its been a year!

july 4th, will mark a year since my first walk/jog race after bedrest.  amanda and i jogged the 5k freedom run last year, and i still remember her telling me that i couldn't walk.  she let me walk and catch my breath for one block and that was it.  she was pretty hard core, but i was so thankful to have someone there with me because it was one of the hardest things i have ever done.  we ran it in 42min, 

(which was 15min faster than the week before at thanksgiving point) 

and i felt so accomplished for my  no muscle chubby self. 

 i mean look at those babies...don't they look like they want to run!!

 amanda her twin, my dad and my twins after the run, at thanksgiving point

 dad helped push my twins because i couldn't walk and push a stroller up hill.  

i remember when the race started i got super teary-eyed and emotional.  for 5months i layed in bed and dreamed of the day when i could go outside and walk, and maybe even run.

...and finally that day had come.  i also got what my dad calls "the eye of the tiger" and i told him i was gonna run, he took the stroller and i tried to run...but i couldn't.  i had no strength, no umph, no muscle.  and i realized as i had many other times, that getting back into a fitter body was going to be a lot
harder than i ever could have imagined.

 they're very first race!!

quincy and tenley just 2 1/2months old...and since then have really loved 90% of the time spent in

the jog stroller:)

 skinny heather, and our triplets, she is such a good runner
i hope to be as fast as her some day!

 last summer me and my twinners set out on an adventure to get back
 some well needed muscle and strength.  i can now say that the twins have been my biggest supporters, they let me push them for endless jogs, all over the place.  and for the most part they too seem to really enjoy it.  don't get me wrong there have been times when one baby cries all the way home and i look like this mean mom that is forcing them to run in the stroller...and its those times that i do my speed workouts...desperately trying to get home as fast as i can to help stop the crying.:)

and in arizona while i was jogging people kept staring at me, and i became so self conscious because i thought they were staring at my chub.  but then i realized they are starring, because i have 2 cute babies and i'm exercising with them...and i guess that is something to look at. 

 so now that its been a year, the freedom run is just around the corner, and this year i am lucky enough to be able to do the 10k...and i hope to even run home to clock in 10miles.  what difference a year, hard work, sacrifice and dedication can make.  and isn't that what fitness is all about.  not to be tootin my own horn, but i have to focus on how far i have come, instead of how much farther i have to go. i'm still dreaming of the day when i can run faster than 9min miles again.  but i am truly just grateful to be able to be back out there!!

next wk, i'll let ya know how the race goes

...and yes, since the babes i've cried at every race i've completed!

i hope that some day these girls will know how  far we have come together....and even though getting my strength back has been the hardest thing....i would do it all again in a heart beat. 

little red!!

 wanna give a shout out to mr. mom for the weekend, spence and my parents had a full house of kids to take care while we women went and had a great time riding our bikes!! they had 6kids and the oldest was 6,  keep in  mind this included 2 sets of twins!:) thanks for your help and support. especially my parents for taking the kids while spence was busy working, and while the other hubs had stuff going on as well.

 here is amanda in all her glory, one day she will  have one of these little mini campers!

 this was at the pre-race dinner and expo! it was a throw-back the 50's...little red sure knows how to throw a party.

all of us posing one last time. this group of five hot trotters was so fun!! we had a blast. we did miss pam and kristie, as pam is dealing and coping with a lot, (here little baby just got diagnosed with diabetes, and kristie through her back out) next year for sure girls!! --so sorry you guys couldn't be there.

we had a blast and 80miles has never gone by so fast.  it was mine and amanda's first bike race, neither of us had ever rode more than 42miles, and training this year for me without a husband and moving and blah blah, well training pretty much didn't happen...and still doesn't.   i was really happy with how well we did. total biking time was 4hr we averaged 16-20mph....and had a great time doing it.  lacey really wanted to just be crazy and do 100miles...next time for sure!!

can't wait to ride again with you ladies....so what next?

stayin healthy for a marathon!!!

runners beware of the curse of the shins....shin splints! i found out that i was one of the 4500 random people drawn out at lottery to run the st. george marathon.  and now i keep thinking, how crazy am i what was i thinking to sign up for that?? well i read this guys book and got all crazy and excited and motivated and now....i'm one of the lucky thousand who get to kill themselves all summer just to cross a finish line...needless to say i'm a little scared about it all now.

