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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Wasatch Back 2011...Team Leap Frog

Robyn (with some persuasion and promise to help) signed up a team for Wasatch Back almost a year ago. The team changed several times over the past year, but in the end we ended up with a great team. There was definitely major stress leading up to the race (we need a replacement runner...multiple times, van 1 needs a van, van 2 needs a van...kind of at the last minute, dance recitals to get home to, start time, will Joe be able to run...3 days before, shirts), but somehow everything even the small little details worked out perfectly.

Van 1 met early Friday morning and went to Logan to start the race. Van 2 (minus Robyn and Joe who were at a funeral and came later) met in the early afternoon to meet van 1 in Eden.

van 1 (Brandon, Laurie, Emily, Shannon, Bree, Jessica) at start line in Logan
most of team (Jessica, Laurie, Shannon, Emily, me, Robyn, Joe, Lindy, Marci, Bree) at exchange 6 waiting for Brandon to come in
Marci and Bree in their unplanned matchy matchy outfits...so cute!
dinner at snow basin after van exchange. our reflective vests really are reflective.
exchanging with Carrie for my first run
exchanging with Lindy after first run
the only running picture of just me. too bad it's of my backside.
Joe got the beautiful sunrise leg.
Marci rocked her legs. She did well last year, but she is by far the most improved runner this year. She has worked so hard, and it shows. She did amazing on all of her legs.
backcountry.com has a team every year. they do all kinds of crazy things like run with a snowboard, skis, etc. this guy "ran" his nearly 7 mile leg on skis.

this race has some beautiful scenery especially this year. everything was so green from all the rain.
most of the team at the finish line waiting for Marci to come in
the team minus Laurie. 32 hours and 27 minutes later we all ran across the finish line together. Marci even wore the green wig for her last leg.

Wasatch Back was a little different for me this year. Ever since the Ogden marathon, my hip has been hurting. Physical therapy is helping, but running is not. I had so much fun. My team was great. Everyone was so supportive even though I wasn't running well at all. I ran slower on purpose because I didn't want to hurt my self even more. I often want to give up when things get hard, but this definitely showed me that I can do hard things. I loved the race this year. I loved my team and new friends, and I loved the things I learned about myself. People think paying lots of money to stay up all night, eat whatever you can find, and run a lot sounds crazy, but I love every second of it.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

26.2...Utah Valley

Running 2 marathons in 3 weeks might not be the best idea I have ever had. Remember my post about the Ogden marathon and how it didn't go all that well?!? Besides not having the best marathon ever, I ended up having some hip problems and not being able to run much between the 2 marathons. I heard great things about the course, but I didn't start out with too high of expectations about how the marathon would go.

When my hip wasn't feeling better a week after Ogden, I started going to physical therapy. I felt much better, but I knew I wasn't 100%. I didn't get as nervous as I usually do until the driver didn't know how to get to the start line. Every time we turned around I got more and more anxious. I never really got over that. I am not kidding when I say I started struggling in the first mile. I could never get my pace under control, and my hip was bugging me. Thankfully the Grand Slam made it so quitting was absolutely not an option. I knew I could push through and get to the finish somehow.

I don't usually run with people I meet along the way, but this marathon was totally different. I met 3 groups of people that literally got me through the marathon. All of the groups had at least 1 person who was struggling a bit and someone who could have finished much faster but slowed way down for a friend. I learned a really important lesson about charity that day.

Suzie ran the half and then stayed to run the last few miles with me and drive me home. I don't have a picture to prove it, but Emily S stayed for hours and hours to see me run in and take these pictures. It was so nice of her and Suzie.
finally getting to the finish line
with my new friends Natalie and Tiffany. they inspired me all along the way.

The kindness/support of strangers and friends got me through this marathon. I might not have preformed as well I would have liked, but this marathon experience was about so much more than running. Some day soon I really am going to do a post about running and why I keep doing this over and over again.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Les Mis

I thought I was the only person on the planet who had never seen Les Mis. When I found out it was coming to Salt Lake, I had to go. Laurann really wanted to go too. We raced to dinner at Blue Lemon before the show. We didn't have the best seats (I mostly couldn't see anything), but I'm so glad we went. It was very well done and an enjoyable night.
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