I did it!

I know you guys have all been anxiously waiting to see how I did on the AF half.  I survived.  It was the strangest feeling - going to the starting line and not knowing exactly how the next 13 miles would play out.  I still was suffering from bronchitis - I had two hours of sleep - and I had not ran in 2 weeks - hadn't really trained  -- and hadn't consistently ran in over a year.  It was surreal having the goal of just finishing - in preferably under 3 hours.  I completed both my goals.  I finished in 2:44!  My worst half marathon time by almost 30 minutes and I'm totally ok with that!

The first 7.5 miles were downhill and in the canyon - and I was doing pretty decent.  I had to start doing a run/walk around mile 2.25 (remember no training!) but I can say I ran probably 7 of those miles - very slowly might I add.  I finished those at 1:22 - then the heat and the soreness and the flat road kicked in.  And I was in so much pain.  My whole pelvic, butt, thigh area burned when I walked/coughed.  During the downhill, I must have like tweaked a muscle in my knee or something - so it hurt to run on flat ground and I think I was overcompensating a lot in hopes of not getting hurt - so I choose the walking....and walking I did.  I can totally say I think I ran a total of one mile out of the last 5.  But you know what, I didn't quit and I finished so I'm happy.

I am actually recovering better than I expected - and went for my first post run this morning - 3 miles in 38 minutes.  I'm way way way out of shape - but doing this half marathon has totally motivated me to do another one.  I am signing up for the Halloween Half (I know I said I would never do it again - but I'll do things differently this time!) and I'm going to make running a priority again.  I love doing races - and it sucks doing them without training - so I'm going to have to start training again so I can run 3 miles without stopping again!  I have two weeks to get back into sort of running shape so I can do the Freedom Festival 5k.  Starting small!

After the race - I was completely coughing up a storm...first post race puke I've ever done.

Before the race - Bright and early!!

Remember that one time?

Remember when I said I was back and was into running - well yeah that was two months ago and I do not have much to say.  Single parenting / dating and becoming engaged / working full time / getting sick A LOT has kicked my butt more than I would like to admit.  I used to consider myself wonder woman for having two kids, working full time, and running 20 plus miles a week .... and now I feel like I'm half trying just about everything in my life.  It's hard work!! I give praises to every mom, single or not, that is running.  Cause I just want to run home to my kids and not waste an hour working out on weeks I have the kids, and on weeks I don't have the kids - I just want to veg by the time I get home. And dating - man I would much rather do nothing together, then go run by myself or together.  We've attempted running together a few times and it's amazing.... but I sure do love sitting on my butt together even more so!

Anyway - Saturday is the big race...and I am still going to run it - or attempt to.  I haven't ran in two weeks and I haven't ran more than 3 miles in over a month.  I am sooo not in shape for this half marathon - so my goals are simple... finish.  Finish in under 4 hours. LOL.  Plus - I got bronchitis and have been a coughing lunatic for almost two weeks now.  Not fun and sure does not make me want to go run...but I'm going to do it or die trying.  Ok not die - but if I don't finish - I will not feel too bad.  I am going to try my hardest.

Having ran four half marathons -I think it helps me to know that even though physically the endurance isn't there - I know without a doubt, mentally I can finish this race.  It doesn't scare me.  I know I can finish it.  Just might have the finish line taken down by the time I finish - but I can and I will.  As said in one of the awesomest movies ever -   "I see pride. I see power. I'm a badass mother who won't take no crap off of nobody."  That will be my theme as I run and I will repeat it multiple times. All the crap in my life has stopped me from running as much as I would like to - but that won't stop me on Saturday.

I may not be classified as a runner right now but I can be classified as a finisher.

I'm Back!!

 I can’t believe that it has been a year and a half since I ran my last half marathon and over a year since I was running consistently.  Life definitely got the best of me and I’m back to try and get back into shape and get my dear running friends back!    I had the year and a half from hell pretty much – divorce will do that to you! LOL but I’m back and I’m ready to get my life back in order, which includes getting back into running shape.  I signed up for the American Fork Half in June – but until this week, hadn’t really started my training.  Now that it’s 9.5 weeks until race day – I need to start getting serious.

