Ragnar Rocks and Weekly Goal time...

Today's Workout:  15 minutes lifting/abs.  11 miles on the treadmill.  I was dripping sweat so badly by the end I could have filled an entire swimming pool.  Do you ever notice those people working out around you that look the same after they run as before......absolutely perfect.  What is wrong with me?  I always look like I just finished swimming through snake infested water. 
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I would like to give a shout out to my friends that competed in Del Sol Ragnar over the weekend.  These guys are awesome and have truly inspired me in so many ways.  I met them when I first began running in October and they taught me so much and I don't know if I would be where I am now without meeting them and getting advice from them.  I am so sad I was not racing with them but so proud of them.



Back Row:  Mike, Jeffrey, and John.  Front Row:  Heather, Julie, and Ken.

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Weekly Goal:  To only eat 1 girl scout cookie a day.  Okay scratch that because it is NOT happening.  Since I can't stick with my sugar fast I had to come up with a new idea.

For valentines day this year I received a card that inspired this weeks goal.  It read:

"I wish you could hear all the nice things other people say about you.  You're the rare kind of person who takes the time to show the thoughtfulness most people are too busy to share.  I wish you could see yourself the way others do and know what a wonderful feeling it is to know someone like you."

I may have received roses and chocolate as well but I have already forgotten.  What I will not forget are the words on this card.  How often do we think about how much we appreciate others, or how lucky we are to have the special people in our lives that do so much for us but forget to tell them how much we appreciate them?  I often think of how Thankful I am for those that have served me, taught me, and made me a better person. 

Have you ever received a compliment from someone you know or even a complete stranger that turned your terrible day into a great day? 

This week my goal is to give at least 3 compliments a day.  I want others to see themselves the way that I see them and to know how wonderful they are and how lucky I feel to know them.  If I cannot deliver these compliments in person I will do so through e-mail or a letter. 

I challenge each of you to look for the good in others and to try to give at least one compliment a day.  This world is full of plenty negativity so lets strive to see the positive in others and take the time to compliment someone every day.

"Kindness is the greatest wisdom." 

I will try to report back to you on how this goes and would love to hear your stories as well.  I know that by expressing kindness and compliments to others it will make me feel better in return.

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."  ~James Matthew Barrie



Keep on keepin on...

Today's Workout:  3 easy miles.
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Weekly goal update (Turning into the BIG GREEN GIANT):  Yesterday I had veggies in the form of fried zucchini.  (lol I had just ran 13.33 miles give me a break).  My lunch also included non-fried veggies.  For dinner I had pasta with extra veggies.  Today I had chicken tortilla soup for lunch and am eating tin-foil dinners at my parents for dinner with extra veggies.  I also went grocery shopping and bought fresh veggies.  I cut and portioned out 5-days worth of veggie bags.  YAY for me.  I will definitely continue this goal and share my fresh new goal with you all tomorrow.
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"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

As I mentioned yesterday I am not 100% satisfied with my performance in the half marathon.  Although I did not run my best race I am proud of how hard I fought.  I fought hard in this race despite not PR'ing.  I also learned a lot and did not give up.  Struggles make us stronger and I am so determined to work hard and come out on top.  Having a bad race will not hold me back it will only make me work 10 times harder.  With a lot of hard work, determination and faith anything is possible. 

What I learned:

1.   I SERIOUSLY need to learn to drink water while running distance.  I slowed down to grab a cup at every other water station and probably not one drop made it down my throat.  GU+no water=dry mouth and un-easy stomach.  I finished the race so dehydrated I literally was delirious.  I felt as though I had burned half of my brain cells and was doing good to stand straight.  I got so sick I had to go sit down in the car.  I felt sick for almost 3 hours after the race and know it is because I was so dehydrated.  I did not feel thirsty while running at all but I know that it affected me.
2. Don't go out to fast.  I started out way too fast and did not end up pacing myself well throughout the race.  I ran the first half in 7:18 average and the 2nd half in 7:55 average pace.  Not okay.  My legs fatigued really bad by the 10th mile and the last three miles were a serious struggle.  My goal was to keep a consistent 7:30 pace and I ended up with a 7:39 average pace.
3. Don't run 3 miles in less than 22 minutes the day before a race.  Cross-training or walking would have been okay but practically sprinting 3 miles on Friday was a stupid idea.  I knew it was stupid but I am stubborn and was feeling so great I wanted to keep going.  I learned my lesson because I could tell my legs were not 100% fresh Saturday morning.
4. Don't start in the middle of the pack.  The chip timing device this race used started everyone at the same time making my time automatically 30 seconds off since I didn't start in the front.  I need to know my race better and be more prepared for the type of timing they use.
5. Believe your own mantras.  I kept reciting mantra's in my head but I wasn't listening to them.  I thought just by saying them I would automatically believe them but I was not internalizing what I was saying.
6. Take it one mile at a time.  Throughout this race I was constantly stalking my garmin and thinking about the big picture rather than taking it one mile at a time.  In fact when I got to mile 10.5 I figured out I would have to run the last three miles in 5:30 minute miles to PR and this instantly slowed me down.  I was thinking WAY to much about PR'ing and not focusing on just running strong.

That in a nutshell is what I learned about myself in this race.  This race was a definite obstacle for me and I cannot wait to wake up tomorrow morning determined to work even harder.  I am motivated and I WILL accomplish great things. 

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
~Michael Jordan~ 

 I am planning a 14 mile training run for next Saturday.  If anyone is interested in joining me for part of the mileage please let me know. 

I got Bit...

Today I ran my 2nd half marathon in St. George.  I originally signed up for this course because it was downhill and St. George is usually 65 degrees and Sunny in late February.  Well the course was changed and it was HILLY, and I woke up to 20mph winds, rain, and 30 degrees.  I contemplated quitting before even trying but decided to quit being a baby and stick it out.

The name of the race was Dog Town Half Marathon and we got racing shorts that said "get bit" on the butt.  Truth be told I literally "GOT BIT".  This race kicked my ass, and it was definitely the toughest race I have ever done.  Although it was hard and pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of I am 100% grateful for the experience because I learned SO MUCH!  Running is all about the journey and I know that this race was necessary for me and such an amazing learning experience.

