Mail-Order Happiness!

A little humor

"You see? Never be late for a plane with a girl. 'Cuz a girl runs like a girl-- with the little steps and the arms flailing out... You wanna make this plane, you've gotta run like a man! Get your knees up!"
- Jerry, to Elaine in The Airport

Help!

Has anyone ever had a knee injury? Mine has been bothering me for the past two weeks, but after my long run Saturday it has been so painful. I called my friend who is a physical therapy assistant and she is pretty confident that its patellar tendonitis. Normally they would recommend taking at least three weeks off. I started having a panic attack. I decided that I am going to take this week off and try to get into a physical therapist. My sister has the same thing for the relay we did in the fall. She was in tears after every leg, and walked the last half of her last leg, so its freaking me out. I am so mad. I had just hit my stride and got my pace up, etc. I am hoping some of you have some insight. Let me know. Thanks.

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Maps for the vans

Possibly this is helpful??

http://www.marathongis.com/ftp/ragnar/ragnar_gmap_fusion.htm

Meal Planning

Natalie and I were talking the other day about how to get more fruits and veggies in our diets. In all my time as a personal trainer, either counseling with individual clients, or teaching nutrition education courses, I have found it is nearly impossible to eat healthy without a plan. There are too many distractions and easier options to temp us throughout our day if we don't have a solid menu plan in place. So today I thought we could talk a little bit about menu planning, and how to add more fruits and veggies to your meals.

First, here are a few menu planning documents for your viewing pleasure:

Dinner planner
All Meal Planner

I find that if I don't plan out my weekly menus, every night I am stuck in front of the fridge, thinking....what should I make for dinner? When I finally come up with a plan, I am usually missing a key ingredient. Meaning we have quesadillas for dinner. Again. So the first step in meal planning is coming up with a list of 7 (ish) meals for the week. Maybe I should back up......I actually keep a master list of all the dinners we like, and I just add to it as I find new, yummy recipes. I pull out my trusty list, or I scour my favorite blogs for new recipes. Then I write down my list for the week. Keep these lists filed away. Once you have 5 or 6 of them you can just start to rotate through. It's a huge time saver. Here's a few of my meals from last week for demo purposes:

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Jarrie's recipe. Sooooo yummy)

Sloppy Joes

Fruit Shakes for breakfast

Now that your list is made, on to step 2--making them more healthy. I think it's pretty easy to eat fruit, so we are going to focus on veggies. Lots of people get stuck with side dishes to get their veggies in. Every night they have a green salad or a pile of broccoli. This is all fine and dandy, but can get pretty old. So....we have to get a little creative. Here's some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Ways to get more fruits and veggies

Let's take my Sloppy Joes as our first example. Usually this is just meat, some sort of ketchup mixture, and a bun. Not particularly healthy. But the kids love them. We have to figure out a way to add more veggies, or at least make them as healthy as possible. Easiest option--go for the whole grain bun. But we can even do better than that. Zucchini is a veggie that pretty much takes on the taste of everything around it. Whenever I am using ground beef, I take out 1/4 - 1/2 lb and replace it with shredded zucchini. No one ever knows the difference. I also chop up a green pepper and throw it in the mix. YUMMY. Add a fruit of some sort on the side, and you have a delicious, healthy meal.

Moving on to the soup. We actually start out really good on this one--tomato base, chicken breast. Both healthy. So....how could I add more veggies to this meal? I substituted a little bit of the tomato sauce for a can of diced tomatoes. Then I also added a can of corn. (You could also do black beans). Rusty and I added slices of avocado to the top. Now we have a 3 veggie meal!

Last example--Fruit shakes. How could we possibly get a veggie in here? Have you ever tried throwing in a handful of spinach? Or a 1/2 an avocado? Or even a few carrots? These all blend perfectly into smoothies and other than the odd color from the spinach, you will never taste a difference.

Get the idea? Go though your list and see where you can add fruits or veggies to your family's favorite meals.

