2016 Utah Valley Half Marathon

As you know, I went back and forth about whether or not I would participate in the Utah Valley Half Marathon this year.  When I'm struggling with injury and lack of motivation because of excess weight, racing just doesn't have the same appeal it usually does.  It's even a bit scary to show up feeling unprepared for something others have spent months training for.  But I did it.  I showed up.

 It was super cold

It was a  beautiful morning with a wondrous  sunrise, and I was determined to walk this race, no matter how long it took me to finish.  Especially since I forgot to charge my Ipod Shuffle and would be tackling the 13.1 miles with my own meandering thoughts.  I figured I would survive.  What I underestimated was the amount of stress that walking actually puts on our bodies.  It hurt to walk.  Not at first, of course.  But by mile 2, all my body wanted to do was run.  And listening to my body has been the theme of my past year so, I ran.

Until my lungs needed a break, then I walked.  I went back and forth between running and walking the whole distance.  When walking I had the chance to talk to other walkers.  It was fun.  Everyone participating in a gorgeous morning together.  The birds singing, the water rushing by, the honking cars, and cheering sections along the route were great motivators.  I thoroughly enjoyed unplugging and experiencing the world around me while I moved along the course.

I finished the course way faster than I thought I would.  I finished in 2 hours 55 minutes and 58 seconds.  Under 3 Hours!!  My goal was under 4.  I feel good about this.  Walking didn't even slow my pace all that much.  I was only 20 minutes slower than the last time I ran the Half.  I'm glad that I had to slow down and walk.  It helped me to relax about my time.  It's okay if I have to walk during a race.  It's okay to listen to my body.  Just BE at that moment.

Be what my body needs
Be me
Be present in the experience
Be happy

Maybe my new race mantra?  Just Be.

Reality Staring Me In The Face

Lets talk about Stress.  Stress is sometimes looked at as a burden to an individual/family and sometimes, I've noticed, that stress is idolized as a state of living that is to be desired.  Although I think the second kind of stress is a scary state for our culture to admire, I would like to talk about the first kind of stress.

The first kind of stress effects me more in my adult life than I ever remember it effecting me when I was a kid.  And we all cope with stress differently.  Some express emotions at extreme levels, some drink alcohol, some obsess about activities or work, and some do what I do.  Eat.

I can't even explain it.  I can be full and know I'm not hungry and might even not want to eat, but I just keep going.  It's like my body thinks food is a medicine that I need right then, and I need as much as I can get.  This past year was very stressful for me for many reasons.  One of those reasons was a foot injury.  And because I wasn't really paying attention or addressing my stresses well, I ate.  And I ate. And I ate.

Between my injury and my inability to exercise (this is usually my 1st line of defense to my yearning to eat) I managed to gain 45 lbs in the last 12 months.  And it's rough.  It's hard to watch 3 years of hard work disappear behind a mask that jiggles.

In the first half of the year, I was super excited to begin my workouts again.  I spent months doing no strenuous activity and was excited to get back to doing what I love.  But I forgot how slow one has to go after an injury.  It's been a while since I had a significant injury and my body is definitely older now.  (I never thought I would say that)  It's true.  Gaining my strength and abilities back seems to be at a snails pace, and thus extremely frustrating.

I didn't really account for this 6 months ago when I registered for the Utah Valley Half Marathon.  So, the race is here.  And I'm not ready to run it.  I was thinking that I would try to find someone else to take my place when I was reminded by my sister-in-law that people walk these races.  Now, I usually run.  I tend to do things quickly.  But by body is screaming at me and I need to slow down; in more ways than just exercise.  I have to respect where I am.  Right here.  Right now.  And enjoy it.

Here's to walking my first race.

Race #13: December - US Road Running Reindeer Racer 10K

The last race of the year. 

Because of stress and injury, I ended up gaining 45 pounds over the past year.  I stress eat.  I thought that all the racing and training would have stopped that.  It didn't. The stress I've been dealing with made it difficult to train properly.  Motivation is hard when you're just not feeling it.  So, when December came around and I had one more race to do, I was less than excited. 

Who is going to be pumped up and rearing to go when they have extra weight to carry through each mile, less energy, and diminished endurance?  No one.  But I wanted to run one race per month this year.  Not just 12 races.  I decided that it was important for me to suck in my gut and just do it. 

December is crazy busy and I needed the flexibility to run whenever it was convenient for me so, I registered for another virtual race.    The race I chose was the US Road Running Reindeer Racer 10K.  At the beginning of the month, I figured that signing up for a 10K would get me running again.  I was wrong. I haven't run since the last virtual race I did. 

