My First Marathon!

My first Marathon was the 2005 Salt Lake Marathon. I was scared to death when the alarm went off at 4:30 am! I didn't know what to expect, what to eat, when to pee, bla bla bla. I remember just running, and running, and running, and running. Although I think it was more of a "hobble" than an acutal "run." Either way, when I crossed the finish line it changed my life forever!

The Aftermath...

The aftermath of the St. George Marathon. Notice my freakin awsome sock tan line!

Happiness is this moment...

Here's a clip from my running scrapbook. The St. George Marathon was not my favorite race, but I still had a wonderful experience running along an open road with thousands of other runners.

2005 St. George Marathon-Pneumonia Anyone?

I ran the 2005 St. George Marathon...and was in the Instacare 48 hours later. We arrived at the hotel the night before the race and that's when it all began. I felt achy, flu-like, and just crappy. Wayne and I convinced each other that I was just nervous and I would be ok after a good night's sleep. I crossed the finish line an hour later than planned. My family was in a panic, thinking that I might have been one of the 60+ runners taken off the course for heat exhaustion. I pushed through it all and ended up with a bad case of pneumonia in my left lung! The Dr. was amazed that I had just finished a marathon 48 hours before he treated me. The two weeks in bed was pretty miserable, but very much worth it!

Me and Wendy!

I met one of my frends, Wendy, at the finish line of the 2007 Salt Lake Marathon. I didn't know that she had run the race, and we actually ended up finishing about the same time. It's nice to know that there is someone out there you know who is doing something just as crazy as you are!

2007 Salt Lake Marathon

The Finish line of the Salt Lake Marathon is always a site to see, especially is you are a participant. As I turn the corner to come down the Gateway "tunnel," I always get a little teary-eyed. The streets are lined with people cheering for you and as happy as your are! There's music, plenty of food, and a whole lotta hugs and words of encouragement!

Yes, it was Snowing at the Starting Line...

So here I am at the starting line. If you've ever wondered what it looks like when you get there at 6 in the morning...here you go. There is usually music, bonfires, and lots and lots of freezing bodies that have to pee every 30 seconds either because of nervousness or they are just plain cold! On the bus ride up we kept seeing white, but couldn't really tell what it was because it was so dark. The sun just barely starting creeping over the gigantic rock formations and we could make out a dusting of...SNOW! I just prayed that it would go away before we started our journey back down the canyon.

You can see how cold everyone around me is by the way they are shoving their hands as far into their pockets as they can, and they all seem to have the same look on their faces. It's the " What am I doing up this early?" face! It's all part of the adventure!

1 Mile to Go!

We've only got one more mile to go. The green patch to the left of Joann is where the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Finish line are. We may have gained a minute or two on our time by taking this picture, but it defiately was worth taking! A runner saw us with the camera and hear us talking about taking the picture (that was a few miles back). She offered to capture this photo of us posing at mile marker 12.

"The Other Half" October, 2007 (Moab, UT)

Joann and I had a great time running together! Oh yeah, the yellow thing in my hand is in fact a disposable camera. I carried it the entire race, snapping photos of moments only participants could see. I've added a few to the page for you to enjoy!

Finished

I'm still smiling! Woo Hoo I did it! I am smiling but my legs are definately NOT. You gotta try this some time!

Moooove Through 13.1 Miles!

YES, I ran the entire 13.1 miles with them on...for no particular reason at all. I found them in a gift shop on main street the night before the race. Twelve hours later and $5 less in my wallet, I participated in the 2006 Moab Half Marathon with steer horns! A few people along the way asked me to "moo" for them...I gladly did!

Running Buddy

I met Joann on the bus to the starting line of "The Other Half" back in October of 2007. We met on the course at mile 3 and stayed together until the finish. I used to be a lone runner and not really worry about having a buddy, but now I understand why people don't fly solo. It's such a great experience to have someone to laugh with, talk with, and complain with! Thanks Joann for the great run!