With your menu plan in hand, you are ready to make the grocery list. Simply go though your list and write down any ingredients you will need to make your meal. To cut down on costs, I usually try to make 1 meal/week from ingredients I already have on hand. Most people also find that when they menu plan they spend less money, and they use more of the produce that they buy before it goes bad.

The other up side to meal planning is it is much less likely that you will run through a fast food drive-through on your way home from soccer or ballet because you know you have a healthy meal just waiting to be prepared at home.

I won't lie--it's a lot of work in the beginning. Coming up with a master meal plan, figuring out how to make your meals more healthy--all these things take time. BUT, it totally pays off in the end. You only have to do these things 1 time and you reap the benefits for years. If you have a favorite recipe and don't quite know how to make it more healthy, visit Cooking Light. They have lightened versions of almost any recipe you could ask for.

So, who has questions?

I made a T-shirt for my sister's marathon last year...check it out HERE

We’re cheering for you!

Image from cafepress.com

Work like you don’t need money. Love like you’ve never been hurt, Dance like no one’s watching, and Run like your friends are there cheering you on all the way!

Run M.OM., Run!

The human body is capable of amazing physical deeds. If we could just free ourselves from our perceived limitations and tap into our internal fire, the possibilities are endless.

This week's read...

I think my husband has wondered what has happened to me...he is an avid reader. I am not and vowed never to be. Last week I read Ultramarathon Man in two days, and now I am working my way into this book, both of which I think could be beneficial to our team. Happy reading!

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Our Ultimate Playlist

Scroll to the bottom of the blog and you will see our ultimate playlist! Comment here if there are songs you want me to add.

Rock on!

Famous Ladies

Here is your pic you famous ladies, I am a sunset subscriber! Awesome.

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Picture ideas

Susan and I came up with a list of ideas for our pictures. And I think they are pretty darn clever.

So, I created a Google Doc where we can sign up for the picture idea/caption that we want to do. Here's the link:

Ragnar Pics Doc

Go take a look and then add your name directly to the spreadsheet.

We are famous!!!

So did anybody see the March issue of Sunset magazine, page 26, the article about Louisville, CO.? We are in it!!!! Some of you may remember last year running the Coal Creek Trail and the lady asking to take our picture for a magazine? Well it's in there!!! I don't have a scanner, but I will find one and scan it in toeday -- We look pretty darn sporty!!!

10k time

Hi my running Divas! It is getting close for us to submit our starting time! Will everyone please go in and update your 10k pace? I'd recommend sometime this week running a 10k (6.2 miles) at a "competitive" pace. That way we can get accurate times. After everyone submits their pace, and we get our start time, we will be able to do a race projection--and that is always fun!

Let The REAL Fun Begin!

This week marks the first 2-a-days of the season.  HOORAY!  Can you feel my excitement?  Let me tell you, I *feel* it!  Specfically, in my quads... they're screamin', but they're not screamin' "hooray!"

Here is some 6 AM glory:

Jamie - Susan - Kimberlie - Tara

And a 1:30 PM fiesta:

Kristin - Jarrie - Susan - Tara

One down, six more to go (multiple run days).

Can I get a WOOT WOOT!

How was YOUR first 2-a-day?

Apron ideas

I went into JoAnn's the other day thinking I might try and find a really easy pattern to sew a simple apron as I don't have $$$ for the cute Etsy ones. I figured my rudimentary sewing skills could get me by. As I was searching for cheap fabric I ran across a simple (almost no-sew) apron kit. I was trying to find a picture of it online but the page has some errors. It is found at springscreative.com. It is yellow on top with beads around the neck and a big flower at the waist. The only thing to sew is attaching the ties. COOL!!! The whole kit with everything included was $16. Just in case anyone wants to go that route. Just an idea.

Inspiration

'In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that.'

-Fred Lebo

Leg changes!

Did you all get the email about the leg changes? I am feeling a little stressed. My second leg which was a four mile downhill recovery run, just changed to a 6.5 mile up hill run. Yikes. Did anyone else's change significantly? Be prepared to cheer each other on. Nervous!

