Weekend Fun.

Well, I saw the doctor last Monday and he diagnosed plantar fasciitis and a heel muscle strain, so they casted me for orthotics and I can't run for 3 months. I was really sad about it, but I'm coming around and just hoping that by the end of the 3 months, it'll be feeling better and I'll be able to get back to my routine.

On Friday I went to Provo for an eye appointment and saw lots of my old work friends, like Ashley and Pam and Megan, which is always fun. Then I met up with Janae, which to me felt like eating froyo with a celebrity, but she is really sweet and fun even though she is famous :)

Photo cred: Janae, and the Yogurtland employee

Saturday was super busy - gym, Target, took Caesar to get a microchip, made sugar cookies, sushi, went to a BYU/Utah basketball game.

Sunday was mostly normal, except that the fire alarm went off at church twice and then the fire department showed up and it was pretty crazy. There wasn't really a fire. Oh, and my mom gave me this awesome bottle of essential oil Christmas spray that she made for me, and I put it in my purse and somehow it came unscrewed so now everything in my purse smells like Christmas.

Turkey Trot and my foot still hurts.

Well, the good news is that I ran a 5K Turkey Trot with my friend on Thanksgiving morning. The bad news is that my foot still really hurts, and it hurt more after that race than it has yet. So I'm going to make an appointment and try to figure out what's going on. The even worse news is that since I can't run, I'm turning into a crazy person who yells at their husband for no apparent reason. Not good.

Apparently something was pretty funny.

Anyway. Depending on what I find out from the doctor, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can maybe run these virtual 5K's on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.... but if I can't run, I will definitely be biking a 5K on both days! Because at least I can still do that. And spinning is a pretty good running substitute, since it kicks my booty.

My arms almost fell off.

Two Saturdays ago I went to a different spin class than I normally do. The spin teachers at my regular gym rotate every other week, and one is good and the other plays horrible music and is silent the whole time. So I decided to switch it up and go to another gym on the week when the not-so-good teacher is there. Let me tell you, this teacher nearly killed me! I should have known something was up when she walked in and her arms were killer. Sign #1. Sign #2 was that several people in the class asked where the coldest part of the room was (as in where the most fans would be hitting you at all times) and luckily for me, I was parked on the coldest bike. And the 3rd sign was that she told us she was teaching a 6am spin class on Thanksgiving. Crazy, I tell you.

So the class started out normally, with some jumps and hills and whatnot. The music was medium; she found some odd techno remixes of old rock songs, but then mixed in some new songs too. But then she started getting crazy and forcing the class to do hundreds of bike push-ups and arm raises and arm crosses and all sorts of other arm things and mine were on fire.

Brutal.

I will not be at the class at 6am on Thanksgiving, but I am thinking that if I ever want awesome arms, I will have to make this class part of my rotation!

Back on the injured list.

Well, I'm bummed to write this post, but it's probably better get my frustrations out here instead of complaining one more time to Chris about how much I want to be running...

After my half marathon three weeks ago, I had some pain along the back of my hamstring. I did some research online and found a forum where another runner had the same pain, and it was basically just a strain from overuse. It makes sense, because the half I ran had a ton of downhill and some uphill, and I hadn't trained much on hills, so I wasn't too worried about it. I did some yoga and tried to stretch it out a lot, then headed back out to run.

But now I'm having some serious pain on the inside of my foot, near the arch, and going up to the inside of my ankle. I took all of last week off from running, and just did cross training instead, but when I got on the treadmill yesterday, it started aching again at mile 3. So frustrating! I don't know what the exact problem is, but I'm taking another few weeks off to try and let it rest. If I still have the pain then, I think I will try to go back to my sports medicine doctor to see what he can find.

Aside from that, things are good. I had training last Friday to volunteer at Salt Lake County Animal Services, and then I spent an hour hanging out with some cats that afternoon. It is going to be such a fun thing. I basically get to brush, play with, and pet the cats that are in the shelter, and talk to people who come in to adopt them about what kind of cat will best fit in their home life. It works out well for me too, because Chris is gone a lot at school, so it's a good way for me to stay involved in things and not just sit at home and be sad and wish I was running. So that's what's on my agenda for tonight - hanging out with some cats and cross training!

Feeling nostalgic.

