Top of Utah Half Marathon 2017

At the beginning of this year I set my goal to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials anticipating that the qualifying period would open this fall.  I knew that meant a trip back to Chicago in October where I felt I had my best chance at running under 2:45 again.  For the winter and spring I picked some shorter local races to keep me motivated to train but keeping my weekly mileage a little lower since I wasn't marathon training.  I picked most of my races off the USATF Utah road racing circuit.  To be honest most of those races were a struggle.  The competition ended up being tough and I was struggling to hit times that had come pretty easy the past couple years.  I was struggling to even place in the top three at most of the races.  I was somewhat discouraged but and even started to wonder if I was starting to slow down a bit with age.  I didn't want to give myself an out by coming up with an excuse but all I knew is that it was feeling harder to run fast and I was a bit slower.

With Chicago getting closer I decided to do everything I could to prepare this summer.  I got my mileage up to where it should be for marathon training and made sure I got all my miles in EVERY day.  I didn't let myself cut anything short.  I started making sure I was getting my core strengthening in, eating right, sleeping right: all the little details.  My training was coming along well and I felt I was still capable of running under a 2:45 although I wondered if trying to run a PR (2:41) would be realistic.

The Top of Utah Half Marathon is always one of my favorite races to run as a tune up for a fall marathon.  Three years ago before Chicago I ran that course in 1:17:44.  I hoped that I could finish close to that time and that would give me the confidence that I would be ready for Chicago.  Since most of my races had been a bit slower this year I decided I would be happy with a low 1:18.

I drove up from Ogden in the morning rather than spending the night in Logan because Jason was gone camping with the scouts and someone had to stay home with the kids.  It meant for and early wake up (3:30 am) but also got me up early enough to get a good breakfast.  The drive to Logan was a little rough and I was wishing I was back in bed.  Once I got to Logan I met up with some friends on the bus and that helped.  At the start line we had some extra time and Thom Keuls and I spent it analyzing our splits from two previous years we had run together.  I was glad to have him there to race with again.

At the start I found a few runners I was expecting who had been beating me in previous races this year.  Nan Kennard took off at the start and although I would love the chance to win that race again I knew I couldn't run the pace she was running so I just had to let her go and stuck to the plan.  Thom was running with me as well as Sariah Long.  The first few miles are a gradual downhill in the canyon and we were hitting mile splits in the 5:50s just like our plan.  A few miles in Sariah fell back because she wasn't feeling well.  That left me in second place and I was grateful Thom was still feeling well enough to run with me.  Nan had disappeared ahead so it was just Thom and I trying to execute our plan.  Miles 5 and 6 towards the bottom of the canyon get quite a bit steeper.  We were also greeted with a strong tail wind blowing us out the bottom of the canyon.  We were able to run those miles and the first one out of the canyon in the 5:40s.  We came through the seven mile split exactly on pace to finish in a high 1:17.  Once we were out of the canyon and it flattened out a bit we settled back into the 5:50s.  I was surprised how comfortable I felt running under six minute miles.  Not that it was easy; I was definitely working hard but I felt strong and felt like I could maintain that pace for a long time.  It was the best I have felt in a race all year.

Around mile 9 Thom was starting to struggle a bit and drop back.  I was shocked to realize that I only had 4 miles left because I was still feeling so strong.  By then the front racers were so spread out that I had to push myself on my own.  I knew I wasn't going to win but just tried to keep the focus on getting the time I wanted.  Miles 11 and 12 are a pretty significant uphill and my only miles over six minutes. When I got to the 12 mile split I glanced at my watch and realized if I could run close to six minutes for the last mile I would finish in a high 1:17.  I was so happy to still be on pace.  The last mile is a gradual downhill.  Gradual enough it doesn't feel downhill but just enough to help you go a bit faster.  I pushed with everything I had left.  I really wanted a good race to boost my confidence going into Chicago.  I shocked myself finishing with a 5:38 last mile and a total time of 1:17:31!

Nan ended up shattering the course record finishing in 1:14.  I've won that race twice with a slower time than I ran this year but you never know who you are going to have to race against.  I was happy with a second place finish in such a talented field.  It was my fastest time on that course.  I've run two other half marathons faster but on courses with much larger elevation drops.  Considering the terrain I was on, I think it is the best half marathon I have ever run.  It was a huge confidence builder that I am ready for Chicago and that I still can run that fast. My goals for Chicago: 6:10-6:15 pace for 26.2 miles.  6:15 gets me back to the Olympic Trials and 6:10 gets me a PR.  A few weeks of training left to sharpen my fitness but the bulk of the training is done and it's time to start tapering.  I'm ready.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I stay healthy and the weather cooperates.  The weather is the biggest factor that I have absolutely no control over.  Bring on Chicago! 

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!

Summer Running

In June, my friend Janae asked me to help coach at a running retreat she was holding in Park City.  We spent two nights at a beautiful house in Deer Valley.  We enjoyed some breathtaking views on trail runs and enjoyed a couple days of speakers with tons of information.  It was a lot of fun to meet runners from all over with varying experience levels in running.  It was fun to make some new friends and spend a couple days with some old friends.  The highlight of the lectures was having Jared Ward who qualified to run in the Olympic marathon this year come talk to us.  He was a very down to earth guy and it was fun to chat with him about our experiences at the Olympic Trials even though his was vastly different than mine. The last morning of the retreat we all participated in the Park City Trail Series 5k.  I don't feel like I'm a great trail racer and my friend Angie and I decided to take the race easy and just run it for fun.  We did that the first mile and watched a lot of women race ahead of us.  Cynthia was way ahead of everyone. We hit the first mile pretty slow, around 7 minutes and started catching the runners that had gone out too fast.  Then the competitive side of me kicked in when I realized there were a lot of the runners ahead of me I could catch.  I picked it up a bit and caught most of them still running at a pretty comfortable pace.  Janae, Alyssa and Cynthia were still ahead so I finally kicked it into race mode for the last mile and was able to catch everyone but Cynthia right before the finish.  It was a fun race having the girls from the retreat pretty much sweep the awards.

