Evening Roosevelt Lake Adventure

What do you do when it's nearly 110 degrees outside? Go to the lake! And not just any lake, the largest lake that exists solely within the Arizona state borders: Roosevelt Lake. I truly had no idea how big this lake was, until we drove, and drove, and drove, and still found more water (and that even with water levels being way down).

We set out from home about 3:30 PM and arrived at the lake around 5:00 PM. First, we went to the Roosevelt Bridge overlook. From the overlook, we saw the bridge (the longest of its kind in North America), a wide view of the lake, and plenty of boats! 

From there, we worked our way around to the dam overlook. (Beware, the road is barely wide enough for two cars). The dam is truly immense, and the buildings beneath it sparked our curiosity. We saw what we are pretty sure was a bald eagle land on one of the sandbars behind the dam.

After driving a bit more, we settled on one of the many recreational sites, Cottonwood Cove Picnic Area, for dinner. We looked out over the water, watched a storm roll in, and even spotted a javelina! On the way home, we drove through Miami, Superior, and Gold Canyon, and even caught up to rain storm (or it caught us)!

Could we have done other things with our evening? Sure! But this was a great way to get away, see some new scenery, and reset and refresh before the week starts again.

Curious about the sourdough? Dinner was elevated PBJs (elevated because I made the raspberry chia seed jam, upped the nutrition with Creamy protein peanut butter and put in all on sourdough sandwich bread). 

Weeknight Salt River Adventure

Think Dobbins Lookout is the best place in the Phoenix Metropolis to catch an Arizona sunset? Think again! Try the Salt River!

There are Black Canyon of the Gunnison level rocks and cliffs.

Plenty of places to sit and just be (Of course, we would find my husband out on a ledge.) 

Calm and quiet all around

When my husband told me he wanted to go on a weeknight adventure, I was down. It had already been a long week, and I just wanted to get away. Sourdough zucchini pizza and carrots packed well for dinner in the car, and off we went. We stayed until near dark and then drove home at dusk. I seriously couldn't have asked for a better evening!

Arizona Quirks

Arizona is a weird and wonderful state. Before visiting, I think a lot of people perceive Arizona as this sandy desert where it's only ever hot, dry, and windy. Far from it! (This is not the Sahara, folks!) With that being said, though, Arizona does have a few quirks:

1) Yes, it gets hot, so hot you can make chocolate covered strawberries inside your car (Peterson, 2022), cook a steak and potatoes in a dutch oven on your dash (Webb, 2023), or make a grilled cheese on the lawn.

2) We have a few issues with wildlife. Like bears roaming around grocery stores (Sillman, 2023), bobcats living in attics (Sarabia, 2026) and sitting on roofs (Johnson, 2025), and appearances of new species of big cats (Ottman, 2025).

3) Cacti lean.

4) Less than a tenth of an inch of rain qualifies as a "chance of precipitation."

5) Phones overheat regularly.

But hey, Arizona is still a great place to live, quirks and all!

References:

Johnson, J. (2025, November 25). Bobcats spotted resting on Scottsdale home's roof. Fox 10. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/bobcats-spotted-resting-scottsdale-homes-roof

Ottman, M.K. (2025, December 3). New Jaguar Confirmed in Southern Arizona. Mountain daily star. https://mountaindailystar.com/new-jaguar-confirmed-in-southern-arizona/

Peterson, Matt. (@MattPeterson). (2022, September 15). Making chocolate covered strawberries… inside of my car. [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiiItZtth5X/

Sarabia, S. (2026, June 3). Not rats, not raccoons: Bobcats found living in Scottsdale attic.

AZ family. https://www.azfamily.com/2026/06/04/not-rats-not-raccoons-bobcats-found-living-scottsdale-attic/.

Sillman, J. (2023, June 4). Bear found roaming near a Prescott Valley Safeway Sunday morning

AZ family. https://www.azfamily.com/2023/06/04/brown-bear-found-roaming-near-prescott-valley-safeway-sunday-morning/

Webb, B. (2023, July 14). Dinner's ready! Mesa man cooks meals on his dashboard on hot days. Fox 10. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/dinners-ready-mesa-man-cooks-meals-on-his-dashboard-on-hot-days

Ten.

Two years ago, I felt pretty sure we would be in another place by now. I was morning and pre-grieving, trying to soak up everything as potentially "the last." God had other plans, though, and here we still are.

I have truly come to love and enjoy this place we call home. Sure, it has its downsides. Commuting through city traffic is far from my favorite. Our best Christian friends live about an hour across the valley, meaning we see them infrequently. My husband hates the heat of the Arizona valley summers. There is the dirt, and smog and trash, and a few unsafe areas. But there is also the good: walkable (and runnable, when I can run) and lit sidewalks and canal paths, more parks than we can visit in a year (just in our city alone), ample hiking trails, cacti galore, and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.

