Aud's Odds

ALTRA AMBASSADOR VIDEO

2011-08-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

Check out my video on the Altra youtube site. I get the most views, I win a free pair of shoes!!!

Thanks!

summers taking over

2011-06-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

it's finally summer in Wyoming - 75 degrees, cloudless skies, long trail runs and evenings spent sitting on the porch. It also means blogging must take a backseat. I've waited far to long for this beautiful weather to not spend every waking hour outside playing (I wish that was reality) or at least as much time as possible. So, that being said my blogs may be very sporadic and few and far between.

In the meantime go ahead a read about one major reason you need to visit Wyoming this summer
- Oyster Ridge Music Festival & Burn Your Lungs 5K, 10K, and 1/2 Marathon

Utah Valley 1/2 Marathon recap (aka - blogging for sanity)

2011-06-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling agitated today. I'm in a "I ran big race yesterday, NOW WHAT?" kind of mood. It's my typically post race day mood but I never remember it's going to hit till it HITS!

Yesterday I ran the Utah Valley 1/2 Marathon. I had originally planned to run the full marathon but I haven't had time to train up to 26.2 miles. I figured it was better to crush the 1/2 Marathon rather than die trying to finish the full Marathon.

Jadon ran the Marathon and even set a P.R. but he's not in the "NOW WHAT?" mood. He's hobbling around the house with sore legs, but fully enjoying the fact that today is a rest day. I on the other hand feel sore, restless, irritated and lacking a goal. I thrive on goals so this in not my favorite state to be in.

However since it's part of the whole process I'm trying to take a chill pill and not stress about anything. So in an attempt to do that I'm going to distract myself by reliving the race day.

All the race excitement started Friday night at the race expo. We went to pick up our bags and look for bargains.

at the expo with my swag bag

just a few "warn-up" shots

I promise this is not my REAL running form. It's just as hard to "run" for real for a picture as it is to "smile" for real for a picture.

The 2 best things about the expo were meeting one of the creators of Altras and watching the VitaMix demo. I've been running in my Altras for about 2 months and I'm convinced they are the most brilliantly designed shoes out there. Running in them has completely eliminated my IT band issues, perfected my running form and even made me faster. Oh, and did I mention that I feel like I'm wearing slippers when I wear them? Ya that's just one more PLUS. So Jadon and I got a chance to chat it up with Jeremy (co-Altra creator) about what how awesome the shoes are.

Then we went on over to watch the VitaMix demo. Since doing the "Clean Program" I've been dreaming about owning my very own VitaMix. So I ooed and awed at the amazing demo and of coursed entered the raffle to win a free VitaMix.

The rest of Friday was spent doing race-prep. We drove the route from our Motel to the busing location so that everything would go smoothly on race day. We pinned our bib#'s on our shirts, laid out all our race day clothing, set alarms for 2:45 a.m. decided exactly what time we would eat breakfast (is it still breakfast if you eat it at 3:30 a.m? or does it then become a night time snack?) After some intense race-prep we decided to go walk around the mall to loosen up our legs from a day of traveling.

I haven't been to a mall in a long time and I have forgotten how much I hate customer service people asking me if I need help finding anything. After going into 3 stores and promptly being greeted by a high school aged kid asking if they could help me find something I decided I was done with the mall. All I wanted to do was browse but everywhere I went I felt like I was being stalked. In one store after tell the guy that I was just looking, he still stood there and watched me as I "browsed"...AWKWARD!

So 45 minutes of mall time was my max and Jadon and I headed back to the motel to go to bed early.

Saturday morning still came way to soon. I was in the shower by 2:50 a.m. wondering why on earth I ever decided to run races. My 3:30 I was slurping back my Bolthouse Juice with Rice Protein. At 3:45 we left the motel (hoping we hadn't forgotten anything) and I drove Jadon to busing location. After a quick and a bit sad goodbye (this is the 1st time we've haven't run together) I hurried to my busing location.

I was half way up Provo Canyon standing outside in the chilly morning air with almost 2,000 other runners by 4:50 a.m. The buses dropped the runners off about 1 mile up from the race start. So I made my way down to the starting line, stopping to at every Porty potty line as I went. By 5:30 I was at the race start, and I had made 4 restroom stops. If you're not a runner, I'm sure you are thinking that I have ISSUES. If you are a runner, you completely "get-it" and you do the same thing.

I wore old clothes over my tank top and CWX tights, so I yanked then off, retied my shoes for the 10th time and got ready to race. The gun went off promptly at 6:00 a.m. and I took off down the canyon. My feet were numb from standing outside in the cold for an hour, and so I spent the first 2 miles debating in my mind if they were really numb from the cold or if I should stop and loosen my shoes. By mile 3 I could feel my feet again and I started thinking about other things. When you run a lot of races you start noticing trends.

One trend that irks me is when runners wear their race t-shirt to race in. The way I look at it, you haven't earned the right to wear a shirt that says, "Utah Vally Marathon" on it until you've actually completed the race. But far too many people don't seem to see a problem with it. So there they go racing down the canyon advertising the very race they are running in. Another trend is the token shirtless man. This man has been doing P90X for the past 3 months and tanning just in order to run "shirt-less" in his upcoming race. He doesn't care if the temps are boarding on freezing, he's going to show off the physique he's worked so hard for. Most big races also have a group of high school boys from the cross country team. They always run together and you notice them because they smell like a locker room. The wonder of these adolescent boys is that they look and smell like they've already run 2 races before the race even starts. TIP - try and stay upwind from these boys.

Those are a few of the things I was thinking about during the first 6 miles of the race. I was also taking in the beautiful scenery of the canyon, blasting a little hip-hop into my eardrums, contemplating the beauty of my stride (due to the Altras), eating fruit chews (the only thing that doesn't make me sick when I run), drinking water as needed from my "Audrey-sized-hand" water-bottle & checking the Garmin to see how fast I was going. The first 10 miles I ranged between a 6:41 pace and a 7:14 pace, my average was 6:54.

There was one guy who I kept passing on the downhills and then being passed by on the uphills. Around mile 6 he pulled up next to me and commented that I was keeping a good pace. I thanked him and told him, "so was he". Our pace was identical so I figured I might as well chat with him to help the miles pass. We talked about PR's, training, running injuries, races, cross-training, and all the other "runner-talk". It really helped the next 4 miles to fly by. I think we were both relieved to have someone to talk to for a little bit. I know, I for one was majorly missing running next to Jadon like I'm used to, & so having a guy to talk to made everything seem a bit more normal.

At mile 11 the whole race changes. You're finally out of the Canyon and the race course heads UPHILL into Provo. It's not a huge hill but after running primarily downhill for 10 miles, it feels like a mountain. My running-partner of 4 miles decided to pull ahead and at the same time I quickly lost steam. My legs started to feel like lead, my calves cramped and I just couldn't keep that 6:54 pace any longer. I slowed to an 8 minutes pace and just attempted to endure the last 3.1 miles.

I kept telling myself I only had a 5K left to run, but that still seemed too far. I also ran out of water and so I stopped for the first time at an aid station at mile 11 to fill my water bottle. I didn't want to completely stop (for fear I wouldn't start again) so I filled it on the run and hastily twisted the cap on. I ran no more than 10 steps past the aid station and all the water sloshed out and all down my left side. I hadn't screwed the lid on - oops. I wasn't about to take the extra 10 steps back to refill, so I plodded on to the finish, thirsty and wet.

During the entire race up to this point I had only seen one other girl and I passed her at mile 3. I was feeling good, like I might place...etc. - all that good stuff. Well as I slowed down all that went out the window. 4 girls passed me within the last 2 miles :-( BOO! Oh well, you win some you lose some.

Finally, those last 3 painful miles came to an end and I crossed the finish line.

RESULTS:

13.1 miles - 1:35:26

6th place in my age division (out of 282 runners)

71st overall (out of 1,949 runners)

19th female overall

I felt good about those results, even if I did crash and burn those last 3 miles. It's good in a way because looking back I know what to change so that I don't bonk at mile 11 next time.

After cooling down and drinking some water I took a shuttle back to the motel so I could shower before heading back to the finish line to watch Jadon cross.

Let me just make a note here: The guy who drove the shuttle back to where I had parked that morning was one of a kind. He did many strange things, not worth writing 2 more paragraphs about, but still worth noting. One of the most ridiculous was raising and lowering his seat the whole time he drove. Honestly it almost made me sea-sick to watch. I wished Jadon was with me SO BAD, so that I had someone to laugh at him with.

Ok, onto the best part - I made it back to the finish line just in time to see Jadon finish the Marathon in 3 hours and 35 minutes, now that's HAULIN'. I was SO PROUD OF HIM!!!!

Jadon - racing to the finish line

you're allowed to look like this after tearing through 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 35 minutes

Jadon and I had so much to catch up on after the race. I had to hear every detail of his race and he had to hear all about mine. We got all caught up during lunch at PF Changs. I'm telling you egg drop soup is the perfect post race food. It tasted amazing! My stomach is queasy after running hard, but a huge bowl of that fixed it all.

Now that I've relived all the race I'm feeling less irritable and restless, it's time to check the calendar for my next race and make a running plan.

Flash-book Birthday

2011-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Consider this blog about my birthday weekend like a "flash-book" You know those little books you used to make in grade school, here you would draw something at the bottom of every page and then when flipped through it, there was action. You should be able to scroll down these pictures and feel like you've watched a video of my birthday weekend - well as least to some extent. Some of it will still be dependent on your own imagination.

I'll give you the key themes to get started - We went to and Iron & Wine Concert, We went for 2 runs, We got Jamba Juice smoothies for breakfast, I got to sit in Starbucks and have "Audrey-Time" will I drank Tazo Tea, We did some shopping, Lunch was as Sage's Cafe....and that's about it.

Are you ready, here it goes, scroll fast.....

See you felt like you were there too huh? It was a great birtday, Jadon does a good job of letting me do whatever I want to do. He even went into a Claire's with my to pick out earings. While we were in there he asked me, "why do they always make these so tiny" - the answer is, "So that full grown men like yourself are encouraged to stay out"

Well It's my bed time, I'm tryin to get on a schedul of going to bed early and waking up early so the early morning races I have coming up won't throw me for a loop.

blender magic

2011-06-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

the magic of smoothies is that...

THIS

PLUS

THIS

MADE

THIS

DELICIOUS

I don't need a catchy title, it was all I could do to write the dang post

2011-06-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

Blogging takes a lot of brain power, which I have been lacking in a major way. After studying all week and then taking my exam last Thursday my brain was officially fried. I tried blogging a few times but ended up just staring at the scream with a blank face - having no clue what to type.. It's like I studied so hard that it made me stupid. What's up with that? Today I finally feel like there's a brain cell in my head and so I thought I'd give blogging another shot.

Lots has happened in the past week. On Saturday Jadon and I drove down to Utah to run the Draper Trail Challenge. We arrived a little too late and the race director was lining up runners while I was still putting my shoes on. We did make it to the start in time luckily. Jadon signed up to run the 15 mile run and I signed up to run the 7 mile course. He's trained more than me lately and I wanted to end the race feeling GREAT, not like I'd just been run over by a truck. The course was beautiful. Winding single track trail going up and down and in and out and all over through the trees. I love running trails like that. The first few miles of the race were all UP. Which means though that at some point I was going to get to go down, my favorite. At mile 4 the 7 mile course turned off and got my "euphoric moment" of flying down a trail in the mountains, all alone, feeling like a own the wold. It's the best feeling ever. Brought tears to my eays I loved it so much. It was that way all the way till the finish. I finished in 1:00:42. I came in 2nd Place Overall as well!!!

After my race I did a short cool down run, stretched, rehydrate and waited to see Jadon cross the finish line.

and here he comes!!!!!

Jadon was beat tired and I was glad I decided to only run the 7 miles. He did great though and I'm supper proud of him. I'm the one who got him hooked on running and now he's showing me up.

The rest of the day was spent eating out at Chilli's (they have a gluten free menu) walking around to loosen our legs, and going to Elanor's Gluten Free Bakery for some celebration treats."

Our next race was only 2 days away - Memorial Day. So once again we woke up way too early to drive to Park City for a 5k race. The only problem...this is what it looked like outside - yucky

Memorial Day Morning 2011

The weather didn't look very promising but we decided to go for it anyways. The race start was cold, overcast and drizzling, but it was only a 5K it wasn't too big of a deal. At the starting line I told Jadon, "I think we can win this" He gave we a questioning look but agreed to try. So on "GO" we took off, planning to win. There was only one boy in front of us and I could tell that he had gone out too hard with youthful enthusuasim and would soon be burned out. Sure enough about 1 mile into the race we passed him and like Rosa Parks, we maintained our position at the front of the bus..er..er....I mean....race.

We crossed the finish line together, tieing for first place. That was really special to me! I love running with Jadon, and I SUPER LOVE winning with him.! We spent the afternoon in Park City. Eating Lunch at Ruby Tuesday (which also has a gluten free menu) and going to see a movie. We had to sit in the front seat at the movie and my neck is still recovering from that. Why on earth do theaters even put chairs that close, it's ridiculous. I still had a great time and laughed alot

stretching after the 5K

we're #1

Ok, now a few updates from CLEAN! Today I'm on day #10 I'm still liking it. The only things I every crave are baked goods, pies, rolls, bars etc - but that's nothing new - if it was healthy I'd live on dessert. In an effort to cure my pie craving I created an Apple Pie Smoothie - it tasted like drinkable dessert!

Apple Pie Smoothie

I think that's all the food I remembered to take pictures up. But a few other favorite soups or smoothies have been a...

Mango, Apricot, Avocado Smoothie

Chilled Cucumber & Greens Soup

Mango, Pineapple, Chia Smoothie

I have a lot of exciting things coming up. I'm rockin a new hair cut today and I LOVE it! Also, there is a "rumor" that I may get another piercing in celebration of passing my NCSF Exam. So I have decisions to make about that. Also Saturday is my birthday and the evening before my birthday we're going to an Iron & Wine concert. I couldn't be happier!!!!

QUESTIONS:

What kind of piercing should I get. I've always wanted my eyebrow pierced but I could also add on to my ears.

Do you have any great smoothie or soup recipes? Send them my way! I'd love to try some new things

Describe your perfect birthday!

never let it rest, until you good is better and your better is the BEST!"

2011-05-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

7 days into doing this detox I can still say "I love it" I feel better, eat better (that's for sure) and have more energy, At the same time I 've realized that I've started to slack some in areas, So I've set up some guidelines for myself for the next week.
1. If I have semi-cheat day (treat myself to a Gluten Free Cupcake possibly) then I should consume only fluid meals the next day.
2. Remember that the "soupier" the soup is, the better.
3. It take 10-14 days for the intestines to heal so I need to be more patient.
4. I need to drink a lot more than I do.
5. Make sure and take "me-time" everyday to relax and destress

Besides just a few rough places I've done well. Here are some food pictures and then you can be looking forward to 2 race reports in my next blog

at Chilli's waiting for our meal to arrive

Goodies from Eleanor's Bakery - they weren't all for me however I would have enjoyed it if they had been

Mango, Apricot Smoothie - with Jarro Formulas Berry Protein Powder added

name less salad - can't remember where I when I ate this but, any ideas???????

I'm finally Official

2011-05-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Forget the whole "Clean Program" deal, I've got more important news....... I'M A CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER!!!! That's right I took my NCSF exam yesterday and PASSED! I can't tell you have relieved and ecstatic I am. All the hard work I've put into studying and working with clients over the past 18 months has paid off. Jadon now refers to everything I do or drink or eat as being certified. I drank a "certified smoothie" this morning, and as soon as I finish writing this I'm going to go for a "certified run" - yes, he's pretty excited for me too!

here's the proof - notice: "Satus: Pass"

Yesterday was a great day in general. Taking my exam meant we had to go to Salt Lake City for the day. So of course we took advantage of the lower elevation and ran and spent ample time at Whole Foods.

Lunch at Whole Foods - I wish I had their salad bar in my house

The exam took a little over 2 hours - which is quite long for my attention span. By the end of it my brain was fried. Most of this week has been spent with my head in my PT Text Book so after 2 hours of intense testing to top it all off I felt zapped.

Supper was a carton of Butternut Squash soup while we drove home. I gotta admit, the stuff I make is 10x's better. But since I was a stove and my food processor this did the trick.