I hadn't been doing a lot of racing in the summer.  I felt burnt out after what I felt like were failed attempts at the Olympic Trials and the Ogden Marathon. My uncle convinced Andrew to run Farmington Days with his family and I decided that I could use a fun easy race for a change so I signed the whole family up.  Jason ran the 10k and Andrew, Jared, Kaitlyn and I ran the 5k.  My aunt was nice enough to keep an eye on Skyler while we all ran.  When we were all lining up for the race Kaitlyn decided she had to go to the bathroom right now. We ran off to find one and I really thought we might miss the start.  Maybe this is one reason I don't usually race with the kids... We made it back just in time.  There weren't any women up close enough to race against.  Jason was just ahead of me until the 10k course separated from the 5k.  Then I started passing up a lot of the men.  Andrew was up close to the lead and it was so fun watching his race from behind.  The last half mile I watched him catching the guy in front of him who he out kicked for the win.  I didn't push too much out of my comfort zone with no women there to race.  It was Andrew's first road race win and a lot of fun to get a win with him.

By late July I was ready to try to race hard again.  I always like to run the Deseret News 10k but this year I decided to try to run the half marathon instead.  The Deseret News races are always competitive with good prize money so I figured I probably wouldn't win but my goal was to run a good time.  I wanted a 1:17 and thought maybe if my race went perfect a 1:16.  I met my friend Jasmine Sessions when we caught the bus and was glad to have someone to run with.  At the starting line I was surprised to see there weren't very many competitive women.  It looked like it would be between Jasmine and me.  I knew Jasmine was running really well and I could never count her out.  However, I knew I'd beaten her before and I started to be hopeful I could win this race.  The beginning of the race was down Emigration Canyon. The race was going almost the way I wanted with most of our mile splits around 5:50.  One of the men we were running with asked what we were aiming for.  At the same time I replied 1:17 and Jasmine said 1:18.  I really started to think I had a good chance to win.  I had actually been hoping for splits closer to 5:45 down the canyon.  I noticed Jasmine kept getting half a step behind me.  I wondered if I picked up the pace just a bit she would drop back and I would take the lead for good.  Near the bottom of the canyon I decided to risk it.  We hit a steep downhill section and I took off.  It seemed to be working.  Jasmine started to fall behind.  I was aiming for 5:45 but instead hit that mile in 5:35.  Looking back it was a mistake but I wanted to win this race and I decided to take the gamble.  After two miles in the 5:30s we turned onto Foothill Blvd.  My legs started to tire after those blazing fast miles.  I had the lead but Jasmine hadn't disappeared.  She was still close and it worried me.  I worked the downhill section by the football stadium but I couldn't shake her.  We hit the uphill stretch on 13th East and she was starting to catch me.  By the time we made the turn onto South Temple she was right on my shoulder again.  I stayed with her until the 10 mile marker but my legs had taken such a beating from the fast downhill they just wouldn't go anymore.  I watched her slowly pull away, ironically the same place I watched Melody pull away in the 10 last year.  I remembered last year though and kept pushing as hard as I could so no one would catch me from behind.  It was a struggle to get through those last few miles but I fought hard for my goal time.  I finished in 1:17:25, right on my goal pace and my second fastest half marathon ever.  Jasmine finished in 1:16:33, well ahead of me and a huge PR for her.  She killed those last three miles.  I was disappointed to miss the win again but happy for Jasmine to have such a perfect race.  My average pace was 5:55 which was only a few seconds slower than the pace I ran last year in the 10k.  In retrospect I might have been able to take a few more seconds off my time if I hadn't been so aggressive in the middle of the race and saved more for the end.  I don't think I would have beaten Jasmine though. I think I still would have been a low 1:17.  I was happy to meet my goal time and still make the podium and walk away with $500 cash.  I'd still love to win that race someday so I'll keep working.

Photos from the Deseret News. Caption on that bottom picture should say, "Are you really taking my picture right now?"

Spring 2016

Here are a few random pictures from all of the spring activities.

My mother-in-law celebrated her 60th birthday this spring.  She hasn't wanted to celebrate her birthday with a big party the last few years since it reminds her of when Vance passed away.  We figured we needed to do something to celebrate the milestone birthday though so we threw a surprise birthday party at our house after the kid's piano recital.  Everyone came and set up while we were at the recital.  We actually pulled it off and completely surprised her! This cake Tiffany's mom made for her was perfect!

Andrew on the  podium at the region meet!

Andrew had another successful track season.  Here he is pictured at the region track meet.  He placed 6th in the 3200.  He ran a 4:41 1600 at the BYU invitational and 10:00 in the 3200 in St. George.

Andrew at accolade with Teal Christensen

Andrew had a great time at prom and accolade!  His dates were beautiful!  We had fun hosting his prom group for dinner at our house.

Skyler had his preschool graduation at the end of the year in Miss Erica's class.  He loved Miss Erica but he hated being in front of everyone at the program!  He sat in his chair and stubbornly refused to participate!  He wanted nothing to do with singing songs, saying his part or even wearing the graduation cap.  You can tell he didn't mind the treats though.

I helped coach the youth track club again and Kaitlyn enjoyed running.  She's gotten to be quite competitive and you can really see in this picture how hard she is trying.  She made it to district in a couple events and her relay team even made it to state!

This was just too cute of these three cousins.  We were at the Noble family reunion on Memorial Day.  The food had all been cleaned up and it was about time to go. This watermelon had been brought by someone but no one had cut  it up. Skyler was determined to get some to eat even though we kept telling him no one had a knife.  Well, you can see these cousins found a way to open it and enjoy it!

Jason spoiled me one evening with dinner at La Calille.  It was my first time there and I loved it!  It was like stepping inside a French Chateau.  It was a beautiful spring evening.  The food was amazing and the atmosphere was incredible.  We loved wandering around the beautiful grounds.  This has been one of our busiest years ever and it seems like there is never time to spend together anymore so this evening was wonderful.

Is This Really Happening Again?!!

In February after the Olympic Trials I was frustrated and felt like I needed to run another marathon and get it right.  I was tempted to give the Ogden Marathon another shot even though it was only three months away.  Maybe I could get the win I was after last year and if conditions were better, run a great time banking on the fitness level I had built up all winter.  Yet at the same time I was tired from all the intense training and knew that my body needed some time to recover from the ordeal it had been put through not only battling the heat in LA but the intense training period all winter.  With the help of my coach, we decided it would be best to stick with the half marathon for Ogden and give myself a much needed mental and physical break from the long marathon training.  I took a month easy and then set my sights on getting ready for a fast half marathon in May.  I was happy with the fitness I had been able to maintain and yet enjoyed the break from the really long marathon training runs and high weekly mileage.

