Glitter and Dust

The Spirit of an Athlete.

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Archives for May 2015

Week 24; Getting Settled, A Gun Tattoo, and Medical Student Syndrome

May 29, 2015 by Kristen 21 Comments

It feels so good to be back from vacation and all moved in to our new house. My husband and I have been busy bees getting settled, unpacking boxes, and buying furniture and décor. We sold a lot of the furniture from our last house since it didn’t really fit with the style of our new house, so it has been fun to have a blank canvas to work with. Only a few little things left on our list and we will be good to go! My little bumble bee has been contributing in his own way by providing plenty of kicks and reminders that he is on the way!

24 Weeks

Baby is now the size of: A 1.5lb cantaloupe.

Total weight gain: I was up 15lbs at this week’s doctor appointment.

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: When I am not lounging around the house in sweats and cozies, you can find me in a maxi skirt. I’m all about the maxi skirt.

Sleep: I’ve been falling asleep really quickly (less than 30 seconds) every night, but for some reason both my husband and I keep waking up around 5/5:30 every morning. I’m not sure if our sleep is still thrown off from vacation or what, but we can’t seem to sleep until the alarm goes off at 6:15!

I continue to have the most outrageous dreams I have ever had in my life. Every morning I wake up vividly remembering my dreams. There was one dream in particular where Justin got a tattoo of a huge gun on his right shoulder and I was really upset that he would do something like that without consulting me first. I woke up with tears in my eyes because I was so mad. Thankfully, it was only a dream.

Cravings and favorite foods: I have been eating a lot of grapes mixed with cottage cheese. SO yummy!!! And Justin re-created my favorite fish tacos from Isla Holbox on Tuesday night, which made me (and the baby) happy!

Food aversions: None.

Exercise: A mix of walking and running. We were pretty consumed with settling in after vacation and getting stuff done around the house, so my exercise consisted of hours and hours of unpacking boxes and moving stuff around the house. Justin and I also went for a run in the new neighborhood on one of the trails that lead out to Shevlin Park. I could get used to this view.

Shevlin Park

Mood: Positive, for the most part. I think there were some overwhelming moments after returning home from vacation, but for the most part I am feeling pretty good!

Symptoms: None!!! That’s a first.

Missing: My bike. My doctor advised that I not ride anymore due to the risk of falling. I can still jump on my mountain bike and use regular pedals, but all riding in clipless pedals needs to be done on a trainer. A summer in Bend without my bike is going to be tough. I already broke down and cried when I drove by a cyclist. Thank goodness that has only happened once, because there are A LOT of cyclists in Bend and I would be crying constantly if I broke down every time I passed one!

Cervelo P3

Worst moments this week: None that I can think of. Well, I might have been a little impatient with Justin’s driving at one point…nothing like a back seat driver, especially a pregnant back seat driver!

Best moments this week: Settling into our new house! Fish tacos! Talking with one of my best girlfriends about the baby shower… let the planning begin!!! So many exclamation points!!!

Interesting Pregnancy Moments: I swear I get medical student syndrome every time I walk away from a doctor’s appointment. During our visit this past Friday, my doctor told me to be mindful of pre-term labor contractions and explained to me what they would feel like. As soon as we left, I was paranoid and was certain that every kick, cramp, ache, or tightness in my abdomen was a labor contraction. Haha. They weren’t. During my appointment prior, before leaving on vacation, he educated me about blood clots and the increased risk of getting them during travel. Again, I left the appointment and started feeling achiness in my leg, paranoid that it was a blood clot. For some reason, my mind becomes consumed by things that could go wrong when I first learn about them. I need to stop Googling everything. And take a chill pill.

Best Quote: “There better be a television in the delivery room.” That was my response when I found out the Seattle Seahawks first two games of the season are on Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, and we are due right in between on Sept. 15. I do not want to miss watching a game. And for that matter, I also hope they have wifi so I can keep tabs on my fantasy football team as well. I have high expectations for my team, Victorious Secret, this year.  Girl takes her football seriously.

