It's taken some time for me to finally gather my thoughts, organize my feelings, and somehow put it all down on paper. Someday I'm going to write a book! For now just get ready for a really long post!
Some things in life produce a deep frozen sense of satisfaction no words can describe. Rounding the corner to finish a goal I set exactly one year ago today produced such an intense solidified moment in me! My heart gropes aimlessly to find a way to express the core of such a moment, a moment I will hang onto for the rest of my life! It was a life changing moment, filled with all the strenuous difficult moments it took to get to this moment. The whole of the experience has taught me more about myself than I could ever expound on. In short, it has been one unforgettable journey!
I cut across the road taking the shortest route to finish my goal. Sensing I was almost home, I gave it everything I had as I headed toward the final .1 of the last 13 long miles I had traveled. I crossed under the brightly colored balloons when a wall of water broke loose pouring from my eyes. Crossing the finish line was everything I hoped for, planned for, and imagined it would be!
The faces lining the side of the road as I stepped across the final and most incredible moment were cheering wildly. Loud clapping, and smiling faces filled with love portraying wordless images of statements lacking sound that loudly told me . . . I did it! It all felt good. Those silent statements were filled with joy and everything that's meaningful; statements that portrayed all the support I had been given in the entire venture. Everything I needed to hear was conveyed without a single word being spoken. The love in their eyes said it all! My heart took a picture as my frame passed through that magical space signifying the end, and my soul basked in the intensity of it all.
As I crossed over the finish line and the marathon people handed me my medal, I looked over just in time to see a yellow makeshift sign with the words "We love you mom" painted on it. As I held tight to the gold symbol of accomplishment, those four simple little words printed on paper only produced another wall of water in me that sought it's escape route quickly.
Maybe it was the red heart that was painted next to the words that sent me reeling with tears, tears I had no intentions of fighting back. Maybe it was the fact it had been there as I ran past and I was now just noticing it. What ever it was, it didn't bother me that I couldn't control my emotions. I knew there was no way to hold all those good feelings back as they poured out of me rapidly making their watery trail down my face. All of it felt good, rich with what the heart feeds on, and I tried to tuck every piece of it inside me as I felt it all unfold.
I stood for a minute looking at the medal just before I took it out of the plastic and hung it around my neck. As I lifted it up with my hands to take a closer look at its embedded declaration, I thought of every ounce of effort I had put into a years worth of work to earn it and I savored the feel of it resting in my hands as well as my heart.
Suddenly in a fraction of a second all that love that had been standing on the side line came rushing towards me, completely surrounding me. Arms flew wildly and quickly life sustaining oxygen was being squeezed out of me as all those arms connected to everyone I love flew around my neck and chest hugging every particle of my being. Love is an amazing power! It's the greatest power on earth and in that moment once again I understood with all clarity where this immense force gets it's heavenly beginning. I quickly said a quiet prayer of thanks. Gratitude was now seeping through every pore of my over-spent frame.
The cramping in my legs started in right then as all the power in them left, making a mass exodus right back up to my heart. Now my heart was cramping ---pounding heavily but not from the strenuous physical exertion that had been implemented on it for the last two hours and thirty nine minutes. It was all together a new kind of cramping, a new kind of pounding, and I loved the imposing feel of every beat.
Seeing my whole family there to support me was probably the most rewarding part of crossing the finish line. From start to finish they were my back up, my cornerstones, my life line! Seeing them all there is a sight I will never forget!
After all the immense hugging, out came the cameras and we stood for pictures. Every footstep I took after the race began was recorded in one single frame. If you look closely you can see all of those steps, all 13.1 miles of them spread across the huge grin on my face. I wish I had counted every time my foot struck the pavement that day. In my next half marathon I will wear a pedometer, because every step I took in this venture from start to finish, led me to a better place than I have ever stood in before. Serious efforting produces knowledge and as I stood before the camera having accomplished my goal, I felt the awareness of everything that's vitally important in my life grow to new heights in me.
