Each Day Is a Gift

We stayed up so late that I slept in so no time for a run cause we needed to pick up grandma and drive to Spanish Fork where the families gathered for New Year celebration.  The women in the clan prepared and made traditional Japanese NY food...lotsa food...each has a symbolic meaning for health, strength, wealth, properity, etc.  FUN time!  We ate SO well! :)
 

I've been BAD eating like no tomorrow over the holidays!  I don't want to get on the scale to see the damage...I feel like a beached whale last night watching the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl and stuffing my face with chocolates, chips, cookies, sweets galore!!!

SO, I texted my friends to see who would join me this morning for a repentance run! Ha!!! Karen's skiing at Solitude!  Luckily Wendy and Leslie were game!  Sky was sunny blue, no wind, temp was a toasty 7F.  I bundled up good, too good as I got quite warm! :) We ran on the MCT west to the bathroom where the water line was shut off but we did get some tp to blow our noses.  Other than a few patches of ice, the road and trail was clear and dry.  Felt so good to run outside.  Hope I can run longer tomorrow!  Only 8 weeks before the Woodlands Marathon! yikes!

19F cloudy calm.  It's been over 2 weeks since I ran long.  Didn't get much sleep last night and had no breakfast,  just drank some OJ.  So very good of Karen to keep me company the first 7 miles.  I miss her so much.  We ran east to top of Dry Creek turned west to freeway then ran to her house where I gu'ed and drank.  After a brief visit with her sister, I headed back out in the cold for a second round.  Ran west to the freeway then east to 1200 E where I got off the MCT and ran on the SR92 trail (which was snow packed) to get to Burger King for a bathroom stop.  There were lots of traffic in the area so I ran across the Smith Supermarket parking lot and ran on the back road to 3200 N and home.  My legs were super tired and I was femished.  Man, I don't know how I'm gonna run a marathon in 8 weeks!!!

Yearly miles:

2005 ~ estimate to be about 1,200

2006 ~ estimate to be about 1,500

2007 ~ estimate to be about 2,000

2008 ~ estimate to be about 2,000 (joined FRB in mid Oct w/ miles recorded as 408)

2009 ~ 2,149  (highest miles week in Feb was 63)

2010 ~ 2,770.  (highest miles week in Nov was 80.33)

2011 ~ 2,400.  (highest miles week in Mar was 73.25)

2012 ~ 1,585 (stress fracture of R 5th metatarsal in Feb and May. 7 weeks of 0 miles)

2013 ~ 850 (only 5 months due to serving as mission prez. in Australia)

2014 ~ 1,370 (only 7 months, returned to running in June)

Total miles in 10 years: 17,824

Races I've run in the last 10 years:

Karen texted that "it's time to run off all that goodies (junk food) that I've indulged over the holidays!"  She, Leslie, Wendy and I ran west then back to her neighborhood to pick up young Amanda for another 3 miles.  My legs are so dead, still very tired/sore from Saturday's 15+miler.  Thankfully Wendy stayed with me.  I walked gingerly thru the icy patches.  This was a painful "repentance" run made bareable by good friends.  Much like life, simply can't do it without love and support of dear friends! :)

My 2015 resolutions: 

1)  Live each day with positive attitude and gratitude! 

2)  Continue to study the scriptures and Preach My Gospel daily.

3)  Go to bed earlier (by 10:30) to get sufficient sleep (at least 8 hours)!!!

4)  Eat wholesome nutritious food.  Do not skip breakfast.

5)  Look for opportunities to serve. 

2015 wishes and goals:

1)  Hubby gets a healthy kidney with successful transplant!!!! :) :) :)

2)  Run 7 marathons to make 60 marathons before my 60th birthday!!! :) :) :)

3)  Spend time with grandchildren, children including my missionary-children!!! :) :) :)

Much warmer today.  High 20s, sunny, calm.  Beautiful view on the west horizon, the sun cast a brilliant pink/orange hue on the west mountains with a full moon  Bryan joined us for 4 miles this morning.  He's been running 3 or so on the TM since he's been home; so it was fun to have him run with us outside.  He peeled off at 800E for home.  Gonna miss him when he goes back to Indiana at the end of the week.

