Christmas at Home

Since I was home for 3 weeks, this post is long. Also, I started it like a week ago. ha ha!


Man has this break been wonderful! I feel like I have been home FOREVER (because I have) which will make going back to Provo pretty interesting, almost like I'm starting all over again. I feel like the months from August to December went by so ridiculously fast, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Another blessing is that the winter in Utah has been very mild, which means it's not so much of a change for me.

So I came home on December 13th, and that weekend consisted of wedding receptions and the GHS choir concert. I always love the Christmas concert because all of the alumni go up on stage and sing "Still, Still, Still" with the choir, its always iffy if I'll remember the words or not. Haha!

That weekend I just hung out with friends, nothing too big planned. Oh wait, just kidding! My best friend Hannah had her missionary farewell on the 18th! Sweet mercy! She did an amazing job and totally sounded like a sister missionary already. She is the best ever, and she will totally rock Boston, Mass.!

My birthday was on the 21st, I am now the ripe old age of 23. Must not freak out. Oh, too late. Actual day was fun, went around to get free food with Hannah and then went shopping and dinner with my mom. Got some great presents, including my new curling rod which I absolutely love!! Perfect curls every time! Then that night we decided to have a birthday pie night at Village Inn (free pie on wednesdays!) and it was super fun, I love all my friends!

The next week consisted of working a little bit here and there at Rehab AZ, I worked there for a year and a half and I could tell they totally missed me! It was so fun to be back there, it was like I never left :) They even paid me, it was legit. Haha. And it also helped me not to be totally bored during break, so that was a blessing.

Christmas came up fast, and of course we had family Christmas parties on both sides. At the Wilkins party we ate yummy mexican food and had a program with kiddos as they acted out the Nativity scene. I played my violin as background music :) It made Grandma Dorothy pretty happy!

At the Clouse party we did the traditional singing of the "12 Days of Christmas", except this rendition involves acting out the scenes and outrageous props. Definitely my favorite tradition ever. Enjoy a little taste! (the one doing the amazing dance moves is my talented cousin Kalvin)

I couldn't stop laughing the entire time. This is so typical of our family.


Christmas Eve we sold pork roasts to raise money for Weston's mission. It was a great turn out! Then that night we decorated gingerbread houses, opened the traditional pajamas, and watched The Grinch; perfect night.

Next morning we got up bright and early at 5:30, but not to open presents. For the 4th year in a row, we all headed out to Phoenix, under the 7th Avenue bridge, to feed the homeless a Christmas breakfast! We had a huge turnout of volunteers, so much so that there wasn't enough work for everybody. But that's okay! The one's who weren't cooking or serving spent the morning talking and listening to the people that we were serving. I absolutely LOVE this tradition, and I hope we never stop doing it. It makes Christmas SO much more meaningful and I wouldn't want to spend Christmas morning any other way. It is so great to see how thankful the homeless people are as we give them a delicious hot breakfast, and I love to see how selfless our friends and families are as we all work together to serve. There are no words to describe how great it is!

After the breakfast was all cleaned up and everyone headed home, we rushed home to get ready in time for church. Since it was Christmas Sunday, there was just a Christmas program during sacrament meeting and that was it. By this time I was exhausted but we only had an hour or so until ELDER CLOUSE could skype with us!!!! Oh my gosh, can I just say skype is the greatest thing ever invented?? Two and a half hours of laughter, tears, stories, and memories. It was honestly the perfect way to spend a Christmas afternoon. We took lots of screenshots and had SUCH a fun time talking to him. Can't wait to do it again on Mother's Day! Although I might not be home for it, we'll see.

Anyway, since this post is becoming much too long, I'll leave it at that (for this post, anyway).

So much goodness....

Guys- This is my new favorite song/obsession. Such a fun song to blast in the car and sing at the top of your lungs! This video is the acoustic version, which I like just as much as the original. His voice, OH his voice! I loved him in The Format (moment of silence) and now I love him in Fun. This song is so awesome in so many ways. Anyway, listen and enjoy! 

On another note, I am going home on Tuesday for Christmas break (almost 3 weeks of greatness) and I am super stoked for next semester. A real school schedule and a real job to boot! So excited. I come back January 3rd, just in time to pick up my bestie at the SLC airport and drop her off at the MTC. Oh snap!!! 

Have a good Christmas!!

7 things....

So I'm bored, and I saw on someone else's blog that they wrote a "7 things" post about themselves. Some of the things I've picked aren't exactly random, and they might already be common knowledge, but who cares. It's my blog, I do what I want :)

1. I have ran two full marathons, but I've trained for 3. The second one I trained for (in 2010) I got injured during the 20-miler run three weeks before the race. Big bummer! But I got to try again the next year and nailed it. I did St George in 2009 and Utah Valley in 2011. Next year I might try St George again :)

2. Instead of getting all dressed up for the Winter Formal my junior year, I went buffalo hunting with my dad and brothers in New Mexico. I have never regretted that in the slightest! Guys love it when they hear that I shot a buffalo, with a muzzleloader that had no scope on it. Yeah, not to brag or anything but that is pretty awesome, you have to admit!

3. I have played the violin since 5th grade, and I still love to play any chance that I get. It's one of my only true talents, since I don't consider running one of my talents, more of a hobby. But playing my violin has brought me (and others) more joy throughout the years than I could have ever imagined! I don't mind performing for people, and a couple weeks ago I performed solo for the first time in several years, at a fireside in my ward. Kind of terrifying, but I think I did okay! And, I'm always on the lookout for new music to play.

4. I love Arizona with all my heart. Since I've moved away I've realized how wonderful of a place it is. The weather is awesome, I have innumerable friends and family there, the roads are better for running (mile blocks instead of these stupid block-every-tenth-of-a-mile), there is so much stuff to do outdoors, the heat isn't as bad as some people make it out to be (if you've grown up there) and I love my home and neighborhood. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Utah or Provo. It has its own great things about it, but Utah will never live up to my AZ :) I am enjoying Utah, for the record :)

5. Along with loving AZ, I LOVE Mexican food. Which is probably why I am such a sucker when it comes to good tortillas and good salsa. I like to think that I am the best critic when it comes to the spicy deliciousness that is Mexican food. I probably eat more cheese crisps (quesadillas, for those who didn't grow up in my family) and burritos than anyone I know. And don't even get me started on taco stands in Mexico. Sweet mercy. If I had the chance, I would drive to Mexico JUST to get a taco (or 6) from a taco stand in Sonoyta. Every time I think about it....I die a little inside. Yum.

6. I went skydiving for my 21st birthday and it was seriously the greatest thing ever. The only time I felt scared was when we were coming in for the landing, because it felt like we were going so fast! Even when we were loading up in the tiny, rickety, shouldn't-even-be-flying airplane, or steadily climbing to 30,000 feet, or even when I looked out the door and saw the person in front of me disappear into the abyss, I was never scared! We were so high, it didn't even register to be afraid of heights. It was surreal. When my dread-locked instructor told me to jump, I did without any hesitation. The thrill was like nothing I have ever felt before or since. I think when Weston comes home from his mission I'll take him skydiving :)

7. I don't know how to snowboard or ski. I know, you're thinking "But you live in Utah now! Home of the greatest resorts EVER!" Well, problem #1, I own zero snow gear. As in, I would be that person wearing jeans on the slopes, which just screams "newbie!" Problem #2, I'm broke, so no ski lift tickets or gear rentals for me! Problem #3, I have no desire to eat snow and get a concussion and freeze my butt off and break my wrists and/or ankles just trying to get down a mountain with a board or two strapped to my feet and out of my control. Pass. I'll just enjoy sledding, thank you very much! But, if someone happens to invent a snow scooter (like a razor scooter without wheels!! Genius!!) than I am sooooo there. But til now, I'll watch everyone spend several hundred dollars this winter on aches and pains :)

Welp, that's me in a nutshell. And I tried not to brag for most of it, but you know how I am. The constant one-upper strikes again!

