Heidi is Inspired

Today I read an article in Runner's World called

"A Magnificent Mile".

It was so incredibly inspiring.

It was about a women who, in 2007, started a 30 mile run to raise money to help women who were victims of the terrible violence in the Congo. Over the years people have joined her cause. Her run has grown and others have started events all over the country and they have raised a significant amount of money for Congolese Women. The money helps them to buy food and medical supplies and learn trades like cooking, sewing, and farming so they can support their families.

Last year this woman traveled to the Congo to meet the women she had helped and to do a 30 mile solo trek in place of her annual 30 mile run.

But when she got to the Congo her plans changed.

The women she met, women who were struggling to feed their children and get by, women who still lived in fear of violence everyday, these women wanted to know what THEY could do to HELP other women.

So instead of of 30 mile trek, she organized a one mile run. Forty seven Congolese women who had been victims of rape and violence themselves participated. They ran in the rain and the mud, in bare feet and their best skirts. And they sang and danced, before, during, and long after the run.

""Come let's run and dance for others!" they changed in Swahili as they circled around a woman squatting on the ground, poinding on a plastic oil can."

The run generated more than $47,000 to aid women in the Congo. This was such an amazing story about courageous, strong, beautiful women. It made my heart feel full. Even in the darkest, most disparged parts of the world, there is beauty, kindness, and love.

If you need to feel inspired, check out this article in the August edition of Runners World and then listen to ONE DAY by Matisayu and then I'll STAND BY YOU by the Glee Cast.

I promise you'll feel like you really can make a difference :)

Heidi Faces Her Greatest Fear

Those who know me well know that my greatest fear in life is getting bit by a rattlesnake while running or hiking on the trail. People might say, "Really? This is your GREATEST fear?" Yes. It is my GREATEST fear, because out of all the things for me to be terrified of in life, being bitten by a rattlesnake has the greatest probability of actually happening.

To prove my point, just today I was running on the Bear Gutsman Trail in Kaysville and I very very narowly excaped this fear becoming a reality.

I was running down the switchbacks not paying much attention when I rounded a corner and there it was, a little black and brown guy with a rattle on his tail all COILED (yes he was COILED) up on the trail. I was moving fast and didn't have any time at all to think. I just lept into the air and hit the ground running as fast as I could. I heard him hiss behind me but I but did not chance stealing a glance behind me.

I am not really sure how I did not get bitten. I was awefully close and he was ready for me. It was kind of a miracle.

What I still don't understand is that Bella, my trusty beast who is supposed to protect me from such calamities, was about ten feet in front of me and she never showed any sign that she was even aware of this little guys existence. She did not run, jump, start, growl, or bark. She just trotted down the trail in her lackadaisical manner as if she had not seen, heard, or smelled anything out of the ordinary.

As for me, it took a long long long time for me to relax and it will probably be a long long long time before I will be able relax while running on a trail again, especially now that we are moving to Arizona, the land of the rattle snakes!

PS - I was going to find a picture of a rattle snake to put with this post, but it makes me sick to my stomach to look at them so you will just have to use your imagination!

Iron Girl - Lake Las Vegas Tri

Swim

Bike

Run

Finish

Swim 15:01 T1: 4:15 Bike 1:06:51 T2 1:33 Run 24:32

Final Time 1:52:12

2nd in Division

47th of 645 overall

Team Blonde Runner Girls Brandy and Carolynn

Awesome job Ladies!

My Biggest fan and supporter

This was such an awesome event, I am so glad I got to be a part of it. It was so empowering to be there with so many other women to celebrate being strong, active, healthy women.

I owe all of this to my mother, who taught me to always be proud of being a woman and that as a women I am strong and I am powerful and NOTHING is beyond my reach.

Thanks Mom! I love you!

ACLS Inspires Me

Some people are inspired by music, some by art, others by architecture, or nature, poems, books, photography etc. etc. So what am I inspired by?

Quality Chest Compressions and Advanced Airways.

Its weird. I know. I can't help it.

I went to my ACLS renewal class this week and talking about the pulseless v-fib/v-tach and bradycardic algorithms all day got me so excited that when I got home I couldn't shut up about it for like three hours. And three days later I am still talking about it. Poor Jentry. He puts up with a lot.

When I was 15 years old I took my first BLS class. I remember thinking, I hope something never happens while I am around, I don't think I could ever do this to a real person.

Eight years later, even though I use BLS and ACLS skills a lot in my job, I am dying to use my skills in the outside world. Don't get me wrong I don't go around hoping someone will keel over or get in a car wreck, I just know these things happen and I go around hoping that one day in the right place at the right time.

