The Race

The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do.
-- Walter Bagehot

April 16th, 2011
The Race

I am anxious as I approach the start line. This is my first half marathon. I begin to jog at a steady pace, not wanting to injure or tire myself quickly. I didn’t stretch enough; I know I will be sore. At mile three I am smiling, knowing I have a ways to go but feeling confident I can keep running; despite the lack of sufficient training. Mile five comes and I still am feeling as if I could run forever. At mile 8 the miles are starting to feel long. When I see the mile marker for 9 I am excited, only four miles left! I am feeling a runners high and my body feels fantastic even though I’ve been running for over an hour.

There are people all along the way cheering us on. It helps. It makes me feel so good. I feel like a celebrity. I want to hug the people handing out water at each aid station. Thank you!

What the effff!!! Where is mile ten? I swear I’ve been running forever….
Mile 11 I am almost there. Two more miles. I can make it!

What the hell is this? We’re running uphill now? What jerk decided the last part of the race should be uphill? “Let’s just make it harder for these guys to finish the race!” Douche bags. It’s killing my calves, I’m so damn tired. I am running with a girl now that I have never met before. Her name is Jenny. Her knee hurts so we walk off and on. The first time I have stopped to walk. I am trying to keep her going, but it is hard for me to stop and then start again.

I hear someone say 1.2 miles left!
I can do this! I am SO close.
She needs to keep walking and I want to run. I thank her for her company, wish her luck and I am off again.

WHERE THE HELL IS THE FINISH LINE?! I have been running for three miles, how is this only ONE?!?!?….Whoever said there was only 1.2 miles left was completely mistaken.
I can hear people cheering. I must be close………wait….I don’t see it yet……what the hell where is it already?

“One more corner you are almost there!” A guy shouts out at me encouragingly.
Thanks but uh sorry pal you are wrong cause I just turned two more corners. There are more people and they are screaming in excitement.

I’m almost there. I can feel it. I’m so excited I want to cry. I see Ryan waiting for me and I hear him say something but I only hear “Lucy.” My heart jumps into my throat and seeing him helps push me ahead. He is grinning ear to ear and I blow him a kiss. There are hundreds of people all around me now. They don’t know me and they are screaming and cheering and it helps me go on. I see an old friend who already finished the race screaming at the top of her lungs for me. I wave at her and I can’t help but smile. I pick up my pace, running faster. I see my mother and she has tears in her eyes. It makes my eyes fill up too. She waves and I smile and wave back. A little ways down I see my dad, and almost all of my siblings. They are holding a sign “You can do it Lucia!!” and they are shouting my name cheering loudly. I am waving at them too, my face split into a huge smile. They came! My heart is pounding from the adrenaline rush, the love for my family and for all the people who are cheering me on. I have the spotlight. They are all watching at me and helping me move just a little bit further…

I cross the finish line exultantly pushing myself a little too hard. If I had the energy I would be screaming and jumping up and down with my hands in the air. They give me a medal to show what I have just achieved and I guzzle down some water. Instantly my legs cramp and protest anymore movement. Despite this I continue walking to find Ryan.

I find my best friend Crystal and she hugs me. “I just shed a tear I am so proud of you!” Despite my aching legs and sore knees I am feeling as if I could do it all over again. Crossing that finish line felt amazing…..I am addicted….I want it again. I need it again.

My family runs to me and they all hug me congratulating me. Ilez comments on how great I did at the end. I can’t help but smile and appreciate my oldest sister’s support and praise. I’ve always looked up to her and now she is here to show me she is proud of me.

My dad looks so proud of me and it makes my heart skip a beat. That’s all I have ever wanted in this life. To make him proud of me. To make my mother point at me and say “This is my daughter!” in a pleased tone.

I achieved that today. I can’t express how much it means to me that they came. I cannot stand any longer, ready to collapse. I give some details, telling them of particular moments of the race. My calves are on fire, my feet are screaming to rest. Ryan gets the car and I let myself fall into the seat. Ryan is proud too and it feels amazing to know what I just accomplished. I am proud of myself. I ran it in less than 3 hours, and I feel that is damn good for a rookie runner. (Especially with almost no training)
I have major bragging rights now. Hey, I just earned it. Big time.

