Saturday, April 16, 2011

Marathon Finisher!!!

Never EVER in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would run a marathon, but a few months ago my friend Heather (the one in the green)called and used her strong powers of persuasion on me and before I knew it I had paid my dues and was signed up for the Salt Lake Marathon. I think I was too easily convinced! The whole experience was about as hard as I thought it would be, but was also easier than I thought it would be! There were certain moments that were TOUGH (like mile 13 to 20, but especially miles 17, 18, and 19). I wanted to keep some food with me (cliff bars and animal crackers) in an effort to avoid "hitting the wall", so I wore a running pack around my waist, but I underestimated how much the weight of that little pack (like 3 pounds) would take a toll on my legs. About mile 13 my hips started SCREAMING! Luckily, at about mile 20, the race passed my friend Carrie's house (the one in the orange) and she and a friend named Anna were dressed and ready to join us. Their fresh legs and energy helped SO SO SO much, especially since they willingly took that stupid pack from me!!!! With that extra boost, the last 6 miles were better than the previous 6. I can now happily call myself a marathoner! I haven't seen the official time yet, but according to my GPS watch it took about 4 hours 40 minutes (I was secretly hoping for a 4 hour 20 minute race, but it was so much fun I didn't want it to stop...kidding). ALSO according to my GPS watch, which I started right as I crossed the starting line, I actually ran 26.36 miles!!! Anyway, it feels so good to have completed a marathon. Now I just hope my legs recover quickly...my knees do not currently bend!!