Hubby wasn't feeling well since Sat.  We noticed his drain fluid was cloudy so I took him in to the PD clinic yesterday.  The PD nurse collected a sample of the fluid for culture and started him on Gentamycin and Ancef administered into the Dextrose fill bag.  Today after I got home from babysitting Skylar, I administered the antibiotics in the Dextrose for his mid-day exchange.  It's been 3 months since he's started PD and thought we'd done well without peritonitis until now.  He's only been using the cycler since Dec. 17 and have enjoyed the convenience of night-time automated exchanges.  Am trying to remain positive and very grateful for modern medicine! :)
 

High 20s, sunny, hazy.  Ran with Karen and Leslie on MCT.  The 1500W bathroom inside water line was turned back on so we were able to get a drink from the tap.  After dropping them off at their houses, I ran a faster mile home.  Legs felt better...but still slow. 

Got a phone call from RAD last night that Park City Full marathon was dropped.  What a bummer!  That's been my favorite summer marathon/training run.  Will have to find a replacement marathon for Aug. 

Hubby's drain fluid is clearing up a bit.  He's still quite fatigued.  PD nurse called to report that the culture came back showing presence of E.Coli.  They will send us new kind of antibiotics in the next couple days meanwhile I will continue to administer the Gentamycin in the mid-day PD dextrose. 

19F humid, sunny and smoggy.  Karen's wakeup text: "Q: Why do runners go jogging early in the morning? A: They want to finish before their brain knows what they are doing!"  Hahah, I just love her!!!  Ran with Karen, Leslie and Wendy down 3rd West up on rail trail.  We had to scale down along a retaining wall holding onto the fence to get back on the MCT by Oracle.  Felt like some tresspassing teenagers...but mostly looking like some old ladies!  :)

19F partly cloudy, calm, hazy.  My legs were very sore last night which kept me from falling asleep and worrying about running long the next day.  Got about 5 hours sleep.  Woke up at 6am and legs felt decent.  Ate a greek yogurt and 1/2 banana.  Drove to MCT access at the bathroom/parking lot by Canyon Rd and 1100N in AF/PG.  Ran 3.5 miles by myself west and back to parking lot where Karen and Leslie met me to run the additional 15 miles with me.  We ran south to the Orem Cemetery where we gu'ed, drank and walked to see my late father-in-law's grave and turned back.  This is the furthest south on the MCT we've ever run.  One day we'll run to the end of MCT and connect onto the BST or PRT.  Legs/feet were definitely tired when we were done.  So nice to have friends to chat the miles away! AP: 9:47

Slept in this morning.  We went to Red Maple in Taylorsville for dim-sum on the way to take Bryan to the airport.  The last time we had dim-sum was in Sydney when my three sons came to be with me and hubby was in the hospital.  We used to take our APs (assistants to the president) to yum-cha (have dim-sum) as a "kick-off" for transfer planning.  Brought back such nostalgia. 

So hard to say good-bye to Bryan.  It was so fun to have him home for the holidays; to have his music in the home again.  He gave his dad a priesthood blessing before leaving which brought us a measure of peace and comfort.  He is such a good boy! 

Did a very very slow recovery jog on the TM while watching a movie, Painted Veil after we got home.  50 miles this week and my legs are trashed! 

Missing my family terribly.  Night time is the worst especially for hubby who is tethered to the dialysis machine.  He is trying valiantly to stay positive but I know it is hard on him!  Praying for peace, for strength to endure, for miracles and tender mercies!

34F, foggy, rainy.  Karen, Leslie and Amanda ran to meet Wendy and me.  We ran east on MCT to Dry Creek Tunnel.  Lotsa puddles, crusty old snow.  At Center St. Wendy and Amanda peeled off to go home while the three of us continued west to the bathroom at 1500W.  When we turned back east, the light rain turned into down-pour.  We were soaked from head to toe.  Didn't even linger to say goodbye when I dropped off Karen and Leslie at their houses.  Freezing rain = hurried home for nice hot shower! :)  AP: 9:38 (9:54, 9:57, 9:38, 9:26, 9:23, 9:25, 9:52, 9:25). 

