Number 8 Half Completed

Last Saturday I ran another half marathon with Katie, her friend, and my friend Brittany.

It's been 3 years since my last one. No money and no time will do that. This year I was up for another one and feeling settled enough to tackle the training that goes into these. Except we are already a month into school and I am feeling anything but settled. Our school board pulled a fast one this summer, moving our short day (aka, planning day) from Wednesday to Friday. That's a rant for whole 'nother day.

The original race plans included way more in our party. All four of us sisters and Kiersten and Jason were going to run the Little Grand Canyon that takes you through part of the San Rafael Swell. Two months before that race they cancelled and kindly refunded our money.

(I found this shirt at the DI to commemorate the race we were supposed to have run.)

However, we still needed another race within the same time frame and that still cost about the same. That's hard to do when pricing starts to go up. We found one outside of Richfield . . . the Clear Creek Half . . . and our party was reduced to me and Katie and some friends to fill the family void.

It was a cold morning, high on that mountain, as we waited to start. It only took three miles for my hands to unthaw. At about mile 7 a runner passed me. She and I played leap frog for the next three or four miles as she told me this was her first half and she hadn't really trained. Oh no, I thought. She doesn't know what's in store for that last couple of miles. They can be brutal. At mile 11 I caught up with her again and she was struggling and asked if we could finish together. I wasn't aiming for a particular time but knew I wouldn't finish within my usual time span if I stayed back to finish with her. I went on ahead slowly, but would stop and glance back every so often to make sure she was coming. I knew I had to keep moving forward or my legs would stop working. She would catch up and then I would go on ahead again. We did this until the last half mile where she caught up and we ran together. Even though she could see the finish line, she kept telling me she couldn't do it. And I kept encouraging her as she crossed that finish line, her first half marathon completed.

Life's journey has us all at different places along the path. It's not a race to a final destination, but a journey with ups and downs and side trips and aid stations and setbacks and helpers. May I never become so distracted with my agenda and my goals that in my race to the "finish line" I leave someone behind who could have used my encouragement and help.

**Love my sister even though she never lets me win.

And love my neighbor and friend who runs with me even though I'm a slow turtle. 

New school beginnings

Back to high school for two. One starts junior high. The youngest is in a new elementary with the same teacher he had in kindergarten.

And the one in green is a college freshman at UVU.

Can you imagine fitting everything you own in a car? I guess I did once. Her dad and I dropped her off a week ago after first hitting the dentist to fix a cavity or two.

While en route to Orem she got an email reminding her of orientation at 3pm, something she should have known about but didn't. We got there with enough time to drop her stuff, rush her to Walmart to pick up some perishables, and dash back to her meeting. That gave Tyler and I just enough time to speed back to Salt Lake City to catch Nate's cross country race. There was literally no time for extended goodbyes or tears.

The morose feelings came several days later as our family moped around the house in search of one less person in our home.

Not really. We love that she is enjoying one of the most memorable times of life. At least it was for me. That said the first week away from home is probably one of the hardest . . . thinking about what your family is doing, eating, all why you are not there.

And Tyler and I? Well, it's official. I started a new job as a para educator with the severe special needs students at the CLC building. It's been an interesting week but quite rewarding. I should also be starting school the middle of October to obtain my teaching license.

Tyler is still surviving the circus he calls a job. Every day he arrives home with new stories to tell.

These are the days of . . . 
* Lake Point Days race. Alex ran the 1 mile while the others completed the 5k.

*Mulch Man . . . whatever in the heck that is. The kids will play for hours out on the playground.

*New drivers. AHHHHHHHH!!!! That's all I have to say about that :)

Another chance at a dance date

Erik finally succumbed to our pleadings and is headed to Homecoming, his first actual dance. The lucky girl got a pizza delivered to her door with Erik dressed in his pizza delivery uniform from Hometown Pizza. Oh, did we have fun concocting how he would ask her.

What's happening in my yard
Our peaches are sooooooo close to being fully ripe. My dad tried to pawn some of his off on me last week and I had to decline. We are overloaded this year. The fruity peach smell in our little orchard is simply divine. I've picked them as they've fallen and picked a few off the trees to make peach pie filling, dried peaches, peach cobbler, and fruit leather, but the majority are going to ripen this week I believe.

