Wasatch Back Ragnar 2014

Wow, what an experience my fourth Ragnar turned out to be.  Pro Compression, my very favorite brand of compression socks, gifted us a team this year...thank you Pro Compression!!!  Holly, Jorge, Josh and I all knew we wanted to do an ultra.  We wrangled Jessica, Holly's sister in law, into joining us and even convinced Julia to join us.  This was Jessica's very first Ragnar, I am so impressed that Jessica was willing to do an ultra not knowing what a regular Ragnar was like.  She is a brave woman.
We had a 9:15 a.m. start time...perfect!  Holly was up first and then it was my turn.  Holly and I have pretty horrible luck when it comes to the weather when we are doing a race.  This time we got extremely lucky, both Holly and I had perfect running conditions for all of our runs...hallelujah!

AutoMaxx let use this Suburban...we like to call it the Beast.
Jake was not only our driver but at times our photographer.

Team Pro Compression
Josh, Jorge
Jessica, Holly, Me, Julia and our driver Jake #allofthejs
We decided that Holly should be Jolly and I should be Jeph...just so we could fit in.

#keepittight
I went into this run extremely worried that it would end up like last years, you can read about that HERE.  My left ankle had been bothering me a bit, luckily I found out last Saturday that running slow helped a lot.  I had gone on a 10 mile run with Holly and felt my ankle A LOT.  I then ran 5 slow miles with  my kids and I felt nothing.  I had to tell myself repeatedly that it was better to run slow and  finish uninjured than to run my normal pace and end up hurt.  I watched my Garmin quite closely, not to keep a fast pace but to keep a safe pace.  Maybe that's why this was such a great experience, I took my time and actually enjoyed the scenery and the fact that I was able to run.  My first run started close to 11:20 p.m.

I don't think the 6.7 miles was "hard" all I know is that it was beautiful.

More beauty!

The cloud cover made the temps perfect and there was a tiny drizzle from time to time.

Holly got some action shots of my first run.



Did you notice how cute my shoes are?  Josh did and pointed it out every chance he got...I think he may have been making fun of me a little but that's okay.  I took my family to Utah Run to pick up the new Saucony Kinvara 5's for my birthday.

They are heavenly...see they glow :)
I believe I got 27 kills in those 11 miles.
I was very good about doing my dynamic stretches after each run and drinking my Tru Moo, after my last run I said forget chocolate milk I want Dr. Pepper...and that's what I had.

He's da man in da pan! 

Julia during her super hard first run.  Luckily the rain made this part much better than usual because it wasn't so dusty.  She rocked it!  I'm so grateful for the friends I have met through running.

My second run started pretty close to 9 p.m.



  I ran the first part alone and convinced Jake to join me on my 4.2 easy mile run, he doesn't really run but he was nice enough to join me anyway.  I married a good man :)  I got 46 kills.  I ended feeling great!
We got a little bit of sleep while Jorge did his crazy long 19 mile night run.
My final run started at 9:15-ish Saturday morning with perfect weather, it got a little warm by the end but nothing crazy.  We really lucked out this year.

Running much slower this year made this leg so much better, I didn't have to walk at all except through the water stations.

I held back a lot on the huge downhill because downhill running is what causes me problems with my calfs.

Jake ran me into the exchange to finish off my Ragnar. 81 kills on my last leg...yeah buddy! I felt amaze balls and had so much fun.

Dr. Pepper for the win!!

I'm so thankful that Jake joined us on this grand adventure.  He is the best! 

We are just like 2 people :)

Let's finish this thing but first let's take a weezie!

Just a little gun show, we had to show you how cute our shirts were.  Utah Run made them for us and we love them.

The view at the top of Ragnar Hill is amazing.

We chatted with the Pro Compression gal for a bit, I believe her name is Suzanne and she is as cute as can be.  She gets to travel all around for Pro Compression...lucky!

We finally finished...YAY!!!  Julia had to leave after her third leg, we were sad to see her go.

Outtake numero uno with Nacho...Jake and Jess wondering what the heck Nacho was doing.