It's the end of the month.  End of the year.  And it's time to accomplish my goal.  So, I went over to the Orem Recreation Center, hopped on a treadmill, and started walking.  Because of the lack of training, I was definitely taking full advantage of the run/walk options with this race.  I warmed up better than I ever have before and then turned up the speed.

The first mile and a half felt like I was teaching my body what running is.  The next mile and a half were really pretty rough.  I was tired and worrying about how my feet were going to handle this.  (My injury was neuroma's in each of my feet.) It was around mile 3 that I slowed down to a walk again.  I needed to catch my breath and give myself a little pep-talk.  A really good song came on and I sped up again. 

This time, I was running a bit faster and did it for longer.  It helped to have a handful of great songs right after another. I managed to keep this faster pace up for another mile and three quarters.  Now, I'm pretty done.  But I still have 1.7 miles to go.  So, I brought the speed back down to a slow jog.  It was when I slowed down that I could feel them.  The evil heated bubbles on the bottom of my feet.  URGH.  Blisters are the worst.  I pushed through the blisters as long as I could.  And then power walked the rest of the way.

I thought I would be completely exhausted when I finished the 6.4 miles.  But I wasn't.  I felt really happy, proud, and satisfied that I accomplished what I set out 12 months ago to do.  It was a great feeling.

My after shot of my race. (Sorry it's all fuzzy.)

This year has been a really good year of running.  I'm glad I decided to do it.

Race #12: November - U.S. Road Running Day of the Dead 5K

Since my foot wasn't getting better, at the end of October I went in to the physical therapist.  He spent a couple of weeks having me really take care of my foot, he really dug at it with this cool little tool that looks kind of like a thick hook, and he shocked it.   All these things really helped my foot to feel better.

I was supposed to finish running this 5K by the end of the first week in November, but between my injury and everyone in my family being sick, I just didn't get it done until later.  When I finally did run it, my body was ready.  I love the way I feel when I run.  It's like life being improved with every step.  Wonderful.

I ran it in 38 minutes.

Here is the awesome medal.  So, far it's one of my favorites.

Race #11: October - U.S. Road Running Halloween 5K

October came around and I didn't really have another race scheduled.  So, to save a bit of money, I registered for a virtual race on U.S. Road Running.  The medals look really cool and I could run my race anytime I wanted.  For these races, I can finish them by running or walking inside, outside, or on a treadmill.

This was a life saver since my right foot was really starting to act up.  Running was beginning to be really painful.  But I wanted to finish my one race a month goal.  And I'm going to do it.

I ran this race on the treadmill at the Orem Recreation Center.  I ran it at a slower pace than I have been running, but it was better for my foot.  I finished in 40 minutes.

Here is the cool medal.

Race #10: September - Addict II Athlete 10K

Addict II Athlete 10K.   Addict II Athlete's mission is to "establish and maintain sobriety by promoting lifestyle changes through erasing addiction and replacing it with something of greater value." They are a support group for anyone who has been affected by addiction.  We have a lot of substance abuse problems in Utah and I think what they are doing is wonderful for those fighting their own addiction and for their families.



I have a cousin that I lost to a drug overdose.  This race is for him.  I run it not for speed, and not for the exercise, but for the memory.  I get 1 whole hour to remember the things we did together, the laughs we had, and the love we shared.

This year, my Hubby ran with me.  It's always great to have the support during an emotional run.

This morning was freezing.  Here we are shaking at the start line.

Every year, before the race, we let go of white balloons in remembrance of those we have lost.

There is an auction every year to help raise money for the organization to be able to function throughout the year.  It helps out a lot.

I love this race and I can't wait until next year.

Race #9: August - Rivalry Relay

I was so excited for the Rivalry Relay.  This was my second year running it and I got to do it with some great girls.  The Rivalry Relay starts up at Rice-Eccles Stadium and runs down to Provo.  The scenery is beautiful, but still hot at the end of August.  I ran leg 3 for the team.

That morning I got up, had some of the girls meet at my house and then we headed out to pick up the rest on our way up to the start line.  We met the second three girls up in Salt Lake.  I think it was off 123000 South.  We all got into my car and realized that one of the girls had forgotten her shoes.  It was a really good thing that she lived close.  We all headed to her house, got her shoes, and drove back towards the freeway.  We were almost to the on-ramp when someone in the back seat yelled, "They're towing our cars!!"  At first I was thinking, "No, they're not.  We're in it."  But then my sleepy brain caught up to what she was saying and I made the turn into the parking lot.  We got there just in time.  Now we needed to find a new place to park the cars.  So, we headed to 114000 South to the Wal-Mart there.  Good thing Wal-Mart lets people park overnight.  Saved our bacon. 

