I can't stop thinking about it...

Ok, where do I begin....? This weekend I introduced myself {for the second time} to the world of twitter and tweeting.  I followed 12 ladies {phenomenal runners and bloggers} who had sent in their applications and were selected to be a part of team AfterNuun DeLight for the 30th Anniversary of Hood-To-Coast. These ladies were my kind of girls....social media addicts...so I developed an instant connection with them. For 26 hours, my phone was "tweeting" non-stop {except during a chunk of time when they had no reception} with tweets about decorating vans, using the honey bucket at 3am, not being able to find a honey bucket so using nature, running at 3am with an arm full of glowstick bracelets, getting in an hour nap before their next leg, consuming excessive amounts of NUUN {which I will be trying on my 20 mile run this saturday}, and developing lifelong friendships in a 26 hour time frame with 11 {what started out to be} strangers...what could possibly be better???

Hollie, my partner in crime for the marathon, was lucky enough to run on a Hood-To-Coast team this year, so this morning while we were doing our speed work at the track, we rested a little bit too much in between so she could share her experience with me! I kept wanting MORE; it sounded amazing!

Over the last two days I have been reading the blog posts of AfterNuun Delight highlighting their Hood-To-Coast experience, reading the ins and outs of Hood-To-Coast and the application process, thinking of team names, envisioning our vans all decorated and possible outfits we could wear, sending texts and making calls to recruit possible teammates {right now I have people from Oregon, Idaho, and Missouri}, researching condos in Seaside for the after-party, making a mental note of "must-haves" for my Hood-To-Coast experience, and watching the trailer for the Hood-To-Coast documentary {which I will be ordering}.

Going back to my "glory days" on the swim team, there is something extra magical, and unique about a relay team.  Some of my greatest memories as a swimmer, and some of the closest bonds/friendships created, are from relays. My relay team {which consisted of Ashley Johnson, Megan Clark, Jennifer Adams, and myself} was the a force to be reckoned with, and we had a bond that was unbreakable.  The adrenaline of gathering before the race, cheering each other on before and after each leg, standing on the block preparing to go, and celebrating at the end as a TEAM, is an experience and dynamic that can only be created in a relay situation.

This is not "the" relay, but still a great one! 

I am beyond excited for the possibility of participating in Hood-to-Coast 2012 {its a lottery}....2 vans, 12 of my favorite people, 200 miles, 15,000 runners, more porta-potties than you can count, cowbells, clipboards & stopwatches, coordinated outfits, running with headlights and glowsticks, laughing, creating memories & tweeting for 30 hours.  On October 12th, I will be hand delivering my application to the post office in hopes of getting the opportunity to create the bond and memories that I have from the swim team days, with 12 of my favorite people as we do what we love best...RUN!!

I officially became a runner when...

1) I started planning trips around {and bought plane tickets for} races
2) I never left home without my running shoes
3) I started setting my alarm for 5:15am on a Saturday morning to get in 15 miles before I "started" my day

                  On June 23rd I sat in Dr. Galt's office anxiously awaiting the "okay" to start running again following my surgery; but that is not exactly what I got.  I didn't spend much time with Dr. Galt, but quickly grew to like him and enjoyed giving him a hard time and giving it my all to get a smile out of him.  After 2 short visits, he had me pegged {he knew if he gave me an inch I would take a mile}.  So, at my 2 week follow-up, he said I needed to take it easy for another 5 weeks...and by easy he meant no impact or weight bearing exercises; basically I could sit on a stationary bike for hours and hours.  His eyes became the size of golf balls when I {jokingly} asked about going to Crossfit and waterskiing :c) I knew that healing properly was key longterm, and I also knew that I WAS NOT going to allow this accident to prevent me from doing another event {my marathon in October}.  So I followed Dr.'s orders...for 4 weeks...and then gave in and did some trail running {that's low impact, right??}.  The day of my 7 week post-op appointment I ran 8 miles, but didn't tell him until he reviewed my x-rays, and everything looked good; at that point I was given the "okay" to run.

                  At this point I'm several miles behind where I need  to be in my training, and the only way to catch up is to just pick-up the plan and go for it.  So 3 weeks ago I told my friend/motivator/encourager/running partner that I was ready to start following the mileage on the plan and see what happens.  She looked at me like I was crazy, but also knew that nothing was going to slow me down.  That Saturday as we set out on a 14-mile run I warned Hollie that I may need to walk, etc. but I was going to finish it! We RAN 14 miles, stopped twice to fill up out water bottles, and it felt AMAZING!!!

