Just some cute pics...

These pictures were taken during my sister's wedding back in March. Colin is just so cute! We had a GREAT time. He's a kick-butt dancer too!!!

I Love Mountains!!!

Wow, where do I even start!

Sister's wedding--Probably one of the most fun times I have EVER had! She and her hubby were married in Phoenix. I was the maid-of-honor, and Colin was a swordman. Boy did he look sharp! That was the most fun I have ever had with him. And of course my sister was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen.

Practicing war--We had 2 solid weeks of exercises at work, which meant crazy long days spent in gas masks. It was great for teambuilding, but it was completely exhausting.

Bikes--I bomb-proofed SPOOKY my mountain bike. Goatheads are EVERYWHERE, and it felt like I had to pay $5-10 every time I wanted to ride my bike I was flatting so much. I fixed those tires so I absolutely cannot get a flat. I'm feeling pretty good about this! My first mtn bike of the season (yesterday) was absolutely fantastic.

Half marathon--I ran the 1/2 marathon in the winter series put on by the local running store. I didn't do too bad, actually! It was absolutely FREEZING and pretty windy toward the end, but I managed to squeeze out a PR, which is a miracle considering the lack of training I have.

Marathons--I managed to fanagle my way out of the Bataan Death March (woo hoo!), and I am now running Boston on Monday. I also have Ogden in a few weeks too. I leave tomorrow for Boston, and I won't return until Tuesday, and I absolutely can't wait!

Running group--I connected (in a roundabout way) with a group of old-ish men who run every Saturday morning at 6:00. I love these guys! One guy is 66 years old, and he went on and on about the "hot chicks who love to show off their running attire" who ran the last half marathon. Every one of them has finished the Wasatch 100 (multiple times). And they love to impart their wisdom onto me. Of course I always listen.

General training and motivation--I love running in the mountains. I have a few long runs under my belt. I felt good after the 22-miler, even after I got caught in a giant blizzard and had to run through the mountains. The Garmin watch is pretty cool too, and I have found it more than handy. I signed up for the XTERRA trail running series, and I am pumped to start some crazy training for that (post-Ogden Marathon, that is). I hope your training is going well!

Half Marathon Splits
7:42
6:57
7:02
7:06
6:55
7:04
7:09
7:18
7:48 (where did I bonk?)
7:43
7:51
7:50
7:41
:41
1:36:53 total time, 7:23 pace!!!

Workouts
10 March: rest
11 March: 30 min bike
12 March: 30 min run
13 March: rest
14 March: 6 mi run
15-16 March: rest
17 March: 10 mi run (1:21)
18 March: 10 mi run (1:25)
19-24 March: rest
25 March: 37 min run on trails
26 March: PT test (100%)
27 March: 51 min run on trails
28 March: rest
29 March: 22.5 mi run
30 March: rest
31 March: ?
1 April: 30 min bike AM, 60 min run PM
2 April: 1:33 run on trails
3-4 April: rest
5 April: 1:36:53 half marathon
6 April: fixed my bikes!!!!
7 April: 30 min bike
8 April: 34 min run
9 April: rest (my 26th birthday)
10 April: 60 min triathlon!
11 April: rest
12 April: 11.5 mi
13 April: rest
14 April: 35+ mile bike
15 April: 32 min run on trails
16 April: 30 min mountain bike!!!!
17 April: rest!

XTERRA National Snowshoe Championship!

6 March: 60 min bike, leg strength
7 March: 30 min bike in the AM
8 March: 10 mi run, including some gnarly hills
9 March: XTERRA 2008 NATIONAL SNOWSHOE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

Stupid 10 Mile Run--Work tired me out so badly that I slept for 10 hours straight without even moving. In the morning I ran with some guys from the medical group, with whom I am running the Bataan Death March with at the end of this month. I am still crossing my fingers AND my toes that this thing is going to fall through. They said we were going to run an "easy 10 mile run at around 8:00-8:30 pace." No, we didn't do that. Not at all. We ran 8:30 for about 1/4 mile, and then we hovered around 7:10. And then the hills... I just let them go. I was dying. It was so bad that I started crying while we were running. I was SO angry! My self-confidence was pretty much ZERO. Afterward I went home and slept for 5 more hours. My body was grade-A messed up. And then...

Snowshoe Championship--The next morning I woke up after the time change and prepared for a super fun day. I was 100% spent from the previous day, but I didn't care. I just wanted to say that I competed in a National Championship in something! Ping-pong didn't work out, so snowshoeing was it.

