46 Miles for 46 Years

(warning-long post and lots of photos) 

Saturday March 31st was my 46th birthday and I arose early at 5:00 am to start this crazy journey I concocted in my head about a week earlier.  I had mapped out a course to run/walk from Orem to the Salt Lake City temple which is about 40 miles. In order to get the rest of the miles to reach my 46 total I decided I would get on the boring treadmill to get the first few miles out of the way.  It was still dark outside that early in the morning and I'm a bit of a chicken to run in the dark so the treadmill had to suffice.  I was able to get in 5 miles and was super sweaty when I was finished so I hurried and jumped in the shower and got on a fresh pair of workout clothes.

My ever so awesome friend, Annaleesa, jumped right at the opportunity to help me out by riding her bike alongside me for a few hours of my journey.  She was coming to meet me at my house at 6:45 am and when she got here I was raring and excited to head out the door!  I had packed the backpack (that she wore) with all sorts of necessary items but when we got a little ways down the road I remembered I had forgotten my lunch still in the fridge so we went back to get it.  That added an additional .40 to my mileage on the garmin which was a good thing because I knew I needed to get in some additional mileage at some point.

I wanted to be able to keep track of my mileage running versus mileage walking and so in my little fanny back I wore I had a pencil and paper and would update every 5 miles what I had accomplished.  I also decided that I would just take random pictures along the course of whatever seemed interesting.  My first stop was at Wal-Mart in Lindon and after coming out we saw this strange thing way down the road coming towards us.  Annaleesa said "Hey that's my new house"  Could somebody please help Annaleesa find a better looking house than this to buy?

Stop #2 was at the Macey's in Pleasant Grove.  Nothing much exciting happened there except some of the employees were staring and pointing at me.  I'm guessing it's because of these pretty rad shoes I was wearing.  I got a lot of thumbs up and comments from other people on the road because of these cool shoes.  Annaleesa gave them to me for my birthday and I am really loving them. Yes, they are huge and yes I inherited the big foot gene.  I think I learned somewhere that it means I have a larger under'standing'-ha ha!  

Somewhere along the way between Pleasant Grove and American Fork my cute friend Jody called me and we chatted for a bit.  I'm really grateful that my friends understand my desire for crazy adventures and support me too.  She was helping her daughter move and would possibly catch up and say hi to me later.

 

Stop #3 was at a little convenience store in American Fork.  Nothing exciting to report about that except I was just in the greatest mood and loving this whole adventure.  I told Annaleesa I felt like I could just do this all day.  I was loving the early morning fresh air, the birds singing, and just the awesome weather.  As I ran/walked on into Lehi and passed Best Buy where my son, Jordan, works as an installer in the car audio install bay I was just a tad bit sad that he wasn't at work yet.  He was going in at 10:00 am and me and Annaleesa had made it by there around 9:00 am.  So I texted my son and said hello to him back at home.  He sent back super kind words of encouragement and a big "Happy Birthday" mama! 

Stop #4 was probably going to be my last opportunity for a bathroom and refilling my water bottle before a long stretch of road around the point of the mountain and so it was here I changed my shoes and got some orange wedges out to nibble on.

 

Annaleesa was such a supportive companion.  I could ask her for anything along the way and she would stop and get it out for me then catch up to me and hand it to me.   She also would just laugh at me when I would sing at the top of my lungs.

My mother called me somewhere around the outskirts of Lehi and wished me a happy birthday.  My dad was probably worrying like crazy about me and still wonders about some of my crazy ambitions.  I know he loves me though.♥

The next part of the journey took us under the freeway and over to the East side on the frontage road where we passed Cabela's and then headed on around the mountain.  My other super awesome friend, Laurie, was at a soccer game with her daughter in Salt Lake early this morning and said she would pick Annaleesa and her bike up at which time my husband would drive out in the car and shadow me until I was feeling safe getting around the point of the mountain and up onto State Street.  The wind at this point was so crazy.  It had been blowing earlier and was helpful in pushing me along.  It was at my back the whole morning.  But at the point of the mountain it was wild.  The cement trucks were driving back and forth and kicking up dirt.  But the wind was still in my favor and I was so grateful! 

