Next..The half marathon

Wel, it took a couple of days, but here is the second half of my last post.

So, on Friday last week, my good friend and neighbor, Shawnie and I headed up to Moab for the half marathon we were both running in. I was a little bit nervous about the whole thing, but did a bit of positive self-talk and decided that there was no one I needed to compete against but myself. Deciding that helped me to feel less anxious about it and made me more excited for the race than anything. We had a great time, just the two of us, chatting and laughing on the way up and for the rest of the night.
The next morning was race day. We had some breakfast and headed up to the bus stop where we would climb on school buses that would take us up the canyon for the start of the race. It is so beautiful up there and I was excited for the distractions that came naturally on such a incredible course. Getting to know some of the other racers could have been one of my favorite parts of the whole day. I love learning about people and hearing what motivates them to do these types of things.
As the race began, I was feeling great. The first 6 or so miles went really smoothly and I felt like I could run forever. However, about mile 7 I started to feel sluggish and kept myself going by reminding myself how great it would feel to finish. This motivation pushed me for a few more miles. But at mile 10, I felt what others describe as "hitting a wall". I came to a steep upward hill and decided that of all times, this would be my best time to walk. So as I walked up the hill, I was able to build up some more strength and ran steadily for a mile or so. Then, at about 11.25 miles, I was feeling great! I knew the end was so close and I began to speed up and pass people along the way. Again, I felt like I could run forever. I have never been even remotely close to running this much and the idea of finishing made me so excited.
As I reached what I thought was the last leg of the race, I was convinced I only had a quarter of a mile left to run. But when I reached the corner and saw the finish line, it seemed like an eternity away! It may very well have been a quarter mile, but it looked like 3 from where I was! It took all I had to keep running and not just give up and walk the rest of the way. Old me would have, but a new confidence had been built as I came to realize that day that I was doing something I had NEVER imagined I could. Practically in tears from exhaustion, I crossed the line at 2:10:31 and nearly passed out!
Other people describe finishing their first half as exhilerating and the biggest rush they'd ever felt. NOT ME!! I seriously thought I was going to pass out or die!! Either way, I figured I would be happier that way, than the way I was feeling at the moment. I met Shawie, who finished with an impressive 2:00:10 and walked until I got my heart rate down to a less alarming rate and collapsed on the ground. I laid there for a few minutes until I felt I could walk again and headed to the car for a shower and the trip home.
When all was said and done and I was able to think clearly about what i had done that day, I was anxious for my 10K this Saturday and the Provo Half Marathon in April. I equate it to how some people describe labor. It totally sucks most of the way through, but when all is said and done, you're ready to go again. Crazy....I know.

Catching Up-GO JAZZ!!!

Well, I have been dying to post these messages, but have found life (school, really) to be a little overwhelming and hogging a lot of my time. So as not to get the two things mixed up that I want to write about, I will post 2 seperate posts. I'll start with the first....

So, as I mentioned in my last post, my VERY frugal husband splurged and bought us a joint Valentine's Day gift of 3rd row seats, behind the Utah Jazz, against the Mavericks last Monday. I was so excited and counting the days until the big game. Monday came quickly with everything that has been going on around here and the date was a much needed break from reality. We got to the arena about 45 minutes before the game started so that we could watch the players warm up and soak in as much of the "expensive seating experience" we could handle. As we are waiting for the players to come out to the court, I notice a few people lining up next to where the players come out, so I ran over really quickly and asked if I could be a part of it too. Well, to my delight, I was placed second from the front just as the team came running out of the locker room. I stuck my hand out and totally froze. I cheered, but for the life of me, could think of a single blasted name of any of the players. It was so awesome though and that was the beginning of Joe wishing he was a little more openly enthusiastic about fun things like this.

I will preface this next part with the fact that we are big.....no HUGE Utah Jazz fans. As long as school doesn't conflict, we are on the couch together watching the game in suspense, yelling when we feel necessary and cheering loud enough to wake our kids-we often do. I sometimes find myself wondering what all the effort is for when no one IN the game can hear us. So, as I sat there on Moday and thought about the fact that we were IN the arena, not to mention ON THE THIRD ROW, I realized we were certainly going to be a true part of the action and decided I was going to act accordingly. (As a side note-Joe and I went to a Brad Paisley concert a few weeks ago. This was our first outting of this type and when it was over, Joe had no question where it was Luke got his energy.)

