Better late than never- Right?

It is really late but if you want to watch a video race report of sorts from The Salt Lake Marathon ....

Click Here!

For a little more detail you can read about it over on my personal blog by....

Clicking here!

I Survived!!!

That is my main thought about running my first full marathon-I survived!!! Even though I have been training for months to run the Salt Lake City Marathon, when it came down to it..I was still worried if I could actually finish it. The farthest I had ever run up to that point was 22 miles so I was worried if I could get in 4 more. I am so grateful that my little sister (who has run many marathons) decided to help me train (even though we live 150 miles apart) and then decided to run the race with me-at my pace.
I decided that I wanted to run the race in 4:30. I had actually trained to run it faster than that but I wanted to enjoy the experience and actually make it to the end happy. We started out the race great-(even though we still weren't even running after we finally crossed the start line-it was so packed where we were). The weather was perfect! I was so thankful for the coolness and the clouds that were covering the sun--perfect running weather! The first half seemed to go by pretty fast...I think around mile 18 or so I started to feel like it might never end, but I just kept going and reminding myself that I had done this before. Once we got to mile 22, I started to question myself since I had never gone beyond that before and I was getting tired...but I just kept reminding myself of all the work I had done. Once we came around Liberty Park and onto State Street I started to panic a little. My sister has run this marathon before..but we should have apparently looked at a new map because we didn't know that they had changed the very last part of the race and we had to run all the way up that road to the Eagle Gate. The wind was blowing in our faces and I was so tired as we started mile 25 and I just couldn't imagine getting up that hill (really it probably wasn't that bad-but hey it was mile 25!).
Somehow I made it up and it was so nice to be able to run down past Temple Square and toward the Gateway. I finally started believing the people who were saying "Your almost there" when I looked at my garmin and it showed that we were at 26 miles!
Crossing the finish line with my sister was awesome! I was so thankful to her for sacrificing the great time she could have got-to run with me. Our chip times were 4:32-a little off from my 4:30 goal (thanks to that last hill) but I was still happy and feeling great! I learned so much through this experience. I'm sure that I could have pushed myself a little harder but it was fun to just enjoy it! The only thing that I can relate training and running a marathon too-is having my five children. Your body and mind have to get ready for months to do something that will be really hard and painful but so worth it in the end.
* I just made this video..to thank my sister for helping me survive my first marathon...

A Call to Action... (kind of long but worth taking a few minutes to read)

Hello Ladies! It's been a while since you have heard from me, but I want you all to know I have been diligently reading and savoring every word of your race reports and running and life advice. It has been my momentary escapes for the past few weeks. You see the last 3 1/2 weeks have been the most trying time I have ever lived through. Let me rewind a little to set the stage. Many of you know me as the girl that has a crazy race schedule. My fall lined up like this for 2008...

August 24: Hottest Half, August 31: Disney Land Half, September 20: Tour des Fleur 20K, September 28: Play Tri Triathlon, October 4: St. George Marathon, October 24 & 25: Ragnar Texas Relay, November 16: San Antonio Rock n' Roll Half, November 27: Dallas Turkey Trot 8 Miles, December 14: Dallas White Rock Half, January 10 & 11: Disney World Goofy Challenge (a half and a full)

I got through Ragnar in 1 piece feeling great about the rest of my fall season and started gearing up for the Rock n' Roll.

Saturday the 15th I woke up to my alarm at 4:00 am so myself and 2 girlfriends could get on the road by 5 for the 5 hour drive to San Antonio. So much excitement was in that car... plans being finalized to meet up with other friends all ready down there. For any of you who have taken a road trip with girlfriends you know how much fun they are! (if you haven't... go take one) We were actually on time even with a bathroom stop and a search for Chick fil A. We finished eating our breakfast and hoped back in the car for our last 30 minutes into the city ... let the party begin we thought! Not 10 minutes onto the freeway my phone rings. My dad was on the line which I thought was odd at this hour on a Saturday... oh well he must need something. The conversation I will never forget...

After my very giggly hello a very calm but very serious voice greeted me and asked where I was (kind of an odd question given I live in Texas and my family lives in Utah) I still laughing said back "driving". Back came "pull over!" followed by "I never say that so please just do it. Are the kids in the car with you?" I answered no and began to pull across 3 lanes of freeway and asking what was wrong. He calmly asked "are you stopped?" "yes, what's wrong?"

