Each Day Is a Gift

Lots of display of *old glory* in homes and yards.  HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! Ran up to Alpine.  Carried 8oz water, refilled at the f.o.y.  Lots of cyclists and runners out enjoying a nice morning, low 70s with cloudy sky.  :)

It got cooler in the afternoon which was perfect to have a BBQ on the deck for 18 people!  :) David drove back to Phoenix at 8pm thru the night so he could be back to work in the morning.  I think he had a fun short weekend, spending time with the family, going to Stadium of Fire, playing tennis with his dad, even practiced his neuromuscular manipulation on the cousins! :)

Stayed up late with the 4th celebration so slept in. Only had time for a quick run so we can spend the day celebrating Lex's 6th birthday.  After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, waffles, fruits and chocolate milk, we took the family to Monkey Island Fun Center so the kids could jump, climb, slide, colide to their hearts content.   Then lunch at Lex's favorite place, McDonald, movie (Kungfu Panda) in the afternoon, pizza party dinner complete with pizza, cake and presents.  I am so PROUD of Papa working at home so he could join in all the fun...well, except for the pizza party since he had church meetings!  FUN DAY!!!!  :) :) :)

We stayed up late to watch the movie, Tron.  I really didn't care for the movie...but the house is filled with boys who think it's a must-see...managed to watch 2/3 of it before dozing off! :)

The earth is so fresh after last night's torrential rain storm.  Nice easy run on the bench loop plus half!   Stopped at convenient store for a drink at mile 6 otherwise no fuel or fluid. 

Today is Jeff's 28th birthdaty!  :) 

Beautiful day to go hiking with the fam.  

A bunch of us are  planning to run the PRP in Provo Canyon on Sat.  Y'all are welcome to join us.  :)

Cloudy morning!  I don't know why...but it's always warmer running westward than east?!

My weight is creeping up as a result of all the holiday BBQs, family parties and eating out!  Consequently I'm running like an elephant.  It seems to take 5-6 miles to *warm up* but it is plenty WARM out!  STINK!!! 

With grandkids and family visiting, I have neglected my post-run stretch/recovery or any form of strength/stability exercise.  On the positive note, I haven't given up running, not yet anyway!  So onward and upward, slow and steady is better than NOT running at all, right?!!! :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!  We are running the Provo River Parkway tomorrow; meet at the park south of Riverwoods at 6am!  Hope to see you there! :)

Friday PM:  My legs, feet were dog tired from the hike UP Timpanogos Cave and the knees majorly trashed on the hike DOWN carrying a backpack full of water bottles and jackets yesterday afternoon.  After the hike we walked around Tibble Fork carrying baby Jett looking at squirrels and chasing butterflies.  :) 

The little *splash* from AFCanyon1/2 couple weeks ago have GROWN plus a few more splashes and remnants of mudslide.  But I think it will be fine for the Timpanogos Half in couple of weeks.

Anyway, the feet took more abuse from standing around in high heels on concrete patio visiting at my hubby's Mission President's 50th wedding anniversary in the evening.  Didn't have dinner until 9pm after we got home and took family pictures in my backyard.  Said goodbyes to my Texas grandkids and their parents before going to bed.  By the time I went to bed at 11pm I had serious doubt that I could get up and run in the morning.  But can't bail on my friends since I agreed to drive.

Saturday AM:  Woke up at 1:40, 2:45, 4:00, finally out of bed to get ready.  Larissa came upstairs to say goodbye (the rest of the family still in bed); they are driving home, a 24 hr drive, this morning back to Texas!  :(  Picked up Wendy, Carolyn and Karen and met Maynard, Kelli at the start of the RHPC for our run up Provo Canyon.

The run:  temp was surprisingly cool.  As always we had the strong canyon headwind going up.  I didn't dare look at my Garmin to see how pathetically SLOW I was!  I am so grateful to have such great company to run with.  Kelli, Maynard and Karen were so good to neither *push* nor *pull* me (see Kelli's Fri. blog).  The miles just flew by.  Wendy and Carolyn turned around at mile 6.5 since they only needed 13.  I thought about cutting my run short but kept going since the knee felt good on the uphill.

Made a pit stop at Vivian Park, again grateful that they waited for me before running up South Fork, the steepest portion of the run.  Was fun to run into Jeff and Mark who were just cruising down.  Karen only needed 16 but I talked her into running 1/2 more mile then another 1/2 more.  We got to mile 9 where a park, bathroom and water fountain magically appeared. :)  Kelli gave me some Gu chomps, mmm yummy! :)  That was just what I needed,  the dreaded quads-burning, knee-screaming of downhill running didn't happen.  The sun came out but it didn't feel hot.  I was able to finish strong.  Wendy and Carolyn waited patiently at the finish where Wendy brought us chocolate milk and blueberry muffins!  YUMMM!!!!  Thanks Wendy!  :) 

THANK YOU Kelli, Maynard and Karen for running with me!  My 18 miler would not have happened if it weren't for you!  You guys are DA BEST!!!!  It was a FUN MAGICAL RUN!!!  :)