We did it again! (Race Recap)

I got talked into participating in a running race again. 

I'd probably never choose to do such a thing by myself, but since it's a great excuse to hang out with a couple of my best buddies, I'm all for it. 

We've been training the past few months for the Famous Idaho Potato Half Marathon. We ran our longer distances together on Saturdays. Running with them barely feels like work at all. We keep a nice, easy pace and chat the whole time. 

It's funny that my first (and only other) half marathon felt like such a major accomplishment, but for some reason this one didn't seem that way. It could be that this time lacked the shock factor of actually being able to make it to the finish line alive and well. 

Maybe I should go for a full marathon next time. Ha-ha, juuuust kidding. I have no desire. And since I have now completed two half marathons, it's basically the same as running one full marathon. Right? Never mind the fact that the two races were done 3-1/2 years apart. =)

This race took place last Saturday, May 17th. We lucked out with beautiful weather. It was a bit chilly to start, but it was fine. Well, maybe not for the dude who showed up wearing only a Speedo and a sombrero (and socks/shoes). He seemed to be yearning for a jacket. I could tell by the way he wouldn't stop pacing in place and rubbing his arms with sheer remorse.

We had to catch a shuttle before 6:00 that would take us to the start line near Lucky Peak. We met up at 5:15 to carpool down together. So early. Too early. That meant I got up at 4:30. Yuck.

But early mornings are doable with these two. Just look at their fresh faces and optimistic auras.

Here we are before the race, me pre-ponytail. I had to keep my neck warm somehow. Start time was a little after 7:00. Since we'd each only had a small breakfast almost two hours earlier, we were hungry by the time we commenced our 13.1 mile trot. That kind of made me nervous, since I prefer having fuel when I'm needing to move around at all. Or even when I'm sitting still. I like food. Oh well, at least I had some gum with me to keep my mouth moist.

Some of the runners were barefoot. I don't know how they do it. The very idea makes me hurt. 

The race course was really pretty. Starting at Lucky Peak, it wound through lovely neighborhoods, down some streets, and along the green belt, ending at Ann Morrison Park. 

When it became necessary to shed our jackets, tying mine around my waist proved to be a bit tricky as I tried not to break stride. We decided someone needs to invent a slap jacket, with the sleeves made out of the same materials slap bracelets are. 

"Are you tired of this happening to you when every second separates you from winning that big race?" 

*Camera shows flustered runner, struggling mightily to secure flimsy jacket sleeves around a sweaty, slick waist. She probably also trips and falls amid her failed attempts, doomed to lose the dang race, and possibly every race thereafter.* 

"Buy the new Slap Jacket! All you do is slap it around your waist and proceed to the finish line with ease - and convenience!" 

(Never mind the fact that the jacket cannot be worn unless the runner wants to have his or her arms outstretched to the shape of a T, or rolled into a ball in front of the body.)

Just as I was getting too hungry to go on, we approached an aid station stocked with Power Bars. YES! This is the main reason I can make it through a race like this - the snacks and water/Gatorade every couple of miles!  By the end of the course, I'm pretty sure I'd consumed more calories than I burned. =/

We crossed the finish line, hand in hand, at roughly 9:22 AM

A pic of the winning team!

Our reward for jogging 13 miles was a half of a baked potato with butter, sour cream, and salsa. And a sweet medal to wear around town.

About 20 minutes after we finished the race, the winner of the full marathon finished. Wow! 26.2 miles in 2:46:10. (I looked up his time.) That right there is a mix of him being fast and us being kinda slow. He looked utterly exhausted. His legs were shaking, and I doubt he would describe his experience as "fun", but that's how I felt about mine. Never at any point did it seem painful or unpleasant. Except when we saw that poor, dead duck on the side of the path. =( 

I did initially pose for this picture, but gave up before it mattered. Renee, I hope you thoroughly washed your mouth after this. Nobody knows where that potato's face has been. But we all agreed it would be fun to be the person within the potato suit, dancing all around and such. It could be kind of a lonely profession.

Here's a sideways look at the metal. Just because.

I think it's safe to say we had a successful, Idaho potato-y day. 

