I found out I didn't actually register for this marathon about half way through my vacation to Chile. I thought I'd registered for Utah Valley, Ogden, and Park City on the same day in May. But didn't realize I hadn't included Park City until I never got any emailed info prior to the race. Anyhow, Cath, who leaves the state on Monday really, really (ahem) "encouraged" me to run with her and went to greath lengths to assure that I come run this thing with her. Although both of us had, within days of this race, packed our entire lives into boxes and made the heroic effort of moving, we absolutely enjoyed the experience of 'one last race' together. We got to registration proptly at 5:00. I loved the vibe of the race. It was small, well organized, and manageable. We bumped into Maruine and Smooth. We chatted with Smooth at the start and ran an easy 5 mile warm up with her. We lost Smooth at the first of our many POP and stretching stops along the way. I was however, overjoyed at the ease in which I was able to bandit right into the start. I wanted to come clean to the race director while Cath picked up her race number and t-shirt, but I learned from a reliable source that it would be a better idea to beg forgiveness, rather than ask permission (and absolutely be denied). The day was warm to begin with and by the time the sun rose there were waves of heat flushing off the dirt. Luckily (or not) the headwind kept the sweat cool....I was in awe of the trail run, the open fields, the streams along the course, the sculputre and rock gardens that all appeared unannounced along the trail. The day was crystal clear, the skies were blue, the trail wide and uncrouded. Cath and I often felt like the only people in the race (until we saw the fast runners coming down the hill as we went up the hill at Deer Valley, very much in contrast of our easy-breezy attitudes). Those continual up-hill climbs, particularly the ones that continued AFTER the hill leading up to Deer Valley got to me. I've never, ever, walked during a marthon except at the drink station, but going up Park Ave. I totally threw in the towel. I told Cath I needed to keep every penny in the bank if she wanted me to finish the race, and so I walked up it. I even took a mint candy from one of the kids offering it to the runners (since when do I need a breath mint while running a marathon? but I was way off my game anyway ...so just give me the candy, whatever). Everytime we saw an uphill after that we just laughed, it was too funny to be running that course so pitifully unprepared and exhausted already. She knew more about the course beforehand, but I was along for the bumpy ride. Anyway, I can not remember any particular portion of the course because I let my mind wander and I was shuffleing along listening to Cath and getting myself worked up over how hard my week had been dealing with my sister, my husband, work and the move. It was less like a marathon, and more like a therapeutic long run with my best friend--only in a place, and on a course neither of us expected to be so beautiful (or so hard!). I will register for next year, and give it better effort. Because truly, the challenge and the beauty of the course really appealed to me. But for this time, I enjoyed seeing friends, being outside, giving my last running moments of this summer to Cath who I will dearly miss. | 