Last night, I went to Provo to visit my friend and see her new house. I decided to leave work a little bit early and go to the gym there instead of fighting more traffic at 5:00. I haven't been to Provo in awhile, and most of the time when I go, I have a specific event (visit a friend, go to a basketball game, etc.) so I usually don't have time to kill when I'm there. Last night I drove past my old house, which is on the way to the gym I used to go to, and I was feeling some serious nostalgia for the memories.

Wellington II (where I had some of the best and worse roommates of my life!)

So as I was sweating it out on the stair climber, I was looking around my old gym and remembering how it all began for me. It was Christmas 2007, and I was seriously overweight. My sister asked if I wanted to run a 10K with her, and I couldn't imagine saying yes. The day we had to run the mile at school had always been the worst day of the year for me. It was hard and painful and I wanted no part of it. But then my dad chimed in and offered me a plane ticket to Oregon to run the race if I trained and signed up. That was more appealing, since I was a poor college student and always looking for a free trip to visit my nephews. So I looked at Hal Higdon's training program, and felt really overwhelmed. I honestly didn't think I could do it. The first few weeks of training were so hard. I could barely walk the amount that was on my schedule to run.

I spent a lot of time here.

As I got a little more endurance, I ran my first 5K in Highland with my dad. It was reallyreally hard. But when I crossed the finish line, I got this rush of excitement and was so proud of myself for finishing and sticking with it. When I ran the 10K with my sister, it rained the whole time and I cried. But as I finished, I felt that same amazing feeling. So I started talking to my friends at work about other race distances, and they recommended a half marathon. So I signed up for the Salt Lake Half in 2008. At one point during that race, I seriously considered getting on Trax for the last 2 miles. It was hard. But I loved it.

I actually did one of my long runs with my work friend, Ashley, and we ran all around Springville. It was one of the hardest runs I ever did. I think that was partly because she is really speedy, and partly because she had run many more miles than I had, so her endurance kicked mine to the curb. I finished that run and was driving home and passed a McDonald's. I stopped there and got the biggest Diet Coke they sold and sat in my car for about 20 minutes, trying to recover.

Memories.

Since those days, I can run a half marathon without feeling like I might die. In fact, it has become my very favorite race distance. I trained for the St. George Marathon in 2009, but due to a knee injury, I couldn't run the race. I had to take close to a year off, just focusing on healing and low-impact exercise, and met with four different doctors in hopes that they would have an answer. No one did, but as I continued to lose weight and follow their advice, I was able to train for 4 more half marathons and run them pain-free. I might never get to run a marathon, but who knows? I am just excited to see what is ahead in my running life.

running survey!

1. What is your favorite type of cross training?

I've been doing spin classes, which are really really hard, but I always feel awesome after it's over.

2. What is your favorite song to run to?

Katy Perry- Roar

3. What brand of shoes do you wear?

I used to only wear Asics, but then I got analyzed at a running store and they told me I'd been wearing pronation shoes but I don't actually pronate. So now I wear Mizuno Wave Sayonaras. And I love them.

4. Do you wear a hat when you run? 

No. But I probably should, because look at this hair. 

5. What temperature is your favorite for running?

60 degrees with the sun out.

6. Do you run solo or with a buddy?

Always solo. Anytime I run with another person, I feel like I am holding them back and they are annoyed.

7. Are you a morning, noon, or evening runner?

My very favorite time to run is 9am. But since I have a job, I have to settle for 5pm runs on Monday-Friday.

8. Do you have any big races coming up?

Not really. Thinking about doing the Winter Running Series in January, which is a 5K, 10K, and 15K, all two weeks apart. The next race I'm signed up for is the American Fork Canyon Half, which isn't until June.

9. What is your favorite post-run snack?

Diet Coke and Cheez-its.

10. What is your favorite distance?

10K, because I can run it without requiring a ton of training or stress. But I also love the feeling at mile 13 of a half marathon.

11. What is your favorite race?

American Fork Canyon Half. 100% of race proceeds are donated to help pay for cancer treatment for patients who can't afford it. And it is so completely inspiring and motivational.

12. Do you wear a Garmin?

Yes. Used to wear the oldest one they made, but Chris's parents gave me the Forerunner 10 for my birthday this year. It's pink and cute!

13. What is your least favorite race?

The SheRuns 10K that I ran last summer in Heber. It was poorly organized and not well marked at all, I got lost and ended up running an 8K.