After enjoying all the hoo-ra, we slowly started to move towards the pavilion to see what refreshments Kaedell and I could take in. I had planned and prepared for the finish line and now I felt strange leaving it. I kept looking over at the balloons, at the arch, at that imaginary space that signified my new found strength. As we walked away from the end of my new beginning, I passed lots of friends who had helped me get to this place I now stood in. I enjoyed the exchange of hugs accompanied with cheerful banter and it felt good to hear about how their races had gone and see the accomplishment and satisfaction they too now felt.
Robynn Hill Spencer was the first friend to squeeze the stuffing out of me. After hugging Robynn I turned around to see her mom and dad. They hugged me too, Alona and then that familiar bear hug from Bob. I've known these people all my life. They are dear friends of mine and seeing them there waiting at the finish line felt so good. Their smiling supportive faces just added to the excitement of a sweet finish!
Robynn too had run the course and I was glad she hung around forever so I could see her cute happy face when I came across the line. We had fun at the start of the race and it was then that I kidded her about leaving me a little tail wind to catch, knowing she was going to finish long before I would. She is a great accomplished runner and it was so fun to not only share the beginning with her but to see her at the end too. The exuberance of her love and support was a welcome greeting as I crossed under the arch. She had helped me in my training and had given me tips and advice all along the way. It was great to get a hug from her at the end. Hugs between fellow runners are packed with deep understanding.
Then the McKeller family greeted me. I got to talk with Travis just before the race started. Here he was standing at the head of the pack, in the freezing cold, with no shirt on. He placed nicely in the half and after hearing how well he had done I could see why he didn't need a shirt to race in. When a runner is not going to be on the road very long, a shirt is just unnecessary, according to Trav. How I wish I were fast enough to not need my shirt!
The greatest part though was actually getting to see Jason McKeller face to face. Even though I hadn't heard what Jason's full marathon time was I knew without even asking him his name would sit right on top of the winners list. He too is a great athlete. I later learned he took 3rd in the full marathon. What an accomplishment!!! As I walked away I told my daughter in law. "See that kid in the black shirt (pointing to Jason), He was my greatest coach and I crossed the finish line strong today, thanks to him and all his good advice!"
I spent some time after taking pictures talking to some of the runners I had met on the road. There was the lady I shared my banana with and the guy who played tag with me throughout the entire course. That was lots of fun. After congratulating them I grabbed some cookies and oranges at the pavilion and was sad to find there was no chocolate milk! I made my way to the main road where my extended family all stood waiting for the others. I quickly downed my Ibuprofen 800 with plain old water and shared an extra one I had in my pocket with my niece.
Glade had to go to work. He had shut down his office long enough to watch the race and I knew he'd have patients waiting for him. I stalled a bit and was glad I got to see my sister finish just before we had to go. (She took second in her age group, by the way, on her very first race ever.) And I got to see my enthusiastic niece Megan finish. I love my niece Megan. I was so proud of her! She jumped into this thing with both feet right from the get go and gave it her all! Her and my niece Tate were the first one's to join in the race without hesitation and it was so rewarding to see not only them but lots more of my family join in giving it their best.
With Glade pressing us to leave we made our way to the main road where all the cars were parked. Seeing the familiar sight of cars and people everywhere immediately took me back one year. I stopped and reflected on that day when I pulled into the park and asked what was going on. I reflected on how I drove home that day seriously wondering if I could ever finish a 1/2 marathon. Now here I stood, me the woman who had always hated running, with 13.1 miles solidly behind me. My emotions raced up and down like a roller coaster, twisting and turning inside me as I thought back to that day when I sat nervously at my computer and firmly made a commitment to enter a race I knew absolutely nothing about.
