Just keep running....just keep running....just keep running

My love/Hate affair with running started when I was very young...my parents were avid runners when I was growing up. They would drag all 6 kids to races almost every weekend, sometimes we ran with them, sometimes we cheered for them as they ran their marathons. For Family home evenings a lot of times we would go bike rides or runs. I am thankful that my parents instilled this love in me.

I am struggling with this love this week though. Monday I stood a friend up that waited in the wee hours of the morning because my alarm didn't go off. I was sad that she had gotten up but I was not too sad that I didn't run. Tuesday morning as I was getting dressed to go running, I kept thinking I may never run again..I don't have to do this.....what would life be like if I didn't ever go out and run again. I can't imagine it....though this week I have to keep repeating to myself "just keep running....just keep running...like my friends and I chanted a few years ago to each other when running a race that was difficult.

I ran with my parents as a child, I ran on the Jr. High track team, I didn't really run at all through high school. Swim team kept me too busy. After I graduated from high school and moved to McLean Virginia, I tried to run there..HATED running in the humidity and in what felt like a Forrest because I couldn't see anything but trees. Moved back to Utah, Got married, Got pregnant, Gained 80 pounds...obviously didn't run then! Should have.

Got pregnant with second baby and after she was born it was a very trying time for me. The only thing that saved me was being able to go out and walk for hours and hours with my friend Kim and talk, trying to fix all of our problems. This was such an awakening for me. I realized the best benefit of walking or running was the friends that you do it with and the conversations that you have that you would never have if you weren't out there together.

After Kailee had her accident and I was trapped at Primary Children's hospital for months...I took back to the streets to run just to be able to get out of the hospital and have some Annie time for an hour or so a day. What a wonderful time this was for me. I could run and pray, I could run and cry, I could run and just be grateful that I have a body that can run. I haven't stopped since then....

When I moved to North Farmington...what a wonderful amazing gift I had waiting for me in friendship and all because of running.

The first Sunday I went to church in North Farmington, I had 2 women sit next to me in RS and the first question they asked me was "Are you a runner?" and so began my running with the beautiful women that I still run with.

There is something special about the people that you run with, You develop a different relationship than you have with anyone else. You push each other, You talk about life in a different way, You help each other home sometimes, You walk if one person needs to. You would never leave anyone behind. You depend on each other to be out there and you know that if you don't show up that someone may be left standing in the cold and dark by themselves. What a different person I would be if I gave in to those feelings that I sometimes have of never running again. The women that I get to run with have made me such a better person and for so many reasons.

I am so very thankful for strong legs and a strong, healthy body that is able to go and run most mornings. There is nothing more wonderful and beautiful to me than a morning where the ski is filled with stars as we leave for a run and then as we are coming back, the sky is starting to turn blue as the sun is coming up. the cool air and the freedom. I am so grateful that I live where I do and am able to run through such a safe wonderful town. AND OH I am GRATEFUL for the women that run with me. Sometimes there are just 2 of us and other times there are 10 of us. Some are there year after year and other times we get new people to join us and other fall away for whatever reason. I am so grateful for everyone of them.

I started thinking about trying to put some of my favorite runs on here and there are so many that it is hard for me to do that.

• Thanksgiving day runs are wonderful.....a few years ago we talked about all the things we were thankful for as we ran....this year on Thanksgiving there were 8 of us CRAZY enough to get up and go run in 2 degree temp and it was SO wonderful.
• The day we started out with just a light soft snow and by the time we were just about a mile in the snow was coming down so hard that we could hardly see our feet. Yet none of us turned around and went home. We didn't even talk about turning around. We did the entire 4 miles and all of us to this day will say that was one of our favorite runs.
• The day we walked 17 miles because Teresa couldn't run....it was so cold that our eyelashes were frozen, we stopped half way at Dick's market to get chocolate donuts and milk and we laughed so hard that we were on the ground on our way home over 5 hours into it.
• The run in Liberty when Teresa was training for her crazy 50 mile run.
• The crazy 50 mile run for Teresa's 50th birthday...where she really did 70+ miles because she walk ran it and wanted to actually run 50. I only did part of it with her but that will always be a very special run.
• The runs through Farmington and Kaysville...just talking and enjoying being alive.
• My birthday run a few years ago starting in NSL and ending in Centerville which was supposed to be only 15 miles and was really 18 or so....we ended up calling for a ride...sorry Renae, I still feel bad about that...hopefully going to IHOP after run made up for it.
• The Wasatch Back...every year! but specifically the first year I did it, running from Oakley to Kamus at 3 AM. So beautiful and peaceful, running with team mates that were having a hard time, running as Wonder Woman, a Hot Dog and Spiderman, the beautiful amazing people that I have been lucky enough to run it with, rolling bagels, superman who has been there every year, the Body!!!!, Teresa wearing ponytails, Kristi and her taco's, getting out to support Tauni without any water or supplies....too many to list from this race.
• Running the Northwest Passage in Washington, having our vehicle break down middle of the night, running from a National Forrest, along the ocean out to an island that was so beautiful I considered never coming home, being with a friend that I love Dearly and her children.
• Running any race with my kids/family. Gage is the only one of my kids that I have not been able to do a race with yet. I am looking forward to doing that this summer.
• I would have to say the Bair Gutsman only because it is really cool to have done it...but I really didn't enjoy this race any of the 3 times I have done it. Throwing up the first year all the way through...I did enjoy Nina doing this with me and that she didn't leave me.
• The morning that I got up early when we were on the RV trip with the kids in Montana, I ran along the shore of Flathead lake. So beautiful.
• Finding pennies on our runs....they mean so much.

I am not the fastest runner and never will be. I am not the runner that can go the furthest and never will be but I am so forever grateful for the joy, peace and laughter that running has given me. For the friendship and the deepening of those friendships, for the strength and courage that it takes to grab those running shoes every morning, no matter the weather and head out the door before the sun comes up.

I am so grateful for the Amazing, beautiful, talented, kind and just plain wonderful women that get up each morning and truly make me want to be a better person......I know this is long and I didn't intend for it to be but as I got writing I realized how very lucky I truly am. Pictures to follow...

Thanksgiving day 2010

The Bertoch Bears running a race on Halloween as a child with my younger siblings...Now you know where I get the dressing up for races idea..

In case you are wondering where superman is.....

After our first 1/2 marathon together...

The HORRIBLE Bair Gutsman with Nina...the first time I did it.

The Legacy HWY race with my girls.

Me NOT giving Tauni support and her trying to figure out why I would come out to meet her and not have water or food for her...

Teresa giving me a wonderful gift of her hair being pulled up as she ran in to the exchange

Wasatch Back...not sure which year

THE long walk

Wasatch back....not sure which year

Teresa's 50th birthday run....so amazing

Wasatch Back 2010

Wasatch Back 2006???

Wasatch Back 2009...Tasha and I showing off our sweet dancing moves.

Superman!!!!!

Wasatch Back 2009

Northwest Passage 2009 with Mari and Brandt

Northwest Passage in Washington

Bair Gutsman...the second time not great but still much better than the 1st time.

Top of Utah 1/2 with beautiful amazing women.

The Other Half in Moab a few years ago

The race where I learned that I really am not a runner...I think I came in close to last but it was very pretty!