I finished this race in 1:41 and my garmin clocked 13.33 miles.  If it were a real 13.1 I would have been barely over or maybe under 1:40.  So I finished a full 4 minutes slower than my first half marathon.  I placed 10th overall for females and 2nd in my age group.  I am still collecting my thoughts on how I feel about this race and what I learned from it so I will share a post on that tomorrow.  Overall I am proud of myself for pushing hard and not completely giving up once I realized I would not PR.  For tonight I will leave you with some race day pictures. 

Me and Jules got to the race early to wish Rochelle and Stefanie Good luck in the 9k.  They both TOTALLY rocked it out and I am so proud of them.

2nd place in my age group 20-29.  I got a pretty sweet medal.  (My medal collection is getting pretty big.  What should I do with them besides shoving them in a closet?)

My friend Althea and her son Talon and husband Tommy were waiting for me at the finish lines.  Such awesome fans for coming out in all of the rain.  I was so excited to see them at the finish.

Me and Julia after the race.  Yay for my racing buddy I couldn't really image running without her.  Speaking of which she ROCKED THIS RACE and cut 15 minutes off of her last half marathon.  Who does that??  Seriously she rocks my world.  Good job Jules!!! 

We met up with Janae after the race.  This girl is seriously my hero.  I saw her and Billy while running and seriously almost stopped to ask for autographs.  I probably lost at least a minute off my time admiring them.  lol  stalker danger......watch out Billy and Janae.

HUGE shout out goes out to Janae who placed 4th overall female and first in her age group, Julia who cut 15 minutes off of her first half marathon time and is seriously just an inspiration to me right now, and Stefanie who killed her goal time and is improving SO MUCH right now.  All of these ladies inspire me and you should check out their blogs because they are amazing!!!

Also a huge shout out goes out to My Mom the most amazing Mom ever.  She came down with us just to watch the race and cater to my every need.  She did not even get to go out and shop and have fun in St. George but she was such a trooper and I am so grateful that she is so supportive of me.  I honestly do not know what I would do without an amazing support group.  I feel incredibly blessed and lucky.  Thanks Mamma Sue-you are the best!

Night, night everyone!  I am planning to not move from the couch and wish my mamma Sue was here to cook me dinner and pack it to my face.

"Set your goals high, and don't stop until you get there."

Today's Workout:  15 minutes triceps dips and abs.  3 mile run on the treadmill, 1.5 mile walk.  Legs felt really good but a little tired so I tried to take it easy and enjoy some TV.
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Weekly Goal Update (Turning into the BIG GREEN GIANT):  well I ran out of carrots because again I haven't been to the store but I packed extra cucumbers and extra lettuce on my sandwich today to make up for it.  I also plan to eat 595 servings of vegetables at the salad bar tonight at PIZZA FACTORY!!  Who's coming with me?
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"Success is not finale, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

I have some really high goals in mind and I know if I don't write them down for myself to see I will discount them and simply replace them with easier goals in my head.  I may not achieve these goals in the next month or even year but I will achieve them because I will not stop until I do.  Keep in mind the Michael Jordan quote that I shared awhile back. "Failure is necessary for success."  I will succeed and I will fail but at the end of the day it is all about the journey and having the courage to keep moving forward.

1.  Learn to drink water while running.  This sounds like a big fat joke.......but seriously I gotta work on it.  I have dropped countless amounts of water cups on my face and my shirt but that is not hydrating me.  you would think it would sink in from my shirt but it's just not happening.  I will be practicing this tomorrow, or at least opening my mouth and letting the rain fill my soul.

2.  Run a marathon.  Let's be honest this is a goal in and of itself.  So far the furthest I have ran in training is 12 miles so I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.

3.  Run a marathon in 3:28:00.  Yeah yeah I know the furthest I have ever run is 12 miles and I think I can just bust out a 3:28?  But I can do it and my ultimate goal is to run a marathon in under 3:30.  With hard work and determination this WILL happen.  If it does not happen at Utah Valley I am hoping it will happen by Top of Utah.  haven't signed up for that race yet but I am highly considering it.

4.  Run a half marathon in 1:30.  Hoping to achieve this by the Halloween Half Marathon in October.

5.  Run a 5k in under 20 minutes.  Hoping to achieve this at either Lavender Days or Ute Stampede Fun run in July.

6.  Run a 10k in under 42 minutes.  Hoping to achieve this in the fall at either Onion Days or Oktoberfest.

7.  Run at least 2 Ragnar Relays.  Tentatively planning Napa Valley in September and Vegas in October, with the possibility of Wasatch Back in June.  RAGNARS ROCK!  They make running fun and I absolutely love meeting new people and making new friends.  My long-term goal would be to run every Ragnar race.

8.  Run as many charity events as I can afford.  Nothing feels better than running a race that goes towards a good cause.  If you want to buy me a Birthday present you should buy my entrance into a charity run.  These races also seem more relaxed, enjoyable, and family oriented.

9.  Create a memorial race for my brother with proceeds going towards Intermountain Organ Donor Registry and NAMI.  My family and I are incredibly passionate about organ donation and the National Alliance of Mental Illness and I would love to organize an annual 5k to support these wonderful causes in memory of Trevor.  I have been thinking about this for a long time but am hoping to follow through and at least get it in the works.

10.  Get Ripped.  I have a major passion for weight lifting and while I'm not training distance races I would like to either incorporate P90X or take my weight lifting to the next level.  Planning to work on this between July-September.  If you have any advise let me know but I would really like to gain some muscle and learn to be a 'real' weight lifter and not just a pretender. 

11.  Complete a  Triathlon.  This may be way down the road but it is definitely a long-term goal to compete in a Triathlon.  First I will need to swim...ha ha.  (I know how to swim but I SUCK at it.)

12.  Meet new people and build new relationships through running.  Lets be honest running is really all about the journey and part of the journey includes meeting new people and learning from their experiences.  I am truly hoping to either start or join a running club in the Payson area.  Additionally I would love to expand my inner-running circle and begin classes such as spin, zumba, and yoga.

So there is my road map.  Wish me luck in navigating through it.  I truly cannot wait to see what the future holds for me and I ultimately hope to continue enjoying this crazy journey.