                I am a firm believer in the power of the mind, especially when it comes to running. Recently 2 stories have encouraged me {in all areas of life, not just running}, and have given me strength and perseverance when things get "tough" {I put it in quotes because it is all relative}.  I have been following, and immensely touched, by the stories of 2 local kids {Faith and Ethan} who have been battling cancer {one has recently gone to be with the Lord} . These two children have fought relentlessly to the end, never complaining or giving up faith & hope.  As I ran up Terwilliger in Portland I drew strength to make it to the top {home to Doernbecher's Children's hospital, where the 2 families had been for several weeks}  from these 2 unbelievable kids {angles}, who I knew never  complained or gave up,  and would "run the race with perseverance."  The day following Ethan's service I went on a 15 mile run,  and I can't tell you how many times I thought of him and his legacy, and drew strength from it.  Their stories have touched me on several levels {especially since my brother is a cancer survivor}, but two main things have really stuck with me (1) Our days are numbered here on earth, and we don't know how long we have with our loved ones.  So don't hold grudges, let the people you love know it daily, & make that phone call you have been meaning to make but keep putting off because "life" gets in the way.  (2) Change your mindset and attitude from "I Can't" to "I WILL."  Seeing these kids FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES really puts it into perspective; I have NOTHING to complain about.

My next LEAP OF FAITH will be participating in a run that raises funds to find a cure for childhood cancer {I'm sure a plane ticket will be involved :c)} and then I will look into starting an event here locally.

I'm Officially A Cyclist

On Wednesday May 18th, my friend Shay and I set out on what was to be our most difficult ride, in terms of climbing, of our {or should I say of my} training.  We started at the Pony Espresso in Jacksonville {our favorite place to meet}, and headed out of Jacksonville, up Applegate/Kady Rd...which for those of you familiar with the area, know that hill is a doozer {is that even a word??}. The plan was to head up and over Woodrat Mt., loop through Applegate and end up back in Jacksonville.  

Well we made it up Woodrat Mtn...

..and down! {which isn't Shay's favorite part} As we began to head towards Applegate, something completely unexpected, that I never thought would happen to me, happened...I crashed my bike! All I remember was waking up, sitting up on the side of road, seeing 3 people {Shay, and two people who stopped to help}, and noticing my bike on the ground out of the corner of my eyes. I had no recollection of what had happened, and even the events of the day were a blur to me...I kept asking Shay what happened, where we were, where our cars were, etc.  Despite being aware enough to know that something was wrong, and being in pain, and I had a peace {God given} that everything was going to be ok.  After being dropped off at our cars, Shay and I headed to the ER so I could be examined...mainly for a possible head injury.

This was my helmet...

On the way to the hospital I called my parents, who headed straight there {I really am blessed to have the best parents} and my friend who I was supposed to be doing the triathlon with.  For some reason I really felt like I needed to call her and let her know I had been in an accident, but that I was ok.  After about an hour or so in the ER, I was diagnosed with a minor concussion & a broken collar bone. 

Initial x-ray...

 Of course, the first question I asked was, "How long will I be out? I am supposed to do a triathlon in 4 weeks." Well it quickly became apparent that that wasn't going to happen. Despite a concussion, a broken bone, and a goal temporarily put on hold, I chose to still have a smile on my face as I thought of what could've been...

{Fast forward two weeks}...I went to visit a dear friend of mine, who is an orthopedic surgeon and wanted to see me two-weeks following the accident for another x-ray. Well, this is what the x-ray showed...

Within 2 weeks {I actually think it happened the evening of the accident in the ER}, my collar bone had become completely displaced {yes, I had been walking around like that} and now I had to make the decision to have it treated surgically or non-surgically.  After consulting with other surgeons, and people who had treated their broken clavicles both surgically and non-surgically, it seemed unanimous that I needed to have the surgery. After seeing Dr. Galt on Thursday, I scheduled the surgery for the following Tuesday.  Although I had accepted the fact that I would no longer be participating in the triathlon, I was determined to not allow anything to prevent me from going and cheering on my friends and spending some time in the mid-west {my flight was Friday following the surgery}.  Despite thinking I was crazy, my doctor thought that if all went well I would be able to travel that soon following surgery {as long as I promised him I wouldn't participate in the triathlon. He figured me out real quick}

If you don't know already, my mom and I enjoy taking pictures when most other people wouldn't...

