We did itToday I ran my first full marathon. Ryan Kirkham and I ran it together, you would think between the two of us we would know better. I got up at 3:45 AM and got ready to go, Ryan then picked me up and we rode up to Ashton. We picked up our packets and had a quick bite to eat at the free breakfast. Then we got on the cold bus with the A\C on…not a good combo. We arrived at the starting point around 5:45 AM where we sat and waited for the race to start. It was so cold we could see our breath outside. I wrapped my sprained ankle with some athletic tape just before starting, but soon found it was too tight. I ripped it off and re-wrapped it just seconds before starting. Finally at around 6:35 the host said, “On your marks, Get set, Go” and we were off. We held the lead for at least 20 seconds until the “real runners” flew by us. for the first 9 1/2 miles we ran up and down on a dirt road through the back woods. When hit the pavement at mile 9 1/2 it was a real treat to have a smooth road base under our feet. It was also starting to be a more downhill run so that felt good too. We ran past the Lower Mesa Falls overlook, looked pretty but we didn’t stop. Just a few more miles down the road and we met up with all the anxious Half-Marathon runners. It was a real boost to fly past them and hear them cheer us on. All was going great we were feeling vibrant and strong, until the dreaded hill. Wow, that could not be at a worse spot, at mile 17 we started up the hill and continued until mile 20 what a brutal hill when you have already run so far. It felt great to see the familiar faces of our wives and kids cheering us on. From mile 20 to the finish is a mild roller coaster run up then down. At about mile 22 or 23 I hit “The Wall”, my legs were done running. My heart and lungs felt ok but the legs were like Jell-O I began to think I would not be able to finish. I just kept picturing myself crossing the finish line and resting. It seemed to have worked although it was very difficult for the last 6 miles I did it. What an accomplishment, it feels great to have done it. I hate to think about the Logan Marathon in just a few weeks, but hopefully it will be easier. According to my watch my final time was 4:07, still have to see what the chip time says.
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