We are back! This time for re-runs!!

Has it really been since last August since I blogged?  Wow - shame on my (hand slap).  Well for 2016 I aim to improve on my blogging.

I have been running now seriously since 2011.  Now how do I define seriously?  Well it includes keeping a running log book, running several races a year, subscribing to runner's magazine, logging in over 1,400 miles each year and going through more than 5 pairs of shoes a year.  I think that should qualify for serious.

Sometimes however, I notice it can be hard to motivate yourself.  That's one reason why my sister and I come up with crazy yearly running goals.  It mixes things up and keeps us motivated.  This blog was started because of one of those crazy goals, it was in 2012 to be exact.  So for this year we decided to re-visit all of those blog runs that we did 4 years ago.  Our plan is to "re-run" each of the blog runs in order, compare how we felt then compared to now and even re-create the photos we took.  With all that said, let's get started!!

Re-Run "First official trail run of 2012"

We re-ran this on Monday, January 4, 2016

This trail run started at the parking lot at Camel's back park.  I cannot remember the last time we actually parked there and started a run.  We now always park at the upper parking lot near the nature center.  So this was a real throw back for us.  We followed the trail exactly as we did 4 years ago.  We found ourselves saying, "why did we ever start here?" and "What we we thinking going this way?"

A major difference with today's version of this run was that we had a lot of snow and ice on the ground.  This made our run actually slower than in 2014 due to the fact that we had to walk in some sketchy spots.  Also, back then whenever we stopped for any reason we would STOP OUR WATCHES.  We were so concerned about time and pace.  Now, if we stop, we stop watch stays running.  We have really changed our philosophy of running quite a bit over the years.

We took a shot of a rock formation that you have to climb over and dubbed it "Little Zion"



Here is how it looked today (2016)

We stopped the run to look at the sign and study it in 2012.  By now, we have every trail memorized and never check the sign.  But in order to re-create the picture we stopped.




2014 - this one took awhile.  I was trying to have Michele preposition her hands to be just right.  Also, notice we have graduated to trail packs instead of waist packs.  That happened when I had surgery and could no longer wear them (2013)

I would say, that running it today despite the snow was much easier than 4 years ago.  We breezed through it for the most part and didn't even notice the miles as the ticked by.

One funny moment.  As we came up to the upper parking lot we both stopped and began acting as if the run was over.  Then we both looked and did not see Michele's car!  WAIT!!  We parked in the lower parking!  ARGH!  Off and running again.  Funny how hard it is to break a habit you have developed.

Love the Hill!

My sister and I ran hills today.  They were BIG hills.  The kind that made you want to stop and lay down.  As we were trudging up the final one I thought to myself, "UGH why do I run these hills?" Sure the downhill is rewarding and enjoyable.  But sometimes after an hour of endless hills, your legs are so trashed, even the downhill can seem arduous.  So why run those blasted hills?

Once you get to the top and you look around at the view, you remember exactly why you endure those hills.  Not many people get the chance to see and enjoy the breathtaking vistas that I am privileged to see after a killer uphill.

So I run the hills, knowing a view of God's creations is at the top of each and every one.

Here are some of my favorite that I have captured on my runs.

Mini Me's FIRST Half-Marathon

Well she did it!  My sweet 12 year old accomplished something that most adults NEVER do!  She completed her FIRST (and not last) Half-Marathon!  My oldest son ran his first half marathon when he was 14 years old.  He hated it and swore he would never do it again.  At age 19 he has so far stuck to that oath.  Mini-me has wanted to run one for a couple of years.  I made her wait until she was 12.  She has trained hard all summer (something her brother did not do) and yesterday was the big day.

Race start was in downtown Boise at the New York Life building.  The race was called "Run For Your Life."  Our start time was 8:00 AM.  I was concerned about this late start time because I knew how hot it was going to get.  I wore my trail hydration pack to ensure we would always have lots of water on hand.

Our timing chips went on our ankles and we were ready to go!

Getting ready for the Start. We are close to the front at this point.  Mostly because the fast people had not lined up yet!

