Winter Sun 10K 2010

Saturday a group of girlfriends and I headed to Moab to run the Winter Sun 10K.
Lisa, me, Jan, and Anne (missing Ari and my mom who couldn't come, and Christie who came but wasn't there for our picture)

Our sole purpose for running this race was to get the guaranteed entry to the Canyonland Half Marathon in March. If your are the first 100 to register you get a secret code to use in the "bat cave" secret registration website. Ari was hurt and didn't want to show up and, being so competitive, end up running anyway; so we picked up her swag and assumed that we would get her secret code....but they took it away saying if you don't run it you don't get it...that caused us all to wait around for the entire prize give aways in hopes of winning a guaranteed entry for her... but we are all unlucky in the door prize department...

Despite our downtrodden luck, we did not walk away empty handed.... Jan won 3rd place in her age group with a time of 43:50, and her friend Jodie, also won 3rd place in her age division. I of course cheered overly obnoxiously (as promised if she won) and embarrassed Jan pretty good...

This run is billed as an ALL downhill course... and that is mostly true except for one pretty long and pretty steep up hill section. I run serpents all summer long and compared to that this hill was just a speed bump, so I know my struggle was not for lack of physical ability. I mean when you are in down hill mode for 2 plus miles then are hit with this monster it does something to you mentally. I really thought I was going to puke and it was only mile 2... but thankfully I recovered quickly and was able to pick up my pace again. It really felt like the miles were flying by and before I knew it I was running into the high school stadium and around the track to the finish. I ran my personal best 10K time ever,
6.2 miles in 52:55!

That's an average of... 8:30's with my best pace being 5:50 (I am sure that pace was held for all of 2 seconds).

So I couldn't be happier with the results.

Learned:
Through all of the preparation (or lack of) for this run, I had an epiphany... a 10K is not enough motivation to keep me running regularly. I ran sporadically for the weeks prior, and no longer than 4 miles. And I had no anxiety or doubt about my ability to finish the 10K. I remember several years ago when I was training for the BOULDERboulder (10K) and ran 5 times a week, all in an effort to build up to 6 miles. That was the longest distance I could imagine myself running.

This is now my motivational distance...(Thanks Anne for the motivational magnet)

I think that says a lot about my progress as a runner.

Movie Night (and the dreams it sparked)

I LOVED reading The Time Travelers Wife and got a few of my friends to read it with the intention of having a girls night to watch the movie. Well if you know my life you know how incredibly busy it is with all the soccer games and practices, and work and meetings, and , and, and.... So you can imagine that trying to find a time with 4 other moms that are just as busy as I am, would be pretty durn difficult.

So last night Summer and I got together to for this months clothing swap, and watched the Time Travelers Wive. It had been a while since I had read the book, but I was VERY pleased with the movie and how well it followed the love story. Summer had just finished reading it and she thought it was well done too! There were elements and scenes that we both thought should have been in the movie, but understand why they weren't- for time's sake... But I am pleased to announce that I made it through the movie with dry(er) eyes than I had while reading the book. I only teared up at the end (and if you know the book or movie, you know what I mean). I was once again touched by the strength of the bond that held a couple together when time could not... Good thing I get to watch it again with the rest of the group that read the book!

After our movie was over her husband fed us yummy Talapia with ravioli, and suggested another movie... Law Abiding Citizen. So I went and got the rest of my family and enjoyed Gerard Butler in this great movie. Brian and I watched this movie in the theater and really enjoyed it, and were once again entertained with it. It tipped my normally passive political self into a rant that I will share at a later date... but a great movie, though it was a bit gorier than I had remembered.

Once I finally laid my head down and drifted to sleep.... I had amazing dreams of time traveling love it was great to allow my brain to carry on it's own sequel to The Time Travelers Wife... I don't remember it as vividly as I do many of my dreams, but I remember my heart swelling at the amount of love I felt between the two characters and the desire I had to make every moment I had with my love be enjoyed to the fullest, and the heart ache I felt when they were ripped apart...

Learned: A lesson learned and soon NOT forgotten: cherish the one your with while you have them to cherish.

