Have a Lovely Day!

What kind of friend are you?

I sometimes always complain that I don't have friends.

Let me rephrase that. I DO have friends just not many that I can call and say let's go do something.

I used to feel like I was the one doing the calling.

Then I would see my friends out with their other friends but I wouldn't get invited.

What is wrong with this picture?

I would think to myself....If I wanted to have a friend, I would want to have me as a friend.

I'm genuine, I'm honest, I love people. I try really hard to see the good in others (of course I am not perfect). So what is wrong with me that I am not included?

Well no matter. I have the very most special BEST FRIEND in the whole wide world and I am lucky enough to be married to him.

But a girl DOES need friends.

Over the years I can say that I have few special friends. I will share a few with you today.

No we might not go to lunch or the movies and all that stuff but we do click
(not in the clicky sort of way).

Long time friend:

Audrey and I would mourn with one another.

We would share our heart breaks over our children.

We would rejoice in their accomplishments.

We would cheer each other on in our own lives.

We wouldn't see each other for awhile but pick right back up to where we left off.

Sister friend:

Joni is my most "soul" friend.

She is the sister I never had.

She so understands me before I even speak.

She is such a great confidant and dependable.

She makes me laugh with her quick wit.

We now live miles apart but she is closest to my heart!

She sends me cards like this and asks "Which one do you want to be?"

Laugh my guts out!

Pre-existence friend:

Susette and I knew each other in the pre-existence.

The moment we met we became fast friends.

Since I lost my dad she has been the one to laugh at my jokes.

She accepts me the way I am.

She even speaks the same "lango" that I speak.

Look-up-to-friend:

Jenny lives across the country from me.

I have never met her but she is such an inspiration to me.

She is so talented and creative.

She is so caring and I hope to meet her someday.

She sends me cards and she hasn't even MET me!

                                                                                   

So what kind of friend am I?

What can I do to let others know that I care about them?

Well, I will work on it this week because when you don't have sisters....

A girl NEEDS friends!!

Porter's Half Marathon

Friday night Doran and I drove to Draper to pick up our race packets and see if we could find the route we would be running on. We found most of it before we headed down to Susette's.

She had a yummy pasketti dinner for us and then we changed and went to a wedding reception in Provo. Doran's cousin Gordon had his son James Marble got married that day so we had a nice visit with some of his cousins at the reception. We didn't make it back to Susette's until late and she was already in bed so I hopped on her bed and visited like we were in high school.

Thanks for the visit Wart!

We got up at the crack of o'dark thirty and headed to Draper. Susette left a few minutes before us because she is crazy wanted to get FOUR miles in before the race so she could stay up on her marathon training.

Susette had made a cute sign that she wore on her back. It had a picture of HER Porter and a note to say she was running in behalf of him. Wish I would have thunk of that, I could have wore one too!

That is really why she signed up for this race....the name Porter's Half.

Anyway...

We did it!

The Porter Half Marathon began at Little Cottonwood Canyon.

It had some major downhills close to the first (almost too steep for our liking) but they made the few uphills seem not bad at all.

I forgot my watch therefore I could not pace myself. Great! My biggest fear was to get caught up in the race and not keep my turtle pace so I could make it. So I just tried to go with what felt good and not worry about people passing me.

Dad left us in uh...less than 30 seconds so Susette and I ran together for awhile.

When we got to the downhills she went screaming down them (literally scream) while I tried to focus on not landing on my heels and taking it easy on the quads.

Then when we get to an uphill I go on ahead.

I am not even sure when we got separated.

I am pretty sure I went too fast because when I got to mile 9 I was tired. I started walking way too much and I couldn't get motivated for anything!!

It wasn't long after this that I heard

"MOMMA!!! MOMMA!!!"

That's when I knew Susette was behind me.

I was so hoping I could hook on to her belt and she would drag me the rest of the way.

Nope, she left me in her dust!

However daddy did come back for me when I had one more mile to go.
Thanks daddy and Susette!
And thanks for all the text messages!!

I wish I didn't always look like such a drown rat afterwards.
Maybe if I quit dumping water on my head eh?

I didn't finish as good as I wanted but I did beat my "worst case scenario".

Doran got 5th in his age at 1:53:44

Jody 2:16:19

Susette 2:14:39

And these are our FREE shirts!!

Oh and because we stayed for the awards (by then lots of people had left) we got some gifts!

Each of us got a jacket. Susette got a pen. I got some glasses and Doran got some cleaning stuff. Yep, it was worth it to hang around a bit. Besides the treats were WONDERFUL!!

Now...where were we when we got interrupted by the Porter Half Marathon?

