Summer 2014

Summer 2014 was simply amazing. Jed and I knew that the next 4-5 years were going to be crazy so we really tried to live it up. I worked all summer at the shave ice shack, and Jed worked at intramural. With both really loved out jobs. We did some really fun adventures like go to Goblin Valley to camp and explore with our really great friends the Fassmans. We explored so much that we left our camera at the top of a peak and had to scavenger hunt our way back up. We were so lucky to find it!

 We also went to our first concert together, one of our favorite artist, Young the Giant!

We spent a lot of time with our families as well. For fourth of July we spent time with Jed's family in Brigham City. Unfortunately we didn't get to play softball in the morning because I had to work but then we went up to Brigham. This was really fun for me as I have never been in Brigham for the fireworks. They put on a fantastic show! We also got to attend Jed's niece, Brooklyn, baptism up in Brigham.

For Jed and I's anniversary Jed put together a really fun get away. We went down to St George. I had never been there before. We stayed one night at a really fun hotel called Inn on the Cliff. It had a breathtaking view. We spent the day swimming because it was so hot. Then we met up with Troy and Emily Hartman and their kids and stayed at a condo with them. We swam to our hearts content and hiked Snow Canyon and explored a fun lava cave.

We hit up our fair share of National Parks this summer. Our first park was Zion National Park. We went with our friends Maggie and Derrick Hunter, and Kayla and Josh Hagen. It was such a blast. We hiked the narrows which is basically hiking up a river in a slot canyon. We all got our fair share of bumps, bruises, and blisters but it was totally worth it. The first night we camped there is one I will never forget. It was 98 degrees all night and all 6 of us where sharing a tent. I am embarrassed to say that I had a complete freak out moment in front of all of my friends as I was unbearably hot. I couldn't take my wedding ring off and it usually easily slips off as it is a little too big. I had to stand outside the tent for awhile before I made myself tired enough to sleep in the heat.

Our last adventure for the summer was our visit to South Dakota. We were babysitting the Petersen children with my parents. It was such a fun trip! Don't let anyone fool you that South Dakota isn't pretty because it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. We went to Mt Rushmore, where we found out Jed got accepted to optometry school, the Badlands, and hiked Mt Harney with the whole Petersen family. The sites were breath taking and we had a lovely visit before it was back to our last year at BYU.

Goin' to Graceland!

Spring and Summer of 2014 was a busy yet rewarding time for Andrea and I. While she was wowing us all with her amazing track season, I spent my time preparing for what would hopefully be my future career. After Winter semester ended at BYU I spent my time working full time for BYU Intramurals. I would go to the office from about 9:00 to Noon then umpire softball in the evenings as well Saturday mornings. In between work shifts I went to work studying for the Optometry Admission Test or OAT. I purchased some used study materials from another student and worked my way through the thick book one subject at a time. It is interested how much better I study when I am not required to by classes but those few hours spent studying each day were surprisingly enjoyable. Luckily I had recently completed my Organic Chemistry courses so most of my time was spent on studying Physics and General Chemistry. When I had the time I also got more shadowing hours in either with Dr. Plothow in Provo or my dad's office in Brigham City. I took advantage of a few of Andrea's race weekends to take the train up to Ogden where I would be picked up to shadow at the Brigham City office for a few days. The train also offered me some much needed hours to continue studying. Between studying, shadowing, volunteer work, and Intramurals it was a busy time for me but very rewarding.

I took the OAT on July 6th, on our two year anniversary. I can't even remember why it was that it landed on that day but Andrea was very forgiving of it happening. I am still surprised how calm I felt that morning. Andrea and I had asked both families to keep me in their prayers leading up to the exam so I know that I had lots of help. The exam lasted about five hours and aside from running out of time on the math section I felt very confident and calm. I would have been extremely happy with a 320 but when my score came back as a 370 I couldn't believe it! It is amazing what prayer and preparation can do together. Andrea and I celebrated both our anniversary and my testing success with some frozen custard from Rita's that night.

