The TOU Pics

Mile 25

Crossing the finish line looking up at my time 4:27

We finished! It was good to see Cami and Keri cheering me on as I crossed the finish line. We had a group hug and shared some tears. Then it was picture time, I just wanted to sit down so I look a little less than enthused in these pictures. :)

My support.

We ate at Maddox on our way home. My stomach really hurt for a while but I was glad it was feeling better by the time we ate, I was hungry! Cami, why do you look so good? We were just running for over 4 hours! Not fair. :)

P.S. I can not walk today! My thighs have never experienced so much pain, you should see me try and walk up and down the stairs, it's a joke. Mark and I had a good laugh because I was just walking to the table and almost collapsed, he thought I did something to my knee, nope I just can't put any pressure on the front of my legs, I have to walk almost straight legged. Not sure why it's so much worse this time but it is.

TOU Marathon

I really want to be taking a nap right now but I think I'm so hyped up on caffeine I can't sleep so instead I will blog about the Top Of Utah Marathon that we ran this morning. I am so glad it's over and just glad I finished and was able to squeak by with a faster time by 10 minutes. It started out great, I ran it with my sister Cami and her friend who's in my ward Keri.

Mile 5- feeling good, my feet are a little numb and my hands too but it's beautiful and we're keeping a good pace about and 8:30 minute mile.

Mile 8- I have feeling back in my feet and hands, still feeling good, still going down hill still keeping a good pace but Keri and Cami start to get a few feet in front of me.

Mile 10- Hanging in there pretty well, pace is under a 9:00 still, right where I want it but Cami and Keri are a good 20 yards ahead of me but it's okay because I see my friend Amy and her mom and I get to run with her for a few miles.

Mile 13- Half way done! set a PR for my half pace 1:58 now I'm running about a 9:00 minute mile and we're just starting to come out of the canyon, boo!

Mile 15- Eat my shot blocks and take my excedrin migraine (caffeine!) I'm feeling decent, a lot better than I was at this point last year my pace is between a 9 and 9:30.

Mile 17- Oh boy, it's starting to hit me, my thighs are feeling really fatigued from all that down hill but I've got my new play list and songs that Mark down loaded for me (thanks babe!) so I'm still going. Pace slows down a bit more.

Mile 19- Why, why, why do I put myself through this torture! I hit a wall and can't believe that I have 7 more miles to go. I start taking it one mile at a time.

Mile 21- More why's, more pain, more never agains, take some motrin take my last GU and start taking more walking breaks, I can barely make it .5 mile at a time. My pace is SLOW but trying to keep it in the 10:00 minute mile range.

Mile 25- I see Mark! He's at the top of a mini hill, make it to the top, want to cry, stop and walk he takes my hand while The Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is playing. One more mile! Not hard right? Wrong, I am so tired, forget my goal time it's out the window anyway, I don't care I just want to finish!

The last mile was way hard, last year I got a burst of energy, not this year, I want to cry but I keep going my watch says 26.2 but I'm still not there! I don't cross the finish line until my watch says 26.4, killer.

I see Cami and Keri, we hug, we cry, we did it!!! Cami finished in 4:08 and Keri in 4:13 awesome job girls!! I feel sick to my stomach and want to puke, but don't. Still thinking why do I torture myself like this but at the same time I finished! I did it, I survived, yay me! My time was 4:27, better than last year, when it came down to it that's all I wanted to do.

So 1 ambien, 1 dulcolax, 2 immodiums, 1 five hour energy, 4 GU's, 1 pack of shot blocks, 2 excedrin migraines, 4 motrin, lot's of gatorade and water, good tunes, some blood (blisters), sweat, and tears and my supportive husband and running buddies is what it takes me to get through a MARATHON! Totally worth it.

Pictures to come...

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Top of Utah Marathon, and today I feel sick. Please let it pass by tomorrow (yeah right) I hate this part, it might be worse than the actual race, the anticipation of how you're going to do because honestly, I don't know how I'm going to do! All I can hope for is better than last year. Wish me luck, I'll need it!

Goodbye Summer

I can't believe summer is gone! It went by so fast this year. We spent a lot of days at Cherry Hill and over Labor Day we had our last day there. Mark came with us this time, I'm glad we got to get in our last time with him.
Charlie loved going down all the slides with Mark, Kenya was scared of the dragon slides this year, she would always say "I wanna go dagon slides!" So we'd go down once and then she was done and scared. So I told Charlie all summer he'd have to come back with dad so he could go as many times as he wanted and that's what they did! Kenya's floaties were on their last legs, they had little leaks in them so she graduated to Charlie's life jacket and Charlie graduated to no life jacket! He's doing really well at swimming.
Kenya figured out how to completely jump in by herself and wants no help whatsoever. This is how it is ALL DAY LONG. "No, I do it, I do it! I do it! Takes a lot of patience, especially when you're potty training. She is doing great by the way, almost one week and today was the first day with no accidents. Every other day she's had at least one but I haven't changed a poopy diaper for a week! Hooray! :)



Here's a little video of Kenya jumping in like a pro!




We had a little last minute bbq with the Hanson's on Labor Day, the kids loved roasting marshmallows.

A Week of Firsts

Fall is coming and we are getting busy! We've had a fun couple of weeks settling into our new schedule. Charlie started preschool again with Miss Lisa and Miss Shaun. He is so happy to be back in preschool and I think he's enjoying being one of the older kids with more experience under his belt. He's making lots of new friends and is counting down the days until he starts his other preschool Mrs. T's next week. I put him in two this year because he is so social! Plus he's old for his grade and needed a little bit more than two days a week. He's excited, I'm excited, hopefully it'll work out good.







Kenya started dance this week! Nothing cuter than seeing little 2 year olds in dance clothes. She was so excited to go with her cousin Greta. She's going to Katie Wayment's dance and so far so good!
She looks more like a little gymnast here with those monkey muscle arms!
Charlie had a little fit when Kenya got to do something fun and he didn't, did I have any sympathy for this extremely lucky kid who's days are filled with fun? No.

Kenya and Greta in the studio. When Greta walked in Kenya ran up to her and gave her a hug.

Well the next first is potty training! Kenya keeps taking off her diaper when it's poopy so I figured it's time. First day in panties today, 1 poop in the potty and 2 pees on the floor so far. We'll see how this holds up, I need to be STRONG! Umm, make that three pees on the floor. :(

Flushing down the poop.

Our final first was our first boating trip of the summer, yay! Brooke and Todd invited us boating (or maybe it was more like we invited ourselves:)) on Monday night. It was so fun! I miss boating so much so we were so happy to have the chance to go. Charlie attempted skiing, first time! He tried once and when he got dragged a little he got scared and was done. Todd told him it was his fault because he didn't go fast enough. When we were leaving Charlie walked up to him and said "Todd why didn't you go fast enough and let me drag?" He's a bit traumatized by it. :)

Ava and Kenya

Charlie and Brady

So excited when the boat started going.