Oh ya, training for the Top of Utah Half Marathon coming up THIS Saturday.

Do dreams affect your ATTITUDE?

They do mine. I have been getting a little worried instead of excited to run the Porter's Half Marathon on Saturday.  Mainly because my knee and hip have been giving me fits for the last couple of days. Then my foot on my other side started tweaking. Is it all in my head?

We have no clue where it is. We don't know what the route is like other than the first part is down hill.

I was up all night tossing and turning and dreaming about all that would and could go wrong. Therefore, I was up all night with a negative attitude. I woke up with a negative attitude and sore body. This should be happening the night before a race not TWO nights before.

Well I'm gonna DO IT!

My attitude for all day Friday will be positive and I will try to vision myself running gliding down the shady road with wind in my hair (behind me of course to give me that little push) and a smile on my face and a bounce in my step run with JUST Doran and not with 299 other people.

Who cares if they pass me...ok I might.

Who cares if I am last...ok I might.

But by golly I want to do my best and if I don't win the GOLD medal at least I want to finish standing up with NO pain in my legs and feet (because I have get to do it again next Saturday with the Top of Utah Half) all while running in my new shoes. Is that too much to hope for?

I have been icing knee and hip.
Stretching legs and feet.
Eating junk.
Staying hydrated.
Training except for 3 miles on Wednesday.

Just remember to focus on my OWN pace!

Please say some extra prayers for us.
Doran I don't worry about, he is a stud. I kind of wish he would run right with me but I want him to do his best so I am sending him on his way at the crack of the gun.

Ready...

Set...

Don't Speak

Don't speak...in this case, don't type.

I got online yesterday to see when the online registration closed for Porter's Half Marathon.

Well shuckie darn it closed Sunday night at midnight.

But I opened my mouth....

I told Susette it was closed but if there was a way that we could still sign up....we would.

DON'T SPEAK!!

After an email I found out that they were going to open the registration ONE. MORE. DAY.

You guessed it, I signed us up.

What have I DONE???

Doran didn't find out until he got home from work last night.

He was wondering what I was thinking and to be honest....I was too.

So we were sticking to our training schedule and yesterday was THREE miles.

So we went up and tried a new route which was pretty good however Doran was staying with my pace and I went a little too fast in the beginning. My quads were still sore from Saturday's run. I wore myself out before I even hit 2 miles but we finished our 3 miles in 28 minutes.

I now have sore quads, and my right knee hurts.

I went walking this morning with my mom. We made it almost 3 miles but I am SORE.

I need to get some stretching and rolling on the foam roller and somehow refresh my legs.

Oh and I tried my new shoes out yesterday. Worked like a charm! No sore toes! Well at least on my left foot.

Still undecided

Saturday was our 9 mile training run. We decided to run the canyon closer to us. It is much steeper and harder on the legs but we didn't have time to go to Hyrum.

Susette is trying to talk us in to running Porter's Half with her next Saturday which would mean that we would be running TWO half marathons back to back. One August 18 then another one on August 25 and then we have a Mud vs Man on September 1. I am not sure that my out-of-shape-body can handle all of that. Just because Susette is a SHEra doesn't mean I can even come CLOSE to what she can do.

So the 9 mile run would help determine if I want to attempt to run Porter's Half. Doran of course can do both with no problem except I feel bad because he has been training with my slow pace.

Well it's Monday and I am still undecided. Saturday night I had really achy legs but Sunday wasn't too bad. I bought bigger shoes on Saturday in hopes that would help with my toes. (Good idea to run in brand new shoes right? NOT)

I didn't have a great run on Saturday but now it's a few days later and it's like having a baby....a few days after, you forget exactly how much FUN you did NOT have, or how hard it was.

So.......

I'm still...

UNDECIDED.

Last nights (Wedding reception) run

Ya, well our "leg" run didn't happen.

However we were able to attend a couple of wedding receptions.

I am still trying to remember when we were first married and how excited I was to change my name.

But looking back and what I know now....it just gets better!

The love intensifies.

The trust increases.

The hopes and dreams come alive.

The sacrifices are made.

The demands are met.

The challenges faced.

The prayers are answered.

And it happens over and over and over again.

But we will pull through and triumph with Heavenly Father as our guide.

NEVER GIVE UP!

IT'S GREAT BEING MARRIED TO YOUR BEST FRIEND!

Hurry before you ponder

I am not a morning person but if I don't get my exercising done in the morning it won't get done.

Doran doesn't have a choice. He has to exercise after work and he is so dedicated.

He says that he doesn't put as much effort into his lifting as he used to but he still goes.

Yesterday I was supposed to run 5 miles.