Outtake numero dos with Nacho...Holly and Josh wondering what the heck Nacho was doing.

And there's the money shot :)
We had so much fun but I was told at the beginning of Ragnar that what happens in the burb stays in the burb so all I will say is YUP! :D

This was by far my favorite Ragnar!  I loved everyone on our team, we all got along and there wasn't any drama.  We had a few set backs at exchanges that slowed us down a bit but everyone did their best and had fun doing it. Everyone on my team amazed me but Jessica REALLY amazed me.  She was awesome, not only was she entertaining but she did an ULTRA on her first Ragnar...and the girl can twerk like you wouldn't believe.

San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon 2014

Sunday (June 1st, I wrote this but kind of forgot to post it...oopsie) I woke up before my alarm went off at 3:45 a.m. and got ready for the big race.  I met Jorge and Holly outside at 4:30 to head to the starting line area.  As we drove I pulled up the weather on my phone, it was 63 degrees, which would have been great but the humidity was 77%.  I had a feeling it was going to be a rough day, you can train in high elevation, you can train hills but in Utah you can’t train for humidity.   Holly and I did some people watching as we ate, visited the porta potties and got photo bombed my Skinny Runner (Sarah) and Run Eat Repeat (Monica).

I LOVE Holly's eyes...who dat?

We lined up in our corral, corral 2, where we saw Sarah, Monica and Kristin (Stuftmama).  We all wished one another well and we were off.  I started out feeling pretty good, which considering how I felt on the 3.5 mile shakeout run the day before, I was grateful to feel like I did.  I’m so grateful we train on hills, hills, hills, because this course is super hilly.

Let's run a marathon but first let us take a weezie

There wasn’t a lot of talking between the two of us which is never a good sign.  We were working hard to maintain a good pace.  At mile 6 I had 3 Margarita Shot Bloks, I was so grateful that I had picked some of those up at the Pro Compression shake out run, they saved me.  I knew I would be sweating a lot due to the humidity so the extra salt was needed fo sho!  Thank you Pro Compression, Sarah and Kristin for hooking us up with some free goods.

I felt pretty good until about mile 12-13, I think, the whole race is kind of a blur.  There was a funny little guy on a bike who told us to “Get da money!  Go and get da money!”  I told him we would go and get da money.   He passed us on his bike a few miles later, still saying “Get da money, get da money!”  He was fun J

I run with my own personal photographer

This was my favorite part of the race

At about mile 16 I started to feel my calf and hip flexor wanting to cramp up…NOOOOO!  I took more Margarita Shot Bloks and prayed for a miracle.  My calf calmed down but my hip flexor did not.  I was so mad, we were on our way to a 3:30 finish which would be a PR for me and one I have been chasing for 2 years now.  However, having been injured just last year I was scared to push through too much pain for fear that I would end up injured again.  I backed off a bit and it killed me to do so.  Holly mentioned that she was cramping too.

At about mile 18 the 3:30 pacer passed us, I was so sad but couldn’t really do anything to keep up with him.  At this point I was actually wondering if I would even be able to finish the race.  It was HOT and I was not feeling awesome.   Holly and I started dumping water on ourselves, and each other at this point. I would feel good for about 4.6 seconds and then right back to feeling like death.

Mile 19 was for Jake and I’m glad it was, it helped push me through.  Then the beast of a hill came and we climbed and climbed and climbed for over a mile.  That part of the race really sucks…like a lot!!! Holly chatted a little with a feller who had run this race all 17 times.  He was impressed with our hill climbing abilities and wished us well.  I will say that Holly and I didn’t walk once, most people were walking the hill, I think I knew that if I walked I wouldn’t start to run again J

At some point, I really don’t remember where maybe around mile 22-23, someone smacked me on the butt.  I thought it must be Jake but why the heck would he be out here on the course.  I said, “What the HECK?!?” and turned around to see Sarah cruising by us.  I wanted to try to keep up with her but there was no chance of that happening so I just watched her run off into the distance.

