Post O' Pics

This Is The Way We Run

This is what we're doing.

RELAY

This is when it is.
This Saturday. 7am. (Though, I'll be there at 4:45 am. An insanely early time to have to be anywhere, I think.)

This is my team: The Dang Quesadillaz (I know. You only wish you had thought of such an awesome team name.)
Me -- 7 miles
Dan-diggety-dan -- 6.1 miles
Mi esposo -- 5 miles
Kayleen-the-runnin'-machine -- 5 miles
Nat-a-rific -- 3.1 miles.

This is not my team. I guess I'll mention my other brother, even though he's running with his office team. Lame. I know.

Nick-o-li -- 6.1 miles

This is what you can do.

I guess you can come shout Napolean Dynamite quotes at us. (Or give me a pump on your bike from the end of my leg of the race to the car waiting at the end of Dan's leg so I don't have to run Dan's leg too. Since they won't let any cars up to the end of my leg. And the shuttle is slow.) That would be cool.

This is a random picture. Just for the heck of it.

This is the end.

The Marathon - Part 3

Still feelin' good


See.Hi Mom! Okay.....anytime now.....take the picture! Two of my main supporters.Listen buddy. They're cheering for ME. Put your hand down.Okay. Feelin' the burn. Definitely feelin' the burn.Uh. Kill me now.No, really.Hey, at least I'm ahead of the guy in the kilt.Oh. Well, I WAS ahead of the guy in the kilt.Nope. Not sure what's goin' on with my face there. I was probably sad about the guy in the kilt.Okay, apparently after one runs a marathon, she can't just have a normal face.You only WISH you could make a face like this.Ok. Seriously? I mean, seriously? We can't have ONE normal-faced post race picture?
That will work. Check out this hilarious poster Cami & her roommate April made. P.S. I did not pee my pants. I did, however, make good use of several of the port-a-potties. Too much information? Too bad.Rikki & I LOVE getting our picture taken. We LOVE it. Oh, and by the bathroom wall! Even better! We made it, Janille! We made it! Way to go us.Aaah. What a good one. I'm pretty sure he's more relieved that it's over than I am.Post-race chillin' with the famPost-race baby holdin'
THE END.

The Marathon - Part 2

Well. I did it.

I. ran. a. MARATHON.

And now, I don't want to ever do that again.


No, I am REALLY glad that I did this at least once. It feels good to have accomplished it. No, it feels GREAT to have accomplished it! It's hard to understand the feeling until you've actually done it (huh Janille). I would recommend trying it, if you are able. I can say that now, because it's over. If you had asked me during it, I would have told you to stay far far away from any marathons...and to take me with you. (But you would have had to carry me because, well, you know...)

I want to say Thanks Thanks Thanks to so many people.

Mom, Dad, Elise, Brevan, Eli, Dan, Alyssa, Halley, Caden, Nick, Nat, Alivia, and yes baby McKenzie too. Mom & Dad Parker, Melody, Doug, & Beza. Thanks for being there! I really only kept going because I knew that you guys were waiting along the way. And the signs were cool too.

Thanks also to the fam & friends who couldn't make it. For the phone calls, the flowers, the cards, the text messages, the blog comments.

Thanks to the friends who were there (Rikki & Cami) cheering & making fun. And for Cami's hilarious poster (pics to come later!). And to Janille's fam for cheering me on. That was nice too!

And to the friends who weren't there but were cheering in their hearts (um, hopefully lots of people).

Oh, and I can't leave out the other runners. Janille, Shelsie & her brother, Holly, Kim, Monica.

And thanks to the snooty girl who said "excuuuuse me!" to Shelsie when we were all cramming through the starting line and there was no way anyone could get by without touching someone...Shelsie & I are still laughing about her snooty tone and her ridiculousness, and it started the race with some humor. At least, for us. Some people should probably lighten up a little.

Thanks to the guy who sang the American Pie song out loud as he was running by, who I later learned sang out loud the whole race. Funny.

Thanks to the guy ahead of me near mile 4 who had the "in memory of Jean" shirt on. And the runner pushing the other guy in the wheelchair, both of which smiled and said Hi to me. Inspiring. And choked me up a little.

Oh, and the stations. I lived for the stations. Thanks to those sweet little volunteers handing me the water, gatorade, and banana chunks. And picking up all our cups & peels behind us. You guys are great.

And, really, thanks for the port-a-potty at mile 24. Really. You saved my life.

But most of all, a BIG PHAT THANKS to my husband. I won't even be able to name all of the things he did for me. But here are a few. During 5 months of training - ran my short ones with me (when I would let him) and got up early, dropped me off & brought me water, crackers, & gatorade for my long runs. Fixed me meals. Handled my breakdowns & lack of gratitude. Bought me shoes & running gear. Didn't complain about me buying more running gear. Called FedEx when my ipod didn't arrive when it was supposed to and took care of business. Arranged everything for the day before & the day of the marathon, including a bbq, and my family staying with us, and the pre-race meal the night before. Carried a bag of stuff for me during the marathon and rushed to different spots along the course to give it to me, along with my family. Ran with me during parts of the marathon. And basically just took care of my every need & want. Yup, he's a good one. Thanks a million, Miguel.

Well, I could go on and on. Oh wait...looks like I already did.

If I missed anyone, please just thank yourself for me, okay. Thanks.

P.S. COMING SOON.......MARATHON PICS!

The Marathon

Some of you may remember me blogging about THIS lofty goal and then having to clarify with THIS.

Well, my friends, the time is near.

5 months of training,
many miles run,
a little sickness,
a few tears,
many yogurts, crackers & Gatorades later

The Marathon is here.

To Be Continued...

AHEM!

I said, "Who's with me?!" Right? I'm pretty sure that's what I said. Yup, I'm reading it right. "W-h-o-'-s w-i-t-h m-e-?-!"

Okay, so maybe I DID run the Fairview Fun Run 5k without training. Maybe I DID miss the parade...and the food...and the games....and almost all of the Pioneer Day celebration because I was puking (and--insert other sickening bodily function here--) my guts out at my parents house. Maybe I DID spend the rest of the day either in the bathroom or balled up in the fetal position in the guest room. And, yes, maybe this DID happen 2 years in a row!

But really, people! Does this mean I can't make a goal to overcome this and do better?!

I'd like to remind you criticizers that once upon a time, I was IN SHAPE. There was a time in my life that I RAN AND DID NOT GET SICK. In fact, there were several times that I even WON MEDALS in that Fun Run. SEVERAL!

Can't a girl be reminded of those times instead of the puky times? Noooooo. It's puky times ONLY.

Well, I'm not giving up yet. But, to help put your worrying minds a little more at ease, I will now rephrase my goal for you.

IN 2008 I will do this:

WALK
TRAIN
JOG
TRAIN
RUN
BIKE
TRAIN SOME MORE

Then I will probably do this:

FAIRVIEW FUN RUN

Then I will do this:

WALK
TRAIN
JOG
TRAIN
RUN
BIKE
TRAIN SOME MORE

THEN....I WILL DO THIS:

And now I will step off of my soapbox. That is all.

What?

Near the end of 2007, I was thinking about what I had accomplished during the year.



Yeah. Um, it wasn't much.



So, without taking you too deep into the strange thought process that ensued following that realization, I will just say that I ended up telling myself that in 2008, I will do this....



Who's with me?!