So, here comes the recap:

{Because this is so long, I’ve divided into parts"}

Lets start with Thursday.  I spent all day running around, packing and getting things ready for the race.

{This is the best way I’ve found to pack for a relay.  I put individual outfits in ziplocks.  This way I’m not searching for things in my bag and I can put the dirty clothes back in the bags after I’ve run.}

My mom and I put the vinyl on the van.

{Isn’t it awesome?  Geoff’s brother-in-law had it done.  I think it turned out great!}

Thursday night was a bit of a disaster.  A few weeks ago I went to the doctor because I’ve had no energy and trouble losing weight.  {That’s a whole other post}  I had blood tests done and was borderline hypothyroid.  I was hesitant to start medication for it because there can be some harmful side effects if you take thyroid medication and don’t really need it.  So, my doctor gave me a medication that has results like the thyroid medication, without raising the thyroid hormone levels.

Anyway, the medication helped for the first few days.  It did make me a little nauseous and made me lose my appetite, but I felt a lot better over all, so I kept at it. 

The week of Ragnar the side effects started to get worse.  I started to get really anxious.  I do stress about things anyway, but I’ve learned how to deal with it and it’s normally not a big deal.  The medication seemed to make it 10 times worse.  Even with the anxiety, I kept taking the medication.  I was hoping it would go away after my body got used to taking it. 

Well, we got to the hotel and things went down hill – and fast.  I do get nervous before races.  Nothing too serious though, just the usual pre race jitters.  This time it was horrible.  It seemed like the medication had multiplied it 1000x.

I got really nauseous, shaky, and couldn’t sleep.  At times I felt like I was having a panic attack.  I kept trying to relax, breath and calm myself down.  Nothing seemed to help.  At one point the shaking got so bad I thought for sure Geoff would wake up and think I was having a seizure.  I didn’t want to wake Geoff up since he hadn’t slept well all week and was going to be running 20+ miles in the next 35 hours.

After a long 6 hours, it was time to get up and get to the start so we could check in.  My van was a little different then years past.  We had 6 people, but my brother was going to have to leave after his first leg, so Geoff and I were going to run 4 legs – instead of the usual 3.

I was supposed to be runner 1.  After not sleeping and feeling like my legs might give out if I even attempted to run, I got my brother and Geoff and switch around their legs so I could be a later runner which would give me more time to hopefully feel better. 

That’s all you get for now.  Hopefully the suspense of whether or not I was able to run doesn’t ruin your weekend. 

Wish me luck!

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You have to watch this!  It is hilarious! 

I think it’s even more funny cause this is the EXACT conversation we had with just about every one of our friends – since we had such a hard time filling the van this year.

Enjoy!

Ragnar is only 3 days away! 

- Run. I guess since this is a running race, and I haven’t run since Saturday, and my last few runs have been HORRIBLE, I should try to get in one or two more decent runs before Friday. If, for nothing else, a confidence builder.

- Pack for Ragnar.  Read: Decide what outfits to wear that will make my thighs look smaller and make me run a 7:00 min mile.  Just kidding – kind of.  This year I’m totally going for comfort.  Geoff, you may not want to be seen with me this year – and I wouldn’t blame you.

- Make banana bread.  That is if I can get the bananas to ripen faster.  I read if you put them in a paper bag with an apple they will be ripe over night.  So, I put them in a paper bag with 3 apples – they still look the same as yesterday.

- Make Special Geoffey bars.  {Or special K bars for those of you that aren’t Geoff or me.}  Nothing better then peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch. 

- Finish grocery shopping.  I still need to get all the bread {carbs} that we’ll be taking this weekend.  I CANNOT go without my carbs – even outside of running. Mmmmmm, I can’t wait for my potato bagel from Einstein’s. 

- Make sandwiches.  Not gonna lie – I’m NOT looking forward to this one.  We decided to do food as a whole van this year which means I’m making 20 sandwiches.  Lucky me.  Anyone wanna come help?

- Homework.  Yes, that’s right.  I said homework.  While everyone else is enjoying their nice summer vacation, I’m learning about growth & human development.  Exciting, I know.

I’m starting to get super nervous for Ragnar.  every year I feel like I’m ready and then I get sick, or an injury happens, or I’m just not feeling it.  I’ve been training more then I have in the past, and I really want to have a good race this year, but I’m afraid history is going to repeat itself…

Wish me luck!

