Sarai's Introduction

I am a little late on my introduction, but I guess it's better late than never, so here it goes.

I was born and raised in Mexico, lived there 'til I was 13 yrs old when my parents decided to move to San Antonio Texas. I have practically lived in the U.S.A for more than half of my life (I'm 27 yrs old now). Then again, my parents decided to move. We moved to Utah where I have lived for 8 yrs now. I met my husband a few weeks after arriving in Utah, and got married 2 yrs later. We have been married for 5 yrs and we have two beautiful little girls-a 19 month old, and 3 yrs old, that I get to stay home with. They are so much fun.

Like many of you I was never the athletic type. In fact, I hated to run whenever I was required to (e.i. P.E class) I did some dancing in High School (yes, dancing is a sport) But that was the closest I ever got to being athletic. I started running about 4 yrs ago after my husband and I brought our first baby home, a puppy! and being a puppy he just had so much energy that walking wasn't doing anything to him nor me, so we started running. Then I got pregnant and had my first baby, and instead of one running buddy I had two! Got pregnant again and my running team grew once more. At the beginning my reason for running was only for the weight loss. Last year a friend encourage me to train and enter a 5K race and it was then that running took a whole different meaning. I started running for time and for distance and became hooked on the sense of accomplishment that beating a previous best time or running a longer distance gave me. I am addicted now. Since last year I have ran one 5K and two 10K's and I am currently training for my first half marathon in April.

I am really excited about this race. I saw someone blog in the Marathon Mommies about one of these relay races and I wished I could do something like that, only I would never be able to talk anyone into something like this, so I would only wish.......NOT! This is awesome! Thanks for making my wish come true!

I am the Rookie...

My name is Mandy H. and I live in central California with my husband of eight years and our two kids. I have a four year old girl and a one year old little boy who keep me on my toes, to say the least.

I am originally from Springville, UT where my family still resides. I am the third in a family of nine children. I met my husband when he moved to Utah to attend BYU. After we both graduated with our undergraduate degrees, we moved to Vallejo, California where my husband attended graduate school. Then we moved to central California to be close to my husband’s family.

I graduated with a degree in Accounting and worked as an accountant for 5 years at a CPA firm. I quit work to stay home full time when my little boy was born last January. I love being a stay-at-home-mom and I feel truly blessed that I am able to be home with my children. I do miss doing taxes though. I love the financial world and I am always trying to find a way to keep up on things.

I love to cook and love to bake even more-I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth. I love finding new recipes and I love eating. I really like decorating cakes too. I also like to do crafty projects and I enjoy scrap booking, but I don’t have as much time for that anymore.

Like most of you, I started running as a way to stay in shape and have run casually since high school. I absolutely love it. I love the way I feel after a good run and it has always been a good escape for me. I have just started to get into competitive running. Prior to now I have only ever run a couple of 5k races. I am training right now to run the Pacific Coast half marathon in Agoura Hills this march and my goal is to run a full marathon this fall.

It has been so fun to get to know the rest of you though your introduction. I have been so inspired by all of you and I am excited to meet all of you in June.

legs, legs, who wants what legs?

Ok Ladies~

Let's get some of these decisions taken care of so that I can at least stop using this as an excuse as to why I am not sleeping  :)

I need you to each send me an email with a first, second, and third choice for which runner you want to be.  

For those who don't know how all this fun rotating works, here is a hopefully helpful explanation.  

If you were wanting to be runner #1 you will start us out and run your first leg (leg#1).  You will then be off until your next leg (leg #13) after everyone else takes their first turn.  You then get to have a break while the others go again and then you are up for your last leg (leg #25).  At the end of leg #36 (Runner #12) there will be a staging area where we can all get together to come across the finish line as a team.

So back to the legs.... Here is the info.  Pick a first, second and third choice and email them to me.  If you have some special circumstances helping you make your decision let me know so I can make sure they can be accommodated  :)  