14. Who is your running idol?

My sister and Hungry Runner Girl

15. How long have you been a runner?

I ran my very first race in 2007. And it was brutal.

16. Do you run with your wedding/engagement ring on?

Never. I don’t like anything on my hands.

17. What is your favorite workout?

Long runs are tough, but I love the feeling of pushing myself to run farther than the last one. I also am getting more into speed workouts!

18. What do you drink to stay hydrated?

Water. I took Gatorade in my hydration belt during the Haunted Half and it was pretty delicious though.

19. Where is your favorite place to run?

Provo Canyon

20. What do you carry on a run?

iPod nano on every run. If it’s longer than 6 miles, I will usually bring fuel (Power Bar energy blasts are my new favorite) and a hydration belt or pack with water.

Haunted Half

So, back in August, my friend and I decided it would be a good idea to sign up for a half marathon in October, since both of us were struggling with motivation, and a race always helps with that. Well, fast forward to the week of the race, and boy were we cranky about it. It was almost like someone had forced us into doing it, instead of the truth, which is that we paid our own money to sign up. Neither of us had trained as much as we wanted, and with interruptions to normal life like vacations, getting sick, work trips, and dog sitting, we just didn't feel ready. But it was SO much better than I thought!

Bald...always a good look!

So in Utah, there are a lot of really pretty canyons that people like to run down. This race started with a bus ride to the top of Emigration Canyon, which is close to downtown. It was pretty chilly up there, but considering that it could have been snowing, we counted ourselves lucky that it was 40 degrees. The first 7 miles were downhill, so I was making good time. Then the course turned near the University of Utah, and the rolling hills began. Most people were walking because mile 7 was pretty much all uphill, and it was tough. There were some really fun things at the aid stations, like mini cake bites, bobbing for apples, and eating a doughnut on a string. I didn't do any of them, since it seemed like a good way to have runner's gut for the rest of the race, but it was a fun idea.

Miles 9-10 ran through Federal Heights, which is a really cool neighborhood in SLC. Sometimes when Chris and I like to dream, we imagine ourselves living in a house up there. Part of mile 11 ran through 2 cemeteries, but luckily nothing jumped out or tried to scare me. There were a few more uphill parts, then a few more downhill, but it wasn't too bad. The last mile was on a walking path through a park, and then I crossed the finish line! I immediately requested a drive-thru for a diet coke, and Chris obliged. It's always fun to see a friendly face at the finish line, and especially when that face will walk to the car and pick you up, instead of making you walk an extra half mile to the closest parking spot.

This medal glows in the dark, which probably makes it worth the run!

I would definitely run it again, but I would add more hill training!

Also just signed up for the AF Canyon Half....coming up in June!

Remember...

Remember that time when I decided I was going to blog every day to help keep me on track with all of my goals?

...yeah...

But here I am again, trying my best to get back into the groove! My half marathon is 43 hours away, and boy am I nervous. I ran a half in June, but haven't quite done all of the training runs that I should have done, so I feel very unprepared. I read this interesting post about what to do when you're not really ready for a race, which helped. So I'm trying to let it go...knowing that the runs I did do will help, and that it's not my first time running a half, so I know what to expect. It's okay if I don't have an awesome time, because honestly, I don't care much about time anyway, and I never really have an awesome time, even when I train :). I still beat everyone on the couch!

So that's what's up. Also, I had a very fabulous vacation last week. Chris was on fall break from school, and one of my besties scored us buddy passes for flights and a free hotel room that was only a half mile away from Disneyland, so that's what we did! We actually left a few days earlier and went to San Diego to visit Chris's grandparents and my other bestie, who is living down there for grad school. The buddy pass situation was a little crazy, since we couldn't get on any flights to San Diego, but it ended up working out just fine because we got on a flight to Orange County and then just rented a car. It was so fun to see friends and family, and then on Sunday we headed back to Orange County to pick up my friend and her little guy at the airport. They had some flight troubles too, but finally got to the Ontario airport around 10:30pm.

Coronado Island

Beach = Love.