And I’m super excited to hopefully get back into the running community and start hanging out and running with those dear friends.  I used to love going to Yogurtland or doing long runs on Saturday with the running community in Utah – but that was hard to do during this last year and I apologize to everyone for dropping off the planet and for anytime I backed out of running with you or getting together.   I was not the best friend and for that I apologize.

On a brighter note – I’m only 20 lbs from my previous racing weight….so hopefully that won’t hinder me too much and I’m working on my diet and incorporating exercise more frequently into my life.  I want to be healthy to be there for my kids.  The amount of energy I have while playing with my kids has taken a downfall in the last year and I don’t like that.  I want to be out there and playing with my kids, instead of sitting on the sidelines watching.  Also – I loved seeing my boys so happy and proud of their mom when I completed a race or came back from running.  I want my kids to see that healthy lifestyle and grow up seeing a mom that takes time for herself to make herself strong and healthy.  I want to be a good example to my sons.

So here I am again.  Again on a weightloss journey and again on journey to run.  It’s so funny to me that before I started running – I couldn’t imagine doing 6 miles or 10 miles…and then when I was in shape – it was insane to me to not run 6 or more…and now I’m back to thinking, “I know I did this, but it seriously seems impossible to get back into the shape of running 13.1 miles again.  I’m not sure if I can do this!”

On June 15, 2013 - I will have a post race pictures like this... I will succeed!

These are my Confessions (why do my blog titles always remind me of songs - bring on the Usher!!)

Confession # 1 - I wish I was a good blogger.  I wish I had the time/energy/creative thoughts to actually blog on a normal basis.  Let's just say - Life has been insanely busy since football season started in August (and now it's over with but then holidays and year end at work happened...and for accountants that means LONG HOURS at work! But now that has passed too.)  I've missed out on running and great times with my blogger running friends that I have met along the way.  I feel like life just kept going and passing me by while I was out of it.  I feel like some of these bloggers are so amazing and awesome and I wish I had more time/energy to devout to being a good friend back!  And then the other part of me thinks - they must hate me cause I'm not as close as other bloggers are to each other ... but again it's cause I'm a terrible blogger/friend these past few months (and how many times can I put a "/" in this post!)

Confession #2 - Regardless of running 4 half marathons - I've gained 17 lbs since May!  It's frustrating and annoying and I can't seem to lose it.  I can gain 3 lbs in one weekend and it takes me 2 weeks to lose 1 lb! I'm about ready to start nursing again to burn some extra calories.  LOL it was so much easier until I stopped in May!

Confession #3 - I did in fact sign up for the Ogden Marathon and I'm thinking of a good excuse not to have to run it. It scares me to death to be running a marathon and I just keep praying I get some great reason for not being able to run it. I know that is horrible of me!  I have a fear of succeeding- it's true!

Confession #4 - I don't know if this means I'll blog often again or if it will be another few months before I blog...who knows - but please stick around for my sake!  I need the encouragement and the friends - life is crazy - it revolves around my work, my kids, and my husband  and without the blogger friends - sometimes I feel like a loser


Go ahead - bring on the Confessions - hopefully some that make me feel better :)

Halloween Half Recap

K- I just have to write a recap - even though I haven't blogged in forever cause I was sorely disappointed in this race.  Partially cause of my own issues and partially cause of the race issues.  I feel bad cause so many people hyped up how awesome this race was...and then it just seemed like I endured problem after problem.


So October 10th...I got the crazy idea that I would run the Halloween Half.  It had been my plan all summer long but then with Justus' football schedule my running schedule became close to nonexistent and so I cancelled. Let me start by saying my furthest run since my June 25th half was 6 miles...and I had ran that twice since then. I was seriously not in half marathon shape at all.  I decided to do 10 miles the Saturday after I signed up for the race and I about died and only did 9.35.

