This summer I spent many hours a week running and training and resting and stretching. I even spent some time taking funny random photos with my great running pals during long weekend runs. All of this time and energy was a lead up to this weekend... my first full marathon.
We got out of bed at 4am to get ready and head to the bus for our ride to the top of the race course. It was a very cold and windy 25 degrees. This is the first time that I ever used a bag drop so that I could bundle up until the race start. It was truly freezing and we spent our hour and 10 minute wait bundled in mylar blankets and trying to find a closer spot by the campfires.
My wonderful friends Caryn and Shelby were and inspiration to me in signing up for this race in the first place, and they gave me great advice and great company all through the training. They have each run multiple marathons and in some very fast and impressive times, so I enjoyed my time with them at the start line. Once the race started, I stayed with them for the first mile and then got into my pace and saw them again after the race was over.
The course that this race runs was so beautiful and so typical of Southern Utah. It was a course with a lot of ups and downs and was so well organized and supported. There were many signs that people had placed on the mileposts through the race. My favorites were-
Mile 2.5- "You've got this. Love- Your Family"
Mile 17 (right before a large hill)- "Run, You Fools! -Gandolf"
Mile 20- "I am so proud of you, You Random Stranger."
The best surprise of the whole race was in the last mile, as the crowds were thick and cheering, I was running down the middle and searching the sides of the road for Caleb and my boys, very ready to spot a familiar face to send me to the finish line. My glance settled on my little neice, Sara, the platinum blonde, who was sitting on shoulders next to Wyatt. Since I did not expect to see her it took me a moment to register that she was really there, just as I saw Caleb and my boys, I recognized Mark my brother in-law. Then I heard a loud booming voice yell "Go Marci!" And saw Alan and Schatzy and all of my wonderful hoard of nieces and nephews and my own boys cheering and yelling. I definetely teared up at the sight of all of my wonderful family, and finished with whatever I had left.
So grateful for the love and support of all of my family and friends, and for these wonderful sisters for dragging their families such a long ways to watch me finish this race. Even though I didn't get a picture with Caleb and the boys, they have done so much all year to make this race possible and I love them for it.
During my training I injured my knees from overuse, and hip problems and had a lot of help getting through the remainder of my training and being able to know I could go the distance. I struggled with my knee pain from mile 10 until the finish, but was able to fall back on all of the great advice and strength to know I could reach my goal. Despite the pain, I enjoyed this course and that was my biggest goal for that day. I finished in 4 hours and 28 minutes, and I can honestly say that aside from the first miles from 10-12 when I had to decide how I was going to deal with the pain in my knees, I didn't have any moments when I felt like I wouldn't reach the finish. It was both a painful and a positive experience. And I was so happy to finish and see these two wonderful girls and find out that they too had a great race day. I ended my day feeling exhausted and so blessed.
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