My husband and I bought our first home here. We both progressed in our careers. We dined at a lot of great restaurants. We enjoyed a lot of fun events. We made traditions. We made friends.

Will this always be our home? Well, no. Our home is in heaven, and whether Arizona remains our earthly home for the remainder of our days or not remains to be seen. For a temporary, home, though, a decade in one state is a lot, and I feel grateful and give thanks for it.

My Second Marathon

My second marathon, and I might be done, not because it didn't go well, but because it did. And it hurt, bad. I'm just not sure I'm made for this distance.

The Backstory

I signed up for this marathon shortly after last year's 10K. Debating between the half- and full-marathon distances, I asked my husband for his input. He told me that I should run the one I most wanted to run. Having heard horror stories of the traffic backups getting to the half marathon last year, I went with the full distance. 

I took a little time off after that 10K, then trained for Pat's Run and ran my first half-marathon for fun. Following that, I trained for Columbus half-marathon, sliding right into full-marathon training.

The Training

I went with the Boston Level Two plan this year (Boston Marathon, n.d., "Training plans". I started off thinking I would go for the 3:45 time, but then I decided to go all in for 3:30. That time would Boston qualify me, though probably not get me into the race, as the current buffer is seven minutes plus (Boston Marathon, n.d., "Qualify for the Boston Marathon"). Let's just say training was rough. I got ill a few times. I experienced quite a bit of gastrointestinal distress. Work has been super intense and stressful since January. I lost my voice the week of the race (more on that later). I really considered deferring or canceling several times.

Race Week

I came into race week with what I refer to as the "chest squeezy" feeling. I wasn't sick, but I didn't feel quite right, either. I started taking Vitamin C and Zinc on Saturday, and allergy medicine on Sunday. By Tuesday, I had mostly lost my voice. As I lay in bed Tuesday night considering what to do about work, I felt like God was prompting me to take time off. After all, I pretty much talk for a living, and it would be a push to try to force my voice through all the meetings I had planned. I did the meetings I had to do and took the rest of the day off. I took a nap and by Thursday, I thought I was mostly better. I finally hit race pace in my last five mile workout and I thought I had a chance.

I went to the shakeout run on Friday at what I thought was an early time, but there were already a lot of people there, and no shoes left in my size to test. Oh well. I ran the run, dashed to Home Depot to pick up supplies for my husband for our home renovation process, and went back to the expo. 

Big pickup was easy. I even got a mug for participating in this even for five year. (I didn't even realize it was that long!). There was a long line for bib testing, though. The people running the bib testing said that the server was slow, and we could move on if we trusted the system. I did, going through the whole expo to fill out my expo passport. (I now have enough points to register for at least the 10K for free!) This was probably the best expo yet, with lots of giveaways and swag. At the pacer's table, I picked up pace bands for 3:30 all the way to 3:45. I really wasn't sure how I should go out. While I believed I was capable of running a 3:30, calculators put me at 3:33 at the fastest, with a more realistic time of 3:49. Should I bet on myself or not?

The Night Before

I hit my carb goals early, and was able to get in bed by 8 PM. I wondered how I would sleep, given that I also napped that day. Praise Jesus, I slept pretty well!

Race Morning

I woke up at 3 AM. That was barely early enough, but I made it! I listened to my audio Bible reading (One Year Bible, n.d.), worked on my pull-ups, did my push-ups, PT exercises, stretching and foam rolling. Then I got dressed, made my cup of coffee with RNWY collagen, toasted my bagel, climbed up and down the stairs, and was out of the house around 4 am (RNWY, n.d.; Farmhouse on Boone, 2024).

My kind husband has been my chauffeur every year for the race, and thank goodness! I still don't know my way around town, and with lots of roads shut down, it was interesting to get to the bus line. While driving, I ate my banana and bagel and drank my coffee.

Transportation instructions this year had different parking and drop off locations. My husband said he didn't like the drop off, but I thought it worked well. He dropped me off around 4:20 AM. I was on a bus by around 4:30 AM, and we departed at 4:40 AM.

It was a bit of a drive to the start line, through Tempe and up the mountain. We arrived about 5:30 AM, which I thought was a good time, as it only left an hour until start time. Well, the porta-potty lines were already long, and even though I jumped right in, it took about 40 minutes to get through. That left me just enough time to throw my bag on the truck for retrieval at race end, and get in the corrals.

In the corrals, I decided to line up with the 3:35 group. We heard there was no 3:30 pacer, and the 3:35 pacer Ken seemed nice (Skrien, n.d.). Two other ladies and I were right with him.