Mile 24 was for McKenna so I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.  Having miles dedicated to people really helps me, I wanted to walk so many times but thinking of others helps to keep me running. I also remembered seeing a guy with a shirt that said “I run for those who can’t, no excuses.”  I love that and thought about it a lot as I ran.

There was a point around mile 24 where the course turns so you are passing people going the other way.  I heard someone say, “Stay focused Utah!”  I didn’t see who said it but it was the feller Holly had talked to on the beasty hill.  That gave me a little boost, thank you random citizen.  It was at about this point we were started seeing people going down.  The paramedics had someone loaded in the ambulance and we saw at least 3 more people go down in the last 2 miles.  It was like Boston 2012 all over again.  I just wanted to be done.  I felt my face get flushed a few times and I got the chills which is never a good sign.

One thing I really liked was that the last few miles there were coaches out on the course giving tips, drop your shoulders, concentrate on your breathing, lean forward, etc.  I have a tendency to tense up so it was helpful to have them remind me to relax and run.

Mile 25-26.2 was for Kobe, as usual, thankfully we had a little downhill finish. 

Done!

My cute supportive family 

We watched Aloe Blac for a bit 

We finished in 3:37:15.  I couldn’t believe I had done it faster the year before in 3:35:35.  That was only 2 weeks after running the Ogden Marathon and I felt great the whole run.  Last year wasn’t near as humid and the sun wasn’t out, great running conditions.  The humidity and sun killed me this year.  I did finish 9^thin my age group though which is pretty amaze balls!

I’m so glad that Holly and I were able to come down to our favorite land and run together.  It’s not every day you find a great running buddy and even though we didn’t talk much we still had fun seeing San Diego while we tried to “get da money, get da money!”

FlipBelt Giveaway

And the winner of the FlipBelt is.....Anonymous!!!

AnonymousMay 6, 2014 at 7:04 AM

I liked Utah run on facebook. Your blog is great, and your cookies are fantastic. If I don't win the giveaway, I'd like to know where I can get a flipbelt:)

Hahaha. Last night I did the random number generator and it picked the anonymous entry.  Isn't that just typical?  After reading the anonymous comment I was a bit worried that I had a pervert on my hands.  I wasn't sure what "your cookies are fantastic" meant and I was concerned.  Why was someone looking at my cookies anyway...how dare they!

I thought and thought about this cookie liking anonymous person and wondered if it might be Dawn Douglas. I had taken her cookies on Sunday and hoped that it was her, not some internet pervert.  I saw Dawn at the gym this morning and asked her if she had left a comment on my blog and wouldn't you know it, she had.  I'm so glad I waited to post the winner because I nearly picked another winner.  So Dawn you are now the proud owner of a FlipBelt. I will get in touch with

and let them know that you won!

Enjoy your FlipBelt, I absolutely LOVE mine.

Dino Half Marathon 2014

Yesterday my little family, along with Holly and Kaden, headed to the land of the dinosaurs...Vernal, UT.  Our pacing team, Run Your Race Pacers, was set to pace the Dino Half Marathon.  We got into town, got our race packets and met Niccole and kids at Costa Vida for some dinner.  We got to our hotel and I must say it was pretty awesome.  We stayed at the Spring Hills Marriott Suites.  Who knew Vernal would have such a hip hotel?!?

The kids did a bit of swimming and then it was time to meet up with all the pacers to hand out singlets and some stuff from our sponsors:  Yogurtland, Good2Go and Emergen-C.  We are so grateful for all of our sponsors.  We are excited to add another great sponsor to the list, Warren Orthodontics is now a proud sponsor of RYR Pacers, YAY!  Dr. Warren is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and he is a GREAT orthodontist.  He has been my kids orthodontist for years and even got me hooked up with a permanent retainer.