"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding." -Unknown-

March Updates

As I was looking back at my previous blogs, I noticed that each year I have posted one that is called "March Updates" So I figured I better stick with the traditional stuff and do it again this year! (Not that I was doing it on purpose before LOL!) I don't seem to have much time around the beginning of the year to really post much!

The biggest thing to note is that we moved!! Hooray! We finally moved out of the (dump) that we lived in with the bleeeep landlord of ours. He really caused us a lot of grief. The only thing I can say for that place, is it allowed us to help my mother in law when she really needed it. Even though that didn't work out as we had wished it would, at least we did what we could! It was big enough for us to help others. Oh and of course we made some good friends TJ and Kami our upstairs neighbors! (I totally miss those guys!)

We love our new little place! It's just the right size for us. It feels clean, I can breathe (no black mold lol yay!) Tink loves it (just as important right?) It has a fenced back yard and we have a garage now. (sweet!)


Ryan is working SO hard this year. He was working part time at Maverick in the bakery and he is now at the front working full time. They recognized how good of a job he does and gave him more hours! He is also doing school full time as well.

He just completed the Skills USA competition, his team participated in the welding competition. His team got Bronze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so proud!! He worked really hard to achieve that. That will look VERY good on his resume!!! He's been in school since January, he's doing really well there. =D

I am still at SLCC. I'm enjoying this semester a little more now than I was when it started. I have to say I was NOT happy about going back. I was burned out from last year. It was a rough year. But I am loving it! I may have to drop one of my classes (sadness) because I am behind from missing so much class. (only because I haven't been able to drive!) Hopefully my mom can help me catch up in math. We'll see!

I am REALLY close to finishing my generals. Hopefully I can switch to a night shift soon. I'm getting tired of working at 3am! I've been at ARUP Laboratories for almost 3 years now.

Tink is a year old and we've had her for a year now = ) She's such a good girl! She adapted really well to the move! Such a sweetie =D

We are all about getting our education, working and spending time as a family right now. We don't have much else going on. I love it though. Our little family = )

Until next time......

Reminiscing

I am doing a big homework assignment for my English 2010 class. It is a memoir. We are writing about ourselves. We can include assignments we did as kids, art we did, stories, poems, essays, journal entries and more.

I went to my parents house last week to look through all the homework assignments I had done as a child. (Yes they had them saved along with all my siblings assignments as well.)
My dad was helping me look through it. It was so fun to reminisce about old times.

My favorite favorite thing that I found was a letter from "Santa" that my dad wrote to me. It makes me smile and laugh each time. It is so sweet I had to share it!

My Dear Sweet Lucia,

I wanted to let you know that I knew that you wanted that computer that you plug into the T.V., and I had one made specially for you, but at the shop where we make the toys we had an accident. The elf that was in charge of your computer made a mistake and broke your computer and hurt his hand really bad. He felt really badly about your computer and started to cry because he wanted you to have your computer on Christmas day, because he knew that you would be said if you didn’t get it. So Lucia, I also feel very badly about this. So what I did is the computer I gave to Mimi I will give to both you and Mimi until I can get another computer made for you and I will have to send it to you in the mail, because my reindeer will be too tired to fly down from the North Pole again so soon. I promise you Lucia that I will have my elves work extra hours to get that computer made and it should be sent to you by mail within seven days.

Now Lucia, I want you to know that I know you are a kind girl and I love you for that and so do Heavenly Father and Jesus. But I want to ask you to be extra kind to your sisters, friends, parents and grandparents. You are a special girl and you have 4 special sisters.

I also want to ask you to remember to be obedient to your papi and mami and I hope that your sisters will do the same.

Now you be good and I promise you I will send you that computer. Now once that computer arrives at your place the one that you will be sharing with Mimi will belong only to Mimi. If you have any questions ask your parents and they can help you.

Love Santa

He did a dang good job at being Santa right? Cute letter! Love you dad!

3rd Anniversary

On January 21st, 20100
Ryan and I celebrated
Our 3rd Anniversary.

I have to say, it was absolutely perfect.

He planned it out.