Suddenly my mind started going over it all. The years worth of training. Fighting my body every inch of the way. Literally having to learn how to run. The three and a half months of intense training right before the race. All the tears thinking I'd be a failure. I set a goal when I printed off my Hal Higdon training schedule. The goal was to go the extra mile in everything I did! Therefore if my training schedule said to run three miles, I ran four. If the schedule said to go 8 miles, I ran 9. If it said to cross train 60 min. then I added twenty more minutes to that. I never missed one day of training ---not one. I was into this thing with the attitude of always going the extra mile and that attitude blessed me in every way.
As I stood there on the side of the road, I thought about my week before the marathon at Heber Valley camp (the temple on the mountain.) My Heavenly Father blessed me in rich spiritual abundance to be able to spend that week on His mountain with my ward girls and fellow leaders. Little did I know at the time it would be a intricate part of my preparation to run a 1/2 marathon. I contemplated in the beginning of not going. Foolish me! I thought it would interfere with my training and I worried about getting no sleep a week before the race.
I decided to go to camp for one reason and one reason only ---I knew I could not kneel and ask for blessings in a 1/2 marathon after having told the Lord I was too busy to help Him with the most important work of all, that of helping His children!
Sometimes we as humans are so blind, thinking the unimportant is the important. Here my week at camp turned out to be packed with all the extra mental, spiritual, and physical fuel I needed to complete my first half marathon ever. I had the most inspirational final two mile run of my entire training schedule right there on top of God's mountain. I didn't have to add a mile because it was straight up hill and straight down. Then that same day I did a 5 mile hike that took me up and down another mountain. That week helped me adjust to a thinner altitude. Everything was amazing on top of God's beautiful lush green peaks! The food was gourmet (three great meals a day) and I complex carb loaded all week. I slept like a baby and had so much spiritual mana from Heaven I couldn't contain it all. It was the perfect preparation and just made the end of my training a sacred spiritual experience!
Now here I stood on the side of the road, reminiscing over it all. An air of sadness entered into me as I turned to walk down the road towards our truck. I didn't want to leave. I started going over the race and it's beginnings. The night before was a torrential down pour. It had rained like cats and dogs off and on all week long and now the sky with all it's dark intensity gave no sign it was going to let up! I worried all night lying there in my bed, stretched out on my back, listening to the rain pound the tin on the roof. Could I make 13.1 miles in the pouring rain?
I had carefully laid out all of my things before climbing into bed. As I finished my prayers and laid my worried head down on the pillow, sleep escaped me. Trying to fall into that place where your mind can rest from pounding repetitive thoughts seemed totally impossible. When five thirty rolled around I had already shut my alarm off. I swear I painfully watched every single minute of that night tick slowly by. I know my eyes closed at some point in time during the quiet of the night. I know my mind stopped thinking somewhere in that space before morning struck. I know some sleep was acquired somewhere. I just can't remember when!
That morning I dressed, drank my ensure, ate my banana, then Glade and Kyle drove Kaedell and I over about twenty minutes before the race was to begin. Thankfully the rain had stopped as we pulled up to the starting line. Glade found a spot to pull over. There was no parking allowed, so I opened the door, said, "Wish me luck," and out I jumped.
"This is it Kaedell," I said, with a frenzied buzzing feeling in my gut. "This is the place!" My mind couldn't believe we were actually here, the designated spot, the proving ground, the beginning. "Lets go girl!" I said with supreme energy. "We're burnin' daylight." It only seemed right I should quote my all time favorite, John Wayne, as I mentally loaded my guns!
I saw the potty shacks all uniformly placed in a row. I was so happy I was first in line. I was standing there waiting for the little tan door to open, nerves rattling all inside me something fierce. I was so happy I got one more bathroom stop in before the race and even happier I got there just before the bus unloaded and a million people ran and stood behind me. I calculated this was just another little blessing.
After the bathroom, there was the awesome sight of seeing my extended family all together as I crossed through the crowd. We took some fun pictures, there were lots of hugs, and we wished each other well. I got to visit with Robynn and her friend waiting there for the race to start. I was so nervous. Robynn showed us a better way to pin our bib on and I was glad. Every little thing helps. I guess you could say the beginning was loads of nerve filled anticipatory fun.