 

The Start.  We are on the left just about to leave the picture frame.

The race was pretty since the majority of it was on the greenbelt.  Mini-Me surprised me as she hit a 9:45 pace and said it felt good.  She stuck with that pace for the first 3 miles as we came upon the first aid station.  We walked only long enough to drink some nice cold water and then she was off again declaring with a smile, "I feel really good!"

As we continued running she confessed to me that she is "feeling really competitive".  She did not want anyone to pass us!  So she kept a steady pace through the next two aid stations.

Here we are at mile 9.  Mini Me is not smiling as big as she was before.  It was shortly after this photo that she experienced what it was like to hit the WALL.  She hit it at mile 9.5.  At that point aches and pains started to kick in and the heat felt more intense.  She really did a good job breaking through.  We had a few walk breaks, at an orange, and drank lots of water.

Here she is saying good bye to the last aid station.  It was at mile 12 which made her made because they said it should be at mile 11.5.  She called this mistake DUMB!!!

Closing in on the finish line she really found her second wind and started to pick the pace back up.  Once she saw the finish line looming she started sprinting.  I can not keep up with her when she sprints.  She had also made me promise that I would let her beat me!  There was no chance that I was going to catch her now!!

So proud of this little one!  She did great! I can't wait to run many more races with her...if I can keep up!

    Balloons at the finish line from her older brother and sister!

This is exactly what I looked like after my first Full Marathon!!

Leg massage from Daddy!!

FIRST PLACE IN HER AGE GROUP!!

(Let's be honest, no other kids ran the half-marathon! That emphasizes what an accomplishment this was for her to do!)

Stranger Than Fiction

A very bizarre fire was recently fought and extinguished in the Foothills where I like to run.  The cause of this fire is so strange it seems to ridiculous to be true.  Yet it is true!  Here is the clip from the headline in the local papers:

A cyclist stops to poop, ends up starting wildfire

No joke!  This is copied and pasted straight from USA Today's website!  This really happened.  What he did was try to burn his toilet paper when he was finished and....... well what else would you expect when you strike a match in dry, dead grass?

So, a few days after the fire Michele and I ran in the area to check out the damage.  It was pretty bad.

So for Heaven's sake!  We all nee to "go" sometimes when we are out there on the trails.  But what ever you do, don't strike a match!!!

Photo from the News

We started off so early!  There were zero cars in the parking lot!

Burnt Hills in the distance

The trails were torn up pretty badly in order to get the fire crews in.

Seaman's it's been ages!

I cannot remember the last time I ran the trails at Seaman's Gulch.  The loops in this trail system are very short and it is impossible to get over 7 miles without doing a lot of repeat loops.  This is the perfect place to take Mini-Me for another short trail run.  This time it was the two of us and Michele.

She always talks me in to treats after these harder runs!

Mini Me's longest run!

Today I took my daughter on her first greenbelt run.  She has announced that running in the roads in our town is BORING!!  To keep this girl moving I am having to mix things up a lot!  So the Eagle Greenbelt was our destination today.

She is still not a fan of waking up early!

We decided to run an out and back.  I wanted her to get 7 miles today, her longest run yet. Running the greenbelt is fun and distracting at the same time.  It is beautiful and has a lot of natural sounds.

Running through tunnels of trees!

Water fountains

There was a cool family of ducks but they took off before I could snap a picture!

This was the biggest bridge she dared go over.  There are some very large ones that go over the main river but "I have a fear of going over big bridges and water!!"

So many pretty flowers!  Too many to take photos of.

Legitimate lily pads!!  These are the real things folks!  This was the highlight of her run!

We took quite a long break at these Lily Pads.  She was so excited!

I really enjoyed running with my little buddy today.  We had a great time and she handled the mileage quite easily.  We took walk breaks and had some stops to enjoy nature!  She was still all smiles at the end!

Here she is proudly holding up the watch showing the record of her longest run to date! 7.18 miles

She may be tiny.... but she sure is MIGHTY!!