Tire Surgery

This morning I planned to do my tempo run on the treadmill at the gym, but when I took the kids to school I noticed that the ground was all dry and it seemed pretty warm so I decided to finally get those tires fixed on the stroller so I could run outside!

I brought the stroller inside, and I couldn't quite figure out how to get the wheels off, so I just turned it upside-down, and that worked just fine.

Here's Elle helping me pump up the first tire once it was all fixed. She doesn't even need it to be hooked onto the tire to fill it up. She's that good!

Here's what my little tube patches look like. They're really easy to use and work really well. I used to be so intimidated by a flat tire, but I have learned. When you're riding your bike up to 45 miles from home, you want to know how to fix a flat! They're really not that hard to fix if you can get if off and back onto the wheel - that's the hard part! I waited so long to fix this stroller because I thought I would need/want help from Pete. I actually brought it in this morning with the intention of having him help me, but then I was able to do it by myself! Well, I did have some help from Elle.

After patching the tube, always check the tire and make sure you get any thorns out so they don't just pop it again when you put it back in. I pulled these two out right away that were obviously poking through, but then I kept looking and ended up pulling out 14 more! After finding so many in the second tire, I went back to the first to make sure I didn't miss any, and found a couple more. I even found a couple little ones in the front tire, which wasn't even flat! I think the total number of thorns I pulled out of these tires was 21. Geez, Shane, where were you taking this thing?! You must have gone over a nice patch of thorns, especially with the left side. Heather, don't let Shane take the stroller anymore! :)

Once we got the tires back on and turned the stroller right-side up, Elle was excited to get in and "go to a running!" as she said. I was excited to run outside too, and I even wore capris and almost didn't wear a jacket because it seemed so warm outside! Once I got outside, I realized it wasn't really that warm and I was glad I ended up grabbing my jacket.

I purposefully didn't bring the Garmin with me today because I knew, with the stroller, I would only get discouraged seeing my speed. I did bring my watch so I could watch the time, though. I just started off nice and easy, then did a hard push for 6:00 when I hit 15:00. At least, I pushed for most of that 6:00, it's easy to get distracted with maneuvering the stroller and stuff.

I ran on the Jordan River Parkway Trail and it was nice and dry this time so I didn't have to worry about slipping on any ice, and I did the same half hour loop I did last week.

I passed an old man, running in jeans, and as I was passing him he told me that he was just starting up again this year, and that he'd done 13 (I think) 5ks last year. He said he was starting out slow and I told him that was good. I hope he didn't feel too bad about being passed by a girl with a stroller! He was a sweet old man and he said, "Not bad for a 78-year old" or something as I pulled ahead. I told him that was awesome! That just made me so grateful to even be able to be out running at all! Who cares how fast I am as long as I enjoy it right? I mean, that's the whole reason I do it so I need to remember that!

Total Time: 30:00

Total Distance: Who knows

Average Speed: Who cares!

It was 30 degrees F and that might have been a tad bit too chilly for capris. I really didn't feel that cold by the end, but my ankles and knees were all red. Elle was bundled up pretty good, and when I asked her if she had stayed warm she said, "yes." But then as soon as we got inside she asked for hot chocolate and told me her feet were freezing. So I made us some hot chocolates with milk and I drank mine while I stretched. That's a good recovery drink anyway.

Take It Easy? Me?

Today when I got home from church, Pete was here on the computer. He came home early with Ethan since he's got a little bit of an eye infection and we didn't want to get any of the other kids sick. Anyway, he must have been reading my blog (awww) because he asked me, "Haven't you had any light weeks? Because what you're describing sounds like a classic case of burn out."

Light weeks? What is this "light week" you speak of? Shouldn't I just be pushing as hard as I can, and as much as I can all the time? No, of course not! After this conversation with Pete, I was flipping through our latest Runners World and I came across an article called The Slow Road. It talks about how "downshifts in training every day, week, and month will help you reach your goal." I realized that I really didn't do a good job with my training plan.

This week seemed pretty light because I missed 3 workouts, but it really wasn't light because I missed 3 workouts. What I mean is that my body forced me to slow down this week, but I wasn't really able to relax because it wasn't on my schedule. I'm crazy like that. I felt bad the whole time because I felt like I was skipping out. I should have had that recovery week scheduled, then I would have been able to enjoy it, not feel bad, and really recover.

This is what happens when someone who doesn't know anything (me) designs your training plan. The thing is, I should have known better. I trained for an Ironman for crying out loud, and there was at least one rest day every week, and a recovery week every month. I guess I just forgot about that when figuring out what I wanted to accomplish.

SO, back to the drawing board for me! Does anyone have some knowledge in this department they'd like to share with me? I'm not quite ready to pay for a coach, but I do need some help. I've got 4 weeks until my 10k, 16 weeks until my olympic tri that's just for fun, 20 weeks until my marathon, and 28 weeks until BAM which is my A race this year. I'm having second thoughts about doing Utah Half which is 3 weeks after BAM, but maybe I'll feel better about it when I'm not in burn out mode.

I'll start figuring out a new training plan now. :)

You Hurt Me, Little 5k!

Yesterday I felt like I was in a daze all day. I went to bed the night before feeling really stressed and worried about little Jessica (see yesterday's post), and really late. Then the kids just kept waking up so I didn't really get to sleep until 1 or 2. By then I had turned my alarm clock off and decided to skip swimming in the morning.