As the race started and the crowd took off Kaedell stayed with me for about two seconds. Earlier that morning she had deliberated as to whether to enjoy the race and run with me for company or try to run her own race. It didn't take her long to make up her mind once the race began. We had barely started when she looked over at me, those blue eyes sparkling with the morning light, and said, "Mom, I've gotta climb my own mountain!" I said to her as enthusiastically as a proud mother could, "Well, get goin' girl, and give it all you've got!" After assuring her I'd be ok, she took off like a bullet, turned back and gave me the biggest smile ever along with two thumbs up, and like the wind, she was gone in one swift gust. I almost started balling watching her fade into the distance! I'm not use to doing long milage without her by my side, and while I knew I'd greatly miss her, I thought about how thankful I was that I got to run the course with her on that beautiful sunny Saturday one week prior. I had been blessed with my time with her on this exact path, now this was her time, her moment, a moment she had worked hard for and deserved. My heart swelled as I saw her vanish.
It's lonely running out on the road by yourself. After Kaedell left me I started to get down on myself for being so slow. My breathing was outta' control! I can always count on bad breathing like clockwork. People who run next to me hear the glassy-eyed moans, thick panting and labored gasping, all the while wondering if they need to call for help. Like all new runners, I'd grown accustomed to the onset of out-of-control breathing and the embarrassment it brings. But for some reason the breathing and my snail like pace was messing with my head. I said a silent prayer and asked for help.
I think that prayer was answered in a split second, because suddenly I remembered I hadn't taken my first packet of Gu, silly me! I pulled that out of my pocket, ripped open the tab and sucked the slimy stuff down in one gulp. Nasty! I hit the first aide station just after I got the last of the Gu in me. Some guy in a coat stuck his hand out with a cup of fuel. I quickly pulled the white plastic to my mouth, swallowing the whole measly two ounces of Gatorade he gave me thinking, "This is all I get?" and thoughts like, "This ain't gunna get me home," quickly ran through my mind. That's when my fearless hubby pulled up along side of me in the truck with my chia water and my own personal gatorade. I was never so happy to see anyone. Kyle jumped out and refueled me. I gulped quickly while gasping inbetween!
The next thing I knew after I felt the fuel starting to take effect is there was someone now running by me. I turned my head only to look and see Kyle, levi's and all, jogging along side of me. I grabbed him, hugged him and told him, this officially made him my favorite son-in-law ever. I laughed so hard when he said, "Well, I thought I'd run with you for a while, since I can't keep up with Kaedell!"
Kyle ran with me during the hardest part of the race and that really helped me. The first three to five miles is always the hardest for me. It takes so long for my body to adjust and this is the part where I think death is eminent. This is also the time when the negative threatens to take hold of my brain. Kyle ran with me over three miles until we hit the muddy dirt road and then he told me he'd see me on the other side. I kidded him about not being up for a mud slinging good time. He assured me he did have some measure of intelligence as Glade stopped and he quickly climbed back in the truck.
There is a section of dirt road the runners have to cross. I'd say it's about a fourth of a mile long. After all the pouring rain during the night, this road was nothing but one solid mud pool. It was interesting to see how people navigated the wet slimy slick terrain. Some entered onto it with wild boldness, plodding right down the middle, splashing giant globs of wet mud everywhere as they went. Like a girl, I lifted up my skirt and tip toed my way through, on the side. I kept to the left and tried to stay in the grass as much as possible. I worried the whole time I'd fall down and break my leg, so I took this section pretty slow ---grandma style.
As I left the muddy dirt road I encountered a fellow running friend, the man in the brown vest. Sadly, I never thought to ask his name. We had passed each other back and forth the entire way. He'd run get tired and then walk a bit. I'd do the same. On one such time I passed him with my speed walking. After I was a little bit ahead of him, I heard him holler, "Hey, how do you do that?" I laughed at his inquirey. As I made my way past Rendezvous Beach he caught up to me again and we pulled along next to each other and ran side by side for a bit chatting over the race. He said good by and took off. I smiled that I had made a friend out on the road.
