Year in Review...Running and in life!

Wow where has 2011 gone! Super fast and already looking in the rear view mirror as it goes by! First off so internally grateful for great family, friends, a job, a great community that my family lives in, health, and the ability to be able to participate in so many activities and adventures with my family...so without further adew...

2011...
January..January brought back coaching jr high vball! I love to be able to give the young women the gift of learning volleyball skills and become an impact in their lives. Everyday was a new adventure! As the wife of a coach for hs football and basketball, that means we travel lots(good things for tahoes/surburbans), stay up late, cheer loud for the wildcats, eat lots of meals on the road, share road trips with great friends, see great hs kids perform in the athletic arena...couldn't ask for a better life! Also both kids were busy playing youth basketball. Both had great seasons-Rylee her first playing 3rd grade(even though in 2nd) and Luke getting to play on both 4 and 5 teams.

February...Brought the end of youth basketball for both kids, jr high volleyball and the playoffs for Clark's girls basketball team. Running was basically put on back burner due to weather and crazy family life! The treadmill got lots of action on weekdays nights after practices, dinners,etc! Got in a few local fun runs!

March....State Championships for Clark's hs basketball team! What a great season capped off with a very deserving 3-in-a-row State Championship! Ran a few more local runs-St. Patricks Day 5K in Lewiston, Campus on the Run 5K at WSU(Go Cougs!)We also said a very sad goodbye to Clark's dad after a 10+ year battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer. It was a very quick, downhill fight. They just couldn't fight it anymore. The service was a beautiful reminder of how wonderful a life Bob lived, lives he touched, lasting memories that we will hold on to forever and how quickly life can change....Every breath is a precious gift

April ....brought warmer weather, spring sports-baseball for Luke and softball for Rylee. Both kids great! Luke's team ended up wining the league championship, and the post season tourney. Rylee's team did great too with an appearance in the post season tourney. She did great for playing her first softball season.

May....Vegas baby! Need I say more?! Sun, drinks, the pool and 2 books is all I needed for a much needed 4 days of R & R to get me back up and going for rest of the spring! May 14 brought the Windermere Half Marathon. I was after that elusive sub 2:00 hr half time... the weather was perfect, course great, had a great running buddy run with me in the half and 3 running buddies running the full...as it turns out I missed the sub 2:00 by 3 minutes...darn potty stop! But I brought home my first running medal!!! So excited for the bling!

June brought the start of Marathon Training #2-Portland Marathon! 18 week is set and on the docket...Traveled to Boise, Idaho for the See Jane Run Half Marathon. Wow-if anyone has a chance to travel to Boise and run this race, it's top Notch. Not only is the theme behind the race and See Jane Run powerful, the course was fantastic, great race support, great prerace warm up, tons of port-a-potties, weather was perfect, easy walking from hotel to Julia Davis Park. My goal was to break 2:00 half....

quick race recap...as we are lining up at start and turn on ipod for music and get my ipod chip/sensor ready...my ipod tells me no sensor found....yep I had left my sensor on the dining room table a few hundred miles away...:( after I settled my mild panic attack, I took deep breath and realized I will run what I can and not pay attention to my time. I will rely on my running buddy K and the course volunteers. A quick start and K kept us posted on pace and time. After halfway point, I'm feeling great, pace fine. K starting to get tired and knowing pace and time, I gotta keep it up. I pull away from her and hot the trail. I follow a girl for a while, but think in my mind I might be slowing down, so I pass her. Only a few miles to go and I have to push it. I cross over the river and make my way towards the last of the path system and into the park. I'm about a mile until finish and I can hear the finish line announcer yell out times...1:50..oh panic set in. I tried to run so fast but knowing I had about a mile left....I 'm getting closer...I hear the time 1:56..oh geesh! I'm closer, closer, closer and now I can see the huge clock over the finish and it's at 1:58 and some change....still sprinting and I finish at 1:59:42!!!! Here are my running buddies...MD, K, KD. We had a great trip!

June also brought Hoopfest in Spokane for both pf the kids....

Clark's 40th birthday as well! a great camping trip right before 4th of July! and of course...More marathon training!

July...I had the opportunity to participate in and join a relay team with my running neighbors and K! Mt Misery relay says it all...56 miles of pure uphill and downhill through snow, rocks, logs, snakes, gravel roads! We beat our time and had so much fun! here is the team with medals and beers!  And of course...a year wouldn't be complete without a trip to see my boyfriend... Kenny Chesney! We traveled to Portland to see Kenny Chesney with great friends! what a great concert as always....Clark & I and a sign I found on side I-5...

and after Kenny brought a week long camping trip complete with boating, great weather and oh and training runs around our campsites.....that was a struggle but I ran 3 days and accomplished over 15 miles!
August was a 6-6 outdoor coed volleyball tourney, weekend in Chelan with HS bestest friends, 2 days of non stop working for Lentil Fest and MUCHO running miles! Lots of LONG training runs prior to heading to river to go boating! Gotta do what you gotta do to get the miles in! I participated in my second annual Hells Gate Duathalon-I'm on a team...I run 2 miles, KD bikes 12 miles and I run 2 more miles! It is a pretty much all out spring for me! I am so darn competitive!

September brought back first day of school for kiddies 5 and 3rd!

flag football for Luke...

Soccer for Rylee.....2-3 grade

the coach.....Football for the Wildcats! Here is Father/son on sidelines!

October....Marathon time! Portland Marathon here i I come-goal 4:15.....finish time 4:14:21! what a great experience.had a great run, felt great until end when muscles cramping and tightening up on my right "Quad" must be why I have that nickname....It was a first marathon for fellow running/training buddy K and hs friend/running buddy T! They did awesome for their first races!

my gear, race bib!

Fellow running buddy/great friend K in hotel lobby before race!

T & K first time marathoners!

Halloween for kids!
October-December brought Cougar football games, tailgating, Halloween, thanksgiving and Santa Fun Runs! Also brought me close to these awesome running women!

Running in the freezing cold......

and a running buddy meet up at Thomas Hammer to begin our running inspiration  journals ...thank you Keep On Keeping On for hosting and inviting us! Blonde Pony  and Nerd on the Run and S for joining in on the fun! I have had soo much fun meeting with my new running friends for Saturday or Sunday morning runs! Thank you friends for inviting and including me!
With only 2 days left until the new year....I am 5.38 miles away from my 2nd consecutive year of completing 1,000 miles! I know I can finish strong! Recap of the last few miles to come in 2012!

As we approach closing a chapter (2011) in our lives and look forward to opening a new chapter (2012).....there will be sure more to come from Quads on the Move..as I plan out my 2012 race calendar! That will come shortly into the New Year when I possible pull the plunge and put 2 races on my calendar in the next few days!