Today was a tough day physically and I’m not quite sure why! The legs felt like bricks today, but we did it. We had 9 miles today and made it to Cedar City, UT. I dedicated today to Bonnie, Bree’s mom. During my run, I ran with Mary, Dan, and Sydney. We drove the beginning of our route today rather than the end to get over a big mountain. We saw some pretty crazy things. First was a huge dried-up lake. It showed water on the map, but it was completely dried up and crazy to see. Then, we saw a bunch of sheep and they were being herded by horses! Lastly, we saw lava flows from a cinder cone. That was really interesting – check out the photo below for more. For lunch, we got Chipotle donated. Chipotle isn’t my favorite restaurant so it was okay, but I got some diet coke so that was good! Later, I got some Applebees to fill me up so I was well fed today. After eating some lunch, some riders needed to be picked up with a storm so two people took our van to help out and the rest of us stayed back to help find lunch for the riders. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful after calling over ten locations, but it worked out in the end. We made a quick stop to Walmart and then came back and relaxed. Someone is bringing pizza for us tonight so we will get to meet with him and enjoy some dinner. Tonight we’re at a church so I think I will sleep in the quiet sanctuary tonight. The worship band is coming to practice at 7pm so once they’re out, we’re able to set up and go to sleep!
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Today is a rest day and I am oh so happy! Today I tried to sleep in, but a group of people left to hike at 4 and then another group at 7, so it was hard to sleep in the morning. I ended up getting up around 7:45 and then did a quick load of laundry – both my clothes and Ollie the dinosaur. A group of five of us went to breakfast at a little coffee shop, which took a long time, but it was good. I got a ham and cheese croissant and iced tea (although they gave it to me hot and I had to make it iced myself :/). After that, we drove through Zion national park and it was really cool to see. There was a tunnel that we went through too which was really interesting. At the bottom of the park, there was a little souvenir area and I got a hat and a pin! I spent more than I would have liked on the hat, but I haven’t gotten anything big like that yet so I figured it was worth it. After the park, we went to the grocery store to pick up some lunch and I got some boxed mac and cheese. It was delicious. (The air bnb has a kitchen so I could make it). Now, I’m in my bed again catching up on my blogs :) For dinner it sounds like we’re having a team homemade dinner again and then some people will be heading back out to some national parks. I’m looking forward to some me time and getting some extra rest to get started again tomorrow. Yesterday I was so so tired so I didn’t get to post. We ran 8 miles yesterday and I got to run with Mary. We made it to Orderville, UT (which is 15 mins from Zion). The run yesterday was really great and was on a lot of trails, which made it nice. At the beginning of our trip, the route took us through Bryce Canyon and we went the wrong way because a sign said only service vehicles. We didn’t think much of it, but ended up getting pulled over by a park ranger. He gave us a warning and we turned around to do a back up route instead. The route worked out well even though we had a little detour in the beginning. For lunch, we went to a Subway again and they said they would be able to donate sandwiches, but then changed their mind. A couple of us went back anyway because we needed some food and the manager gave us a discount. We are currently staying in an air bnb that was donated by a parent of someone on the team. There is a guest house and a main house. It has an open concept so it isn’t very quiet. Once we got back to the air bnb, I took a nap and rested. It was raining and we all got there pretty early so people just hung out and took it easy for the evening. For dinner, some people made spaghetti and meatballs and it was really good! I enjoyed it. I got to sleep in a cozy bed and got some good sleep. I woke up a little bit throughout the night, but overall it was really good. Today was a good day. I dedicated today to my grandma and someone named Spencer. Spencer was someone who was impacted by Ulman and was able to stay at Ulman House for close to 100 nights. He sadly passed away in 2020 and his story was written by his mom and was so impactful. I ran today with Dan and we had a good 7 miles together. The weather was great today and there was even a cool breeze. At one point Dan and I ran up a part of a mountain that was about 800 feet and then we got the joy of running down a 12% grade for half a mile! We ended up hitting a 6:45 pace as we just floated down the hill