While I was sleeping through my swim workout, I had a pretty stressful dream:

I was half-way through the run portion of a Half Ironman. It was a two-loop course, and for some reason, I had stopped after the first loop to sit with Pete and take a break. We were just sitting at a picnic table hanging out when this guy came and joined us. I don't know who he was, but in my dream, we knew him. He was a pro and he had just finished. Finally I decided I should get on with it and finish my run, and I remembered saying, "it's only a half" for some reason. I went to start running and I just could not get my legs moving very fast! Then I got to the portion of the run where you had to climb up this cliff (?), and as I was climbing it, it was like blankets were falling out from under me. I looked down and noticed that Elle was in those blankets and fell down with them. Luckily she didn't get hurt or anything, but I realized that she was doing the race too. We had 6 miles left, and I was like, "She can't run 6 miles!" so I was going to carry her, and that's about where I woke up. It was very surreal, but I was also feeling really stressed because I couldn't really run fast, and then I had all this extra stuff to worry about.

I hate stressful dreams, they leave me feeling stressed out for the rest of the day! Not only was I stressed out, I felt sick enough to want to stay in bed all day, but not sick enough to feel good about missing my 3rd workout in a row. I ended up feeling a little better in the evening, and Pete and I got to go to a movie so that was really fun. Though the movie, Couple's Retreat, was pretty disappointing. I was really annoyed with all the raunchy stuff in it that could have been left out and it would have been a good movie.

This morning I just needed to do a 5k. Since I didn't have a race to sign up for, I would just do my own little 5k. When I say "little," that's really what I was thinking. "Three miles? Psha, I can knock that out, no problem!" Just like in my dream!

I started off feeling good, and ran for a little less than a mile to warm up at a pretty good pace. I started the timer when I got to the bike path, but only ended up running on it for a little while before deciding it was too icy and heading back to the street.

I just ran around, trying to avoid any stopping for traffic, but I was having a really hard time keeping my pace up! I really want to shoot for 8:45 for my 10k, but I wasn't even able to do that for this 5k. I just couldn't get my legs moving very fast! Just like in my dream! I pushed a little harder at the end, but by then I felt like I was going to throw up and my head was going to explode. I had to just stop and walk home as soon as I hit 3.1 miles.

Mile Splits:

1. 8:30 (this one was the speed I wanted, I was so happy, but apparently it was too fast!)
2. 9:21
3. 9:05
4. :52

Distance: 3.1 Miles (5k)
Time: 27:50
Average Pace: 8:58 min/mile

I was really disappointed when I got home, almost to the point of crying. I did 5k back in November (almost exactly 2 months ago) in 26.14! I was more than a minute and a half slower today, and it was so hard!! What the heck? Have I been doing all this speed work for nothing? I'm going to play the, "I'm sick" card, even though I'm not really sick. I just haven't been feeling like myself lately. It's hard not to feel really discouraged, though. I hope I'm feeling better next week to get back to work!

Hope for Little Angels of Haiti

Yesterday I skipped my speed work because Ethan was sick so i stayed home with him while Pete went to krav. I kidded myself by saying I would do it when he got home, but we all knew that wasn't really going to happen!

When we were saying prayers before the kids went to bed, I asked Elle to pray for the people in Haiti and that they would find Jessica. After the prayer, Ethan asked me about who was lost so I explained the whole situation to him:

Lori, a lady who works with Pete, and her husband, Brent, have been trying to adopt some kids from Haiti for a long time, Nathan and Jessica. I don't know how old they are but they're really little. Lori and Brent have been to Haiti several times to visit the kids and bring them supplies, and they've also been raising money for the orphanage, Hope for Little Angels of Haiti. They feel like these kids are their kids. Recently, though, before the quake, Jessica's birth father came and took her away from the orphanage to try and get more money or something so already didn't know where she was when the earthquake hit, though they do know her father was trying to get her back to the orphanage. Now they have no idea where she is or even if she's alive, but Brent just went to Haiti yesterday to help get the 60 or 70 kids from their orphanage out of there and to safety. We just pray he also can find Jessica while he's there. (read more at Lori's blog: here.)

When I got done explaining all this, Ethan asked, "did she fall throgh the crack?" I told him we just don't know what happened to her and he just burst into tears. He said he was worried about her and he didn't want it to happen to us. I went and sat with him on his bed and tried to reasure him, wondering if it was a mistake to tell him all that. I think it's good for him to know what's going on, though, and it's ok to cry sometimes. Pete and I both explained to him that Jessica will be ok, that even if she did die she would be with Heavenly Father because he loves little children and would take care of her, but I also said that if she's alive Heavenly Father will be able to help her get found so we should pray for her. I asked him if he wanted to say a prayer for her, and he did. He said the sweetest prayer, amidst tears, that her "daddy will find her" and that everyone will be ok. In all I spent about 20 - 30 minutes crying with him, but we were able to get him calmed down and to sleep after that. I'm about to cry now just thinking about it, and I check Lori's blog constntly hoping to hear good news. They could use all the prayers they can get so please pray for them: Jessica, all the orphans and all the people in Haiti who are suffering right now.

I have Hope and faith that all these Little Angels will be ok, and that they will find Jessica.

Swim Leg Simulation

When my alarm went off this morning at 5:45, I was laying in bed thinking about getting up when Ethan came in crying because his ear was hurting. I gave him some Tylonol and put him back to bed, then remembered that Pete was sick. I realized I didn't want to leave him to deal with getting the kids ready for school and possibly a sick Ethan if he was still feeling sick, so I just went back to sleep for an hour and forgot about swimming. Ethan was fine when he woke up so I just brought the kids to school.

I wasn't feeling very good, though. I think I'm just paranoid because Pete had the flu yesterday and I'm just waiting to get it. I thought about going back to bed, but I wasn't really feeling that sick. I had planned on going to Spin class, but that did seem like a little much for me. Finally I decided to go down to the Holliday-Lions Rec Center and do an easy swim. I've missed a lot of my swims in the past week and have really been wanting to go.

I was kind of excited to try out this pool since I'd never swam there before. It was really nice, though there was a water aerobics class going on so there were only two lanes open for lap swimming. I got into the lane with only one lady in it.

