Wasatch Back

It's done. I finished.

June 18 and 19 I participated on a 12 woman team that completed the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's a 188.2 mile race from Logan to Park City in Utah. There are Ragnar Relays in places besides Utah, but the one here is called the Wasatch Back. Each team member has 3 legs of the race. There are 6 people in each car and the first car does their first leg and then they rest while the second car does their first leg. Then we do that two more times.

I was runner 3 in car one and my legs totaled 18.4 miles. It's interesting that I had that leg because it's the 2nd longest route and I'm the slowest runner on the team but for various reasons that's how it ended up. I don't mind running for a long time, as long as I don't have to do it quickly. I did improve my time this year by one minute a mile.

It was hot, parts of the route were dusty, there were a lot of hills and a lot of people. So why do we do it? I think a lot of people do it because they love to run. I don't really. But I do love the challenge. Training for the race gives me a goal to work towards. I also love to work toward that goal with a group of friends. It's almost worth it just to see all the goofy other teams. People go all out. Two men ran their entire first route in full out prom gear; suit, tie, belt, boutonniere, the works. Another guy ran the last leg in a full length white wedding dress. There's always a team that thinks of a way to incorporate the little plastic bums they attach to their backside. Our team was called the Wonder Women and we had a slogan on our shirts that said "I WONDER what this WOMAN was thinking."

Our team finished the race in 33 hours and 33 minutes. Someone was running the whole time. We placed 58 out of 99 in the Women's Open division. Our team member who ran the Ragnar Hill (killer hill, 4 miles straight up) took 6th place in the Women's Open division.

It was a lot of fun. I may lose a couple of townails. Would I do it again?

Hmmm, I think I would.

Book Review of Rebound by Heather Justesen

John and Lily Drake seem to be the picture perfect family, but when John is dragged off to jail for fraud, Lily finally learns the lies that have been the framework of their marriage. We first met Lily in Heather’s debut novel, The Ball’s in Her Court, when she sets her best friend Denise up with her cousin, Rich. Rebound continues the story a few years down the road when Lily’s marriage falls apart because of her husband John’s betrayal and double life.

Like in her first book, Heather does a great job of creating in depth characters that you can really relate to. But in Rebound, Denise and Rich take a back seat role as we get to know Lily better. At first she seems weak and naive, but then in the midst of her heartache she pulls herself up from being completely bottomed out to forge a happy, though not so extravagant, life for her son and herself. Out from under the influence of her controlling husband John, she blossoms into a strong and resourceful woman. Another character that we get to know better is Curtis, Denise’s half brother and star basketball player from Utah State.

Of course there’s a touch of romance as Lily tries to figure out if her broken heart can ever mend, and Curtis learns to let go of the heartache from his own troubled past. In the meantime Lily has to work through a nasty divorce, fighting John and his parents the whole way.

I really enjoyed reading Rebound and following the lives of the people I grew to love in The Ball’s in Her Court. It was great to be able to look down the road and see how things turned out for everyone. I felt Heather was able to wrap up everyone’s story very nicely. I look forward to more of her books in the future.

Winners for the Summer Treasure Hunt

June 1

WINNER: Amber Nielson of Vermont

ANSWER: Herself and her people from death and tyranny

June 2

WINNER: Barbara Stilwell

ANSWER: The remote into the TV
June 3
WINNER: Judy Cox of Louisiana
ANSWER: An empty wheelchair
June 4
WINNER: Ginny Romney of Arizona
ANSWER: Charles Lucas
June 5
WINNER: Karin Tillotson of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: Luck of the Draw
June 6
WINNER: Laura Lewis of North Carolina
ANSWER: Not finding out
June 7
WINNER: Carol Rainbolt of Arizona
ANSWER: Jack Brandon
June 8
WINNER: Mina Gerhart
ANSWER: Leroy and Jody
June 9
WINNER: Cassandra Cantrell of Utah
ANSWER: She was wading in a stream and her skirt was hiked up showing her legs and bare feet
June 10
WINNER: Diana Donahoo of Illinois
ANSWER: Jack Weyland
June 11
WINNER: Angela Isbell of Utah
ANSWER: the Austrian Alps
June 12
WINNER: Cindy Schuerr of Wisconsin
ANSWER: He played pro football.
June 13
WINNER: Rachel Stanley of California
ANSWER: He has an extra chromosome/Down syndrome
June 14
WINNER: Tawnya Mayo of Utah
ANSWER: Robert E. Howard
June 15
WINNER: Tracy Astle of California
ANSWER: Chonmage
June 16

WINNER: Tracie Travis of California
ANSWER: Adventures with the Word of God
June 17
WINNER: Karen Haas of North Carolina
ANSWER: Go country line dancing
June 18
WINNER: Colleen Conklin of Arizona
ANSWER: About half a million
June 19
WINNER: Taffy Lovell of Utah
ANSWER: Mormon Mishaps and Mischief
June 20
WINNER: Becky Drew of Arizona
ANSWER: I took a class in middle school and my last clocked speed was 120 words per minute
June 21
WINNER: Karen Tillotson of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: ADD/ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Educational Activities for Home, Transition to Adulthood

12 book giveaway

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