It appears that running has broken up with me. I haven't been able to run more than 3 miles at a time since the Salt Lake Half Marathon. I could barely walk for about a week after because of hip pain. I finally went to the sports medicine doctor and after x-rays and an ultrasound he determined that I have tendinitis and bursitis in my right hip (i.e. inflammation). I am now on an anti-inflammatory and I have exercises and stretches to do everyday.

I have a hard time taking things down a notch. It is hard to just run 3 miles when I know that I am capable of more. Yesterday I ran 1.5 miles and burned less than 400 calories. At the peak of my training I was burning about 1200 calories a workout. I am finding it extremely difficult to start over. I don't want to start over, and as a result I have been pushing myself too hard. I have been looking forward to my next run, the Seattle Half Marathon in June. I got online today to check on the race and it is sold out. I think this may be an omen that I have to slow down and take it easy. I HATE OMENS.

P.S.
Today is a perfect odd day 05/07/09. Random but true.

A SHOUT OUT TO MY GIRLS

I have the best flatmates and friends. Thanks for making me smile everyday and snort at least once a week. I can't wait for our next night at The Pie.

THE SCENT OF SPRING

I was thinking about how certain scents take me back to childhood experiences. One of my favorite movies is "Someone Like You," the main character Jane (Ashley Judd) talks about how scents are very closely linked to emotions. She also talks about having the part of her brain responsible for the sense of smell removed so that she can forget about an ex-boyfriend. I don't think I would go that far, but I do agree that scents are closely related to emotion.

The smell of bleach reminds me of the Deseret Gym. I learned how to swim, play racquetball, and jump off the high dive at the the Deseret Gym. My dad used to give us "sharky" rides in the pool. We also used to buy ice cream sandwiches from the vending machine on our way out. Every time I clean my bathroom I think about the gym because I clean with bleach.

It really isn't Spring until you have smelled a lilac. I remember the lilac tree at a rental property my parents owned. I spent a lot of time in the yard while they did work at the rental property. We would "play" with the water chestnuts that had fallen off the trees. In reality my parents had tricked us into cleaning them up. There is also a lilac tree up in Hoytsville at the graveyard I would visit every Memorial day with my Nana and Mom.

I love the smell of freshly cut grass. Every time I mow the lawn I think about running around in my parents backyard barefoot in the Spring. I also remember pulling up hand fulls of grass to bury my feet in.

The smell of freshly baked gingersnaps reminds me of my Nana. She always had a gingersnap for us when we would visit. Sometimes they weren't so fresh but every time I see a gingersnap I think of Nana.

So what scents take you back to your childhood?

ARIZONA

I spent my Spring Break down in Phoenix with my brother Jeff. If he hadn't picked me up in his truck at the airport I probably would have walked by him. He has grown a full beard since I was in Phoenix back in January. I had a great time hanging out with him in the warm weather while Utah got hit with snowstorm after snowstorm.

The picture below was taken on top of Black Mountain near Cave Creek. I honestly didn't know we were hiking so I wasn't dressed very appropriately. Jeff left me in the dust. He is a freaking mountain goat. The view from the top was great. Cave Creek is probably my favorite part of Phoenix. There were so many cactus there and the town had a small town charm. Jeff was working on a house up there. I watched as he tore down a porch, exterior wall, and installed an eight foot door.

Our parents came down a few days after I arrived. Our first stop after picking them up was the Tee Pee. This is my dad's favorite restaurant. Most of us order the Presidential Special (two cheese enchiladas with rice and beans) if you are ever there you should try it out.

This is Jeff loading up his trailer one day up in Cave Creek. He bought it a few months ago and loves it because it dumps with the push of a button. I made two trips to the dump with him. Going to the dump was definately an educational experience.

We went to a Diamondbacks game. It was my first Major League Baseball game. The Diamondbacks lost to the Rockies. I loved the atmosphere at Chase Field. I will definately go back again.

After the game we went to a movie and then got some good BBQ at Lucielle's. We ordered the family special which came with two racks of ribs, a full chicken, four sides, and biscuits. It was SO GOOD.

I love going to visit Jeff. Jeff is an optimist and you can't help but be optimistic when you are with him. He is a dreamer and makes others believe that no dream is impossible. Jeff lives each day of his life like it is Christmas morning. I hope that when I "grow" up I will be like Jeff. Thanks for an awesome Spring Break!

SALT LAKE HALF MARATHON

I may not be able to walk very well today but on Saturday I was able to run. I ran the Salt Lake Half Marathon. My official time was 1:53:21 . I was able to shave 13 minutes off my Moab time and 11 minutes off my Phoenix time. I broke the two hour mark which has been my goal.

I was a little hesitant going into the race because of the hip injury that I have been dealing with since the Moab race. But, I loved running through the streets of Salt Lake. I had a better idea of how far I was running and was able to keep myself motivated. Running downhill the majority of the race didn't hurt either. I stuck to my plan and only walked for a minute when I reached each water station (at least for the first 10.5 miles). I started to realize I may break the two hour mark. The last couple miles were torture, runnin/walking up State Street was definately my low, but I was able to finish the race strong.


I spent the rest of the day with family. Max had a soccer game. Imagine 3-5 year olds playing soccer (aka skipping up and down the field no where near the ball). Then I headed out to Lagoon and watched Emily, Max, and Ben enjoy their first rides of the season.

ANYWHERE BUT HERE

I started this post a few months ago and finally got around to finishing it...

January and February are the bleakest months of the year (I'm now going to add March and April to this list). As soon as I get back from Winter Vacation, I am counting down to the next break. FYI:

• 10 work days between Winter Vacation and Martin Luther King Day
• 19 work days between Martin Luther King Day and Presidents' Day
• 34 work days between Presidents' Day and Spring Break
• 30 work days between Spring Break and Memorial Day
• 9 work days between Memorial Day and the Summer

Technically I have just 39 work days until Summer but I need something to help me get through it. I found it today. I am going to Alaska! I just booked a cruise. I am now picturing myself whale watching, riding helicopters and dog sleds, and eating salmon (not so sure about the salmon yet but I'll try). I just have to make it to Summer. The pictures below are definately motivating me.

Seattle, Washington

Juneau, Alaska

Glacier Bay, Alaska

Sitka, Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska

Victoria, Canada

Seattle, Washington

I'll run a half marathon the day after the cruise ship ports. The elevation chart looks awesome!

As I have been daydreaming about all the places I want to go this summer I came across a unique way of sightseeing. It is called City Running Tours. You literally get a tour of the city while you are running with an experienced guide. It costs $60 for the first 6 miles and $6 bucks for every mile after that. The tours are available in Austin, Charleston, Chicago, New York, San Diego, and Washington DC. Sounds like a unique way to see a new city.

ELEVATION CONTINUED

Here are a few pictures of me from the Moab half marathon. I really tried to smile every time I saw a camera so that I would look like I was enjoying it. I can definately say the smile in the last two pictures is real because I was DONE. The smile in the first two pictures is not quite so real.