Put Your Helmet Back On...You're Not Done Having Fun Yet

So, a few weeks ago I just didn't "feel well". It was the week leading right up to Memorial Day. Basically the Sunday before, I had a headache. Later that night, I took a 2-mile walk. Then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I hit the gym and increased the intensity of my work out, but didn't sleep any better. Thursday night was the broken-van thingy...so no gym. Friday night, I just felt exhausted. So - no gym. Instead, beddy-bye early. I took an "old-lady nap" from about 6pm - 10pm. Then, of course I was wide awake till 3am. So I figured Saturday I could sleep in. And I did. And I slept and slept. Well, more like I just stayed in bed all day, tossing and turning, with 15 minute cat-naps here and there. But three kids at home all day with no TV turned into a lot of "I'm bored", "he's touching me!" and "tell her to stop looking at me". Finally at about 3 pm I got out of bed and hopped in the shower. I told the kids to "get ready". Ears perked up, eyebrows raised, and the questioning began.

"Are we going somewhere?" they all wanted to know. "Yes," I responded. "We're going to the trail." Suddenly, all looks of hope and excitement turned into disgust and despair. You would have thought I told them we were going to clean out the sewer lines by hand or something. But I wanted to go and exercise, and I knew they needed to get out of the house before they either killed each other, or I killed them all. I told them I was taking them on an easy trail. And it really is easy too. The Lagoon Trail is a 1 mile (each way) paved trail, set mostly in the shade. It is great for walkers, runners, cyclists, and equestrians. It runs behind the local amusement park and there are elk and buffalo along the way too. It's really pretty.

I knew the youngest two wouldn't be able to keep up on foot. So, we loaded their bikes into the back of the van. The oldest doesn't have a bike as it was stolen last summer. I didn't want him to be bored, walking along side of me, so I agreed he could invite some of his friends. Plans were set in motion and we were off.

The oldest seemed to be excited, since his friends were coming. And the youngest loves exercise, so she was okay with it. However, the middle one, LittleDuckling, well, he still did not think this was a good idea. A lot of it probably has to do with his ADHD... if he can't see the end from the beginning, he assumes it is gonna be hard. So me telling him that it was a "short 2-mile bike ride" meant absolutely nothing. I might as well have said, "it'll be 20 miles of hard, labor-intensive pedaling". Anyone who has a kid with ADHD knows that they have a different frustration level and things always seem harder than they really are.

Thus, the entire way there I heard the moaning, the groaning, the grunting, and complaining. We park at the trail head. The older boys take off with the pooch while I unload the bikes for the little ones. LittleDuckling starts in with the whining. I had had it. Teeth clenched, finger pointing, my voice low and firm, I said, "Look here, young man. You will NOT ruin this day for me. We are here to have fun. So you are going to put your helmet on, you are gonna get on that bike, you are gonna ride the trail, you are gonna stop complaining, and you are gonna have fun! Do you hear me?" LittleDuckling nodded his head in acknowledgement and begrudgingly put his helmet on. I stuck my earphones in and tuned in to my "workout playlist". PrettyPrettyPrincess took off to ride in the wind.

Halfway through the first mile, there is a little cul de sac and a road we must cross to get to the next half. Since we are ahead of the older boys, I tell the two younger ones to ride their bikes in the cul de sac while we wait. LittleDuckling had other ideas.

Of course he was "hot" and then the "helmet made his head itchy" and it was "too tight" and then it was "too loose". I threw him one of my "what-did-i-tell-you" looks and said, "Get that helmet back on your head and get back on your bike. You're not done having fun yet." He did as told, and by the time he got it all buckled the older boys had caught up.

I had them pose for a pic before starting the next section of the trail. LittleDuckling tells me he IS smiling. What do I care? I think... and just snap the picture.

We continue the rest of the trail in peace and tranquility, amazingly enough.

Afterwards, I take them for pizza. And then - after THAT, LittleDuckling says, "That was fun. We should do it again sometime."

You Don't See That At the Gym!

Lately, I've had this eerie feeling; like I'm being followed. And it was happening everywhere. Home. Work. Church. You name it and I've sensed it happening. Pretty much the only time I didn't feel that way was when I was driving or sleeping!

Anyway - it creeped me out so much, the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand up. My pulse would race. I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. Finally, I had enough. I wanted to try to catch this so-called prowler and tell him to knock it off. Quit Following me!

So, just the other day, I was walking around the grocery store, picking up this and that. Just as I turned the corner into the frozen food section, I felt it. Like a cold breath on the back of my neck. It felt like someone was walking right on my heels! They/he/she/it was SO CLOSE. I turn around. No one. I turn back the other way. Nothing. Finally, I do a 360 while catching a glimpse of my reflection in the glass freezer doors!

You won't believe what I discovered! In all actuality, no one was following me at all. Fact is - It was my butt! It had gotten bigger! Can you believe that? When the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks did that happen?

