Andrew's birthday was the day before the St. George Marathon so we checked the kids out of school early and drove to St. George. I'm not sure if the drive in the car was such a fun birthday but I think getting out of school early was. We celebrated with cake and presents at the hotel that evening.
I loved these Lego candles I found!
It's hard to believe that I have a 15 year old already. Andrew has grown 6 inches in the last year and is as tall as I am. He is such a great young man. Of course having a teenager in the house has it's moments but I really can't complain about him. I'm so proud of all his accomplishments. I couldn't ask for a better teenager.
Here's a look at Andrew at 15: 5'6" (as tall as Mom), shoe size 11 (same as Dad) I think he's got some more height still coming to catch up to his feet!
Things he likes: running (cross country, road races and long distance in track), Legos (can you ever get too old for Legos?) Minecraft, playing the piano in Jazz band, Heroes of Olympus books (had to preorder the next book for his birthday), playing with his baby brother, mountain biking, fishing, backpacking, camping, hiking, watching football and World Cup soccer,science, and girls (yikes!)
Things I love about Andrew: He is happy and has a great attitude (most of the time). He's friendly and has a outgoing personality. He is a hard worker and tries his best. He is the best big brother to Skyler. He is a huge help around the house, babysitting, doing dishes, taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, ect. I was really lost without him this summer when he was gone on camps for a few weeks. He's fun to hang out with whether it's running, biking, camping and fishing with Jason, or just tagging along at the store. I'm having a hard time realizing there will only be a few birthdays left with this kid at home. He's so much fun to have around I don't know how I'll get by without him!
As a ninth grader Andrew has been able to run on the high school cross country team this year. We spent a lot of time driving all over northern Utah to different parks for races and even a trip to Boise for the Bob Firman Invitational. He had a terrific season, running in one of the top spots on the JV team and taking two minutes off his 5K PR. He's put in a lot of hard work running every day since August and it has been rewarding for him to see all that hard work pay off. He's been running really well against a lot of older boys and it's exciting to watch.
Bob Firman Invitational running on the sand on the beach.
6th place finish in the JV race at the City/County Invitational!
Last home meet of the season.
October brought another trip to St. George for the marathon, this year for Jason. Unfortunately after a whole summer of hard work, he went out for an easy run two days before the marathon in the dark and sprained his ankle in a pothole he couldn't see. He was hurting pretty bad when he left for work that morning but I was hoping maybe he had just tweaked it a bit and it would feel better later. By the time he came home that evening it was black, blue, and swollen all the way from his big toe to his ankle and he could barely walk. We were supposed to be leaving for St. George the next morning but I didn't know how in the world he was supposed to run 26 miles on an ankle he couldn't even walk on.
Friday morning he woke up and decided he better try running on it to see how it felt, even though it didn't look or feel any better. The physical therapists he works with did a bunch of treatments for him and it seemed to help a bit. The kids were all disappointed that the trip to St. George might be cancelled but I knew it would be a miserable weekend for Jason if we went and he couldn't run the race. After a lot of debate we decided to go anyway. He decided he'd ride the bus to the start and see how it felt. If he was in pain he'd drop out and catch a ride back to the finish.
I took him to the bus early in the morning. Jason was really nervous and to be honest I was nervous for him too wit I woke up wondering how he was doing. I was able to track him online and saw that he had made it through the 5K and 10K split and was even on pace running his mile splits in the 6:20s. Every time it was getting close to an update I would get nervous and hoping it would show that he was still running. At the halfway point he was at 1:25:44. He had slowed down a bit but he had also just gone through the uphill part of the race. With a lot of downhill in the second half he was still right on pace to be able to run under 2:50 like he wanted to. I figured at this point the ankle must be feeling ok but I was a little worried how the pounding down the hills would feel on it. We left the hotel and headed over to the last two miles of the course to find a place to cheer him on.
We were so excited to see him coming and still running a good pace. I think this picture really shows how hard the end of a marathon is. He looked like he was hurting but I knew he was going to finish in a great time.
He finished in 2:47:32! His second fastest marathon and the day before I didn't think he'd even be able to run! He was so happy about it. It was great to see him so excited after the race.
Jason with two of our utahrunning.com teammates, Missy Allred and Taylor Monson
Another highlight of the weekend was Jason being able to meet up with a friend, Adam Jarnigan who was a mission companion with Jason 20 years ago in Brazil. He came from New Hampshire to run the marathon. We were able to visit with him the evening before the marathon.