After the pacer meet up it was time for bed.  After getting all ready for bed and setting everything out for in the morning I got in bed and laid there WIDE AWAKE :/  Usually it takes me about 3.7 minutes to be dead to the world.  I laid there for well over an hour, I could not shut my brain off.  Thinking of all the crap I have to do to get things set up for this boot camp thing is way overwhelming.  After Jake's stupid phone DROIDED at it's loudest 2 times, I finally gave up and turned the TV on.  Everyone else was fast asleep and doing the whole deep breathing, I'm having a wonderful dream thing.  I got little sleep to say the least.

I woke up and really started  freaking myself out about the pace that Holly and I had to hold for the race.  We were pacing the 1:40 group which is an average of a 7:38 minute mile, I haven't ran that fast in a very long time.  Usually 1:40 is easy for me but for some reason I really let it stress me out.

We got on the first bus and headed up the beautiful canyon to the starting line.  The temperature wasn't bad at all, which was nice, last year we nearly froze right to death.  We talked with the runners and got ready to run.

Tall sock twins unite! 

I found Parker and Keli who I paced at this race last year.

The Run Your Race Pacers. 

Let's pace a race...but first, let's take a selfie!

From the very beginning we started running with Chad.  This was his second half marathon and he was hoping to stick with us but said that he would be thrilled just to finish before 1:50.  We ran and chatted, learning all about Chad and Vernal.  He lives in Vernal and told us about some pretty cool places.  

I found out pretty quickly that today wasn't going to be my easiest race ever.  I really had to work to keep pace today, it could be the lack of sleep, the stress I have caused myself over the past week or the fact that I was seriously doubting my abilities before the race even started.

I let Chad and Holly do most of the talking, while I tried to get into my music and let it carry me along.  I noticed at about mile 4 that Chad, Holly and I were lone rangers...not a person anywhere near us.  We ran along enjoying the views and loving to see the smiles on peoples faces as they drove past us.  There are only a couple of races in Vernal so it's probably fun for the people to see a bunch of crazies running around.  At about mile 10 I was starting to wonder if I could hold on, it was HOT and I was struggling.  I just had to tell myself that my legs and body were fine, it was my head that was the problem.  I kept pushing and praying for a little downhill action.  Did I happen to mention that there was a head wind pretty much the entire time...RUDE!  We had a couple of pretty good hills to climb and that head wind was really starting to make me angry.

We hit the 12 mile mark and Chad thanked us for all of our help and zipped off.  He did so awesome, we both felt like proud parents watching him run ahead of us.  Chad passed a couple of guys and ended up getting second place in his age division, pretty awesome.

 
 Meet Chad

 Just a quick shot of me doing my duty as a pacer, checking my pace band to make sure we were on track.

I just love this canyon.

  As we neared the finish line the kids starting running us in and we ran right into Jake who happily gave us our medals.  I'm so grateful for a supportive family who will put up with my shenanigans,  

Holly and I finished in 1:39:41, good enough for 3rd place OVERALL female.  Technically I was .02 milliseconds before Holly so I took 3rd but let's be honest, we started and ended at the exact same time and I honestly couldn't have done it without her.  Holly got 1st place in her age group and I got 2nd place in mine.  I can't wait to get our awesome 1st and 2nd place medals in the mail.  There were some timing issues so we weren't able to get them at the race but they are seriously the coolest medals I have ever seen.

After we finally got back to the hotel we only had a few minutes to shower up before getting kicked out of our rooms.  We then went to check out some petroglyphs that Chad had told us about, he said we HAD to go.  He was right, it was awesome!!

Jake, Pitbull Jr. and me 

The tall sock twins with the "twins"

I had such a great time, I'm so grateful for the adventures we have while pacing.  I'm grateful that I got to pace someone for 12 miles and then watch as he finished strong.  I'm grateful that I was able to get outside of my own negative thoughts and push through to the end.  I'm grateful for all of our friends who come and pace with us.  We had a really fun group this time and I'm grateful for all of them.  I can't wait for our next pacing adventure.

Exciting Things Are Happening

On Monday, Holly and I met with the owner and the purchaser for a new running store in American Fork, Utah Run.

