4 days left

I can always tell when I am really nervous for something because I start to dream and they are never good dreams. A few days ago I had such an experience. I had not been able to run all week because I was sick and completely unmotivated. It's getting really close to race day so I am starting to get extremely nervous. So Thursday night I had a dream in which I was running the marathon but each time I took a stride forward, there was a force pulling me backwards. It was as if I was attached to a rope and could not move in a forward motion. It felt like it went on all night and I woke up completely exhausted from trying to run in my mind all night long!! This only fueled my nervousness for the big day. I dreaded my eight mile run on Friday after not having run all week, and it was a brutal run. But the good news is that I made it the whole eight miles, and I had only the wind pushing me backwards. As hard as I thought all of my long runs were, I am pretty sure that the hardest part of my training up to this point is the taper down. In the last two weeks, I have lost all motivation to run. I can only hope that I will still be able to muster the strength to get through it.

I am all but done with my training and today I recieved an email with race day instructions. As I read them my heart started pounding, I started sweating and my stomach started turning. What am I getting myself into?! I'm so nervous!

To help myself feel like I am prepared for the race, I tallied up my training stats one last time:

Weeks of training: 14 weeks

Miles run: 334.6 miles

Number of runs: 51

Hours spent running: 52.267 hours (3,136 minutes)

Estimated calories burned: 47,571 kcal

Weight change: -7 pounds (FINALLY!!)

Longest run: 22 miles

For any of those interested in the race details it is this Saturday, April 17 and it starts at 7:00am at the University of Utah and ends at the Gateway downtown. Here is a link to the race route: http://www.saltlakecitymarathon.com/assets/1/Photos/2010%20SLCM%20all.jpg

Baby pics

WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!! And here is the proof (in case you wanted to see it) along with some other pics of the kid

I wish these pictures did a better job of showing us what the little guy will look like, but I guess we'll just have to wait. We are getting so excited! And we are almost half-way there, 19 weeks tomorrow.

DEAR DOG

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT!!!! It is because of you that I will never own a dog!

All I wanna do is train for my marathon in peace, just me and the road and my ipod screaming in my ear. I have had to change my long routes already because of two stupid dogs that chased me for miles and miles, barking at me as if I had violated some dog law.

On Wednesday I had to do an eight mile run. I have done this one several times and always use the same route on main streets. I was just past the five mile point when I had to take a detour into a neighborhood because of construction on the main road that I was supposed to run on. All of a sudden I was caught off guard by this small dog barking at my heels. I don't even know where the stupid thing came from. I did my usual routine when being chased by a dog, I ignored it and tried to keep running. I could tell it wasn't gonna give up, and I looked down at it just in time to hear a growl and see its mouth open with a serious look of "bite" in its eyes. There was no way I was gonna stop running cause that is just against my rules of running! As my right leg swung forward to continue my running, the dog opened even wider and then clamped down on me. I felt teeth hit me but luckily when I looked back down again, it had only managed to grab hold of my pants. I was so ticked off, both because this dumb dog was attacking me and because my run was being interrupted!! Now it was time for my leg to swing backwards and I used that to my advantage. I took a little bit of my stored energy and put it all down in my leg, swinging it back at full speed behind. As my leg struck the dog, it yanked its teeth and became unattached from my pants. It flew back a little bit and then stopped, dropped a chunk of my pants on the asphault and glared at me. I looked back, shocked that it had just tried to bite me and had successfully taken a chunk out of my pants, and glared back with an equally sinister look in my eye.


To this dogs owner: I will not be sad at all if your pet gets run over (or kicked or stepped on), but you might be, so why don't you be a responsible dog owner and chain it up or keep it inside!!

To the dog: You better watch out cause next time I pass you on the road it will not be a pleasant experience!