"Some things take longer than we want to achieve or accomplish, but just because they don’t happen in your time, doesn’t mean they will never happen. Never give up on your dreams, but also never give up working to make your dream become a reality." Meb Keflezighi
A year ago I ran a fantastic race at the St. George Marathon. I ran a nine minute PR in 2:46:13. It was a huge accomplishment and part of me thought I would never run that fast again. Conditions were perfect with cool temperatures, a downhill course, and a strong tailwind. Yet there was something else inside of me that was shouting that if I could just drop a little more than three minutes off that time I would qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials. If I had run a 2:46 a few years earlier the race at St George would have qualified me, but the standards had been tightened. Not only had the qualifying time been lowered to 2:43:00 but downhill courses were no longer qualifying courses. I'd have to do it on a flat course, something I'd never even tried before since most Utah race courses go down a canyon. Yet the opportunity of running in a race at that level was something I had always dreamed of. I always felt like I ended my high school and college careers unfulfilled with potential I had never reached. I'll be 38 by the time the trials take place. My fast running days are numbered but this was one last chance.
Along with my own doubts, I had others who thought I couldn't do it. St. George is too fast, I was told. I'd never run that fast on a flat course. I knew that in spite of my own doubts and those of others, there was really only one opinion that mattered to me. That was the opinion of my coach, Paul Pilkington. I knew he'd be honest with me and that he'd know if I had what it took to reach that kind of elite level. Because of that I was scared to ask. When I finally got brave enough to ask his excitement was contagious. He didn't tell me he thought I'd do it, but he thought it was worth a try and that was all the encouragement I needed. And I knew one thing, if I never attempted it I would always wonder if I could have done it. Even if I failed I would be glad I tried. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life wondering, what if?
Before I could even get the next question out of my mouth, "Which race?" Paul was answering. Chicago. It was flat, low elevation and a lot of fast runners to push me. So suddenly I scrapped all my other racing plans for the year and focused on what would have to be a perfect race in October. I increased my mileage and started running twice a lot of days. Running seemed to be taking over my summer but if I was going to go for this goal I was going to give it 100%. I didn't race a lot but from the few races I ran I knew I was in the best shape I'd ever been in. There wasn't a better time for me to try. In the weeks before the race I started to realize how badly I really wanted this opportunity to run at the trials. It was more than anything I've ever wanted in my athletic career. I thought back to other things I had wanted so much: a top ten finish at state in high school, an individual conference championship in college that I was favored to win, a chance to compete in nationals and how I had cracked under the pressure each time. Could I handle the pressure this time without breaking down? As race day approached I worried about the things I couldn't control. What if I got sick and was the weather going to cooperate? I studied pace charts even though I knew exactly what I needed to do. In the days leading up to the race I found myself panicking wondering if I could really hold a 6:13/mile (or faster) pace for 26.2 miles. I had never pushed myself to this level before and I had no idea how it was going to feel. The only thing I knew was that I was going for it. I would go out at that pace and hold on as long as I could. The game plan was run as even of a pace as I could. Coach gave me a three second window to try to keep my mile pace in. I needed to hit the halfway point in a low 1:21 to finish somewhere in the 2:42s. The only question was, could I find that pace and how long could I run it?
The night before was a restless night sleep with butterflies in my stomach. By 3 a.m. I was up eating breakfast because I couldn't sleep. I managed to drift off to sleep for a bit longer before it was time to get up. I had a short walk from our hotel to Grant Park where the race started. The temperature was perfect for running, 46 degrees and it was only expected to get into the low 50s by the end of the race. But as I walked out of the hotel I was greeted by a strong wind hitting me in the face. I would have to deal with 10-15 mile per hour winds. Chicago is a world record eligible course, meaning it's a loop course that finishes near the start. This prevents a tailwind the whole way. For every mile with the wind at our backs we'd have a mile running into it. I actually said out loud, I can't run a 2:42 in this wind! I tried to get rid of my negative thoughts. I'd have to find someone a little taller than me to run behind. I wasn't going to use any excuses. I just had to run my pace.
After fighting with the crowds (45,000 people) trying to get through security into Grant Park, I was able to get away from all the people to the American Development tent. The Chicago Marathon offered this program where we were able to receive a lot of the benefits the elite runners, such as a separate warm up area and bag check and we got to start right behind the elite runners. I found a friend, Rosy Lee, who was also running and started warming up right next to the elite runners. I was in awe to be running right next to Rita Jeptoo (winner of this year, and last year's Chicago Marathon as well as the last two Boston Marathons.) This was my first marathon that didn't require a bus ride to the start and I really liked just warming up, checking my bag and heading to the starting line. Shortly after the American Development group was escorted in we stood back as the elites came in, were introduced and listened to the national anthem. Rosy and I were about 10 feet back from the starting line and it was fun to be so close to front at a big race. We had to get out quick because unlike most big races that give chip time (your time doesn't start until you cross the starting line) the American Development Program and Olympic Trials would only take gun time. My time started when the air horn went off.
