mondays and tuesdays are fun

6:30 a.m. up an at 'em to the gym
8:00 a.m. home to shower and get ready
9:10 a.m. off to class till 1:20 p.m.
1:30-5 p.m. work
6 - 7 p.m. work meeting
7:30- midnight hit up the library
midnight-12:30 do my grocery shopping for the first time in 2 weeks.

 yea, it's going to be that kind of semester.
 peace+love

over-alliteration

i know i'm a bad blogger.  here's to renewed resolves.

words cannot express how grateful i am today for...

pic stolen here

i am yet to find a physical activity more rejuvenating, relaxing, refreshing, reassuring, ravishing, reintarnating (Reintarnation - Coming back to life as a hillbilly) as swimming.  it's funny, my body and mind fight the same battle three mornings a week.  and most of the time, luckily, my body wins.

6:08 a.m. alarm goes off.  i turn it off.

6:10 a.m. 2nd alarm goes off.  turn it off and lay there as my head argues with my body as to whether or not it's really worth it to get out of bed and make the 4-block trek in the freezing, morning air to the pool.

6:15 a.m. body refuses to fall back asleep, roll out of bed, put on swimsuit, eat a granola bar, and out the door.

6:30 a.m. sit on edge of pool anticipating that initial plunge into what seems to be freezing cold water. 

...then, that magic moment (cue Ben E. King).  i take the plunge, and in an instant all the pent up anxiety, worries, even physical illness just floats away.  

it may sound like an exaggeration to you.  you must not be a swimmer.  try it.  it will change your life forever.

today i am also very thankful for this ever-so-soothing voice.

and look!  it was uploaded to youtube on my birthday...it's a sign.

peace+love

i love my life...

...and all you people in it.

i'm only 21 and have experienced some pretty amazing things:
-singing "forever in blue jeans" on PCTV at the Neil Diamond concert with my best friend when i was 15
-traded a 5 buck pizza for Cold Stone with my little sister and her friend. i'm pretty sure the workers just thought they were cute.
-watched an owl take off in flight while driving in the Uinta's at night
-watched a moose running next to the car on the same drive

-gone skydiving

-backpacked europe

-witnessed nature at it's finest aka rock climbing/zion/hiking

-sung "desperado" with my best friend in front of half our high school

-crossed 22 things off my bucket list of 110

-hiked to the highest point in utah

-completed a triathlon

-completed 2 1/2 marathons

-rode my bike 448 miles through one of the most beautiful areas in this country

-watched a school come together to provide a dinner for 140 homeless people

-experienced making real music.

-lived in the greatest city in utah (cedar! if you were wondering)

-entered the temple and received my endowment

-raised $211 for charity:water thanks to YOU!

i could go on. i have a family who loves me and friends who inspire me to be a better person everyday. i lead a very privileged life. i attribute that completely to my heavenly father.

i've also made mistakes and done some really dumb things and had heartaches and hard times. but that is why Jesus Christ atoned for our sins our pains, making it possible to become perfect through Him and giving Him the chance to comfort us when we need it most. i have experienced the healing power of the atonement first hand, and that is why i am so excited to spend the next 18 months telling the people of santiago, chile about this "good news". i'm also very much looking forward to the next 21 years and (hopefully) more in this beautiful world.

p.s. thanks ali and brookie for the birthday shout-outs. i sure love you both. also, brooke, i love that song, so thank you for pointing out those lyrics so i'd actually think of them--

"hold on to what you believe in the light, when the darkness has robbed you of all of your sight."

i'll do my best.

peace+love

remember that one time we rode 65 miles everyday for a week to train for ride idaho...?

...oh wait, that never actually happened.

but, if i am ever wealthy, i will have a cabin in priest lake, idaho.

RIDE IDAHO

day 0--got carsick and barfed at the gas station in cascade, idaho...a few miles later, the car broke down. lucky for us, PAM! drove by and drove us the rest of the way to hayden, idaho.

day 1--a painful, but stunning, 67 miles to priest lake. got to camp and asked my dad why we couldn't have just gone on a cruise for our family vacation...then went for a refreshing swim in the most beautiful lake i've ever seen. think alaska without the cold.

day 2--a less painful, just as beautiful 56 miles to sandpoint. met our camp neighbors for the next week, john and kip. they loved us. then went for a refreshing swim in the lake.

day 3--a very painful, scenic 76 mile ride to troy, montana...started a mud fight with trevie in the frigid cold river and watched the one-armed man play a mean guitar.

