Coming out of retirement

I've got a job! One hour a week. Smtihfield Recreation asked me to teach a strength training class at 6am on Mondays. I'm so excited about it. People ask me quite often if I can train them and I always say no but invite them to come lift with me anytime. Sometimes that works out but more often my schedule is a mess so I don't end up helping nearly as much as I'd like. Now I can just tell them to come to my class.
I can't wait to hear all the complaints about how sore my participants are. You can just picture me rubbing my hands together in anticipation as I plan out the first class! Seriously I will be nice. I'll make it so they can walk the next day - if they remember to take Ibuprofen and a warm bath.

Race Pictures

A couple of pictures of me got posted online from recent races. When I saw this first one from the finish line of the Smithfield Half-Marathon I was feeling okay about myself:

Then I saw this one from the Stomp the Mud Run:

Not feeling so good anymore! But my boys are cute (on each end) right? That's all that matters anymore if the boys are cute and having fun!

Vitamins and Getting Old

My honey hit 40 this year and we are both feeling it! I have to stay all over my supplementation or I am exhausted and think I need morning and afternoon naps. My husband went to some kind of consultation (I hesitate to use the word quack but it was definitely alternative medicine) and she told him he was so low on vitamins and nutrients she didn't know how he forced himself to ride 100-200 mile bike rides.

Do you believe in vitamin and mineral supplementation? Do you think a certain brand is the ticket or does one work as well as any for you? I have an interesting theory on this. I think the human body is amazing and we all respond to things differently and have different needs so what works for me may not be as effective for you. The vitamins that help me get through each day did nothing for my husband. What are your thoughts?

Living Vicariously Through the Olympics

We've hit a lazy summer patch at our house - having a hard time getting motivated after vacation and would rather sit and watch the Olympics than get out and do something ourselves. It hit me that the Olympics (and other sporting events) are a selfless activity for us spectators as we cheer on and support others but aren't doing anything to improve ourselves. It's a great time to cheer on our athletes (those we know and love and those we wish we knew) but we're also living vicariously through someone else. So I decided this morning that I'd use the Olympics to motivate me and instead of just being a spectator I'd get out there and do an activity I wouldn't normally do. When I got home from my run I swam laps - Dana Vollmer I am not but at least I tried!

What about you? Does the Olympics motivate you to become a better athlete or just give you an excuse to sit on the couch?

Vacation

We made it home from California. The beach was fabulous! My big boys taught me how to boogie board. Well, they tried to teach them, then my husband started just throwing me onto the waves - saved everyone a lot of time, very fun for me, and a great workout for him!
I hope you're all having a wonderful summer! Are you doing any big trips or just happy to relax at home for a minute?

Daydreaming through the half-marathon

I survived Not Yo Mama's half-marathon last weekend. So glad to be done, but it really was a great experience. I did 1:53 which I was pretty proud of as the beastly race is straight up Smithfield Canyon. I kept telling myself that I was the beast (term borrowed from 13yo) not the canyon but the pep talk wasn't 100% effective. I had to shoot a GU halfway through, further evidence that I am getting old and don't have the energy I used to!
I was able to lose myself in a daydream about my latest novel for a few miles so that helped immensely. When I was exhausted at mile 12 and Cassidy (heroine from Dead Running) wasn't showing me any other scenes from her sequel, I actually thought, "Come on Cassidy, give me something!" She said back, "Leave me alone, I'm kissing Jesse." I laughed out loud as I ran, then realized I'm a bit of an oddball to be conversing with fictional characters as I run!

What do you do to keep your mind off the pain when you're pushing yourself?

Smithfield half-marathon is tomorrow and I am so nervous! Why am I nervous. It's just one foot in front of the other, right? I think part of my worry is I did this course last year and it was awful. Worst race of my life. Why did I sign up for it again? Because I'm an idiot. Honestly, it's a beautiful course up Smithfield Canyon, the hills are just killer.
Speaking of being an idiot I'm toying with the idea of run/walking 38 miles on my 38th bday (two months away). Is that just nuts or would it be kind of cool to do?
Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day as I have my race, a wedding in Salt Lake for a dear friend's daughter, and a book signing. If you live in Cache Valley, come see me at the signing. It's always such a relief to see somebody who likes me! Here are the details:
I  will be signing books at The Book Table in Logan, Saturday, July 14th from ten a.m. to noon with Daniel Coleman, author of Gifts and Consequences, Bretton Hadfield, author of Max the Mouse Goes to the Moon, William Jensen, author of Adder in the Path, and Michelle L. King author of Mr. Percy’s Mysterious Glasses and Barrett’s Unusual Ice Cream Party.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!