Finally, we were off to our race.  We made it on time.  Got through the safety lesson and check-in.  And were feeling good about our day ahead.

The Start:

Our team up early and excited.

And we're off.  Headlamps and reflector vests, very important.

My first leg was beautiful.  I did need to change my shorts shortly after heading out because they were falling off as I ran (don't wear anything too big while running), but it was remedied quickly and I got to enjoy the run.  The sun was just coming up.  The world was waking and I was feeling great.  I ran quickly and comfortably.  It got me psyched for Suncrest.

My second leg was up Suncrest.  This stretch is 3.3 miles UP HILL.  And basically it's straight up.  I thought that I had trained well for it, but by the end of mile 1, I was definitely questioning my training.  I ended up power walking most of the way.  I hit this leg in the middle of the day in the middle of 90 degree heat.  So hot.  So hard.  Kicked my Ass!  But I finished it.  I finished in 54 minutes and 58 seconds.  I made it before the cut off and I'm glad that I did it.

Each person who runs the Suncrest leg gets a medal at the top. 

My last leg I was done.  I walked so much of it.  I'm not sure if I didn't eat enough, or if I was really dehydrated, or just dead tired, but my body just refused to work the way I wanted it to.  Apparently I had trained for one maybe two runs in a day, but not three.  The over training in my year of races hit me hard in this leg.  I have since learned and will not do that again.

This is our team running to the finish line together. 

We did it.  Finished a whole day soaking in the sun while doing something we love.  Our team came in 43rd.  We finished in 11 hours 19 minutes and 38 seconds.  So proud of us.

My medals proudly hung in my car for the rest of the evening.  

A closer look at the Rivalry Relay medal for this year.  I love this race.  It beats me down and builds me up at the same time.  Everyone needs to know they can do hard things, but still be reminded that there are legs that kill no matter how hard we train.  I'm going to continue to do this race every year I can get a team together. 

Race #8: August - TriathaMOM

I was not confident about this next race.  I hadn't trained like I wanted to or felt I needed to.  It's month 8 of the year and I'm feeling a bit tired of training.  Especially for a race that I'm not really excited to participate in.  I almost didn't go.  The morning of the race, I rolled over, snuggled up to my hubby, and said, "I could just stay here and sleep all morning."  He promised me I would be glad that I went to the race.  So, I got out of bed and headed to Riverton.

The TriathaMOM transition area opened at 5:30am and I had never participated in a triathlon before, so I was there by 5:30am.  SO early.  But I had time to set all my stuff up, eat a banana, and visit the honey bucket multiple times. 

The wonderful woman and friend to convinced me to register after we both got our stuff set up.

Getting ready for the swim.

This is everyone gathered before the swim to receive last minute instructions from the organizers.  There were a more women here to race than I thought there would be.

Just before I got into the pool.

Running to my first exchange.

My first exchange was a long one.  I took a long time to dry off.  I took a long time to get my tank top, my shoes, and everything else on.  Next time I do a tri, I will spend less time in this transition.

There I go.  Off on the bike ride.  I used a mountain bike because that was what I had and it worked out just fine.  I would, however, recommend riding your bike before the day of the race.  I spent all my training time in the gym and none out on the road with my bike.  So, one mile in, I realized that my seat was a bit too low.  I dealt with it and finished just fine.

 Transition #2!  This time I was ready.  I only spent seconds in the transition area this time.

 Heading out for the run.  And I'm still smiling.  It truly amazing what seeing your cheerleaders will do for you when racing.

I made it!  I got to the magical flying balloons and I really am glad that I got up that morning and came to the race.

This is a family friendly race.  So, there were bounce houses,

and face painting for the kids.

We did it.  We made it to the end.  Our tired selves after accomplishing this fun triathaMOM.

My kids made a sign for me and wanted to pose on the little podium. This was a great race.  If you want to get into triathalons and are a little nervous.  This one is a great way to do that.  There is absolutely no pressure and everyone is cheering everyone else on.  I would definitely do this one again. 

Oh, and the "medal" was a necklace. 

Race #7: July - FroYo 10k

My goal this year has been, as you know, to run a race every month.  But July came and I had not registered for any race.  Signing up for a race this late in the game is pretty expensive.  And just not what I am able to do right now.  So, I had to accept that there would be no race for me this month.  But then, on Friday, my Hubby called home from work.  He had a co-worker who had an extra entry to the FroYo 10k race in Salt Lake City, and he wanted to know if I wanted to run it.  For Free!!  I jumped at the chance.

