Summer Bucket List 2018 | Camping in Utah

Our family enjoys being outdoors.  We like to go hiking and take walks at the park.  Jason and the kids like going on bike rides and as you know, I'm a runner.  However, we just recently started going camping as a family.  I guess you can say we are officially "outdoorsy" now ;) To check out my 5 tips for camping with kids, go HERE! 

Anyhow, we'd been camping twice and both times to the same place, Navajo Lake in Utah, so for this year's camping trip we decided we'd try someplace new.  We made reservations to a campsite in Central Utah called Kents Lake.  We went with 3 other families, all of which had also been with us on our last camping trip.  We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and spent 2 nights sleeping in tents and enjoying the fresh air.  The weather was a bit warmer than our last trips, but we appreciated it at night.  We had one afternoon of showers and hail, which put a slight damper on our lunch and made Elysse freak out, but it cleared up pretty quickly and all was well again! 

The main highlight for our family was Diego catching his first fish on the lake! It was so special to see his face light up! Huge thanks to the family fishing next to them for sharing their secret weapon with us and helping him figure out what to do once he'd caught it.  

The camp site was fine, but I wouldn't recommend it as it didn't have flushing toilets.  Now, I understand we're camping and all, but flushing toilets are a basic necessity for me.  They had vault toilets, which is really just an outhouse.  Also, compared to Navajo Lake, there wasn't too much to do around the campsite or on the lake.   Of course, when you're camping with 13 other people and you are all good friends, you don't need much more than that!  We still had a really good time with lots of laughs and new memories were made.  We can't wait to go camping again together, just not at Kent's Lake this time.  We're thinking of changing it up and doing some beach camping in Southern California next summer. What's your favorite camping spot? Have you been camping at the beach? Let me know in the comments below.  

Half Marathon Training with a Teenager

Last year, my then 12 year old son said he'd like to run a half marathon.  I thought he was just being funny or talking in the distant future, but no.  He was serious and insisted on it.  We researched some races and talked some more about it.  I gave him the good and the bad, but honestly, mostly the bad because I wanted to paint a truthful picture and the truth is that training for a half marathon is not easy.  He acknowledged that it was going to be hard work, but that he really wanted to challenge himself and run his first half marathon at the age of 13.  So, we did it.  We signed up for the Cedar City Half Marathon on September 8, 2018.  I explained that he would be training for a half marathon all through summer break and even into his first weeks of back to school but he was not deterred. 

While he was still in school, we started with 2 mile once a week runs.  Then, last month, we started the actual 14-week training plan and he's been training pretty consistently for the past 6 weeks.  We have 8 more weeks to go and I couldn't be prouder of this kid! But please, don't get me wrong.  He is no super kid.  He is after all, a 13 year old boy and oh have we had our arguments.  It's been hard being mom and coach.  I feel like because it's been me giving him running advice, it's been hard for him to accept it and we butt heads a lot.  He's cranky at 6am and when I remind him that he signed up for this on his own, I get attitude.  I then have to remember he is still just a 13 year old kid and take a deep breath.    

It's been hard, but it's also been rewarding.  I've been learning to be patient and let things go.  I'm learning to go at his pace and enjoy our time together regardless of our pace and whether I think he could do better or go faster.  I remind myself that I just ran my first half marathon 5 years ago at the age of 36! This kid is 13 and about to run his first half marathon.  I am so proud of him already! I'm not too mushy or sentimental, but I did cry after my 1st half marathon and after my 1st full marathon.  I'm pretty sure I will cry for the 3rd time again after I cross the finish line with my son in September.  But until then, there will most definitely be more cranky early mornings and arguments, and I'll just have to be ok with that.

What races are you training for this summer? Any tips on running with a teen? EEK!! 

Global Running Day 2018

Earlier this month, on Wednesday, June 6th to be exact, was Global Running Day! What is Global Running Day? The Global Running Day website  say's "Global Running Day is a worldwide celebration of running that encourages everyone to get moving. It doesn’t matter how fast you run or how far you go—what’s important is that you take part, and how you do it is up to you. Run a lap around your block, take your dog for a long walk, or call your friends for a pick-up game in the park. The important thing is that you have fun being active—and you inspire others to join you." 

This is something I can totally get behind and this year I helped organize a fun run event in Las Vegas for the Rock N Roll Marathon series.  As most of you know, I am an ambassador/Rock N Blogger for them and I was so excited when they reached out to me about putting together an event in my town.  I contacted my favorite local running store, Red Rock Running Company, and they were totally on board to having us host the event in their store.  YAY!!

The event was a huge success! We had a nice turnout and after everyone ran the 5K course, they came back to the store for pizza (because runners love pizza!!) and some Rock N Roll swag to make it a true celebration! I was there to answer any questions folks had about any of the Rock N Roll races, and especially the epic Las Vegas, Rock the Strip at Night race! It was nice to chat with the other runners about their past Rock N Roll marathon and half marathon races they'd ran in various cities and share our experiences! Rock n Roll was also having a great sale on all races just for Global Running Day and so of course, I talked about that and was ready to get folks registered right on site! 

I gotta say, one thing I truly love about running is the awesome community! They build each other up, give advice, and never make you feel like you aren't a true runner.  If you run, you're a runner.  It's not about how fast you are, it's about getting out there and doing it! And hey, if you missed out on the Global Running Day Sale and still want to take the plunge and run a marathon or half marathon, here's a little motivation for you to get started! Nothing like a little savings, you know, so you can go snag those new running shoes too ;)