The next few days were spent feverishly trying to complete my online application with transcripts, my personal statement, volunteer and work experience as well as letters of recommendation. The application for the entering class of 2015 had opened on the 2nd and I wanted to be one of the first ones in (thanks to some great advice from multiple people this proved to be a huge advantage for me since optometry admissions and scholarships are on a rolling basis). My application was submitted on July 15th and I received an email from my top choice, Southern College of Optometry, less than two weeks later letting me know I had been invited for an interview on August 11. I flew out to Memphis on the 10th and spent the day driving out to see the temple as well as some of the surrounding communities. I made sure to buy some Memphis BBQ at Corky's which was everything it was made out to be (topped off with a pecan pie of course).

 

SCO on evening of Aug 10th

The interview process started at 8 the next morning. There were about seven other applicants there at the same time and they gave us some time to visit and meet each other. We then met individually with a faculty member and then came back together for a campus tour. I was impressed with the school facility as well as how much the administration took into account feedback from the students while improving their school. My tour guide was a BYU alumni and he had some great insights into life as a married student which helped ease some of my concerns. It was also reaffirmed multiple times that Southern hospitality is alive and well. I felt very welcomed and it was easy to talk to the students and faculty.

We were told that the admissions board would be meeting the next monday. (Weeks later I found out that my dad had marked that day on his calendar and fasted for me - something that shows what an amazing example of faith he has been to me throughout my life.) Andrea and I were at Mt. Rushmore when I got a call from Mike Robertson, the head of Admissions at SCO. He congratulated me on my achievements and offered me a seat for the incoming class of 2015. Weeks later while I was in Aspen Grove for a work retreat, I received a second call letting me know that I was awarded the Presidential Endowed Scholarship at SCO. The scholarship was worth $60,000 (about half tuition) over the four years! The scholarship board specifically shared with me how impressed they were with my leadership and work experience with BYU Intramurals. I of course accepted the seat and scholarship as soon as I returned home to Provo. The entire process went more smoothly than I ever could have imagined!

At Mt. Rushmore soon after getting the great news!

Andrea and I have been so extremely blessed in this entire process and we owe so many people so many thanks for all they have done. We are now anxiously awaiting our move to Memphis and look forward to our time there!

Track 2014

After coming off a fun and exciting 2013 cross country season, I was more than excited for what was in store for the 2014 indoor and outdoor track season. Unfortunately things got off to a very rock start with my indoor season. My first race at the University of Washington I matched my time from the previous year in the 3k (9:43) which was a huge disappointment because I excited for vast improvement. My next race was in New York City. Though the race itself wasn't fantastic, the trip was an incredible experience. We got three day subway passes and were able to tour the city at our will. I saw the empire state building, the Rockefeller center, time square, the 9/11 memorial, and other fascinating sights of New York. I raced my very first indoor 5k in New York. I was hoping to break 16:20 but was feeling the same way I felt in Washington and got third in the race with a 16:48. My last indoor race ever for BYU was in Washington once again at the MPSF championships. With a disappointing season behind me I was more than ready to jump start the outdoor season with end on a high. Halfway through the race I realized we were running a lot faster splits than I ever had and was excited about how competitive I felt. I finished the race with a great kick, out kicking about seven girls and placing 6th overall with a pr of 9:23. This got me on the top ten board at BYU at #8.

With my high from the end of indoor season I was ready for an exciting outdoor steeple season. I knew with a 9:23 open 3k time I could break 10 in the steeple and make my way to nationals. Though I never did break 10, I still felt like I had a very successful last season.  My first race was at USC and I did the steeplechase. I won the race with a 10:26 which was about where I was last year at the end of the season. This was a big comfort for me because my form was on spot, I was running by myself, and I knew I had so much in me.

The next race I ran was at Stanford. This race was a great breakthrough for me. I was very disappointed that I wasn't in the fastest heat because I felt like I deserved it. Instead though I was able to  lead my heat and place second to a professional with a new PR of 10:09 which punched my ticket to regionals and was on target for nationals.

My next race was at Mt Sac. I warmed up way to early because the races got major delayed and I ran my second fastest with  10:16 but I was still very disappointed. I ran a fun home meet mile and won with a 4:52 and that was super fun and felt fast. It was also a senior night where they honored us with a plaque. My last race before regionals was in Virginia. This was a very disappointing for my whole team. I ran the 5k with hopes again to breaking 16:20 but instead ran a 16:36.