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Just Call Me "Sunnyside Up Susan!"

I can't even tell you how much I LOVE this apron!  I just ordered, and the gal is going to make it into a full apron w/ a bib for me (instead of the just the half/skirt-only one here).

BTW, last night after 2 hours of looking at all 5,000+ aprons on Etsy, I had it narrowed down to 5 and asked Fred for his opinion.  AND BOY DID HE HAVE ONE!  All men must have a certain fantasy! LOL.!


This year, instead of BGP's, it's aprons for the hubbies!  Whatever works, right ladies! :)

This is the one I think I'm getting...

http://www.girlyaprons.com/110-JS-20-Jessie-Steele-Aprons-Bib-Ava-Retro-Cherries_p_103.html

For the Ambitious

Just in case anyone's feeling ambitious... I found this apron pattern online...

http://sew4home.com/projects/kitchen-linens/578-retro-fun-vintage-style-apron

What a Day!

I don't know what the weather is like in Colorado right now, but for winter, what a day here in Utah! I just picked up my daughter from school and came home and took this picture from my front porch. Utah Lake is glistening! No wind! My car said it is 43 degrees, and I have 3 hours until my run, so hopefully it will only get warmer. It is funny how you appreciate sunny, 43 degree days when you are training in the winter. Happy running!


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YOU ASKED and THE GIRLS DELIVERED

Tara- Yay for the blog revival!!!  I have missed this aspect from last year.  Anyway, I was sitting bored out of my mind at gymnastics last week and stole a magazine for some reading pleasure.  It is called Colorado Runner.  It had some awesome info about fueling during a longer run.

I hate all the nasty gels, beans, etc...I take them to have a little energy but since I have tummy troubles they always end up biting me in the butt and sending me to a bush or bathroom,
The reason I like this article was because it gave some great ideas of things to eat during your long runs that aren't engineered foods but give you the energy you would need as the engineered options.

Fuel During runs that last 1.5- 4 hours:
Gummi Bears, Starburst fruit Chews, jellybeans, licorice, tootsie rolls, butterscotch candies, peanut m&m

Engineered Options: Gu, Carb-boom, Clif Shot, Shot Bloks, sports beans etc

I also wanted to talk a little about "prerace" quick fixes:

These choices lack nutritional value but are easy to digest, provides quick energy the body wants and when eaten 5 min before exercise, are unlike to create rebound hypoglycemia(sugar crash).

Poptarts, Rice Krispie treats, marshmallows, gum drops, toast w/ jelly, sports drinks, peppermint patties, defizzed coke.

Prerace Breakfast:
Eat 1 to 2 hours before a race.  I prefer 1 hour but every body is different.
Wheaties, mini wheats, oatmeal with applesauce and brown sugar(I avoid the milk), cram of wheat with raisins, bagle or english muffin with peanut butter(one of my favorites), poached eggs with 2 slices toast, yogart and granola(another fav)

This all just FOOD for thought, but it has helped me and I am anxious to try some these ideas during my long runs...Happy Running!  YOU ALL ROCK!

Here's my apron

I went to the Lafayette antique store today and the top picture is the apron I bought--it was the only one, but I love it so that's ok! The second picture is one I took earlier in the year when I was there b/c I just loved these! So, I talked with the owner and she is going to collect all her aprons like it from her other stores and have them there by Friday. She thinks she has around 8 from other stores. I told her just the full/adult aprons although there are some kid's ones that are so stinkin' cute. I'm partial to the full aprons as opposed to the half as well (especially with a running shirt on). And if anyone doesn't want to buy one, you are welcome to share mine. If you're interested leave a comment and I'll get the directions to the store and I'll call the lady friday and make sure they're there before you go. Mine was $32.

I like this one too! Help...which one do I get?

Now can you see it? Not really sure if this picture is big enough to see...but I "think" this is the apron I am getting.

