:) :) :) SoJo so SO so SO so SO FUN Marathon today!!! :) :) :)
When I signed up for SoJo a month ago, my intention was to have FUN, take advantage of the last bit of
good Fall weather and make up for the marathons I missed this summer (due to sf injury). After studying the course and consulted with RAD, I decided that SoJo is perfect choice. Knowing I would have residual soreness/fatigue from SGM 2 weeks ago and comparing it with my TOU's time, I figured I
could realistically get a 4:30.
Sweet hubby dropped me off at RAD's home so her kind hubby could drive us to the start! Love not having to ride the bus (THANK YOU Craig!!!), felt more like going to a Sat. group run than a race! On the way to RAD's, I listened to KSL radio doing a live interview with Russ about the Pony Express 50/100 (that started 24 hours ago and still going). It made me think of the fun times Lowell and I had running the PE50 last year. CHEERS to all the PE runners and the RD, legendary Davy Crockett!!! :)
Craig dropped us off at the start in the little town of Copperton. The fun began with meeting RAD's Newton buddies. VERY EXCITED to see our very own FRB elites: Chad Robison, Walter and Josse!!! Lowell and Marci arrived shortly to join the fun. I love a race with short pop lines, and low key atmosphere. After a sweet national anthem and announcement of 1 min before start, I made one last dash to the pop. We got in at the back of a small field of friendly runners (about 220).
The first 5Ks in and out of Copperton reminds me a bit of the first 5K in Hopkinton (minus the loud spectators). Love the quaint little town's homes, firehouse, cemetery and small farms. We were greeted with a beautiful pink/orange sunrise vibrantly behind silver clouds and pale blue sky, overlooking the vast valley and the majestic Wasatch mountains to the east. :) :) :)
It warmed up rather quickly...so happy to see hubby around mile 5 where I handed him my jacket and cell phone! :)
Then comes the hills that stretch from about mile 5.5 to 7. I took them easy trying to conserve energy. My breathing was less than ideal with the side/headwind and the stinky whiff coming from the dump's compost. RAD could run hills easily twice as fast as me; but she stayed with me and somehow we lost Marci. Between Lowell's singing and RAD's pointing out the hawk, the hunter, the "turned inside out mountains" and story telling, the miles flew by! :) (Mile 1-7: 9:56, 8:40, 9:11, 10:26, 10:52, 11:55, 10:54)
Mile 8-11 are the sweet downhills outside of Butterfield Canyon. This is RAD's stomping ground! She knows the folks that live in these homes, the coolest Halloween haunts with funny skeletons on the front yard, the hill of despair, etc. :) (Mile 8-12: 9:16, 9:34, 9:11, 10:34, 9:15). I should mention that we stopped at every aid station to joke with the volunteers and sample the buffet...very organized with signs telling you when to expect the next buffet table! :)
RAD pointed out where Kelli would run her mile repeats on the way to Herriman High School where I thought hubby would be cheering. I should've known he'd gone to the halfway point where Karen was waiting to join us. I was so so so so happy to see my son Jeff and daughter-in-law, Jen and I got to kiss my sweet grandbaby, Skylar who was sleeping and didn't seem to be bothered by the wind.
Karen, Jenn and Jeff, baby Skylar inside stroller waiting patiently for us! 
Final ditching of head bands, gloves, arm warmers, l/s shirt, jacket to hubby (aka paparazzi, cheerleader, race manager)!
Hubby's shutter finger is not as quick as the Zazoosh's capturing our "before" and "after" jump shots! Haha! :-D
We crossed the half mat and saw our time of 2:06:23 and proclaimed to Karen that we would run a negative split. HA!!! What optimism! Lowell wise cracked: "Yep, we've been negative all morning!" Hahahaha!!! :) :) :)
The wind was relentless. It seems that it didn't matter which way the course turns, we'd have headwind! At the traffic circle in Daybreak we heard a hiyah honk! RAD excitedly pointed out that it was Kelli's suburban so we all turned and waved hello back! :)
I found myself slowing and Lowell caught up to a girl with a camelpak and Hoka shoes. I think we've been leapfrogging with. When they turned and Lowell said she ran PE last year, Karen recognized her as her friend from their days in Wisconsin. It was Annette Palmer, the women winner of last year's PE50. She had paced a friend there yesterday and found out her record was broken. She's running with a friend, Dawn this morning! So Dawn and Annette joined our crew. It was fun listening to their stories. We also leapfrogged with a girl who reminds us of Teena. Each time I passed her I'd say: "Good job, Teena! explaining to her why I'd call her Teena." At the last time we passed her, I asked for her name, Erin (27 years old)! :)
Running into a stiff headwind up Oquirrh Mountain Temple really zapped the life out of me. How NICE of the family who handed us popsicles just when I was feeling parched. (Pretty certain I have discharged at least a quart of snot rockets)! Lowell made us high five every child. (Mile 13-19: 10:36, 9:42, 10:28, 9:16, 12:06 {temple hill}, 11:13, 10:00)
The stretch along SR68 was tough for me. Instead of feeling a tailwind, it felt warm. Felt like I was running in mud. I hit the wall hard around mile 20. The mile 21 aid station was awesome, literally an oasis. It was situated just behind Annette's house. I used the p-o-p. They had music, great buffet and RAD's doc was volunteering there! I didn't want to leave that station knowing the last 10K would be a grind.
Mile 22 was a nice down hill lined with sycamore trees. I think RAD said the BBK sometimes do hill repeats here. My legs are now jello. I urged Lowell to leave me and go on ahead to get his BQ time (4:25). Karen asked RAD to run with Lowell while she stayed with me. Looking at my watch, they would have to run a 27 min 5K to make it. RAD was up to the task and off they ran down the hill.
The steep incline down to the parking lot to access the trail nearly gave me shin cramps. The last two miles on the JRP trail seem to go on forever. I had to fight the urge to walk. If it weren't for Karen's talking to keep my mind off the pain, I would've stopped. We even managed to pass couple of walkers and encouraged them to come with us. A fast cyclist nearly hit us head on, good thing we were running slow and got out of the way in time. I was ecstatic to see hubby at the trail with perhaps half mile to go. This time he ran us in! :) (Mile 20-finish: 11:53, 12:03 {potty stop}, 9:47, 10:32, 9:36, 10:45, 9:47}
The smiles sure ease the pain of the death march on the trail. :)
At the finish we had a feast of Chic-fil-A sandwitch and biscuit, fat-boy ice cream, banana, snow cones. So happy to find out Josse took 3rd and Chad 4th overall. I was surprised to see my nephew there (he had a friend running the half). Chad helped me bring up my result and I was super surprised that I took first in my AG. (So glad the speedy ladies in my AG ran the Utah Marathon last week and didn't show up today!) Hehe! The award ceremony was prompt with medals presented by three cute little cowgirls! :)
Marci running happy to a 4:12:26 finish, 3rd AG! :)
SO HAPPY to be done!!! Marathon #8 of the year in the book! :) 
THANK YOU RAD, Karen and Lowell for making miles and miles of smiles and fun memories with me!!! 
