Race #1: January - Bigfoot Snowshoe 10K

 The first race of the year.  The Bigfoot Snowshoe 10K.  What was I thinking?!!  I'm just not sure.   I had just come off of the holidays, where I feel like I ate my weight in treats with NO exercise.  I had been sick for a whole week.  So, my training was limited to 2 weeks.  And I hadn't put on my snowshoes yet this winter.  (No snow will do that.) What saved me was having a friend to do this with.  She was my lifesaver.

When we started the race, I was feeling pretty good.  But trudging through the snow is hard work.  By the end of mile 1, I was feeling the burn. 

 There was a great distraction from my burning lungs, and that was the beauty of the morning.  The day was a perfect one. 

 This is us running down the hill.  Since there was little snow this year and it was so warm, it was more like slipping and sliding down the hill.

 Finishing Strong.

 Bigfoot waiting to greet us at the end of the course.

I did it.  I finished my first snowshoe 10k in 2 hours and 7 minutes.  The beauty was worth the time and struggle of the mountain.  The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the lack of medal at the end.  I LOVE my medals.  They're fun reminders of what I've accomplished.  There weren't any medals for the 10K participants.  Hopefully that changes in future years.

Eat Clean Struggles.

Taking a 4 month sabbatical from Eating Clean was not a smart idea.  It's extremely hard to get  back to it.  I want to have healthy eating habits.  I want my family to have good eating habits.  This isn't even about getting "skinny" anymore.  I've moved past that.  Getting skinny used to be a good motivator for me, but not now.   I don't want to, I just want to be healthy.  Working through the brainwashing that our media has taught is tough business.  I thought being healthy was going to be a good enough motivator, but I haven't been able to convince my subconscious.   And it's so easy to grab a cookie or cracker, or to pick up a $5 pizza on the way home.  But I know those things aren't good for my stomach.

I don't feel good when I eat them.  I bloat.  I spend the rest of the day passing gas.  My clothes don't feel as though they fit.  And I spend a significant amount of time on my personal throne.  Nothing good comes from indulging. . . maybe that one moment of blissful flavor.  But it's still just one moment.  That moment is just NOT worth it.  Because of my IBS, one moment ruins the rest of my day. My situation gives a whole new meaning to "A moment on the lips, forever on the hips."  My hips spend forever one the toilet.  UGHHHHH!

I need a good way to remind myself to steer clear of the junk.  Anything that has worked well for you?

Dear Body,

This year I set out to Eat Clean and help you become healthier inside.  I made it 8 months.  I ate Clean, felt wonderful, exercised 4-6 times a week, lost 45 pounds, and 3 dress sizes.  It was feeling like a great accomplishment.  Then I lost sight of my real goal. . . To Be HEALTHY!!  Not just to lose weight and size.  I fell off the bandwagon. I started eating too many treats, missing too many workouts, and justifying it all by how great I was feeling and looking.  Only to kill all my hard work in just a few weeks.

So, here I am again.  15 pounds heavier than I was in July.  You now telling me that it doesn't feel good.  You feel lethargic and yucky inside.  You have been nagging me to keep going. To keep my eye on the real goal.

I want to be healthy and create a healthy lifestyle that makes me feel good, keeps you working properly, and that has become a good HABIT.  Apparently 8 months was NOT long enough for me to establish Eating Clean as a habit.  Which brings me to this next year.  . .

12 months of Eating Clean  

The new goal.  It will be done.

I'm truly sorry for all the pain and sickness I have caused this year.  Next year will be another story.

Love,

Phannie

Rivalry Relay 2014

September 6th was the day for the Rivalry Relay.  The day that Utah and BYU fans go head to head in a race from Ute territory to Cougar territory.  Okay, so it's not as intense as that sounds, but it IS a blast. 

This was my first year running it and I don't want to miss another year.  I had 3 legs to run and I don't think I ran over 9 miles total. A perfect amount for one day.  I dressed in Utah colors and ran for the enjoyment of being with other runners.  There were speedy teams and slower teams, but it didn't matter how long the race took you.  ALL seemed to love what they were doing.  And everyone supported each other. 

 My last leg.

Tired, but still smiling.

I can't wait for next year.

Trim Your Tire Challenge 2013

I am again doing the Trim Your Tire Challenge.  For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a motivation tool I have been using to keep me moving during the months of November and December.  And we all know that with the extra treats we share together, moving more is a good idea.  So, during these two months I try to accomplish the distances of an Iron Man Triathlon.

4000 meter swim
112 mile bike
26.2 mile run

I have not been training for, nor do I have the time to accomplish all three events in one day, but taking both months to get through the distances is attainable for me.  NOT easy, but I can do it.

This year I have cruised through the swimming and the biking; however, the running is evading me.  I don't love to run in the snow or on the inside track.  Which makes getting my 26.2 miles done is really hard.  I've only run 7 miles in the last 6 weeks.  Here's hoping I can get 19.2 miles in  within the last 2.5 weeks.

Begin Again

I took a little break from running after the Ragnar Relay: Wasatch Back.  I just didn't feel the desire to run like I did before. I guess my body needed the extra recovery time.

 About a week ago, I started to feel the need to run again.  So, I ran in the Run the Crooks Out of Town 5k on Tuesday and  it felt great.  The participation and unity that comes with running in a huge group of people shatters the alone feeling we can experience when our mundane activities seem to be taking over.  My run was a rejuvenating one.  And fun.

FUN was also running from the race to my car to my Zumba class!!  At one point during the class, I thought I was going to fall over, but my legs survived and it was worth every minute.

Ragnar Relay: Wasatch Back 2013

It was a a tough few months training for the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay.  There was uncertainty because I had never even stepped foot on the course before AND I had never run a relay before.  There was panic because it's supposed to be SOOOO hard and scary.

Well, I DID IT!  And for the record, it WAS hard AND a bit scary, but overcoming it was great.

No Sleep

Food

Friends

Running

What more could a runner want?  Really.  And I'm going to do it again.