The exchange went well.  Laurie found us and got out of her car and walked about a quarter of a mile and chatted with me while Annaleesa handed off the back pack to Mark and loaded up her bike in Laurie's car.  I thanked her profusely and should have given her a big hug but she hates that so she got a sideways hug! :)  They went on their way and my super supportive husband became my companion.  He would drive ahead a mile or more and park the car and I would just wave and smile as I ran by and he would do the same thing again.  He had some reading materials and conference to listen to as well to keep him busy. 

Stop #5 was not at any establishment but to sit down in the car and get relief.  It was somewhere near this billboard along 1-15 and about mile 20ish.  I could feel some major chaffing going on under my arms and had brought some large band-aids to put on.  Mark was ever so nice to help me out with that.  It definitely wasn't something Annaleesa would have wanted to do.  I also changed my sports bra since the first one was pretty much soaked from sweat.  I also decided to try a fresh pair of shoes with some Dean Karnazes insoles that Annaleesa also gave me. Which turned out to be a super nice decision.  I also got a peanut butter sandwich and enjoyed that along my way.  It was around this area that I enjoyed a nice long texting conversation with my sister, Kareena. 

Stop #6 was not too much further down the road at the Harmon's in Draper which was the first time for a bathroom stop since Lehi.  Mark bought some more band-aids just in case I would need more and I continued on up the road while he shopped.  He found me a couple miles down the road and took this photo along a road in Draper. Yes, that wind is still at my back and giving me some great relief from the heat. But a major mistake I made from the very beginning was not putting sunscreen on my legs.  I kept my arms covered and sunscreened my face but for some reason totally forgot about my legs. BAD MISTAKE!!!

Aren't these trees such a pretty sight to enjoy while walking?

 

 

 

 

 

Stop #7 was at a Holiday convenience store on 12300 South.  Nothing exciting to report except I filled my water bottle with ice cold water out of the machine and continued on. Interesting to me how ice cold water can be such a refreshing pick-me-up.

I then finally made it to State Street in the very South end of the valley and knew I would be good from there on out.  Mark was kind enough to stick with me until he needed to get home to get ready for Priesthood session of conference.  He had tickets for him and the two boys at the Conference Center and wanted to allow plenty of time to get up there.  He continued to stay with me only going a mile or two ahead at a time or staying behind me for awhile.  Somewhere around 11800 South I got a text from Jody asking me where I was so I told her.  About a half hour later I see a lady on the side of the road walking towards me with her camera.  I was a little baffled since I didn't recognize her and then I realized it was Jody.  That was so fun!  Her husband dropped her off on the side of the road and drove ahead to let her walk a little ways with me.  That was super fun!  She couldn't stay long with me because they were still helping their daughter get moved.  In fact they still had the trailer with them and some cozy couches were in plain sight.  I offered to climb in and jump on the couches.  Yes, they thought I was nuts!  As I got into the Sandy area and got to the South Towne Expo Center around 9000 South, I started seeing a whole bunch of pink cars in the parking lot.  I actually counted 12 just from my view and knew there had to be more.  There was definitely a Mary Kay convention going on inside. I do love me some Mary Kay make-up!

Stop #8 At the other end of the parking lot at the South Towne Expo Center Mark took a couple of photos before I got to the car for my final stop with him.  I climbed in the car and changed my shoes again to my bright flashy orange ones.  I also changed my shirt and drank some Powerade and loaded up my little fanny pack with whatever I thought I might need.  I was so grateful for Mark and his patience with me.  He's already a patient person but you have to be extra patient to deal with some of my big ideas and dreams.  At this point I was just a tiny bit nervous to be heading out on my own with no more support.  Mark's sister lives up North and told me I could call her if I felt unsafe and needed her to shadow me at any point, so that helped  knowing I still had some back up if needed.

YES THAT BLASTED WIND IS STILL BLOWING AND THE SUN IS STILL BAKING MY LEGS!

I said my good-byes to Mark and headed on up the road.  The next numerous amount of photos are just random proof that I continued my journey North.  At this point I had run more than I ever had with about 19 miles run and all the rest walked (about 13 at this point) and I decided to just enjoy the rest of the day and walk, only running if I got the desire, which I did only for a little bit more later on near the finish.