  We are excited to announce that Utah Run will be sponsoring Run Your Race Pacers...YAY!!!  Not only are they sponsoring us but they are RYR's main sponsor.  Both the owner and his purchaser are amazing, we are beyond excited to be working with them.

After our little meetin' we got to go "shopping" for some new gear.  If you are looking for super cute running clothes and everything running head on over to Utah Run, it is worth the drive, I promise.  The staff is super knowledgeable about all things running and will be happy to answer all of your running and triathlon questions.  They have lots of tri gear as well, it's a one stop shop.

I was surprised to see Oakley brand running clothes, had no idea they existed.  I picked out an Oakley ensemble, a Bondi Band headband, a FlipBelt (just FYI, Utah Run is the ONLY store in the great state of Utah that carries Flip Belt) and some Clif Shot Blocks for the Dino Half Marathon on Saturday.

You must have matching undershorts, 

some gals wear them as shorts but in my book they are indeed UNDERwear :)

I LOVE these colors together and a built in brazier is always a plus. 

I didn't realize it until this morning, but the Nike Pro shorts I picked are a little shorter than what I am used to.  I quite liked the shorter length, it felt like they didn't ride up as much as my longer ones. 

My FlipBelt matches my outfit fabulously so that's a plus.  I can't wait to try out the FlipBelt.  You can put your phone, shot blocks, keys, a ham sandwich or whatever you want in it and you are good to go.  I like the feel of the FlipBelt, it doesn't flap around and it stays in place.  I won't drop it out of my short pants, that may sound weird but oddly enough it has happened.  Even better, you can WIN one...that's right you can get one for FREEEEEE!  Utah Run has agreed to give one lucky reader their very own FlipBelt, details below.

These shorts are probably my favorite thing EVER!  They are so very soft, the fit is cute and there is a nice zipper pocket for some Clif Shot Blocks. 

Holly and I had to take a few gym pictures but didn't want to be where everyone could see us so we headed into the bathroom.  Wouldn't you know it, the first gym selfie I've ever taken and I got caught :D  But first let me take a Stephie!!

I don't know if I'm attempting a back walkover or if I'm trying to levitate myself but that is an awkward position. 

I was being silly and Holly quickly snapped this shot. 

You can't really see it but I love the silver O on my shorts...it's the little things that bring me joy.

I tried out my new outfit this morning for some KYT action and have decided that it is my new "power outfit."  It fit great and the fabric is like butta!  I'm sure people will tire of seeing me in it because I pretty much want to wear it ev.er.y.day!

Speaking of KYT, today seriously kicked my butt...it's not just a clever name.  And in other news I am starting my own KYT bootcamp.  I have almost done this 4 times over the past 5 years and have finally decided to go waaaaaaay out of my comfort zone and just DO IT!  SO SCARED!  I have found some pretty awesome quotes over the past few weeks that have given me the courage to go for my dream, no matter how scary it might be.

This is exactly why it has taken me so long to attempt such a thing. 

I have decided that failure isn't an option, I will do whatever it takes to make this boot camp a success.  I love fitness more than anything, it is my life and I want to share that with others.  It doesn't make any sense for me to be doing anything else...this is what I love.  I love helping others achieve their goals and hope that my love of fitness will wear off on them...eventually.  They may feel like this 99% of the time but that's okay :)

This last one is my very favorite.  I have had so many people tell me that I should start my own thing but I let my own doubts and fears prevent me from doing it.  I need to just have faith and believe in myself. 

Enough about that, I'm freaking myself out! 

I am over the moon excited about pacing the Dino Half Marathon on Saturday.  It is such an amazing race with beautiful views.  I want to run with a camera just to show everyone the beauty that this canyon holds.  You don't think people will mind if their pacer stops every 5 minutes to snap some sweet shots do you?!? 

Okay, here is how to enter the Utah Run FlipBelt giveaway...

Like Utah Run on Facebook HERE and tell me in the comments that you did.

Leave me a comment telling me what you would carry in your FlipBelt.

You have until Tuesday, May 6th to enter.