Race Results

Okay, our times from Saturday's Run for Courage are in. These are our best 5K times yet! We both feel like we could've pushed ourselves harder, and next time we will, but it was fun to stay together as a group.

Ashlee: 30:32 (9:52 mi.)
Lisa: 30:57 (9:59 mi.)

We were both in the top 25% of female runners.

Run for Courage 5K

Today we did the Run for Courage 5k in Folsom. This was the largest run we have ever been to, with thousands of people and very limited parking. We drove around for about 20 minutes looking for a spot, and by the time we found one Ashlee and I had to run across several parking lots and cross a busy intersection to make it to the starting line barely 5 minutes before the race. We stayed together as a group, and at about the last quarter mile Ashlee sprinted ahead and finished first. I finished strong several seconds behind her, then came Jolena and Lisa, running the whole way. This was Jolie's first 5K and she made us proud!
Thanks to my support team. Forrest never fails to get up bright and early on a Saturday and drag the stroller and all the kids along. Jacob was waiting at the finish line with a camera, and Rachel clapped when she saw me. Priceless.
I am definitely ready to bump up my runs. The 5ks are fun, but they're not a challenge for me. They've been good postpartum runs, but now that I'm done having babies I'm ready to amp up my training. I think I will make the next run I do a 10k. One of my goals is to decrease my mile time, which I know will come as I start doing longer runs. A better diet will also help, which will be easier to maintain when I start getting a full-night's sleep! My friend Lisa made this run so much fun, and I am happy to know that the profit went to a good cause.

My Running Star!

I am so proud of my Ashlee! She ran the Folsom's Run With Nature 5k today... without Mom by her side. She had the pre-race jitters, which we all get and thrive on. Her goal was to come in at 30 minutes (approximately 3 10-minute miles.) I was waiting for her at the finish line, and just as I looked down to hand Rachel something in her stroller, I heard the announcer say, "Ashlee Hart." I looked up just in time to see her crossing the finish line at 30:52! She did great and ran the entire time.

BEFORE

AFTER

I had a really neat experience while there. About 10 minutes into the race the girls and I headed over to the finish line to hang out and wait for Ashlee. It was very quiet, as everyone else was over by the vendor booths, with only one other girl on the grassy hill beside us. A few minutes into waiting I heard a single round of clapping followed by a, "Good job man" from one of the announcers. I looked up to see a lone runner, crossing the finish line at 16:40. It was almost surreal. What struck me about this was that here was this guy, crossing the finish line at an amazing pace of 3 consecutive miles at just over 5 minutes per mile, and what was he greeted by? A single applaud. He was the winner, but there were no bells or whistles. No one expected any of the runners to finish so soon, and in their pre-occupation over at the booths, missed the crossing of the champion. This man's accomplishment, while quite extraordinary, was done in rather humble circumstances. I was glad I was there to witness it.

Then came the other runners: some in pairs, crossing together. Others pushing themselves to their absolute max to shave just a few seconds off their time. Some striving to pass the person immediately in front of them before the finish line, thus forming their own competition to get one-up on the totem pole. And there were others still who trotted across the line at the same slow-and-steady pace at which they started. All of this really got me thinking about the analogy of the runner, and how different running styles and the personalities that shine through at the finish line are so indicative of the way we live life.

Ashlee, you made Mom proud today. Can't wait to be there alongside you next year.

On the Docket for Fall

The Sierra Trail Half Marathon and 5K (I'll be doing the 5k)

(click for details)
October 22, 2011

I've got the running bug bad! I have 3 friends who ran a half-marathon this past Saturday, and reading about it on Facebook was almost too much to bear. I'll admit that it's taken a lot of effort for me to be patient throughout this pregnancy and abstain from exercise. I've done a run in May for the past two years, but at 8 months pregnant I've been benched!

It's really important for me to have goals to look forward to, so I think I'll go ahead and register. (You're doing this one with me, right Kristin?)

With a trail around Folsom lake and a post-race BBQ, what's there not to look forward to?

Folsom Dream Mile

Today was mine and Ashlee's 2nd mother-daughter 5K run. The morning was perfect: cool, breezy, and just the right amount of fog.
We had some friends from church join us this time. Kristen and I pretty much stayed together, and I told Ashlee and Haley (jokingly) that if they finished ahead of their moms, they would be in trouble. They did anyways. Good job girls!