Rio Tinto Stadium

Weird skinny bear? Albino tiger? Dog with pig ears? I couldn't figure it out!

Crossing over the 2-15 freeway at about mile 35

And still hanging in there!

Stop #9 was at a 7-eleven.  I wasn't much in the mood for food but sort of wondered if I should be fueling my body. I filled my water bottle and used the restroom and wandered around the store deciding.  They had bananas for .79 and I almost bought one but it just wasn't sounding good. 

Double Decker bus in Murray around mile 38

"Hi there chief!"

Stop #10 I found a McDonald's.  Janae from the blog Hungry Runner Girl constantly talks about the need for ice cream in refueling.  At this point in my walk I was loving that idea and decided to indulge myself.  It felt so cold and refreshing after being in the heat for many hours.  The only problem was it wasn't big enough. I could have eaten a 2nd or 3rd one.

As I continued North on State Street and watched the blocks getting smaller I would get so thrilled as I got to a new number, i.e. 8000 South, 7000 South, 6000 South, 5000 South etc.  Also along this part of the journey Annaleesa was back at home and keeping me company with occasional texts of support and encouragment.  I also enjoyed a few texts from my daughter, Kali.  She wanted to bring little Miles and come pick me up and go to dinner but I just didn't see how that would even be fun when all I was going to be wanting was a cozy bed or couch to lounge on. I was also a little worried about her getting stuck in conference traffic. 

One of the running blogs I read is fast Cory and he talks often about Hostess products and ultra marathons (which I hope to someday try).  He even hosted a half marathon in Southern Utah where you had to eat a hostess item at each of the aid stations.  Trust me, I was tempted to sign up.  I saw these on the ground and instantly knew I needed to take a photo.  I didn't eat them though! Cory probably would have, he loves them that much. 

This photo is obvious since I have a son named Cooper.

I saw this ad and instantly was wishing I was enjoying some pampering at that moment.

Ummmmm..............That is just super weird!  I had to do a double take and even walk back after passing it to make sure I was really seeing what I saw.  Why would someone plant fake trees outside of their place of  business?? There were 2 of them!

Somewhere around 3300 South my good friend Laurie called and we chatted for awhile.  This was certainly a nice aversion to the heat and wind and pain.  My mother also called me again right after talking to Laurie and I enjoyed my visit with her as well.  My dad in the background was still not hardly believing what I was out here doing, but was glad I was safe.  It was sometime during the last couple of hours that my watch was telling me the battery was getting low.  This was part of the journey where I started running again.  I was so worried I had come all this way to not be able to have a true record on my watch of the actual outcome at the end and so I decided to try to pick up the pace.

Finally arriving into Downtown Salt Lake City!

The Scott Matheson Courthouse

Some protest was going on on the other side of the street.  People with signs were chanting angry things about a guy in Florida.  I was glad I was on this side of the street.  The policemen in yellow and black seemed to be keeping the crowd under control.

I was so happy to get to this point in my journey because I had been walking North for almost the entire route.  It also meant I was almost to my destination.  At this corner I got to make a left hand turn and head on over to Temple Square.

The Lion House

Beautiful flowers on Temple Square

The mist coming off of this fountain felt so refreshing!

The temple finally in view.

I made it to Temple Square!!

My husband and boys were in this building as I walked by.  "Hi guys, can't wait to see you." 

I only had another block to walk to get to Mark's sister's house to rest and relax and wait for Priesthood to get over with so that I would have a ride home.

Mark's sister took this final picture of me being finished!  I got in her bathtub and took an ice bath for a good 25 minutes or more and then Mark's mother massaged my legs.  They were certainly tender.  I sat cuddled up in a blanket and watched tv and ate ice cream while waiting for my boys.  When they got here Mark's sister had a beautiful birthday dinner for all of us of ham, potato salad, peanut jello, and rolls.  Dessert was coffee cake.  Thanks so much sis and mom!!  We appreciate so much your goodness to us.  This was a good place to land after a long journey.