Buying: We haven’t bought anything baby related, but I DID finally start putting together our baby registry. I am using myregistry.com, which is awesome because you can post items from any store/site online all in one place. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out what we need. Abby sent me an amazing detailed list of items that she used for her registry, and my sister-in-law Jill and step-sister Katie have both been really helpful too!

And Justin was like a little kid on Christmas morning after we bought a new gas powered blower and a trimmer to help him keep our little half-acre of Bend looking good! 

Dreaming About: Getting serious about decorating and furnishing the nursery. Life after our little boy arrives. I’m ready to meet him.

Filed Under: Everything Else, Pregnancy, Weekly Updates Tagged With: Life, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Updates

Paradise Found in Mexico’s Isla Holbox

May 24, 2015 by Kristen 47 Comments

Isla Holbox. Justin had talked of this place as if it was some kind of Shangri-La, and I had seen pictures, but nothing could have prepared my eyes for the beauty and tranquility that awaited us on this small, secluded island. Although it is only a couple of hours northwest of Cancun, it feels worlds apart as the culture, size, authenticity, and atmosphere uniquely separate it from other “touristy” parts of Mexico.

Casa Las Tortugas

The town of Holbox (pronounced hole-bosh) is small, incredibly colorful, and reminds me of the kind of place you would discover only in the movies. You will not find any large resorts, and development has been limited to luxury boutique hotels, budget hotels and hostels, smaller restaurants and cafes, and the occasional tiendas (shops) and mercados (markets). There are about 2,000 people living on the island, which is roughly a mile wide and 26 miles long, though the vast majority of it is completely undeveloped and undisturbed. The entire island lies within the 940,000 Yum Balam Biosphere, Mexico’s largest ecological reserve.

Map of HolboxAlways a Breeze on Holbox

As my husband would say, it took a car ride, two flights, taxi shuttle, boat, and golf cart to get to our resort at Casa Las Tortugas. The travel was easy and we were all checked in to our beautiful room – the Mandarina oceanfront bungalow – by 5:30pm, giving us enough time to get settled, explore the resort, have dinner at the hotel restaurant on the beach (also called Mandarina), and go for a walk in the sand. Stress and tension from traveling quickly melted away.

Casa Las TortugasBeach After Sunset

Over our seven-night stay on the island, we quickly found ourselves settling into a routine each day. Our mornings usually started with an early morning run around 6am to beat the heat (if that was possible as the temperature was usually around 78-80 degrees at sunrise) and to enjoy the calmness of the sand and sea while most people were still in bed. Running was always slow and steady on the hard packed sand along the ocean, but it was the perfect way to wake up and start each day.

After our morning exercise, we always enjoyed breakfast at the Mandarina restaurant, which was included in our stay. I mainly ate fruit, yogurt, and granola each day because it sat well in my tummy, but Justin ventured out and had something different every day including montaditos, chilaquiles, empanadas. He was always kind enough to give me a bite if the dish looked appealing.

Breakfast was typically followed by relaxing, reading, and wading in the ocean for a few hours until the breeze picked up. The routine was basically lounge, ocean, pool, lounge, repeat. I couldn’t imagine a better place for a BABYMOON. Five months pregnant and rockin’ my baby bump!

Baby Bump Photo

Our resort had an immaculate area for lounging in a combination of sun and shade. As someone who has always loved being in the sun, I found myself enjoying the shade and indirect sun far more than any other trip I had been on. The sun was hot and unforgiving. Perhaps being pregnant didn’t help either. I finished The Art of Racing in the Rain in two days, before moving on to and finishing Mockingjay. Next time I definitely need to bring more books.

Lounging At Casa Las Tortugas

Late morning and mid afternoon was usually full of adventures and activities around the island. During this time we would also stop for lunch at one of the local authentic eateries. One of my favorite meals while on the island were the grilled fish tacos at Villa Mar. They were some of the best tacos I have ever had, which shouldn’t surprise me since there were always a lot of Holbox locals eating there as well. By the end of the trip, I think we had earned semi-local status as we ate lunch there three times.

