THE Boston Marathon

     
Yesterday was AMAZING. Scott got up early & left for the race. I will try to get a guest post from him in the next day or two. (Right, Scott?) I ate breakfast & plotted my stops along the way. I could not have prepared myself for the crowds. As I went to board the subway, a Patriot’s Day celebration was taking place in the plaza. Lots of soldiers, the pledge of allegiance, & the national anthem. The mayor. Very cool that I happened to be at the starting of the parade.
For the first stop of the day, I rode the green line out to Woodline  (mile 17). All of the passengers on the subway were chasing runners and happy! For a few minutes I wondered where the runners would be, but as soon as I stepped off the train, I could hear the crowds & the bells [given out on the course]. There were already a lot of people waiting for the wheelchair division & the Elites.
The race was so inspirational!

• The wheelchair athletes came through, pushing with only their arms. What stood out to me the most was the number of young male amputees – veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fastest athletes had been training for years & were really fast (25-30 mph fast!). The newer athletes definitely struggled but were still amazing.
• The elites came next. Elite marathon runners finish the race in less that two hours and fifteen minutes. (That’s really fast!!!) Police cars & photographers came by first & then the runners, hugging the edge of the course to run the shortest distance possible. I could have touched them from where I was standing! The women’s winner was Teyba Erkesso. Kosgei (pictured above) took third place. They were all amazing!!!
• The male elites ran as a pack – the BAA site says
“At 15 miles the split was 1:12:32 (4:57) with 1:17:10 (4:38) appearing one mile later. By this point, Cheruiyot had edged his way to the forefront, with the right hand turn at the Newton Firehouse on a near horizon and the hills immediately in front. As it was, so it is. The hills have told the tale before and did again this year. A 5:09 mile brought the pack to 17 in 1:22:19, at which point Cheruiyot had taken command, injecting a telling surge. Merga responded quickly, as did the pack; though it was evident that some damage was being done. Hall was, it seemed, struggling, close to 30 seconds off the pace, while Keflezighi appeared also to be feeling the effects.” Did you see that? 5:00 minute miles for the whole distance!!! I tried to get a picture of Ryan Hall, but he was running close to the crowds & Mr. Big-Fat-Head moved out in front of me with his camera so I missed him. It was still cool to see him close up.
• Next, I was able to see Scott. Luckily, he saw me & stopped to take  a video. He seemed to be having a great time. I kissed him & ran to get on the next subway (with lots & lots of other people). I squished on the subway, standing in a corner & talking to a lady from Phoenix, Arizona. I walked down the hill at the “Resevoir” stop, about 23 miles. I saw many people that I had seen before Scott & then started to see many whom I had not. When I saw a guy dressed as a rubber ducky – I knew that I had somehow missed Scott.

I went back to the subway station, squished into a corner at the front by the driver, and slowly, slowly made my way towards the finish line. I was tired & hungry (& my blood-sugar was low). Scott called me to let me know that he had finished, walked 1/2-mile to the bus to pick up his clothes & his phone, and walks back to the hotel. I was LOST and had a difficult time finding my way back to the hotel. Finally, a subway guy helped me get to the right gate to ride the subway back. Scott had been taken care of by the hotel - they had showers reserved & snacks for the runners in a room. He recovers so fast!!! He has already been out to run two times.
The race was huge & the crowds were huge! When I was waiting at mile 17, the runners started a few at a time & then came in swarms. Hundreds & hundreds & thousands of people all on a collision course with Copley Square. So many runners & fans & supporters. Everywhere that we went in town was swarmed with runners & their fans. The blue jackets with the unicorn logo were all over the place.
I hope we can return next year!!!

It’s the Boston Marathon, baby!!!

Scott left our hotel room early this morning – excited, nervous, and ready. I am planning to catch him at miles 16.8 and 22. Beyond that, everything is gravy. It is hard to know how crowded the subway will be. Based on a few rides that we had yesterday, I am hoping that my feet will touch the ground & I can find a bar to hang on to.

