johnson juice: August 2009

The Temple being built right down the street has changed me. Hopefully, I will always remember the feeling I had when it was announced, while it was being built, when the statue of Moroni was being raised up, as I drive by daily, when I worked there, while I walked through it, and when it was dedicated. All of which, made my life better. Working there.... What a special surprise to see my sweet Julia sitting in the relief society room as I walked into the devotional before hand. We had no idea the other would be there, but we were so thankful!

Walking through.... The kids LOVED it. The 'star' theme was our favorite. Savvy's room is full of stars, so it was especially special to her. It was fun for us to look for the wood that is in the boys rooms downstairs. We found it in the Celestial Room and the doorway going into the Baptistery. Alec and Carter have some left over wood from this Temple in their new rooms, so we like to say we have a little of the Temple in our home. My best day so far... Alec received his patriarchal blessing the Wednesday before the Temple Dedication. Honestly, my best day. I never imagined a feeling so special. Another one of those moments, you 'get' what your parents have felt. Driving by.... We were a little early for Alec's blessing, and the Patriarch lives doors away from the Temple, so we drove into the parking lot. We saw this choir, and rolled down our windows to hear. 'How Great Thou Art' was the song being rehearsed for the Dedication. It was very moving, and we just sat there and listened.

The Dedication... We actually got to watch the Dedication inside the Temple. I felt so blessed to be inside myself, but to have my boys there, was even better. It's a good place to be.

It seems strange to be writing about one of the best experiences of my life an entire month later. I should have written the second we got home, I was on such an 'experience high' but overwhelmingly exhausted at the same time. I have since come down from that high and since continued to be overwhelmingly exhausted. Life is good.

THE WASATCH BACK is a race that many in Utah have been a part of. I notice the little vinyl sticker on the back of cars everywhere that clearly indicates they have run in this race. It clearly indicates that they too, are Crazy. And Brave. And Strong. And Dedicated. And Determined. And Crazy.

These are my people.

We had been planning the race for approximately...one year. Jeremy and I signed up for this race last year after we had missed the 2008 race due to it being on the same night as Savannah's dance recital. Turns out this year was no different. It fell on the exact night of her big end of the year dance recital AGAIN! It was even a completely different dance studio. Good thing she is such an understanding little girl, with a big family who supported her when her mom was being crazy. I'm sure that won't be the only time in her life that she'll need them!

So it was planned. We of course should have trained a little harder, eaten a little better, stretched a little more, and all that stuff, but who could have imagined Jeremy would end up with the swine flu the exact week we ran. Someone made sure Jeremy didn't die that week. They knew he would survive that silly little sickness, but could have been chancing it with a 24 hour relay race from Logan to Park City. I'll admit to crying the entire morning we were leaving, I didn't want to run without my husband. My Partner. Plus, I didn't want to leave him home so sick. But family stepped in as always, and made sure my kids were taken care of and that J.P. could stay home and sleep for a couple of days. Finding an angel friend (with four kids) to run as my partner approximately 3 hours before we left was an answered prayer. Seriously, it was - hey Nancy it's Robyn, are you still nursing your baby? Can you just get a baby-sitter and spend the next two days running with me? And 4 other people you don't really know? Oh, we leave in about 3 hours from now!

She saved our van, and she was meant to be there with us. I was so thankful that day that Nancy was no longer nursing her baby.:)

I had to do a little changing of Jer's name. And of course had to add Nancy, the real runner, to the car!

And so the cars were decorated. 'BACK ON CRACK' was ready to go. Don't they look ready?

Chad, Missy, Kevin, Jeni, Paul, Julie, Kirk, Heather, Troy, Amber, and Nancy - you were amazing, and I love you.

Cute Missy was our Team Captain/Manager, and a mighty fine one she was! Thank you to both her and her husband the famous neighborhood chiropractor for sponsoring our team (Back on Crack is the chiropractic kind!). If any of you need some magic done to your back or need to poked with needles visit him here. If any of you need someone to run Ragnar itself, don't even think of stealing him. Who would have thought a Chiropractor could run so fast up a mountain!

And this is why we do things like this. Because there are many people who can't do things like this. Our van decided to run for our little friend Sadie, who sadly passed away just a week after we got home. Her little face came into my mind many times when I thought I couldn't do it. I'm sure her aunt and uncle, Heather and Kirk, felt the same way. She is a giant example of the word strength. Consider me forever a member of 'Team Sadie'. We all wore our Team Sadie wrist bands. They make you powerful you know, everyone should have one.

