Top of Utah

Yeah!! I finished the ToU marathon. Sometime last spring I signed up to run this marathon. I had decided I was going to do it a while ago but as committing to the training came closer I started having doubts. Running a marathon is a big task with lots of training, I wasn't sure I was up for something so time consuming and I had no one to run with. It is amazing how things seem to work out I signed up and not too far into the training I found someone to train with.

The training was good until 2 weeks before the race, my knee started hurting-ITband issues I suspect, but never went to the dr. Spent two weeks before the race rolling on a foam roller, swimming and trying to run but not very well. I was a little worried about weather or not I could even run but to the starting line I went.

The ToU is crazy because you have to wake up EARLY to catch a bus to get to the top of blacksmith fork canyon, this is even earlier when you calculate in the time change but who sleeps the night before a marathon anyway. Lucky for us it wasn't too cold but about 5 minutes before the race started the rain came in the form of a down pour, again luck was on our side because we were in a tent at the time. Of course this didn't matter because about two miles into the race the rain came again off and on, we even got hail at one point, for the next 18 miles. I am sure if you asked someone who was faster then me if the rain was a problem the may have said no because they were able to out run it but I was not. I am grateful that the rain didn't come with wind, that would have been horrible.

I made it to mile 19 and my knee did not want to work anymore. Lucky for me Joe insisted I take IB profen. Why I did not take this before this point I don't know, my mind was all over the place. I walked for a mile or two until the medicine kicked in then I continued my run(with an occassional walk in there) approach. I finished in 4hours and 38 minutes and I don't know the seconds because it just isn't that important to me.

It is amazing that a person can run 26.2 miles. I am very happy that I was able to finish and my time wasn't so bad all things considered. I was a little disappointed the first few days after finishing because I really wanted to do better then my time before, but I did run 26 miles and 385 yards, make a new friend while training, and see some good friends and family while in Utah. THank you for coming out to support me.

Will I run another one? My immediate answer is no, but maybe if . . . .