Paul Simon and Such

I recently read a biography on Paul Simon. I bought it at Dollar Tree, of all places. I bet he'd love to hear that a book about his career ended up on a dollar store shelf...

I have a renewed admiration for him. Actually, I never knew all that much about his personal history,
but I've been a fan of his music since junior high, when I became unimpressed with the current music and turned my attention fully to oldies. My ears melted in a good way when I heard "The Sound of Silence", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and many more of Simon & Garfunkel's hits. I loved the songs' sentiments and lovely harmonies.

My junior year in high school I dated a senior, who was a fan of Paul Simon; but not so much the
 "& Garfunkel" part. I've been known to immerse myself in the music my loved ones like. It just makes me feel connected to them in a strange (but totally not obsessive) way. =)

Hey, here's a picture of us from the girl-ask-guy dance. It was jungle-themed, and my mom took our group's photos at our house to save us all from buying the over-priced packages available at the dance. Just FYI.

He (whose name was and still is Adam) and I listened to Paul Simon tunes in his red Ford Bronco as we drove to and fro movies, and our houses, and other in-town destinations. This familiarized me with Paul's solo career.

I was in a girls' choir that year in school, and Mrs. Schmidt gave her students opportunities to perform songs in front of the class as part of our grade. I wanted to share a Simon & Garfunkel number. It was a toss-up between "Old Friends" and "Song For The Asking".  I had Adam decide for me, and he voted for the latter. He came to choir class that day to watch me (and likely wished he'd left his ears at home). =)

Enough about me and high school. Let me share some of the things I learned when reading this Paul Simon book.

I had no clue how long Paul and Artie had to work before they finally made success. Then again, they did start in their mid-teens. But roughly 7 years of almost-ups and many downs eventually paid off. Yay for them! Yay for the world!

The two didn't originally call their duo by the name we all know. They at one point called themselves Tom Graph and Jerry Landis (Tom & Jerry for short). Landis was the last name of one of Paul's girlfriends. They also briefly used the name Kane & Garr. It's no wonder they floundered in the industry for a while. ;)

The line "hello, darkness, my old friend" came from the fact that Paul would write songs in the dark of his bathroom due to the good acoustics.

I had forgotten that Paul was briefly married to Carrie Fisher. Carrie apparently cheated on him with Dan Aykroyd. =/

Paul at one time lived in George Harrison's former home on Blue Jay Way. George also encouraged Paul in his solo career. =)

The Grammy for record of the year in 1969 went to "Mrs. Robinson", beating "Hey Jude".  I never knew! For some reason it's so weird to think of the Beatles mingling and "competing" with Simon & Garfunkel.

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" got record of the year in 1971 over "Let it Be".  That would have been a tough decision to make. But "Bridge" is such a beautiful, meaningful song, so I'm not mad it won. =)

I didn't realize how inseparable Paul and Art were. It seemed they couldn't keep away from each other for too long before one of them would come crawling back, either to produce a more profitable album, put on "one last concert together", or just because they secretly missed each other. (I'm adding that last interpretation of things.)

Anyway, Paul Simon rocks. He has some of the best songs to sing and whistle along to. It totally inspires me to want to write songs. Of course nothing as beautifully poetic as his work. Songs can be anything. I'm working on several sets of lyrics, but I need to "find the time" to work out some tunes and such. Seems such a daunting task. It would help if I had a bunch of professional studio musicians at my disposal to accompany me, like Paul had. =)

Last Couple of Months

I thought I'd mention a bunch of stuff from recent months (for my own entertainment, of course).

Feb.15 - Maria, Renee and I ventured downtown for a complimentary, outdoor Goo Goo Dolls concert. The weather was pretty mild, and we all had fun. After the show we were hungry, so we decided on Indian food. Actually, they suggested it, insisting it was good. I hadn't ever tried it before, and didn't want to be a picky pain in the bum, so I just agreed and hoped for the best. I discovered that it's really kind of tasty. I could go for some more right now.

