Conquering the Marathon Again

Earlier this year I vowed I was done with the marathon but I knew that wasn't really true.  I love the marathon and the challenge it is but my last two attempts left me feeling less than confident.  It was time to tackle it again.  I needed to get the bad taste out of my mouth.  With the trip to Rio interfering with my summer training I decided not to run a fall marathon.  The problem is that winter isn't marathon season in Utah.  So I started looking out of state and my coach suggested the California International Marathon, CIM for short, in Sacramento.  It fell the first week in December so I had enough time to prepare after returning from Rio but I could be done before Christmas and enjoy the holiday season with my family instead of spending so much time training like I did last year in preparation for the trials.

Shortly after returning from Rio I felt my fitness level was suffering.  By the end of September the hard work was paying off with good results in my training runs.  Training conditions were ideal leading up to the race.  Summer was over by the time I started into the thick of my training but an unseasonably warm late fall kept temperatures perfect all the way through November.  By the time winter really decided to arrive I was tapering in the final week before the race.  I was able to get a good solid block of training in and ran a tune up race the last week in October at the Haunted Half in Provo.  I was hoping for a 1:17 but we faced a head wind all the way down the canyon.  I had a substantial lead and when I hit a big hill the last mile I fell off pace just slightly.  My finish time was 1:18:08.  Although it was a little off goal pace it was a solid win and gave me the confidence that I was ready for CIM.

The two weeks leading up to the race everyone in my house got sick.  My kids were all taking turns throwing up.  I wasn't getting any sleep.  I was sanitizing everything like crazy trying to avoid getting sick myself.  The work was all done.  The weather forecast was looking perfect.  Getting sick right now could be all that work down the drain.  I woke up on Thanksgiving morning feeling like I had been hit by a train.  My head was pounding, my throat was swollen and sore and again the night had been a restless one with more kids throwing up.  The plan had been to go to a turkey trot for my last tempo run but instead I just went back to bed.  I couldn't even remember the last time I skipped my workout but all I could think is I needed to rest and kick this fast!  I slept a lot that weekend and felt remarkably better the next day.  I even went out for my tempo run and was excited to run my fastest one this season feeling like I was holding back.  All week the head cold improved and I was fortunate to never come down with the stomach bug the kids had.

Friday Jason and I flew to Sacramento.  By then I was feeling 95%.  Good enough that I didn't feel my health would play a factor in the race.  Maybe it was even a blessing in disguise to get me to rest and taper more leading into the race.  The weather forecast was looking perfect for marathon running!  I was excited and nervous to try the marathon again.  We sat down on the plane and noticed several Kenyans who were flying with us. They were friendly and we chatted with them a bit and found out we were talking to last year's winner.  When we arrived in Sacramento the race provided a shuttle for the elite athletes to the hotel.  After getting settled Jason and I walked down the street to an Italian restaurant.  It was packed and the only seats available were at the bar but we were starving so we took them.  We were sitting next to an older couple and found out that the man was 80 years old and there to run his 100th marathon!  It was fun to spend the weekend mingling with so many inspirational athletes.  Even though some of their goals are much different than mine I always love hearing their stories and things they have been able to achieve.

The next morning the marathon held a shake out run where we mingled with other athletes and ran around the capital building and the finish area.  The elite hospitality suite provided breakfast and snacks and I got my water bottles ready for the next day.  My friend and teammate from high school, Trent Hooper now lives in Sacramento and picked us up.  We got some lunch and drove the course to take a look at what I would be running the next day.  I was very grateful for a chance to see the course ahead of time.  I knew there were some rolling hills with a net downhill but I was surprised to find that the course was much more hilly than I had anticipated.  In the first 30k there really wasn't any flat and although the course was gradually dropping, for every hill we ran down we would climb a hill afterwards about half as big.  I felt like getting a visual before my running the course was beneficial in helping me plan my race strategy.

Trent dropped us off at the hotel in time for the technical meeting where we got our bibs.  Then Jason and I went to the dinner for the elite athletes.  I prepared everything for the next morning and then spent the rest of the evening trying to kill time watching tv, something I never do.  It seemed almost too quiet without any of the kids around.

At 3:45 the alarm went off.  I headed to the elite hospitality suite for breakfast.  Chit chat was minimal with everyone's minds on the race.  The mood lightened a little when between the water kettle, coffee maker and toaster we managed to blow a fuse in the room and make the lights go out.  At 5:00 we boarded a bus to the start.  They had provided a charter bus for the elites so we could avoid the lines to the main buses headed to the start.  Even after driving the course the day before I was still surprised how long the bus ride was.  It's always a little nerve racking to think that you have to run that whole way back.  It was chilly at the start line, 37 degrees, but I knew it would warm up as soon as the sun came up.  There was an elite tent to stay warm but we really didn't have much time before it was time to warm up, change shoes and clothes and head to the starting line.  It was just starting to get light when we headed to the starting line.  The wheelchairs and visually impaired athletes started.  Then we got one last stride out and then it was time for the national anthem and the start.  The men started on the right side of the road and the women on the left.  No one seemed to want to get right up on the starting line and I found myself standing right next to Sara Kiptoo, the eventual winner we had rode with from the airport, and Stephanie Bruce who finished 2nd.  (Yes, I'm giving away right now that I didn't win this race but with a $10,000 prize purse for the winner I didn't expect to.  There were some world class athletes in this race.)  My main goal for the day was to break 2:45 and I hoped to be able to finish in the top 10 if I ran really well.  The race plan was to go out at about a 6:15 pace, go through the half at 1:22-1:23 and then hopefully negative split (run the second half faster.)  This was a bit of a gamble because I wasn't sure this course was a negative split course.  Most of the downhill was in the first half and the last 10k really flattened out.  However most of the biggest uphills were also in the first half.  I wasn't sure I could negative split but I knew the last thing I wanted to do was expend too much energy the first half.  I was going to be conservative and hope it paid off the second half.  Maybe in these conditions if everything went perfectly this was a PR day (2:41 or faster) and I could snag some of the prize money for the top 7.