I forgot my fins and pull buoy so I just did 5 laps to warm up. My arms were kind of sore after that! But I stretched and took a minute to rest while I decided what I wanted to do. I decided I'd just do 1500 meters as fast as I could. Of course I couldn't just do an easy swim like I had tricked myself into thinking.

The lady I was sharing my lane with left about half-way through so I had the lane to myself for a while, but I just stayed to the side in case anyone else wanted to get in. I didn't want to have to stop. At the half-way point, I was just under 15:30 so I was right on target for finishing in 31:00, but I thought I'd push it a little more and try for 30:30.

When I had about 3 laps left I suddenly got confused and thought, "wait, are there 2 guys in this lane with me?" It seemed so sudden since I hadn't been paying attention to much other than the clock and pulling myself through the water. I figured I was just imagining things, that it was really just one guy. But then, as I started my last lap I realized there really were 2 guys in the lane with me and they must have been trying to circle swim (without me knowing this!) because one of the guys, who could barely stay afloat, was coming right at me! Right in the way! I was trying so hard to finish strong so I was really frustrated when I had to grab the lane divider to get myself around this guy. Then I turned around and had to go around him on the way back! I wanted this to be my fastest lap, and here he was slowing me down!

I looked up at the clock when I finished and it was right on 30:30! So I made it, even with some minor setbacks! At least, I think that's what time it was, I was too annoyed to pay too much attention to the clock. I shouldn't get so upset, though, this is good race simulation. Of course there are going to be barriers and other people swimming where you don't want them to be swimming during a race. It should be the more people in the lane the better, right?

Distance: 1500 meters

Time: 30:30

I was pretty happy with my time, and even felt much better after my swim. It also helped me set a new goal to get my 1500 down to under 30:00 before St. George Tri in May. Sounds fun, right? I really do love swimming!

Ahhhh, Clean Air!

We had such a great time in St. George this weekend! We stayed with our really good friends who live down there, Adam and Rachel. It was just perfect because our kids had a blast playing together, and it was really fun for us to hang out with them. It had been a while! Adam and Rachel were so great to put up with us for 3 days AND feed us some really good food!

Another great thing about being down there was that it was so warm so we got to play outside a lot! Plus the air was so clean and clear! It was literally a "breath of fresh air," that we all really needed! (by the way, I added my mile splits to my Long Run on Saturday, if you were missing that...)

Saturday and Sunday just couldn't have been nicer, and we couldn't get over how warm it was there even though we used to live there about 4 years ago. We were planning on going rock climbing with Adam's younger brother on Monday, and I was so excited! It had been about a year since we last went.

We woke up Monday morning to find it all wet, though, and still raining. We knew right then that we wouldn't be going climbing. Even if we did want to stick it out and get cold and wet, we wouldn't want to risk breaking holds that become soft when they get wet. I was pretty bummed, and since we had been planning on doing something fun, we wracked our brains to find something fun to do in St. George when it's raining. We decided to go to lunch, then go bowling.

Here's Adam with all the kids at one of our favorite restaurants down there, The Pasta Factory. It was actually kind of weird eating there without having a race to be carb-loading for. In fact, we did a lot of carb-loading this weekend...

After lunch, we went over to the bowling alley, only to find that it was totally packed, with a waiting list to get a lane so we decided bowling wasn't such a great idea, much to Ethan's utter disappointment.

We ended up going to a place called Jumping Jacks where they just have a bunch of blow-up slides and bounce houses for kids to run around and play on. This place was packed as well, but at least there was no waiting. We just had to bring our kids in and let them join the chaos! I think they had a lot of fun, even though Ethan was still sad about not going bowling when we left.

When everyone got nice and worn out, we drove home, fearing it would be snowing the whole way, but it actually ended up only raining a little bit, then clearing up.

We woke up the next morning to find the rain had brought the air quality back to green, and we could actually see the mountains and the blue sky!! I suddenly remembered that I loved living here! I hope it stays nice like this for a while! I did a short run outside that morning, and look forward to doing more!

Lava Feilds

This weekend we are in beautiful St. George, Utah! It is especially beautiful because you can actually see here! You can actually take a deep breath outside without feeling bad. Also, you can actually go outside in a t-shirt!

I went for my long run this morning in short sleeves and capris, and it felt so good! I ran on the running path in Santa Clara, along the lava fields. It was so beautiful. I loved having so many interesting things to look at, and it was also really fun because it was hilly, and by now you probably know how I feel about hills.

Here is the path that I ran on for pretty much my whole run. I remember going for a walk on this path with Pete once when we were dating. Other than that, I didn't really enjoy the beauty of this place as much as I should have while I lived here.

This was my favorite view of the day. I love all the different colors and textures!

When I started out, my legs were feeling pretty stiff and sore, probably from sitting in the car for 5 hours yesterday. I just kept going, though, and when they loosened up they felt better. I didn't take it too easy on my legs, though, so they were never totally comfortable. I did feel really good, though, and so happy to be out running in such nice weather with such a beautiful backdrop.

I ran down the path for 3 miles, then headed back to where I had left my Gatorade bottle at the beginning. I got there at 5.35 miles, and stopped to walk around for about 30 seconds while I drank it, then I put it back in its place and headed back down the path for another mile before heading back to our friends' house.

Mile Splits:

1. 8:53
2. 8:41
3. 9:30
4. 9:16
5. 9:21
6. 9:19
7. 8:57
8. 9:12

Total Distance: 8 Miles

Total Time: 1:13

Average Pace: 9:09 min/mile (WAHOO!)

Best Pace: 5:53 min/mile

After I got some food and a shower, we all headed over to a fun park where the kids all got "dizzied out" on all the spin-y things there. It was a lot of fun, but everyone was ready for a couple hours of resting when we got back.