Runner #1 - 5.1 Easy {leg 1}, 8.5 Very Hard {leg 13}, 5.6 Hard {leg 25}

Runner #2 - 6.7 Hard {leg 2}, 3 Easy {leg 14}, 5.3 Hard {leg 26}

Runner #3 - 5.6 Moderate {leg 3}, 4.9 Moderate {leg 15}, 5.1 Moderate {leg 27}

Runner #4 - 5.1 Moderate {leg 4} 3.1 Easy {leg 16} 5 Hard {leg 28}

Runner #5 - 7.4 Very Hard {leg 5} 5.9 Moderate {leg 17} 4.1 Moderate {leg 29}

Runner #6 - 6.9 Very Hard {leg 6} 5.2 Hard {leg 18} 3.6 Easy {leg 30}

Runner #7 - 4 Easy {leg 7} 3.9 Moderate {leg 19} 4.1 Easy {leg 31}

Runner #8 - 3.4 Easy {leg 8} 7 Moderate {leg 20} 6.1 Moderate {leg 32}

Runner #9 - 3.5 Easy {leg 9} 6.2 Moderate {leg 21} 3.6 Very Hard {leg 33}

Runner #10 - 3.5 Easy {leg 10} 6.4 Moderate {leg 22} 4 Very Hard {leg 34}

Runner #11 - 3.8 Very Hard {leg 11} 4.6 Moderate {leg 23} 6.9 Very Hard {leg 35}

Runner #12 - 3.1 very Hard {leg 12} 5.2 Moderate {leg 24} 5 Easy {leg 36}

As we all should know by now... my email is info@theribbonspot.com

A couple o’ answers

Lindsay here… trying to dispense what I know so that you have a better understanding of what’s to come…

Clothing: most of us who did the Texas run wore sweats during our ‘off’ times. I had two pair of pants and one sweatshirt. Also, I had 2 clean shirts (one short, one long). As for running clothes, we packed our ‘leg’ outfit in gallon sized bags with everything we’d need: sports bra, socks, shirt, shorts/skirt, print out of the leg, etc. That way you didn’t have to root through everything (and it gets super packed with 6 women) to find what you needed. I’d also suggest bringing an extra pair of shoes… just in case of rain. Also, bring Crocs or sandals that you can put on for in the car and post run. And, lastly, we changed in the car. Some were more modest than others, but your fellow runners will give you the privacy (or lack thereof) that you want.

Food: bring a few of your favorite snacks for the car, but know that you’ll have some time to shop for something more substantial during your off times. Our vans went to Walmart and Subway to stock up and get fed. We had coolers in back with ice to keep the drinks cold. We tried to get ‘good’ snacks for the car: string cheese, crackers, beef jerky, protein bars, etc. It helped balance the candy, Diet Coke (my post run option), and chocolate.

What to bring: we’ll definitely need to divide and conquer. We all brought individual packages of wipes, bandaids, sunscreen, etc and we had way too much and it took up way too much room. As it gets closer, I suggest we make a list (we can use and update the one from Texas) and divvy out assignments. We don’t all need to bring the Costco sized bottle of Aleve. Also, each car will have to have certain essentials: a reflective vest (we found it easiest to have 2 per car, better for exchanges), a GPS (iPhones count), 2 headlamps, etc…. again, we can divvy that out amongst ourselves.

Volunteers: volunteers are at the major exchange points (and maybe all exchanges with all the people running WB) and check teams in, answer questions, provide hot chocolate, etc. They also help keep traffic flowing and make sure that we are keeping in the Ragnar rules.

I can’t wait for the big race!

Love to the Mommies Got Back and Energizer Runnies

I am planning to do my intro soon, but until then, just had to let you know how excited I am about our Wasatch Back teams. This is going to be an amazing adventure!

Also...I live in SLC and would love to host a back yard BBQ for our teams the night before the big event so that we can all connect and celebrate our upcoming race.

Happy Running to All!

My intro coming soon...

A big hello from Idaho...

(Ogden Marathon 2007)

Hi everyone, my name is Roxanne and I will confess that I rather enjoy a good hill now and again. I started contributing on Marathon Mommies when I was pregnant so most of you probably remember me as the pregnant one. I am happy to say that I now have a six month old baby girl (who will most likely be nursing during this race, hmmm that is going to be interesting) and two boys, 5 and 3.

I met my husband while in college at Utah State University and have been married for 9 years now. We live in southern Idaho...a place I never ever thought I would live, and I stay home with my kids. I worked in the social science field for several years before having kids and realized that the best way to "save the world" was to raise healthy little people who will grow up and contribute to society in a positive way. I love my job, but will admit that it feeds my addiction to running.

I started running in college as a stress reliever and ran a few 5 and 10k's but really got into it after having my oldest son. I have many 5 and 10k's under my belt along with a few half marathons and one full marathon. Like many of you I have fallen in love with running and can't imagine life without it.

Running is on the top of my list of hobbies but I also like to water ski, snowboard, hike mountains, backpack, swim, cook, read, listen to music (yea, I am the one who likes to rock out when I run), pottery, drawing, and using my hands.

I have had a rough past six months trying to get my body to work again after having a very large baby. My hips and pelvic area are still hurting when I run and to top it off I was just diagnosed with Menieres Disease this past month. Thus it has been hard to get my running self back and I am feeling pretty frustrated about it. So lets all hope that I will be ready by June to rock some of those hills!