I decided to tell this "thing" to get off my butt - literally. Last year I waited till spring to start my outdoor hikes/walks/runs. Not this year. I could not put it off another day.

I decided to get my ear warmers on, my long running pants, jacket and gloves and hit the hills. So I did. As usual, my boyfriend, John Mayer came with me via the iPod. He's a great work-out buddy. Also, I can sing all of his heart-ache, dealing-with-break-up songs in my head... Gosh, he just gets me! I digress.

Anyway, never mind the fact that I get Bronchitis every year as soon as the inversion hits. Never mind that I haven't slept for days and should instead be napping. Never mind that it is COLD!!! I don't care whether or not Punxatawney Phil saw his freakin' shadow or not. I had to get out there.

My friend asked me why I just don't join a gym; then I could run all year long. I have belonged to gyms in the past. I really love the machines, free weights and classes. I don't really know if I am working the right stuff to the right capacity or weights, but I enjoy it. However for cardio - I do NOT enjoy treadmills and the like. Why? I dunno... let me muse that over for a sec. [dee dee doo da, dee dee dum. dee dee do da, dee! dee, dee-dee dee-dee...] Ok, I think I've figured it out.

If I run on a treadmill, I get bored. Sure I can bring my iPod. I could watch the wall mounted TVs. I could even people-watch. But the point is, I'm not going anywhere. I know - that is the whole point of "stationary". I realized tonight on my run that I love running out doors for many reasons.

I love the fresh air. And where I run - I love the view. Plus, at the gym on a treadmill, I give up too easily. About 10 minutes shy of my goal, I think, "Ah! That's good enough!" and I get off the machine. On the contrary, when I run outdoors, I park at one end of my route or trail. I walk/run to my halfway point. Then I turn around and come back. See - there is no bailing out ten minutes early. I HAVE to go back to my car. Otherwise, I can't get home. So - for me, this works.

Tonight's run was good for me, especially for a winter run. First of all, I only did 3 miles. Secondly, I actually only ran about 1 of the 3 miles and walked the other 2. Oh well... baby steps, right? Besides, I didn't get fat overnight, so I shouldn't expect to lose it all over night either, right?

Here are some pics from my run. Like, tell me you're ever gonna see these at the gym! (sorry for the graininess...these are from my phone, and with the inversion they are not that clear.)

The Bountiful Temple. This is close to where I park. So, I start off seeing this and it's what I come back to at the end.

Something about being in the mountains makes me feel empowered.

Like, literally, I am "on top" of the world.

Then, when I near the top, I can see practically the entire valley below.

But the highlight of this particular run... was the family of deer.

I'm never gonna see these types of "young bucks" at the gym. And trust me... comparatively speaking, I'd rather see these some days!

What about you? What motivates you to exercise? What type of exercise do you enjoy most and why?

Miles, Meals & MREs

So, this past weekend was the big Hidden Peak Challenge. This is the event Big-D has been training for...all other races leading up to this one. What exactly is it? According to the event description, it's

"An exhilarating run that begins at the Snowbird Plaza, onto Ski School, over to Dick Bass Highway, under the Wilber Chair Lift, keep going up the cat track where we find our selves at the top of the Wilber Chair Lift, traverse the mountain, go under the Tram and on to the switch backs...4 miles and 3000 vertical foot climb. That’s a good work out for a Saturday morning."

Exhilarating? Good Work Out? Yeah probably. I knew he would do well. I wasn't worried. In fact I was a little excited for him. I was even a little nervous for him. Apparently the air was thinner than normal, even for 11,000 ft elevation. It seemed that even the first place runners and bikers took longer than before. But, my Big-D still did good. He came in 11th overall, and 5th in his age group. And he shaved off a little bit of his time from the last time he did it. Afterwards we were both exhausted. Hey! I know I didn't race...but I did have to get up early to get over to his house and drive up there with him. Geesh! Being supportive takes its toll too, y'know.

Well, it just so happened that the race was also going on during Snowbirds Oktoberfest.
We were so hungry, we figured that there had to be some good food somewhere, especially with the festival going on. Well, we found some Brats, and needless to say, we didn't have to go to GermanTown to get them. They really hit the spot. Our tummies were full, our bodies were tired, and on the way home, I started to get a throbbing headache. We figured it may be from the sudden change in altitude - a little altitude sickness. The rest of the day we pretty much lounged around and did nothing - which was also very much needed, let me just say. I haven't had a day of nothing of a very long time. It sort of felt good to just veg. I think there may have been a football game on or something. I really don't remember as I spent most of the afternoon passed out on the sofa - haha!