Regionals was in Fayteville Arkansas and because of that my Parents got to come watch me steeple and visit my Grandma in Rogers. I was in the third and final heat of the race. Top three automatically qualified and the next three fastest times went after that. I wanted to get top three so I didn't have to gamble with time. Leading up to the race something was really wrong with me and I was having a terrible time finishing practices and racing hard. I was nervous for this race but knew I only had this chance. At the beginning of the race, I put myself in great condition but immediately new this was going to be a struggle. With three laps to go I was in 12th place and I thought all hope was lost. With two laps to go my coach randomly yelled, "you can do this!" which he later told me he thought he just lied to himself and me when he said that. I took that as my opportunity to move. With one lap to go I was in ninth. On the first barrier I passed three people to be in 6th, on the third barrier I got to 5th, on the water jump I moved to 4th, and on the final stretch I literally willed myself into 3rd places punching my ticket to Nationals. It was an incredible experience and one I will never forget. I wish I could say that Nationals went just as well but it didn't, my body still wasn't responding and I dropped so far back in the prelims that I placed 19th out of 24 girls. It was still a great experience because they flew Jed out and we got to see some awesome track. It also showed me that I could do great things in the coming cross country season and I was ready to work hard. I was honorable mention All-American from the experience as well. I tried for a year to get a medical red shirt for my freshman year season but without sufficient medical records my case got denied. This was my last competing collegiate track season. I feel so blessed to have been able to run at such a great University. I am so happy to have to track opportunity that I did but also to have the support that I did from my wonderful family and loving husband Jed. Jed has always been 100% behind me and has pushed me to be a better runner than I could have ever imagined. He has seen the ups and downs and truly has helped and blessed me through it all.

Regionals

Cross Country 2013

So beginning last track season, I had decided that I was going to have the best cross country season that I had ever had in my life. This was a pretty bold statement to make because I knew that it take so much work and effort on both Jed and I's part in order to make this happen. But we were both determined to make running at BYU something to remember forever. Beginning in the summer I clocked in the most miles I had ever run in order to properly prepare. I was so excited for this season and what it was going to bring. I was named team captain this year for cross country and was ready to lead my team to a great season with the goal of going to nationals on our minds the entire time.

Our first race of the season was the BYU Autumn Classic. I was really nervous for this race because my team and I were about to see how far our hard work during the summer was going to take us. The meet was small but we had great competition that we would see later on in the season, the teams were Weber and Portland. Both of these schools are pretty big competition to us because Portland is in our conference, and Weber is in our region. The race started and I felt so confident, it was much like the feeling I would get when I raced in my earlier years of High School. I was able to come in number one for BYU and fifth overall. Our team beat both Portland and Weber and we kicked off an incredible 2013 season. This was a really run meet because both my side of the family and Jed's side of the family were able to watch. We don't race very much in Utah so this was a great opportunity for them to watch me and my team!

Notre Dame: Our next race was in South Bend Indiana. I had never been there before so that was a really fun trip. Going into the race I wasn't feeling exactly 100% but my team was ready to have the most crucial race of the season. I was third for our team behind my outstanding teammates Natalie Shields and Nicole Nielsen. As a team we were able to take 4th place against some very deep competition. We beat some key schools in order to get points for nationals. Later in the season, the success of this race got us the last bid into to the national meet! This race was seriously so crazy! The turns were so tight and narrow that girls were falling all over the place. My teammate Lindsey Nielsen fell in one of the massive pileups but fortunately Makenna Smith stepped up her game and was able to fill in the number five spot for our team.

Wisconsin: Our next race was in Wisconsin. Our team was trying to beat even more teams to solidify points for nationals. Unfortunately collectively we did not have our best race. I was able to come in number one for BYU again with Natalie right on my shoulder. Unfortunately, we started off a little too slow and had to fight our way back to front and we simply ran out of time. This was the biggest race I had ever been in to that day so it was a great learning experience for the future. Me and my teammates just got caught up in the masses but learned how to race my efficiently next time. 

