Happy Birthday Naomi

Today is my daughter, Naomi's 9th birthday. She was born the same minute as a 7.4 earthquake that we had many years ago. My legs were still up in the stirups when the earth shook. I tell her that she made the earth shake when she came out. She is are little earthquake baby.
Her uncle Steve said when she was born that she was one of the cutest babies that he had ever seen.
She is absolutely beautiful and very passionate about life. I love and adore Naomi.
She has played soccer, now plays basketball, soon will play softball, but her big skill is running and she is so fast. We'll keep her in the other sports for now.
She is a great reader, likes school, likes the medical field.
She loves her sisters, sometimes has a funny way of showing it.
Happy 9th Birthday today Naomi.

The picture was taken at Forest Park.

My oldest daughter, Naomi-9 wrote this. She has a huge interest in the medical field. I think this is cute, but looking at the photo, I wouldn't want that person for my doctor.
It says; "I want to be a docter when I grow up. I think the best thing about this job would be helping peaple. the hardest thing about this job would be erning more money. In order to get into this Profession I will have to help someone to prepare.
YOU GO GIRL! FULFILL YOUR DREAMS, YOU CAN DO IT MISS NAOMI

Blow Bubbles

Life is too short to tell your kids "no you can't sit on the dog and blow bubbles."

Running in the rain

My schedule says that I am to run 8 miles today. When I wake, I can hear the sound of the rain and it is coming down hard. I roll over and I think "Oh, Lord I don't want to go out in that." I slowly pull myself out of bed, dress, eat breakfast, take another peak outside and sigh. "Well here goes". I take a step outside and within 30 seconds, I am completely drenched. "Gotta love that Oregon weather" The wind is blowing the rain sideways, into my ear, water is dripping off of my hat, my dog keeps trying to shake the water off of himself, but it's raining so hard, he has no luck. With each step more and more water is leaking into my sock, causing that squishing sound. A car drives by, speeding of course and splashes a little water on to me. "Gee thanks" I say.
After about a mile, all this rain doesn't matter. I am wet, I'm soaked, there is no turning back. I keep running, I lift my face up to the sky and let the water hit my face and think that it feels refreshing against my hot skin.
I stomp through the puddles, I shake my head on my dog for pay backs, I run, I laugh. When I return home, I shake off my overcoat, take off my soaked shoes and think "what a nice run."

Egyptian Art

Interesting art given to us from my mother in law after she visited Egypt.

Hagg Lake

I have been having a hard time finding the words to describe my experience running my 5th Ultra marathon at Hagg Lake in Forest Grove, Or.
I am thinking it is because I have been having a hard time recouping from my experience. I was nauseas after the race and the day after.
But here goes~
Hagg was hard this year and muddier than it was in 2008, when I ran it last. I came in at 6:57:59, in 2008 I came in at 6:56:50.
I was really nervous going into the run, woke up at 4am, couldn't go back to sleep. I'd think about the race and my heart would start racing.
The course was to do a out and back for 3 miles on the road and then head out onto the trail around the lake, two times.
The first 4 miles, I was shaky, nervous and my nose was bothering me. I was breathing pretty hard around the first loop. It took me about 3:15 min to go around the first time and I eventually calmed down. But I got really grumpy before the end of the first loop, seriously wanted to quit. I told myself to just change my shoes and socks, which helped and stop at the aid station.
But the last 4 miles before the start/finish was the muddiest. It was take your shoe off and maybe your foot off as well. Plus, it was long section of it. The final last mile was the worst mud, maybe longer than 1/8 of a mile or more. It was horrible. I didn't want to run through it, it may have taken my shoe!
My toe would start throbbing in pain throughout the 2nd loop. I'm glad that first aid station during the 2nd loop didn't treat me like a baby when I was griping, cause I would have quit. I told this other runner, a man to not follow me because I'm grumpy. Poor guy. He was running his first ultra, longest he had ran was 13 miles. He came in about 20 or so min after me.
One part of the race, was like going through a kid pool, clear water, but a lot of it. The 2nd time around, I just darted through it, but then missed my turn off, realized it fairly quickly and turned around. I wasn't eating well on the run, drinking a lot and I kept taking their salt/electrolyte tabs at every aid station, never did get a leg cramp. I mostly ate gummy bears, pretzels, oranges. I brought a sandwich, but only ate 1/2 of a 1/2. I would try to speed up during the 2nd loop, but my legs would want to cramp, so I couldn't. I was nauseated the night after and yesterday. I would just eat whatever sounded good, asparagus, sprite, applesauce.
Oh, I would kind of feel bad about being so slow, but I just can't speed up. I need to just be happy that I finished my 5th ultra.
I'm glad its over.
Today, 2 days later. I am feeling okay. Slept good last night, went to bed at 9PM with a sleeping pill. Legs hurt a little, ate spaghetti for breakfast, tired. I'll get through this and will be off running again in no time.