Positive Reinforcement

Today's Workout:  I slept in all the way until 5:50 a.m. and did not get to the gym until 6:15.  (it felt great to sleep in and I know since I am 'tapering' the earlier I get to the gym the more temptation to run further.)  10 minutes arm weights (my biceps's are bulging...ha!).  20 minutes elliptical (I think I am starting to maybe like it....big fat MAYBE).  35 minutes treadmill.
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Goal Update (TURNING INTO THE BIG GREEN GIANT):  Cucumber slices and carrot sticks for lunch with a turkey sandwich topped with lettuce, cucumbers, and my pretend veggie pickles.  I will probably eat left over chicken tortilla soup for dinner and load up on more veggies.

I am REALLY loving the week long goal idea and have lots of ideas to come.  It seems really fun to have something to focus on and I really do think I will keep the veggie thing up.  I have enjoyed figuring out ways to eat more veggies and I haven't even gone to the grocery store to buy any.  It is just amazing the canned Veggie goods I have found in my pantry that I had no idea existed.  Do canned veggies expire?  meh hope not.
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This weekend on Saturday I am running my 2nd ever half marathon in St. George.  I cannot tell a lie when I admit I have been filling my head with negative thoughts all week about this race.  My last half marathon was such an amazing, thrilling, and proud moment I have been looking at this race with fear and have been so afraid I will not live up to expectations.  What scares me:

>  My last half-marathon was all down hill (2,000 ft elevation drop to be exact).  This race is flat/hilly and I am literally afraid I will not finish.
>  I scheduled this race for nice weather and the current weather prediction is 40 degrees, rainy, thunder, and windy.
> The course has changed 3 times.  I am OCD and like to know what I am running.  Now that the course has changed AGAIN I feel anxious and un-prepared.
>  No music on the course.....eeek.  I have never ran more than 2 miles without my Sansa.
>  Possibly no family support.  :( 
>  Fear of not PR'ing. 

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

I decided to share my negative self talk about this race because I want to erase it and start fresh.  I also strive to be completely honest on this blog and the reality is I need to change my attitude about this race.  My Dad has taught me since before I could talk that attitude is everything and mind over matter.   So.......DEEP BREATHE........I will no longer talk negatively to myself.  Why must we beat ourselves up?  I always have something positive, motivational and sincere to say to someone else but what about ME I need to start being positive with me.   I have a new plan and an awkward phone photo.

Let's take a poll.  Continue using awkward self portraits, or discontinue?

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."

I came across this quote today and loved it.  Racing is really what running is all about and racing is all about positive self talk.  You can tell yourself you will do badly and you probably will, or you can tell yourself that you are going to kick this race in the ass. 

My Mantras to push me through this race:

"Pain is temporary"

"Think strong, be strong, finish strong"

"Screw it, run through it"

"No one ever drowned in sweat"

"think of how great it will feel to finish"

I also will focus on thinking about my brother and re-live moments of our childhood. 

Any tricks about what you tell yourself when feel your mind wondering into self doubt?  I am a new runner and would love any advice on this topic.

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I have been inspired by Hungry Runner Girl and Julia to share my short term and long term running goals so look forward to that either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Pizza Party

Today's Workout:  2o minutes weights, 30 minutes on the elliptical.  (I imagined it was me against the machine and my goal was to do 4 miles in 30 minutes.  I did 4.55 woo hoo.)  Do  you ever compete with your machine?  Or am I just validating my craziness?  After I suffered through 30 minutes on the elliptical I awarded myself with 30 minutes on the treadmill.
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Goal Update (TURNING INTO THE BIG GREEN GIANT):  last night I had stir fry w/mixed veggies!  For lunch I had cucumber slices and carrot stickers and for dinner tonight I have chicken tortilla soup in the crock pot for dinner with corn, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions.  :)
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Pizza Party

Do you remember when you were in grade school and if you worked really hard and got all the star stickers next to your name you got to go the school Pizza party? 

It was usually Little Ceasers style but it was always the greatest thing that could ever happen.  You would have thought I won the spelling bee (*insert sarcasm-I'm the worst speller on earth) if you saw the permanent smile on my face.

Well lets be honest I haven't changed much since 1st grade and a Pizza Party is still all it takes to get me doing cart wheels, headstands, and jumping for joy!!!

We are having a blogger/running pizza party.  If you live in the St. George area or are running Dog Town 9k or half marathon you better be there. 

We will be meeting at Pizza Factory in St. George Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

So bring your care bear backpack, wear your hair in pigtails, and re-live your childhood.  You can even get goldfish crackers on your extremely large salad.  YESSS I am seriously giddy!!

Running Fear Words...

Today's Workout:  8.5 miles on the treadmill, 20 minutes weights.  My hammys were screaming after my workout.  I'm not really sure why but probably an extra sign I need to face my fear words.
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Weekly Goal Update (Turning into the BIG GREEN GIANT.)---Last night I had 1 cup of green beans and a baked potato for dinner.  Plus my breaded chicken was stuffed with Broccoli.  I woke up looking like this.

Rachelle the Lean Mean Broccoli eating machine!

For lunch Today I had sliced cucumbers and carrot sticks and a turkey sandwich topped with lettuce, cucumbers, and pickles.  (pickles count as a vegetable right?)
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TAPERING and CROSS TRAINING are my fear words of running.  Seriously the hair on my arms instantly grows and I begin to tense up when I think of these activities.  I feel like a child who is not allowed to eat sugar for an entire year when forced to taper and cross train.  The only way I can justify sitting for 8 hours at work is by running 8-10 miles before work.  If I do not exercise excessively before work I am bound to bite someones ear off (Mike Tyson Style), speak out of turn repeatedly, call the CEO and explain that my sit down job should be illegal, or write up a plan of how sitting for 8 hours is bad for you mental health!  What am I going to do???????  YIKES!

I have a BIG race Saturday and I want my legs to be fresh so I really need to face my fears.  I have NEVER tapered for a race.  Most of my races have been smaller 5k's and 10k's and this is only my second half marathon EVER!  I am nervous for this race and know that my body needs a break from running so that my legs are fresh.

Someone please give me words of advice, encouragement, share some pills with me something.  Can I just take a sedative that will knock me out until Saturday Morning?

How do you taper for a big race?

Manic Mondays and starting something new...

