Relay4Life

WOW! So much fun, if you like running in a relay team for 24 hrs :)
Our Team: Dr. Dave's Team took first place!! This was my first year participating and the seventh straight year this team has taken 1st! We won by half a mile. I ran a little over 24 miles for the team, and at a fast pace! Most my miles were under 7.25, which for me is pretty good :)

We each took turns running for 15 min. At the St. George Hansen Stadium Track. I was third in rotation and often after my run was able to rest for an hour and a half before I would throw out another 15 min. Then at night we took turn running for 70min straight. My turn was at 4:50am - my usual running time - so I did fairly well - running 37 laps during that time. After my 70 min I had a 30 min rest - then did another 15 and continued in our rotation until noon.

It was a great experience and I met a lot of awesome people!

Holi Festival

I had heard about it a few years ago - but somehow I forget about it each year. This year I was reminded about it two days before. So we decided to jump in the car and go up Saturday after we went rock climbing in St. George.

The Holi AKA Color Festival is a Hindu tradition from India. It has relevance between good verses evil, and good winning. It also has to do with ushering in spring and luck through throwing colored chalk powder on each other.

We definitely did NOT get as covered as others. Maybe next year!! We had a great time and plan on going back to Spanish Fork many more springs to come to help everyone celebrate at the Hira Krishna temple there.

Only when HALE freezes Over

I went to support my friend who was running in a race in St. George, while there I ran into Bobby Swenson. He an LDS actor. He played Zak in the movie Singles Ward. He is the one that tries to bungee jump a car in the movie. I went up to him and chatted with him for a good 30 min. He told me about a race up in Orem UT, which will help fund the Hale Theatre where most of the actors started.

The race's name is called "When Hale Freezes Over" - b/c it is for all people, even those who would never run unless Hell freezes over; for those people they had a one mile walk. I signed up a week before the race and was pretty excited, and thought I would be able to do well in the race. Well I ended up getting a cold the day after I sign up and there are no refunds. I was bummed cuz I really wanted to run it and do well. I had a cough all week and haven't been running two weeks before due to foot pain, and I was counting on this week to get back into running endurance.

I decided to run the 10k race anyway and visit a few friends while up there. The night before the race I didn't sleep much because I kept coughing - even though I took extra meds to knock me out. My friend Lisa decided to run in the 5k race, so in the morning her dad came with us.

Right before the race I ran into Bobby again and he was glad I actually came up to run it. I was signed up for the 10k, but thought I should probably just walk the one mile.

I ran the 10k anyway. And I was proud of myself that I didn't stop at all. There were a few hills - and normally I enjoy them - but not feeling well - I hated them. AND it was really COLD! At least the mountains looked really pretty. I sucked on cough drops while running. When I got near the end of my race Lisa joined me encouraging me to run faster.

I finished 3rd in my division and 7th overall. My time wasn't the best, but I had fun. And my coughing was SOOO much worse after the race. Bad idea to run in it I know :)

Snow Shoeing By the Light of the Moon

So I decided that I need to get out and meet new people. I guess apart of this is I am sick of being set up on blind dates which seems to be one sided. By this I mean that the mutual friend who sets us up usually is looking out for the guy rather than what I would be interested in. My guess is they tell the guy: "she is in good shape, runs a lot, has long hair, oh and she has a house, you want to date her right?" Or they know that I go to church all the time and think that me dating that guy will bring him religion.

But no one tells me about the guy, just that he has a job. Well it turns out that most of these blind dates the guy has a job, but may still be living at home, and had never moved out, or they can't save their money cuz they spend it on toys, and they sit and watch TV/Movies all the time and has no idea what running is. AND I don't want to be someones mom nor babysitter. If they know what they are supposed to be doing - DO IT!

SO since I am an out-doorsy type of person and athletic, I decided to try hanging out with the Outdoor Rec people at the college. I went out of my comfort zone and signed up for night snow shoeing. I was nervous b/c I was the first to sign up, and was worried no one wanted to go. Turns out it was filled with 12 spots and even a waiting list for more pple to come.

I met some really fun/cool pple! People who shared my same love for the outdoors, and could almost keep up with me doing it. I am not a fan of the snow, but I found a new sport that I could really enjoy - it is like hiking/running - but in the snow. We went up a canyon and hiked through some woods. The moon was full and it was beautiful! I recommend anyone to try it at least once!

My Great Journey to the North West

So my dad is the only one who reads this - and tells me I need to update it. I told him I didn't have stories to write - so he told me to make one up and tell about my travel to the North West. So Here goes:

So I currently live in Cedar City, UT where the snow in the winter is a normal thing. The last time I had been home for Christmas was about three years ago in southern WA where it usually just rains. Not this year my friend. This year it snowed - a lot; causing many delays at the airport. I had planned my itinerary a few months ago - so luckily I still had reservations for the first flight out of Vegas to Seattle and some people were on it who had been waiting for a couple of days in the airport. It even snowed in Las Vegas!

The journey started with a text message from my friend Erin, she told me I should leave Monday instead of Tuesday morning b/c a storms was coming and I wouldn't be able to get to St. George on time with the roads being icy. So I hurried and packed and drove to St. G. as it started to snow. So this made it so I drove a lot slower. When I got to St. G. I went shopping, then I called my Adoptive fam and asked if I could crash at their pad - which was a given.

I got there and we talked for awhile, and ate french toast yum. In the morning they drove me to the shuttle. Surprisingly the shuttle was packed. There I met some pretty strange but friendly people. We all talked for most the ride. Arriving in Vegas I made it thru security just fine. They never did find my prison shank I was hiding in my shoe :)

On the plane I sat next to two nice gals from Germany. When I arrived in Seattle I secured my bags and found the bus stop. There, I sat on the bench for 40 min or so. I talked to a few pple and even took a small nap. ;)

The bus was pretty interesting. Usually it is a 55min trip - but it took us 2 1/2 hours. I was surprised at how close pple got to each other on the bus, and they didn't mind. I had one guy standing above me licking his chomps. And the gal next to me was canoodleing with me and sleeping - I think she drooled on me. The other gal next to me sneezed on me and the guy next to her often fell asleep - on her shoulder, and would wake when his single loud snore would stir him. Then was the lady across from me. She often would talk to herself and carry out full convos. Turns out she had a bluetooth headset on. And when this one guy got a phone call, everyotherword from his mouth was the F bomb. He apparently didn't like whomever he was on the phone with. I made sure to take many pictures of my adventure with my phone - so I will have to add them later.

When I got to Lakewood, my sis came and piked me up. The roads were covered in slushy/hard snow - and many pple were getting stuck. WE made it outta there and she dropped me off at the ferry. On the ferry the dude in charge got after me for having my feet on the bench - so I utilized my luggage as a foot rest. On the ferry I met two nice guys. One being my sister's friend - and the other his older brother. He was pretty cute and went to school to become a minister.

Now here I am on the island, and my dog doesn't remember me. He is pretty old and deaf and can't see well either. sad. At least it isn't snowing right now :)

Lets hope I make it back home - since there are more storms to come!