Friday, June 30, 2017

Weeping Rock and Emerald Pool

weeping rock

After we finished hiking Angel’s Landing, it was mid-afternoon, so we decided to hit some of the shorter hikes.

We hopped on the shuttle and got off at the stop for Weeping Rock, which is a short hike (only about 1 mile round trip) on a paved walkway, but it does get steep. You’re rewarded at the top by a cool, misty breeze blowing off the dripping rocks above. The water was quite cold as it dripped on us.

under weeping rock


After that hike we got back on the shuttle and got off a couple stops later at the lodge, which is also the stop for Emerald Pools. This was another paved walkway hike, and while it wasn’t as steep as Weeping Rock, it did have some steep spots and rolling hills. And the pavement wasn’t in great condition, either. This hike is about a mile and a half round trip to the lower pool, but the lower pool was looking less than emerald and we were pretty underwhelmed. By this point we were getting tired and opted not to hike to the middle or upper pools.

not very emerald looking

As we hiked back to the shuttle stop my sister called to say that they (she, my parents, one of my brothers and his wife, and River and Ocean) were at the museum. So we took the shuttle to the museum to meet them. Dad wanted to do some hiking, as did the little boys, so we went back to Weeping Rock.

The second time we did Weeping Rock, I pushed Ocean in the stroller since my parents had brought it and we were too far from the visitor center parking lot to ditch it. I’d already gotten a workout hiking to Angel’s Landing and back, and I got another workout pushing a stroller full of solid toddler up the trail. Going back down was almost as difficult since I had to make an effort not to go to fast or let the stroller get away from me. All in all, not something I would recommend for anyone else.

The stroller also proved to be a pain on the shuttle when we headed back to the visitor center. Everyone else was also heading back so the shuttles were super crowded. Even folded up the stroller was too wide to go down the aisle, so I was stuck at the head of the aisle, blocking everyone in and unable to go anywhere (Mr M was wrangling the boys). Lots of fun.


On the way back to the rental house we stopped at a grocery store for a few things and saw a shave ice stand in the corner of the parking lot, so we cooled off with some sugar covered snow.




Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Angel's Landing

looking up at Angel's Landing from ground level

Years ago, my sister and I hiked Angel's Landing one holiday weekend when Mr M was off at some training thing. I didn't research the hike ahead of time, so I wore my Tevas, which never fit as well as they should have (I have short, stubby toes and the straps always rubbed them wrong). I made it to the top in them, then hiked back down barefoot because the blisters were so bad. That was the last time I wore those sandals. If I recall correctly, it was a windy day and I made sure not to stand too close to the edge :)

Angel's Landing is one of the iconic hikes of Zion NP, but it is not an easy hike, nor is it one for the faint of heart. It's steep in places, you have to scramble over rocks in places, and you might be hanging onto a chain while crossing a narrow ridge in other places. 

Some of my siblings wanted to hike Angel's Landing, and after some discussion, we decided we could take Sunshine if we left the boys with my parents. The hike is way too hairy for impulsive toddlers or babies strapped to their parent's backs and throwing off their balance.

looking up Walter's Wiggles, the switchbacks that take you part of the way up

just one of the areas where it would not be a good idea to have little ones

Sunshine made sure to hold on tight to the chain

another hairy area where we were hanging on to the chain for security 

Sunshine had gotten sunburned the day before and wasn't feeling great, but she made it all the way to the top! It was a hot day, but I had her wear long sleeves and pants to protect her skin from further burns or irritation.


lunchtime at the top. everybody's too busy eating to look cheerful :)

Sunshine didn't enjoy all of the hike, and this is definitely the most difficult hike she's done to date, but I think she'll look back on this with a sense of accomplishment

way down there you can barely see the river, the road, and the lodge

looking off to the other side, road and river far below

Monday, June 26, 2017

Glacier Half Marathon

we continued climbing after we went around that curve

Saturday I ran my 7th half marathon, which also happened to be the 50th and final race in my 40 by 40 goal 50 by 40 goal that I embarked on two years ago. I'll do a post on my 40 by 40 goal soon.