The race was super fun. I thought the course was tough, as my snowshoes are GIANT and were too long and wide to fit on the path completely. My feet and the stabilizing muscles in my lower legs KILL today. I thought about buying some of the crazy light/small snowshoes, but that wouldn't be as hard core! I had a GREAT time, and I didn't do too badly.

My goals for the race were:
-Not to finish last (i.e. beat at least one woman in the 50+ year age group)
-Finish w/in 30 minutes of the winner
-Run my heart out!

Mission Accomplished!

Victory!!!!

XTERRA 2008 National Snowshoe Championship at Snowbasin, UT

Random Stuff...

18 Feb: Rest
19 Feb: 30 min bike
20 Feb: Rest
21 Feb: 60 min bike, strength workout, abs
22 Feb: 5 mi run, core, strength workout
23 Feb: 18+ mi
24 Feb: Core workout
25-26 Feb: Rest
27 Feb: 30 min run
28 Feb: 60 min bike, core
29 Feb: Rest
1 Mar: 13 mi
2 Mar: Rest
3 Mar: 60 min bike, core
4 Mar: 60 min run, arms
5 Mar: 4 mi run

Boston Marathon--I didn't register in time, so I was shut out this year. This was supposed to be Boston #5 in a row, but nooooooo! I'm so stupid. I already have a plane ticket. I'll go if my boyfriend can go, as we were going to stay at his parents' house. Otherwise I'll use it to travel to FL to visit him in May.

Running Group--I found a group to run with! We run at 6:00AM on Saturdays (ouch). I'm the youngest one by about 25 years, and I'm the only woman. I think almost all of them have run the Wasatch 100, which I can't even comprehend. One dude ran seven 100 mile races last summer! I like running so early because: I can run from my house, I can still make it to services at 10:00, I have time to visit my patient at the Hospice, and it forces me to take a really good Shabbat nap and not feel guilty.

Hospice--I was assigned a patient to visit. She's really young, only 59 years old. She was in a nursing home this past weekend, and I went to visit her. She isn't really with it anymore, and she kept weeping. It broke my heart. I think the hardest thing I have ever had to do was leave here there so I could drive home before the snow became too bad. I am going to need some support to do this volunteering...

Bataan Death March--Yes, my squadron commander pretty much coerced me into doing it. It should be fun ("fun"), but I am worried about making the 4:30 goal that our team captain wants to achieve... I need to buy some THICK wool socks.

Marriage--Colin and I have decided to get married in Maryland this December. We want a very small, quiet Jewish ceremony with the rabbi we adore. We are SO excited. Isn't he adorable?

Pain management--I really hope this gets better... Sometimes the pain in my abdomen is so bad I can't even work, think, sleep, eat, stand up, or sit up straight. I believe that it will get better though.

Snowshoe Nationals--This weekend at Snowbasin!!!! WOO HOO!!!! (I just don't want to come in last place, and I want a cool t-shirt.)

Work--We've had exercises at work, and most of us have worked 14+ days this past week so far, including getting called at 3:30AM to come in. It's hard to muster the energy to run after such a long day in a gas mask. But the job is interesting, and I love the Air Force.

Colin and Steph enjoying white sand in FL

Lost Dutchman 1/2 Marathon

13-16 Feb: Absolutely nothing athletic, is that so wrong?
17 Feb: Lost Dutchman 1/2 Marathon in Apache Junction, AZ

Almost all of my family lives in AZ (minus the parents and youngest sister). I had a 4-day weekend of FREE leave, so I decided to fly down to Phoenix for the weekend. Coincidently the 1/2 marathon, among many other races, was taking place that weekend. My sister was cool with driving me down there, and she had agreed to run the 10K.

Conditions were PERFECT!
-Pre-race dinner at grandma's house, complete with ice cream sandwiches (I do well with higher fat foods)
-Perfect weather (even though I forgot my hat)
-Good night's sleep
-King girls having FUN!
-Nice scenery
-1/2 the race on a packed dirt road

The race was anything but flat. The hills weren't HUGE, but they definitely made the course more challenging. My goal was to break 1:40 and use this race as a litmus test for Boston training, which I have zero confidence about.

Splits:
Mile 1 7:56 (started in the middle of the 800+ pack, no chip timing)
Miles 2-3 15:31
Mile 4 7:38
Mile 5 7:20
Mile 6 7:19 (first half in 50:00)
Mile 7 7:21
Mile 8 7:24
Mile 9 7:37
Mile 10 8:09
Mile 11 6:53
Mile 12 6:59
Mile 13 7:14
Mile 13.1 0:46 (second half in 48:19)
Total time 1:38:19, total pace 7:29

55/848 overall
8/468 overall women
5/48 division (3/46 since first 2 were #1 and #3 overall)

This race was a PR for me. Not a huge one, but a PR nonetheless! According to the McMillan calculator, a 3:40 at Boston is definitely a possibility.