The weather was pretty cool at the start (around 49 degrees and cool). I gave my first mylar blanket to two ladies shivering in the cold. I honestly did not want to, but I thought it was the right thing to do. God was gracious, and I found a discarded mylar blanket in a trash can when I went to drop my bag. Maybe it is gross, but I took it and kept it right until the start line.

The Race

Miles 1-10 I pretty much ran with the pacer the whole way. He seemed he like he knew what he was doing, and I trusted him. Sometimes he was a little ahead of me. Sometimes I got a little ahead of the pack. There was a hill around miles 4-6, but it was not too bad. It was lovely not to look at my watch, and I just chugged along, taking gels every three miles.

Miles 10-20 I started feeling my legs probably around mile 9 or so, and by 13, I was hurting some. I thought to myself, "And this is why I am a half-marathon girl." At some point, I actually got ahead of the pace group, and I thought I just might be on track for a 3:30. Then things started slowing down. I took a Carbs fuel gel with 100 mg of caffeine at mile 15, and at about mile 18, I felt it kick in (Carbs Fuel, n.d.). By this point, though, I had dropped behind the pace group. [Marathon Mama RD also passed me (Scott, n.d.)] I was off pace for a 3:30 slightly by mile 17, and at 18, I was hurting. I told myself I had just about an hour left, and that around 22, I would see my husband.

Miles 20-26.2 My pace kept slowing as the flat ground and hot sun loomed before me. I texted my husband around mile 20 that I planned to throw my pack at him. I had drank most of the RAW electrolyte water and just wanted to shed weight (RAW, n.d.). I stuffed my pockets with my remaining fuel, and still slowed down. I went from 8:04 to 8:07 to 8:10/mile. I didn't really look at my watch. Honestly, I didn't care about my time anymore. I just wanted to finish. I knew I had friends at the finish line, and I didn't want to disappoint them.

One of my "friends" (the ladies with whom I started) was off and on my shoulder as we got closer to the finish line. I saw at least two people either doubled over or sitting. I told myself to hold on. I was belching gels at this point, so I let myself get away with skipping the one at mile 24. I took a few sips of water and grabbed a Crank E-gel and Skratch energy chews (because I am a sucker for freebies) and just kept going (Crank Sports, n.d.; Skratch, n.d.).

I tried to be encouraging as I went. I saw one lady walking and crying. I saw Waddell Running Lady with her son's name on her bib and cheered her on (Schroff, n.d.). I tried to run a little faster, telling myself that if I sped up, I would finish faster. I gave it all I had in the last 0.2 miles, and I thought I was fast. Splits say I was just the same: 8:10/mile. 

The Finish

I did see my friends and husband out of the corner of my eye as I finished. I threw up my hands and stopped my watch. The 3:35 group was pretty far in front of me, but the clock said 3:35 when I passed, so I thought I might be close. My watch said 26.47 in 3:34:20, but I stopped it after the finish, so I wondered what my time was. The app didn't say.

I grabbed my medal and filled up a bag with food: Spylt chocolate milk, Siete Foods, That's It fruit bars, water, and more (Spylt, n.d.; Siete Foods, n.d., That't It, n.d.). I skipped the banana, thinking we had a lot at home. That was a mistake.

The Finish Line Festival

I thought the Finish Line Festival was for runners only, but my husband and friends got to me. My friends had made me a sign, which was super fun. I immediately went to the results tent, but after waiting in line for quite some time, was told to come back in 30 minutes, as my results had not registered. We went and took photos and got some more goodies. I went back. They told me to come back again. I hobbled over to take pictures with the 26.2 sign, and then my friends had to leave. At some point, I went and got my drop bag (a little bit of an Easter egg hunt, but I found it.). The Honor Health tent let me have a banana, and that helped with refueling.

I am not sure if I went back to the results tent one or two more times. All I know is that it was getting hot. I felt like I was getting sunburned, and both my husband and I felt thirsty. Running friends encouraged me to go to the Honor Health tent to stretch out, and that helped my pain some. Eventually, after trying to hydrate with more caffeine (I could only get half down) and eating another protein bar, results were still not it (1st Phorm, n.d. Phorm energy; 1st Phorm, n.d. Level-1 Bar. The nice man (who was losing his voice) explained that the beacons on the course pinged about 50 times per person per beacon, and with 11,000 runners, the server had crashed due to the backlog. It was back up, but not more backlogged than ever. He said it could take until evening or the next day to register time. Convinced that I would get a time, we went to the car and drove home.