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, we went to stake conference and ate lunch with Scott’s friend Steve & his family who live near the Boston Temple. (So beautiful!!!) They are a great family – I couldn’t help but think how well our two families would fit together. Hopefully we can meet up with them at the beach or the slopes someday.

After stake conference, Steve took us to see the battlefield at Concord. As we stepped onto the grounds, I felt that I was treading on sacred ground. I am so grateful for the beautiful country that we live in & for the freedom to worship that we enjoy.When we visited Nauvoo several years ago, I could feel the presence of the people who lived there & built up the city. I felt the same way yesterday with the people who sacrificed so I can be free.

Scott is ready to run!  I made a name badge for him on muslin & sewed it to his technical shirt – we ran out of safety pins.  He left right after 6 this morning to get on the bus to Hopkinton – and just arrived at 8 a.m. The race begins at 10 a.m. & Scott’s in wave 1.

There will be tons & tons of crowds along the way. I can’t wait to see him (and the wheelchairs & the elites). I will post more pictures & results later.

Sweetness!

 

Terrific Kid – two kids from each class are picked based on good behavior & good citizenship. He was so excited to be picked!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The celebration happened the morning after we decided to turn in the diorama late – I had been too busy with kids throwing up & driving the limo to & from baseball practices, piano, scouts, & night class to make any progress. It took about five hours! If you can’t get a late pass in second grade, then when???

 

 

 

 

I love this picture – my new camera has an amazing zoom lens. I switched to manual focus & took this shot through the fence from the bleachers. He was standing out by second base. So fun!!! It was super hot & there’s not much action on the field. Luckily, our coach is a really good pitcher. In kid pitch, that totally matters. He has watched A LOT of baseball on TV so he understands the mechanics of the game. Unfortunately, baseball is a lot of waiting around.

Success is more than Just a Medal!

Scott, my mom, my sister Julie, and I were all supposed to run in Myrtle Beach in February. The race was cancelled due to what we who live in the South call “snow”.

Scott wanted to re-qualify for the Boston Marathon so we needed to find another race. We found the Snickers Marathon in Albany, Georgia. (… I originally made hotel reservations at the hotel in Albany, New York.)

We ran – it was freezing in the morning & perfect by the end.

I learned a bunch of lessons that are carrying on into my everyday life.

• When the going gets tough? just grit your teeth (or your brain) and keep on going – hopefully the finish is just around the next corner – or at least a cute smiling Marine to cheer you on.
• Do you feel pain? It’s just a massage that’s helping to loosen your muscles.
• Lost? Just follow the bum in front of you.
• Hungry? Hopefully there’s something left in your back pocket. Shot blocks are yummy.
• Tired & sore? Ibuprofen and time.
• Recovery? It just takes time. It’s now April & I feel like I’m still recovering.

We had someone take our picture early, early in the morning before the race. We picked up our packets, warmed up in the car, stretched, waited in line for the portajohns, waited again, and then we were off. We did not run one step of the race near each other but it was wonderful to be participating in the same event. I was so tired in the middle (mile 7?) that I couldn’t do simple math. I was trying to envision where Scott was at on the course. I loved being at the finish line early enough to see him come in. I definitely do better when someone else is waiting for me to get my snacks though. :)

After I saw Scott head towards the finish line, I couldn’t find him! I walked around & finally thought to see him at the medical tent. He was sitting down & resting.

Scott’s time was 3:27.00 for the marathon.

My time was 2:46 & change for the half.

Next stop? Boston.

 

 

I come in peace. I mean you no harm, and you all will die!

This is my desk. I hope you will still be my friends.

How could I let it get at this state? I am organized enough, the bills usually get paid, and we arrive at our destinations. Yesterday, I took control & now there are only about 20 items remaining. Why do I let it get this bad? Because of HER. and HIM. and THEM. Who? I am talking about the customer service representatives that I have to talk to to solve problems. I don’t take care of my paperwork because I end up on hold ALL DAY LONG!

