Each Day Is a Gift

Happy Straya Day, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi!!! :) :) :)

Elder Brown, our former ZL (Mortdale) came to visit us after church in the late afternoon.  A few min. later Lowell and Kelsey dropped in on their way home after his 2 weeks old grandson's baby blessing here.  SO great to see them!!! :)  Elder Brown stayed for dinner.  Always great to hear of our missionary's post-mission's life. 

27F sunny hazy.  Wendy and I ran to meet Karen, ran 3.5 then picked up Amanda and Leslie who was testing out her hurt leg, half mile later she was hurting so after we dropped Wendy home she turned to walk home.  We then ran around the neighborhood to the east and back to Karen and Amanda's at mile 7.  Then I ran a faster mile home.  Bummer that Leslie is injured.
 

30F humid, partly cloudy.  Wendy was short on time so we ran a 3+ mile loop with her.  After dropping her home, I ran Karen home, then I ran back on the loop counterdirection with a faster finish.

39F humid, it had rained earlier, cloudy.  Karen, Wendy and I ran down 3rd west to the rail trail at State St. then up north to 3200N (didn't want to get muddy to access MCT) east on 3200N was a good uphill.  Karen kicked our trash going up the hill.  I seriously am getting slower with this old fat tired body.  Not complaining, just stating the facts.  I am happy that I can still get out there and put one foot in front of the other.  And I am grateful for dear friends who would run slow with me! :)

28F 100% humidity cloudy with occasional sun peeking through.  Ran with Karen on MCT to Mitch Hollow Park for water stop then turned back.  I was huffin' n cough'n all the way up Dry Creek.  Shins and heels are bugging.  I am out there doing the same miles in same ole slow pace everyday.  Though I am not seeing any improvement (in speed or fitness), this daily constancy, like daily dose of friendship, is what sustains me right now! There are not too many things in life that you can count on...so very grateful for having faithful friends and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! :)

36F.  5 soggy foggy woggies w/ Wendy, nice chatties!
 

37F (feels like 32), 9mph NNW wind, 87% humidity.  Wendy agreed to go the first 6 miles (of my scheduled 12 miler) with me.  I suggested we run west on MCT to the end by the freeway.  When we got there, I talked her into running further on SR92 past the freeway to see if we can find the access to JRP.  We turned south on Ashton Blvd.  which I think should lead to the start of the Thankful 13 from there we'd find the JRP access.  By now we've run over 4.5 miles, I suggested that we should keep going and get on the JRP.  Wendy was hesitant because she didn't bring any gu or water; but I assured her that she can have half of my granola bar and 6oz water flask.  We had no idea where the JRP access is.  I figured if we could cross the railroad, we'd eventually find the Thanksgiving Point Gulf course which is adjacent to the JRP.  We ran to the Frontrunner Train station where we crossed under the track through a tunnel and adjacent to the road is a row of houses by the golf course.  We saw a walker with her dog and asked where we might get on the JRP.  She pointed us south.  About quarter mile later we saw the JRP sign but still didn't know which offshoot road would lead to the JRP.  Then we saw another runner and he pointed us to the road that we just past.  We ran down that road and I immediately recognized that's where we accessed the JRP when we ran Thankful13.  Once on the JRP, we decided to run south to Olympic Park (mile 5.6, we ate the granola bar and drank the water); and from there Wendy knows the way back to our house through 1500N to State St. to 3rd W.  She knows that route well because her daughters played soccer at that park and the distance is 4 miles.  Running up 3rd West, I just kept talking to distract Wendy.  We made it back to her house in 9.5 miles.  Hubby was just getting out for a walk.  I knew if I went inside the house it'd be hard to get back out.  So I drank the remaining 2 oz of water in my flask and headed west to Center, north to MCT, east to 1200 E, turned back west to 600 E then turned down south to home for total 13.5.  My legs were tired but I was able to run the last 1.5 at mp.

Fuel/fluid: one greek yogurt and water pre-run; 1/2 granola bar 4 oz water mid-run, 11 oz protein shake, tofu and rice post-run.

Visited with Elder and Sister Kinghorn who will be leaving for our mission on Feb 9.