Sunday's Workout:  3.33 miles on the treadmill in the clubhouse.  Sunday's are my 'rest' day but my ADD does not allow me to completely rest.  Plus we had more dogs than humans in my little 1350 square foot abode and I really needed a break from them.



Brian got his workout on by vacuuming, washing all the bedding, doing another 3 batches of Laundry, sweeping and mopping, and doing the dishes.  I think I will get him an apron and just call him my maid.



All three pups.  Don't worry the couches are covered because Skippy (the white dog that I was dog sitting) sheds like crazy.  Brian is OCD about cleanliness so he covered all the furniture with sheets. 

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Monday's Workout:  11 miles on the treadmill, 15 minutes weights.  ahhh pure bliss!  Front row parking at the gym, the gym was DEAD! (I guess this is a perk of working on Holidays?) Anyway.....Hallelujah!  No juice heads wearing over sized belts and sucking on 10,000 calories in protein shakes, all treadmills open, and the roads were completely dead.  (which has nothing to do with running but did allow me to get an extra .5 miles in :)

Every Monday the crazy MANIAC side comes out of me.  I wake up before my alarm, hop out of bed as if it is my job, and seriously begin to get giddy about pounding the treadmill into the ground.  Unfortunately this Mania only occurs once a week but it sure feels good to start the week off with a nice hard workout.

I busted out my new pair of Asics to start my Monday out right.  Nothing like a new pair of running shoes.



I wanted you all to see my Monday Maniac face at 5a.m.  While the rest of the world was asleep I was getting the perfect parking spot and treadmill at the gym.  Don't mess with me.  You know your frightened.  I'm pretty sure the huge juice heads at the gym are scared of me too.  5'2 what?  Just look at this face and you will run away.

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Now onto my starting something new segment.  As I was running the treadmill into the ground this morning I started thinking about GOALS.  I love setting goals and challenging myself but I often don't follow through with them or I have so many ideas in my head I just don't write them down and forget all about them.

I started thinking that setting goals for an entire year is hard for me.  I cannot work on one thing for an entire year, or even an entire month for that matter.  Plus I get so bored with things fast because my attention span is the size of a dime.

So I decided I will start doing weekly goals.  Hopefully these goals will turn into long term goals, but I know that I can focus on them for at least a week.  Plus if I am forced to document my progress I'm more likely to hold myself accountable.

This weeks goal= eat more vegetables.  Sure I eat vegetables when they come in the form of a Cafe Rio Salad, zucchini bread, carrot cake, or popcorn.  But realistically I suck at eating vegetables.  Not because I don't like them (my mamma raised me to eat 3-5 vegetables servings a day after my 9-10 servings of chocolate a day), but because I just don't think about eating them.  I mean who wants to bust open a big can of pea's to go with their PB&J for dinner?

Anyway this is my goal and I will keep you updated on my progress.  Hopefully by the end of the week I will turn into the BIG GREEN GIANT!!

Today's Progress:  sliced cucumbers and carrot sticks for lunch, and chicken noodle soup w/veggies.

Any tips to help get those Veggies in me???  Again I really do like them it's just a matter of picking them over...well something better.

My DADDY is my hero...

Saturdays Workout:  10.1 miles on the treadmill, 30 minutes weights.  (the gym was so hot I probably lost 5lbs of sweat.  I hate the gym on Saturday but the Utah blizzard prevented me from running outside.)

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"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

I do not know if this story has ever been shared and my Dad does not read my blog so don't tattle on me.  :)  The Sunday before my brother Trevor passed away my Dad and Trevor spent the entire day together.  They watched their favorite football team the Steelers on TV, and hung out while eating my Mom's wonderful Sunday cooking.  Trevor had been going through a rough patch and was down on life.  Not a lot of people related to Trevor but my Dad was one person that definitely did.  My dad could always sense when their was a problem and he always puts his kids before himself.  This night before Trevor went to bed my Dad stopped Trevor in the hall.  He hugged Trevor and said "Trevor you are my hero."  He said no one can imagine the pain you endure on a daily basis, you are such a strong person and that is why you were given this illness.  He said you are my hero because you have the courage to fight this every day.

These words were the last thing my dad ever said to my brother.  The next day my Dad tried to call Trevor knowing he was staying with me but his phone would not work and he never talked to him the day of his death.  The next morning when my parents came to my house early in the morning to tell me of Trevor's death my dad was calm.  He took me in his arms and promised me that everything would be okay.

My dad is the most courageous, caring, smart, patient person I know and that is why my Dad is my hero.  My dad never gives up.  So many times in his life he has been knocked down, but he always gets back up and keeps moving forward.  I can honestly say I have never heard a negative word come out of my dad's mouth.  He is the most optimistic and positive person in the world.  I truly idolize my father and hope to positively effect as many peoples lives as he has.   You could ask any of my Dad's past players and they would all tell you how big of an impact Coach Wardle had on their lives.  I wish he could be my running coach because he is so inspirational and so great at helping others to see the good in themselves and build the confidence they need to succeed. 

Dad and Trevor.  Truly the best of friends. 

This Saturday was spent supporting my Dad's 4A girls Basketball Team the West Lake Thunder.  This is my Dad's 2nd year coaching Girls Basketball and he truly is loving ever second of it.  It has been hard trying to build a program at a brand new school and last year West Lake ended the season only winning 1 game.  Most of the players are new to the sport and my Dad has spent countless hours coaching them and teaching them fundamentals.  Most importantly he has taught them confidence and this truly shines through on the way they perform on the court.  His team is made up of Juniors and Sophomores, they are a young group and at the beginning of the year they were expected to fail.  Two of their starters from the year before chose not to return and they feared for the worst.  Even through all this turmoil my Dad was always positive.  He knew they had potential and he was determined to work hard and put up a fight.  No one thought they would win, in fact I believe early predictions had them placing last in their league.  Well my dad and his team were out to prove everyone wrong.  They worked really hard and they ended up placing 3rd in their region.  Saturday they defeated East High School to put them into the State tournament.

The underdogs truly ended up on top.  These girls worked so hard and most importantly my dad never gave up on them and he always remained positive.  Many coaches would have thrown in the towel with this team, but he stuck with them every step of the way. 