Whew! Now I feel better. BTW Isn’t that a cute picture of Jared? We were out at the tide pools on Pawley’s Island when he was two or three with our friend, Beach. Too much fun. At least there are good memories behind that horrendous pile.

Can you name the movie that the title is from?

Pre-race Jitters

Now that I have done a few races (one half, several 5Ks, one 8K), I am learning that the way that I handle the jitters is by SHOPPING! I bought three very nice new t-shirts the other day, an armband for my iphone, and some shot blocks (like super-dooper gummy snacks). I guess I am ready – 13.1 miles tomorrow morning and ibuprofen for the next few days. Exciting!!! Based on last years finishers and my normal walking speed, I should be finished by about 10:15 a.m. & be just in time to see Scott finish!!! SO EXCITED.

Green Valley 8K Race

On Thursday my good friend Amy told me that she was running a race on Saturday. I have signed up to do the Snickers Half-Marathon in a few weeks since Myrtle Beach was canceled. I signed up for the race on my phone in the Costco parking lot. Last night another friend Danielle mentioned that she was going – so we went together.

I was SO scared. I had never run an 8K before (about 4.96 miles). I walked a half marathon a few years ago, but I have had sore feet for three months & only done a 2.0 mile walk & a 5.0 mile walk/run on Wednesday of this week. My ITB (outside of the knee) was really, really tight & painful after Wednesday. But I decided to try – I stay on my feet for hours & hours every day, right? I could walk if I needed to. My goal was to finish in 1:15.00 minutes.

It was COLD to start – I wore Scott’s nice fleece gloves (thanks Julie!) plus a long-sleeved jacket. I had checked out the times from last year & knew that I would be in the END of the pack. I decided to run two minutes, walk three minutes for the race. It worked! The campus is beautiful – I even took a picture while I was walking. (… while putting the camera/ipod back into my pocket, I accidentally turned up the volume & blasted my ears.) The course was a lot hillier than I expected. The hardest point for me was the hill that was right after the 3.0 mark – mentally I knew that I had not raced that far. Luckily, my walk came just after that point & I was able to talk to “Michelle” for the next three minutes. It was funny being at the end of the back – the cyclists kept riding by to make sure that we were all still upright.

Music really helped me on the run – I made a new playlist this morning & enjoyed all but one song. (Bad language/topic – I didn’t know!!!)  For the last mile I just decided to run as much as I could. My time was 58:46. Not super fast but not really that slow either. :) I am so happy that I went the distance & finished & that my feet didn’t kill me. Next week I have to run 2, 5, & 6 miles.

“I Love Technology!”

Let’s sing in our best Napoleon voices! Lately, I have just been fascinated by all things techy! A few of my favorite things include:

The Flip video recorder is a tiny, easy-to-hold & use camcorder. It is just slightly larger than my old cell phone. It takes descent videos & the software allows you to take a snapshot from a video. The picture of the whale shark was taken from a video that I took yesterday at the Georgia Aquarium.  The whale sharks are only seen in captivity in Atlanta, China, & Japan plus in the wild in Mexico.

I think that the Flip could be very useful for photographing young children & babies. You choose a general time frame to take a snapshot & then pick frame by frame for the best shot.

 

My cell phone has been giving me great grief. If I held it the wrong way, I could hear you but you couldn’t hear me. My hubby & oldest son told me to get an iPhone & one day I finally did it. Usually, I research things out but this time I just jumped. The guy at the store even said, “You can bring it back if you don’t like it, but you are really going to love it!” And I do. It’s great to have my calendar with me all the time – and my to-do list – and a phone book, ipod, Pandora radio (fave!), LDS radio broadcasts, the scriptures, general conference addresses, etc. Today, I learned how to use the voice feature. I say “Call home!” and it does. Oh yeah, and I love having a camera & a basic video recorder. And APPS – my favorite funny? Sit or Squat – an application that helps you find the closest restroom facilities that are open for business.

