The Color Run

It looks like the only time I really post on this blog is when we are doing a run.  It’s been a little over 4 months since I injured my knee and while I think that my knee has come a long way, I also feel like I’ve hit a bit of a wall with my recovery – still some slight numbness in my shin, my hamstring is constantly tight, and I get slight pain and uncomfortableness in my knee.

Gorgeous and Little Gorgeous . . . . already hit with some color and we haven’t even started yet!

I blew my knee out two days before the Color Me Radd run that my wife and daughter did so I was extremely excited to be able to go on The Color Run with them.  We had some of our good friends with us and it was a great day!  The kids did extremely well!

At the Finish Line with Gorgeous and Little Gorgeous

We ran into a family we know from our boys’ old autism program ~ they decided to try the run as a family.  We lost them in the run but as we were waiting for the starting gun, their little boy seemed to be ok with the noise and chaos – not too much overstimulation so that gives us hope that we can bring our boys on the next family run!

Our Color Run Gang

I’m glad that my daughter likes these runs so much and actually, wants to see how far she can run.  She’s gone out a few times with my wife and they’ve done 2-3 mile loops around our neighborhood.

Is she a natural redhead? 🙂

There’s a group from our neighborhood doing the Night of the Living Dead 5k in October.  This is a costume run so neither of these two runs are really timed nor competitive and that’s fine by me – I’ve been trying to get out a few times a week and log 4 miles but I end up walking most of that due to my knee and honestly, gaining 10 pounds since hurting my knee (ugh!). . . . . .

Looking back at the start

My goal is to run Ragnar next year and not have the shortest leg.  I’m hoping (very much so) that my knee starts to get considerably better and I don’t need surgery.  I probably should just cough up the money and do a MRI but since I’ve gotten three opinions who said that it doesn’t look like I tore anything, I guess that’s a good sign, no?  Going to see a new chiropractor – Dr. Higbee from Lonestar Chiropractic that also works with the BYU Track and Field Team.  Looking forward to it!  🙂

 

The Dirty Dash – June 2012

I’m on the mend!  I have almost full extension and range of motion in my leg and will start light jogging this week!  WOO HOO! ! ! ! !

Mommy with the kids after her shower. 🙂

I missed the second run of the summer that we had planned – the Dirty Dash.  This 10k run was held at Soldier Hollow, UT ~ a favorite sledding hill that we take the kids to once or twice a season.  Since there is only one road in and one road out of Soldier Hollow, we hit a little traffic heading into the venue but all in all, well organized and easy to take the boys around.  I was worried that the crowds or noise would be too much for them but they did fine.

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I think the kids got a kick out of seeing all the different outfits everyone was wearing with their favorite being a group of Minions (or ‘aliens’ as the boys call them) from Despicable Me.

Another of the swamp march

Unfortunately, we didn’t see my wife and her group (consisting of my brother, my sister, my brother in law, and another friend) anywhere on the field but we ran into them shortly after they finished and we were able to get some pictures with them.

So, I was thinking about all the runs that my wife, brother, sister, or myself would be in this year and this is what I’ve come up with so far that we’ve registered for and are running:

• Provo City Half (my sister ran it)
• Color Me Rad (missed this one but click here for our post on it)
•  Utah Valley 10K (was going to do the 10K)
• Dirty Dash (wondering if my leg will be good enough for the one in August)
• Ragnar (Four of my family members will be running – I’m missing out!)
• Night of the Running Dead (5K that will be my first run back – running w/ a bunch of friends)

My wife, brother, sister, brother in law, and a friend at the end of the run. Thanks Gold’s Gym!

Not a bad list.  I would’ve added the Park City or Bountiful Half in August because that was the half marathon I was training for but I’ll watch my rehab and pick one when I get a better idea of what my recovery time will be.

It is kind of intimidating that everyone seems to be a runner here.  It was so different where we lived in California but it makes for a fun environment.  I’m thankful that there’s a group in our neighborhood looking to do that Running Dead Run.  It’ll be fun to go with a group and it gives me a reason to try and start running again.

My other brother ran with his work team from Orange Soda! Good job Kev!

It’s also crunch time for our trip to HI ~ now to get really serious about dieting!  HAH HAH HAH HAH yeah right!  🙂

Recovery and the Road Ahead

It’s been three weeks since my initial injury and it seems like there were more injuries than normal during the NBA Playoffs First Round.  Both the orthopedic specialist and the chiropractor I see are optimistic that I won’t need surgery.  I appreciate the fact that they both preached ‘patience’ as the swelling diminishes so we can get a proper diagnosis versus rushing to a decision.