The Drive Home

While driving home, I listened to the kind shoutouts my sister-in-law (plus niece and nephew), Mom and Dad, and prayer partner of my mom's sent. I had forgotten my AirPods, but that was just as well, as it it made the drive home more special. Mom had asked me to send her a picture of what I was wearing on the run, and I figured she had some plan, but what I didn't know was that she would have a friend on the course to cheer me on. What a blessing!

My finish time finally posted while driving home: 3:34:14--not a Boston qualifier, but over 17 minutes faster than my first. And there was so much to give thanks for: nice weather, friends, good nutrition (thanks to my running dietitian, which will be another post), the pacer, food at the expo to get me through an extra long stay, the Asics Magic Speed shoes Sole Sports got me hooked on, no blisters thanks to Bombas socks from my husband, etc. (Moore, n.d.; Asics, n.d.; Sole Sports, n.d.; Scheels, n.d.).

It took me a bit to unpack and unwind when I got home. I had coffee, plus 100 mg of caffeine on the course, plus 200 more in the protein drink, plus 100-150 mg more. Needless to say, I was buzzed.

I didn't think I was hungry after I showered, but I thought I should eat more. My friends gave both my husband I goodie boxes, and praise Jesus, there was a savory Quiche Lorraine in there (Paris Baguette, n.d.). After all the sweetness of the gels, that hit the spot. I attempted to nap, but nah, that was not happening. Caffeine and adrenaline do not for a good nap make. But that's okay. It was still a good day.

Final Thoughts

The pacer told us early on in the race to find our, "Why." I had it written on my wrists: "loved" on my left wrist, and "beloved" on my right wrist. Loved was to remind me to pray for the kids with whom I work. "Beloved" was from the new Francis Chan book (2025), and encouragement to me to focus on absorbing God's love. As I ran, I thought about what it meant to "be loved." I committed to myself that I would not take anything for granted, thank God for whatever results came, and actually try to accept and absorb the love of all the people supporting me on this day. I did pray a lot. I am super grateful for the results. I am not sure I have fully absorbed all the love of the people around me or of God, but you know what? I have that very kind race sign to look at and remind me of love for as long as I want to keep it around. That's probably going to be for a very long time!

References:

Asics. (n.d). Magic Speed. https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/magic-speed/c/aa50124900/?CAWELAID=120223060000996421&CATRK=SPFID-1&CATARGETID=120223060000867441&CAPCID=587613936406&CATCI=dsa-19959388920&CAAGID=130950374040&CADevice=c&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10390976860&gbraid=0AAAAADl69Mha6JyZbmEthRvK5MOWT72vI&gclid=Cj0KCQiA18DMBhDeARIsABtYwT2fJ3oKsxUvl044pCFuHqs00MVb8zS4Cm5hzF71mHdhe3ficQKwNEsaAnWvEALw_wcB

Boston Marathon. (n.d.). Qualify for the Boston Marathon. https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/qualify/

Boston Marathon. (n.d.). Training plans. https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/info-for-athletes/boston-marathon-training/

Carbs Fuel. (n.d.). Carbs Fuel original caffeinated 50g energy gel. https://carbsfuel.com/products/carbs-fuel-caffeinated-original-50g-energy-gel

Chan, F., & Gordon, M. (2025). Beloved. David C. Cook.

Crank Sports. (n.d.). Radical raspberry e-gel. https://www.cranksports.com/product/radical-raspberry-e-gel-box-of-24/

Farmhouse on Boone. (2024, April 27). Easy sourdough discard bagels. https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/easy-sourdough-discard-bagels/#wprm-recipe-container-41224

1st Phorm. (n.d.). Level-1 bar. https://1stphorm.com/products/level-1-bar-15ct?variant=40173113737302

1st Phorm. (n.d). Phorm energy. https://1stphorm.com/products/phorm-energy

Moore, E. (n.d.). The Dietitian Runner. https://thedietitianrunner.com/

Paris Baguette. (n.d.). Quiche Lorraine. https://parisbaguette.com/product/quiche-lorraine/

RAW. (n.d.). RAW replenish. https://getrawnutrition.com/products/raw-replenish?srsltid=AfmBOoqjVrcdX1lM0_ZQ5yCKWzG0a2rGrwIqGRAigxSbKn_bbJBNbr1O&variant=51657774334270

RNWY. (n.d.). RNWY foundation. https://rnwy.life/products/foundation?srsltid=AfmBOoqU6wWmXDD7Gyzy-F1kRCyx8OdoJoBe896SQxm77xyjbYPI6pKM

Scheels. (n.d.). Bombas performance ankle running socks. https://www.scheels.com/p/84362919468?queryID=c9989f49f8db5376728a82c6bcff6378

Schroff, M. [@WaddellRunningLady]. (n.d.). Waddell Running Lady. [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved February 14, 2026 from https://www.instagram.com/waddellrunninglady/.