Ah, it is so nice to be able to play outside!! Here are Mindy, Ethan and Elle with Katie and Isaiah (our friend's kids).

Speed Work on and Empty Stomach

Today I decided to fast for the people in Haiti. I just thought about how so many people are going without food or water right now, on top of hurting physically and emotionally. I thought it was the least I could do. It really did help me keep a prayer in my heart for them all day, and I was on the verge of tears a lot of the day too. I would think, "Oh, I'm not feeling very well. Oh yeah, that's because I haven't eaten." Then I would remember why I wasn't eating. I pray the rescue workers have been able to find some people, and that all those people suffering will somehow find comfort. I haven't watched the news since this morning so I don't really know what's going on but I know Lori still doesn't know anything about her sweet little kids. Please pray for them.

This afternoon, I made sandwiches for our dinner, packed them in the cooler, then loaded the kids in the car and headed over to pick up Pete. When we got there, I was going to grab my sandwich so I'd have something in me before my run, but then I realized that I'd left the cooler at home! Luckily we had some nut bars in the car for just such an emergency so I had one of those.

I dropped Pete and Ethan off at Krav Maga, then I took the girls with me to the gym. Once we got there, I realized that I had also forgotten to pack myself socks. "Oh well", I thought, "I'll just go sock-less." I did that in my last race and it didn't bother me at all so I figured it would be fine. Well, I don't know if it was because I was running on a track, running faster, or what, but it did bother me today. Yeah, I got a couple little blisters. Smart.

Anyway, I did 7 sets of 400 meters on the little indoor track, shooting for under 2:00 each. I was a little worried that not eating all day would negatively affect me and I wouldn't be able to do it without passing out, but I actually felt better today then I did last week! And....I might have even been a little faster!

So, here's what I did:

10:36 - warm up

1 - 2:01 - first set
1:59 - recovery

2 - 2:08 - second set (wow, a little slow...)
2:19 - recovery, and "Hey, wait a minute!" I ran too far on those first 2! I was stopping on the corner after the one I'd started on instead of the one before so I was doing 4 1/4 laps instead of 3 3/4 laps! That was a relief.

3 - 1:55 - much better!!
1:50 - recovery

4 - 2:00
1:45 - recovery

5 - 1:58
2:08 - recovery

6 - 2:04 - getting slow
2:32 - recovery - Now I was deciding if I should do 1 or 2 more because my schedule said 8, but last week I only did 6... Then my ipod died and answered that question for me. I'd just do one more. But, I thought, "I'll show my ipod how fast I can do this alone!"

7 - 2:03

I sure showed that ipod didn't I? Showed it how much I LOVE it! Man. A little disappointed about not doing a faster last set, but oh well. Guess I need to get that ipod charged! At least I felt good the whole time. I actually didn't feel like I was going to throw up or pass out at all like I did the whole time last week! Maybe eating less before a speed workout is good?!

8:03 - cool down

We got Wendy's on the way back to Krav then we watched Pete as he finished his class before going home. It looked like they were working hard!

It was pretty eerie driving home because it was really smoggy/foggy and sometimes it looked like we were driving in the sky or something! Pretty crazy. I'm so excited because we're going to St. George for the weekend so we're going to get a little fresh air! And some warm air too! Wohoo!

Dinosaur Train Workout

My heart goes out to all those thousands of people who are suffering in Haiti right now. It is unbelievable how destructive that earthquake was! There's a lady who works with Pete, Lori, who has been in the process of adopting some kids from Haiti for the past few years. They kind of feel like they are their kids already even though they don't have them, and the orphanage is right in the center of all the destruction. They have no idea if their kids are alive or not. I can't even imagine how she must feel. I feel sick thinking about it, and it's not my kids. I will keep them, and all the people in Haiti in my prayers.

I've been kind of looking around for something I can do to help, and found this website where you can donate to the LDS Church's humanitarian aid fund, and all the money is going strait to Haiti right now. If you feel helpless, like me, and want something to do, you can go to this link: http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse

(Back to my easy, incredibly wonderful life that I am so thankful for!)

Yesterday I was a total slacker. I went back to bed for like an hour after dropping the kids off. Elle was a little angle and just played the whole time too!

I wasn't feeling very well, and the thought of running on a treadmill just made me feel even more sick. I knew that if I went running outside, the bad air probably WOULD make me sick. Ug. So, I just took the day off. I did a little cleaning, but sat around a lot and read my book.

Today, I was kind of feeling the same way. After going to bed late, and having Elle climb into bed with me twice during the night, I turned my alarm clock off and skipped swimming. I had planned on going to Cycle, Tone and Stretch, though, after dropping the kids off at school. But then I felt bad about driving so far when the air quality is so bad, and we're trying to save money on gas when I could just ride my bike on the trainer at home. So, that's what I did.

I haven't been on the trainer since before my Ironman, and I haven't been excited about it, but it ended up being a really good workout! I turned some shows on for Elle and had my own music, but I still couldn't help but watch the shows along with her. Dinosaur Train was especially helpful in making the ride go by quickly, after all they do go through a time tunnel! Ok, that was bad, but I couldn't help it, it was too easy. They were thinking when they made that show up! Kids love dinosaurs, kids love trains. How about a show about dinosaurs AND trains!?

My ride did go by pretty fast, though, and I got a pretty good workout! My heart-rate didn't get as high as in spin class, but I did get it up to 160 for a few minutes.

I rode for an hour, then stretched really good. Then I did 100 crunches, a 30-second plank, and 2 sets of 10 push-ups afterwards to make up for the "tone and stretch" part of the class. Or at least kind of make up for it.

I'm really glad I did this workout today even though I didn't really want to do it. It made me feel so much better!

Swimming this morning:

Warmup, then 2 sets of 5 100s starting every 2:00. Shooting for 1:50.