In the next second the world as I knew it would change permanently.

He relayed the news that my little brother Michael had died the night before in a 4 wheeler accident in Moab. The world could have been on fire after that and I might not have noticed. I just sat and sobbed through the phone with my parents. My girlfriends in the car with me consoled the best they could and I am so glad to have had them with me. They are truly amazing women. They moved me to the passenger seat and turned my car around and without regard for their weekend plans they began the 5 hour drive home! By the time I could hang up with my parents my brother in law had gotten a hold of my husband who was now a man on a mission to get me to Salt Lake in as close to one piece as possible.

We pulled into my driveway with enough time for me to hold my kids tight, throw whatever I could into a suitcase and head back out the door to the airport. While waiting to take off my sister called , trying to make funeral arrangements, wanting to know if I wanted to speak. Before I could think about it I was saying "yes but I don't know what to say, but we can figure it out. Gotta go we are about in the air, see you soon."

As I sat on that 3 1/2 hour flight fighting back uncontrollable crying I began to try and put some thoughts together for this impending, horribly impossible talk I was now giving. I scrounged in my purse for paper, receipts, anything I could write on, all I could find were post it notes.

What kept coming to the front of my mind, begging for space on my post it notes was last springs Salt Lake City Marathon! Nothing could get out until I allowed myself to write it down. It is how I opened on Tuesday November 18, 2008 to the 1000+ people at his funeral and it is how I lead you to this call of action. (if you want to read the whole thing you can read it here)

"Michael and I had at least one thing in common, running. He loved it, I love it, and while recently completing the Salt Lake City marathon Michael wanted in... kind of - he told me that he would be at the end to pick me up and carry me across the finish line. The thought of Michael heckling me if I didn't finish carried me through the last few miles. I came up on mile marker 26, and still no Michael. Where was he I wondered. The finish line came into view, and I really needed to see him, see a familiar face, see a cheer section devoted just to me, and sure enough I found him in the crowd. I don't know what it was, maybe the tears in my eyes that he saw, but the next thing I know he is clearing the barricade, holding up his pants that desperately needed a belt with one hand and holding an open can of Coke in the other to literally push me, to run through the finish with me. This spring I will be running to Salt Lake City marathon again, but this time I will be running for him, not to him. We all hit walls in the marathon of life, times when we think we cannot take another step, but the finish line beckons us on, where our angelic little brother will be waiting with open arms and hopefully some pants that fit, waiting to carry us home to our finish lines."

That Tuesday morning they were my words, my promise with my little brother to live my best life, live my life for him and the amazing one he lived in such a short time. But as we sat as a family it became more, so much more. You see this spring was supposed to be me and 2 of my little brothers running the marathon and my husband doing the bike tour. My mom mentioned to me that she would run with me in Michael's place. Then my sister wanted in, followed by my 2 other sisters and my other little brother! Slowly but surely more and more people were asking me, or telling me, they would be out there for Michael too! It has been a beautiful thing. A way for us as a family to honor him and help his friends cope with this new reality.

We now have a website http://www.RunningForMichael.com/ a facebook group and most importantly a positive energy amongst the sadness.

This is where all of you come in! We want the world to know about this amazing young man who touched and changed so many peoples lives. On April 18, 2009 we will be making a statement through the streets of Salt Lake, starting at the University of Utah, where he was going to go to school this fall, and finishing in front of his most beloved Apple store, the kid was a computer/iPod genius. We want you! We want you to be part of us however you can. My mom, 1 sister, 1 brother and myself will be doing the marathon. Now if you are saying to yourself I can't run a marathon don't worry keep reading, but also know my sister Megan is a mom of 4 kids under the age of 5 (just had the last one this fall) and has never ran. We will be run/walking and crossing the finish line together with our mom who is a 54 year old mother of 7 and my little brother Matt who is a 16 year old cross country/ amazing viola player. The whole point of this is to stretch yourself and learn a few things you didn't know about yourself before. Now if you just still know the full 26.2 miles on foot thing just isn't for you come do the half with my dad or my 13 year old brother. Or you can join the ever growing group participating in the 5k. You can all (EVERYBODY) do this one. My 300lb brother in law is touting that if he can do this with a torn ACL you have no excuse! My son, Hunter who is 8, will be doing it too with my 10 year old little sister. For those of you pregnant ones or those with little kids come join our group at the kids races with those 4 kids under 5 and my little girl with my other sister. Now if running just isn't your thing (or your husbands - recruit them too) then you can join my husband in the bike tour. (It is a tour not a race so even if you aren't a super biker you can participate)

Please, Please, Please think about it... check out the website... and get out and start training. We are going to get shirts for everyone and have a great party that night!