Geoff and I have been training a lot more than we have in the past.  I actually feel like I’m ready for this year.  Over the past month I’ve taken almost a  minute off my pace.  {But during Ragnar, my pace is almost never what you usually run.} 

We also have an awesome van – which is SUPER important since we’ll be spending 30+ hours with them.

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from friends who are running this year asking for advice on what to bring.  So, I thought I would post what I do for my self, van & team.

Packing list:

The packing list I send to my team is pretty extensive.  Here’s a printable version. 

Some of the biggest things I recommend for packing are:

- Putting each individual running outfit in a separate zip lock bag.  This way you’re not digging around in your bag drying to find what you were planning on wearing.

- Bring flip flops or other sandals to wear in-between legs.  This will give your feet time to dry out.

- Pack an extra big garbage bag.  You can put all your dirty clothes in it & then if it rains you can turn it into a poncho.

- Bring some toilet paper.  There is nothing worse then getting in the gross port-a-potty and finding out you’re outta luck.

Food:

Food it a tough one – at least for me.  Everyone has their own preference of what they want to eat before, during, & after a run.  But, from experience, during Ragnar, what you think you’ll want is usually not what you want at all.

My first year I took healthy stuff like bagels, peanut butter, and sandwiches.  Basically things you would normally want to eat before and after a run.  During our second van rotation, one of the exchanges was at a gas station.  I went in and $15 later came out with Mountain Dew, Zingers, Charleston Chews, Score bars, Carmelo’s, and Twix. 

While it is important to eat good food to fuel you for your run, you also need to have fun.  Most of us aren’t’ in it to win it anyway.  Plus, when its 3:00 am and you’ve slept for maybe 30 minutes, those bagels and peanut butter don’t sound that good.

Here’s what I usually bring:

Banana Bread
Bread sticks
Trail Mix
Beef Jerky
Sandwiches – usually turkey, cheese & lettuce
Bagels
Peanut butter
Nut Rolls -  I CRAVE the sweet & salty of these things
Sun Chips
Candy – M&Ms, Cinnamon Bears, Hot Tamales
Teddy Grahams
Chobani
Chocolate chip cookies
Gatorade
Chocolate Milk – Not a huge van of milk normally, but it really hits the spot during the race.  Plus, it’s good for recovery.

Here’s a printable version of the meal plan for this year.

The past few races, our van has just bought a whole bunch of food and then split the cost.

Van Binders:

I tend to be a little over-prepared with the van binders.  I’m a “better safe than sorry” kind of person. 

In a binder for each van I put:

- Race Bible
- List of major exchanges
- What food/fun are at each exchange
- Pace calculator print out (Ok, I’ll be honest.  I usually put like 3 different ones in there)
- Chart with legs/runners (Here’s this year’s for an example)  * I mark which legs are non-support or on dirt roads.  This way the runner knows what to expect.
- Any other info that may be helpful (team captain meeting notes, FAQs, changes to course, etc)

Hopefully this helps you get ready for Ragnar (or any other relay). 

What do you do for Ragnar?  I always love to see other peoples suggestions and what they do.  I’m always looking for new ideas.

I remember all the summers that we would go to the Lenexa BBQ that was right down the street from my house.  All the people coming from all over the country to compete.  It smelled A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. 

Truth be told, Utah doesn’t have that many good BBQ places.  I’ve had to settle for the bottled sauces such as KC Masterpiece or Arthur Bryant’s.  Occasionally my family is lucky enough to get rubs or sauces sent from my sister who still lives in Kansas (hint, hint, Heather).

When I was given the chance through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program to try the new KC Masterpiece Southern Style I jumped on it.  See, KC Masterpiece has a special place in my heart.  It’s one of the first BBQ restaurants I remember going to when I was little.  I remember hot it smelled, the yellow glasses they had for water and the sandwiches smothered in their signature sauce.

I was a little nervous about the “Southern Style.”  I’m just so used to traditional Kansas City BBQ.  It’s what I know & love.  But, I gave it a shot – and I was not disappointed. 

For this meal, I decided to keep it simple. 

Southern Style BBQ kabobs!

First, I cut the chicken into pieces and marinated it for a few hours.

Next, I {pre}cooked the chicken in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes.  You could probably cook it completely on the grill.  There’s just something about putting raw chicken with fruit that makes me squeamish. 