Weekend at home!

So I'll probably post pics on facebook from this weekend, but it was so fun that I must do a recap :)

Drove home Wednesday, made it home pretty fast and in enough time to go hang out with some people for a little bit.

Thursday consisted of lunch at YC's with Emily and Rochelle and then I FINALLY got my hair cut. My bangs were getting too long and annoying! Me and Chic went to go play with some lab puppies (I WANT) and they were seriously crazy and to die for. So cute! I don't really remember the rest of the day, probably because all I did was watch tv and eat some more good food. Hey, don't hate. I don't have cable in my house here in Provo and so I couldn't resist the appeal of the tv at home!!

Friday was soooo long but so much fun! Woke up early, took a shower, visited my old job and then went to the Veteran's Day parade in downtown Mesa with my moms side of the family. Really cool to see how patriotic everyone was. It was also awesome to see my coworkers and catch up and tell them all about my life here in P-town. Of course they miss me, I was the best ever! Haha. Then after the parade me and Savanna went to lunch and attempted to catch Thien and Brittany coming out of the temple, we were a little late though, everyone had left but I still got to say hi as they were taking some more pics with the photographer. We then headed to great-Grandma's house for a BBQ and some more family time with the Wilkins. There were some pretty hilarious pictures taken!! I then had to leave early so I could go get ready for Thien's reception, which ended up being pretty crazy fun! We all were on the dance floor and I swear it was a Gilbert High reunion, it was so great!! Everyone was there! After the reception we stopped by Walmart to get the 8th Harry Potter movie on DVD (it had just come out that day) so that everyone could come over to my house to watch it. I love that movie way too much. Hahah!! After the movie was over it was pretty late so everyone went home. Wonderful, wonderful day!

Saturday morning, my mom, Savanna, and I went and ran a 5K in downtown Mesa called Shun the Sun. We got these super legit race shirts that are long-sleeved, light blue, and extremely soft. Apparently they're made out of bamboo. Who knew, right? Anyway, of course I rocked the 5K because of all my "elevation training", it was my first one in over two years and I ran it in 29:30, not bad, right? Over three minutes faster than my last one (I think). After that I took a wicked awesome nap (much needed) and then got ready for a picnic with the Wilkins family in Fountain Hills. This weekend was a family reunion of sorts for the Wilkins side, pretty fun stuff. The fountain was legit, I'd never actually seen it up close before! That night I got a big group of people together and we all went tire rolling! It was so fun, lots of new people. I ended up running after the tire and pushing it back up the hill every. single. time. Luckily I had a few trusty boys who were always pushing too. That thing is freaking heavy!! But, it was a super fun night, because after that we went to    a friends house and a bunch of played signs. I started off really bad but I eventually got pretty good at it by the end!

Sunday I went to 8:30 church with my family. I helped my mom with nursery (not sure if I liked it or not. Too many screaming kids). This one little girl cried for the entire 2 hours. Insane. I don't even know why she was crying? We didn't want to take her to her parents because that just trains her cry every time she wants her parents. No bueno. After church I cleaned the house a little bit, made some cookies, took a nap, then got ready for Clouse family dinner, which I always love! All of the Clouse's are insane and I love them for it. So much fun! Then I rushed home to get ready for the big game night/cookie party that I was having, which is always a hit. Me and my mom had made a bunch of treats. Those parties are always fun, and I got to see pretty much everyone that I wanted to see!! There was probably about 60 or more people there at one point! I like that I can leave for Utah and yet still have my Arizona network of friends :)

Anyway, the drive back sucked but that's okay. Tomorrow is a new day! And, I'll be back in AZ before I know it :) I'm enjoying this double life I'm leading, haha!!! Sorry for the long post, as you can see it was an epic weekend.

Have a good week!

I dare you to watch this video and NOT cry. Haven't we all felt how Andy feels in this ending? Like we're reluctant to let our childhoods go, and yet we know we HAVE to. 

That was how I felt over the summer (nerd alert!) when the final Harry Potter movie came out. I had spent my entire childhood reading, and then watching, this wonderful series. I don't think I've looked forward to a movie more in my entire life. And it lived up to my expectations! And then, as the credits rolled, I realized. "It's over." I told Hannah that I felt empty and really weird inside. Haha! It was the strangest feeling! I then coined the phrase "Post-Potter Depression." Okay, it wasn't really depression, but it was a very downcast feeling as I realized that my childhood truly is over. Wait, it should've been over four or five years ago....but still. It was a definite end.

I guess the whole purpose of this post is that, yes, I am still trying to grow up. It's not easy, or fun, or awesome. It seems that as each year passes, I have taken on more responsibilities, but at the same time, I refuse to be responsible. Does that make sense? Maybe it was the fact that I grew up in a home where I never had to work a day in my life. And I'm  not blaming my parents, because everyone knows they are the hardest working people around. I guess I'm blaming myself for not instilling in myself a healthy work ethic. The way I see it, I want a job HERE AND NOW that will be fun AND well-paying. I guess I kind of had that when I was at home, but now I'm away and I won't have those type of jobs handed to me anymore. Especially in Provo. But, is it so bad to want a job that I will enjoy? For me, if I don't enjoy it or feel that I am good at it, I just won't do it. Plain and simple. Right now I work in sales. And I've realized that sales is not my thing. At all. Honestly, I'd give anything right now to work in a physical therapy office. It's what I love to do and it is definitely where I belong! 

So I'll just pray that something will come out of my persistence, hard work, and searching. 

Dreams don't work unless you do.

Journal vs Blog

So lately I've been wondering, should I treat this blog more as a journal of the things that happen in my life (like I've been doing) or should I dig a little bit deeper and talk about my ideas, opinions, thoughts, memories, and the like? So I did a quick search and found this website with over 300 journal prompts. It made me pretty excited so I figured I would start doing that too, along with the events of my life.

The one I picked today asks me to start off with "Sundays are..."

Sundays are the day I wake up early, get super cute and try to flirt with as many guys as I can at church. Okay, obviously it is more than that. If I was shallow, that is how my Sundays would be. I look forward to Sundays the most, because they are a day of rest! I know what you're thinking, isn't every day for you a day of rest? I know, I have a pretty easy schedule/life right now, but Sundays are so much more than just a day where you don't go to the store.

Sunday is a day for me to go to church and try to learn something about this wonderful Gospel that I didn't already know. For example, today was stake conference. And today in the afternoon session, I witnessed a miracle that I would call the "choir of angels." We had a stake choir perform the number "I Believe In Christ", one of my favorite hymns. They were a good-size choir, but still not very large. Well, midway through the song I felt the Spirit swell up inside of me in such a way that I had tears in my eyes and the most intense goosebumps ever. The sound coming from that choir was like that of a choir four or five times their size. It was simply amazing to hear their testimonies being sung in such a way that it hit me in the heart. I do believe in Christ. It was affirmed to me today in such a way that I will never forget. The stake President got up afterwards and told us, "Today you have witnessed a miracle. That was literally a choir of angels. Thank you, choir, for accompanying them." I felt so blessed to be there to witness it! It made this Sunday so much more special.