I promise you this will be a life changing experience. We all say thanks for helping us!

Erin - Bart, Hunter and Jorden, Megan - Big Matt, Jacob, Hailey, Bryce and Caleb, Lauren - Colby and Brendan, Matt, Morgan, Doireann, David (Dad) and Gail (Mom)

I'm a Loser, Baby

So...um...I goofed. I was supposed to send everyone a link for the SLC pictures from the lovely and talented Sarah. And well, I totally screwed that all up. I'm so ashamed.

IF you would like access to the gallery (and of course you do!) please send me an e-mail to me at: jillpill16(at)gmail(dot)com. I promise to be nice and also to actually send out the information this time.

What fun we had.

1 more Marathon report :)

Hey everyone... I finaly found 10 minutes to post ... it is over on my blog The Crazy Life ! Check it out if you have a few minutes and want to. Other Erin... email me at info@theribbonspot.com so I can get your address to get the DVD in the mail. :)

Not Quite the Post I Had Hoped to Write

There’s a part of me that doesn’t even want to talk about the actual race. I could go on and on for days about meeting some of my favorite Marathon Mommies and how awesome they are. I could talk forever about how I wished I could take them home with me in my suitcase because they were so wonderful. But the race? The Half Marathon from Hell? Bleh.

Okay, it wasn’t from Hell…but it certainly wasn’t heavenly, by any stretch of the imagination.

In hindsight, I realize that as I prepared for the elevation difference by drinking lots and lots of water, my body was retaining all that water to prepare for…something else. I wish I could say that after mile 3, my breathing regulated, my muscles regulated and my stomach was fine…but I know better than to lie to all you awesome ladies. (Ya’ll run faster than I do…’nuff said.) I actually felt like I was going to throw-up the entire race. I walked WAY more than I ever wanted to. Nothing felt right. And that’s not even starting on the wind. (I know I’m a klutz, but holy cow…the wind nearly tripped me!!) I was bummed because while my first half (in October) was super hard – I enjoyed every minute of it. This time around, despite my grand ideas …it was just hard and I wanted to get it over with. I do believe this is what Miss Suzie P called: HUMBLE PIE…at a much higher elevation than I’m used to eating that humble pie. Bleh.

The silver lining of all of this includes many things: I finished. Even though it wasn’t all that great…I overcame. (And somehow (no idea how) improved my time by 4 minutes.) But mostly? The best part was that I met some of the most fantastic women in person…instead of just the internet. :-) I got to spend a ton of time talking and hanging out with Erin who helped me make it through this event. I could NOT have done this without her. (I'm so proud of her...she left me in the dust…don’t let her fool you!) I got to hang out with the person who inspired me to run…and others that help keep me running now. I wish I could express how wonderful it was to meet all of you Marathon Mommies and how much it meant to me. Even those that I didn’t “know” very well, I just was in awe of everyone around me. It was just so gosh darn exciting, I tell you!

The big ‘ol lesson I gained from this is that I’m going to get back on that proverbial horse and not give up. I’ve only been running for a little less than nine months. Not only that, I started big with a half marathon (for not doing any sort of running before in my life) and it’s probably time that I head on to train in smaller segments. I’ve got my first ever 5k coming up for the Race for the Cure in May. (Hurray!) And then I’ll probably do another in June to keep my interest and to give me a little bit more confidence. After that, I’ll start training for another half marathon a little closer to home in October. After that? Who knows…but I’m not going to stop.

Erin's SLC 1/2 Marathon 2008

My 1/2 Marathon Recap...