with no effort – it was so fun! We laughed as we ran down the hill too. After that we had lunch at, you guessed it, Subway again. They donated foot longs for us and I ate a whole meatball sandwich – I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Then we went to our campsite for the night and some people found that they wanted to see if we could get a place indoors to stay and they were successful. Best Western donated 4 rooms with 2 king beds each so some people will sleep there and some will camp (if they want!) I secured the end of a king bed so I am looking forward to that. When we got to the campsite, I walked around a bit and of course checked out the gift shop. This campsite is huge and is the closest one to Bryce Canyon. I was going to go in the hot tub, but it was SO crowded so I decided to come back instead and shower. Some people are about to head to Bryce Canyon now, but I’m going to stay back and eat some dinner and then go to bed to take advantage of the beds. The hammock sleep was great! I hope to do it again soon :) Today was a good driving day! I’ll be back to running tomorrow and I’m looking forward to getting back to it. The views towards the end of today were beautiful and not at all expected! The team ran 11 miles and I did the shuttling. Some people dedicated their day to gram today for their rides :) We also saw lots of free range cattle on the roads today which was really cool. We got the runs in before lunch and were able to see some riders at lunch time. We stopped at a restaurant, and I got a chicken sandwich (my favorite!) and a teammate’s mom donated lunch to us so we didn't have to pay. I also got some matcha from the coffee store that was right next door for the ride to the host and it was well worth it. After lunch, we drove the scenic route and stopped for some photos. Our host tonight is really great. We’re at a high school and I set up my sleeping pad on some carpeted stairs – see below. It feels very cozy and I got a little fan that I set up too :) Tonight, we’re going to a local restaurant for dinner because they donated this evening. I’m already set for bed so when we come back I can go right to sleep! I think we’ll also do some stretching as well before we head out! I do a mini stretching class for some people and they seem to enjoy it because they ask for it often! This morning I woke up at 4am and didn’t feel well. I think it was because I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and also realized I probably didn’t eat enough dinner the night before. I decided to take it easy in the van and rest and try and sleep today. It worked out well and I think not running was probably the best decision with how I’m feeling. I’m not concerned though, so no worries! The sites were cool today from what I saw and for lunch we got Subway donated again. I got a meatball sub today because I felt like I needed more than just a deli sandwich. We also stopped at a cool gas station that was in a rock – see the photo below! Then, we went to Cassidy Arch. I was very excited about this! The arch was so cool, but towards the end a storm started to come, and it made me really anxious. Thankfully we all made it back down and out okay and it was a great experience! It was in total a 3.5 mile hike with over 700 feet of elevation, so I still got a little workout in today. After the arch, we went around town and asked for some dinner donations. We got to talk with a lot of the community today which was really great. I love hearing people’s stories and sharing what we do. We got pizza and burgers donated and the burger was delicious. The burgers were donated from a food truck and they also donated $100! They were so kind. Tonight, we’re staying at a campsite and its really nice. They have a gift shop and I took some alone time to walk around (and got gram and mom a gift!). I also got to talk to the woman at the shop and she grew up in York, PA (which is 20 mins from where I’m moving) so that was really cool. I enjoyed talking to them there. I also got some evening tea :) I set up my hammock for sleep tonight so we’ll see how that goes! I’m a little nervous if it will be comfortable or not, but someone shared it would be cooler so that would be nice. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes! The shower tonight was nice! I didn’t get a photo but it wasn’t anything special. I also wanted to give a huge shout out to my gram! She had her last round of chemo yesterday and got to ring the bell! She is the best! I’m so proud and can’t wait to give her a huge hug in California! Another dedication day is coming soon. Today was an unplanned rest day. A lot of the team wanted to skydive so the decision was made to take this morning to do that. I didn’t feel the need to do that so instead I stayed back and helped clean up the air bnb and then spent some time resting and being in town.