(parent kid teams aka pretty much the only people under 50 on the trip--mom+trevor, trevie+mom, kelli+kerri+dad)

day 4--80 miles to thompson falls, montana. saw mennonites on bicycles on the way and almost died in the rain. but there was a river there too with a rope swing. and the best food on the whole trip aka banana cupcake for dessert.

day 5--fat camp. 65 miles and two summits. the second one was 2.8 miles of 8-11% grade. that

basically means it was really steep. the whole time i just kept telling myself, "i'm burning fat, i'm burning fat, gotta keep going". got to kellog in the rain. woke up in the middle of the night with

water levels rising around us in our tent. (so much for sleeping in that day). got up at 6 to dry all our stuff at the hotel and sleep in the lobby.

(after dominating fat camp hill)

day 6--a flat, relaxing 46 mile recovery to my future hometown (if things don't work out in the pacific northwest), harrison, idaho. swam in the lake (shocker) and finally got my mint chocolate chip ice cream (and a phone number) from a very cute red headed boy working at the creamery. in case you didn't know, that night was also the peak of the perseids meteor shower, so we laid out on the dock and watched mother nature's show.

day 7--56 mile finish to hayden. head winds kept me from moving basically at all downhill. but we all made it alive and ready to sleep. lucky for us our self-proclaimed aunt amy and her husband mike offered us a ride in their rv. which meant lots of sleep on the 8 hour drive to boise.

deb...the only person to finally get my dad to get up and dance...oh how embarrassing.

7 days of 448 miles of cycling+camping in the rain+eating whatever they feed you+doing your duty in port-a-potties+some of the most beautiful terrain in the united states+awesome people=i'd do it again in a heartbeat.

peace+love

breaking away

today i decided to join the color country cycling club to help me train for a big tour i'm doing at the end of the summer. it was my first time pacing with a group and it was a 35 mile ride. plus i rode my bike to our meeting area. so 40 total. 40 mile ride while out of shape=NO bueno. (oh and if you're thinking i kept up with the old guys you're out of your mind). i'm proud of myself for just finishing. and in case you were wondering, yes, my bum is completely numb and i'm probably NOT going to be able to walk tomorrow. as a result, i am exhausted. which means i have no energy to write about an artist and look up songs. but if you have never seen it, watch breaking away. it's my inspiration for life. and i told my dad that as a reward for completing the ride today he should buy me my own copy. PLUS dave stoller is to cycling as paulie bleeker is to running aka the hottest thing on two wheels (legs). he might even be hotter than paulie because he woos a girl by singing in italian. and dennis quiad wears cut off shorts {1:58 of trailer}. seriously. hilarious. watch. now.

peace+love

cinam yadnom--that's manic monday backwards

-roll out of bed around 9 a.m.-

-hit the gym for a couple hours (not watch silence of the lambs...scooby doo this time)-

-take my sweet time getting ready, checking e-mails, eating lunch-

-walk to the grocery store (enjoying the perfect 75 degree weather that is gradually turning to thunderstorms)-

-walk to the library-

-walk home...no rush, i've got no place to be-

-chat with friends-

-ice cream sundaes with friends-

-home...blog-

-bed-

life is so funny that way.

on an unrelated note, here's what i've been listening to today. nothing like a corny love song to make your day a little brighter.

peace+love

i left my heart in salzburg

one year ago i was traipsing here

{from ali--thanks girl}

now, i'm cycling here{via}

in case you were wondering...yes, life is beautiful

peace+love

i don't look like a vampire anymore

the sun is shining and i am content. yesterday i got the point where no matter what this month brings, i'm going to be okay. and all it took to get there was:

-first time climbing outside since october. the wind made me nervous seeing as it was my first ever multi-pitch climb and we were on sandstone. we only made it to the second pitch. i'm thinking i don't really like climbing on sandstone. regardless, i belong outside.
-decided to put air in my bike tires. then decided to ride my bike to the store... on the other side of town. those of you who ride beach cruisers know there are three gears, and when it comes to hills those gears are "slow", "slower", and "slowest".
-rode back to the other side of town to the grocery store parking lot where the "bigboys club" (music majors, go figure) were hosting a "help haiti" all-day amateur music fest. bathing in the warm sun with my raspberry lemonade listening to live music. there are few things i love more...
while there i found my dream dog...one of these. only the one i saw probably weighed twice as much and was white. i was in love.