I decided to throw the "Clean Program" out the window for one evening and treated myself to the most amazing Gluten Free Coffee Cake that I discovered at Whole Foods. Sorry there's no picture, I was too excited to eat to stop and find the camera.

I'm back on board with the program today though. This will be day #5. In the past 5 days my allergies I've only taken allergy meds 1 time - which is almost unheard of for me; and my stomach has felt better than it has in years. I'm liking this!

I have a weeks worth of life to catch up on today since all I did is study all week - later!

p.s. - thank you Whole Foods for large tubs of freshly ground Almond Butter to replenish my supply

Clean Update!

2011-05-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thinking that I would blog about my progress EVERY day while doing the Clean Program was a bit over-zealous of me. In all actuality, I'm more likely to blog about it every other day or maybe even 3x's a week. I don't how people manage to blog every day. My life is too busy for that.

So here is my every other day update on how "detoxing" is treating me. Day 1 was great, I had lots of energy, no allergies or any other complaints. On Day 2 however my body said, "what in the world are you doing to me?" I felt tired & sluggish (which may have had something to do with the pouring rain that lasted all day) My digestive system also decided to quit on me for the day. It's not used to processing the massive amounts of fiber I'm giving to it and it decided to rebel out of retaliation to the extra workload. I survived though now on day 3 everything is up and running again - much to my relief :-) Today I feel like myself only with some EXTRA energy. I have no complaints about that. I've also been insanely thirsty all day. According to the book that's part of the process, so I've been drinking Lemon Water (shout out to Moncia!!!!!) by the bucket full. Yesterday I drank 92 oz. of water, that's over 11 cups, you'd think I'd be drowning. I'm only half way through the day today and I'm already at 54 oz. Needless to say bottled water is on the grocery list.

The one change I've made to the program is that I'm eating a small (very small for me) snack before bed. I typically workout in the morning and so not eating anything past my 6:00 p.m. supper and expecting to be able to run more that 1 mile in the morning is unrealistic. So since I never actually take a bite of breakfast till around 8:00 a.m., I figure a small snack at 9:00 p.m. won't sabotage the whole program. It's better to make the program work for me rather than becoming a slave to it and simply ENDURING the 3 weeks.

Yesterday I started the day with another Blackberry Avocado Smoothie, only this time I added a scoop of Vega Sport Performance Optimizer. I would attribute my running in the freezing cold rain afterwards to this added boost. Lunch was grilled turkey burgers (minus the bun) and honey glazed butternut squash. Dinner was a Carrot and Mushroom Bisque. I actually have no idea what the difference between Bisque and Soup is, but Bisque makes it sound so much more gourmet so I'm going with it. My "perfect bed-time" snack has been 1 smallish pancake (with some sort of berries added) smothered in Almond Butter. This hits the spot and I fall asleep content :-) The hardest part has been figuring out what to snack on between meals if I'm hungry. Since most grains are no longer an option and dairy is a no-no, I've ended up eating Almond Butter by the spoonful. I need to make some "Clean-Program-Friendly-Treats", but since I'm too busy to do that till Friday, I'll just continue to keep the spoon by the jar of Almond butter.

I didn't take a picture of anything I ate yesterday but I did manage to remember today. Here's some of it.

AUD'S CREATION SMOOTHIE: blackberries, peaches, avocado, cinnamon chia pudding, almond milk, ice, stevia

Salad w/ roasted butternut squash, mango, leftover turkey burger and fresh avocado dressing: it was pure delightful salad insanity!

Jadon's salad - he didn't get the memo about dressing going on top of the salad not under all the goodies.

Dinner is supposed to be split pea soup if I get around to making it. Well that's all the time I have to write about it now. Bottom line...I'm feeling great and so far I'm super glad I'm doing this. Now it's off to study for my NCSF Certification Exam, which is tomorrow - YIKES!!! better check out of blog world.

3 weeks to CLEAN!

2011-05-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm starting something new and exciting today. I'm starting Alejandro Junger's "Clean Program". It's a three week program to detox and restore your body so that your body has the ability to heal itself and function properly. I read the entire book yesterday and decided today is the day to start. I've had horrible allergies this year as well as some digestive upsets. I truly believe that our bodies were designed to heal themselves, and we need to take a ton of medicine to get over allergies, deal with digestive issues, or cope with many other healthy problems. Alejandro Junger's program is all about fueling your body in the best way possible so that it has the ability to rid itself of toxins. There are toxins everywhere and it's impossible to avoid all of them, however cutting out the vast majority of them will make a world of difference.

Some detox programs are very intense and often deplete the body of needed vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The Clean Program however is all about giving the body EVERYTHING it needs and at the same time eliminating toxins so that the body can heal itself. I love that approach since I'm not about to give up running at the expense of being short on calories or lack energy because I'm depleting my body.

I figured I would document my journey through this program for a few reasons: 1. It will help me keep track of the ways this is benefiting my overall healthy 2. It'll be more fun that way 3. It might help some else.

I'm may not get a chance to blog about it every day, but I'll do my best. Here are the basic guidelines of the program.
1. Breakfast - liquid meal
2. Lunch - solid meal
3. Dinner - liquid meal
4. Don't eat anything after dinner. Dinner and the breakfast the following morning should be 12 hours apart. This allows your digestive system time to detox and heal
5. Take probiotics every day
6. Eat a balance diet: 55% Carbohydrates, 30% Healthy Fats, 15% Protein
7. Follow an "Elimination Diet" - that means avoid common food allergens (gluten, corn, soy, dairy, eggs, nightshade plants) Avoid caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, sugar & additives.
8. Get plenty of rest
9. Drink 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil at night (this keeps things "moving")
10. Drink at 2 qt of water or more each day

See, it's not so bad. The rough part will be having to cook more (since I'm avoiding food additives and I'm making smoothies and pureed soups) and skipping my morning cup of coffee. But I'll survive and I believe I'll feel so much better for having endured a few short weeks with no coffee. Here are few pictures of my yummy food from today. I'm sure I'll never capture it all on camera - Life is too busy for that.

Blackberry Avocado Smoothie - simply incredible, the Avocado makes it SO creamy

Baked Halibut with Zucchini & Olives - fish is hiding somewhere under that pile of zucchini

Cucumber Lemon Water - very refreshing

So far I've felt incredible today. No allergies! Tons of energy! No stomach issues! Great! I'll let you know tomorrow how I'm faring. I'm headed out the door for a good workout and lots of sweating - that'll give my detoxing an extra boost.

Representing WY in KS

2011-05-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

It feels good to win a race in Wyoming, it feels great to win a race in Utah, & it feels incredible to win a race in Kansas! I know distance from home has nothing to do with running speed or winning, but for some reason winning on someone else's turf is very satisfying. I mean we all know it's important to win the Home Game, but, MAN does it feel good to beat someone on their own turf.

Of course we had to fit a race in during our trip to Kansas, it's just the right thing to do. After searching all race databases we decided that our best option would be to run the "Step Up For SIDS 5K" in Wichita on Saturday. Patrick agreed to run with Jadon and I even though running hasn't been at the top of his to-do list, (considering his wife just had twins, that makes a ton of sense)

The race started at 8:30 a.m. at the Cessna Stadium in Wichita, we arrived with plenty of time register, take multiple trips to the restroom (at least I did) and take a few pre-race pictures.

Patrick & I

Jadon and I

There were over 150 people there to race as well as many families doing the 1 mile "Memory Walk" - it made for a full football field and track to warm up at. Jadon and I did a 1/4 warm-up which I usually never do, but I did want to try and place so I figured I better.

3 minutes into the race I realized there were no other females to be seen (that's a good thing if you are a girl) I didn't dare turn around to see if there were any gaining on me, I would just push it hard and hope that no other girls caught up to me.

Me and all the guys at the front of the race pack

guys are not fans of being passed by a girl but that doesn't stop me

There was one point in the race where the course did a little loop. We seemed to have time our pace just right with Patrick's pace and we were able to wave in passing

Patrick is one of those runners, take your best guess at which one

I managed to stay in the lead the entire race and beat all the other girls with a 3 minute lead :-)

Sprinting towards the finish

5K - 20:52 minutes

Jadon finished right behind me, he stayed back a little to take that picture (yes, he's amazing!) Patrick met his goal and finished in 27 minutes! It was a great race, flat, plenty of oxygen, winning, what more could a girl ask for?.......Oh, a post-race massage! - that'll complete the package!

we all need saving

2011-05-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not someone who usually cries during movies. However there is one "typical scene" that ALWAYS makes me tear up in a movie. It's the scene where someone gets saved or rescued. I'm not sure why but when that happens, I bawl my little eyes out. I remember sobbing at the end of "Behind Enemy Lines" when Owen Wilson (I forget the character's name) is rescued. Here's the movie clip

Maybe somewhere deep inside me I'm wired to wish/dream/desire to be saved. Subconsciously I relate to feeling lost and alone and desperately needing a Saviour. Actually I believe all of humanity has this craving to be saved, but often we drown it out with other things (relationships, possessions, status, busyness etc.)

I believe if we are willing to stop and pay attention to our heart, we will recognize the deep desire for a Saviour. Tonight I was reading Psalms in "The Message" version and underlining the parts that stood out to me. I realized that I gravitate toward the "rescue" Psalms as well. The phrases about calling for help and being rescued pull at my heart. I read the first 25 Psalms and I want to share with you the phrases/verses that stood out to me. Perhaps you will remember how desperately you desire to be saved as well.

"But if you make a run for God you won't regret it"

"I stretch myself out, I sleep. Then I'm up again - rested, tall and steady."

"Real help comes from God."

"Once, in a tight place , you gave me room; Now I'm in trouble again: grace me! hear me!"

"He listens the split second I call to Him"

"At days end I am ready for sound sleep. For you, God, have put my life back together."

"Treat me nice for a change, I'm so starved for affection."

"At last God has heard my sobs. My requests have all been granted, my prayers answered."

"God! God! I am running to you for dear life."

"God is a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times."

"Be kind to me God, I've been kicked around long enough."

"God where are you when I need You?"

"God's Grace and Order Wins!"

"I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now?"

"He's in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in."

"Quick God, I need your helping hand."

"Long enough God, I've carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain...I've thrown myself headlong into your arms - I'm celebrating your rescue."

"Without You, nothing makes sense."

"I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot in front of the other. I'm not giving up."

"Keep your eye on me"

"I sing to God, and find myself safe and loved."

"A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call: my cry brings me right into his presence - a private audience."

"Every day I review the way he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step."

"Keep me from stupid sins," - those are the ones I need help with the most :-(

"God answer you on the day you crash."

"That clinches it - helps coming, an answer is on the way, everything's going to work out."

"the day we call, give us your answer."

"If you don't show up soon, I'm done for - gored by the bulls, meat for the lions."

"Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walked at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure."

"God is at their side; with God's help they make it."

"If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet. Look at me and help me! I'm all alone and in big trouble."

"Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble; Don' let me down when I run to you."

"Use all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product. God give your people a break from this run of bad luck."

"Someone to Save You "- by OneRepublic

Did any of those verses pull at your heat? Can you relate to the desire to be saved? Are you also comforted by knowing that Jesus hears, answers, & comes to the rescue? I sure am!

Haviland Trip To See The Twinsies

2011-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

I've been home from vacation for 4 days and I still can't seem to get into the swing of every day life. It hasn't helped that I upon arrival home I promptly got sick. All week I've been wanting to blog about the trip, but I've been too sick to even want to type. I think I'm on the tale end of the sickies though and I finally feel up to entering the blog world again.

So since being on vacation to see Jadon's family was far more exciting than my current status I'll stop piddling around with boring info about post-trip-blahs.

Jadon and I headed out to Haviland KS (where he grew up) at 2:00 a.m. on Monday morning. Ya, 2:00 a.m. is craziness, but so is trying to fit a 14 hour drive into 1 day. So if we're going for crazy, we'll just go all the way. I actually slept for the first 5 hours of the trip while Jadon tore through more miles than was probably legal. No cop-stops though, so all was well. We made it to Fort Collin by 7:15 a.m. where we stopped at Starbucks for coffee to go with our breakfast. Once I was awake we stopped much more frequently as my bladder is about the size of a pea.

post-run, no need for make-up yet, I'll put that on 15 minutes before we arrive at the in-laws

We made it to Colby by 12:00 where we stopped for a "sanity" run. 14 hours of traveling requires this. 4 miles in the blasting wind and we were both ready to get back in the Tahoe. At this point though the trip got L..O..N..G.. Finally at 7:00 p.m. we pulled into my in-law's driveway - relieved & exhausted.

my amazing wonder in-law's beautiful house - one of my favorite places to be

It’s crazy how tired sitting on your butt all day can make you. You’d think I’d be itching to run a marathon, but all I wanted was bed. After a good night’s sleep though, running was all I wanted to do. My hips and legs were stiff & sore by morning - begging to be stretched out.

The weather in Haviland was amazing. It's still winter in Wyoming, so I took full advantage of the heat and ran 3 times on Tuesday. Jadon and I also decided to do a new Body Rock workout. After run #2 we went outside to do the workout in the grass. Now, I don't know if 7 months without green grass had made us allergic to the stuff or what, but after only 30 seconds of laying in the grass doing crunches and we both jumped up yelling (well, actually only I was yelling) Our skin was red and burning and itchy. I honestly couldn't get into the shower fast enough. A cold shower, Benadryl, and a ton of hydrocortisone cream and Jadon and I were back to normal. I now refer to that grass as "Toxic-Grass"

ready to head out the door for run #3

I never have to think about my route in KS because it's all flat and it's all in squares - love that!

Enjoying the extra oxygen that comes with not running at 7,000 ft

running into Haviland

Twin bro - Aaron, showing me his mad climbing skills

the "rolling burpee" - a favorite

"No Amanda, he can't do it the easy way, I'll come show him how again!"

post-workout lounging - they were all pretty wiped out

Three of my siblings also live in Haviland so in the afternoon we headed into town to spend some time with them. Talking and laughing was great, but the best part was getting to go rock climbing with my brothers and then put them (2 brothers, one bro-in-law) through a Body Rock workout that Jadon and I do. I got to play "Personal Trainer" with them and really kick their butts in a workout.

Jadon has tons of family in Haviland as well, so after hanging with the siblings we went to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Ross. It was so good to see them :-) Grandma Ross told us stories from all of their worldwide travels, I had no idea they had gone so many places and done so many things. She's even been to the Copper Canyon in Mexico where the Tarahumara Indians live and knew all about how they are amazing runners long before "Born to Run" hit the shelves - Grandma has one up on Chris McDougall.

In between gallivanting around to see different family Jadon pulled a little schneekiness on me. He drove up to this house and pointed to a bike outside and said, "see that bike, do you want it?" What in the world? Come to find out he and Denny (aka - Papa Ross) had been scheming all afternoon & had found an almost new road bike for me! I tried it out and loved it but decided to think it over for the evening before buying it. Later that night Jadon & Denny showed up with the bike in the back of Denny's truck. Saying, "I could try it out in the morning to make sure I liked it.....and try it for the rest of my life, cause it was MINE!!!!! WOOHOO!!! I was SUPER STOKED!!!!

NEW ROAD BIKE!!!!!

The next morning I got to see my sister-in-law, Jeannie! I think we're the 2 crazy additions to the Ross family and so we get along pretty well :-) After that I started to feel YUCKY - apparently I somehow ingested some gluten, because I was sick for the rest of the day. Honestly though I didn't really mind, I got to lay around on the in-law's comfy recliner, catch up on some TV watching & get lots of love & sympathy. By evening I felt much better and so Jadon and I picked up our neice Kaitlin (whom we hadn't seen yet) and headed to check out some puppies we'd heard about and get some groceries. The puppies were at a so called "Flea Market" a few miles from Haviland. It was definately transitioning from Flea Market to dump though - I think I should notify Hoarders. The puppies were cute, but not exactly puppies - they were already 6 months old. If we get another dog, I don't want to miss the ULTRA CUTE PUPPY STAGE - I would have felt jipped to get 6 month old dog.

the Flea Market, looks like I could have a gotten a few bikes here as well. Shall I call Hoarders????