Boot Camp workout

We had a great workout in Boot Camp yesterday I thought I'd share. It could work as a speed workout, or a recovery/slower day as well. We did it on an indoor track. Here's the format:

Warm-up 1 mile
Then for the next 45 minutes you alternate between running a lap and doing a set of weights. Example: 20 squat, run a lap, 20 more squats, run a lap, 15 push-ups, run a lap, 15 more push-ups, run a lap.
We did squats, push-ups, biceps, triceps, and back. We cooled down with some ab work and stretching.

We kept our weights right next to the track so we could have as little transition time as possible.
If you wanted this to be a speed day, just run every lap at 5k pace or faster. If you want this to be a recovery/slower day, run the laps at a pace that feels like you could carry on a conversation. Just another idea for a snowy day run when you can't be outside. (although you certainly could do it on an outdoor track too!)

Etsy Rocks

Here is the apron I think I'm getting:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68095274/sexy-retro-apron-marilyn-style-on-sale

But I really like these two as well:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66848585/retro-apron-50s-wonder-bread-polka-dot

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65232903/the-chloe-vintage-inspired-black-and


Susan and I are getting together tomorrow (after our first run, and right before our second run!) to finalize the list of ideas for pics, so stay tuned!

Aprons

Okay, so who is getting an apron?? Are we sticking with a certain color theme or just getting anything we want??...there is some super cute ones on Etsy and I'm eyeing the one above. Does this fit what we're looking for?? I'm really not sure what to get. I thought this one would go lovely with a strand of pearls and pearl earings....plus I think it's adorable and I will wear it around the house...it reallly would give me a more dressed up look than my normal kitchen attire. I might add a pair of white gloves if I can find some and then my outfit will be complete unless you guys tell me I'm headed in the wrong direction.

-Stephanie

From the mouth of Michael Scott

Any Office fans out there?

"That 5k is the hardest thing I have ever done. I ate more fettucinni alfredo and drank less water than I ever have in my entire life. Although I puked my brains out, I did not puke my heart out."

Cadence Breathing

Sorry for all my posts! My dad and sister talked to me in the summertime about cadence breathing. I did not think much about it, but decided to try it today. In a previous post, I had complained about being slower than usual, but today on my run, with the cadence breathing, I came within seconds of my fall race pace. Here is some info, if you want to give it a try...

Cadence
For some of the more disciplined runners, try a cadence per inhale & exhale. Cadences can be described as steps per inhale, followed by steps per exhale. Most elite distance runners do a 2-2 (2 steps per inhale and 2 steps per exhale) in the beginning of the race and finish on a 2-1 cadence (2 steps per inhale - 1 step per exhale). If you find that you’re getting cramps or light-headed with a 2-2 cadence, try a 3-3 cadence or vary the foot that you’re starting with. If that doesn’t work relax your pace to the point where your breathing is not labored.


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possible addition to the aprons??

I made these for my My mother-in-law last year. They were super easy--took less than an hour. The bottom is oil cloth. These could look pretty sassy with our aprons. You can also get them all over online. Here are some cute ones I found:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68553608/kitchen-gloves-diva-style-retro-fabric

I think it cost me about $10-12--oil cloth is a little expensive and the only place I could find that sells it is that quilting shop over by Lowels. And the only place that sells the white gloves is WalMart. But, if could be a fun little afternoon project. :)

Listen to amybrasiers Playlist

So here's my list. I'm SOOO burned out on these songs,

so thanks for sharing yours! I listen to Pandora a lot and

my favorite playlists have been lady gaga, taylor swift,

katy perry, christina aguilera (Burlesque soundtrack is awesome).

Lately, I've been loving Joss Stone, "Free

Me". Mostly I like songs that tell me to keep going and

are motivating with a good beat. Thus you'll see from the

list below. Michael Jackson is always good for me too.

:) Enjoy!