Last week turned out to be the week of anxiety and diarrhea. I wasn't sure if i was ready to run 13.1 miles or not. I knew that Saturday was just around the corner and I was nervous. All week long I prayed and mentally prepared for the most physically demanding experience of my life.



Friday afternoon I got to meet my great friends and examples at the Marathon Mommies, Carb Party. This ended up being so much fun and I was so grateful for the opportunity of meeting everyone. Truly Sisters-Bound by Sweat and Blood



I could have stayed and chatted all night long, but my good sport husband Scott was just driving around SLC waiting for me to finish, so alas, I had to leave. When I dropped off Angela she shared a quote with me.



"There is no substitute for Preparation."

This quote did not make me feel better. As you all know, I procrastinated my training and did not prepare properly. Stupid Erin!

Scott & I then had the chance to check out the Marathon Expo and then we went to dinner to get Scott some yummy carbs.

I really felt like I wanted to drive the course so that I would know where I was at and could gauge my distance. Scott was kind enough to drive me the entire course. With traffic this took us over an hour and I kept thinking to myself...how in the world am I going to run 13.1 miles. It seemed so far...and so impossible. I was terrified and scared to death.

I got back to the Hilton and took a minute to read over all of my support emails and blog comments and Kristi's Marathon and then it was time to pack.

I then started laying out all of my supplies.

For those of you seasoned runners, you can skip this part, but I was new to running and I did a lot of research for what I might need. I am also the kind of person that likes to over pack, so take it or leave it, this is what I carried with me on my run.

Fanny Pack ( I loved this. It was not kind to my love handles as it squished everything I had into a muffin top, but I loved having it to carry all my stuff.)

Cell phone (In case of Emergency, and to contact my family after the race. There were 12,000 participants.)

Hat (This I hooked on my fanny belt and didn't even use, but if it had been more sunny it would have come in handy.)

Wedding Rings (I forgot to take these off before I left the hotel, so I clipped them into my fanny pack so that my ring finger wouldn't explode)

Zip Lock Bag ( This has Ibuprofen in it, which I took every 5 miles, and also prenatal vitamins...thought I could use some extra strength vitamins, and Blocks-these are gummy endurance enhancers. I almost choked on them.)

GU (Power Bar gel packs with caffeine)

Ballmania (Oprah's Favorite things list: best lip balm on the planet-yellow ball)

BODY SHIELD (Okay, I owe my race to this stuff. One of my biggest concerns was chaffing and blisters and this stuff is amazing. I like it way better than body glide. It goes on thick and clear and you literally have to wash it off. This saved me the entire race. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Garmin (This GPS device is amazing! Thanks Santa Claus (mom). I wasn't sure if I wanted to use it because sometimes I become a slave to it when I am running. But it proved to keep me on track and helped me set some goals. Loved it. ~This device keeps track of miles, pace and time~

After laying out all my stuff I tried to get some shut eye. Let's just say that I didn't sleep at ALL. I rested and laid on the bed, but I didn't sleep. It was a long night and I was very nervous.

When 5AM rolled around Scott & I got up and got ready. We were then able to pray together and then it was time to split up. I had to walk to Trax to get a ride to the 1/2 Marathon and Marathon start and Scott had to get to the 5K starting line.

I felt really alone as I walked through downtown SLC by myself at 5AM. I was nervous, sick to my stomach and pretty much wanted to just turn around. When Trax finally came to pick me up, it was so crowded I could barely get on. The excitement in the air started to grow and I got to listen to 4 men in their 70's talk about running the marathon, 3 sisters who wanted to finish the marathon together just so they could have their picture taken...and so on. The spirit of the marathon was there.

When I got to Legacy Bridge, there were thousands and thousands of people everywhere. I didn't know what to do. I immediately got in the port-a-potty line, like I had been instructed to do and just waited. Luckily I had success (gross) and was able to calm my nerves.

I then was able to get a hold of Julia (my mentor) and meet her for the very first time. I felt pretty dumb because I immediately started crying. I was just so nervous and overcome with emotion. She was so awesome...like and angel and just told me I could do it. I didn't get to see her for long, I had to go and find my running partner JP.

Seeing JP was like a breathe of fresh air and I finally felt like I wasn't in it alone. Her family was there with her and they made me feel like part of the crew. This was the best therapy for a scared momma. (Make sure if you run a race like this to have a support team-mandatory).

