* TOP OF UTAH MARATHON - SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 *

I worked until 4:30 on Friday then drove to Heber to pick up Matthew, Gehrig, and all my stuff. Well, almost all my stuff. We got 1/2 way to Park City and I realized I had forgotten my running shoes! I mean, HELLO! I was a little preoccupied :) So we drove back to Heber, then on to Salt Lake to pick up Cassi, then on to Ogden to pick up Mercedes. All of the driving was done by the sweetest guy - Chip.  He was the ultimate support team leader! Then it was on to Logan where, thankfully, we had no problems with our hotel rooms, and we were all amused at the sign that read SPA POO - you couldn't see the L! We picked up my race packet - shirt, instructions, etc. and picked up some groceries for the next day. The kids wrote all over my running shirt and wished me so much luck. It really sunk in that I was running a marathon when I told them, "see you tomorrow at the finish line!" I slept about 5 hours and Mercedes, Chip and I got up at 4:30 (too early for the other kids who stayed up until 3 watching TV). To say that my stomach was in knots would be an understatement! I got all ready and we started to drive to where I would get on a bus to take me up the canyon where the race starts, but, imagine this...I forgot a bunch of stuff I needed! So we went back to the hotel, and then back to the busses, parked and then Chip and Mercedes walked me to my bus. I wanted them to come with me! I was so nervous! The bus ride took forever, which was kind of nice because I was able to finally, slowly eat a banana and a Clif bar. It was still very dark and cold when the busses arrived at the start line. The stars were so brilliant! I had to use the port-a-potty twice and stretched and waited in a warming tent a little bit. I was walking down the path toward the start line, and I looked up at the mountains. The sky was slowly becoming light along the mountain ridge and as I walked down the path toward the start line I could see all the runners lining up and I started to get teary-eyed. I was so full of gratitude to be able to try something so amazing, so alive and so excited! I got to the start line and was completely surrounded by people. I was about 20 feet back from the start line and there were still so many people behind me! I kept looking back at the sunrise over the mountains and could hardly stop the tears from running down my cheeks. Then the guns went off and everybody cheered and my heart was pounding!!! It took a few seconds before I was able to start running because of all the people. By mile 3 I was warm enough to leave my jacket behind. It was so nice to run through the canyon with the river on one side and mountains and fields surrounding us. I cried off and on through pretty much the whole race, sometimes out of happiness, sometimes in pain! At mile 13 my time was 2hr 21 min which was better than I had ever run during my training! I felt like I flew through the first 15 miles coming out of the canyon. In fact at one point I had such a euphoric feeling that I leaped into the air and yelled and kept right on running! Then the 16th mile became really rough. The sun was up in full force and I was so hot! Then, right about when I was finishing mile 16 someone had a hose they were spraying across the road. Just that little burst of water helped me get going again. The course turned through neighborhoods and people would be watching in lawn chairs, cheering us on and ringing cowbells, little kids lined up to slap your hand as you ran by. It was great - I didn't realize how much that encouragement would help! Along the way I would cross a mile marker and would just be so happy that I had just run so far, and it would hit me, "I AM RUNNING MY MARATHON!!!" I listened to a little music while I ran, MGMT, Peter Bjorn and John, but by the end I couldn't even muster the energy to look at my ipod so the music stopped. When I reached mile 22 my body was DONE. I felt like I needed to puke and I had never wanted to lie down so bad in all my life, just right there on someone's grass, or even on the sidewalk! I kept having this inner battle. One side would say, "just walk for a while, it's OK. Why are you doing this again?" then the other side would say, "I am going to keep running, and I AM finishing this race." Over and over for the last 4 miles!!! I wasn't breathing that hard, but my legs and feet hurt sooooo bad. The other runners and I were encouraging each other. There were runners puking along the road, collapsing, stopping and grabbing various muscles in their legs. Each of the last 4 miles seemed like at least 2 miles. The last mile there was a guy that looked about 70 in front of me, and I just followed him, all the while having that inner battle to keep moving. He told me, "pain is only temporary, quitting is forever." I can remember at one point there was a woman on the side that told me I was almost there, just 2 more corners. I wanted to kiss her! I was so happy! I turned the corner, ran a block, and turned the corner again, and I could see the finish line!!!!! I had taken out my ponytail because it hurt so I was running with my hair all wild. People were lined up on both sides just cheering so loud! They said my name on the loud speaker and I threw my fist up in the air (don't know how I found the energy to do that!) Then I saw Chip and the kids on the side and I knew I had done it! I HAD RUN A MARATHON!!! 5:02:06.14 in 136th place. Need I tell you that the tears were flowing? I was sobbing! The officials stopped me and took off the tracking anklet, put a medal on me and took my picture. Then the kids and Chip found me and I just hugged the kids so tight. They didn't even complain about me being sweaty! And Cassi and Gehrig were my support, because once I stopped running I couldn't hardly move my legs! They dumped water on me and helped me over to where runners were getting massages (yes, this was amazing!) They took off my shoes and I felt like I was going to pass out on the massage table. Sooooo nice. Then we got my jacket and hobbled to the car and left for home. Mercedes is probably as emotional as I am - we cried off and on the whole way back! I expected to finish in about 6 hours, so I finished an hour sooner than I thought I would! I am so proud of myself! So, now that I have had a day to heal, we have already laid plans to run again (I know...crazy) Mercedes, Cassi, Gehrig - we're still working on Matthew, king of the couch- we're all going to run together in 2011!