My final watch time showed I traveled 41.25 miles in 10 1/2 hours.  Add that to the 5 miles on my treadmill at 5:00 am this morning for a total of 46.25 miles in 11 1/2 hours.  Of those 46.25 miles traveled I documented 20.5 of them as running miles and the remainder 25.75 as walking miles.  Not too shabby considering I have yet to embark on a marathon journey.  Someday........it will happen.

*Questions asked of me afterwards

1-Would I ever try a long distance again?  Most definitely!  I just need a little while to recuperate please.

  

2-Did I ever want to quit while out there?  No, I actually enjoyed this whole experience, and didn't start feeling foot pain until about the last 5 miles. What started as a tiny blister on the bottom of my foot and feeling like a little rock stuck in my shoe turned into a big blister by the end of my walk and I was grateful to finally be finished. 

3--Am I sore?  Most definitely!  This blasted sunburn on my legs is hurting worse than my sore muscles though.  Actually now that it's four days later my muscles feel good.  I can go up and down the stairs now without holding on for dear life but the burn is still hanging on.  Also, I think I'm going to lose a toenail on my right big toe.  It's pretty black and blue and tender.  Oh boy!

4-Will I do this again next year on my 47th birthday? It's a possibility.  What would make it even more appealing though would be having companions joining me for the entire journey. 

My Fascination With Distance

The look on my sons faces as I casually told them of my desire to walk 46 miles on my 46th birthday a few days ago while sitting at the kitchen bar was priceless. I wished I would have had a camera to capture that brief look of "Are you serious?" or "Are you insane?"  It made me chuckle because they both just stopped in their tracks and were speechless for a few moments in time.

Let me back up...From the time I was a young girl I have been fascinated with long distances. About age 12 every Summer the March of Dimes would do a walk-a-thon.  Even though I didn't know any body that this would benefit personally, I still had this strong desire to get out there and participate.  I would go from house to house ahead of time with my walk-a-thon forms in hand getting pledges for each mile walked from all the neighbors.  Then when the day came to walk I gathered my friends or sister and away we went to walk.  These walks were 20 miles long (I think?) and the thing I remember most is just how much I enjoyed the day walking with so many others and getting a nice sunburn.  I loved feeling a part of an organized walking event and seeing so many other people enjoying it as well.

Now jump ahead a few years to high school and I'm sitting in my seminary class in 10th grade.  I have a super awesome teacher that shares so many personal stories and exciting adventures from his own life.  He tells us a story about an activity he participated in with the Boy Scouts called the 50/20.  The goal was to walk for 50 miles in 20 hours or less.  My ears perked up and I was once again fascinated!  He shared all the details of this challenging endeavor and I was hooked.  I learned that one of these 50/20's was coming up in the near future and a few of my friends were planning to participate and so of course I decided to join them as well.  I don't remember a lot of details about it except that we started around 9:00 pm at night in Provo and walked all the way out to what is now the Eagle Mountain area (there was absolutely nothing out there then in 1982 but a two lane highway and a big desert). This was the 25 mile marker and half way point and the place where we ate breakfast and saw the sun rise. We then turned around and headed back to Provo where we arrived 18 hours later from when we started.  It was absolutely one of the hardest things I had ever attempted and completed.  I hadn't done any training for this kind of activity and looking back now I know I didn't have enough proper fueling.  I certainly wasn't in the best shape, but I was young and headstrong and I had friends who encouraged me and helped me finish.

Jump ahead 6 years later in the year 1988.  I am married with 2 children and I decided to try it again this time with my husband.  This 50/20 was set up to start in the tiny town of Benjamin where the course took you all the way around a mountain, West Mountain, to be exact and then continued into Spanish Fork, Springville and eventually finished in Provo.  Well, we got a nice start with a very large group of people in the early evening and walked around about 3/4 of the mountain and somehow in the middle of the night around 3:00 am, we took a wrong turn and ended up off course for who knows how long.  Once we got back on track we were deflated, worn out, and discouraged.  We finally located a support vehicle and decided to climb in and call it quits.  It was a major disappointment for me but I did enjoy the time I was out there walking with my husband.  Once again I don't think I was prepared physically or had the proper fueling or resources.    