The gun went off and we had a pretty good downhill the first mile.  By the time the women's side had merged with the men's the road was pretty packed where I was running.  This is where I feel like the marathon takes so much discipline.  The cool temperature and downhill that we started off with was perfect for running fast.  My tapered legs were feeling really good and men and women all around me were taking off ahead of me.  I just tried to nail my pace and forget about everyone else trusting that most of them would come back to me.  Mile 1 was a 6:12.  Perfect!  Mile 2 was a 6:28.  Too slow but I tried not to panic.  It wasn't as downhill as the first mile with  a couple big climbs.  I just needed to adjust.  Jason and Trent were there cheering for me at mile 2.  I always love to have Jason out cheering for me on the course.  He's the best!  I can always hear him before I can even see him!  It was so nice of Trent to drive Jason around.  It was so much help to have their support out on the course!  It felt like old days hearing Trent cheering me on again.  Mile 3 was a 6:05.  Maybe I had adjusted too much but it had also been a mile with another big drop in elevation.  I was starting to realize it was going to be a challenge to run a consistent pace on this hilly course.  The next few miles I was able to settle into a more consistent pace hitting most of my miles around 6:15 just as planned.  Picking up my water bottles was going smoothly and I found a couple women running my pace that I was able to work with.  Jason and Trent kept showing up on the course every few miles.  I was moving up in the race and they started giving me updates on my place.  I came through the 10k at 38:22 and I was in 16th place.

Around mile 7 or so I had a crazy thing happen.  I was approaching a parking lot and a car was trying to come out of the parking lot onto the road that was completely closed to traffic.  A volunteer was there blocking the car but apparently the driver was determined to get out on the road.  He almost ran over the volunteer.  She finally jumped out of the way just in time when we all realized he was not going to stop.  Once he was past the volunteer he gunned it and made a U turn which for a moment looked like he was heading straight for the group of runners I was with.  He turned more sharply and avoided the runners and took off down the street.  It was the first time I've ever been scared I would be hit by a car during the race and I felt so bad for the volunteer and hoped she was okay.  Half a block down the street there was a cop blocking an intersection.  He saw the commotion and took off after the driver.  I don't think I've ever heard the runners cheer so loud for a cop before!  I've been curious what happened but obviously didn't stick around to see and hoped he didn't interfere too much with the race behind me.

By mile 11 I wasn't feeling very good.  I started to worry.  My legs were feeling tired and I still had so much running to do.  My mile splits were starting to slip into the 6:20s.  The downhill didn't feel much like downhill anymore and the uphill was starting to take a lot more effort.  The girl I had been running with the whole time was starting to slip away from me but I didn't feel it was wise to put any more effort in this early in the race.  I tried to keep my thoughts positive telling myself this is what I was good at.  Running a long time on tired legs.  I came through the half at 1:22:12.  Even though I wasn't feeling fantastic I was still right on pace and I had moved up to 12th place.  I knew from the tour of the course the day before that there was a significant downhill shortly before the half.  It came and went without me even noticing it but  I also knew that the uphill would be less significant from this point on.

Around mile 15 or 16 I got a second wind.  I really don't know where it came from but my legs were feeling better and I picked up my pace.  The hills were significantly smaller and the lack of uphill was making my effort just a little easier.  This is also the part of the race when everyone who went out too fast starts to feel it and slow down.  I was passing a lot of people which only made me feel even better.  Mile 16 was a 5:59.  I needed to put on the brakes a bit.  There was still a lot of running.  But I was holding back as I was flying past everyone and the following miles were 6:03, 6:07, 6:08 and 6:06.  This is the part of the marathon people dread, where you hit the wall and I was flying through it like it was easy.  My legs were getting fatigued but I still felt like I could run forever.  I started to think this was going to be a huge negative split.  If I kept this up until the finish I was on track for a solid 2:42.  Maybe even a chance at a PR still.  The girl I had run the first 8 or 9 miles with was in my sights again.  I was catching her.  I also caught another girl and had moved into 11th place by the 20 mile split.

Somewhere with about 5 miles left to go I started to run out of steam.  Maybe I had gunned it a bit too soon running those miles in the low 6 minutes.  The course was completely flat now and although it was nice not to have to climb any hills I didn't have the net downhill to aid me.  And besides, this is just when the marathon is so tough.  There was nothing left and I had to finish these last few miles.  Suddenly the girl I had been catching started pulling away again. I knew that was 10th place in front of me and I was trying my best not to slow down but I just couldn't catch her.  I had a few men pass me but I was still passing people as well.  Miles 21, 22, and 23 were 6:11, 6:12, and 6:16.  I had slowed down ever so slightly but I was still on pace. I had seen Jason and Trent for what I thought would be the last time before the finish.  They had told me they would head straight for the finish rather than trying to catch the final miles and risk missing my finish.  But suddenly they were there as loud as ever and boy did I need it.  I tried to soak in every bit of their energy and tell myself to just keep going.  I only had a 5k to go but I was so tired!  It had been 10 months since my last marathon and 2 years since I'd had one that went well and to be honest I had forgotten how hard the end is even when you are having a good race.  The miles that had passed so quickly at the beginning of the race seemed to drag on.  I was counting down 3 miles to go.  Two and a half.  Two miles to go.  I had really slowed down now.  6:24 and 6:20.  But not so much I couldn't still finish with a really good time.    The 40k mark came.  2000 meters to go!  I thought of 2k repeats on the track and it felt so long!  I looked at my watch.  I needed to run this faster than 8 minutes to break 2:44.  I didn't know if I could do it.  10th place was gone.  She was finishing stronger than me.  With about 800 meters to go Jason and Trent were there again.  They could tell I was hurting and were trying to motivate me. The mile 26 marker had finally come.  It was my slowest yet, 6:30.  They ran ahead and were there again with about 400 meters to go.  Trent yelled at me, "there's a girl up there you are catching and she's DYING!"  My first thought was that I was dying too so it didn't matter but then something snapped in my head.  Tenth place was right ahead of me and I could still get it.  It didn't feel like much but with nothing left I found a tiny bit more to pick it up.  With 200 meters to go you make a left turn then 100 meters later another left to the finish.  I caught her on the first turn.  I thought of my coach telling me to pass with a bit of a surge so she wouldn't try to stay with me.  If she tried to stay with me I wasn't sure I could beat her on the kick.  I wasn't sure I had a surge left in me but it was enough that she let me pass.  Soon I was rounding the other corner with 100 meters to go and doing everything I possibly could to keep from getting passed.  What I didn't know is there was another woman who had an amazing finish that had been catching me for a few miles that was also right on my tail.  I managed to hold them both off though by 4 or 5 seconds.  My official finish time was 2:44:12.  As I came across the finish the announcer said my name in 10th place and mentioned I was the mother of four.  I wanted to collapse but a volunteer grabbed me.  I was shaking and she wanted to take me to the medical tent but I insisted I was okay.  Just completely exhausted.