It was about this time I looked up and saw a bike coming towards me. It was Nancy McKeller. When she spotted me she gave me the high sign. Her encouragement immediately gave fuel to my feet! She was smart enough to stay clear of me though. Maybe she saw that crazed look in my eye ---the look that said,"I want that bike!"
The route from Rendezvous Beach to Sweet water was my best section of the race. My refueling kicked in, my body adapted, and shockingly I couldn't hear myself panting like an old dog any longer. It took me a minute to snap out of the daydream that I had been running without thinking about it. And as I thought about the progress I'd made, the spirit entered into me filling me in ways like nothing else can.
Suddenly I was running and enjoying it all. The lake was beautiful. The scene as picturous as it could be! The white billowing clouds hung low on the green lush mountains with shreds of what looked like cotton strung over every shallow hill. My running no longer felt burdensome and heavy. Serenity rested inside my soul like a warm blanket tucked around every part of me.
I looked up to see the panoramic scene with all it's vivid colors and forgot all about my feet and the constant pounding on the asphalt. Bear Lake is home inside my heart and in a single breath I felt one with my environment. It sent a rush of adrenaline through me and for some time I enjoyed the breath taking sights as they went by without a care or a worry. I even passed my friend in the brown vest one more time and continued to enjoy the moments that suddenly felt calm and easy. That single section of road was worth every ounce of pain I had suffered to get there.
I saw a flock of geese take flight from a green mossy section of the lake and my feet felt like doing the same. That's when I felt the tap on my shoulder and the man in the brown vest went pacing by. "Tag, your it!" he hollered as he left me there to wonder what happened. I started laughing and reached for my double caffeine loaded shot blocks. "Give me a few minutes," I thought, "and I'll be on your heels in no time." I felt myself starting to drain though as I tried to keep up with him. It wasn't long and he was out of my immediate sight. Now I felt alone again, no one in front of me, no one behind.
I grabbed a stash of fuel out of the bushes by the yellow road sign. Kaedell and I stashed our own fuel long before the race began. There was a full sized plump banana along with more Gatorade. I saw a lonely traveler ahead of me far off in the distance, a woman all by herself going rather slow. I kicked it into gear a little, pushed for the long distance, and pulled up along side of her. I stuck my banana out and asked her if she wanted half. I couldn't get over the look on her face. You'd thought I had offered her a million dollars. She broke off a large section and thanked me several times, I told her, "No problem" and left her side.
As I plodded along the left of the highway all by my lonesome, suddenly two people pulled right up next to me. Now they were running by my side, one to the left, the other to the right. It took me a minute to realize they were my own two kids. Des on my right and Seth on my left. As a mother I can't tell you what that meant to me. I started crying like a blubbering boob. I'm such a baby! Seth quickly informed me I didn't have enough energy to waste on tears. "It's true!" I sputtered, "I can't run and breathe when I'm crying!" I hugged and kissed them both and together we covered some distance before we started up the gradual incline towards Sweet Water.
I hit the last potty before we headed up the hill, deciding that I had drank so much gatorade I was going to float across the finish line if I didn't stop and empty things. I could have made it the whole way, but I wanted to be comfortable, since there was no line, I decided an extra 45 seconds to dump a gallon of liquid was worth it. I'm so glad I did. The relief I felt when I ran out of the little tan shack gave me extra energy and it was totally worth the loss of time.
Seth carried my gatorade for me, fetching it out of the sage brush next to the last tree before we started up the hill. I was thankful Kaedell and I had planned ahead. I drank half the bottle as I expounded to my kids on how lonely it was out on the road, giving them mounds of gratitude for running with me. Seth laughed at my comments and together we made our way up and around the bend to Sweet Water.
Now I was dearly enjoying the company of my kids when I saw the man with the little brown vest again. Even with a potty stop I had caught back up to him. I told Seth and Des to pick up the pace because I was going to use the down hill advantage to tag this guy if it killed me.