Scott, J. [@MarathonMama_RD]. (n.d.). Marathon Mama RD. [Instagram profile. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/marathonmama_rd/

Siete Foods. https://sietefoods.com/shop/

Skratch Labs. (n.d.). Energy chews sport fuel. https://www.cranksports.com/product/radical-raspberry-e-gel-box-of-24/

Skrien, K. [@Im_That_Ken]. (n.d.). I'm That Ken. [Instagram profile]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/im_that_ken/

Sole Sports. (n.d.). https://solesports.runfreeproject.com/

Spylt. (n.d.). Spylt chocolate milk. https://www.spylt.com/product/chocolate-milk

That's It. (n.d.). Fruit bars. https://www.thatsitfruit.com/collections/shop-fruit-bars?srsltid=AfmBOorcRr0Oq8XJ7lB7PDp-HpFK0AeK9xTu4pbV9dephGOVX1EArZRJ

The Night Run 5K

How it started:

Versus how it's going: 

One of the first/last things my (now) husband and I did as friends was the 2018 Butterfly Run. The race was at best, awkward. He said he just wanted to be friends, and I was trying to honor that, but he kept showing up at all the things I wanted to do. I wanted to run this race, but then he said he wanted to try a 5K, so he signed up. I wasn't against him coming, but I was trying to create distance between us, because I liked him as more than a friend, but was trying to honor his wishes. Add to this race the awkwardness of my Oklahoma best friend being in town and wanting to meet this guy who wasn't my boyfriend.

The 2018 race started out hot. He kept up with me for about a mile, and then I sped up to drop him. I could tell he was struggling, and well, I wanted to run my race. Even though I took off, he still managed to place in his age group. I guess it was a small race.

A lot of my photos from that race had my husband in them, but I didn't post them. We had a long chat about that. I told him that I didn't want people making assumptions (which they were already doing), and I was not going to feed the fire. I told him that I valued his friendship, and was trying to honor that privately rather than publicly.

That race and conversation led to a weekend hike and a conversation about where we wanted our relationship to go. As of November 10, 2018, we were dating. Christmas Eve 2018, I told him I loved him. We got engaged March 10, 2019 and married June 10. The rest is history.

--

I always try to do something a little extra special for our dating anniversary. My husband took up running during 75 Soft, and though he was not quite up to 5K in distance, I thought he was close. We both like sunsets, so when I found a sunset run the weekend of our date-i-versary, I asked my husband if he was interested. Given that it was the same weekend as the Scottsdale Canal Convergence, I thought we could run, grab dinner, and then go to the outdoor art show.

Since the race was small, bib pickup was the day of the race. That wasn't great, as we had to walk from the parking garage to the park, and then back to put away our shirts. While it was not a long walk, I wondered how it would affect me, as I had done a 12 mile training run with speed work in the morning. I seemed okay.

I used the outhouse at about 5 PM. At about 5:15 pm, we both ate a fruit strip. I was not planning to race, but I also wanted to fuel well since I had already run so much. The raspberry lemonade was tart, but I got it down.

We had decided ahead of time to go out at an 11:00/mile pace. While there were not a lot of people, we had to dodge a few, and then settled in. We only had to cross one main road, and they had that blocked off, so it was an easy course along the canal path overall. My husband's PR distance was 1.5 miles from an event we did in September. My goal was to help him PR that. We did, getting to 2.1 miles before he cramped. (This has been an ongoing issue that we have not quite figured out.) We walked, breathed, and stretched for 0.1 mile and then kept at it. I was cheering him on, and he said he wanted to quit about 3 miles, but on sheer determination, he finished, in 35:02.1. He was pretty proud that his bib number was 54, and he finished in 54th place. (Somehow my time was 35:01.2, even though I am pretty sure we came over the line together.) We knew we hadn't placed, so we grabbed some water, took a tunnel medal picture and headed for dinner.

As usual after a race, we did burgers. Shake Shack this time! We carried the meal over to Canal Convergence and I inhaled it. My husband was surprised when I finished before him, as that is not usually the case. I guess I was hungry?

We walked around and saw a few exhibits, and then lined up to watch the showtime fire show, which is the highlight of the night. We squeezed in a photo booth visit and then headed home.

Overall, it was a great experience. Running is for health, but also for community. It is to do hard things, but also to have fun. It is to chase PRs, but also to chase love, of each other, and of the sport. The night run was an example of this, and I hope for the chance to run more with my husband soon!

We Caught The Cougar!