I went to breakfast this morning with Rose, Glenn, James, and Mike (all riders) and then we walked around some stores and coffee shops. I got some gifts for family and bought a stuffed dinosaur for 25 cents because why not! I named the dino Ollie. While in town we went to an ice cream place and I got frozen strawberry lemonade. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch and I got some spinach and artichoke dip. Shortly after that, we got picked up and drove an hour to the host. Soon we’ll be getting dinner and then I hope to go to bed soon because I am so tired today! I don’t have many pictures from today, but it was a good day! Today was a rest day and I got close to 12 hours of sleep last night! Yes, you read that right!! I went to bed around 8:30 and woke up around then too. This morning we went for coffee in town (I got some tea) and stopped at a store. After that, I went to the diner to pick up some donated lunch for all of us. It was ham and turkey sandwiches with an apple, snickers bar and water! We came back to the air bnb after lunch and ate. I decided to take a long shower and relax a bit :) Then Mary and I cleaned out and organized our van. It was a relief and now everything has a spot! It should stay that way for a bit with how organized everyone is on our team. Apparently they found a lizard in our house - see the picture below - while we were cleaning the van out. It is huge! After cleaning out the van, we went and picked some people up who were in town and I got a sheet to sleep on from Dollar General (for the super hot days). We also got some gas and McDonalds. When I got back to the air bnb, I took some time to post the blogs because the wifi is so slow. I’m excited to have a quiet evening and might quickly get some ice cream after this with Mary and Glenn. I’m looking forward to bed tonight. HALFWAY and thank goodness. Today was an early day and I was so so tired this morning. I packed everything up and got ready the night before so I could get ready this morning in 10 minutes. It worked well and I got up at 4:17 to be out the door by 4:30am. Our host was great and helped me carry my bag out to the car to head to the church for breakfast in the dark. Breakfast was bagels and breakfast burritos and I ended up just having a banana and some of the burrito. I also was able to get some tea (with some caffeine). I’m starting to appreciate the simple tea again :) Today was 16 miles! I ran for Alicia, our host’s daughter who passed away from cancer. She lived in Hawaii and had treatments for years (including during the pandemic) before passing away. Our host was so great so it was the least I could do for her. The miles were okay today. They felt good – we did 6 legs today, so my intervals were only 2.5-2.8 miles which makes it a lot easier mentally. The team had a rough day for some reason, but I’m just laying back and stepping forward only when I need to, and it makes it a little better. We started the first half of our miles on trails near the host last night and then finished up moving closer to Moab. It was beautiful on our run, but so hot. We started out in 80 degree temperature and then ended in 104 degrees! Water was definitely a necessity. After about a mile at a time, I felt that I needed water, but we survived! The miles weren’t too bad and it didn’t feel like 16 either. After the run, some of us jumped in the lake and cooled down a little bit! When I loaded my runs to my watch today, I got the Toasty badge for recording an activity in a temperature over 100 degrees so that was exciting. We didn’t get lunch until around 2, but Subway donated again! I got a sandwich and then a teammate went to a brewery next door for a burger so we went over after that and I got some fries and a diet coke. After that we went to our air bnb for the night and everyone has beds! There are so many bunks. I got a top bunk in the corner so hopefully I can get some good sleep. The beds are so comfortable so I’m excited. For dinner, we got chick fil a and then we relaxed at the air bnb until bed. I also had to run and pick Dan up from a hair cut so I got a vanilla bean frap from Starbucks as well with a gift card I had so it was basically free :) Last night was a good night sleep on the gym floor after I moved in front of the fan in the middle of the night. Today was a 10-mile day, but I was driving so it was a rest day for me! We were able to run on the roads that led to where we were going so it worked out really well. My shin is feeling better as well. For lunch we got Jimmy Johns donated and they gave us a sandwich and a drink! I was excited to get some diet coke. After lunch, we met up with the riders at a post office and offered some of our water and encouragement for their last 20 miles of the day in the heat. We were done before 11 and before it hit 90 degrees, so it worked out well for us. Tonight we are staying at homestays connected to a church so I, along with the director for the ride team (Lauren), are staying at Merrilyn's beautiful house. Our host is wonderful and I have loved talking to her so far. She also has a little puppy named Buddy and he is so cute. She bought us Olive Garden (and some green tea) and showed us around Grand Junction. It is so beautiful. She lives around a vineyard and you can see mountains (I think?). There is a photo of the view below. She shared that her family used to own a peach farm and they sold their acres to the vineyard and she still has two acres with her house that she built where her family’s house was. Its also interesting that the town is irrigated with the Colorado River so there are little streams of water that helps keep it green. Its easy to tell where there isn’t one because it is so dry. I’m starting to feel the dryness more but it is so crazy to see how different the country looks on this side. Tonight I have not only my own bed, but my own room! I am so excited to fall asleep and will most likely go to bed very early to take advantage of the peace, but also because we have to be at the church at 5 tomorrow for breakfast and it’s a 20-minute drive! It looks like a storm is starting to come in and there is some wind! Hopefully it won’t be too bad. Now, time for bed :) |
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August 2022
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