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't have a stronger finish but felt like this was a solid race for me.  It's my second fastest marathon and to be honest I found the course a little more challenging than Chicago.  A 10th place finish in this competitive of a race was something to be proud of.  Maybe I pushed the middle a little too hard and could have shaved off a few seconds and finished in a high 2:43 if I'd held back a little longer.  But at the same time I didn't fall too far off pace at the end.  To sum up the race I was patient in the beginning and held back, worked the middle miles and finished on an empty tank: all the things that make a successful marathon in my book.  And at least I know I didn't leave anything out there on the course.  I gave it everything I had that day.

Jason and I visited with Trent for a bit but soon I was chilled with temperatures in the 40s still.  It had been perfect for running but it was chilly to just stand. Then my muscles started to cramp so we headed inside the elite building where they had massages and food.  It overlooked the finish and we could watch the runners that continued to come in.  Before heading back to the airport the elite coordinators took us out to lunch.  It was a lot of fun to meet the professional runners such as Stephanie Bruce and Sara Slattery.  I was really impressed with the race organization and the way they treated the elites.  It was a fun race and one I will definitely consider going back to.

One last treat was when we arrived at the airport to fly home that night that our seats had been upgraded to business class!  The extra leg room was heaven sent for sore post marathon legs!  It was late and the kids were all asleep by the time we arrived home.  My parents were nice enough to watch them while we were gone.  The next morning though Skyler was super excited to ask if I had gotten a medal!  I went home satisfied even if I feel there are a few more things I could tweak in my training and racing to run a bit faster next time.  And most importantly I went home loving the marathon again and excited to plan my next one!

Sao Paulo

By the time we left Rio I was ready to go home.  Although I knew there was no way a four year old could have kept up with the schedule we were on in Rio I was really missing Skyler.  We were so close to Sao Paulo thought that we wanted to take the kids there and show them where Jason served his mission 20 years ago.  We could have spent a couple weeks touring his mission but school had already started at home, Jason needed to get back to work, and we needed to get home to Skyler.  So instead we did a quick tour in four days.  We were welcomed so warmly by people Jason worked with all those years ago.  Many I met last time Jason and I visited but it was great for the kids to get a chance to meet them.  It was incredible to me to see how much Jason loved the people he served and how much they loved him.  We were welcomed at the airport by Moises and his family and went to their home for a delicious meal cooked by Eliane.  Moises and Eliane were very generous to drive us around where we needed to go.  The older kids felt a little awkward at first not being able to speak to each other and used Jason to translate.  Kaitlyn and Pamela were best friends from the first moment!  They used an app to translate but mostly just spent the entire car ride in the back seat giggling and jabbering away even though they couldn't understand each other!  The next day we were headed to Gauratingata where we met with Juceli and toured the big basilica.

  That evening we spent in Lorena where the members of the ward hosted a Brazilian churasco for us.  The food was amazing and Jason was brought to tears by the number of people who kept coming to greet him.  Herma Maloo insisted we stay at her house instead of going to a hotel and treated us as guests of honor.  Even though the kids there couldn't speak the same language they had a great time playing together. They used their phones to translate and spent the evening playing hide and seek.  We even had a suprise visit from Bira and his wife who live in another city.  We had been planning on meeting up with Bira the next day but he was suddenly called out of town to work so he drove to Lorena for a chance to see us before he left.

The next day Andrew, Jason and I went for a short run in Lorena.  Jason loved showing us around the town, the church and where he lived.  We left Lorena later in the morning with lots of tears.  On the way back to Sao Paulo we stopped in Guara again.  We drove up to the mountains to try to find some waterfalls that Juceli had told us about.  We got lost and ended up finding a small restaurant where we asked for directions.  They wouldn't give us directions but offered for us to hire a guide.  We finally decided it was the only way we would ever find the falls.  He looked like a guy straight from the Austrailian Outback and we were soon bush wacking through overgrown trials down a steep mountain side.  It was a fun experience in the lush forest and the views were worth it!

After the hike we stopped at another friend's house, Bruno.  He owned a pizzeria and made some delicious pizza for us.  After pizza at Bruno's one of the cars headed back to Sao Paulo because Natalia had an appointment but Eliane, Jason, Kaitlyn, Pamela and I stayed in Guaratigata to visit with Herma Ruth, Juceli's mom.  She had been waiting for us all day.  It was late and we needed to get back but we just couldn't leave without seeing her.  She was delighted to see Jason.  She kept jabbering away in Portuguese to me then she would stop and laugh and look at Jason and say she forgot I couldn't speak Portuguese.  Then 5 minutes later she was doing it again.  She adored Kaitlyn and it was obvious she was delighted to see us and made the late night worth it. 