32F (felt like 24) cloudy, windy.  Karen, Leslie, Wendy and I started our run earlier 'cause Leslie had to be in Provo by 9am.  We encountered heaps and heaps (Aussie's way of saying A LOT) of black ice and a 12mph NNW headwind.   So, it was a short and slow run.

My shoes have over 400 miles and my legs started to feel it.  I've been holding off on breaking out the new shoes due to icky wintery roads.  I think I'll wear them tomorrow so I laced them up and sprayed on water-repellant...all ready to go in the mornin'.  And I found my other running tights/shirts/head-gear that were packed away...yahoo! :)

30F calm, overcast sky, DRY road! :)  What a difference one day made!  Put on my brand new Altra Torin, long-forgotten-packed-away Underarmor pants and headbands (washed and cleaned like new) all excited for a run without freezing or slipperies! :) :) :)  The four of us ran east to Mitch Hollow Park via Dry Creek.  My short legs churned nicely DOWN the hill...but the lungs would have nothing of it on the UP hill.  On the return trip I did slightly better, less coughing.  After dropping Wendy off (she got 10K).  We picked up the pace a bit (9:28).  After dropping Karen and Leslie off I cruised home (9:15). 

Trying to decide which marathon to do on April 18:  SLC or West Mountain. 

23F, 93%humidity, calm, cloudy.  6 simple miler with Karen and Leslie. 

It's Wendy's birthday today.  So I picked her up after her work and we went to the temple.  We've been friends/neighbors for nearly 20 years...so much to reminisce.  I am so grateful for her love and friendship.  She is one of the most Christlike persons I've ever met. :)

27F, 93% humidity, calm, partly cloudy.  Ate a yogurt, carried a small cliff bar (the mini one I got in a race packet and a small pkg of fruit snacks (the kind you give to toddlers, man, I have used up all the running goodies Toby gave me for my birthday).  Ran to Leslie's house (with a little add-on around the church and Karen's to make 1.2 miles) right at 7:30 as planned just as she came out of her house.  She is so great to run long and slow with me and she's not even training for any race.  (But, I think I've talked her into signing up for a marathon in April with me).  :) :) :)  I am so grateful to have her company.  She is kind, thoughtful, with a young and positive attitude.  She is the RS president in her ward with over 250 sisters, a true friend to so many people.  Why am I so lucky to have her friendship?!!! 

We ran east on MCT with a stop at the Mitch Hollow Park bathroom for water stop then another water break at the trailside bathroom south of Lone Peak.  Turned around at mile 8 back to Mitch Hollow then ran north to SR92.  My legs were pretty fatigue from the get-go.  I had to walk most of the initial uphill but on the last short uphill I fought the urge to walk and kept jogging up...thanks to Leslie's "pulling" me! 

We saw the most amazing sunrise over the mountains.  The snow covered mountains to the east were lined with a thin sliver of bright silvery light at the very top where it meets the sky!  The west snow covered mountains lit up with all the hues/shades of white and pink.  We heard birds chirping several times and saw some migrating geese flying overhead.  What a glorious morning!!! 

My legs/feet were pretty trashed.  Wore the brand new Inspire 10 hoping it'd helped.   I've been running 6 days a week with no cross training, no core work and no speedwork.  I know I should mix it up a bit but right now I feel that's all I can manage.  Running is more a therapy now so I'll take whatever my tired old body is able and with the grace of God and love of friends/family I will make it! :)

Legs/feet very achy.  Went for a recovery wog (walk/jog) by myself (AP: 11:42).  Lotsa walkers, runners and cyclists out.  Perfect running weather.  Thinking of my friends running SGHalf today.  Wish I was running it.  When I got home, hubby was ready to go for a walk so I went back out with him.  I so treasure our walks together.  :)
 

Skiing with hubby this morning!  Warm, cloudy and calm, snow is decent, lots of skiers out as it's Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  So grateful that he can still ski ablbeit very slowly and gently on beginner runs.  We took lotsa rest breaks.  In the afternoon he discovered that he has lost his wedding band.  He has lost quite a bit of weight (now weighing 60 Kg).  So probably fell off his finger when he took off his gloves earlier.  Bummer! :(