After sleeping over at Troy's Dad's house, getting hardly any sleep at all, but having way too much fun talking with Nancy through the night - we headed to Einsteins and then to the starting line.

The starting line is always such an exciting place. So many runners, so much laughter and so many nerves! Bishop was our first runner and he seemed cool as ice. He's done this before, it's pretty much nothing to him. (~Even with his snow suit on~) I, on the other hand, was totally freaked out and scared to death - and I was even three runners behind him! I was worried I was getting sick (or with child :) (I'm not) and worried that the cortisone shot in my leg wasn't going to work. It was hard to breathe.

But it was also so fun to see all the cars and the crazy people! The Wasatch Back is known for people dressing up themselves and their cars. There are awards given to the creative people. The funny people. Trust me, there were a lot of un-funny people who made me think, what were you thinking!? These hogs were obnoxious and loud and funny...at first. Then when you have to run next to them playing the dumb loud musical instruments for miles, it gets old - fast! It quickly became a goal of ours to beat those pigs. Good thing Nancy kicked their trash when she started!

Look at her go!

This is the hill we were all so nervous for her to see. You can't tell how steep and long it was because I was trying to get her expression as she turned the corner. It became clear that Nancy wasn't afraid of no stinkin' hill. She just kept running. Didn't even phase her. I wish she could of heard all of our comments on how impressed we all were.

This is Heather's first run. She had to slow down when she saw the speed limit.

When the person in front of you is running, you want her to go really slow. It doesn't make sense really, because no matter what, you are still after them. The whole time Heather is running I am in the van scared, a little shaky, feeling like I'm going to pee my pants and throw up at the same time! But that also could have been the baby.:) Why does she have to run so fast??!!

And the braclet was slapped....my turn.

I think this is when I was yelling at whoever thought I could actually do this! And the other pic is me running like Jeremy. Head down in my own world. It was hot, and dry, and high (the elevation)my stomach did not stop hurting, I felt a little dizzy and my knee started hurting at mile 1. I kept thinking, "This is really hard!"

Then I saw up ahead of me a lot a dirt flying up. It looked like a bunch of people walking and trucks behind them were kicking up the dirt road. When I saw what these people coming toward me were wearing, I quickly realized who they were. They were dressed as pioneers and they were pulling hand-carts.

Small miracles happen.

I was in shock, as I got closer and saw these kids and leaders clapping for us on the opposite side of the road. It felt wrong for them to clap for me, and so I started clapping for them. I was crying (again) and clapping as I ran past these people who were rein-acting the pioneer trek. Rein-acting something that is so special to me. People who are so special to me. Saints who went through more than I can comprehend, more physically difficult than anything I have ever done. I was filled with gratitude and quickly realized that if they could do what they were doing, then I could do what I was doing. I could run 5.1 miles to Avon Pass so that my friend Troy could CLIMB 7.4 miles up Avon Pass and then my other friend Amber could plummet straight down Avon Pass 6.9 miles. I was so grateful for that reminder right at the beginning of this running trek, just what the real trek was.

The pioneers were brave. They were strong, dedicated, and determined. And they too, were probably a little crazy.

I absolutely love this shot. It demonstrates just exactly what happens here. A runner gets the

bracelet slapped on and then takes off. There are five of us who are left in the car. We make sure the person who just ran is well taken care of with water, Gatorade, rest, and a place to stretch. It's always a little hard to get through the traffic right off, and we only got lost once (sorry Troy) but for the most part we drive past our runner one mile and pull over to the side of the road. We then jump out when the runner gets to us and someone will spray them with water or squeeze the sponge over their head and back, while another will give them water, life-savers or GU. Sometimes we just get out tell them we love them or how great they are doing. Or we scream out the window these 'words to get us through'! Troy would get out and find someone who was running ahead of us offer us the traveling $20 to pass them. I don't think I ever passed the person he told me to. In fact I think the 14 year old boy passing me should have put me in the hole $20. Dang little kids!

This is cute Amber taking off to do the downhill of death.

I think she had some of the hardest runs out of all of us and her hip was not in good shape. Every time I see her run and see her determination I am amazed. She showed Avon Pass that it had nothing on her! She was dodging those rocks on that dirt road running straight down - like a pro!

This is pretty much the scenery for the entire race. It was breathtaking.

After each one of us in van #1 was done running our first leg, we made the bracelet exchange with van #2. It was so great to see their faces at those exchanges and hug them and get to be with them for one minute. Then it is off to eat, bathe, laugh, rest, drive to the exchange and start again.

We bathed in the lake. In the freezing lake. In our running clothes. It was perfect!

