Much Needed Inspiration: Honolulu Marathon 2007

When Chelle first made the suggestion of running the SLC marathon together I was super excited. It was all I thought about for days! I lost sleep thinking about it, it was all I thought about while I ran, I printed out several training schedules and decided on Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 program. But then I somehow lost the inspiration I had felt. It was getting cold and running wasn't as easy. My thoughts went like a little something like this every time I ran.
"Why do you think you can run a marathon???? Why do you think you can even run three miles today. You are so tired after 1 mile, there's no way you could even run a half marathon. This hurts your body. Why do you even have a desire to run a marathon. There's no way you'll survive a marathon."
I needed inspiration and motivation in a major way!! Lucky for me I took a trip to Hawaii last week and realized that the Honolulu marathon would be taking place on the Sunday that I was there! I was really excited. I have never seen a marathon. I made the decision to get up at 5:00am (start time) and walk a few blocks down the road to where the racers would run by. I was somewhere between mile 5 and 6. I got there at about 5:20am and my heart was racing!! It was so exciting. At first the runners were few and far between, but really quickly they started coming by the herd!! Over 20,000 people ran this race! My adrenalin wad pumping! I cheered my heart out for those runners. Other people around me had noise makers, but I only had my voice and my hands. I was sure my hands were going to be bruised, but I didn't care. The ladies next to me were all Japanese and they were hilarious. They sang Jingle Bells and Santa Clause is Coming to Town in English and then in Japanese. Can you imagine what the runners were thinking! Some runner held camcorders and some held cameras. Some even wore costumes. After my Japanese friends saw their friend who was running they left. I eventually was the only one at that spot cheering. I just knew that if I was running, I wouldn't have made it to that spot yet. Even the slow runners need cheering! I just couldn't leave yet. I stayed there for an hour and 45 minutes. Oh, I was taking pictures too.

I couldn't really get good pictures here as it was still dark out.
When I finally left that spot, I decided to go to the finish line for some more excitement!

I love the finish line. You see all sorts of emotions there. There were some who were still super happy and looked like they could keep running.


There were those I thought would rather die than run 200 more yards to the finish.


This poor guys legs were cramping up bad. You better believe we all cheered for him so loud to get up and finish. He tried a couple of times and then squatted again. Everyone was yelling, you can do it, and after a minute he did. Way to go buddy.


There were those who were proud.


There were those who wanted to share this awesome moment with their family.


There were newly weds. :)


And there were those that left me in awe.


I loved how a lot of runners would raise their arms across the finish line. You have to look closely in this pictures to see it. (I was thinking of Kristi.)


There were those who were running for a cause. ( I was thinking of JP)


I thought about all of you mommies at some point in time. When the finish time got to 3 hours 40 minutes, I thought about all you amazing mommies that just qualified for Boston! And when it got to 4 hours. I thought about those of you who are shooting to break the 4 hour mark at SLC. I got such inspiration from watching all of these runners accomplish this goal of a marathon! I wanted so badly to be running with them. It made me realize that I CAN run a marathon, even if it takes me all day long, I can do it. AND I WILL come April 19th! Look out SLC here come the mommies!




P.S. Merry Christmas. :)