Feb.22 - Lytles big and small flocked to Givens hot springs for Shirley's birthday. After a warm swim, we all went to Idaho Pizza Co. for dinner. (Man, I shouldn't write about yummy food at midnight. Now I am really hungry.)

March 15 - Erin, my mom, and I hosted a baby shower for Maren (Gavin's wife) at my house.

Doesn't she look adorable? 

April 6 - Maren went into labor during the wee hours of the morning. She was supposed to hold on until the 11th for a planned C-section, but baby Archer had other plans. Gavin called me at 6:30 AM to ask if I could come sit with their girls at home while they went to the hospital, seeing as we live in the same neighborhood. Of course I rushed over. I was glad I had my phone right there by me with the ringer on and stuff. I'm sure they were glad, too. I slept on their couch until Ruby (age 3) woke up just before 9. I worried that she might be alarmed to find me there, but she didn't seem to be. By that point, Gavin had let me know by text that the baby had been born and all was well. We got Maisie up shortly thereafter, hung out a bit, then got ready and went over to our house until Gavin came later and took them to meet their new little brother. He is a cutie! 

March 29 - LDS Women's Conference. This was the first time all girls 8 and over were invited to join with the sweet Relief Society sisters of the world for the bi-annual event. We had a busy day moving new-to-us furniture into Jane's freshly painted room. None of us really felt like getting dressed up to attend the meeting at the stake center, so we opted to go over to my mom's and watch it on BYU-TV.

The music and speakers were all good. Afterwards, I took Jane and Cora out for a treat. We stopped in at Aspen Leaf for some froyo, but there was a long and winding line of ladies that we didn't want to wade through. It was seriously bustling in there. Plan B: DQ. When we pulled into a nearly empty parking lot, I made some remark about there not being a soul there, and Cora said something to imply that not even the workers had souls. I was so offended! She knew full well that I worked there for 3 years. =)

We had a grand old time. I like having fun together whenever the chance arises. I can get pretty tired of the un-fun parts of mothering (delegating responsibility, constantly watching the clock, etc.) so it's nice to go somewhere with the express intention of taking a break from our daily duties.
I have to pinch myself sometimes as I wonder how in the world these girls are the same girls I gave birth to. It seems like a separate lifetime when they were tiny tots.


Spring break consisted of hanging out, playing with pals, painting Jane's room purple, and much more.
We also spent a Saturday afternoon at Camel's Back Park with some of Ryan's family members. We ate and climbed (that word totally looks wrong at this time of night) and tried to keep tabs on all the busy, little kids included in our group. What we really needed was a giant Trapper-Keeper to put them in. (Get it? "whatcha keepin' tabs on?" from that '80s commercial. No? Mmmkay...)

 That's Oliver with his right arm extended

Erin and I are still enrolled in tap class, and having a fun time with it. Maren had to step down from attending with us, due to the new baby. But she tapped like a pro until two weeks before going into labor. I still feel like a total klutz when we practice some of the tricky steps. I told you I'm not coordinated, and I meant it!

Did I tell you my uncle ended up sending all the family history information I thought I'd never get? I was so happy to receive it, and there's a lot more there than I thought there would be. I've gone to the family history center a few times to start piecing the families together. =)  I haven't made it over there in the last few months, but I really need to. There is much to do!

Cora played two songs in a piano festival in March. The students each get critiqued by two judges. It's not in front of an audience, just in a little room with a piano and the judges. She did very well, receiving a "superior" score on both pieces. I love hearing her play! She just keeps getting better and better. And she practices without being asked! She must actually like it.

I've taken up running again in preparation for some race coming up next month. ;) I wouldn't choose to do this if not for my fun running buddies, Maria and Renee. We have been making it a weekly event to run together on Saturday mornings. That is definitely better than my solo, weekday runs. It doesn't even feel like work when I have those two to keep me company.

It seems like I'm forgetting some truly wonderful details of the past couple of months, so I'll try to make up for it by saying:

I AM SO GLAD IT'S SPRING!!!  I can't recall a lovelier season in who knows how many years. It has been sooo beautiful outside - just the perfect weather. I'm loving it lots.

Mostly Manageable

I'm happy to report that I did very well in my efforts to be nice for a week.