The two weeks leading up to Ogden were just rough.  Along with some serious concerns that are too personal to share here, I was just in the middle of a bad luck streak.  You know the type of week where your car gets hit, you lose your keys, you can't seem to get anything accomplished that you are trying to, you lose track of time and miss your daughter's program at school...  It just went on and on leaving me thinking what else could possibly happen now?  It was just the feeling of being kicked when you are already down.  Sometimes life just hits you hard and this was one of those times.  On top of all this it is May which means every afternoon and evening my calendar is filled with half a dozen activities and I am constantly running here and there trying to get it all done and not feeling very successful.  I was feeling emotionally and physically exhausted!  I was lacking the excitement that I usually feel leading up to a race.  I felt it could end one of two ways; either I was not mentally ready and this would be a rough race or I had a ton of pent up frustrations to burn off and I could finally channel all this somewhere productive.

I tried to get my head in the game with visualizing the perfect race.  I knew this was going to be an extremely competitive year for the half marathon with several runners that could challenge me.  Everyone seemed to think Sariah Long was the favorite with good reason.  She's an extremely talented runner and in excellent shape right now.  I knew I would need a perfect race to have a chance at beating her but I also knew she was aiming for a 1:17 and so was I.  I felt like I was capable of running that time on that course in the shape I am in as long as conditions cooperated.  At least the weather forecast was looking perfect: windy on Friday, and rainy on Sunday but Saturday was supposed to be cool and partly cloudy.  Finally a good day for running the Ogden Marathon.  At least that's what the forecast was saying all week until Friday.  Then suddenly they were saying there was a storm sticking around they hadn't expected.  Light rain was now expected for Saturday morning, especially in the mountains.  Not good news since we start up in Eden and run down Ogden Canyon.  Light rain wouldn't be bad though. I have had some successful races in light rain and it is better than heat.  I tried to stay positive, knowing I was already a bit weak on the mental side.

Saturday morning the alarm went off at 4 am.  I felt exhausted with not nearly enough sleep in the two weeks leading up to the race.  Jason, Andrew, and I boarded the bus (it was already starting to rain downtown) and headed to Eden.  I was sleepy on the bus and wished I could fall asleep up the winding canyon but knew I would wake up motion sick if I did.  It was raining fairly hard in Eden but I had come prepared with plenty of waterproof layers to keep warm before the start.  When it was time to warm up I actually felt hot in all my layers.  I felt tired on my warm up and hoped I would feel better once the race started.  I noticed the wind would be at our back most of the way around the lake and opted to leave my long sleeve shirt in my bag since I was feeling quite warm with the wind at my back and just wear arm warmers and gloves. (Mistake #1)  I was just finishing my warmup when they announced six minutes until race start.  I still had to change my shoes, drop my clothing bag and fight my way through all of the runners up to the starting line so I forgot to grab my visor out of my bag to keep the rain off my face. (Mistake #2)  As soon as we were started I felt my right shoe was a little loose.  In my rush to get my gear on I hadn't laced up my shoe tight enough which led to a blister later in the race. (Mistake #3)  The first couple miles of the race went about as I expected.  The rain was coming down steadily but we turned south shortly into the first mile and the wind was at our backs.  Sariah went ahead but I expected her to go out faster than me.  I was sticking to my race plan this year after the lesson I learned last year.  I wanted to hold back on the hills the first four miles and pick up the pace once I got to the canyon and hopefully catch her there.  I was aiming for 5:55 average pace but I planned on keeping my miles over six minutes around Pineview figuring I could run 5:45s once we dropped into the canyon.  Jasmine Sessions and Katie Thompson stuck with me as we headed up the biggest hill a half mile into the race.  Jasmine got a few feet ahead of me at the top of the hill but stayed right there the next couple miles.  I wasn't concerned.  I'd wait to make up the distance in the canyon.  I couldn't believe how wet the road was and now with all my sweats off I was starting to realize it was colder than I thought.  As we wound around Pineview it brought back all the bad memories of last year.  The conditions were so similar and I thought of the hypothermia starting to set in and Cynthia starting to pull away from me and realizing that I was losing what I wanted so badly.  I was trying to stay positive but the conditions were bring so many negative thoughts into my mind.  

The last mile before the dam the wind suddenly shifted.  Instead of being at our backs it was coming straight up and out of the canyon.  Suddenly Jasmine and the men she was running with were getting farther ahead.  I told myself not to panic.  I was almost to the canyon.  Sariah still wasn't even too far ahead.  I was off pace a little but I could still pick up the pace in the canyon and move up.  I had at least saved some energy for the canyon and was ready to start working hard.  I set my sights on Jasmine's group and started reeling them in.  Within a mile I had caught them.  I thought I might just pass Jasmine but when I caught up she picked up her pace and stayed with me.  I was glad to have someone to run down the canyon with.  We kept commenting to each other about how this was just as bad as last year and we so glad we were only running the half marathon this year instead of the full.  The canyon was completely flooded with water.  Every step was a slosh in a puddle.  My feet were heavy.  My hands and legs were cold.  We were running into a head wind the entire way down the canyon which made the rain pelt us in the face.  I was discouraged to keep seeing my mile splits over six minute miles.  I wanted to pick up the pace but I just couldn't get my legs to move any faster.  My thoughts became more negative as the race progressed.  "I can't believe I'm doing this again.  I can't believe this is as bad as last year.  I hate this.  There is nothing fun about this at all.  I just want this to be over.  All I want to do is get home."  Jasmine and I kept each other going down the canyon.  Finally towards the bottom we hit a steep drop off and were finally able to run that mile in 5:53.  The next one was the mouth of the canyon and we were greeted by extremely strong wind gusts coming up the canyon.  The wind blows so hard out of that canyon every morning and I was looking forward to the wind blowing us towards the finish but instead it was fighting us hard.  This is the point where I mentally lost this race.  I simply didn't care anymore.  I was miserable.  Sariah was gone and there was no catching her.  My cold legs that didn't want to move in the canyon were hurting now.  I could feel I was on the verge of hypothermia setting in again.  I really can't remember the last time I just gave up in a race but I did at that point.  Jasmine started to pull away and I could have gone with her but I didn't.  I didn't care enough to fight the pain in my legs.  I just let her go and chose to slow down a bit and hope that would ease the pain. I couldn't win the race and there was no prize money at stake.  The top three in the half marathon only get gift certificates and they all get the same thing so why fight for 2nd when I felt so terrible? (Mistake #4)