Conference in Malibu California: Our next race was conference. This was seriously one crazy fast trip. The trip started with our flight being cancelled because the LAX airport had had a shooting. Our flight was finally rescheduled but it meant we had to drive a ways before we got to Malibu. We got in so late but still needed to run the course. We ran it in the dark and had no idea that we were running right next to the ocean until we showed up the next day to race. We were super excited because we got to race in our new white uniforms. The women's team has never had championship uniforms, so it was super fun to race in them! The race went excellent. I had decided that I was going to do everything I could to be all conference. To be all conference you had to be top ten, I was able to place seventh. I was so happy and I felt like I kicked off the start to strong of championship races. Our team was trying to get second but unfortunately we got third to Portland off of a tie. We were really bummed out. But overall the trip was awesome and it was really fun because my brother Rich was there with his team, Gonzaga, so he go to watch and cheer for me. That is always a bonus!

Regionals: Our next race was in Ogden Utah. This was super awesome because again both sides of my family were able to come watch and support! My parents even flew down which was super awesome! In order to qualify for Nationals, your team must place in the top two. Because New Mexico and Colorado are both amazing schools we knew that in order to qualify for nationals we had to get third in order to get a wild card. So how the wild card work is based on the points that you got in the regular season. Every team that makes it to Nationals, that you beat, gives you a point. That is why our Notre Dame race was super important. In that race we beat some really good teams that qualified for Nationals in their region which gave us points to put us in the running for a spot for nationals. Race day was cold and stormy, but it was perfect running weather. My family was strung out along the course which was an incredible feeling. I knew that I had to have the race of my life in order to help my team reach our end goal. I lead the race for the first half. Nobody was wanting to take it, it was becoming a tactical race. Then halfway through the race it picked up and I had to make a decision on if I was going to go with the leaders or not. With 800 meters to go I realized that I was in position to make it to Nationals on my own if I could only out kick two girls in front of me. With Jed and Scott screaming along the homestretch I kicked it in for a ninth place finish and a ticket to nationals. Later that night, my team found out that we were the last ones to make it into the NCAA National meet!!!

The national race was the most incredible race I had ever been to! The race was in Terre Haute Indiana and the temperature was consistently below 15 degrees. Both my parents and Jed's Parents including Hannah flew out to watch the race. They sure were troopers during the cold weather. The first day we were there we had a banquet for all the participants. It was a really fun time where we got to dress up nice and prepare for the amazing experience ahead of us. The next day all the spouses flew in! When you make it to a national meet, BYU pays for your spouse to come and watch. So Jed showed up and the experience got 100 times more amazing! The hotel we stayed at was super fun, it had all you can eat popcorn, a snack bar at night, and all you can drink soda. How cool is that? The day before the race we got to run the course. Unfortunately it was raining so hard that we couldn't run a lot of the course in order to prevent it from getting super muddy, but we got a good feel for what it was like. The night before the race we had an incredible team bonding experience where we sat in a circle and talked about the importance of being here together as a team and how we have grown. I love my team so much and felt so much comfort and trust running with them. The day of the race was by far the coldest day we were there. Luckily it had stopped raining but it brought the cold. It was hard to decide on what to race in because I didn't want to wear too much clothing, but I also didn't want to freeze to death. On top of the cold, the course was so deep in freezing cold mud. It made it so hard to run fast because every step you were pulling your foot out of the ground. This was the fastest race I had ever been in. I wanted to try and be an All American, which is top 40, so I knew that I had to stay with the top group and never stop fighting. I felt like I was sprinting the entire time! Unfortunately this was the only goal I didn't reach this season as I got 86th in the race but 1st for BYU. My coach was happy with my performance because being in the top 100 is still a big deal. This also gives me a goal for next year right? Between my 86th place and 40th place was 46 girls but only about 15 seconds. The race was fast and so large and it prepared me for races and experiences ahead. After the race we tried to warm up and then my family and I wen to Texas Roadhouse. Later that night my parents Jed and I sat in the hotel lobby playing card, drinking root beer, and eating popcorn. It was fun to finally relax. We also made a stop to the famous pie shake place down the street from our hotel! It meant so much to me that my family came all the way to watch me at nationals. It was super neat my in-laws came especially because they are fairly new to this weird running thing I do. This season got me pumped for my last track seasons and cross country next year!

 My feet were so cold and wet that I put my moms gloves on after the race. With my already big feet they looked particularly like gorilla feet.