Great equalizer

The following text is from the book that I am reading, 50/50. I had to re-read it a few times. I think it truly speaks what marathoners and ultramarathoners go through during races.

"I love to interact with people when they're most exposed-when every layer of pretension and vanity has been stripped away and left strewn along the pathway. The marathon mercilessly rips off the outer layers of our defenses and leaves the raw human, vulnerable and naked. It is here you get an honest glimpse into the soul of an individual. Every insecurity and character flaw is open and on display for all the world to see. No communication is ever more real, no expression ever more honest. There is nothing left to hide behind. The marathon is the great equalizer. Every movement, every word spoken and unspoken, is radiant truth. The veil has been obliterated. These are the profound moments of human interaction that I live for."~Dean Karnazes

Tomorrow, 2/20, I am running my 5th 31 mile race.

Oregon Air Show

One of the biggest benefits of living in Hillsboro, is the Oregon Air Show. My oldest daughter, Naomi especially loves it, has so since she was 2. Our current house is about 4 miles from the airport and our backyard backs to a high school practice field. Every year, her eyes are glued to the sky watching the plains. She yells at them and jumps up and down. She loves it. She'll say "There coming" or "There here" or "Did you see that?" How can you not? They are awesome. The Thunderbird's fly above our house and make it shake and rattle. We often go over to Costco, which is next to the airport and sit in the grass and watch them fly right over our heads. This year, Naomi and my husband went to the show and it was a huge treat for Naomi, she loved every minute.
Luckily the new house we are looking at is still in Hillsboro and about 1 mile away from the air show and is about 30 seconds walking distance from a middle school and even closer to Costco. Guess what we'll be doing every year when the planes come out?

Recipes

Chicken Stromboli

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3-4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken, leftovers from the night before or cooked chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pizza dough, defrosted
• Flour, for dusting the rolling surface
• 1 ½ cup cheese of choice
• 1 egg
• A sprinkle of sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the EVOO and cook the celery and carrots until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken to the pan and toss everything together with some salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside and let cool.

When the filling is cool, roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the cooled filling evenly out onto the entire dough, making sure not to get too close the any of the edges. Top with the cheese.

Roll the stromboli, starting at one of the long sides, tucking in both ends firmly. Press the seam with your fingers to seal.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a splash of water, then lightly brush it over the stromboli, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, transfer to a baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Baked Shrimp Ziti

Ziti 2 cups

2 bacon strips, crumbled

Sliced olives, ½ cup

Baby shrimp 1 cup

Shredded cheese 3/4 cup

For spaghetti sauce

2 cans of Italian tomatoes, used potato masher to mash up

1 can tomato paste

1 tbsp garlic

Pour everything together, bake.

Bake at 350 for 15 min

Servings 4

A1 Steak Sauce

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 2 tbsp Heinz chili sauce

1. Step 1

   This is an extremely easy recipe, and you'll want to use Heinz Ketchup and chili sauce if you want it to be exactly like A1.