I sped off with everything I had. (I know it wasn't much.) Just as I got to him he turned around to see me coming. He just started laughing because he knew my intentions long before I reached him. He waited there for me, stuck his arm out backwards and extended his hand to me as far as he could reach. He was doing everything he could short of running towards me to help me with my goal at hand. He leaned way out to me and I slapped the palm of his hand as I shouted, "Tag" (breathing like I was on death's doorstep.) He waited for me to finish my statement, "Your it." before he took off down the hill.
I was glad the race was an open road race. It was fun to see relatives driving up and down the road in their cars and SUV's hanging out the window giving cheers of encouragement. Those hands waving and those crazy heads bobbing in and out of windows gave energy to my feet. It was so nice to have Glade by my side here and there along the way in the truck. He was like my own personal aide station on wheels. That made my efforting a lot easier and really kept me going.
I slowed down after my full blown sprint down the hill and soon we entered onto the bike path at Sweet Water. It was right then that Glade jumped out and ran over to us and started running by our side. It was a very short distance, but none the less, we all laughed and got a kick out of his enthusiasm. "Get back in the truck, honey," I said. "You'll have a heart attack!" He ran a hundred yards or so with us to the electric panel where we had previously stashed the last banana and Gatorade. There were two of each still standing there, meaning Kaedell had not picked up her fuel. "She must be doing really well," I told Seth and Des. "She's probably crossing the finish line right this minute!"
It wasn't far now and we passed the two mile mark (Kimball road) and then as I neared the one mile marker that's when I saw a white car pull up with all these people hanging out of it. I got so choked up when I saw Gavin and Caroline leaning out the window clambering great things at me. Suddenly I saw the door fly open and low and behold, out jumped Kaedell. She sprinted towards me with her arms stretched out wide and oh boy, then how the tears busted lose, surging down my cheeks! We hugged forever and she turned her frame pulling up tight next to my side, her official position. It felt so good, so warm, so endearing as she entered into my slow familiar methodical pace. I swear she gave me ten extra ounces of energy to finish though, and I'm sure I turned over an extra step in every gate from then on out! I hugged and thanked Seth and Des for keeping me going just as they climbed into Gavin's car. They had done five miles with me. Something I'll never forget. As they drove off they took pictures of Kaedelly and I. It was an awesome moment, nearly as good as the finish line in every way! I love my kids!
When I saw the opening to the final .1 of 13 long miles, Kaedell disappeared. That's when I cut across the road with cheering on both sides and headed to the end of my long hard goal! What a moment that was! It is a moment I will turn back to every time I need help and motivation, every time I lack faith in myself ---It is a moment that will forever drive me with profound insight.
I have often sat and pondered why a 1/2 marathon is 13.1 miles. Why the point 1? At first when I thought about it I concluded it was someone's mistake. I was sure somewhere some idiot way far back in the annal of running history threw in the point 1 as a joke and it stuck. I always asked myself what is the point . . .of the point "1"? Now as I reminisce over crossing the finish line, I have new clarity in regards to the number, "One" that trails at the end of 13 miles.
That .1 holds more meaning for me than all thirteen miles lumped together. Here is my summation. You only get one chance to live your life. ONE! You only get one time frame to live life to the absolute fullest! Just ONE! One chance to let go of everything that doesn't matter in this life and one chance to gravitate towards everything that does. One opportunity to make every single day count. One reservation to plan and prepare. One window to look through and see what is truly important in this life and one chance to grab hold of it! One final moment to step across life's finish line and reap what you have sown!
Some people pay no heed to the .1 at the end of 13. That little single digit at the end of 13 miles means nothing to anyone who is not a runner. In preparation, when ever someone asked me how far a 1/2 marathon was I always emphasized the .1 at the end of the 13. Some of those people would laugh at me and sarcastically say, "Oh ya, don't forget the .1!" "You dang right!" I'd reply. Then I would always ask them, "Have you ever made it past the .1 following 13 miles?" I rarely got a finishing response!