{via}

-attended a 50's themed dance party and dressed in the 50's style jr. prom dress my mom made for me in high school. at said party i ended up having to lick mustard off of jason's nose. don't ask.

what did you do this weekend?

peace+love

aud lang syne

besides backpacking for three weeks to europe (best part of the year), i decided to transfer from the beloved byu, my padre moved to boise for work, scott and mattie moved in, mom went back to grad school again, and i did an amazing internship with an amazing choir aka one voice children's choir...i imagine 2010 will bring a few big changes, but i will take them in stride and just keep breathing.

i'm pretty sure last year my only resolution was to be a better/more frequent blogger and by my accounts i've dominated that one.

2010 resolutions:
-it took 3 years but i finally got the freshman 10
-the book of mormon was translated in 59 days from a different language. i know how to read in english
-"let us all speak kind words to each other"
peace+love

doctor love

i finally went to an orthopedic surgeon for my ankle. the physician's assistant was the doctor that checked me out...(my ankle i mean)...he was very attractive, didn't have a ring, and had large biceps. he was being a little more flirty than most doctors are with me, but i thought, well maybe it's just my wishful thinking. then, this conversation...

dr. l-"cool shoes...where did you get those?"
me-"oh thanks, famous footwear. they're the only shoes i have that give me any support besides my running shoes."
dr. l-"besides your wedding shoes?!?!"
me-"no, my running shoes."
dr. l-"okay, i was going to say, i thought it said you were single on your info sheet."

but alas, he's probably too old for me...sigh...and i don't have a reason to go back because now i'm just doing physical therapy.
oh, but if i did...

a big hug to whoever get the movie reference in the post title...
peace+love

where did october go?
i'm back in my lame september garb cause it's way too hot to be wearing a cute sweater while i walk to class.
i learned that lesson yesterday...

the sweater was the only thing to make my outfit cute cause i didn't feel like picking out a sensible ensemble. i had a feeling i would regret that decision. by the time i hobbled to my 9 o'clock class i was swimming in sweat and i looked and smelled DISGUSTING. which was sad because in my history class there is this cute boy who i never thought would talk to me (partially cause this boy is in that class with me) but he did. he even gave me his seat last week so i wouldn't have to sit off to the side in the front of the room by myself. and today we started talking about music and he said, "we should totally jam sometime". yes, yes we should. only he didn't ask me for my number. probably because right after he said that he inhaled and got a woof of yeti scented perfume aka me yesterday.

but on the bright side, there is no snow which is fantastic cause i'm still on crutches.

what is your most embarrassing moment in front of someone of the opposite sex?

peace+love

murphy's law (paranoia)

i had this strange thought today when i noticed a lump on my shin--what if i lost all use of my left leg? i got choked up just thinking about it...
i couldn't HIKE!
or ski
or rock climb
or skip
or drive a clutch
or run
or dance
or cliff jump
or ride my beloved bicycle
or walk
heck, standing would even be a little difficult!

my dreams of becoming a hermit with my husband and abandoning all modern conveniences would be shattered...

but then again, maybe I'd get my leg amputated and get a prosthetic then compete in the special olympics--table tennis, or bowling...
except that my average bowling score is 44.
or i could climb mt. Everest with my prosthetic leg and get really famous...
except i don't even have a desire to do that with two human legs.
or i could fulfill my ambition of becoming a whale trainer at sea world...I'd be the first whale trainer with a prosthetic leg
yes, that's it! they can't say no to someone with a prosthetic leg.

did you know elephants can have prosthetic legs?
i'm going to bed
-what great thing would you do if you had a prosthetic leg?

an attempt at improvement

there are some things in life that are really easy...like brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, making your bed, or daydreaming.

there are some things in life that are really hard...like math, understanding shakespeare, getting out of bed early in the morning, or paying attention.

some of the hard things we bring upon ourselves.

