What's happening here???

Mostly an Update.  

Primal three weeks.

I pretty much did it.  I had a couple days off, one before my last half marathon.  (Recap to follow)  I feel much better, that's for sure.  I have better habits and I'm cooking more.  That's the most important.  Plan on keeping the plan up with occasional but very few "cheat" meals.  

Running.

Mostly not.  The pain in my leg is pretty aggravating.  I finally made an appointment for the Sports Medicine Doctor for this Thursday.  I really think it's my sciatica nerve starting at my hip.  The pain moves around and sometimes it's hard to walk without a limp.  That needs to stop and I mean now.  I wear my compression sock on my left leg almost all the time.  That seems to help.  Still icing, resting and doing my core exercises.  Hoping to get back on track by the end of the week.  

Still lost a toenail and my big toenail is going to bail soon.  Probably from the last few half marathons.

It was fun running a half marathon with a tender toe without nail.

Kinda.

Challenge

I changed the battery in the shaggin wagon.  Just to see if I could.  It was an interesting experience and only minimal injuries.  I'd do it again.  

Tight spaces!

'

Cleaned up the battery holder.  Battery acid caused some rusting on the wheel well.

Battery IN. Challenge Accepted and won!!

Mt. Nebo Half Marathon Recap!

Awesome race and great friends!  I didn't run between the Run Elevated half marathon and this one.  I was happy with the time and my leg pain was less then the last half marathon.  

Outfit planned.  New Lululemon shorts (on sale for 34 dollars!) and running in my new Hokas!

(I did a short 3 miler 2 days before the half to make sure they'd be ok)

Tera, Jason and I went to dinner Friday night and then stayed overnight in Payson.  We drove the course the night before and saw this little angry friend.  

 Running with the steers?

This is how you park when you are pulling wave runners in Payson.

I'll just park HERE. 

Huge fires to keep us warm before race time. It smelled wonderful!  I miss camping.

Before the race

13.16 miles in 2:05:00 (2:04:58 official)

Average pace 9:30

Average HR 148 bpm

Wore calf compression and knee brace.

Mile 1 – 9:28

Mile 2 – 8:46

Mile 3 – 8:59

Mile 4 – 8:32

Mile 5 – 8:39

Mile 6 – 9:24

Mile 7 – 9:47

Mile 8 – 9:09

Mile 9 – 9:30

Mile 10 – 10:25

Mile 11 – 10:58

Mile 12 – 10:06

Mile 13 – 10:04

Mile .15 – 7:45

Mile 6ish I started getting nauseated for some reason.  But after a mile or so I felt much better.  That prevented me from having my second GU at 90 minutes so I just had a cup of power aid at the aid station.

It was a really fast race and both Jason and Tera PR'd.  I was 10 minutes faster then the Run Elevated run and I felt awesome. It was so amazing to hear Tera yelling my name as I came into the track.  Best friends are the BESTEST!  Thanks Jason and Tera for letting me be part of your party. 

Oh...vibrates!

 This is definitely a race I'd like to run again.  Hopefully I can get back on track soon because I really miss the training.  

Dog rescue on the way back to the hotel.  Returned safety to her owners

Flying

Did some.

It's always amazing.

Comedy Festival!

Our local outdoor music venue put on a Comedy Festival.   I bought the tickets a few weeks ago on Groupon.  I asked my kids to go with me but they were busy. I should have taken offers up from my girlfriends.  I took a man I've been dating off and on for the last few months.  I was pretty much over his shenanigans.  Then we went to this concert and ended up sitting with his friends.  It was a pretty lame date.  The Comedy was AMAZING though!  Until it started to rain and we left during Louis CK.  My favorite comedian!  We were so far away and the rain was just soaking us and it just wasn't worth it.  

Other artists we saw were Aziz Azaria, Sarah Silverman and a few others.  It was pretty awesome.  

Yeah.  Difficult to see.

I've never really liked this venue.

Dating is pretty annoying anyway.  I'm holding out for a guy that I really enjoy spending time with.  Sounds simple huh?  But I'm not getting into that.  Yet.  

So that is the last few weeks in a nutshell.  

My new addiction is Cashew Butter on a celery stick with Craisens.  Do it.  Try it!  

Costco/Grocery day

Four bottles of Cashew Butter.  

BAM!

What is your favorite craving right now?

Leg pain. Anyone?? Ideas?

Blog on..........

Wasatch Back Ragnar

Not a complete post.  And with my luck there will never be one.  I'm lazy, kinda.  But I was tired of pulling up my blog to read my blog friends and seeing my sad 50 year old face.  ;)

This year for Wasatch Back Ragnar we put together a work team from AirMed.  It was awesome.  I got to know some people really really well!  They were the best ever and everyone was involved with everyone that was running!  We had Flight coordinators, flight nurses, flight medics, friends, family and a helicopter mechanic.  We were set.  We were the van you wanted to drive by if you got hurt.  Well, not really.  Unless you were REALLY hurt.  If you were just sorta hurt we would have told you to rub dirt in it.  Except Joe.  He's the one from our van with the highest moral value.  Hahaha

Joe, Roxanne, Ron, Marcie (Captain!), Jay, Kari, Brandon, Eric

Emmaline, Erica, Deb and me.  