2. Step 2

   In a saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir mixture while boiling to ensure the raisins do not stick, and everything blends well.

3. Step 3

   Once boiling, remove the pan from heat and let sit to cool. The sauce should be lukewarm before continuing to work with it.

4. Step 4

   Once the sauce reaches lukewarm temperature, pour into a blender and puree. Make the sauce as thin or as thick as you like. (I like mine a little thick, but without the raisin chunks.)

5. Step 5

   Once the sauce reaches your desired thickness, pour sauce into a bottle and refrigerate. Make sure you use a bottle with a lid to keep fresh.

Teriyaki Sauce

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Step 1

   Place a small saucepan over low heat.

2. Step 2

   Combine the water, cornstarch, soy sauce, cider vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper in the saucepan. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Stir frequently.

3. Step 3

   Baste meat and/or vegetables with sauce and cook according to your recipe. Periodically brush with more sauce throughout the cooking process.

4. Step 4

   Enjoy!

Coffee creamer

1 cup dry milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups milk of choice
vanilla or whatever you want

Add 1 cup dry milk and 2 cups sugar to bowl, add 1/2 cup hot water, stir
Add 2 cups milk and vanilla or? mix, place in container

Hamburger Buns

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp oil or butter

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 package yeast

2 tbsp sugar

Put everything in a bread machine, when done, form dough into balls that weigh 3.0 oz, let rise and bake at 400 degrees in oven.

I also like to make mini hamburgers, for mini, the balls would weigh 1.7 oz.

Food/Nutrition

I often get asked what I eat.

I had a complete diet turnaround twice in my life. The first time was when I did the Body for Life program and the 2nd was when I read Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures they don't want you to know about"

I think it would be easiest if I just list most of the things that I eat, avoid, make my own;

Meat-lean chicken, turkey burger, turkey, fish-Tilapia, Salmon, shrimp, lean turkey sausage containing no MSG, eggs.

Almonds, organic steel oats, low fat Tillamook yogurt, extra white cheese from Tillamook, fresh fruits, vegetables steamed in water, sea salt, olive oil, pam, agave nectar, honey, Dave's Killer bread, Quaker Natural granola cereal, 100% juice, protein powder, Gatorade, Soy milk (I don't like cow)

I make myself-coffee creamer, bread, icecream, A-1 Sauce, bagels, pancake mix, re-fried beans, hamburger buns, soups, chips

Organic-Salsa, potatoes-if Costco has them only,beef and chicken broth, sugar, pop tarts as a treat, peanut butter

I avoid-canned foods, long ingredient lists that you can't read, pork, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, boxed foods, MSG, titanium dioxide*-see below

I have a thing for sweet tarts, tic tacs, skittles, cheese crackers, white tortillas (although they aren't that good for you) and turkey bacon. Thing for cheese (even if it gives me a stomachache)

I always replace recipes asking for butter with olive oil

I drink about 15 glasses of water a day on a non running day and drink 3 qts on runs of 24 miles, more for 31 miles.

It is best to eat 6 small meals a day, instead of 3 big ones, but I have not been following this.

On runs longer than 14, I start bring along a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and when I get back to the car, I have waiting for me a protein shake (soy milk with protein powder) As a runner, it is important to start consuming protein after a run.

*Titanium dioxide makes things white, it is in all kinds of products including acne medicine, sunscreen, which is why I try to avoid it.

Below is a text taken from Dean Karnazes book "50/50" I wanted to share.

"If I could recommend only one dietary change to improve your health, it would be to reduce your consumption of refined sugars. Although fat-and especially saturated fat-has typically received the most blame for causing America's weight problem, increasing evidence suggests that sugar might be the true culprit. Fore example, the rate of obesity is more than tree times greater in our country than in France. Yet the french actually eat more fat than we do (42 percent of calories versus 37 percent)-and more saturated fat as well.
The one glaring difference between the American and french diets is the amount of sugar in each. We get more than 17 percent of our daily calories from sugars added to foods, whereas the French get only 10 percent. So if you want to improve your diet and overall energy level, the very first thing you should do is cut out sugar. Lean rot scrutinize the labels of the packaged foods you eat. If it contains more than 10 grams of "sugars" per serving, don't eat it.

