My First Marathon

Saturday I ran the Park City Marathon. I was glad that we have been so busy looking for a house and everything that goes with that that I didn’t have time to think of my nerves for this upcoming race! Friday night Jodie, Renae and I stayed at the Newpark Hotel. The race started right next to the hotel. That was very convenient!! We got our room key and put our bags away. Then we went and looked at the indoor track across the road to warm up on, got some bananas at Smith’s then went back to our room to get ready for bed! The whole time I was thinking that this could not be happening. I felt mentally unprepared because my mind was so much on other things and not the race until we got there! I had SO MUCH FUN with these girls!!

Renae, Jodie, Me:

David made the drive up early. The race started at 6:30. The kids said they slept in their clothes the night before so they would be ready to go. It was a nice surprise when I heard “MOM!” and then little hands wrap around my legs. I was not expecting them to come up for the start of the race.

We got our shirts made by Renae’s neighbor. On the front they said “Run Like A Mother” and on the back it said “Marathon Mom, 26.2 Miles of Peace and Quiet” During the run I had so many runners comment on it. We were very bright!

The first few miles I just kept up with what I thought my pace was and how I felt. Then as the crowd started to spread out I tried keeping up with this girl who had a watch on and kept looking at her pace. I lost her at about mile 8. I later found out I was running about an 8 minute mile. The reason we decided to run this marathon was because it is so beautiful and Jodie had run the 1/2 marathon a few years ago and loved it. The marathon was much different than the 1/2!! So much harder. I was the only one who started out not injured among my friends. Jodie and Renae had a much harder time with it!

At the finish the kids had a made these cute posters for me. I loved it!

My time: 4:21:23.9. I was 6th/24 women in the 30-34 age group. 40th/157 Female runners and 147/387 total runners.

I am a MARATHON runner!!

This was on my front door when I got home. Still don’t know who put it up. They were on Renae and Jodie’s door also. I love the support! I am really going to miss my running buddies. It is much more fun to run and talk with friends!! It has been such a fun 4 months of training.

Chuck, David's dad, drove up from St. George Friday night to help Cameron Saturday morning. They had a breakfast fundraiser, pictures and a scrimmage for football. It was a full morning and we are so grateful he came and did that in the middle of packing for their mission so David could come support me. It was very helpful!!