Now jump ahead another couple years to me being a young mother with 3 small children.  I decided to embark on another 50/20 journey, this time with a female friend, Becky Weeks.  The route was again different this time. We started in Salt Lake City up on the hill at the "This is the Place" monument, across the street from the Hogle Zoo.  We had to walk to somewhere in Provo.  We started in the late afternoon and walked well into the evening.  Somewhere about 5 hours into the walk my friend had had enough and couldn't continue any further. I was then forced to continue my journey alone.  There were support vehicles at random places along the route to pick up anyone ready to stop.  So she got in and we said our good-byes.  I continued for many hours through the night along a very dark and lonely road along the point of the mountain.  I found one kind person along the way and we kept each other company for quite a number of miles but eventually they were just too fast for me and headed on without me.  I walked on into Lehi and was just physically, and emotionally done.  I was tired of walking all alone with no music (back in the days of cassette walkmans) and nobody to talk to in the darkest hours of the night. I can't remember if I even had a flashlight but I do remember feeling scared being all by myself.  After about 10 hours from when I started I found a support vehicle and decided to call it quits.  The van drove me on in to American Fork and then I was able to call my husband to come pick me up somewhere around 6 or 7 am.  I was pretty disappointed in myself AGAIN for not finishing this walk as well.

Well, now here we are in the year 2012, about 23 years later and I am turning 46 in just 3 days.   All of a sudden one day last week I got a crazy idea rolling around my head that I would like to attempt a 46 mile run/walk for my birthday.  I have been running now for about 15 months and have completed 6 half marathons in that time.  I feel a little more prepared physically and definitely know what I need for proper hydration and fueling.  I am in the process of getting my route figured out and a couple of companions squared away to be my support vehicles.  I'm pretty nervous but excited as well to see what my body can do physically as well as mentally and to see just how hard I can push myself.  I also plan to do this from the moment it is light in the morning and hopefully finishing before the sun goes down so that I don't have to be out there in the dark. Actually if it gets dark I will call it quits.  Stay tuned for a full report .....if I make it. 

I was sad that I didn't have one single photo from any of these walk-a-thons I participated in.  I guess my scrap booking and picture taking desires were pretty non-existent back then.

   

Shamrock 1/2 Marathon-Saratoga Springs

This was yet another race I participated in to try and stay on target with my goal in 2012 of signing up and running at least one race every month. There aren't a whole lot of options in March for races close to home and so when I saw this one only about 20 minutes away I decided to sign up for it. Plus, I thought it would be fun to run way out in the hills and that it would also have more of a small-town feeling to it. The problem came though when a fellow blogger talked about the elevation change and so I looked it up and then became a little bit nervous. I'm not a seasoned enough runner to check these things out ahead of time.  Too late though since I was already signed up.

So, St. Patrick's Day dawned bright and early at 6:00 am for me with a restless night's sleep. I got up and got ready and had my cold banana out of the fridge with a little peanut butter smeared on it. (pretty delicious) and left the house about 7:00 am.  Mark and Cooper came along for moral support which I was so happy about.  It really isn't much fun to go to races all by yourself.  We drove out to Saratoga Springs and got there quite a bit early so we drove around the little town and checked out the course before we went to the starting line area.  Oh Boy! Was it ever hilly!  We drove back for me to get stretched out and make a final pit stop.  The race started right on time and I was near the back of the pack.  It was fun to see so many people wearing their bright green shirt. I think I read somewhere that it's taboo to wear your shirt in the race you're running in that day.  But I didn't care, and I'm glad so many others didn't care either.  It really was an awesome sight to see so much green and I wished I had a picture.  I don't know how many people ran this race but I'm guessing around 300. (I found out later it was exactly 189 people and I came in at 139th place.  Not that great, but I'm just glad I wasn't at the end)

A number of times Mark and Cooper found me and honked at me.  That gave me a smile and a boost for getting up some of those tough hills.  My whole plan for this race was to just not be as slow as my very first half marathon, Utah Valley, last Summer which was 2:38:02.  In the last couple of runs last week I tried a new tactic with trying to get a little faster.  As I listened to my ipod when a song got over I would pick up the pace and try to run as fast as I could until the next song started and the singer was singing.  This could be anywhere from 10-30 seconds.  Or if I didn't like the song I would keep running fast until I found one I liked.  Well, it helped because I was able to finish this race in 2:25:14 with HILLS, and WIND. 

