Fall 2009

These are just some really fun pics Tom took in Salt Lake. Grandpa Elbert saved all the leaves for the kids to rake and play in.


They had a blast with their cousin, Olivia. They are so lucky to have so many cousins that they love so much.

Fall Soccer

My kids have since played another season of soccer, but I might as well post the pictures from the fall first.
This was Eliza's second season playing. She got much better and more confident. She was still very timid, but had fun. She got to play with one of her best friends, Gus.


Porter had the most awesome coaches ever and began to really learn the sport. His coaches helped develop actual soccer skills.

He really learned to dribble the ball down the field. We need to work with him on his power shot, though.

Marathons and Pouring Rain Don't Mix

Sorry for the darkness, Tom was too grumpy to go over to the light.

We may look happy, but we just didn't quite understand what we were getting ourselves into. Mandi is to my right, she was my training partner throughout the whole process. Renee is to my left and she didn't train for the race but still rocked it.

Race Report
Finish Time 3:38:21

So the race begins at 6:45 am. The start is 26.2 miles from the finish (crazy huh?) so we have to ride a bus to the start line. We decided to ride the earliest buses in order to get entered into a drawing. And it paid off, Tom won 100 bucks! But what that really means is that we have to get on the bus at 4 am and sit at the starting line in the wet, wet rain for 2 hours. We get to the start and it is overcast but not rainy. It is actually pretty warm and I am very optimistic for perfect weather. So much for that optimism - it started to rain about an hour before the start and it didn't stop until well after the end of the race.

I wasn't prepared for wet or cold weather. I wore shorts and a tank. My friend gave me a long sleeve shirt to run in and I wore a garbage bag until about mile 6. My plan for the race was to stay with the 3:40 pace group for the first half and then run my own second half. The weather changed my plans. My goal changed to just staying in contact with the 3:40 pace guy.

Mandi and I ran the first 6 miles well ahead of pace and ahead of the pace guy. He caught us on the Veyo hill. Mandi and I continued to run right with the pace guy until about mile 11. We were still ahead of pace, but slowing. I picked up the pace a bit and tried to just keep the pace guy in my sights.

Hallelujah for Garmin GPS! I had an eye on my pace the entire 26.2 miles. I also printed a pace band specific to the St. George Marathon that weighted each mile based on difficulty. Find it here. Some miles are fast, some are slow but in the end it all averages out. I loved that band and monitored my progress with that.

the rain continued to fall the whole race. My muscles never warmed up. My mind told me to quit a few times. But I promptly told it to shut up and convinced myself I could make it.

The hardest sections were when the headwind picked up and I couldn't make contact with the pace group and the last 4 miles. I was hurting , I was cold and I wanted to be done. It helped to get into St. George where crowds started cheering me on. That energized me to the final stretch where my dad's cheers really carried me in.

Tom waited with open arms for me at the finish line. I burst into tears when I reached him. Running a marathon can be an emotional thing. Tom rocked the course in 3:07. Stay tuned for his full report.

Best things of the race:

• Qualifying for Boston!
• Doing it with Tom (not that we ran or trained together, but just were there for each other)
• Hearing my dad at the last quarter mile
• Knowing my in-laws cheered me on even if I didn't hear them (it's okay because Tom heard them and not my parents)
• Training with Mandi
• Hanging out at the starting line with friends like Renee
  

Worst things of the race:

• Pouring rain
• Cold muscles
• Being too cold to enjoy the post-race refreshments
• Pouring rain
• Quick pass massages (for getting the early bus) that were actually slower
• Pouring rain
• Being super sick to my stomach for 12 hours post-race, and I mean super sick, cramps worse than child birth.
• Getting up at 3:15 in the a.m.
  

But all in all a great experience. We are excited to go to Boston in April. Woohoo!! Click here for glamorous pictures of the race and I mean glamorous. Select St. George Marathon 2008. Last name: Dansie and Tom's number was 239 and mine 4536. And click here for full results.

Olympic Distance Triathlon, Take 2

So I competed in my second olympic distance tri last week. I hadn't done much tri specific training for it since most of my energy was being focused on the marathon, but I felt prepared.

A week and half before the race, I started swimming in the lake again with friends. I didn't waste too much energy trying to improve because I couldn't get any worse, so maybe I could get a little better. I was able to borrow a friend's tri long-john wetsuit. I credit it for all of my improvement in the swim.

I wasn't too nervous for the race because I wasn't super prepared. I just wanted to have fun and maybe not be the last out of the water and maybe improve my time a bit from the last one.

All three expectations were met and actually far exceeded.