I am loving all these introductions and can't wait to meet you all in June.

My little family December 2008

Guess what tomorrow is?

Any guesses?  There are clues on this page!  

It is the first official day of training if you are following their plan!  :)

Here is what the week holds on their plan:

Novice:

Monday: 15 Minutes

Tuesday:  Rest or easy cross train

Wednesday:  15 Minutes

Thursday:  Rest or easy cross train

Friday:  15 Minutes

Saturday: Rest or easy cross train

Intermediate:

Monday:  3 miles

Tuesday:  4 miles

Wednesday:  3 miles

Thursday:  4 miles

Friday:  3 miles

Saturday:  5 miles

Happy Running!

Weekly Q & A roundup....

Ok so we had some good questions this week.  I will try to get the answers out as clearly as I can.  Again if you think of more questions post them in the comments here and I will hold another answer session {I am thinking of doing this weekly :)}

1.  "how much were the vans?"  ~  They were each $318 so about $650 per team (you need 2 vehicles) divided by 12 runners was about $55.00 dollars each.  We can totally try to get vans but everyone needs to be ok with the cost.  

2.  Getting up to Logan~ Several of us will be coming from the south end of the valley (my parents are in Draper) so we can all carpool up together  :)

3.  I thought of something else this week that I had forgotten about.  Volunteers.  Each team is required to provide 3 volunteers or you have the option to pay instead of providing volunteers.  Each volunteer shift is 4-6 hours long.  To pay for them it is $120 a volunteer ($360 for 3) or $30 per person if we pay for all 3.  You can do a mix of 1 volunteer and pay for 2 or 2 volunteers and pay for 1.  We have a little bit of time but need to know for sure by about the middle of May in order to pay for any.  What are you thoughts on the subject?

4.  Lindsay and I are excited because they posted the dates for the Texas race this week.  October 16-17.  Look at your calenders ladies Lindsay and I would love to have you come join us down here in our neck of the woods.  (and it is still warm at that time of year down here)

My name is Patti, and I never thought I would be a runner. I grow up playing sports, and excelling at tennis and soccer. My freshman year at BYU I made the women's tennis team, but I still didn't have any desire to run unless it was chasing the tennis ball. I have been married for 13 years and we have 3 boys. I taught school for about 6 years to 7th and 8th graders. I hope to one day go back, but right now I stay at home and it's great! With 3 boys the house is hopping. My oldest is 7 years old, then my 4 year old, and my 3 year old. My last two boys are the main reason I started running. They are only 11 months apart in age, I know...it's wild. I'm often asked if they are twins or what I was thinking. I was on bed rest and hospitalized with both of them, so I was really out of shape and a bit in the survival mode. And my father passed away from cancer.

So I decided I would start walking to get back in better shape. Walking took forever and I didn't like it, plus I was pushing a double stroller and the kids were not digging it at all. So one day my son says "faster mommy faster." And that was it, in fact he's still telling me faster. I was amazed at how fast my workout went by, walking took twice as long, I was sold. So for the last three years running has been like an obsession. Some people need their cup of Joe, I need my run, because it helps me be a better person and a much nicer mom. I haven't run as many races as I would like, my husband is a trail attorney which makes it tough to get the long runs in. But he's cleared his calender for June, and I'm so stoked to meet you guys and have an amazing time. I will continue to run during the week with my 3 year old, I have been running with him since he was a few months old, but he is getting heavier. And the long runs are heaven because I don't have to push the kids. My kids are so used to me running that the other day I asked my son if he wanted to run some errands with me, he said yes so I got in the car. He got really mad and said I thought we were "running" to the store.

I have run a few 10 mile races in town, which I love doing. I'm also planning on running the avenues of the giants half marathon in May, which should be some good training for ragnar. I'm so excited to meet you all, and can't wait to have fun.

Team #536

It’s official! I just registered team number two as the Energizer Runnies. Thanks to everyone for your input. For those who have not paid yet, the registration fee is still $85. Please email me if you need my address at teamhillman@comcast.net. Or if something has come up and you are no longer planning to run the relay let me know so we can get someone to fill the spot. Thanks again to everyone! I am getting so excited about the race.

Naming Team #2

I am going to register the second team tomorrow so let's take a final vote for the name. It seems like the most popular suggestions are:

Chix Mix
Energizer Runnies
Run like a Mother!

I am leaning towards Energizer Runnies, I think it would be fun to decorate for. But, let me know which one you like the best. The one that gets the most votes is the one I will register. If there is a name you like even better than those three, throw it out there. Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Hi. I'm JP. And I'm a Wasatch Back Runner

It feels so odd to say this (after all these years of blogging) but I’m finding it really hard to come up with words (that make sense) to introduce myself and explain why I run!

