Well I did it! But for starters, I have the most awesome husband in the world (sorry ladies) He is absolutely amazing and I never could have accomplished this life long goal without him. The last 18 weeks have been a lot of work and he has done so much. Always watching the boys, running ice baths, making me eggs and being so supportive. I love ya babe! Second, My Mom and Dad are the best parents ever! (sorry everyone) They have been so interested and excited from the very beginning. My mom told me that she would be supportive of anyone who even thought about running 26 miles. They helped me so much and financially made it possible for me to do this. Thanks Mom and Dad!!! Thanks to everyone who came to the race and fought traffic and people to help support me, it really means the world to me.
Now the big day. I woke up at 3:30 even though the alarm did not go off until 4:30. I nursed Blakers one last time and said a huge prayer that he would be okay. I got up, put on sunscreen and aquaphor (to prevent chaffing) and got dressed. I wanted to run in shorts and a tank top, but the race started at the top of a canyon and so I dressed in my outfit and then put pants and a sweatshirt over the top, so I wouldn't freeze in the canyon. I then put on my number and my chip timer that went around my ankle. My dad got up at 5:00 to help me and make me breakfast. It was so awesome. I got choked up saying bye to him and then I went out to get into the car and my neighbor had made me a good luck sign and balloons. another tear jerker. After I had made sure I ate and had everything ready to go, MD drove me down to the park, where I had to load a school bus to go to the starting line. I got to the park at 5:30 and waited for a half hour to load the bus. It was so fun to watch everyone and see all sorts of people. This is where it would of been so nice to have someone with me, to be able to talk and enjoy it all with. When we got to Hardware ranch (40 mins later) Everyone was standing in line for the porta poddies. There were at least 30 of them and a ton of people. While in line, the buses were leaving and they were taking all the clothes, so I had to get into my shorts and long tshirt and it was freezing!! Low 30s. Then the gun went off while I was still in the bathroom line, I started to panic and someone said it was the wheelchair gun. So I hurried and went to the bathroom and I was coming down the hill, and the starting gun went off. It was so neat to be up above and see the whole sea of people start to move. So I ran down and stood to the side of the start line and fixed my ipod, turned on my watch, took a deep breath, and jumped in and ran across the starting line. (the race is timed on the chip timers and so my time didn't start until I ran across the line, even though it was about two minute after the gun went off.) It was still dark out and the sun was just coming up behind us and it was so amazing. I loved running in the crowd of people and listening to everyone and just the excitement I had was so overwhelming. The hard part is to not start out to fast because I didn't want to die at the end, but I just started picking people out who were about my same pace and watching for them. The first aid station was at mile 3 and it came so fast I couldn't believe it. I finally ditched my gloves and longsleeve shirt at mile 7 and that was like taking off a sweaty five pound weight. We ran in the canyon for the first 14 miles and no spectators were allowed in the canyon, so it was just runners. The canyon was so beautiful, it was just changing for fall and all of the beautiful colors were starting to show on the trees. It was very serene and nice. Then the wind started to pick up at our backs towards the mouth of the canyon and push me and that was a nice boost. When I reached mile 13, I was there at 2hours 10 minutes and I couldn't believe it. I was like ok I am already halfway, let's do this. I still had tons of energy and I felt awesome! When I came out of the canyon the whole street was lined with people yelling, and cheering and it was so great. It really was so nice to have people cheering. I was coming up on mile 17 and I saw a kid who looked like Miles, then I thought it wasn't Miles and then that it was(he was carrying a huge stick so I knew it was him) and then I saw ryan trailing along and then Mark, Jonathan and my dad. I was able to say hi and good to see you as I ran by. It was so great to see them and it gave me a great boost. I still felt really good and I was really happy with how it was going. I couldn't believe how fast it was going by, they had mile markers and it really just broke up the race by helping me tell myself to make it to 18 and 19 and so on. I saw the boys, my dad, and mark a little after Mile 20, and this is when I was entering uncharterted territory. I had only trained up to 20 and that was a hard run, but at a little after 20 I still felt pretty good. I only had 6 to go and I was going to make it. I ran passed my friend tessa, who had rode her bike on every long run, and I told her she should of rode in this one. I kept waiting to hit the well known wall, and it wasn't coming, I hit mile 23 and I was tired, but my body felt good, my knees and hips werent hurting at all and that was so nice. Everyone was starting to walk a ton at this point and I knew if I did I wouldn't start again, so I was weaving in and out of all the people. My Dad and my sister Becky were at mile 24 and I wasn't so talkative then, I was only able to muster up a smile and that was about it. This is where I had to start talking to myself and saying that the pain would only be a minute but the memory of this race would be forever. I finally came to the 26 mile marker and I had to turn the corner to finish the last two/tenths of the race. The street is lined with people and the big finish line thing is there, I could hear all of my family and friends cheering and I saw mark's red shirt out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't even turn and look because it was all I could muster to keep myself going. I gave it my all and finished in 4 hours and 27 minutes and I didn't walk once!! When you go over the finish line the announcer tells your name and that was cool to hear my name called. You walk down the runners chute and they take off your timer and put a medal on you and then send you for a picture, and I am sure that one will look great! Then you walk into a runners area that has tons of gatorade, water, chocolate milk cheese, crakers, fruit and then I saw the fat boy's so I took three ( I only got a few bites, because my boys ate the rest, of course!) I waited in the runners area until MD came and found me and I went out to see my family. I felt so good, I felt so happy and it was the sixth most memorable, amazing day of my life! I can't believe I did it, I accomplished something I have wanted to do my entire life and I can't wait to do it again!!