Running babysitter

That's me! My Wednesdays are almost always a free, at home day for me. So....who wants me to watch their kiddos while they run? I can do anytime of the day. Wednesday is supposed to be nice, and then Thus gets cold again. Take advantage and do a two-a-day, or a long run at 10am instead of 6am. Kids are welcome to nap at my house. I take Halle to school at 9, so any time after that I am free. Or, I'd be happy to take kids to Black Rock if you want to go a little earlier than that.

This would be a good time to grab a friend to come as well. I seriously will take as many kids as moms want to run. Who's in?

Tara

Weekend Fun

Here are the pictures I could not get to post over the weekend for some reason.(See my earlier post from Saturday). I finished this book yesterday. I would recommend it If you are interested. It really explains how mental running is. My training has only been going ok this winter. I am sure some of you can relate. Some of my runs have been at 9 min miles or even slower where all last summer and fall I was running 8 min miles or just over that. It's been frustrating. I am just going to blame it on the cold, ha ha. This book I think will be a great help though. I worry about pace so much. This guy rarely mentions it. He just focuses at putting one foot in front of the other and accomplishing the task at hand. Many times he finished in great time without worrying about pace. I think I need to try this. I am worried about my last leg at 9.6 miles but I hope the things I learned in this book will get me through it even if its not my usual race pace. Happy reading!

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Fuel

What is everyone eating pre/post workout? I am running out of ideas. I like to do whole foods and my staples are:

pre workout:
-whole wheat toast with peanut butter
-one egg on toast or tortilla

post workout:
-chocolate banana shake (chocolate milk, banana, yogurt, ice)
-apples with almond butter

I am also working on fitting in my daily 5 fruits and veggies... It's hard. Any little tips on that?


One more thing... not food related...

Are you guys doing strength training or just running now? I am trying to strength train, but usually only fit it in once/week.

Great Speed workout

We did a great speed workout at running club on Saturday that I wanted to share. We started out with a mile (ish) warm up. We then moved into a ladder of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 min. We did our 1 min run at 5k pace. Not too bad. Then we recovered for 1 min. We also did the 2 min run at 5k pace, and recovered for 2 min. The 3 and 4 min runs were at 10k pace , with 3 and 4 min recovery between--theses started to get a little harder to keep my pace steady. Then we did the 5 min run at 1/2 marathon pace. That was a LONG 5 min. But we weren't done yet! We then climbed back down the ladder, 4, 3, 2, 1. Those last two intervals at 5k pace were TOUGH!!! All in all we ran almost 8 miles of speed work. WOW. What a great workout. I think this would be a great workout to take to the treadmill--but maybe just shorten it a little--only climb up the ladder, or work up to 3 min and then back down again. It would mean you could get a good, hard run in, even if the weather is bad. Who else is praying the snow will end??

Inspiration

Running is about finding inner peace. So is a life well lived.

MY Playlist

I will add a few of my own favorites from my Playlist. I am a little random too, anything with a good HARD strong beat and I am also a Gleek. So quite a few of mine are mashups from Glee.

Bad Romance-Lady Gaga
Poker Face- Lady Gaga
Oh Yeah- the song at the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off (I have no idea where I got it from or what the real name of it is.)
Rock and Roll part 2 -Timerider II (I think I ripped the music off of YouTube-it's got an awesome beat even if there are no lyrics or talent involved.)
Hope it Gives you Hell (Glee version)
I've Got a Feeling -Black Eyed Peas
LOTS of 80's music
LOTS of ABBA
Goodbye Seventies-Yaz
Mony Mony-Billy Idol
I'm Gonna be 500 Miles- The Proclaimers
Footloose- Kenny Loggins
My Life Would Suck Without You-Glee
We've Got The Beat - The Go-Go's
My Sharona- The Knack (and I think of Doug Brasier EVERY single time I hear this.)
Lots of Erasure
Viva La Vida-ColdPlay
BreakAway-Big Pig (also ripped off of Youtube)
Marry You-Glee
Just the Way you are-Bruno Mars
Funkytown-Lipps, Inc
I Love Rock and Roll-Joan Jett
Single Ladies-Beyonce
Lots of Eurthymics
YOu Belong With Me-Taylor Swift
Cruel Crazy Beautiful World-Johnny Clegg

Don't judge me by my playlist. My super righteous teenagers think I should be going to Hell for having Lady Gaga on the playlist so we'll just keep this quiet OK?

