Antarctica

Today is the two year anniversary of my "running" the Antarctica marathon. I put running in quotes because I didn't exactly run it...more like crawled and cried. It was harder than Ironman, which I couldn't believe.

After that I ran in Australia, then Denmark and now onto China this year. In fact, my visa is being processed as I write this. Hopefully no injuries and I can go. China is supposed to be harder than Antarctica, oh brother...

I don't do enough traveling and it is my favorite thing to do. It always makes me feel taken away from my daily problems.

Jeremy Renner

So I know that is Charlize Theron in the photo, but I'm playing pretend it is me. I have a new love: Jeremy Renner, Academy Award Nominee for The Hurt Locker.

He is a bit shorter than I am, so the height difference of Charlize and myself would be nearly the same to Jeremy. I heard he is taking his mother to the Oscars...how cute is that?

Olympics

Since it has now been a week that I've felt like I'm on my death bed, I've had some time to watch the Olympics. I love the figure skating. I love the ice. I have such happy memories of the ice rink.

Back in high school I was grossly unpopular with boys. Actually, some things never change. I used to think I would be a late bloomer, but being as that I'm turning 33 in a couple months, I think I am a perpetual bud. But I digress. In high school I never went to prom or homecoming, so the nights of the dances, I would head to the ice rink where you just couldn't be sad. It was my happy place.

I love the smell of the ice. In fact, it is my favorite smell: freshly zambonied ice.

In college I would get up at 5:30am to catch a bus ride for an hour to the ice rink, skate, then take a bus ride for an hour back--all before I even went to class. That's how much I loved the ice.

Watching the Olympics makes me happy to see the skaters and jealous at the same time.


I have developed a bit of a crush on skier Bode Miller. He looks like actor Ed Burns. We would make a good couple because 1. We both have winter sports we enjoy. Clearly he's more talented at his sport though. 2. We both have good balance. I can stay up on two thin blades and he can stay up on two thin sticks. 3. We both are into fitness.

Jennifer and Bode's Fairy Tale:

I would be the ice princess skating all winter and he would be the king of the moguls. Our favorite food would of course be snow cones. Then during the summer we would cross train by running marathons and triathlons in beach towns.

And we would live happily ever after.

Still sick

Well, I'm still sick. Whatever I have seems to be clinging for dear life. No matter what I combat it with, the illness is winning. I will have to take this up a notch. What warrior moves do I have in battling germs?

With my sickness, it has forced me to not do anything. So I have caught up on movies this weekend and watched the Olympics.

I am at work again today, but my body and head are somehow still in bed.

I am working on a new website with my brother in Utah and very excited at what I will be creating.

Sick

This is the sickest I have been since 2007. I have this terrible infection and completely lost my voice. I went to urgent care last night and waited for 3 hours to see a doctor. Apparently, there are a lot of sick people out there right now.

I am ready to get better and get back to running. I miss it!



This was the view in my Valentine's Day half marathon! Gorgeous right? So pretty!

Pain go away

I am suffering from the flu this week. I was feeling fine on Sunday and even mentioned to someone I haven't been sick in a while. Then Monday comes and I'm down. It's pretty bad.

My roommate is moving out and bought a house. I will be living alone for the first time in a long time. Good thing for security systems!

Today is my little brother's birthday and he is celebrating it in the Bahamas. I am so jealous! Although I am having 76 degree weather here, so can't complain. Happy birthday J.!

Valentine's Day is about love right? So...

I spent Valentine's Day doing what I love: running. I ran my 21st half marathon in Apache Junction and got the same time I usually do. The course felt tougher with more hills, as it had changed this year. No more running through sweet neighborhoods with children handing out oranges to the runners. Rather, we ran a lot on pavement and only a small portion on trails. The neighborhood blocked a lot of the head wind, but with the new course, we ran into the wind which really slowed my pace down.

I then biked 25 miles to assist with recovery. I find that biking after a half marathon sort of spins the lactic acid out.

It was a gorgeous near 80 degree day. I was dog sitting all weekend and watched my favorite sport in the world: figure skating. I love the winter Olympics because of skating.

So Valentine's day had lovely weather, running, biking, figure skating and a dog for my date. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's day! Except if Curtis Stone had been around, things would have been brighter, but I take what I can get. This year my date was a dog, which is actually more than I can say for last year.

On Saturday I ran a 5K and placed 4th out of 14 in my age group. Small race and tough hill for first 2K, but didn't feel winded like I usually do at the end of a 5K.