 

My new digital camera has been a lot of fun! I love the details on faces, the droplets of water in mid-air, and the split-second action shots. I feel like it is very complicated still, but I love some of the results so far!

        

 

Our van has been a wonderful vehicle. I have never dreamed of owning a mini-van. It is just the most

practical and gas efficient way that we have found to take lots of people & stuff where we need to go. My boys asked me one day what type of car I would drive if I could. Because it has never been a choice, it has never crossed my mind.

I have driven to Seattle and back once (& only once). I have driven to the beach & back & been a passenger a lot of times. I have driven to & from school at least 170 times per year. We crossed the 100k mark about the same time that we paid it off. Hopefully, we will have another 100k miles on it. It has been a great car. And I think it is green.

DVR is the final cool thing I would like to praise – I love that I could record the Olympics & watch them whenever I want to and with or without commercials. I love watching & rewatching what I miss. I love that the television works for me & my time abilities & not the other way around. I still don’t know how to turn the silly machines on & off for watching movies but at least I can watch TV.

What are your favorite techy devices?

Myrtle Beach un-Marathon 2010

The race was canceled, but the runners did not pay attention. The roads this morning were clear. USUALLY when it snows in The South, the roads are icy. The city made a mistake in stopping the race. Scott, Mom & Julie went out and ran/walked the entire course. Julie was #222, burned 2022 calories, and her time was 2:22! Our racers were not the only ones – hundreds of runners were out running the course, earning their medals, and making the best of an unfortunate situation.

   

After the race we enjoyed the pool and hot tub, went to dinner, & ate ice cream. Scott’s half-marathon time was 1:43.18. I was supposed to run or walk but have had foot issues for the last few months. I decided that since the race wasn’t officially on – my feet were not officially obligated to walk and run. Hopefully they will be back to normal soon.

Big fluffy flakes bring shock and awe to Myrtle Beach

Scott wanted to run the Myrtle Beach marathon last year, but I did not register him in time & the marathon filled up. This year he registered early. I registered for the half.  My mom and my sister decided that they wanted to do it too. Reservations were made. Training was completed. My feet got hurt along the way & running was not really possible for me. But I wanted to try!!!

We drove down to MB today and went to the Runner’s Expo. While we were there, an official announcement was made about the possibility of canceling the marathon. We did not believe that it was possible – come on! How much snow was really going to fall??? At 10:30 p.m. the city of Myrtle Beach officially decided to cancel the marathon – seriously. All the normal drive-in-the-snow people cannot believe that

Scott just came out and asked if they had canceled the cancellation. Unfortunately, they did not. But Scott & my sister Julie & my mom are going to go out & log some serious mileage tomorrow morning while wearing their bibs. Too bad it’s not just a bad dream.

Blogging

I am so far behind – if I’m behind in blogging & scrapbooking then I am just plain BEHIND! We have had a lot going on lately. Hopefully, I will be able to post soon about

• Thanksgiving
• Decorating for Christmas
• Christmas day
• Trip to Florida
• The Downtown 5K
• Snow Days
• An Eagle scout project
• Fish Tacos, Brownie Cheesecake, and Sweet & Saucy Chicken Thighs
• Wicked & Grandma & Grandpa’s visit
• Chris’ 16th birthday
• Ryan’s 12th birthday
• Three boys in suits
• The MB Marathon & special guests

OK. Phew! I feel caught up now. :)

A Tale of Three Dresses revisited

 http://sjcrj.blogspot.com/2009/11/tale-of-three-dresses.html

I wore dress #3 - the black one! Luckily I already owned it.

Guess what’s on the agenda today?

Our food storage room freezer is very icy. Time to defrost!!!

We’ve fallen off the face of the earth!

This Saturday is Chris’ Eagle scout project. He is organizing a 5k and 1-mile fun run/walk with all donations benefiting Harvest Hope Food Bank. Chris finally got approval for his Eagle project five days before the actual event. This project has been in the contemplation stage since last March or April. He talked to the Mauldin Sports Center & then realized that the planned course was too small for the numbers of runners that he wanted involved in the event. Eventually he changed the race to be on a high school cross-country course.

