The 26.2 Mile Inspiration List

A marathon suggestion from my Shark friend Cindi Glenn:
"Just a thought, something to do...I assign a person to each one of my 26 miles that have inspired me. I think of them as I run their mile. It helps me."

Ok Cindi, here I go, hopefully I will not become dehydrated during the marathon from shedding tears.

Here are my 26+ inspiring friends and family to help with my mental race success, mile by mile by mile, and a few of the reasons why I admire or am inspired by them. Most of these things I've never told these people, and some I will not have a chance to in this life. In no specific order, some are by their favorite numbers, birth dates, anniversary, or color or just because.... love to all.

1. Lesia > Admire long fight against MS. She never gives up, explores every avenue and option to help herself. Attitude always bounces back to positive. Lesia goes after life. Makes lemonade from lemons. Creative. Not afraid to ask for help. Conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Passionate. Go Utes! 

  

2. Grandma Colvin & Grandma Gathe > Unconditional love. My grandma's were patient, fun to be with, kind. Played. Independent. Examples of wholesome living.

3. Kameron, Ammon, & Karlie > Kameron - Biking ability, college education, good employee, works hard, cartoonist, quiet independence. Ammon - Graduating high school, joining the United States Army, temple marriage, hard worker for his family, great dad. Karlie - Exchange student to Germany, serving a full-time mission, temple marriage, BYU graduate.

4. Alicia > Loving - reaching out to everyone, digging in and graduating from high school, homeschooling, becoming a doula, pursuing her dream of a nurse-midwife and getting an apprenticeship. Going to the temple, being a great mother and wife, college classes, and pursuing better health and weight loss. Makes life work. A best friend. Truly cares.

5. Ginger & Pam > Always admired their athletic ability, unconditional friendship, going to college after having a family and earning degrees, wonderful loving mothers and grandmothers.

6. Christa > Awesome agility accomplishments with Sadie and Charlie, driving us all over the western US, getting all my stuff in the car, learning to handle Annie a very FAST dog, for filing her intent to be on the agility world team in 2012 and a special friend.

7. Retta > A forever friend, so creative, so generous. She always feeds people temporally and spiritually. Very talented in the art of listening. And also of hearing what is not said. Beautiful jewelry designer. The amazing idea woman. Very crafty. She overcomes each adversity she is faced with. Her laugh warms me, comforts me. A dedicated loving and caring mother and grandmother.

8. Grandchildren > Mile 8 is for my 8 grandchildren, I love you all. Aspen, Violet, Emma, Genni, Marley, Cami, Bryson, Zeke.

9. Mark > Being a loving son, graduating from seminary for me, exceptional dog whisperer skills, joining the United States Coast Guard, amazing accomplishments in the gym and Lindy dance floor. Financial smarts, jumping out of an airplane, graduating from AMT school.

10. Jordan River Temple Friends > New to my life are the wonderful sisters I have made friends with at the temple. I draw strength from their faith, testimonies, smiles and friendship. Admire their devotion to Jesus Christ.

11. Agility Friends > More than I can list here, this mile will be for all you who I spent many hours training with, traveling with, competing with, working with, having fun with, crying with and celebrating with.

12. Desert Sharks > Amazing athletes who are out to have fun and challenge themselves- they make me want to be like them - normal people accomplishing extraordinary things. They love and support each other, teach and friendship newbie people.

13. Lorelei & Jerrie > I recently reconnected with both. It was like we were never apart. Lorelei > We click, we always did. Love of family, devotion and love for her sister. Caring. Genuine. A most infectious beautiful laugh. Jerrie > Breadmaking. Becoming a nurse. Studying and teaching Dahn Yoga. Healing herself. Giving back. Inner peace rolls off her and touches you.

14. Mom Mestas > Being one of my forever friends, an amazing mother-in-law and mother-in-love, a thoughtful grandmother, love and concern for family. Wonderful to talk to. Beautiful cross-stitching.

15. Mony > Her knowledge of genealogy, the amazing books she's produced, her beautiful artwork in books. Editing, writing and English skills. Her happy attitude, her energy, love of family. Her long walking stride.

16. Jeanmarie > For choosing life, believing in herself and doing what it takes to loose over 200 lbs. How can I not be awestruck at the determination and intense commitment it takes to do that.

17. Jan > Loving me for almost 40 years, sharing the gospel with me, baptizing me, being a great husband, father, and son. Serving in the temple, supporting me through ALL my hobbies. Patient. Generous. Kind. Pursuing music, choir director and chorister. Teaching guitar, taking care of parents, loving my kids, loving our dogs.

18. Colleen Anderson > Her valiant fight of breast cancer, her beautiful daughters - they are a testament about how she lived her life and what kind of mother she was. Her delicious Thanksgiving dinners. Cauliflower. Generous personality, her love for life and family, just for being Colleen, she was amazing.