On day 3 we headed to Wichita to see Jadon's sister, Janeen, her husband Patrick, their son, Micah and their 2 newborn TWINS!!!!(Isaac & Malachi) I'm a twin so obviously I think they are the BEST! Malachi (the little girl) weighted 4lb.6oz. which is exactly what I weighed when I was born, so that was extra special. I've been praying for these 2 little miracles for a long time and so holding them in person was truly amazing. We spent the afternoon, holding babies & talking. Honestly there is nothing else I would have rather done. That evening Patrick made California rolls for supper (he's a pro) and then we all headed to Orange Leaf for dessert.

Jadon holding Isaac, Me holding Malachi

a "twin moment"

I'd never heard of Orange Leaf till last week. I discovered these awesome tiny little spoons in my mother-in-law's silverware drawer and asked where she got them. She said they were from a frozen yogurt shop called Orange Leaf. I have this thing with spoons. I hate big spoons and I love little spoons. They also have to be the right shape though. Eating a meal with an awkward spoon could ruin the whole experience. So... I knew I had to try out Orange Leaf, for their spoon if not for anything else. The frozen yogurt was as good as the spoons, so I was a happy camper.

These bowls are a little large considering a serving of ice-cream is 1/2 cup....FAIL on serving sizes Orange Leaf!

Me, Jadon and Janeen (Jadon's sister, whom I gladly claim as my sister as well)

Micah & Patrick - I'll claim them too!

The next day started with a short run and a Starbucks date!!! - my personal favorite combination.

A few hours of reading, journaling and talking, along with a few Americanos and my day was off to a perfect start! Things kept getting better too. We discovered an amazing health food store and I shopped my little heart out! Have you ever noticed that every single health food store smells the same? Why is that?

Later that afternoon Janeen and I went and got pedicures :-) I was told by the girl who did mine that I have beautiful, soft feet, but that I clip my big toenail too short - whoops! didn't know my nail-clipping skills would be called into question. So, that's something I'll be working on!

my feet are the ones with the extra short toe-nails

Race posing picture with Micah - I'm proud to be a factor in his interest in running!

Holding Mally again - I don't know when I'll see her again so I had to make the most of my time

There is a FLAT paved trail behind Janeen and Patrick’s house which was begging me to come out and rollerblade on it (since there is an absence of flat trails in Wyoming and I haven't learned to stop on my rollerblades) So I gave in and did 7 loops (almost 8 miles) on the trail - it felt wonderful to be zipping along in the Kansas heat! Rollerblading is definitely therapy to me.

Micah ran his first race a few weeks ago and had been asking to race "Aunt Audrey & Uncle Jadon" (After his race he called us to tell us that he ran so hard that a little piece of his heart burst out. That cracked me up! I think I know the feeling though) Never one to stop someone from getting on the "running band-wagon" Micah, Jadon and I headed outside for a race after dinner. Of course Micah won - as all kids do :-) At the end though he informed me that I might have been able to beat him if I hadn't been heel striking...WHAT? Where did he learn that? Someone has been listening in to my running conversations with Patrick. Just so you know, he was wrong. I was running in my vibrams and I'm sure my form was perfect ;-)

We finished the evening with watching videos of Jadon when he was about 3 or 4 years old...hilarious! Ask him to show you how he can "boogy, boogy, boogy" or whether or not he uses an old toothbrush.

Well, there is only one day left to blog about but I'm saving that for another blog. It'll be a good one!

Phobias & Winning

2011-05-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last blog that my husband & I were going to a church conference. I have to admit, I'm not much of a "conference person" Actually, I may have phrased that too lightly. I actually strongly dislike large, organized, institutionalized, group meetings. That means that a "conference" is like pulling teeth for me. There could be a conference on running or nutrition and I still wouldn't like it. For one thing, my butt gets sore from sitting through numerous sessions & my hip-flexors seize up from being scrunched into hard chair with no room to stretch my legs out, similar to air-plane seating. Then there is the issue of having to use the restroom during a session. I look down my row in both directions trying to determine the shortest route out. Then I stand up and try to shimmy past 5 sets of knees without tripping, kicking people, stepping on a purse or landing in someones lap. The return from the restroom is just as difficult, plus I think people feel agitated because they know I'm coming back.

Gripe number three is that at church conferences they feed you like you're running an Ultra. Every 2 hours you get a break, where you quickly get in line to use the restroom AGAIN! (it's all that coffee I have to drink to keep from dozing off) and then you have just enough to grab what is referred to as a "refreshment" before you sit BACK down for another 2 hours. If it's called a refreshment it should really be something like a stick of peppermint gum, a spritz of body spray, a splash of cold water, a gentle breeze, a sip of iced tea. But no these "refreshments" are large cinnamon rolls, or brownies, or some other sweet indulgence, which in my opinion doesn't leave a person feeling refreshed, it makes them feel full and tired and ready for a long nap.

Ok, so no more complaints. I'm willing to recognize that there is good that comes from conferences, and that many people seem to benefit from them. So if you are on of them, that is wonderful! However now you know why I'm squirming in my chair, doodling and yawning - it's a disorder, it's called "conferencaphobia" There is no known treatment, except to skip conferences.

The good news from the weekend in that I bought NEW SHOES!!!! and I LOVE THEM!!! I bought the new Altra Intution

They are zero-drop running shoes. I feel like I'm running in slippers they are so comfortable. I also had ZERO IT band pain when running in them, which is a miracle. You've got to check them out! Honestly the guys that created them are onto something :-)

Good thing #2 - I ran 2 races early Saturday morning before the conference started and I placed 2nd overall female in the first race and came in FIRST in the second race. It was just a 2K and 5K to support the girl scouts but still coming in first out of 160+ runners felt amazing. I give credit to the Altras and my pent up energy from sitting in meetings for too long. The 2K didn't even seem like a race, I've never run a race that short, more of just a warm up. I typically don't even run 5K's - I feel like I have to pay to much money for something that is over SO fast. But it ended up being worth it. I won $75 and lots of girl scout cookies. I ran the 5K in 20:25, that's a 6:22 pace which I'm pleased with considering I haven't done speed work all winter.

getting ready for the race

THE WINNERS - I have SWEET hat hair & NO makeup = proof that beauty has nothing to do with speed

the sole of the Altra Intuition

So there's my weekend in a LARGE NUTSHELL. Now I'm headed to Kansas to see my husband's WONDERFUL (I can't stress that enough) family! I'm looking forward to warm weather, slow mornings, long runs, great conversations, and ZERO stress! I'll have lots of pictures to post when I return.

scrambling ahead of time so I don't have to catch up later

2011-04-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Cramming a 10 day schedule into 5 days feels a bit like a marathon, and the evening of the day five feels as long as the final 0.2 km. Tomorrow Jadon and I leave to go to a conference till Saturday. Then we'll be back home for Sunday and leave early Monday (I'm talking 3:00 a.m. early) to go visit his family in Kansas.

This is supposed to be a vacation but the irony of all vacations is that you have to bust your butt before you leave and then scramble to play catch-up when you arrive back home. By the time the whole ordeal is over sometimes you feel like you need another vacation. Hopefully that's not the case with this vacation because there is not another vacation scheduled on the calendar for a LONG time.

Since this was my marathon week. I'll give you a glimpse of all 26.2 miles of it. True to all marathons, some miles were delightful, and some were pure torture.

Mile 1: Injinji socks came in the mail :-) I love them!!!

Mile 2: We discovered the brake pads on the Tahoe were non-existent! That ex-nayed driving 1.5 hours to workout with 2 clients. Boo! :-(

Mile 3: It's only day 2, but I feel entitled to a breakdown. I'll leave you to imagine the details of that.

Mile 4: Give myself a pep talk and bust out an article to submit to the local paper for my column. I hope it's good, it was written in a bit of a haze

Mile 5: Sleep way too LITTLE & then wake up too EARLY to run. Spend 15 minutes layering up for the 20 degree temp. Then run 1 measly & miserable mile & realize my head just isn't the right place to be trying to run. So I spent 15 minutes getting ready, to only run for 1/2 that amount of time - can we say "lack of efficiency"

Mile 6: It's time to forget everything I have to do and take care of ME (so I don't go any crazier). That means 2 mugs full of French Press Coffee & 2 hours of reading & journaling. I felt sane after that.

Mile 7: Design a killer workout & then use it to inflict pain on a client (she even pays for this)

Mile 8: Set out on another morning run, only to discover that my new shoes, Asics Landreths seem to be the cause of my IT band flaring up. No more Landreths, and time to lay off the running some.

Mile 9: Guess I'm headed to the pool. Swam 3/4 mile ( 27 laps) one day and then swam 1/2 mile for time the next day: 18 laps in 15 minutes (feelin' good about that)

Mile 10: In desperate need of being "pumped up" - time for a Body Rock workout with Jadon - I did the Nightmare 300 workout in my fastest time to date - 17:19

Mile 11: 20 minute tanning session - I swore I'd never tan again, but winter has been TOO long and so I broke my word and laid in glorious heat for 20 minutes.

Mile 12: Scramble to plan ahead for all my clients, I won't be there to torture them so I have to tell them how to torture themselves.

Mile 13: Half way point - 1 good night's sleep...ahhhh...

Mile 14: Decide to take both dogs for a run at the same time... Complete chaos. Their leashes are connected & at one point Maya hog tied Mountie with the leash and the whole scenario made me laugh so hard that I started crying and had to stop running in order to catch my breath.

Mile 15: Quick trip to Logan to get groceries. The local grocery store is pricey and has HORRIBLE produce. We have to make at least one trip a week out of town so that we don't starve. Usually it's Evanston or Park City, but Jadon and I both needed some new scenery

Mile 16: My 2nd "tank-top" run of the year in Logan, it felt glorious

Mile 17: Intense listening to Iron & Wine so that come June 3rd I can sing along to every song

Mile 18: 2 hours of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Class. This happens once a week and every week I dread it. I'm too ADD to sit through the thing, so I doodle like a 12 year old and make jokes about it to Jadon who is actually paying attention. It really is great information, I'm just not a "class" kind of person. Shoot, my first question before going to the theater to see a movie is, "How long is the movie?" Longer than 2 hours and it's a big FAT NO!

Mile 19: 3 wonderful miles on a dirt trail in the Vibrams. That's the farthest I gone in them so far and it felt amazing. I saw lots of elk droppings but no elk, since my eyes had to be glued on the ground, I'm still a little tender footed.

Mile 20: Jadon and I did speed cleaning. I hate coming home from a trip to find a dirty house.

Mile 21: Major baking fest. Friends are coming over for games & I'm using it as an opportunity to clean out the fridge. I swear it's not like leftovers. It's good stuff: brownies, guacamole, jalapeno poppers, veggies, banana bread, banana ice cream - see I'm treating them good.

Mile 22: Get side tracked and spend way too much time reading blogs

Mile 23: Vega Sport comes in the mail! WooHoo!!!

Mile 24: Hair-cut time - 2 hours of mindless talking with the AMAZING guy who cuts my hair. It's more therapy than it is a hair-cut.

Mile 25: STUDY STUDY STUDY for my NCFS Certification Exam

Mile 26: Plan, Pack, Plan, Pack, Plan, Pack, Plan, Pack! I hate forgetting something I really want

0.2 Miles left: I gotta run home and take the Jalapeno Poppers out of the oven before they burn. A fun night with friends, followed by far too little sleep and then my marathon is over and I'M OUTTA HERE!

HAVE HOPE!

2011-04-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the things I hope for seem trivial (I HOPE the sun comes out today) , other times they seem insurmountable (I HOPE some one I love is completely healed) I believe that God deeply cares about those little hopes and the massive hopes. I don't think He ranks them like I do.

In light of it being Easter weekend I was reading about HOPE. After Jesus was crucified, HOPE was the only thing HIS follower had to cling to. In much of life HOPE is all that I have to cling to as well. As I read some verses about HOPE, 1 specific passage really stood out to me.

Lamentations 3:20-24 says, "I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to HOPE when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness, His mercies begin fresh each day. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance, therefore I will HOPE in Him.'"

We all have those "awful times" of great loss & yet we can still HOPE because we have a God who rose from the dead on the third day!

Have Hope & Happy Easter!

my late night laugh-fest

2011-04-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

I told you I would post a video of the dogs eating seaweed & here it is! A picture never does a sunset justice you have to see it in person. Likewise, a video does not do the hilarity of this justice. But just go along with me and laugh a little. Also note my awesome wallpaper. I know it's amazing but I can't take credit for it. The landlord had it put in 200 years ago and I just get the pleasure of living with it :-)

p.s. Maya & Mountie are not vegetarian but I'm trying to convert them. Their current status is Flexitarian.

"when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember a few of my favorite things & then I don't feel so bad."

2011-04-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

I don't care for rain drops on roses or whiskers on kittens. In all honesty I dislike the rain, flowers seem pointless to me and I'm more of a dog person. However this has been a "when the dog bites, when the bee stings sort of day and week" and so remembering a few of my favorite things is just what I need. I think I'll take Julie Andrews' advice.

One of my most favorite things is French Press coffee. It's perfect! My husband and I oooo & ahhhh over our coffee every morning. You'd think it was something we didn't get to drink every morning.

I love sarcasm & dry humor. Don't give me any of that class clown kind of humor. I want to hear the rough tough cowboy utter a few choice words that perfectly fit the occasion.

Oh that note, I love "The Office" - thank you NBC for gracing the viewing world with a hefty dose of sarcasm and dry humor.

Laughing at our 2 huskies is a all-time favorite. When I'm in need of a good laugh I feed them seaweed for sushi rolls. Watching them try and eat the stuff kills me. I laugh till my stomach aches. I promise I'll video tape it next time and dedicate a whole post to it. I guarantee it'll have you rolling as well.

I SUPER LOVE new music! Every now and then Jadon downloads a new album and puts it on my shuffle as a surprise and it totally makes my day, week, possible year :-) Of course it has to be a genre of music I enjoy. I new album of country music just wouldn't quite cut it. A little hip-hop is like cat-nip though.

If you know me at all, you know that RUNNING is not just a favorite, it's more like an addiction - a good one! I can't imagine ever stopping. If I could choose anything to do - I would choose a perfect run: Sunny 68 degrees, slight breeze, on a mountain trail, with Jadon, new music on my shuffle, no IT band issues, no stomach issues, 9 miles of bliss!

Along with running, I love racing. I've always wanted to be first. I even beat my twin brother out the door on my "birthday"

Confession, I have a love affair with Sunshine! No joke! I swoon on beautiful summer days full of sunshine. Don't worry Jadon is ok with this. He even buys me magazines and diet coke to accompany me as I lay in the sun and get my fix.

I thoroughly enjoy weight lifting. It's not something I do a lot of because I quickly turn hulk-ish if I do. I typically stick to body-weight strength training but every now and then I do some serious weight lifting and it makes me feel better darn good!

Did I mention I'm competitive? Well I am and therefore winning at anything is major FAVORITE

I LOVE PEOPLE - I love watching them. I love interacting with them. I love all the different characters God placed on this earth. I love discovering what makes different people tick. I love seeing people excel and succeed and love themselves. I also love giving people nicknames. I can't tell you who they belong too but a few favorites are, "Ladies Home Journal", "Three 6 Mafia", "Philbert", T-Pain", "Earth-Child" & "Rain Man" Can't you just picture them?

Once final MAJOR-FAV is Jadon! I like him a lot a lot! I guess it's a good thing I married him - huh?

Well, as the song says, "Now I don't feel so bad"

Time to go feed the dogs some seaweed. Later!

Alanis Morisette shoud sing about Iron & Wine

2011-04-19T20:17:00.001-07:00

You know that song "Ironic" my Alanis Morisette; well she's right! Someone I know very closely used to think the lyrics of that song were, "It's like Reddi-Eggs on your wedding day" instead of "It's like rain, on your wedding day." - that cracks me up!!! If Alanis had played her cards better she could have been paid some big bucks to endorse Egg-Beaters....but who would have thought, it figures!

On that note I have my own lyric I want to add to the song. It goes like this, "It's like getting Iron & Wine Tickets just a few days after you casually mentioned it was a concert you'd LOVE to go to!" (Ya, it's hard to sing, I know. I tried it a few times) Alanis, if you can't pull it off I understand.

