I started running in the fall of 2007. I truly believe I was inspired to start running and I have seen some very big blessings come my way because of following that inspiration.
Ran Boston Marathon 2013 & 2014. My favorite PRs: 2011 at the SG 1/2 and 5K where I ran the 5K in 22:22. 2013 Nebo 1/2 (downhill) 1:36:15
Short-Term Running Goals:
Long-Term Running Goals:
Running throughout life with Tom. Staying healthy and happy.
Learn from others, learn from myself, work hard, do my best, enjoy!
On running and on life.....
On occasion we need to make a second effort - and a third effort, and a fourth effort, and as many degrees of effort as may be required to accomplish what we strive to achieve.
~Thomas S. Monson~
Personal:
Going to St. George? Bag the hotel and stay in one of our condos instead!
Our group today went out for about 6 miles and then ended up at the trail head to run for a police officer who died in a motorcycle accident recently. I think we ended up with 11 or 12 from our group who ran it. It was just a fun, casual run to raise a bit of money for his wife and two kids. It was a beautiful morning for a run with the group and for a good cause.
Later in the day we had many of my family members at our house for a Stilson Family Christmas Party. It was lots of fun to have many people from the fam here for a nice potato bar and some fun games.
Now I am tired and ready for a nice, quiet evening. Good times.
Tom and I went out for our speedwork day around 11ish. We warmed up together uphill and into the wind for 2 miles. From there we were each doing mile repeats with a 1/2 mile recovery.
My plan was to do 3-4 x mile in the 7:45 - 7:15 range. That kind of scared me and I was hoping I could at least do the 7:45 three times. I probably did the first one too fast but it is the one that felt the best so I am ok with it. I ended up with 7:21, 7:25 and 7:32. I wish I would have been smart like Tom and taken a different route on the last one. The route I took has two little hills that about wiped out my will to keep going. I let the hills almost take me down to a walk but I got'er going again and made it to my destination. My destination was just past my house and I was lucky enough to have my neighbor walking out to his car at that moment and see me in all my misery.
On a different note I was able to go up to Heber yesterday to help my daughter in law get some of their new apartment put together. It is amazing how much stuff they have after only 6 months of marriage! It will be nice when they get settled in up there.
Five very gentle miles. Started out alone then ran into Lesa and Annette for awhile. Turned around and ran with Bishop Cook for a bit and then caught back up with L and A. Came home and got Rui for a little walk and ended up running into bishop again. Walked around with him and talked with him about his fun goals as a 60 year old beginning runner who is planning to run SGM next year. He is doing an amazing job!
It was fun to have a larger group today, including two other women and a new guy that we met last week. I was having some stomach issues though so I pulled off from the team at about mile 4 to head to a Honey Bucket that I knew was close by. Unfortunately that made it so I was on my own for the rest of the run.
After the run and shower we got to go to our ward Christmas party breakfast. Yummy breakfast casserole and pancakes and a fun hot cocoa bar. Just what the doctor orders for after a Saturday morning run!
Luckily Kay wanted Tom and I to meet her out at 5:30 this morning or it would have been tempting to stay in bed and go running later. It was about 20 degrees with just a light breeze so it was actually quite nice once our cheeks and eyes got use to things!
Tom and I went out around 11:00 to do our 1/2 mile repeats. We had a nice 2 mile warm up to the east end of town and then both of us did our thing. I did 7 1/2 miles with a 1/4 mile recovery between each.
1. 3:47
2. 3:40
3. 3:40
4. 3:40
5. 3:40
6. 3:39
7. 3:34
I was actually surprised at how consistent most of them were. I wasn't really watching the clock just running what I thought would be reasonable for 7 repeats.
On this memorable date of 12-12-12 I thought momentarily about running 12 miles. However, my back was taking forever to loosen up today and the biting wind was telling me it was in charge. I changed my mind to 12K instead. Which is just fine by me! Especially when I wake up with my back like it was this morning. I sometimes wonder how I am able to run at all. I hope the running isn't making my back worse for when I'm 10 or 20 years down the road. Oh well, what do ya do?
With Kay and kinda with Tom. He does some back and forth to us while we are in the river bottoms. Picked up Rui for the last mile.
Last night we were sitting here and felt a big rumble...we thought it was a big truck going by. Then we started seeing lots of chatter on facebook that maybe it was an earthquake. This morning we heard about some pilot that did some thing that caused a big sonic boom.
A lovely morning run. Nice to get out with a good group of friends and have reason to laugh and smile and be grateful for all we have after such a tragic day in CT yesterday. How can these kinds of things happen to people? What went so wrong in this young man's life to do such a horrendous act of evil? What can we do each day to help combat that evil in someone's life? Is it just a smile or a wave or something that simple that could change the course of one's life? We live in a scary world....we need to do all we can each day to help the good much more out weigh the evil. God bless the sad, sad families in CT this Christmas season.
Getting out the door in this cold, windy city is the hard part but Tom and Kay made it easier! Glad to say this one is in the books. And then.....we will do it all over again tomorrow.
I think there were 12 or 13 members of our running group out this morning. It was cold and windy and dark and early and fun! It was one of those runs where I just come home feeling good! I love that kind of run!
I met up with Carolyn, Dan and Chad today...Tom wanted to wait a bit and see if things would work out for a few faster miles a little later. C, D, C and I were met by our lovely canyon wind. Decided to take the run down center street and over by the ball park before entering the river bottoms. It was a good choice and turned out quite nice.
I got some awesome new shoes for Christmas but I didn't want to wear them on these slushy, yucky roads. I did wear my new Yak tracks though and they were very nice. No slippin' and slidin' for me!
I woke up feeling sick today and with a sore back. I guess the snow shoveling is catching up with me. I've been pretty pathetic today. My back hurts every time I cough. I'm thinking my miles are done for this week.
Well, I didn't really plan to end the year with a bunch of big fat zeros, but I guess that is how it will be anyway. Life is that way and life is good. I think I was lucky enough to stay healthy and injury free the whole year until these last few days so I guess it is only fair I should take my turn. I am feeling much better than the previous few days but will probably not get out until Friday.
I ended the year with 1,834.10 miles. That takes me from Spanish Fork. Utah almost to my friend Cynthia in Dacula, Georgia.