After we got home, I gave hubby his last dose of anitibiotic in the dialysis then went out for a run.  The sun was just peeking through the clouds, a bit breezy, temp was 41F so just long sleeve shirt.  Lotsa bikers and kids out on the MCT.  7 miles in 1:04:23  AP: 9:12 (10:10, 9:31, 9:18, 9:01, 8:58, 8:43, 8:42)

27F clear blue sky.  Leslie somehow pulled a muscle yesterday so after running a mile she started to feel the leg pain and needed to walk.  She insisted that we (Karen, Wendy and I) leave her and she'd keep walking.  We would have none of that.  So we walked with her till the turn around and she attempted to run but once again could feel the pain so we walked.  For the next couple miles, we'd run 200m then run back and walked with her till we got back to her house.  I then ran home and added on another mile.  I hope she heals up soon.  She's been doing so well, running, swimming and going to the gym and I almost had her commit to signing up for a marathon in April with me! 

AM: Family History Center in SLC with hubby, Annie, and brought our guests, Tony & Susan, Kevin to meet with Elders Prisbey and Lemon, Caiping Sun, Grace Chan. 

PM:  Temple with my running buddies then birthday treats for Wendy at Kneaders.

AM:  PD Clinic with the doc. and team.  Dr. Cline got hubby registered on the transplant team.  Also adjusted some of the B/P meds as his B/P has been hovering in the 90s/60.  Has had some scary hypotensive episodes where he felt clammy and light headed in the evenings.

PM:  Ran 10 solo miles  on the MCT from the east end to the west end with access at 810E.  Sunny sky, breezy, 30F (felt like 25).  AP: 10:00

Picked up Karen at 7:15 to run long on the JRP.  I didn't want to leave my car at the 1500N bridge area so we drove to the Olympic Park (just south of 2100N).  It was a cold morning, 20F (felt like 17), cloudy and 86% humidity.  We ran north to get the uphill first.  We ran over to the next county into frozen mud territory and turned around when our garmin reached mile 5.  I walked most of the steeper uphill and on the icy bridge.  When we reached mile 7.  We stopped our watch, Karen ducked behind a sage brush, I attempt to bite and gnaw on a frozen hard energy bar.  Our fingers were so cold that we could hardly manage to tear open any packaging or zip our pockets.  It was quite comical.  My frozen fingers actually hurt.  The sun finally peeked out of the clouds a little and we felt revived.  We reached the car/park and Karen refilled her hand-held bottle.  I had not drink a single drop because I did not want to duck behind the bush even though we had not seen a single soul on the trail the entire time!  (We did see a doe and her fawn leaping over the trail and fence into the low flowing river).  The park's bathroom is closed between Oct 15-April 15.  I drank my 6 oz flask and refilled it and then off we went back on the trail for another 10 miles. 

The second half was much more pleasant, fingers and toes finally thawed.  We saw flocks of ducks, a big hawk and other birds!  We reached the Willow Park bathroom which luckily was opened and very warm, hallelujah! :) Karen's garmin read 12.5 miles.  When we got to the remote-control-airplane park, Karen's garmin read 15.5 and mine read 14.6, I did not restart my watch when we were walking and fumbling with our energy bar.  Karen used the portapotty and I ate my second frozen hard energy bar and drank all 6 oz of the water.  We turned and ran back to the car and I noticed my pace was faster.  My legs and feet were sore and tired, feeling the accumulative effect of the 10 miles I ran yesterday afternoon and 20 miles this morning.  When we got off the trail onto Olympic Park, Karen's watch said 20.6 and mine was 19.2 so I ran on the trail around the park and the parking lot till it reached 20, such an OCD me!  AP: 10:25.  First 20 miler done (next one on Feb7)...couldn't have done it without Karen's company, she made the miles go by! :)  So blessed to have such a wonderful friend who gave up her whole morning for me! :)

Fuel and fluid consumption: pre-run one Greek yogurt (80 calories), 2 energy bars (400 cal.), 6 oz emergenC, 10 oz water.  Post-run: protein shake (160 cal. 11oz) 12 oz water, one banana.  Lunch: rice, chicken drumpstick, 12 oz water, mandarin orange.