So I’ve never really been to a chiropractor before but my interest peaked after reading Alonzo Mourning’s experiences in his book “Resilience” and also the last few chapters of “Seal Team Six.”  A friend saw me on crutches and when I told him what happened, he told me to see his brother, who is a practicing chiropractor. He did warn me saying,  “he gets a little more aggressive and will push you but he definitely gets results . . .”

Poor D-Rose, what a tough season. Photo Courtesy of Google

Boy was he right, I’ve only gone to Dr. Drussel twice but they’ve been good visits with results.  The first visit, he was doing some soft tissue work on the inside of my leg / knee and I got this weird burning sensation in my shin.  It felt like he had a hot iron or pen and was pressing it on my shin, which caused me to almost jump off the table but later that afternoon, I started walking and moving without crutches.  He explained that the feeling is due to the fact that I have more blood reaching my leg now that the swelling and pressure is subsiding and the ‘numbness’ I was constantly feeling will start to subside and I would feel the ‘hotness’ occasionally.

After draining my knee and the chiropractor appt, my knee looks almost normal and I can walk around without crutches.  . . . though my leg does get tired and I don’t have full range of motion.  I’m happy I can walk but still need to work on the range that I can bend my knee.  Here’s hoping my recovery goes well and I avoid surgery!

Sporting Kinesio Tape

I’m now sporting kinesio tape for a few days – Dr. Drussel applied it and told me to keep it on for a few days.  I first saw kinesio tape in Japan years ago when I lived there with my wife.  It was actually there I was introduced to kinesio taping (originated in Japan), Acupuncture cup therapy, and ultrasound muscle therapy for the first time.  Optimistic that things will continue to improve.  Ganbaru zo~

Color Me Rad and a Minor Setback

Isn’t it great when things go exactly according to plan?  I’ve found though that things ‘going according to plan’ is more the exception that the norm.  I was so excited to have a summer of runs to train for – Utah Valley 10k, Ragnar, Color Me Rad with my wife and daughter, and a Half Marathon at the beginning of fall.  I was making great progress to hitting my ‘target weight’ before our HI Trip. . . . .

Well, that took a major setback when I went down with a knee injury in a volleyball game last week.  Our initial visit to the doctor left us with somewhat good news – strong possibility it is just a really bad sprain but there’s also a possibility it’s an ACL tear.  Two weeks of rehab, ice, and rest will tell!  Here’s hoping for the best!

Kylee w/ friends getting ready for Color Me Rad UT

We got last minute entries to Color Me Rad at UVU thanks to a friend at Gold’s Gym who put us ‘on the team,’ and also from Fleet Feet Sports.  They did a special promotion where the first 10 people to buy more than $30 of items on a given day got a free entry to the race – not bad since the late fee for Color Me Rad was $40.  It was my idea to run so I’m glad that my wife and daughter still decided to go and they found some friends to take the extra spots.

They had a blast! Thanks again Golds Gym!

I was extremely bummed to be stuck on the couch with a sore knee all Saturday but it was great to see the girls come home with big smiles on their faces.  Most of the color got out of their hair and clothes on the first try and they both had a blast!  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

At the end of Color Me Radd - she had a blast!

I am optimistic that this will not be an injury that keeps me sidelined and that I’m back ready to rock and roll as soon as I can.  I am extremely bummed that I am going to pull out of Ragnar and probably won’t do any of the other runs I had scheduled (also was thinking about the Dirty Dash) but this won’t keep me from doing them in the future!  Ganbaru Zo~

10 Weeks and Counting and The Descendents

NEXT WEEK IS APRIL!?!?!?!?!?   I got a nice email from the Ragnar Relay reminding us that we are 10 weeks away from Ragnar and need to finalize teams, etc.  In my mind I was thinking, “wait a minute, 10 weeks?  I thought I had like 4 months?”  Yeah. . . not so much.

I hate our treadmill.  Our TV is off to the right side at an angle and it is too narrow for me so I get about a mile into a run and just want to stop.  I really should’ve taken advantage of the nice weather we’ve been enjoying but thanks to a tight calf that frustrates me more than anything, I haven’t run for 6 weeks.  If my sister reads this (she’s our team captain), she may place me on waivers or bench me from the team.

First run back was on Wednesday night – roughly 3 miles and 30 minutes so . . . . . . .  not too bad.  I had another 1.5 miles planned and probably would’ve done it in decent time but I pit stopped at a nearby church where there was a vball game so I jumped in. . . . whoops.   Now to build up my endurance and maintain a decent pace!  And to lose some weight before summer comes!  Goal is to say goodbye to 20 pounds!