It only took a few seconds to get across the starting line. Rosy and I were shooting for the same pace and working together. We started heading north and the wind was at our backs. Our first mile split was a 6:17. It was a few seconds off but I figured since we lost a few seconds at the start we were right where we wanted to be. Mile two was 6:11. Perfect. There were a lot of runners but not so many that we couldn't keep the pace we wanted. Starting up front made a huge difference with having enough space to run the pace I needed and take the shorter path around the turns (and there are a lot of them in Chicago.) The first few miles winds through downtown and the streets were full of people cheering us on. The excitement made this fast pace seem easy and I made an effort not to speed up with the energy of the crowd. Jason was at the three mile mark to cheer me on and we turned north again to head away from downtown. The next few miles the wind was at our backs and we went a little quicker than I had planned. I didn't want any miles faster than 6:10 but some of these were around 6:05. I needed to save energy for later in the race but the wind was altering my plan a bit. I knew we'd be turning into the wind in a few miles so maybe a few fast miles here was ok. I loved the course! Once we left downtown we ran through parks along the lake shore and neighborhoods where people were out with bands and loudspeakers to cheer us along. A few miles into the race I noticed a few women that were staying right with us. One of them said to me, "It looks like you are trying to do the same thing we are." They were also trying to run an Olympic Trials Qualifying time and soon we had a good pack working together. Unlike most races where I view other women as competitors I had decided the only thing I was racing against was the clock. I was glad to have some other women to help us along. Shortly after seven miles we made the turn I was worried about. We were going to be headed back into the wind for the next several miles. I was still slightly ahead of pace. I found a tall guy and tucked in behind him to block some of the wind. My goal now was to try to maintain my pace and not waste too much energy on the wind this early in the race. This worked well for a few miles but I was starting to fall off pace a bit with a couple miles at 6:15. At this point one of the ladies I was running with, I found out later her name was Sasha, made a move and picked up the pace a bit. I hated to leave behind the guy I was drafting off of but I was scared that if I stayed behind him I would fall too far off the pace. So I went with Sasha and had to take more of the wind myself. But soon we were hitting mile splits just under 6:10 again. I felt fantastic even with the wind in my face. This was exactly how I had pictured this was going to feel but I knew I still had a lot of running left.
At the half way point we were back to down town. Jason was waiting there again for me. I had been afraid I wouldn't find him in the middle of the crowd but it turned out that I didn't have to worry about that. He was yelling so loud I could hear him from 100 meters away! We crossed the mats at halfway and I looked at the clock. 1:21:00! I couldn't have run the first half more perfectly, even with the wind altering my pace. I just hoped I could hold it. Up to this point it had felt really good but by 13 miles in it was taking more effort. My legs were starting to feel tired. This was five minutes faster than I had ever come through the half marathon split before. I knew I would really be testing myself the second half of the race to see if I could keep this pace. But I remembered my plan. I was just going to keep holding this pace as long as I could. At the halfway point we finally had the wind at our backs again for a couple miles as we turned west. There was a lot of enthusiasm in the big crowd along the streets of downtown. Some of the ladies we were running with had dropped back but Rosy and Sasha were still right with me. We were starting to pass a lot of people who had started out too fast and were slowing down. It made it hard not to start speeding up especially with the wind at our backs. We had some miles in the low six minutes and were having a harder time keeping a consistent pace. There were a lot of turns in this portion of the course so the wind was making it difficult to keep the steady pace I wanted. We were passing people quickly enough there wasn't anyone to draft off of. As soon as we caught someone we passed them and couldn't stay behind them to take a break from the wind.
Before the race I had told Jason that 18 to 20 miles would be a critical point in the race. By now I had been going at this pace for two hours but with several miles still to the finish I would need to dig deep. Yes, my legs were tired but I still felt like I could keep this pace a while longer. My average pace was still right where it needed to be. We were still fighting the wind and headed south but I knew that the last few miles we would turn north back towards downtown and that the wind would push us to the finish. I knew I was going to need that.