I should have remembered there were some fast runners behind me and it wasn't smart to slow down but I wasn't really thinking clearly.  Mile 12 was pathetically slow (6:30) and when I hit the mile marker Katie was suddenly right on my shoulder.  I was surprised but it was just what I needed to get my head back in the race.  I knew I had given up and it was about to cost me third place.  I kicked it into another gear and realized I was actually gaining some ground on Jasmine as well.  I'd let her get too far ahead though.  I didn't have enough ground left to catch her.  The race was for third now and it was everything I could do to hold Katie off that last stretch down Grant.  I obviously had a lot more left than I wanted to admit because my last mile was under six minutes.  Only the second mile of the whole race I ran on pace.  I finished in 1:20:23 in third place, not a fantastic time and well off the 1:17 I was aiming for but not a terrible time considering the conditions.  Shortly after I finished Andrew came across 1:21:26.  He ran a terrific race!  I told him to take it easy the first five miles and save it for the canyon.  He ran the canyon just like I was hoping to, hitting 5:45 pace and passing a ton of runners.  I joked with him that I better enjoy it because it just might be the last race I beat him in...ever!  Jason came in a few minutes later.  He had done the race more as a workout since he's still coming back from an injury.  I didn't stick around any longer to see anything else.  I skipped the food and headed straight for my bag of clothes and car to get home and shower.  I was so cold I was shaking and my teeth were chattering.  The only thing that saved me from ending up in the med tent with hypothermia again is the fact that I was only out there half as long this year.  I was so glad that I had decided to stick with the half marathon this year.  I only had a tiny bit of regret when Jason called to tell me the winner of the full marathon had finished in 2:55.

I have been fortunate to win a lot of races the last couple years against some talented runners but it's frustrating and discouraging that I can't come up with a win in my home town race.  (I did win the 5k one year but I don't think that really counts since no one pays much attention to the 5k.)  Sariah ran a fantastic race in terrible conditions and I was happy for her.  She set a new course record but the ironic thing is that the top four women runners all broke the course record.  If I had run that time any other year besides this year I would have gotten the win and the course record.  And my time in last year's marathon would have won the marathon easily this year and most other years.  There are only a few women that have ever broken 2:50 on that course.  As I was commiserating with a friend he joked, "I always pick to wrong line a the grocery store too."  It did at least put a smile on my face.  It just feels like everything is against me to win this race.  The last three years I have run the half or full it has been a torrential downpour.  Ironically the rain cleared up Saturday by about 10 in the morning.  It was like someone had just dumped a bucket over the Ogden Marathon during the race and then it was done.  As much as I would like to try to conquer this course I'll most likely be sitting this one out the next couple years. I'm sure it can't rain every single year but I feel like this race has become so mentally and emotionally draining on me.  I'm also hoping that the next two years I'll be at the state track meet instead cheering on my son.  He just missed qualifying this year so I'm excited for his chance next year.  Maybe by the time he has graduated from high school I'll be ready to give this course another try although I may be too old by then to get the win I want.

Meanwhile, this is a good time to reevaluate and set some new goals. This was a bit of a wake up call to all the little things I could do better.  Being better about what I eat, getting my core strengthening done, the sleep I need and my mileage where it should be. The good thing about the half marathon is that it doesn't require nearly as much recovery.  I'll give it a try again early this summer and hopefully be able to walk away feeling like I ran the race I was capable of.  I've opted out of a fall marathon because of some exciting news Jason received.  He has been invited by the USOC to be a physician for Team USA at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro!  I'm looking forward to the trip of a lifetime with my family in Brazil in August and just enjoying this amazing experience rather than focusing on my training.  Once we return I'm planning on jumping back into training again for the California International Marathon in December.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for some good weather.

Olympic Marathon Trials

In October 2014 when I qualified for the Olympic Trials in Chicago, 16 months seemed like forever. February finally rolled around and I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster.  Some moments I felt like I was a kid on Christmas Eve and sometimes I found myself breaking down in tears at the realization that my dreams were really coming true.   And then there were those times the dreaded butterflies in my stomach came around.  With the countless hours and effort of preparation I had put in I really wanted to have a good race.  All the waiting and all the training focused on this one race and it was finally here! I know a lot of people think of the Olympic Trials simply as a step to get to the Olympics but for me I had no expectation of making the team and this was my Olympic experience.  I felt privileged to be competing in this kind of an event.  Winter is a tough time to stay in good shape but I had diligently put in the training every day with great results.  My coach and I were in agreement; I was in the best shape I have ever been in.  I was ready to have the race of my life and run with the best marathoners in the country.  My Brooks team had sent out new uniforms and shoes.  My family was packed and ready to go for the experience of a lifetime.  We were headed to LA.  The only problem... the weather forecast.  Record high temperatures in LA with a 10:22 start time planned for the women's race.  All I could do was trust in my training and pray for the best.

I had so many awesome friends and family that were supporting me and wishing me well.  Thoughtful gifts and cards literally brought tears to my eyes.  The day we were leaving I woke up and walked outside to see these signs that my friends had made and surprised me with all over my yard.

We chose to drive to LA instead of fly since I wanted to take the kids and let them experience the Olympic Trials and because I really hate to fly and avoid it when I can.  We drove half way on Wednesday afternoon and pulled into downtown Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.

Here I am, all checked in with my signature on the sign!  This was so real now!

We stayed at a condo about a mile from the start/finish area because there was more space for all the kids rather than staying at the athlete hotel.  It was a bit crazy trying to figure out where it was and how to get checked in but we were finally all settled.  That night Jason and I attended a dinner for all the athletes at the California Science Center.  It was a fun setting at the home of the Space Shuttle Endeavor.  We were greeted at the entrance by Brazilian samba dancers and walked the red carpet into the museum.  The space shuttle was amazing and the excitement in the air was tangible.

The highlight of the night was meeting Meb Keflezighi, Olympic silver medalist and winner of the Boston and New York Marathons.  He was great and we joked about not getting in each other's way when he lapped me on Saturday and his hopes of making the team to Rio.

I planned on a relaxing day Friday but it ended up being filled with preparation for the race.  In the morning we drove to USC to run that part of the course.  It was already hot at 9:00 in the morning and I was starting to realize what I was going to have to deal with the next day in the heat.  I watched other runners running the course and started to feel a little intimidated looking at how good all these athletes were.  USC's campus was gorgeous and the sunshine felt good after a long cold winter at home.  And the Coliseum with the Olympic Rings made the perfect backdrop for everything!  Last shake out run and I was ready to go!

