THANKFUL 13 HALF MARATHON

On Thanksgiving, I ran the Thankful 13 Half Marathon near Thanksgiving Point.

I woke up around 6:15, got ready, drank my morning smoothie, and set out to the race start.  This race was 100% different from the Big Cottonwood Half I did in September.  Both were great races, but totally different.  I loved getting to sleep in for this race and having a slow, low-key start.

On Wednesday, I pulled out everything I needed for the next day, except my earbuds.  Thinking that they were on the kitchen counter, I didn't worry about it.  Well, they were not on the kitchen counter.  They were in my closet at work.

BIG COTTONWOOD HALF MARATHON!

On Thursday night, my dad flew in from Minnesota to do the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon with me.  His flight kept getting delayed, so he didn't get in until 1 a.m.  It was a bad start to a great weekend!

PIONEER DAY TEMPLE TO TEMPLE 5K

Happy Pioneer Day!  Pioneer Day is a Utah holiday that celebrates the day the Mormon pioneers entered Utah valley after being forced to leave Nauvoo, Illinois and traveling with handcarts and covered wagons across the country.

I never celebrated Pioneer Day growing up, because I didn't grow up in Utah.  Here, though, it is celebrated much like the Fourth of July.  There are parades, barbeques, and fireworks.

When I signed up for the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon, I began looking for other races to scatter amid my training runs.  I don't have running companions, and I get sick of the same routes, so running in races is a good way to break things up.

BIG COTTONWOOD HALF MARATHON

Last week, I signed up for the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon.  I have been going back and forth for a few months about whether or not I should run another distance race.  Clayton kept saying, "why do you even want to do that?" It took me some time to decide that I just needed to go ahead and do it.