Sometimes I feel like Sundays can be too cluttered with meetings to make it truly a day of rest. Especially for my roommate Jaclyn, who is our wonderful Relief Society President. From 8 in the morning until well after dinner time, she is in meetings. I do suppose that in order to make a ward run smoothly, sacrifices must be made. Where would our ward be without a Bishop and his counselors, who are also in meetings from dawn to dusk on Sundays? My Sundays aren't nearly as busy, but they still consist of the regular 3-hour church block, ward choir right afterwards, visiting and home teaching on some days, and ward prayer that night. Lots of stuff going on, but that is the norm for a single's ward, I suppose.

I am also glad that there is a return of the Sunday nap!! My previous ward started at 12:30, but my new ward starts at 9:25, the perfect time :) That means after ward choir I have a glorious nap, along with plenty of time to read scriptures and books and to skype with family.

All in all, Sundays are the best day of the week :) There's no denying that!

What does Sunday mean to you?

Halloween Half!!

I ran my second half marathon today, but it still felt like my first because my last one was in January. Anyway, recap time!!!

Got up 4:50. Got ready real fast because Dustin and Heather were already waiting out front at 5:10. Me and Heather were one of the lucky people who were able to get on the first wave of buses. The bus was warm and made us sleepy! After the ride up Provo Canyon and past Sundance we disembarked into the freezing dark and made our way into the huge tents that they had set up for all the runners. It was pretty awesome not to have to stand out in the cold forever! We had a couple hours to spare so we just picked a spot, sat down and chilled. I mostly people watched, and I tell you what there were some GREAT costumes. I'll talk about my favorites at the end...

So we decided to go with the first wave of runners, which would start right at 9 a.m. and was for the people who had a goal of 2:10 or faster. We wanted to run 2:15 but we also didn't want to wait for the second wave. A little after 9 we were off! And HOLY FETCH was it some steep downhills! Now you may be saying, wait, downhills are awesome! Let me tell you, they are awesome for a little bit. 12% grade tends to get pretty old after a couple miles! It was so cold at the start that basically the only warm part of my body was my torso. My legs were completely numb, as were my feet. This created a big problem! Usually I am in total control of my feet, and I have a very soft landing, so soft that people don't even hear me when I'm running behind them. Well, I had ZERO control because I couldn't feel my feet. I could tell I was pounding them pretty hard on those downhills, and even though I tried my best not to over stride and to let gravity take me, I couldn't do much about the pounding. Between miles 3 and 4 I could already feel shin splints coming on, and my quads and knees were killing me! But, on a happy note, we were able to make up a ton of time on those first four miles. I do believe we hit an 8-minute mile at one point, and it felt really good to see the time we were making! 

When we got to Provo Canyon, I starting struggling pretty bad. Those downhills took a lot more out of me than I thought they would! Somehow, someway, I managed to keep a 10 minute mile pace! I was pretty amazed, usually that takes a lot of effort to maintain for any amount of time. I know, I'm slow, ha ha! Once we got on the Provo River trail I felt like I was super sluggish, but finally my GU kicked in and gave me some energy. The rest of the race was pretty much deja vu from last Saturday, it was the exact same trail that me and Heather ran on. The rest of the race was pretty uneventful, the weather was perfect and I managed to keep a pretty even pace. I think our slowest mile was a 10:44, the rest of them were just above or below 10 minute miles. It was pretty awesome! 

With one mile to go I told Heather, "If you're feeling good, go for it!" I knew we were on pace to get a 2:10,  (we could have done a 2:05 but had to take a bathroom break around mile 8) so I told her to go ahead. My calves were cramping up pretty bad and I was putting so much effort into just maintaining a 10 minute pace. So Heather pulled ahead a little bit towards the very end, I could barely see her through the sea of runners around me. The finish line was kind of hidden around a little bend, and as soon as I saw it I sprinted with all I had left! I crossed the finish in 2:07 (according to my watch, I knew my official time was a little bit more than that), got my finishers medal, found Heather and Dustin, took some pictures, found our clothing bags, and headed home. Me and Heather were excited that we had achieved our goal!! 

Official time for Heather was 2:09:50, and my time was 2:10:14. Perfect in every way!! We could not be happier with those times, and I know I put everything I had into that race.

Okay, so some of my favorite costumes! There were so many! One guy was a shower. Literally, he had a shower rod connected to his body to where it circled above his head, complete with red shower curtain and shower head. Hilarious! I saw him ahead of us at one point, picked him out easily. Haha! Another guy was dressed as a Swedish girl, complete with green skirt, fluffy white blouse, little brown vest, and blonde wig with pigtails. Oh, and don't forget the best part. He filled out his blouse with two big white balloons. We are pretty sure he was not straight. Hahahaah! But he looked pretty convincing! My all-time favorite was a guy dressed up as a missionary, with white shirt and tie, bike helmet, sunglasses, and he even carried a Spanish Book Of Mormon. We passed him pretty early in the race and I told him as I passed, "That costume won't be legit unless you can pass out that Book Of Mormon by the end of the race!" He laughed and said he better get to converting then. It was pretty funny! One last costume that really got me was two buddies who were dressed at Jesus and Satan. Oh my gosh, so wrong yet so funny. One guy had the long hair, beard, and robes so that he looked like Jesus and the other was dressed all in red with devil horns and pitchfork. Good thing we passed them around the middle of the race, wouldn't want to be nearby when the lightning inevitably struck them. Ha ha ha! 

Keep in mind, these people ran the entire 13.1 miles in these costumes! Me and Heather kept it simple, we went as roadkill! We took some white shirts, laid them in front of the car, painted the car tire with black paint, and rolled over the shirts. In five minutes we had some pretty awesome shirts! Then we smeared black and red makeup on our faces and legs to look like road rash. We looked pretty awesome, but most importantly, we were comfortable! Haha!

Well, I apologize for the long post, but I love doing very detailed race recaps :) 

p.s.- I get to go home to AZ in less than two weeks!!! Then again for Thanksgiving! Life is good :)

One day I'll actually have someone to cook for....

So I decided to make these delicious sweet potato fries that I found on Pinterest. They turned out super delicious and I was so proud of myself for being so home-makey. 

They were so delicious that I promptly ate about half of the pan. That's probably about a pound of sweet potatoes. Aaaannnnnnndd....that's all I've eaten today. But I'm not complaining! Next time (oh, there will be a next time) I'm going to bake them a little bit longer so that they get slightly crispy and I also won't forget the salt :)

Maybe my new goal should be trying a new recipe from Pinterest every week? I like this idea :)

12 miles of awesome.

So this weekend was a bit crazy. But at the same time it totally wasn't. I think my definition of crazy is a lot different from other people's. Anyway, Friday was work most of the day and then a date that night. Saturday is where the real fun came in. I had work from 11 to 4, which made me think- do I want to do a long run before or after work? Before would require waking up at 7, so obviously that meant I was running after work. Hahaha. So I texted my sis-in-law Heather and asked her if she wanted to be crazy and run 12 or so miles with me at 5 in the afternoon. Luckily we're both training for the Halloween Half so of course she said yes!

We decided to start at Vivian Park, at the top of the Provo River trail. We ran the first two miles super fast, and the whole time I was thinking, there's no way we can keep up this pace for 12 miles. We should probably slow down. So I tried reining back a little bit, but then decided to heck with it! We were gonna finish no matter what! Those first six miles were in the canyon on the river trail, and it was soooooo gorgeous! Why can't AZ have fall colors like this?! Haha, we just go from green-ish to brown. Anyway, the whole trail was covered in yellow, red, and orange leaves. So pretty! It made the miles go fast. It made me even more excited for the Half this Saturday, because the majority of it is in the canyon, the finish line is less than a mile outside the canyon.

