This was my 10th St. George marathon and the slowest of all my 19 marathons, but it was one of my favorites. In the weeks, days, hours, and minutes before the marathon I often questioned why I was still planning to run. Various injuries have hampered my training most of the year, with the latest and most serious being sciatic pain in my right buttock, which my doctor thinks is being caused by a degenerated L5-S1 disk. She recommended an MRI, but wasn't opposed to me waiting a while to see if it got better with stretching, strengthening, and anti-inflammatories. I backed off my training, running fewer miles, slower and less frequently, and tried to heal. Two weeks before the marathon I ran 10 miles on a Saturday to see if the pain got worse with distance. It didn't, so I decided to go ahead and attempt the marathon. Even if I didn't finished it would get me into the 10 year club, which would mean no more lottery. I decided to start with Larry and Joe Judd and see how it went. We enjoyed Joe's company until Veyo hill, where he didn't feel like walking it like Larry and I knew we had to if we hoped to be able to finish. He went on to finish 17 minutes ahead of us. Larry and I shared the same strategy, which seemed to work for both us. We walked most of the hills and all of the aid stations, and occasionally walked part of a flat or downhill when either of us felt like we needed. to. We took shot bloks, drank plenty of water, tried to cool off as it got hot later in the race, and mostly just enjoyed the experience and one another's company. My blog title and running philosophy is "Every race is an adventure." I told Larry late in the race that this marathon wasn't an adventure, it was a pleasure. I meant it. I had aches and pains and discomfort...most marathoners do...but I never felt distressed or discouraged. I enjoyed the weather, the scenery, the other runners, the volunteers. Mostly I enjoyed Larry's company, and I drew strength from him as he journeyed cheerfully on even though I knew he was in as much or more pain and discomfort than I was. As Larry and I crossed the finish line at 5:17, I felt just as satisfied as when I finished in 2:52 30 years ago. This marathon was a pleasure and an adventure. Adventures come in all shapes and sizes, and the happiness we derive from them depends mostly on our attitudes and expectations. I left Orem on Friday about noon and returned about 5:30pm on Saturday. My quick trip and slow time meant I didn't get to see many of my running friends that I usually see. I hope each of you had a positive experience. I hope to see you at a soon along the road or a at a future event. | 