After 10 minutes, I skewered the chicken along with some pineapple. Mmmmmmm  The pineapple added sweet to the spicy sauce.  It was a nice complement.

Next, I put the kabobs on the grill to finish cooking.  While there were on the grill, I basted the chicken with more sauce.  You can never get enough sauce…Am I right?

BBQ chicken & grilled pineapple.  Can it get any better?

Lynn doesn’t think so.

And to complete the meal…grilled corn on the cob.

I tried out something new this time.

First, I peeled back the husks & removed the silk.

Then, I soaked the ears in cold water for 20-30 minutes.

Next, butter & salt…Before it’s cooked

Before you grill it, re-wrap the corn in the husks & tie them shut with kitchen string, tin foil, or anything else you can find that won’t burn up on the grill.  On one ear I was actually able to use a piece of the husk.  It held fine, but I couldn’t get it to tie on any of the other ones. 

Grill for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Delicious.  That’s all I can say.

The grilled pineapple was awesome with the spicy Southern style sauce.  And the grilled corn on the cob was the perfect finishing touch.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like fancy foods with names I can’t pronounce, but I’m perfectly fine with cold cereal for breakfast and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.

A few weeks ago, as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was given the chance to try Eggland’s Best eggs.  My first thought was to adapt our usual ham & cheese scrambled eggs to something a little “fancier.”  Maybe a grown-up version of scrambled eggs. 

Plus, I wanted to do do something I haven’t done before.  The solution: Omelets.  I’ll be honest.  I’ve tried making omelets before, but I couldn’t ever get them to cook or fold correctly and eventually it turned into the usual scrambled eggs.

This time was going to be different.  I’ll admit, I even watched a YouTube video on the technique of making omelets.  I wish I was kidding.  After seeing it done it didn’t seem so intimidating.

And the results were actually pretty yummy.  Success!!

Easy & Delicious Ham & Cheese Omelet

4 Eggs
2 Tbs milk
2 Green onions chopped
1/3 – 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbs butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

1.  Mix eggs & milk in bowl.
2.  Melt butter over medium heat in a medium skillet.  Make sure butter completely coats bottom of pan.
3.  Pour egg mixture into pan.
4.  Add 3/4 of chopped green onion.
5.  For the first 20-30 seconds, scrape the cooked egg on the outside of the pan towards the middle.  This allows more egg to move to the outside & cook.
6. Let eggs cook another 40-60 seconds or until they are no longer runny.
7.  Add ham & cheese .
8.  Fold one edge over.
9.  Place on plate & top with cheese & remaining green onion.

Tips:
- As eggs cook, use a fork or spatula to keep the edges of the omelet loose. This will make it easier to fold.
- Make sure pan is completely warmed before adding eggs.

This is a simple recipe that can be adapted to any preference.  You could add mushrooms, peppers, chives, tomatoes, spinach, or any type of  cheese depending on what you like.

The one thing that I LOVED about this omelet?  The stats from Eggland’s Best eggs.  Compared to ordinary eggs, they have:

-25% less Saturated Fat
- 35% more Lutein (an antioxidant)
- 10 times more Vitamin E
- 3 times fore Vitamin B12
- 2 times more Vitamin D
- 115 mg of Omega 3 which is double the amount in ordinary eggs
- 10% of the daily recommended intake of folic acid

You can’t beat that!!

Even though the world was supposed to end on Saturday, I still ran.  I did contemplate skipping it – I mean, if I’m not gonna be around a few hours later what’s the point? 

Although the way I felt, I was kinda praying the world would end so I wouldn’t have to run any more.  I got up late so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to eat before we left.  I debating on running on an empty stomach or eating on the way to the trail. I chose to eat.  And it was probably definitely the wrong decision. 

My stomach & blood sugar is super sensitive – especially when it comes to running.  If I eat the wrong food or eat within 2 hours of running, my blood sugar tanks & I’m miserable.  Well, our 6 1/2 mile planned run turned into 4 very.long.miles.

After running we planted our yard.

Remember the flowers we bought last Saturday?

Well, the weather this week was not cooperating so we weren’t able to plant them until this weekend.

We went from this:

To this:

Then to this:

This muddy mess was not intentional.  Our sprinkler system was a complete mess, so it created this big mud pit. 

Then finally to this:

We’re not quite done.  I need to plant a few more bushes & lilies, but it’s a huge improvement from what it was. 