My dad is my hero because he is a living example of how hard work, endurance, pride, and courage can pay off.  As long as you have truly tried your hardest your hard work will pay off and my Dad has always taught me this concept.  Thank you Dad for being such an amazing example to me and to all those around you.  You have impacted more lives than you know and you have left each player you coach the great gift of confidence.

Good Luck to West Lake Girls Basketball in State. 

LOVE your body... (getting personal)

Today's Workout:  15 minutes lifting/abs, 35 minutes elliptical, 7.5 miles treadmill.

Sooo last night I ventured out in P-town and bought myself an extra large bottle of super Frizz control conditioner and 5lbs of 50% off Valentines candy to go with it.  I am instantly feeling better with my tamed down locks and sugar fix.  Thanks to everyone for the comments yesterday, big huge super hug to the blogging world.  (but I am not sharing my chocolate.)

"Your body is perfect the way it is.  It's your relationship with your body that's not perfect.  You want to work on loving yourself from the inside out."  Nancy Clark R.D. speaking on body image.

For some reason I feel compelled to share stories of my destructive history with body image.  Not because I necessarily enjoy re-living these days of despair but more in hopes that someone out there reading can learn from my mistakes and have a healthier relationship with their bodies.  I have struggled with body image issues most of my life, beginning in H.S. when I was slightly overweight.  I left H.S. 10lbs overweight and feared I would only continue to gain weight.  In college I began dieting and exercising in an incredibly healthy way and shed weight quite quickly.  This new found confidence of mine was exhilarating and I decided that the more weight I lost the happier I would be.  As I continued to loose weight I continued to receive compliments.  Everyone around me was noticing my new slender figure and I loved the positive attention.  Never in my life had I ever been considered "skinny" and I was beaming with excitement. 


My short stint with a healthy body quickly spiraled out of control.  I decided if I really wanted to lose more weight I would need to completely cut carbohydrates, and fats out of my diet and exercise more.  I did not 'quit' eating, I ate between 400-600 calories a day and exercised twice a day for an hour each time.  If I ate more than 500 calories in day I would beat myself up and go out and run an extra time.  This pattern continued for about a year and I hid it very well.  At the time I truly did not understand I had an eating disorder.  My life was an optical illusion and in the mirror I saw puffy cheeks and a fat stomach.  I did not realize the severity of my destructive habits and I convinced myself I did not have a problem.  I began to suffer from many medical issues.  My stomach had shrunk so much I could not digest anything except soft foods (even if I wanted to eat I couldn't), I developed severe acid reflux, lost enormous amounts of hair, and grew hair on my face and neck to try and insulate my starving body.  Even with all of these health problems I continued to exercise excessively and deny I had a problem.  I eventually ended up in the hospital and had a scope done on my stomach.  The Dr. told my Dad and my Sister my body was beginning to shut down and I would die if I did not get help.  I weighed 70lbs.


Recovery for me was harder than the actual eating disorder.  I continued to have destructive body image issues and eating patterns for 2 more years.  I became bulimic and gained weight rapidly.  My body held on to every morsel I ate because it feared starvation.  I went from 70lbs to 145lbs in less than a year.  I was depressed, self obsessed, sad, and very unhappy. 

Today I weigh 120lbs and have been around this weight for about a year and a half.  I am happy, healthy, and most importantly I genuinely LOVE my body.  I have learned so much and realized I never loved and appreciated myself inside or out before.  My body isn't perfect, and I definitely do not have a typical "runners body".  I am shorter, muscular, and not bone thin but I am comfortable in my own skin.  I am confident and proud of who I have become.  The bottom line is being thin did not make me happy, being 120lbs does not even make me happy.  I am happy because I love myself and I love my body.

I share this story because everyday I hear ladies cutting themselves down and constantly saying "if I could only lose 5lbs I would be the happiest person on earth."  Negative self talk is one of the biggest evils I know and I promise that being thinner will not determine your happiness.  Learn to love your body, and even more so learn to love yourself.  You cannot truly share your love with others until you love yourself first.

Some tips from Runners World on Healthy Body Image:

• Resist comparing yourself with anyone else.
• Emphasize health rather than weight.
• Understand what your body type is.  Look at people in your family to get an idea of what a realistic goal for you is. 
• Understand what it means to be healthy for your body type. For example some women will naturally become very lean when they run, while others retain more body fat.  Both types can be at optimal health while at different weights.
• Choose "body-appropriate" role models.  If you have a larger frame, instead of hanging a picture of a very thin cross-country runner on your wall, find a shot of a women who represents your body type in its fit stage.
• Emphasize the positive.  Instead of loathing your thighs and pinching for cellulite, recognize how strong your quadriceps are.

If you made it to the end of this I am proud.  :)  Everyone have a fabulous Friday and weekend and seriously treat yourselves well and love yourselves.

SUCCESS is about the journey.........

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.  I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I've failed over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeeded." ~~~Michael Jordan

Tuesdays Workout:  20 minutes lifting, 10 miles on the treadmill.
Wednesdays Workout: 25 minutes lifting/abs, 9.3 miles on the treadmill
Thursdays Workout:  8 miles on the treadmill.

Sorry for the lack of updates this week.  Between my computer at home breaking and the chaos of my life I have been kind of slacking.  For some reason this week I have been feeling a little discouraged with my running and well just everything in life kind of.  Do you ever feel like your just not good enough or inadequate?  Anyway it's been one of those kind of weeks for me.  I'm not sure if it is because I have been busier than normal, my hair has been frizzy all week because I am out of conditioner and haven't found time to stop and buy some(*insert sarcasm-but seriously its starting to get on my nerves*), I feel like I'm just not improving in running,  I feel like an idiot because I literally do not understand my math class (my GPA at Weber is 3.9 and I am about to ruin it.), or because of the bombshell dropped yesterday that the Boston Qualifying times have been changed.  :(  Too all you grammer critics I apologize for the ginormous run on sentence.

Me and my mom in San Fran.

Anyway in some ways I am grateful for these little lows because they make the highs so much better.  Yesterday after babysitting my nephew James I paid a visit to my parents house in Nephi.  I had a dentist appointment and stopped by their house afterwards.  My dad was not home of course because he is the busiest man on the planet, but it was fun to visit with my mom for a minute and just laugh about silly nothingness.  When I got to their house no one was home so I of course raided their food pantry and candy stash to see what I could steal and then headed to the fridge to see what was new.  My parents are constantly filling their fridge with pictures and quotes and I absolutely love it.

