Dan's love for running!

Several people have asked Dan why he runs.  Here is what he wrote to go with his talk on Father's Day, but he didn't end up including it.  He let me read it later and I really wanted to include it on our blog mostly for journaling purposes, but for those of you who have asked here is your answer.

Dan writes:

Why do I run?  How do I explain that.  I have been trying to formulate it into sentences that I could share to describe why I run, and have just never been able to put it together, and still don’t have the time to give it even the remotest chance of really explaining it, but the short version is.  To run is to be alive.   To feel the sun, the wind, the stars, to see nature in all of its beauty.  To listen to your own breathing and heart beating mile after mile.  Knowing the incredible complexity of every microscopic piece of your body that God has organized into an unbelievable machine that we can train to do so much.  Just over a year ago I couldn’t run a few miles.  I always had a distant dream of being able to run a marathon, but had never conceived of the possibility of actually doing it.  Had never thought it possible for me to run a few painless miles again, let alone 4 miles, then 6, then 10, 12, 14, 20, 24, 26.2.  With  Each new milestone bringing new pains, new challenges, new agonies of mind, body and spirit. But knowing that with it brought the capacity to do more.  To know that the body will adapt and that next time it will be easier, faster and stronger. Harnessing what God has created in each of us, knowing and believing that we can accomplish anything, if we hope, then believe, then work, reflect, plan, train, persevere, endure, and be grateful.  But most importantly, do it.  Running is how I try to gain control of myself.  Try to gain mastery over me.  To get my mind and my spirit in charge of this flesh. To mold it into something useful. Running for me is a spiritual experience.  A time to think of and be grateful to God for all of his creations I see around me every day.  A time to be grateful for the very life that I have, and I just hope that I can figure out a way to pass on this feeling, this love of life, and enjoyment to my family.  There are far too many reasons to remember at one time and say here, and much too little time to formulate the words.  I spent 17 years of frustration knowing my love of and need to run.  I would attempt every few years to start running again but I would end up angry and frustrated when I would reinjure myself in the same way and pain that made me stop in 1992.  I would experience excruciating hip and sciatic pain for months on end, all because I was doing it wrong.  Learn to experience life correctly and it is much more enjoyable. 

I suffer from the curse of being both afraid to fail and afraid to succeed.  Bouncing between the two is a very difficult thing to break out of in ones life.  And for me having something to focus my mind and body on accomplishing, I have hope, will help me to overcome both of these.  Just like we can flounder around in our spiritual life, doing it wrong, coming close to God, but just not completely learning correct principles and then holding on.  We are all here trying to find out how to do it right, find the iron rod, and don’t let go, all the way back to our heavenly father.

(Dan wanted to edit this before it went on the blog, but who knows if that will happen so here it is anyways, maybe someday he'll edit it to the way he wants, maybe adding more to it.)

July 4th Weekend FUN

It was a long weekend for the 4th of July (that was on a Sunday this year) full of fun.

On Saturday we took the kids to see Toy Story 3. We all loved it. That night we invited Kristy and Daniel over for a barbecue including yummy candied pineapple made on the barbecue rotisserie. Then we walked over to the park for fireworks. The kids had a lot of fun playing tag with some friends waiting for the fireworks to start. It was windy and cold. Kierra loves talking about fireworks in the sky still.

On Friday Dan decided to run the Freedom 10k which was on Monday the 5th. He took 21st overall and 1st in his age division. He said he doesn't really like the course, but he took 2 minutes off his best 10k that he ran back in January finishing in 38:03.

We got up bright and early so we could see Dan run by and wait for the parade.

Kierra eating her "mallow" (marshmallow) sucker from Uncle Fred.

Kierra and Uncle Fred

Kierra has really taken to my uncle Fred (who most kids are afraid of). She loves to sit on his lap. One time he came over and dropped something off, Kierra was upstairs and did not see him, but heard him. She got upset when she got downstairs and he was not there so we had to run outside so she could say hi. He is moving out of state in just a couple days so we were glad when they could Fred could spend some time with "his little friend" (as they call Kierra) at the parade in Provo. She pretty much spent the whole time with Fred once he got there. Saturday (July 10th) we had a family barbecue for Fred and Lar and kids before they moved. Kierra dragged him upstairs to "cook" in the playroom. It has been fun to see the bond they have created and sad to see them say bye. Then I was surprised to see them again the next day at my house with computer problems. I'm glad we've been able to see them a few times before they have to move. (I don't know why it is doing that font - but I give up trying to change it)

Makayla waiting for the parade. It was pretty chilly when we got there until the sun reached us, which took awhile being we got there about 7 am.