JP, Marathon Erin and I headed to the starting line to line up. I didn't know what to expect and when we were finally able to run...about 10 minutes after the gun went off, I was relieved. It felt good to finally just get started and once I was actually running, all worries and doubts were dispelled.

Finally it was just me, JP and the Road. Within the first mile JP started having breathing problems, due to the altitude and needed to walk. This was hard for me because after all my worry and stress, I actually felt ready to roll. We walked a little and then ran and then walked a little and then ran. We stopped at mile 2 and stretched a bit (which I had completely forgot to do before the race).

Not long into the 3rd mile I had to press on ahead. I felt so bad leaving Jill because I knew that she could run faster than me on any given day, and I really wanted a partner, but I knew that I had to just go. I had to go while I could go and give it my best.

I pushed on and felt great. I know that this is due to some answered prayers so thank you Heavenly Father! I kept a slow and steady pace, but I was able to run and keep running. I was amazed at the support that came out. So many people made me feel like they were there cheering just for me. I slapped hands and thanked everyone I saw. At about mile 5 I saw a woman run past a police officer and totally cut the course. I started laughing and thought about all the times that I'd taken the easy way in life. I promised then and there not to cut even a corner. I was going to run 13.1 no matter what.

At mile 5 I tried to down some blocks, which I choked on, and took some Ibuprofen. Every mile I passed I kept thinking to myself, I feel great, I feel great? What...I feel great? I teared up every time I passed a mile marker because I just couldn't believe that I was 'really doing it'.

I chatted with people here and there. I rocked out to my play list with included crazy songs that I loved and will post later. I love my play list!

When I reached the half way mark I was amazed. I knew that I had to get tired soon but I just couldn't believe how strong I felt. I kept thinking of the quote that Kesli sent me. Thanks Kes!

At mile 9 I started feeling a few blisters. I debated just finishing, but then decided to just stop, take my shoe off, and rub on some Body Shield. This took me a few minutes, but the pain was instantly gone and I feel that this was the right move.

I had set a time for myself to finish at 3:30 minutes. I really thought that I was going to have to walk. But at about mile 9 I set a new goal for myself of 2:40 minutes. Almost an hour faster. (Thanks Garmin for keeping track of my numbers).

This was about the time that the Marathon Leaders passed me. I was so excited that I just stared screaming and cheering as loud as I could. I didn't know what to do. They were passing me at my mile 9 and their mile 22. WHAT? This was insane.

At about mile 10 I started to slow down. I really started to feel my body and 3 more miles seemed hard. About that time I saw JP's family and got a little boost. I just pushed and pushed, slow but steady.

At mile 11 I ran into a girl that had been pacing herself off me and I off her. She started to walk and I started to pass her and I said to her, "don't you dare walk, you are running with me." This proved helpful because about a mile later when I wanted to walk, she pushed me the same way.

When we turned the corner into the gateway at mile 13 I was set. I took off as fast as I could, at a 6.91 mile pace and just pushed through the finish line. I forgot to take out my headphones so I didn't know if anyone had cheered for me, but it didn't matter. I did it! I did it! I finished under 3 hours at 2:50:51. I was so pleased with my time. And amazed that I was able to run the entire way.

I got a little bit sad when I couldn't find my family. But when I finally found them they were shocked that I had finished already! That was a compliment. I totally surprised them, and myself.

I spent the next few hours cheering on the Marathon Runners. I was right by the finish line and had fun trying to get the runners to cry. One woman heard me cheering and almost had to stop because she got so emotional. So fun!

I proud of myself. Yep I am. I can't wait for the next race.

Kimm and Scott After the Race!

There is still life left in these bones!

Amber & Erin

Scott & Erin

Highlights:

• Meeting my Mentor Julia in person...she took me under her wing and developed a 5 week training program for me so I could run the SLC 1/2 even after skipping 7 weeks of training.



• Carb Loading with the Marathon Mommies who probably thought I was a psycho, but I just couldn't contain my excitement. I loved all of them so much! Way to go ladies!


• Starting the race with my partner in crime JP, AKA Thing 2, Lightning Jill, or Turtleneck


• Running my first 1/2 Marathon in beautiful Utah on a course that had a great downgrade


• Running on a beautiful day with a great wind (I think a lot of people hated the wind, but I trained in Blackfoot, so I welcomed it, I stayed so cool the whole race!)