The Glacier half is one of the most challenging and beautiful courses I've run. I was better prepared for this race than any other half marathon I've run, and my time shows that preparation. However, it was not all smooth sailing.

The first 5 miles sucked. The middle 4 were good. The last 4 were rough.

my sister and I trying to stay warm while we waited for the race to start

The first mile or so were flattish, leaning to slight uphill, with some rolling hills thrown in for variety.

Then we turned onto 49 and started climbing, relentlessly climbing, until mile 5. We only gained 900 feet in altitude, but it was never-ending.

We finally hit the summit and started an equally relentless descent for the next 4ish miles.

Between miles 9 and 10 the course leveled out, with rolling hills mixed in until the finish.

beautiful scenery as we climbed

I ran the first mile or so, then had to alternate running and walking until I reached the summit. I may have run several hilly races this spring, but it’s hard to prepare for 5 miles of hill climbing. The walking portions did give me some good photo ops, though.

Once I hit the descent, I picked up the pace and ran hard. I’d tried to keep my pace up while climbing, but it was still slower than I’d hoped for. I used those downhill miles to make up for some of the lost time. The only problem was that I ran them a little harder than I should have and paid the price during the last portion of the race.

looking back at how far I'd already come


Momentum helped me descend at a faster pace than I normally can maintain, but once the road flattened out I was on my own again. By that time my legs were tired and I just could not keep the pace up.

I’d been doing mental math and during the downhill portion I realized that if I kept my pace up, I could beat my current (nearly 9 year old) half marathon PR of 2:29:46. I even had a couple extra minutes of buffer that would allow me to slow down once I hit the last hill that I knew was still to come.

some of the runners around me saw a bear down in this canyon, but I couldn't see it right off, so I kept running rather than slow down even more while taking the time to look for it


In the end, the buffer wasn’t quite enough to see me through the amount of walking I had to do the last three miles. I was just too tired to run those last miles and had to stop and walk more times than I wanted to.  I missed beating my PR by just over a minute.

Honestly though, I’m only a teeny bit disappointed about missing that PR. I always knew it would be a long shot for several reasons:
  • 1.     I’m not getting any younger
  • 2.     The elevation difference
  • 3.     The challenging course
  • 4.     Cutting back on my training due to plantar fasciitis
  • 5.     The early taper in my training due to travel. I had planned on running while we traveled, but the reality was that there just wasn’t time.

more beautiful scenery

The fact that I came so close is actually very encouraging. I may be getting older, but that doesn’t mean I have to get slower. Being smarter with my training and being in better health and shape (2008 was pre-gluten free) meant that even though this course was significantly more challenging than the course I PR’d on, I was able to come very close to setting a new PR.

2:30:54 (2017) on a challenging, hilly course versus 2:29:46 (2008) on a course that was all downhill or flat and specifically chosen because I knew I could get a good time on it. Yeah, I'm happy with how I did :)

pretty lake
I ran 13.0 miles in 2:30:54. My mile splits very much reflect the terrain we were covering. Slower while going uphill, faster while going downhill. One benefit of so much climbing in the first half of the race is that I ran the second half faster than the first half and finally managed negative splits on a half marathon. I also managed to run a 5k in the middle faster than I've run one since high school cross country. Though running downhill is the only thing that made that possible :)

  1st mile: 11:51
  2nd mile: 12:26
  3rd mile: 14:00
  4th mile: 14:23
  5th mile: 14:16
  6th mile: 9:58
  7th mile: 9:43
  8th mile: 9:11
  9th mile: 9:11
  10th mile: 10:50
  11th mile: 12:55
  12th mile: 10:48
  13th mile: 11:17

first half of the race (6.5 miles): ~1:21:51
second half of the race (6.5 miles): ~1:09:03
fastest 5k (miles 7, 8, and 9): 28:05

in the runner's area at the finish line, waiting for my sister

Other thoughts:

I slept horribly, as I usually do before a race, especially if it’s a big one. I’m always afraid of sleeping through the 4 am alarms, so I end up waking up multiple times to check the time and then lay in bed awake for the last half hour or so before the alarm goes off.

