Carin Fausett

On May 1st I was part of  a group of people from Nephi that ran in the Provo 13 / 5K.  I don’t write about all the races I run, but this one was different.  Terrible weather, but we all seemed to have had a good time.  Running has become an addiction, I just want the weather to be some what decent so I can stretch my legs.  This race was deceptive, started cold, but not bad, then two blocks into it rain, then snow, then hail, then sleet!  Then it just mixed it up for the rest of the morning.  The weather was the main variance in this race . . . but the reason that I write about this one is that I didn’t feel as tired, as done in, or completely exhausted as previous 5ks.  I’ve fought anemia for as long as I can remember, and to feel strong enough is an amazing.  Running has changed my life, and I just wanted to thank Aimee for being the best neighbor in the world and helping me to believe in myself.  I miss you, and thanks!

Apparently you can not only name your kids and your pets, you can also name the county snow plows.

July 12th is the Nephi Community 5k. My two boys will run in the kids run, half mile, and I’ll do the 5k. This is kind of a mental and physical leap for me, my mom died on the 14th of July last year and I have been running listing to music that reminds me of her. This physical exertion helps me to connect with things on a spiritual level. Of course some times you pray, please help me to run better, finish this mile etc. but also there is the connection of nature. Check out Jimmy Eat World’s song “Hear you Me“, it is beautiful.

I have been getting in the Spring Salon since 1993. I have sold work and gotten awards at the Springville Museum, but this is the first time I have a picture of my piece in the Catalogue. I haven’t seen it yet but my friend Julie Buckley, a very good artist, who also got her work in the Museum, says the picture is great! I just feel that there are so many things to be grateful for, it feels like God is helping me.

So the race was fun, a good experience because my family supported me and I improved my time. There where about 300 runners, I came in 162. I ran the whole way, even the up hill part. I hope by the end of the summer I will be able to run the distance in 25 minutes or less. My best time so far is 30 minutes. Running can become an addiction, or a meditation, profound thoughts and the balanced beauty of nature can really lift you up, emotionally and physically. The reason that this is so important for me is that my health made it so hard to compete in high school and in many ways I am feeling better than I ever have, this is so significant.

I am the second person back.

So tomorrow I am going to run in the Orem Utah Firefighters 5k. I am a little scared and excited. It will only last 35 min. or so, and in a way is such a casual thing, but in another way is a mile stone for me. This race is possibly more of a mental barrier than a physical difficultly. Yes, it was hard to train to the point that I could easily breathe the whole time, but it is more of a problem just to get out of bed and run. I am so disciplined by patterns, I like things to fit into a pattern, so I had to tell myself it was ok to run in different locations, and at different times and then I could do it. It is amazing the mental games I have to play with myself every day just to get myself to progress.

This is a poster of Grete Waitz a true pioneer in womens’ running.  She set 8 world records leaving no doubt the women can run, can compete, and can kick butt!

This is spring in Utah. We were just frying, and then a spring rain that freezes on my tulips! So Utah a place that you can wear shorts and a parka inthe same a day.  Change is so essential to our well being, yet so uncomfortable too.

Tonight the sunset back lite things rather nicely. You could feel that spring is really coming and not just a warm day followed by a snow storm. Good weather and some vitamin D really helps to restore the optimism. Some days you feel like there are more blessings and possibilities. I figured out some things tonight, basically I needed to remember to “Let Go And Let God“. I’ve been trying to control my life again, this leads to self anger and to self destructive habits, so obviously, let go. There are so many blessings to remember.

I look at people who have been through so much and they handle it with so much grace, and I hope to be like them. I miss them. Today I thought of Grandma and the pain in her hands. They were two halves of a whole, together they were complete. The more they served each other, from broken ribs to cancer, the more they respected and loved each other.

Some times you gotta ask your self what does your life add up to? If you don’t strive for anything today, what is the point of tomorrow? How can you remember what you didn’t do? My Mom and Dad have lived their lives, full tilt, family first, trusting God. My Dad continues to do so, while Mom watches us from above.