• Passing every mile post and thinking to myself, wow...I'm still running and I feel great.


• Seeing JP's family at mile 10 and hearing them cheer for me!


• Thinking about all of my friends and family as I ran and wondering how I got so lucky to have so much support


• Passing Sugarhouse park (where I had my horrible Beat The New Year Run) and thinking to myself, SEE YA SUCKER!


• High Fiving all the kids that were out cheering on the racers


• Being a Participant and not just a Spectator


• Seeing the frontrunner's in the Marathon Pass me at my mile 9 and their mile 22. They were so awesome!


• Finishing with no one at the finish line for me because they weren't planning on me finishing that soon. I love a good surprise.


• Crossing the finish line sprinting at 6.94 mile pace because I still had some juice left.


• Having my Sister-in-Law Amber at the finish line cheering me on and telling me she felt like she was my mom, she was so proud!


• Finishing something that I started. I actually reached my goal!
  

Thank You's:

• To Julia for believing in me and taking the time to write me thoughtful, encouraging emails to get me through my training.


• To Scott for supporting me and for letting me buy all the little gizmo's that I was sure would help me on the race. Oh, and for swapping me ipods so that I didn't have to run with my big dog!


• To my mom, for helping me get over the cold that hit me on Friday. You worked a miracle and I felt great on Saturday.


• To my alarm clock, for going off right on time, even though I never fell asleep the entire night. Good job!


• To my muffin top and my cankles, for working harder than you have in a while and for carrying me through to the end.


• To my blogging friends, for posting words of encouragement and support that I thought about through the entire race.


• For my sore muscles, for still being sore and being a constant reminder that I am awesome because I did something this cool for you to be sore.


• For Suzie P & M&M, and Sarah's Mom, for entertaining all of us Marathon Mommies and providing delicious Carbs!


• For JP & Sarah...for making me laugh and for liking me and taking my picture. (Feel free to edit out the above mentioned muffin top and cankles)


• To my Mom & Dad, for watching my little ones...which can be so HARD. Thanks for taking them for me! I couldn't have done this without you.


• For The Girls...you know who you are...my lovely family that ran all sorts of different races this day...you all believed in me.


• To my Dylan who asked me on the phone after the race...Did you Win? I of course replied...YES! And then he said, wow, you beat dad!


• To my sport shield, for no chaffing and preventing blisters!


• To my bladder, for holding it through the entire race.


• To my Heavenly Father...for hearing my prayers and answering all of them...Thank you!
  
  
  
  

Jana & Jeff and Family Plus Lindser who I love!

Suzie Petunia's SLC Marathon Race Report

Its hard to believe it is over. And it is even more difficult to believe how it all turned out: not at all as I expected. Just to re-cap... my goal was to qualify for next year's Boston marathon. To qualify I needed to run this race in 3 hours and 40 minutes.

My actual time: 4:03:37 This was my 4th marathon, and I ran 2 of them faster than this, and with a lot less training. Perhaps some clever "editing" would make me feel better:

3:37:04. Doesn't that look better? Unfortunately it just isn't true!

This race came with a lot of variables that were beyond my control. But at least I know that I did everything I could have to be prepared. The only thing I didn't do was appreciate just how many uphills there were going to be during the first half. I was able to stick to my goal pace for 12 miles, but my heart rate just kept creeping higher and higher with each uphill. And soon my legs were beat. The hill at mile 10 - 11 was brutal, and after it my pace really fell off. After mile 12 I realized that my body wasn't going to recover enough to be able to get back up to the pace I needed to be at to make my goal time of 3:40. It was a very strange realization and feeling knowing that my goal was unattainable, and yet I still had to put one foot in front of another for another 13 miles! The fire inside had been all but extinguished. And it felt like I had very little fuel left.

Speaking of fuel... I broke one of the cardinal rules of distance racing this time around: a mistake I will not repeat. I switched which brand of energy gel I was using. About a week before the race I realized that the kind I liked and had been using during training contained caffeine. Because I was determined to run this race based on my heart rate as well as my pace, I was worried about using a gel that could potentially raise my heart rate (because of the caffeine). I hadn't even tasted the new brand before the race, and much to my dismay I found it to be totally disgusting. It tasted salty and made me very thirsty. Thirst turned out to be one factor that I battled the entire race. After mile 12 I stopped taking my race "gu" and just drank the Gatorade and water at the water stations.

