Race Video

Here is a rad video of the race that I did that other one of my team mates made.  I don't know how to put a video on my blog (I am still not so good with all the blog technology) but here is the link to the video.  

file:///Users/aprilgus/Desktop/video.php.html

Tagged...

This is my first tag... So we will see how I do...


-2 names you go by: Well April is a hard name to have nick names for... So pretty much it's either April or if you know me well AND I like you as a person I will answer to Ap (or Apey).... but if I don't really know or like you please stick with April. :) 

-2 things you are wearing right now: Colorful stripped skirt with a red shirt.

-2 of your favorite things to do: Oh there are so many things.... I love to swim in a pool (or any body of clean water) that is just the right temperature and talk to good friends and family while eating delicious food. 

-2 things you want very badly at the moment: a massage and a few more hours in the day. 

-2 favorite pets you have ever had: Well if you know me well then you know that I am not so much of a pet person BUT... two pets that I have had are Snowflake our cat growing up and Jermain (I think that was the name) which was a little tiny miniature turtle (it was the size of a silver dollar).

-2 things you ate last: SOOO much food tonight... but the last things that i ate was a brownie with a glass of milk.  

-2 people you last talked to: My roommate Laura and my friends Holly and Charity (I know that that is three but I talked to Holly and Charity at the same time)

-2 things you are doing tomorrow: Going to work and going to a hockey game. 

-2 longest car rides: Rexburg Idaho to San Jose California and Seattle Washington to Rexburg Idaho.

I now tag anyone who has or ever had the last name Gustavson.

Eat. Run. Sleep? Repeat.

Or something like that... that's what I did this past weekend.  I ran in a relay race that was 181.7 miles long in Arizona.  It started out in a small town called Wickenburg and ending up in Scottsdale.  We ran everywhere from beautiful national parks to ugly industrial roads.  It was one of the most fun things that I have done. 

We started the trip at 5:00 am friday morning when started our 5-6 hour drive to Wickenburg.  I was under the assumption that everyone would want to sleep on the way there.  Boy was I wrong.  We had a chatty group and I LOVED it.  Everyone was so funny... and very insightful. 

Thanks Zach for being our driver.  That was a tough job! But your handled it beautifully. 

This pictures gives you an idea of where we started out.  Seriously we were in the middle of nowhere. This was my first time doing much more than driving through the desert. Who knew that cactus really grew that big?

This is on my first run when I still had lots of energy.  I am leaping for joy at the sight of my team meets there to offer me water and support.  

You might think that this is a commercial for Propel... but its not.  This is me after my first leg of the race. It was 5.9 miles.   You might also think that that is sweat on my shirt but I assure you it is not.  That is the water that my team spread on me so that I wouldn't sweat like that.  It was like 85 degrees.  

This is around midnight. When we ran at night we had to wear reflective vest and headlamps. This is Karl showing off our equipment and getting pumped up for his midnight ride.

Around five in the morning hit and it was my turn to run.  By this time the reflective vest had been passed down through at least six other people and about 30 miles of running. YOu can imagine the sweat that had accumulated.  Ugh.  Gross.  But regardless of the sweat this was the most amazing run.  I was the lucky one that was able to run when the sun rose.  Words can't describe the surreal feeling of running in the middle of nowhere in the dark and then the sun rising and then there being light everywhere.  It was so awesome.  But wasn't awesome was the huge hill at the end of my 5.4 mile run. 

 

This is during my 3rd and final leg when my fellow team mate Karl (in the picture) brought me a piece of gum.  Have you ever seen someone so excited for a piece of gum?  Well let me explain.  Gum was more valuable then water. If you were not chewing gum then you would get the worst cotton mouth and that's all you could think about.  This run I had forgotten to put a piece of gum in... thank you Karl for saving me. 

Again.... another amazing run. It was 4.8 miles of views of a lake and canyons.  So awesome.  

 

After the race my friends Jodi and Julie met up with me at the finish line. It was so fun to see these girls.  BFF.

This was our full team once we had crossed the finish line.  We were nervous about getting enough team members before the race but somehow it was pulled off. And not only did we get enough team members but it was an awesome group of people.  

 

This was the girls from our team.  It was amazing how hard it was to keep my leg up.

Another group from Huntington ran the race as well.  This is all of us crazy people. 

The drive home you might have thought would have been a quiet one in which people would sleep and try to recover... No.. pumpkin no.  This trip home was filled with all kinds of games such as Encore, the alphabet game, and of course my new favorite game... The IPOD game. 

So after 48 hours, 3 hours of sleep, 16.2 miles I can honestly say that I totally would and want to do it again.  

Happy Birthday Mummer

Thank you for everything that you do for me...

Thank you for feeding me every sunday.

Thank you for listening to me and all my drama.

Thank you for all your advice.

Thank you for supporting me in whatever I do. 

Thank you for employing me during the summers so I have extra money. 

Thank you for understanding me. 

Thank you for being one of my best friends! 

Stephen1!!!

Today I would like to give a special shout out to my one and only true love (at the moment).  Stephen1.  Thank you Stephen for all the hours of entertainment you have provided me. As well as the knowledge that you have been brought to my life.  I don't know how I would've been able to keep in touch with the other people that I love so dearly without you. 

Some times I fear that you are going to leave me.  I don't know what I would do without you. Whenever you leave me momentarily and I have somewhat of a panic attack, but then you will come back again and we can act as if you never left.  

 Stephen... You don't know who I am but I know who you are and I want to tell you how much I love and appreciate you!    

India...

So our international group at work headed out for another excursion. This day we were all super excited to go and ride the balloon at the new up and coming Great Park of Irvine. (Don't worry about it if you have never heard of it... not very many have. Yet.  You just wait though.. in ten years its going to be the hip hopping place) We arrived at the park just to find out that the Balloon is running.  Disappointing? Yes.  But we postponed it for another day and instead we hit up the next international food on our list. Indian.

Now if any of you know me well you will know that I am extremely picky.  So trying new and ethnic foods is kind of a big deal for me. I get real nervous just looking at the food.  But I came with an open mind and I can honestly say that it was pretty good!  

Here is the disappointed group after we found out we couldn't ride the balloon on this gorgeous sunny day!

We ate outside to enjoy the sunshine instead.  Nothing like some curry chicken and 80 degree weather. 

Jaire is clearly so excited to partake of the goodness as well.

Biting into some Indian goodness. Refugio is jealous and wants to eat some too.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Life has been so busy lately!! Last tuesday was a really tough day at work.  Ugh.  Just emotionally and physically draining. I won't bore you with my story but just know that it was tough.  My friend Christi called and asked me on a date to watch the Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and South African choir.  So I figured it was the perfect thing to do to end Black History Month. It was awesome!  Just what the doctor ordered after dealing with other peoples drama all day.  Christi and I headed up to USC to watch the show.  USC is an awesome campus, they were incredible and Christi and I had tons of fun together!  

It was cash only... Who carries cash these days?