honey i'm home

getting here was quite the debacle, but i am proud to report that I AM HOME and i just must say that i stink at airports and flight in general. i won't go into it too much, but let's just say i only arrived at the airport 30 minutes before my flight, barely caught the luggage lady attaching a tag labeled PHX instead of BOI to my 6 lb overweight suitcase, and nearly lost both my driver's license and my mind through the process. those places turn me into a BASKETCASE.

anyways, i got home nice and safe to a city free of both snow and cares. yay. what did i do to celebrate my boise? ate a load of chex mix and set out on a 21 mile run with diana. feel free to re-read that last sentence, but you aren't dyslexic and that wasn't a typo. a couple weeks ago she told me about her harebrained scheme to run 21 miles on her 21st birthday, and for some sick reason i agreed... and so that is why i found myself running for 3 hours, 49 minutes, and 48 seconds yesterday.

 as sick as it sounds, it really wasn't that bad... things actually went pretty well until mile 17. that's when my legs started screaming and life started to suck. before that, it was actually kind of fun! the greenbelt is wonderful and i am jealous of all the people that get to take advantage of it's sheer greatness on the daily! anyway, what a way to celebrate, eh? i figure for all that, i am now exempt from working out for the rest of christmas break.... and not because i want to be, but because right now i can hardly walk.

will somebody please rub my feet?

good feeling 11

11/11/11. i totally blew my opportunity to make a wish this morning.
typical.
one of my friends got married today- and the best part about that? 1.5 years ago we were sitting on an italian beach lamenting our love lives and he said that no matter what, he WAS getting married on 11/11/11. well done, good sir. that is dedication. faith. insanity?
 here's to hoping for my own marriage to be 11/11/2111. yeah.
i read an article. it said vegas's little chapels are going downright crazy right now and i believe it.
anyways, strangely enough, other things happen on days like today. like veteran's day. hug a soldier! oh... and discounted race registrations.
alyssa just can't pass up a good bargain.

day eleven- i'm doing it. well, the half. one day i will be hardcore and run a full, but for now i'd like minimal chafing and whatnot. june 23! seattle! i've never been there and figured running a half marathon is the perfect excuse opportunity to get up there. who is with me? 20 bucks off if you register before 11:11 tonight. i'm excited.... it's been far too long since robie creek 2009. (prepare yourself for a throwback...)
now i'm off to watch the clock. 11:11 pm... i've got my eye on you.

tuesday things.

today was one of those days where everything is planned sun up to sun down... and i liked it. business for me equals happiness.

the highlight of my day was definitely trying to explain rectal stimulation as a means of relieving constipation to a mother with a two year old. with the help of wordreference.com, i think i got my point across ...was that in the job description? not so sure. however i don't think lunch and massages courtesy of alpine therapy is in the job description either, but it is definitely happening tomorrow anyways... did i mention i am a big fan of my job?

i was late for a meeting tonight because i went on a beautiful run up provo canyon and somehow i ended up doing 8 miles, all thanks to my new favorite android app endomondo. this app tracks time, calories, pace, distance, and has a robot that tells you your pace and time every mile. it is so great and addicting... and much cheaper than a garmin. i am in love. what did i do without a smartphone? ... oh yeah. i had to sing to myself and clock my distance with the odometer. that was fun.

i love fall.

i am obsessed with this banana bread recipe i've adapted from joythebaker. add chocolate chips and sub wheat flour. you will think you've died and gone to heaven... and the girls you visit teach might even let you come over.

i found new black suede steve madden boots at ross... and now i have buyers remorse.

this girl is getting married this weekend... my favorite cousin alexis! tomorrow i'm headed to idaho falls to bask in the wedding happiness and craziness. it is going to be a great weekend... i mean, when the weekend starts of a wednesday night it just has to be.

time to make the best roadtrip playlist on this side of the mississippi. 

the red rock recap.

this weekend i earned my stripes... even if my team misplaced our sharpie the entire race and only marked our calves after the whole shebang was over!
remember when i posted a little bit about the red rock relay down in moab in may?
it happened again. enter red rock relay: zion.  here's the breakdown
2 days
186 miles
12 team members
210 teams
4 hours of sleep in a 48 hour time period
obviously, it's a recipe for a really great time!

this time our team of "red rock relay rookies" was a conglomeration of coworkers and a coworker's extended family. the fun started in cedar city thursday night with a big sign in party and pasta feed. i was worried this mass produced food would be disgusting, but thanks to the best veg pasta sauce i'd ever inhaled and great harvest cookies the size of frisbees, i was pleasantly surprised.

after a quick trip to walmart for the goods, ie tons of clifbars, chocolate milk, trail mix, string cheese, and enough bagels to feed a small county, we slept for a couple hours. then it time for van 1 to make it to the starting line for our 6 am debut.

demon eyes. they come out in the wee morning hours

 obviously we were pretty bright eyed and bushy tailed.
the first part of the race was freezing cold and i didn't feel the least bit envious of our first runner, who had to ride a ski lift twenty minutes up a mountain in the freezing just to run all the way back down.
what did we do for these twenty minutes? jump in our car without knowing where the next exchange was and drove around completely lost, only to go back to the starting line and find out that the first exchange was right by the ski lift.  we're a good team.

 i was the second runner. do you like my ninja suit? when i was thinking "relay in st. george" i was thinking running tanktops and shorts, not underarmour and ear muffs. its a good think i threw those pants in at the last minute! my first leg was a baby 2.7 miler, but a big hill that kind of chewed me up and spit me out at first. i blame the elevation!

 while we took turns running, the rest of us stood around on the road playing cheerleader and justified eating way too many bagels. six hours later we got to our van exchange, passed the baton, and went to chili's for lunch.

 chili's is gross. i had a salad and it was mediocre- not even picture taking worthy, and that is saying something... i should have gotten the molten lava cake. next time!  after that it was two hour nap time, then back to run our second phase of the race. my next leg was a 3.7 miler. since my legs of the race were short, i set little goals, mainly consisting of passing as many men as i could and finishing this run in under 30 minutes. it took me 28. i was proud of those 7.30 mile splits!

then it was dusky and dusty... and i thanked my lucky stars i didn't have to run down this eternal road.

 it got dark and pretty. just look at that sky! the sun went down and the headlamps came out while the rest of our runners hauled up the mountain.
when our phase was done we exchanged with van 2 and went to st. george to shower and "sleep". i closed my eyes for two hours, then it was up again so we could meet our team and finish our last leg.

 enjoy this picture. it kind of shows how sleep deprived crazy i was feeling, just look at those bags under my eyes! 4 am is the prime time to run. your brain is so tired, it doesn't even know what it's doing. my third run was 6.2 mile, then i ended up running another 4.2 for a team member who'd gotten sick. i'd never run in the pitch black darkness with a headlamp, and  it was kind of fun! our van finished our part of the race, handed off to van 2 to finish, and went back to st. george to shower and eat.

 nielsen's caramel cashew custard. i would run any number of miles just for a cone of it!
after eating, we made way to zion to run across the finish line with our team members.

 again, so gorgeous.

 we waited and waited for our van to finally show up. my favorite part of the day was watching all the teams before us finish. they were so creative! i especially liked forrest gump's guest appearance.

our van finally showed up and we ran/hobbled across the finish line as the announcer told everybody to give it up for the"red runners relay rockies". rookies, rockies, tomato, tomahto. we were just happy to be done!
carbo-loading/snacks devouring ensued, then the long ride back to provo with a delirious bunch of women. let's just say that trivia and my aunt carolyn's jokes are a lot funnier when you've had four hours of sleep.
i am now accepting applications for team mustache 2012 (get it? must-dash? i'm hilarious) next september.
til then i will probably be trying to scrub these inch wide stripes off my calf. i don't doubt i'll be loofah-ing until next year's race rolls around.
the strange looks from my bishop are well worth it.

i am not one of those pretty runners

especially in the july heat.
one hour in the sun leaves me beat red with my shirt soaked through and through. (note to self: stick to light colored tanks)
sometimes i feel bad for the people that have to pass me. but hey at least i can give them a good laugh and something to tell their friends about when the conversation dies down (oh by the way you should have SEEN the sweat pouring off of this chick i saw running on university ave today...)
regardless, i don't really care.
especially since i downloaded this playlist from blogworld, as recommended by emily. get it and get running... dolly parton was never more entertaining.

in other news i got back in to yoga yesterday... if you can call it that. i don't know if it's just poser yoga they offer at golds, because i am pretty sure in a legit yoga class you wouldn't hear basketballs bouncing off walls and see sweaty muscly guys checking themselves out in the mirrors every time you came up for a sun salutation, but ya know, whatever. namaste and stuff.
really though, it was awesome. people say things like "oh yoga is so energizing!" and "yoga helps me really connect with myself", however, it did neither of those things for me. after our curly haired, barefooted instructor wearing a t-shirt proclaiming something about Saigon and beer finished his shpeal on breathing into your stretch and whatnot,  i just felt like a limp noodle and completely drained of all energy and connection.
i've got a ways to go. but maybe it will be an excuse to buy some new yoga pants? (i think i'd fit in better clad in some of those. they're all the rage with the males of the group... heh heh)

this morning i was all excited to make some rad granola because i finally finished off my last batch.
i burned the whole thing.
the pan resembled a mix of charcoal remnants and the crumb catcher underneath a toaster.
i suck at ovens.

can't wait for san diego in a couple days

via pinterest

but is it wrong to say that i am secretly most excited about this?

trader joe's, we shall meet soon.
and you better be all i have been dreaming you up to be.

red rocks and calf cramps

this is me getting artsy with my phone down in moab this weekend during the red rock relay.
what is this, you ask? a 70 mile relay split between 6 (in our case 5) runners down in moab, ut. pretty awesome, i might add.
we started at 9 am and passed the slap bracelet baton all day between two uncles, aunt, and cousin of mine. i ran two legs of the race, one at 7.2 miles, the other at 7.3. it was killer, but great times all around. while our runner was running we played water boy in the car, driving up a couple of miles, taking lots of unattractive pictures (this is a warning to you, carolyn. that ONE PICTURE you took is on lock) and eating clif bars, banana chips, and uncrustables.
ten-ish hours later we were finishing our race and i could barely walk. note to self: just because your socks have the nike swoosh does not mean they are running appropriate. good company, great scenery, and awesome atmosphere made for a satisfying weekend.
that and all the great food (minus the moab brewery. that place is crap) and a stay at green river's finest. five stars, baby.

 moab, ut. need to get back there. robber's roost? i'm thinking i'll pass.

Oh the Irony.

First, go read the post I wrote earlier yesterday.

Read it? OK. Funny how things like this work out... I actually did run til I couldn't run anymore.

Why can't I run anymore? I am chafing. In fact not only can I not really run, I can't really walk.

Why am I in such pain? I accidentally just ran 14.5 miles.

How did I accidentally run 14.5 miles? It's a funny story, really. So yesterday I was feeling pretty antsy, so I figured, what better way to get rid of all my energy by running. The initial plan was to run to Springville, which I thought was about 5 miles away. I'd get to Grandma's, grab a drink, and then run back to Provo to get my bike from Shane's house, which I figured was about 3 miles away. Riding the other 2 miles would be fine, and it would be a good 10 mile workout to help me put off studying for my 4 midterms.

Things started out great- the sun was bright, the cars on State Street didn't run me over, and I was only honked at one time. 311 and the Killers helped me make it all the way to Grandma's. I'd been going for 50 minutes, so I stopped my watch, grabbed a drink and chatted with the family, and then I set off for Shane's house.

Even though Provo has a grid system, I still got lost. I ran around Provo for a good hour until I finally found his apartment, stepping foot in an area of town where the street signs are written in Spanish before English, and where there are more boarded windows than actually businesses It was an adventure to say the least!

The Omni Apartments seemed like Mecca to me as I ran up the sidewalk. Tired and ready to be done running, I dialed my combo, and started wheeling my bike down the sidewalk. But there was a problem. A big one.

Flat tire.

I let out a loud, "NOOOOOOOOO!" and hated the world for a minute.

A little dishearted and dreading the run back to campus, I relocked Silver Bullet and restarted the timer. I'd now been running for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Lovely.

I hate the word, "jog". The connotation reminds me of the movement of an old woman trying to run with 2 replaced hips, and I hate being referred to as a "jogger" or anything of the like. Except I think the imagery of an old lady ambling across campus is exactly what I resembled at this time, and therefore the word fits. Perfectly.

As I ran across campus, all I could think about was writing this blog, and how ironic this whole ordeal was. It is what kept me going until I reached Heritage... oh, and the multiple spoonfuls of peanut butter I indulged in as I sat in the grass recounting my story to all my roommates.

When I finally found the strength to inside, curiosity got the best of me, and I just had to find out many miles I'd actually ran. With the help of this website, I routed my run, and came up with this little map of my mileage.

... and I still have not studied for my tests.

A Beautiful Day

means that I am going to run today until I cannot run anymore.

After a morning of cleaning toilets and sinks with a toothbrush (literally) at work, and then sitting for 2 hours in a cramped lecture hall for American Heritage midterm review, it is time to get OUT.

Current City: Provo, UT

Current Temp: 53 degrees

Current Condition: SUNNY.

.. and a special thanks to Shaun for the new music... it's gonna make a great running playlist. :)

March 1st

Winter is over.
I don't care if the groundhog saw his shadow!
I'm sure he was simply just tired, you know, wanted to sleep a little longer. But now he is awake... and ready for spring.
But I digress. It's March, and that means so many good things. For one, it means I graduate in 3 MONTHS. Yep, I shall be a free bird 3 months from today.
Kinda frightening. But good.
Which leads me to another topic... called I decided where I am going to school next year. The verdict is... (drum roll) BYU. I didn't get the Ambassador Scholarship from Utah State, and I told myself that would be the deciding factor. It's really nice knowing what will go on next year, and I have actually started dreaming about it. Well, actually I dreamed I was in Utah NEAR BYU. But it looked like Disneyland, and so I don't know how those two are connecting? Haha interesting. Anyways, things are just going REALLY fast now. Like I apply for housing on Saturday at 8 AM sharp. And I am praying that it doesn't turn out like Robie Creek. (I'm not bitter, I'm not bitter, I'm not bitter...)
What about Robie Creek, you might ask? Well, we're still training and hoping we can get some numbers! I just am praying that my death runs to the tops of remote hills with Krisatron (my mother's Transformer name... I swear she is a machine) are not in vain. If they are, however, I guess I will just be ready for track! Which, by the way, started on Friday. We'll see how that goes... Usually track is a pretty good time. Maybe this year I'll retire the spikes I've had since 7th grade (no lie) and splurge on some new ones. Hmmm.. who knows.
And I'd say that is a long enough "string-of-beads" for tonight :)

Wisdom Wednesday

While running today I was trying to think of something good to write about... and then I thought, hey! I've got some good wisdom to pass on about running. Outside, that is.
So, for today's Wisdom, I'd like to share my top reasons why running outside is so much better than running inside on the dreadmill.
1. You don't have to endure listening to the club blaring Janet Jackson. Sorry... but that doesn't really pump anyone up.
2. You NEVER get stuck on the treadmill facing the wall.
3. The stopwatch doesn't stare at you. (I swear the seconds are longer... 45 minutes HAS to be at least 47)
4. You can actually pass the sweaty guy who's perspirations is everywhere.. including on you.
5. Two words: Vitamin D
6. There's no recycled air to breathe. (And it doesn't stink at 4 PM, right Mom? :D)
7. Like the stopwatch, you don't have to watch your calorie count go 31, 32, 33, ...34,.....35
8. The sense of accomplishment is always better when you've run 5 miles and actually gone 5 miles!

On that note, Mom and I didn't get into Robie Creek. The race filled up in less than 1 hour. Yep, that is right, all 2000+ spots. Ridiculous. Bitter? Nah.

Particles, GET OUTTA MY AIR & Other Topics

I am so sick of this nasty inversion. It is really disgusting, and for once I just want to see the SUNSHINE and feel the WARMTH. January is the worst month of the year. I hear it supposed to rain a little, though, so thank goodness, maybe it'll wash away a little... and I won't feel so dirty breathing outside!

But onto more light topics! Like... college! Wooh! The latest news really is that I was accepted to BYU-I (big surprise, let me tell you ;) ) and tonight I completed the swamp also known as FAFSA. Let me tell you... how sweet it is to get that off the plate. So really, now all I am waiting for is FEB 1, also known as application & scholarship deadline. After that, I should be making my decision of where to spend the next four years of my life. ...deep breath...

Senior year is going ____ (insert word here). I have stumbled upon a great deal of senioritis since Christmas Break, and today is a milestone- 80 days and I am a free bird! However, as much as I groaned to think I still have a whole semester left, it's kinda fun. I got out of Psychology (hallelujah- it was not my favorite) and am now in CHOIR. Yes, CHOIR. Did you hear that? CHOIR! Hahahaha when I told a lot of kids I was joining, they just laughed at me, seeing as usually I am the first to criticize the "choir kids". But I have one word in my defense and reasoning and it is "DISNEYLAND". This one word is the reason that there are 75 students in 4th period choir. Yep, this year the Acappella Choir is going to Disneyland, and I imagine sing, too. April 1-5 baby! I am really excited. Who can pass up a good time with Mickey and ride through (and hopefully not get stuck in) It's A Small World? It's pretty magnetic!

If you've been reading my mom's blog, (which probably you have because you're probably my mom cuz she's the only one who reads this :) ) you'll see that she has a nice new addition to her background. The Race To Robie Creek Countdown! Now, let me tell you, I am a paper chain and countdown enthusiast, and really there is nothing better than pulling off a few links to your very own "Days of School Left" chain (yep, I do have one... call me a kindergartener) but to tell you the truth, seeing my mom's counter makes me wanna puke. I am so not ready to run this thing... and I will blame it on my IT Band. My right knee hurt a little after XC season, and I don't think falling down the mountain, aka skiing, helped it either. Anyways, now it hurts to run, walk fast, go down stairs, ect, and I so right now my "training" consists solely of the elyptical. Not my favorite. But alas, I just pray that soon I will feel better and be able to tackle the dreadmill, for there is nothing better than running 45 minutes at 5 AM on that bad boy. (Note the sarcasm, please) Wish me luck! :)