Dan finally made it back to watch the parade with us. He ran the 10k, waited around for awards, then moved the car a little closer, then ran about a mile to where we were sitting, then after the parade he helped us to the car then ran back to his car. He must love to run or something.

After the parade the kids played with friends. Megan and Janika rigged up a water slide and had lots of fun. Makayla had been at a friend's house when she came home she had to join in the fun.

Kierra wasn't much for playing in the water, but she loved the mud.

Then Monday night we went over to my parents' house for a barbecue and FHE prepared by Kristy and Daniel to help with an assignment they had to do for their religion class in school.

Janika enjoying a conversation with her cousin Brayden (that is a couple months younger than her) on the swing.

Kristy had planned a game for FHE, but it ended up just being the kids doing it after everything was over.  They had to all link arms together, feet had to stay touching and they had to work together to get through the obstacle course.

Its not often that you see my dad rolling around wrestling with the grandkids. Our kids are lucky to have such great grandparents. I don't have the pictures (on my mom's camera) but when they were babysitting on Friday night my mom let them raid her closet and the girls LOVED it. They were wearing her skirts, shirts and their very favorite - her HIGH HEELS! They always want to go to grandma's now. They are going to spend the night with them this Friday and she is going to go to DI to get them some "Real clothes to dress up in" (according to Janika & Makayla). They are soooooo excited. Makayla told Grandma "She was the best cause she's going to DI". I think that is so funny. Thanks Mom and Dad for loving my girls and creating fun experiences for them that they will always remember.

At the end of the night Kierra was walking around with this bucket on her head.

Dan- Gruesome Grizzly 8k 6-26-2010

Dan ran yet again another race on Saturday (that is all but one Saturday in June). It was short one (for him) only 5 miles, but it was a hard 5 miles. It was a trail race which trail running is his favorite. I decided I don't really like to watch him run on the trails. It makes me nervous. I hate to do anything downhill and watching him run that fast downhill on unpaved paths is kinda scary (I wasnt the only wife that was nervous.). The kids AGAIN did NOT want to go and they complained a good part of the time we were there, but I like to go and support Dan. This one was kinda cool in the sense we did get to see a couple parts of the race, just because it was up in the hills above us. It started in the parking lot of Canyon Glen up Provo Canyon. They ran along the pipe and fire roads then ended back at Canyon Glen. Dan said it was a blast! He took 7th overall and 2nd in his age division (30-39). He won the right to get in the Hobble Creek half marathon that is in August. He's excited about that because he tried to get in but it was full within hours.

Probably the only time they didn't ask to go home was after we watched the start of the race we went over to the ampitheater and danced for each other.

That's our ballerina girl!!

Dan almost done, just has to make a loop around the parking lot to the finish line!

Crossing the finish line!! He was staggering after he stopped running which made me nervous, but he was fine.

Father's Day - Concert in the Park

Dan's friend Jared Budge's new band played for the end of Strawberry Days on Father's Day. Dan's parents were out of town and we were going to my Dad's earlier so we were able to go. The girls of course complained because they always seem to complain when we want to do something. But at the beginning they told the kids to come up front and dance - they had SO MUCH FUN dancing. Kierra even entertained many watching as she danced. So cute. Makayla was a ballerina up there. All three of our girls love to dance.

Jared singing a song about modesty. It was funny!!

Kierra just relaxing on the sidewalk - why the sidewalk who knows!!

Strawberry Days Parade & Backyard Fun & a little more

6-19-2010

Dan was still at the RAGNAR race so I took the girls by myself over to the Strawberry Days parade in Pleasant Grove. Rick & Cheri (and her family) had saved spots so that was nice. They even had set up the canopy so we had shade!! The kids didn't really want to go, but they ended up having fun. They were worried about not getting candy because they aren't aggressive enough to get any, but they came home with plenty of candy, which made them happy!!

