It's kinda surreal to think back to exactly 2 weeks ago & think about this experience. It almost seems like it didn't happen at all!
I woke up at about 4am to eat and get out the door by 4:30am. Tyler was a sweetheart and drove me to Ogden so early in the morning & then he went straight back to bed while we loaded a bus that took us to the starting line. It was freezing cold so I was grateful to find lots of bonfires to use to stay warm before the race. We waited around for what seemed like forever (really probably only an hour and a half) before we were told to head towards the starting line & wait for the gun to go off! At this point I had a million emotions going through my head- mostly excitement- I was running my first official marathon!
We heard the gun go off & we all cheered with excitement-- although it still took us about 5 minutes to cross the starting line. The first 5 miles were funny to me because you just look to the sides of the street and find clothing everywhere that runners are shedding as they are warming up.
I was lucky enough to have a running partner, Cameron, who runs at the same pace as me. We kept each other going the entire race.
Some of you may have known already, but one of my knees had been giving me grief when I got higher in miles. In preparation for this on race day I brought along some Tylenol & took it at the half. I didn't have any pain at all the whole race! It was definitely my only fear of what could cause me to not finish, so I was very grateful.
Here we are at mile 17 just about to enter the Ogden Canyon! I was feeling great & even better when I saw my Coach, Dave & he ran with us for a while keeping us motivated.
This is at mile 23 I believe & we had just finished running through the canyon. My family was there it was such a surprise & encouraged me to keep going!
They made me signs that went along with the song Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts. It was so thoughtful, Rascal Flatts is one of my all time favorites so it meant a lot to me!
Here we are at the finish about to cross the finish line! The last stretch down Grant was probably my favorite part of the whole race. Your body is screaming at you to stop yet you can see the finish line in the distance & your body fills with excitement and you push yourself to keep going.
Our official time was 4:44 & we were very happy with this considering our goal was under 5 hrs & crossing vertically :)
My family came to greet me at the finish & it was extremely emotional for me. As you can tell by the pictures I was crying. I hugged my Dad first and he asked me if it was hard & I just started crying and said Yes! I knew that I would cry at the finish, it wasn't a surprise to me at all. The night before I told Tyler I knew I would because even then just picturing myself crossing the finish line I got teary-eyed.
I was extremely grateful that my family came out to support me. It would have been a lot harder to finish if they weren't there. They made me feel extremely special for completing this goal of mine & I love them so much!
Me hugging my brother Aaron. He told me he was inspired by me & he is now training to complete his first 1/2 marathon along with me, Tyler & our little sister Karli in Disneyland this September! We are extremely excited to say the least & I am extremely proud of them for committing to doing it.
Me with my biggest fan :)
Karli giving me a victory hug :) I'll be giving her one when we cross the finish line in September!
Tyler's Mom, Amy, came along with Carson to cheer me on! Thanks you guys :)
Me with my parents!
Me and my niece Emerie
Me with my brother Tim & sister in law Megan
Me with my beautiful sisters, Devanee & Karli.I am definitely grateful for the opportunity I had to run this marathon & I couldn't have picked a better course for my first. It was extremely beautiful the entire way & very well put together. I am also grateful to have found Team in Training to help me train & prepare for my first marathon. It gave me the opportunity to give back & raise money for Leukemia & Lymphoma. Thanks to all those who donated money, I raised more than my goal! A few donations have trickled in even after my race & right now the total raised is at $1,815! So THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for supporting me in this endeavor. It was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever. One of my life long goals has been accomplished but I don't think I'll be retiring from running anytime soon.. next up.. 1/2 Marathon at Disneyland this September!
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