Anyway, fast forward. It's 8:30pm. We're hungry - no - starved! We can't decide what to eat. Too lazy to go to the store, yet he says he doesn't really have anything to cook (bachelor life). We ponder going out to eat, but I'm not dressed for that, and my hair looks horrid after napping on it all day. Don't really feel like going home to "get ready to go out". He suggests one of his MRE's, to which I respond, "What are we - in crisis?" I scour the fridge, freezer and cupboards and find frozen chicken breasts, butter, dry ranch dressing mix, and potato pearls. "We're having Ranch Chicken," I declare. He sort of fusses, like it might take too long. He retrieves his MRE, while I begin to defrost the chicken in the microwave. He decides he wants his MRE "warmed up" and puts it in the proper MRE "warming pouch". Funny thing is, both of our meals are "done" at the same time. hahahahaha. Click Here for my Ranch Chicken Recipe.

So the food was good, and yes, I DID share.

Trail of Fears

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little me's afraid of. Seriously. I HATE SNAKES!!!

Let's back up to the beginning... Big-D is like totally into trail running. If you don't know what this is, don't feel bad. Neither did I until recently. Anyway, it's running on hiking trails, y'know like in the mountains, hills, over-the-river-and-thru-the-woods type of thing. You should see him in his running shorts... er, um, sorry...back to the story. So Big-D runs a few times a week, and sometimes I go with him. HOLD ON - I must clarify that I am NOT a trail runner-- I can barely run up a flight of stairs without having a coronary, and I only go when he does his "short" runs. We start off at the same point, and he will run about 8 miles while I "hike" about 4. When I get to my half-way point I head down the mountain, so we end up in the same place around the same time.

So, last night we got a late start due to some earlier distractions. The sun was already setting, the wind was picking up, and there were threats of scattered thunderstorms as we started off. He's worried I might get struck by lightning plus it is getting dark, and I didn't bring my son's headlamp. Since I have a headache anyway, I tell him I will only go about a mile or so instead of my usual 4 , then come back down. It pacifies him. So, the warrior takes off to punish the trail, and I put in my earphones to engage in my nightly affair with John Mayer . I get to the first cliff, and turn to come back down. I take my time, knowing I have plenty of it, and am just sort of strolling along, singing with my boy John, and all of a sudden I see it front of me. A slithering, slimy, verrrrry long snake! Eww! Gross! Sort of an S shape. He was at least 4' long, probably longer when stretched out.

I scream loud enough to shake the entire valley below. Mr. Snake stops, turns, and looks at me!!! CRAP!!!! I freeze! I can't breathe. I rip my earphones out of my ears to see if I can hear rattling. But the wind is blowing loudly through the weeds and trees around me and it is too dark to see the Make & Model of this serpent. I begin to tremble. I have this fear of snakes that I cannot explain. I am paralyzed for a brief moment, but realize I can't just stand there either. Being that there is only one way back to the car (without hiking up and around on another 6 mile trail that I am not familiar with), I turn around and head back up the trail.

I find a place where my cell phone has reception. I execute an S.O.S. text to Big-D. It does not send. "WARNING! LOW BATTERY -- RECHARGE NOW! POWERING DOWN" What??? No Freakin' Way!!! I turn the phone on and off a few times and retry sending the text. Finally, "SENDING COMPLETE". Whew. At least this way maybe Big-D will be sure to come back down the way he started, instead of looping around the other way. Plus, if I get bitten and die, he will know why.

I check my watch. about 30 or 40 minutes till I expect to see Big-D again. I stay in an area of the trail that is wide and pretty well-lit, due to the lights of Salt Lake City below reflecting off the plethora of clouds above. I pace back and forth about 500 feet. I try to talk myself into heading back towards the car, telling myself Mr. Snake is no longer there. I turn and begin to walk back down, but just before the dark, narrow bend, I stop short. Nope. Can't do it. Not alone at least. I repeat this pattern several times, checking my watch at about 5 minute intervals. After about 30 minutes have past, I look up at the crest hoping, praying that I will see Big-D's headlamp any second. C'mon...show me the light! Whew, and there it is. Thank you, Lord, I utter with relief. I knew from the time I saw his spec of light it would be another 10 minutes before he reached me.

Apparently, he received my text and tried to call me. When I didn't answer due to the dead phone, he worried that something had happened (got bit, passed out, etc.). Isn't that sweet? I am glad when he finally arrives. I grip his arm as he practically has to drag me past the point of the serpent-sighting. Alas we make it to the safety of his Tahoe, and back to the safety of home. Yay!

Big-D tells me afterwards that there are these certain type of spiders that also come out on the trail at night and their eyes glow and reflect off the light from the headlamp. He decided that chances are I would step on them on crush them without knowing anyway, so no point in scaring me by telling me about them beforehand. Ewww! I need a shower. I just gave myself the willies again!

I was gonna post a pic of a snake and/or spiders for effect, but just googling it grossed me out enough. I trust you can all use your imaginations on this one. Needless to say, if I EVER hit the trail at night again, my phone will be 100% charged, I will have a headlamp, and possibly even a walking stick with a very sharp point at the end!