I felt absolutely parched the entire race. The climate is very dry in Utah - something my body is not accustomed to since I train in Oregon. My lips were very dry, and my wonderful husband hurried to a convenience store between 2 of the places where he watched me run and found some Carmex which did wonders. But the thirst was persistent. I also wonder about the medication I had taken to curb "runners' diarrhea". Not to get too personal (too late), but this is a real problem for many distance runners that just doesn't have an easy solution. I took some Immodium the night before and the morning of the race and it helped tremendously. But I wonder if it contributed to the problem I was having with thirst during the race.

I haven't even mentioned the wind yet! It was blowing steadily into my face during the first half of the race.

I had plenty of time during those last 13 miles to think about all of my excuses for not qualifying for Boston. Every time my mind wandered to this negative area, I repeated my mantra outloud: "Steady". I hadn't planned it ahead of time, but soon after the race started I began saying this word out loud to myself whenever my mind wandered into a non-productive arena. In the beginning it was to remind myself to stay "steady" on my pace. When I began to wonder if I would be able to keep up my pace it took on a different meaning: "Don't think negative thoughts!" And during the second half this word took on yet a different meaning: "Don't walk!" I am a little sad to admit that I walked at about 4 different times during the second half. It was only for a hundred yards or so - enough to get my heart rate to come down a bit and let my legs have a break. I've never walked before in a race. I hope I never have to do that again.

My cheerleaders were amazing throughout the race. As I mentioned, Taylor raced around himself all morning trying to catch me at different places in the course. It has grown a little fuzzy, but I think I saw him 4 different times. And my parents caught me at two different places. They had Alice in a stroller - she looked so cozy and relaxed in her snug little seat. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. :) My parents held signs that said "Go Sarah!" and cheered their hearts out. I think I must have the most supportive family in the world. I really am so grateful to my sweet husband for making the trip just to help me during the race. And to my family for being there and being proud regardless of the results.

Just over 3 miles from the finish, Kelly caught up with me. I had been wondering the entire time how she was doing. I knew that since she hadn't passed me it wasn't likely that she was going to qualify for Boston either. It was a sad little reunion there at Liberty park where we acknowledged our goal was out of our reach. We both were not feeling well and were struggling to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There were several race photographers during the last few miles, so at least we got our picture taken together! We made every attempt to pick up our feet and smile, but we have yet to see how they turned out. What does a smile look like when you are in tremendous pain? I guess we'll find out!

I have to say that I am really very grateful that we shared the last 3 miles together. It had been a very lonely race up to that point - especially the miles after mile 12. I hadn't talked to anyone and my music wasn't inspiring me the way it usually does. Sharing a pace with another person is a magical kind of thing. For some reason it seems a lot easier when you're running right along with someone else - especially an amazing friend like Kelly. We both felt terrible, but at least we felt terrible together! For the first time since we started running together, we crossed the finish line together. Finishing a little late with her was a lot better than having finished late and all alone.

My family was all there at the finish - and it was the strangest post-race celebration I've ever had. Everyone knew that I hadn't reached my goal, but they were all quick to tell me how proud they were anyway. Failure is an unwelcome feeling. But it was only a failure in my own eyes. Usually a failure is recognized as a universally identifiable event, but for a goal like the one I had, only I could recognize it for what it was. "Failure" seems like a strong term considering the circumstances, but I'm not sure what else to call it. Is it a failure if you only fall short because you unwittingly set the bar too high? The thing about running and racing is that when you are not an elite athlete there is no universally-recognized bar. Except for qualifying for Boston, of course.