After the parade I borrowed my dad's truck and ran down to RC Willey to pick up Dan's Father's Day gift - a new BBQ. I was excited cuz they even built it so he wouldn't have to. Well I get down there and they said they had given it to someone else, they offered to build it but I couldn't get it until Monday. I decided to just take an unbuilt one and not deal with it. When I got home the salesman called me and said he was just told what had happened, apologized and said the paper work had been blown off and they had one there that I could just got swap them. I decided against that too. It was too big of a pain with borrowing a truck and Dan was on his way home. So he got to build it himself anyways.

While we were waiting for Dan to get home the kids played in the pool out back.

Warning: the next part is lengthy and mostly for journaling purposes!

Dan got home between 3:30 and 4:00 pm. His excitement and adrenaline wore off pretty quickly once he was home. He was sitting at the computer trying to prepare a talk he had agreed to give the next day. It just wasn't working so he went to bed at 5:30 and said he'd get up at 4:00 am to prepare his talk for sacrament at 9:00 am. He ended up waking up at 3:30 so he got up and drank a red bull and started his talk (so much for sleeping in on father's day). By the time I got up around 6:30 or 7:00 he was already tired and had to drink another red bull. He still wasn't ready when it was time to leave so he told me to go ahead. Before I left when he tried to print his talk we discovered the computer upstairs was dead. During the song preparing for the sacrament, one of the counselors in the bishopric came down to make sure Dan was coming because he was still not there and he was the first speaker. During the sacrament the counselor let me know that he had walked in. I guess why he was so late is because once he got his laptop hooked up to the printer, he found out the printer was out of ink and he couldn't find any ink cartridges (if I had been here I knew where they were and the rest of the problems would have been eliminated). He then remembers that we have another printer in the basement, so he emails the talk to himself and goes down to find the computer turned off. He turns it on, of course it takes an eternity to warm up. Then the internet won't work. Long story shortened, he does finally get it printed and makes it to church. He was so tired though that he had a hard time keeping his thoughts straight, but I'm proud of him for doing it!!! I wouldn't have even accepted the "invitation" to speak with his busy weekend before hand.

Now let me back up a little - the whole week prior to this didn't go exactly as planned and he had very little sleep. Monday was Makayla's birthday- he had to work a little late. We had family movie night. Then Tuesday (because the weather was better) we took Janika & Makayla to the Veteran's Memorial Pool for Makayla's birthday. They have 2 fun waterslides. We all had a lot of fun. When we were ordering some dinner Dan realized he had missed several calls from work (actually both works). He ended up going back into both of them - his regular job for an hour or so. Then over to his side job until around 7:30 the next morning. Then he had to go straight to his normal job. I don't know how he does it. Because he was going out to dinner with his team on Thursday night then leaving Friday morning for the RAGNAR race we had planned to have date night Wednesday. I didn't know if that would happen now, but Dan said he was fine and we went. What a trooper. Thanks honey!!

Dan- Wasatch Back - RAGNAR 6/18 & 19

Dan was excited when he was invited to join Sprint oadrunners team to run the Wasatch Back (a very popular relay race). It is a 2-day event, 188 miles from Logan to Park City. The team was made up of 12 guys. They had won the submasters (over 30) division for 2 years and were hoping to win again this year. There were 1050 teams in the race, his team started at 2:00 pm (supposed to start at 3:00, but got it moved up) after 970 had already started (the first teams started at 5:00 am). They passed 930 teams, but were never passed themselves. It took them 22 hours 22 minutes & 11 seconds to finish. They did win their division and came in 7th overall. I'm IMPRESSED!!!!

Dan had a GREAT time and is looking forward to many years of running it with these guys!! They are a good group of guys he enjoys running with. One of these years it'd be fun to go be a part of it (as a spectator NOT a runner).

Sprint Roadrunners Team

Looks like they had fun decorating their van!
They had 2 vans with 6 guys each. This is the first van - the one Dan was in. He was the 2nd runner. He ran 3 different legs of the race -
Leg 2 was 6.7 miles - ran it in 44:43 - 6:40 pace (ran aroun 2:30-3:00 pm)
Leg 14 was 3 miles - ran it in 19:07 - 6:22 pace (ran around 10:30 pm)
Leg 26 was 3.3 miles - ran it in 23:52 - 6:29 pace (ran around 6:30 am)

Just a few raNDoM Pictures

5-13-2010

Kierra was hiding from Dad and this is where he found her.

6-4-2010

We love ice cream cones at our house.

6-19-2010
Kierra couldn't wait until I could put her down for a nap!! Tired Girl.