Rocket Compelled

 

Rocket Compelled
Today is probably not the best day to post about my new goals, but hey, there's no time like the present time -right?  I really can't even control myself really, I'm compelled.
So....

At the chiro's today, as I was face down and really hating that I can't be my own massage therapist, I was thinking about my newly set goals and taking a mental inventory on how that's working out for me.  Considering I was laying there whimpering about my decrepit old lady back that has twice gone out on me in the last 30 days it was maybe not the best time to have this moment of self reflection (in regards to my physical fitness of course).
(And as a 'Hooked on Phonics' drop-out I had to Webster the spelling of 'decrepit' and got a good laugh out of it, and for the record, the following applies to me and well documented by my doc as he so kindly pointed out for me).

de·crep·it

adj \di-ˈkre-pət\

1

: wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age

2

a : impaired by use or wear : worn-out b : fallen into ruin or disrepair

3

: dilapidated, run-down

— de·crep·it·ly adverb

See decrepit defined for English-language learners »

See decrepit defined for kids »

Examples of DECREPIT

1. My decrepit car barely starts.

I especially love that last bit, 'Examples of DECREPIT'; my 'car' also barely starts -or- my body barely gets out of bed in the morning.  But such as life and such is my back.

So What?

With all the problems I have with my body there's no wonder my doctor, physical therapist and coach think there is something wrong with my head.

-Clearly- I wasn't cut out of athlete's cloth, I wasn't bred of physical perfection (no offense intended mom) and I wasn't built of steel.  My physical frame; made up of soft squishyness and delicate ankles that are probably better suited to Hostess Cupcakes and a LaZboy.  But in my mind, I'm completely made up of something much more amazing, I think it's the Conger/Meyer/Taylor/Ellis that flows through my veins.  Not my real veins, those are full of the same soft squishy stuff, I mean in my 'metaphorical' veins -the cool veins people reference when they want to imply they are cooler or stronger because they have cool or strong ancestors- THOSE veins. (I have some seriously strong ancestors, my great grandmother cut of her own toe with an axe, HER OWN TOE -now THAT'S tough! She did what she had to do back in the day before speed dial and co-pays. That may also be a link to my mental issues eh? Okay, so that's only funny if you know me.)  :)  

I completely relate to Great-Grandmother Ellis, I'm a 'do what it takes' kind of person.  I'm not a wait around for a tow-truck, plumber or anyone to get things done, I'll install it, fix it or throw it out myself, kind of gal.  That's not to say I don't need help from anyone, I do, but I'm not going to wait around for someone when I'm a capable person.
I didn't just become a capable person by accident, that was by design or inspiration maybe?

Pivatol Moment
When I was a youngster my parents where in charge of setting up a Halloween party at church.  Dad was building a big spiders web in the space that large accordion dividers separate an over-flow area from the gym when he encountered a problem.  Now, I don't know if he really didn't know -or- if he just wanted to give me an opportunity to help, but he told me to figure out a way to attach the string to the carpet since tape wasn't sticking.  I immediately analyzed the situation and determined a paper clip, tied to the string and then hooked through the loops in the carpet would hold.  Then my dad did the one thing that would inspire me to be an 'able' person, he smiled and said that was a brilliant idea!  My little girl heart beamed with pride and my path altered.
Since then there hasn't been a task I haven't been willing to try my hand at.
I have installed blinds, ceiling fans, light fixtures, sinks, plumbing, water systems, shelves, door knobs and just about everything else that I had the chance to.  I even managed to impress my husband when I installed our garage door opener and then a set of running boards on his truck!   Now, I don't mention it blow my own horn, but rather display my attitude towards any en-particular task, I am NOT afraid to get it done, I am NOT afraid to fail and I am NOT afraid of breaking it.  I don't ask permission to attempt doing a professionals job, I just read the instructions and follow them to a 'T' so it's really NOT so amazing or special -anyone can do it. What an amazing concept, right?  So now I will lay out my goals for the up coming season and I want you to remember -ANYONE can do it- and I will try to remember that myself!

The Goals

This coming season will be the year of the HALF, that's right! Half marathon and Half Ironman...oh man I said IT!  So, first things first: finding my first half!  While I'm searching for that first race, which will serve the purpose of setting a time for my 'A' race, I'll list the events I will be doing for certain.

FREEDOM RUN (5k distance), July

BLACKRIDGE Triathlon (Sprint distance), August

DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON 

(This is my 'A' race for the season), September

Still searching for my first 70.3 distance race, but until my husband finalizes HIS race schedule I can not finalize mine (because we are in this TOGETHER)!  

The Freedom Run for me has become a tradition of sorts, it's a great race to get family involved and it's also the race that started it all, so I'll be shooting for a PR this time around.

The goal is to finish in the top 10 at Blackridge this year and to do that I will be focusing on my race weight and my bike speed, also staying INJURY FREE.   

