the sunday morning post, 30th ed.

actually, a special 26.2 edition

MARATHON MANIA

i know you're dying to hear the details, how it all went down.

we'll start with friday.

we [mom, dad, em] picked up my marathon packet at the finish line.

i pretty much thought i was going to throw up all day friday because i was so anxious. and i had absolutely no appetite, but i forced enough food down my throat so i wouldn't pass out on the course.

after we picked up my packet, my dad suggested we drive the course up the canyon, so we did. all 26.2 miles to the starting line.

it was gorgeous. all of the trees and the mountains are all green and lush. i love provo canyon.

and my dad gave me a Priesthood blessing. and i know that that blessing, as with all Priesthood blessings, came from the Lord. and my anxiety subsided [a little bit for a little bit].

friday at 7pm i went to bed. crazy, i know. it's a miracle if i can get myself in bed before midnight. i fell asleep around 8 but woke up to a few "GL [good luck]" texts. one featuring the above photo from dana and sara. T girs.

next thing i knew it was 2.50 am: first alarm. snooze. 2.55: alarm 2. snooze. 3am: get up!

i shoveled down some oatmeal with yogurt and peanut butter. yum! but it wasn't really yum then because really i just thought i was going to throw up. but not eating would have meant my limp body on the side of provo canyon next to some poor deer.

i taped up my shin nice and good with my neon green KT tape [miracle stuff. seriously.]

and i took 4 advil.

i absolutely hate taking advil, or any man made drugs for that matter. but the past month it's been 2 advil before any run longer than 6 miles. and then it went down to 2 advil before every run the last 2 weeks. and 3 on friday. and 4 yesterday. the stuff does work--i just hate taking it. and i could go on with all of my reasons, but we'll save that for another day.

and i prayed that my shin would be nice.

and i prayed that i would be safe and that cars would not hit me or the other runners.

and i prayed for other things.

my sweet parents picked me up at 3.30 and took me to the finish line where i got on the bus and made a friend with a 14 marathoner man from oaxaca, mexico, well, he has been in salt lake for 16 years. he gave me some good pointers.

when i got off the bus i hit the port-a-potties and stood around. it was pretty chilly. then i got in line for the port-a-potty again with what seemed like all 1,800 marathoners.

i made another friend in line. this was her 9th marathon and she's done triathlons--even an iron man! [that's a 2 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. all in one day. like 14-16 hours!]

next thing i knew it was 5.30am and i was waiting at the starting line. rain. rain, rain, not drizzle rain. bring it. there's nothing i love more than running my first marathon alone, in the rain, pre-sunrise. then finally the starting gun went off for the wheelchair-ers. and then a few minutes later, the starting gun went off. and all the fast, serious, intense marathoners at the front took off. and the rest of us just mosied on up to the front until we were about to the cross the mat that starts your time chip. and then i was running. 5.48 am.

and it rained. and mile 3 i turned on the ipod. and i had to pee. but there's only one port-a-potty at each mile marker. and i didn't want to wait behind 2 or 3 people. so i just kept going.

sometime between miles 11 and 13 the rain turned to a drizzle and eventually stopped.

thank you!

i could finally put my left headphone back in my hear because it was not staying in with all the wetness.

at mile 13.1, where the half-marathoners started, i took a quick one minute potty break. i was so fast and back on the road again.

and i ran. and ran. and ran.

and mile 14 i decided to pick up my pace slightly.

and then again when i got out of the canyon at like mile 18.

and then it was flat all of the way down university ave for the last 8.2 miles or whatever it was.

i had originally had a 4 hours 15 minutes time goal. then shin splints and nerves caused me to make it before 4 hours 30 minutes (oprah time--that's how long it took her.) then people told me that for my first marathon, throw my time goal out the window and just enjoy and finish it. so i did.

but secretly i still wanted to finish in 4 hrs 15 mins.

and then at mile 24, i picked up the pace even more. i was feeling great. tired? yes. feeling it? definite yes. pumped? yes.

i got a kick at mile 25 and picked it up again. i booked it up the last little hill and got another kick running the last .3 miles through the crowds to the finish line--just like in cross country days [except those were 5ks, {3 miles} and my kicks were sprints as opposed to this fast run kick]

and then i crossed the finish line!

and em took this picture right after i did. see the blue mats?

i found my family. and friends [those that weren't working]!

i walked through the finish line tents and stuff and got some water and a banana. other people were getting pizza and ice cream bars, but i can't even eat those on regular days so i stuck with the bananas.

i went back over to my little fan club. they had signs for me! and katie got me flowers! she knows me too well.

just so you know, these pictures are not too fabulous. i had woken up at 3am and run 26.2 miles--half in the rain. and it was hard for me to smile. so please, don't judge.

cute mama!

kokoro! my old roommates came!!

love them.

and my family!

love, love, love.

and erin called me right after.

love the signs. thanks!

ok this picture REALLy shows me trying to smile.

em!!

oh, and saturday my family + katie and i went to CPK for dinner. and we went to gap after. and the three of us kendrick girls bought the same T-shirt. 25% off.

have a fabulous sabbath.

i have to leave for church in 15 minutes and need to finish my hair and get dressed. whoops!