Setptember 13 Marathon Day!

Well we woke up at 4:00 to be ready by 4:30 and for the first time I slept the whole night.  After throwing on our running clothes, and praying with Peter we headed off.  They didn't have enough busses so we ended up starting the race 25 minutes late but we were grateful we didn't have to sit at the top too long because it was COLD.  The race was great.  We started down the beautiful canyon enjoying the people and the scenery which included a HUGE MOOSE on the other side of the road and the river.  I have never seen one before and it was so close (probably less than 50 feet).   You could tell it was nervous seeing so many visitors but none of the runners seemed nervous; probably because we knew there was someone behind us for him to go after.  :)  I made Brigham stop for a couple of bathroom breaks but he only used it once.  It was pretty uneventful and fun coming down the canyon.  At mile 15 we started the out and back portion of the race.  We went four miles out on Wasatch Blvd. and turned around to run the same 4 miles of rolling hills back.  This was really discouraging because you could see people who were 8 miles ahead of you.  Brigham and I struggled but we really did great.  We just kept going and we knew that family would be waiting to greet us at the turn around by mile 19.  They were there and they had lots of signs and cheering for us.  Reaching mile 20 was fun because it was the farthest Brigham had ever gone but by that point we just wanted to be done.  Fortunately once the out and back was done, at mile 23, we got some more downhill and we were feeling good.  We were ready to finish the race!  And we did.  It was the greatest finish ever.  Running with Brigham is one of the best things I have ever done (seriously ranks up there with choosing to marry his awesome dad).  I was deffinitely teary eyed as we saw Grandpa, Easton, and Stewart  when we had about .5 miles left.  Then we saw Lisa and Grandma with about a quarter of a mile to go, and finally Daddy, Julia, Porter, Martie, and Eleanor just feet before the finish line.  We crossed the finish line with a chip time of 4 hours 10 minutes, and 50 seconds.  One of the greatest feelings I have ever felt.  This is an experience I will cherish forever; not just the run but the training.  We have had so many talks about how blessed we are to have strong bodies, that we might not always have them so we should enjoy them while we do, that some things look impossible from a distance but when you reach them you are stronger than you thought, about how much better it is to go through hard things with someone you love, about all sorts of things.  Love that strong boy of mine.  Love his commitment; his endurance, his willingness to work hard, his faith, and his friendship

My favorite picture is the one in the bottom right because it shows how much I enjoy watching him run.  

After the race we came home for naps.  And after naps the kids wanted to go to the stake sports day.  I was proud that I felt good enough to take them and sit on a picnic table; I was humbled when Brigham felt good enough to play soccer.  Everyone had fun.  Julia did ultimate frisbee, Porter and Eleanor played in the sand, and Martie played in the bounce house with Sophie.