Runs in the Family

This is Kass, my baby sister, though she is not a baby by a long shot. I don't know anyone tougher than she is. She is kick-butt. All my siblings and also my parents are fairly athletic. My dad started the tradition as a runner in high school and also for BYU. My mom picked up on jogging when she was a young mother. I started jogging with my mom when I was young. All of us have tried to do track and Julie, my youngest sister did great running for BYU but Kassi is the one who really excelled both in high school and for BYU and then on to professional running.

I like to think that I had a small hand in Kassi getting into running, though it is probably just in the genes. When she was 12 or 13, I'd have her run my 6 mile route around Provo with me. I was 19 or 20 at that time. I was so impressed by her determination. She would just up and run the 6 miles with me and push through to the end not stopping, though she did tell me once that she prayed for red stoplights so she could stop for a minute.

When I was 20, I ran the St. George marathon. That aggravated my feet but I kept running. Years later, my feet wouldn't let me run anymore and so I had surgery on both. After I healed, my feet didn't bother me but my right knee started to. For the past couple of years, I have done a little running but I am stopped short by my knee only after a couple miles. I've had to substitute my running with other things. It is strange because I can ride a bike, walk, hike, and do aerobics classes without problems but the moment I hit mile 2 or 3, my knee hurts and then it'll hurt for days. The past week or so, I started jogging a bit again and I couldn't believe it when my knee didn't bother me. Today, I actually jogged 6 eight-minute miles without any problems. Maybe I am back! (cross my fingers)