Introverts and running

If you have been following my blog closely, you may or may not be surprised to hear me say that I am a introvert. I recently took a test, results were that I was 60% introvert, 40% extrovert. Not too bad. I think extroverts sound more appealing and fun, but I that isn't me. An introvert by definition is;

1.	a shy person.

2.	Psychology. a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings (opposed to extrovert ).

3.	Zoology. a part that is or can be introverted.

–adjective

4.	Psychology. marked by introversion.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to turn inward: to introvert one's anger.

6.	Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) partly to things within the self.

7.	Anatomy, Zoology. to turn (a hollow, cylindrical structure) in on itself; invaginate.

I have been reading 50/50 by Dean Karnazes. It is the story of how he ran 50 marathons in 50 days. It says in chapter 6 this, "Like a lot of runners, I am an introvert by nature. Running naturally appeals to introverts because it's a solitary activity, unless you go out of your way to make it otherwise, and it has a way of dampening external stimuli, bringing your feelings and thoughts to the fore. I feel overwhelmed in large crowds and running for hours by myself is so refreshing to my soul, whereas many people might find it mind numbing."
I am a mother of an 8 and 6 year old girls, I also have a 13 year old stepdaughter. They are involved in all kinds of activities, a different sport every season. I also help them with their daily homework and get them off to school every morning. I am also a wife, been married for a number of years and like most marriages, it isn't perfect. I don't have a "Brady Bunch marriage"I like to make my own bread, bagels, hamburger buns, re-fried beans, mini sirloin burgers....., thinking of the commercial. Well lets just say, making things from scratch is fun. I stay busy.
But as every parent knows, breaks from reality is necessary, I need to get away. I need my alone time. My 2 young children, I love them, enjoy the company most of the time, but their constant talking, screaming, fighting, you get it, makes me want to escape.
I love heading out for a long run. I like the outdoors, fresh air, I love the forest, nature, birds, trees. I love being a runner. If I am alone, nobody knows me. I am just a runner out to finish a goal. When I am finished running, I feel refreshed and accomplishment. It is a great feeling to finish a 24 mile training run or 31 mile race. How many people do you know need a 10 hour playlist on their IPOD? After I am finished, I feel ready to go back and be a mom and wife. Running makes me a better mom and wife. And a lot of parent runners feel the same way.
I enjoy running alone. Don't get me wrong, I love the company of my group of friends. They are fun, funny and I really enjoy their company. If I have a chance to run with a friend, I'd rather not turn them down.
But in my opinion, with ultramarathon running, it is necessary to run alone. Marathon runners have a lot of people around them. The Portland marathon has a participant limit of 9000 and an aid station every 2 miles or less, there is always people around. But for ultra running, the # of participants drops below 200. My aid stations are every 6 and at times, I am lucky to see another human and thrilled. I am alone in the races, so I normally train alone. I do remember one training run, last year. I was scheduled to run 24 miles on Mother's Day. My day! I just wanted to stay home and do nothing. But nope, I had to run it. I woke up way to early, 4 am. I woke up my husband and asked him what time the sun rises. I got up, realized that I hadn't baked the bread that now had been rising all night. I baked the bread and then headed up to the trail. My dog and I got up there at 6 am and started running. I did not see a single human being for 14 miles! It was only when I got down to Leif Erickson, a popular running area that I saw her and I told her that. I think that was one of my most memorable and favorite runs.
I think running alone teaches you to motivate yourself and how to deal with problems that will surface as the distance gets longer and you feel more and more exhausted. When you feel like giving up and your just in a lot of pain, you have to motivate yourself to keep going, keep moving. You also learn to listen to your own body.
However, I do know that having a running partner can be motivating to push harder, to train harder than you might if you solo and I have experience this. At a recent ultramarathon, I remember chasing my "white rabbit" or so I called him. He was an older man that I started the race with. Every so often I would see him and I would try and catch up with him. I found a lot of comfort in doing so. You know what? I finished ahead of him.
I know that every race is going to be challenging. It is always going to hurt, it will never go perfectly. If it wasn't hard, then everyone would do it. But it is hard and not everyone does it, and that is what makes it so special.