On September 20, 2025, around 6:15 PM, we caught the cougar shadow. The cougar shadow is a phenomenon that happens only twice a year, in the third weeks of March and September (Visit Mesa, n.d.). On clear days, as the sun sets, the sun casts a shadow over the Superstition Mountains that looks just like a pouncing cougar. The phenomenon lasts for only about 15 minutes, and then it is gone.

I have wanted to catch the cougar shadow for several years now (having seen it posted about in social media, and on the local news), but in March, the day we set aside to see it was cloudy. Clouds obscure the sun, and therefore the shadow and the phenomenon. I worried a little bit about our ability to see the shadow this time, as I saw clouds gathering over the mountains. My husband assured me that the clouds were in the wrong direction from the sun, and therefore of no concern.

To catch the phenomenon, we drove a ways out down a two lane road in Apache Junction (about half an hour from our home). The Visit Mesa (n.d.) site says to pull off near Goldfield Road and Superstition Boulevard, and that is what we did. There are several pullout areas there, as well as open land on which to walk out. We arrived about 5:15 pm, and found only a few cars there at that point. Later, probably six other parties joined us. We sat in our car and watched the mountain until about 6:10 pm or so. As we saw the shadow on the mountain growing, we got out to watch and photograph it. The phenomenon lasted only as long as the sun was starting to set. As the sun set lower and lower, the shadow faded, and then went away. (We did see the last tinges of sunrise as we departed). 

As my husband said, God does nothing on accident, so we consider this phenomenon a gift of God. It was a joy and a thrill to catch it, and perhaps we will do it again sometime. As it is, September 20th was supposedly the last day of the phenomenon for 2025, so that will have to wait until Spring 2026.

References:

Visit Mesa. (n.d.). An insider's guide to the cougar shadow on the Superstition Mountains. https://www.visitmesa.com/blog/an-insiders-guide-to-the-cougar-shadow-on-the-superstition-mountains/ 

Nine.

My husband asked me the other day what home meant to me. I asked him if he meant "home" in a figurative or in a literal sense. I answered him from both perspectives. "Home is with you. Home is where my people are," I said. "Home feels safe and comfortable. Home for right now is this house."

At year nine, I think this stint in Arizona is now the longest I have spent in any one state, and it is starting to have that safe, comfortable, predictable feel. It is not that there are not risks, but that I know a little bit more of what to expect. I know that the heat hits quickly, and therefore I need to hydrate early and often. I know to watch out for cacti whose spines have more than once pierced my sin. I almost always put the sunshade in the car when I park, and I know to be careful when touching the steering wheel after the car has sat outside for a while. I know that if I see rain in the forecast, it probably won't be for the whole day, or even come at all. I don't think about when Daylight Savings will hit. I expect beautiful sunrises and sunsets and try to watch out for them. Arizona is a place with which I have a relationship, and as such, I continue to get to know it better and better.

Arizona is not perfect. It is not Eden, but it is home. I enjoy living in Arizona, even with all of its quirks. At year nine, I'm thanking God to be back here and praying to be faithful in this place for as long as He has me here.

Pat's Run 6.0

Six time's the charm? I mean this was the year to run and get the final medal to complete the set honoring Pat Tillman as ASU Sun Devil, Arizona Cardinal, and US Army Ranger. Overall, I would say I had a pretty good build into this race. The Lord blessed me with my fastest 5K in the fall, my first marathon in December, and a fast 10K in February. I was pretty confident I could top my 8:01/mile pace from 2023, but then I got sick. I was thankfully only down for a few days and was able to run easy on those days. I did miss my 12-miler, though. (I was using the Sub-45 minute 10K plan from Run, but not quite running the assigned paces.) I felt a little froggy throughout the week and still had a little bit of a runny nose. I tried to prioritize sleep and carbs (bagels!) during the week so I could give the race what I had.

Goals

A: Better my time of 33:40 from 2024 and my 10K pace of 7:41/mile

B: Enjoy my time in the first corral (Will that ever happen again?)

C: Run miles afterward if possible (on my way to training for my last race of the "season")

Packet pick-up

I need to remind myself that this takes a little bit of time. Packet pickup is not difficult, but there is traffic. This time, I think the issue is that the left turn arrow was only letting through a few cars at a time. I found a parking spot right away when I entered, even though the lot was full. I had to stand in a line of about six people to get my packet, but when I got to the front, pickup was quick. I told them my bib number, got my bib and shirt, and was out.

There is not much in the race bag in the way of swag. I got my shirt, a restaurant coupon, and a packet of Squirrel's Nut Butter (new this year). That is not what this race is about, though. Many people do not even choose to "race" it. Rather, they choose to run in memory of a man who gave his all for his country. 

