Joanie Daily » Runner’s Corner

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Jdaily — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 17:25:13 +0000

Friday, December 6 was our annual Christmas Luncheon, this year at Kathy English’s beautiful home. You can’t miss the triplets who decided on polka-dot shirts that day. We had a good laugh as we literally arrived at Kathy’s door at the same time! Great minds think alike!

Loved this birthday morning run with my dear friends Lori, Jill, Sue O., Cokie, and Kathy E.. It has been unseasonably warm and so we ran through Holladay, heading down Cottonwood Lane and through the lanes. We saw enormous homes being built and wondered about that kind of money. It really doesn’t mean happiness- we found this out as an angry woman drove very close to us as she left her home and lane. It just goes to show you how ornery people can be even if all their basic needs and then some are met. I am feeling incredible grateful for my many blessings including such great friends that are examples to me and have such influence on my life. We finished our run and then headed to Sharon’s Restaurant for good egg-white omelets!

The post Saturday, December 13, 2014 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Wednesday, April 2

Jdaily — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 17:04:25 +0000

I am so happy to be inside my warm cozy home. Today it is snowing hard and tomorrow Sue B. and I are planning to run 10 miles. It will actually be a walk/run but who cares, 10 miles is 10 miles. Last week, when we started our 8.5 miler long run, my legs felt a bit weak, maybe because it was my first week running three days! But as the run went on, they felt a little stronger under me. I am so grateful to be back running, it is so liberating to me. I also think it’s really good brain exercise. I am also very grateful for my dear running friends. It’s so great to spill all your anxieties and frustrations on the ground as you run and then realize all your hopes and dreams while you are out there and carry those home!

The post Wednesday, April 2 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Sunday, November 24

Jdaily — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:53:13 +0000

I haven’t been running as much since the St. George Marathon on October 5 but in an effort to lose some pounds and especially a few inches from my waist, menopause fat (yuck!), I signed up with a personal trainer, Tyler. Best part about it is that Joe, Nate and I go together. I love weight training and all his tips about weight loss and eating. The first thing he did was get Joe off Diet Coke. And Joe is amazing, he is so disciplined. Tyler told us that DC is the drug of the people in our town and it’s true. I would drink it occasionally but now have gone about 5-6 weeks without any carbonated drink. I am drinking mostly water, which I have come to love again! So far, I have lost about 3-4 lbs. and in measurement inches off my stomach, waist, breast, and arms. It feels good to be a bit slimmer and my clothes fit better but most of all I love that I am getting more buff, my arms feel really tight. Also, for me, going in the right direction is paramount! I love feeling like I am succeeding! I don’t know if I will be posting a before and after picture quite yet, but I can see that in the future!

The post Sunday, November 24 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Friday, September 13

Jdaily — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 14:16:53 +0000

Last Saturday, Sue O., Cokie and I met @ 5:10, got driven by Joe to the top of Emigration Canyon before the turn to Little Mountain and started our 18 miler down the canyon. What a treat to be able to run slightly downhill at the beginning of a long run and get a few miles under our feet before the sun came up and too much time had elapsed. I felt so good on Saturday morning. I had enough energy throughout the run that it was quite pleasant and believe me when I say that I have had my share of really hard runs. I ordered a size up in my running shoes and so I think that is helping with foot pain and through experience I also know that when the foot pain becomes too much that I stop, take off my shoe, massage my toes and then keep going. It also helps that we are taking walking breaks- walking is so much easier on my foot than the pounding of running. It takes a lot of city to run 18 miles so we came out of the canyon, down by Hogel Zoo to 1900 E. along to Sugarhouse Park and around it, back up to 2000 E. and then into Holladay winding along Wander Lane and ending at the Rite-Aid.

Tomorrow, Cokie and I will attempt a 20 miler, all the while praying for the rainy weather to break during our run. This will be our longest run until the St. George Marathon on October 5.

Joanie and Cokie right by Hogel Zoo. We were treated to an amazing sunrise behind us, you just can’t see it in this picture!