Swim - 1500 m - 40:20
There were actually 5 women behind me in the swim. I remind you, all credit goes to the wet suit. The swim course kind of sucked, though. It was two 750 m loops. And you had to get out of the water and run around a pole between loops. And there was plenty of opportunity for the sprint tri folks to swim right over you like you aren't even there. I just kept saying to myself as they swam over me, "at least I am doing the olympic distance."

I was super happy with my swim time. 12 minutes faster than the last one, but I think this course was shorter.

T1 - 0:53
I love that this transition was under 1 minute, even with the full wet suit which is harder to get off.

Bike - 25 miles - 1:18:20
I felt good on the bike and thought I did okay. I was slower than the last one, but the course was different. I wasn't as fast compared to the leaders as the last one, but I still felt good. I think this tri brought a few tougher competitors. I was less than 5 minutes slower on the bike than the girl who won the Summer Games Tri where I was 7 minutes slower than her. She is from Cedar so I get to see her at a lot of races, so I think she is a good gauge.

T2 - 0:47
Again, happy with the transition, although I would like to get this one closer to 30 seconds. I stopped for a drink, when I should have been hydrating on the bike.

Run - 6.2 miles - 52:56
They changed the run course as well and not for the better. It was way tough! It was in the desert instead of on the road. It included deep sand, steep rocky climbs, loose rocks, and two loops of it all. I was slower than Summer Games, although I was in much better running shape. But I just blame it all the course. Luckily, my training bud was right in front of me getting off the bike so she could be my rabbit on the run. I just tried to stay in close contact with her. But I will admit I walked up the steepest hill both times (but I didn't see anyone running up it) and I even walked up the less steep hill on the second loop (many ran, but not all and I was dying).

Total Time - 2:53:18
All in all, I am happy with this race. I was closer to the winner than Summer Games and it was great fun! Now I just need to get my own wet suit and next year, I may focus a little more on the tris.

click here for full results. And click here for photos of the race. I was number 452.

Porter's First Race

Sorry for the lack of posting this summer. Life has been crazy, fun, busy.

Porter ran his first race this summer. We all participated in the Washington County Fair 5K and 1-mile run. It was put on by the high school cross country coach, who is also in our ward. Great race Shelly!!

This picture is just the racers from our ward. We were the definite majority.

Tom and I ran the 5K and had lots of fun competing against the high school cross country team. Unfortunately for Tom, the boys team is very fast. We both placed first in our age groups, though and got some really fun pottery vases. Tom finished in 19:58, but had been sick all week. I finished in 21:28 and was ecstatic. Click here for complete results.

But the highlight of the day was when Porter crossed the finish line of the one-mile race.
He ran the whole thing and finished in just under 12 minutes. We were very proud parents. And he is already training for his next race: the Pumpkin Run in November at his school. I'm in charge so he has to do it. He is actually very excited, especially since I promised to buy him Jelly Belly Sport Beans for his next race and he wants to train on the treadmill all the time.

Bryce Canyon Half Marathon

Wow, it's been a busy month. Much has happened since I last posted: a few races, a few meals, a birthday, the start of school, to name just a few.

We took a mini vacation to Bryce Canyon and participated in the Bryce Canyon Half-Marathon with my dad and sister and camped at the luxurious Ruby's Inn RV Park and campground. No tee-pee this year, just our 300 square foot tent and the occasional shelter of my parents trailer. But we did get to enjoy the traditional Bear Fiddling Festival again including the cotton candy, burgers, and homemade root beer.

But the excuse for the whole trip was the race. It is nice course, with the first half being very fast. The course winds down from Ruby's Inn at an elevation of 7652 down to Cannonville with an elevation of 5800.

My dad took 5th in his age group, despite having a less than perfect race.

My sister, Suzanne finished in barely over 2 hours and placed 8th in her age group and looked hot doing it in her super cute running skirt. Apparently they are all the rage now.

Tom, the speed demon, finished 20th overall in a time of 1:27:14. And this was in spite of being at the end of horrible bug that ripped through our family's tummies.

I PR'ed with a time of 1:41:19 and finished 22nd among 400 plus women. I was very happy. My goal was 1:40, but I don't think I could have gone any faster. The first half of the course is much faster than the second half. I was on or ahead of pace until mile 10 and then I just did my best to not fall too far behind my goal.

Click here for all the results from this year's race.

We officially challenge my sister, Rachel, and her husband to this race next year and anyone else who wants to take the challenge. We want to make this one an annual tradition.

Utah Summer Games Triathlon

Tom and I participated in the Utah Summer Games triathlon on July 14. We had a great time. I was a very nervous going into it. This was a my first olympic distance tri (1500 m swim, 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run). I was fairly confident with my running and biking because I had been doing quite a bit of run training and I am pretty comfortable on a bike.

It was the swim that scared me.