I’m known around ‘these parts’ as JP, but I really do have a name (Jill). I have a husband. I have two daughters (ages 11 and 6). I have a blue stripe in my hair.

I’ve lived in Northern California (Sacramento area) all of my life. I am a weather wimp and reading about several of you running in snow makes me question your sanity. (Kidding!) Not to mention the fact that all of my training is done at about 25 feet above sea level (Hello, Wasatch Mountains!) so I guess that means I’m an altitude wimp also. (I do believe I’ve just found my “call-sign” for this relay. Exciting!) You also might notice that this is an introduction to my sarcasm as well. And, well…I am sorry for that. (I know. I should come with a warning.)

I am, relatively, new to running. I believed for many years that I hated running…that I was terrible at running. Then, a couple of years ago, I made it bigger than me. I trained for a cause very near and dear to my heart thinking that I would be one of the walkers. Partway through my training I tried a little running…just to see how I liked it. To push myself a little. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles: I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. Crossing the finish line of my first half marathon (my first event of any kind) was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I was blown away by a feeling that can’t really be put into words.

Running is not easy for me. I struggle. But I think its because of these struggles that I’ve learned more about myself than I ever though possible. Like many of you, running is my therapy – my form of meditation. I am a better person when I run. A better person with more confidence and discipline and a sense of accomplishment.

This year, I have quite the running agenda: A couple ½ marathons, Wasatch Relay…all leading up to my very first (full) marathon in October 2009! (I feel slightly faint every time I type that.) I am so excited and scared and, well, excited. But I love that I can be an example for my daughters. It is my hope that they will see that they are capable, strong and amazing. I want them to experience this feeling of empowerment that comes from accomplishing the big goals…and all the little goals that lead up to it.

I am counting down the days to Wasatch. I can’t wait to be stuck in a van with all of you amazing Marathon Mommies. It’s gonna be awesome.

No hills, please!

Should I just put it out there? I'm totally scared of the hills in this race. My stupid allergies have given me asthma, which is new in the last year, so I'm not really used to it. If you add in the Utah elevation, I think I might be gasping for air on the easy legs. I am going to be doing some hill training, but there aren't a lot of hills right around my neighborhood, so I'm not sure how that's going to go. Anyway, I'm hoping some super woman out there is so excited to run up a mountain. And I will be there to cheer her on!

I grew up as a ballet dancer, with running far from my mind. In fact, I had a doctor's note to excuse me from running in Junior High due to some ankle problems. After having a knee surgery in college (that darn ballet!), I finally felt like I could run. I remember feeling so excited after a 20 minute jog. Two kids later (2004)I moved to Michigan, where the exercise du jour of the women in my apartment complex was running. So I started. I'm sure we were going at an 11 minute-mile pace for less than two miles. A few women seemed satisfied with this, but not me. I wanted to go faster and farther. A year later I did my first race -- a 10K. Since then I've done 5ks, 10ks, 2 half marathons, and one marathon. The good thing about being new to running is that every race is a chance to PR! I know I haven't reached my potential yet. I loved running a marathon (May of 2008) and I'm planning on running the Newport, OR, marathon this May. I miss running with all of my friends. Now I listen to NPR when I run most mornings. I love the challenge of training, the exhilaration of being totally in tune with your body, and the calories running burns. : ) I also love the inspiring women I've met over the last 5 years.

Now I live in Oregon now with my husband and three kids. My husband is an accounting professor at the local university. My kids are almost 8, almost 6, and 18 months. I love to read, bake, cook, sew, travel, play games, and do just about anything outdoors. I also like playing volleyball and watching college football and basketball. I'm currently trying to grow my hair long enough to be in a ponytail, get better at Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii, and eat less sugar. I have a serious love for dark chocolate, though, so there's only so much I can do. Before I had kids, I was a high school English teacher. I like to pretend I can still write a bit. I have a great husband and great kids. They are very supportive of my running and even keep up with my training schedules.

I think this race is going to be an adventure! I've already got a reflective vest, and I kind of want to use a headlamp instead of a flashlight. Do you think they'd allow that? Man, how cool would that look.

I'm looking forward to all the fun! Keep posting.

Amy Peterson

Hello from OKC!

Hi Y’all! It is now my turn to introduce myself. I am Lindsay. The title of slow one seems to be a big battle, so I will call myself the medium one. How’s that?

