Antelope Island

Saturday morning we woke up to a insane thunderstorm. Darren came to our room around 5 am with his giraffes totally afraid of the thunder. We spent a few minutes looking at the weather app and talking about storms but then it was time to get up and get ready for the Antelope Island Stampede race that Daniel and I were supposed to run at 8 am. I could only think about my still-new and pricey running shoes getting all muddy on the trail but luckily by the time we got there the trail had drained pretty nicely. Darren stayed with Maren and David and went to Max's football game (thanks guys!). I have been sick for a week now so I wasn't feeling 100% well but I still enjoyed running the now familiar White Rock trail. I placed 10th overall (female) and 3rd on my age group. I was 25 sec slower than last year so I felt slightly disappointed.

What I'm really proud about is Daniel's courage to run with me when he had basically no time to train (we only did the 5k) and he didn't do bad at all, I think all that morning basketball paid off and the few times he was able to make it to the gym the past month. He completed the race in 35 minutes placing 4th on his age group. So hooray for Daniel!

This is what the island looked like at 7:30am.

Yes, there's a bison on the right side of the picture..and it makes me so scared to think about finding one on the trail. YIKES!

Next week: The Classic Race in Layton. I'll be running the 10k :)

Random Shoe Post

I love running...There's something (or many things) about it that make me happy. I love the way it makes me feel when I'm done with a run and even while I'm running and I'm experiencing pain, I know, it  doesn't make sense at all, but ask any runner and I'm pretty sure most of them would agree.

Running has been almost therapeutic for me, it makes me take my emotional "junk" and leave it on the road. It calms me down and helps me think more clearly (unless some annoying ladies at the gym decide to talk non-stop and I can't tune them out), it makes me focus on my myself and the way I breathe. Henry David Thoreau once said: " Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow" and it is true.

I run pretty much every day, most days at the gym and some days around my neighborhood. I've completed a few 5K's and a 10K ( mud race). My numbers are not impressive but I am VERY consistent and I'm proud of that. My next goal is a half marathon, I don't know when it will happen but I know I will complete it...my real goal is to run the Disney princess half marathon, who knows, maybe one day I'll think about a full marathon ;)

Running has helped me learn and prove to myself (little by little) that I'm much stronger than I think. There's a constant battle between your brain and your body when you run, and this has forced me to "feed" my brain with positive thoughts and say "yes, I can", "5 more minutes", "run to the next mail box"...It's taught me that sometimes you have to go through pain to get the reward. In many occasions if I fight through the pain I notice that the pain goes away eventually and I'm able to run more comfortably. It's mind over body...  I love the fact that I can do this by myself, it's something I have to do on my own, nobody can get to "the next mail box" for me. It is personal. Every pain, every gain, every mile, every blister, every PR, every drop of sweat, every struggle, there are all mine... and I LOVE it!

Running has also been something I can do with Darren. Every now and then we will go together for a couple of miles and he does a great job keeping up. I really hope he develops a love for the sport someday. It's also something that Daniel and I have been able to do together. Last year we ran the Dirty Dash as the "Dash-mores" and we had a blast!!! It was a fun 10k on a muddy trail at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Best crazy experience ever!



 

How did I get into running? Simple, no rocket science here. Daniel started to run a couple of years ago and I saw how dedicated he was. We went to a couple of his races and I just loved it! So, I really owe it to him :) Daniel has been very supportive, always making sure I have time to get out there and run. He knows how important is to me and he benefits from it because I return home in a good mood ;)
He always makes sure I have new running shoes every 6 months because they wear out quick and he knows I have a hard time spending money on nice shoes but I guess that's always cheaper than paying medical bills, right?

I haven't experimented with a lot of shoes, the first time he took me to Striders I found this Saucony Triumph that I absolutely love so no need to try different ones...maybe I should but I'm pretty happy with them. So, anyway, this random post has more to do with the fact that Daniel bought me new running shoes and I'm dying to go try them out on Monday :) I'm just so grateful for him and the way he watches over me :)

 OMG They look so clean!!! 

Happy running to me!

We are "Insane"

DIG DEEP and STAY FOCUSED...

Those are some of the newest, most heard phrases at home since Daniel bought the fitness program called INSANITY about a month ago, and it's just as intense and insane as they show it on tv. Shaun T. is the super fit guy in charge of making Daniel throw up (literally) and me want to cry every time I have to do another "burpee". I gotta say we have seen some results but we still struggle with our eating habits UGH. We are trying to eat as clean as we can and make better choices when it comes to carbs. Daniel keeps playing basketball twice a week and I'm still going to the gym, faithfully, every day for about 1 1/2. My knees are in constant pain (which I know it's not good) but my push ups are getting so much better and I feel stronger and happier.
What we love about this workout is that we don't need any additional equipment and you really have to push yourself, seriously, how can you enjoy something that is so hard? but my favorite thing is that I get to do something with my best friend :)
This workout is packed with plyometric drills, non stop strength intervals, power, resistance and core training. Includes 10 DVDs, nutrition plan, fitness guide and a workout calendar. Sweating is 100% guaranteed and free too :)

Carmen Skidmore: The Running Machine

Many of you probably realize that Carmen really likes running. I mean she really likes running. It is difficult to really express how much. This link will help a little bit though to understand the dedication and love she has for the sport.

The running is the perfect example of Carmen's approach to all she does. If she does something, she does it 100 %. What a great example to all of us.

Congratulations Carmen, we are so proud of you.

Click here: Carmen's 2011 Running Totals

Better Together: Darren and Daniel Video

Carmen got her creative juices going and put together an awesome video showcasing Darren and I hanging out after my two races last year; the City Creek 8K and the Layton Classic 10K.
Darren was so excited after both races. The 8K pictures are right after the race when we took a walk in the great City Creek Canyon. We paused by a river and tossed rocks in. Darren really got into the rock throwing and then of course he ran down the canyon as fast as he could look for rocks to throw in whenever he saw even a little bit of the river. It was a beautiful day.
After the 10K we also went for a short walk and ended up sitting in the Layton Park. Carmen, Darren, Bebe Giraffe, and I sat and made up stories. On this particular day Darren was telling us about his building. Exciting facts such as how tall it was, what type of rooms is in it. Darren has such an imagination.
Special thanks to Carmen for putting these special pictures together in such a wonderful way.

I...(GASP)...Made....(GASP)...It!

The Classic 10k

It is done! I have completed my 10k in a blistering 1 hour and 2 minutes. The weather was perfect and Darren and Carmen were there cheering when I finished. Take a look at the above picture and I will answer you question, "yes I was as tired as I looked".

The first half of the course half was up hill (not fun) and the second half went down hill (even less fun since I was tired).
After the race we walked in the Layton Park for a while. Were chased by ducks, and had donuts. We also stopped by a tree and Darren told stories. Below are a few of our favorite photos.


A great day!!!

City Creek 8K - DONE

After 8 weeks of intensive training (coke, chips, and I only ate at Macdonald's once a week) I ran the City Creek 8K. It was half trail half street. The first half going up hill on the trail was difficult but the street portion running back was much nicer.
Carmen and Darren were there at the end and we had a nice walk in the City Creek trails and park after.
My finish time was 53 minutes. By comparison the best time was 32 minutes and there was a 15 year old girl who did it in 35 minutes. So I am proud that I did it but I do have a lot of room to improve.
Next step, the Classic 10K in Layton on September 13.
More pictures to the right.