19. Mom & Dad Monson> For loving me like a daughter, loving my children, for their love of the gospel, thoughtfulness, for raising such a wonderful son for me to love.

20. Neal > Such a fun son and blankie boy, graduating seminary, serving a mission to Germany, being a great dad and Mr. Mom, going to college and now working towards a 4 year degree and nursing school. Telling me I could do a triathlon, getting back in shape, a talented salesman, Scout Master, and climbing Mt. Whitney.

21. Paula > Her energy! Cake decorating, cooking & catering, sewing and costume design. Amazing party planner. She gets it done - fast. Genealogy accomplishments. High school stage manager, wonderful mom and grandmother, compassionate. Close family. Talented.   

22. My two Cindys > Shark Cindi - Her Ironman accomplishment! I just love reading her narative of the day she became an Ironman. Her story inspired me to try something hard - this marathon. I began to believe the seemingly impossible could be possible - she told me I could do it. Her belief started me on my path. Tinker Cyndie > Her trust and willingness to be my friend. Her strength inspires me. Her finish line push. She taught me to enjoy all of the small successes and PR's met along my journey to 26.2. She has gone the "extra mile" and helped me get to an easy 10. She is funny. Always early. Awesome coach.  

23. Dad > Love of America, the flag. Service in United States Navy Seabees. Supported me in my religious choices, temple marriage, everything I cared to do. Helped with family history, obedience trial equipment and attendance at my events. Excellence in business. Way he loved people. Friendships. His deep love of family and friends. Honesty. Just a great dad.

24. Nancy > Being the Best sister, a breast cancer survivor, patience in dog training. NATCH & V-NATCH agility achievements, supports me in everything I do, hard worker, agility teacher, gives time to NorCal Sheltie Rescue and adopts rescued Shelties.

25. Nick > Always doing his best for me, his unconditional love and his desire to be with me and do whatever I wanted to do - in sickness and in health, best friend, he was agility to me.

26. Mom > Supported everything I did. A best friend, she was funny and fun to be with. Wonderful, wonderful mother. Admired her talent for building doll houses and being organized. Always ready to go. Her computer abilities, internet abilities and especially her independence. Her driving. Her inventions. Her courage.  

.2 Me > I am known to pick a goal and accomplish it even if it takes me years. I don't lose sight; I just do what it takes to accomplish what I set out to do. 

Moab Inspiration List

I will be running the Canyonlands Half Marathon on March 19th without my awesome training girlfriends :-(  I am a little worried about that. It is amazing the strength I feel from this fun group. I do have some other friends who will also be running in Moab, but they run at a faster pace. For this race my elevation loss is -424 ft. & my gain is 347 ft. After the half I have to run 3 extra miles for my marathon preparation.
My training friends Cyndie, Liz and Danielle will be running the Shamrock Half Marathon. They are going to rock that hilly course. This route has a total climb of 740 ft. & elevation change of 1476 ft.
To help me run by myself (with a couple thousand other people lol) I've chosen to dedicate each mile to a friend who may be facing challenges right now or they've been supporting me in some way with my running. These people will inspire me to go the distance.

1. Dollores Shelledy
2. Tawny Hawkins
3. Cindy Conlin
4. Aimee Snow
5. Lori King
6. Heather Higgins
7. Amanda Perkins
8. Rebecca Boud
9. Karen Haymond
10. Jim Judd
11. Julie Stokes
12. Cleo Navarro
13. Maggie Ainsworth
.1 Me
14. Danielle Musick
15. Liz Gotter
16. Cyndie Nell

Finished 13.1 - Dog Town Half

I remember not so long ago thinking I wish I could run 6 miles so I could enter a 10K (like the one through the gardens at Thanksgiving Point). It wasn't too long after that I clicked on the link that entered me in a marathon. 20 miles over that little 6 mile dream. Now here I am, I am on my way to the bigger dream, I just ran 13.1 miles.
All my preparation went well for this event. Drinking lots of water on Friday, created lots of stops on the way to St. George. But I was hydrated and did well.
When we got to Washington we checked into the Red Cliffs Inn and then drove to Washington Community Center to check in and get our race packets. We also browsed the booths set up by the Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART) and others to help raise money for homeless pets and to help purchase a police dog for Washington City.
Friday I also ate lots of small meals and snacks. I was a little worried about a choice for dinner Friday evening but we settled on Applebee's where I had:
Chicken Broccoli Pasta Alfredo
Juicy grilled chicken on a warm bed of fettuccine tossed with fresh broccoli and creamy Alfredo sauce. Topped with Parmesan and served with toasted side bread.
I had them leave off the Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese. I added a bit of butter. It was great and best of all my intestinal results the next morning were ok.
After dinner we went back to the rooms. Cyndie and I went over some recent training runs of mine on runningfreeonline.com and she was commenting after looking at my heart rate that I am not running fast enough. My heart rate hasn't even been getting into the fat burning zone. I stay in the recovery - cool off zone. Tell that to my legs - they think they have arrived in the torture zone. Guess I will have to work on that next week. She said I at least needed to run harder for a couple of miles. And I thought Cyndie was my friend.

