A New World

Remember when you first started running.. really running. A new world opened up. You started planning your runs, you started buying running magazines, talking to running friends and trying to pick up secrets to run faster or run longer.

You entered a new world. A world that you had no idea existed. I entered into this world with my feet on the ground and smiling.

Now i have entered into another world. YOGA. I had my reservations. My past misconceptions of yoga fell into 5 categories.

1. You had to have a pony tail (male or female).
2. You must be a 'hippie' at heart and want world peace at all times.
3. You liked bending your body into uncomfortable pretzles.
4. It's JUST light stretching or kinda like Zumba (a fun sport).
5. You must give up alcohol, worldy possesions and negative relationships to practice yoga.

Ha! Well that's a laugh. After my first week of Ashtanga Yoga Training i can now see that yoga is so much more. It's an art form, a balance of breath, bandha's (3 secret locks), and your gaze (drishti). It has nothing to do with pony tails, world peace, and pretzles.

It is science that is 5,000 years old that doctors today are starting to examine because people are begining to be cured or feel relief from depression, parkinson's desease, high blood pressure, weight loss.. and on and on.

I never in my wildest dreams, thought i could be apart of something this big.. i just thought i enjoyed running and wanted to run.

What new world could you be exploring right now -instead of being on your computer??

Jill of all trades

I guess you could call me, "The Jill of all trades and the master of none". Just when i was begining to take off in running, i was pulled out of my little comfortable world and tossed into triathlons. In the midst of my unbalanced training schedule, injury crept in and utterly rocked my world. Going from doing the things i love, to sitting around and counting every little calorie that goes into my mouth is HELL. Some of you know what i'm talking about.

To dig myself out of this sort of hell, i have turned to 3 things. God, Physical Therapy and Yoga. I have found a peace with this trinity but amongst the peace, i can't seem to let Yoga just be a crutch i use when i'm injured. It has captured my heart, just like running has.

Running for me is unexplainable. "You like running -you ACTUALLY like it?", I hear from people all the time. "Yes, i do", i oddly reply. In today's world, runners are a rare breed. Yoga is similar. It is magically unexplainable. The feeling when i leave the class is peace, clear minded, vibrant, glowing. Why do i feel this way?

So with that question and along with my love for running, i start a new quest. A quest where i can sink myself into a new world: Yoga Certification. My certification starts in 10 days and will be held for 5 weeks. The schedule is a little crazy, but with a little organization, i should be ontop of it all -right?

Namaste.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July friends! We had a wonderful July 3 & 4th at a friends house, the Provo Freedom Parade, and fireworks in our neighborhood.

I've done a little mental healing over the holiday and i am starting to get out of my injured-funk. I recently read an article about excepting situations and just letting them "be". For some odd reason it hit a tender spot, and ever since then i've made peace with my torn hamstring and mended my anger over my ripped glute. As far as healing physically, that's a whole i different ball game. I'm not in constant pain anymore, but it is constantly nagging me.

So far, i am still unable to run, crossfit or bike/swim. I am hoping my PT will let me do some kind of lower body exercise soon. If not... i will find inner peace with that too.

10 steps to a "Deep Hole"

Jordanelle Triathlon (humbly supported my 2 fellow triathletes while i bit my lip until it bled) 

Deep Hole is an appropriate heading for this next post. Why? Let's do a quick replay of the last few months...

1. Injured in April (thought it was just an inflamed piriformis/glut muscle)
2. Trained through it and suffered only to find out i tore glute and hamstring muscles
3. Salem Triathlon
4. Chiropractor sends me to a sports Doctor. Doc says "Put A Fork In You.. You are DONE.. No More Racing!!"
5. Transfers me to Utah Valley Medical Center
6. Physical Therapy for 4-6 weeks with Graston Therapy (aka torture)
7. x4 Graston Sessions and only 25% improvement
8. No running, No CrossFit, No Biking, No Swimming, light Yoga.
9. Pounds piling on, craving sugar/carbs, muscle tone dwindling away in legs and arms, feel like a FAT pig!
10. Deep Hole here i come! Diving in!!