My last run!  I can't remember the girls name that ran in with me, but if it wasn't for her that last mile would have sucked.  It was a 9.8 miler that was a steep downhill, with steep uphills and a steep trail downhill with rocks.  Pretty much a deal breaker for me.  So sick of hills.  PTSD from Top of Zion Relay.  Although if I can run the Top of Zion Relay......I can do/run/say ANYTHING!

Next race

Hobbler Half in a week

Guess who's not really ready for that? 

Blog on...........

Overheard in the Van. Del Sol 2013 edition

I love these!  Some relays have more fun "overheards" then others, but when you have 5 people driving from SLC to Arizona and back there is plenty of time to warm up and before you know it we are laughing our butts off!  

******************

Challenge Accepted!

Do you want it grilled?  Over easy.

I wish there were men in front of our van with their shirts off.  

Get in the Van!  Get in the Van!

Abort!  Abort!

OMG KEN!

Sombitch

Never look somebody in the eye when you bite that banana.  I have sunglasses on. 

Too far!  Too Far!

I'm a sucker for peer pressure.

If everyone does it I'll do it.  (when talking about running nekkid)  You go first.

The straight and hard stretch.

I don't even look that good after a nap.

Fact.

Blueberry muffin!  Blueberry muffin!

Ken, help me!

Are these automatic mirrors?  No, they are touch mirrors, you touch them to move them.

The Valet did it.

I got gold teeth, nigga.

I pee'd my pants!  I leaked a little!

I'm getting dressed, don't look. 


Thanks to my great friends that make this type of shenanigans possible.  Four days together and we enjoyed it all!  Hoping for more fun and frolics on the races to come!

Blog on................

Del Sol part three. The Van and other oddities.

I can't do a recap on a relay race without using some pics of our awesome shaggin wagon!  A wonderful green machine that has proved to be the best transportation available!  My dad keeps telling me it's about to fall apart, but the Trauma Assault Vehicle loves me and loves the relay!

We started putting on names but dropped the ball on that.

Have you seen my boyfriend?  (rollover from Napa)

Do you have rectal tone?

How many fingers?

 The hanging foot scared a toddler at Starbucks.  Oops!

Ambu bag in the BACK. 

(there really was)

CAB 

Compressions, Airway, Breathing

#Trauma Junkies

#Del Sol

#fit

You whine you drive!

I love this picture!  Jen and I put it there for Nicole, who hates to drive long distances, but didn't drive last time.  This trip she asked to drive and there she is - in the driver seat!

That blows Dude!  

(something Jen actually said to me on the phone when I told her about my heel surgery)

No Mas Pantalones! 

What's your Safe Word?
Pineapple

Blueberry Muffin

(something else I can't remember)

I'm a sucker for peer pressure.  

(this was a Kirk quote, in his honor)

View from the back.  We took a clue from the Ragnar rules and for every driver we had a "navigator" that stayed up to keep the driver company.

The back bench seat was out and that worked out perfectly!

BOOM!

Dirty Van almost home.  He LOVES gas (10 miles per gallon) and oil!

Nicole loved driving!  St. George to SLC.

 View from the navigator seat.  The foot kept knocking on the window. 

LET ME IN!

As with each Ragnar there is some interesting things to see.

This guy at exchange 30 looked like Steve Carell and had an 80's awesome boombox!

 His teammates.

Not going to lie.  I'm a little jealous of her ensemble.

Never one to miss a body appreciation moment.  Here is a man-runner that can actually pull off wearing capris.  I don't think he's European either!

(somehow being European makes it OK)

There were a lot of skirts.  

I passed on pics of the man in a tank, tutu and thong.  It was bad enough that I can't "unsee" that, why make you suffer?

NEXT:  The Finish LINE!

Blog on.............

Vanapalooza. Tales of a dirty mind.

I've done 6 Ragnar Relays.  Florida Keys is by FAR the most outlandish!  Themes didn't seem to have any limits and unless a Van was corporate sponsored then there was at least one naughty "could be taken either way" statement.  Plenty that were outright naughty and just hilarious.

****If you are easily offended then pass on this post*******

This is just Utah.  Boom.  Done.  Simmer Down.  Yeah, Utah

Help with pregnancy....while flashing your rooster....

 I like the way this rolls off the tongue.   Cincinnati Skidmark.  Awesome.

Honey Badgers..always funny.

Not sure whats going on here - but she doesn't look happy.

Classic.

At least it's smiling.

Our team van.  Name was in honor of Paul and Angela's dog Corn dog.  Get your mind out of the gutter!!

My very favorite.  I have no idea why, it's just awful and very ballsy.  (giggle)

Check out Urban Dictionary if you don't know what it means.  So wrong.  So wrong.

I'm going to sum it up by showing you one of our last exchanges.  A perfectly good adult superstore with a large parking lot.

So, in a way, the race was just asking for it!

I'm just sad I didn't think of taking Van pics until toward the end.  

This post was only for your enjoyment and held no value and probably decreased your moral boundaries just a smidgen.