A couple of my best supporters. Rachel held up so well, despite the fact that I didn't have time to feed her before we left the house.
Thanks again honey!

Folsom Firecracker

Last weekend Ashlee and I completed the Folsom Firecracker 5k run. This was our first mother-daughter run, and Ashlee did amazing! She would start to fall back, then moments later I would hear a, "Hi Mom," and she'd be right at my side again. We ended up crossing the finish line within 30 seconds of each other! I am so proud of her.
I shaved 3 minutes off my last 5k time and ran all but about 10 seconds of it. We lucked out with it being such a cool day in July! The trail was very nice- shady and not too hilly.
"Good job Ash!"
They were giving out FREE Jamba Juice afterwards... mmm!
Me and my crew. I am so thankful that I am able to keep up my passion with all these kids in tow, and now be sharing it with my daughter.

My Next Ambition

My only question is, do I shoot for a better time on the 5k or just go for the whole enchilada?

Slow and Steady FINISHES the Race

Distance: 3.1 miles (5k)
My time: 34:27

My mindset for this race was slow and steady. I had two goals: to run the entire time, and to come in with the top 50% of runners, and I did both! Hooray for nice weather and a shady trail. I was almost wishing I would've registered for the 10k with the conditions being as nice as they were.

It was fun running into familiar faces along the way; the guy from Trader Joe's, old schoolmates, and a couple of friends from church. What I love most about these runs is being surrounded by like-minded people who find the same joy in running as I do. The looks of joy and will-power on their faces, mixed with a little bit of suffering, are a telltale sign of their sheer determination to do their personal best. It's exhillarating for me to watch them cross the finish line. However, as I looked up to see the first 10k runner come in with a time of 36 minutes, I was left wondering, "Is that guy human??" I mean, who maintains that speed for 6 miles? He was truly a machine. The other surprise was the 9-year-old girl who finished the 10k in 59 minutes. (Holy shoot! I've been smoked by a 9-year-old.) Ashlee did the 1/2 mile youth run and came in with the top 20%.
My proud supporter. Thank you honey for being there to ever-so-patiently corral the kids. I couldn't do these runs without you.

Weekend Precursor

Last night was our ward's annual talent show. Ashlee played Pachelbel's Canon (which somehow got deleted from the memory card) and the boys mustered up the courage to show off some of their tricks. Unfortunately we had to sneak out early and didn't get to see the rest of the show, because...




Date Night was calling us! This movie was hilarious once you get past the crude humor. It had us laughing throughout. Tina Fey is such a crackup.
And, it's official. I am registered for the Folsom's Run with Nature 5k run on Saturday May 15th. I have been training on my treadmill for a little over a week now and will take to the streets next week (I finally found a running buddy!) Wish me luck.

First Workout

Yesterday was my first run on the treadmill. I was almost giddy lacing up my shoes. The timing was perfect: Rachel and Kaitlyn were sleeping, Ashlee was gone at piano lessons, and both of the boys were entertained. I was not going to waste this golden moment. Alongside pregnancy and childbirth, running is another one of my passions, and I always look forward to getting back to it after having a baby. Although I did do a little running during my pregnancy, it was not with the same vigor and energy I am able to enjoy postpartum. During a period of seemingly endless diaper changes, feedings, cleaning, and mommy calls, running is my gateway to freedom. Nothing surpasses the feeling I get from a good run. For me, physical health is vital to my spiritual and emotional well-being, and when my body is in good shape, it carries over into every other aspect of my life. While my ideal is to be able to take to the neighborhood for a run, I am grateful that Forrest has set up my treadmill in the garage to suffice until then. (And being that it faces a window, I can almost trick myself into thinking that I am outside.) I managed to get in a good 20 minutes, not bad for the first go-around, followed by 5 minutes of core exercises. And the best part is that when I came back inside, the house was just as quiet as I had left it. Victory! My goal is to run 3-4 days a week and eventually make it outside, providing I have someone to watch the kids. I have just over five weeks to train for the 5K, and with a little effort I feel that I can come in with a competitive time. It's a good place to start. Saturday marks the end of my six week postpartum period, and there's not too much I can complain about. Life is good.