That single digit at the end of thirteen miles is profound in every way! It's the point in the race when I can see the finish line clearly as well as where I have traveled from. That little .1 is packed full of incredible symbolism. I'm not going to waste ONE more day with the silly foibles of life that drag people down! When I crossed over the finish line in Bear Lake, I swore to myself I was crossing over old ways of thinking into new attitudes and new ways of celebrating life --- every single day of it! I'm not going to miss out on ONE opportunity to live life to the fullest and I refuse to pack ONE more negative mental attitude through life any longer! From here on out I'm forever running towards the positive in life!
Today I'm going to be up and positively thinking, positively doing, for the rest of my life. I'm going to plan and prepare for the 'one' day when my life comes around God's big bend and I can see the ultimate finish line. It's getting closer. I have no time to waste! I know it will be a grand line to cross and when I see it come into my sight, I'm going to cross over it proclaiming I have done all I could! Preparation is everything! From here on out, when it comes to living life, I'm going the extra mile! That attitude served me well in running my first real race on a road in Bear Lake and it will serve me well in the ultimate race through life, and what God intends me to be. God wants all of us to finish strong! His course is set, His course is true and how we cross over that last point on His finish line . . .is our choice!
The race was over now. I walked slowly making my way to the truck. Everything, just a powerful reflection now. As I climbed into the front seat to ride home I was so overwhelmed with the entire experience. I could write a book on everything I learned. The entire experience is one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. All the tender mercies of the Lord I experienced throughout the journey strengthened me in untold ways. He was always with me. Every step I took, unseen help from above! I knew as I thought about it, I had gained far more than I had given, and I had given my all.
As I started this venture I wrote down some goals. I wanted to; train hard, finish strong, and I wanted to enjoy the race. Towards the end of my training I decided I wanted to try and maintain a 12 minute pace. To my knowledge I did that. Every time I looked at my Garmin on the road, I never saw anything but two one's followed by other numbers. My heart monitor only went off twice. Seth asked me what that beeping noise was when we were running and I told him, "It means I need to get my rear end movin'"
The week prior to the marathon I set another goal. When I was leaving God's mountain, I made a decision. I decided I wanted to pick out one specific weakness I struggle with and leave it behind me on the road at the start of the race! Oh, that was hard! There were so many to choose from!!! But I thought about the things I struggle with and I made a specific choice. Thinking about ridding myself of something that I was sick of packing through life felt good.
At the starting point of my race, mentally I dropped this weakness to my side, leaving it there at my feet and throughout the race I ran from it, leaving it far behind me! I can't tell you how motivating and invigorating this goal was. I also told myself as I crossed over the finish line I would step into a new positive strength! I vowed that I would take this new strength upon myself. I vowed I would work on it continually and carry it with me forever into the future! Again, it was hard choice, but I selected a new trait I had long wanted to possess. It was a new attitude, a new way of thinking, and knowing it would mentally carry me through life felt exhilarating. This made the beginning and the end of my race so meaningful! Crossing the finish line was like crossing over myself into a new and improved me!
I accomplished every goal I set out to accomplish and I had no pain on the road. My knee didn't flare up. My ankle didn't bother me. My foot didn't go numb and my physical condition after 13.1 miles felt good. I was so happy as we drove home, even with the flood of thoughts that kept pouring through my mind, happiness superseded them all.
Kaedell and I celebrated the second we stepped inside the cabin by climbing in my hot tub with our compression tights and sports bras still on, drinking our gallon of chocolate milk and laughing while we soaked our sore tired frames. Soaking in hot water is the number one thing you shouldn't do after running 13.1 miles, but we didn't care. It felt good! We laughed and giggled about all the fun we'd had and that was worth a million bucks!