The FroYo Run was held at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.  This is a beautiful park.  The run is 4 loops around the park.  I parked in the regular parking area.  I got there later than I had planned and usually like because I forgot to set my alarm, but it looked as though this race also had Zumba as their pre-race warm-up.

I met up with my Hubby's co-worker and her friends.  We all lined up in our respective areas.  I have never seen a timed race go out in waves, but I liked it.  This gave all the faster/want-to-win people the opportunity to run their race without having to dodge all the slower runners.  Especially at the beginning.  I am not one of those faster runners, so I was comfortably back near the 10 min/mile people.

The Start:

We headed out and I was feeling pretty good.  The first 5k was awesome, but I haven't actually run a 10k distance in 4 months.  This means, I started out way too fast and spent the second 5k dying.  We walked a couple of times.  I didn't think that running a loop would be so hard, but looking at the same thing over and over again didn't help with my dying lungs.

I finished this race in 1 hr, 6 min, and 35 sec.  This placed me 81st overall.  I'm feeling good about that.  Especially since I didn't train for this one.

After the race we were given water and our very own FroYo from Yogurtland.  The tartness from this dessert was PERFECT after a race. 

Our packet was also filled with great goodies:

AND we got a medal:

I'm thinking this race is one I will have to run again.  It was a low key race, no pressure, organized, and lots of swag.  Totally worth it. 

Race #6: June - Dirty Dash & Piglet Plunge

The Dirty Dash.  My first obstacle race. This race is a team challenge.  We registered early.   We were the Mud Pies.  This really became a family affair with a couple of adoptive additions.  I'm so glad I registered for this race.  We had a later start time because a handful of us were running the Piglet Plunge with our kids afterwards.  This meant we didn't have to get us at the crack of dawn to be up at Soldier Hollow.  Thank God.

We gathered in the parking lot where we took pictures and then headed out to the start.

The Start:

Our team had tentatively decided on doing the 5k.  However, when we finished the 5k, we decided we had enough time to do the whole 10k and be back for the piglet plunge.  This was a good idea, because all the best obstacles were on the second half of the course.

There was so much mud.  Mud to wade through, climb over, and slip across.  I was running this race with a tiny sprain.  Probably not the smartest idea, but I made it without breaking my ankle.  I did have to go a bit slower, but saving my body is always worth sacrificing time.

In the course, close to the end, there is a HUGE slide.  It looked awesome.  Some people were sliding down fine, others were having a bit more trouble.  I didn't want to slide completely out of control, so I decided against the running start.   I stood and jumped down the slide.  I wouldn't have needed the running start.  I shot down that slide.  So fast.  I thought there was going to be a whole ton of mud at the end.  You know, to help me slow down.  NOPE.  There was a tarp at the end, which meant that my extreme speed sent me flying off the end of the massive slide onto a watery mud covered tarp that would continue to hurl me down the mountain.  At the end of the tarp was a 1-2 foot drop.  I catapulted off it and landed on my bum so hard it rocked my back a good one.  My hubby even ran out to me to see if I was okay.  We couldn't take any recovery time though because there was a very large man coming at me at very high speeds.  We jumped out of the way just in time.  He would have broken us.  This slide was fun, but hurt.  So, it was the best and worst part of the race.

I really enjoyed the finish.  It was a huge pit of mud with cross sections of mud we had to climb over.  Very fun.  And great for picture opportunities.

We hurried to finish, skipped the pictures, and went right into the piglet plunge.

The Piglet Plunge was more than I expected.  I thought there was going to be a mud section that our kids could run through maybe 1/4 mile long.  I was so wrong.  The Piglet Plunge was at least a mile long with a crazy uphill mud climb, at least 3 obstacles (the HUGE slide was one of them; we skipped that), and the awesome mud pit at the end.  Completely worth the $20 for the kids.  My Sweet Pea LOVED it.  She wanted to keep going down the slide.  My little Green Bean wanted nothing to do with the mud.  Oh well, he'll get in on the fun next year.

There was not medal for this race.  Always sad when there's not, but it's okay.  We posed for pictures at the end, received food and water, and took a FREEZING shower.  We threw away our kids shoes, but my Hubby and I kept ours.  Stripping down is a must at the showers.  There is just too much mud.  EVERYWHERE.  You will discover crevasses that you never knew you had.

There were hot showers that you could pay for, but we did not pay the extra.  We headed back to a relatives home to clean up.  It was great to have them close and they were wonderful to let us destroy their bathroom with dirt.

This race is worth every penny.  I loved it and would definitely do it again.