That afternoon was the uniform check and the technical meeting.  It was so amazing to be sitting in the same room and bumping into all my running heroes in the hall.  Finally after what felt like a lot of sitting around we got what we had been waiting for all day.  Our bibs!  Then it was back to the condo to get some dinner, prepare my gear and attempt to get some rest with all the butterflies in my stomach!

Race morning arrived!  I actually had a great night's sleep (rare for me with pre-race nerves) and got up early to eat a good breakfast.  With a later start time I was taking advantage of being able to get in more calories before the race.  We chose to walk to the start line rather than dealing with the hassle of parking.  The temperature felt nice in the shade but it was already feeling warm in the sunshine.  We took a few more pictures at the start area and I was able to find my parents and brother who had come for the race before heading to the athlete area.  The start and finish area was exciting with banners and flags everywhere.  The streets were crowded with fans waiting for the race to start.  It was such a fun atmosphere!

I found my Brooks teammate, Taylor Ward, who is also being coached by Paul Pilkington.  Unfortunately she lives in Alabama so we don't get to train together.  It was nice to have someone to chat with to pass the time until we could warm up.  It was finally time to get started.  I felt great on the warm up!  My legs felt fantastic after the taper!  We changed shoes and went back out on the street to do some strides.  Just then the horn went off for the men's race at 10:06 (timed for the national TV broadcast on NBC.)  I watched them fly out of the start area then after a couple more quick strides headed over to the holding area.  Our start time was 10:22 and they only had a couple minutes to move us all out to the start after the men completed their first two mile loop.  A few final instructions were given, the favorites were announced.  The men came racing past at the end of their first lap and I was standing on the starting line with 202 of the best women marathoners in the country.  I started to tear up again as the horn went off and we made the turn onto the two mile lap to the cheering of all the crowds.  I didn't have too long to get emotional though.  I needed to get my head in the race!

The first lap was 2.2 miles and we headed north for a lap through downtown Los Angeles.  There were a lot of turns in this part course, including a U turn which made it difficult with a big pack.  My plan with the heat was to go out conservative and save something for the end.  I hated to do it knowing I was in PR shape and it might cost me a PR, but I knew I would have to take the heat into account.  I settled in with a pack towards the back that felt comfortable.  It was still early enough that we had shade from the buildings downtown and I felt great!  I hit my first mile in 6:22, a little slow but to account for the pack of runners at the start and the only significant uphill in the course during the first mile I thought it was perfect.  My plan was to average 6:15 for the first half.  We hit the U-turn and were greeted with a head wind.  It wasn't strong enough to notice until we were running straight into it.  I had a good pack to draft off of though and decided to use it on the stretch down to USC.    The next mile was 6:12, a little faster than I wanted but since we went down the hill we had just climbed I still felt like I was right where I wanted to be and feeling fantastic.

At 2.2 miles we crossed the finish line and started the 6 mile loop to the south towards USC that we would have to complete four times.  The six mile loop consisted of a long out and back section on Figueroa St. almost two miles each direction with a loop at USC at the south end and a U turn at the north end before the loop through Gilbert Plaza to the finish line.  It was fun running past all the crowds and my family and mile three ended up being my fastest one, 6:08.  I knew I needed to put on the brakes and save some energy.  I wasn't panicked about being too fast, I was still feeling good and just used it as a sign to back off.  We were leaving downtown and with fewer tall buildings we were in direct sunlight.  It was getting hot.  Mile four was 6:18, perfect.  I started to wonder if I needed to back off the pack I was running with.  It was starting to take a little more effort than I wanted to put in at this point but mile five was a 6:19.  This pack wasn't too fast for me and I made the decision to stay with the pack to help with the wind.  The south end of the loop ran through USC's campus.  It was a gorgeous section of the course and the only part I didn't mind running four times.  People were cheering and taking pictures and the band was even out playing for us.  And the last landmark to pass by was the Coliseum before heading back out on Figueroa.

Thanks Brian Nicholson for the picture!

Back on Figueroa the wind was at our backs but we also had a gradual uphill to finish the lap.  There was a little shade from some of the buildings at the far side of the road but it disappeared in the later laps of the race as we approached noon.  Heading back up Figueroa is when I started to feel like I would be in trouble.  The pack ahead of me started pulling away slightly.  Since the wind was at my back I let them go to conserve energy.  My lap paces had slipped into the 6:20s.  I was worried because it was feeling like I was putting too much effort to run this pace and there was so much running left.  It just kept getting hotter.  I drank every bit from my water bottles trying to stay on top of hydration.  Maybe it was just the slight uphill and I could get my splits back where I needed them on the downhill.  But then I got to the U-turn and remembered the wind I was dealing with the other direction.  I passed the finish line again, not encouraged that I would have to pass it three more times before I was done.  I picked up the pace a little and was able to catch up to the pack I had let go for a wind break.  Mile 9 was a 6:13, right back where I wanted to be but it was my last one on pace.  I slipped right back into the 6:20s after that and realized there was no way I could keep pushing myself under this and make it through 26 miles in these conditions.  

When I was approaching the Coliseum on my second lap I heard the vehicles approaching from behind that were leading the men's race.  While, I knew I would get lapped with the head start the men had, I hadn't anticipated it quite this early.  It was exciting to watch Meb, Galen Rupp, and a runner I didn't recognize race past with Jared Ward close on their heels.  I felt a bit of a surge of energy with the excitement of the race going on for the Olympic team but it didn't last long.  Soon we were back on Figueroa with the relentless sun beating down.  I came through the halfway point at 1:23.  A PR wasn't going to happen but I thought a 2:46 would be a decent time in these conditions.   But I don't know who I was kidding thinking I could run the second half as fast as I had run the first.  I felt done and I had 13 miles left to run in this heat.  The lap course was starting to get mentally tough.  I was approaching the end of my second lap and the thought that I would have to complete that long loop two more times was daunting.  I was starting to catch some of the runners that were struggling but I was slowing down as well.  My splits had slipped into the 6:30s.  I had done my training runs at a faster pace than this with much less effort.  I caught up to Taylor who was having a tough race.  We ran a bit together and I tried to encourage her to keep going.  Little did she know I was talking as much to myself as I was to her.  Each time I approached the water bottle tables there were more water bottles on the tables.  I wasn't passing that many runners.  It could only mean one thing.  Runners were dropping out: a lot of them.  At this point I felt like I went into survival mode.  I just had to finish.  I couldn't go home and face my family and friends that had supported me without finishing and I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I gave up.  Somehow I had to get myself to the finish line and I knew it would be some of the hardest miles I had ever run.