I only yelled one word the whole 7 days. I had walked to the neighbor kid's house to tell Oliver it was time to come eat lunch and go to school. He started riding his bike home, then turned back to do "one more thing" (which turned out to be soaking his head in their little rock fountain). I didn't feel like walking back over to whisper a reminder to him that he might be late for school if he didn't come right then, so I loudly called his name. As the firm echo of his name slapped me in the face, I felt instant remorse for spoiling part of my goal. I think it was Friday when it happened. And I'd been doing so well! But, hey, I think I get a little extra credit for the week since it also happened to be "that time of the month".

It was a great week. I wondered why it was suddenly so easy to be nice, and asked myself why I hadn't been able to change before. I'm certain I had divine assistance. It was eye-opening. I loved the constant feeling of being calm and collected, knowing I'd already decided how I was going to respond no matter what the situation. The more I practiced, the more natural it felt. I noticed that the kids were more upbeat and agreeable. It seemed to be directly related to my more gentle behavior. I successfully kept my voice down for the majority of the week. And I mean only a tiny bit less than 100%. There really was no reason to argue with anyone because I'd predetermined that there was no good reason to. I remained calm whenever something normally might have frazzled me. That's huge for me.

I only experienced one other minor slip-up on Saturday afternoon when I was accused of turning a corner too close to the curb. I thought I used a pretty calm voice to explain that there was a bike lane and I was nowhere near hitting the curb. But Cora (ever the family mediator) seemed to think there was a problem brewing in the front row of the car. The issue was quickly dropped. I hung my head in shame, which made me crash into the curb. Just kidding. =)

I'm going to continue with this little exercise in social serenity. It's been an inspirational experience so far.

Can She Do It?

Hello. How are you?

I'm fine. At least, I feel pretty great and accomplished at the close of this Sabbath Day. Why?
I decided to challenge myself to a full week of being nice. No mean words - nothing of the sort from my little, often malicious, mouth. This means no angry intonations. No yelling. No criticisms. No nagging. Just kind and loving words, served up with a much more calm and collected voice. I'm just sick of being surly. I want to be nicer - replace curt words with sweeter ones.

I kept my voice even, friendly, and low all day. I kind of cheated by greeting the kids in a nice way before they even said anything. I noticed that I think it makes a big difference so far. When things got on my nerves, I took a deep breath and shrugged them off.

Do you think I can make it a whole week? Even when my buttons are destined to be pushed who knows how many times each waking hour? I don't take criticism or handle confrontation very well. I get defensive and frustrated. I sometimes offer a sarcastic "sorry!" which might then escalate into a futile argument. =/ I don't enjoy it when someone says something to imply I'm not doing my job properly. Sometimes they haven't actually said anything, but I still assume they're thinking ill of me because of previous things they've said. (If that even makes sense.)

Anyway, I have this habit of letting myself get mad when it really isn't necessary. What am I trying to prove? That I have no self control? That's kind of silly. I also tend to get riled up when I hear people complaining about stuff (which is hard to point out without becoming a hypocrite - complaining about the complainer.)
So I'm going to work really hard on this all week, keep myself acutely conscious of every word that passes my lips, and see what happens.
Maybe next week I'll work on nice thoughts. ;)

I actually fasted today for help with this goal. After church as I was fixin' dinner, I put on a CD Cora had been given in Young Women's. I'd halfheartedly listened to it a couple of times before, but this time I actually heard the lyrics of a particular song. It was perfect. I felt it was just for me. It's called "By the Way I Speak" (by Jenny Phillips)

My words hold the power 
To lift up and to save
Or to put down and degrade
I am shaped by the things I say

May the words I speak
Be filled with kindness
May my manner of speech
Be cheerful and clean
May my voice be a light
That lifts people higher
May I bring hope and love and trust
May I bring peace
By the way I speak

I always have the choice
To be gentle and to praise
Or to find fault and complain
I show my heart by the things I say

I hope I can make a difference in my home this week. If (I mean WHEN) I succeed in this and nobody notices any change in me, maybe I wasn't such a meanie in the first place. We shall see.