The drive back to Sao Paulo was an adventure to say the least.  Eliane was driving and Jason was in the front seat helping to Navigate.  I fell asleep but woke up at one point and realized even though they were speaking Portuguese we were lost.  Apparently at some point we were headed towards Rio instead of Sao Paulo.  We eventually made it back to Moises's apartment and Omar was waiting for us.  He had found the biggest car he could find but the 5 passenger vehicle was not big enough to fit all of us and the luggage we had brought along for two weeks.  In the end, we left a couple large suitcases with Moises and then we crammed in the vehicle the best we could.  Omar and his family welcomed us into their beautiful home for our last couple days.  They treated us like family and his mother made us a delicious meal.  Kaitlyn didn't get along so well with one of the cats who scratched her.  Omar showed us around the city the next day and it was such a better experience than my first impression of Sao Paulo five years ago.  Omar lives in a very nice neighborhood and knew how to get us around to the best sights.  It wasn't at all the dirty, scary city I remembered from last time.  We went to the top of one of the tallest buildings and enjoyed the view from the top of the massive city.  We wandered through the central market where vendors were anxious to take advantage of American Tourists.  We left some pricey but very tasty produce.  We walked through Japan town, the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.   When Omar had to go close up his shop he dropped us off at the big park in the city center.  We were planning on walking around but then spied some bikes to rent and decided we could see a lot more of the park that way.  We had fun zipping around on the bikes and the kids found some of the best climbing trees ever.  The last stop was Avenue Paulista, somewhere Jason had wanted to take me last time but we hadn't made it.  It is the high end shopping area and happening place in downtown.  We had fun strolling through the malls and the city streets after dark.

On Saturday morning we went to the Sao Paulo temple with Omar and Moises' family.  What a perfect way to end our time in Brazil!  Over 20 years ago Jason had the opportunity to baptize Omar and Moises.  Before he left to come home he was able to attend the temple with them.  In our church one of the most joyful beliefs is that through temple work families will continue beyond the grave and those who have passed on can still accept and receive saving ordinances such as baptism when we perform them for them.  It was so wonderful to have our children and Moises' children with us.  Moises and Omar both served missions and have influenced so many lives for good.  It was such an amazing experience for Jason to see the fruits of his labor.

After the temple it was time to start saying goodbye but the kids convinced us that we had to get some ice cream first.  I guess some traditions don't have any culture boundaries!  It was so hard to say goodbye knowing it will be quite some time before we will see these good friends again!

After the farewell with Moises' family we headed back to Omar's to say goodbye to his family and get everything packed up to go to the airport.  We had just enough time to take a walk around the park near Omar's house.  His brother lent us a bigger car and it was still a tight squeeze but we managed to fit with all the luggage.  It was time to go home but we left our with our hearts full and precious memories.

Photo credit to Andrew for this last shot and many others during the trip.  He had a great time developing his photography talent while we were there.  I love this glimpse of the city he got as we walked around the park just before sunset.  Goodbye Brazil until we come again!

USA House and the Men's Marathon

One of our last days in Rio we used the guest passes Jason had for us to enjoy the hospitality at the USA House.  The kids loved the VIP treatment.  Jared made a killing on pins that day.  It seemed like everyone there wanted to trade with him or better yet just give him pins.  There was plenty of food, drinks, treats and TVs to watch everything that was going on around Rio.  We watched Brazil beat Germany in the men's gold medal soccer match.  Everyone in the USA House was definitely cheering on Brazil for redemption from the embarrassment Germany handed Brazil two years ago in the World Cup.  We also had fun cheering on Team USA to another successful night at Track and Field.  The best part of the day though was mingling with the athletes who were there.  We met several athletes with such inspiring stories.  These aren't the ones you hear about on TV and they might not have won any medals but their dedication and hard work to make it to the Olympics were inspiring to hear about.  When we had all grab a plate of dinner we were trying to find a place to all sit together to eat.  I went to a table with some extra chairs and asked to borrow some chairs without really looking at who I was talking to.  Then I looked up and realized it was Desi Linden.  I was a bit tongue tied at first not knowing what to say.  I congratulated her on a great marathon.  Later I got up the courage to go back and chat with her a bit more about my experience at the Olympic Trials, running for Brooks, and ask for a picture.  She was very kind and I loved the good fortune of being there at the same time she was!

We also had the privilege of watching Ryan Crouser who won the gold medal in shot put give an award to his mentor.  We had a few minutes afterward to meet him.  He tried to convince Jared to throw the shot put since we told him he isn't fond of running but we'd love to keep him in the track and field family!  Then he posed for a picture and even let Kaitlyn hold his gold medal!

 It was a lot of fun seeing the amazing atmosphere that Jason had been working in for the last few weeks!  The games were winding up but we were able to catch a few more events.  We watched the bike and run for the men's and women's triathalon on the road.  We also went to the lagoon to watch the canoe sprint finals.  There weren't any US teams in the finals but we enjoyed celebrating with the home crowd when some Brazilian's medaled. The last event was the men's marathon.  Again we went to Botafoga and watched the race come past three times.  Some of the highlights were watching local runner Jared Ward run an outstanding race finishing 6th, Galen Rupp winning the bronze medal and Meb Keflezgi in his last Olympics.