The next day, we went to California Adventure, which was awesome. They built a new area called Cars Land, which looks exactly like Radiator Springs from the movie, and there are a few rides and shops. Plus, there is an AWESOME ride - we actually waited in line for fast passes as soon as we got there at 10am, and the fast pass time was 6pm! It is so popular. The ride takes you through the town and gets your car ready for the race, and then you come up next to another car and race through the hills of Radiator Springs! So awesome. The last ride we did was a water ride, and we got totally soaked and freezing, so we headed back to the hotel and went to bed at like 9pm that night.

In line for the fast passes

On a very crazy, very fun Mater tractor ride

Here's a trick: fill your bag with lollipops to entertain a 3 year old in line. You're welcome.

Then the next day was Disneyland, which was super fun (as always). The lines weren't too long, and we figured out some tricks with fast passes so we were able to go on more rides. My friend's son is 3 1/2, but is unbelievably tall, so he could have gone on every ride in the park except Indiana Jones. We took him on Pirates, but he was pretty scared, so we stayed away from roller coasters and anything else that might have scarred him for life. The coolest part of the day was when we went to Mickey's Halloween Party! They sell separate tickets for the party, and you can come into the park starting at 4pm and get a wristband. Then, around 6pm, they kick everyone else out who doesn't have a wristband, and the party starts! Everyone (except Chris) dresses up, and there is trick or treating, tons of cool decorations, and the rides are pretty much empty. So we walked onto a bunch of the bigger rides, plus got about 4 pounds of candy each! They don't mess around. It was awesome, and I want to do it every year until I'm 100!

On the Matterhorn

Waiting for Star Tours (PS did anyone know they made it 3D??)

A kitty, Frankenstein's monster, and a skeleton!

Positivity

I'm working on being more positive with myself, focusing on the things I accomplish instead of the things I didn't. The comment from my dear sister on my last post helped remind me of that. Instead of being frustrated with myself for only running 5 miles, I should be proud that I got out there and did the 5, even though they were difficult. Instead of beating myself up about eating Yogurtland three times last week, I should be proud that it wasn't seven times.

My job is being the assistant to the director of about 15 medical offices in the Salt Lake area, and every other week, we meet with the managers of all of our clinics to discuss issues, present new information, and talk about how things are going. One of the biggest things that my company is promoting is Living Well, both to our employees and our patients. Since we all will have better health if we focus on exercising more and living a healthier lifestyle, it translates to our jobs and how we provide care to patients. With huge changes in the health care system, we are all going to be held responsible for the choices we have control over, and will probably start to see serious consequences if we choose to ignore the issues.

So part of our wellness kickoff was giving presentations about healthy living to our managers. Each person on our admin team took a topic (Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move Well, Stress Well), and mine was Eat Well. I felt a little silly going in front of 35 people who manage employees and run clinics, since I am not the poster child for healthy eating (see paragraph 1, sentence 4). But I did a lot of research and gave a presentation about what had worked for me: never trying to "give up" your favorite foods, looking at healthy eating as a lifestyle instead of a diet, and fads that don't work on a long-term basis. I don't talk a ton about when I lost all my weight, mostly because I feel like it's not relevant to most conversations, and I don't want to be the person who is always talking about weight loss. But it was interesting to give this presentation to people who don't know much about my history or story, and still give information that was useful. It made me feel good when several people came up to me afterwards and thanked me for the information about how to pack a delicious salad for a quick and healthy lunch, without all the lettuce and veggies getting soggy (pack it in a mason jar), or share their own favorite healthy eating tip that can help me as I continue.

My boss gave a presentation in which she mentioned what she calls "drops of awesome." This is a system that her family has initiated, where you focus on all the little successes instead of the big, overwhelming goals. So my drop of awesome last week was cutting out one Diet Coke per day, and substituting water in its place. Oh, and not going to Yogurtland every single day!

6 miles....almost.

I have had a few problems with the last couple of pairs of running shoes I've bought- one pair rubbed my arch and gave me problems, and another pair gave me blisters when I ran more than 6 miles. I haven't been fitted for running shoes since about 2008, and between then and now, I've lost a bunch of weight and really increased my weekly mileage, so I decided to start from scratch and get analyzed.