(This is the damage and the evidence)

Updates

Running Updates:

I am begining to think that I was completely foolish to have gotten myself into this mess. It is getting down-right hard! I don't know why I thought it would be much easier than it is?! Anyway here are my stats:

1. Weeks Training: 9

2. Miles Run: 203.65

3. Hours spent running the streets of Vernal: 33 hours (1,980 minutes)

4. Calories burned: 28,037

5. # of Runs: 35

6. Weight change: It's hard to tell. After my long runs I lose 5 pounds but then I gain it all back by the end of the day (I must be eating like a monster these days....) so overall, still the same

7. Longest run: 16 miles! and I almost died...literally... When I got home I could barely move and I got the cold sweats and felt like I was gonna vomit. Then my lips turned blue and Trisha got really scared. I thought it was cool but still a little concerning. I took a bath to warm up, drank water to rehydrate and ate some food. After a few hours my lips returned to their natural color and I'm still alive. I now need to come up with a plan so that I don't die on my next run, 18 miles, on Monday.

As hard as it is, I am getting so excited the closer I get to my goal. I know that the training is preparing me for race day and it will feel so good to cross the finish line!


Pregnancy Updates:

We are 17 weeks along and things are going really well (from my perspective). We are so excited to have a baby and as each day and week passes, we get even more excited! The baby is around 5 inches long and 5 ounces (says What to Expect When You're Expecting). Trisha is starting to show the begining stages of a baby bump which is good evidence that there really is a baby growin in there. We should find out in the next few weeks what type of baby we are going to have. Trisha wants a girl really bad but has strong feelings that it is a boy. I don't have a preference as to the sex, I just want a healthy baby. We are pretty sure we can feel the baby moving around in there a little bit and we, I mean I, can't wait til it's kicking all over the place.

*This reminds me of a funny story when my sister was pregnant with her first kid and we were walking home from church. We were talking and all of a sudden she dropped to the sidewalk. I guess the baby kicked her sciatic nerve. I laughed my face off and still laugh so hard everytime I think of it!

The joys of being pregnant from a mans perspective.

Church Update:

We have been in this ward in Vernal since we moved here in August and I never once complained that I didn't have a calling. Well, now I got one, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have been called as a "Primary Worker" which means that I will be team teaching the CTR 6 class with two other guys in the ward. I think its fun cause I get to sit in primary and sing songs and play games and color and do other fun activities. However, I don't think its fun that kids these days have a serious lack of attention spans, they can't stay in their seats, they can't help but blurt out any and every story that pops into their head, they are always thirsty and always need to go to the bathroom. One of the primary boys told me that we need a craft during our lessons and after teaching last week I think he is right, the kids need some serious activity! It is going to be a challenge for me but I think it will be way fun too.

Work Update:

I still love my job! I am seriously troubled however by one particular gentleman who reminds me of the kid on Charlie Brown that carries around his blue blanket and a cloud of stink. Each day, at some point during my work day, I get this terrible smell in my nose that goes directly to my brain and initiates the vomit reflex. I look over and see this man sitting at the blood pressure machine. I go to the back of the pharmacy and only breathe when completely necessary and wait til he is gone. I then proceed to spray 1/2 of a can of Apple Spice and Delight Febreeze in order to mask the very strong aroma of campfire and urine. So my question is really this: Does it really get to a point where you cannot smell yourself? I just don't get it!!

That sums up my thoughts

Celebration

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

From our little baby coming August 2010!!!

Miles

I have reached a "mile"stone in my running. I have run 100 miles so far, 104.73 miles to be exact . It has taken me 35 days, 21 runs, and check it 17.25 hours to get there. I'm looking forward to the next 100 miles which should be done in only 3 weeks! Although I am really exhausted from all the running and look forward to days when it is not my main focus, I am so proud of myself. I am not at all the kind of person that would wake up early for anything, especially to go running at 6:00 am but I have found some inner strength and determination and I have been able to do it everytime I have needed to. I am also proud that not once have I stopped and walked during any of my runs. When my body tells me that I don't wanna or can't run any further, I tell it to shut up and keep on moving one leg at a time. That's how I get through every run, one leg at a time.

Stats Update

Yesterday was the end of my fourth week of training for the marathon and to help myself feel good about it I have tallied up my stats for the first 4 weeks.

Miles run: 76.58
Calories burned: 10,671
Weight change: 0 lbs.

I ran 10 miles yesterday and I feel like this is the start of the real training for me because it is about to get much harder than any running I have ever done. Good news is that I am 4 weeks down! Only 10 more to go!!