My medal now hangs in my cabin next to my number 202! (Two hundred and two gazillion reasons to love life!) These items are a symbol of 13.1 million things I learned training for a 1/2 marathon. Life is about enjoying the journey, every part of it, the ups and the downs. As I look back over every experience throughout my journey to cross a finish line in my first half marathon, every particle of it brings a sullen sweetness to my soul. I will forever look back over the many memories packed inside my frame and I will draw upon them every day for the rest of my life! I'll be doing it again, running another race somewhere, sometime. I'll be picking a new item I struggle with to leave behind me on some distant road and I'll be running toward some positive new ambition to help me reach my God given potential. I think I like running!
I close with anthems of praise to my Heavenly Father for sustaining me every inch of the way and for teaching me what I am made of! As I was thinking about how I came to run a 1/2 marathon, my favorite poem by Robert Frost came to mind. His words describe the whole of this experience for me eloquently and quite perfectly.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
6/13/2010
The day we've trained for, waited for, and looked forward to forever!
Look out Bear Lake, here we come!
Yikes! It's "D" Day!
The Blanch Clan is ready to race in the rain!
Please don't rain!!!
(More blessings! Throughout the whole race ---no rain!)
And so it began!
There she goes. Run fast Kadie Bug!
Run Forest, RUN! Hahahaha
Megan and Phyllie comin' down the bunny trail!
Kaedell hit the new bike path! Wish I could keep up with her!
Peace to you too Meggzie!
You're cute -----And awesome!
Kaedell makes her way to the front of the pack in no time!
Kadie might be short, but she doesn't lack for speed!
Look at er' go!
Me tryin' to keep up with the pack.
Here she comes, my cute niece Tate!
Running a half marathon verses a full marathon, is . . .
Half the Pain and Twice the Fun!
OH NO! Time to hit the mud!
Caitlyn my niece heads towards home!
I am WOMAN! Hear me ROAR!
The fam gets ready for Kaedell to make her grand entrance!
Heading down the last .1 of 13 long miles, for the big finish!
Yes, we do love you Kaedell! You make us all proud!
What a feeling! There is nothing like seeing your hard work
come to fruition!
Struttin' her stuff!
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DID IT!
You climbed your own Mountain Kaedell!
I'm so proud of you!
Awesome finish shot. Now where's mom?
She's not far behind!
and
Here comes Tate!
Who needs Gatorade when ya got your kids to support you!
Seth and Des ---I love you for goin' the distance with me.
Kyle, you too.
All these people made all the difference!
Life gets lonely out on the road,
but not when you have the company of those who love you!
YES!!! She came back for me.
My faithful running partner literally went the extra mile.
I love you bug for commin' back :D
I love you for helping me reach my goal!
Life is all about team work.
Nothing felt better than to have Kadie by my side
through it all.
She's my daughter, my side kick, my runnin' partner,
and my best friend!
Mican, and Nancy give me two thumbs up!
Thanks Nancy for all your help and advice!
Seeing the finish line was the best feeling in the world
just like you said it would be!
I'll borrow Dorothy's line from the Wizard Of Oz . . .
"There's no place like home!"
Everyone needs a pit crew! This crew is the best in the world!
Don't forget dad in the aide station on wheels!
That's all she wrote!
Cross that off my bucket list!
Half Marathon . . . DONE!
Some moments in life, stay with you forever!
The sign that made me cry!
The people I love with all my heart!
Seeing them made me cry too!
WINNING ISN'T ALWAYS FINISHING FIRST.
SOMETIMES WINNING IS JUST FINISHING!
Robynn, (the cute girl in pink!) Thanks for sharing all your wisdom,
And thanks for being a dear friend!
WE DID IT KAEDELL! WE REALLY DID IT!!!
~Stats~
Kaedell: Finish Time: 2:11:24
Faye: Finish Time: 2:39:19
Kadie and I with our fan club!
The greatest people in the world!
THANKS EVERYBODY!
I love you all!
SOME MOMENTS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN!
WHAT A DAY! WHAT A SPECTACULAR DAY!!!