No, I didn't get up and go outside because I don't run alone.

No, I didn't go to the gym on a treadmill because Mondays run reinforced that I do NOT like the treadmill.

So after work I hurried home and rushed to get ready to go with Doran before I pondered it too long to talk myself out of going.

We rushed to the gym and I got the "favorite" treadmill.

The one next to me was taken and Doran doesn't like the other ones so he took an elliptical.

I got my 5 miles in. Not happy with the time (54 min) but I did it.

Doran worked his guts out on the elliptical.

He put in over 7 miles.

This morning....

I was bound and determined to run alone!!

Just before I woke up to go I had a bad dream about running alone.

Scared me so I didn't go. For some reason I keep getting the impression to NOT run alone.

FINE! Well hopefully we can get our run in tonight after we attend two different wedding receptions. One is an hour away. Cross your fingers!

We have GOT to get our training in or someone will be pulling me in a wagon on the half marathon race!

Monday's Miles was a bust!

What a great fun run on Saturday....what a bust on Monday miles.

I tried to run my 4 miles Monday morning at the gym before Holly's weight class. Psha!

I didn't even make it ONE mile before I started complaining.

I really should stop complaining but...

It was so HOT in the gym!

There was NO air circulation!

There was absolutely NO downhill to look forward to!

I forgot my IPOD!

I couldn't find a rhythm!

Did I mention it was hot?

Finally after TWO miles I quit!

I told Dawn I was running home to finish my miles and have her drive the car home.

Run home? Ya right!

I had to walk half way home (uphill), then the last half (1 mile home) I was able to run.

I need to remember that they day after I fast I ALWAYS seem to be out of energy.

After I made it home I continued to a park nearby to walk around it and get a drink. Halfway around I saw my mom walking so I met up with her and walked with her a bit until Dawn found me.

Then I went back home and went to bed.

I should have just stayed in bed in the first place.

This morning I was suppose to run 5 miles but I DO NOT run alone in the mornings.

Maybe I will try to run with Doran at the gym tonight.

I have GOT to figure out how to get my morning runs in...

OUTSIDE!!

The MOOSE is loose!

Last Saturday Doran and I had another "fun" run!! We needed to get 12 miles in that day so we decided to go back to the TOU Half route. We like to end at a gas station so we can get a ride and a drink so in order to do this we went to the beginning of the race route and went 1.5 miles further on up the road. We started an hour earlier in order to beat the sun on Hollow Road. I also figured that if I couldn't make it the whole way Hollow Road was a good place to walk. So in order to do this we found a perfect place to ditch park the car 1.5 miles further up from the starting line.

We gathered up our gear and stepped outside the car to 46 degrees. Brr! We didn't take long to get going. I would rather have my snot freeze than to get caught in the heat while running.

We didn't even make it a half a mile before we ran into a BULL MOOSE!! Well actually we didn't run INTO him but he was on one side of the street and we were on the other. I asked Doran if we needed to turn back or become invisible. We kept running at a SILENT pace in hopes that we wouldn't startle him or make him mad. He looked up and took a couple of steps towards the mountain more and as we passed he turned toward us and then just stepped up on the road and watched us go on past. Doran kept running backwards and we both kept turning around just to make sure he wasn't running after us following us. That was SOOOO cool and a little frightening too. This was a day that I decided NOT to take my phone/camera. To be truthful though there was no way I was going to take time to fish out my phone and snap a picture. Bullwinkle was just a little TOO close. But did I say COOOOL???

Borrowed from Google

Well with that excitement over we continued on our way down this beautiful canyon. I really had a rough time getting into any kind of a rhythm until maybe mile 4. From then on I concentrated on enjoying the run. The weather was perfect again and the companionship was the greatest!

There were a few people that passed me (besides Doran going ahead and coming back and passing me again) but I DID pass one person. When people pass me I still have such a hard time not beating myself up. I really need to focus on my own journey and accomplishments! I sure hope I can do this in the race when it seems like EVERYONE is passing me. I don't want to get caught up in "the race". I would like to enjoy the "RUN" as much then as I have these past couple of weeks running with my favorite partner! During the race he won't be with me.

I actually made it to mile 10 before I had to walk. I was so surprise and proud of myself. Doran, well, he is just a stud to mostly stay with me but also go ahead a little ways and then come back for me and you should have seen him put himself between me and the moose. What a hero he is.

Mom and Stan picked us up again and gave us a ride to our car. That is such a HUGE help when they do that.

On our way home Doran decided to drive through Avon/Paradise area. We ended up going over the mountain in our NON off road vehicle.

It was another fantastic morning spent together!

This week is 9 miles.....where should we go?