Also, wanted to say thank you to a good friend – TruD in AZ who ran the Rock-n-Run Obstacle Course for Autism.  She dedicated it to a number of people, two of which were my twins so THANKS TRU-D!  I did a post on it at our other blog.

Thanks TruD!

I considered backing out of Ragnar but part of the reason I want to run is first, a group of my siblings and friends are making up the team and second, I’ve been reading a bunch of autism blogs where people are running with their kids and autism as the main reason.  TruD’s run also reminded me that there are ‘reasons’ behind things we do. . . . sometimes, if it’s only for ourselves, that isn’t enough.  Thanks TruD for helping me stick with my goals.

I finished The Descendants last night.  When I first saw the trailers, I really wasn’t very interested.  However, after reading the book, I must say I enjoyed it – four stars out of five.  Some of the dialogue and conversation in the book were, to me, unnecessary but I get that the author was writing a ton about teens and what their world is like.  It was interesting to go through the emotional steps that George Clooney’s character went through and take that journey with him. . . . . all in all, a good book!

From Google Pics.

There are a few things I really liked from the book and trailers.  The first was the line George Clooney said about the misconceptions his friends have about his life – that because he lives in Hawaii, he’s immune to certain things and life’s a big party.  I remember someone once telling me, that it must be great to have lived in HI where all you worry about is going to the beach everyday. . . . . um ok.  In all seriousness though, it reminded me that everyone has things they need help with and a good friend will help as needed.

Ok – secondly it was the backgrounds used in the transitions – I like the colors, hibiscus, but what was really cool is that if you look closely (especially at the lighter colored slides in the trailers), they layered the background so it looks like wood  giving it a little ‘old school Hawaii’ feel – way cool.

Cool Transition Slides

Finally, I had to screenshot this from my iPad but check out the blue walls in the background.  I love that they painted palm trees there and the dark blue and white molding is way cool.   Hmmmm . . . summer project?  🙂

Love the blue walls in the back

Public Commitment

OK – so I know that the likelihood of NOT carrying out a goal drops exponentially when you publically commit to something so. . . . . .

I am going to run Ragnar this year with my siblings and some good friends.  I ‘want’ to be a ‘runner’ but I am absolutely horrible at it and even though we’ve been talking about Ragnar and Becky has signed up a team – I find myself internally committing and decommitting everyday.

I figure that this will also lead me to lose some weight IF I can watch my diet so – here’s to losing 20 pds and getting to my lightest since Jen and I went to Japan in 2000 when I was in my mid 20’s – wow that seems like a long time ago!  My second public commitment is that I will run either the Thankgiving Pt Half or the Park City Half!  I’ll push for the Thanksgiving Pt Half since it is in April and I’ll have to get on a consistent run schedule starting like two weeks ago.  🙂

Thanksgiving Point Half!

OK – well, time to hop on the treadmill!  Target time – anything under 2 hrs!  Ganbaru zo~

Part Time Vegetarianism – Ray Style!

If you are having problems getting your kids to eat fruits or veggies – have them watch the “Despicable Me” Minion MiniFilms.  You can buy the DVD for $5 or you can find it on YouTube but there is one short where the little dudes fight over a banana and apple.  One of the first days watching it, I think we went through 4 bananas, 6 tangerines (not lying), and 2 apples just between the twins!  Aaaaaahhhhhh – so much better than candy!  🙂

BANANA! This mini film is hilarious!

Kylee has a goal to not eat any sugar in 2012!  Well, that then morphed into a “no candy but ice cream, cakes, and desserts ok” goal and now apparently it’s back to a ‘no sugar’ goal.  She’s been doing awesome. . . . However, I did catch her eating a gobstopper last night. . . . . other than that, she’s chugging along!  GO KYLEE! ! ! ! I’m not the best example if you can’t tell from this picture of my work station a few years ago.

Time to Change My Unhealthy Ways!

I always have a goal to eat better but this year, I’m throwing in at least a day a week (build up to three) of no meat, carbs, or sweets – basically a fruit / veggie day.  I LOVE sweets but I also like my protein.  I am trying to put on muscle so the protein will be needed but if I can throw in a few days a week where I get more of that from say tofu, soy beans, and peanut butter versus chicken or red meat, that should help a bit, right?  I’ll still have to do a protein supplement but still, here’s a go at part-time vegetarianism!  🙂

So today’s my first day trying it – here’s what I ate:

7am – 1 Cup Steel Oats with honey, cinnamon and a side of blueberries, 1/2 a banana and 1/2 an apple

10am – 2 cups soybeans + a cup of almonds

12:30pm – I made my own salad but ended up meeting Jen for lunch – Olive Garden Salad / Soup Combo for three plates of salad and no breadsticks!