  Later that day a storm was blowing in.  The wind was howling and the beach front was deserted and downright eerie.  The wind was painfully blowing the sand in our faces as we rushed back to our hotel.  We sat safely in the hotel watching the closing ceremony while the storm raged outside, wind howling and rain pelting the windows.  The show was a typical Brazilian party and I found a wave of emotions coming over me as I watched.  Memories from the week flooded my mind, a love for the Brazilian culture and the city of Rio, and sadness that it was all over.  What an incredible experience it was and one that we will never forget!

Sightseeing in Rio

Rio is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to!  Last time Jason and I visited we only had a day and a half to visit but I fell in love with Rio.  I was so excited to show the kids some of the amazing sights as well as having over a week there to explore some areas we didn't get to last time.  With a busy work schedule for Jason and a lot of events we had tickets to attend we had to fit the sight seeing in between other things.  Lines were long as expected but we were able to get to most of the sights we wanted to see.

When we arrived at Sugar Loaf we were greeted by a long line but it moved quickly and within an hour we were riding the tram the first peak.  An hour didn't seem like too long and since we were squeezing it in between track in the morning and beach volleyball in the evening I was glad it wasn't too long.  The tram takes you up to the first peak then another tram takes you up to the second peak.  The weather was beautiful when we arrived but by the time we had made it up to the first peak a strong wind had picked up.  A storm was blowing in.  I was a little hesitant about the tram ride to the taller peak with the high winds but we had already bought our tickets and I wasn't sure we'd get another chance to come back.  As we went to get in line for the second tram we found a long winding line that took another hour.  Suddenly the waiting was starting to get long.  Luckily there was a monkey in one of the trees that entertained the kids for a while.  We also ran into one of the women's steeplechasers from Team USA and enjoyed meeting her and her family.  We finally made it to the top.  We took pictures, walked the trails through the forest and enjoyed the views of the bay and the beaches below.  Unfortunately the bottleneck of the line for the tram wasn't any better on the way down.  With about an hour wait in each line that meant we spent a total of four hours in line that afternoon and it was starting to get tiring.  The bright side to this was that we got to experience the breathtaking view in the daylight, at sunset and after dark!

The next day we had a guide take us to Tijuca Forest.  It is in the mountains above Rio and is home to one of the most diverse forests in the world.  We loved walking through the lush vegetation and the beautiful waterfalls.  The guide was mentioning all the animals that lived there and the kids were dying to see a monkey but she said you had to get lucky to spot them.  No sooner had she said that then Jared spied a capuchin monkey eating fruit in a near by tree.  The kids were delighted to watch him for a while.  We ended the day with a scenic drive down the mountainside with some amazing views of the city and the coast.

On Wednesday we had tickets to the morning and evening sessions of track and field so in between we checked out the city center.  It was the first place in Rio that had some areas that were a little more sketchy but during the daylight we felt fairly safe.  We saw several cathedrals and the aqueduct.  We ran out of time to ride the trolley that runs along the top of the aqueduct and figured we would come back another day but when we went back on our final day in Rio we found out it was closed for a holiday. We also missed the colored tile steps but we were able to hit that again on our last day.  It was packed with tourists but a fun place in the city center.

A trip to Rio just wouldn't be complete without a trip to the top of Corcovado with the Christ the Redeemer statue.  We thought we would have just enough time the morning before we went to the men's basketball game.  The problem was that we woke up to partly cloudy skies.  We weren't sure we would have another time to go though so we bought tickets and hoped the clouds would clear enough to get a  bit of a view.  Of course everyone else thought the trip to Corcovado was a must as well so it was as packed as the other tourist sights.  The bus was running on Brazilian time: very late.  We didn't have a lot of time to spend on top once we got there but it was so packed with people I'm not sure we would have wanted to.  It was still quite cloudy but you could occasionally get glimpses of the beach and city below.

The kids and I spent a couple afternoons at the beach while Jason was working.  The kids enjoyed a warm afternoon playing in the water while I sat on the packed beach where you were lucky to find a spot to set down a towel.  The vendors were constantly pestering me with items they were selling to tourists.  We also enjoyed a lot of walks on the boardwalk along Ipanema by the hotel and USA house as well as the rocky point out bay Fort Copacabana.

It made me sad to hear all the negative media our country was spreading about Rio because we all loved it so much and were sad when it was time to leave.  We love the Brazilian culture and the beautiful city and hope to make it back some day!

Copacabana at Midnight and a Win for Team USA Basketball in the Semifinals

We loved the breathtaking views of the ocean from our hotel and the USA House but one thing we learned quickly in Rio is not to stay on the beach after dark.  With the short daylight hours in the middle of winter and our packed schedule there wasn't as much time to enjoy the beach as we wanted.  The beach was quite the happening place though.  Crowds of people sunbathing, vendors selling to tourists, people trading pins.  The mild winter weather made the beach still quite comfortable most days.  One of the events we really wanted to go to was beach volleyball.  The arena had been built right on the famous Copacabana Beach.  Tickets were hard to come by and expensive when you could find them and many of the games were being played before we arrived in Rio.  I was finally able to find some tickets for the men's semifinals.  I had to pick between two evening sessions and since I bought the tickets before the tournament started I had no idea who would be playing in which session.  In the end I picked the 11:00 pm start.  It was late but I wasn't sure how transportation would be and if we would make it back from track and field in time for the earlier game.  It ended up being the wrong choice.  We missed watching the USA and Brazil in the earlier matches.  The matches we saw were Italy vs Russia and Cuba vs Russia. Going to the beach that time of night wasn't a problem with so many people and security around.  Jason had a closer seat than us due to the limited number of tickets and I couldn't buy more than four together.  He had a great place to watch in the bottom section.  The kids and I sat up near the top.  It still wasn't a bad view of the game due to the size of the outdoor arena that had been built.  What I loved about our seats is that we could look over the top of the bleachers and see the waves crashing on the beach.  What an incredible view to experience the beach like this at midnight!  The games were a lot of fun, even if they weren't teams we really cared about.  The Brazilians really know how to have fun at beach volleyball!  The music, the dancing and the atmosphere was unmatched in any of the other events.  Both matches went to all three sets and it was past 1:00 a.m. before it was over.  Kaitlyn finally gave into the fatigue and fell asleep on my lap sometime during the second match.