I feel as if I should just say ditto to all that has been said. Guess what: I too started running to lose the baby weight. See, not everyone can gain 70 pounds and lose it twice. I was also coaxed into this whole running phenomena by some great gals who hustled my bustle up and down our neighborhood every Saturday morning at 6am. It didn’t matter if it was too cold, too hot, too wet, we were too tired, you get the idea. We started training for a 10K and it all went both uphill and downhill from there…culminating in running the Ragnar Texas Edition…and has led me to y’all. Phew.

This will be my second Ragnar. (Sometimes I secretly wear my medal around the house while doing chores. I found that it inspires me still. I can’t wait for others to enjoy this journey. It is not just a run, my new found friends. I promise!) The Texas one was run this past October, on the very weekend I turned 30. Our team was aptly named “Running from the Kids” and that is just what we did/do! I love this celebration of motherhood, fitness, and achievement. And, thankfully, that I can do it again.

Now onto the more personal. I have recently moved to Oklahoma City (and am running the OKC Memorial race in April…and toying with upgrading from the half to the full…but no promises!) with my family. I have 2 kiddos: Lincoln, who will be 4 in March, and Kate who is 18 months. As said by everyone else, they are the reason I run. I have also recently entered the world of retirement; until this year I have been a special ed teacher. I am fortunate to be able to stay at home with the little ones, but hope to get back to the classroom one of these days. I love to read, travel, and shop. (I feel as if I should also add that I like long walks on the beach…) And, I am grateful for a husband who understands the need for a runcation every now and then.

I look forward to meeting this group of crazy running friends in person. Thanks for letting me join the team!

I'm Kristyn, and I'm the Newbie!

Since "the Slow One" was already taken I guess I'll have to settle for "the Newbie".

My name is Kristyn, I'm 28 years old, I live in Utah, and I am a runner........or a wanna-be runner. I haven't actually run anything except for my stake 5k and a pretend 5k with Kelly (I know, I'm a dork), but I like to run. I'm currently training for a 1/2 marathon. I'm flying up to Portland in May to run the Hippie Chick with my sister-in-law Kelly (if you don't know Kelly--which really, who doesn't know Kelly around here?--see the previous post). I'm very excited for the 1/2 marathon and now that I have got my blister problem figured out, I don't have too many concerns about it. My body seems to do okay with lots of miles as long as I don't try to go too fast.

I have been married for almost 9 years, and I have 2 kids (almost 5 and 2). My oldest has autism, so like Mel, running has been a therapy for me. It is some much needed "me-time" that refreshes and invigorates my mind and body.

Anyway, my story began in September of 2008 (I told you I'm a newbie). I had recently lost about 50 pounds and I still had about 10 more to go, but I was at a complete stand-still with weight loss. I hadn't lost a pound in about 6 months. No matter how many hours I put in at the gym doing my regular workout, the weight wasn't coming off. I decided to try something new to try to lose the weight---that something was running. It seems like all the girls running on the treadmills at the gym were all very skinny, so it had to do something for them, right?

I had never run in my life. Running was actually the last thing I'd ever even think about doing. I used to look at people running on the street and wonder why they wanted to torture themselves that way. Little did I know, running is very addicting. I had always told myself that I cannot run. You know all the excuses..... I have bad knees, I don't breathe right, it hurts my back, etc, etc, etc. Well I was right about one thing. I didn't breathe right. On that first day I decided to try running I literally could not run 1/4 of a mile. I was about to kill over after like 2 minutes on the treadmill. Anyone been there before? This "failure" challenged me to keep trying, to learn what to do, and to be victorious over the treadmill. I called Kelly, and she agreed to train me via email, Skype, and even the occasional phone call. I started out with the Couch to 5k program, and by the time that was completed I was hooked. I felt like I needed something to train for so I asked Kelly if she would run something with me. We signed up for the Hippie Chick, and started my official training for that at the beginning of this year.

As crazy as it seems, I am a new convert to outdoor running (can you believe I never had the desire to run outdoors?). There is just something refreshing about being outdoors running in nature (especially the rain--I love it). I guess I'm a hermit, because I was completely content running on my treadmill. But now my eyes have been opened and my treadmill has become my "dreadmill". I just itch to get outdoors and run even if it is all by myself. One of these days I will find a running partner or two.

I am so excited about the Wasatch Back. I know it will be so much fun. Even though I am new to running, I love it. It is fun to watch the progress I make and to feel the sense of accomplishment when I complete those long runs still feeling great. Since throwing speedwork out the window for a while, I have really learned how much I LOVE to run. It was hard for me to love it when I felt like killing over from pushing myself all the time, but it is easy for me to love it when I take it slow and just run run run to my little heart's desire. So that is what I am doing.

I can't wait to meet you all!