What are you working on this week?

Juicy Tunes

I finally have on my little phone a bunch of songs I've been wanting. Yay for good music!
I just thought I'd share in case my blog wanted to know what I listen to when I run or do housework.
Several of these selections may seem a little silly, but in one way or another they all make me tick.
Some of them I just love the sound of, some of them have the most fitting words, others are fun to sing along to, and the rest are necessary additions to any music library. Also, every one of them makes me think of at least one person I know. And aren't people fantastic? Anyway, here's the playlist...

Because (The Dave Clark Five)

A Groovy Kind of Love  (The Mindbenders)

Ain't Too Proud to Beg  (The Temptations)

Rescue Me   (Fontella Bass)

With or Without You   (U2)

Hold Me Now  (Thompson Twins)

The Great Pretender  (The Platters)

My Heart Will Go On   (Celine Dion)

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me   (Mel Carter)

Who Put the Bop in the Bop-shoo-bop-shoo-bop  (The Drifters)

People Are Strange (The Doors)

Head Over Feet  (Alanis Morissette)

Uninvited  (Alanis Morissette)

Rock Me Gently  (Andy Kim)

More Than Words  (Extreme)

What's New Pussycat?  (Tom Jones)

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?  (Dionne Warwick)

If  (Bread)

1,000 Ships  (Rachel Platten)

A Thousand Years  (Christina Perri)

Unchained Melody

The Tears of a Clown  (Smokey Robinson)

Knock Three Times (Tony Orlando and Dawn)

I'm Telling You Now  (Freddie & the Dreamers)

Hooked on a Feeling  (B.J. Thomas)

Sugar, Sugar  (The Archies)

Candy Girl  (Franki Valli)

We've Got Tonight  (Bob Seger)

Cathy's Clown  (Everly Brothers)

Imagine (John Lennon)

Crying in the Rain  (Everly Brothers)

Got My Mind Set On You  (George Harrison)

White Flag  (Dido)

Devoted to You (Everly Brothers)

Dream a Little Dream of Me (Mamas and the Papas)

All I Have To Do Is Dream (Everly Brothers)

When You Say Nothing At All  (Alison Krauss)

I Think I Love You  (David Cassidy & The Partridge Family)

I saved the best for last. =)  Every time I hear "I Think I Love You" I go a little crazy inside. 

I don't even fully understand why. It's just a fun, happy, groovy song. Perfect for singing along to.

Out of the Mouth of Oliver

I've been taking notes each time Oliver says something that makes me laugh. =)

He measures amounts of things in "dots". For instance, he "only got a dot of time to play" or "only ate a dot of cereal." He's pretty dramatic when he says it.

One night at bed time he was trying to figure out why the kids have to go to bed before the parents do.
"How come grown-ups get to stay up as long as they want? Because they don't goof around and be loud?"

His cousin gave him a plastic gold medal to wear around his neck. I asked him if he'd won it at the Olympics. He asked, "how could I do it if I wasn't inside the TV?"

While in the car, a Pink song was on. Listening to the chorus (you gotta get up and try, try, try) he wondered,  "how would it be that hard to get up?"

I changed the radio station one day when "The Best Day of My Life" by American Authors was on. What can I say, it's kind of over-played... Oliver piped up from the back seat, "hey, that's my favorite song!"  It's mostly funny to me because I don't think he really notices or cares about music that much. Now when I hear that song I smile and think of my fun-filled, hopeful little boy. One of the only other times he's stopped me from turning off a song was when we were pulling into the driveway halfway through "Bohemian Rhapsody". I don't remember his exact wording, but he told me to wait because he was listening to it. That's my boy. =) And I would never turn that song off unfinished.

Upon seeing a picture of a beehive on the honey container: "Mom, if you turn the hive upside down it would be a tornado and honey would be flying all around." =)

I saved my favorite one for last. I don't remember what I was doing to spoil his day that time, but this was his retort... "The only thing I don't like about moms is they take away all the fun."  I'm always getting chewed out for something - not giving him enough time to play, not buying him toys, changing the radio when he's listening, making him do chores... why don't moms understand?!