Second Triathlon: Salem Tri





The 3 stooges at the Salem Triathlon

 My second triathlon was sucky! I was so torn up about the open water swim. But i kept my thoughts positive and said to myself, "i can do this" -even though i freaked out in the trial swim.

Guess what? I freaked out in the "real" swim and ended up backstroking my butt off for a few hundred meters then switching to breast stroke. I think i actually doggie paddeled at one point. Who knows!?

The point is, i made it through the swim (19 min/800 m. -embarassing!) then did not kill it on the bike, and then did not even close kill it on the run. I ended up with a time of 1:37 (i wanted 1:30) and ran a 9:00 mile.

A 9:00 mile!!!!!!!! What is wrong with me??????????????????????????????



After Salem Tri we hit the Dirty Dash for a quick 5k mud run

 I soon found out. The lingering doom was just 48 hours ahead when i went in to see my sports chiropractor that Monday. My wonderful chiropractor had been taping and cold lasering and god knows what to my ass just to get me through these triathlons. I had this painful torn glute muscle (and possibly hamstring) since that faithful day in April at CrossFit when i did a heavy deadlift. It nagged, it re-torn, it hurt, it throbbed and the worst of all.. it NEVER got better.

My chiropractor finally said enough is enough and sent me to a sports doctor the next day. The sports doc said the words i had been dreading, "you are OUT for the WHOLE season".. NO RUNNING for a few months!!! That's when my heart stopped, my life ended and i couldn't breath.

No running ment exactly that.. not breathing, not living, no challenges, a bottomless pit of nothing!!! NOTHING MY FRIENDS.

Headed to bed... THE SAGA CONTINUES ON THE NEXT POST...

Woman of Steel Triathlon

Swim: 300 m Bike: 13 miles Run: 3 miles

Yup -it was amazing!! My first triathlon and i smiled through the whole thing. I finished in 1 hour and 24 minutes and took #37 in my age group. Out of 900 woman i took #164 place. I am amazed at what my body can do. I LOVE MY BODY!!!!!

I pushed through the run even though my injuries were in a constant nagging state. My ankle hurt through the run, but my torn glute, which i thought would be the worst, seemed to hold up the best. Go figure.

I PR'd on my 5k (23:57) with a possible stress fracture. I'll find out tonight when i get the x-ray if it's a strained muscle or fracture. Let's pray for the first one!

My next triathlon is in 9 days and i'm freakin a little. Just a bit. I've never done an open water swim and i can't help but think it's going to be tough.

A few of us are headed out tomorrow morining on Utah Lake at 6am for our first open swim. If you don't hear back from me in a few days... call 911!!

Who says you can't run in a skirt?



Don't you just love my messy house in the background?

 Some of my most memorable hikes have been in zero drop gummy sandals from Old Navy and a flowing white skirt that trimmed my knees. I've matured since those "hippie" days and i am now hooked on running skirts.

My newest addition to my skirt- family is my black Kyodan shortie. I bought it just for my upcoming triathlon (which is my first.. YIKES!).

Race day is soon approaching and oddly enough i don't feel nervous. I'm excited, but not having any pre-race jitters. I wonder why?

Picking up my race packet tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait!
Have a great week everyone.



Here I am in Zion National Park with my "hippie" skirt in 2010



Now i can be a "lady" when i run

Or Not!



Welcome to the club

Question:

How do you train for 5 triathlons, 2 half marathons, 3 5k's, take care of a husband, a handicap child and a 7 year old, while still writing a running blog?

The answer:

You don't!! Hence the disappearance of me for a few weeks.

I've come to the conclusion, if you write on your blog every week (or sometimes every day) you must be apart of one of these clubs.

