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!!