Interesting weekend...

Last minute, we decided to go snowmobiling up at Daniel's Summit Lodge near Heber, Utah. Since Saturday's are long run days I packed my cold weather running clothes with high expectations of doing my long run in the canyon. I laughed when we got in last night to see that the walls of snow at the lodge were taller than me and their was no shoulder on the road from the snow. I still had high hopes though, and woke up this morning to blizzard conditions and about six inches of new snow. Needless to say, my patellar tendonitis is getting a rest this weekend, and this book is my inspirational training.(Ultramarathon Man, Confessions of an All- night Runner). I would highly recommend reading this book if you have not read it. Have a good weekend. Catch up for me next week!

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A little Inspiration

Just a little inspiration from the bathroom stall at LifeTime :)

We are in this together. But I will hold my own. I will set the pace. And lead the way. We will have fun. Every step. Every mile. Every bead of sweat. I will run to victory. To peace of mind. To a petter me. My legs will take me far. My heart will carry me through.

Play List

image from dirjournal.com

As training intensifies, I am looking for some new tunes! So, what's on your play list?? What inspires you to keep going when you want to quit? Here are a few of my favorites at the moment. Warning--I am very random in my music selections!

Just the way you are--Bruno Mars
Dynamite--Taio Cruz
I like it--Enrique Iglesias
In the Ayer--Flo rida
Shut up and Drive--Rihanna
Born to Run--Bruce Springsteen
California Girls--Katy Perry
Southern Voice--Tim McGraw
Felt good on my lips--Tim McGraw
Rock this Party (one of my favorite "pump up" songs) Bob Sinclar
Lots of Black Eyed Peas
Some Lady Gaga

And not sure if I should admit this, but I am a Gleek. So there is lots and lots of Glee music on my play list.

And just to be funny--If you're going through Hell--Rodney Atkins. I think it's an appropriate song for our two-a-days.

What's on your playlist?

Count Down

Okay, so I saw the count down timer for the first time today. LESS THAN 60 DAYS! Wow, I feel like I just starting running again for the season (because I did). It's going to be a blast, but a whirlwind until we get there in April. So bring on tax season, running club, training with Tara (a lot harder than I thought it would be), Primary sharing times and my crazy life. 60 days will be over before I know it really started.

See you all in 2 months!!

-Stephanie

Flight

I booked my flight from Salt Lake City to Cali. It looks like I get in a little earlier than Jen, and I am not sure if Natalie has booked yet. I am a van driver, so if I get in the earliest, will I be able to pick up the van? Let me know. Thanks. Here is my flight info.

SLCto LAX | 14 Apr 2011
11:20am
SLC
12:23pm
LAX Nonstop


SANto SLC | 17 Apr 2011
6:16pm
SAN
9:05pm
SLC Nonstop





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Picture

Hello, my name is Briana and I am on Team #1, Van #1, and runner number 5. I was signed up to run in the Wasatch Ragnar last year, but I found out I was pregnant after the kick off meeting. :) In the picture is my husband Joe, 5 year old daughter Sydona, and 9 month old Ryker. My furry children are Bruiser (pomeranian) and Sasha (doberman). I am slowly but surely getting back into shape after pregnancy and Ragnar has been a motivating factor. I look forward to meeting everyone. Happy Running!!!!

Hi, I'm Amy and here's my family: My oldest boy is 13, then daughter 11, then younger boy is 8, and littlest girl is 5, and husband Doug. I think it's so cool how many kids we all have together which is why I love the M.O.M name! I WAS the oldest and slowest on the team last year, maybe Jen beats me by a few months in age. I ran Wasatch Ragnar last year with the team and loved it! I came home in awe of how awesome all these women are and loved all the camaraderie and encouragement shared amongst us. The greatest thing about the relay race is that we are all at different levels and just rooting each other on! My husband has done triathlons and marathons, my two older kids can outrun me, so I just try to keep up with all of them which is getting hard as I get older and they just get faster!