2:00pm – Three stalks of celery + a ton of peanut butter (I don’t like celery)

5:30pm – Black Bean Burger from Costco + salad (good amount of protein in the black bean burger – thanks trainerrobyn.com for the idea)

9:00pm  – Protein Bar (I cheated a little and had a few tortilla chips as well)

Day one DONE!  End result – look more like this dude by our family reunion!

End Goal!

Aloha O’e 2011

Hah hah – so I did what, one post in January and that’s it?  Well – here’s some pictures to recap our year.  Looking forward to 2012!

The highlight of the year had to be Kylee’s baptism.  She’s growing up quickly – my little girl is now 8 yrs old!

It’s been a few years but we finally got back to Lake Tahoe for a nice extended vacation following my leave from RAH.  What a blessing to be able to go and actually, not have any agenda to worry about for once

Kylee visiting the American Doll Store in NY

Tutu retired this year and as a treat, went to see Kenny’s graduation in NY so Kylee and Jenny tagged along.  While there were a number of highlights worth mentioning, I bet Kylee’s highlight was visiting the American Doll Store and getting her Kanani Doll  🙂

Jaron taking the plunge at Turtle Bay

We took the kids to Oahu and the Polynesian Cultural Center.  The highlight though had to be the hotel and being able to swim.  The boys, especially, really took to the water and had a blast!

Kylee surfing at Launiupoko

I never was a big surfer but it was great to see Kylee surf for the first time.  Thanks to Uncle Francis Kau for helping Kylee!

Boys Back in School

The boys have been accepted into a school specifically for autistic children.  It is eye opening and honestly, extremely humbling for me to spend time in the school with them.  I have a great appreciation for those teachers who spend time with them and also, for them and how much they are learning and growing.  They LOVE their Angry Bird T-shirts

Sunset at Ka'anapali

2011 Resolutions

We always start the year with new resolutions and commitments.  Some we keep and others are dropped in the first week.  Here’s a look at some of the ‘new things’ that we are trying out as a Wunder Family:

Gluten Free Diet

We’ve made a commitment to stick with a gluten free diet for the boys – since we can still have ice cream and candy, hasn’t been too hard of a change.  Still, Jen’s been great at preparing special foods specifically for the boys and while I may just be looking for the positive, I’ve seen changes in their behavior since we started.

The hardest commitment is giving up bread – especially for Jen.  I do believe that the Great Harvest Bread in American Fork will now go out of business.  This was one of our first meals and we started in style – steak and crab, yum!

Family Outings

As a family, we are constantly talking about getting out more and doing new things.   Last month, the ‘girls’ (Tutu, Jen, and Kylee) went to the Nutcracker.  We also took the kids to the Capital Theater for a special concert targeted at kids and their families.

Jaron absolutely loved it, Kylee didn’t understand some of the music they were singing, and Ethan kept complaining that he was tired and started fake snoring during the performance!  Next attempt – BYU’s performance of Peter Pan with Aunty Becky!

Get Out of the Ordinary

Ever wanted to do something you’ve never done before or changed the way you’ve always done things?  Well here’s Jaron – finding new places to sleep in the house.  🙂

On a personal note, I’ll be down 15 pounds before the summer and either be in my first 10K or half marathon by the end of the year!  Should be fun!

Welcome to 2011!  Best wishes for a fantastic year!

Boys will be Boys

A little late but happy birthday to Jaron and Ethan who turned three last month!  Some pictures of them and their adventures.

Ethan being cool – wearing dad’s glasses while eating his otter pop!  Can’t stop at one – he insists on two otter pops for his treat

I believe it’s now a tradition that Jen makes cakes for the kid’s bday.  The boys love the Aristocats movie so here’s cake #1

All grown up – Jaron before his first day at school!  Can you believe that they are in preschool now?  Crazy!

The boys love their mommy – hanging out on the porch watching the sunset one night.

Talk about torture – the kids made ghosts made out of marshmallows. . . Ethan didn’t understand why he couldn’t eat them all!  I love his expression

A preview for Halloween – Ethan LOVES his Thomas costume.  Now to get a picture with Jaron also wearing his . . . . .