I am so excited for the Disneyland Half!  This is a sister race and I hope the Ragnar ladies will jump on board TOO *aaaHEM*.  My hope is to KILL this race but since I don't yet have a PR for this distance I will settle for crossing the finish line still standing...and remaining that way! 

SO, I had better get serious about my winter training and serious about my nutrition, which suffers GREATLY at this time of year -doesn't everybody's? :)  I've actually been pretty good in some area's, lot's of green protein smoothies and lots of veggies and fruits  BUT I'm a sugar addict and as an addict I am still sneaking like a hardcore addict does...a habit that is HARD to break.   Hey, I'm not perfect I'm just trying to be! 

In The End

DECREPIT doesn't really fit into my race goals as you can see, as an 'able' person I will now attempt to get up and get my groove on... HOPING I don't bend wrong and end it all.  It could always be worse so I will THANK the Lord for the health I have and try be grateful for my very own special brand of decrepit. :)

TTNFL, (Till the Next Finish Line)

I'm bringing what I've got!

  

Tis the Season

 The season... you know, that one time a year I update my blog?!  

So who's up for a re-cap of Kelly's race season, yeah, me neither but it's gonna happen so surf on over to another blog or get ready to read and leave me some FEED BACK!

This season's goals where short and sweet, 2 triathlon's and 2 running races all pending a successful recovery from my ankle surgery and remaining ...ah-hem, injury-free.  Soooo, how'd that all work out for me?

Injury Recovery

As you may remember, or in the case of those who are new here the last post is a good catcher-upper, I have been recovering from major ankle surgery.  -RECOVERED- for the most part, at least that was until my last race, but I'll come back to that.  I was nearly recovered enough for my first event but as the fates would have it my request for registration (which was rolled-over from the 2010 season) got lost in transgoogleation and the Salem Tri was a NO GO.  Considering my ankle was still a little iffy at that point I didn't cry too many tears of remorse over it.
I was terribly dedicated to my recovery and religiously stuck to my physical therapy, I also added a few new weapons to my athletic arsenal.  I got a trainer AND a coach.  That's right, I need both...because I always need someone to preach to me the same things I preach to everyone else!  Plus, fitness knowledge is like computer technology, it's continually growing and developing.  In other words, what you thought you knew about fitness yesterday, is not necessarily the fastest/easiest/most effect way to operate today.  I am always surprised at what I still know about, and not so much surprised by what I don't!  I love learning from other people who have gained their knowledge by tried-and-true experience and didn't just come by it in a book. (Although book knowledge is valuable, I find hands on education a better fit for ME.)

Salem Spring Tri 2011

Okay, so as mentioned, this one didn't happen for me.  But it's the one that started it all!  I missed the first go-round with my sister because Little J #3 came along and I found myself sitting it out this year as well.  Boy that one year was great.  Once again I was the support crew, a job I take seriously mind you.  I hoot and holler, scream and cry, shoot and video, I'm a one woman cheer squad and you'd better not be blocking my view! ;)  So, here's a shout to Jared, that hunkalicious husband of mine that always proves he can do anything he sets his mind to, I'll try not to be jealous of all the podium finishes in your 1st full season. <3 U

Freedom Run 2011

I love the Freedom Run, it's a great race along the parade route, through the heart of Provo, that's lined with cheering crowds who are, obviously, cheering for yours truly. :)  What's even cooler is this race is always a group thing, the last two years it was a family affair and this year it was family AND friend's -what could be better?  Finishing a race and then turning around and cheering your peeps across the finish line is awesome, it's cool too when they spank your pants off, *cough* -MARISA-, and are waiting for YOU to finish like they just came out of the powder room without a drop of detectable effort on them.  Also, Jared beat me this year which was awesome, I can't believe this is my husband that swore he could run no further than a mile for the first 7 years of matrimony!  ...Good job honey, I won't go easy on you next year. ;)

Herriman Blackridge Tri 2011

This year I raced as an "Athena", which politely states that I'm a 150 lbs+ female athlete, niiiice.  So it's obvious I'm not going to be standing on a podium with the elites anytime soon, but I'm going to pat my own back on this finish. FIFTH PLACE, thaaaaat's right -----> KELLY, goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, warfare, strength, strategy, and skill, finished 5th.  Let me also add, that this group of 150+ ladies surely put on a show worthy of the title ATHENA and while I'm getting dangerously close to getting kicked out of the club, I'd be happy to duke it out with that group of hard-as-steel ladies anytime.
Other than the stiff competition, my race went well till the run where I lost ground with my ankle giving me fits, but it was still a great finish and a fun race.
This race was also all about family, Jared finished 4th (4.8 seconds off the podium) in the Clydesdale division, our nephew Juston finished 5th in his division and niece Amber finished 2nd in her's... Top 5 all around!

