TOP OF UTAH 1/2 MARATHON

TOP OF UTAH 1/2 MARATHON

after my last long race I didn't know if I would do another one.

That was then...

...before it was added to the adventure bucket list (all items on that list must be done as a married couple. Since I had already ran and Clayton hadn't it couldn't be crossed off...running that far on a treadmill doesn't count. Had to be an actual race we we scored a t-shirt)

August 6th...6am in the morning.

CLAYTON: Do you want to run the TOU 1/2 marathon?

HEIDI: No. (voice in my head says, "it's official my husband is insane")

CLAYTON: silence

HEIDI: (realizing that it is the perfect opportunity to cross something off of the adventure bucket list and to work off some of the food that we have eaten on the food bucket list)oooohhhh ok. You do realize that it is 3 weeks away.

My main goal in running this race was to train on the treadmill without stepping foot on the road. If you are a runner you know that running on the treadmill and running on the road are very different. However, I don't get paid to run on the road. I get paid to run on a treadmill at 5am.

RACE DAY

Alarm goes off at 5am. ah crap what did we get ourselves into!?! Throw on some clothes. Go the bathroom. Go the bathroom again just in case. Walk out the door and ask Clayton if the fact that I shaved my legs the day before will help me run faster. He says "yes". awesome. Drive through the insanely busy streets and pull a few illegals (traffic illegals not to be confused with human illegals) to find a parking spot. Find a spot a marathon's distance from the bus stop that takes us up to the starting line. Walk and walk and walk and walk and feel like the pioneers, but in our sweet Asics of course. Finally reach the bus line which is ironically enough also the distance of a marathon. Finally get on the bus and drive up Blacksmith Fork Canyon to the start line. If you ask me the bus ride is the worst part of the race because it seems never ending while you are thinking the whole time, "I have to run this far!?!". Load off of the bus and hit the port-a-potty (again just in case). Stretched in the cold mountain air hoping that my leg hair wouldn't grow too much to slow me down. Finally we start lining up and it is go time. Get music ready, few last minute stretches in and off we go...

MILE 1: feelin' good. if only we didn't have to weave in and out of everyone. That is totally going to kill our time.

MILE 2: stomach cramps. not good. say about 3 prayers in a row and start feeling better.

MILE 3: see friend Nicole and slap her butt and wish her luck as we pass by.

MILE 5: cross mile 5 line and slap (yes I was into butt slapping that day) Clayton's butt. Tell him I'm going to do that with each mile we pass (and I did!). Older gentleman next to me hears me tell Clayton that and asks if I would do that for him too. Apparently he needed some motivation.

MILE 6: see a girl running on her toes. seriously I don't think her heels ever touched the ground. vowed to beat toe girl.

MILE 8: wonder why there are so many "runners" wearing skorts (half shorts-half skirts). I put runners in " " because cheerleaders wear skirts, runners wear shorts. Seriously!

MILE 9: water station. one of the volunteers decided to run to the other side of the road and almost knocked me to the ground while doing so. gave her dirty look and a mean scowl. bless her heart.

MILE 11: incident is all I will say. Clayton forbids me to post anything that happened on this mile until we go private. So far nothing about going private is in the works. Let's just say this is the result of mile 11...

Don't worry no injuries or anything like that despite Clayton's appearance. And the incident actually happened to me not him...again despite his appearance. The story is hilarious (and embarrassing) if you ask either one of us. Oh how I wish I could make this post 10x's better by telling the story. But I am a wife of my word and will not...but I wish I could...oh how I wish...

ps If you know the story please do not leave a comment about it so I can keep my word with the husband.

MILE 12: almost there

MILE 13.1: crossed the finish line feeling really good (physically, emotionally, etc).

This chica is our friend Candace. She is lovely. We like her. Wanted my brother to date her, but now she is in a relationship with someone else. geez.

You might be wondering to yourself "what did Clayton and Heidi listen to for 13.1 miles?" Well this is your lucky day because I was just about to tell you...

HEIDI'S PLAYLIST: Jack Johnson, Daughtry, Cold Play, Millencolin, The Fray, Pepper, Keith Urban, Zebrahead, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Guns 'n Roses, Leona Lewis, The Refreshments, Metallica, The Used, Midtown, Kelly Clarkson, Coheed & Cambria, AFI, Red Hot Chili Peppers

CLAYTON'S PLAYLIST: I would have thought that all he listened to on the run was Coheed & Cambria and Senses Fail, but it turns out he didn't listen to Coheed & Cambria at all. That really surprised me because he loves...no LOOOOOVES Coheed & Cambria. Now I can't remember the rest of the things he listened to, but he did tell me he crossed the finish line listening to Upstanding Youth's "Detonate". They are awesome. Check them out on our blog roll or on "crap we like or things we love" on our side bar.

To end (you never thought the end would come did you!?!) I just wanted to tell Clayton thanks for encouraging me to do this. I get really nervous before races (no matter how big or small) even though I have done a ton of them. I'm glad that we could do this together and cross it off of our bucket list not to mention cross the finish line together holding hands....hahaha...just kidding we didn't do that. I make fun of the couples that do that (no offense if you are one of those people). Seriously the miles honestly flew by this race because we were running side by side. He is my motivation.

PS our time was 1:47 (would have been faster without the "mile 11 incident") and yes mom we did beat toe girl.

Up Next (whenever I find the time...): Hadlee's baptism, Tony's Grove and the FREAKING AWESOME BYU win over Oklahoma.