It's Ironic don't you think that just 2 days ago Jadon and I were listening to Iron & Wine's new album and I said, "Man, I would LOVE to go to his concert" And then today Jadon announces that we can go see them the night before my birthday! Since the "birthday timing thing" was obviously a sign, we immediately ordered 2 tickets for June 3rd! And so now it's ironic that I'm 27 and I'm acting like a 5 year old and counting down the days till my birthday, don't ya think?

Here's the sweet t-shirt I'll have to get as an early birthday present so I can be a true fan. And one of many songs to memorize so that I can sing along.

P.S. - 45 days till June 3rd.

Tri 2XU 300

2011-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

After a long winter of toughing out the cold & snow and running outside, I'm over it. It's still winter here in Wyoming and I'm sick of it. I don't want to do one more cold run. I don't want to do one more hour on the elliptical. I'm just want hot sunny days of running in shorts and getting a sun-burn. Seriously, the thought of a sunburn actually sounds delightful. Since the sunburn was out of the picture this week & I couldn't handle more winter runs I decided to forget about mileage for the week. I decided to go ahead and act like a moderate runner instead of an extreme & obsessive runner. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this week's lack of running and switching things up.

Back in junior high I was on the swim team and wasn't half bad, since then though I've never done a lot of swimming. 2 rounds of lifeguard training are about the extent of it. So when I climbed in the pool for the first time in a year and started swimming I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I'm not half bad. Swimming a mile wasn't too daunting and I got faster almost every day I swam. That right there was enough reason for me to start scoping out the Triathlon realm and pick out an one to compete in this summer. The Twin Falls Olympic Tri on July 16th was the final choice, that should give me plenty of time to amp up my swimming and buy a road bike (I'm probably gonna need that huh?)

Along with swimming I decided to try some new circuit workouts and do more lifting. I had forgotten how much I loved my high school weight lifting days. I had to fight the urge to lift heavy weight at low reps. It's soooo... exhilarating to blast out a few reps with HUGE dumbbells, but I don't want to bulk. So, light weight, high reps it was. The circuit workout I did this week was called "Nightmare 300" It was killer! I found it at http://www.bodyrock.tv/. If you haven't check it out, you got to. Every single workout is insane. Anyways I finished all 300 reps in 26 min - ba-boom!!! Fun stuff.

A few short runs in the Vibrams so I didn't go crazy, and I actually endured another week of winter in Wyoming. Next week better be warmer though because I'm craving a little bit of mileage now.

Along with my workout switch-up, I added recovery tights to my plan. I LOVE THEM! Putting them on after a hard workout feels amazing and the definitely makes a difference in recovery time. Check em out! 2XU Compression Leggings. They're totally worth getting & in my opinion get the leggings, unless you like wearing a girdle.

Well, it's officially time to get my swim on, last one for the week. Next week it's back to running!

back-up, my back-up, my back-up plan!

2011-04-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the campground where we would be staying outside of Moab and discovered this little sign....ummm... "Mr, Sign-Maker, Dustless is impossible in Moab, please remove your sign."

I'm displaying my newly bought gluten free wares from inside our lovely itty-bitty cabin

Our tinie (tempah) little cabin. The town Saloon!

The small "kitchen" area of our cabin. Very tiny, but cozy...the beds weren't exactly comfy though.

just reliving my childhood

Jadon eating lunch outside while the Tahoe guzzles gas, it was cloudy a lot, so whenever the sun did appear we took advantage of it.

Biting off more than he can chew... this picture makes me laugh out loud :-)

Amazing Moab Rocks

We took a little rock climbing venture the day before the race

my climbing partner

heading back down

there's our town car Tahoe at the bottom

the descent

No, I'm not a member

Coffee shop time, I "pre-race-day" necessity

Jadon's delicious Gelato

just a little extra good luck for race day, Yes, my temporary tattoo applying skills are amazing. 13 year old girls, please contact me if you need assistance.

Waiting for the race to start, freezing in the meantime

Race #

Pre-race pic, still have the tired eyes, it's early

just starting out

Jadon's amazing running photo-op begins

the scenery was incredible

I might be in pain????

Speedster hubby

INCREDIBLE VIEW

yep, trail goes right along the edge....eeeekk

good thing I'm sure footed

breather pic

you can see the trail down below as well

and.... THE FINISH! This was a lovely frigid addition to the race

So there it is, our Moab Race. No we didn't run the Moab Marathon. There were some complications for that, so this was the back up plan. The Marathon start time was later (we had to check out of our cabin earlier than that), the weather was 25 degrees with 30 mph winds at the start (not my cup of iced tea) and other's had already opted out of it, the #'s were down to about 50 runners. Plan B ended up begin a delightful AMASA TRAIL RUN - I was glad we did that and didn't freeze for 26.2 hours. The back-up plan was a success. Don't be afraid of those back up plans :-)

dOG wALKING wEEK

2011-04-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

We have a LARGE SIBERIAN HUSKY - Mountie. I love him to death, but I hate walking him. He is severely dominant and insists on going where he wants, when he wants, to mark what he wants. Sadly, when I am on the other end of his leash, I am at his mercy and I get walked more than him. I dig in my heels, yank on the leash, say, "NO" etc. to no avail. It ends up being a "drag-fest" till he is worn out and then we actually manage to walk down the street in a respectable manner. I'm telling you that because I'm having a "dog-walking" week. I haven't actually walked the dogs 1 time, however I feel like I'm constantly walking them. This week has been insanely busy and hectic and I feel like I'm just barely holding on, digging in my heels and being dragged all over the place. I would like to throw up my hands and cry "mercy" but if I let go of that leash I'll lose it all together.

My only consolation is that we are leaving tomorrow to go to Moab for the Moab Marathon. I don't even care about the race right now. I'm just excited to get away from all the busyness and sit in the Tahoe for a few hours and talk to Jadon, listen to music and not have anything dragging me.

So, I have one more day of "holding on" - here it goes......

New Shoe Day is like getting a birthday with the aging

2011-04-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this blog by assuring you that I do not have multiple personalities. Ok, you can let that breath you've been holding out.....wheeeeeee...

My last blog was about barefoot running and this blog is about the new pair of running shoes I just bought. Why you ask would I spend $110 on new shoes when I'm working on running barefoot....hmmm...tricky!

The answer - I have a marathon in 1 week and my current shoes - Brooks Defyance 3 - are wasted! No more long runs in them. And since I've only run 1.25 miles at a time in my Vibrams (freaking gorilla looking feet shoes - or lack there of) I can't run the entire marathon in them. Thus the need for new shoes.

So instead of tell you the whole story. I"m going to refer you to my husband's blog because he already did a superior job of it, and if it's not broke, don't fix it!

Rossisms: Friday, Funday, Runday

Vibrams + Audrey = Joy

2011-03-31T18:45:00.000-07:00

Running and I had a little "honey-moon" moment today. "Le'me esplain...no, le'me sum-up" (that's a quote from the Princess Bride) if you don't know that line, I'm going to assume that you grew up with cable TV and owned more than 5 VHS - just a guess.

But I digress...back to that honey moon moment. You see I have fallen in love with running. I never got a ring and there was no ceremony. But I did get a healthy body, a SANE mind, clarity, joy, energy, passion, perseverance, endurance, and much more.

After I got married, people would say things like, "well, you just wait till the honeymoon phase is over." or "oh, well you're still in the honeymoon stage" - It always ticked me off! - Did people honestly think I'd care less about my husband in a few months or years...ummm...that's why I married him. I believe I did say, "for better or worse" yes...that rings a bell.

So now back to my running relationship. I've always loved it but I've definitely had times of LOVING it and times of DOING IT. Lately, it's been more of a chore than a joy - winter can do that. But today, I slipped, no, not slipped - squirmed, tugged, wrestled, my feet into my Vibram Treksports (which I've owned since November but never had an opportunity to try out) and went for a run.

Running felt new and fresh. I felt alive and at peace. My foot falls were quiet. It was just me and running. One of those ahhh... moments. For that reason it was a honeymoon moment and the fact that I only ran 1.25 miles because it's not wise to go too far too soon in Vibrams, or barefoot. So it was a short lived special moment that reminded me of why I initially fell in love with running.

There's a First For Everything

2011-03-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have a FIRST to announce. I'll give you a second to guess what that might be....did she win her FIRST race? (No, I've already done that) is it her FIRST call-back from a Survivor Audition? (No, Jeff Probst obviously doesn't follow my blog yet) was it her FIRST eyebrow wax (nope, I'll be on my 2nd).... ok, give up????

I got a DNF at my race on Saturday. Don't gasp, a DNF (Did Not Finish) is not the same thing as a DD (Dishonorable Discharge). So I'm safe, I'm not in danger of a prison sentence and I will most likely still be able to get a hired if ever I need to. They only damage done was to race record and my ego.

Since it's rude to throw out juicy tidbits like, "I got a DNF" and not follow them up with the rest of the story, here it is.

Jadon and I woke up at 3:50 a.m. on Saturday morning. My feet still hurt some but I was feeling hopeful about the possibility of running the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K. After a quick shower and packing running clothing for every possible temperature, season and natural disaster known to man, we got on the road by 5:00 a.m.

Jadon's 95 layering options

The drive from Kemmerer to Antelope Island is about 3 hours, which Jadon and I always enjoy. Talking, listening to music, eating breakfast, drinking coffee. I kept eyeing the digital temperature on the Tahoe...14...19...22...26...32 (good to see it break freezing)...32...32...33. By the time we drove up to the race start it had actually warmed up to 38 degrees. I started feeling a bit more hopeful.

the Sunrise on the way there

Antelope Island from a distance - notice it is the only place with snow...that would be the way life goes.

After layering up according to the weather, filling water bottles, counting out GU's and chews, and taking multiple trips to the porta-potties (if you're a runner you understand this) we were ready to run.

Waiting and the starting line

the starting line

The race course heads directly UP the mountain, no warning, or warm-up, just UP! I felt good though, hills are my strong point and I powered past a lot of others runners. I even began to entertain the idea that I might possibly "place"- at least in my age group.

I'm passing her, not vice versa

Eating on the run - not sick yet!

The first 5 miles were fun…powering up hills, cruising down hills. The first aid station was at mile 5. We carry our own water so we cruised right passed it. About ½ mile passed that aid station E Coli, Salmonella, or some similar villain attacked me. I stopped and walked trying to calm my stomach, no use. I headed for the nearest rock, knowing I was about to loose my cookies….I mean….chews. I puked in the middle of the road at a previous Marathon and it’s not an experience I wanted to repeat.

When it comes to the food poisoning the flu or other such situations there is always a calm after the storm. You think, “wow, now that the crud is up and out, I actually feel better.” That’s how I felt. My options were to turn around and walk ½ back to the last aid station or continue on 6 more miles till the 2nd aid station. Having never quit a race and feeling a bit better I decided to keep going.

Antelope Island is deceivingly bigger than it appears

About 2 miles later I greatly regretted that decision. At that point I could only walk and not even water would stay down. I trudged up the endless switch-back portion of the course wishing I was dead but having no choice but to continue. Jadon, being the best friend, perfect running partner and not to mention fabulous husband, stuck with me.

The more dehydrated I became the slower my walking got. Eventually I experienced the “back of the race” something I’ve never been apart of before. People who were attempting to run their very first race, people who were walking the entire course, older individuals etc. began passing me. I have to honestly admit that was hard a pill to swallow. I’ve always done well in races. Winning, or placing in my age group or at least being toward the front of the pack.

At mile 9 you can see the aid station and it looks close. It might as well be a mirage though because it’s still 2 miles off which feels more like 10 miles when you’re sick. My feet felt like lead and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, but I had to keep moving. I offered a few weak, “way to go” and “keep it up” to passing runners.

As we neared the aid station at mile 11, I asked Jadon what I should say. I had yet to learn the proper way to drop out of a race. Should I throw up my hands in surrender? Should I just collapse to the ground? Should I attempt to be diplomatic and explain that I had thrown up 3 times, I was severely dehydrated, on the verge of hypothermia and should possibly consider stopping. As it turns out I didn’t need to explain myself. Other runners had notified the people at the aid station that there was a pale, sickly looking girl headed their way. As soon as I rounded the bend, I was met with, “Are you the girl who is sick? Here, come sit down” They lead me into a tent, sat me down, covered me with blankets and starting monitoring things, heart rate, pulse, temperature, coherence…did I know where I was? – “Yes, I knew where I was; I was on Antelope Island attempting to run the cursed race I swore I’d never run again last year” ….and so on! Then they made the verdict. Yes, I was sick. Yes, I was dehydrated. Yes, I need to quit.

At this point I was relieved. I knew there was big DNF painted on my forehead but I really didn’t care. I was loaded into a truck and driven to the end of the race. It was over. I had to walk around the finishing line and ask the kind race volunteers to cut my timing chip off my shoe, explaining that I didn’t actually finish and so I couldn’t cross the line. They were a bit confused but bent over to cut the chip off and still handed me a mug for “finishing” – very kind of them.

Post race - Brooks Cascadia -Yes, we have matching trail shoes...No, that does not carry over to the rest of our wardrobe

So, that’s it! That’s how I DNF works, you get sick or injured and you call it quits. At first I was devastated and as we drove home I told Jadon, “I’ve only quit 2 athletic ventures in my entire life: I quit the basketball team in college because I’m no good and I only went out for the team to impress Jadon when we were dating, and now I quit the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K” His response to me was, “Well, welcome to the rest of the world.” - He’s right! I’m not the first person to get sick and drop out of a race or any other venture. Its ok, I can learn from it and come out stronger for my next race….which is in….2 weeks….YIKES!

Coming Out Of Hibernation

2011-03-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm going to go ahead and welcome myself back to this blog, "Welcome back Audrey! Glad you could make it, better late than never!"

Now that the formalities are out of the way; on with business. When I started my other blog http://www.theaudreyrossway.blogspot.com/ which is dedicated to being a Personal Trainer and not just a "personal" blog, I stopped blogging on this blog (Aud's Odd's)

Well, last night I had the epiphany that every once in a while I might like to just mindlessly chatter away instead of being profound and so I've decided to go ahead and write on both blogs. So here begins segment 2 of "Aud's Odd's"

In case you're unaware I really have issues with March. I just don't like the month. It's suppossed to be spring but in Wyoming it's a soggy version of winter. It's like cold gravy - gag! It's almost the only time all year that the Wyoming sky decides to act like the Mid-West and turn gray and lifeless. Also, it's insanely long - as if 4 wks of misery isn't enough; March goes and tacks on an extra week. Thanks for that March.

Last year in an effort to make March exciting Jadon signed us up for a trail run on Antelope Island. In all honesty it was a very nice gesture on his part - Thanks Jadon! But it turned out to be a very miserable race. I'd been sick the weeks before and hadn't been able to train farther than 7 miles. Needless to say a 16 mile intense trail run didn't feel to good on my 7 mile legs. Oh and then there was the fact that it was freezing and my hands became numb around mile 4 and I could no longer feed myself because my frozen nubs of fingers wouldn't open the darn Lara-Bar wrappers. Long story short - I ran the last 3 miles fueled by anger at Jadon for ever signing us up for such a miserable race. But then as life goes in my ridiculous brain, 2 hours later I was telling Jadon that if I trained better I could kill the race next year! - can you say "Glutton for Punishment"?

So now it's March again and guess what I'm going to do on Saturday. That's right - Run the 25K Buffallo Run on Antelope Island. Well, I'm going to attempt to "run" it. It may end up being a crawl. Jadon has agreed to carry me or "wheelbarrow" me down hills as well. The reason for the "attempt" to run is because I injured both feet last week. Yes, BOTH! One would have been alright, I'm pretty good at hopping, but BOTH! Really? I got/contracted/caught/gained (I'm not sure the right way to say it) Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome in both feet. In layman terms - I pinched a nerve in each ankle which leads to shooting pain, tingling, and numbness in the feet - lots of fun. How did I go and do that, you ask? Ummmmm....."how didn't I do it sooner?" is the real question. I have a real finess for getting injured in the most obscure ways, and it's a wonder this didn't happen 3 years ago.