Well, the same was true for this "outting". By the time the first half was over, I was hoarse. It was an incredible game, we were winning and the refs were calling TOTALLY crappy calls. I was having the time of my life-literally. During one of the time-outs in the first half, the camera was scanning the crowd for the "best fan." Every few seconds, the camera would come to a new person who was waving wildly and screaming like a mad person. Well, needless to say (see above), my face flashed on the jumbo-tron for a split second and I felt fulfilled-although I didn't win "best fan"...I got totally jipped. At half-time, I notced my phone ringing and after many attempts to identify the caller, I realized it was my friend Liz. She had seen my face on the screen and located me behind the bench. In her blog she said that once she spotted me, she spent a lot of the game watching me because I was the most animated of my entire section.....I'm so proud.

Well, the best was yet to come. All through the game, I was trying to get a, I thought, much deserved t-shirt from the guys who come out and shoot them into the stands. Well, no such luck--until the 4th quarter. The Jazz dancers came out with shirts in hand and I went crazy believing this could be my last chance. One of the dancers and I made eye contact and she threw one at me. As it was on its way, I began to realize the 40 year old guy in front of me was going to snag it. Well, we both caught hold of it and started pulling. When I realized he wasn't going to give up easily, I gave it a hard jerk-harder than I realized apparently, because I pulled him back OVER his seat and ripped it from his hands. I held it up in victory and started screaming and jumping up and down. I looked down and realized I had the strict looking security guard laughing hysterically in amazement at what had just unfolded. Joe was so proud. I was a little embarrased at first, but realized that he was the punk trying to steal it from me. It was a good fight....and I won.

The rest of the game went just as well and I was hoarse for a few days after the game. We had such an amazing time and began figuring out the logistics of 3rd row season tickets for next season.....we'll see. As we were leaving, a guy behind us says to me, "You know, you should really try to loosen up and enjoy these games a little more." HA! That sums it all up....

Happy Belated V-Day to ME!

Well, since my practical husband refuses to buy "already dead" flowers and prefers living plants as gifts that can keep on giving, you can imagine my surprise when he came home with these yesterday. He even bought me a sweet card that made me cry. He was definitely winning points as the day went on.

Plus, my Valentines Day continued on until today when the FedEx guy knocked at our door and handed me an envelope. I ripped it open (even though it was addressed to Joe...heehee, I love mail) and found the second half of my/our Valentine's Day gift. THIRD ROW SEATS BEHIND THE JAZZ BENCH for a game against a really tough team, the Dallas Mavericks. I was so freaking excited I could hardly contain myself and needless to say Joe was pretty stoked that he could buy $200 tickets to a Jazz basketball game and consider himself good for his wife's V-Day gift. :) It is going to be such a great date and I will be counting down the days until we get to go. Besides, if you know who Kyle Korver is, you will understand my excitement with us sitting right behind the bench even more--he's a total hottie....I can say so, cause Joe thinks so too! :)

Boozers amazing too, but Korver's the one on the right.....sigh.... ;)

I got tagged....

I got Tagged by Chelsea...

5 Things on My To Do List:

1. Read 5 chapters in my technical writing book (sounds like a ball, doesn't it?)
2. Clean my bathrooms....well, the whole house, really (Chelsea if you are ever dying to clean well-used bathrooms, mine are always available)
3. Pack for my trip to Oregon (YAY!)
4. Put the whites in the dryer and the darks in the wash
5. run 5 miles at the gym tonight

10 Things I Enjoy:
1. Jazz games
2. Running...that's a new thing (crazy, I know)
3. Watching sappy movies
4. Hanging out with my family
5. A great book-it's been a long time (see #1 in section above)
6. Cooking new recipes (and good, old ones, too)
7. Roller Coasters
8. School (I don't especially love it when I'm in it, but I'll miss it when I'm not)
9. Anywhere warm that I can swim (same as Chels)
10. snowboarding--it's been too long

5 Jobs I Have Had:
1. Paper Route
2. IKON Office Solutions
3. M.A.R.I.A. Foundation (tutor for children w/ autism)
4. Nanny
5. Victoria's Secret (so fun....)

