A Yellowstone Vacation

I spent this past week in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks reuniting with old friends and taking a backpacking trip. It was a lot of fun and I loved spending time with Scott and Mark again.

I 1st arrived in the Tetons on the 15th. Scott was summiting the Grand that day and I was to meet him at 7pm at the windows in Jackson Lake Lodge. It was a cloudy, stormy, cold day but he made it. I was SO excited when he found me in the lodge, it had been 3 years since I saw him last. We spent the evening eating dinner and chatting before making our way back to the Colter Bay campground.

The next morning we spent driving the Grassy Lake Road which is a dirt road between the Tetons and Yellowstone that comes out near Ashton, Idaho. It was slow going and seemed to take forever. We did see a moose though! Eventually we found ourselves on the pavement of Idaho and then were off to find the Cave Falls road which leads to Cave Falls in the SW corner of Yellowstone. Well, we got lost (i.e. took a large detour) and with the help of the old guy at the Warm Springs trailer park were back on our way. Once getting to Cave Falls we left my car at the trailhead and headed out to get to West Yellowstone and eventually Mammoth Hot Springs. We would see my car again later in the week after hiking to it from Old Faithful.

We spent the next few days relaxing, catching up and exploring a little. We then headed to Old Faithful, where we had a room at the Inn, on Tuesday.

We had a great time enjoying sunset in the geyser basin and even saw Beehive Geyser erupt! The next morning we set out on our adventure. Mark's car was left at the Lone Star Geyser trailhead and we were off. We were very fortunate in that the Lone Star Geyser erupted right as we got there.

This first day of the backpacking trip consisted on 14 miles, which included two climbs up and over the Continental Divide. The day went well but I was more than ready to get rid of my pack once we reached our campsite. Our site was right along the Gregg Fork of the Bechler River and a nice little place to stop for an evening. This picture is just as we are leaving camp.

The 2nd day of the trip is one to remember. It was about 17 miles long, and even though we were going downhill and flat most of the time, it took FOREVER. The trail was very rocky and that along was exhausting. Not to mention the 16+ creek crossings on logs we encountered and the 4 river crossings we had to ford across. Not sure if you have noticed but I'm not very tall and those crossings all ended up beings at least crotch deep.

We saw many beautiful waterfalls this day as well. The Bechler Region is known for it's waterfalls and it did not disappoint.



As the day went on we realized we really needed to start pushing or we were going to run the danger of running out of daylight. Once we reached the meadows we took a short break and got ready to push on the remaining 7 miles to my car. At this point it was probably pushing 6pm. I didn't want to rest too long due to sore feet and hamstring so I decided to push on and the boys would catch up to me shortly. They agreed that was fine and reminded me to stay on the Bechler River Trail. Well, when I got to the junction I'm not sure what happened, frankly I just followed the sign that said Cave Falls 7.1 miles. You can guess what happened, I went on the wrong trail. Luckily I had only gone about a half mile and was waiting for them at a ford which they never to. After about 15 minutes I went and talked to a party who was camping nearby, looked at a map and was corrected on where I was. At this point the guide suggested I stay on the trail since it's shorter and easier and catch them at the next junction, just who knows if they'll be in front or behind me. Well, I decided to double back and hike on the trail I was supposed to be on and the one they were on (even though it was 7.8 miles long from the junction to my car). Well, that trail was horrible. Hills, rocks, brush as tall as me and more river crossings. I hiked as fast as I possibly could and never once freaked out. (Even though I should have been VERY freaked out, scared and worried). For some reason I just knew they were going to be at the Rocky Ford (a 200ft long ford)which was 4.5 miles from where I doubled back. Well, I got there and didn't see the guys. Oh well. I still have some daylight I said. Let's just get across this and push on. Well, you wouldn't believe it but I was only about halfway across the river when Scott popped out of the woods! Holy cow, I caught them! I was so excited I tipped over.

Just a little note here. When the guys didn't catch up to me within the first half mile they knew I wasn't on that trail and figured I had gone the shorter route. From there they pushed on as fast as they could in the hope of catching me at the junction which is right on the other side of the Rocky Ford. When I wasn't there they really got worried and were about to go talk to the campers nearby when they heard something crashing into the river. Imagine their surprise, excitement and relief when they saw that something was me! I have no idea how I caught them but was so happy I did. Shortly after our reunion we ran into a bear. Oh great, just what we needed. Luckily it quickly ran the other way and we were off again. At this time the sun was close to setting and we had about 3.5 miles left. Well, those miles passed quickly and made it to the trailhead right as it was too dark to see.


Of course we still had hours of driving to get back to Mark's house after this point but it was great to be out of the woods. The Bechler was gorgeous but always take 3 days to do it, not two. And always stay with your friends.