Tacos De Pescado

After finishing our afternoon activities, we would come back to the hotel, take a dip in the pool to cool off, relax on one of the many swinging canopy beds, and get ready for an evening on the town. Once the sun begins to go down, the town comes alive with kids playing soccer in the zocalo (central park), the sounds music coming out of every restaurant, and people chatting about in the streets. It was fun to people watch and dine at different restaurants. There was even a cute little gelato place called Porque No (“why not?”) that we would stop at on our way back to the hotel each night. Mexican chocolate gelato is muy bueno! Why not indulge a little?

Holbox Quirks and Novelties:

There are no paved roads on the island and no cars (aside from the occasional truck delivering food/drinks around town). The roads are packed with sand and the primary modes of transportation are golf carts, cruiser bikes, and your own two feet. We did a lot of walking.

Main Street HolboxWalking on Holbox

The town is extremely vibrant and there are beautiful murals everywhere. The International Public Art Festival was held there in April, with street artists coming from around the world to paint murals around town. Justin did a lot of exploring when I wasn’t feeling up to battling the heat, and took a number of photos, capturing the magnificence of the images. Here are a couple of my favorites.

MuralMural Holbox

Oddly, there is a huge Italian influence here and you will come across a blend of Mexican and Italian cuisine almost everywhere you go. Apparently there were a number of Italian pirates that settled on the island in the late 1700s, leaving a unique cultural imprint that thrives today. If you want lobster pizza, fresh seafood pasta, or gelato with a Mexican twist, this is the place for you!

Pasta Del Mar

Friendliness was contagious. We met and talked with a number of people during our stay on the island. The locals, workers, and other vacationers were all easy to interact with and talk to, and we felt at home. The language barrier isn’t too bad either, as English is pretty prevalent on the island. And Justin is conversant in Spanish, which helped from time to time. Aside from a few instances, communicating with the locals was, for the most part, easy.

Some of the restaurants did not even have a menu, like El Chapulim, which we ate at on the second night. You sit down, the chef comes out and describes four dishes he is preparing for the evening (basically whatever was caught that day), and you roll the dice. It wasn’t our favorite meal, but it was sure fresh. The experience was pretty inimitable (my husband had to look up the word inimitable when reading this) as well.

Dining in Holbox

There is ALWAYS a fierce sunset. We tried to watch the sunset every evening before heading out to dinner and there was always a bright orange ambience in the air.

Holbox SunsetHolbox Sunset Baby Bump

Along those lines, Justin nicknamed Isla Holbox “selfie island” while we were there. We were certainly guilty of our fair share of them, but it was entertaining to watch people try to take the perfect selfie on the beach, in the water, or at sunset. I swear some people spent 10 minutes trying to get it just right. I, on the other hand, spent my time trying to capture the sun. 

Capturing the SunJustin is Glowing

Great prices. There is something for everyone on this island, and it caters to a diverse group of visitors. As an example, the amazing fresh lobster with homemade pasta dinner at our favorite restaurant, Casa Nostra, was only 240 pesos (about $15), and our daily staple of fish tacos was 100 pesos ($6.50).

Because it is a fisherman’s paradise, and remains their primary economy even though tourism is a close second, there is plenty of fresh fish and shellfish caught each day. You could always tell when the fishermen were mooring on shore because the birds would flock to those locations seeking scraps and leftovers.

Fishing in Holbox

It is very likely that any seafood you are eating – whether fish, lobster, shrimp, crab, octopus, mussels, clams, or conch – was swimming around in the ocean earlier that day or the day prior. Speaking of octopus, Justin ordered a seafood stew for dinner at Viva Zapata! one night that came with two whole octopus tentacles, each almost a foot long, that he swore were as tender and tasty as a filet mignon. It was hard enough for me to watch him eat them, so suffice it to say I didn’t take him up on his offer to see for myself what he meant.

Highlights and Things To Do:

The resort!!! Casa Las Tortugas, only a few steps from town, was definitely the nicest place to stay on the island. It is not your typical “hotel” and each room has it’s own style, vibe, and theme. We stayed in three different rooms due to availability when we booked, and fell in love with the ocean front bungalow (Mandarina) and colorful room overlooking the pool (Azucar).

