SLC Marathon!!

Well, it's over with. I survived, and I beat my time from 2006. I have to give a disclaimer on the timing thing though: The time it took me to actually RUN the 26.2 miles, was 4:03:47 (see picture below), however, I stopped my watch 3 times during the race whenever I stopped and STOOD IN LINE for porta-potty's. Is that fair?? I can't decide. That part was frustrating. One of the stops I stood there waiting for 8 minutes. Ahhh! But I HAD to go, so I HAD to wait. So my chip time, (the time I crossed the starting time to the time I crossed the finish line), was 4:15:18. So I spent 12 or so minutes total waiting in lines and going to the bathroom. NOT that any of you care about that. I just have to have it down on record, so I can remember! I'm just a little OCD when it comes to timing :P

Anywhoo, here's some fun pics. This is the crowd on TRAX riding from the Gateway to the starting line. It was packed.


I just had to get a shot of this amazing lady with ONE leg! Hey, if she can do it, anyone can. SO inspiring! I hope she didn't mind me taking her picture. I don't think she knew.


Here are the news helicopters hovering right before the start. SO cool!


Here are the crowds & the porta-potties at the starting line.


Me & my brother, Shane at the starting line. He was training for the full marathon, but missed 3 of his long runs in training, so he switched to the half. He did awesome! Finished in 1:50. And this is the first time he's EVER run in an organized race! He said he loved it, and felt great almost the entire time. Great job, Shane!

This is the moment I've been waiting for since 2006! To finish another marathon. It is like no other feeling in the world! During the race, I just kept thinking it would never end, and I just wanted to jump in a car and ride to the finish line. MAN that's a long way to run, and SO tough MENTALLY as well as PHYSICALLY. But SO worth it in the end!


My girls ran across the finish line with me! Ryker went to Grandma Myrna's house so Kevin wouldn't have to wrestle with/keep track of him in the crowds.



They put the medal around my neck, and Trin LOST it when she didn't get one too. So I gave her mine & she wouldn't stop crying saying, "I want my own!"

Here are Shane & I after the races.


And here's my "proof?" I guess.


Oh, and at the race expo the night before, I went to pick up my bib # & race packet. I saw this guy, and kept staring at him, thinking, "WHERE do I know that guy from? I know I've seen him somewhere before!" And I even considered going up to him & asking him, "Do I know you?" But I didn't. It wasn't until after I got home that I realized it was Blaine from the Biggest Loser! I looked for him at the starting line, but there were thousands of people. No luck. Does anyone know his last name? I want to look him up in the results, just to make sure it was him, and to see if he did the full or the half.

So here are some more fun numbers:
Number of miles I ran in the 20 week training, since December 2008: 347.79
Number of marathon finishers: 1,067 (Males: 685, Females: 382)
Number of half-marathon finishers: 4,125 (Males: 1,581, Females: 2,544- wow!)
Place in my age division: 33rd out of 87
Place overall: 494th out of 1,067
Place female: 123rd out of 382
Number of toenails lost: 1