We turned onto Michigan Avenue with three miles to go. Suddenly Rosy and Sasha had both dropped back and I was running alone. My legs were killing me. They were hurting so bad and it was so hard to just keep them moving. All I could think about was that I just couldn't slow down. I was pushing myself to a limit I never had before. I was so close but I knew that the slightest mistake here could cost me everything I came here for. Somehow I had to find a little bit left to make it to the finish. With every clock, mile and kilometer marking I passed I was calculating in my head how long it would take to cover the remaining distance and if I would make it before the clock turned over to 2:43. I was trying so hard not to slow down but I just couldn't seem to make my legs go any faster. A couple times I started to panic and thought I had fallen off pace. Besides my legs being dead tired I think my brain was having a hard time doing the math at this point. I wasn't sure I had it until I got to the sign one mile to go. Jason was there again and he was so excited to see me there still on pace. Another spectator shouted to me that I was in 21st place for the women and I should try to catch the one in front of me. But all I could do was keep moving. I had a little over seven minutes to run one mile and I would qualify for the Olympic Trials!
Soon I was passing the 800 meters to go sign and I still had over four minutes. This was really going to happen! And then I turned the final corner and had to go up the only hill in the race. I had heard about this hill and laughed about how a little hill could be such a big deal but with 400 meters to go I honestly felt like I came to a stand still when I got to that hill. All I had to do was get up that little hill and around the corner was the finish. My legs burned; my lungs burned. Really everything for the last three miles seemed like a blur. I wasn't going to sprint to the finish if I was under 2:43, I told myself. I just couldn't do it. There was nothing left. But then I turned the corner and saw the clock in the high 2:41s. With every last bit of energy I could come up with I picked it up a bit to try to beat 2:42. I didn't even know if I did it or not but later I found out my official finish time was 2:41:59. I ran the second half of the race one second faster than the first. My average mile pace was 6:11. It was exactly as I had planned. A medical volunteer grabbed on to me to keep me from collapsing after I crossed the finish. I was so excited but there was no one I knew around to celebrate with. I kept glancing behind me hoping to see Rosy or Sasha coming in right behind. I was so sad for them later to hear they had both just missed qualifying times by a few seconds. But all I could think about is that I really did it. All the countless hours of training had paid off in a way I had always dreamed but never experienced.
Meb Kefllezighi became a hero of mine this year when at just a few days before he turned 39 became the first American to win Boston in over 30 years. A friend posted his quote a few weeks ago and it struck me how much I related to waiting so long to achieve your goals but never giving up on making them happen. Going to the Olympic Trials for me fulfills years of hard work and goals that just never seemed to work out. It was a long walk back to the tent to retrieve my gear but I had tears streaming down my face the whole way. It really is a dream come true.
I finished 21st in the women's race with a field of over 18,000 and 3rd in my age group. Although I went to Chicago with the intent of only racing the clock I was thrilled to finish that high in a major marathon. It was a difficult decision for me to pursue this goal. I knew it would take a lot of time, effort and money. As a mom, I wasn't sure if I should really expect that much out of my family. In the end it was a prayerful decision but I felt like the Lord had blessed me with this opportunity and the ability to do this. There were so many people who helped make this dream come true. My husband and children have been so supportive of this journey. They never complained that the house wasn't clean and the yard was let go a bit this summer. Dinner was often late because I had to get another run in for the day. Andrew and Jared spent countless hours babysitting while I trained. Jason did many training runs with me and was the best fan I could ask for running all over Chicago to cheer for me. My coach, Paul Pilkington, taught me to run at a level that a few years ago I didn't dream was possible. His advise and training has been priceless. There are so many running friends and training partners that have gotten me out of bed in the morning and spent hours on the road with me making the difficult workouts more enjoyable and sometimes even a bit easier. I've had a lot of fun with my utahrunning.com team and appreciate the support of our sponsors, What Doctors Know, Nate Graven, and Tim Spleicher.
The night before the race I was reading Isaiah. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Maybe I'm taking this scripture too literally but I know I was not alone on the streets of Chicago that day.
The night of the marathon I was completely exhausted and yet I lay in bed so excited I couldn't sleep. I just kept replaying in my mind the events of the day. I realized that in all my years of marathon running, as great as so many races have been, I have never felt like I had a perfect race before. There has always been something I would like to go back and change, something I would do differently next time to maybe get a bit faster. Chicago was completely different. I finally felt like I had run the perfect race! Everything went exactly the way I wanted to! I am thrilled for the opportunity to run at the Olympic Trials. It will be such a privilege to stand on the starting line with the best marathon runners in the country. I am anxiously awaiting a trip to Los Angeles in February 2016 and anticipating what it has in store for me.