On their fridge yesterday was the quote posted above and I felt like it was speaking directly to me.  It is so true that without failing in life we truly never would succeed.  It is the failures and the "I didn't quite accomplish what I was hoping for" moments in life that make success that much sweeter.  Success really is about the journey and I am hoping to be more open minded, relax and stop obsessing a little bit, quit worrying about accomplishing everything in one day, and just enjoy the journey.  I may not be able to save the world in one day, or improve my half marathon time by 10 minutes, but I can try my hardest and be the best me that I can be.  As long as I know in my heart of hearts that I have tried my absolute hardest that is all that really matters.

Do you ever feel like life is so crazy or that you are so focused on the end result that you forget to just enjoy the ride?  I am my own biggest critic, and often I am so competitive with myself I forget to enjoy the simple things in life.

Going the distance.......

First my sincere apologies go out to all those that regularly follow my blog.  I hate when people don't update their blogs......and well I have been that person. :(  I've had great intentions but unfortunately my Computer from the 90's (literally imagine an old fashioned huge box computer that is bigger than the desk.) had different ideas.  I am hoping to repair it because honestly a new computer is about last on my list of wants/needs. I am not tech savvy whatsoever and would much rather spend my hard earned cash on race fees, running gear, or furniture. 

Anyway I may officially be failing my trigonometry class (since it is all on-line and well yeah online classes require computers), but I refuse to fail my blog.  So here I am working late (if you consider blogging work) to share my silly life stories with you all.

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Saturday:  Saturday was seriously a huge milestone for me.  I ran my first official "long run".  I was scared shittless, literally!  But I woke up feeling calm and completely changed my mindset.  It was a beautiful day.  Low 40's and sunny=perfect running weather.  I woke up way earlier than I anticipated, got my gear all ready, and off I went.  I knew I had a long journey ahead but for some reason I felt an odd sense of peace.  I originally had planned to try and run the first half without music because my next half marathon says no music is aloud.  However about .5 miles in I was getting chased by two mean dogs.  So I made it to two miles (dogs still in tow behind me) and finally turned on the music in order to distract me from their barking.  As soon as I turned on the music the dogs turned around and again I felt really great.  Overall the run went really well and I will admit I didn't "love" it but it felt good and I felt very proud to have accomplished it.

12.02 miles, 1:32:00, 7:40 miles.  

I was on a quest to be a 'serious' blogger so I took pictures of the course I ran and my garmin to prove to all of you disbelievers that I actually conquered this quest but unfortunately my camera is at home plugged into the computer that doesn't work.  Anyway you will just have to take my word for it.  Overall the 12 miles was really good and I learned a lot of things about my body which is always exciting.  I am a very inexperienced runner and lately I feel like I have actually been listening to my body and I think this has helped me improve.

The rest of the day Saturday was spent celebrating Daija, Dreyden, and Mya's first Birthday.  What a fabulous day spent with my amazing family.  These babies are little miracles and I nearly breakdown in tears when I think about what a blessing they have been to my families life.  Combined they weighed 8 pounds at birth and here the are today healthy, happy, and living miracles. 

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Sunday:  Me and the pup did a little 1.5 mile walk jog.  The rest of the day I had planned to spend catching up in math but yeah no computer.  So I did my usual clean the house, eat enormous amounts of junk food, not change from my sweatpants, and watch trashy reality TV.  Luckily Brian showed up with his laptop and I suffered through some math.  Literally we spend 1.5 hours on 3 problems.  blah!  Anyway I ended the night with Desperate Housewifes, and Brother & Sisters, with Kortney and Kim take NY, Holly's World, and of course the Grammy's in between commercials.  Does anyone else think I have a problem?  (I could probably go without updating you all on my Sunday activities.)  *note to self

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Monday:  woke up super early and excited to hit the gym.  20 minutes lifting/abs, 10 minutes elliptical, 9.3 miles on the treadmill.


Other than my Monday workout I am generally not a big fan of the day.  They are always crazy busy filled with meetings, trying to catch up, and insanely high call volumes.

I hope you all are doing well and I hope to bet the big box of a computer fixed soon so I can continue to update and most importantly stalk all of your incredibly awesome and amazing life's. 

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!!!!!

Fast Twitch vs. Slow Twitch

Today's Workout=20 minutes lifting/abs.  (I cannot lift for more than 20 minutes, I will never understand how the annoying juice heads at my gym can lift for hours on end......grrrrr they bug.  Probably because they spend most of their time starring at themselves and flexing their muscles in the mirror.  Okay sorry for the rant....I am sooo far off topic.)  8 miles on the treadmill.  sprinting/jogging/walking/incline intervals. 

Soooo last semester in school I took a Human Biology class.  It was the closest thing to hell I have ever experienced. (Minus my Trigonometry class this semester.....someone please help me!)  Anyway I learned an abundance of pointless information in this Human Biology class in which I of course instantly forgot in order to free up some space in my brain.  Seriously my brain is small and the last thing I need floating around it is science.  Anyway.......one day as I was listening to the seemingly endless and confusing lecture on my computer while of course doodling a picture of what I imagined my beast of a biology teacher to look like in real life when the teachers mentioned the word RUNNING.  What?  Why was my overweight, overbearing, has no life outside of biology, thinks she's SO SMART and wears funny glasses (this all imagined in my head of course because I have never actually met the lady) teacher talking about running?

I  instantly quit working on my artistic masterpiece and paid attention to her suddenly not so annoying voice.  She explained that people are born with a mix of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.  She said that most people have a pretty even 50/50 mix of fast/slow twitch muscles however most good short distance runners have a higher percentage of fast twitch muscles, and long distance runners typically have more slow twitch muscles.  She went on to explain that these muscle fibers play a huge role in running.  She didn't talk about the concept for long, of course because she's fat (in my head) and hates to run and only cares about boring biology.  But anyway this definitely caught my attention and I went on to do some research (aka google) on my own.

The point of this post is not only that I learned something in this class but also I thought it was incredibly interesting.  Before my beast of a biology teacher taught me about fast/slow twitch muscles I honestly had no idea they existed.  Again my brain is small, please don't judge!  But I really just thought running was a learned habit and natural talent didn't play much of a role.

