Salt Lake City FULL marathon..26.2 miles

RESULTS: FULL MARATHON
chip time: 4:01:17
pace per mile: 9:12
Female overall: 68/409
Female division: 13/79

"To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind."
Jerome Drayton

The above quote is very true, but I'll give it my best shot. Here is the description of my first 26.2 mile marathon. Before I get into the race itself I have to begin by thanking my friends, Melissa and Liz, for being great supporters, traveling partners, and runners in their own right. These girls were good company, and their race experiences inspire me a great deal. We were fortunate enough to stay in Liz's parents' condo in Provo, Utah for the weekend of the race. Since the race was in Salt Lake City it was a close commute and much nicer than a hotel stay. The day before the race we went to the expo to pick up our numbers and have our shins taped up. Along the way we had picked up our friend, Dawn, who was also set to run. After the expo we met up with two more girls that were running the next day and we all "carbed up" at Olive Garden together. Having so many girls running definitely kept me from getting as nervous as I normally do for races. After dinner we got in bed early and TRIED to get some sleep before our super early wake up time arrived.

The morning of the race was different for me this time. I suppose ignorance is bliss, because had I any clue how hard this race would be I'm certain I would have been a wreck. Thankfully my nerves were much better this time around though, and things pre-race were pretty good. I started the race too excited for me to describe. I tried to hold my pace back a little and run comfortably, which I did some. I think I was keeping between an 8:00-8:50 pace per mile. I felt really good in the beginning. I hit mile 13 in around 1:51 and still felt strong. At mile 16 I called Liz to see how her race went. She made a PR for herself and had shaved 10 minutes off her half marathon time from her last race. I was happy to hear that. It gave me motivation to hear a familiar voice, and I was making REALLY good time at that point in the race. I hit mile 18 and felt a little tired. I ate another gel block and grabbed some water at a water station. I kept telling myself to just get to 20 miles and it would be ok from there. My pace was slowing; it was in the 9:00s now. I didn't really care about the time at that point, but I was concerned about how tired I was. I hit mile 20 and kept moving, then I hit mile 21, and then mile 22, and THEN I was defeated. I have to say that I have NEVER walked during a race, but I had no choice in this one. I hit 22.5 miles and I thought, "walk for one minute, get yourself together, and then start running again." I did walk, and I quickly realized that my legs were NOT working right. It hurt even worse to walk, but I couldn't run anymore. I didn't know what to do, so I texted my friend Shawna something like this while I was walking,"I want to quit. I'm at mile 23, and I'm crying!" I didn't hear back, so I called Bobby for some encouragement. I sobbed to him, "why am I giving up? Bobby, this is so hard, and I hurt really bad! What am I going to do? I can barely walk!!" Bobby told me to walk for as long as I needed to and to. He told me how proud of me he was and that he loved me. That just made me cry even more. I was a mess, but I DID manage to start running again. I made it to the next water stop and grabbed more water and ate another block(I was desperate!)Finally, at mile 25, I called Liz and told her I'd see her in 10 minutes. She said, "OK, we'll be here. Great job!" I looked at what was ahead with fear in my eyes. I don't know what moron thought it would be a fun idea to make the last mile up hill, but it was all UP HILL! I thought I was going to die. I trudged up that mother though, and once I got to the top I cried again while running. I was an emotional wreck!! I wiped the tears and focused on that last .2 mile that seems to take FOREVER to complete. As soon as I crossed the finish line I felt the same feeling I experienced after I gave birth. My body was completely exhausted, my mind felt cloudy, and I felt like the Lord had heard my prayers and answered them. It was so rewarding. I heard my friends on the sideline and I couldn't have been happier to see them. I cried tears of joy and pain, and they shared in the emotion. I was so proud of them, of me, of us! What a great day. Afterwards it kept getting better. I found out my chip time was 4:01. I had prayed that I would finish in around 4 hours, but because I broke down emotionally during the run I'd given up hope of a good time. I am really proud of my time. It's a solid time for my first marathon, but I know I can improve it. I just have to find away to avoid hitting that dreaded wall at mile 22. My dream is to one day qualify for Boston. I'd have to shave 21 minutes off my time, but I have faith that with hard work anything is possible. For now though I am rejoicing in the fact that I can put a big ol' check mark on the bucket list! I set a lofty goal and "got 'er done!" wheeee!!!!

Things I learned this past week:

1.respect the distance of a full 26.2 miles, because if you don't you'll be crying on the phone to your husband at mile 22.5

2.Inspiration is all around you, but you have to open your eyes to see it.
I found some in the Mom sitting across from me at the table that gave birth just weeks ago and still ran the half marathon, a woman that trained HARD for months to set a personal record despite having a jam packed schedule, the tiny girl who is a true competitor for running through extreme pain and never complaining once, the guy in the race running the FULL with ONE leg,(how could I ever quit if he didn't?) and of course in my loving husband, sister, daughter, and in-laws that supported me throughout this crazy training.

3.I will never find a flattering running outfit, but I don't really care much.

4.There are a LOT of white people in Northern Utah. I know it's random, but it's very true.

5.It doesn't matter what distance you run or how fast you run it in. As long as you leave your heart and soul on the course you will never regret the experience, and you'll always be proud of it.

Here are pictures from the weekend.