Blog on..................

Ragnar Relay Las Vegas Running Recap

Well that was fun!

I ran the fastest and slowest I have run in a long time.  How weird is that?  I can actually clip out some great time if you throw me down a hill!!  

Leg One:

Hard to appreciate the cool outfits with so many layers!

Look how fast I went!

An entire mile with an 8 min/mile?  That's a dream to run that fast through an entire race.  I'm pretty sure that I can do that....post foot healing.

0 ft. of elevations...that's the secret!

Best pace 5:53?  I believe it because I saw it, but I was smart enough to pull back.  It was probably in the first 1/4 mile.  It was after noon, cold and windy but sunny.  I was hoping for a tail wind (teehee) but it turned out to be a head wind.  Luckily running into a head wind going downhill isn't nearly as bad as I thought!

Leg two:

It was dark before I took off.  I was runner three and by the time I got out with runners one and two for hand-offs I couldn't believe how cold I was.  I wore my short sleeve Nike shirt, arm warmers, favorite gray Lululemon long sleeve AND my warm Nike running jacket.  The guys (three amigos) told me I would get too warm but I was freezing and couldn't believe that.  

Of course, the jacket came off and I managed to wiggle my way out of it without taking off my reflective gear.  I did have to have John put my flashing light back on my back, but other then that I shoved my jacket into the van, got my light back on and felt great the rest of the way!

Look how slow I was!!

The difficulty of this leg was appreciating the hills that I had to run up.  The first two miles were uphill with a headwind!!  I had a few awesome downhills then some more uphill.  

After the first 2 miles the wind was just once in a while gusty but not too bad.  I just could not pick up the pace no matter how I tried!  I finished though and I'm ok with that!  What I'm REALLY OK with is that they took an extra .80 miles off this leg.  Such a sweet surprise!

Another best pace in the 5's?  I obviously need to work on my consistency. 

Leg three:

Yeah, the sun came out.  It was still pretty frigid so I wore my Nike running jacket until right before the hand off.  I ended up taking off my Lululemon half zip about 1 mile into it.  I just tied it around my waist and it's thin enough it didn't bother me at all.  

Slower then I wanted to be, but considering the hills of the last mile I'm ok with the time.  Who knew that Las Vegas is just a bevy of insane hills? 

I have to admit, I felt like shit.  My legs felt super heavy and sore, my foot was hurting on the outside of it and on the inside part of the heel.  My form suffered to try and compensate for the pain even though I worked super hard to keep my body inline, shoulders back and short stride.  It was reminiscent of my last Ragnar in Vegas when I ran with a bum knee and hadn't had much time to train.

Good news is that it was a pretty decent place to run.  We were in Hendersonville running on their running paths.  Pretty nice.

 Boom, another under 6 min/mile.  I must get on a hill (each leg had at least one area of good downhill) and just bust it.  At least I busted it somewhere and on every leg.  I am pretty sure this was the leg I forgot to pause my Garmin when I finished and I left my Auto Pause on.  The time would be different officially because my Garmin didn't count the stop lights I had to wait for.  They shouldn't count anyway!

A couple of take home points.  

*Hydrating.  I wasn't as good at hydrating on this race because we were so cold.  I think I only drank Nuun twice and I didn't drink nearly the water that I usually do.    

*Nutrition.  Because it was cold I didn't eat as well either.  I usually have a dark chocolate almond milk with some protein powder for after my race and I just had the milk part.  I was lazy.  We did have an awesome meal at Chipotle's between legs 1 and 2.  That restaurant is the BOMB!

*Foot.  I can't even tell you how bad my foot was, the little shit.  The pain is   evolving as I shift my foot around to avoid the pain.  I'm super glad I have my orthopedic doctor appointment today.  Hoping for an MRI....because I don't have anything better to do then spend money for my co-pay!! Woot woot - grateful for insurance! 

*Fueling.  Again, when you are so cold you can barely move your hands it slows down the desire to eat.  I did make sure and have one Trader Joe's Crusher before each run.  I usually have some short of chomp, GU or gummy at 45 minutes, but I only did on my longest run.  Even then I didn't eat all that I had.  I had a little bit of nausea after my second leg, which is very rare for me.  A couple of Zofran, a nap and some salty snacks fixed that.

Had a lot of fun but didn't run as well as I wanted.  Truthfully, when I will look back I will remember the fun a lot more then the run, even if I did run great.  I was in Van 1 with Heather from my Wasatch Back team Van 2 and also Mike, John and Jeffrey.  The boys were in the other van at Wasatch so I didn't know them as well.  I would do a Ragnar with them any day!  Super fun!  I met Brandie this trip and can already tell that we could be stuck in a van for a few days an actually enjoy the experience.  It's just a great group of people!!

The experience is so different for each Relay I do.  Being so unexpectedly cold there wasn't as many pictures taken or socializing because the entire crowd was trying to keep warm!

Stay tuned for the best part of the Ragnar!  Team pictures and the odd balls that showed up!  Also I'll have my product review for the RooSport coming up!

How was your weekend runs??

Blog on......................