Bryce Canyon Volunteering

On June 14 and 15, the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers ran the Blubber Creek Aid Station at the Bryce Canyon 2014 50/100 mile race. This aid station was at mile 27 and then 73 (for the 100 mile). Volunteering is such a great adventure. When you are unable to run - it helps to be hanging with other runners. I will admit I took a couple of short hikes/runs because it is impossible to be in a location like this and not take advantage of the trails.

 Here are some pictures from this race.

One of my goals when "racing" down to the race was to see my friend, Ed Ettinghausen. Ed runs as The Jester and is a truly great runner and gentleman. I was thrilled that we got to the aid station just a few minutes before Ed passed through at mile 27.


This was the core of the aid station. Krystan Williams kept the food coming and helped make this one of the best aid stations I have ever seen.


The Blubber Creek Aid Station in all its glory.


You can't beat Mother Nature.


Sunset- so very beautiful.  Just wish I had known that we would soon be freezing.


The Jester - part 2. Ed coming through again at mile 73.  Ed is in the process of trying to set a world record for "Most 100 mile races completed in a year" in 2014.  I was thrilled to spend some time serving Ed during the race and learning more about how he accomplishes these races.  All I can say is "Jester On!"

I really hope that next year I will be out on this race actually participating in the 50 mile race. If not - I plan to help out the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers if they are running an aid station again.

U of U Graduation Day

May 2, 2014 was an excellent day for our family.  Our son, Kevin Christopher Lee, graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemistry.  Kevin worked really hard on this degree and it was a tough one and we were so proud of him.

I have to admit that Larry (Kevin's dad), Jennifer (Kevin's sister) and I (Kevin's mom) alternated between beaming with pride and crying during the ceremony.  And that had nothing to do with the most boring commencement speaker we have ever heard.

Just a few pictures to commemorate the big day.

The graduate

 Kevin and his dad's side of the family

Kevin and his mom's side of the family

 

I adore these kids! 

Running Again

It's been a long time since I blogged.  While I was not running or working out much there didn't seem to be too much of a point in keeping blog posts coming.  Time to get my act together and get back into the habit. 

Nothing super exciting has happened - but here are some of the highlights:

1. Plantar Fasciitis - Dr. Brady basically told me to not walk, run, or do much or anything that would have me be weight bearing from the start of April until the start of July.  Boring!  And hard to do.  This was a total mind challenge for me. During this time I did a lot of swimming and pool running.  I could have taken up biking again - but I am not thrilled with a sore bottom.

Treatment for the PF also included the following:

• Rolling my foot several times a day.  I used a variety of torture instruments to do this including a lacrosse ball, a foot massager,  a foot rubz, and The Stick Footroller.
• Calf massage - by keeping the calf muscles loose using various massage techniques including the stick, a foam roller and other torture devices, we have been able to loosen up the joint.
• Lots of chiropractic adjustments.  Dr. Brady would almost yank me off the table each time but we were able to break loose most of the scar tissue preventing my foot from bending. 
• Probiotics to help with the arthritis in the joint. 
• Lots of foot, ankle, and calf stretches. 
• Taping the foot to keep the PF from tearing.
• Altra Shoes/Orthotics/Vibram Five Fingers.

At this point in time I have almost the same flexibility in my left foot as I have in my right.  This is a huge improvement.  I am pain free about 97% of the time.  If I overdo things or twist wrong, the PF pain comes back - but not for long.  I have been told I will probably deal with this somewhat the rest of my life - but just need to make sure I keep it under control.

2.  Volunteering - I volunteered at the Bryce Canyon 50/100 in June.  My next blog post will be more about that.

3. Dropping out of races and selling off race entries.  At this point in time I am only planning two races in 2014 - the St. George Marathon in October and Across the Years in December.

4. Starting to run - I have been allowed to run 2 days a week since the start of July.  For the first two weeks this was only 15 minutes at a slow jog each time.  I am still pretty slow, but up to 30 minutes each run and increasing by 5 minutes each time I run. It feels good to be back.  I have very little endurance, but truly missed running and can't wait until I can get back on trails - even if it is for only short amounts of time.