The post Friday, September 13 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Saturday, August 31

Jdaily — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 23:21:52 +0000

Today, along with Cokie and Donna, I ran/walked 16 miles as I am training for the St. George Marathon in October. It was a beautiful morning, quickly warming up as we trudged along and I do mean trudged. As we are getting older with accumulated injuries and tired from all the goings on in our lives, we are moving slower. We keep getting passed by people who look like they are hardly running and that’s a bit daunting but I pretty much know this is may last marathon unless something incredible happens and I’m able to run Boston. I love running though and here’s what I love about it. I love that the more I push my body to go more miles, it adjusts and then feels stronger, like it is moving up the rungs of a ladder. I love that I get to be with my friends and talk talk and talk. I love what running does to my legs and mind. I love that pounding the pavement helps me understand what is happening in my life and what I think about it. I love that it requires me to face the challenges that come my way just like I face running another step when I really want to quit. I don’t always love running when I’m running, I sometimes hate running when I’m running and I’m always grateful that running has a lower gear called walking because I always know that I can step it down a bit and walk. But it never ceases to move me when I think how lucky I am that I feel good enough to run, that I am able to get up and head out in the early morning with my friends.

The post Saturday, August 31 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Friday, May 24

Jdaily — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:58:56 +0000

Last Saturday was the Ogden Marathon and Half-Marathon. I was signed up for the Marathon but due to an injury and inadequate training, Joe and I did the half while Taylor ran the full marathon. Two weeks before the marathon, we got an e-mail from race organizers responding to predictions of record heat on race day. The e-mail included information about dehydration and other problems caused by heat. I was excited to run in those conditions especially since I have run this race when it was very cold, even hailing! But as the day got closer, it was clear that this was not to be the case. Joe, Taylor and I walked over to the expo the night before the race in sweaters and then as we were going to sleep you could hear rain beating against the windows. I said out loud “If it’s raining in the morning, I’m bailing!” I had run a race in the pouring rain before and it was miserable.

Morning came and we all walked out of the room with our rain gear. Luckily, Joe brought an extra jacket and Taylor used that. I had brought a cheap rain poncho that I wore and ended up wearing it the entire half-marathon. The rain came and came and never ceased. At one point, the wind joined with the rain to make it especially miserable. My half was slow and frustrating. My legs hurt at first and it felt like I just trudged along at a slow pace. I was happy to be at mile 13 and then slipped into the bus excited to be on my way back to the hotel. Little did I know that I would be on that bus for 1.5 hours before we got to the start line. My clothes were soaked completely through, my hat and hair clumped and full of water. Back at the hotel, the hot shower was the highlight of my day!

I am realizing now that these marathons teach me that I can endure sadness and hardships in life. Their purpose is that through them I keep going knowing that sooner or later they will end. I try to use that same logic when troubles arise. Just keep pushing through to the end, I tell myself.

October- St. George- marathon # 30- last one. My goal is to train well so that the marathon is enjoyable- possible? I hope!

The post Friday, May 24 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Friday, April 5

Jdaily — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:35:59 +0000

Last weekend, both Sue O. and I were in St. George and since we are both signed up for the Ogden Marathon on May 18, we planned to run a 14 miler on Saturday. It was beautiful weather in St. George and would reach a high of about 78 that day. Sue was feeling pretty good about the run and I, although I didn’t admit it to her, was dreading it. I reluctantly got all my supplies and clothing ready for the early morning run and went to bed wishing I had not committed to it. I tossed and turned all night and kept thinking thoughts like “I’m tired of being a runner” and “I have run 29 marathons, why do I need to do one more?” and then doubts like “the longest run I have done as of yet is 6 miles, how could I possible do 14?”. Needless to say, I awoke before my alarm and got dressed. Sue met me outside my hotel and we drove a short distance to the trailhead. It was dark and I had a few apprehensions about two women taking a trail away from the city until Sue assured me that we were fine, that she had even run this trail alone in the dark. Yes, I know she’s crazy! But then I saw a group of runners with headlamps coming towards us and felt much better. We ran along and surprisingly I felt good, my legs had energy and all the worries of the night before dissipated. We ran along and stopped now and then and finally came back to the trailhead with 10 miles under our belts, or should I say running shorts. I knew at that point that I needed to walk for a bit so Sue went ahead on the trail with the intent to run two miles and then come back. I would walk and meet her and then we would run back together. When I met up with Sue after a lovely walk with glorious views of some of my favorite sites in St. George, including the temple, I wanted to see if the trail would swing back around to our starting point. So Sue went back one way and I continued on until I reached a point where the trail went into a neighborhood. By that point, I realized it wasn’t going to end where I wanted it to. I even considered walking directly across the field including water, which I quickly surmised would be a very bad idea. Shortcuts are really longcuts. So I started back ending up with 14 miles by the time I reached my hotel. I was elated to think I had traveled the 14 miles and my foot felt pretty darn good. I felt like a runner again and felt good about tackling this up-coming marathon. Oh my, the life of a runner. One minute you love it and the next you are cursing it. I am the first to admit though, that as I see younger runners pass by, it seems like that used to be me and it won’t be me again. I must now be content with the miles that I have previously logged and do what I can with a temperamental foot and a gimp hamstring.

