As most of you know, I am training to run the SLC Half Marathon again this year. I completed two last year, and really enjoyed just having a goal and a focus to my training. The small group of women that I ran with last year are also running together again this year, and we have added some great new additions who are running their first half. One of my goals this time was to take my camera out on our Saturday runs. I know this might sound silly and it probably is, but when you are up with the sun and running in a city of mountains and canyons and great views like we are, I missed a ton of photo opps last year, and don't want to lose out this time around. Also- I realized that all of these women spend time documenting their kids' and family experiences, but don't always have a lot to show for their own accomplishments, so I hope this will serve as our group documentation of 2009 training.
The sunrise on the Ocher Mountains from above the Salt Lake Cemetery.
Caryn and Stephanie at about 2.5 miles. These girls have both run 4 half-marathons and a full marathon, and they are the pros who convinced me to train last year.
Jessi and Alisa- training for their first one. They are doing amazing! And they even look happy to be out in the freezing weather before the sun is up.
Another view of the Wasatch Front from the top of Virgina Ave.
I know I look really lame with my headband on in this one, but just wanted to illustrate how cold it is. That is my sweat frozen to my headband. Jessi and Alisa had taken theirs off to try and breathe through for a minute because the air was quite frigid at this point.
Most of us carry water in a camel pack for running over 6 miles or so, and last Saturday we were drinking ice from our packs by the end of the run. Alisa's actually froze solid and she couldn't get any water out... I know this makes you all want to get up early and join us next week- Right? Everyone is welcome, you won't regret the loss of sleep, it is totally worth it.
And I really hope that these girls will continue to be my friends even after I take pictures of them running in the early morning hours... especially since they all still manage to look good doing it... now that is impressive.
Yesterday morning, the girls and I set out before 6am to drive up Emigration Canyon and then run home. It was my 3rd time doing this run, and I really love it. Running down the canyon works your muscles in a totally different way than running around town, and we always seem to average faster miles than other times... with gravity working for us of course. Yesterday was no different, it was our fastest run so far this year, even though most of it looked like this.
Thanks to Daylight Savings Time coming early this year, we ran most of the canyon in partial darkness except for the really bright and almost full moon. It was beautiful and made the run go by really quickly.
The Boys did actually do well together, which I was very happy about. I really like shots that show a little of the personality of these two cuties.
It is hard to believe he is no longer a baby. (Seriously, where did all that dark hair come from?) He was such a sweet and mellow little infant.
Who then transformed into our energetic and slightly out of control baby.
Who loved to get into everything he could reach.
Now he has become this adorable little boy who will do just about anything to make people laugh. He is already such a class clown that I know in 10 more years I will be getting some calls from his teachers. He can't sit still and only calms down when he decides that it is time to ask to be put to bed or take a nap. He can hold his own in almost any crowd with his brute strength and determination. We hope that at some point he will give up his tendency to punch and smash things, but for now, we just try and use up his endless stores of energy. We are so grateful for him and all the joy that he brings us everyday.