I’ve been looking at my racing schedule, & I want to get a few more races in this summer.  Right now we’re registered for Ragnar & the Hobble Creek Half.  I found a few more half’s that I want to do, but I’m not sure I’ll be ready for them. 

The first one is the Star Valley Half Marathon.  The other is the South Jordan Half Marathon. 

Star Valley would be cool because the course is downhill & the scenery is gorgeous.  The only downside is it’s 5 hours away, so we would have to pay for gas, take time off work & get a hotel. 

South Jordan would be cool because it starts about mile from my house.  I can’t find any info besides where the start is so I’m not sure about elevation or anything like that.

The other problem is that both of these are in 6 weeks.  Right now the longest I’ve run is 6 miles.  I’m not sure if I’ll be ready to run over double that in 6 weeks.  I thought about doing a 10K, but I can’t find many that look like they’re worth running.  I don’t really like running 5Ks because they’re so short.  If I’m going to pay money to run, I want it to be worth it. 

Hmmmmmmm….Decisions, decisions

Utah runners: Are there any races you’re running or would recommend? 

If you didn’t hear, Utah will be floating away pretty soon with all the rain & melting snow.  Just thought you’d want to know.  I actually like the rain, so I don’t mind if that stays.  But I would really appreciate if it would warm up a little bit. 

Monday Geoff & I ran 5 miles.  Despite it being FREEZING it was an awesome run.  I was able to push myself harder then I have the past few weeks & it felt amazing.  My legs actually had energy & my lungs felt like they got a good workout without feeling like I was suffocating.  We also ran  almost 30 seconds faster per mile then we have been. 

Wednesday was another 5 miles that felt awesome.  Not only was this run cold, but it was raining.    Despite the wet conditions, I was able to cut another 10 seconds off my pace.  Not too bad….

I’m not sure what happened that changed things, but I have my theories & maybe one day I’ll share them – but not today.

I’m hoping to get in another 5 rainy miles tonight and then 7 on Saturday. 

How cool is this:

{source}

It’s an elliptical bike.  There’s a guy that’s been riding it on the trail the last few times I’ve been there.  If I had $2000 just laying around I would think about getting one of these.  They look so fun!

Saturday we got up early to get our run in.  Neither of us are morning runners, but the forecast earlier in the week said it would be around 78-80 & we wanted to miss the heat.  We got in 6 miles & I don’t know if I could have run another step.  I was dead.

Good thing we got up early cause the rest of the day was cool & breezy.  It even rained mid afternoon.  It was nice though to have the run done.  I’m gonna start trying to talk Geoff into running early on Saturdays.  Wish me luck!

After running we headed to Lowes to get flowers & bushes for our front yard.  We have a tree & some bushes, but the rest of the flower bed is dirt & weeds.

The people at Lowes were probably getting a kick out of watching us.  This is our first yard that we’ve had to plant & we’re not the most creative people so picking out plants that would look good together was a real struggle.  After trips to 3 different Lowes & 1 Home Depot we finally finished picking everything out.

What do you think?

Yellow Asiatic Lilly

Calla Lily

Foxglove (the tall white flowers)

Orange Asiatic Lily

If you couldn’t tell, my favorite flowers are lilies. Specifically calla lilies.

We’re going to alternate the yellow & orange Asiatic lilies along the front of the flower bed.  The foxglove & calla lilies will be alternating up against the house.  Then the boxwood bushes (in the black containers) will line the porch & sidewalk.

Hopefully the weather cooperates with us so we can get them planted before I manage to kill them.  I’m pretty good at that.

Here’s a funny story.  Lynn LOVES to lay out on the deck in the sun.  Saturday I let her go out & when she came in she had orange powder all over her head from sniffing the flowers.  Ok, maybe that’s not so funny to anyone, but me.  Moving on…

The rest of the weekend was filled with cleaning the house, running errands & changing the fan belt on our car.

School started today.  Ugh.  I don’t have a hard schedule, but I was looking forward to some time off.  But if I don’t take these classes now I won’t be able to start nursing next year so I really don’t have another choice.  That’s life, I guess. 

We’re going to try to get in a 5 mile run tonight & then plant the flowers.  Now I just need to think of something for dinner.  If you have any ideas, send them my way.

Q: Kinda random – Do you use compression sleeves for recover?  Which ones do you use?

Geoff & I have the Zensah calf sleeves, but I’m looking into the full length leg ones.  I haven’t been able to find any that are tight enough though.