Top of Utah recap

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to run a marathon in under 4 hours.  When I was getting ready to run the Ogden marathon in May, I knew I wasn't quite there yet, but I was determined to do my best.  As it turned out, my best was pretty darn good, but not good enough.  My time was 4:07.  So, I told myself I would train hard all summer and try again at the Top of Utah in September.

I looked up training programs online and got to work.  The summer started off pretty well.  I was getting up at 5:00 a.m. to run on the treadmill before the kids woke up, and I was pretty diligent for the first month.  Then about the time the end of June hit, it got hot outside and we started doing some camping.  It wasn't long before I started having motivation problems.  I still ran, but not like I had promised myself.  As the weeks passed by, I knew I needed to get myself back into gear.  Finally when Adam got back to school, I started running several times a week with the jogging stroller, and I felt like I was going to pull it off.

The morning of the marathon, I was a bundle of nerves.  We got up at 4:00 a.m., got ready, and headed out the door.  After parking and catching a bus, we were on our way to the starting line.  When we arrived, there were two very large white tents set up with propane heaters inside for warmth.  After standing in line for the porta potties, we headed to the tents to keep warm.  It wasn't long before it was time to take off our sweats and leave them in drop bags to pick up at the finish line.  Then, at 7:00 a.m., the gun went off and the race began.

The first half of the race was pretty much all downhill, and I kept up an amazing pace.  The first mile flew by, and I tore off my long sleeved shirt at the first mile marker and dropped it in a clothing box.  When I reached the first aid station at mile 3, I didn't even slow down.  I was carrying my own water and didn't need to stop, so I passed right through stations at miles 5,7, and 9 also.  When I hit the station at mile 11, I slowed down long enough to take a few gulps of Gatorade, then took off again.  I hit the half way mark at 1 hour and 51 minutes (a new best), and I still felt great.  By the time we exited the canyon and the course flattened out, though, I could feel my body slowing down.  I looked at my watch for the first time at mile 15.  My average pace was 8:30, but I knew I couldn't keep it up much longer.  Right about then, the 3:45 pace runner passed me.  I was disappointed to see him.  At the same time, I was happy that I had kept that pace for so long.  When I ran the Ogden marathon, the 3:45 pace runner passed me at mile 8.  So, I knew I was ahead of where I was before and still had a great shot at meeting my goal.

Well, my pace continued to slow down, and it seemed to take forever to run between aid stations.  I wouldn't allow myself to walk between them, but whenever I hit one I allowed myself to walk while I took a drink and ate fruit.  I apparently walked a little too much, because the 3:55 pacer came up behind me with a few miles to go.  I silently cursed him.  I was exhausted, but I pressed on.  As I got closer to the finish line, I looked at my watch and suddenly realized I had only 2 minutes to make it to the finish line.  I started to panic, but then rounded the final turn and it was right in front of me.  I made it with 54 seconds to spare.  Final time:  3 hours, 59 minutes, and 6 seconds.  Average pace: just over a 9-minute mile.

I achieved my goal, and I'm thrilled.  Of course, I was secretly hoping to beat it by more than just 54 seconds, but at least I beat it.  Not bad for a girl that couldn't even run a mile in junior high without nearly passing out or throwing up or both.

So here I am, three days post-marathon.  I'll give my legs another day or two, then it's time to start gearing up for the 50k I'll be running in 3 1/2 weeks.  :)

Let's see what this body can do!

Six weeks. 

Three marathons. 

I may be officially crazy, but if I can pull this off, it will be an incredible ending to a great year. I don't have any doubts, but let's face it, that is 83 and a half miles of racing, plus training during the week. It sounds intimidating, but i think it will help that i will have a different focus for each race.

Race #1: speed. 

The Top of Utah Marathon is this weekend. It is my best shot at getting a sub-4 hour marathon. So, I'm going to run my little heart out and see if I can make it happen. 

Race #2: endurance. 

The Antelope Island 50k is on October 19. It will be my first ultra marathon.  Since I have never been farther than 26.2 miles, I'm not going to push myself to be fast. I just want to finish. 

Race #3: enjoyment. 

The New York City marathon is November 3. It is the biggest marathon in the world. Since I will be accompanying a disabled athlete, I don't think speed will be an issue. And since it is only 26.2 miles, endurance shouldn't be a factor. So for this race, I'm just going to focus on motivating my disabled athlete and enjoying the experience and the opportunity to be there. 

Having said that, the next six weeks will likely test my toughness - physically and mentally. Since I'm unwilling to give up any of them, however, it's time to see what this body can do!

My trip to PetSmart

I'm a good Mom. At least I try to be, which is why I took Adam to the pet store this morning to get a little doggie outfit for Sprocket's birthday. Yes, that's right folks. Sprocket will be turning 6 soon, and since he is part of the family, we will be celebrating his special day once again. 

As we headed into PetSmart, the kids were drawn to the little pet Halloween costumes in display in the main aisle. I think Adam secretly wanted the little Buzz Lightyear costume, but as I looked at the price tag, I knew we wouldn't be getting it. I wasn't about to pay $25 for a little doggie costume. That is almost more than I would pay for a child's costume! So we put the costume back on the display and headed to the pet "apparel" aisle. 

It wasn't long before I found some little doggie t-shirts that Adam was thrilled with. He picked one out and we headed to the checkout. After ringing up my $7.49 purchase, the clerk asks me if I had a PetSmart card and if not would I like one. I told him as politely as I could that I didn't have any pets and wouldn't be making purchases on a regular basis, so no thank you. What i was really thinking was "uhhhh...I'm not a pet person." I quickly explained my need to buy my child's stuffed puppy a present. He said I was a good mom and wished me a good day. 

This got me thinking about pets. My poor kids have been asking for one, and I've been dragging my feet. Pets are noisy, smelly, and make messes. So why have them? I guess some people want them for companionship or as part of their home security system, but personally I think chickens would be a little more useful. At least chickens lay eggs. Cats and dogs lay poop.