Post-race King girls at Grandma's house with her phallic cactus

(Grandma put those rocks there)

Run (and stuff)

5 Feb: Bike 30 min
6 Feb: Run 2 x 0.75 mi (6:45 pace), 4 x 0.5 mi (6:40 pace), total 6.5 mi
7 Feb: Circuit bike workout, 25 min
8/9 Feb: Rest
10 Feb: Run 2:53 (17.6 mi, SLOOOOOW!!!)
11 Feb: Row 5k meters, yoga class
12 Feb: Run 35 min, running drills, row 9k meters

Running--Yes, my long run was incredibly slow. But that's ok! There was a lot of snow on the ground in places, the route was really hilly, and for some weird reason I was really tired. But I did it! Running outside is so much better than running indoors, even if it's snowy and cold.

Blog--Work is tough, and it's only going to become more challenging. Blog may have to go by the wayside, and posting once a week or so may be the way to go.

Pictures--Can you believe it?! This is where I work. (Actually, I work in a cubicle, but I can run here from my office!) We can see the Wasatch Front, the Great Salt Lake, and the salt flats. It's absolutely beautiful.

Run

4 February

Run: 3 hours
Strength: Random stuff
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Run--I ran on an indoor track for 3 hours today. Surprisingly, the knees aren't killing me. We've had so much snow, it's been impossible to get out there more than an hour at a time. Winter marathon training always kills me. I actually ran this run with a 3-hour break in the middle (I had to work sometime). Do you think this still has the same effect of, say, a 2.5 hour long run?

Pictures--These pics were taken in front of my house and from my house today, after the crazy snowstorm we had yesterday. The view of the mountains is amazing. The view of the mountains and the Great Salt Lake from the other side of my house are even more breathtaking.

Bike and Stuff

3 February

Bike: 60 min spin
Strength: Snow shoveling and ice hacking!
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Bike--I love Netflix. My body had been feeling horrible since Friday, but today, aside from some pain, I was feeling much better. So I watched I Pronounce You Chuck and Larry while riding LUCKY on the trainer. A run would have been more fun, but the snow was just out of control today.

Strength--The picture below was taken early in the morning, BEFORE the constant snowfall from today. I scooped 3 feet of snow from my driveway. Not to mention the giant dam of ice just outside my garage that my car bottoms out on. Strong back = fast triathlons!!! :-)

Over 3 feet of snow on the roof. Just yesterday the homeowners association worker guys shoveled all the snow off my roof. Thank goodness, otherwise there would be 6+ feet of snow up there!

Can athletes play catch-up?

Run
I had HUUUUGE motivation/inspiration/confidence issues this past weekend. I spent a lot of time crying, allowing stress to reach out-of-control levels, feeling like I was failing myself and my family, a great deal of raw emotion.

Soooo I decided to regain control of my situation. I had 17 miles on my schedule for the weekend. Since the wind and temperatures were horrendous, I decided to run indoors.

I came up with a goal--don't care about the distance, just run for the time. And that time was 2 and a half hours.

I ate some food, packed up my bag, and went straight to the gym on the base. I ran for an hour on the treadmill, then I ran on the indoor track for an hour and a half. I don't know how far I ran, but for some reason I don't feel like it matters. I have the endurance to finish this race and have a good time! I know it!

Swim
I swam for the second time since my August triathlon this morning. My sets usually go like this:

400-600 SKIPS warm-up (swim, kick, pull, swim)
Drills
Endurance
Sprints/race technique
Huge kick set

This morning I swam 2150 meters, and I could have swam a lot more! The focus will be on freestyle for upcoming races this summer.

It's hard to think of freestyle drills on the fly (haha). I should make a list. I know I have in the past...

Good luck with your training! And let's stay motivated and inspired!!!

Update

Motivation
I don't know how you all do it--the intense training in the winter, the long runs in the 3 feet of powder, all the long rides and runs indoors, trying not to fall on the ice. I admire you. Admittedly, I am not doing so well in that department. I am still having difficulty finding a balance of all things in my life right now. It takes time to get into a solid routine. I am also having a hard time just going out and having fun too. Weird.