Monday, September 1st was Labor Day. I woke up that morning in Moab anticipating one last day of a fun family trip before heading home in the afternoon. I had just returned from a bike ride with the younger kids and was packing up the hotel before heading out for more activities when I got a phone call that my grandma had just passed away. She was diagnosed with cancer several months ago and we had been expecting this. In fact I had left her house often and after seeing her suffering had even been praying that she wouldn't have to suffer any longer. I expected to feel relief but was surprised with the feeling of loss that overcame me instead.
My memories of Grandma go back as long as I remember. Some of my earliest memories are of their house in Brigham City, the huge garden in the backyard and the "helicopter" tree in the front yard. Birthdays, Thanksgiving, other holidays and of course always Grandma's wonderful cooking. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of times spent at their cabin in Island Park that Grandpa built. I remember Grandma showing me the "golf ball" on top of Sawtelle Mountain and wondering how anyone could have hit a golf ball that far. Grandma always loved her cabin in the mountains but what she really loved was sharing it with her family.
When I was a little older Grandma and Grandpa moved to Bountiful. We enjoyed having them closer and often spent Sunday evenings in their home, always eating ice cream. They really missed being in a more rural area and eventually Grandpa built their beautiful home in Plain City where they spent the rest of Grandma's life.
My dad's parents passed away while I was still a teenager and I remember being jealous of my older cousins who got to spend so much more time with them. I feel blessed that I was able to spend 37 years with Grandma Daines, that she was there for my wedding, got to meet all of my children and so many other events over the years.
At my wedding. (Not my the best picture of me!)
My parents moved to California the week I graduated from high school. Grandma's house became a second home to me and I often spent a night or two there on weekends when I was visiting Salt Lake. She always had the most wonderful meals. After I married Jason, he just couldn't get enough of her food. I think she always enjoyed watching the enormous amount of her food he would consume and even often encouraged him to eat more. When we moved to Salt Lake for medical school she never came to visit without bringing jars of home canned jam, fruit, and syrup, fresh garden veggies or fresh baked bread. She really knew how to take care of starving college students. She always seemed to understand and remember what it was like to be in my stage of life, whether that was a struggling college student, newly wed, extremely uncomfortable expectant mother, or a mother with a new baby.
Grandma enjoying a day at Huntington Beach with Andrew.
Grandma meeting Skyler for the first time.
I loved to watch Grandma with my babies. She always loved to hold them and you could tell by watching her how much her family meant to her. Grandma was an amazingly talented woman. Because of poor health most of her life she wasn't able to do a lot of the things she loved. She was a wonderful pianist and loved music. A couple years ago I was asked to direct the choir in our church. I was feeling overwhelmed and extremely unqualified. She was so excited for me and shared with me her experiences about leading her own ward choir years ago and how she also felt unqualified when she was called but grew to love that calling more than any other. But as talented as Grandma was, she never talked about herself. It was always about her children and grandchildren and everything they were accomplishing. At grandma's funeral, I watched many of her children and grandchildren performing beautiful musical numbers. Grandma would have been thrilled with the music that day. I felt a bit guilty as I thought of my flute sitting in my closet that has mostly been collecting dust for the last 20 years. If Grandma was ever disappointed that I gave up music for running though she never showed it. She was still proud of me for my accomplishments even if it was different than what she would have chosen. Every time I won a race and my name was in the paper, I knew as soon as the phone rang the next morning that it was Grandma on the other end calling to congratulate me.
The end of Grandma's life was so difficult to watch as her health declined rapidly. She must have been in tremendous pain but you wouldn't know it because she never complained. It was a great opportunity to live close enough that I could visit her often. Even in her declining health, Grandma always wanted to feed me as soon as I walked through the door. When I could see how difficult that was for her I started bringing food to her instead. I don't think she liked that too much. She always wanted to be the one giving and serving. A few days before she passed away, I was on my way to Logan to watch Andrew in a cross country meet. I wanted to stop by Grandma's house but I was running late. It's not worth stopping for such a short visit, I thought and I knew I'd be going up to Logan again the next week. I'd stop by then. But I just couldn't pass without stopping. It was a short visit and neither Grandma or Grandpa were up to visiting much that day. Skyler immediately pointed to the M&M jar Grandma always kept on her counter. It was empty, and when I went to refill it, for the first time ever, Grandma was out of M&Ms. "I must have forgotten to put them on the grocery list." she said. I said goodbye and promised to stop by for a longer visit next week. Instead my next visit was a few days later as the family was gathering to plan the funeral. I was so grateful for my one last visit with Grandma. It was so hard to walk into the house and see her chair empty but as Skyler pointed to the M&M jar I noticed it had been filled. Grandma had remembered and as we all munched on those M&Ms in the coming days it was a reminder to me of a Grandma that was always giving to others.