I know that sign says 2:21:36 but there was a tiny problem around mile 9.5.  It was so windy that one of the cones was tipped over and a lot of people took a wrong turn.  So it ends up that my garmin watch said I had only run 12.67 miles when I came through the finish line so I continued running on around the back of the school until my watch said I had officially reached 13.1 miles with my final time of 2:25:14.

When I finished my run I headed to the goodie table and enjoyed some chocolate milk, banana and grapes. It was a bit chilly with the wind blowing and so we headed to the car.

 

When we got home I immediately took an ice bath which is never pleasant to do but the effects of less soreness is way worth it.  Happy St. Patty's Day! I haven't decided if this is a race I will want to run next year but I did enjoy the scenery and the super friendly volunteers.

2 Years

My Dearest Porter,

It's been 2 years today that you have been taken from us. 2 years since that nightmare on March 5th,2010 when you went on that hike to Dry Canyon and never returned home to us.  2 years ago today that you slipped on that ice and fell off that cliff and me and daddy went in search of you and daddy found your broken little body.  It's been 2 of your birthdays without you, 2 Christmases, 2 Easters, 2 Mother's Days, 2 Father's Days, basically 2 of every holiday we've had to endure without your joyful personality here celebrating with us. Sometimes it feels like only 2 days and sometimes it feels like 2 eternities.  But trust me Porter, you were here in my heart for every one of those moments.  You are always here in my heart.  I still think about you EVERY SINGLE DAY.  I still break down and cry occasionally.  I still go in your room and sit on your bed.  I still look in your closet at your precious belongings. I still watch your funeral video.  I still watch the funny videos you and Will Petersen made, they crack me up every time. I still listen to the music you created and I listen to it every time I ride in your car.  These past few weeks as I knew this day was coming you have been particularly much closer to my thoughts and heart and I have just felt your presence so near.  So many times I just feel like you are watching me and I have to just turn to see if you are really there.  There are times when I'm out running in the peaceful morning hours that I feel you just there beside me.  Of course you're not but it just feels like you really are.  I was reading through my journal a couple days ago and came across an entry from October 27th, 2011.  This is what I wrote:

I had a dream this morning about Porter and wanted to get it written down so I wouldn't forget.  I was at my old house and Brother Bartholomew and some youth whom I didn't know were at our house.(not sure why they were in this dream?)  I went downstairs and then turned down the hall to Kali's old room.  Porter hadn't heard me coming because he was in there vacuuming.  I startled him when he looked up at me.  I was so surprised and happy to see him and I just kept staring at his face and saying "Porter." I walked toward him and he backed up slowly saying "You can't touch me" and I told him "Yes I can!" Then when I got to him we embraced in a very firm hug.  I was so happy and kept saying to him "You're alive!" And then my emotions completely took over and I started crying. I ran down the hall to find Brother Bartholomew and to tell him what had just happened.  As I shared the whole experience with him he wept for joy as well at Porter's return. 

Then I woke up from this dream and continued crying wanting SO BADLY for this to be real and not just a dream.  Mark had just finished getting ready for the day and heard me crying and came over to comfort me.  I shared my dream with him.  He told me it was a good dream and it's good to know that Porter is still close by.
I think this is one of those tender mercies from the Lord to let me just feel my son's embrace for a brief, small moment, and letting me know he is still very much alive and that I can still feel him nearby.

 I attended the funeral of a very dear elderly gentlemen in our ward, Brother Alfred Young back on February 9th this year and one of the speakers said something that I haven't forgotten.  He said "We left eternity to come down here for time, and then we will be going back to eternity.  This little speck we call time is just a brief moment in our existence.  It's while we are here doing our time that is our real test."  I know you have passed your test Porter, and that you are now enjoying the eternity part of your existence again.  I know you are so happy, and that you are at complete peace.  I also think you are busy doing much good.  I love you so much Porter and I can't wait to wrap my arms around you and embrace you so tight again.  You are my special little 'Po-Po'.  

(Artwork by Elspeth Young)