 I learned that I have a high abundance (well more than normal) amount of fast twitch muscles and that is why I am a good sprinter but have to work really hard on my endurance and distance.  I inherited this trait from my Dad.  As you can see from the picture below I did not inherit much else from him because we look nothing alike.

A little about my Dad:

• He could beat me in a 100 yard sprint right now....literally at the ripe old age of 56.
• He coaches a High School Girls basketball team and can beat them all in a lap around the track.
• Don't let his pot belly and quiet voice fool you he is one crazy, awesome maniac.
• He is also the most loving, caring, hardworking, family man on earth.

Dad with his grand kids.  He is such an awesome Grandpa but doesn't pay nearly as much attention to his grown-child daughter since the babies were born.



Cliff Jumping.  My dad loves to swim, he would swim for hours.  I wish I liked to swim like him.

 So thanks to my dad for the extra fast twitch muscle fibers although lately I wish I had more slow twitch muscles so I could slow down and focus on distance.  What would you rather naturally have, fast or slow twitch muscle fibers?

I personally am torn.  I love being quick but get frustrated that distance is so difficult for me.  I did order some Beta-Alanine the other day and am hoping it will help with the muscle fatigue.

I forgot.........My bra!

First things first...Today's Workout-11.5 miles on the treadmill.  This was hard, really hard.  If you have any suggestions to help me with my distance please let me know, because I am really really struggling to enjoy it.  It is weird because I am fine for 9 miles, then my legs start to fatigue and I feel like I am going to throw-up and pass out all at the same time.
 
Anyway, let me preface this story by explaining that I live in Payson, go to the gym in Spanish Fork, and work in Provo.  For those of you from out of state it is about a 15 minute commute from Payson to Spanish Fork and then another 20 minute commute to Provo from Spanish Fork.  About a 60 mile round trip to and from work each day.

This morning routine of mine requires A LOT of organization on my part.  I must get my lunch packed, school books together, and my gym bag packed the night before.  I sleep in my running clothes most nights and wake up, do the doggie duties and then get going.  I have forgot items in my gym bag many times in the past.

• My Towel-nothing like drying off with the paper towels provided at the gym........YUCK!
• My shirt--early morning run to my sisters house.  (She used to live in Spanish Fork.)
• My pants---this time I had to drive back to Payson before work.  (I am afraid my POE would frown upon me showing up in the polka dot underwear paired with my stilettos, and sweater.)
• My Shoes---another run to my sisters to pick up a pair of incredibly over sized clunkers.
• My Blow dryer---Hate this, I have to go through the day with the wet doggie style do.

Today tops the charts.........I followed my normal routine.  Worked out 5 minutes past my allotment, rushed into the locker room, showered, started getting dressed and dang.  I starred into my gym bag in a frenzy throwing everything all over the place knowing I couldn't possibly forget the single most important part of my wardrobe........hmmmmm yep I did I forgot my Bra.....not only did I forget it I went to work bra less.  Yes I am brave!

You see one of my goals right now is to save money and one of my plans to save money is to spend less money on gas.  So rather than driving all the way back to payson and then back up to Provo for 3.5 hours of work I went to work without a bra.  Oh the crazy things I will do to save $5.00 in gas.  Don't worry though I had a tank top, an undershirt, a sweater, and I wore my jacket all zipped up over that.

Luckily Wednesdays are the one day a week that I do not work with people.  Wednesday are my early days because I babysit my nephew James in the afternoon and today I literally did not leave my office.  I can't believe I am publicly sharing this story, but just felt it was too funny to keep to myself.

Have you ever forgot to pack something in your gym bag?

Running this Week

Sunday- 3 mile run with the dog. 22:52 minutes. (we even ran on the "big road" and not just the farm.) I am assuming I got more exercise from yanking her away from the big diesel trucks driving past than the actual workout.

Monday- 20 minutes of lifting and way too many triceps dips, 9.5 miles on the treadmill.

Tuesday- 20 minutes lifting, 15 minutes on the wheels of death (aka elliptical), 50 minutes on the treadmill 7 miles.

I decided I better hold myself accountable and document my weekly training for all the blogging world to see. Also since this is the month of LOVE and well I LOVE running below are two of the things I LOVE when running. I am super cheap and seriously with the high race fees who can afford expensive running gear? These two items are really all I need besides channel 2 News in the morning during my treadmill runs...............oh yeah and my favorite running tank top I have had since I was 18 years old. (I will spare you the picture since I am literally wearing it in almost every race I ever run in.) It is so weird how attached I can get to my favorite running gear. Hey whatever works I guess.GT-2160 Asics. These bad boys just won the editors choice award in Runner's World Magazine and really they are great. I learned that I overpronate and these shoes add extra support and are supper comfortable. *as a side note they are sold at Shoe Carnival. I picked my last pair up for $55.00. (much cheaper than your typical running store.)

I literally own 4 pair of these Champion Running shorts from Target. (all in different colors of course.) These shorts are seriously the best. They have built in underwear which is great and prevents chaffing and the material is great for super sweaters like myself. $14.99 at target or you can wait for a sell and get them for less.

Also I generally refuse to buy running anything unless it is on clearance. Am I crazy??? I probably am but my mamma Sue taught me to only ever shop the clearance racks and I have followed her lessons well.

Short on time....long on Distance

Today I had an incredibly important appointment to watch my 12 and 10 year old cousins Jordan and Sydney play Jr. Jazz Basketball. I promised the girls I would be there and I never break a promise. There game wasn't until 11a.m. and this start time seemed to give me plenty of time to get a good 2 hour workout in before the game.

Why is it that I can wake up at 5:30a.m. every day during the week but waking up on Weekends is so stinking hard? Anyway I slept in until 9:30a.m. and by the time I got to the gym I only had 50 minutes to work out. It would have been 55 minutes but the annoying front desk guy couldn't help but decide to try and talk me into signing another 3 year contract. Any day but today buddy....seriously they can be annoying about their stupid gym contracts.

After feeling like I was getting taken advantage of by the relentless front desk guy I was frustrated and determined to get the most out of every second of my 50 minutes. So I hopped on the treadmill and ran 7.15 miles in 50 minutes. I think this was definitely a record for me and it felt fabulous. I ran the last 2 miles with 6:30 pace and it burned soooo good.

