My New Year's goal this year was to run in a marathon. Crazy! I did it!!! It was awesome, long and hard, but awesome. Running and racing is so much like life. Finishing a race is so rewarding regardless of your time or place. It is just making it. Life is the same, we strive everyday to just make it. Our race of life is not about finishing first but finishing and knowing you gave it your best. I spent hours and hours and miles and miles training and I got to think a lot and it was really good for me. I can do hard things!
Just in case you don't know the drill, get on the bus at 4 am to get to the start of the race. They have fires and drinks and "honey buckets" (toilets). Music is playing and you wait for 2 hours to start. Pretty crazy but you meet lots of cool people. I ran into Kati Stellmon (Kristi's sister). There were 2000+ people and to find someone you know I think is pretty amazing. I love the feel of the pre race. I get pretty pumped up. It is hard to explain, you just have to do it. It is my drug!
The race started about 8 miles up Wallsburg. Those 8 miles are downhill and a nice run. Then the work began. Around Deer Creek was a good climb, one of many. I was anxious to get to the half mark.
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Matt was going to be there. He took this photo of me running . Ya, I had made it 13.1 and it was only the half!! It was so fun seeing him there waiting for me. He was on a camp out just below the half so he walked up and waiting for me to arrive. I love my family.
The canyon was closed on the right side for us to run on and the cars were backed way up the canyon trying to get down. I saw someone waving out of their car and it was Michelle Cope. She is so awesome. When I got to the mouth of the canyon she was on the road cheering me on. That made me happy. She is always so nice.
I knew that Chad was working the race but I thought he was going to be at the end. As I crossed 800 North in Orem there was an accident and I saw the ambulance and it was Chad's station and I thought if he were not working the race he would be responding to this accident. I was looking at the accident and heading over to the drink station and I heard "Mom!" There was Chad. He was stationed here. It was great to see him. He said I looked good. He said some runners looked bad. I had no blisters or pains but my legs were heavy. I stopped for a photo again and headed off. I was realizing that I was going to do it! I got a bit teary eyed and continued on.
This was by Will's Pit Stop, 800 South. I had a crowd here. It was awesome. Mark, Alli, Dan, Cody, Sherry, and Ben. Pretty awesome!
Stopped again for a photo! Alli said Mark was so cute to bring his sign. He did it all by himself. He is pretty amazing and supportive of the things I choose to do. I love him so much. This was a good stop and now on to the finish. 3 more miles, the longest and hardest miles of the race are always the last ones for me.
Cody and Chad, pretty cute boys.
ALMOST THERE!!!
I DID IT!!!
This was quite the feeling. As you run through the barricades there are people lined up and all are cheering and you see the end and realize you did it, words cannot describe the feeling. AWESOME is not even enough.
This is the official photo the race took
Roses from the one you love!
Me and Kev.
High-5 from Cody
I had a goal to finish in 5 1/2 hours. I missed that goal and my time was 5:50. Pretty slow pace. I had a 2:39 first half and that was right on pace but the last half got me 3:10. I want to do this again but it takes so much time to get all the runs in. We shall see.
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