Happy Straya Day, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi!!! :) :) :)

Elder Brown, our former ZL (Mortdale) came to visit us after church in the late afternoon.  A few min. later Lowell and Kelsey dropped in on their way home after his 2 weeks old grandson's baby blessing here.  SO great to see them!!! :)  Elder Brown stayed for dinner.  Always great to hear of our missionary's post-mission's life. 

27F sunny hazy.  Wendy and I ran to meet Karen, ran 3.5 then picked up Amanda and Leslie who was testing out her hurt leg, half mile later she was hurting so after we dropped Wendy home she turned to walk home.  We then ran around the neighborhood to the east and back to Karen and Amanda's at mile 7.  Then I ran a faster mile home.  Bummer that Leslie is injured.
 

30F humid, partly cloudy.  Wendy was short on time so we ran a 3+ mile loop with her.  After dropping her home, I ran Karen home, then I ran back on the loop counterdirection with a faster finish.

39F humid, it had rained earlier, cloudy.  Karen, Wendy and I ran down 3rd west to the rail trail at State St. then up north to 3200N (didn't want to get muddy to access MCT) east on 3200N was a good uphill.  Karen kicked our trash going up the hill.  I seriously am getting slower with this old fat tired body.  Not complaining, just stating the facts.  I am happy that I can still get out there and put one foot in front of the other.  And I am grateful for dear friends who would run slow with me! :)

28F 100% humidity cloudy with occasional sun peeking through.  Ran with Karen on MCT to Mitch Hollow Park for water stop then turned back.  I was huffin' n cough'n all the way up Dry Creek.  Shins and heels are bugging.  I am out there doing the same miles in same ole slow pace everyday.  Though I am not seeing any improvement (in speed or fitness), this daily constancy, like daily dose of friendship, is what sustains me right now! There are not too many things in life that you can count on...so very grateful for having faithful friends and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! :)

36F.  5 soggy foggy woggies w/ Wendy, nice chatties!
 

37F (feels like 32), 9mph NNW wind, 87% humidity.  Wendy agreed to go the first 6 miles (of my scheduled 12 miler) with me.  I suggested we run west on MCT to the end by the freeway.  When we got there, I talked her into running further on SR92 past the freeway to see if we can find the access to JRP.  We turned south on Ashton Blvd.  which I think should lead to the start of the Thankful 13 from there we'd find the JRP access.  By now we've run over 4.5 miles, I suggested that we should keep going and get on the JRP.  Wendy was hesitant because she didn't bring any gu or water; but I assured her that she can have half of my granola bar and 6oz water flask.  We had no idea where the JRP access is.  I figured if we could cross the railroad, we'd eventually find the Thanksgiving Point Gulf course which is adjacent to the JRP.  We ran to the Frontrunner Train station where we crossed under the track through a tunnel and adjacent to the road is a row of houses by the golf course.  We saw a walker with her dog and asked where we might get on the JRP.  She pointed us south.  About quarter mile later we saw the JRP sign but still didn't know which offshoot road would lead to the JRP.  Then we saw another runner and he pointed us to the road that we just past.  We ran down that road and I immediately recognized that's where we accessed the JRP when we ran Thankful13.  Once on the JRP, we decided to run south to Olympic Park (mile 5.6, we ate the granola bar and drank the water); and from there Wendy knows the way back to our house through 1500N to State St. to 3rd W.  She knows that route well because her daughters played soccer at that park and the distance is 4 miles.  Running up 3rd West, I just kept talking to distract Wendy.  We made it back to her house in 9.5 miles.  Hubby was just getting out for a walk.  I knew if I went inside the house it'd be hard to get back out.  So I drank the remaining 2 oz of water in my flask and headed west to Center, north to MCT, east to 1200 E, turned back west to 600 E then turned down south to home for total 13.5.  My legs were tired but I was able to run the last 1.5 at mp.

Fuel/fluid: one greek yogurt and water pre-run; 1/2 granola bar 4 oz water mid-run, 11 oz protein shake, tofu and rice post-run.

Visited with Elder and Sister Kinghorn who will be leaving for our mission on Feb 9.