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!

WORKOUT RECAP

Here was this week's plan:

 2 Miles @ 1/2 Marathon Pace

Power Pump Class -- no, but did a strength workout

Pioneer Day 5k 

30 minutes cross training 

6 Miles

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.

WORKOUT RECAP

This week went pretty well!

Here was my plan:

2 Miles @ 1/2 Marathon Pac

30 minutes Cross Training

2 Miles @ 1/2 Marathon Pace - adapted

Power Pump

5 Miles - adapted

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.

WORKOUT RECAP

Monday
4 mile run.

This run isn't anything special.  It is all on the street, and there isn't much to look at.  However, it went a lot better than when I ran the same route a few weeks ago and had digestion pains (I think?) the whole time.

Tuesday
Hike to sliding rock.

I planned on going to the Tuesday night Power Pump class (I love that class), but Mark and Libby came into town, and instead we went on a short hike with the Evansons to a sliding rock.

Although it was very hot outside, I was a little hesitant to go down this slide.  The water was FREEZING, and the thought of sliding on uneven rock made me a little uneasy.

I had a bit of an inner dilemma, but ultimately, I decided that opportunities like this didn't come up every day, and I'd be disappointed if I passed it up.  I'm glad I went for it!  It was fun.  The water was seriously frigid (how do those people do the polar bear plunges in literal freezing water?).

Libby, Heather, and I each went down twice.  Mark, Scott, and Clayton each went twice on their own and then went together once.

This is not my picture. Hopefully I can get the ones we took and replace this one.  However, when Mark told me we were going to a rock slide, this is not what I pictured, so I figured that a picture would be helpful.



Wednesday
Boating with Mark + Libby & Scott + Heather.
Jillian Michael's DVD

Thank goodness for positive peer pressure.  If you know me well, you'd know that I am a little bit  finicky about getting enough sleep.  After the hike on Tuesday, we stayed up way too late chatting.  I decided that I wasn't going to go boating on Wednesday morning, because there was no way I could operate off of such little sleep.  When Libby called me to get me to come, I actually felt fine, and again, I felt like it was an opportunity that doesn't come around every day, so I decided to go.

It was a beautiful day, and I tried wake skating for the first time.  I'd never done it before -- I always had fears of falling and getting my legs chopped off by the prop, but the Evansons have an inboard boat, so I knew that wasn't actually possible.  Wake skating was a lot of fun.  It reminded me of snowboarding, which made me tell Clayton (for the umpteenth time) "We really have to go skiing/snowboarding this winter.  I mean, we live in Utah!"

I left my camera in their boat, so I don't have pictures until I get it back from them.

When I got home, I was feeling a little flabby, but I didn't have enough time to go to the gym, so I did Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown DVD.  At least it's something, right?

Thursday
Power Pump Class

Since I missed Power Pump on Tuesday, I decided I'd try to make it to one of the other classes.  I really like the class on Tuesday nights -- I've gone to that one the most, so I know the instructor's routine.  Regardless, on Thursday mornings they have four -- yes 4!! -- Power Pump classes back to back.  I guess it is a popular day for lifting!?

Anyway, I made it to the 9:15 class, and it was great!  I haven't been as consistent at Power Pump since the school year ended, and I can really tell the difference.  We did walking lunges, and I had to work hard to keep myself motivated, because I felt weak!  I'm sure we only did them for like four minutes (I think it was one song), but it felt like at least 10!

I felt great after I left class, though.  There is something about lifting that really makes me feel powerful!

Friday
3 mile run.

I bought new running shoes last week, and I was excited to try them out.  As it turned out, my mind was pretty distracted from my shoes, because it started raining about a minute into my run.  I don't mind running in the rain -- especially on a shorter run like this.  I worry a little about getting electrocuted from my ear buds -- yes I'm crazy -- but other than that, I really enjoy the rain.  Utah always seems so hot to me in comparison to Minnesota, so when it rains, running seems a little more refreshing.

Here is me after the run -- not looking my best, but feeling so alive!!

Saturday
Zumba class with Sarah.
Swimming with Haili & Wes.

I had originally planned on doing a longer run on Saturday, but was still feeling quite sore after Thursday's class.  Sarah invited me to do Zumba at the Lehi Legacy center, and I decided it would be fun.  They have Zumba at my gym, and I wouldn't have to pay there, but working out with a friend is an opportunity I don't get very often!

With just about every Zumba class, it takes some time to get the moves down.  If you go every week, you can a hang of the routines, but since it was my first time with this instructor, I spent most of my time watching and trying to at least get my feet doing the right thing.  It was fun, though!

We went swimming with Haili and Wes on Saturday afternoon.  We had the pool to ourselves, and while they played Pig, I had fun just swimming and jumping into the pool!

This Week's Plan
2 Miles @ 1/2 Marathon Pace
30 minutes Cross Training 
2 Miles @ 1/2 Marathon Pace
Power Pump
5 Miles