Enough said.


Oh and the picture is of my youngest daughter. When she was 4 years old, she ran her first race. She had a horrible cold and it rained extremely hard. She still wanted to compete and that little girl ran her butt off!

First things first. I am actually a very shy person and the idea of posting a bikini shot of me is horrifying. My friends on facebook and the general public can see these photos. I am only posting these photos to inspire others. That is the whole intent on my blog, inspiration. You can click on the photos to make them bigger, like the fat ones, that's funny!

So today I saw a photo of Kendra from the Girls Next Door on a magazine cover. You know the sexy dumb one? Well in case you don't she has had a baby. In the picture she was holding her baby and say how she lost like 40 or so pounds in 8 weeks. We always hear about celebrities losing a bunch of weight, well so did I.
Over six years ago, I lost 20 pounds in 12 weeks doing Body for Life. www.bodyforlife.com Both times that I was pregnant, I gained 50 pounds! Not kidding. Probably didn't help that when I had morning sickness, I ate eggs cooked in butter on top of toast with butter. Yup 50! 3 months after Kayla was born, I started Body for Life. I was good, waited 3 months, after all I did have a c-section with her. I remember my first aerobic day, I walked up and down the stairs at our townhouse that we were living in at the time and I thought it was tiring. The next time I did aerobics (you were supposed to do it 3 times a week for 20 min a time) I went to the treadmill and walked/ran. Well each time, it got easier and easier until I was just running. I was eating the way Body for Life taught and never missed a workout. I remember even running a mile in 7 min, but that is a different story as I thought I was going to die. Maybe that is why I chose ultra running instead of trying to qualify for Boston? Anyway, at the end of the 12 weeks, I lost 20 pounds and was very proud of myself.
I think it was my experience with Body for life that led me to the love of running and I will always be grateful to that program.
The photo of me in the pink swimsuit was the first day, I couldn't even get the swimsuit over my big belly. (Remember, 3 months ago I had a baby) The 2nd pink swimsuit photo was a month into the program (at least the shirt went down) and finally the photo with the silly hat is 8 weeks into it. I couldn't find the front view and finally 12 weeks later is of course the skinny swimsuit. Brett was really upset with me for getting rid of the red bikini. I wore it on our cruise and then tossed it. Oh he says he still is.

Memories. Photos from Childhood

1.The first is at the beach. I was actually very afraid of the ocean.

2. Dracula teeth. That was a really ugly couch. I think that was the couch that my parents later discovered a dad mouse under the cushion, squished to death. "Oh there is the smell" kind of moments.

3. I have no idea where this was at. I the photo is sister, self (curly hair) brother and dad. Like the matching outfits?

4. Trip somewhere. You know my sister still has that dress at her house? I think she made her daughter where it.

5. Baby Jeannie. I am cute.

6. Okay I know where this one was at. Disney World! As a child, I went everywhere. I had a horrible sunburn as my mother didn't put suntan lotion on. Ended up puking in the garbage.

7. Big bruise on my face. The story is that my brother was practicing swinging a bat in the garage and I came running in. Nice one! I'm sure my parents were accused of child abuse, but not true. I remember when it happened, lost my hearing for awhile and everything was really white.