The morning of the funeral I was scheduled to do a tough 22 mile training run. My heart wasn't in it and I wanted to skip it but I knew that it was a crucial workout for Chicago. So as soon as it was light enough to see I was out on the Ogden River Parkway putting in miles at a quick pace. As I started to run thunder clouds were rolling in. The lightening was making me a bit nervous but I didn't dare stop because I needed to finish the workout in time to get to the funeral. I thought the weather was fitting for the mood I was in that morning. But as the sun came up over the mountains in the east the most beautiful double rainbow appeared before me in the sky. I was reminded that without experiencing the rain there wouldn't be any rainbows. It hurts to lose Grandma because I love her and miss her so much. It's hard to know that on my next birthday there won't be a card in the mail, next Christmas there won't be a party at her house, and next time I win a race I won't hear her voice on the phone. But I do have faith that through the atonement of Jesus Christ I will someday see Grandma again. And she will be free from the pain she suffered so much in this life. Grandma blessed my life in more ways than I can say. I think of her often in so many things that I do, whether it's making one of her recipes, listening to music, picking vegetables from my garden, or snuggling up under the beautiful afghan she knitted for me. Grandma's memory lives on in the lives of her posterity in so many ways. The beauty of her life is a gift to us all just as the rainbow was on that early morning.
Aunt Linda, Aunt Cheryl, Grandpa, Mom and Uncle Cliff
Not quite the whole family but still nice to have most of us together.
I had so many plans for summer this year and I didn't come close to getting around to most of them. All the messy closets that were supposed to get cleaned out are still messy, the projects around the house and yard are still waiting for attention, and of course we didn't get in enough fun activities. I think I've given up on life slowing down, at least for the next 16 years, so we make the best of the time we have. Here's a recap of all the fun we did squeeze in the last few weeks of summer.
Now that Kaitlyn is eight she goes to Activity Days at our church. They went to day camp at Camp Kiesel, a local boy scout camp. They got to do all the fun things the cub scouts get to do like, archery, bbguns, boating, and an obstacle course. I got to go with as a primary leader and it was such a fun day.
We decided to fit one last family camping trip in the weekend before school started. Due to some confusion about Jared's football game that weekend, we ended up without a reservation for a campground. That was a huge mistake to head out Friday afternoon with the truck loaded with all the camping gear and excited kids without arrangements for a place to pitch a tent. We wanted to go to Smith and Morehouse but arrived there only to find every spot was taken. Jason wanted to turn around and go home but Kaitlyn was devastated so we headed over to the Mirror Lake Highway. After four hours in the car and trying several campgrounds on the highway that were all full we found a campground a bit off the beaten path that had a few spots left. (By the way that campground is now our little secret in case we are ever in desperate need of a camp site again!) Jason and I had both had it by the time we got there but we got the tent pitched before dark and eventually the dinner was finished in the dutch oven. It was all worth it in the end. I think this picture tells a thousand words. All four kids smiling at the camera at the same time!
The next day I had to leave early to get Jared to his football game but Jason had time to take Kaitlyn and Andrew up to Trial Lake on the raft. It was not the perfect camping trip anyway you look at it but that didn't matter a bit to Kaitlyn!
We were so excited to watch the finishing touches being done to the Ogden Temple that has been renovated the last few years. We were finally able to go see the inside the beginning of August during the open house. We enjoyed inviting neighbors and family members to go with us and one night Jason and I were able to volunteer as ushers at the open house. The building is as beautiful inside as it outside and the spirit in the building was amazing. We are now anxious for the dedication this month so we can have our temple open again.
We decided with a couple free days Labor Day weekend to take a trip to Moab. We love to go there but with life being so busy it has been a couple years since we were last there. Jason, Andrew and Jared enjoyed a few of the mountain bike trails while Kaitlyn, Skyler and I explored the paved trail over the Colorado River.
Jason had fun taking his truck on some four wheel drive roads to Gemini Bridges. I'm not sure who was more terrified I was of the drop offs with no guard rail, Jared or me, but the truck handled it well and I was more than happy to leave all the driving to Jason. We got to some amazing scenery though. Here's the view from the top of the bridges.
And here's the view from across the valley so you can see what we were standing on top of.