We are so looking forward to Saturday – meeting all the people who come to help & to run, enjoying the moment (I better write myself a note for this one!) and taking a bunch of pictures. The fall colors definitely won’t be showing in January – but there’s the lake on the route. And here are the shoes that Chris will wish he was running in – but instead he’ll be helping everyone else have a great experience!

When this event is finished, I have a lot of pictures to show you!

We wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!!!

 

 

 

We are up before the kids!!! Not really … it’s 1:09 a.m. & we’re ready to call it a night. More tomorrow.

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Christmas piano music

I have been listening to piano music on Pandora for the last few weeks. Free & lovely. Here are a few of my favorites in no special order. But my two all-time favorites are *-ed.

 

*I Saw Three Ships – Jon Schmidt

Wassail – Windham Hill (couldn’t find this on iTunes)

Christmas Medley – Jon Schmidt (everything Jon Schmidt)

Hark the Herald Angels Sing – Christmas Break: A Relaxing Classical Mix (the album is nice)

Tim Janis – Christmas Piano Collection – the whole album

*Carol of the Bells – George Winston (December album)

Still – Michelle McLaughlin

O Holy Night – Michelle McLaughlin

Silent Night/ Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – Michael Chertok

Angels We Have Heard on High – Dana Cunningham

Winter Solstice – Michelle McLaughlin (love this)

Jennifer Haines – Christmas Magic (the album)

Whew! That was close!!!

Tonight, we decided to go to the stake Christmas choir concert before the First Presidency Christmas fireside. We picked up one of the YSA’s (Scott) & started speeding down the freeway. Some cars ahead of us started hitting their brakes. There wasn’t tons of traffic (luckily) & people must have noticed that something unusual was happening. Suddenly, the car in front of us totally stopped. ZERO mph. In the middle of the three-lane freeway. Scott (my Scott) slammed on the brakes & we skidded within literal inches of the van in front of us. Next, we had to wait in fear & dread for the cars behind us to realize that there was something wrong & to stop. Amazingly, the guy behind us hit his brakes & stopped within inches of our bumper. And everyone behind him did the same thing. I don’t think that we could possibly be any closer ever to being in an accident than we were tonight. I am thankful, very thankful that we were all okay & that no one got hurt.

A Tale of Three Dresses Revisited

 

   

Scott’s company party is coming up soon! I have three choices. I am honestly not comfortable in my own skin these days – I just want something that will look nice for the evening. And maybe not cost a fortune. These are all pretty reasonable. My makeup & hair & toes will be done. Any opinions out there?

Thanks to all of the great opinions out there – I wore dress #3 & loved it. It was a whole new world to not worry about having a brand new dress. When I mentioned to my friends that I just pulled my LBD (little black dress) out of my closet & added a new necklace, they explained that they had done the same thing. If you look closely, you might see that I have bumps between my eyes – more like a mountain range! I had an allergic reaction to something when I got my eyebrows waxed. Luckily, makeup kind of covered it up.

My favorite picture of the night was of me with my husband sitting at dinner. My friend’s talented husband went around with his fancy camera & nice flash & did a great job capturing the evening.

Life is Like a Marathon

I have never run a marathon. I don’t think my body is really cut out for it – I hate pain & my feet have on-going woes. (I think it’s time to find a good foot doctor – any recommendations? I only found the bad one in our town.) Scott is a good runner. And Danielle, Lisa, Kristin, Laisa, Amy, Jessica, and a million others who frequently inspire me. If running a marathon would take off 50 pounds, I would sign up. But here’s the quote of the day, “YOU CAN'T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET. PERIOD.” So, I will just keep doing my thing & not run a marathon.

My friend Danielle worked REALLY hard to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I got to see a few of her races & watch how insane her times were & how hard she worked. If I remember correctly, she & her friend decided to have fun & not worry about time. Her friend Jen videoed the whole race & made a DVD for her seminary kids. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.