So we stopped around mile 6, ate some GU, took a short walking break, and we were off again! By the way, the GU I ate tasted like chocolate frosting. Can you say amazing?! Haha. So we cruise down University Avenue, hit a long hill at mile 8 that we KILLED, and somehow make it back to Heather and Dustin's house after just over two hours of running. We were just amazed at how freaking amazing that run had been! We kept up an even pace the entire time, and the miles flew by so quickly. We had to wait around for a while so Dustin could get back with the car so that we could drive back up and get mine (he didn't realize we needed her car). The whole way we were just saying over and over, "That was awesome." haha! Our knees hurt a little bit from the downhill but I was mostly worried about shin splints. That was the farthest I'd ran since June, and twice as far as I ran last week! Luckily the next day I was sore, but not in a bad way :) Which made me very happy!

Anyway, after that run I just KNOW we are going to kill the Half. I want to break at least 2:15, but we might be able to pull a 2:10 if we race smart. Wish us luck!

Oktoberfest 10K

So I haven't done a race since the marathon in June! Crazy to think of, when I usually have one at least once a month! When I moved up to Utah and realized that their racing schedule is complete opposite of Arizona's, I signed up a race right away. See, in AZ they have all of their races from October, all the way through the winter, until April or even May. In Utah, they have all of their road races from early April, all the way through summer, until November-ish. So when I got here I knew I had to sign up for a race if I wanted to get any racing in before winter!


I picked the Oktoberfest 10K, which was in Highland, only half an hour north of Provo. Cute little town, and the course was only through neighborhoods on the streets. I love doing race recaps, so here goes...


I always like to be at races an hour early, but apparently in Utah that's not a rule. Haha! I think I was one of the first runners there, so I picked up my bag and shirt and had 45 minutes to kill in my car. Thank goodness for smart phones and seats that go back really far! So I cruised facebook for a bit, read some news, closed my eyes for a little while. Ate some GU (note: pineapple flavor=gross. Mint chocolate flavor=yum!) and was excited and rearing to go at 8 a.m. The field was small, only 150 people, which made it the only time that I was worried that I would be last! Haha! Anyway, the race director said "Go!" and we were off!


It was wonderfully chilly and overcast, my favorite kind of running. My legs felt like lead for some reason, I was starting to get worried that I wasn't ready for racing right yet. Well, the GU hadn't kicked in yet! I hit the first mile in 10:45, which was what I was aiming for, so I wasn't that worried after the first mile. Then I found myself pushing it for the next three miles. At first I was telling myself, "slow down! Save it for the last couple miles!" But then I had one of my favorite running quotes come to my mind, "If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down, because that means I didn’t run hard enough" (Steve Jones). So I told myself, "Okay, I'm gonna push it the whole time and see what happens!"

Whenever I've run races, I always like to think that I push myself harder than just a normal training run. And this race was no different. I was booking it the whole time, and I was even passing people! ME! Passing people?? Who would've thought? I tried to keep count, and I think I passed about 8 to 10 people. It felt so good, because it showed to me that I really was pushing as hard as I could, and I felt like I was running a great race. I kept a pretty even pace, around 10 minutes per mile, until I hit mile 5.5 and really let it go. I rounded a corner and ran down a small but steep hill towards the finish, and I gave it my all into that final sprint. I crossed the finish line in 01:03:12, which surprised me because I was really aiming for a 01:10 finish at least, since it was my first race in a long time. I was very happy! I almost PR'd, too! My best 10K time is 01:02:42, so that means I missed a new personal record by about 30 seconds. Which I am TOTALLY fine with because I never thought I would get that close in this race.

This race made me super SUPER excited for the Halloween Half next weekend. Based on the pace I ran in the 10K on a flat course, and because the Halloween Half is straight downhill, I think me and Heather could easily break 2:10, if we both have good days. Having such a good time in the 10K was a huge boost to my "performance self-esteem" , and I CANNOT wait for the half. AH! 

Soapbox speech. Be warned.

Facebook always asks me, "what's on your mind?" Well, a boy has NOT been on my mind. Because the man-boys here in Provo haven't quite gotten their acts together. Rather, what's been on my mind is, what can I be doing while I am waiting for these boys to man up? There's a saying that I've heard that says, "Always try to be the person that you would want to marry."

So what does this mean? For example, I want a man who is strong in the Church, sure in his testimony, super spiritual, and honors his priesthood. This is only one of the qualities that I look for in a man, but I think it is one of the most important ones. So, if I wanted this in a man, it wouldn't seem fair to him if I didn't attend Church, have a strong testimony, and respect my womanhood, now would it?

On that same note, if I am looking for a guy who is outgoing, funny, kind, loves his family, loves the outdoors (and I am definitely looking for a guy with these qualities!) then don't you think it would make sense if I tried to be someone like that? I mean, let's get real here. I am funny (apparently), I can be outgoing when I want to, sometimes I can be kind to others (something I definitely need to work on) I love my family and all the fun times we've had, and I can't get enough of the outdoors. But there is always room for improvement in my life, like putting myself in situations where I might meet someone, such as going to Church and institute activities. Always a good place to find men :)

Sometimes I think that I am losing opportunities to meet guys because I want a man that hunts. Now, if hunting is one of the things that makes me really happy and is one of my favorite things to do, don't you think it would be important to find a man who shared this same passion? And this is me self-justifying, but I think I can hold out a little bit longer for that rugged man to come along. (On a side-note, I AM turning 23 soon, so I can't hold out too much longer! Yikes!!)

I can't date or marry someone that doesn't have the same interests as me. The whole "opposites attract" thing never, ever made sense to me! I've tried dating guys who I get along with great on a humor and personality level, but when it comes down to it, we just had absolutely nothing in common. Therefore, we had nothing to talk about and it was exhausting! So I don't think it's wrong to want someone with your same interests.

I know this post is getting long, but whatevs. I have one more point to make. I've noticed lately that most guys these days have absolutely NO plan for their lives/careers. Isn't it strange how us women in LDS society are the ones who are destined to be mothers and homemakers (which I am SO excited to be someday! seriously!) and yet they seem to be the ones who always have education and career plans? EVEN though they may not even use the education they get? (I realize that most moms are required to work these days because of the crappy economy, like my own Mom! But, the majority are still stay at home moms).

And then there are the young LDS men of our generation. Now, I know there are some men out there who do have a very real education and career plan, and I am so glad that they do. But, I would say there are still a lot of guys my age out there who have absolutely no idea what they want to do or become. And I say to them, guys, GET A PLAN. Please, for the sakes of the women that you marry and have to provide for, please know how you are going to provide for her and your soon-to-be family. I have a friend who broke up with her longtime boy friend because, as she put it, "He didn't have a plan, and he didn't know what he was going to do with his life." A woman should not have to live in the fear that she will be forced to live in poverty because her husband couldn't get his act together. I do realize that when you're first married, you're going to be poor. That's just the way of life. But you shouldn't have to scrimp and save your entire life. You can think whatever you want about me, but this is my opinion!

Men, here's an idea. Think of what you love to do, and find some way to turn it into a career! That's what I've done. For three years after high school, I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but as it turns out I was so wrong. It wasn't until I got a job at a physical therapy office that I found out that I LOVE that field. And now I am in physical therapy assistant school in Provo, somewhere I NEVER thought I would be living. Obviously it is the right choice for me because everything has worked out for the best and I love it so far!

Okay, this might be the longest post I've ever written, but I think Provo is finally getting to me. Something about this constant, never-ending dating game is exhausting but at the same time it is also very interesting. It seems like all we can do here is talk about what is wrong with the "dating scene", but then nobody does anything about it!! So these are my thoughts on how to fix it. You're welcome.

Somebody wake up Green Day, cause September is over!