In the past I could do several 23 mile runs on a treadmill starting at 5:00 in the mornings. My longest run for Boston so far has only been 15.5 miles, but outside. The weather has been terrible--highs in the teens, strong winds, feet of snow at a time. I just can't wrap my head around running for 3 hours on a treadmill again. I need to figure this out, as Boston isn't going to run itself! What do people training for the olympics do?! Gotta draw upon that inspiration...

I do miss reading blogs. I wasn't so huge on the commenting, but they sure were fun to read. I'll have to do make time to do more of that--after working out, of course!

Project

I am in the midst of starting a running project. Ogden doesn't have a "formal" running club, but I hear there are clusters of runners and triathletes all over the place. It's been incredibly tough trying to find training partners here.

The project will entail:

-Running club at the Air Force base with a focus on fun and lifelong fitness

-Consolidating running resources in Ogden to help people connect

-A database of strength exercises, plyometrics, drills, flexibility exercises, etc

-Training plans for whoever wants them!

-Getting together at races, fostering camraderie

-A way to track progress, incentives for effort and performance

-Much more! This project is going to take some time...

Snowshoeing

The snowshoeing here is primo. I qualified for the National Snowshoe Championships this year, which I am totally stoked about. It will just be fun to race. The women who have qualified are super-athletes, and it will be fun to watch them compete. In my qualifying race, I did get an 8-minute PR in the 5K! Yikes!

Race Calendar

Holy moly, the number of races here in Utah is astonishing. There are at least 4 races every weekend within an hour of where I live. What is a girl to do?! It's going to be incredibly difficult to narrow down my choices--tons of mtn bike races, ultra marathons and marathons, tons of short races, century rides, more triathlons than anyone can do in one season. Just gotta bring it back to the goals.

Other things going on

-My sister's wedding is in March in Arizona, and the entire family's in a frenzy. The bridal shower was fun, and I'm going back in Feb to help out with some more planning.

-I started volunteering for Hospice for Utah, which I love. Sports and fitness are going to be crucial to my being able to relax and focus on the patients.

-My job is craziness! What happens when you ask for more work? They give it to you!

-I joined an orchestra, playing the double bass a few times a week. I really missed playing the bass.

-Studying for my board exam. Yikes!

-Making new friends in the area. Being a single 20-something (with a boyfriend who lives in Florida) is actually pretty tough.

-Fixing up my cute new townhouse in Ogden!

Snowshoeing on the golf course

Colin and Steph winter hiking in Utah

B and Steph with hardware from Miracle Match 1/2 Marathon

Turkey Day in Norfolk with Colin

Running (+ other stuff...)

Wow, it's hard to find time to write on this thing!

Admittedly, I am having a hard time adjusting to my new life in Utah. It's SO dry here, and it's tough to combat the chronic dehydration. My job is really interesting, and I love being in the military. It's tough to find time to run outside during the week since I go to work in darkness and I leave the office in darkness.

Today I ran for 70 min on the indoor track (13+ laps = 1 mile, so it's small) and 20 min on a treadmill, watching a basketball game on the court below. The gym is BEAUTIFUL, but it's definitely not the same as running outside! :-)

BUT I did find an orchestra that needs bass players, I am volunteering at a hospice, I am studying for my professional certification (fingers crossed...), and I am working on this silly publication. Life is good. And have I mentioned that I love Utah?!

I'm sorry this blog is SO boring! I have some "exciting" updates I need to add!

I'll write more soon. Best of luck with your training!

UTAH!!!!!!

I LOVE UTAH!!!

I moved to Ogden on 12 Nov, and I'm (finally) in a house... with internet!

I'll update soon as well as read everyone else's blogs. Lots of catching up to do!

Time to prep for that snowshoe weather. Good luck with your training!

Still Running...

This has been a weird summer.

May--This was the rebuilding period after the Boston Marathon, the prep for my triathlon in August. I didn't throw down any really long runs, but I started feeling strong again.

June--I managed to ride my longest bike ride ever (61+ miles), followed by a 41 mile ride the next day. Long runs hovered around 13 or so miles. Starting to rebuild!

July--Crash and burn. I ran about 8 miles in the entire month, between horrible, incapacitating pain and then moving from DC to TX. But squeezed in some R&R and a lot of kayaking! That was worth it though.

August--Squeezed in 86.7 miles of running, and lots of x-training. I am HOOKED on off-road triathlons, and I can't wait to do more! Utah is going to be such a blessing. The training that the Air Force is putting me through is proving to be pretty tough!