like diets

diets are hard

they're especially made difficult when you have roommates that like to bake, are good at it, and like to share their creations

peace+love

vertigo

we decided to go on a little hike this weekend...little=15 miles...we started at the aspen grove trailhead at 1:45 a.m. the first 5 hours were okay...then we got to the ridge--it was like watching the 3rd lord of the rings, you know, the one with the 6 false endings...the sun was coming up and we realized we weren't at the summit...
b-"we've got to go to the summit"
me-"it's really steep and i haven't slept in 24 hours"
b-"but we're so close"
me-"i might die, but you know i can't say no"
the ridge is very deceiving...what we thought was the summit was actually about 300 yards away from the real summit...
me-"i actually really hate you right now"
b-"you'll be glad you did it"
only because that night i was treated to a very LARGE ice cream cone...
peace+love

Russell Family Chaos '08

most people spend their summer family vacations on an exotic island, soaking up the sun or at disneyland then to the beach....not the russell's. that would be too normal. so here goes the Russell Family Vacation 2008

Friday night to the cabin in midway---Saturday, 5 a.m. while my mom, brooke, kerri, and i were sleeping on the deck scott came to wake up my mom and tell her mattie is in labor and he's going to take her to the hospital. (guess he wouldn't be doing the triathalon anymore)...i was awaken 3 more times (once by my mom screaming in her sleep because a big red frankenmonster was coming after her) before finally my dad said it was time to get up and get ready for the triathalon...kerri and i got ready and my dad dropped us off at the check-in...we rode our rented road bikes about a mile and a half in, trying desperately to figure out how to shift down (i finally humbled myself enough to ask someone)...when we got to the check-in we realized we forgot i.d. my race was starting in 30 minutes, and kerri's in an hour and a half. the i.d. didn't get there in time for my race, so after riding back and forth 3 times (almost 9 miles total) one of the race coordinators told me i could still do the sprint length...we started about 10:05. the swim was first and i have never been swimming in a wet suit before...it was really heavy but i think i did okay. kerri forgot goggles so she kind of improvised swim strokes but did pretty well either way.

after the swim was the 13 mile bike ride. i tend to pace myself really slow when i bike cause i don't feel the necessity to go any faster than the speed i'm content with, so really it was a pleasant pretty ride until my butt started to hurt. i was only wearing running shorts over my swimming suit so i didn't have any sort of padding. the last part was a nice steep downhill (the same downhill i got in ragnar!) then flat the rest of the way.

the worst part was definitely transitioning from the bike to the run...for the first mile my backside was yelling at me so it was more like a survivor shuffle. i jogged past this lady and she said as i passed "you go!" then as i got further ahead she yelled "the hell you go, you're 19!" i was about to say "actually 18" but then i decided to avoid making anyone angry...the best way to describe the run is pretty chill. there was a lot of uphill and downhill and all the serious triathaletes were done by then, so everyone was really tired and just didn't seem to care to make some amazing time. it was basically a leisurely jog/walk for most...i got that last bit of adrenaline as i got close to the finish line and sprinted the rest.

after the finish we drove down the canyon and at 3:22 p.m. at 7lbs and 20 inches, Jonah Scott Russell was born! i won't give details cause i don't want to steal mattie's thunder when she posts, but he is so adorable with tons of dark hair.

we went to the hospital about 5 p.m. to see my first nephew then i remembered i hadn't eaten since 7:30 a.m. and i was starving and exhausted. after a satisfying meal at cafe rio and a hard earned ice cream from neilsen's i went home and crashed outside for a couple hours, woke up for about 30 minutes to talk on the phone then slept till 9:30...i slept about 12 hours in 24 and it felt so good. sunday (today) after nalu's farewell we went back to the hospital to see the baby again...he changed a lot in 24 hours- his cone head was gone and he had had a bath...we had cake and ice cream for my mom's birthday and gave out vacation souveniers, the best one being scott's--a liscense plate frame my mom and i found at the italian festival that said "for honor we go to don corleone"...the vacation ended up a little different than what was planned, but it's definitely one i'll never forget!

peace+love

strange dreams and not-so-random (or reverent) thoughts on life

i am now officially a certified lifeguard...despite ending mid-sentence in a conversation with someone to go save a victim DURING my test (yes, i was talking to a very attractive boy) i passed with flying colors! if you are swimming and fear the risk of drowning, no worries you will not drown on my watch! anyway, amidst all this lifeguard stuff i had this crazy dream last night: i was directing a choir and my old teacher (mr h) started getting mad at me for something-i do not know why he was there...then i was guarding a giant pool late at night that was like 17 feet deep and i had to rescue 4 people, 2 of which are guards at the rec center, sarah (my best friend), and an ex-boyfriend...weird...is there anyone out there that knows how to interperet dreams cause i could really use some enlightenment on this one...