I found out that I've been running in a stability shoe to correct pronation, when I actually don't pronate at all. From what I've read, I think this is pretty common after weight loss, since bodies will change how they distribute the weight when there is less to carry, so I should have probably done that earlier, but I'm glad I know this now! I tried a few pairs and was amazed at how much more comfortable they were, but I'm always nervous in the running store because I feel like I might pick the wrong one. After many laps around the fitting area, I decided on Mizuno Wave Sayonara, not just because they are cute (which they are) but also because they seem to mold right to the shape of my foot. Most shoes I've worn in the past feel a tiny bit loose on the sides, which is typically where I get blisters, so I thought this might help.

I had a super crazy week at work, so I didn't get to try them out until four days later. I decided to run 6 miles at Liberty Park- since it's a loop, I could run it a couple times to get my distance, plus it has a water fountain and if the new shoes killed my feet, I had a way out. I was really excited, since I hadn't run in awhile and have been doing shorter distances after my eye surgery, and thought it was going to be an awesome run.

So, it wasn't.

Every step felt like a mile, and I could barely get through 5 miles before throwing in the towel. My feet felt awesome, so that definitely wasn't the problem, but I felt sluggish and heavy the entire time. It was really tough and frustrating.

Runs like this make the good runs so worthwhile. The day before I had my eye surgery, I had gone to the gym to run 3.5 on a day that it was about 100 degrees outside. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but as soon as I stepped onto the treadmill, everything clicked. My playlist was perfect, I kept my speed, and I felt great the entire time. I actually went 4.5 and didn't even realize it. Those days are the best, but some runs aren't going to be like that. I get that, and am grateful for the ones that are easy and fun.

What a Week.

So, last week was kind of insane. Last Saturday I woke up with a stomachache that got progressively worse until I was rolling around on the bed in pain and husband took me to Instacare. They couldn't see anything, but it was right lower quadrant pain so they sent me to the ER to rule out appendicitis. Fast forward to eight hours later... One CT scan and two ultrasounds showed very normal organs. So, that was really weird, and a bummer of a Saturday.

Then, two days later, I had surgery on my eye. I had LASIK 5 years ago, and it was super awesome and fab, but my vision has changed enough since then that I had to get a little revision. It was not quite as easy this time around, and I was practically crying on my way to work on Thursday because it was so sensitive to light and I couldn't see anything. But, now it's a lot better, so I'm not quite as dramatic about the whole experience.

This past Saturday, I basically did all the fun activities I'd planned for the last Saturday (which got ruined by the random pain bursts), except we didn't get to go to the water park because I wasn't allowed to get swimming pool water in my eye. But we did go see Jobs (which was medium), then watch football and eat 1.5 large buckets of popcorn, and then I got to have dinner with one of my favorite Provo friends, Ashley! She is due with her first baby (her due date is today, actually!) and it was so fun to catch up and hear all about her life these days.

I couldn't exercise for 5 days after the procedure, but I'm back on the wagon. I went and did an hour on the stationary bike while husband mowed his parents' lawn on Saturday. Then I did a 3 mile run on Monday morning - husband's parents neighborhood does a Labor Day breakfast and fun run every year, so that was really awesome. Kind of like a free 5K (almost).

I signed up for this race so I'm working on getting back to being a long distance runner. The longest I've run since June is 6 miles....so it could be tough. But I'm glad I can use my running schedule as my part-time job, since husband will be gone a LOT this semester!

A Not-So Awesome Run

So, it's pretty normal to have bad runs every now and then. I know that, and I don't beat myself up too much over it. But I'm getting really frustrated because it seems like every Monday, I have a bad run. And I think I know why. During the week, I have a pretty set schedule - I go to work about the same time, eat oatmeal, an apple, and a banana, and then just work at my desk for most of the day. So I'm in a pretty good routine. And then the weekend hits, and I get off early on Friday, and then I exercise at a different time, and I sleep later or do a race or a class at the gym or go somewhere fun on Saturday morning, and my schedule is all thrown off. Then I can't get back to a routine, plus I generally eat a little more (or different foods) than usual, and by the time Sunday night hits, my stomach is a mess.

So then when I try to get up and run Monday morning (which pretty much never happens) my stomach is still all messed up, and I have to wait until after work to run. And this past Monday, it was still feeling super weird so I could only run 3.5, and the last mile felt like 10. So I have tried everything I can think of - eating oatmeal for breakfast on Saturdays, fiber supplements, drinking more water, and nothing is helping. But I also don't want to get so stuck in a routine that I can never do anything other than sit at my house on Saturday mornings.