These are the days of . . . 
*Cooler fall temperatures that allow me the luxury of leaving windows open at night. Ash simply doesn't appreciate it and complains most mornings about it being too cold. I don't know . . . 68 or 69 doesn't seem terribly cool when I know it's going to warm up during the day.

*Lake Point Days race. Alex begged me to sign him up for a race at the beginning of the summer. I hesitated, not knowing if we'd be around for Lake Point Days since it fell over our traditional Ferron Peach Days weekend. He ran well and loved it.

Erik smack-talked Nate all year, telling him how he was going to beat him. Erik ran well, but didn't come close to Nate who gave it his all at the end to come in 2nd.

I can't believe this is the same kid from 7 years ago. I think his form has improved a little.

Nate actually had time to walk back a 100 yards and run with Erik when he came around the corner.

Ash also took home a medal for being the only teenage girl to race, even though she's not even 12 yet.

*Early morning orchestra. Thankfully, we are only driving to the jr. high two times a week instead of three.

*Football games have taken over our life again. It's kind of like school. I love it when they start. They seem to signal the beginning sweater and soup weather. But, man do I celebrate the Superbowl because it means the death of football for another season, and I couldn't be happier.

Racing with a prayer

I completed my 7th half marathon and Kiersten and Nate both have two under their belts with the completion of the Crandall Canyon Half.

This was a harder race than the others due to a lack of training. I did get a couple of long runs in but not enough mileage. This summer was jammed packed with so many events that I just didn't have the time to devote. I'm so glad I didn't sign up for that marathon I was thinking about earlier this year.

Kiersten and Nate froze while we waited for the bus to pick us up

and transport us to the top of Huntington Canyon which was beautiful. We were dropped off by Electric Lake where a mist of clouds hung around the mountains. After we all boarded the bus, the race director offered a prayer. That was so impressive and something that has never happened before. I was touched by that simple gesture.

I also got reacquainted with a childhood friend at the race start but that's the last I saw of her. With only around 25 competitors you were bound to run a majority of it by yourself which I did. With no one to keep my eye on, I lagged quite a bit.

Nate took 2nd overall. I overheard a comment as he was exiting the porta-potty at the start. Some lady looked at him and said, "That kid's gonna beat us all." Kiersten did pretty well herself.

These two have improved a great deal in endurance and speed and were BOTH invited to HARC -- High Altitude Running Camp, a camp sponsored by their coaches. It is invitation only and in years past not many freshmen have been included. Kiersten was super excited to have Nate join her in this adventure. They camped in Big Cottonwood Canyon for 4 days and ran, Ran, RAN . . . mostly uphill twice a day.

I have never had to push or cajole them into running the miles they do. It is something they've wanted for themselves and they get up and do it.

School doesn't start until Monday and already we've had two cross country races. Settlement Canyon was a disappointment to both but the Highland Invitational was a success. Nate smashed his old time, coming in at 19:04. 

Kiersten also PR'd by about 40 seconds and was the first JV to cross the finish line from our school.


What's happening in my yard
I didn't get around to harvesting my artichoke and was pleasantly surprised to see a stunning lavender flower atop it one morning. It looks like the petal below it is about ready to flower also.

Good things
ripening apple tree
apple crisp
heck, anything apple in the fall

Thanksgiving

I'm so grateful for this week of Thanksgiving that segues to a celebration of our Savior's birth. Love this time of year, but more importantly love the baby who gave us a reason to celebrate. Hosanna to God and the Lamb.

The day started out with a quasi fun run on one of the most beautiful Thanksgiving mornings I can remember. You would have thought we lived in Phoenix, except you can see snow on the mountains. How grateful I am to live in such a beautiful world. Sunrises and sunsets are some of my favorite things.

All this race cost us was a can of food and we brought several. Kiersten and Nate have had a goal all year long to run a 10K race. They aren't the easiest races to come by and it never came to fruition this summer. This little race put on by the Tooele Running Club had three races you could choose between: a 5K, a 10K, or a half marathon. I immediately said no to the half marathon. If I don't get a shirt and a medal at the end, it just isn't worth it. I'm only half serious about that last sentence.

