Rex Lee Cancer 5k...

Rex Lee was President of BYU as well as the founding Dean of the Clark Law School and a Solicitor General of the United States. President Lee was diagnosed with cancer in 1986 and passed away from the disease a decade later. To help honor his contributions, BYU holds a 5 and 10k race for cancer every year to help raise awareness and funding for research and this year it was held Saturday March 14th. 

This year my sister Liberty decided she wanted to race the Rex Lee run for her first 5k. She called me up last Thursday and asked if I'd run it with her and of course I told her I would! It was a chilly Saturday morning but the weather was clear and as soon as the sun came out (half an hour before the start) it warmed up. We made a few goals before the run-the first was to run it together and the second was to run the race without any resting. Liberty did great!! We ran the race at a brisk but comfortable pace and accomplished both of our goals. Lib was tempted to take a break on the last spin on the track but resisted and finished strong! The best part was being able to chat with my youngest sister the entire morning and of course the great harvest bread and fruit at the finish! Thanks for the invite Lib and lets do the Freedom 10k this summer!

24 Hours In The Old Pueblo...

I spent my Valentines Day racing the 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo in Tucson, Arizona on a 5 Person Coed team with pals from Racer's Cycle Service. Our team name was "Racer's Racers" and included Arthur and Jessica Morris, Shaelie "Mrs. Nails" Johansen, and Kellie Williams. The trek down was a harrowing experience as Arthur, Jessica, and I loaded up their 'Burb with 5 bikes (that's right I said 5), gear, and our bodies and headed down I-15. We hit snow along the way and due to a multi-car accident on the freeway we had to detour just before Beaver. We left at about 5pm and due to the snow and a slight detour (through California!) we made it to Tucson 19 hours later! Woo Hoo! 

The first night (and last night) we stayed with Jessica's sister and her husband in Tucson (thanks Mike and Jeni!!) and it was a dream come true! A warm bed, great food, and lots of laughs. The other nights were spent camped in "Tent City" at the race site. There were probably 4 or 5 teams of friends camped in the "Racer's Cycle" area and it was good times hanging out with everyone there. Thanks to those who brought the propane heater and the ginormous MSR tent we used for the "staging area" for our various team racers. This became the hang out spot for us during the night and was soooo warm!

As for the race, Arthur went first and did the Lemans start and the fastest lap time of our team (1:08 and change), I was next followed by Shae, Jessica, and Kelli. The course was 16.25 miles long and had just over 1000 feet of elevation gain. It wasn't a difficult course nor was it technical, except for the 7 or 8 different types of cactus that were everywhere, and I mean everywhere!!! Arthur's blazing lap put us in first place and we never looked back. I put in a fast first lap despite a moronic crash I had on a fast dirt road section while reaching for a Gu (and an overinflated tire). All in all we put in 15 team laps and came in 1st place in our 0-149 Combined Age division. We won some cool trophies and some mad swag ($300 bucks worth) and I had the best Valentines Day I've had in a decade, and that was without a date (my bike doesn't count)!! Thanks to everyone who helped in the race with support, the ride, camaraderie, comic relief, and everything in between, I can't wait for next year! Race results here.