Azucar

There is a beautiful pool centrally located which was a nice alternative to jumping in the salty ocean. The beach area was out of this world, with swinging beds, plenty of loungers, hammocks, and the finest, softest sand you have ever felt. They even have a groundskeeper named Matteo who spends a few hours in the early morning raking and sifting the sand. That’s right, SIFTING the sand. Heaven forbid a guest might step on a coconut husk or palm frond! ☺

Casa Las Tortugas Pool

Get your cruiser bike on! We rented cruiser bikes on a really hot, windy day (not the best idea) but still found it fun to ride around and get in a workout. Trust me, riding a cruiser bike on the sand, into a headwind, in 90-degree heat, is a calorie burner.

cruiser bike holbox

Rent a golf cart for a few hours and explore! Justin and I realized that riding cruiser bikes to different areas of the island in the blazing sun was too much for my pregnant little body. We did the next best thing (or best thing, in my opinion) and rented a golf cart. It was quite the adventure and at one point our cart would not click into forward gear, forcing us to drive in reverse for about 10 minutes. It was hilarious.

Holbox Roads

Visiting Punta Coco via golf cart and driving along the sandy roads near the beach. Not only is this area more secluded and great for a dive in the ocean, there is also a beautiful private dock that made for a breathtaking photo op. This part of the island truly validated the deep emerald color of the water.

Punta Coco

Visiting Punta Mosquito (not as bad as the name sounds) via golf cart and walking as far as the eye can see through the shallow waters onto small sandbars that are hundreds of feet from shore. It was one of the most picturesque surroundings I have ever been in. Watch for horseshoe crabs and stingrays – they are everywhere!!!

Punta MosquitoPunta Mosquito

Find a hammock, let it swallow you up, and enjoy. There are bright, colorful hammocks strung along the shores for all to use. Personally, over the water was where I wanted to be.

Hammocks on Holbox

The house made Hidratante water served at the hotel restaurant was the best thing ever. Infused with honey, lemonade, tea, hibiscus, and mint, it was the perfect “pregnant” alternative to an adult beverage.

Take a snorkel trip. I can’t say that this was my favorite activity, only because I had high hopes of swimming with whale sharks, but it was still worth the morning cruise along the stretched out beach of Holbox island. Our captain Alberto took us on a private excursion to a giant reef, where we snorkeled and swam with turtles, hundreds of fish, eels, barracuda, and lionfish. We even got to get close to a school of 50+ playful dolphins, which was pretty incredible.

Snorkel Holbox

After snorkeling, we ventured through a small channel that cuts through the island where we stopped in a national wildlife preserve, enjoyed a beverage, and ate lunch. At this time we learned there are jaguars, monkeys, turkeys, and crocodiles that inhabit the areas detached from the main island.

Snorkel HolboxSnorkel Holbox

We were also able to see Flamingos during our snorkel cruise and slowly drifted by a flamboyance of flamingos (like a flock of seagulls, a gaggle of geese, or a murder of crows, a group of flamingos is known as a flamboyance) as they waded through the water and kept a close eye on us.

Flamingos on HolboxBest View

Holbox is as opposite as you can get from Cancun, so maybe enjoy a little time in each. Personally, I would spend five days in Holbox and five days in Playa Del Carmen/Tulum, to get a little mix of the two cultures. Skip Cancun altogether, unless you want to party and socialize.

Holbox Serinity

One of our primary reasons for booking the trip to Holbox was to swim with whale sharks, but unfortunately the government pushed back the dates in which they allow for tours and we missed it by a couple weeks. June-September seems to be the best time to venture out there if you are looking to swim with the big giants of the sea, but that also coincides with the rainy (mosquito) season. Obviously we will go back, bug spray in hand, as this is one of the only places in the world where you can swim with a whale shark. So, until next time Holbox… cheers.

