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!