Sometimes I get race nerves. This race, though, got me excited on Friday. I looked actually looked forward to being with so many people working together for a great cause!

Race Day

As in past years, I got up at 4 am, and we were out the door by 5 am to catch the 5:13 am light rail. I got a little chilly on the light rail and walking to the arena, but I knew I would warm up quick. Praise the Lord, the morning went mostly according to plan. I went to the restroom for the first time. We walked through the vendor tent. I picked up a lot of loot. I got my husband to take pictures.

Warm-Up

Two miles was a good warm-up for my most recent 5K and 10K, so I aimed for that again. It was a little tricky finding enough space to run, but I got it in. I threw in a few strides (bursts of speed) during the second mile. All of this I did from 6:20-6:40 am. Then it was back to the restroom, and into the corral by my goal time of 6:50 am. At 6:55 am, I took a caffeinated vanilla GU gel, and at 7:05 am, we were off.

The Run

The first bit of the race (the jag to get the 0.2 mile, I think) is a little crowded. Thankfully, I was able to keep a good pace. My first mile came in at 7:28/mile. There was a little downhill for mile 2, and that brought me to 7:16/mile. There is a slow uphill around Papago Park, which is not hard, but did slow me down some. That mile came in at 7:36/mile (still faster than my 7:41/mile 10K, which was my goal). I tried to keep a good pace and keep passing people for the last mile. At 4 miles, I told myself to work and get into the stadium. I knew there was a small uphill, but figured I could count down from 100 twice, and it would be over. I lost cost in the first hundred. I did remember to throw up my hands at the finish line, and for once, I got a decent photo.

The finish line was a bit different this year in that they hustled us through the chute and completely out of the arena to get medals and refreshments. It could have been cool to get a medal photo on the field, but my husband was not there anyway. No big deal. 

Pat's Run hosted a tailgate this year, but we did not attend. I just got my husband to take a few photos, and then I went out to run the rest of my miles around Tempe Town Lake before heading to brunch at 10 am. Let me tell you. That brunch was delicious!

Results

My final time was 31:18, and 7:27/mile. That is two minutes and 22 seconds faster than last year. As my mom taught me to say, "Yeah, God!" And also thanks to all the running dietitians who put out free information about nutrition for athletes. That has made the biggest difference in me being able to train more and run further and faster.

Final Thoughts

This race is so cool because it is not just a race, but a community event. The event is SO well-organized. I so appreciate the fact that it is made accessible for as many as want to participate, from wheelchair racers, to families who want to push their children in strollers, to kids who want to run the 1K. What a great way to commemorate Pat Tillman, a man who put others before himself and gave all to protect our freedoms to engage in activities like this race today. His legacy is truly a great one!

Sub 50: A New PR at the 2025 Mesa 10K

My pre-race peptalk: Running a sub-50 10K is a big, hairy, audacious goal, maybe the biggest running goal I have set yet. But with the Lord's help, I think I can do it. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will probably hurt. But I can give myself or excuses, or try. If I try and fall short, I have a shot at a PR, and that, if not the moon, could at least land me in star zone. And if I fail? Try, try again. Or decide I don't want to. This isn't life and death....

(Apparently I was no the only one thinking about this.)

And with that, I set off to run. More than once, I though about hobby jogging it. Midway through, my paces started to drop, and I thought it might be a "Positive splits for positive people" type race, even if I met my sub-50 goal. And then, by God's grace, I did it! And is 47:43! Here's part of what it took to get there:

The Training:

I ran the Mesa half-marathon last February, a 5K in November, and then Tucson Marathon. I did Hal Higdon's (n.d.) return to running program for three weeks, and then moved into the appropriate week (based on weeks until race date) of Run's (2024) Sub-50 minute 10K program. I tried to be careful. PT helped the hip that hurt post marathon, but I still had a cranky right foot. I did not, and could not, hit the paces prescribed until the two weeks right before the marathon (and that was only in my racing shoes). A sub-50 10K seemed possible, but definitely not certain, especially given that my last PR was 51:06, and when you only have 6.2 miles to run, you have to shave a lot off every mile to get to a new level.

The Day Before:

I went to the Hoka shakeout run to demo the new Cielo X1 2.0 and then tried to stay off my feet. I felt unbothered by the race, until I wasn't. Around lunchtime, I realized that I had not run a 10K in about two years, and that made me a little frazzled. Having spent so much time over the past year preparing for longer distances, it felt foreign to not be carb loading, to only have 6.2 miles to run, and to know that I would have a day ahead of me after my race. I did manage to eat a little higher carb Friday, however. I also went to bed early, not quite enough to get seven hours of sleep, but close enough.