Filed Under: Everything Else, Traveling the World Tagged With: Food, Life, Pregnancy, Running, Traveling the World, Vacation

Weeks 22 and 23; Baby Kicks, A Food Crisis, and Isla Holbox

May 21, 2015 by Kristen 17 Comments

Justin and I returned from Mexico late last night and I have A LOT of catching up to do in the blogging world. This past month has been a whirlwind. Would you believe me if I said that I haven’t eaten a homemade meal since APRIL 28? That’s over three weeks, folks. Let’s just say I am ready to get back into a routine and enjoy one of my husband’s delicious home cooked meals. Between trips to St. George and Mexico, and moving into our new house the last month has been fun, but I’m looking forward to feeling a little more settled and having a little more normalcy around here. Meanwhile, there have been lots of changes in the bump world!!!

Week 22

Baby is now the size of: We went from a spaghetti squash in week 22 to a mango in week 23. He is over 11 inches long and weighs more than a pound.

Total weight gain: Roughly 14 pounds.

Sleep: Sleep is becoming more of a struggle as I grow larger. Thank goodness for my wonderful snoogle. I have a feeling I will be curling up with it for the rest of this pregnancy. That and about ten pillows. Pillows are my friends. Don’t even get me started on the dreams I am having…

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: I am proudly sporting maternity jeans, tops, and dresses. A lot of my dresses will work pre and post pregnancy, at least at this point in my pregnancy. It was nice to wear flowy dresses, skirts, tops, and shorts while on vacation. Looking forward to summer in Bend.

Sunset Isla Holbox

Right now I am feeling very thankful for my SOAS running shorts and tanks. The wide elastic band on the shorts is super comfortable and stretches nicely below my baby bump. Every pregnant runner, hiker, and walker should invest in a pair of these shorts – they are going to get me through the summer months while helping me feel cute and stylish at the same time.

Symptoms: Week 22 was not a pretty week for my body. I caught some kind of bug going around and was really sick for five days – nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, acid reflux, upset tummy – the works. The timing was horrible during our move, but at least the symptoms mostly cleared up before leaving for Mexico.

With the baby growing at speeds I can hardly comprehend, I feel like my stomach and everything surrounding it will not be the same for a long time.

Cravings and favorite foods: Ugh. Food was a real struggle while I was sick. I literally could NOT stomach 99.9% of food and had to limit myself to jello, pudding, plain chicken, and apple juice for a few days. The first few days in Mexico were touch and go, and I ate a lot of fruit and foods that were simple and easy. Thank goodness I started feeling better in Mexico because the food was amazing and authentic!

Food aversions: Almost everything for a few days. Red sauces, tomato based anything, and heavy creams are still no bueno. My husband was such a sport during our trip and always switched dishes with me if he had ordered something I could stomach better than my own order.

Exercise: Exercise was pretty minimal in week 22 because of moving and being sick. I felt like moving and unpacking boxes over the course of a couple days was exercise enough! Amazingly, I was able to run almost every day in Mexico. My husband and I found a great route along the beach from our hotel, would get up early enough to avoid the heat (relatively speaking), and were able to run six of the eight days we were there.Running Isla Holbox

Mood: A little fragile and all over the place. But my life has been far from normal over the past two weeks!

Margaritas and my normal energy levels while we were in Mexico. The heat really drained me and I had to dig deep to find the energy to walk around and do the things I wanted to do. My mind want to do way more than my body can handle right now.

Best moments: The baby has been way more active than normal – or perhaps I am just feeling him more. I love all of the kicks and wiggles at various times of the day. When Justin and I were on the plane, he was moving so much that I had Justin put his hand on my belly so he could potentially feel the baby move. Kick kick kick!!! Justin got to feel him move for the first time. It melted my heart. We can now SEE him move as well.

Arriving in Mexico and stepping foot on Isla Holbox for the first time. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  Stay tuned for a detailed post about our trip!

Casa Las Tortugas

Worst moments: Being sick. It was honestly THE WORST. My heart goes out to all of those mamas who struggle with morning sickness.