The USOC gave us some basketball tickets and Jason a few hours off to see Team USA play in the men's semifinals.  So we made the long trip out to Olympic Park again and this time Jason got to come with us.  The US played Spain and handled them easily.  The crowd seemed to be cheering for Spain (maybe going for the underdog?) but we had fun cheering them on to a win to set up the final game where they would win the gold medal.

Track and Field: It Doesn't Get Better Than This!

Jason finally got a few days off from work and we headed to the track stadium.  Track and field doesn't get any better than the Olympic Games!  I was surprised to find a lot of empty seats in the track stadium (and most of the events we attended.)  I'm not sure how much of that was the bad media Rio got leading up to the Olympics that kept foreigners away or if the locals just couldn't afford to buy tickets.  I did feel bad for the athletes because it was probably a bit disappointing to make it to the Olympics and then have such sparse crowds there to watch.  We had a fantastic time attending four sessions of track and field.  Here are just a few of the highlights.  We saw Emma Coburn win the bronze in the women's steeplechase and Evan Jager win the silver in the men's steeplechase, the first two steeplechase medals for the United States!  We had some great seats on the bottom level near the water jump for the men's steeplechase.  We saw a world record broken in the women's hammer throw.  We saw Usain Bolt run the 200 meter prelims and semis.  He was a great entertainer and the crowd loved him!  It was the only time the crowd was as loud as when the Brazilians were competing.  We were able to mingle with several athletes that we met as we were leaving the stadium including Bernard Legat.  Our last session was an evening session and we had great tickets right in the middle of the home stretch in the lower section.  We were right in front of the action for several finals.  The highlight of the night was the US women sweeping the medals in the 100 meter hurdles!  We had so much fun cheering on the world's best athletes and Team USA!

Celebrating 19 years in Rio!

Last year Jason and I missed celebrating our anniversary because he was doing a volunteer rotation at the USOC training center in Colorado Springs hoping for an invitation to the Olympics someday.  The rotation was a great experience and he left feeling like he would be invited to help with future events but he thought and invitation to Rio in 2016 was a long shot for someone as new to the program as he was.  What a thrill it was when he received the invitation in January!  He felt a little bad about missing our anniversary last year but so much of our marriage has been about supporting each other in achieving our goals that I didn't mind too much.  He is my constant support in my success as an athlete and I have definitely put in years and years supporting him in his career.  We commemorated 19 years on August 14th and we celebrated together in Rio!  What a great way to celebrate 19 years of working together to accomplish something amazing!

In reality though we didn't get a ton of time to spend together that day.  It was the day of the women's marathon, the event I had planned the whole trip around to be there.  In February it was such an amazing experience to race with the best marathoners in the country but I was so preoccupied with my own race and how I wanted to perform that I couldn't fully enjoy it.  This time I just got to sit watch and cheer on the women that I had been privileged to compete with just a few months earlier and it was incredible.  Jason needed to work that day but with the marathon being first thing in the morning and at the Botofogo beach area just a few metro stops away he decided to go catch a bit of the race with us.  Unfortunately the metro ride wasn't quite as smooth as we anticipated.  The kids and I bought an Olympic pass that gave us access to the public transit we would need later in the day but Jason just bought a single ride pass since he was returning to work.  What we didn't realize is that the line we were trying to get on required the Olympic pass so the machine wouldn't give Jason his ticket.  Even with Jason's Portuguese we were having a difficult time explaining to the people working what we needed.  They were in the typical Brazilian way of not in any hurry to get anything done and I was starting to panic as it was getting closer and closer to the time we needed to be to the race course.  I had come all this way and this was the event I really wanted to see and I was afraid we were going to miss it!  In the end, we had to run several blocks down the street to catch a different line.  Luckily we made it to Botofogo with about 5 or 10 minutes to spare before the runners reached that part of the course.  We were at a turn around point where the runners would pass three times, 10k, 20k and 30k.  It was a beautiful setting with the beach, the bay and Sugar Loaf Mountain in the background.  The leaders came by with all three Americans, Shalane Flanagan, Desi Linden, and Amy Cragg in the lead pack.  I was surprised to see how strung out a lot of the runners were already getting.  It was a hot, humid day, definitely not ideal marathon conditions.  The kids asked how I would be doing in the race and although the lead pack would have left me in the dust I could have run with the slower runners.  I was intrigued about each of their stories and how they got there.  Even though I have run the Olympic Qualifying mark I realized looking at each of these runners that some of them come from a life with so many more disadvantages than I do.  I'm sure given many of their situations it is much more impressive for them to be there than many of the athletes that medal. I admired each of them for the strength to get there.  We enjoyed watching life on the beach between laps.  There were teenagers playing soccer on the beach, a lady out walking her chicken, parrots in the trees and Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the beautiful morning in Rio.  Soon the runners were passing again, almost half way and the Americans were all still in the lead pack while more and more runners started to drop back.  It now took almost 20 minutes for all the runners to pass.  Due to the conditions many obviously weren't even going to run the qualifying mark they ran to get there.  Finally the last lap was passing, the heat and humidity was getting more intense and the lead pack was breaking up.  The Americans had started to drop just slightly off the few who were making a move in the lead.  It was looking like it wasn't going to be an American's day to medal but a strong showing by USA with all three still in the top 10.  In the end we later found out Shalane was 6th, Desi 7th and Amy 9th.  If that event had been team scored the US would have taken the gold.