Getting to sleep was further hindered by fireworks being set off until 1 am and River waking up around 2, right when I was falling asleep again, because he was cold. And I’d drunk a lot of water that evening to try to make sure I’d be well hydrated in the morning, so I had to make several trips to the bathroom. I’ve never been so grateful for a bathroom at the foot of my bed, rather than having to walk a quarter mile to the row of outhouses at the other end of the campground.

the race hosted a campground that we stayed at (really it was a borrowed field)


It was really cold. 40 degrees I think? There was no cell service out there, so I couldn’t check. I’d worn layers so I could decide what I wanted to wear for the race, and ultimately went with the short sleeve shirt rather than the tank top. While I was cold at the beginning, I would have been fine in the tank top, as I warmed up during the race. Thankfully the temps didn’t climb too high until after the race was over, so it never got oppressively hot.

The altitude wasn’t an issue. We arrived out west two weeks before the race, so I had a decent amount of time to acclimate to the higher elevation. I ran a 5k a week before the half and completed a number of hikes (some strenuous, some not) during the two weeks leading up to the race.

doesn't Ocean look like he's in jail? 
he got a bit bored waiting for my sister to finish 


Something in the air violently disagreed with me after the race. Walking back to the car I started sneezing violently and by the time we got back to the campground my head was all congested as well. My usual post-race asthmatic cough was worse than usual immediately after the race, though it did calm down after awhile. The sneezing worsened when we drove up to Waterton Lakes, and a local said the white fluff floating around was aspen seed (I thought it was cottonwood fluff), so apparently I'm allergic to aspen seed. Good to know, I guess.

my sister and I 
we ran the Great Smoky Mountains half together a couple years ago, also hosted by the same race company


While my legs were very tired and sore from how hard I pushed myself in this race, I didn’t really suffer any injuries. I liberally applied body glide and moleskin to my feet (mostly around my toes and other known problems spots) so I didn’t get any blisters. My plantar fasciitis acted up later that day, cutting short a hike we’d planned on, but the PF has been an issue for several months now, so I knew my foot (my right is by far the worst) would be hurting. It didn’t hurt during the race though, so huge win right there.

Between the half marathon, 5 hikes, and two walks, this was my highest mileage week yet.

the post race snacks came in a recyclable, grab-n-go box (though I could only eat the Craisins)

Weekly Mileage
Tuesday: 1.6 miles walked around campground
Wednesday: .8 miles walked around campground
Thursday: 4.0 miles hiked
Friday: 4.29 miles hiked
Saturday: 13.00 miles run in half marathon + 4.07 miles hiked over two hikes
Sunday: 1.83 miles hiked
       total mileage: 29.59 miles

27 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
351.45 miles towards #365milechallenge
50th race towards 40 by 40 goal 50 by 40 goal

a fun graphic with all the runner's names
the lighter blue shape is in the shape of Glacier NP

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Sunday Funny


Because the boys' car seats are at right angles to each other in the RV, River can kick Ocean's feet and car seat. Naturally this upsets Ocean, who can't reciprocate because his legs are too short.

River has been quite a pill, repeatedly bothering Ocean by putting his foot on Ocean's car seat. He also has the knack of kicking Ocean's legs and waking him up <way too early> from his naps.

Mr M: "stop kicking your brother"
River: "but he's awake!"

In other words, River thinks it's ok to kick him because he's not in danger of waking him up.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Family Reunion


Every other year my family {my parents, siblings (and their spouses and kids)} have a family reunion. We missed the last one because I was too close to giving birth to Ocean, so it was nice to be there this time.

This year we rented a large house in Hurricane, Utah, which is outside Zion NP. It was a pretty nice setup, with lots of bedrooms and a bunk room with 6 or 7 sets of bunk beds (I should have taken a picture of that- it was pretty cool). The cousins loved sleeping in the bunk room and thought the "secret passage" from the closet to the laundry room was pretty cool. The fact that it was a laundry chute only slightly diminished its cool factor.

There was a pool and a hot tub in the backyard that some of us played in while the more adventurous hiked the Narrows. I would have gone on the hike, but I didn't want to risk injuring myself a week and a half before my half marathon.


There was an upstairs landing area set up as a game area with a short table and cushions. Ocean found them and looked so pleased to find something just his size.