I have a photography business and my husband and I own a Great Harvest, so I have not a lot of time to train but I just keep trying.... and looking forward to next year when all 4 kids will be in school all day--oh happy day! (Took Susan's and Steph's pics below...I also have Amy W's family pic Tara if you need one if she doesn't post!).

I'm runner 6 in Van #1 Team #1, bringing in the rear (literally, my rear!) Can't wait to get to CA and party with the ladies...seriously it's like living in Siberia here in CO this winter!

Picture

Hi. I am Natalie. I am Tara's Little Big sister (I am slightly younger, but significantly taller). I live in Utah. I ran with these girls last summer at the Wasatch Back and let me tell you, you are in for a great time with some instant friends.

This is a great time to post a family picture because we just had this one done last week. There are just the three of us: Michael (husband), Natalie (me), and Jack (turned 2 a couple of weeks ago).

Jess, where do you live in Utah? I'm in Lehi. If you're close by, we should do a couple of training runs together. We are in the same van, so I'm sure I'll get to know you.

Hello, My Name is Susan, and I'm Endorphinoholic

I am on team 1 (MOM), Van 2, Runner 12.  I'm that girl who loves to go to the gym, almost always 5 days a week. (I don't know if it's because I truly love working out, or because I get a guaranteed daily break from my kids, which I otherwise wouldn't get with a workaholic and churchaholic husband.  Probably both.)  Although I've been running for about 3 years now, I still consider myself a total novice.  I like to run, but I love to cross-train more.  However, I love to run with this group of girls - it feeds my soul, not just my body! :)  One thing I do love about running is the [almost] immediate positive feedback you get.  If I work hard, I pretty much get immediate results.  There's so much in my life (i.e. parenting) where you don't get much positive feedback (at least not right away, or even in the same decade), so I love that running fills this need for me.  Oh yeah, and it's super helpful in keeping me in a certain-size pant.

Jess: I think we are in the same van, so let me warn you that I am also that girl who gets really, really hyper when I'm tired.  Consider yourself warned.

This is my crew:  husband Fred, son Jared (almost 12), Jenna is 7.5 (those half-years are important!), Lillian is 4 and Meghan will be 2 in April.

I must also add that our super cool teammate Amy B. took this picture!

Jen Crook

Hi, I'm Jen and I am from Layton, Utah. I think I am on Team #1 in Van #1. I am probably the oldest in the crowd (just turned 38) and probably the most beginner too. My hubby Daryl and I have been married almost 18 years. We have 4 kids. BriAnna is almost 16 and I will likely miss her first date for this race. Hopefully Dad will take lots of fun photos. Her birthday is a few days before we leave on the 11th. Jaiden is our only boy and is 13 1/2. Makynlee is almost 9 and Tessa is 5 1/2.

I have never been a runner but have participated in many 5K's over the years and never been too serious about it. Amy B. got me thinking I might be able to do this race and although I have had doubts many times, I am finally coming to terms with the fact that I probably won't die. :) I have not deviated at all in my training since Christmas when I finally got the green light to exercise after a bout with pneumonia. I am now happy to report I can run the whole length of my first/longest leg. We'll see how that translates on the road but it's bound to be a littler easier at such a low elevation. If I could shed my excess 40 pounds I know it would be easier but so far in 6 weeks I have only lost 3 pounds. Maybe by 2012 Wasatch Back, I will finally be lean and mean!

I am super excited and a little overwhelmed to be in everyone's company. Everyone seems super fit and serious about running. I am trying and working hard and I think this will be a good experience for me. It is shaking me right out of my comfort zone for sure. I hope I can learn everyone's name. The photos here is a great idea, although I doubt I will remember everyone. Can't wait to meet everyone in 65 days!