Bear Lake

Connie's brother Rick invited us to his lake house up at Bear Lake. We had a great time and tried wake surfing for the first time. It was very fun. It is kind of like wake boarding, but you use a real surf board and you weight the back of the boat so that it make a wake big enough to surf on. You start with a tow rope and then once you get good enough to stay in the right part of the wave so you don't need the rope you throw it in. We never quite got to where we stay with the boat without using the rope a little bit, but that just means we will have to go again. Sam got to water-skiing for the first time. He didn't go behind a boat though, he was pulled behing a 4 wheeler in about a foot of water. It was amazing.

5k number 2

Connie and I decided to another 5k. We were in AF and saw the sign for Steel Days, which always has a 5k associated with it, and decided "why not". The last time we did a 5k , two months ago, I ran a 24:45 and so I decided I was going to try to run under 24 minutes. I hadn't really run at all since the last 5k but I had been biking a little and had done some work to increase my leg strength with according to some studies can increase running stamina. My race plan was simple: I would spend the first mile try to relax and get into a steady pace. I would try to maintain that pace for the second mile, and then the last mile I would run as fast as I could. Things did not quite go according to plan. The race started and I tried to get settled into a rhythm, but my legs felt heavy and I was breathing a lot harder than I would have liked. I didn't feel like I was running as fast as I needed, but I knew I couldn't speed up, because I was already struggling. I kept waiting to see the one mile marker. I waited. and I waited. And I waited. Until finally I concluded that either I was running horribly slow, or that there was no one mile marker. A little after that I reached what I knew was roughly the half way point and so I knew I had probably gone about 1.5 miles. The first half of the 5k loop is slightly uphill and the last half is slight downhill. I was not feeling particularly awesome and was starting to get a stitch in my side and kind of wanted to stop. But I decided I would not stop but would just try to relax and see if I could pick up the pace on the last half. I tried to pick up the pace, but I just couldn't. People started passing me and I really felt like just giving up. I thought there is no way I am going to run under 24 minutes. I felt like I was running 9-10 minute miles. I tried to make excuses for myself in my head. I told myself I not a runner anymore, so it is okay that I am really slow. I had just set a new PR for pullups this week (12) and I told myself at least I had more well rounded fitness than when I was a runner. A few more people passed me and I thought about trying to latch on to them and trying to keep up with them, but I just didn't have the motivation. I thought, "what is the point of pushing to run 9 minute mile pace instead of a 10 minute mile pace". Finally I got to where I knew there was just a few blocks left in the 5k. I decided it would be at least a better workout if I pushed the last 300-400 meters. I picked up my stride to try to keep up with a guy who just passed me. When we rounded the last corner to the finish line, we could see the race clock. I was expecting to see 27 or 28 minutes. Instead it had just hit 23 minutes! I was shocked. I sprinted the last little stretch to beat the guy who had passed me and finished in 23:13 for an average of 7:26 per mile. It was bittersweet. I was very happy I had shattered my goal of running under 24 minutes. I was dissappointed in myself for having given up so easily. I am sure if I had realized what my pace was I could have easily been in the 22s. I am also sure if I ran more I would have had a better sense of what my pace actually was. I probably won't do too much more running these summer, expect for some sprint workouts, but this fall when it is too dark to ride my bike to work, i will be replacing biking with running and I think I may just be able to get my 5k under 20 minutes again. That would be awesome.

Speaking of awesome. Connie finished her 5k in 35 minutes. That is awesome because she hasn't been running that much either and it is 10 minutes faster than her last 5k. I have no doubt she will be running under 30 minutes by the end of the year.

All in all, we had a great time and look forward to doing more athletic events together.

Family Reunion

Well, I hope the millions of people who read this blog are not disappointed we have not written for while. This last month we just got done planning and attended our biannual family reunion. We had a great time holding a film festival, hiking, camping, boating, knee boarding, tubing, watching fireworks, and holding our own amazing race. The week after we went to Zion's national park. Here are some picture from our family reunion. I will make a video of our trip to Zion's later. If you can't wait a moment longer to find out more about our trip to Zion's please see my brother's excellent write up of our hike through the Subway here. If anyone from the reunion has more pictures, please send them to us.

The end of an era

This week our white Ford Escort station wagon finally died. It sprung a leak in the radiator and then overheated and the engine seized.

It was a good and faithful car that even up until the end was getting 35 miles per gallon. I first bought in the spring of 2001 and its first big journey was when Connie and I went to California to visit Tad and Rebecca. We got engaged on that trip and also swam with sharks. Since that time it brought both of our lovely children home from the hospital and was our main car up until last year when we bought our Honda Odyessy because we thought the wagon was on its last legs. It held on for another year and even though the A/C and heater had stopped working, and the radio would fade in and out, it was really nice to have an extra car around. We will probably get another car soon. We bid thee farewell our little wagon!

Our Trip To Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Canyon

We just got back from an awesome trip from Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Canyon. Here is a compilation video of our trip, plus some pictures.