5 Things (most) People Don't Know About Me
1. I love running (most people don't know this because it's a new thing)
2. I am obsessed with famous people--US Weekly and People are the greatest (lame, I know)
3. I get embarrassed FOR other people-they do something dumb and I feel like I have done it and get totally embarrassed
4. I try to make at least one new recipe a week
5. I really truly wish I loved to clean--help me Chelsea :)

And now I tag anyone who is dying to answer these questions.... :)

Feeling Grateful

I get stressed and snippy with my sweet family and I need things to remind me just how lucky I am. Reading a blog recommended by my friend Kelli helped me do this.
For example, my crazy Luke has a sweet little crush on a sweet little girl at school. (Shhhh, he doesn't want anyone to know...) He left home this morning with regular store-bought Valentines for most of the kids in his class, but for Ellie, he cut out of soft pink paper, a heart and wrote her name on it. I was grateful to see that although many obstacles stand in his way of being romantic, i.e. Joe :), he has a tender spot for Ellie that brings out his sweetness. The other day he asked me, "Mom, do you think Ellie will pick me to marry her, because, you know, she can pick whoever she wants. But I'm always nice to her, so maybe she'll pick me." She would be so lucky.
And Jozlyn, woken up way too early by my blowdryer as I tried to hurry and get ready for an early meeting last week came into the bathroom and greeted me with her sleepy, early morning look that I so adore. As I guided her to my bed to go back to sleep, she said, "But Mom, I want to stay up and see you make yourself beautiful." I picked her up and squeezed her and let her watch me TRY to make myself beautiful.
And Kate-there is so much to say and so little time to write. She rarely wakes up crying, but rather babbling to the angels that gather in her room every morning, because they miss her sweetness in heaven. And when you scoop her up to love her while she's playing, the way she pauses just long enough to lay her head down on your chest and wrap her tiny little arms around you, then squirms away because there is fun to be had. The way she adores her big sister and already tries to do all the things she does, whether it's running around the house screaming (lovely) or sitting calmly reading a book. I can't (but can, at the same time) wait to see what kind of young lady she'll be and the people who will flock to be around her.I love my family. There are times when they drive me bonkers, but moments like this remind me of just how empty I'd be without them.

Run Andrea, Run!!

Well, it has been a while and a lot has happened, but you're all use to that by now, aren't you? :) I thought so.
Since I last made a post, I finished my semester with a shocking (for me, anyway) 3.52, made a last minute, week long trip to California for some sun, fun and friends and signed up for a half marathon.....no, that is not a type-o, I am officially entered into the Moab "Other Half" scheduled for March 8th of this year. I wasn't really thinking when I signed up for the half, because running has never been what I would consider a "favorite pasttime." I was in track in high school and let me tell you that my height never did anything for me; it always use to feel like I had weights tied to my feet.
Well, it seems like all I have been doing lately is running!! Joe says that I have become a gym-addict....there are worse things I could be, right? Anyway, I am in my sixth week and feeling pretty good about things. Saturday, my training schedule said that I was to do a six miler. I started laughing when I read that and had to be shoved out the door kicking and screaming by my husband. (Well, not really, but I was certainly not overly excited about it.) I drove around to get my six mile route and decided that, in fact, I had lost my mind. Never in my life have I ever run so far or ever felt a desire to, for that matter. But, I did it and to tell you the truth--I know this sounds sick and wrong--it actually felt good. Crazy....but, the quiet country road, my iPod and me had quite an enjoyable afternoon and it actually didn't last as long as I thought it would. I was feeling good about things....until, Sunday. I could hardly get out of bed, let alone walk!!! Apparently I need to do a little more stretching. My old muscles were ANGRY at me for all that senseless running and I was paying for it. However, 2 days later, a few walks and a Pilates class, I am feeling MUCH better and ready to do another run. I will let you know how it goes.

Almost there!!

Well, I can hardly believe it, but the semester is winding down. There are 9 days left and I couldn't be happier! It has been a long 4 months and I am so ready to spend some quality time with my family, without the dark cloud of homework in the back of my mind. The other day, Luke was acting sad before I left for school and I asked him what was wrong. He said, "I hardly ever get to see you Mom.." Ugh, that about ripped my heart out, so I got the Christmas countdown out and we changed the theme-now the little count-down isn't counting the "Days until Santa gets here," it is counting the days until mom is done with school. Everyday he runs to changed the numbers and I get more excited with every day that passes. Plus, I got great news on Tuesday, that my Chronic Disease final had been cancelled and that I had done surprisingly well in the class. Needless to say, I was thrilled to check off one final--five more to go!
I can't wait to just sit with my kids and play--they deserve that. I am also dying to go see my family and will hopefully get to before next semester starts. I am doing something called Uppercase Living and I will be headed there to do a couple of shows and get it started over there. So, I am really excited about that.
I have lots to look forward to over the next few months and hopefully I will do better about keeping this blog updated on it all, so that I will remember it when things finally slow down.