Race morning:

Race morning was beautiful, about fifty degrees, and clear. I got up at 4 am, did my PT exercises, got dressed, went up and down the stairs five times (my pre-run "warm-up") and out the door we went at 4:40 am. My husband is an amazing navigator and took a back way to the bus drop off, and that was, for a change, not a problem at all. The buses left about 5 am, and dropped us off around 5:15 am. The workers told us we had 0.25 miles to walk to the start, but it was more like 0.25 miles to the porta potties, which were once again, in the dark (can we please fix this next year, Mesa)?, and then another 0.25 miles to the start line. I used the porta potties when I got there, and then I sat down on the curb for a while. I ate my banana at 5:40 am and went for a mile warm-up. I decided to use the porta-potties again, but then I still had about 30 minutes until the start, so I decided to do another warm-up mile. Each time, I included a few fartlek strides, as per my research on 10K race prep (Brooks, 2023). I opted to get back in the bathroom line again at that point, feeling like I *might* need it. I got out of the bathroom at like 6:20 am, so barely had time to jog to the start. It was at that point that I realized I needed water if I wanted to take a gel. I swiped one cup to dump over my hands, took a few sips of the other, and then took a caffeinated vanilla bean GU. A short three minutes later, we were off!

Mile 1:

I started off way too fast (that, or my watch was off). The paces said 7:10-7:30/mile and felt good. I decided to keep at it. A little over half a mile in, my pace settled at 7:45/mile, and that was what my first mile clocked.

Mile 2:

Mile two still felt good, and I kept pace with the woman in front of me. I saw my husband at the corner of the street where our house is, gave him an "I love you" sign, and kept running. The water at the aid station looked appealing, but by the time I realized that, I was past it. I kept going: Another 7:45/mile.

Mile 3:

I started to fall off pace during mile three. I lost step with the woman in front of me. I told myself that it might be a "positive splits for positive people" race, but I was still on pace for sub-50, so I kept going. Somewhere around partway through, I got back on pace. That mile was 7:48/mile.

Mile 4: 

I was doing okay, but still not up with the woman in front of me. I told myself to get through to five, and then push. This was another 7:45/mile.

Mile 5:

Mile five got a little better. A few people were moving back and forth in the pack. I started to get out by myself, though. That's okay. I was doing well and I told myself to get ready to push starting at 5.2. I hit hit 7:38/mile.

Mile 6:

I started trying to run faster! I began my practice of counting down from 100. I knew it would only take four or five times and I would be at the finish! I hit four, and then I could see the line. I whittled down to 7:27/mile.

The Finish:

At the corner, I was pretty much by myself. I could see the line. I was by myself and people were cheering. I pushed. It was 7:04 for the last 0.2, and 47:43 for the finish. I raised my hands as I crossed, and then got my medal. Shortly after, my husband started calling me. I didn't see him at the finish, but he had seen me. Sweet!

Post race:

I collected a water and chocolate milk. Sprouts gave us a snack bag with a protein bar (thank you races for realizing runners need protein for recovery!), chips, and fruit. Some other booths had juice and frozen treats. I got my time card and took my medal to get engraved with my time (such a cool feature this year-thanks, Hoka)! I picked up my bag, and then went back to the finish line to wait for the half marathoners. I got to see the leading men and women finish. Pretty cool!

I drank water standing at the finish. I should have eaten a protein bar then, but I didn't want to. The lactic acid definitely accumulated, and when I walked to the car, I felt it in both my biceps and hamstrings. I did get in protein and carbs when I got home, but recovery probably would have been better had I actually got nutrition in that 30 minute post-race window. Work for the future!

Final thoughts:

Long run training really does build your aerobic engine (or whatever they call it). I always thought people who ran before the race were crazy, but I saw all the elites doing it on race day, and I am finding it helps me, too. I don't like fueling so much, but it makes a difference, and as long as I try to avoid over fueling to the point of stomach upset, I would rather over fuel than leave things on the race table. Lighter, faster, plated shoes also help make PRs.

I am so thankful for this race, for my husband's support, for the God who made my body, for health, and for so, so much more. Running is a gift, not one everyone gifts, and never guaranteed. May I never take running for granted and always give thanks to God for it!

References:

Brooks, A. (2023, May 18). Tips for 10K race day: Pacing, strategy, and fuel. Run to the finish. https://runtothefinish.com/tips-10k-race-day/

Higdon, H. (n.d.). Post marathon recovery: Novice. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/

Run. (2024, December 28). Run your fastest 10K ever with these training plans. https://run.outsideonline.com/training/training-plans/5k-10k/training-plans-fastest-10k-ever/?scope=anon