The Axis of Awesome

We did it!! We completed our first Tough Mudder in Colorado this June and it was nothing short of epic, challenging, and incredible. We enjoyed the challenge and camaraderie so much that we put together team "Axis of Awesome" for the Utah Tough Mudder this October.

Some serious bruising from the military walls.

Our amazing team

I'm looking surprisingly cheerful after 11 miles of obstacles!

Time to Get Tough

In less than 3 months, Gabe and I are headed to Colorado for the toughest physical challenge of my life. We will run through fire, swim through ice, dodge live electrical wire, and test our outer limits of endurance. Time to get serious with the training!

The Triathamom

`I've signed up for my first triathlon! Let's hope that 3 months of training can transform me from awkward athlete to hard core fitness chick. O.K., maybe hard core is too much to ask from a girl that doesn't currently own a bike and is a little nervous to put my face in the water while swimming! I think I'm in over my head, but I hope to have some fun with this new adventure. Thankfully I'm a long distance runner, so at least I have one of the disciplines covered. Wish me luck!

Making a Run for It

Just a couple of pictures from my recent Half Marathon in red rock country Moab, Utah. I ran the race with my cousin, friend and former roommate Melia. The red rock and bright blue, cloudless sky were just stunning!
Stretching with my fan club. I was so happy to have such a supportive husband and daughter to greet me at the finish line.

I finished the race a full 25 minutes faster than my previous half marathon in Vegas. Go me!

Run, Wendy, Run

I knew that running a marathon would be a challenge, but I had no idea it would be so much fun! I was amazed by all the friendly volunteers and the great crowd support. I also felt a lot of camaraderie with my fellow runners and really enjoyed the gorgeous course route for the St. George Marathon. As a first timer, I don't think I could have had a better experience. One thing that really helped me was running most of the race with a pacing group. I finished in 5 hours and 28 minutes, (I had no goal time and had estimated my pace at closer to 6 hours, so I was pretty thrilled with my time.) I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity and thankful for all the support I received from friends and family.

St. George Marathon By the Numbers:

0 Blisters (Smart Wool Socks Oh, how I love thee!)

1 Pre-Race Banana

2 Times listening to "I'm Gonna Be" (500 Miles) by the Pretenders and feeling so happy that I actually started to sing out loud while I ran.

4 Family members that came to cheer me on

5 Hours of sleep the night before

6 New friends (Thank you Deb and Esther)

7 Thousand runners in the race

11 Mile mark when I wished I was a man so I wouldn't have to wait in line for the port-a-potty

15-17 My favorite miles of the race with breathtaking scenery of Snow Canyon- I can hardly describe my elation

22 "The Wall" - My 2 mile stretch of nausea and fatigue



24 Family greets me and some angel hands me a bag of crushed ice (Pictured above at mile 24, the finish line is so close I can almost taste it!)

26.2 Miles completed!

Time to Think

In a couple of months I will be running the St. George Marathon. Since I am such a slow runner, I have even more time than the average marathoner to think during my weekly long run sessions. Here are a few things I do to keep my runs fresh as I log several hours on the road.

Poetry: I carry around poetry to memorise on my long runs. I know I look friggin' ridiculous chanting poetry cadence to myself as I jog through the park, but I don't care.

Musical Imaginings: My ipod playlists includes just about every type of music. I have classical, African drumming, country, hip-hop, soundtrack etc. I use my music to transport me around the world. One minute I might be jogging along a dirt trail in the swampy South as I listen to Cajun Zydeco, the next I might imagine myself fighting pirates as I listen to a soundtrack.


Running with Purpose: I like to write down a higher purpose for my run and carry it with me. I also write down how I will reward myself afterwards.

Audiobooks: Need I say more?

Las Vegas Marathon

Last month, we went to Las Vegas where Gabe ran the marathon and I ran the half marathon. The race was fun with runners dressed as Elvis and rock bands performing along the route. After the race, we had a crazy craving for hot dogs and chili cheese fries. This picture was taken later in the evening when we proudly sported our medals and visited the Mandalay Bay shark reef.