Y Not Tri

This past Thursday I participated in my first triathlon, the Y Not Tri. The race was a 1/4 mile swim at Parkcenter Pond, a 6 mile bike ride and a 2 mile run. I finished in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 59 seconds. I was pleased with my time even if it was slow, just means I have lots of room for improvement for the next one.

The swim was what i was most worried about since I rarely swim. It went well though, I just stayed slow and steady the whole time. Now swimming while hitting other people and getting hit yourself was interesting. The bike portion did not go well at all because I had a flat tire. I went ahead and rode on it anyways because I was not about to quit the race. It made for some hard, slow cycling. The run was hard at first, getting your legs back under you, but from there it went fine.

Oh, and did I mention it had rained the whole day and throughout the race?

July

Wow, where did the month go? I started the month by getting laid off from work. After that I went to Oregon for a family reunion followed by a trip to the Oregon Coast, Mount St. Helens and Seattle. Since then I have just been busy at home doing odd jobs for people, filling in at the YMCA and enjoying the warm summer weather.

Main Street Mile

On Friday I participated in the Main Street Mile. The Main Street Mile is a 1 mile fun run through downtown Boise to benefit men's prostate cancer. Most of the family did the race last year, this year it was just Dad and I. My friend Dustin also came and ran again with me. (Well by that I mean we hung out before and after the race because he smokes me in the actual running).

I ran the mile in 10:19, which is about 30 seconds off my normal pace so I was happy with that. And it's about 3 1/2 minutes faster than last year. Dustin finished in 6:21 which was also a new personal best. We're proof Crossfit works! :) Dad also did great and finished the whole race this year. Way to go Dad!

Adam and Jessica Get Married!!!!!!!

On Saturday, June 13th Adam and Jessica were married! I am so happy for Adam and Jessica and can't wait to see all that happens with these two. Jessica is a true blessing in Adam's life and we're so lucky to have her part of our family now. I also love the fact that there is another short person around.


After the ceremony and congratulations we took a lot of pictures out and about the temple grounds. The pictures seemed to go on forever but it will be nice to have them all. It was a perfect day for pictures too, just a little overcast. This picture is of Adam's side of the party, it includes family from both Mom's side and Dad's side of the family and some friends as well.


Adam being Adam. I love this picture of the two of us, and me in my new dress.

This is Andrew and Dustin, two of Adam's best friends and groomsmen. They also are two great friends of mine. I had a good time hanging out with them over the two days. They're the best!

And finally we have the quilt. This is a Butler Family tradition (my mom's side). People in both families get blank muslin blocks and are asked to create a quilt block to honor the newleyweds. It is fun to see all the blocks arrive at my mom's house and fit them together. The quilt turned out great!

Congratulations Adam and Jessica! I'm SO happy for you two!

I'm now a duathlete!

This Saturday I participated in my first duathlon, the Camelsback Duathlon. I participated in the short course which was a 2k run, 15kbike, 2k run. My official time was 1hr, 30min, 57sec and I came in 2nd place for my age group in the Athena Division! It was SO much fun but very exhausting! The bike portion of the race included biking up Bogus Basin road for a ways. UP, UP and UP. It was killer but I survived it somehow, coming down was a lot of fun. :) Then the second run came and it took a little to convince those legs they could still run. Can't wait for the next race.

Famous Idaho Potato 10K

Last Saturday I participated in the Famous Idaho Potato race. The race itself has a marathon, half marathon, 10k & 5k option. I ran the 10k. Going into the race I set a goal to run it in 1 hour 15 minutes. I figured that was a pretty good goal and I'd have to work to get it. (Remember I had just done a 12K 2 weeks ago and finished in 1hr 37minutes). Well, the race was great. Not only did I finish in 1 hour 14 minutes and 27 seconds but I RAN the ENTIRE thing!!! I was SO proud of myself.

Be The Miracle Now

This weekend is a fundraiser to raise money for families who are financially struggling with hospital costs due to chronic illness.

At the event, athletes will be doing a workout trying to do as many reps as possible in an effort to raise money for the struggling families. In the workout, the athletes move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The stations are:

1. Wall-ball: 12 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 55 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 55 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)

The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athletes must move to the next station immediately. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

The event is called "Be The Miracle" (www.bethemiraclenow.org) and it will be held at Boise CrossFit (11483 W. Fairview Ave. Boise, ID 83713) between 10am and 4pm this Saturday (May 9th).

If you are interested in donating towards this cause, or you have any questions about the event, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I will be participating in the event this weekend and if you are willing to sponsor me for this event you can either make a single donation or make a pledge for each rep performed. Again, please contact me if you can donate or pledge towards this cause.