My stomach was hurting, and I was tempted to just be done after my warmup, but I pushed through. Here are my aproximate times (it was so long ago, how could I remember 10 different numbers??)

1:50
1:50
1:53
1:55
1:55

1:43
1:50
1:55
1:57
1:55

I'm so close to hitting all my 1:50s!! I think Might try starting every 1:55 next time and see if I can get my times closer to 1:45. I liked that 1:43! I felt so good and smooth in the water on that one! Hopefully I can just do that more!

I hurried home to get the kids to school, and burnt my bread trying to make toast in the oven to put my nutella on! Do not try to multi-task while making toast with the broiler! I ended up just putting the nutella on some bread then heading back out the door. After dropping the kids off, Elle and I went to Holliday to do Cycle,Toan and Stretch which is just a fun class. I got a great workout again and will probably be sore tomorrow!

Hills Are My Friend

Hey everybody! Thanks to everyone who came over and gave me encouragement on my last post! Sometimes I guess I just get a bit needy. :)

Thursday night Pete thought he had a early meeting in the morning, so I just planned on not going swimming. Then, after I'd already stayed up late writing in my blog and watching The Duchess, he found out he didn't have to go. Well, since it was already late, I just decided to stick with the plan of sleeping in (until 7, yeah!).

Amazingly, I wasn't really sore from that speed workout the day before when I woke up in the morning! I dropped the kids off at school then went to the store to get a balloon and some candy to give Ethan at the Student of the Month assembly at 9:00. Yep, Ethan was student of the month for his class! I'm so proud of him!

I was a little worried that the assembly would go long and I wouldn't have time to get to the gym and do my workout before the childcare closed, but I ended up being able to get out pretty quick!

I headed over to the gym for a treadmill run. It was supposed to be 5 miles total with 2 miles being at goal 10k pace which is 8:30 min/mile.

Well, I did the first 2 miles with the speed on 6, then as I got closer to the end of the second mile, I started to increase the speed. I had to put it up to 6.8 (I think) to get a 8:34 min/mile pace. I barely managed to finish the mile, and I had to stop for a minute, get off and get a drink when it was over. Then I ran slow, speed on 5, for half a mile before attempting the second mile. I didn't quite get the whole mile at 6.8, I had to slow down just a few clicks because I was afraid I'd fall off the back of the treadmill! Then I ran slow for the last half mile to finish the distance, and make sure I wasn't going to pass out when I got off the machine.

Total Distance: 5 miles

Total Time: 49:21

Last night, Pete's work had a recognition dinner for his team, and it was really fun. He works with some really cool people so it's always fun to get together with them and their wives (who are also really cool of course!). Here I am with two of my friends/other wives.

My sister, Katie, also slept over last night so we planned to do a run together this morning. She's just getting back into running, and we're planning on doing the Utah Valley Marathon together with our sister-in-law in June. She agreed to the run, but with the disclaimer, "I'm really slow." I told her that was ok, that this was my long run so I could go as slow as I wanted!

Today was a long run day for both of us - 3 for her and 7 for me, and I took her up to where I ran last week because it was so much fun! The road we ran on (Bonneville Blvd.) goes around a little canyon and is exactly 3 miles around and back so that's what she was going to do, and I was just going to add a mile before turning around, then run home from where we parked by the Capitol. I started out running with Katie, and it was really fun to have someone to talk to and run with, but I did start itching to run faster. After the first mile, I told her I'd meet her at the car to get a drink and she was fine with running by herself so we parted ways.

I got out of the canyon, ran a mile, then started back down the canyon, and I saw her running up the other side! I just felt so proud of her seeing her run up that road so I had to stop and take a picture!

If you can see her running up that higher road in the picture, then you're really good because I don't think I actually got her in the frame! Sorry Katie! My phone was just too fogged up to even tell what I was looking at, and you can see the lens was fogged up as well. It wasn't really that foggy out there. At least, I don't think it was. It was just really cold, like 23 degrees, but I felt really good the whole time - even when big puffs of white were coming out when I exhaled.

She waited for me at her car so I could get a drink, then she headed back to my house to shower while I ran home. I think she had a good run, and I hope it helped make her excited to run more in the next few weeks while she works her schedule out.

I had a great run, it was just so much fun, and I got going really fast coming down the steep hill from the Capitol. When the road flattened out, I felt really slow so I pushed it really hard for my last few miles! I'm really happy with my speed, and that I pretty much got faster as I went the whole time! Negative splits are the BEST! :)

1. 13:41
2. 10:23
3. 9:22
4. 8:54
5. 8:29
6. 8:14
7. 8:58

Total Distance: 7 Miles

Total Time: 1:08

Average Pace: 9:43 min/mile

Best Pace: 6:22 min/mile (I can't image doing that for more than a few seconds, and on a flat surface!!)

Katie and I talked about how we're both able to go faster running outside than running on a treadmill, and that it's hard to get that good feeling you get at the end of a run when you run on a treadmill. I love running outside, and I'm going to try and do it at least once every week or 2 so I can remember how much fun it is! The air didn't seem as bad today so I hope it wasn't harmful for us to run in it. Being so high up above the valley probably helped too.

I told Katie not to avoid hills when doing her long runs. That's what I did when training for St. George, and I think that was my main downfall. I did all my long runs on hills when I trained for the Ironman and it was just so much better! So I will keep running up and down hills as much as I can. Hills are my friend.

Speed Work = Pain!

Today I saved my workout for the evening to do while Pete and Ethan went to their consecutive Krav Mega classes. Ethan's class starts at 5 so we had to leave at 4 to go pick Pete up then take them to class. Of course, I was 15 minutes late getting out of the house so I was already upset and stressed about them being late when Pete called and asked if I'd brought his stuff. I hadn't even thought of that so I felt really bad because now he wasn't even going to be able to do his class! We still hurried and got Pete, then to Ethan's class and I dropped them off. Pete said he'd be ok just hanging out with Ethan and watching his class until I was done so I stuck with the plan to go do my run at the nearby gym. I dropped Mindy and Elle off at the childcare, and Elle was so excited to have Mindy go in there with her.