All in all, looking back I shouldn't have done this half.  It was so unorganized and I was not feeling good enough to run.  So the packet pickup day was the same as the Adobe Halloween Hoorah (my HUGE work halloween party) so I was already exhausted and tired but I went to the mall with two tired kids and went to get my packet.  Never before have I waited for more than like 10 minutes to pick up my packet....The line went from right outsides Nordstroms to the food court in the University Mall...seriously...and I had no stroller so I just bagged the pickup.  I went home thinking I was not running this race cause there was no way I was going to wait in line with two kids.  Justus was at his playoff game so I would have to have both kids.  So I texted my neighbor that was running with me and told her I wasn't running it.  She waited in line for two hours and picked mine up for me. :(  Now I had to run it.  Justus didn't get home until 11 so I didn't get to sleep until well after that.  From what we were told last year's bus situation was awful (like buses still bringing people up after the gun had gone off) so we decided to get there early.  So for a race that started at 9...I got up at 3:30.  We got to the buses at 4:30 with no buses or signs or anything in sight.  The first buses arrived around 5:15 and we loaded the second bus.  We headed up the canyon and the driver had no clue where he was going - we had to give him instructions.  We kept going higher and higher up the canyon until the road narrowed so much that we saw the bus in front of us almost go off the road - so they kicked us out of the bus and we walked a 1/2 mile down the road...a canyon road...in October...with no lights, no clue where we were going but walked until we got to Aspen Grove's lodges. And it was freezing!  Still having no clue where the start line was..where the tent was...and where anyone was.  So we just stood around waiting and waiting while buses kept coming up and not knowing where to go.  Finally at 6:30 someone from the race finally showed up and we were directed to the tent.  Where we sat for 2.5 hours until the start of the race....Seriously?  I was tired and hungry and just wanted the Opt Out Bus to pick me up...if there is one.  To make matters worse I woke up with a stiff neck...I had slept on it wrong and it hurt.  The amount of porta potty's was great -there was tons but there were also tons of people so there was always a line. And I found out, it's true what they say - it is coldest right before the sun comes up.   

The course goes from Aspen Grove all the way to right before the Riverwoods and had a 2200 elevation drop.  And the first 5 miles had 1200 of that drop. So my whole plan was to run as fast and as hard as I could for those first 5 miles in order to make up for the fact that I would burn out and go slow the last few miles....didn't realize HOW SLOW I would be...here's my splits...

Tessa, Lynsey, and me (which both of these girls got 1:51 and were mad...I hate fast people! LOL)

Miles 1 - 5 - 7:59, 7:37, 7:40, 7:47, 8:57

I was cruising during these miles -seriously it was awesome. Each mile came and went so fast and I felt so good.  I knew that has soon as we hit the lesser downhill portion I was going to die so I tried to enjoy this feeling while I could.  I seriously loved every second of these 5 miles and was passing people right and left.  Felt great.  Then around 4 miles it started flattening out and I started slowing down...and I got hot...

 Miles 6 - 13.13 -  9:52, 11:32, 9:33, 10:36, 10:02, 11:37, 11:00, 11:29, 1:13

I could break these miles up into sections but what's the point...it was the longest end of the race I've been in. During mile 7 (my first of more than I would like to admit 11 min miles) I had a wardrobe malfunction.  It was FREEZING in the canyon in the morning.  So I was wearing two long sleeve shirts under my little wizard dress - so it took longer expected to get figured out.  Then I felt pretty good until mile 10.  My neck/head had been hurting worse and worse throughout this race and this is where it started getting worse. I started texting people cause I had a lot of time on my hands when I wasn't running!  LOL  The 2:00 pacer past me and tried to get me to follow him...I tried so hard - I really did but he kept getting further and further in front of me at this point.  My feet were killing me.  I knew I needed new shoes prior to this race but I didn't buy them and I was regretting it at this point.  I kept doing the walk/run and finally around mile 11.5 this little boy (couldn't have been more than 6) had started running next to his mom and they were passing me!  I couldn't let this little boy beat me so I kept running...very slowly but I kept running.  Then finally I came up to the finish line cheerers...and seriously it was like the twilight zone...it just kept going and going and going and I couldn't even see the finish line due to a turn right before it.  I was so ready to just walk to the finish cause seriously it kept going and going and going....and then I saw it and ran as fast as I could to it. 

My official time was 2:06:58.  As soon as I crossed the finish line I broke down.  I was in SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much pain with my neck and my head and mixed with the being so tired and already emotions from running for that long I lost it.  My mom didn't even see me cross the finish line - and I had texted her when I was a mile out - and the finish line was chaotic so it took forever to find her - She took me straight to a gas station and picked me up excedrin and Dr. Pepper - and I instantly felt better.