I just can't explain the feeling that you get when something goes wrong, and for a moment you panic, but then your head clears and you know exactly what to do. Or when you are drilling into the medial tibia with the I/O drill or delivering a shock. But the best feeling is when the patient comes back, and then they wake up, and then when they get well enough to leave the unit. It truly is amazing, and humbling. A lot of times it doesn't end up that way and thats hard, but then you can honestly say you did everything you could.

Please don't think I am morbid. I am not. I just love what I do. I am so grateful I have a job that has given me the skills and knowledge so that I can help people.

Heidi and Jentry say Goodbye For Two Years

Today Jentry's brother Dallin is leaving to serve an LDS Mission in Costa Rica. Last night we had the privilege of being present as he was set a part and given a beautiful priesthood blessing by our Stake President. Then we went to Dairy Queen (of all the great places in the world - - Dallin's choice) and got to spend a little quality time with him before he departs for two years.

We like Dallin. We will sure miss him. But Costa Ricans are lucky to be having him around. Serving a mission is all about sharing Christ's Love with his children (according to Heidi NOT the officialness of the LDS church). Dallin will be a great missionary. He loves people and he works hard.

In Dallin's own words: SEE YA IN TWO YEARS!

Heidi Learns an Important Lesson

WARNING: While multitasking is an important skill, making your BREAKFAST should not be one of your "multi" tasks!

This morning I thought I would get a jump start on cleaning by straightening up the living room while toasting my bagel. When I finally returned to the kitchen after straightening, my bagel was burnt to a crisp. :( Sad days for me. Luckily, I had another bagel. I popped it in the toaster oven and decided this time I would stay close to my breakfast and do some dishes while it cooked. Turns out proximity to your cooking breakfast does not guarantee you can keep it from burning. :( My bagel was burnt again. Unfortunately I had no more bagels so I just had to suck it up, slather it with cream cheese, and choke it down.

Sad Sad Sad days.

Weathering the Storm

Last night, I went running in a giant storm. And I liked it. . .sort of. Why did I do this? Well. . . it wasn't storming when I left my house. I had gotten home from work and for whatever strange reason I felt great, which is a rare rare occurrence. I decided to take advantage of this and get in my long run for the week. It was a little drippy when I started, but a little rain never hurt anyone. Right?

The majority of the run was beautiful. The temperature was perfect. It rained off and on, sometimes it rained pretty hard and I did get wet, but the wind wasn't blowing and it wasn't cold enough that I couldn't stay warm from my own physical effort. I watched the sun go down and was entertained by Bella trying to splash through all the puddles.

In one word, it was

BLISSFUL.

Oh how quickly things can change.

I was on my way home, about ten minutes from my house. It was getting very very dark. All of a sudden the wind started to blow and the sky opened up and HAIL started pelting down on me. The bad news was (no, I haven't even gotten to the bad news part yet!) the wind was blowing in my face and the hail was pelting my eyes out. Bella started running BEHIND me so I could block her from the storm, I felt bad I had taken her with me. To make things worse I was back on Main street and it was unusually busy for nine at night. I was running into the traffic so the cars headlights were blinding me. There wasn't much room on the shoulder and I was really nervous the cars wouldn't be able to see me.

In one word, the next 10 minutes were complete MISERY.

I was soaked to the bone, freezing, and I couldn't see a thing. I just wanted to quit. But I knew the only way I would get home, was to keep going. So I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and I did keep going. After what seemed like forever, but was really only ten minutes, I did get home. And it was warm and safe and Jentry had a big plate of warm bacon waiting for me. I was so HAPPY.

I really enjoyed this little experience. Well. . . I'm not sure if enjoy is exactly the right word, because I wasn't really enjoying myself at the time, but you will see what I mean.

One of the things I love about running is that pretty much everything about it can be related to the Gospel and Spirituality. I do like to have runs like this occasionally, because it strengthens my testimony of my Heavenly Father and His LOVE for me. This experience reminded me that no matter how bad the storm of life may get, even when it's dark and cold and windy and hail is pelting me in the face and care headlights are blinding me, no matter how miserable I am, no matter how much I really want to quit, if I just focus on putting one foot in front of the other like I did when I was running, and have faith, Heavenly Father will lead me home to his presence. And it will be warm. It will be safe. And there will be a plate of warm bacon waiting for me.

Maybe.

Okay i'm not sure about the bacon part, but the rest of it I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW is absolutely TRUE without a doubt!