I did this tri two years ago, except the shorter distance. And the swim was terrible. I spent 2 days a week training for the swim in a pool, but as soon as I got in the open water, I panicked. It was terrible. I couldn't put my face in the water. I didn't know how to breast stroke, so I had to backstroke and side stroke and basically doggy paddle the whole way. Click here for an article I wrote on that experience.

Anyway back to 2008. this time I was determined to not let the swim freak me out. My swim training this year focused on open water swimming. I went out to the lake once a week with friends and we swam the course, or parts of it, or what we thought was it. The first time we did it, the water was 58 degrees and I could only side stroke maybe 100 meters. The water warmed every time I went and I improved. A couple of weeks before the race, we swam what we thought was pretty close to the 1500 m (according to GIS, it was maybe 1400 m). It took me 40 minutes, slow by most people's standards, but right where I wanted to be and I free-styled 90 percent of it. I figured if I could finish the swim in under 45 minutes, I would be happy.

I was pretty sick to my stomach with wild nerves all morning, but Tom and I got there plenty early, set up our transitions areas, chatted with friends, donned our wetsuits and headed over to the start. (You'll have to wait until Tom posts his race report to hear the details of his race).

Swim - 50:34
I was slow. Actually, I was the slowest. I was the last woman out of the water. (There were two men slower than me, though). The fastest female swimmer finished in 31 minutes. Most women were under 40 minutes. I like to think the course was long, but whatever, I was still SLOW! But I was still happy. I free-styled the whole way. I did not panic. I was not tired. I put my face in the water. So what if I was passed by the flailing, panicking girls. I overcame my fear of open water!

T1 - 1:37
Here's my strength. I can transition with the best of them. I ran up the dock, pulling off the wetsuit asI ran. Got to my bike, ate half a GU. Threw on my helmet and glasses. Hopped on bike (with my shoes already clipped in) and started pedaling, while slipping my feet into my shoes. I need to boast a little here. I had the fastest T1 time. Sorry, but I have make my self feel good after that swim.

Bike - 1:17:56
I felt pretty good on the bike. There was a quick downhill to start, followed by a deceptively steep flat. You think you are on a flat, but you are gradually climbing. Then there is a killer climb. 1 mile long and really steep. The best part about being the last out of the water is that you can only move up. I was passing lots of folks on the ride. My goal was to not let anyone pass me. And I didn't. I just hammered away at the ride and hoped I could catch some people. I ended up averaging 19.2 miles per hour (according to their calculation. My computer said 18.5, but I'll take 19.2). I was very happy with that. the best part of the ride was flying down the hill at 42 miles per hour. If you have never experienced that, you need to. Pure adrenaline.

T2
The timing thing got messed up, so T2 time was added in to the run. I hope it was under 1 minute. I got off my bike, with the shoes still clipped in. Threw on some socks. Slipped on my shoes with springy laces that require no tying. And grabbed a GU.

Run - 51:58 (with T1)
I was very happy with the run. I was just hoping to finish it in under 55 minutes. I didn't let anyone pass me. The hardest part was passing the turn around for the sprint and having to keep going and seeing all the sprint tri folks that are done or almost done. It was very hot, but my legs felt surprisingly good. They were a bit rubbery, but not as bad as past tris. I got water or gatorade at every stop and just motored as fast as my legs would let me. There was a girl that looked like she might be in my age group a minute or so ahead of me. I tried to catch her, but she had a strong last mile. Luckily, she was from out of state and they separate Utahans and out of staters since it is the Utah Summer Games. The finish, unfortunately, is on an incline. I was pretty dang tired, but I did my best down the home stretch.

Total Time - 3:02:06
Good enough for a 2nd place age group finish and 8th overall (thanks to separation of states). Ignore the fact that there were only 27 female finishers. My goal was to finish between 3:00 and 3:10. So all in all, a great race. If only I could learn to swim.

BTW, this is my friend and training partner, Ty. She rocked the course and got 2nd place overall. She swam it in 33 minutes, biked it in 1:21 and ran it in just over 43 minutes.

100 Miles for a Good Cause

In a little over a month, Thomas and I are going to ride our bikes 100 miles through the beautiful Northern Utah - Southern Idaho country. We are participating in the Harmon's Best Dam Bike Ride on June 28. We just call it the MS 150 for short. (riders can ride 150 miles over 2 days, but we only ride on Saturday).

The purpose of the ride (it's not a race, but I'll still try to beat Tom) is to raise awareness and money for Multiple Sclerosis. My own mother-in-law, Shanna has MS, so that is part of the reason we and many members of the Dansie family participate in this ride (there are 11 of us doing it). In fact Utah has one of the highest rates of MS: 1 in 500 Utahns have the disease.

In addition to our registration fee, each rider is required to raise $250 dollars for MS. So Tom and I are trying to raise $500 to help those affected by MS, including Shanna and one of Tom's close friends.