I went up to their indoor track which is 15 laps/mile. Ug. So I had to figure out how many laps would be 400 meters, since that's what I was supposed to do today. Speed Intervals. Ug.

I did my first interval and was confused when it said my time was 1:08, then I realized that I'd only done 2 1/4 laps. That would have been 1/4 mile at my old 9 laps/mile gym track. So while I recovered from that little one, I figured out how many laps I was really supposed to be doing, and it took me an amazingly long time to figure out. I do not think fast when I'm running. I figured I was supposed to do 3 3/4 laps for 1/4 mile or about 400 meters. This was pretty easy to do because the track just goes around the gym so it's kind of a rounded square shape so I'd just start at one corner and end at the corner before the one I started at. (It was maybe simpler than it sounds...)

Here's the breakdown of my whole workout, I was shooting for 2:00 intervals:

7:56 (warmup)

1. 1:08 (oops, this one was too short, but I still counted it...)

1:19 (recovery)

2. 2:02 (Real 400, or close to it)

1:50 (recovery)

3. 2:00 (400m)

1:50 (recovery)

4. 2:03 (400m)

1:45 (recovery)

5. 2:01 (400m)

2:46 (recovery)

6. 1:59 (400m)

9:23 (recovery/cool down)

Total Time: 38:08

I really pushed it hard to make those number, and I think I did pretty good. My slowest one being only 3 seconds over my goal. I'm ok with that, and I'm happy that I was able to make my last lap be the fastest again! I did feel like I was going to throw up for most of those intervals, but I think that's how it's supposed to feel. (that doesn't mean I like it, but I'll keep doing it)

I couldn't remember if I was supposed to do 5 or 6 intervals so I just did 6 to be safe. Turns out I was supposed to do 7! Next week it's supposed to be 8!! Yikes, I hope I can handle that without passing out or throwing up. Or both.

I hope this works to make me faster. Do you think it will? Do you think I'll ever be fast?

On the last few intervals, my right calf was really starting to hurt/cramp up, but I just pushed through it. I stretched it really good when I was done. When I got home I made myself a toast with an egg, cheese, turkey and another egg on top for dinner, and drank some O.J. with it. Then I took a hot bath, massaged my calves and put my compression socks on. I hope all these thinks, combined with going to bed pretty soon, will help keep my legs from getting too sore. Is there anything else I can do? I have another run tomorrow, and I hope I'll be able to do it!

Sore, Sore, Sore

Last night I felt so sore from Monday's workout! Especially my arms from the push-ups. I never do push-ups! (But, I still managed to do 2 sets of 10 on my toes! Hence the soreness.) I was so tempted to just not set my alarm and forget about swimming this morning, but I knew that it would probably actually make my arms feel better and that it would be worth it to lose one hour of sleep. Pete even suggested I do some push-ups last night, but that wasn't happening!

My alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, and it was weird because I thought I'd already been pushing the snooze button so I thought I was running late. I must have been dreaming that. I have weird dreams! I wasn't running late, though, so I got up and got ready quickly and went to the pool. A girl in the dressing room complimented me on my toes, and that of course just made my day! My sister, Katie, painted those cute flowers on Christmas and they still look great. She should be a pro!

The pool was really full this morning! Most of the 6 lanes had 2 people in them already. I picked one right in the middle with only one, put my stuff there, sat down and started putting my swim cap, goggles and flippers on while I waited to ask the guy in that lane if I could share with him. He didn't even look at me or acknowledge me in anyway even though my legs were dangling right in front of him, and he was swimming right in the middle! I was just wondering if I should start swimming in that lane anyway and force him to scoot over, or just go to a different lane when the life guard told me that this guy was probably the last person I wanted to share with. I couldn't hear what else she said, maybe that he was inconsiderate or something like that.

The lady two lanes over offered to share with me so I just waddled over there and started my warm-up. Even just using the kick board and fins was quite painful for my arms at first, but once I got loosened up, it really felt quite a bit better!

I got my own lane soon enough when the guy next to us got out. Then 2 ladies came in and asked if they could share with me so we did circle swimming, and it was kind of fun having other people to swim with! I think it actually made me go faster because I didn't want to get in their way or for them to think I was slow. One of them said she thought it made her go faster too. They got out after like 20 minutes or something, and instead of being glad I had my lane back to myself, I was a little disappointed and kind of felt lonely. So... does anyone want to start swimming with me at 6am MW&F?? :)

Here's what I did after warmups:

Distance: 1500 meters

Time: 30:30

I hope it was 1500 meters, I was kind of just keeping an eye on my watch to count laps so it might have been 1450. I know that I hit half-way at like 15:30 so it's possible, and I thought I sped up pretty good towards the end.

I got home with about 5 minutes to spare before it was time to take the kids to school, and what do you know, they're all still in their pjs watching cartoons! Of course, I immediately start yelling and telling them to hurry up and what are you doing watching cartoons!? Mindy's response was that they "didn't know it was morning." I'm like, "If you didn't think it was morning, why are you all awake? Arg!

Apparently, since I set the alarm for Pete to go off at 6:59, when he saw it he thought it was just 6 and that it was my alarm so he turned it off.

I hurried and made some Nutella toasts for the kids (and, ahem, myself) while they got dressed and they ate them in the car on the way to school. Amazingly, I still got them there on time! YEAH!

I still didn't know if Pete needed me to take him to work or if he'd get a ride so I waited around for a while, feeling super tired. When he finally said he had a ride, I needed to leave right then to get to Cycle, Tone and Stretch on time and I wasn't quite ready. I could have still gone, and probably not even been very late, but I decided listen to my tired body and be done for the day. I need to get used to going to that class once a week before I start going twice a week.