Interesting pregnancy moments: On Mother’s Day, it was like I had an emotional breakthrough and the realization that I am going to be a mom finally sunk in. My husband gave me a card from both him and the baby (which made me BAWL), my mom came over and gave me sparkly slippers (the best), and I had the most delicious blueberry iced donut in the world. It was a wonderful day.

mothersday

Best Quote: “It feels like he is riding a bicycle.” – Justin, when feeling the baby move one night when we were lying in bed.

Buying: Nothing. But now that we are back, let the nursery planning, designing, and shopping begin!!!

Dreaming About: Honestly, these past two weeks I haven’t been in a future state of mind. It was all about being in the present, moving into our new home, and enjoying our last trip as a childless family. I guess you could say I was living my dreams. ☺

Filed Under: Everything Else, Pregnancy, Weekly Updates Tagged With: Life, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Updates, Traveling the World, Vacation

Weeks 20 and 21; A New House, Shopping Extravaganza, and Time For a Vacation

May 9, 2015 by Kristen 21 Comments

These past few weeks have been insanely busy, and as a result I’m a little behind on my weekly preggo updates. With a trip to St. George last week, moving into our new house over the past few days, packing for our trip to Mexico, and trying to get ahead at work before we leave town, I’ve had little time to sit at my computer and blog. But the good news is that we are officially moved in to our new house, and I could not be more excited to start a new chapter of my life.

20 Weeks

Baby is now the size of: We went from a banana in week 20 to a carrot in week 21. He is quickly approaching a pound, and it shows!

Total weight gain: When I went in for my ~20 week check-up, the doctor said that I had gained 10 pounds. Right on track for a 25-30lb total weight gain. Very healthy and happy!

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: I finally received and wore my first pair of maternity jeans from Macys. I had ordered several different pairs and chose to keep the Pea in the Pod Maternity Skinny Jeans. Although it took a moment to get used to the stretchy band that covers my stomach, they are super comfortable.

The temperature has finally been warm enough to wear maxi skirts, which I love! I also bought several belly-friendly dresses at Ross for our trip to Mexico. I swear I can purchase an entire new wardrobe at Ross for $100. That is definitely the way to go when pregnant.  It’s all about color and fun patterns for this mom-to-be!

Shopping

I am really not a fan of the maternity shorts, so I ended up buying some regular shorts a couple sizes larger than I would normally wear. They are loose around my lower belly and are much more flattering than maternity shorts – at least on me. A lot of my tanks and tops still fit nicely as well.

Sleep: Every night varies, but overall sleep has been good. I have noticed a lot more soreness from lying on my left side all night every night. It would sure be nice to switch it up. My dreams have been horrible lately. Two nights ago I had a dream that no one showed up for my baby shower and I was devastated. Sad, huh? I’ve had a few others that are even worse. Go away bad dreams!

Cravings and favorite foods: I haven’t been craving anything specific and find myself feeling full a lot. Food isn’t that exciting when you always feel full.

Food aversions: None. Okay, maybe crab-cakes.

Exercise: As many of you know, I finished my first preggo half marathon over a week ago. You can read about it here.

I’ve been out of a real routine with everything going on in my life right now. A little running here, a little hiking there, but nothing super strenuous. I’m hoping that once we get settled into our new home, I can get back into a normal routine. While I will not be exercising a lot in Mexico, I do plan on running on the beach and swimming in the ocean. We are staying on the small island of Isla Holbox, so my options are limited.

Mood: Generally happy with a few bouts of anxiety. Every once in a while reality will strike that this is REALLY happening and my life is going to change in significant ways. It’s exciting and scary all at the same time.  I’m really excited about our new home too! 

Official

Symptoms: A lot of bloating, gas, acid reflux, and feeling full. I’ve also had a lot of back pain.

Missing: A cold adult beverage, especially in the heat of St. George. Triathlon!

Worst moments: I admittedly had a little breakdown in the dressing room at Ross when I came to the realization that things did not “fit” as they normally would. After a quick little pep talk during which I reminded myself that there is a precious life inside me, this is only temporary, and I should embrace it, that was the end of that meltdown.

Best moments: Crossing the finish line pregnant at the Bend Half Marathon and doing so with a negative split. It was a pretty solid race for me and I felt great.