NO, they hadn't started the drugs yet...

I'm now Bionic Woman

A very dear friend {who was constant support throughout everything} and I enjoying a sandwich after I hadn't eaten for over 24 hrs :) 

I could not of asked for a better surgery experience...I came out of the anesthesia wonderfully {I was nervous because other than having my tonsils removed, this was my first surgery}, had minimal pain {I was on narcotics for less that 24 hrs and then nothing after that} gained full range of motion in my shoulder within 1 1/2 weeks, and most importantly I was able to get on a plane Friday morning!

Throughout the last 5 weeks, I have...

1) been so thankful for a mom who loves and cares for me unconditionally. 

2) been blessed beyond understanding by the love & support {meals, cards, texts, cards, etc} I have received by family & friends

3) been joyously thankful to have a broken bone.  I realize how fortunate I was to have no major head injury. 

I now have a 5 inch scar to remind me that the Lord protected me that day on my bike, and can't wait to get on my bike again this summer.  Being head cheerleader at the Kansas 70.3 was a blast, and I am looking forward to my next leap of faith...the Nike Women's Marathon in October. 

Perhaps My Biggest Leap Yet!

I gambled....and won!

About a year ago, after finishing a 1/2 ironman triathlon, a friend of mine called and mentioned the "M" word...my first response was silence, then "are you kidding me? there is no way", then I started looking up different marathons that we could do (If I am going to do a marathon it needs to be at a fun location or have some sort of incentive...like a Tiffany necklace!)  We talked about it for a couple weeks after, and then it kind of faded away! Within the last couple months, after doing the AZ Rock n Roll 1/2, I have had it on my mind to do a full marathon. Should I put in the for NY marathon?? Do 26.2 miles in the lights of Las Vegas while checking out all the men in wranglers? Do Arizona again because it is rumored to be a flat, fast course??  Well, one day at the gym I was talking with a mom of some kids I used to swim with and she mentioned the Nike Women's Marathon.  As soon as she mentioned firemen and Tiffany necklace I was sold!

I normally plan to do these races with other people, but I went out on a limb and entered into the lottery application process for the race.  To be honest, the hardest part is taking the initiative to sign-up! There were a couple slight miscommunications regarding this race...I was under the impression you only received the necklace if you completed the full marathon, well come to find out everyone gets one :) And secondly, I was talking to a friend who also signed up and we are planning on doing it together, and part way through the conversation I realized she only signed up for the half!!! Well...this Wednesday I received the email telling me I was accepted into the race, and despite the miscommunications, I am doing the full marathon! My initial reaction was a mix of terror, excitement, nervousness, and "OMG, I am going to run 26.2 miles." I had a small taste of the joy and feeling of accomplishment that  I will feel when I accomplish what was once considered impossible! 

"The more you frame the marathon as a stressful experience, the more negative messages you'll receive. But it's just as easy to frame it as a positively challenging journey"

"I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement, it's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible"

"Man imposes his own limitations...don't set any"

Someday I will find my prince charming...

...but my dad will always be my king.

I am beyond blessed to have a loving, caring, fun, giving, understanding, do anything for me, expect nothing but the best for me dad. Although I don't always appreciate it in the moment, he constantly challenges me to do and be my best, and I always end up appreciating it in the long run. 

Over the past 5 years, I have taken up running...mainly because it is something "my dad" enjoys doing, and I wanted to be able to do it with him.  I am no where near his pace (and trust me, he likes to remind me of that every change he gets), but some of my favorite times and greatest memories with "my dad" are when we are training or doing a race together.  

I'm struggling to put it into words, but there is something truly special about sharing a love of running with "my dad."  

 5 years ago I signed up to run the Pear Blossom (10 miles; and at this point I was not even close to being a "runner") with "my dad", only to have him bail the week of due to "chin splints" aka...it was raining!!!  We are a little different in the sense that I don' let weather get in the way of something I've committed to do....but it seriously gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes to not only finish (and I was DRENCHED!!), but to see "my dad" smiling ear to ear as I crossed the finish line!