I also thought I'd take a nap, but that didn't end up happening. Elle and I took the Christmas tree down, and she was such a good little helper! Seriously, she really helped me, the whole time, until it was all done, and I really think she made it easier for me! Wow! It was just the cutest thing watching this little person work so hard! What a great little girl!

It also felt really good to get the house cleaned up a bit! It seems really empty in here without the tree though! I'm still a little sore, but feeling pretty good. Tomorrow is speed work! Yikes! I will be sore again soon enough!

Smoggy Smog

Ah, the beautiful winter air of Salt Lake City. I actually saw a guy riding his bike with a gas mask on right before Pete took this picture. This is downtown Salt Lake, and this isn't the worst I've seen it, but you can sure see the smog in the distance! The air just smelled bad to me all day too, I could hardly stand to be outside in it at all.

Tuesday, I didn't even look at my schedule because I was so sure I just had to do a 30 minute tempo run (though, it turns out I was supposed to do a 40 minute tempo run, oops!). This is how Hal Higdon, the guy who I adapted my training plan from, defines a tempo run:

Tempo Runs: A tempo run is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace.(Notice I said "near," not "at.")... A Tempo Run of 30 to 40 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes easy running, building to to peak pace for 10-20 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout. (You don't need to maintain peak speed for more than a few minutes toward the middle of the workout.) You can do tempo runs almost anywhere: on the road, on trails or even on a track.

That's what I did yesterday. I did it on the treadmill (for obvious reasons), and it was really hard! My top speed was 7 which was like 8:34 or something like that. It was hard. I think I managed half a mile at that pace, then had to go down to 5 for a while. I brought it back up to 6 to finish off my run, but I still didn't quite make 3 miles during the half hour that I ran. Oh well, like I said before, I'm going to try not to get too worked up about treadmill speeds.

Double Duty!

I got up early this morning, ready to start a new week, and a new year of training! As nice as Christmas break was, I really started to miss my routine. I'm also excited to really try out my handmade training plan!

First off was a trip to the pool. It was really warm in there! A lot of older people use that pool so maybe they're catering to them. Anyway, I started off with my usual warm-up:

200 kick,

200 swim

200 pull

200 swim

Then I started into my intervals. I did 100 meters every 2:00, shooting for 1:50 each. I did better today:

1. 1:50
2. 1:50
3. 1:50
4. 1:53
5. 1:55

So close on that first set! I rested for long time between sets, maybe 5 minutes. I really hoped this would help me be able to pull off the same kind of numbers for set #2:

1. 1:45 (oops, got a little carried away I guess)
2. 1:55
3. 1:55
4. 2:00 I rested for :55 after this one because I wanted to be able to hit my last one.
5. 1:50

So, I wonder if it would be better for me to have longer rests between the 100s so that I can hit the times I want, or if I should just keep doing them every 2:00 and try to get used to it. Please chime in if you have any advice about that! :)

I did 150 to cool down, alternating between slow swimming and backstroke.

After swimming, I rushed home to get the kids to school, then Elle and I went on an adventure across the valley to a new gym! It's actually one of the county rec. centers, so I have a pass to it already, but we'd never been to this one. It was the Holliday-Lions facility, and it's pretty nice. They've actually got a pool with a few lanes open for lap swim during the daycare time so I was kind of like, "man, I didn't have to wake up so early!" But, at the same time, I was glad I had already done my swim, and that I was there to do spin class! Yeah! Actually, it's called "Cycle, Tone & Stretch" and it's an hour and a half long. I didn't really know what to expect, but I figured it would be a regular spin class with some yoga-type stuff afterwards. I was quite wrong there!

It was just a normal spin (I guess I should say Cycle) class, but afterwards, we didn't just lounge around and stretch, we did a bunch of drills. We did squats, push-ups, ladder drills in the gym, backwards push-ups, crunches and walking/running around the gym. I actually forgot to bring my running shoes, I just had my street Skechers for all this so I was a little worried. It ended up being fine, though. We didn't do that much running. I was happy to be the first one done with the ladder drills both times we did them, though! (no, I'm not competitive at all!) That was hard, and after the second one, my throat started hurting and I kept coughing for the rest of the class, and the next hour or so! Weird.

It was a great workout, my arms were probably like, "What? I thought we already did our workout for the day?!" They're a little sore, but I think it's going to be a good class to go to, and Elle liked the daycare, so I'll be there again on Wednesday. Anyone want to go with me?? :)

Hills are Fun!

You know what, I actually like running on hills. Call me crazy, but yesterday I had a really hard run and it was just around my neighborhood where it's pretty flat. Today I actually drove to my starting point because I wanted some new scenery. My run ended up being a bit hilly, and I had a much better time! Of course, it could have also been better because I was calling this a "recovery run" and taking it pretty easy... Who knows! It does seem like all my favorite runs are on hills, though.

I decided that I wouldn't worry about what speed I was going, and that I wouldn't push myself to go faster. I also didn't hold back, and had fun on the downhills! I just let my legs go whatever speed they wanted, and here's what they did:

1. 10:16
2. 10:17
3. 9:58
4. 9:04
5. 8:55
6. 9:29

Total Distance: 6.1 miles

Total Time: 58:05

Average Pace: 9:40 min/mile

It was really hard to get going. My legs were still sore, and felt like they were made of lead. For the first 2 miles, I didn't even want to be out running and I just let myself go really slow. The road I ran on is kind of made for running. It's a one-way road for cars, and runners/bikers get the other lane. It was fun to be out running with so many other runners! After a while I realized, "Hey, I AM A RUNNER, and I'm doing this!" That's when I started to get into it and really enjoy it. I still didn't push myself to go fast, but I did go faster. I really did enjoy the downhills, but I enjoyed the uphills too. Call me crazy!