speaking of all this guard stuff i have to wear shorts or a swimsuit all the time and everyone knows how i love shaving my legs...they were getting pretty bad so i decided to try waxing them thinking i'd only have to do it like twice this summer...BAD IDEA...anyway, i bought a nair self-waxing kit and tried a little on my thigh before actually doing it to see what kind of affect it would have on my skin...it wasn't too bad and by the next day all the red marks were gone...so then tonight i decided to go all the way...now i am typing this with greasy cream on my legs and some of my pores feeling like they're on fire and looking like a bad case of chicken pox...therefore, my legs will just have to be visibly hairy for a week and a half every month since i refuse to shave my legs more than once a month...moral of the story: go the professional waxing routethis will be me by the end of the summer

i just wanted to throw this out there for all non-runners...as adam sandler famously stated, "peein' your pants is cool"...just so you know peeing your pants is a completely normal (sometimes frequent) thing for runners...why would someone trying to improve their endurance want to stop and go to the bathroom resulting in a lowered heart rate that just takes time to get back up again? not worth it...besides it dries eventually and due to modern conveniences we've been so blessed with you simply throw them in the washing machine and -SHAZAM!- clean shorts!

congrats to sar wads on graduating from high school! i'm so so proud of my desperado sister! and our other desperado heart katie gets home in just 26 days (yes i am counting)! with her in ecuador and sar in school my social life has been pretty lame and i truly miss my partner-in-crime! that's pretty much the update on my summer- just getting tanner and blonder everyday that i wait for june 27th!

peace+love

peanut butter--bikes--and boys

as i make a sad attempt at finishing unpacking the remainder of my belongings i am musing about this past year and decided to take a break from my diligent focus on the task at hand...it has been a speedy two semesters but i've learned a lot, including about needs and wants...there are three things i could not have survived this year without: peanut butter, my bike, and boys....it would disgust anyone if i counted the number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches i ate this year...my bike was my mode of transportation and it was wonderful! i had a basket for my backpack and it only took 15 minutes to school and 7 home...living with girls is not easy to say the least...so much hair, attitude, perfume, estrogen, all packed into a box-sized apartment...i really came to understand that boys and girls truly cannot live without each other...that is why all of the people i hung out with were boys...i don't know how much they loved me being the only girl most of the time, but i won't lie, having 5-8 guys to hang out with on the weekends without having to deal with any girls was a huge blessing...anyway, here are some highlights (and low) from the year...

• the halloween dance...it was the first social event i attended at byu and i went with emmett who had asked me out almost every weekend since the semester started...i was just playing hard to get...actually, it was the first weekend i decided to actually stay in provo and do something, and it taught me that i can find normal people in provo, and i liked hanging out with emmett cause he thought i was funny (even though i wasn't trying to be funny, that's just how i dance)





• the first snow...none of my roommates have lived where there was snow that stuck on a regular basis, so we did a snow dance and had hot chocolate and donuts at midnight...the next night (or sometime thereafter) it snowed!





• dating logan--despite the fact that he's not the nicest person on the face of the earth, dating him really was fun while it lasted...plus i learned a lot from the whole experience, including how to throw a punch (no-i never used it on him, but if the need presented itself at least i knew how)...
• volunteering at the youth detention center really was the highlight of every week...we worked with short-term boys...i use the term "worked" loosely - basically it was our job to come up with some sort of activity to do with them every week and it was a blast! the boys really were great with the biggest hearts and they loved having us there...and our group was amazing! we became good friends and want to volunteer together again in the fall...(picture of the group hopefully coming soon)
  
  
  
• the crazy stuff i did with the alta boys (mom's old students)...they became my closest friends who i hung out with every weekend...they were good at coming up with unconventional ways to have fun....from shaving cream wars, blowing up stuff in a microwave from D.I.,
  
  
  swimming in the hot springs to brandon farting on me, sitting around talking, or making a mess of ryan and steve's kitchen! i'm looking forward to the summer, we just got back today from camping at little sahara-what an adventure! (pictures of camping coming soon)

• the rex lee run! i suggest that anyone that goes to byu, do it! lani and i leisurly jogged it, finished in a sufficient amount of time (meaning like 40 minutes), came home and made chocolate chip pancakes...it really was like a big party!