Today I had one of my favorite runs ever! The weather was cold, about 50 degrees and cloudy. In my mind, that is PERFECT running weather! Not a gust of wind, of which I was grateful for :) I am super excited for the Halloween Half on the 29th, this run today just showed that I am right on track to break 2:20 again. I'm actually shooting for 2:15, especially since it is all downhill. I have a feeling I'm just gonna be cruising that whole time. Heather and I are doing it together, and since everyone dresses up for this race we'll probably just end up wearing crazy socks and/or a tutu. I hate dressing up anyway, but I don't want to be the only one without a costume! I think it'll be one of the best races I've ever done, though. Super stoked! Three weeks!

Utah can't decide whether it wants to be fall or winter! The last three days have been cold and rainy/snowy, like a typical early winter day! Where did fall go? I feel like it just started! Hopefully next week it will warm up to the 60's at least. I realized I have less than ideal winter clothing, so as soon as I get paid I'm going shopping! Woo! I haven't been shopping for clothes in MONTHS!

Provo is an interesting place. I feel like everywhere I go I have to look my best because you NEVER know who you might see or meet. I love the social scene here, there's always something going on. And luckily I am in a super awesome ward! The people in it are so fun and nice and totally chill. I've made some wonderful friends in this ward. Everything has worked out so great for me up here. I live in a cute little house that is almost always clean, my roommates are not catty AT ALL and we all get along so great it's almost scary. Ha ha. I love sharing the loft upstairs with Shantelle and Jaclyn. They are my new best friends, I love them so much!

Last weekend we went up to Shantelle's cabin in Bear Lake, Idaho with her family. We watched General Conference, ate so much amazing food, and went to the lake. It was actually not as cold as some people say, although by AZ standards the water was pretty chilly! Funny story- Shantelle loves to have a crazy time on the wave runner, and as luck would have it I have a huge fear or deep water AND of falling off the wave runner. So I was screaming and shaking the whole time because I was scared. Well Shantelle said she wouldn't tip us over because she knew how scared I was. Well, as we were heading into the marina to load up the wave runner, she decided to do one more crazy donut in the water. We tipped over faster than any of us could react, and of course I screamed and went into the fetal position in the water and Shantelle was just staring at me in shock because she felt so bad! Haha, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it turned out to be really funny and totally made the trip to the lake.

This is us on the wave runner after we tipped over. So fun! 

Another fun part of Bear Lake was seeing a moose!! I was so excited! I love moose and have only seen two in my whole lifetime (now three) so I was super excited. I got an okay picture on my phone:

There was actually two of them, the one in the water looked to be a two or three year old and he was hanging out with a female. I don't know if it was his mom or not. But they were huge! I want one for a pet!!! Ha ha!

Anyway, this post has been too long, but I'll put a couple more pictures from the last couple weeks....

Winger's for Andi's birthday (she's the one next to me)

It was cold once we got out of the water and onto the boat! (Bear Lake)

This is from September. Amanda got married in the Salt Lake Temple, lucky! We have another picture like this from almost a year ago, so cute!

The first snow fall of the year. We had slushy snow fall in Provo but the mountains got covered pretty good. It's already almost melted! 

Anyway, the next couple weeks will consist of work and running and a little school here and there. I love only having one class :)

Have a good October!!

BYU vs UTAH= joke.

So I got the job! I started on Thursday and the first day went great! Tomorrow starts my first full week of working and I couldn't be happier! My schedule is amazing, I work every weekday except Tuesdays from 10 to 3. So fun! And my co-workers rock. And now I am so motivated to run in the mornings it's not even funny! I love it so far.

Saturday was a really fun, great day. I got up early to run (the weather is perfect in the mornings!) and then after I took a shower and got ready I drove up to Salt Lake for my cousin Amanda's wedding. Loved seeing some of the Clouse family and catching up! She got married in the Salt Lake Temple. LUCKY!

I couldn't stay for the wedding dinner, cause I had to drive back for the big BYU VS UTAH game. I had been looking forward to this for a couple weeks, so I was super excited! Welp, let me just say....WORST GAME I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN MY LIFE. And I watched a whole season of Utah State football, so that is saying a lot. This was the very first play after the initial kickoff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTBZmpXsaUs

Can you believe that snap? Holy crap. So sad to watch. It was like their brains were not even in the game, at all. I have never in my life seen a snap as bad as that. And its like Heaps (the QB) didn't even try to grab the ball! He jumped right over it! So stupid.

Anyway, that was only the FIRST play! And it definitely set the tone for the rest of the game. However, we had great seats. Fourth row, up against the tunnel where the Utes came charging out. We had fun booing them, although when they were walking back in for the halftime I had a harder time booing them to their faces because hot dang, those guys are SCARY. They were so intense!

So as the game went on, I kept laughing harder and harder at every failed play. At one point I laughed so hard I cried, no kidding. Six or seven fumbles and turnovers later, the score was 10-54 and the dejected BYU fans were leaving the stadium before the 4th quarter even started.

All in all, they got owned. Big time. Thank goodness I'm not really a BYU fan or else I would've been upset. As it was, I was very much entertained. Hilarious on every level!

Towards the end of the game, the Utah mascot (Swoop the hawk) came over in our section and was taking pictures with the Utah fans that were surrounding us (somehow we ended up in the visitors section). So I'm sitting there, and Swoop is taking pics with the people next to us and so his butt is literally right in my face! So I turn to my friend Kevin and I'm like, you dare me to touch his butt? Of course he dared me, so naturally I poked the Hawk's red-spandexed butt. I also stroked his tail feathers for good measure. I didn't think he noticed.

After he was done taking pics he turns around and starts messing with me! He ruffled up my hair, then acted like he was smoothing it down with his spit. Then he blew kisses at me, and we played around like that for a little bit. And then he pointed to the side of his "beak", like he was saying give me a kiss on the cheek! So I went in for a little peck and he turns his head and somehow my whole face/head ends up in his wide open mouth! So funny, that's when I knew that he knew that I poked his butt. Of course Kevin was laughing his head off at me, while I was laughing at myself, more than a little embarrassed! I wish I had gotten a picture with him after that! Anyway, here's a pic of him so you get a visual of where my face was! Haha

So even though the game was a total bust, I ended up having a blast! ALSO, we were on ESPN 2! My mom texted me and said she saw me, cause the camera guy was filming us for a little bit, cheering and stuff. I guess it was pretty funny to see me on tv! My parents recorded it at home, so hopefully they can find that part and somehow get it online. That would be cool!

Welp, tomorrow is work and more fun so I am off to bed......

The suspense!

So I've had two interviews at this place called 26.2 Running Company here in Provo. They were super impressed with my knowledge of physical therapy, and they asked me a lot of specific questions on that subject, such as how to diagnose a running injury and what I would tell a customer if they had a nagging pain, ect. I feel like I really answered those questions well.

After my 2nd interview on Monday, the lady I interviewed with said something along the lines of "Well, it sounds like it's pretty much a done deal. We'll discuss it more and then call you."

Of course, here I am, almost two days later, and no phone call! I don't really know how long they'll wait until they call me, I just hope it's soon! I WANT/NEED this job. The hours are awesome, the atmosphere is awesome, and it will really help me with my fitness goals.

Speaking of, today I downloaded a fitness/calorie counter app on my phone, and I am so excited to use it! I can log every thing I eat, and it even has a handy barcode scanner so that I can scan food packages and stuff. So sweet! Then you put in your current weight and your weight goal and it tells you how many calories to eat a day. I figure with half-marathon training and a weight loss goal of 10 pounds by Halloween, I should be eating about 1,400 calories a day. The training isn't too strenuous, so I don't need that many extra calories.