Of course the kids loved the swimming pool at the hotel as much as everything else we did. Monday morning we received news that my grandma had passed away. It was a hard way to end the trip but we still enjoyed a picnic at the park and of course ice cream at the Moab Diner and a stop at the sand hill on the way out of town. Someone just needs to teach Skyler which end of the ice cream cone to eat first!
It's become a tradition for me to run the Deseret News 10K on Pioneer Day (July 24th.) Jason and Andrew were backpacking so I headed to Salt Lake alone. This race is one of the most prestigious road races in the state and the generous prize money always attracts some of the fastest runners. Last year I was thrilled just to break into the top ten (7th place) after running a two minute PR. I didn't think I had a chance at placing in the top three but was looking forward to comparing my time to other years to assess my fitness level. I was hoping to run a PR again. I woke up to a warm, humid morning. Actually, I'm not sure you can call 4 a.m. morning. I drug myself out of bed and put some loud music on to try to wake up enough to drive to Salt Lake. There was lightening in the distance and as I pulled into the parking lot at the University of Utah at 5:15 I glanced at my car thermometer. 88 degrees. HOT! A really warm morning for the middle of July might be in the low 70s. I figured I could forget about a PR. I was just going to have to race on effort. I was just glad I wasn't running one of the longer races. I was hoping it would rain and cool things off a bit but it just stayed hot and humid.
Soon the we were off with the gun. I started out fast and as I looked around at the runners I was next to I hoped I hadn't started too fast. But I was feeling pretty good in spite of the heat. The course is a screaming fast one, downhill for most of the first four miles. My first mile was 5:18. Maybe a bit too fast. Mile two was still fairly fast at 5:31. By three and four I was either settling into a more reasonable pace or I was starting to become fatigued from the heat and fast start. Mile three and four were 5:53 and 5:49. I was starting to wonder how the flat and uphill were going to feel the last two miles. I was drenched with sweat, my mouth was dry and I couldn't get enough water at the aid stations. We turned onto the parade route and I found I could keep going fast a bit longer. Mile five was a 5:46. I'd picked up the pace a bit even with the course flattening out. The last mile is the toughest when we had to turn and head uphill to Liberty Park. I had no idea what place I was but I thought if I finished fast enough I might have a chance to still run a PR. My last uphill mile was 6:09. My total time was 35:48, a PR by 4 seconds. It wasn't huge but considering the conditions I was dealing with I was happy with it. Then I found out that I had placed third overall! The heat had made for a slower race and I was able to move into third place right at the end of the race. I even came home with $250 prize money!
Last week Jason and I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon in Logan. It's one of my favorite half marathons but I haven't run it for several years. Unlike the Deseret News 10K the weather was looking perfect! It was 49 degrees when we arrived in Logan with a chance of showers. The course is a gradual downhill through Blacksmith Fork Canyon for the first half before leveling out for the second half with a climb about 10 1/2 miles into the race. I wanted to get up to the start in plenty of time but because of a few mishaps we ended up on the last bus up the canyon. So I got to the starting line with only a few strides and not ready to run fast in the colder weather. I looked around at the starting line and as expected, there were a lot of fast runners there. I was going to have to work hard in this race. We started off down the canyon and I was trying to keep with the top women. I knew Emily Jameson and Devra Vierkant were the ones to beat. I was having a hard time keeping the pace they were running. It seemed fast but when I glanced at my watch it was just where I wanted to be. It must be the lack of warm up I thought. A few times I started to let them put a little distance between us. I debated whether it was wise to push myself to stay with them or save it for later in the race. I really thought I had a chance to win this race and I was afraid if I let them go I'd never see them again. So I pushed myself to stay with them. Towards the bottom of the canyon we hit a couple miles around 5:45. I really wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this pace and we weren't even to the halfway point. At mile six I was coming up on a water stop. Emily and Devra were on the inside so in order to get to the water I sprinted ahead a bit. Suddenly that put me in front of them and they were letting me control the pace. I could hear they were both breathing pretty hard and I was finally starting to feel good! Before I knew it Emily and Devra were both dropping back and I was taking the lead. That was a strange feeling for me. I've won some shorter races but when it comes to longer races there are always at least one or two women in front of me. I was excited to take the lead but I was also nervous about whether I could really hold this pace for the remaining six miles. There was still a lot of the race to go and I didn't want to die and get caught later. Tom Kuehls, one of my teammates from utahrunning.com, had been running with us down the canyon. I was glad that he kept up with me when Emily and Devra dropped back. The men in front of me were out of sight and if it weren't for Tom I would have been all alone.