1. I don't have children club.
2. I don't have a job or I am a stay-at-home mom/dad club.
3. I don't really run club.. faker!!
4. I am highly organized and have been treated for OCD in my lifetime club.
5. I take my childs ADHD medicine club.

I'm in a club too.. actually quite a few.

1. Injured club (torn glute)
2. Skipping workouts to spend time with my husband because he never see's me club.
3. Freaking out because my triathlon is in 4 days club.
4. Why did i sign up for 5 triathlons this summer club?

What club are you in?

Here are a few pictures from my skipped bike workout. Instead of hills on the bike, i fired up the campfire and toasted marshmellows while daddy finished up the playhouse. 

Not what i expected



And you thought running gear was hard?!!

 The deal: 25 mile bike ride and a 10 mile run with 4 other cyclist, triathletes, runners.

Preperation: Up until 10:00pm packing, worrying, debating, thinking.. finally around 12:00 sleep arrived.

Dream: Kicking some serious butt on a 25 miler then timing my transition (hopefully under 2:00 min.) and then hauling on foot up a mountain.

What "really" happened: We all froze to death on the bikes at 30 degrees.. headed back after 7/8 miles, then everyone whining and complaining about dipping their toes in coffee and having a hot breakfast.

As a runner i exclaim, "You mean we aren't going to run??"

Might as well have told me there was no air on the planet. I said a courteous goodbye to the others and went to my special place where i am always welcomed.. MOTHER NATURE (if you live in Utah.. aka THE MOUNTAINS).

I enbark on a 4 mile run up Mount Timp huffing and puffing and realize something big. Very BIG.  In the aftermath of biking 8 miles, catching my breath through the rocky hills, catching a glimse of (probably) the last covered snow mountains, and reaching a silence that only birds get to hear.. i realized one thing.

I AM A RUNNER. I am not a biker, even though i enjoy it. I am not a swimmer even though it's challenging. I am a runner by heart and nature. Why?

I can catch a moment in every run that is absolute serenity. I can't explain it. It never happens in a swim or a bike, but in a run i feel like i'm "home". Like i was born to do this.

Born to run. Oh, yeah!.. i'm by no means fast, but i have peace with my mind, body and soul when i run and that makes me feel fast.

Are you born to run??

First Place in Timp Shadow 5k!!

 It was an icy cold trail race, but worth fighting the wind to win first place in my age group (30-39 years) and 4th overall in the womans.Timp Shadow is the first of three trail races through the Wasatch mountains. It was a beautiful run, but boy did my lungs sting from the elevation. I havn't been consistantly training in the mountains for about a month and when we hit 5,500 feet i couldn't catch my breath for anything. Luckily it was only a 5k.

This race was the "baby" of the 3. Next race is Gruesome Grizzly 10k and it sounds like a mean mother.

I'd love to give 100% to trail running but i've got 5 triathlons coming up and i need to put all my eggs in one basket for now. Trail racing will just have to be on my list as "fun runs".

I love going out for a "fun" race and winning. Has that ever happened to you?

Endurance Certification

I gave up a trip to Disneyland with my girls for this! I paid an arm and a leg for this! I have to spend 2 full days away from my family for this!
But, i know it will be worth it in the end.
This weekend i will be getting my CrossFit Endurance Certification!!!!
I have so many ideas about how i could use this cert. But my 2 main reasons are true and pure to my heart. I want to be a better runner & i want to help others begin to run.
I can't tell you how many people ask me about how to start running, how to get better, how to PR, but i don't know exactly what to say.
All i know is CrossFit Endurance combined with CrossFit and the Paeleo diet WORKS and it works BIG!
I am so excited to share my knowledge and begin something big.

What is thou in a name?

Right before the "bricks" hit

Ever wonder why things are called what they are? I think of silly things like this all the time. This morning, while swimming my 500 meter time trial (13:38), i made up my grocery list in my head, thought about eating a fat cheesburger once (FINE!!..twice), and thought about how i would feel when i'm finally in the locker room, taking a hot shower.