Okay now left to right~
8. Preschool picture. Halloween/dress up day. I'm in the red.
9. At a parade, sitting on daddy's lap.
10. At my Aunt and Uncles home on their balcony. I loved going there. They had this dollhouse that had a fake Tarantula, but I always thought it was real.
11. Me and my dog Sam. My shirt said "You toucha this shirt, I breaka your face" Amazing that I remember that.
12. Do you see the swimsuit my mom made me wear? I at least look happy.
13. Preschool pic with good friend Nicole in the photo.

Life is precious

Two babies are born at the same hospital, the same hospital floor, the same day, the same hour. One baby will live a long, fulfilling life and the other will spend 6 years battling cancer, chemotherapy, tests until one day it dies in the same hospital with its loving parents weeping.

The parents of the healthy child argue with each other on the way to see her in the 1st grade play, forgetting about their child in the back seat of the car, whom has her hands over her ears, just wishing they would stop. The parents of the child that just passed away, cry and hold each other just wishing and hoping that they could just have 5 more minutes with her.

Why is life so uncertain? How can one person live a very healthy and fulfilling life and another of the same age battle health issues?

Why did my dad who is in his early 70's have a stroke and have to have a blood clot removed, while my running acquaintance Ralph who is also in his early 70's be running 100 mile ultra marathons regularly or my husbands Grandfather who suffers from heart issues and Gout?

A few months before I found out I was pregnant with Naomi I was in a bible study. One of the Christian women that I very much admired, Doreen, often talked about little baby Hailey, 9 months old, who was in the hospital at Doernbecher's battling cancer. Doreen was friends with the parents and visited them often to give them love and support. She would often come to the bible study and talk about how Hailey was doing. She mentioned that the parents were not Christians and questioned God's existence. Doreen would often minister to them and they listened and would ask questions. Finally one day Doreen told us that she went and visited Hailey and the parents one night and asked them if they were ready to accept Jesus into their hearts and they responded "no". The day after, baby Hailey had passed away and she said this with tears in her eyes. I held onto a photo of Hailey for many months after, remembering how precious life is. When I was finally ready to let go of the photo of Hailey was the day that I found out I was pregnant. I still remember what Hailey looked liked and I wonder now how her parents are doing and I thank God often for my healthy children.

I think of an old playmate of mine who isn't much older than I. She has severe epilepsy and while I have not seen her in years, I know that she is being taken care of at a home. I am healthy and my dear old friend is not.

I think about the Christian woman who died recently at Mt. Hood. I remember something that was said in an interview with one of the family members. The woman had often joked about how she loved the mountain so much, that she wanted to be buried up there. I used to joke and say the same thing about Wildwood and when I heard that, it wasn't so funny.

We are all given a precious life and we really don't have that much time. Children grow up so fast, we are all getting older. I think it is up to us to live it with love in our hearts, with joy, peace, forgiveness, happiness and be happy for the things you have and friendships. Because we really don't know what the future holds.

Fun running Quotes

"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse. "

"If you start to feel good during an ultra, don't worry, you will get over it."

The pictures are of me from my Forest Park Ultra in May of 2009. The injuries don't look as bad as they felt. On my arm is my injury from when I hugged a tree on a steep decline. It seemed more like a cliff to me, that Oil Line Rd. There is a tree that I grab onto and have done so during training. Well during the race, I slipped and ended up hugging it backward. Ouch.
On my knees is from when I fell.....at mile 30! My legs had been cramping up the last 2 miles. At the last mile, it is a decline and their are rocks, my legs cramped up and I got distracted by a little boy that was hiking with his parents and I tripped and bit it bad. My cramps in my legs went from bad to worse from falling and I started yelling "help me, help me", this man came running over to help pick me up. I grabbed on to a wooded fence, said that I had to finish the race, started limping, then walking, then jogging, running and then finally sprinting. I saw a few of my good friends and family and yelled out "this is my playground" and then I decided that I was going to throw up at the finish line. Luckily for myself and everyone else, I didn't. I do like to make a dramatic entrance.