always scare the pee out of me in this pitch dark area! Then the shoulder was nearly non-existint and well, it just was crazy. I hung in and almost hit my 8:15 expected. The fact my headlamp ran out of batteries didn't help either. I was glad to have the night run done.

4.8 miles AP: 8:17 splits: 7:57, 8:24, 8:10, 8:31, 8:26 (last .8)

We hit our van exchange after missing a turn and going a couple miles out of our way and handed off so that we could get our last hour of sleep before our final legs.

We slept on a balcony and in the car. It was miserable. But, at least I wasn't cold and my legs went straight. A full 75 minutes of sleep is NOT enough! We took over from van 1 and started our quest to the finish.

My miles were nice downhill...until the end. Hmm, I've done this before. Stuart had really rocked his downhill legs and actually taken the lead back from the 1st place team (the fact they'd been held back 90 minutes was insignificant). So, I started out ahead of them! The guy that then in turn passed me was an excellent runner. I knew I wasn't keeping up with him. I told him we were doing this so that they could get another kill, because we figured they'd been lonely on the road waiting for a few kills. HA! Then we had the car with the flat tire blocking the road. My team gave me my water and sent me on my way. No one knowing if they'd even get to me before the exchange. Luckily they did!

I loved the dirt road downhill and despite a couple rough spots it was great trail! Then mile 6 hit. This time I knew what was coming. 500 ft of gain in just one mile. Take it easy RAD, you got this. Again, after the downhill your uphill muscles work differently! I swear they do! I did my best though and despite my pace again dropping well beyond my 7:30 perscribed (I okay'd it, but didn't see the hill at the end!). Oh well. I was simpl happy to be done with my legs. Now I just needed to drive home and get to a piano recital...Barely made it in time!

AP: 8:03 splits: 7:13, 7:24, 7:29, 7:19, 7:16, 7;34, 12:08

We had to leave to get home and couldn't stay for awards, but we ended up taking 2nd overall. A great team of old farts (39 yrs old is the average age for our team) competing against young college students? Yeah, I'll take it!