*******Just to update the fundraiser was a big success. The money is still rolling in, but we did well for our first event. On a personal note I scored a 235 which placed me in the top 5 women category who completed the workout as prescrobed. I then had to compete for a 2nd time in the Top Dawg workout. This WOD was 3 rounds: run 400m, 21 35# kettlebell swings, 12 burpees. I placed 2nd overall and was beat!

Bloomsday

This past weekend my mother and I flew up to Spokane, WA to participate in Bloomsday with my cousin, 2 aunts and an uncle. Bloomsday is an annual 12K race that takes place in Spokane. I'm very happy to announce that I finished the race in 1 hour 37 minutes and 20 seconds AND I even ran about 90% of it! I was SO excited and think I did great for that long of distance. (Especially because 3 miles was the longest I had ever ran before.) The weather for the race was perfect, overcast and a little chilly, and the rain held out till we were home. I really enjoyed myself and can't wait to set me sights on the next goal. Do I hear a half marathon calling my name?

Beat Coach Pete 5k

This morning I ran in the Beat Coach Pete 5k race at Boise State. I am very please to announce that my time was 35:28 which is nearly 6 minutes off my last 5k race! I was SO excited. And to make it even better, I ran the ENTIRE race. I did not stop to walk a single time. I could hardly contain my excitement as I sprinted to the finish line and high fived Coach Pete. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Much thanks go out to Tyler, Kyle and Jason for all the coaching, tips and constant ribbing they've provided since the last race. Now do I hear a 30 minute 5k calling my name?

1 Year

So, last week my trainer Ryan put me through a 1 year Crossfit Anniversary workout. The workout itslef was a collaboration between him and his buddy Kyle, who is my virtual trainer since he lives in Texas. Anyways here is what I went through:

4 rounds of:
10 x Overhead Squats at 45lbs
20 x Hang Cleans at 65lbs
10 x Burpee to Box Jumps
1 x Deadlift at 210lbs
200m Run

I finished the workout in 25:24 and was wiped. It was a hard workout and really pushed me. It is SO exciting to see how far I have come in the last year though.

Malad Gorge State Park St. Patricks Fun Run

This past weekend I traveled down to Hagerman and participated in the Malad Gorge State Park St. Patrick's Day Fun Run. I ran in the 3.5 mile division while my mom, cousin Jennifer, and cousin-ettes Danica and Josiah walked in the 3.5 mile walk.

Overall, I finished the race is 41:11, which was 19th in my ago group. I was pleased with the time, especially since I have hardly ran in months unless it's come up in a workout. I also only walked about 200 yards of the total race, so that's good. I'm going to up my run training this week though so my next time will be even better (and hopefully no walking)!

The coolest part of the race was that I met Aubrey and Mandi from the current season of the Biggest Loser! I love that show and was SO excited when I noticed them warming up next to me before the race started. Mandi finished the race at 32:09 and Aubrey finished at 45:28. Mandi is looking great and kicked butt, Aubrey is also looking good and has made a lot of progress. There was one point in the race, at about the 2.5 mile mark, that I had slowed to a walk. It was at that point that Aubrey came jogging past me. That was all the motivation I needed, and I tok off again. I wasn't about to be beat by a Biggest Loser! :) After the race I got the chance to meet them. They signed my race number, took a picture (a horrible one thanks to my mom) and spent a little time talking to Aubrey. It was great!

Adam's engaged!!!!!!!!

It's official, Adam and Jessica are engaged! The wedding is planned for June 13th and I am SO excited. I love Jess and they are perfect together. I haven't seen her since Wednesday so i don't have the full details on the proposal but will get details tonight hopefully.

Congrats you two!

Deadlifting

Yesterday at the gym I set a new Personal Record (PR) and deadlifted 200lbs! I was SO excited. I did have witnesses but I need to make sure I bring my camera next time.

Also, I am going to try to keep a 2nd blog going that is more Crossfit specific. Check it out here http://lorigetsfit.blogspot.com/ if you want to see what I am up to fitness wise.

New Year's Day

I know this is a little after the fact, but better late than never! New Year's Day Adam, Jessica and I drove down to Bliss where the rest of the family already was. It was great seeing everyone, it's been a long time since we were all together. In fact all but one of the cousins was there! The afternoon started when my mom called and said she was staring at a cougar about 5 miles away from the ranch. We all ran to the cars and sped down the highway towards Henderson Hill, but the cougar was gone when we got there. :( We drove around for awhile and saw pronghorn and elk, but no cougar. Oh well. After that we played hockey out on the resevior, ate, played cards and then ended the day with a Butler basketball tournament at the Bliss School gym. It was a good day, lot's of fun and a great way to start off 2009!