Anyhow, the chiropractor adjusted my ankles and said I should be good to run by Saturday if I stay off my feet till then. So, I've followed "doctor's orders" and I've only been swimming this week, which is not much fun. I detest cold water, clogged ears, and drinking chlorine. But I've done it anyways, and I might actually be getting better :-)

Come Saturday, Jadon and I will drive to Antelope Island at 5 a.m, I'll get all geared up go pick up my bib# and act like I've been training hard for this race (ba..ha..ha..ya right) I'll line up at the starting line, tell Jadon I'm going to win, and then start running! It may be a test of pain tolerance more than anything, which will be entertaining for Jadon since according to him I'm the most funny and witty when I'm irritated and cynical.

So, if you happen to be awake at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning think of me and my 2 numb feet and pray that they magically fix themselves and carry me gracefullys up and over the many hills on Antelope Island.

Blog vs. "What's On Your Mind?"

2010-02-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

Blogs are nice, but facebook is so much faster. Sorry I've failed you blogger.com. I need to figure out how to link the two so that when I post something on facebook it is updated on my blog. Hmmm.... I'll work on that one. Until then if you need to know my true thoughts more than once every three months, you'll have to switch to facebook.

I forgot I had a BLOG

2009-11-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

No, seriously I really did forget. And for some reason in the middle of checking my email I remembered I had it. It was a revelation. Maybe I'll write a little more frequently now. Don't get your hopes up though.

So it's Friday which means date night for Jadon and I. The plan is to go out to eat ( probably Subway since the options in Kemmerer are slim ), play a few games of racquetball, soak it the jacuzzi and then head home for a good movie or catching up on our shows. It'll be fun.

There's a storm moving in tonight so who knows what we'll do tomorrow. It all depends on the weather. But if it's exciting I might write about it.

Nothing else new for now...

Sky Diving

2009-10-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

New Color

2009-09-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

ck

Don't be too shocked but I dyed my hair black on Monday. I actually really really like it. If you're unsure of it, then just wait till you see me in person cause I think you'll love it too!

Famous

2009-08-27T18:57:00.001-07:00

I made the front page of the Kemmerer Gazette today, check it out at:
http://www.kemmerergazette.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=997&page=76

Tower Rock Run 2009

2009-08-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jadon and I ran "Tower Rock Run 10K" in Manila, UT. It was our 2nd year to run it together. It was cloudy, and cold and the sun was barely up when we arrived. It was still a good race though. I came in 1st in my age division and I was the 2nd female overall, so I was very happy. And I won $20, so no complaints here. Jadon did really well too. He came in 45 seconds behind me and he beat the spandex clad man that he wanted to beat last year, but didn't. So we both did what we set out to do. It was a fun morning, I always love race day!

MOGA - Mountain Yoga

2009-08-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

MOGA - Mountain Moga is the newest trend in Physical Fitness. No other form of exercise so completely intertwines the athlete and nature. Only MOGA leaves a person at peace with themselves, at peace with their surroundings and it a better state physically and mentally. MOGA can be practiced in any wilderness setting at any time. Here are some simple MOGA postures to get you started on your journey toward fitness and peace.

TWO LEGGED FISH POSE

STRONG AS THE WOLF POSE

MORNING SALUTATION POSE

STUDENT POSE

LOTUS BOW POSE

GALILEO POSE

TORNADO POSE

VELOCIRAPTOR POSE

LAND HO POSE

TRAINGLE TO HEAVEN POSE

LORD OF THE MOUNTAINS POSE

Dad's Lake Backpacking Trip

2009-07-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Jadon and I went backpacking this weekend. We drove to Big Sandy trail head early on Friday and then hiked 6 miles in to Dad's Lake by noon. We stayed there for the night and then had to hike out the next day to be back for church. It was a wonderful trip. I caught three fish to Jadon's one and he claims it's a miracle.... but.... I now it's just my sheer talent :-) The mosquitos were awful and at times the dogs were a nusiance but other than that it was a wonderful trip. Here are a few pictures.

A Few Doggy Pictures

2009-07-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Doggy Baths

2009-07-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

I know, you keep checking my blog only to be disappointed over and over again. Well not this time... finally a new blog... rejoice!

Since we've gotten our new dog Mountie I've noticed that he is much stinker than Maya. I don't know if it's just the whole male thing and boys smell worse than girls. Or, if he hasn't perfected his aim and he hits himself as well as his target. But whatever it is, Mountie stinks! So Jadon and I decided that Monday was going to be dog brushing, trimming and bathing day. We brushed both dogs, trimmed some of their insanely long fur and then took them inside for their baths. Mountie was first. He's not a fan of the bath tub and it took both Jadon and I too hold him in the tub. However we managed to get him clean even if we were sweating afterwards. Maya was up next and she was much easier to handle. She knows the routine and dutifully stands there and endures it.

Feeling good about the dogs and the loss of stench, I left the bathroom to start a load of laundry. I heard Jadon's tense voice yell "Audrey, come'er" I walked into the living room to discover a large pile of poop and a puddle of pee in the middle of the carpet- compliments go to Mountie.

I was upset. Here I had just cleaned the dogs in an effort to get rid of the stench and now there was hot steaming dog poop sinking into the carpet. I quickly grabbed a spatula from the kitchen and shoveled the nasty stuff into a trash bag. The spatula actually worked quite well, but even after sterilizing it, I'm not sure if I ever want to use it on food again. The next 20 minutes were spent scrubbing and blotting and wiping until the carpet looked and smelled normal again.

Feeling tired and frustrated Jadon and I sat down to watch some tv before bed. Around 10:30 we got up and headed to bed. I was almost in the bed room when I heard something. There was Mountie standing in the middle of the living room, peeing his little heart out. I screamed "NO" as loud as I could (which is loud) and ran at him. Jadon grabbed him and drug him out side. I was fuming mad, I felt like Mountie was trying to give paybacks for the bath we gave him. So at 11:00 I was up scrubbing the carpet again. Needless to say Mountie stayed outside all night and all the next day. The carpets have all been shampooed since then and Mountie has been let back inside, but I don't trust him yet.

So there's my story... sad but true!

Picture Update

2009-06-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Kansas City, Missouri, & Haviland. We celebrated my 26th birthday, picked up our new Siberian husky, went to my cousin Ann's wedding and visited family in Haviland. It was a fully trip, but a lot of fun.

Hike up Fossil Butte

2009-05-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Jadon and I hiked to the top of Fossil Butte today. It was a blast. We probably cover 7 miles and had a lot fun. Here are some pictures. I have kinesio tape on my knees so that they don't hurt. I'm not trying to start a new trend.

Whirlwind In My Head

2009-05-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

My mind is a whirlwind right now. It's been a busy week and it's not slowing down. We leave next Tuesday to go to my cousin's wedding in Missouri and then stop and see Jadon's family on the way home. With everything coming up life seems crazy. So.....I thought I'd share some of the insanity with the rest of you. Here are a few of the random yet pressing thoughts:
Why are the roofers so slow? I wonder if they'll clean up the mess or will I come home from the wedding with a trashed yard? I need to paint my nails before the wedding. What should I get for a shower gift? I Still have to read for small group and Women's Bible Study. Phone calls, phone calls, phone calls. Yeah we're getting another dog. I wonder if Day's Inn charges extra for pets? Gotta send Aaron a birthday card. Almost 26 - wow! I'm not sure if I like it, it's closer to 30. I bet clothes need ironed for Sunday. Gotta finish the Bulletin. What should I make for lunch tomorrow.? I wonder what movie is playing this week? I think the dryer stopped, do I really want to fold the clothes tonight? Where do I want to eat for my birthday? And the list continues, but I won't confuse you any more. If you have answers to any of these let me know!

Pastor's Retreat in Estes Park

2009-05-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

We just got home from the Pastor's Retreat in Estes Park. It was a lot of fun but I'm still so so glad to be back at home. There is something so wonderful about sleeping in your own bed, having a place for everything, and not having a schedule to follow. Jadon already told about a lot of the retreat so I won't bore you with a repeat. Just enjoy a few pictures!

Proud Chaco Owner

2009-05-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention it a few weeks ago but I was given the best gift by my awesome husband. He had to drive down to Salt Lake to visit a lady in our church who was in the hospital there. On his way home he called me and told me that he had a surprise for me. I was thinking he bought me a pastry from Starbucks, or maybe he bought Maya a new collar. I don't know, something simple and easy and still exciting.

Little did I know that he had something bigger for me. Now this might not mean much to some of you but others will sigh. Jadon bought me Chaco's. You're looking at them. They are the best sandals you can buy. Amazing tread, adjustable straps, lifetime warranty, perfect support and pretty cool looking too. I've wanted a pair for years, but didn't think I would ever really own one. Well now I do and I love them! So since I sitting here with them on right now I figured they were blog worthy. Thanks Jadon!

A Tribute To My Mother

2009-05-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I've entertained ya'll with some blogging. I have to confess that Jadon helped me set up a facebook account and I've been so enthralled with it, that I've neglected my blogging. When I was a kid my mom read me this book about a doll who got her feelings hurt because the little girl she belonged to got a new doll and forgot about her... So in case my blog is feeling left out, here is a little of my time and attention

This blog is really a tribute to my mom in light of mother's day, however it's also an update on my life.

Last Thursday Jadon and I drove to Boise, ID for the Intermountain West District Conference. My Dad is the superintendent so he and my mom were at the conference. I don't really know very many other people in this district so my mom was my buddy while we were there. I couldn't have asked for a better pal.

I'm not a huge fan of sitting through long meettings, presentations or sermons. Nothing against speakers, I just have a short attention span and an even shorter "sit-still span" After the first session I struggled with paying attention and sitting still. Jadon and I are the youngest couple in the district and I toyed with the idea of living that up and being fidgety and disruptive or acting older than I am and gluing myself to my chair. I opted with the second option because my wonderful mother fulfilled the first option for me. I left to use the restroom during one session and on my way back to my seat my mom blatantly tripped me. NO, I didn't see it coming and I feel all over Jadon. My mom laughed out loud and said, "I thought you would have seen that coming"

I have to admit it was hilarious and I didn't have to worry about being the young disruptive pastor's wife, because I was beat to the punch by a disruptive superintendent's wife (that's my mom).

I love my mom! What fun! She better watch her step though because she has a comeback coming!

2009-04-24T17:54:00.001-07:00

Just learned how to text my blog
AUD

I RAN A MARATHON!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe it, but on Saturday I ran my first marathon. I've thought about it every day since December when Jadon registered us for the Salt Lake Marathon for my Christmas present. About 2 and 1/2 months ago I didn't think it was going to be possible. My knee was injured and running was out of the picture. In fact up until the race I hadn't run more than 5 miles at a time in the past 2 and 1/2 months. But then to quote the movie "Marley & Me" - "I have tendency to surprise myself"

On Friday Jadon and I dropped off Maya at the boarder's and drove to Salt Lake to pick up Adam at the airport. He arrived at 10:45 and from the there we drove to the Salt Palace in SLC to pick up our race bags and timing chips. After buying some new running clothes at the expo and winning an Army T-shirt for climbing the toughest route on the indoor climbing wall we left to get some lunch. We ate at Subway and then checked into our motel. We had the afternoon free so we took a tour of the Mormon Temple and Tabernacle. It was very interesting to hear from a Mormon's perspective what they believe.

After the tour it was time for supper. We ate at Market Street Grill ( my favorite restaurant from my childhood ) I had some amazing crab stuffed mushrooms and topped it off with french pastries (I carbo-load with pastries not pasta)

We walked back to the motel and went to bed early. I didn't go to sleep until 1 a.m. and even then my dreams were full of runners and power bars. The alarm went off and at 4:30 a.m. and I woke up with the reality of what I was about to do looming heavy. After a quick shower and bowl of oatmeal we headed out to the city train to catch a ride to race start. The train was packed, some people didn't even make it on. 40 minutes later we arrived at the start with only enough time to drop off our bags and use the restroom ( I think port-a-potties get more use at races than at any other event, there just something about those prerace jitters)

The gun went off at 7 a.m. and it took 6 minutes for us to cross the start line. The first 6 miles were downhill which is worse than anything else for my knee. After only 1/2 a mile my knee started to hurt and I prepared myself to have to leave the race. For the first 6 miles Adam and Jadon ran with me stopping every now and then for me to stretch my knee. But at that point I told them to go ahead without me, I felt bad making them stop too. From there on out it was just me and my thoughts and my own pain-tolerance. How long could I handle it. I made it to mile 9 and at that point I knew that I had to at least complete 13.1 miles making it a 1/2 marathon. My hands were freezing and I managed to find two separate black gloves which another runner had thrown off. I found the first one at mile 5 and the second at mile 8. This helped and once my fingers thawed I was able to open the pack I had around my waist and eat a pria bar.
Mile 14-19 were awful. Every muscle in my legs were cramping, and I kept reminding myself that I had felt pain since 1/2 mile into the race and so pain was nothing new, I could handle it. I started breaking up the miles into small sections. Just make it to that street light, run till the next water stop, beat the man in front of you, Run until this song is over... etc.... Every chunk became harder but not impossible. I also told myself that this pain was practice for child labor someday. Basically I was willing to tell myself anything to keep myself going.
Finally at mile 19 my hands warmed up enough for me to open the package of bio freeze I had and smear it on my cramping quads. I sacrificed one finger and continued running with my right pointer finger burning and freezing at the same time. I tried to focus on that one finger and shut out all the other pain in my body.
At mile 20 my dad called me said that he and my mom would see me at mile 23. I was thrilled, I told myself I only had to make it to them. When I saw them I wanted to cry. I ran over to them and hugged them. They were the first people I had talked to since mile 6 when Jadon and Adam ran on ahead of me. They told me they would see me at the finish line so know I had to keep running. My new incentive for the last 3.2 miles was seeing Jadon and eating a muffin. I had already eaten 2 power bars, 1 package of power blocks and drank tons of Gatorade and I was sick of running food and ready for a muffin. I don't know why that is what I craved but it was. At mile 24 I ran through the legs of a man on stilts ( I really did, I wasn't hallucinating ) And at mile 25 I got a text from Jadon telling me he had finished. The last mile was the worst. My other knee started to hurt, along with every other square inch of my body. And the last mile was lined with people cheering which meant that I had to keep running. I really just wanted to tell them all to leave me alone in my own agony. After 4 hours and 46 minutes I crossed the finish line with Jadon waiting right on the other side to hug me. Even then it was very surreal. I hurt everywhere, proof that I'd finished, but still it all became a blur. I was congratulated by my parents and Adam and then I went to look for the muffins. THERE WEREN'T ANY!!! All they had were bananas, yogurt and chocolate milk. I think all those 1/2 marathon runners must have eaten them before I got there. Those stinkers. Oh, well I was done. After lunch with my parents and buying a muffin at a bakery we headed back to Kemmerer. Now it's Tuesday and my sore muscles are still reminding me of reality of running 26.2 miles. It's a satisfying feeling though. So, there it is I ran my first marathon, with an injured knee and because of that God gets all the glory. Thankyou Jesus!

THERE WILL BE MORE PICTURES COMING!

Easter Weeken Pictures

2009-04-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Crazy Spring

2009-04-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's kinda amazing to think that it's the middle of April and Easter already, this year has flown however at the same time it feels like warm weather is taking forever to come. Today it went from shorts weather-to-rain-to-snow-to-hail-to-sleet-to-clear skies again. Very weird. We grilled out for lunch and sat on the porch in t-shirts and shorts and then two hours later I bundled up in my winter coat to run errands. Very Bizarre! Here are a few pictures from the today I have to admit the snow was really pretty.

Moving the Boundary

2009-03-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

It amazing how circumstances in life cause us to consider things we've never considered before. Before I went to college I never considered hanging all of my clothes to dry. When I wasn't married I never considered which side of the bed I really prefer sleeping on. Moving to Iowa forced me to consider putting twisty-ties on everything in the kitchen. "Stale" isn't a description in Iowa, it a enemy. Only living in Kemmerer, caused me to think of trips to Wal-mart as a date.

All that being said; injuring my knee has caused me to consider more than running. It's hard to admit but this week on more than one occasion I have seriously considered triathlons. Yeah that's swimming, biking and running I know, and I've always been anti "anything but running" However like I mentioned before, our circumstances force us to either widen our options or completely revamp our perspective. So just a little heads up, if I inform you that I've registered for a triathlon, I haven't lost it, I'm still Audrey and I still consider myself a runner, only now I cross-train!