What is thou in a name:

Tabata running workout: It's named after Izumi Tabata in Japan. He conducted tests on two groups of athletes; comparing moderate versus high intesity.

Guess who won? The short spurts of high intesity training gave by far more benifits than longer moderate training. Hence why CrossFit kicks your butt and you see faster results. For example, my workouts this whole week have been under 20 minutes and I feel in better shape than when I was running 30 miles a week. I like Izumi.. he was a smart guy and he helps me spend more time with my family. GO JAPAN!

Bricking workout: Bricking is combining 2 activities in a single workout. The bike to run is the hardest transtition for triathletes, as I found out this weekend. I ran 1 mile (8:07) then ran through the house like a mad woman (my daughter's playdate just gawked at me with an open mouth), changed shoes and rode on the bike trainer for 8 minutes. Hopped off and ran another mile (7:31).

Ooh, that hurt!! The second mile i looked down and i could not feel my legs -no joke. They felt like "bricks"; hence bricking. BRICKS ARE HEAVY!

LSD: Couldn't you just picture a runner asking another runner if they got their LSD in this week? Hilarious! LSD is an abbreviation for "Long, Slow Distance, which refers to the practice of runniing longer distances at an "easy" pace rather than shorter ones to exhaustion. It allows the runner to go longer and, therefore, gain more fitness (i don't know about that last part?!?!) JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS?

Any other names you find odd?

Spilling The Beans

I have no plan and only 10 weeks away from my first tri. My endurance trainer tells me 10 weeks is an eternity in the tri-world. Then why does it feel just around the corner. Here's me spilling the beans about training for 5 -yes 5 upcoming triathlons.

Here is what IS working:
- x5 day a week CrossFit (this makes me feel like a goddess.. if i can deadlift 195 pounds -or- do 100 pull ups in a row -or- run a mile after throwing a 16 pound ball 50 times in the air...  well sir, i can do just about anything!)
- i bumped up swiming to x2 times a week
- sticking to a strict muscle building Paleo diet (2 cheat meals a week)
- "i got this" attitude (you freakin' ran a marathon last year.. you CAN do this Farrah!)


Here is what's NOT working:
- the big mac i just scarfed down today
- i've never bricked before in my life
- i almost never ride my bike (4 times since december!!) Ouch!
- i am still breaking in my new zero drop shoes.. double ouch!
- i don't have charts, schedules or any organization involved in my training
- "i don't got this" attitude (what if you fail, fall, drown, drop out??)

Any advice??

My New Eve's

 I am cheap. Beyond cheap. So when I buy a new pair of running shoes, I research, study, compare, and evaluate. The night before i punched in my visa number, i was tossing and turning, contemplating all sides of each shoe. I finally found "thee" pair.

The Fed Ex truck pulled up early this morning and I ran out in the frosty winter air, snatched the box from the driver's hands and took off into the house. The poor guy didn't know what hit him.

I tried them on and giggled. They fit like a glove! I didn't waste any time. I hit the pavement on a 3 mile quickie run and felt as if i were running in the clouds.

Do you also feel like a giddy school girl when you get a new pair of running shoes?

Valentine's Tea Party x14



Valentine's Tea Party

 The things you do for your kids. Here were some of the choice quotes from that afternoon. Which was pleasant, but by no means relaxing.

1. "I'd rather be running."

2. "Really?? All 14 girls can come? What a surpriiiise! Wonderful Livi's."

3. "Red soda will eventually come out.. really sweetheart, stop crying."

                                                                       4. "Did we really say 12:00-3:00!?! Oh,
                                                                       my gosh, it's only 12:45!"

                   5. "I'd rather be running."
                      (whoops, did i write that twice?)

Am i a bad mom or what?... or maybe i'm just normal and no one else reveals these truths?
Just sayin.