• byu splash 'n dash (see related story below)
• spending my life in the library for the month before finals...i really ate 2 meals a day there and took naps--it's weird, but so fun!

i'm glad to be home...i missed my despo sisters so much and kerri and i have way too much fun beating up on each other, and congrats to mattie and scott-i'm so stoked about my new nephew! but i feel pretty great about life now that i survived freshman year...i've heard it gets easier, and one of the hardest parts of life is over...and the weird thing is, i actually enjoyed it sometimes! (don't tell anyone, but i think in 4 months i'll even be excited to go back...)
peace+love

BYU Splash n' Dash

on tuesday, march 25th i was walking around campus and saw advertisements for the Splash n' Dash, a triathalon sponsored by BYU...scott and i had been talking about the triathons and races we were going to do all summer, so i thought, hey i'm in pretty good shape and this could be a good way to practice so why not? i signed up for the standard level: 1/2 mile (16 1/2 laps) swim and 5k (3.1 mile) run...saturday rolled around, i woke up about 9:45 a.m., made a big bowl of oatmeal ate the rest of my wheat french bread...i sort of lazed around all morning, read my scriptures, and got ready to go...i got to the RB for my heat at 12:30 p.m. i swam a warm up lap and talked to the girl i shared a lane with..i was a little nervous just because i hadn't ever done anything like that before, but i knew i could finish...we started and i did not pace myself well at first...by the second lap i was breathing hard and knew my adrenaline had gotten ahead of me and i needed to slow down if i wanted to last 14 more laps...i paced myself and felt like the swim went really well (except that alicia, who was kind enough to count laps for me, had to pull me out of the pool cause my arms were so sore), anyway my final time for the swim was 16:34.30...pretty decent for an untrained swimmer....i threw on clothes over my suit and started running...the clock does not stop so there is no break between events...the first mile was sheer hell...i didn't give myself enough time to breathe, and was panting all the way down canyon road...i came to the uphill and thought i might die...probably .7 miles uphill and the whole time my brain was thinking "what have i been doing wrong in my life that would make God take me off the earth right now? what do i need to fix?" yet somehow my legs kept moving...i got to the top of the hill and thought i could recover on the short down slope...instead i got a crazy bad side ache on the left...i tried thinking about other things, i tried running with my arm above my head, but nothing worked...i think that the pain of a side ache is magnified at least twelve times when you're running after swimming 1/2 mile at least 2 minutes faster than you normally do...i couldn't take it anymore so i started walking...i had walked about 30 or 40 yards when this guy came running up behind me, passed me, then turned his head and motioned for me to start running again...he was yelling something but i had my head phones in so i just kept thinking "no, go ahead, just leave me here to die"...he kept waving and slowed down his pace so i reluctantly started jogging and caught up to him...to give you an idea of what kind of guy he was, we were right in front of the creamery on 9th and a woman had dropped her grocery bags, so he stopped, picked them up, and started running again...anyway, he started asking me questions and talking to me to keep me distracted and keep me from walking...i found out he had never done a biathalon, his name is bryan, and he hadn't really swam since he was 12 which is why he had such a hard time with the swimming...we ran together for about a minute and he asked if i could push a little harder, i responded "if i push any harder you'll be carrying me across the finish line" (okay i wasn't that witty, but give me a break, i was in pain)...he said "okay, i'm going to pick up my pace a bit, but you just gotta keep running" i said okay, thanked him and he took off...i was waiting for him to get out of sight so i could start walking again...then i saw him go out to the road, pick up a sign directing the runners where to go and put it back in place then continue running...after i saw that i thought, "this guy just slowed his pace and sacrificed his time to get me running again. the least i could do for him is finish this race running"...so i kept running....it was even more hellish than the first mile...i could feel my breakfast coming up and even threw up a bit in my mouth...every exhale was forced but i kept my mind distracted..i thought about all of these people that have been helping me lately and seeing how this particular experience could relate to life...i came to the road between the brick oven and the tennis courts and thought "i am so done with this race" and sprinted to the finish line...there was bryan, cheering me across...
from this experience i learned 3 things, but i'll let you figure out how it applies to life...
peace+love