The entire trip to St. George and spending time with friends.

Moving into our new house. It is absolutely gorgeous and the location in Bend could not be better. The sellers did an amazing job of making sure everything was clean and made us feel at home by leaving behind a small “welcome” gift. They even included non-alcoholic sparkling cider for us! ☺

New House

Interesting Pregnancy Moments: For some reason, I continue to have this nagging discomfort under my right rib. It feels like the baby has his leg lodged into my rib, but I know he is nowhere near the size to do that. Is this normal?

Best Quote: “Whoa, he really sprouted!!!” – Justin, when seeing me after six days apart while I was in St. George this past week.

21 Weeks

Buying: Clothing for our trip to Mexico and summer.

Dreaming About: Unpacking in our new house and adjusting to a completely new lifestyle on the west side of Bend. I am also looking forward to shopping for and working on the nursery when we get back from Mexico.

Filed Under: Everything Else, Pregnancy, Weekly Updates Tagged With: Life, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Updates, Vacation

Spectating at IM St. George 70.3 and Exploring Zion National Park

May 7, 2015 by Kristen 15 Comments

Last Wednesday, I made the trip down to St. George, Utah with a group of friends to spectate and watch them compete at Ironman 70.3 St. George. My friend Nicole, whom I have been training with this past year, along with several other Bend athletes, were taking on the challenging course. Because I had originally planned on racing there this year, I still wanted to experience the environment and check out the course in prep for years to come. Plus, this would be one of my last opportunities to travel and get away before the baby comes.

Ironman 70.3 St. George

At 835 miles the drive from Bend to St. George is pushing it for a one-day road trip, so we decided to break up the trip by driving from Bend to Elko, Nevada (475 miles) on Wednesday, and the remaining 360 miles from Elko to St. George on Thursday. Nicole and I left mid-morning and made our way to Elko along some pretty lonely rural Oregon and Nevada highways, where we met up with Mike (my coach), Mickey, and Jake for dinner and casino fun. Nicole and I are NOT big gamblers and were pretty stingy when it came to spending any money. We failed to win but succeeded at having fun.

Casino

Up early the next day, we made the final push to St. George, which was unlike any place I had ever seen. The town is surrounded by beautiful red rock and desert terrain, with biking and running paths/trails branching out all over the area. After a quick stop at packet pickup, we checked into the condo and got settled.

The first two days were all about race prep, shake out rides, runs, and swims, and relaxation. It was fun to check out the swim start and T1 area, which is at a separate location from T2, and to drive portions of the bike and run course.St. George T1

I also finally got to meet fellow blogger Katie, which was meant to be because we randomly kept running into each other over the next few days – once after the race at the froyo shop (naturally) and once on the shuttle in Zion (what are the chances?). She and her dad were so sweet! Katie, just let me know when you want to come to Bend!!! 😉

I’ve never traveled with a group for a race, so it was fun to see and experience the dynamics unfold and observe everyone’s little quirks. You learn a lot about people (and people learn a lot about you) when you’re cooped up with them in close quarters for several days. For example, who knew that Mike had a domestic side and could give Martha Stewart a run for her money in the kitchen?

Carbo Loading

The night before the race he whipped up an awesome meal for all of us. Although I wasn’t racing, I decided to carbo load for a day of spectating. It’s a good thing I did. Dinner was topped off with home made brownies and vanilla ice cream. Maybe that’s the secret to being fast. I’m starting to figure these athletes out.

Race day rolled around in no time and alarms could be heard at 4am echoing from every room. Everyone had breakfast and was out the door by 4:30am, heading to T2 to catch the shuttle. Because I wouldn’t be out on the course until 8:30am, I went back to bed.

I would say that the course was very spectator friendly. I positioned myself in a great spot on an intersection where both the bike and run course pass by. Loaded with plenty of food and water, I parked myself in some shade and waited for the athletes to zip by on their bikes. I tried to capture some photos of everyone as they flew by, but they were way too fast, only allowing enough time for me to cheer them on by name. All of that waiting for two seconds of excitement (now I know how my husband feels at all the races I drag him to!). At least I got to see them all make their way up the grueling hill near the beginning of the run leg.