Actually, Halloween weekend (the 29th to be exact) I am running the Provo Halloween Half! I am so excited, so far I have my sis-in-law Heather and maybe another friend running it with me. I just have to figure out what we are going to wear! Everyone dresses up for it, so we'd kind of be losers if we didn't dress up! So, I am very excited for that.

Other than that, there's nothing much else new with me. I've been making tons of new friends and eating way too many brownies. Haha. Provo is pretty fun!

Now I'm really starting to like Provo.

Saturday mornings (when the weather is nice) I really love to go running. There's no pressure to be anywhere else, so I can take all the time I need.

This morning I decided to drive up into Provo Canyon and run the Provo River Trail. Or a part of it (its 15 miles long). I started at Vivian Park and told myself I would do two miles out, two miles back. Well, lo and behold, EXACTLY two miles from my car was Bridal Veil Falls (above, taken with my phone camera). It totally made my day! I thought it was a lot farther than that.

Anyway, this will be my Saturday ritual as long as the weather is good. And I might even do it once when it snows, just for kicks. :)

Also, everybody runs in Provo, and I LOVE IT. I need to find a running partner soon!

New

So I have started my new life in Provo. Never in a million billion years did I think that I would be living here! But you know what? I like it! I like that everyone has the same goals (finish school, get married) and the general spirit about the place is pretty nice. It's nice seeing people walk around dressed modestly, and I don't think I've heard a single cuss word since I've been here. Such a nice change!

These last couple days my sole focus has been job hunting. Ew. I've never really had to job hunt, my previous jobs were pretty much handed to me. So far I have applied to around 12 places or more, but no luck yet. It's only been like two days or serious searching so I haven't lost hope....yet. No! Must not lose hope! I will find a job :)

So...Provo. Quite an interesting place. I don't think I've heard as much marriage talk during church in my entire life. Our bishop told us straight out on Sunday that his main purpose is to get us all married by Christmas. Which I wouldn't mind. There's plenty of good guys in my ward, I'm excited to make some new guy friends! I feel like most of my friends are guys, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Bad- always in the friend zone. Good- sometimes you meet their cute friends, so it all works out.

My roomies are ADORABLE and I am so excited to be in a house with normal people! What a nice change! (haha jk family) But really, that was one of my only worries coming up here was that I didn't know my roommates. Well, turns out they are fantastic. Clean and nice and so cute! I definitely picked the right place to live. Plus the house is just like every little red brick, two story Utah house that I have always wanted to live in. So old, yet so perfect. We'll see how it keeps us warm in the winter, haha. Our house is called "The Lookout House", probably because you can see the street pretty well from the front windows. One of the boys called it the stalker house. Haha! That's what it feels like, I can see people coming and going when I stand at the sink doing dishes.

So, I guess the verdict on Provo is, good so far! I actually like being on my own, it feels like I'm finally growing up! Yay! About 4 years too late, but oh well :)

Back to school/work/running

This move up to Utah is gonna be crazy busy! First, I have to get aquainted with a WHOLE new group of people, which I can actually see myself loving. I think it will really test my social skills, haha.

Then, I have to find a new job, and I hate nothing more than those first few weeks on a new job. Because, you know, I don't like feeling like an idiot. Hopefully I find somewhere near as cool as my old job.

Then, I'm starting school. This will be my first serious attempt at school in a long time, and I am SO ready for it! I actually really like school, and I am also excited to find new friends in my classes.

The part I'm most excited about is getting back into running!! If all goes right, I should be able to run nearly every morning which will make my life absolutely wonderful! I haven't gone on a morning run during the week in almost two years because of my previous job. So excited! Hopefully I can find a good 10K to run in the next couple months.

I move in 10 DAYS. Woof.

Pinterest....heaven help me

So I think I like Pinterest.

Even though I'm not a homemaker. I'm not a wife. Shoot, I'm not even crafty.

But I like seeing other people's ideas, because I'm never creative enough to come up with my own.

My only issue(s) with Pinterest is that it is more time-consuming than facebook.

And sometimes I feel like it is just another way for us to covet other people's stuff. I was looking at all these things that I wanted for my future home, my clothes, places I wanted to go, ect. And I started to feel bad for coveting! Which has never really been a problem for me. So I'm not saying Pinterest is bad, I'm just saying, be careful that you don't spend all your time wishing for things you wish you could have, knowing you never will. Just be happy for the things you do have, and the things that you can achieve in the near future.

Okay, I'm done preaching!

Bottom line- Pinterest is fun. After an hour, it's enough. Haha

Woe is me! (kidding)

Let me get something straight. Yes, I am single. Very much so. I've been single for a year. Big whoop.

And honestly, I would love nothing more than to be married, or even to have a wonderful boyfriend. All of my friends are married, and it does get lonely sometimes hearing about how "married life is the best!" and "my husband is the greatest husband in the world!" and "you're still single?".

But I've done my best to not gripe and complain about it too much. That is one of my biggest desires, to get married, but it doesn't consume every part of my day. I don't mention it in every conversation. I don't whine about it on facebook. Heck, this might be the first time I've blogged about it.

Sometimes I feel that girls who focus only on the fact that they are single give out a "desperate" vibe about them. Me, on the other hand, I like to focus on having fun while I'm single. You know, doing stuff that married people have a harder time doing, like flirting with multiple boys at once and leaving on spontaneous trips.

I figure, the right guy will come along at the right time. All I can do is be the person that I would want to marry. And always put myself in situations where I might meet new people.

Since I'm moving up to Utah in less than two weeks (!), expect some of my posts to be dating related. I'll probably be sharing stories of failed dates, fun first dates, awkward moments, and cute guys. One thing I will not do is whine about how nobody asks me out or how it's not working out with this one guy or blah blah blah....because that's not me! I am a happy person, and I am going to focus on happy things!!

Wish me luck on my move, it's a new adventure! :)

Have a soup pie....

Yes, this post is about Havasupai. In case the title confused you or something.



Ready to party! Told you my pack was huge!

The whole group

The pilot was way cool!

So excited to fly out in the helicopter!

We hiked in Thursday night to the bridge and slept there. Next morning we checked in at the village and then headed to the campsite. I woke up that morning feeling kind of sick but I hoped it would pass. But nope. The rest of the trip I felt sick as a dog, with a really bad sore throat, but I still managed to play with everyone else. Friday we visited Mooney Falls as a group, then most of the group headed off to hike to Beaver Falls. I have never had any desire to go there during all of my trips down there, so me and two others headed back to camp to take a glorious nap! Then we headed to Havasu Falls to chill and enjoy the sweet waterfall.

It was starting to get dark, and I was worried why the rest of the group hadn't come back yet. Right after it got dark they came back, with the news that Rochelle had hurt herself cliif jumping. It took them so long to get back because they had to take turns carrying her back, all 5 miles. I was surprised they made it at all! Turned out she couldn't walk without pain, so we made a plan. The rest of the group would hike out Saturday afternoon, after they were done playing at the other falls, as planned. Then me, Keith, and Rochelle would pay 80 dollars each to fly out. The helicopter didn't run until Sunday morning, so we had to sleep an extra day at the campsite.

I tell you what, that was the greatest 80 dollars I have ever spent!! I've hiked out of there four times before, so I think I deserved to fly out at least once. Besides, I was still super sick and so unable to hike 11 miles anyway. That helicopter was a blessing! The flight out was so cool, I loved being able to see the trail from the sky and see just how skinny and winding the canyon is where we hike. And seeing the switchbacks from the sky makes you wonder how we hike them at all! 

Even though we had some accidents, it was still a fun trip. I love that place and I still hope to visit it every year! Next time, I am bringing a smaller pack....haha! 