 I really wanted to run this race for a few reasons.  #1 to prove to myself I could still complete a half even though my training wasn't so good and #2 cause I love races and I won't be able to do hardly any for the whole winter. But it was a great learning experience for me, like how fast you can get out of shape!  So I finished my first year of running - with 4 half marathons - and that's like 2 marathons.  I had previously decided on running the Ogden Marathon in May...but after yesterday I'm not sure I want to do that!  We shall see.  As of today I am in a ton of pain and can barely walk!


My biggest negative of this race, and the reason I won't do it again is the attitude I've seen from the few people I interacted with as far as volunteers/race people.  2 minutes before the start time I went to drop my bag and I heard the volunteers in the truck saying "If you want your bags there when you finished you better come help us" - and I'm sorry I was not happy with that statement.  I am so grateful for EVERYONE that volunteers and makes these races possible.  I know it's a sacrifice and it takes a lot of time - but telling runners 2 minutes before race time that they should jump in the truck and help load cause there wasn't enough volunteers for the number of racers was kind of rude to me.  If you don't have the resources - cap the race...
Since yesterday I've been reading through the facebook posts and it just doesn't seem that anyone from the race is really sorry.  They will "just improve next year" - I ran in the AF Half - it's first year ever and they were one of the most organized races I've ever been to.  I was so impressed and it was their first year, and first year having a race go down that canyon - so I don't really feel like there are that many excuses for a race to have THAT many hiccups.  I understand a few - and the packet pickup was a disaster but that was that...but to keep having issue after issues is kind of ridiculous. 


I know part of my bad mood is the way I ran  - I ran horribly and part of it was the utter chaos.  I have no plans on running this race again - even though I loved the course and I love the time of year.  It really was pretty and a fun race - but I like a dependable race... and the AF canyon races are off the hook! :)  


Congrats to everyone that ran and I hope all of you that did had a less stressful time than I did.

"I run because it's so symbolic of life.  You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles.  You might feel that you can't.  But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought. "  -- Arthur Blank

Love this quote.  I had a nice 5 mile run yesterday - with a .25 walk break after each mile and it felt great to go that distance...on a treadmill...and through the hot heat in my house...and it was so nice realizing that even if I've been slacking on my running - I can still gain back what I have lost and will be able to complete that marathon in May.  No matter how often I neglect my running, it's always there...waiting for me...whenever I'm ready to come back!  And I have to give my running shoes some love, to show them that I will be back and we will be going all the way!

It's official...ok not quite official but come November 1st it will be

I've made my decision...with a lot of talking to different people on their favorite marathons - pros and cons...and what not- and I've decided that I will be registering as soon as registration opens for the Ogden Marathon!  My first marathon will be May 19, 2012!  Anyway I still have time to change....obviously...but I'm excited to have made my training plan and will be excited to start training for a ...gasp...marathon!

Here's the information I got - for those of you thinking of doing a Utah marathon - that made me choose the marathon I did.  And those that have done Ogden and others can give me their feedback..and maybe persuade me to go another direction:

My five choices were:
Salt Lake (April), Ogden (May), Utah Valley (June) Top of Utah (September) St George (Oct)
Here's the breakdown of the info I got -
Salt Lake-
Urban...boring and flatter than others - plus it's in April which means long training runs during the dead of winter!
Ogden -
The marathon with the least amount of urban streets that you run through - downhill - great scenery - same elevation change as  UV - and yes a few rolling hills but you don't notice them as much as UV.  And it's May - so it's not as hot as UV -
UV -
A lot like Ogden , however, long straight 5 miles after coming out of the canyon - bigger hills than Ogden - but good race too
TOU -
Can be VERY cold for the first few miles.  People who ran this, couldn't feel their toes for the first 3 miles.  Great race though.  Training in hot summer!
St George-
Lottery - might not get in...plus it's at the end of summer/in fall...that's a long time to wait for my marathon...I think this is a great second marathon ;)


So there you have it!  Whats your favorite marathon in Utah?  What are some comments you have on the 5 marathons I listed?

Whose going to run it with me next year???