On my last mile, I was running behind a couple, and taking it pretty easy for a while. Then I decided to pass them, and it was such a great feeling to pass them and just keep running strong. I was listening to Bohemian Rhapsody so I was like, "Do you think you can stop me and spit in my eye? Do you think you can love me and leave me to die?" (to myself of course) and I just felt so good and happy. Running is awesome!

I also started to get really hungry on my last mile. Why did I go running at lunch time?? When I got home, I hurried and made myself some ham, eggs and toast. After I got ready, we went to Costco where Pete and the kids just had pizza while I did the shopping. After all, I had already eaten. By the time I got done, though, I was hungry again and finished off their ice cream, then had a piece of pizza when we got home. I've kind of been feeling like that all day, and also really tired, and my legs are sore. What's up with that? It feels like I ran 15 miles today instead of an easy 6. Do you think I'm still sore from the speed work on Wednesday? Or from the tempo run yesterday? I don't know, I just hope I can recover before I really get back into my workout schedule on Monday.

New Years Resolutions

I had a pretty awesome New Years Eve. Maybe even the best ever, but that's hard to say. I would maybe even say 2009 was the best year yet, but that's even harder to say so I won't say it.

First thing in the morning I went to the store and got laundry detergent so I could get the laundry going. After I started the first load, we all headed over to the Gateway to cash in our Christmas gift cards. We were all very excited!

First off we went to the Apple Store and got me my iphone.

Isn't it beautiful? I got a white one like Pete's, but with a nice grey cover so we can tell them apart. I love it so much, and already wonder how I ever managed without one! This will make my days without a computer much nicer!

Next we went to Build-a-Bear and got Mindy and Elle the most expensive stuffed animals they've ever gotten, or will probably ever get. It was a lot of fun though, and it was interesting to see what they chose:

This is Mindy's bunny and she named her Princess. She's very soft and cuddly, and I must say it's probably what I would have picked. Good one, Min!

This is Elle's owl who she named Sally, though afterwards she was saying she wished she would have named her Owl, and she's been calling her "my bunny" all day so I don't know which name will stick. I love that it's an owl (who has wings), but she also has fairy wings. Those are for just in case, I guess! It's really cute though, and she can turn her head all the way around! It was Pete's favorite animal so I think he had a little bit of an influence over her getting it.

You're probably wondering, "Hey, wait, why didn't Ethan get one?!" No, we don't only love the girls and leave the boy with nothing. He's actually the reason any of them got to do it because he got to go to Build-a-Bear for a class field trip a few weeks ago. Awesome field trip right!? Yeah, except for for the parents of the kids with siblings.

This is Ethan's frog named Hoppy. His little pants are always falling off, but he's still pretty darn cute! I think my kids are pretty creative with their stuffed animal choosing. :)

When we got home, after lunch and some Dough Girl cookies (yum!), I got all dressed up and went out with Stacy from Three Winks Studio Photography to do a photo shoot. I'm used to being the one doing the shooting (video), but this time I was the subject! I was really nervous that I'd look like a dork, but I ended up just having a really fun time out in the snow! I'll tell you more when she gets the photos up so you can see them.

We had a fun dinner of different meats, cheeses, fruit and breads. It's kind of a traditional German dinner, or Abendbrot, and it has become our New Years Eve tradition. Pete served an LDS mission in Germany for 2 years before we met so he introduced us to this, and we love it!

Once the kids were in bed we folded 4 loads of laundry then watched Matchstick Men. It got over just in time for us to listen to the fireworks that were going off around our neighborhood. It doesn't sound that exciting, but I think it was just what we needed after such a busy couple of weeks!

On to today: (Man, this post is getting long!)

I got the rest of the laundry done today and got pretty much the whole mess from our trip to St. George cleaned up, and that included cleaning our bikes. Driving with them through a snow storm doesn't really help them look shiny and new. They're looking much better now, though, and I set my bike up on the trainer so it will be ready to go whenever I am.

Once I got all that taken care off, I skipped outside for a nice easy run. It was just supposed to be 5 miles, going my 10k goal pace of 8:30 for 2 tiny little miles. Easy right? Not quite. It was a beautiful day and I didn't even really get too cold, but I think my legs still hadn't recovered from my speed work the other day. They were still a bit sore when I left, and boy are they sore now! Here are my mile splits:

1. 9:34
2. 9:22
3. 8:37
4. 8:46
5. 9:48

Total Distance: 5 miles

Total Time: 46:21

Average pace: 9:14 min/mile

SO close, but not quite 8:30 on 3 & 4! It was hard to even get those times, though, and I'm happy with the overall workout even though it was hard and my calves were starting to cramp on that last mile.

Mindy took this picture of me while I was stretching. (She actually took all the pictures for this post, except for the iPhone one, so you can thank her for getting me started on the whole stuffed animal thing.) You can't see it, but I'm also checking twitter on my new iPhone while I'm stretching in this picture. I love anything that makes multi-tasking easier!

Now here's a good picture to sum up my accomplishments in 2009:

Mine and Pete's medals are both hanging there to remind us that anything is possible! Also that we're awesome, but mostly that anything is possible. I will do another Ironman, but not this year.

What are my New Years Resolutions for this year then? I thought you'd never ask:

1. Pay the credit card off (I won't even tell you how much is on there, it's obscene)
2. Have family home evening every Monday
3. Read from the scriptures every day
4. Finish the whole Bible
5. Be more patient with my kids
6. Give my kids more positive feedback
7. Go to the temple more often
8. Finish a marathon in under 4 hours
9. Qualify for Age Group Nationals at BAM

Some of those I will be able to check off the list, and some of them will be on-going goals. I think it's good to have both kinds.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2010!