I look forward to the Pear Blossom every year, and I always run on the inside and look for "my dad" as he is heading down the hill and back towards the finish line.

I thought I might have a chance at beating "my dad", if I could get him to do a triathlon!! It took a lot of convincing, but he finally signed up...and BEAT ME!!! :) Despite losing, it was still the best birthday present!

All set up and heading to the start of the swim!

WE DID IT!! This looks like a sweet picture, but I'm pretty sure he is bragging about how he beat me after I bought him a bike jersey for winning the bet of who would win!

No matter what (with the exception of when it's raining), I can always count on "my dad" to join me for a training run.

"My dad" doesn't do nearly as many events as I do, but he is always the first person I call before and after the race! The next "leap of faith" "my dad" and I will be taking together is training for the 2012 Arizona Rock N Roll Marathon.

"A daughter is a girl who grows up to be a friend"

"To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter"

Weekends are for...

...FAMILY TIME!

Due to weather and hectic schedules my weekend plans had changed several times, and my parents and I decided to stay home.  I was actually relieved to have a weekend to catch-up on stuff (including rest) and have nothing on the schedule (which is rare for me!). With the PEAR only two weeks away, I knew I had to get in a long run, rain and all! Saturday morning I started off on my run, solo, and decided to take the bike path (which I never do!). As I got to the bike path I decided to head towards Hawthorne Park for a while then turn around and go the other way for a while (which when I do run on the bike path, I run the opposite direction of Hawthorne Park).  About a mile into the run, I spot my dad running towards me; I thought he had already ran that morning from his house! I was SO excited to see him coming, I started waving my arms, making sure he saw me; we both were happy to run into each other.  I turned around and joined him, and we got in 9 miles together; which neither one of us would of done without the other.  My dad said at least 5 times, "This is my favorite kind of run, running with my daughter." It was a great, unexpected treat to have my dad's company and encouragement for 9 miles in the rain. 

My favorite running partner 

My mom and I have been talking about going snowshoeing for quite a while, but have never found the time when we can both go! Well this weekend we took advantage of having no plans, and the two of us headed to Crater Lake for the guided snowshoe tour.

Do I look a little nervous to be driving the luge??

And we're off...

It was a PERFECT mother-daughter day

And a fun way to enjoy the beautiful scenery & get in a little workout

Ranger John (8 years old, from Colorado) taking a little break in the snow

The picture doesn't do it justice...

Weeee.....

We will definitely be back!

I was thankful for a weekend at home with no plans, allowing me to spend quality time with the two people I love most....my mom and dad!

My newest obsession...CHALKBOARDS! And more!

I am not sure where it came from, but recently I have become a little obsessed with chalkboards, so I decided to make my own. I had sent my mom on a Goodwill mission (she always loves a GW challenge) to find me the perfect frame for my chalkboard...and this is what she found

It's perfect, isn't it!? So with the frame purchased, I headed to Home Depot to get all my supplies...

Magnetic Primer

Chalkboard paint

And the wood, cut the same size as the frame (or so I thought)

After adding two layers of the magnetic primer (one layer was not enough for it to actually be magnetic) and then the chalkboard paint, I went to put it in the frame, only to realize that it didn't fit??? I am not sure if the frame is crooked, or the guy at HD cut it wrong, but I made-do and hung it without the frame! Which I actually think I might like better...

Sorry for the poor quality photo...it was taken with my phone!

So whether it has my weekly training schedule, an encouraging Bible verse, or the menu for the evening, the chalkboard completes my kitchen.  Someday I would love to be more creative and adventurous and have an entire wall, door or something, but for now I like my little chalkboard.

My obsession continued and I purchased chalkboard sheets to make labels.

Now stay with me for a minute....so my obsession with chalkboards led me to make my own laundry detergent! Are you following me?? Ok, well that is kind of stretching it, but I have been wanting to make my own detergent, and I envisioned a cute glass jar with a "laundry detergent" label on it, so I set out to make my own detergent.  There are several "recipes" for making your own detergent in the blogging world, but this is the one I decided to try.

I found cute blue measuring cups on sale at Target for $.99 to use as the scoop, and did my first load of laundry with the detergent this weekend.  

I'm already thinking of other things I can make out of  chalkboard!