Ah, first world problems.

This week, I also started trying to cut back a little on Diet Coke. I'm not trying to give it up, but realized I was starting to rely on it a little too much.

Thinking about signing up with my friend for the Haunted Half in October! Looking at the training plan makes me a little nervous....but also excited because having a race on the calendar is the only thing that keeps me motivated to do long runs.

Yogurtland...step one.

So, on Friday night, I decided I needed Yogurtland. Since I have a voucher that lets me get all sorts of deals on my yogurt addiction, it usually doesn't take too much convincing to get Chris to come with me. Plus, I was running a 5K the next morning, and what better way to fuel than 2 pounds of yogurt and toppings + The Cosby Show? Answer: no better way.

So the 5K was okay, it was actually the ending to a USANA (read: multi-level marketing vitamin and supplement company) conference that lasted all week long in SLC. So it makes more sense now why they never sent out a single email with info about where to pick up packets....pretty much every other person running the race had been at the conference and was fully informed. Whoops! I picked this race because my friend and husband decided they both wanted to run a 5K with me, and August 17 was the exact end date of the Couch to 5K program, so we all signed up. It was $25 which is kind of ridiculous for a 5K, but I was being a supportive runner friend, so I shelled out the $50 (!!) for mine and Chris's registrations.

Fast forward to 8 weeks later....both of them bailed, and I ended up running it with my parents. They ran out of shirts so we all got giant sizes, and the course was kind of lame - just an out and back route on a sort of sketchy, very industrial street. But there were probably a few thousand people running it, so it reinstated some of my confidence since I didn't get lost or come in last.

So, after that race, I went to Seven Peaks with my friend (a local water park) and got super sunburned, and also went on this super awesome water slide. It has about 8 slides all lined up, and you race the other people going down at the same time. It was fun until the very end, when a gallon of water shot up my nose. After that, we called it a day and went home. I spent the afternoon napping, putting aloe on my sunburned self, and then babysitting for a church event.

We had about 40+ kids at the event, so it was a little wild! I was pretty tired by the time I got home, but the whole time I was thinking about how I was going to trick Chris into going with me to Yogurtland for the second time in two days. And here's how I know we are MFEO:

Me: "Chris, I want something sweet."
Chris: "How about Yogurtland?"

Sunday was uneventful, but I did eat many chocolate chip cookies!

Intervals and Million Dollar Bars

Now that my house is finally back to its previous state, (minus the giant puddle on the floor that I stepped in this morning....my cat can't resist playing in his water bowl) I am hoping life will go back to normal! Husband starts school again in a week and a half, but he only got about three weeks off because he went to summer semester. But it'll be a pretty big change because he's taking four classes (so far, the most he's taken since we've been married is two at a time) and one of them is at night on Tue/Thurs. And since I'm gone every Wednesday night to my church youth group, I might forget what he looks like in between.

But it will all be worth it when he's graduated and designing awesome new roads.

Since about May, I've been trying to get up on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings to go running. It's too hot to run during the day, and I'm trying to not run so much on the treadmill, since I don't think it really trains me for races. I've put the incline on 0.5, but then I feel like I'm going to die and that doesn't make me feel very good about myself. But....since May, I think I've run in the morning a total of....four times? Maybe three. So that plan isn't really working out so well. I keep trying though, and setting my alarm for 5:30, and trying to go to bed earlier.

But I've tried to stay diligent about getting a workout in, even if it's on the treadmill at 0 incline. I've also been working on my speed because I'm really slow. Which is funny because in every other aspect of my life, I move really fast. I type 100+ WPM, I have a really hard time sitting still, and I'm always thinking ahead and planning out what is coming up next. My mom one time told me, "you do everything really fast" and I said "well, except for running." And that's true. So I did some research on speed training and am currently doing Hal Higdon's intermediate half marathon training, and it's totally working! Yesterday I did my first interval workout, and boy was I sweaty. I think I was grossing out the people on the treadmills next to me. But I loved it! 1/4 mile at fast pace, then 1/10 mile at regular pace, repeat 8 times for a total of 3.5 miles with warmup and cooldown.

Now that's a sweaty face. 

But I do love the shirt I'm wearing- the only good thing about that 10K I did a couple weeks ago.