"Don't hit me in the face with a bike!"

"I have a machete, right here."

"Want to have a party at my house?"

I could watch these all day.

Tomorrow...

 I'm heading to good ol' Havasupai tomorrow with some pals.

I just finished packing and weighed it using this strategy.

Luckily I could SEE THE NUMBERS! 

But my pack weighs a whopping 35 pounds.

WOOF.

This trip should be fun?

Lake Powell

So I'm a horrible person because I almost never take pictures when I'm vacation. I guess I'm used to my mom taking them! So, sorry, no pics from Powell this week. Just know it was awesome. I went with my cousins family and all of their friends. So fun!

We were supposed to leave Sunday at 3 or 4 in the afternoon but ran into some complications, namely one of the trucks was broken and had to be fixed and then my car over heated when we were waiting out front to leave. Apparently nobody told me that you can't idle with air on full blast for 20 minutes. It turned out okay, we left my car there and took another one, and good thing it happened there instead of on the road!

Got to Powell around 12:30 that night, and just unloaded our bedding and slept on the dirt road. Next morning, we quickly set up camp in a perfect camping spot and then proceeded to just relax the rest of the day.

The next couple of days consisted of sleeping in, lounging around reading, tanning, cliff jumping, swimming to the buoys, kayaking, and eating :) The boat didn't work too well, but I at least got in a good wake boarding run once. It was well worth it, and I even popped up on my first try!

On Wednesday the boys made this huge slip n slide down the beach from our camp, they had a long downhill run and then a big ramp at the end. Only problem is, the ramp was too steep. Uncle Russ decided to test it out before they really checked the depth of the water. End result: bad concussion, broken arm in three places, dislocated shoulder. He kept asking the same questions over and over, like "Did I get some air?" and "Did I look good?" and "What happened?" It was quite crazy! Shelle took Russ to the hospital in Page, but they said he needed surgery so they headed down to the valley that night. He got a big plate and 14 screws in his arm! Talk about intense! So for the rest of the trip we were without our ma and pa of the camp, but we got along okay. Luckily all the meal making was already planned out between their older kids. Camp take down was a little bit harder than it would've been, but it all turned out okay!

So now I'm home from Powell, and I still have Havasupai to look forward to later this week! I will definitely take pictures on this trip, so maybe I'll share them when I post next.

Summer is almost over, live it up!

Happenings...

So, I've decided my blog is boring? But what can I say, creative writing was never my strong point so I just write what I think. whatevs.

I only have three days left of work. So weird, considering I've been there over a year and a half and I LOVE the place. I think I laughed too much today, mostly because they were making fun of me for eating cake. My nickname for the day was "275" because I told John I had a fear of getting fat. So naturally he called me an insanely gross number for the rest of the day. Then again, I pounded down that cake (it was delish, and I was hungry) until my stomach hurt, so i don't blame them for making fun of me!

Harry Potter is officially ended. I have coined the phrase "post-Potter depression" for how I feel. I texted my bestie at like 3 in the morning after doing the whole midnight showing thing, and I was like, what am I feeling right now? So happy, and yet so empty inside? Then the phrase popped into my head, and I felt so witty :) I've already seen the movie twice, and fully expect to see it again in a couple weeks. Seriously, such a good movie and the acting is stellar, for once! Snape's death scene, hello?

I leave for Lake Powell on Sunday! My cousins go for a WHOLE WEEK and they were awesome to invite me, Hannah, and Brooke along! Can I tell you how excited I am?? Now that I know how to wakeboard, I am pretty sure I'll be thisclose to being pro by the end of the week. And I am determined to be the tubing champ. Although I have been known to bail when things get rough. NOT THIS DAY! (name the movie) (nerdalert)

I am moving to Utah soon. Sometimes I think about it and am like "What the heal am I thinking?" but most of the time I just can't wait to start something new. Obviously I will miss my friends down here, especially now that we have been having so much fun lately, but this is an adventure that I am excited to embark on!

One last note- until further notice, all running is postponed until I get to Utah. Who wants to run in 100 degree weather AT NIGHT? I know I don't! It is just too dang hot. So I say I deserve a break! But, I'm starting to get the itch again to sign up for a race, we'll see how long I can hold out!

Much love......

Random thoughts and ramblings...

So, I have my last day of work in two weeks. (sad) And then a month later I am moving up to Utah semi-permanently. Story time:

Once upon a time I wanted to become a physical therapy assistant. There are two programs in Arizona for this, one at Gateway Community College (tis a good one) and one at Pima Medical Institute (bleh). So I most def did not want to do PMI (they just barely got accredited), and turns out the wait at Gateway is 4 years or more (!!!). So what do I do? I find a school in Utah, Provo College, which has been accredited for 10 years, and which I can start almost immediately. Only downside is that it is more expensive, but I should be able to pay back the student loans in a couple years. Not too bad!

So that is why I am moving to Utah. I'm actually super excited about it! I love meeting new people, and this will really challenge my social (flirting) skills. I'm pretty sure I'll be pro after a couple months. I am sad to be leaving behind my friends and job here, but I am also ready for a new beginning. It's gonna be great!!

This is the rest of my summer:

Next friday, this:

There  are no words to describe how excited I am. It is the end of my childhood!

And then one week after that I am done with work. Crazy. I'm gonna miss those guys for reals.

Then a couple days after that I leave for LAKE POWELL for a whole week with my bestie friend and my bestie cousin. Legit.

Then after Powell comes Havasupai. Since I missed last years trip I am doubly excited for this one!! 

Then I have two or so weeks, Josh Groban concert on the 19th, and then I am outta here!!

Try not to be too jealous, I know my life is awesome. It's called being single with (almost) no responsibility.

Peace.

Utah Valley Marathon

So I ran my second marathon yesterday! And, I beat my previous time by about 45 minutes.

Warning---long and detailed post up ahead!

I had to wake up at the glorious hour of 3 a.m. to catch the bus to the start. As I sat in the warm bus, eating my pb&j, I thought about what this day would hold for me. I knew I would be able to run this one much better than St George because I had trained better and knew what to expect. The bus pulled into the start around 4:20, which left over an hour and a half til the start. It was cold, so cold you could see your breath, but luckily I had on my sweater and sweatpants (they gave us a bag with our race number on it to put our warm clothes in at the start, which we could pick up at the finish). There were fires in metal barrels spaced around on the street for us to stand by, but they were so crowded and I was dressed warmly enough that I ended up just laying on the asphalt and hoping to get a nap or something. I should have known better, I was too wired for that! So after a couple minutes of that, I decided to just party in the porter potty lines. It was fun being able to just talk to people, see where they were from, what they were going to accomplish that day, what their time goals were, ect. I love the running community, it's the best!! The people I meet at races are always so nice.

The start was fast approaching, so I had to get my ipod on, my fuel belt on my waist, and made sure my gps watch was ready to go. I also had to take my sweats off, which meant five minutes before the start my whole arms and legs were completely numb. I knew they would warm up after I started running, but I was still freezing!! About the start, we started 20 miles up Provo Canyon in a little town called Wellsburg, which I immediately fell in love with as soon as we started running. Small valley, big green fields, beautiful houses, mountains all around, horses grazing in the fields, quiet streets....everything about this town made me want to live there eventually. It was just beautiful in every way. There were some people who got up at the crack of dawn to watch us run, there was even a cute family sitting on their roof, waving and clapping for us. All 1,600 of us runners wound around their little valley, then headed towards the canyon.