Thanks Andrew for the pictures!  Cool effects with the color on this one!

At mile 16 I was approaching USC again.  I couldn't wait for the only stretch of shade left on the course.  I looked at my watch hoping maybe I had picked it up a little but it was a 6:45.  It was the last split I looked at.  It wasn't helping to watch my pace.  I just couldn't make my legs move any faster.  A lot of the men farther back in the race were lapping me now.  It was another mental blow to look at them and realize they were just a few miles from the finish and I would have to do another entire lap after this.  I broke the race into small pieces and tackled them one at a time.  I would tell myself just get to the water bottles.  Just make it to the wet towels, a relief that didn't last long enough.  Then just make it to the U-turn and past the finish.  Finally I was on my last lap.  It felt so long and so hot but at least with everything I passed I could tell myself it was the last time!  By now the temperature was in the low 80s.  I didn't need to look at my watch to know I was continuing to slow down.  This had turned into a fight just to make it to the finish.  I continued to watch runners drop out and I was surprised to still even be passing a few.  Usually when I die at the end of a race like this I started getting passed like crazy.  A few runners did pass me but not many.  Everyone else was struggling as much as me.  I remember getting to USC, only 3 miles left to go, and having the thought pass through my head, "Am I in last place?"  But I looked behind me to see a long string of runners as far as I could see doing exactly what I was doing, struggling just to keep going.  The scorching sun beat down relentlessly as I made my way out of the relief of the trees on campus and onto the 8th and final stretch down Figueroa.  I was starting to get cramping in my calves and I worried that if I cramped any more I would have to stop.  The Staples Center was up ahead but seemed so far.  It was a grueling last two miles but eventually I was making the final U-turn and headed into Gilbert Plaza to cross the finish line for the last time.   They were awarding the top three women finishers as I crossed.  The attention was all on them instead of on me as I struggled to make my way across but it didn't matter.  A volunteer grabbed me to keep me from collapsing.  I could finally stop running.  The tears came as soon as I was across.  I cried because I made it.  I cried because it was over.  I cried because it was the hardest race I have ever run.  And I cried as a huge wave of disappointment washed over me.  This wasn't the way this experience was supposed to end.  I was better than this and this wasn't what I spent all winter training for.  I thought of the runs I did through blizzards, on Christmas, miles and miles alone out in West Haven in 20 degrees, mile repeats on the indoor track, and how strong I had felt through it all.  At that moment I didn't feel strong at all.  I felt beat, not by myself and not by the other runners, just beat by the heat.  But I finished and they hung the finisher's medal around my neck.  I'll never wear an Olympic medal but to me this was just as good.

Taylor finished just behind me.  I gave her a hug and was so glad she had finished as well.  I made my way through the finish chute, downed a couple bottles of water and poweraid, gratefully grabbed a bag of ice and put it on my neck to try to cool off.  Then I found the only small open spot of grass I could and laid down.  There was no shade.  The only hope of cooling off was the bag of ice on top of me but at least I didn't have to move.  I'm really not sure how long I stayed there.  I finally realized my family was probably looking for me and I should at least go grab my bag and phone.  So I retrieved my gear and sure enough had a few panicked texts from Jason asking if I was okay.  I was surprised to see they were already tearing down the finish area.  There were a few stragglers coming in but that was it.  I found my way to my family and a hug from my kids made me feel a lot better.  And a hug from my mom, you're never too old for that.  My family puts up with so much during my training.  The older kids are great helpers and pick up a lot of the slack when I'm gone helping with their younger siblings.  This has truly been a team effort to get me where I am and I couldn't do it without their support!  You should have seen the looks on some of the athletes faces when I told them I had four kids and that the oldest is 16.  It was so great to have my family here cheering me on.  They moved down the street away from the crowds so I could see them and it really kept me going at the end of the race when it was so tough.

 I loved having my parents and my "little" brother there cheering me on!

 And a huge thank you to my sponsors.  Brooks has been a great team to be a part of and their sponsorship is a huge help.  Also a shout out for USA Track and Field Utah for the generous travel stipend.  It's so great to have organizations like these supporting me in chasing my dreams.

This journey I have taken over the last six years since I started running competitively again has been incredible.  I owe so much of my success to my Coach Paul Pilkington.  I was reflecting this weekend on how far I've come.  When I started working with him I was a 3:11 marathon runner that was happy to win an age group prize.  He found in me a lot of potential that I had given up on decades ago when I was struggling in college.  I also found a great group of training partners when I started working with Paul.  Some of my best friends are those that I put countless miles in with.  They are the ones who motivate me to get out of bed when it's cold and I'd rather turn off the alram.  They get me through the hard workouts and long runs.  It has truly been a team effort to get me here.

And most of all I owe so much to Jason for his never ending support.  He works just as hard as I do in his running and has struggled with injuries and illness that have kept him from achieving what he wants. It would be easy for him to be jealous of what I have accomplished but he has been my best friend and support the whole time.  I wouldn't be who I am without him!

At first I was embarrassed at my time, 2:55:35.  How could I be part of such a prestigious competition and perform so poorly?  But as I looked at the results I realized that I was far from being alone.  A few statistics from the day: Out of 202 women who started the race only 149 finished.  That's a whopping 25% DNF for the women and for the men it was worse. 1/3 of the men dropped out.  Just that figure alone makes me awfully glad I just made it to the finish line.  Only 23 women ran under 2:43, the qualifying mark when most of us qualified for the trials.  On the men's side only 14 ran under the 2:18 qualifying mark.  I finished 104th, right in the middle.  Before the trials I felt a good race for me would put me in the top 100 although I thought it would take 2:40 or faster to do that.  My seed was 107 and considering all the half marathon qualifiers were seeded at the end (many of whom could run faster than me) I finished higher than expected.  There were a few exceptions that ran outstanding races but I think the majority of the athletes went home feeling just like I did.  They were capable of so much better.  I ran with the best of the best and even they struggled.  I can't help but feel most of the blame falls on USATF and NBC for running us in the heat of the day.  While no one can predict record high temperatures months in advance it would have been a completely different race if we had started at 6:00 or 7:00 like most marathons do.  The 10:22 start time to accommodate a live TV broadcast was a foolish decision which I'm assuming was made for monetary benefit and it hurt the athletes tremendously. I hope that in the future USATF will take the athletes needs into more serious consideration.