The time goes by so fast in between. We had to hurry to get done and head to the next van exchange. It was crazy busy there and the bathrooms were not working in the 4 star resort we were in! So it was off to the Happy Bucket again. We were all very use to these nasty things by then. I think Heather was the winner - she went at every single stop!

This was leg number one on our second time out. Seriously, if you could see this mountain he was running down you would think, as I did, how is Kirk doing this? He just consistently peddled down the 8.5 'very hard' miles, once stopping to completely take his shoe and sock off to get that grain of sand, from the bath he had, which was stuck on the bottom of his foot. It had rubbed against his heel so long it had caused a blister. Perfect for running this race.

I was the first lucky one to get to wear the head lamp and reflector blanket (vest). I know I look like I should be working on the road, but believe me, I was working the road that evening!

I decided to just run in a comfortable 'pain zone'. I couldn't do anything about me knee any longer, it was going to hurt regardless. So I decided to run at a speed that I could physically take, and just run. It hurts a little worse when I start and stop, so I made the people in the van keep driving. Only really asking for a lifesaver or little water. But I loved when Heather and Amber were there just in case and I could tell them that I stinking loved them more than they could know!!! Thanks ladies. This was the best run I've ever had. I was feeling the music, and loving the scenery. It was through these little towns, with animals everywhere. Chickens in the front yards, cute little farm houses. I think one of the towns was actually called Littleton. The sun was setting and it was just a beautiful place to be. My 'pain zone' was working and I actually felt like I had a great run. I felt so HAPPY.

When I passed runners I gave them five, and a 'we can do this'. When runners passed me, I gave them five and a 'keep going'. Not very many passed me that night (like my first run), but here is one of them. After I gave him five, I wondered why he gave me such a sneaky little smile. Until I saw his nice treat for all who were running behind him. I laughed pretty dang hard when he looked back again!

Here is the best part of the entire experience. This exchange you can't see because it was close to midnight, and Amber was getting the bracelet from her hubby, Troy. This was her hardest run, especially with her hip that was not working correctly! She was suppose to run 8.1 miles up a narrow canyon road. It was very narrow. It was uphill. It was past bedtime. It was cold. She was hurt. She just ran.

Amber is not easy on herself. She never cuts herself any slack. Those of us emotional in the car that night watching her would say how strong and how great she did. She does not think so.

She made it up a few miles and you could see she was struggling. As we got out to give her drinks she would tell us she was fine. She lied. Uphill is what hurts her. I got my shoes on, ready to take a mile or so of her run, but she was not having it. She kept going.

Until Troy got out once all by himself, and I think she was finally honest with him. We watched as he just held her. We watched as he starting running with her. I don't know what was said out there, but they ran together. We watched as they ran side by side up this mountain at midnight. We told them to slow down, to walk, that the others were stuck in traffic anyway, but she wouldn't. She had her support she needed and with him by her side they made it the entire way. Faster than most of us could have done it healthy. If any of you question weather you should do a run like this with people you love. Don't question, just run it.

I'm sad that I don't have any pictures of what happened next. I think we were so physically and emotionally drained we just wanted to be asleep. We drove to our cabin right after Amber got done running. Jeremy, who had been so sick all week, met us up there and had chicken, pizza, hashbrowns, bacon, and drinks waiting for us. We all got a warm shower and sleep in a warm bed. It was only a couple of hours but it was sleep. I got to see my partner for a few moments and it was perfect. We left that morning to the Oakley Rodeo Fair Grounds to start our last leg, and Jer stayed up there to feed the rest of our team and make sure they slept. Then his sick little self stayed and cleaned up after us. I love him.

Some of us found angels running next to us. To help them along their way. There were those of us who helped keep each other running. There were those who came with strangers and found new friends. There were those who learned life lessons along the way. We remembered those who have gone before us during our hours of pain. And those who presently go through much worse pain than any of us could know. We found that doing something together as a team is how we get through challenges. How we get through pain. And how we celebrate our accomplishments. We need a team to get through life. I was a part of that team for those two days. I am a part of many teams as I sit here today. My family, my friends, my ward, my primary, my neighbors, our school, my state, my country, mothers, Team Sadie, Team Speed, Team USA, and the list could go on and on.

Once we meet, you're my team!

FINALLY, ONE MILE TO GO....AND WE ARE DONE!!!!

I was the last runner of our van. The last before we handed the bracelet off to the rest of "Back on Crack". It was raining as I came into Heber. It was such a great feeling to have one more mile and have these three amazing women get out of the van and stand next to me. WE DID IT! Troy and Kirk were so great to take care of their wives and then Nancy and me as well. I will definitely be back here next year.