It's been a long time since I have updated this blog.  I have decided to be better about posting.  A lot has happened over the past 2 years.  I am still running, still keeping the weight off and still trying to improve.

Our family has also grown.  My son Dane and his wife Stephanie had a son born January 26, 2012.  His name is Bracken and he celebrated his second birthday this year.  My daughter Sage married a nice young man name Pierce Robertson and my daughter Zoie and her boyfriend Chuck had a little boy born in May of 2013.  Dane and Stephanie have also recently told us they are having another baby in May of 2014.  It will be another boy!

In 2013 I ran the Saint George Marathon again along with Snow Canyon Half  Marathon, Cedar Canyon Half Marathon,  Dogtown Half Marathon, Expedition Saint George Relay and Red Rock Relay-Dixie and countless 5Ks and 10Ks.  I've found that I need a motivator.  If I pay the entry fee for a race, it seems to make me more motivated to train.

My mom passed away on July 2, 2013 of lung cancer.  I found a lot of solace in my running during that time. I also devoted my Saint George Marathon in her honor.  I even had a custom shirt made for it.  I still miss her but I have had some special spiritual experiences as well which have convinced me she is still around and looking over us.

In 2013 I also started wearing a new brand of shoes (new for me.)  They are called Altra and the shoe model is Torin.  They are "zero Drop" shoes which means the sole is all the same width rather than the more common "wedge" found on most running shoes.  I can't believe the difference it made in my running and recovery.  My knees don't hurt, I don't get shin splints and I just feel better after a run.

I will try and update this blog more often and I plan on sharing running experiences and tips as I come across them.

I know...I know...it's been almost a year since I have posted anything on this blog.  Life got so busy.  In October 2011, I entered "The Saint George Runner's Series."  This program would allow me to gain entry to the Saint George Marathon.  I competed in the required races and was granted entry to the Marathon!  I worked very hard all summer and was able to run it on October 6, 2012.  I finished it with a relatively respectable time of 4:41.  Wow...when I started this adventure in 2008, I would never have believed I could run 26.2 miles!  I was so happy after the race, that I promptly signed up for the "Runner's Series" again and have already completed one of the required races.  I ran the Snow Canyon Half Marathon on November 3, 2012.  I finished that race in 1:56.  I now weigh 195 and have been able to stay below 200 since about September.

Life's good!

I've been doing good! Running at least 5 days a week...usually 6. I've been going about 6 miles a day. My weight loss is coming down as well...slowly but surely. At my weigh in yesterday I was 209. I've been eating better and that really helps. It's a continuous battle though. The weather has been cold, but not too much rain or snow. I can handle the cold. I had a head wind yesterday. On an unrelated front...I'm a grandpa! My son and his wife had their baby thursday night! Cute baby boy. I hope I can be a good grandpa.

A work in progress

I have stuck to my goal the last few weeks. Today I was finally able to run for 45 minutes with no stops! At my weigh in last Friday I was down three pounds. I was hoping for a little better result but I will take it. I also saw a bald eagle in the tree where I usually see my friend the hawk. I am glad I was out there to see it. It was cold this morning. 5 degrees when I started.

I hate failure

Christmas holiday was rough. I had no self control when it came to eating. Combined with the fact that I was not able to run because my feet were killing me. Every time I tried to run, I suffered for several days after. I ended up taking All of December off running, trying to heal up. It must have worked. I started running again at the New Year and I seem to be feeling fine. I was also able to buy new shoes and I think that helped a lot too. Weighed in today and was a whopping 220. I've got some work to do!

The Battle of my Buldge!

Several years ago I started running to lose weight. At the time I was 255 pounds. I worked hard losing 60 pounds and achieved the weight of 195. After reaching that, I was able to maintain for quite awhile. A series of setbacks happened and I gained 25 pounds. I am now working again to get back to 195 or even lower. Today I checked and I weigh 212! Wish me luck!

Butch Cassidy 10k

I ran the Butch Cassidy 10k in Springdale,Ut this morning. it was cold, snowing, blowing and muddy...but I loved every minute of it! My daughter in law Stephanie, ran the 5k and is 6 months pregnant! I was proud of her! I missed my goal of running it under an hour by 1:30. Given the conditions, I'll take it! Thanks to my wife Tracy for being there. Also my son Dane who had been training to run, but broke his leg a few weeks ago playing softball. They made great cheerleaders!