1-18 Sept--Not sure of the mileage, but my long runs are around 90+ minutes. I can do at least 7 pull-ups in a row, or over 20 per workout. Mtn biking is saving my sanity. I am the fitness leader of my flight, so I have scheduled some quality speedwork into our training. It must be working a little bit because 14 out of 18 in my class improved their fitness test scores in only 7 weeks! I ran a 9:45 in my last 1.5 mi test, which isn't too bad.

Project--I have an idea for a project. A really fun, experimental, and amazing project for runners. I need to brainstorm a bit more, but I am excited! Stay tuned...

Hope you had a GREAT summer!

TEXAS!

I'm in Texas, in the thick of a training program in San Antonio. Lots to report, no time to do it!

Camp Eagle XTERRA was a BLAST! I have never had so much fun in an athletic event in my LIFE! My face hurt from smiling too much. Now everything else just hurts a lot. If you remotely like mtn biking or trail running, XTERRA is for you! I am officially hooked!

This mystery GYN problem has put almost everything athletic on hold for the past few months. Fortunately I was able to finish the XTERRA though on minimal training. I will not sign up for any other races until the docs can figure out what's going on. Hopefully I can at least run one fall 1/2 marathon.

Air Force life has been interesting over the past few months: moving out of DC, a training program in San Antonio, and then the big move to Ogden, Utah.

Good luck out there!

Rest

22 May

Rest
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Rest--I passed my first certification exam!!! I studied my brains out for that thing (600 pages of details in 2 weeks, since that's all the time they gave me!). I also had zero food in this apartment, so a trip to the store was necessary.

Time for Shavuot and some crazy Torah study!!! Chag sameach!!

Run

21 May

.

Run: 6 mi

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Run--Mom and Steph on a jaunt through the neighborhood. We ran to the marina and watched the fish for a while. It was HOT! Florida is so beautiful. Sadly, I had to fly back to DC and leave Florida behind for a while...

The King girls in action at the pier, my parents' backyard

My sister turned into a puppy!

Run

20 May

Run: 4 mi

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Run--My middle sister rode her bike (also a SPOOKY) while I ran. She is so wonderful for coming out with me. As usual, we talked about sister things: wedding, her fiance, my boyfriend, careers, how crazy our parents are, how much we miss our dog, etc. It's nice when we know we're on the same page.

Graduation--This was my actual graduation day, even though I missed it because I was in Florida. I am officially a "master!" My sister baked me my "favorite" flavor of cake. I didn't know what my favorite was, so she told me, luckily. But grandma got it first!

Grandma got to the cake first!

There were so many people in the house (14) that I had to sleep in my parents' closet

Run, X-Train

19 May

.

Run: 5K race (extra 1/2 mi or so)

X-Train: Boogieboarded until sand scraped all my skin off!

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Run--My mom, aunt, and I ran a 5K race in Valparaiso, FL. It was really fun! My mom won 1st place in her age group, my aunt won 2nd place in her age group, and I won 3rd place in my age group in 22:26 (6th overall, 7:13 pace). The prizes in the raffle were a box of ramen noodles, a carseat, a hunting hat, and a bazillion littering t-shirts. The prizes for winning were our names being immortalized, er... engraved on a brick to be placed somewhere in Valparaiso. Only "Stephanie Kin" will fit on there. Ha ha! I wanted to make a fake name like "Steph SoCool" or something similar.

.

X-train--I had the BEST time on the beach! I swam a TON, boogieboarded until my family had to pull me out of the water because I didn't want to leave, and managed not to get sunburned! Wow, what a GREAT time!

No, I am not "Hat Agnew"

The water was PERFECT!

Uncle, cousins, youngest sis, and Steph livin' it up in FL

X-Train

18 May
.

X-Train: Play at the Beach!

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Ceremony--My grandparents, an aunt, uncle, cousins, and I came to FL for my dad's change of command ceremony down at Eglin AFB on the beach in FL. He became a squadron commander! We had a lot to celebrate: end of the school year, my graduate school graduation, my sister's engagement, my birthday, and my dad's change of command!

.

X-train--After the ceremony we all piled into cars and went to the beach! Snorkeling, skimboarding, swimming, laughing.

.

Do I smell future 4-star general??

Netting fish on the shore with youngest sis and cousin

Sisters! (She's the younger, beautiful, dark one)

Run

17 May

Run: 3.5 mi
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Run--Mom and I did a loop around the neighborhood before she and my grandmas drove around town. I spent the day holed up in their TV room studying for my certification exam. I studied my brains out, they did everything they needed to do. A great day.