Meadow Mustang 5K 2011

This little 5k was the first ever Jones family running activity, all FIVE of us were in on it and boy did we have...fun?  The oldest insisted that we run the 5k and she gave it her best effort with a time of 33:57. We crossed the finish line in style with a borrowed double wide jogger, that didn't fit between the finish line cones, and 3 very tired Little J's.
This run for me was ran the morning after a 9 mile evening run and I will confess, I thought about riding IN the double jogger and making the boys push me. :)

Ragnar Relay Las Vegas 2011

There's nothing about a Ragnar that sounds appealing to me, except of course the running.  I would rather get up in the morning and run 5 miles with a van full of my closest friends following, then stop at a buffet and eat and then run another 4 miles followed by a nights sleep in my own bed and then get up and run 6 more miles the next morning...with said ladies cheering me along the way.  -THAT- would be my perfect Ragnar, okay, so a stop at the spa and dinner at Sushi Ya would make it PERFECT.
But the reality of Ragnar is a 3 run marathon of non-sleep-sleep, port-a-Lou using, blister popping hell, coupled with rolled ankles and punctuated with great friends who after 37 hours look more like that girl in high school you would have looooved to slap.  (Okay, so that was ME this time around, and I could have used a good slap.)

Going into Ragnar I over did it and found myself battling an IT injury, before the race began, I thought it was O-V-E-R, but I wasn't allowed to bow out and my momma didn't raise no quitter, so I didn't.  I went into the race 3+ weeks 'rested' and horribly under-trained for the hills and not even sure I could run AT ALL. :-/

So to recap my race:

My first run went better than expected, I felt great, ran good and really enjoyed myself.  It was tough but still fun and I recovered pretty-darned-good.  It was great leap frogging with the support van and watching them cheer out the windows as we had done for 5 previous legs.

After my 1st run

My second run was okay, it was a long 4+ mile uphill night run that ended with 2 flights of stairs and a sprint up to the top of an amphitheater which kicked my trash! Then there was some head lamp malfunctioning going on so I got to see my team a lot more, bummer I know!  It was so much more fun than the first run, but man do I HATE hills!  Over all I felt good, the IT Band started clicking on the last stretch and I was POOPED, but I still felt pretty well recovered after a good stretch and some ice.

After my 2nd run (during my 3rd and before rolling the ankle)

 The third run...well, it wasn't really a run at all.  I rolled my ankle just moments after my support crew disappeared in the distance and took a really nice dirt bath with a little rock scrub.  I think somewhere along the way my mind, suffering from sleep deprivation, was thinking all sorts of ways that this happened.  The truth is, I have noooo idea.  No wait, it was Mickey Mouse, yes I SWEAR it was him, HE rolled my ankle. ;)  In all seriousness, it just happened and it happened just after someone passed me and that's all I really can say for certain really took place.  

(But in a fashion that can only link me to my mother, I must have a good story to tell.)  So as clear as I can remember it...

After I rolled my ankle I walked it off and tried to run, which wasn't going to happen so I walked/ran/walked until I rolled it over AGAIN.  I was so mad, I don't think it's really easy to understand why an injury would tick a person off unless you are a person that is pledged  by injury. (Last Ragnar I jumped out of the van ready to run my first leg and over ran 7 miles in the darkness of the Arizona desert and hyper extended my knee in my eagerness to get to the exchange point.  That basically ended my Ragnar and while they cancelled a portion of the race for us, I still felt that I didn't really run a 'Ragnar'.  I tossed my medal in a drawer and tried to forget the failure of my body to see me across the finish line on my own two feet.)
When I caught up to my van I was hurting and couldn't run, but I could not let myself stop.  That's when the most amazing thing happened.  My team mates, these ladies I call my friends, took turns walking with me.  At first I felt guilty that they had to add to their own mileage, they had each already finished their race, but then they some how wanted to walk with me.  It really was their unspoken support that carried me.  They each took their turn walking and listening as I carried on, and they saw me to the finish line.  They let me finish my race when they could have pulled me from the course.  The sun was hot and the desert baked us for over an hour and a half as we walked the 6 miles to the exchange point.  At the moment I was left to my own strength I collapsed and I required an IV for re hydration.  It isn't pretty and I certainly don't want a reminder of the drama I caused, but I will let this serve as a reminder of the love and support of the amazing women in my life who let me be me, even when it fly's in the face of reason. 

After my 3rd run

As with all things that happen in life, you live and you learn...and you swallow your pride and confess you're not perfect and you make just as many mistakes as the next person.  Just call me, Kelly Mistakesalot Jones! :)
As imperfect as I am the Lord has seen fit to give me the best sisters/friends/cousins on earth and I am a much better person because of who they are and I am grateful for them.  They know who they are, and if you don't know it already, you're amazing!  Thanks for putting up with me. 

I guess you could say I'm a gluten for punishment, OR, you can say that I'm motivated by the finish line and the better version of me that I see standing on the other side of it and the journey it takes to get you there.

It's a little blurry, SORRY!