St. George Run Leg

Once I saw everyone up the hill of horror, I quickly made my way down to the finish area to meet up with Mike (he had been cruising around the course on his bike) and to watch everyone make their way through the finishing chute.

Finisher Chute St. George

The atmosphere was electric as Jake, Mickey, Nicole, Michael, and Adrian all finished with impressive times. Jake and Nicole finished 2nd and 4th in their respective age groups, so after we got cleaned up we made an appearance at the awards ceremony. I was so proud of my friends. Someday I hope to make it up on that stage!!

PodiumNicole Wins

St. George has got to be one of the most difficult Ironman 70.3 events for three reasons:

1) The heat. Brutal. Especially when you are traveling from northern regions and have had no exposure to these types of temperatures since the previous summer

2) The hills. Particularly on the run course. Great for someone who considers running to be his or her strength.


3) The competition. It seems like a lot of strong, talented athletes show up for this event. This year’s race doubled as the North American Pro Championship, and as a result the competition was top notch!

I also have a whole new level of respect and appreciation for spectators. It’s not easy spending the day out on the course and coordinating what-where-when-how from moment to moment. Being a cheerleader. A photogapher. A Sherpa. Hustiling from one location to another while trying to navigate traffic and road closures. It’s a different type of physical/mental exertion, but one I will no longer take for granted when I see my husband, family, friends, and strangers out on the course cheering my name.

That night we celebrated with dinner, froyo (hi Katie), and relaxation at the condo. Everyone was pretty worn out from the day’s activities and with a trip to Zion awaiting us the next day, we hit the sack early and got lots of rest.

Zion National Park has been on my bucket list for years. Although we only had a day to spend in the park, I was excited to get my feet wet (literally) and get a taste of this beautiful area of the country. When we got to the park around noon, there were multiple options for hiking and exploring. With limited time, we had to prioritize and select only a couple activities from the list of hikes and “things-do-do.” As any triathlete knows, this could be tough to do with a bunch of strong Type-A personalities trying to come to a consensus, but we all decided that we would hike up to the Emerald Pools and then make our way to the Narrows for a little trek through cold water and canyons.

Zion

I think we all agreed that we could have passed on the Emerald Pools and headed straight to the Narrows. While they were beautiful, it was a fairly crowded hike and there were A LOT of people making their way up and down the narrow path. There were a few sketchy areas where my pregnant body felt off balance, but I handled the hike pretty well.

The Narrows

The Narrows were INCREDIBLE. I could have spent an entire day walking through the cool, clear water, not knowing what beautiful sights would emerge at each bend in the river. All of us agreed that this was the highlight of Zion and a must-do if you visit the park.

The Narrows

Nicole and I Narrows

After a day of hiking in the sun and trekking through water, I was pretty exhausted and ready for cozies and couch time. That evening after consuming some yummy tacos at our group’s new favorite Mexican restaurant, we packed up and got everything ready for our early Monday morning departure. It would be a long 14-hour drive back to Oregon – but at least the company was good. ☺

Group Photo

All in all, I had a blast traveling with this crew. It was fun experiencing the other side of racing and being there to cheer on and support athletes whom I deeply admire. I’m not sure if I would take on the grueling St. George course next year (or wait until I can really compete), but it is definitely on my list. Being around this environment and these people really inspired me to continue training as much as I can – I am really excited to start racing again next year!

Do you have a favorite spectating experience?  Pros and Cons of spectating? 

When you attend races, do you prefer to go it as a solo athlete or travel with a big group?

Filed Under: Everything Else, Running and Triathlon, Traveling the World Tagged With: Cycling, Hiking, Life, Race, Running, Traveling the World, Triathlon, Vacation

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Hi, I’m Kristen. Thank you for stopping by. Follow me along my journey of becoming a faster runner, endurance triathlete, and world traveler. I’ll also mix in a few random musings, open up about life, and share my adventures around my hometown of Bend, Oregon.

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