My race weekend began as usual, after picking up Teota, Marsha and her friend Amiee (who was running her very first marathon), we headed off to Logan. Once we got there we dropped our stuff off at the Super 8 Motel and headed for the expo to pick up our race packets. While there we ran into some other Maniac friends.
Sue Mantyla, Mary Lenari, Me, Jonathan Crampton, Marsha Monson and Amiee Snow at the expo!
After the expo, we met some more Maniac friends for dinner at the Firehouse Pizzeria.
Maniacs after dinner!
After dinner, I headed back to the hotel and got ready for the early 3:45am wake up call.
At 5:00am we were on the bus heading up Logan canyon! When we got to the start it was pretty cold, so we found a few Maniacs and huddled together!
Maniacs at the start.
Teota and I with the "official" Race Starters.
We were lucky and didn't have to stand around to long before the gun(s) went off!
Top of Utah has some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere!
Having fun and taking lots of photos!
Teota at the flag water stop!
This was my third year running this race and one reason I love it is that the course feels relatively easy to run. Not this year. I felt like I had never run in altitude before and was sucking wind. I thought it was just me, but Teota said she felt the same way.
Teota and I with John Bozung. He ran his 330th marathon that day!
We just plugged along the course as best we could. Poor Teota had the blisters on her foot break at around mile 16, so we stopped at her friends house (which was conveniently located right between miles 20 and 21) for her to get fixed up. After that we were off again!
At about mile 23 Teota's feet were hurting and she told me to go on and meet her at the finish, so I did. I thought I might still be able to squeak out a sub 5:00 run, but once I got to the 25 mile mark, I just didn't have it in me and I came in at 5:03. I was kind of disappointed, as I usually run this course faster, but I was still happy and still hold this race as one of my favorites!
Teota and I at the finish!
Teota came in just a few minutes after I did. We went back to the hotel and picked up my car and drove it back to the finish area. Teota left with her friend and I went to find Marsha (who we saw running in on our way back to the hotel).
Once I found her, we waited to see her friend Aimee finish. She had a tough time, but she did finish her first marathon surrounded by her children. It was so sweet!
Marsha and I jumped in the car and drove home just in time to make it to the BYU vs Utah football game! What a great day!
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