Twilight (Twice)

What a great weekend!

Vycci and I went to Twilight, and I must say that it was a great reunion with all of my favorite characters. We both really enjoyed the movie and thought that it followed the book very well. I only wish they would have shown more of her clumsiness, and more of Edwards strength. In the books Edward is a very strong, self assured person in all aspects except when it comes to Bella. I think that the movie was really trying to portray his inner torment about his feelings for her, so his strength and confidence didn't come through as clear. I think that the characters that fit what I had imagined best were Alice and Jacob. I anxiously await the second movie where these two characters take a more leading role...

Vycci and I both agreed that the actual movie may not be the best movie we have ever seen, or be to the caliber of such films as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, but the reason we enjoyed it so immensely is because we enjoyed the books so much. I am anxious to hear the perspective of someone who has not read the books. I think a group of us may go again next weekend when the family is in town for Thanksgiving, and my mom has not read the books.... We shall see!


OK... so I have a confession to make.... we enjoyed the movie so much that we went back and watched it a second time later that night... I know.... silly girls. To tell the truth I can not wait till next weekend to have the chance to see it again. I also just got the second book back from the last person I loaned it to and I feel it beckoning me... I guess I must heed its call...

Learned: Having a friend that will be as giddy and silly about a movie is comforting. It's nice to know that in all my quirkiness I am not alone.

Twilight

I just bought my tickets to see Twilight this weekend. In August, while on our Vegas girls get-a-way, my friend Vycci got me hooked on the books and we have been planning on seeing the flick together since. My excitement in this series has been renewed and I can hardly wait to be reunited with my fictitious friends in Forks, WA!


Learned? I know that I am so lame for being this excited about a movie. But what could be better than a weekend away with the very best of my friends, and vampires!!

(Keep us in your prayers, as it will just be the kiddos and I heading over the hills to Denver, as Brian has to work.)

29 Came and went, Along with a lot of other stuff!

I have been completely enthralled in the Twilight series, and just finished it this evening. So this explains my absence for the last month, any free time I had was spent in Forks, WA.

Below are a few of the important things I want to remember about the last moth:

My 29 birthday happened at the beginning of the month. We celebrated at a great wedding:

Congrats Ashley and Gerardo! (Not sure if I spelled his name right)

I also painted the house...
Before:



After:



I went to Vegas with my kindred spirit, Vycci. We stayed at the New York, New York. We shopped, we soaked in the pool and the sun, ordered room service (a $15.00 pint of Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream) while watching a chick flick, got pedicures, and we went to my first Vegas shoe, KA', and had an ENORMOUS steak for dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed the three days of uninterrupted girl talk! It was a good birthday celebration for the both of us, both having August birthdays!



Maddox is officially potty trained. We have had no accidents for quite a while now. He only wears a diaper to bed at night! Yeah Maddox!


I enjoyed a last HOORAH! the weekend before I went back to school. We went rafting through Glenwood Canyon with the Turners, for their daughter's birthday. It was such a blast! I also went on a wine tour for my sister-in-law's sister-in-law's 30th birthday! Happy birthday Kelly!




We also showed our ultra conservative side by taking Madison shooting. Brian and I both agree that it is important for our children to learn how to use guns, and through that learning develop a healthy respect for their power, though it will be years before we take Maddox. She was even brave enough to try the pistol (with Brian's help). She was surprised by the amount of kick it gave. I have decided that I want a little revolver of my own!



Madison started practice with the Academy team for soccer. We are all very excited to see what this season brings. The Academy team is an invitation only team that focuses on player development. In order to increase the level of competition for the games they will be playing against boys their ages. At first the girls were bummed, wanting to play older girls, but now the idea of playing boys is a bit exciting. I am so proud of how hard Madison works on this sport. She is so talented in so many ways!

Last but not of least importance, I had a very successful fist week of middle school. I have a great group of students, and am loving teaching math all day long. I was so nervous to start, but now that the first week is under my belt, I am super excited for the upcoming year!

Learned? Don't put off blogging so long, there is just too much that happened, and I wanted to write about, but now I can't remember it all. Though it was well worth the time spent lost in my books!