Tom and I were able to keep our pace between 5:55 and 6:00 miles. I felt like I had gotten a second wind and the miles were coming quickly. With about 5K left I was calculating what time we could finish in. I figured we would be right around 1:18. I had a big enough lead that I was pretty sure I would win and a 1:18 would be a PR but I started thinking if I could run the last 5K under six minute mile pace I could break 1:18. The only problem was the mile and a half of uphill coming. I was going to give it everything I had though. Our mile splits were still coming in just under six minutes. I turned and started heading up the hills. About half way through the uphills Tom dropped back a bit. I was going to have to do the last stretch alone.
My uphill mile was a 6:11. I was pretty confident I could make up those seconds on the downhill mile to the finish. I was finally up all the hills and on the final stretch. The gradual downhill didn't feel much like downhill at that point. There wasn't anyone to catch in front of me. I just had to race the clock. I finished in 1:17:44!
My average pace was 5:56. It was a two minute PR and my first time with a sub 6 minute pace on a race that long. I won a $300 cash prize and a fun trophy. The first four women were all under 1:20! It was a fast race and I was so glad these women were there to push me through the first half of the race or I never would have been able to break 1:18.
Jason wasn't thrilled with his race but still ran his fastest time on that course and third in his age group.
This was the perfect race to prepare me for Chicago. The countdown is on with just six weeks to go. This race gave me a lot of confidence to be able to keep the pace I did through the second half of the race. All of my training has been so focused this year on training for Chicago. I'm crossing my fingers that the weather will cooperate and I'll have another great running day!
Every time Jason and I have had a big anniversary it seems like something has gotten in the way for celebrating. The weekend of our first anniversary he took the MCAT (medical school entrance exam.) On our 5th anniversary Jason had just started his 3rd year (the busiest and most challenging year) of medical school. Our tenth anniversary fell just after Jason had finally graduated from residency and we were in the middle of moving and starting a new job. Our 15th was right after Skyler was born so with a new baby that wasn't much of a celebration. So 17 isn't a huge milestone year but I decided Skyler was old enough we should plan a trip and get away somewhere. I was thinking of surprising Jason with a trip to Cedar City, where we met. Then a couple months ago Jason said to me, "We should go to Cedar City for our anniversary." So it wasn't a surprise anymore but it was nice to finally have a getaway even though it wasn't very far or long. We drove down to Cedar City Wednesday morning. It was nice to just sit for a few hours in the car and talk without kids arguing, or asking for movies and snacks. After we got checked in at our hotel we headed up Cedar Canyon to dinner at a steak house. The food was good but I was a little overdressed and remembered that Cedar City isn't quite the place for fine dining. I was also having a hard time eating too much. The morning before, I had been out for my run and inhaled a yellow jacket and got stung in the mouth. My whole mouth and throat was sore and swollen. So dinner wasn't exactly what I wanted but we still just enjoyed being together.
After dinner we headed over to campus to where the Shakespeare Festival was going on. Walking on campus brought back hundreds of memories from so long ago. We enjoyed the Green Show and reminisced about lots of hours spent on the upper quad in ultimate frisbee games and other activities. We went to see Sense and Sensibility. It was a fun stage adaptation of the Jane Austin book. I thought it might bore Jason, but the acting was wonderful and it made for a fun stage play.
Old Main at Southern Utah University
The play went late and the next morning we had to drag ourselves out of bed to get a workout in. Earlier in the week our coach had asked us what our plans were for Thursday. When we said it was our anniversary he laughed and said he was about to ruin our anniversary. Our workout was one that required two runs for the day, a total of 18 miles, with 8 of those miles fast. So we skipped out on the breakfast at the hotel and instead threw on our running clothes and headed over to the track. We finished the workout and ran into our old college coach, Eric Houle, and enjoyed catching up with him. After finally getting a bite to eat we had a little time to wander around campus before heading back over to catch a Shakespeare play, Comedy of Errors. The play was hilarious and had us laughing the whole way through. It would have been nice after the play to enjoy a relaxing afternoon together but instead we pulled out our running gear again and headed out to repeat the workout we had done that morning.
We were reminded how the wind picks up in the afternoon in Cedar City. After a quick selfie at the track when we were done it was already time to go home. By the time we arrived home the kids were all in bed. I was tired and ready for a hot shower before bed: really not a great time to find out the water heater had gone out while we were gone...
It may not have been the perfect trip I had planned but that's really what marriage is all about. It's crazy to think back about everything we have experienced the last 17 years. All the good and all the bad, but I'm so glad I chose Jason to take this journey with!
