My First Marathon Story
St. George, Utah - October 6, 2007

I cannot believe that my very first marathon is over and I finished! I started training on June 18 and after 16 weeks of both physical and mental training, I can proudly tell my own marathon story. In the weeks leading up to the marathon, I often wondered and daydreamed about how the race would play out, and looking back I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. For me, the day was just perfect – perfect weather, health, energy level, and company. I really don’t think I could have done a marathon all by myself. It made it so worthwhile to share the experience with my brothers Joel and David and to have our family members (Mom, Dad, Maria, Mel, Grandpa J., LaRae, Aunt Co, Uncle Tom and their little dog, Pearl) cheering us on!

Saturday, October 6, 2007 - We awoke at 3:20 am to the 1st of three alarms that we had set. We quietly got ready in the hotel room making sure not to forget any detail of our preparation. We were all so anxious about the upcoming morning. I felt pretty tired at first (I only got 3-4 hours of sleep), but once I got going I felt good and was anxious to get out the door. Since the course started out of town (26.2 miles to be exact), we had to ride a school bus up to the start in Central, Utah. We got to the bus loading area around 4:15 am. We had decided to go early for the chance to win one of several prizes. None of us won big, but we did manage to score a free pair of nice running gloves at the starting line. The bus ride up seemed so far. I remember getting a little nervous and thinking to myself “I have to get back to town by my own two legs!” I’m glad we drove up in the dark, so we didn’t have to see the course beforehand. However, I could feel the bus going up and down which made the course’s hills more of a reality.

Once we got to the start, it was so exciting to see the actual starting line, hear the upbeat music, and to see the mass of runners get bigger and bigger. We headed over to the endless line of fires that were being lit to keep all of us warm (I read that the official temperature at the start was 36 degrees). The race didn’t start until 6:45 am, but the wait time seemed to go really fast. I spent the time fueling up for the race and going back and forth between the port-o-potties and the fire (along with everyone else). With 10 minutes to go, we shed our jackets and long pants and threw them into our bags and onto a big truck where they would be waiting for us at the finish line. The energy surrounding us was palpable and before we knew it we were moving forward. (Funny thing is - I didn’t ever hear a gun go off) I yelled in excitement as I crossed the starting line. The race was on!

The first few moments of running were so surreal for me. My Ipod started out playing the song “Hallelujah” and I felt this rush of emotion as I ran by the huge spotlight that was shining up into the dark sky. I couldn’t believe I was actually running my race. You could see the stars and the moon as we all shuffled along in the darkness – it was very peaceful. The night before the race, my Grandpa Johnson told us to “Pour It On!” (an old Park City saying), and I remember saying that to myself during the first mile.

Everyone started out pretty slow, and it actually felt like we were all running in slow motion. But when I past the first mile marker at around 10:00 minutes I knew I was right on my usual pace. The first 6 miles were really good and time flew by. It was so funny to watch a lot of the runners sprint off to the side of the road and “relieve” themselves in the bushes. I kept laughing until I had to do the same thing myself. (No way was I stopping to wait in the bathroom lines). After the 1st hour, I remember feeling so happy and strong, but was starting to get anxious to get to the hills up ahead.

The course elevation map shows that the course is mostly a downhill race (starting elevation is 5240 ft. and finish is 2680 ft.). Don’t think so! The first 6 miles felt pretty flat, while miles 7 to 12 is what I call my “personal reality check.” Those miles seemed like one long extended hill. We came down into the town of Veyo at mile 7 and this is where we met our first spectators. The townspeople were pretty “rugged” and most were bundled up in blankets, but it was nice to finally see some people cheering us on. After running through town and taking my first Clif Shot Blocks, I started up the biggest hill of the race, which was one mile long. Off to the right was a huge ancient volcano, which was cool to see, even though I was feeling tired for the first time. I never did stop running on my way up, but my pace definitely slowed down. I knew I didn’t want to take the hill too fast. Once I got to the top, I turned around and stopped to see the great view. I walked for about a minute and then was off running again. The next 4 miles I got a little more tired and just kept thinking, “When do we get to go down?” The hills weren’t significant, but just long and gradual. I saw lots of interesting people, including “Barefoot Bob”, a surfer-looking dude who passed me running completely barefoot. It was also fun to read all of the signs made for the runners on the side of the road - they were both inspiring and entertaining. One I remember well stated that, “Pain is Momentary, but Quitting is Forever”.