After the race I started thinking about what it said on the back of my Marathon Mommies racing shirt: "The woman who starts the race is not the same woman who finishes the race." I began to wonder just how this race had changed me. I had definitely been handed a slice of humble pie. And maybe that is the biggest change. But I wonder about what it says about the goals I set for myself. To be honest, I don't set goals very often because I am afraid of failing - in any area of my life. I wish I could say that by setting the goal to qualify for Boston, at least my PR (personal record) for the marathon was broken, even if I didn't qualify. But unfortunately that isn't the case. My PR remains at 3:44 from St. George of '07. God bless the beautiful down-hill course of the St. George marathon! I guess I have learned that hills can make or break my marathon. And if nothing else, I learned that if you set a goal and fail, it isn't really the end of the world. There is always next time. But running a marathon is a lot like childbirth: One just can't make the decision to go into it again any time soon after the event. But if I were to do it again... St. George might be a' callin' my name.

Even though the race didn't turn out how I had hoped, I had the time of my life - because I met so many of the Marathon Mommies that weekend! What an amazing group of women you all are! You are each beautiful, smart and confident. I admire each of you and feel blessed to be able to associate with you here on our blog. What a huge bonus-blessing it was to meet so many of you on Friday evening before the race! I hope this is the first of many races for us! St. George?... Anyone?

What's a taper?

For those of you who are running in Salt Lake on April 19, here is your friendly reminder: IT IS TIME TO TAPER! This means NO pushing it as hard as you can while out running. Today Kelly was chastised by her mentor about running too hard during the taper. We've decided that the only way to help her remember to not run too hard over the next 12 days is to make her wear this sign around her neck.

And just to be sure... I will wear it on my back while we are running and make her run right behind me so she doesn't forget: SLOW DOWN! Take it easy! Relax! It is time to let your body recover from all of the hard runs. You are in the best possible shape you can be in for this race. It is time to give your body a rest so it can give you 110% on race day. That goes for all of you crazy runners out there!

Ahhhh, I love to taper. This is the only time that we are told we HAVE to take it easy as runners. Enjoy your leisurely runs, ladies!

You are Invited!

Who: Any mommy out there who wants to meet before the Salt Lake Marathon, 1/2 and 5K

What: Marathon Mommy Get-Together (pasta, salad, bread and dessert) There will be plenty of room to chat, give each other advice, and hang out.

When: Friday, April 18 - 4:00 PM - Stay as long or short as you'd like.

Where: You'll have to email me to get the location. It is my parents' home, and I'm pretty sure they don't want me publishing their home address on the internet! Email me at suziepetunia@gmail.com

We are getting t-shirts made for anyone who would like to wear them for the races on April 19 in Salt Lake City. Indicate in your email to me if you are interested in purchasing one. We are not 100% sure about the price yet... somewhere between $20 and $30. They are moisture-wicking performance t-shirts.

FRONT OF SHIRT DESIGN:BACK OF SHIRT DESIGN:

8:23

That is the magic number. It is the number that I became obsessed with 3 years ago when I ran my first marathon. It is the number that stands between me and my goal of running the Boston Marathon. 8:23 is the pace that I must run each and every mile of the 26.2 miles in Salt Lake City. I can't even tell you when I decided that Boston would be my goal. All I know is I have been working very hard for the last few months, and I hope my reward will be meeting that goal. I explained it to Ang that "I am an average runner with an above average dream." I think that describes me pretty well. I feel I am pretty mediocre at many things and this goal has allowed me to think that I can be better than mediocre at something if I truly put my whole heart into it. On the other hand, putting this out there for the other Mommies and anyone else who reads this to see makes me very vulnerable. I am a little scared to put this kind of pressure on myself, but I know if I don't give it all I have, I won't make it. Seeing 2 of my very good friends(Smith and FoxontheRun) qualify for Boston has made we want it even more. I will definitely be cheering them on April 21st, hoping that I will join them soon. I am grateful also to have Sarah joining me on this journey and I hope we will be doing this together! (I know she will make it, I just hope I will too!)

So, tune in to see if I will run a 3:40 marathon on April 19th...I will need your support! Wish me luck!

Salt Lake Marathon in Training!

Okay, Mommies!

Who's in? Who's out? Who's full? Who's half? Who's [officially] registered? Who's excited? And what training plan are you using?

Here are my answers:

I'm in.
For the full.
I'm registered (official).
I'm EXCITED!
I'm using Hal Higdon Intermediate 2 training plan.


And for those who are not training for the Salt Lake -- please comment and share your goals and plans so we can cheer you on, too!

Ready? Set?

Roll Call.