First Tanning of the Year

2009-03-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was growing up my mom allows let me wear shorts once the temperature reached 50 degrees. I would walk to school in 40 degree weather because my mom knew that the temperature would reach 50 by the time school was out.

When I lived in Iowa I would recall that when it was 50 degrees and think "I was either crazy, My mom was crazy, or I was incredibly warm blooded" 50 degrees in Iowa is still winter coat weather. It's damp and cold and bone chilling.

Well, this week I came to discover that neither my mom nor myself are or were crazy. The past three days the temperature had been between 45 and 55 degrees and I've been wearing shorts and a tank top. In fact I laid out and tanned on all three days. It feels that warm. It's amazing how the high elevation and the dry air make it feel so much warmer. It feels more like 70 than 50 and I'm loving it.

So if you are in Iowa or Missouri or some other overly green, extra damp state - HA! HA! You are all bundled up right now and I'm in shorts and our thermometers read the same!

Quick Catch Up

2009-03-17T14:33:00.001-07:00

It been way too long since I've blogged and I've got some catching up to do I know. Last week was a busy week and this week is turning out to be the same, but I've got to squeeze a blog in sometime so here it goes! short and sweet!

Last week I got my first massage, it was wonderful. Well almost wonderful, the masseuse worked on my knee and it was incredibly painful at the time, but it helped. I got a hour massage, but the masseuse said I was so tight that she could have worked on me for 3 hours. So I guess I'll just have to go back!

I found out that my right leg is 1/4 inch shorter than my left leg and it could be causing some of the problems with my knee. I'm getting an x-ray on Thursday to figure out the exact difference between the two and then I'll get an insert for my right shoe to fix the problem.

I biked 32 miles on Friday. It was our "long run" day, but my knee was hurting so I had to stick to the bike. My the time my knee heals I'm going to be the next Lance Armstrong.

That's really all I can think of right now so that all the news you get I guess!

Running Again!

2009-03-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

For the last 10 weeks time passing has been marked by "long runs" or in my case "long workouts". Every week Jadon and I do a "long run" and up our mileage to prepare for the marathon. The last 3 weeks my "long runs" have actually just been "long workouts" since I haven't been able to run. I've biked, swam, and used the elliptical trainer.

Well yesterday marked a milestone. It was time for another "long run" and I was actually able to run 1/2 of it. I ran 6 miles! Yeehaw! Yeah, it was slow, but that doesn't matter, 6 miles is 6 miles when you haven't run for 3 weeks. I'm a little sore today, but not bad. I'm taking it slow but hopefully that was the first of many "long runs"!

Better Late Than Never

2009-03-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Jadon and I ran a half-marathon in Pinedale, WY in September and they just put the photos up on their website. So I know it's a little late but here they are anyways, and since I can't run yet I have to relive my glory days :-)

Kinesio Taping

2009-02-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Today marks the second day of Physical Therapy. I feel like it's making a difference even if it is slow. Today Jadon and I took a 45 minute walk with ups and downs (which I couldn't do before) and I felt ok. Running still hurts but walking is the first step to running again.

The physical therapist taped my knee again and I think it really helped. It's crazy how this kind of taping works. Here's what I learned about it, and a few pictures.

This amazing taping method was developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase over 25 years ago in Japan. Since then, KinesioTaping has become the standard for therapeutic and rehabilitative taping. The Kinesio Taping Method involves taping over and around muscles in order to assist and give support or to prevent over-contraction.

The first technique gives the practitioner the opportunity to give support while still maintaining full range of motion. This enables the individual to participate in his/her normal physical activities with functional assistance. The second technique, which is most commonly used in the acute stage of rehabilitation, helps prevent overuse or over-contraction and helps provide facilitation of lymph flow for an entire 24 hour period.
Using an elastic tape, such as Kinesio® Tex Tape, it was discovered that muscles and other tissues could be helped by outside assistance. Kinesio® Taping is an innovative approach to treating nerves, muscles and organs.
Since the introduction of Kinesio® Taping in the United States, medical practitioners such as PTs, ATCs, OTs, DCs, MTs and MDs have recognized and embraced this effective, safe and best of all, easy-to-use modality. The method and tape allow the individual to receive the therapeutic benefits 24 hours a day with both comfort and ease because it can be worn for several days per application. Currently, Kinesio® Taping is used in hospitals, clinics, high schools and by even by professional sports teams.

First day of physical therapy

2009-02-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day of physical therapy on my knee. It was pretty painless, but I'm sure it won't always be that way.

When I was in fourth grade I found out that my right leg was 1/4 inch short than my left leg. I was told that some kids just grow unevenly, but that my legs would eventually be the same length. Sometime in High School I stopped wearing a 1/4 inch lift in my shoe and I assumed both of my legs were the same length since my legs and hips felt fine. WELL.... I found out today that my right leg is still shorter and it may have something to do with why the muscles on my left side are so tight. So maybe if I use a lift in my right shoe again my knee will improve sooner.

The physical therapist also did kinesio taping on my hip, leg and knee. I'll take a picture and post it because it's very weird looking. It did make my knee feel better when I was walking but I still couldn't run - so biking and swimming it is for now.

Maya's Fashion Show

2009-02-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

I know I wear pretty cool clothes, but I didn't think Maya cared until she went and got dressed in my clothes a few days ago. I guess dogs can do more that just a judge of character, they are also good judges of fashion!

Answers

2009-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Why does life have to hit in flash floods and not gentle rains. Yesterday right after I finished blogging I was hobbling the whole 50 yards from the library back to our house when I hit an icy patch on the road. There was no "catching myself" - my legs flew up in the air and I landed with a crack on my tailbone. In a rush of adrenaline I scrambled up and ran inside. It didn't hurt for a few seconds and then it hit me. I felt shaky and nauseous. At that point I thought I had probably broken my tailbone because it hurts so bad. I spent the two hours before I had to leave to see the knee doctor, laying on my stomach with an ice pack on my tailbone.

At 4:00 I saw the knee doctor and since I was already getting x-rays of my knee; i told him about my tailbone and asked him to x-ray it as well. I was the last patient of the day so there wasn't the normal hour wait that I experience at most doctor's offices - which was nice.

I found out that I didn't break my tailbone, but I did crush the cartilage between those bones and so I'll probably be pretty sore for quite a while. The x-rays of my knee came back good and the doctor told me I have "I.T. Band Syndrome". The I.T. Band is the tendon that wraps around your hip, goes down the side of the leg and connects under the knee. My tendon is incredibly tight from all the running and not enough stretching so when I move my knee it slides over the top of my knee instead of below it - which is what is causing all the pain. The doctor said with physical therapy to stretch that tendon out and some anti-inflammatory to reduce the swelling it should stop hurting in a few weeks.

I'm not looking forward to weeks without running, but I'm also glad that it's not anything worse. I guess I better get used to riding a bike (which honestly I hate) I guess it'll have to mind over matter on that one.

Eagle Gate College

2009-02-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

On with the "knee saga" - I'm going to a bone and joint doctor today. The pain is to bad to wait any longer. I can hardly walk. Right now I don't even care what's wrong I just want to know what's causing the pain.

On a brighter note - On Monday Jadon and I went to Salt Lake City to check out a college that offers a degree to become a personal trainer. I've wanted to be a personal trainer for a few years but I've never been close to any place that offers training for it. There are on-line courses but their certification is a little iffy. If I'm going to do it, I want to go to a good school and know that I'll learn what I need to and be able to get a job afterwards.

The school is called "Eagle Gate College" - we met with an admissions lady, learned all about the program and got a tour of the school. It's a small college, classes are limited to 15 students - which I'm used to thanks to Barclay. Their personal training program looks wonderful and they have all of their graduates have gotten a job after they graduated.

The only trouble is that it is a 2 hour drive to get to the school. The course is usually a 10 month course, but I could spread it out so that I wouldn't have to drive to Salt Lake as frequently. We haven't made our final decision about it all, but it's still exciting to see the potential of actually being a personal trainer. It one of those goals in my life that might actually be realized.

Knee Trauma

2009-02-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Something is seriously wrong with my knee. Last week I ran 6 miles on Wednesday and for the first time my knee started hurting. At 3 miles I felt a few twinges of pain and by I barely made it through mile 6. It has hurt ever since. I can ride the bike but running is killer. Yesterday I decided to go to my chiropractor in Rock Springs to see if he could help me. He told my my feet where out of place and that was making my knees hurt. He adjusted my hip, knee and feet and sent me home with new insoles that he said would help.

On my way to Rock Springs the Expedition started shaking if I drove faster than 50 mph. It was scary and I didn't feel safe at all. I drove slowly to Rock Springs and after seeing the Chiropractor my dad went with me to take the vehicle to a mechanic. I'm glad my dad was there because I had no idea what they were talking about. All I understood is that something major was wrong and that it wasn't very safe to drive. They would tighten things and oil things so that it would make it back to Kemmerer but it would have to be driven slowly. So my dad drove the Expedition back to Kemmerer and I followed him in his car. We went 45 mph the whole way. Talk about a long trip.

So then once I was finally home again Jadon and I decided to go to the Rec Center and run so I could see if what the doctor did helped. Well it didn't. My knee is know worse than before I can hardly even walk right now and it's in constant pain. I have no idea what wrong and if it doesn't get better we're going to have to go see another doctor.

The worst part is just that I was so excited to training for the Salt Lake Marathon. It's always been a dream of mine and I was excited that it was going to come true - and now I'm afraid I might not even be able to run it. Yes, it is discouraging. And if you want to pray for my knee I'll take all the prayers I can get.

The Perfect V-Day

2009-02-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

I want to know what teenage girl designed Valentine's Day. A day completely dedicated to love, red, pink, roses, hearts, chocolate, and oozing emotions. Not that I'm against it. The concept of Valentines Day is wonderful, it's themes and decor that I don't like. If I were to design Valentines Day the colors would be blue or brown, men would buy women North Face clothing and give them gift cards for massages. We wouldn't give conversation hearts, we would tell jokes and drink coffee. I'm sure America would love it ;-)

All of that to say that I'm a lucky girl because my husband didn't give me flowers, red, chocolate, hearts or gushing words for Valentines Day. He knows me too well and knows that I would have had to act excited while I figured out where to put the flowers and wonder if my mom's chocolate stash needed refilling. I didn't have to worry about any of that though. Jadon took me on a "treasure hunt" date. He made up riddles about where we were going. Once I figured it out we went there and did something. It was a blast. We bought treats at Maverick. Kissed in the car wash, I got to pick out gifts for myself at Alco and then went and rented chick flicks to watch that evening. It was so fun - trying to figure out the riddles, talking and laughing while we drove around town, deciding what I wanted the most at Alco, and the best part was just being with Jadon. It was a perfect Audrey Valentines Date!

Not Sick Just Unbalanced

2009-02-12T09:50:00.001-08:00

The doctor's was in and I have my diagnosis. I found out that my eustation tubes are blocked. In case you aren't overly familiar with eustation tubes, they are in your inner ear and they control your balance and equilibrium. So since mine are blocked it makes my feel dizzy, light-headed, naseous, weak, and funny inside. The docotor gave me this nasal spray that is suppossed to help them unclog. I'm also supposed to get a humidifier since the dry cold air is one of the major causes. I'm feeling better but I think it's going to take a little while for the dizzyness to go completely away. It's crazy how a problem in my inner ear could make me feel so horrible, but I'm also glad it's nothing worse

Running Sick

2009-02-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

I think I'm sick and I'm not good and being sick. I hate it! I know that no one really likes it but I think I especially hate it. I'm not good and laying around and being content with it.

On Saturday Jadon and I had another long run - 13 miles. I ran it all inside. 6 miles on the treadmill, 4 miles on the track and then 3 more miles on the treadmill. I felt sick almost the entire time but I was determined to finish. I thought it was just the clif bars I was eating while I ran. Well, when I finished the nausea didn't go away and then I started feeling all light headed and weird. It's Tuesday now and I still don't feel like myself. I'm going to the doctor here in about 10 minutes to figure out what's going on. Hopefully I'll get some answers and get back to feeling like Audrey.

Self-Cleaning Ovens

2009-02-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

There are things in life that lock you in, things you can't reverse. These are the things you must be sure of before you lock yourself in. I thought I was aware of these issues in life - you know, things like cutting your hair or getting a tattoo or putting your wool sweater in the washer. I had never considered the self cleaning cycle on my oven however.

This morning I got the brilliant idea that I would clean the oven. I've never owned a self cleaning oven before and so I was excited to see how well it worked even though the oven wasn't really dirty. I wasn't planning on using the oven to make lunch and so I thought it would be a good time to try it out. It was simple I selected "clean cycle" and then pushed "start" Ta-Da!

The oven was cleaning it's self so I decided to paint my toenails (I kinda felt like I had a maid and so I could pamper myself) Well, about 1 foot into the painting I started to smell a horrible smell. I've heard of gas leaks and other kinds of leaks (of which I'm clueless) that can kill a person in their home if they don't get air. I didn't know what the smell was but it smelled burnt and a little chemical so I turned all the heaters off and opened all the windows. Then I started my sniffing. I walked through the house sniffing around heaters and appliances only to end up in the kitchen and remember that the oven was busy cleaning it's self. That was the smell, and it was getting stronger.

I don't think it could hurt me but I could hardly stand being in the house and the cycle still had 2 1/2 hours left. So, now my attempts to "multi-task" with the oven are ended. I had to leave the house and everything I was going to get done this morning. I only hope that when I return home the smell will be somewhat gone and the house will warm up fast from all the windows being left open.

Next time I decide to clean the oven I'll contemplate it like I contemplate cutting my hair, knowing that it could completely alter my day.

Monotony-shonotony

2009-02-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

I think monotony has more to do with the condition of your brain, rather than your circumstances.

On Saturday I ran 12 miles indoors. 6 miles on the treadmill - (50 minutes of staring at the stationary bike, and heart rate poster across the room from me) then I switched it up and ran 4 miles on the indoor track (56 laps around the same gym and weight room) finally I switched back to the treadmill for 2 more miles (yep, same poster and bike)

The wonder of it is that I didn't go crazy in the process. Last winter 4 miles on the treadmill used to kill me. My legs would start to feel heavier and heavier as my thoughts plodded down and down into complete and hopeless boredom. Somehow in the past year, all the running I've done has improved my mental stamina just as much as it has improved my physical endurance.

I don't want to give you the wrong impression, I was still glad to be done; but I never felt the hopeless boredom I used to feel. I had a goal in my mind and I was OK with doing whatever it took to accomplish that goal. I finished in 1 hour and 39 minutes, which averages out to 8:15 minute miles, which I'm happy with.

My goal for the marathon is to run it under 4 hours, which means running 9 minute miles. So if I can keep my pace where it is right now I'll be more than set!

Blogger Catchup

2009-01-31T10:08:00.000-08:00

Brace yourself - this could be like a long-winded rambling preacher. I've got a lot to tell and I haven't even begun to organize my thoughts. So here we go.
Last Saturday Jadon and I flew to Haviland for a 5 day vacation. We flew out of Salt Lake City, had a layover in Denver and then arrived in Witchita at 9 pm Saturday night. Before leaving Salt Lake though we had some time to do some shopping. I've been needing a new pair of running shoes and so we stopped by Salt Lake Running Company to buy a new pair. There were also some sales going on so I got a new pair of running shorts and Jadon got a cold weather running shirt. I used to run in sweats, old tennis shoes and three sweatshirts and I wondered why by body felt so sluggish. It's amazing the difference the right gear can make
So on with my story. We arrived in Haviland and spent the next 3 days with family and friends. We know so many people in Haviland that at some point it always starts to feel like I'm scheduling meeting not visiting people I love. I ask myself, how many people can I fit in before lunch and then will I still be up to being social after lunch? It can't be helped though and it was wonderful to see everyone we saw. We stayed with Jadon's parents and got to spend some quality time with them. I got to see Nathaniel and Leann and Amanda and Travis. It was the first time I had seen either of their homes, and I gotta admit Leann and Amanda are both wonderful decorator and housekeepers. We visited with all of Jadon's family in Haviland, Grandpa, Grandma, Jared, Jeannie, Katlin, Karson & Carter.
Tuesday was Jadon's birthday and so we saw Justin and Adam then. I also ran with Adam on the coldest day we were there. I ran 6 frigid miles with Adam next to me saying, "No, I'm not too cold, I feel pretty good" and then when we were done he admitted to being frozen the entire run. Thanks Adam!
On Monday Jadon and were guest speakers in Lois' "Marriage and Family" class. It was such a blast for me to get to share a few of things I've learned in the three years of marriage with some students who are on the brink of marriage.
Wednesday came and it was time to pack up. We rode with Adam to Witchita where we stayed the night with Janeen, Patrick and Micah. I'm so glad we had a little more time that we usually do to spend with them. Aunt Marilyn also came over and it was great to catch up with her too.
Thursday morning we arrived at the airport at 6 a.m. and flew out at 7 a.m. The flight home seemed longer but we still made it back to Salt Lake at 10 a.m. We had shopping to do in Park City and Evanston and then after retrieving Maya from the boarder we drove to Kemmerer.
Friday came way to soon and was busy enough to make up for a week of vacation. Now it's Saturday and I'm still trying to catch up along with Jadon. We're also planning on running 12 miles this afternoon so if I sleep straight through the super bowl, I'm entitled to it.
Ok, that was just my first point in the sermon, but I can see that I've lost you all and you're wondering if you forgot to put the oven on "time bake" - is that roast raw or completely burned? ---- So I'll let you go! You are dismissed!