Then I made chicken broccoli casserole for dinner, along with making a million freezer breakfast burritos for husband, and veggie dip for dinner tonight! And then I cleaned my house because it was disgusting and still had sheet rock dust and scraps all over the floor (even though the guy finished on Sunday!). And then I was really tired so I sat on the couch and watched Jeopardy while savoring my post-run treat, which I had been saving since lunch.

Million Dollar Bar from Zupa's. Yes. Giant chocolate chips, coconut, and all kinds of yum on a cookie crust.

Double 10K Recap!

Oh, what a crazy few weeks it's been at my house. About a month ago, our condo ceiling collapsed in the utility room with the furnace and water heater. Mind you, this is the third flood we've had in the condo since May. So we are beyond fed up with it all. Finally getting around to trying to get it fixed (now that husband is done with finals) and no one is calling me back!

Aside from that, some of my family was in town the week before last, which was super fab. My sister and I ran the Deseret Classic (her: half marathon, me: 10K) which is supposed to be a PR course since it's all downhill. It was pretty fun, but it runs on the parade route (24th of July is a big holiday in Utah, with a GIANT parade that people camp out on the streets of downtown SLC to see) so it was interesting to run a race among spectators who are asleep, eating breakfast, smoking, or otherwise ignoring the runners :)

Me:

My sister:

Spent some time in Park City that weekend with Chris's family, then went camping last weekend for one night and rafted the Snake River. Came back for the SheRuns 10K in Midway, which is a fun little Swiss-themed town about 45 minutes north of SLC. Drove up with my running friend, and realized that this is a VERY small race. Maybe about 40 people running the 10K, and about 60 running the 5K. So I was a little worried about being at the back, but they assured us that the course was very well marked, and there would be people at every turn to help guide. Which there were...for the 8 minute mile runners. Those of us bringing up the rear had no signs and no people, so I ended up running about a 7K because I had no idea which way to go. It was really frustrating, because I felt like I was unintentionally cheating. So, until I run 8 minute miles, I guess I'm sticking to bigger races that have longer distances along with them.

Well, I've been doing this thing I always do after a race, where I talk myself out of staying on my running schedule. Skipped my long run last week, went to the movies instead. Stayed in bed yesterday morning, had to cut my run short in the evening. I just feel like if I don't have an upcoming big race, I totally slack off.

But I did get in 4 miles yesterday after work, so that was good. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for church camp, and I'll be there until Friday. There will be some hikes and other opportunities to get some exercise, but I'm kind of taking a break from WW this week because I won't be able to calculate PP of any of the things we'll be eating. My weight has plateaued over the past few weeks, but I know it's because I have been going way over my allowed PP every week. So I'm lucky I haven't gained.

I'm having trouble with calculating activity PP. I use this calculator: http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/activity-points-calculator.html which works very well, but I can never figure out if my runs are moderate or heavy. I am definitely more of a jogger than a runner, and since I run longer distances, I generally try to stick to a pace where I'm not breathing too heavily, so that I can maintain for the full run. So that makes me think that I should calculate as moderate, but when I was doing that, I was losing like 3-4 lb per week, which I know is a lot faster than they recommend. But high effort seems like too many points for jogging. Anyone out there do Weight Watchers and have any tips?

American Fork Canyon Half Marathon Recap

So, like I said in my last post, I ran the American Fork Canyon Half Marathon last Saturday. I was really nervous about this one, even though I've done 3 half marathons already. I started back up with running in January, and then my boss at work told me about this race. It's sponsored by my work, so entry was like $30 for employees (regularly $70) so I figured I'd give it a try. I trained really well for it, except for the last month (which is the most important....) but I had two floods in my house, and my grandpa passed away in that month. So I felt proud of myself for getting runs in, even though they weren't as long as they should have been. My longest was 8.5 miles, which was the week before the race, so I was worried about my endurance and ability to finish. I also had pretty bad hip pain on my longer runs, so I was nervous about that.

So, the night before the race, Chris, my parents, and I all headed to Olive Garden for some pre-race pasta. I went to bed around 8, since I had to be to the bus by 4:00 a.m. I woke up every hour, thinking I had missed it. But somehow, when the alarm went off at 3:00, I felt pretty rested. Ate my oatmeal and drank some water, took some ibuprofen, and my dad dropped me off. Rode a bus for about 30 minutes up the canyon, and when we reached the top, it was completely dark and freezing. I could tell who had run it before, because they were dressed in sweats and sweatshirts, with blankets and beanies. Note to self. We sat up there for about an hour or so, and then started down the path! The first mile was super steep downhill, so I was running very fast.