The warmer St. George winter weather I was hoping for did not materialize. Keep that cute running skirt for another day. Looks like I was destined to run in the weather I trained in. We arrived at the park early because Jan's 9K race was starting at 8:30am. It was lightly raining, cold and windy so Jan dressed appropriately for walking. People thought he was a volunteer with the fluorescent orange coat so they'd ask him race questions. What a great husband he is for coming out to support me in the fowl weather. 

I started out with a short sleeve shirt based on the temperature but it was just too cold so before my race I changed into long sleeves. Cyndie gave me a rain poncho to wear - this really worked great to keep me from getting wet and chilled before the race. It came off early in the race as it stopped raining and also I got too hot. Cyndie and I were also noisy, I thought we sounded like a flag whipping in the wind.

 

Here is Jan on the starting line. Who, let the dogs out... who who? Ready, Set, Go! Click here to see Jan's race results in the Dogtown K9 9K.

The half marathon started at 9am and I was ready. I was running with a group of fun ladies, Cyndie Nell, Liz Gotter and Stella Blight. Here is a before the race picture.

L-R: Cyndie, Marsha, Stella & Liz

We did the run/walk where we ran for 2 minutes walked for 1 minute. We use a little timer called the Gymboss. It beeps and we run. It beeps and we walk. During the race we talked, told stories, encouraged each other and enjoyed the scenery and the clear clean air.  Well at least most of the air. There were some cattle ranches out there and the smell was less than desirable. I wonder if our times were faster as we ran by trying not to breathe through our nose?! Here is a picture of me taken by Cyndie, don't I look happy to be running a half marathon? I have included her caption as she put it on facebook.

"Marsha still thinks running is fun. What other 55 year old thinks they I should run a marathon this year."

Those walk breaks we took were nice. Although sometimes the timing was off. Like when they occurred on the downhill instead of the uphill, what's up with that? Below you can see me, I took a picture of my red face during a walk break. That close up with no makeup is scary.

The Dogtown Half Marathon was a fun race, I was prepared. Here is what I was carrying in and on my race belt. All the essentials, camera, cell phone, 2 8oz bottles of water with Prolytes (makes water a sports drink), 2 GU packets, 3 Shot Bloks in Cran-Razz flavor, 1 van key, $10 just in case.

 "Let's run girls."

The one thing that did get all of us was that we hadn't done any hill work because this race was supposed to be a gradual downhill in Coral Canyon. At the last minute they changed the course because of the predicted rain. I guess they felt the canyon would be unsafe. So running in a rural Washington we did several hills I wasn't prepared for. My running leg muscles are a lot more sore than usual. I spent some time thinking during hills about the special person I was running for, Maurine Geiger. It was her birthday present. Happy Birthday Maurine! We did it!
Here we all are after the Dogtown Half Marathon, we don't look too bad for a group who just ran 13 miles. I've included Cyndie's caption.

L-R: Jan, Marsha, Stella, Liz & Cyndie

"We made it. We showed those hills who is the boss.

Jan ran the 9k he is Marsha's husband.

With Jan, Marsha, and me we make half the Brady Bunch."

Well it was personal record race for me. I've never run that far before. I found out I need to include some hill work in my training because I could sure feel the difference. I learned how fun it is to run with a group. During mile 11 I decided I had enough energy to run a little harder during the last mile and not take walk breaks so that's what I did.

 "Cyndie coming over the finish line. You can see me in the distance."

 "Marsha coming over the finish line."

If you click here you can see my race results for my first half marathon. My mile splits are as follows: Mile1 12:06 Mile2 12:39 Mile3 12:38 Mile4 12:37 Mile5 12:47 Mile6 12:52 Mile7 13:17 Mile8 13:38 Mile9 13:37 Mile10 13:25 Mile11 13:29 Mile12 13:10 Mile13 11:06. And I did better on my heart rate this run.

"Hot Pink Ladies! Tinkernell "Cyndie" and I pose with our finisher medals. Cyndie is a really sweet person, and funny, and she tells me like it is - to get my butt moving I'm not working hard enough. It is hard to believe we've known each other for less than two months! What a wonderful friend."

Dedicating My Run Saturday to Maurine Geiger

Saturday, February 26, 2011 my friend Maurine Geiger will be turning 50. Almost six years ago she helped organize a most awesome surprise 50th birthday party for me. She now lives in Florida and since I cannot attend her party I am doing something special for her that she cannot do for herself. Run. Several years ago she was diagnosed with MS and her life as she knew it was changed forever. Maurine has her good days and her bad days. She has not let MS take away her love for life, and I am always amazed at the spirit it takes to live with this disease. So happy birthday Maurine, these 13.1 miles I will run Saturday will be for you.