If you feel this is a cause you would like to support click here. Just search under Thomas or Elizabeth Dansie. Any donation would be greatly appreciated by us and all those affected by MS. Or even better sign up for an event near you. There are walks and rides all over the country.

Disneyland Updated

My sister-in-law did remember her camera at Disneyland and upon opening my email this morning: many, many Disneyland and California pictures!! Yea for Mary and her wonderful camera skills.The Taco salads were a tip from Marta's post. Thanks, they were delish.

Eliza loved Dumbo.

Dole Whips: another Marta tip.

Disneyland Much Delayed

So we visited the happiest place on earth a few months ago. Being the genius that I am, I forgot our camera so these are the only pics I have and they were done with the cell phone. I love the castle one. The kids were not at all interested in posing for a picture, they just wanted to get to Disneyland.

Porter's favorite ride was Space Mountain. That is where we found Mickey and got the fun shot. Eliza loved everything she got to do with her cousin especially the parade. We had the best seats, thanks to Mary and Shanna.

I loved doing Space Mountain with Porter and Buzz Lightyear with Eliza and the Taco Salad in Frontierland.

James was an angel the whole day. He just enjoyed being in the front carrier and doing what rides he could. It was a good age to take him. I think if we were to try it now with him being 8 months, it would be more difficult to keep him entertained.

I can't wait to try it again when the kids are a bit older.

Porter Learns to Ride a 2-Wheeler

I am way behind in my blogging, but I finally downloaded a bunch of photos and have a bit of time. So be prepared for some new blogs. I am going to try to get them in before the baby comes because who knows how much time I will have after the new arrival.

Porter recently turned 5 (July 24). Just after his birthday, he decided hey I am 5 and I can ride a two-wheeler. He went out and practiced on his own with his neighbor who wanted to use his bike with training wheels. I didn't even know he was out there trying it out. He told me later, so that evening we all went out so Tom could help him a bit more. He got on the bike, Tom gave him a push and away he went. It was pretty fun to watch.

The fun lasted until he fell and got a tiny cut on his hand and was handicapped from any further bike riding.

He has continued to progress and now rides his own bike, not Eliza's girly bike. He can start on his own, but only if the pedals are in the right spot. He still is nervous to ride down any sort of hill so that will be our next goal. And to teach Eliza to ride her tricycle.

Bryce Canyon

We recently took a small excursion to Bryce Canyon to camp and for Tom to run the Bryce Canyon Half-Marathon (Ruby's Inn to Cannonville). It was a fun escape from the heat of Hurricane.

We slept in a "Tipi" at Ruby's Inn Campground.

The kids and I enjoyed watching Grandpa and Brother Ballentyne finish the race (we missed Tom's fast finish because we were stuck behind the slow runners en route to the finish line).

After the race we went back to Cannonville for the Utah Old-Time Fiddlers jam session.Not only was the music old-time, so were 99 percent of the fiddlers.












The kids also enjoyed homemade root beer (only 50 cents) and bright blue cotton candy. Porter also had lots of fun on the playground, which has quite possibly the last surviving merry-go-round in the state. Porter could only play on it for about 5 minutes before we decided it was way too dangerous. We left the concert before it ended on account of the torrential downpour. But the concert continued long into the night.

On Sunday we enjoyed the scenes of Bryce Canyon via canyon shuttle and automobile. We were real tourists spending less than 3 hours total in the Park, stopping at various viewpoints along the way to snap a quick photo. Tom and I decided we definitely need to go back and do some real hiking down in the canyon.

John Wesley Powell Expedition 140th Anniversary Commemorative Trek

This weekend we visited the North Rim and discovered the Grand Canyon rocks (note the subtle geology pun). Everyone had a great time. Highlights included:

The shortest hike - Porter
Opening birthday presents - Eliza
The Widforss Trail - Tom
Just being together as a family - Elizabeth

Porter and Eliza both earned their Junior Ranger Badges (Raven Level). They enjoyed learning about the plants and animals of the Grand Canyon, about the different colors of rocks and cliffs in the Canyon, and about the "Olocaver River" which formed the Grand Canyon. They especially enjoyed the Ranger Programs around the campfire.

Each night Elizabeth prepared gourmet meals including cheesy chicken and potatoes, sausage and green pepper pizza, and peach pear cobbler - all in a dutch oven (but not at the same time).

We discussed the relative merits of camping in tents vs. tent trailers vs. travel trailers. Elizabeth and Tom decided that you had to be a grandpa or grandma before you could camp in a travel trailer (Porter wasn't so sure about this conclusion). Tom decided that you had to be able to keep your hands out of the dirt and your face clean for at least two hours before you could camp in a tent trailer. Looks like we will be camping in tents for a long time to come.