We went out to Cafe Rio for lunch. When we came home, we exchanged presents.
He got me a beautiful leather bound journal along with a beautiful necklace with matching earrings I had seen once and wanted! I gave him a leather cd case, then I got us a beer pitcher with an inscription, and each a beer mug with our names on it and a drinking quote. Mine says: Life Alas is very drear. Up with the glass, down with the beer!" Ryan's says "There are many good reasons for drinking. One has just entered me head. If a man can't drink when he's living, how the hell can he drink when he's dead?"

Then we got ready to go out. My friend did my hair and I bought myself a new dress from Ross! He took me to Gardner Village. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's in Midvale area ish. It's an old western town. We looked around at the shops, it was a lot of fun!

Then on the bridge between the lake he got on bended knee and re proposed. It was so cute I even teared up a little!
A new year, a fresh start together.

We had an appetizer at Archibald's restaurant. I ordered wine he had a beer. Then we went to get Sushi. It was absolutely delicious!!! We went home after our long day to spend some time with our sweet little Tinky who turned 1 year old on the same day!!

Sigh. Such a perfect day!!! (Of course I had to put a picture up of my hair, it looked so so cute!! lol!)

Happy Anniversary Ryan!!! = )

Tinker

Tinker is 10 months old now! These pictures range from when we got her at 7 weeks up until now. These are not even a quarter of the pictures I have of her! But here are some of my favorites = ) She is such a sweet dog and our little joy. She is just like a kid. She keeps us entertained and is always showering us with kisses and affection. People who think Pit Bulls are incapable of being loving dogs are VERY wrong. These animals love humans so very much, which is one of the reasons their breed is in trouble. I could go on about this for hours. I actually wrote my Argument Research paper on this topic. Anyways...Tinker is a sweetie and we love her so very much!!! She is such a cutie!

Poems of my Past

I was putting away some papers when I found old notebooks full of poems and short stories. It was really cool to read through them and look back on those times that I wrote these poems/stories. I thought I'd share some of them.

This first one I wrote when I was living in Peru. I was homesick when I wrote this.

Missing

There is something missing in my life everyday
Something is missing in more than one way

There's an empty space only I can see
Something is missing and it won't let me be

There is something unreal about this strange new place
Something odd that my mind seems to chase

There is a pain inside of me I can't seem to control
Some thoughts I have to constantly patrol

There is no sign of where to keep my pride
Something there that won't let me confide

There is no where to hide my confusion
Something keeps showing my diffusion

There is no where to secretly sob
But when I hold it in, my heart seems to throb

There is no one that can bring you here
You are what's missing, you are my greatest fear

-Lucia McKeag-


This next one I wrote when I was in Peru as well. It was mostly directed at the friends and boyfriend that had treated me wrongly.

With Time

With time things can fade and slowly leave
With time people will no longer grieve

With time people mature and become wise
With time I will find where the truth lies

With time things change
With time people age

With time I'll forget
With time you'll regret

In time I will be free
In time, you'll know nothing of me

In time things will be okay
In time I'll be able to go my own way

In time you'll wish you had treated me good
In time you'll wonder where we stood

With time...I'll be gone...

-Lucia McKeag-


This poem is for Ryan. After he changed my outlook on life, love and happiness.

You Took/Gave

You took my heart
You gave me yours

You took my pain
You gave me friendship

You took my tears
You gave me comfort

You took my fear
You gave me dignity

You took my doubts
You gave me clarity

You took my timidness
You gave me tenderness

You took my flaws
You gave me advice

You took my strife
You gave me life

You took my stubbornness
You gave me patience

You took my insecurity
You gave me relief

You took my confusion
You gave me knowledge

You took my trials
You gave me understanding

You took my pride
You gave me humility

You took my troubled heart
You gave me peace

You saw past my imperfections
And you gave me everlasting love

-Lucia McKeag-


This next one is one of the longest poems I have ever written. I wrote this one my senior year of high school. I was trying to discover who I was and wanted to become. I was dwelling on my past mistakes and then I wrote this to put my thoughts together. I never named it.

I was walking down a road so clear
Until I saw another near

It looked enticing, easy and fun
And towards this pathway I did run

At first it seemed to be so easy
But as I strayed I felt real queasy

I hit a rock and almost fell
But for help, I did not yell

I tried again, determined to get past
But my strong composure did not last

I fell and hit onto the ground
And as I did I looked around

And then I saw what I didn't before
Rocks, grime and glass covered the floor

But I was already there, so why go back?
I convinced myself I was on the right track

I went even further until I got lost
It was a simple mistake, so why such a cost?