I tried to pace myself a bit for the next few miles, and when I arrived at mile 5, it was still freezing so I still had on my long sleeve shirt over my tank top. One photographer told me to do something funny, and the other one was yelling that he couldn't see my bib....so this happened:

The coolest thing about this race was that it was a benefit for patients in the area who have cancer, and 100% of the entry fees went to help cover treatment for those who can't afford it. Every 200 yards or so, there were signs along the course that had a quote from someone who had cancer, or whose family member had cancer. It was such an inspiring and motivational way to keep myself going. I loved it! The first 9 miles were completely downhill, so the flat roads on miles 9-13 felt a little challenging. 

Also, since it was down a canyon, the roads we ran on were curved and slanted, so the outsides of my hips got sore. It was a miracle, but the right hip I'd been having all that trouble with didn't actually hurt at all. It was a fantastic race, and I was able to run the whole thing, walking only through the water stops. When I got to the end, Chris and my parents were there to cheer me on and give me high fives, and it was just a great experience overall!

I am planning to do some speed work over the next 6-12 months, and look forward to running it again next year and beating my time!

so, i haven't been blogging. it's probably fine, because nearly everyone i have on my list has a similar year in their last post as well :) but i miss it, and i've been reading TONS of blogs lately in an effort to keep up with my attempts to lose weight. so i think i'm going to come back, but add in more about my efforts, along with the other things that are going on in my life.

so, if weight loss blogs are super boring or awkward to you, feel free to skip out on mine going forward.

i gained back about 30-40 of the 100 lb i lost over the past year. bummer. it just goes to show that jim gaffigan was wrong: "when i see really fit people at the gym, i just want to tell them to go home. you made it. you won." i got too comfortable in bad habits, and ate way more than i needed...plus, with a knee injury and a general feeling of laziness, i wasn't working any of it off. so, shockingly enough, i gained weight! so here i am. one of my very favorite bloggers talks a lot about weight watchers, so i decided to give it a shot on my own. I found a free points calculator app, figured out how many i get per day plus how many i earn for my favorite exercise, and off i went. i do love weight watchers, because i think it's logical plus the easiest way to track. it's hard for me to remember that i ate 364 calories for breakfast plus 579 for lunch, so that leaves me with...how many? whereas points are just so much simpler. 4 points for breakfast, 29 to go.

i also started training for a half marathon, which is actually my 4th half marathon, but i haven't done one since 2009. i was training for the st george marathon that same year, and my knee was acting up so i visited a sports med dr who basically told me that the cartilage in my right knee was gone, and was fading fast in the left. he encouraged me not to run, and that's about when i stopped. i was frustrated and upset, but i didn't want to spend my 30s not being able to walk, and in that moment, it seemed like it was pretty serious.

fast forward to last year, when i got fed up of forcing myself to do the elliptical or stationary bike, so i went to a sports med dr who is completely non-surgical, and focuses on healing. he told me that my quads and calves are strong, but the muscles surrounding my knees are weak and that's causing my knees to take all the strain. he also told me that if i lose weight, the pressure on my joints will be drastically alleviated. (!!) so, i did 6 weeks of no running while doing daily strengthening exercises, plus i started taking glucosamine/chondroiton and calcium every day. and the fabulous news is that i can run with no knee pain!

i trained for and ran the american fork canyon half marathon (recap to come) and it was a great race. i loved it and can't wait to run it again next year. but i did notice that this time around, my legs were sore for much longer. i attribute that partially to the fact that the first 9 miles were downhill, so it used different muscles. but i also know that i am heavier than i was when running any of the previous 3 half marathons, so that's putting pressure on my legs. after the st. george training injury, i talked myself out of ever doing a marathon. but i'm now thinking that once i can reach a better weight, i will do a marathon. my body just can't take it quite yet.

so that's what's up! i have 2 10K's on the agenda, one in july and one in august. my goal for the next 6 months is to work on speed training with intervals. i have great endurance, and can run a long way, but am pretty slow. so i want to work on getting a little faster!