So I opted for the 5K only because I haven't run in over a month. It's been hard to find time this month and I'm beginning to think my only time is at night, after I've got the kids bedded down. How grateful I am for a body that works and allows me to do so many wonderful things.

Kiersten and Nate chose the 10K and finished together. I'm so stinkin' proud of them. I love watching my kids set their own goals and accomplish them. I love being a mom! It is the most rewarding career there is and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

We've become the chauffeurs for Grandma Leary and love it. I'm grateful that my kids have had this opportunity to get to know their great grandma and she knows them as well. Tyler was pretty certain she had a Mt. Dew or two before we picked her up because she talked nonstop all the way there and all the way back.

Cross Country

Last spring several girls in our ward tried very hard to convince Kiersten to join the cross country team.

So she did.

And she said it was one of the best decisions she ever made.

She consistently went to practices all summer long and Nate often tagged along with her.

The cross country program at Stansbury High School has quite a name for itself, and I think it all comes down to the coaching. There are over 100 kids on the team, no one is turned away, and the coaches are all well loved.

Last week was state competition and the end of cross country season. Kiersten's a little bummed about having to return to real live, as in taking back her piano students that I have been teaching.

She improved a lot from the time she first started running. There was a time I could beat her, but not anymore. At the race in Saratoga Springs she woke up that morning and told herself she was going to PR in that race. And she did.

She is a girl who sets her mind to something and accomplishes it.

Two half marathons this summer

Ever since my first half marathon in 2011 I've signed up to run one every summer. It keeps me running. This summer I signed up for two since my running buddy may be out of commission next year.

She thinks she wants to start a family. Sheesh.

Maybe my other running buddy will do one with me. It's no fun to run if no one is there to get early with ya, hang out at the start, train (kind of), finish with ya. My family hasn't been to the last three which is totally okay at this point in the game. I really liked having them there for my first, cheering me on at the end. Everyone needs that on their first. The second was fun to have them there. But now that it's become a hobby, I'm okay not having someone cheer me on at the end, but I do kind of like having SOMEONE to celebrate with. Thirteen miles is a big accomplishment.

And that's where my sisters come in, my running friends.

My first half this summer was Bryce Canyon. I'd never been to Bryce despite living so close my entire life. It turned into a mini-vacation. We rented a hotel room where the race route ran right by it. All my kids had to do was walk a 100 yards to watch me run by. I told them this would be a faster race and that I expected to be there in about an hour and 15 minutes. The only one waiting for me was Jacob who snapped a photo and Nate who ran the remainder with me. 

I loved that he would do that. One of his summer goals was to run a 10k. We never did find a race that worked with our schedules but I definitely count this. It might not have been his race, but it was still a race.

The first two miles of this race was a steep 8% grade. I decided to just let myself go and not hold back. It was a relief when it finally leveled out. I got my personal record on his course . . . 2:14. I give credit to that first two miles. And Katie tells me I was only four minutes behind her. Now that is impressive. I'm never even close to what she runs.

My second half was Mt. Nebo in Payson. Several weeks ago I was talking to some new neighbors who are runners and they let me know that it was a killer course. Mostly downhill and fast. They both PR'd on this course.

Uh oh! They were so right. It was fast and I hurt way more today than I have with any other races. Our stake conference was today in the Conference Center and I wasn't sure I could make the walk from the car to the building. Here's proof I made it.

I was rockin' and rollin' until about mile 10. I remember hitting mile 6 and then being surprised that I was at mile 7 and then was even more surprised at mile 8. It seems I flew down the mountain. I caught up with Katie at around mile 12 and hooped and hollered and danced around (don't know where that energy came from) that I had caught up to her. It was so much fun to run in together. Although I kept stopping to walk and she kept pushing me. We couldn't let the 2:05 pacers beat us. Can you see the pain on my face.

And then I thought here's my chance to finally beat Katie. It's never happened before. I tried holding her back at the finish line . . . 


Yep. She beat me by one second. Maybe even a half a second.

It's so hard to push yourself when there's nothing let to give. It's been a summer for personal records. I smashed my Bryce Canyon PR by 9 minutes, coming in at 2:05. I've shaved off 20 minutes from my Little Grand last September.

I've now run a half marathon for each of my five kids. I'm not sure what next year will bring, but I sure hope I can keep doing one a year at least.