Our First Half Marathon (as a couple)

We did it. Eight weeks of training (minus a few missed weeks due to a family contraction of strep throat, then moving, then the flu) and we finally ran a half marathon. Well, more accurately, I finally ran a half marathon. After we got home, I asked Shelly what she planned to do with her finishers medal while I proudly clasped mine tighter than Golum held the Precious. She replied nonchalantly, "Well let the kids play with it till they get sick of it and we'll throw it out.

Must be nice to be awesome.

The funny thing is that this long distance run almost didn't happen. We had originally planned to have Tom watch the kids (the race starts super early; we had to be to the bus that takes you to the top of the canyon at 4:30am). But since Tom's job is federal and not state, we found out he doesn't get Utah's Pioneer Day off about a week before the race. 

Then we planned to have Amy drive up after her late class the night before but a freak wind blew a branch onto her parked car and busted the windshield pretty bad. We scrambled and used the sitter that watches the kids most Fridays. 

The next morning, she was 20 minutes late. We thought we might not make the bus to the top (we did just in time). As we got near the top, it started to rain. I wondered if maybe this was a sign (maybe just I thought this) that we weren't supposed to run this race.

The rain was off and on for the 45 minutes we had to wait at the starting line. It wasn't too bad of a wait, but long enough to feel a little anxious. Shelly wanted to snap a quick picture in the semi-darkness. Man, I was nervous! Shelly looks beautiful, by the way. 

Here's a better one.

The run didn't seem to be that bad for most of it. The rain quit with the start of the race and the run out of the canyon was the perfect temperature. Aided by the cool temperature and gentle decline, I made pretty good time at first. I had trained on some crazy hills out by our new house and having a decline or flat the whole way really was a game-changer. Here's an idea of the course.

By the way, check out how beautiful the park is by our old house. It was a great place to run.

One thing that was a surprise to me was the diversity of the runners: 8-88 years old, fat, skinny, it seemed all a runner needed to be there was a screw or two loose and an exorbitant entrance fee (What costs so much anyway? You get a t-shirt, a medal, and they close a little more of the road than they normally do for the parade route.) If the law thing doesn't work out, I should plan races.

Anyway, being in a race like this is humbling, because people who look like they're either pushing 70 years old or obese end up being pretty good runners. Along the route, I kept getting passed by a plethora of unlikely runners: Cankles, Muffin-top, Cancer Girl, Old Guy, and then in Mile 12, a full-fledged Nana.

The other thing that is annoying is that the walk/runners were using me as a pacer. Every time I'd catch up with someone that was a faster runner, but currently walking, they would start running again. It's like I could hear them say, "Uh oh. Here comes that fat guy again. Can't let him beat me."

I never stopped running the whole time, though. Slow and steady won't necessarily win, but it'll finish.

And I didn't win. After getting passed by the Nana, I figured I'd better adapt my goals in my running career. Next time--if there is a next time--beat Nana.

Shelly ended up with a time of about 2:15. I finished about 15 minutes later. Shelly would've been done sooner, but she had to wait for the bathroom somewhere around mile 6.

Do you love  background guy's stink eye, by the way?

There were  866 total half marathon runners, for context. The last half runner came in with a time of 3:55. So at least I didn't have to run for four hours...

One last thing, the websites for these runs really paint the experience differently than I think most people experience them. Finishing doesn't feel like this (at least not right at the finish line...)

It's much more like this: