Final Summer Track Meet

 The kids were excited to go to another summer track meet the second week in June. It would be our last since we would be out of town the following weeks. As luck would have it, it rained most of the day. It finally cleared up right before the scheduled time, but by then they had already canceled the meet. We had talked a few of our friends into coming- the Jensens and Vests- and since we all made it to the high school, we decided to just stay and play anyway.

Emily had a whole group of kids that followed her around and helped her run around the track. They were all so sweet to her and it was so fun to watch them. I'm impressed how many times this little 2-year old made it around the track!

The boys set up a few of their own races as well. They sprinted their little hearts out and then took a few walking laps when they couldn't run any more. That soon turned into a game of climbing up a wall near the fence and jumping off.These boys have such a good time together, they are in the same classes at church, scouts, and even some sports teams. The older boys are all very close in age, but Jacob is definitely the tallest.

It didn't take Matthew and Sarah too many laps before they headed over to play in the sand pits. There is just something about sand and kids- you can't keep them out of it! We stayed for as long as we could before we had to pack up and head to Caleb's baseball game.

Every time we go anywhere, Matthew loves to collect sticks. Whether it's the neighbor's house, the school, the park, baseball practice, etc. Matthew usually ends up with a pretty impressive stack of sticks that he begs to bring home. When we told the kids to head to the car, I glanced back to see how Matthew was coming and this is what I saw:

 I about died laughing when I saw what Matthew was carrying. Somewhere along the highschool track field he had found this giant branch- practically a small tree. He thought it was the most amazing stick ever! He came around the fence, so excited, barely able to carry the thing and asked me if he could bring this stick home with him. Sorry Matthew, the tree has to stay at the school. We got a pretty good laugh out of it. This boy is so funny.

Running Training Log

I know there are all sorts of high-tech ways that people keep track of their running, training plans, etc. But for some reason, I still just like to keep track of mine on a plain old sheet of paper that I keep in my nightstand. It's easy to pull it out to record miles, and it's easy to look back and look ahead. 

When I finally decided to start running on the last day in February (it was just too cold before then). I figured I had about 15 weeks before the Iowa marathon. I set up a training plan, but what I actually ran was quite a bit different. Life gets busy, things come up, and there are many things more important than running.

After the Utah Valley Marathon, I was going back through my training log and frankly, I'm amazed that so many of my races went so well. Jeff and I were both laughing at the training log- it kind of looks more like a disaster plan. I'm determined to try and do better next time I'm training for a race- and actually try to stick to a better building plan. I know I can attribute a lot of the running success to my weight training class at the gym. We don't do a whole lot of running there, but I do think that strengthening your core can play a big part in overall fitness levels. Anyway, I was feeling good about how everything turned out this spring considering the amount of training that was entailed. I definitely need to work on sticking with the plans better, I'm sure it will help with the injury prevention too.

Girls Weekend & Utah Valley Marathon

 When planning out races for the summer, my main marathon goal was focused on a marathon in Iowa on June 9th. I ended up doing the last minute early marathon in Fargo in May which turned out to be a great decision since it turned out to be my best marathon ever. I was a little sore after the race, but I decided to continue the training and run the marathon in Iowa that was just 3 weeks later anyway.
Later that week, I got a phone call from Amanda asking if I wanted to join her for the Utah Valley Marathon and a weekend with some of the Stevens girls that same weekend instead. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to swing a trip, but my sweet hubby convinced me that I'd be really sad if I missed out on the weekend with the girls and with that- I was registered with Kristie and Amanda, and had a plane ticket to Utah.
I flew in on a Thursday night and spent the evening with Grandma Forman, Aunt Lisa, Theresa, Mom, Tami, Amanda, Janette the superstar who made the drive up from California with four kids by herself. (We missed the girls who weren't able to make it!) We enjoyed a yummy dinner and of course games! We probably stayed up too late- I know we did- I felt the effects two days later when we had to get on a bus at 3:45am, but it was great to be together with family again.
Friday morning we did some touring through various museums and did a session at the temple together. After a quick lunch, we met up with one of Grandma's friends for a tour through the capital building. Amanda and I had to cut out a little early to drive down to Provo to meet up with Kristie and pick up our race packets.
The expo and packet pick-up wasn't anything too exciting, but the race t-shirts were decent. We had some dinner and went home to get everything ready and try to get some sleep.

 About two weeks before the Utah Valley Marathon, I started to have some pain in my right hip and really cut back on my running. Knowing that I had just had a great PR race in Fargo, and knowing that I didn't want to aggravate an injury, I didn't set any fantastic goals for this marathon. I planned to just run conservatively and finish around 3:50 or so. A few days before the marathon I was still feeling nervous about the race and was wondering if I should just not run, or if I should switch to the half marathon instead. I probably should have done either of the two options, but I ran the full marathon anyway and paid the price for it.
Trying to sleep the night before was a joke as always. I didn't even fall asleep until 11:30, and then I was up a number of times before the alarm finally went off at 3:15am. Tom was nice enough to drive us to the bus stop where we got in line for a bus to the start. Driving up the canyon we were surprised to see a whole lot of downhill AND uphill. It definitely wasn't the easy sloping downhill course I had imagined. Regardless, we just tried to enjoy the beautiful morning together before the race. It definitely was beautiful up in the canyon.

 I think we were all happy when it was finally time to just start the race. The first few miles went well, but I was definitely feeling the effects from the lack of sleep over the past couple days. I actually did really well for the first 9 miles and was on target to be about a 3:40. Unfortunately that was the time that we also started to hit the hills and the 25mph headwind that would stay with us for the rest of the race, in addition to the 80+ degree weather. It was on the uphills that I really started to notice my hip acting up. I ran through it the first few hills, but eventually realized that I was going to just have to walk the uphills. It was pretty frustrating. At that point I was feeling not only the physical pain, but mentally and emotionally I knew the race was over for me. I hit the halfway point about 1:55 and was honestly looking for a way to catch a ride back to the starting line. I took 800 mg of ibuprofen with me and had used it all by the time I hit mile 18. I stopped at a medic table for more ibuprofen at mile 21. Those last 5 miles felt like torture and even when I could see the finish line less than a mile ahead, it was hard not to take breaks to walk, especially because I was also suffering from some pretty severe leg cramps despite all the salt I had taken. It was pretty much the opposite experience from what I had in Fargo. I ended up finishing the race in 4:09- a good 19 minutes off of what I thought I could easily run, and 33 minutes slower than the Fargo marathon. At that point though, I was SO grateful to be done I didn't even care. I went straight to the medic tent for ice and more ibuprofen.

 You know that old phrase, "misery loves company," well, I certainly didn't want anyone to have as bad of an experience as I had had with the marathon, but it was very interesting to find that this marathon had been a very difficult experience for just about every person that ran it. Most people had been 10-15 minutes off of their goal times- Kristie and Amanda included. The 25mph headwind had been awful and 80+ degree weather had really taken their toll on most of the runners, cramping being one of the most common complaints. The race website said that the winning times had been 10 minutes slower this year than previous years and the medic tents were full of people suffering from ailments. Although the scenery was beautiful, I didn't love running along cars on the highway, I didn't love all the uphill and downhill, and I'm pretty sure I won't be running this marathon again. :) I'm just glad I had such great family there to support and encourage and uplift through the experience. Kristie put it well when she said that this race had renewed her respect for the marathon. It's an incredibly difficult undertaking that definitely will earn your full respect at one point or another. Even looking back now, this race was very disappointing, but I wasn't devastated. It was just a bad race and we're all going to have them. It makes you really appreciate the ones that do go so well!
It was nice after the race to relax and enjoy the food and atmosphere. It was also fun to catch up with one of my old Philly friends and Vegas Ragnar pals, Megan Barnhurst, who had also run the marathon. She had driven up with some friends from Colorado and had a better race than I did, but was also not real pleased with this marathon.

 After collecting all our things, we headed over to the BYU campus for some lunch. At that point, food doesn't really look that appetizing, but Mom actually got me some soup that did look and taste really good. It was nice to just sit for a while- even though I'm pretty sure we were breaking a few BYU honor code rules with our marathon gear!

 After lunch, the Stevens girls headed back up to Salt Lake to do a little more sightseeing. I decided to stick around in Provo a little longer to spend a few hours with Kristie and Lacey. We went to Seven Peaks together and pretty much sat in the water doing nothing but talking and laughing. I don't think a swimming pool has ever felt so great.

I said goodbye to Kristie and Lacey later on that afternoon and headed back up to Salt Lake. Tami wanted to see the new CityCreek Mall, so Tami, Amanda and I went over to do a little window shopping. I'm so grateful to have such fun and awesome sisters. We made a few stops in different stores and came back with all sorts of funny things to laugh about- strange jewelry and Gloria swimsuits, plus a few tasty chocolate things to share with everyone. We spent the rest of the evening playing games in Grandma's apartment and just enjoying being together.

Sunday morning I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck! I've never been so sore after a race- which seems hard to believe when you consider it was about the slowest one I've run. My hip was so sore and the ball of my left foot was so painful it was hard to walk. Ibuprofen for breakfast it was!

We ended up going to Music & The Spoken Word in the conference center. My favorite part was looking down our row and seeing everyone asleep except Mandy and I. That didn't last, but I thought it was funny. The program was beautiful as always. From there we walked to the Joseph Smith building to catch sacrament meeting and had a little time to get some pictures of the group.

Everyone was headed home on Sunday night, so we all said our goodbyes and Kristie came and picked me up because I wasn't flying home until Monday evening. Tom, Lacey, and Travis all had work Monday, but Kristie, Lilah and I enjoyed sleeping in, then doing a little shopping together. We stopped at Cafe Rio for lunch- only my 3rd time ever experiencing such deliciousness and topped it off with an impulsive last stop at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. None of these things exist where I live, so you have to get them when you can. Sadly, 3pm rolled around all too soon and Kristie drove me to the airport.
The weekend didn't go exactly as I had imagined- the race had been difficult and left me wishing I would have just joined the spectators or only run the half. I definitely paid for it over the next several weeks. But there is always a next time, and marathons are full of both good and bad experiences. More than anything, the time with family was wonderful and uplifting and really left me feeling like my cup had been filled. I'm grateful for wonderful women in my life and I'm grateful I was able to join them for the weekend.

Summer Track Meets

During the month of June, the local parks & recreation department put on summer track meets at a local high school for kids and adults of all ages. I heard about it last year after it was over, so this year we were excited to try it out. I was so impressed with how everything was run. You register your kids, then they can participate in any event they'd like. They start off with the national anthem and the announcers just go through each event- calling for first, second and final calls for anyone who would like to participate in that particular event. They even had the gun starting off the running events. 

 The kids were a little nervous when we first got there, watching some of the adults practice running over the hurdles. In fact, Matthew pleaded, "Please don't make me jump over those!" But when they realized how it worked, they all had such a great time. They started off with the long jump which was definitely a favorite.

I admit it was a rush to be on the track with the hurdles set up. It brought back so many memories- even just the smell of the track got my heart thumping.  Even though there were many adults participating, I didn't join in. I had another marathon just three days away and knew it wouldn't be smart to risk something. But it was sure fun to be back on that track. It really made me miss those 6 years of track and field through junior high and high school. I was also really hoping this experience would help fuel my kids' desire to participate when they get older.

 It was so fun to watch the kids participate in the races. Even Emily got to run. They would call out which age group was up, line the kids up and send them off in a few different heats. Everyone got a sticker at the end of the race, and the top three in each division got a ribbon. I just loved watching the kids' faces get so excited as they ran and finished their races. Emily was so dang cute to watch.

 We even ran into quite a few friends. Jacob was pretty excited to see one of his best friends Michael. We were neighbors until they moved last winter, but they go to school together and were on the same baseball team. It's nice to run into friends at fun events like this.

 The kids were pretty excited to participate in a bunch of different events. Matthew & Emily ran the 50 yard and 100 yard, but we were able to talk Jacob and Caleb into running the mile (1600). They both ran the whole way and we were so proud of them, even if we were busting up at some of Caleb's moves- he would run clear into the 3rd & 4th lanes trying to prevent other kids from passing him.

 Sadly, we had to leave after the mile runs because Caleb had a baseball game that night that we didn't want to miss. So we didn't get to see the 400 & 800, but the kids definitely had a great experience and they all slept very well that night.
This is such a great program and I love that it gives kids a chance to have an early experience with track and field. I only wish that it went all summer long rather than just one month, but we'll take whatever we can get. Plus, it makes me even more excited for the upcoming Olympic Games in London!

While Daddy's Away...

On Tuesday, May 29th, Jeff headed off to San Francisco for just under a week. He was headed out for part 2 of his national boards. In Ophthalmology, you take Part 1 (written) of your boards one year after you get done with residency. This is the most difficult part- they automatically fail 33%  or 1/3 regardless of score. Jeff was so grateful to pass that part the first time. After you pass the written section, then you have to take Part 2- the oral exam. It ends up being about a year after the written section. While it's not quite as bad as the written portion- they don't automatically fail 1/3- it's still a very difficult test and you have to pass in order to be board certified. Plus, both of these tests are very expensive-Jeff had to pay over $4000 for everything for the oral exam- you certainly don't want to have to take it twice!  Jeff has spent countless hours studying for both the written and the oral exams. So once again, for the past 3-4 months, Jeff has been  very dedicated to his studies. He's put in quite a few hours during the week, and even more on the weekends. It seemed like every time we went anywhere, Jeff had a book in hand. While I wasn't looking forward to Jeff being gone a week in San Francisco, I was soooo ready for him to be done with the boards! It was always in the back of his mind and definitely stressful. I was ready to have my husband back! So from that perspective, I was really looking forward to his trip.

While Jeff was gone for the week, the kids and I kept busy with different things- keeping busy helps the time go by quickly. I don't love being a single parent, but I do think I'm better organized with time, planning, and activities because I know everything depends on me. I'm also much better getting kids to bed early and getting to bed early myself. We missed our daddy and were so excited to have him back home, but we did have a fun week together.

One day the kids told me about a baby ground squirrel they found in a neighbor's window well. I told them to just leave it alone- they could watch, but not touch. The following evening it started to rain really hard outside. I started feeling guilty about a baby animal being drenched outside so I told Jacob to put on a glove, put it in a box, and bring it over. When he got back, the little squirrel was completely soaked and not moving. I thought the poor thing was dead and was just going to throw it out but I decided to just let it stay inside for a bit. The kids were so excited. I heated up an old dish towel and tried to get some milk in it's mouth. I couldn't believe it, but after a couple hours of repeating, the little thing started moving around. Jacob and Caleb were so excited and begged to help with everything. Finally after a couple days, the squirrel looked like it was doing well and I was not about to adopt an animal so I had the boys take it back outside. We didn't see it again, so I'm assuming it was ok. Just don't tell the neighbors we rescued their 'gopher' and returned it to their yard! :)

I guess the boys were in animal rescue mode, because just a day after releasing the ground squirrel back to the outdoors, they came home with a pet frog. This one was fine and only stayed for a day. I talked with Jeff on the phone that night and joked with him that he better come home soon before we ended up with an entire zoo of pets!

We took advantage of the great summer weather and spend a lot of time outdoors. We played in the sprinklers with neighbors, went to the park, and one afternoon I made some sidewalk chalk paint. It was really simple and the kids had a blast with it. I was impressed with how well it actually worked and I loved that it was easy clean-up. Our driveway was one beautiful painted mural.

We kept busy enough that we didn't watch any movies (we don't have tv/cable) during the week. On Friday night though-it being our only break night from baseball- we decided to make some homemade pizza and picked up a movie from Redbox. It was our 'datenight' activity, and we had a lot of fun. I think everyone really just loved having a night to be home too.

Of course the week was filled with baseball games. We had four games- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning. We had fun watching the games, and also spent a lot of time playing at the park during the games. Caleb, Matthew and Emily found a big cool tree to play in at one of Jacob's games.

 And Jacob found a fun tree to play in at one of Caleb's games. Emily thought it was pretty cool to be high up in the tree with Jacob.

 On Saturday we had an early baseball game then came home to finish chores and lawn mowing. I told the kids that if they were really good at getting all their jobs done, and coming with me to the gym that we would do something fun. (I don't normally hit the gym on Saturday, but my treadmill decided to die on me the very day Jeff left, so we stopped at the gym so I could get in a quick workout.) They kids were great and earned a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese. We only go about once a year and they love it. Fortunately, people must have been busy with other things so we practically had the place to ourselves. Between the baseball games, the park, the gym, and Chuck E Cheese, they were all good and ready for bed that night! And I enjoyed a chick-flick night.

On Sunday morning, I got everyone ready for church and we headed up to the airport to pick Jeff up.It worked out perfectly- we picked him up and got to church 20 minutes early. Everyone was so excited to see Dad- especially Mom! Jeff was tired-having taken a red-eye flight- but he felt good about the exam so we'll find out in 6-8 weeks if he passed or not. We both think he did. If anything, I'm so excited to have him back and excited that he can be done with the heavy studying for a while!