 plus the fact that training for a marathon is basically the hardest most time consuming thing on earth...and i will do it all with no hubby to help watch the kiddos?? i guess i gotta find a good babysitter for all those long runs.  and i also need to keep my body injury free for the next 4months. so here is what i'll be doing to help....
i am a big believer in prevention. shin splints are the worst. they last for ever, don't let you have any fun, and can ruin any good training program. so here are some tips to throw-in somewhere in your weekly routine. i find that i do them just after a jog on my cool down. i think cars passing by think i'm a little odd....but to keep shins splints away i'll do just about anything. ***also don't forget to get a new pair of shows every 3-6months depending on how much you are running and jumping in them.

next up...back in the hood

so today i ran a 5k with friends from our church. it was super fun and a great pace, its amazing how fast you can run when you have a little adrenaline and good company.  we ran 3.2miles in 28:20 which is fast for me its about a 8:50pace. i felt like a champ running under 9min miles. it also made me realize that i can put together a fun run with friends anytime! i got Einstein bagels to donate our bagels, brought a cooler jug filled with water, and kiana brought cups! it came together perfectly! ..except no pictures to document our stealthness!

also i ran with my friend kassie this week and we ran 6miles! i wasn't planning on running that far but the time flew by and i felt pretty good, so it got me thinking that instead of doing the provo 10k in 2wks, all do the half marathon!!! i'm mean really whats another 7miles after running 6!! so here is a little about the race and course. i'll be running in my old hood (i have run down those streets a million times, the only bummer is that my dad won't be running by my side)...and literally it is the hood of provo. (actually i think they stole the race course from our family!  so back to the hood here we come!  http://www.run13.com/races/provo-city/relay
 and for all you loyal fans...here is the info so come join...but i'm runnin bandit style. (ok i know that i'm really the only reader....seriously not even my own mom reads my blogs:)

Provo City Half Marathon & Relay

Date: May 7, 2011
Time: 8:00 AM
Location: Provo Tabernacle Park – Center St. & University Ave.

Start the running season off right by testing your grit at this year’s Provo City Half Marathon. This course has quickly become a favorite among runners as it showcases the best of Provo, it’s downtown city streets and scenic river trail. Live music, food, entertainment and kids games await you at the finish line, not to mention the awesome random prize giveaways. As the original downtown Provo race, we are ready to prove once again that Provo knows how to have a good time! The Half Marathon course is USATF certified and all participants will be chip timed and receive performance tech shirts. Half Marathon finishers will also receive finisher medals. 

this week

this week was a pretty good week for me!! besides the fact that my little twinners turned 1yrs old this week (you can read all about that here ) i am trying to get ready for a huge bike race i little red ridding hood! its a girl only bike ride and it should be super fun i'm excited to be headed back to utah and enjoy all the good summer triathlons, running races, and friends!! but also a little bummed to be moving from the sunshine state of arizona, i can't believe its been three years already!! i'm really going to miss the friends i made here in az, our running groups, our spin group, and so many of us all in the familiar boat of having our husbands in medical school...and all the blah that goes with med school hubbies.

so with the days counting i tried to make this week count with every workout and it went like this:

mon: spin 50min
tues: run 4miles
wed: spin 50min
thurs: run 3miles
fri: run 3miles
sat: biked 18miles with an ave pace of 18mph. it was a great ride & i feel stronger than i have in a long time. 
sun: off

i got a little bummed because my free 24hour fitness pass expired since i had to tell them i am moving and relocating to utah...they will only let you have a free pass if you are an active employee, i had to do the paperwork to transfer my employee id to utah...i won't become active until i teach again which could be who know how long:( especially since the nearest 24hr fitness gym is 45min drive....but i'm hoping to get hired at a different gym and start teaching and getting free stuff asap. so besides that, this week i really tried to work my butt off and get ready for some summer races.  what races are you doing???


this is a rough draft i what i'll be doing this summer: so excited for races....summer running is one thing not available in arizona!
may 7th: provo half marathon or 10k don't know if i'm ready for 13.1miles
June 4th: little red riding
June 11th: provo tri
July 4th: freedom 10k
July 7th: brown's reunion bear lake triathlon: i'm the race director for our family tri!!!

haven't really planned the rest of july/aug/sept/oct but i'm feeling the need to do another marathon!!! crazy i know!!! i'm hoping to get into st. george marathon anyone wanna sign up on my lotter ticket with me?? you can have up to 5 names entered let me know!!

gotta try these

i know the new fade of cutting out all possible white/simple sugars is tough especially for me as pasta is my go to meal.  but i found these 'garden delight' pasta and they are amazing and actually made from vegetables!!--not just died a different color.  i find that you have to cook them a little longer but they are perfect for any pasta dish: spaghetti, mac n' cheese, fettuccine, and a great addition to caeser salad.  give em a chance and let me know what you think. i think they are a great substitute and don't taste any different than the regular ole' simple noodle.