What an awesome race! Rode up with Kelli, met Smooth and Karen and waited in the lobby to avoid the cold! Foot felt marginal, but I knew I'd be fine - all taped up and ready to go. No National Anthem or anything this year...we were just off. Catherine came up and said hello (she is running the slam this year!) and we ran for a mile+ together, then I waited at a corner for Smooth and Karen. Chatted away the miles from 2-13 with Smooth all about my crazy life and how to deal with everything that seems to be drowning me lately. What an amazing friend and mentor she is. I just don't think I can ever say enough about how much I love and respect that woman!! Karen had found her cousin in the crowd and the 4 of us were just peas in a pod running along enjoying the day. Somewhere in these miles I found the real reason why I love marathons so much. Marathons are actually BUFFETS! SO much candy, pretzels, fruit!! All you can eat!! You just have to run from table, to table, to table :)
Saw Maynard and Scott on our way up to Deer Valley, did the loop and missed our wet wash cloths! boo. Just before going over the pedestrian bridge, there were a bunch of people sitting around a fire pit (not lit) and cheering us on. I said "mind if I sit a minute with you?" they just laughed...until I sat down. HA! You should've seen the looks on their faces...priceless. Then came Empire St Hill. This is my Queen of the Mountain push on this race. I never walk it! So, I ran my mini hill sprint up the mountain and felt like a million bucks! :) Then, I waited for Smooth and Karen. Nice little rest break. The downhill wasn't as nice to my foot as I would've liked it to be, but I got used to it after a couple miles. The foot really prefers the uphill. Maybe this is a sick joke to make me run hills...and like them! At Park City Resort aide station (by the Alpine slide) we passed Larry Macon...not Bacon, but close. He has run 903 marathons and is over 70 yrs old. Awesome. When we stopped at the aide station Smooth's hubby Larry brought us a cooler of ice! Oh sweet heaven! With my bra and shorts full of ice we ran off...then the COLD water dripped down my legs, yikes! Made me stop and laugh for a good few minutes and Smooth and Karen were laughing too. We just had way too much fun! Along the golf course Lowell called from Hobble Creek, Toby finally texted me back about how she did, my neighbor doing her first tri texted me and we chatted with Larry Macon. When we ran this with Kelli last month I told her "I don't remember any of these hard hills around here!" Well, guess who didn't realize they were running up and down hills again? Yup. Too much fun and excitement. Especially at the yard sale where we stopped to shop for a bike :) didn't have one, so we kept running. Just before the barn we passed our broken leg friend for good. We'd chatted on the way up to Deer Valley and he said he had a SF in his femur. He was from SC and I told him to come to my birthday part at Myrtle Beach Marathon in 2014 (all invited...open invitation!! Marathon on your birthday? doesn't get any better!). We also finally passed the girls who were from BYU. One was running her first full, with never running more than a half for training - crazy girl! The other took up running ultras after breaking up with a boy that was an ultra runner. I told her she should've told him "I can do that...and better than you!" Well, she said she did :) awesome. She'd signed up for the same ultra he'd done, stalked his time from the year before and she had totally beat his time! woot woot! I still think she should've printed out the result and sent it to him on his mission for a little closure :) After the barn I walked a bit with a guy who was dealing with his 4th full with ITB issues. Poor guy. I feel his pain! Smooth and Karen had left me in their dust. So, I decided to pick it up and push the pace for a bit to catch them. It felt great to open it up to 7:20ish pace for a good 1/3-1/2 mile! Then I ran with them and texted a bit more, and decided at the next aide station I needed to stop at a pop. So, I ran ahead to gain some time, used the pop, ate at the buffet table, then pushed the pace again to catch up. After getting some speed in them my legs protested a bit about the slow. Should've just stayed with Smooth! But, I wasn't going to leave her the last 2 miles of the race!! No way! We'd come this far...I was finishing it out with her. Larry (Mr Smooth) met us with about 3/4 mile to go and ran in with us! It was wonderful to have him by her side. A Perfect ending to a good comeback marathon for her. We all encouraged and reminisced along that last windy path to the finish, grabbed hands and with Karen's 2 sweet girls crossed with arms held high! Okay, so I couldn't raise one of my hands too high, because I was holding Smooth's hand, so it was like at my shoulder :) hehehe. After some chocolate milk and a final buffet table, a beautiful medal and quick good-byes we met Kelli, Amy and Scott (Kelli and Amy rocked it!) and then I got in the car with them and took off for home. Right away I took off my shoe and stretched my foot. It didn't feel nearly as bad as I had anticipated...almost good. I kept waiting and waiting for the foot to feel bad, but even in the morning Sunday and today it feels good! Seriously. It hasn't felt this good since before Des News! I guess I just had to run it out of my system :) I had a wonderful time at the race, and although this is the longest I've ever spent on a marathon course, it certainly takes rank up there with some of the best times I've ever had with my running peeps! Sometimes it isn't all about the finish time, sometimes it is about the journey. No more running until Half IM - even though my foot feels okay. I want to hit training for SGM hard after Labor day. I know it will be a short push, but I want to be 100% by then!!! Thanks to all my peeps who made this race the most wonderful morning a girl can have!! Totally worth the 4AM wake up call :) SMOOTH, KAREN, KELLI, AMY...and Scott for the ride and enduring the stink and chatter of us 3 girls in the car! Oh, and Larry!! I can't forget Mr. Smooth...the ice?!? Oh SO wonderful! He got my favorite person of the day award for that!! Can you do that again next week at the half IM? I'll be running that half marathon about noon!!
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