Moonlight Snowshoeing

MINUS:
1. Felt like BIGFOOT half the time (fiiine..all the time!).
2. You can't run!!!!! (Enough said!)
3. You have to slow down for the elder folk in the group. (I really do love old people).

PLUS:
1. Moonlight makes everything seem like a "snow white dream". (FYI: There was no alcohol involved... maybe a little hot chocolate.)
2. You can't run!!! (You actually slow down and enjoy nature.)
3. Fellowship (Definition: In Christianity, a term (translated from the Greek koinonia) referring to individual Christians who are in Christian communion with each other.)

Go snowshoe in the moonlight for goodness sakes!!

Altra Eve Minimal Running Shoes

My new toy..or should i say my new "toys" since they come in two's.
I just bought my first pair of minimal running shoes. I've bought minimal before but never with zero drop. I'm kinda' excited to try them out.

I have been wanting to buy minimals for some time now. My research dug up my top favorites.
1. Newton. These are amazing, but mostly for triathlon's and they are not built for running longer than a 10K.
2. Inov-8. These are used by CrossFitters with a gummy sole.
3. Merrell-glove. Love these, but everyone at my gym has them...snooze/boring!

When i get them in the mail, i will be sure to send out a review.
PS: Free shipping at Born To Run

What do you run in?? Have you ever ran in a zero drop shoe?

CrossFit Warning: You might just change into the person you've always wanted to be

It can't be said enough.. it really changes everything. You come out a different person. Things that seemed impossible are not only possible, but done with a mental and physical clarity that is astonishing! It's not pretty, easy or a walk in the park. But if you've ever wanted to transform yourself into someone else.. a better version of yourself- this is the place to do it.

Friday Breakfast.. caveman style



My breakfast this morning: Paleo Eggs Benedict

 It's been a little over a year since i started training for my first marathon. 10 months since i started CrossFit and 4 months since i began to eat Paleo (aka: Caveman diet).

All my CrossFit buddies pushed, nagged and pulled me into their Paleo ways, but to no avail, I would not bow down. In a nut shell, i thought it was stupid -i mean, how smart were caveman anyway?

But slowly i started seeing the light -or the darkness first... muscle fatigue, no energy, achy knees, and low times on my running and CrossFit workouts. So, i thoght it'd give it a try. I started out slowly (this would mean 2 straight Paleo days and 5 cheat days). Then i bumped it up and now i am on 6 strict Paleo days and 1 cheat day.

I feel amazing!! An apple tastes as sweet as a big ol' slice of chocolate cake. No more belly bloating and feeling sluggish. And the best of all, my times have gone down and i am starting to PR again. And i must brag a little.. my muscle's are looking lean and ripped.

Could this be the next diet craze. Nope! It's the next "life style" craze. And I'm on the band wagon! Yee Haaaw!!

Missing In Action

I know, i know -i've been MIA for a few months. Triathlon training is not all that it's cracked up to be. As my husband so endearingly put it, "You mean you have to do 3 sports in one race? Why would anyone want to do that?"
Yes darling, you have to do 3 sports in one race. But, if you are a CrossFitter, then it incorporates 5 time consuming sports.

Here's the break down:
1. Running
2. Bicycling
3. Swimming
4. CrossFitting
5. CrossFit Endurance

Could my life be anymore hectic?? Throw a running blog on top of that and you have a recipe for disaster.. or a MIA.

But can I tell you a secret? Out of all the sports and all the tedious hours i spend trying to tame these 5 beasts -running is still and always be my passion. I have such a love for running, it feels as though, it is inbeded in me like thousands of years of running-DNA.

Here are some of my favorite pictures since i've been Missing In Action. Oh, there's been plenty of action!



Myself and my sister.




Dancing around the Christmas tree.. danish style.



Bel getting Thriller on dvd for Christmas.



Getting use to my new bicycle trainer.




Liv starting ski school.




Our first snow.




New Years Eve with myself, sister and mom.