Taking Flight

My kids have asked me many times, "If you could be any animal, what would you be?"  Most people say a bird.  That's always what my kids say.  I always say something like a horse or a cheetah that can run really fast.  They think it's weird that I wouldn't want to fly.  To me it's the same thing, and horses don't have to eat worms.

Earlier this week I was on the treadmill at the gym.  A few minutes into my run, an elite runner that I see there every once in a while showed up.  He's so much fun to watch.  (But probably only to someone that is fascinated with running.)  He is small, probably 5' 5" and always sets the treadmill on something outrageously fast, even for a person with long legs.  There was one point when he was gliding over the speeding tread at 12.5 mph, that he held his arms out to the side like he was flying.  His legs were moving forward and backward, obviously, but his body was just gliding so effortlessly like he was flying.  I'm embarrassed to say it... but it made me emotional.  I don't know what it is about running that I think is so beautiful.  I think watching a really fast elite runner is like watching a bird flying.  So graceful... and completely created by your own heart and muscles and joints and effort.  It's all you.  That is a thing of beauty.



Today I was on the treadmill again and kept that image of him in my head, just gliding effortlessly over the moving ground.  I have been convinced for a long time that so much of this running thing is mind over matter.   Today's run felt a little like a short slow flight, but a flight nonetheless.  I will carry that image with me on every run from now on.

GDO pt. 2 - The Pics

                              On our way!

                              Top of the world!

Girls Day Out!

                                   
This weekend is a scout campout, so Ron took the three boys overnight.  Just me and Miss Priss for most of the day today and most of tomorrow.  I got in the car right after they left with a couple of bagels, the baby backpack (which she is way to big for) and some water bottles,  not knowing where I was going to go.  I just knew I wanted to be outside.

We ended up in Snow Canyon.  I just parked at the first spot I saw and started off with the map.  I'm a horrible planner-aheader, and also very impatient.  Those two qualities combined make for what some more positive people would call "spontaneous,"  but it's really just bad planner plus very impatient.  Usually I get lucky on these adventures though.  Today was no exception.  I just let Sarah roam and hike on the Three Ponds Trail.  We also did the Whipple loop, which is really cool for little kids.  There's a little slot canyon to walk through that she thought was cool.  We found some secluded little caves that she played around in for 20 minutes.  She also learned the very most important survival skill for camping women...   the squat.  First try and not a drop of pee on her feet or pants.  She's a natural outdoorswoman.  I couldn't be more proud.   I finally had to just put her in the backpack and drag her out because it was getting late.  We spend the next hour at the sand dunes in perfect weather, running around on the cool sand...   Perfect day.  I would love to post a gazilion pictures of Sarah that I took with  my phone here, but for some reason they aren't going through email like they usually do so easily.   These are the ones I took when I got my real camera and sat down at the sand dunes.

These times alone with Sarah are becoming more frequent since Ron has been called as the scout advisor for the Deacons.  I really enjoy the time with Miss Priss to do whatever I want.  All day today I've felt like I am in heaven with no errands to run, no one to get to a lesson, nothing that HAS to be cleaned and nobody waiting at home for something to eat.  However, I have realized something about myself as the night started coming on.  That is that even though I am most comfortable alone, it's not good for me.  Alone with my thoughts and I can bank on ending up depressed.  I really need to stay busy and surrounded by my responsibilities.  I'll enjoy the day alone tomorrow, but I'll be glad when the stinky boys get home. : )

Sarah digs the Chariot.  It's more like riding in a convertible than a stroller.  The only problem is that there isn't a brake or a safety strap.  I have to pay more attention.  And the front wheels swivel, which make it so much nicer when turning a corner, but it turns sometimes when I don't really want it to.  Overall, it's easier to run with.

I'm debating signing up for the Red Rock Ultra again.  I feel the need to cross a finish line. 

HAIR

I have hair issues.  It makes me crazy more than anything else about me, and that really says alot.  I don't like it long ~ It's straggly and frizzy.  I like I okay short, but when it's short I get funny comments.  Mainly from men. "Why did you do THAT?"  I don't like it blonde because I have dark eyebrows and it doesn't look like it matches.   With bangs.  Without bangs.  Long bangs, short bangs... It's naturally dark blonde with some fairly light streaks throughout, but it's mostly mousey.  I just dyed it darker than I ever have.  I felt like I maybe found something I could live with, but I am getting more uncomfortable comments from people than ever before.   My family saw me a couple of weeks ago and flat out told me it's awful.   What's a girl to do!? 

These are the two extremes.  I think I like it best somewhere in between.  Although I'm convinced I'm never actually going to like it no matter what.

A walk on the Beach...

I have become such a baby about the cold that we haven't been running outside at all for months.  Today was a beautiful day, (still freezing to me when we started but it warmed up after a while) so we ventured out after the boys left for the Klondike camp out.

The flood plain is cleared of all the shrubs and Tamarisk trees that are usually there, and there is a huge beach in it's place.  Sarah loves sand and rocks, so I let her play for a bit.  I love this age (hers) and watching her discover things and enjoy the simplest things so thoroughly.

We didn't get much further before coming to the section that was destroyed in the floods.  The river changed coarse and is now flowing where the path used to be.  Grrrr..

Last day of Summer break!

And the first run outdoors that I can remember. I don't think I've run outside more than 4 times this summer. And that's okay. Today was perfect temps probably still in the 70's at 8:30 when I left, which is unheard of during August, so even though there was other things that needed to be done this morning, I left the kids and did a very. slow. 13 miles. Noah had a birthday party at 10, so I woke him up and told him he was going to need to get himself ready for that, and that he also was going to have to just stick a ten dollar bill in an envelope for a gift because I wasn't about to skip the run for a trip to Target. Did I mention the ten dollars was Noahs, because I didn't even have any cash? Ryan had just walked in from a back to school sleep over party, so I told him his thank you to me for letting him do that (We don't usually allow sleepovers. A story for a different post.) was to watch Sarah while I was gone. The reason the run was so slow was because I went to (choke) Crossfit last night with Ron. I felt like I need a little change. A little push with the resistance training. It was fun and I think I'll keep going.