Our first 5k in years

Connie Pulls Her Friend Libby To The Finish Line

Today (Saturday, May 17) Connie and I ran the Ogden City Marathon 5k (To clarify, we did not run a marathon, we ran a 5k that was associated with a marathon). It was an exciting event. It was supposed to start at 7:00 am. We had recruited Connie's sister Christy to drive up early so she could watch the kids (who would still be sleeping). We had planned to leave our house around 6:10 to get to the 5k. At around that time, we called Christy to see where she was at, because she hadn't arrived yet. Well, as it were, Christy's alarm had failed to go off, so we woke her up with our call. So we made a quick change in plans. We decided Connie and her friend Libby (who had driven up to run the 5k with Connie) would go ahead and leave, and that I would wait for Christy and then go and start the 5k late. I did a warmup at our house and as soon as Christy arrived, about 6:45, I took off for the 5k.

I got to the start line at about 7:07 and there was no around, so I just started my watch and started running. I was a little anxious because I have only run 3 miles one other time in the last 6 years, and I didn't want to be the last runner straggling in. So I set what I felt was a nice steady pace and hoped I could catch up to someone. After just a few minutes, I caught up to some walkers and soon I was passing a lot of people and it got me excited. Just before the first mile marker, I saw Connie and Libbie walking and managed to give them a good scare as I passed by. Just as a side note, Connie could have run the whole way, but it was Libbie's first 5k and Connie was encouraging her through it. I passed the first mile in 7:10, which made me really happy (remember I haven't run hardly at all for years), but realized I should probably slow down, so I eased up a little. I did the second mile in 8:15 and with just one mile to go, tried to pick it up a little. I felt really good, though was definitely tiring, and then with about a half mile to go, I got a big ol' cramp in my right calf. I didn't stop running, but just concentrated on running as smooth as possible. I did the last mile in 8:25 and then the last additional 200 meters in about 1:00 for a total time of 24:45 (for an average of 7:55 minute miles). Nothing earth shattering, but I was pretty happy about it for not have done much specific training for it.

Connie and Libby came in about 15 minutes later. Libbie was pretty tired, but Connie was pretty fresh and peppy and was pumping Libbie up with how proud she was of her for finishing the 5k.

Libby's son Billy (who had been staying at our house while we did the 5k) was supposed to run a kid's mile at 12:30, but she was too tired to drive back up to Ogden again, so instead we took Billy and Sam to a local park that has a half mile walking track and had Billy and Sam do a race. We were a little worried that it wouldn't be very fun for Billy to race Sam because, Billy is 7 and Sam is 4, but it turns out Sam is in pretty good shape for a 4 year old and Connie had to make Sam wait for Billy a few times so that Billy wouldn't give up. But they both finished the half mile and we are very proud of Libby and Billy for their efforts to have a more fit lifestyle.

Physical Fitness Test

Tonight, I did the boy scout fitness test with my boy scout troop (I am an assistant scout master). The test consists of 5 events: 400 meter run, pushups to failure, pullups to failure, standing long jump, and situps to failure.


I challenged the boys that if they could beat me or come close (within 5), they could get a candy bar. If no one was close enough, than whoever was closest for the event would get a smaller treat. Before we started I went over how to each of the activities. This was mostly because in the past they tended to not go through the full range of motion for things like pushups and pullups and would get high numbers because they weren't really doing anything.

Here were my test Results:
400 meters: 1:18 Sad
Pushups (to failure): 25
Pullups(to failure): 11
Standing Broad Jump: 99" (8'3")
Situps(to failure): 62


We did the 400 meters first and I thought that I was going to die. It was on a grass course I had measured out with my bike, so I don't know my exact splits times but I would estimate my first half was in 35 seconds and my last half was in 43 seconds (total 1:18). I really need to work on my running. The closest boy was at 1:30. They really need to work on their running too. It took my about 5 minutes to calm my breathing and then for another 5 minutes after that my throat felt tight and I felt like I was choking. My anaerobic system definitely could use some improvement.

I did pushups next and got a respectable 25. For me that is lot and they were all well formed pushups with body straight and going all the way up and all the way down. One of the boys got 20 pushups, but did not win the big prize because his last 10 pushups he only went half way down.

After that I did pullups. I eeked out 11 well formed pullups, but I felt I should have been able to do more. I think I was tired from what I had already done and from a pullup workout I had done yesterday. Pullups are by far the boys biggest weakness. Most couldn't even do one. One did three. I am going to have whip those kids into shape.

Next I tried the standing long jump a couple times. My legs were total shot from the 400. The first time I did okay, but the second time I had nothing left and did worse than the first, so I just used my first jump as my test score and didn't try anymore. The long jump is one event where being significantly taller seemed to be a big advantage. I jumped 99" and the closest scout did 70" and he was one of the taller scouts.

The last event was situps. I hate situps and I was really tired, so I waited until all the boys went and did just enough situps to beat the best score.

We have to do the test again next month, so I think I am going to challenge the boys that if any of them improves all his scores by 5 he will get some kind of awesome treat (like a super size candy bar) and in addition, if I do not improve all my scores by 5, they will all get a candy bar.