It was about mile 7 that I stopped to tie my shoe, and this girl in a yellow shirt came up behind me and said don't stop, I've been following you the whole way because you have the perfect pace! I had to laugh because I was taking it super slow at the beginning, but I told her I was fine with her tagging along! It was only a mile later that we hit our first big hill, and I ended up losing her on the hills that followed. A lot of people walked up the hills, but I figured if I just kept a slow running pace up the hills I could just get them over with. I liked that much better than walking! Even though I didn't hill train that much, I was able to make it up all the hills with no problem. The downhills were fun for me because there were a lot of them, and I could let lose down those hills without losing too much energy.

I was able to keep a pretty even pace throughout the race until around mile 20. That's when I hit the dreaded "wall." This is where your muscles give up, you get really grumpy and discouraged, and it seems like you can't go on. The only solution to the wall is to run through it. So I adopted a "walk a little then shuffle/run a little" for the rest of the race. I saw my best friends (Hannah, Lolly, and Brooke) at mile 21, they were yelling "only five more miles!" and I was yelling "I hurt!!" but I ended up giving them a high five and running on. Those last few miles were horrible to say the least. The girl in the yellow showed up again and was like, let's finish together! Help each other out, you know? That lasted for a mile or two until I really couldn't run for more than a quarter mile at a time. I told her to go on without me. (I know, I'm so noble!) After that I tried to stay with this 80 year old guy, because to have him beat me would be too much to bear. He broke away from me with less than 2 miles to go. I then came around a bend with a mile to go and saw the finish line down the road. I felt instantly happier! I could see 80 year old man and yellow shirt girl ahead, but I couldn't catch them. I walked until about a half mile until the finish, then I let go and ran the rest of the way. I saw Dustin and Heather standing at the opening to the finish chute, about 200 yards til the finish line, so I waved and gave them a high five and shifted into my finishing kick, my springing gear, and ran my guts out to the finish line.

Crossing that line was amazing! I almost gave in to tears but I figured that would be dramatic, so I ended up just smiling and laughing. I found my cheering section and we took pictures (coming soon) and talked about the race. They were all inspired :) my great-aunt Larraine was there too, she is honestly the greatest and nicest person I know! I felt pretty good after that race and honestly, I cannot wait until the next one!

When we got back to where we were staying, I couldn't walk down the stairs to the basement so I scooted down on my butt like a little kid. Haha! And on the drive home, getting in and out of the car was really fun! We had a blast on the drive home, stopping for a picnic in Jacob Lake and stopping to take pics at Cliff Dwellers and Navajo Bridge. Loved every minute of this weekend, and I cannot wait for my next race! I just have to figure out when/where it will be :)

And next time an 80 year old man named Woody will not beat me by two minutes.

Success! ,

Yesterday was my first complete 20-miler, and I couldn't be happier! Even when I trained for the St George Marathon way back in 2009 (have I really been running for over 2 years? Sweet!) I couldn't run the 20 miles without walking some of it. This time around I walked maybe a quarter of a mile, around mile 18, which was okay because I was still able to finish strong. I am fully confident that I can do this marathon without walking, I just have to get mind into it. This is my mindset for the marathon- 10 miles, 10 miles, and then a 10K. Running is 90% mind, 10% physical. That's been my biggest set-back throughout this whole training process, my mind continually plays games on me. Last week I was at mile 15 and I just gave up. This week I was completely "in it to win it", as Randy Jackson would say (I'm so over American Idol this year) and therefore I was able to finish the run, even after I stopped to walk for a little bit.

So now I have three weeks until the marathon. The hardest part of marathon training is over (thank goodness!) and so now begins the tapering segment of training. These last three weeks won't be about building fitness, but rather maintaining it. That means less mileage overall, but I can't decrease intensity. Which means I'll still be doing speedy runs and kind-of long runs. A lot of marathoners say they go crazy from the three weeks of decreased training, and I say they are crazy! Who wouldn't welcome less running and more time to do other stuff?? Ha ha! Now my Saturdays won't be spent in a coma after running ridiculously long runs!

Summer is officially here, but I don't have any big trips planned except for Utah in June (a week for EVMCO tour and then the next weekend for the big race!). Should be a good summer overall, though! I'm hoping to get in a lot of lake trips, I have finally learned how to wakeboard :) it's a blast, I'm a convert to water sports now!

Have a great week!

Ran for my life, literally!

So Saturday I was running (no surprise there) and I was on my 13th mile of a planned 20 (which ended up only being 15, but whatever) and I was trucking along in the bike lane. I like running in the bike lane, that way I can stare down cars as they come at me and I can say hi to bike riders. Anyway, I had my head down and my hat on, so I could only see what was directly in front of me. I always made sure there were no bikes coming every couple of seconds though.

And then it happened, like in slow motion. I saw my right foot come down directly in the middle of a HUGE PILE OF BEES. Yeah. There was a huge group of bees just chilling in my bike lane! Of course I screamed bloody murder and literally broke into the fastest sprint EVER. I'm convinced I set a world record for the quarter mile. I'm sure I looked like a complete idiot, sprinting full speed and continually screaming, but shoot, there was a swarm of bees out to get me! I could see the shadows of the bees behind me as I ran, and so I kept going until I was sure they weren't following me anymore. I'm pretty sure I took the bees by surprise, which is why they didn't keep chasing me. But man oh man was I shaking like a leaf and laughing my head off for like ten minutes afterwards! I had just averted death!! That is honestly my biggest fear, is getting stung by a bee. I never have and I never want to!

Four weeks until the marathon, and luckily I lived to run another day!!

What makes me miserable, makes me stronger in the end!

So, this past Saturday I set out to do one of two 20 mile runs that I have scheduled before my marathon. Which is in five weeks, by the way! Anyway, I really didn't have the best mindset when I set out. And, to top things off, about 6 miles in (hence, six miles away from my house) I was overcome with this nasty, sick feeling. The result was that the two gels and gatorade that I eaten in the last hour were now in the bushes, and I had no heart to go on. And I was six miles from home. And, it was the one time I forgot my cell phone. Wonderful. So I thought, maybe someone will see me sitting here on the curb and ask if I needed a ride home? But after 15 minutes of sitting on the curb I knew that wasn't gonna work. So then I started walking back home, and came across this family setting up for a garage sale. They wouldn't give me a ride home, even though I was pale and sweaty and obviously near tears! But, the mom did let me borrow her cell phone. Problem was, I only knew my dad's number, and he was currently out shooting guns in the desert. So, I walked home. That was the longest 6 miles of my life. So, my feet went 12 miles that day, and I am convinced that walking is much worse than running. Because it drags on forever!!

However, all is not lost for my marathon training! That's why I scheduled two 20 milers, so that if one of them didn't go right, I would have another chance. So I'm not worried. And this time I will eat a good dinner the night before so that I'm not jamming down gels and gatorade on a near empty stomach. Not good! I did have a wonderful 18-miler last weekend, which was a great confidence booster!

In other non-running related news, my little brother Weston is now Elder Clouse! He reported two weeks ago, and I suppose he's having a blast in the MTC. Who doesn't? The house is decidedly more boring without him here, and I still walk in the house after work expecting him to be watching tv or on the computer (which is all he did after he got knee surgery 6 weeks before he left). But I'm getting used to him being gone. It's just a bummer! But, he's where he is supposed to be, and I'm glad he's there!

Like I said before, the marathon is in 5 weeks and I am pretty sure I'm gonna crack 5 hours, if not 4:45. I am slow, but for my first marathon I didn't train nearly as well, and I ended up doing it in 6 hours. Which sucked. So 5 hours will be a HUGE improvement and I'll be happy with it! I'm excited to go to Utah, even though I just went last October. I get to go two weeks in a row! But I'll talk more about that some other time, if I ever get around to it...haha.

Have a good week, and happy running!!