Double Ditched

Josh and I had  been planning a running date for a while.  His sister was kind enough to offer to come watch our kids so we could go early and run.  Our plan was for him to do 15 miles.  I was going to drive a few miles down the road and meet him on the trail.  Then I was going to run about 7 miles total, drive home- and meet him when he got back.  Unfortunately, he rolled his ankle playing basketball on Thursday.  Since he's got his first half in 2 1/2 weeks, he decided to take it easy.  So then, I called my SIL (the one that was going to watch our kids) and she said she would run with me.  At 4:30 AM!!!!- I got a text from her saying she had been up for hours not feeling good.  Bummer!  Double ditched. Anyhow, I woke up just after 6 and began my run just as the sun was rising.

It was a very beautiful morning.  I have only run on the Rio Grande trail a couple times, and only for about .5 mile at a time.  I ended up running over 6 miles.  Josh picked me up at the end, so I was able to run south the entire time.  I felt great for most of it.  After mile 5, I started getting light-headed and seeing black spots.  But I pushed through mile 6.  The scenery was beautiful!  I can't wait to do it again...hopefully with someone by my side!

I thought I would share my favorite 5 running songs at the moment.  I love music so much, it's hard to pick just 5.  But here is what I'm feeling right now:

#1 is an awesome song if you are feeling worn out or tired.  It pumps me up and motivates me to go faster and I feel like it gives me the extra energy I need.

#2 is great at keeping my pace up.  It is the exact tempo I like.

#3 is kind of a nostalgic song for me, so it brings back happy memories and keeps my mind off any pain I may have.  It has a great beat too.

#4 is another good one for pumping me up.  The tempo isn't the fastest, but the lyrics are motivating.  I love Andy Grammer!

#5 is my favorite song to start out on.  It's a bit slower, but again, the lyrics help me get my head in the game.

Inspirational Quote #3

Our 4th of July

This morning, Josh got up bright and early to run the Kaysville Rotary 10K.  I was so excited to take the kids and cheer him on, but a couple of them were a little sick, so we stayed home.  (I made him take a pic since I wasn't there, and the above shot is what he sent me.)

Josh ran the 6.4 miles in 54:17...awesome!!

Since we couldn't go cheer on Josh, we decided to get some patriotic donuts.  After breakfast, we decided last minute to go to the Layton parade.  We hung out with cousins and cheered on grandpa as he ran by in the parade.  That evening, we went to my parents house for a BBQ and my summer favorite: homemade ice cream!  Then Grandpa put on a fireworks show, and we loved every minute.

Happy Independence Day!!

Kaysville Rotary 10k

This morning I ran in the Kaysville Rotary 4th of July 10k.  I had two goals for this race, finish my first 5k in under 25 minutes and complete the full race in under 55.  I manged to squeak in on both goals.  I hit the 3.1 mile mark at 24:48 and finished the race in 54:17.

I've never been much of a distance runner.  I'm wired more for speed than miles and miles of plugging along.  I know I'll never be competitive at these distances, but that's the great thing about running.  You can always compete with yourself.  This race was a challenge for me.  Although the weather had cooled down a bit, it was very humid because of the rain that had been falling all night.  It made it pretty tough to breathe and cool off since my sweat wouldn't evaporate.

This race felt like a moral victory.  Even though I felt pretty horrible the whole time I was running I managed to beat my goals even though it took quite a kick at the end of the race since I slowed down quite a bit during mile 5.  This was a good prep run, but I'm excited for the half marathon coming up on the 24th.

Hot Runnin' and Seven Peaks

Today's high reached 103 (according to my calculations.)  I skipped my Saturday run, because by the time Josh got back, it was almost 90 degrees.  But I knew I needed to get out today.  Josh ran 3.15 miles and was back right as the sun was starting to come up.  He advised me to go a different route (much more shady than my usual), and my 3 mile run was really nice.  I need to let my body get used to the heat, but until then- I'm going to do everything I can to stay cool!!

Speaking of which, after my run, I took the kids to Seven Peaks.  My sister and her 5 boys are up from St. George for a week, so we met them there and had a blast!  I haven't been there for about 9 years.  It hasn't changed much- but was much more crowded.  And can you believe they make you pay for shade?  It's true.  Ridiculous.  But so fun.

Catchin' some waves.

Me, my kids, and my 5 handsome nephews.

5 Tips To Get Your Bum Out Of Bed

Workout this morning: 3 mile run.  It was HOT and I swear there was no shade to be found.  (It's going to be real fun this weekend when the highs are supposed to reach 102!)

Josh didn't end up going out because his back is messed up!  Get better, boy!

Sometimes it is really hard to get myself out of bed to go on an early run, but with Josh's schedule, and needing to be back in time to feed my kids breakfast and get them ready for the day- morning is just plain practical.

If you're not a morning person, try these tips to help you get yourself out of bed and on the road! (These are not serious tips, by the way.  Don't go calling DCFS on me.)

• Start With A Donut: It's the perfect pre-running fuel.  Not too heavy, and gives you plenty of energy.  Isn't it a super-food?
• Ignore Your Children: For years, my kids have been my alarm clock.  Now at 7 AM sharp, when I hear them calling "Mooom" from their room, I grab my sneakers and run! And when I get back, Josh has them dressed, fed, and playing nicely together...er, something.
• Picture Your Serenity:  Seriously though, one of the reasons I love morning runs is because it allows me to clear my head and think about the kind of day that is ahead.  I swear my children are all the more better for it.
• Be Prepared:  I know some people who sleep in their running clothes so they have to do as little as possible when they wake up.  Me? I am in the middle of inventing a machine that gets me into my garb, pulls my hair up, and kicks me out the door while I'm still sleeping.  Every minute is precious.
• End With Donuts:  What more can I say?

Inspirational Quote #2