A couple days after the race one of my kids asked if I would try to go to the trials again in 2020.  That depends a lot on what USATF sets as the qualifying mark and how I'm running in a year and a half or so when the qualifying period opens.  Right now I feel like I would love another chance at doing this the right way but I'll be pushing 40 by the time qualifying opens again.  This may have been my only chance but I'm so grateful I had this experience.  I have memories I will treasure for a lifetime!

Snow Canyon Half Marathon

In 2015 my main goal was to prepare for the Olympic Trials in 2016.  But I knew I needed some races to keep me motivated with the training.  I opted out of a fall marathon to focus on the trials but decided to run the Snow Canyon Half Marathon in November.  I was having some good races leading up to Snow Canyon but I hadn't been able to PR in anything yet for the year and I was hoping to finally get a PR.  It was my first time on that course but I knew it was a fast one and I was in great shape.  Jason was planning on running as well and had finally had some good injury free training although he was having some health problems that were concerning.  We felt he was on the mend though and headed to St. Gerorge.  About half way to St. George Jason became very ill.  I was driving and we were already a couple hours south of Salt Lake but still a long way from St. George with no hospital within miles.  I was seriously worried and close to turning the car around when things improved and we decided to continue to St. George.  We decided there was no way it was safe for Jason to race the next day.  He was so disappointed to miss out on another race.  I tried to focus on my race but was having a difficult time when I knew Jason was so discouraged and when I was concerned about his health.

So the next morning Jason dropped me off alone and I boarded a bus.  I always hate a bus ride alone but I met some new people.  They weren't serious at all about running but they were friendly so it helped with the pre-race jitters.  I got to the starting line and found my friends, Angi and Amy and we warmed up together.  We were worried about it being too cold this late in the year up the canyon and while it was a little chilly it was a beautiful morning for running. The sun was shining and it was warming up quickly.  I started the race with some arm warmers and gloves but quickly discarded them by the side of the road.  It was a perfect day for running!

The first couple miles are fairly flat so I started out at a comfortable pace knowing that I wanted to save it for the steep downhill coming later.  I thought I was leading the women's race alone but then realized someone was right behind me.  She introduced herself as Candace Carlisle and we ran together for the first two miles.  I was hitting right around 6 minute miles.  I knew I needed to go faster but I was patient waiting for the downhill.  After the first couple miles we got to where the course starts to drop. I picked up the pace and my effort a bit and left Candace behind at this point.  I was warmed up and I felt great!  I ran the 3rd mile in 5:45.  I was settling into a fast downhill pace now and feeling terrific.  Jason was out on the course cheering for me just before we turned off the highway and headed into the state park.  He is always so supportive when he is watching me run. I felt so bad for him though knowing that he really wanted to be running right next to me.  The road through the state park was closed so he couldn't follow me through that section of the course.  This is breathtakingly beautiful steep downhill section.  I had a big gap between the couple men I could see in front of me as well as the ones behind me.  If it weren't for the lead biker (actually eliptigo) in front of me I would have been all alone.  I loved the beauty of the canyon and I couldn't hold back my pace down the steep downhill.  Miles four and five were 5:24 and 5:26.  These were probably a little too fast but I felt so good at this point.  I started thinking I would not just PR but be able to run a 1:15 or maybe even faster.  When I got to miles 6 and 7 the downhill wasn't quite as steep and I was starting to tire just a little bit.  I was a little worried about how fast miles four and five had gone and worried if I would burn out before the end.  Since I wasn't training for a fall marathon my long runs had been a little shorter and suddenly 13 miles was feeling like a long way to go. I was still able to keep those miles in the 5:30s though so I felt like I was in a good position.  Mile 8 was a 6:03 and that's when I really felt like I had to start working.  I wasn't sure if the mile marker was off or if it had just flattened out enough to slow me down that much.  I knew I had a huge lead.  I was getting tired and the course was getting harder. I had to make a choice at this point.  Slow down to a more comfortable pace and coast in for a win or dig deep all alone and go for a PR.  I picked up the pace a bit and was able to settle back into some miles around 5:50.  I was starting to catch a few of the men that I could see way up there so I tried to just concentrate on reeling them in.  The last couple miles were challenging.  I expected the course to flatten out but what I hadn't expected were the rolling hills in the neighborhoods we ran through.  They weren't very long but some were steep and it was a struggle to get up them.  I could see the stadium lights at the high school where we finished a couple miles out and they didn't seem to be getting any closer.  The course had a lot of turns in it as we wound through town.  It was difficult to keep a steady pace with all the sharp turns.  At one point there were volunteers standing and cones pointing me one direction but the lead biker in front of me went straight.  I couldn't see any other runners ahead of me and was confused about which way to go.  I finally decided to trust that the course markings and volunteers knew the course and I chose not to follow the biker.  It turned out to be the right decision.  About half a mile later she caught back up to me apologizing profusely that she didn't know the course.  With a mile to go I knew I wouldn't be able to finish in 1:15 but a 1:16 would still be a huge PR.  My legs were hammered from the steep downhill and I felt done.  I pushed hard through that last mile and was able to run it in 5:52.  My time was 1:16:41, a full minute faster than my previous PR.  A win and a PR was a great way to end the year of racing!  It made it even better that my friend and training partner, Angi, finished second.  It was a great race and one that I am definitely looking forward to returning to.

I have never been so sore after a half marathon than I was that next week.  The combination of the fast pace and the steep downhill was really tough on my legs.  I had to take it easy for a week to recover.  But with three months to go until the Olympic Trials, after my recovery week it was time to jump back into hard workouts and longer marathon training runs.  The days were getting shorter and colder, which is usually when I like to back off on my miles and intensity. My training has been going fantastic though and every day I get more excited about the opportunity I have to test myself next month against the best runners in the country.  A month out and most of the hard work is done.  At this point it's just a matter of not getting hurt or sick and hoping that the stars align for a perfect race on February 13th.

In 2015 I also competed in the USA Track and Field Utah Road Racing Circuit.  In the circuit races I accumulated points against other USAT&F members.  In November I was awarded first place in the circuit at the annual awards banquet.

I also had the opportunity this fall to do an interview with a local TV station.  It was a little nerve racking but a lot of fun and my kids were thrilled to be pictured on the news.  You can watch the clip here.