OFFICIAL NOTICE

2009-01-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

TO: all parties concerned
FROM: J.A.R. STATS MONITOR

The stats of Jadon Andrew Ross were updated today. Please note that he is no longer 25 years old. He has successfully completed another year and is now 26 years old. Please refer to him as 26 for the next 365 days.

Thank you for you care in this matter.

Mrs. Ross

Feelin Pretty Good!!!

2009-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

Just a quick shout out - I just finished a 10 mile run, my long run for this week. It was a great run and I don't feel any worse for the wear. I'm excited about that. And now to complete this wonderful day we're going to celebrate Jadon's birthday a few days early so that we don't have to pack the gifts when we fly to Haviland. I think I'm just as excited as he is for him to open them. I'll leave the telling of the gifts to him tomorrow. OK - I'm outta here, gotta go make a Birthday Dinner!!!!

Winter can be enjoyed!

2009-01-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

If you've ever lived in Iowa or somewhere in the Midwest you know that winters are ENDURED. I spent three winters in Iowa and I know how miserable they are Cold...Gloomy...Gray...Cloudy...Damp...Snowy...YUCKY!!!!! Now you'd think that winter is winter wherever you are, but it's not the case.

Winter in Kemmerer is delightful compared to Carlisle Iowa. The two aren't even on the same radar, because there is such a contrast. Yeah, it's snowed and it's been cold and windy but the blue sky and SUN make all the difference. Winter is bearable if I can see the SUN shining. And it does shine here - more often than not, the sky is blue and the sun is out. Ahhhh.... I love it. And to make it better today it's 40 degrees and clear and I get to run 8 miles in the beauty of it all!!!! Yeah I'm stoked!!!

Isn't it Ironic, don't you think?

2009-01-09T10:52:00.001-08:00

Life is so full of irony. Yesterday Jadon had to go and take a "pee-test" to work at the teen center here in Kemmerer and the irony of it is - that yesterday I got a urinary tract infection. Yeah, I'm the one with the problem and he's the one who goes to have his urine tested. Oh well I doubt the drug testing center would have done anything for me anyways. I'm feeling better today though. I ate a whole bag of blueberries yesterday and I've been taking cranberry pills just about every hour. I think it's working but I bet my insides are stained purple.

Jibberish - Jabberish

2009-01-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Jadon and I were talking about words that would never "slip out of your mouth" I know I have some pretty normal phrases I say in shock, pain or excitement - you know those words that "slip out" I tend to say things like "buckets" , "buckets of rain water" , "jack-nab" , "whatever" , "get outta here" , "dog poop" - stuff that doesn't really mean anything. Or sometimes I just say a string of syllables that has never been invented before (someone should be paying me for this)

Anyways, the point to all that jibberish is that there are also words that would never "slip out". Words that you always MEAN to say, or words that you NEVER say. A few words that would never slip out of my mouth are: "pianist" , "polygamy", "twitterpated" , "flowers" , "frilly" , "crevasse" , "exacerbate" , "desticate" .

Think about it. It shows what words have no relevance in your life and what words are intentional words.

Alright I'm done rambling!!!! Happy?

2008 is History

2009-01-05T10:24:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I know it's already the 5th but it's the first time I've gotten on the computer since the New Year so "Belated Happy New Year!"

Just like you don't feel older when you wake up on your birthday, Life doesn't feel any different now that I write 2009 on my checks. However, it's still a mile marker in life, a time to look back at the past year and then look forward to all that is to come. I'm excited about 2009. It's going to be good year. I really don't know what's all in store. It's impossible to figure it out ahead of time. But I know that I am right where God wants me to be so I feel a peace about whatever comes my way.

P.S. one of the best things about the New Year is that it marks the halfway point of winter! Only half still to go!

Training is On!

2008-12-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today marks the second day of training for the Salt Lake City Marathon. I'm so excited. I know it's still a long ways off, but I'm good at anticipating thing and I'm going to get lots of practice in the 16 weeks before the Marathon.

Yesterday it warmed up some and so I decided to run outside. Jadon and I both left at the same time for our 45 minutes run, but we decided to take our own separate routes. I started out splashing through 8 inches of dirty slush (leftover from the slick roads being sanded) My feet were soaked within the first 2 minutes. I realized that the streets around town were still pretty covered in snow, or slush or muck (I'm not sure what to call it when it's melting and muddy) Anyways I decided to try a trail outside of Kemmerer in hope of a cleaner run. That worked for about half a mile until I encountered snow that almost reached my knee. There is no running in snow that deep so I had to change my plan. All of this to say that I eventually made in back home wet, muddy and a little tired of slopping through mucky streets and trails. A few minutes Jadon arrived as well. His shoes were clean, his socks were dry.
"How on earth did you stay clean?" I asked,
"where did you go?"
Turns out he went a lot of the same places I did, so I've come to the conclusion that - either the soles of his shoes are thicker than mine or - my puddle, muck and snow stepping judgement is a little off!

Christmas, Come and Gone

2008-12-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone now. It's amazing to me how much time we spend gearing up for Christmas and then poof! it's over. I guess most things in life are like that though. Anticipation and preparation are 90% of whatever it is.

Speaking of anticipation and preparation - My Christmas present from Jadon was registration in the Salt Lake Marathon. I've wanted to run a marathon for a long time and now it's going to happen. It was a wonderful gift, I'm so excited. However this is something where anticipation and preparation are 90% or more of the experience. The race is on April 18th, however I start training on December 29th. That means for 16weeks I'll be getting ready for an event that will hopefully only last 4hrs. It's worth it though and so I'm going to give it all I've got. I'll keep you posted on how the training is going.

Oh, Jadon is running it with me, as well as our friend Adam. It's gonna be blast!

I need a post wedding Honeymoon TOO!!!

2008-12-22T10:39:00.001-08:00

Weddings are a lot of work for everyone involved and only the bride and groom get a honeymoon afterwards. My little sister Amanda just got married on Saturday (December 20th). I was her maid of honor and now that it's over I need a Honeymoon too!!!

Weddings are a wonderful, beautiful, precious thing, yet anything of worth in life takes effort and this wedding definitely took effort!

It really was a perfect wedding, everything came together the way it was supposed too! The only close call was one of groomsmen almost passing out. He managed to sit down though before he keeled over.

Now we are back in Kemmerer where winter has truly socked in. There is about 5 inches of snow on the ground and it's still coming down. It's gonna be a white Christmas

Carlson Christmas

2008-12-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the Carlson Family Christmas Celebration. There were 31 people at my parents house. I was a lot of fun, a lot of craziness too. Lunch was suppossed to be at 1:00 but it ended up being delayed until 2:30. So as we all waited for lunch the craziness started. We started trying stupid human trick stuff. Aaron and Molly showed us this thing where you are on your knees and then you grab both of your feet and arch your back. you're suppossed to roll forward and you feel like your are going to smash your face on the floor but you don't. It was hilarious to watch people try it. Leann was really the only one who did it right. Nathaniel, Nick, and Amanda didn't have the whole roll thing going for them. They just smashed the ground. We did all sorts of things - put our whole fist in our mouths, Put a whole cup in our mouths, told funny stories. It was great! Definately one of the better Christmas's I've had over the past few years. I'm very thankful for my family even if they are all a little off their rocker in one way or another.

Close Call

2008-12-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I a crazy urge to clean something. On Sunday I remember thinking "man I need to clean the car" So it's been on my list since then and it drives me crazy every time I climb in the car. Well this morning I finally got around to it. I vacuumed out the inside and then got ready to wipe down the seats, windows, dash etc. I loaded by arms with a bucket of water, 409, Windex, paper towels, a rag, 2 sponges and made my way out the back door to the car. I managed to place the bucket on the roof of the car without spilling it, and then attempted to open the door without dropping everything else. This was also a success. I place all the cleaning supplies inside and was just standing up to get the bucket when it fell off the roof. Water went everywhere, however the crazy thing is that it didn't get me wet. I hadn't stood all the way up yet, and the water fell just past me. It was a close call though. All that to say, the car is clean and I'm still dry!

Here Comes Christmas

2008-12-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that all good things take effort and Christmas is right up there at the top of the list. There is always so much to do - get a tree, decorate, bake, send out Christmas letters, get gifts for everyone, go to special concerts and services, plan, plan, plan, buy, buy, buy. It always feels a little overwhelming, but I also know that all the effort is worth it. I think of Mary and Joseph - I know their list was different than mine, but I know they must have been scrambling to get everything ready before Jesus birth as well. So as the whirlwind continues I'm really trying to imagine what their perspective must have been instead of getting caught up in the "American Countdown to Christmas"

Picture Catch Up!

2008-12-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance to add pictures to my blogs for awhile, so I'm playing catch up in this blog. Here are some pictures from the Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving and our Anniversary

After the Smithfield Turkey Trot - I came in first in my age division. It's colder than it looks

Check out my running number

Before the race. You can tell I definately had more energy before the race

I dunno!

Inside the cabin we stayed at for our Anniversay. I felt a little sick, thus the saltines and sprite.

Yes, I'm hanging from the rafters in the cabin

And again! They shouldn't have put them there, if they didn't want them hung on.

It was cold in Pinedale

We celebrated our Anniversary at home on the 26th. It was a lot of fun, we dressed up and fixed a fancy meal for ourselves. I think it tasted better than a restuant too.

Shopping in Jackson Hole, WY

In front of the Elk Antler arches in Jackson

Driving out of Jackson, beautiful isn't it?

The rainbow relish tray I made for Thanksgiving

Anniversaries Analogies

2008-11-26T10:01:00.000-08:00

I think society as a whole often looks at life from the wrong perspective. Today Jadon and I are celebrating our third anniversary. Over the past few days I've told people that our anniversary is coming up. Of course they always ask,

"how many years?"

I say "three"

and then the common response is "oh, you're still newly weds, just you wait till your 10th, (or 25th or whatever) of course it's still exciting now, but wait a few years"

And then they give a little chuckle. What a warped response for something that should be a wonderful part of life. Consider the person who goes to the Grand Canyon for the first time and they meet someone who goes there every year. They stand there in awe just soaking it all in and loving it until the old timer next to them says, "yeah, you like it now, but after a few more visits it become pretty mundane and ordinary"

See, I don't think that would actually happen with the Grand Canyon or anything like that, so why does marriage supposedly become boring, mundane and just tolerable.

It's not going to happen for me. I love being married. Yeah, there are always ups and downs but then it rains at the Grand Canyon too. The point is that it doesn't have to get old. I'm celebrating these three years with excitement, thankfulness and exuberance and I'm going to do the same next year, and the next and on and on.

Turkey Trot

2008-11-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

No turkeys were involved and no trotting was involved but..... I now own another T-shirt that says "Turkey Trot"

On Saturday Jadon and I ran in a 1oK Turkey Trot in Smithfield Utah. It's called a Turkey Trot becuase it is close to Thanksgiving and the winner of the race won a Turkey. It was a fun race. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was beautiful and Jadon and I both placed. I came in first in my age division and Jadon came in second in his age divison. We were both pretty excited about that.

That was just the warm up for the rest of this Thanksgiving week. It's going to busy one, and hopefully a fun one. I'll blog about it later and tell you all the details - that is if I survive !

Dentists Cause Pain

2008-11-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

I went to the Dentist this morning - when I went I wasn't it pain. I had a tooth that was chipping and I wanted to get it fixed. We'll here I am 3 hours later and I am in pain. All they did was take x-rays and clean my teeth, but now my whole mouth aches. I hate having my teeth cleaning. The scraping, probing, scratching, buffing - it just doesn't feel good. Like nails on a chalkboard - only inside my head. Eeeee....... gives me chills just thinking about it. Hopefully I won't have to do that for at least 10 years cause it's just not worth it.

Two Sickies Sitting in a Tree (you know the rest)

2008-11-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

If you read Jadon's Blog you know that he was sick. What he didn't mention is that I was sick too. Not quite as bad, but none the less, I was sick. Yesterday started with me taking care of Jadon because I was feeling better than him; and then ended with Jadon taking care of me because I was the sicker one. - Not a whole lot of fun but somehow the crumminess of being sick with the person you love the most makes you appreciate them and love them even more. I know it sounds weird but misery loves company - especially if it's perfect company!

NOW OPEN!!!

2008-11-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Open for Business! Ready for Visitors! Grand Opening!

There are lots of ways to say it - the point is.... WE'RE FULLY MOVED INTO OUR NEW HOUSE!!! So, that means that YOU can come and visit and we have somewhere to put you. These are just pictures to spark your interest. You'll have to come in person to see the rest.

Change in Thinking

2008-11-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever read something that turns the way you think upside down and gives you a completely fresh perspective. It happened this morning.

During my devotions I read that the only thing that will take away the ache of loneliness is worshipping God. God is the only thing that we can be in perpetual awe of, therefore He is the only one who can always bring us past ourselves to something greater. When we worship God we define all other loves by our awe of God, this leads us to reaching out to others and ultimately defining ourselves according to God instead of any other measure.

I don't even know if I explained it in a comprehensible way, and it's even hard for me to totally understand so let me just tell you what I got out of it... ...when I am lonely, the only thing that will cure my aching heart is turning my attention away from myself and onto my wonderful savior. And if as I worship Christ I will be able to see life, love and even myself the way He does.

That's challenging to me because loneliness makes me want to curl up in ball of "poor me" and nurse my broken spirit with sad songs of "nobody likes me, everybody hates me" - However I know that doesn't work. I've tried it, I only feel worse.

So,as hard as it is, I know that in every hardship, sadness, loneliness or battle that comes my way I must look to Jesus first - only He truly satisfies, sustains and uplifts.

NEW

2008-11-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

God has provided. I know He promises to, and He always does, but it still never ceases to amaze me. Jadon and I have praying and looking and dreaming of a house or apartment of our own since we came to Kemmerer, and nothing has been avaliable. Every single house is way out of our price range and every apartment was being rented.... until last week.

Last Friday a lady in our church moved out of the house she was renting and Jadon I moved in this week. We've been living with another couple for 4 months, so having a place to call our own is huge.

I want to run around the house and sing and dance and just revel in the fact that it is my home and I can do whatever I want to do in it and with it. Ahhh..... it's wonderful.

So praise the Lord - Today is a new day. It's a new month, we have a new home, we're on a new time (No more Daylight Savings) - New is Good!

Date Night - Episode 2

2008-10-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

I know it seems quick but last night was Friday again, which means that Jadon and I attempted to go on another date. "Attempted" is a strange word for a date I know, but wait till you hear the story.

So we've heard that there is really beautiful scenic byway that goes to Cokeville Wyoming. It takes about 40 minutes on the highway and so we figured that the scenic route would take about an hour. The plan was to leave Kemmerer at 5:00 and drive to Cokeville the scenic way, take pictures along the way and make it to Cokeville for supper. Then we would enjoy our time there and drive home on the highway.

It all started well. We left on time, the weather was beautiful, gas was cheap, it couldn't have been better. We headed out of Kemmerer admiring the beauty, counting antelope along the road and excited about our date plans.