When all was said and done I dragged my sweaty but to the basketball game and made it right in time for the action. Watching Jr. Jazz is so fun and there is just something about being around kids that makes me so happy. Tonight I am watching the Jazz game and sneaking in some ab work on my ball during commercials.

In other news tomorrow is a HUGE day for my family. The Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl. WOO HOO! If you didn't already know my family (well mostly my brother) is major Steelers fans. I will leave you with an adorable picture of my Older brother Dustin and his triplets.

GOOOO STEELERS BABY!!!

I hope everyone is relaxing and having a fabulous weekend. Next weekend is my 12 mile run so I am being lazy, eating junk food, and staying in my PJ's as much as possible this weekend. ha ha It is going to take me a full week to mentally prepare for the 12 mile training run.

Testimony of Faith

"Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right."

I've had some things on my mind lately and for some reason I feel the urge to share my crazy thoughts. This is completely personal and somewhat un-running related so if your not interested in my personal life that is fine, just skip this post.

Lately I have been thinking about my brother Trevor a lot. I'm not completely sure what it is but for some reason everything I see, do, or think about reminds me of him. The Steelers playing in the Super Bowl Sunday makes me think of Trevor, babysitting my Nephew James makes me think of Trevor, Eating goldfish for lunch makes me think of Trevor, basically anything I do lately reminds me of him.

Trevor passed away at the very young age of 21 years old. He was an amazing person and fought some very hard battles during his time on earth. He truly was my best friend and not a day went by that I didn't talk to him. Trevor was diagnosed with schizo affective disorder and life was not easy for him. The pain he endured through his illness is hard to imagine for most. On the outside he had no defects and seemed completely fine but in his head he was fighting his own mental battle.
Before his death I feel like I was kind of just sailing through life without a purpose. I think I thought that I was happy but I don't think deep down I really was. Trevor's death was a wake up call to me and truly put life into perspective. I realized how vulnerable life is and vowed to change my life and pursue my dreams. Before his death I feel like I always held back in fear I wasn't good enough. I was afraid of failure. But after Trevor passed away I realized that life is so precious and to short to just sail through. Anything could happen to me at any given time and my life could change in an instant.

I had always had a dream of being a runner and his death gave me the courage I needed to pursue this dream and live life to the fullest. So I took a leap of faith and I started racing. I was nervous and afraid I wouldn't even finish my first 5k. I didn't sleep at all the night before and was all sorts of crazy before the race started. I don't think I took a breath the entire 3 miles to be quite honest. When I finished someone asked me my time and I had absolutely no idea. I was still in awe that I had actually finished. But when the chip's were turned in and the times were announced I was told I ran the race in 24 minutes. What??? I was in awe and when my name was announced for placing 3rd in my age group I was beaming.

The point of this post is not to boast about my accomplishments or even talk about myself. I really just hope that someone out there reading realizes that with faith anything is possible. Before Trevor's death I truly didn't think I could even run a mile. I had so many dreams and goals but never followed through with them because I was scared of the consequences. Since his death I have truly realized that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. If I work hard, endure to the end, and have faith in myself all things are possible and within reach.

The reason I was thinking about this topic of faith is that so often I hear from those around me self doubt. Just this morning I was speaking to one of my employees and without hesitation she quickly replied "oh I could never to that." Yes you can! You can and will do anything you want to do if you have faith and beleive in yourself.

I challenge you to cherish everyday and learn to love yourself and believe in yourself. With faith all things are possible.

Doggie Duties

So I get dragged/run/sprint/jog with my furry friend 2 or 3 times a week. We generally only run a 2 mile spread around a farm in Payson. My dog is a ferocious maniac that could not possibly run where people are near. This sounds a bit extreme but trust me the chiweenie is out of control. (she is part chiwawa and part doxie.) Izzy my running pal is a crazy beast and seriously my best speed training coach. Who needs to do speed work when you have an Izzy dog to run with? If you want to increase your speed I will rent you Izzy for a day. (you will most likely return her immediately because she is out of control and you will likely die of a heart attack from sprinting for 2 miles.) Seriously if this girl sees something she wants we are running 5 minute miles to get it.

Anyway......... I used to get annoyed when Izzy would stop for a "potty break" or just to eat a dead bug on the road. (yes dogs are gross especially the izzy biz.) I would constantly be starring at my Garmin Watch and counting the seconds we were loosing on our speed work training...............Until I learned that I can STOP my Garmin...!.!.!.!.!.!. Blonde moment!!! ha ha yes people I had no idea I could actually Stop and Restart the garmin during a run.

Now whenever Izzy stops to potty or eat a bug, or bark ferociously at a horse 100 times her size I instantly stop the Garmin and take a little break myself. ha ha

Take all the breaks you want Izzy more power to you.

So how did I learn that you can actually start and stop the Garmin during a run you ask? The conversation went something like this:

Me: (During Key West Ragnar) Dang it I was running so good and then I got completely lost and had to stop for like 2 minutes to wait for a runner to catch up so I could figure out where to go. I bet that completely ruined my average.

Alicia: Why didn't you just stop your Garmin while you were lost?

Me: (in my head of course, I wasn't admitting out loud I knew that was possible.) You can stop and restart your watch? HOLY H-E-double hockey sticks!!!!!!!


So...........After realizing this new epiphany the next two days in Key West I ran 3 miles to the beach, stopped the garmin, relaxed (caught my breath) on the beach, re-started the garmin, and then ran back to the hotel. AHHH amazing. I was seriously giddy about this new realization.

So my question to you is:

Do you ever "cheat" aka stop your garmin during doggy potty breaks to catch your breath, or just stop and then restart because you need a break?

ha ha I completely realize that this new found realization of mine will not be helping me at all during a real race.

Do you ever have blonde moments? If so please tell me about them so I don't feel like such a complete and utter idiot.

In other news I have been loving my workouts this week. Maybe running the 10k last saturday was just what I needed to get me out of my rut and boost my spirits. Seriously I have been waking up energized every morning so excited to run. I would literally spend all day at the gym if I didn't have a job and school. Stupid Reality!

Todays Workout: 20 minutes weight lifting and 70 minutes on the treadmill with 9.5 miles.