Fall Fun

Fall is such a crazy time of year.  Throw on top of all the birthdays, holidays, and sports a huge house remodeling project and it seemed downright tumultuous.  Somehow we survived and everyone got where they needed to be most of the time.  Here are a few highlights.

Back to school time already!  Four kids in four different schools. Andrew's first day in high school, Jared's first day in junior high, Kailtyn's first day of 4th grade and Skyler's first day of preschool.  Yes, that means I actually get four whole hours to myself every week.  Sending my second child to junior high was a bit easier.  I mean, I knew Andrew had survived.  I still couldn't help feeling nervous all day for him.  Getting a locker open and finding his way around to all his classes for the first time is a big deal!  He came home happy though and loves the new change, well as much as a kid can love school.  Andrew handled switching to high school with ease.  The bigger building didn't scare him at all and I think it helped that he ran on the cross country and track team there last year and already felt a bit at home there.

Andrew had a terrific cross country season.  He ran on the varsity team in most of his races.  Bob Firman was one of the few races that he ran JV and he was able to finish in the top 20 of his race against dozens of schools from several states.  His team won the City County Meet and Region.  He was able to end his season with a huge PR at the Nike Regional meet in Phoenix running the 5k course in 16:22.

We enjoyed one last summer like day on Labor Day.  My parents came with us to Trial Lake.  We enjoyed a day of fishing, rafting on the lake, picnicing, and just sitting by the lake enjoying the scenery.

We were excited to find out that ECU where Jason did his fellowship training was playing football at BYU this year.  Jason lived ECU sports when he was at his fellowship on the sideline at every home sporting event.  The game happened to be on Jared's birthday.  I thought that was fitting because Jared absolutely adored the ECU football players when we lived in North Carolina.  He was only three years old at the time and he sure looked up to those players.  We had never been to BYU stadium since we aren't BYU fans.  We had fun sitting with the purple section in the corner and cheering on the Pirates.  We met a lot of other local Pirate fans that had lived in Greenville at sometime and were now living in Utah.  There weren't a ton of us but we made a lot of noise for how many of us were there.  In the end they lost the game but they gave us an exciting game to watch right to the end.  Jason enjoyed seeing a few of the doctors that he worked with that still travel with the team.

Southern Utah University was hosting the Big Sky Cross Country Championship this year and Coach Houle, our college coach who is still coaching there, put together an alumni weekend.  It was a fun reunion seeing old friends and cheering on the teams at the meet.  It was a tough weekend to travel since the meet was being held on Halloween but we were so glad we made the trip.  On Friday Jason and I drove to Cedar City.  We toured all the new facilities and went to the course to run with the team.  Friday night they held a dinner for all the alumni.  It was great to catch up with teammates we hadn't seen in years.  In the morning we met up with old teammates to run.  We ended up with two groups, one fast and long and the other not quite so fast.  I ended up in the fast and long group (all men except me).  It was not a leisurely pace and I was trying not to go too hard since I had a race the next week.  It was fun to run some old trails although I was disappointed to find that some of our old dirt trails had been paved.  The meet was a lot of fun to watch.  It is hard to believe it's been 16 years since we left.  I was joking with most of the girls on the team that they were babies when I ran there (and they really were!)  SUU's men's team won the meet and Weber State won the women's race.  It was fun cheering on our current coach, Paul Pilkington's team as well.  Some of my best memories from college were from my experiences running on the team.  It was so fun to relive some of those memories.  Coach Houle had made t-shirts for all of the alumni.  He recreated the shirt from the first year he coached at SUU (the year before Jason started) and we also received one of the current team shirts.  All the alumni seemed to really like the retro shirt.  That's what we all showed up wearing to cheer the team on that morning.

Skyler had a fun preschool fieldtrip to Black Island Farm.  We went for a hayride and he got to pick out his own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.  I don't know if he was more excited about the tractor pulling the wagon or all the pumpkins.  He was so excited whenever we went to the store in the fall and saw pumpkins.  He would point to them and exclaim, "Halloween!!"  He was in heaven picking out his very own pumpkin from the patch.  He also had fun seeing all the farm animals.

Jared and Kaitlyn enjoyed playing in the ensemble festival with their friends, Maxwell and Ruth Larsen.  It took lots of practice learning how to play with another person but both pairs did a great job on their duets!  I love that my kids have such wonderful friends!

Here are a lot of random pictures.  I've gotten so far behind on blogging and when I look at these pictures I think no wonder!  We have been so busy!! Kaitlyn and I enjoyed our annual girls' morning at Breakfast with a Witch at Gardner Village with Nancy and Jana and her girls.  After hours (they now require 50+) of practicing driving with me all summer and drivers ed Andrew got his driver's licence!  I felt this was a bit of an achievement on my part for surviving teaching a teenager to drive!  Since most of his driving practice came before drivers ed that meant I did a lot of the teaching.  Jared had another fun football season with the Wildcats.  I went to find Skyler's blanket one night before tucking him in bed and came back to find him kneeling by his bed praying.  It is one of those moments where after a hard day you feel like maybe something you are trying to teach your kids is sinking in!  Oh, and if that isn't enough with the countdown on for the Olympic Trials I've been running miles after miles.  It's quite the juggling act fitting it all in!

We rushed home from our trip to Cedar City just in time to carve some pumpkins, eat some dinner and take the kids trick-or-treating.  Halloween is one of those things you just can't miss with your kids.  Jared and Andrew both took off to hang out with their friends but Jason still had Skyler and Kaitlyn to take around the neighborhood begging for treats.  They came home after an hour or so with bags too heavy to carry.

Jason had the opportunity to do an interview with channel 2 news on skiing safety.  He thought it was being recorded and shown later but he arrived at the studio just a few minutes before his interview and found out it was live!  He called to let me know that it was live but I was stuck in line at Costco and missed it.  Luckily we could catch it later on the internet.  Here's the link.  He did a great job!

With all the fun things going on we've had our share of challenges too.  IHC switched computer systems and it meant a lot more time and stress for Jason at work this fall.  Some days it felt a lot like residency for me with the long days at the hospital.  A few months later we are glad that things are starting to improve.  Jason also ended up in an ICU bed one weekend.  We had some scary moments with a lot of worry but he had a wonderful team of doctors and nurses caring for him and we were blessed that they were able to find a bleeding bronchial artery and were able to stop the bleeding and we are hopeful that he won't have any more problems with it.  Andrew ended up needing surgery as well and we are hoping that our  family can avoid the hospital a lot more in the coming months.