All was well until our paved road ended. We were driving out Mercury Grand Marquis and although I believe it has lived in Wyoming it's entire life, it's still isn't cut out for dirt roads. Nevertheless we continues on, praying that the dirt would end soon. We got farther and farther away from civilization and soon the only other vehicles we saw were large trucks. I'm sure the people we passes wondered what on earth we were doing on that road in our little white car.

Still our hopes were high. We saw three elk, lots of deer, a beaver and scenery continued to amaze us.

All our hopes crashed however when we passed a wooded sign that said "Cokeville - 26 miles" and we turned a corner to see the road covered with snow. Now as much as our car is not made for dirt roads, it's not made for snow 10x's more. So even though we were an hour into our trip we had to turn around, there was nowhere else to go

So reluctantly we turned around and started back down the dirt road to Kemmerer. We were hungry, disappointed and tired of driving.

Still in the middle of our upset we had a hilarious conversation driving home and we managed to make the best of a long drive and a road covered in snow.

Finally at 7:30 we pulled into the "Ham's Fork Grill" in Kemmerer and ordered our long awaited supper. It was good!!!

Next week we'll attempt to either be less adventurous or more informed.

Until then....Farewell???

My First Skinning of the Season

2008-10-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

So I've never just announced this before but... I love skinning animals, primarily big game animals.

Last night Jadon and I went over to the Brewer's (new Kemmerer friends - and the best kind because they hunt, watch great movies with us and laugh at things that are genuinely funny) and we skinned Dave's Elk. It was already quartered so we got to skin 4 pieces and with an elk that's like skinning four whole deer. So it's a good deal.

Anyways, it was really fun because I like that kind of thing. I think I did a pretty decent job too considering I haven't skinned anything for a few years. I'm actually thinking about putting an ad in the paper saying that I'll skin people's deer or elk for a price. Who knows - I could make some good money with all the hunters around here.

Friday means Date Night

2008-10-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last night, was Friday Night as I'm sure you are well aware since it was Friday where you are living too. Anyhow, for Jadon and I that means "Date Night", which I'm never oppossed to.

In Kemmerer our options for a "date night" are a little slimmer than in Carlisle, however sometimes imagination and possiblilites flourish where they are most needed.

So after a little thinking we decided to go out to eat at Subway (there are only about 4 choices for restuarants) and then we pulled an old college type date and went for a walk and took pictures. In all honesty it was a complete blast. We had so much fun laughing, talking, freezing and not spending money. It was a wonderful date. Then we ended the evening down with a good movie and a good nights sleep.

It was great! I'm looking forward to another exciting Kemmerer date next Friday!

This final picture should explain why Jadon got a better night's sleep than me. Maya has started jumping up into bed with us in the middle of the night. Somehow she always ends up on my side. And then in the morning when I get up before Jadon she goes and sleeps on my pillow. The little stinker. She's getting it pretty good! I hope she realizes what a lucky dog she is.

New Ventures

2008-10-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

My newest venture is joining the Community Choir in Kemmerer. The first practice was on Sunday night. Choir practice is held at the Mormon Church and the majority of the members are mormon, which is a little different to me. If I didn't know any better I would think they were Christians. They are very kind, they open and close practice with prayer they sing some traditional Christian hymns. However I know that they don't believe that Jesus is God and they don't believe in Salvation. It's amazing to me how Satan really does come as an "angel of light". Mormons seem so right yet they are so wrong . Satan doesn't have to elude people with dark, evil, and sinister things. He just has to destort the truth and present it in a desirable form and he's won.
I think the biggest challenge of being a part of the choir is not going to be the music but the people. I hope that they can see something different in me and wonder what it is.

My next to newest venture is memorizing one verse in every book the Bible. I think I mentioned that Jadon and I are taking a Bible Instruction course in Rock Springs every week. Anyways part of the class is to come up with and do a project that either involves what we are learning or ministry. The first three weeks of class have been an overview of every book of the Bible and so I decided that one of my projects is going to be memorizing one (0r two in some cases) verse for every book of the Bible. I memorized my first verse this morning. So here I go!

Good Thoughts!

2008-10-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

I try and journal every day and lots of time I write down quotes or thoughts from books I'm reading so that I don't forget them. It becomes a problem however when I want to rewrite the book in my journal because every single sentence is worth remembering. I have to restrain myself or I wouldn't get anywhere in the book and my journal might be considered plagiarism

Anyways I figured since some of the thoughts in this book are so good I should probably dedicate a blog to them. So here are some quotes from "Cries of the Heart" by Ravi Zacharias

"Once we understand that feelings are vital but not foundationalthen we delight in the eternality of God's truth and can endure the temporariness of felt distance"
"An expenditure of words without the income of truth leads to spiritual bankrupcy"
"When we are faced with disasters, when we are overwhelmed bydarkness, when things seem so dark that we doubt that we are part of the church or pleasing to God, then we should learn to reach for the Bible.We shouldn't let people distract us. Instead we should recognize that we live in a fallen world, The only reason we can see at all is the light of God's word."
"The main art in spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand. You have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. The essence of this matter is to understand this self of ours, this other man with in us has got to be handled. Do not listen to him, turn him, speak to him, condemn, upbraid, exhort, encourage, remind him of what youalready know - or he will drag you down and depress you."
"Something has to die, either the lie to which the feelings are subject or the truth to which the feelings must conform."
"To live is sooner or later to witness or experience pain."
"When belief in God becomes difficult, the tendency is to turnaway from Him, but in Heaven's name to what? The Christian does not deny that a meanhingful answer must be found, but has the one who denies God found a better answer to the problem of evil?"
"Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolation and painful, with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years inthis world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has beenthrough affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. In other words, if it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence by means of sme drug or other medical mumbo jumbo...the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal or trivial to be endurable. This of course is what the cross signifies, and it si the cross more than anything else, that has called me inexorably to Christ."

Eventless, Eventful Week

2008-10-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a very eventful week. It all started on Saturday after our half marathon in Pinedale. The right side of my neck, chest, arm and body started aching. I didn't know why I hurt so bad but decided to see if I felt better in the morning.

On Sunday morning I woke up in pain and I could hardly move my right arm without excruciating pain in my chest and up my neck. Since chest pain isn't something to mess around with, we went into the ER here in Kemmerer.

Since I had just run 13.1 miles the doctor said we could skip the EKG and stress test. After all the normal ER stuff though I found out that I had torn my pectoral muscle and that I had a bad sinus infection. I would never pieced it all together myself. Anyways that was good news considering the things that go through your head when you have chest pain. The doctor sent me home with a list of prescriptions to start taking and instruction to rest and get a massage ( I can handle that)

The rest of the week is kind of a blur. It's been a slow mix of sleeping, taking meds, laying on a heating pad, sitting in hot tubs, ice, reading magazines, and a sprinkling of pain. Not exactly my idea of fun. I'm not a good sick person. I hate laying around and I felt a little trapped in my own body.

On fridy we had the women's retreat for the Intermountain West District which our church is a part of. I went even though I wasn't feeling up to par. I was sick half of the time however it still ended up being good. I got to spend almost all of Saturday talking with my sister Heather while I layed in bed with my heating pad. Then my little sister Amanda came for one night I got to spend a little time with her. My retreat experience was probably different from everyone elses considering I didn't go to all the sessions but nevertheless it still ended up being a retreat for me.

Now it's Monday. I'm finally feeling better and I'm ready for a normal week. I think my sinus infection is clearing up and my body doesn't hurt as bad. So hopefully hopefully hopefully I'm on the tale end of this thing

Pinedale Half Marathon and God's Provision

2008-09-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here pondering what story to tell first. The last two days have been very eventful and I don't even know where to start. Ok, I'll go in order.

On Thursday we went to Rock Springs as I mentioned in my blog - and while we were there God blessed us immensely. The associate Pastor at Rock Springs Evangelical Free Church, Pastor Larry felt God telling him to give us his car. He just bought a truck and so he didn't need his car any more. So he just up and gave us his car. He had no idea that we needed a second vehicle or that we had prayed about it. He was just obedient to God. So now we are the proud and grateful owners of a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. God is so amazing. He never ceases to provide and He blesses us far beyond what we ever deserve. Thankyou Pastor Larry and Thankyou Jesus.

So since we have a new vehicle we decided to drive to Pinedale Wyoming for a Half Marathon. No, actually we had already planned that, but we did get to drive the new car.

This morning we left Kemmerer at 5:30 am and drove 2 hours to Pinedale where we ran in our second Half Marathon together. The race started our chilly but it was a clear day and warmed up fast. There were far more hills than I had anticipated but I made it up all of them. The race is right on the edge of the Wind River Mountains where we go backpacking and the view during the entire race was beautiful.

My parents drove up from Rock Springs to cheer us on, count what place we were currently in, give us water and supply trail mix along the way. It was so wonderful to have a cheering squad and I'm glad my mom had trail mix with her. Every other race I have ever run has water and gatorade at every water station and for half-marathons they always have bananas, granola bars and energy packs. But for some reason the only thing this race had was water, so I was thrilled to have some trail mix since I expected to be able to fuel on the run.

We both finished the race exhausted but happy. I finished 6th out of the 46 females and 16 overall (there were 81 runners) Jadon finished well too, but you'll have to read his blog to find out his time.

After the race I got in line for a free massage and let me tell you what - my 20 minute wait was well worth the 5 minute massage I got. It felt incredible, in fact I fell asleep. We stayed and talked with my parents and then had to head home and so we went and ate lunch and then drove up above Pinedal to a scenic outlook. That's what a lot of the pictures are of.

Now we are back in Kemmerer, taking it easy so that we are ready for another big day tommorrow.

Most of the race pictures are still on my mom's camera so I'll post them later!

It's gonna be a good one!

2008-09-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm pumped about today. In about 1 1/2 hours were leaving to go to Rock Springs. We're going to spend time with my family, go to the Bible Instruction course that my dad is teaching, have a Starbucks date, and go to the Chiropractor (whoo--hooo!!!!)

My back has been messed up for quite awhile so I know that gettin a good old chiropractic adjustment is going to feel like coming home.. ahhhhhhh.....

Seeing my family will be wonderful too. I thought when we moved to Kemmerer that we would see them more often but somehow life fills up fast and there is no time to go to Rock Springs. So it will be good to talk with them and laugh with them and catch up on life.

The Bible Instruction course is a college level course that my Dad teaches every 6 years. It's like an Old Testament Survey class and New Testament Survey class combined. I kinda miss school and studying and tests ( i know i'm weird) so this class is going to be a fun challenge to take on.

And then the Starbucks date. Maybe I'm biased because I worked at Starbucks but that's my favorite place for a date. The best coffee, a great pastry and my wonderful husband Jadon - it doesn't get any better.

So I better sign off and get packed so that I can throughly enjoy this day.

Adios!

I'm not a green-thumb but I do have a brain

2008-09-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

What to write about? Hmmmm..... Let me think.....trees.....I think I'll write about trees. So I'm not a huge fan of trees. In fact when we lived in Iowa I hated them. There was an overabundance and they were more work than they were worth. Now that we live in Wyoming I'll have to admit trees have grown on me some (no pun intended)

There aren't as many out here in the west and the few that do exist seem to have fewer and smaller leaves, which means less raking and more of everything else in life. So, regardless of all of that, my main gribe with trees is really with people.

People who either plant trees or allow them to grow need to seriously evaluate their location. There is a phenomenon that I have observed in Iowa and Wyoming and that is - trees taking over homes. We all know that trees grow yet it seems that the majority of people forget that fact when they plant trees. Home after home after home has some full grown tree that has consumed their front window, front door and is hungrily looking at the rest of their home.

I saw a man bend almost completely in half to dodge his tree as he exited his house. I looked at the trunk of the tree and noticed that it stood only about 4 feet from the house. I thought,

"Bless your heart sir, but that serves you right, you shouldn't have planted a tree that was going to grow - 4 feet from your home. Ironically they grow out as well as up."

So as you grow up and buy a house and plant trees consider the plight of the man who has chronic back problems because an ill-chosen tree planting location.

Updates

2008-09-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

I don't have a whole lot of time, but I don't want to lose my faithful readers so I figured I better blog real quick.

Here's a few highlights:

actually this is a lowlight - I have an ear infection. This is the third one in 4 months. So once again I'm on antibiotics and I'm hoping that this go around kicks the infection.

On Saturday Jadon and I went to Provo, Utah and watched the Wyoming vs. BYU football game. Wyoming got stomped, but it was still fun. I have to admit that I people watched way more than I football watched. You see all sorts of people at big events like that. Somehow the 6 largest men in the stadium all managed to purchase tickets for seats in the same row. They were in the row right in front of us and it's a wonder they managed to stay on the bleachers for the entire game. That row was busting at the seams. Maybe they were the backup players for BYU or Wyoming.

Yesterday Jadon and I ran 12 miles. We're getting ready for a 1/2 marathon in Pinedale, WY on Saturday. When we started I thought, "I might poop out at mile 8 or 10" but I actually felt better at the end of the run than I did at the begining. I even had energy to spare after the run.

Well that's all the news for today.

Good Reads!

2008-09-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

I just started reading a new book and Jadon and I started reading two new devotionals so I figured I'd comment on them in case you want to check them out.

The new book is called "Cries of the Heart" by Ravi Zacharias. I've only made it through half of the first chapter but I can tell that I'm going to enjoy it and get a lot out of it. Ravi Zacharias is a deep thinker and I like that. I like reading something and going WOW! I'll let you know what I learn as I move through the book.

Jadon also bought two new devotional books and they are both wonderful. One is collection of writings by Martin Luther and the other is collection of writing by C.S Lewis.

The devotional for today in the book by C.S. Lewis was about temperance. Lewis said that temperance isn't just not drinking alcohol. He said that temperance involves all of life, it's about doing everything in moderation. We can overindulge in lots of things and let them control us instead of God. It's so true - it reminded me to check myself and make sure that I am temperant in everything. Only God should rule my life. Good thoughts C.S. Lewis!

What to do with a Sunday Afternoon

2008-09-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone else can relate but Sundays are wonderful and hard at the same time. Church went great today. There were 40 people in the service, the singing was great, the message was great (go Jadon woo! woo!), I loved seeing everyone and talking before and after the service.... but..... then I'm drained. I always come home after church pumped up and then about 1:30 it all catches up to me and I'm done in.

The thing is that I don't know what to do with myself. If you are a "napper" that's when you take your Sunday afternoon nap, if you are a "football watcher" that's when you watch football. The problem is that I am a "goer" that means that I like to go, go, go. So when I'm completely pooped I don't know what to do with myself.

It actually reminds me of our dog Maya before she lays down to sleep. She paces and paces and acts so agitated and then she collapses on the floor. That's how I feel. I try and do lots of things and none of them really work so I just end up more frustrated and tired.

I used to watch TV and cut coupons on Sunday afternoons. It was mindless and relaxing, and after an hour of that I was ready to go again. But Kemmerer doesn't have a Sunday paper or coupons so I don't know what to do with myself. I'm in the pacing mode, trying to figure out how best to recharge on Sundays in Kemmerer Wyoming.

I'll let you know when I figure it out - your ideas are welcome.

P.S. - I'm not a napper or a football watcher

That shouldn't happen

2008-09-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen those warnings on appliances that say things like, "do not use in the rain" "do not place animals in microwave" "do not toast metal" "do not place clothes in dishwasher" "mower not intended for use on carpet" etc.

There are lots of them and they always make me think, "who would do that?" Those things should be self-explanitory. Like, how stupid do the manufacturers think I am. Well I have something to tell them. It's a warning right back at them and goes like this, "DO NOT ALLOW MICROWAVE TO CONTINUE RUNNING WHILE THE DOOR IS OPEN" How about that?

This morning I went for a run (yeah it was cold) and then drove by the church to say Hi to Jadon. While I was there I decided to make myself some oatmeal to warm up. I used the microwave in the church kitchen to heat it up. When I thought my oatmeal was done I opened the door to take the oatmeal out and low and behold the microwave continued to run. I think it decided to microwave me. I had to unplug the thing to make it turn off.

I thought there was an unspoken rule that microwaves must turn off when the door is open but I guess not. So if you happen to be a microwave manufacturer and you are reading this - PLEASE MAKE THE MICROWAVE STOP WHEN THE DOOR OPENS!