View of the St. George Temple from the running path

The post Friday, April 5 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Tuesday, February 12

Jdaily — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:29:54 +0000

This has been such a hard running winter. We’ve had so much snow and cold temperatures so it’s icy in the morning and when it’s dark, it’s especially treacherous! One winter morning, a few years back, Cokie fell and broke her wrist on the ice. There were several of us running and we decided to take the bridge that extends over Parley’s Canyon. There was a patch of black ice and sure enough Cokie slipped and tried to brace herself with her hand. She was tough though. We turned around and started back, it was before we carried a phone with us. We had to walk (it hurt too much to run) back to the cars, about a mile and a half away and then I drove her home. She was in a lot of pain but never complained which is typical of Cokie. Ron took her immediately to insta-care and she ended up having a few surgeries. When you’re with someone and they get injured, you always go back in your mind and wish you could have seen the ice and shouted a warning. It definitely made us more cautious to head out on icy mornings.

Sue and I ran this morning, though, and it felt great to be outside. I started to feel happy and free to be exercising and running along familiar neighborhood roads. I have been putting in many hours on the Eliptical but it just doesn’t give me the workout or the lift that running outside does. When I return home, it always feels like I have been somewhere! I have endorphins coursing through my body satisfied with the effort I have put forth. In winter, especially, I’m proud of myself for getting out of a warm bed and facing the elements.

So, this is the beginning of the training for my last marathon. I am behind but will have to catch up on the miles, bit by bit, and be content with the training I have done when I line up for the start in May.

The post Tuesday, February 12 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Sunday, February 3

Jdaily — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 02:32:43 +0000

Millcreek Canyon is such a beautiful place, Summer or Winter, Fall or Spring. I love different aspects of each season. I feel so lucky to live just 5 minutes away from this amazing place. Saturday, Joe and I had a lot of errands to run and a funeral to attend but we had this window in the afternoon and the sun was shining so we wanted to take advantage of the day. We drove to the Terraces in Millcreek where we started to hike up the hill on packed snow. The stream was running- what a lovely sight with snow and icicles forming an edge around the water. I took a picture of Joe at one of his favorite contemplating places. We could have used crampons on our shoes but instead we just wore our running shoes and slipped a bit in the snow. We walked for about an hour up the slope. The blue sky could be seen to the side of us above the trees but we were in a ravine so were hidden from direct sun. We remarked about the beauty of the sound of nature, quiet all around in this snowy world. It is through nature and exercise that I truly feel my soul satisfied. It gives me so much pleasure to be physical in nature and to be with Joe is just an added bonus!

The post Sunday, February 3 appeared first on Joanie Daily.

Friday, February 1

Jdaily — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:09:46 +0000

It has been a long January and one in which I have not run outside. Cold and dark and the worst news of all is that my running partner, Sue Oldroyd, has a knee that may have her giving up running all together and that is sad news. Sue and I ran our first marathon together, along with Susie Beaudoin, and what fun that was! And while I am going to start training for my last and 30th marathon in Ogden this Spring, Sue will be running her 60th and perhaps last marathon in July. So as you can see by the numbers, she has been a prolific runner and marathoner, qualifying for Boston many times! It’s heartbreaking for her to realize this but I know we are both grateful for mountains to climb and road bikes that will take us places!

The post Friday, February 1 appeared first on Joanie Daily.