There was also a little putting green in the backyard, which when it wasn't being used for golf purposes was the ladderball area. We bought a cheap ladderball set at Target and most of the cousins jumped in to help Mr M put it together. They managed it eventually :)





One day we left the boys with my parents and most of the rest of us went to Zion NP to climb Angel's Landing. The crowds for the shuttle buses in the morning were pretty crazy.


I'll do a post specifically about our Angel's Landing hike, but in the meantime, here's a picture of some of us at the top. Doesn't everyone look super excited? It was hot :)


After Angel's Landing, we hiked to Weeping Rock and the lower Emerald Pool. Weeping Rock was cool, but the lower Emerald Pool was not looking very emerald. We all braved the drips at Weeping Rock to sit on the ledge for pictures.

the girl cousins

the older boy cousins (the younger four weren't on this hike)

the sibs and spouses who were hiking that day

My parents, River, Ocean, and my brother and his wife joined us later in the afternoon and we hiked to Weeping Rock again after a stop at the museum. My parents had brought the stroller, so I pushed Ocean in the stroller while River walked. The path to Weeping Rock is paved, but it is steep in spots, so I wouldn't actually recommend pushing a stroller up it. If I hadn't already gotten a workout doing Angel's Landing, I definitely got one doing Weeping Rock the second time with a stroller.

A family reunion wouldn't be a family reunion without some sort of calamity, but I think this year's was pretty mild. None of the hikes (that I went on) were too bad (the Narrows and Subway that some of the others did were more intense, but not everyone did those, so they don't count). Angel's Landing is intense, but enough of us had done it before that we weren't in danger of getting lost or taking a wrong turn (really hard to do on that hike, but it's happened on other hikes).

The excitement came in the form of a grease fire in the grill as it heated up for dinner. Luckily there was a fire extinguisher in plain view in the kitchen, so the fire was put out before any damage occurred.

Some activities that had been on the schedule didn't happen, but I think it's better to have too many options than too few. We do like to keep busy.... :)

This year's reunion felt a bit fragmented as different groups went off on different hikes and other stayed behind to do other activities. It's not a bad thing, but I do think it will probably continue to happen at future reunions. Trying to find activities that everyone can do with a group ranging in age from not-yet-2 to senior citizen grandparents can be difficult.

In the end, the reunion was fun and it was good to spend time with everyone who was able to come (one brother and one sister weren't able to be there).

Monday, June 19, 2017

Utah 5k

Kennecott Copper Mine was off in the distance

Saturday I ran a 5k in West Jordan, Utah. When I was planning my race schedule, I decided to run a race in Utah, Idaho, or Montana before I ran my half marathon in Montana. I wanted to see how my body handled the higher elevation, and I needed one more race to bring my 40 by 40 race count to 50.

the race was a fundraiser benefitting a couple kids with cancer, and they had all sorts of costumed characters wandering around


I was only able to run one time (my 12 mile long run) the week before, but we also did 5 hikes in the interval, so I wasn’t totally neglecting my training. Time has been an issue, as has my plantar fasciitis, which didn’t like the steepness of some of the hikes. But I’ll talk about those another day.


I wasn’t sure what to expect with this race, but it turned out to be mostly flat, which enabled me to run my third fastest 5k since I started running again 10 years ago.  The first half mile was rough, as my legs felt tired and leaden (most likely from all the hiking), but then I found my stride and I felt pretty good the rest of the race.



Running into the wind for a stretch slowed me down a bit, but not too badly. In fact, I was able to run the whole race without stopping. We'd been at higher elevations for a week at that point, and I didn't notice any problems while running, which was encouraging for how I'd feel in the half marathon.

I ran 3.09 miles in 31:12.
1st mile:10:03
2nd mile: 10:23
3rd mile: 9:56



Weekly Mileage
Tuesday: 3.28 miles run outside
Wednesday: 9.99 miles hiked over 4 hikes
Thursday: 5.00 miles hiked
Saturday: 3.09 run in race
            total mileage: 21.36 miles

22 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
321.86 miles towards #365milechallenge

49th race towards 40 by 40 goal 50 by 40 goal