I started to panic and feel so afraid
What do I do about this mistake that I made?

I felt so confused. I felt so...alone
Inside my thoughts, a lump of doubt had grown

As the sun slid behind the mountain, I tried not to cry
I stumbled along and watched the darkness hit the sky

I tried to go back to the path that I knew
The pathway that I knew to be true

At my moment of greatest fright
The moon arose and shone so bright

It lit the way and allowed me to see
That straight smooth path, where I should be

Even though I knew it was the pathway to chose
I felt like some adventures I'd lose

Away from the moonlight I strayed even more
I told myself I'd just take a quick tour

I thought I had control, cause I now knew the way
But my curiosity did not pay

I got so lost and even more confused
Every step I took, I felt more diffused

I wanted to go back, but something pushed me ahead
In one point of the road, I got a feeling of dread

I regretted my decision to continue to stray
I regretted my choices and still do to this day

I have scars from falling on the path that I strayed
Scars way down deep that will never fade

I'm now on the path that I've always known
The path where my life has been true and has grown

-Lucia McKeag-

March Updates!

Wow I have been so busy these past couple of months I have not had any time to post. Well and honestly I have forgotten about posting blogs. So much has gone on, and I will post individual posts about a couple of things!

*Ryan and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary on January 21st! We had such a great time it was awesome!

*Ryan and I also moved out of my parents yay! I loved being there with my parents, but it was time to move on! We are currently in Sojo temporarily, we are looking for somewhere closer to my work and school to help save on gas, since it is soooo expensive!

*I started school January 11th and it has been good. It was tough to adjust at first, but I love it regardless. It is harder on my week on at work because I have to wake up at 2:00am and be to work by 3:30am to leave by 1:30 pm so I can make it to my 2:30 classes. My last class ends at 7:30 so I have very long, but very productive days. This week has been my spring break, which also happened to be the same week as my week off, which was perfect!

*A couple of days ago we got a puppy! She's just barely 7 weeks old and she is a pit bull. Her name is Tinker, or Tink for short. We absolutely love her she is our little bundle of joy! =D

That may not sound like a lot, but with school, work, moving, and now a puppy, we have been very busy.

Halloween 2009!!!

Halloween was pretty huge for us this year!
We had about 450-500 people come to our haunted house. Pretty much everyone thought it was amazing!! Here are some great pictures! My Aunt Nat did our faces!

Ryan and Michael's Birthday!

August 14th was Ryan's 25th birthday and Michael's 7th birthday!!!

I had an entire day planned out to spend with Ryan. We were going to go hiking and then have a picnic at the top of Ensign Peak. He had been wanting to go hiking and have a picnic so I figured that is what we would to for his birthday, since he didn't want to go out to dinner. It was a really nice day so I thought it would be perfect. Ryan didn't know what we were going to do, it was all a surprise to him. So I packed a cooler with food and I told Ryan to dress for warm weather. We headed out (running a little bit late of course) and then on the radio it said it was going to rain in Salt Lake City! I thought, Okay we'll just go to a place in Bountiful. But it was sprinkling by the time we got close to the place. It rained harder so we just went to a park and had our little picnic. When we started eating of course it stopped raining and the sun came out and it was all warm!!!! Nevertheless we had a good time!!!

My sisters, Jessica and Cherisse went out to the store and bought both boys a present. Ryan doesn't really like birthday celebrations, doesn't like to be sung to or anything (JUST like my dad!) So he was kind of weary of getting a birthday present from my family. Especially because Jessica and Cherisse kept looking at Ryan and laughed or grinned. We went downstairs and waited while my family wrapped his gift and Michael's gift.

We sang Happy Birthday to the boys and then they opened their gifts!!! (I wish I would've taken pictures on my phone)

Michael's present was the bionicle toy he'd been wanting. He was very happy.

And Ryan's present was.......................
A Ken and a Barbie AKA Ryan and Me!
My sisters even cut the barbies hair and dyed it to look like my hair!!! We all had a good laugh. Ryan certainly enjoyed the gag gift! =D Happy Birthday to both boys I love you both!