As soon as the runners had passed for the last time Jason rushed back to work and we got back on the metro to navigate our way across the city to Olympic Park where we had tickets to gymnastics.  I was nervous about trying to find my way around on public transit without Jason but had been assured it would be the quickest and easiest way to get to events.  I was pleased with how organized the transit system was.  The line we were on had been shut down to the public and they were only letting people on with tickets to events.  When we got to the end of the subway line we followed the crowds to the buses which took us to Olympic Park.  Once we got off the bus it was a long walk to the village but they were handling the crowds well and the lines moved quickly.  It took a full two hours and we made it just in time for the event finals.  Kaitlyn had been saying ever since she found out we were going to the Olympics that she wanted to see gymnastics.  The tickets were expensive and difficult to find but she was so excited to go.  The first event was the men's floor exercise.  Two Brazilians were among the first contenders and did well.  They were sitting in 2nd and 3rd place.  The crowd was really into it and every time another athlete would make a mistake (including two Americans) they would cheer knowing that kept the Brazilians in medal contention.  The Brazilians won the silver and bronze and you would have thought it was the gold as excited as the crowd got!  It was fun to watch.  The next event was the women's vault where we got to see American Simone Biles, the star of gymnastics at the Olympics this year, win the gold medal.  The American crowd was fairly small there so we had a great time waving our flags and cheering her on.  We also watched the men's pommel horse and the women's uneven bars where we saw two more medals for the Americans.

We made it back to Ipanema late in the evening and met Jason at the USA House.  We had a one day pass for all of us to go into the house but wanted to save it for a day we had more time to spend there.  So we browsed the store and waited in the lobby for Jason.  He ran into a two of the 10,000 meter runners and brought them up front to meet us.  Here we are with Shadrack Kipchirchir and Leonard Korir.  These guys were tiny and obviously super fast runners but very friendly and down to earth.  They weren't the big names that were winning medals and getting the media attention but they were loving their first Olympic experience!

After dinner we were back to the hotel and crashed in bed.  It had been a full day and the next day we were starting early (a pattern that didn't end until we left Rio!)

Rio Here We Come!

After months of preparation, we finally had all the passports, immunizations, credentialing (for Jason), tickets to events, Team USA gear, plane tickets and hotels booked and were thrilled for the Olympic Games to begin.  Two days before the opening ceremonies and here's Jason at the Salt Lake airport ready to join Team USA!

Jason kept getting stopped in the airport and asked what event he was competing in.  I guess he looks more like an athlete than a team physician!  He had a layover in Houston before the overnight flight to Rio. He found the terminal in Houston to be a big party sending off the athletes to Rio, many of which were on the same flight as him.  He ran into several Olympians he had worked with last year at the USOC training center and Jared Ward (marathon runner from Utah) as well as meeting several other athletes on the team.  He hadn't even left US soil yet and he was having the time of his life being part of the excitement heading to Rio.

Jason arrived in Rio and went to work right away.  He was stationed at the USA House in Ipanema.  The USA House was the hospitality house for athletes, VIPs and corporate sponsors of the USOC  His hotel as well as the USA House were both beach front property.  The building was a school that the USOC had rented out and remodeled for the month.  The nuns who worked at the school were still staying there and enjoying the US Olympic spirit.  Jason was thrilled to be back in Brazil.  He used his Portuguese frequently.  He often got strange looks from Brazilians who weren't used to Americans that could speak their language.  He even had several ask why he was wearing USA gear if he was Brazilian!  At the USA House he was mainly taking care of the USOC staff and corporate sponsors.  The athletes were in and out of the house constantly though and he had a lot of opportunities to interact with the athletes as well.  He was working long hours from first thing in the morning until 11 pm when the House would close but loving every minute of it.  This experience was a life long dream for him and one he has spent countless hours, really years, working for.  Occasionally he'd get out for a run on the beach in the morning or get away to grab some Brazilian food.  Although he had access to great food at the USA House, it was American food and so he got away for some authentic Brazilian food when he could.  Here he is in front of his home base for the month.

We were anxious to get to Rio and meet him.  I had decided to wait a week to join him since we were leaving Skyler at home with grandparents and I didn't want to leave him too long.  We waiting for the second week of the Olympics so we could be there during track and field and the marathons.  It was so exciting to watch the opening ceremony with the anticipation of being there in a short time.  We watched as much as we could on tv although the week was so busy with preparations to leave that we didn't see as much as we would have liked.  Finally the day came, Friday August, 12.  We said goodbye to Skyler and  the four of us boarded a flight to Houston.  I wondered if I was slightly crazy taking three children on an international flight alone.  We had a short layover in Houston and just had enough time to catch the red eye flight to Rio.  Here are three of the most excited kids you have ever seen!

The night went about as well as you could expect sitting in coach.  I didn't sleep too much but that wasn't a surprise.  At one point I woke up and wondered where Andrew had disappeared to.  I finally realized he was sleeping on the floor at Kaitlyn and Jared's feet. At least he found somewhere he could get some sleep.  I tend to get motion sick and by the time we arrived in Rio I was feeling quite ill.  I'm not sure how much was motion sickness or if it was something I had been coming down with for a couple days.  I'm sure a night with no sleep didn't help the situation.  Jason had been hoping to arrange a ride for us but all the USOC drivers were busy so we were on our own to find our way from the airport to the hotel.  Luckily it wasn't too hard to find a taxi and communicate where we needed to go.  The driver tried to point out points of interest along the way although his English was worse than my Portuguese!  The kids were quickly introduced to the crazy driving habits of Brazilian taxi drivers!  We made it to the hotel without any incident and were thrilled to be greeted by Jason in the lobby.