Once we got to mile 14, I saw the signs that indicated “Steep Grade Ahead”. I was relieved to see a big downhill stretch. What I didn’t realize was how hard it is to run downhill when your legs are starting to ache. We came around a corner near mile 16 and got our first glimpses of Snow Canyon, what a beautiful site it was! The next few miles I was almost in a trance as I just enjoyed the scenery. The sun was shining now on the red rock and it was truly amazing.

Near mile 18 we came upon another hill near some huge expensive houses. This was the first time I realized that St. George wasn’t too far away. I kept thinking about “hitting the wall”, but I don’t think I ever did. I just remember my legs feeling so tired and aching, but not to the point I couldn’t run. On the hill, I looked up ahead and to my surprise saw David right in front of me. I was so excited to see him. We chatted for a few minutes about the race, and then we separated. We both indicated how anxious we were to see our family up ahead. Our family thought they could go to watch us near mile 21, but when we got to that point, there weren’t any spectators. That was such a letdown, where was our cheering section we had anticipated? I kept thinking, “Oh maybe they are just around the next corner.” After more downhill stretches (and really aching legs), we came upon mile 23 and starting seeing lots of spectators. I caught a glimpse of Maria and Mel on the right side and was so excited to finally see them. I ran by everyone so quickly, but I could feel their excitement and hear their cheers. Mom and Colleen were so funny, they had so much energy for us - it was so motivating!

The last 3.2 miles were up and down for me. I had moments of pure joy and lots of energy and then moments where I felt so tired and warm. I think mile 24 to 25 was the longest stretch for me, I never thought I would see that 25 mile marker. The last mile, though, felt pretty awesome. I cranked up my music and actually had some energy left to pick up my pace a little. The crowds were really infectious and made me even more excited. I skipped forward to my favorite running song, “Chariots of Fire” with a few minutes to go. I caught my first glimpse of the finish line and could feel some tears welling up in my eyes – it was overwhelming. At that point, I made my best effort to sprint to the end (I’m sure I wasn’t really running very fast, I just felt like it) and crossed the finish line with a time of 4:24:05. It was such a great feeling, one I will never forget. Right away they place a medal around your neck (a very nice one) and it really sunk in - I FINISHED A MARATHON! I was proud, ecstatic, very tired, and anxious to see my brothers. They weren’t far behind me and we hugged and congratulated each other right away.

The next hour was spent hobbling around trying to find something that we actually felt like eating. There was a Great Harvest Bread station with large thick slices of bread with butter – I think it was the best bread I’ve ever eaten. I also had an ice cream sandwich and a plate of fruit, which tasted SO good. After you stop running, your muscles stiffen really quickly, so the simple tasks of stepping down a step or getting into and out of a car are so very, very painful. It was fun to laugh at other runners and each other waddle in pain. We got back to the hotel room to take a shower and then we grabbed a Subway sandwich on our way to Tom and Colleen’s. We were so famished by the time we arrived back at their house, the sandwich really hit the spot. After we ate, we got into the Jacuzzi tub to soak and be massaged by all of the jets. It was so relaxing - I think I was in there for 2 hours. The rest of the day was spent visiting and eating. Uncle Tom barbecued that night and it was delicious.

Saturday, October 6 was such a great day for me. I achieved my goal and had so much fun in the process. The St. George Marathon was great in so many ways - the scenery, the organization, and the course. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little sad now that my race and vacation is over. I keep thinking, “What next?” I’ve read that it is not unusual to experience the post-race blues. I definitely know that marathon running will be a part of my future – I hope to run many more. I just hope my next marathon is as great as my first!