It had been a long 20+ hours since we had left home. I felt terrible and just wanted to crash in bed but decided it would be better to try to stay awake for the day.  We had to go pick up some of our event tickets at will call, so the next adventure was trying to take an Uber across town to the ticket collection site.  We were on our own again since Jason had to get to work.  The Uber ride was a bit of an adventure again.  My phone had put the address in behind the hotel and we were waiting in the front.  The driver called me when he couldn't find us but of course didn't speak any English.  Once he did find us he couldn't find the building we were supposed to be going to.  We could actually see it but kept driving in circles around it but his GPS wouldn't tell him how to get there.  I was no help without speaking the language and the crazy Brazilian roads and drivers.  He finally got us there and I was ushered into a courtyard where we would wait for our tickets.  Other people were waiting as well and I was told some had been waiting for hours!  By this time I was really ill.  This wasn't just motion sickness and jet lag.  I had a fever and was shivering in spite of the fact it was a beautiful sunny 70 degree day and everyone else was comfortable in shorts and t shirts. I must have looked as bad as a felt because a couple men that were there also waiting for tickets asked if I was ok.  They found a sunny spot for me to sit and had the boys wait with them for my tickets.  Luckily ours came more quickly then some of the others and the Uber ride back to the hotel went much smoother. I finally gave in and crashed at the hotel.  I felt bad because the kids were looking longingly at the beach across the street but I just couldn't fight it anymore.  I was worried about what I had and hoping I wouldn't be sick the whole trip.  It had come too soon to be something I picked up in Brazil but I didn't want the trip ruined by all of us getting sick.  After some Tylenol (luckily I had brought a bag full of medication) and a nap I started to feel alive again and we wandered over to the beach for the little bit of time before the sun set.  Since it was winter in Rio the hours of daylight were short.  Jason got away from work long enough to take us to dinner.  It was some amazing meat that we grilled on a skillet in front of us.  Jason had brought pins for the kids and they got started on the fun of trading pins with people.  Soon Brazilian dancers were outside the window of the restaurant doing flips, dancing, singing and entertaining the tourists.  It was a great introduction for the kids to the Brazilian culture and the Olympic spirit and Jason was thrilled to have his family around after a week and a half alone.  The next morning I woke up feeling like a new person. The fever was gone and I was so excited for the adventure to come! 

Summer: Camping, Scouts, Lagoon, and Cousins

This summer was one thing after the next all summer long, especially for Andrew.  Between, scout camps, EFY, youth conference, a family camping trip, cousins visiting and finally our trip to Brazil (more on that to come) there was never a dull moment.

Jason didn't have any vacation time to use this year since he was taking a full month off to go to Brazil in August so we had to try to fit in vacation when he was off.  We took advantage of the long 4th of July weekend and went camping at Flaming Gorge.  Three nights in a tent is about as long as I can stand with kids but we had a good time.  We did end up stranded out in the middle of no where one night.  We were fishing a small lake and the kids had left the lights on in the truck getting in and out so many times.  We went to start the truck to head back to camp and the battery was dead.  The small shop by the lake was closed and everyone else had left and we had no cell phone reception.  Our campground was a good walk from there but I was starting to think it was our only choice when someone came along.  They didn't have cables but were finally able to track down someone that did.  We kept having to jump the truck every time we had to go anywhere and someone at church finally gave us a set of cables until we could get home and replace the battery.  We had a lot of fun running and biking the overlook at Red Canyon.  Andrew enjoyed photographing the canyon and the boys had fun sleeping in their hamocks and didn't mind the deer walking right through the camp all night.  There was also a herd of big horn sheep running around we were lucky enough to spot. Before we went home we spent a day on the river below the dam.  Jason, Andrew, and Jared fished while I hiked with Kaitlyn and Skyler.  Well, until the thunder storms rolled in and we kept running to the truck to get out of the downpour! 

My niece, Danielle came to stay with us for a few days this summer.  We went to the rodeo and Lagoon.  Neither are my favorite but the kids had a lot of fun.  Melanie, with her kids, and Brittany met us at Lagoon and the big kids and little kids were all entertained so it was a win!  Kaitlyn wanted to go on all the wild rides with the big kids.  I think they rode just about everything there.  I think we left with a few motion sick kids by the end of the day!

In August we had my sister, Rebecca, visit with her family from Ohio and my brother with his girlfriend and Calvin here from California.  We went to the pool to escape the heat and to a Real Salt Lake game since Calvin loves soccer.  It was our first game at Rio Tinto and it was a lot of fun although I felt like I spent half the game in line at the concession stands.  It was a crazy week because I was helping with cross country camp, Jason left for Brazil, and I was trying to get everything arranged so the rest of us could join him.  We didn't get as much time as we would have liked to spend with everyone but it was fun to have all the Brown cousins together.

Andrew's high adventure with the scouts was in the Wind River mountain range in Wyoming.  They camped at the Green River Lakes and backpacked a long trip into Square Top.  It was a much longer hike than they anticipated.  The weather also turned off quite cold for the middle of July.  Many of the boys ran out of food but luckily Andrew caught some fish to keep them alive!

Jared went to Camp Newfork for scout camp the same week Andrew was backpacking.  The scout camp wasn't far from where Andrew was in the Wind Rivers so they also had to deal with the frigid temperatures with many mornings below freezing.  He braved the cold though and even swam in the lake for the swim check and canoeing merit badge.  One night they took canoes across the lake and spent the night.  He was able to finish up all the merit badges he needs for his Eagle except camping.  Jason was able to spend a couple days at camp but couldn't get any more time off work and spent so much time dealing with the administrative issues that he didn't get any pictures of the boys.

The Blackham backpacking trip had to be cut short this year due to the lack of vacation time Jason had.  He took advantage of the long 24th of July holiday weekend and took Andrew and Jared with Brian and Brian Jr. to Red Castle in the Uintas.  Jared was thrilled to finally be included on the big backpacking trip and Andrew didn't complain about another weekend in a tent.  They caught a lot of fish and had a lot of fun.