AND THE AWARD GOES TO . . .

BEST MILE

Mile 15: 8 minutes 35 seconds. That first big cheering group at Snow Canyon Park was awesome! Made me run faster. Plus, it was the first real downcline. I also felt pretty great at Mile 24 coming into the big St. George crowd.

WORST MILE

Mile 18: 10 minutes 24 seconds. Blasted Ledges Parkway! This is where I started walking two years ago (and continued to walk for the last 8 miles). Veyo hill's Mile 8 was a very close second.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Ran with Bart Yasso for a minute. It was awesome. (He was the keynote speaker at the expo yesterday. He had so many interesting stories to tell. Kaelee and I got a picture with him and told him we were fans.  He didn't tell us he was running the marathon, so I was surprised to see him at mile 5ish.)

BEST SIGNAGE

"Every time a runner loses a toenail, an angel gets its wings."

WORST SIGNAGE

"Fat butt Mommy. Go exercise."


MOST UNEXPECTED MOMENT

Bloody nose at Mile 22. I thought my nose was running, then I touched it and got blood all over my hand. Luckily it was right before an aid station so they gave me a wet paper towel that I carried for the next three miles and had to keep reusing. Gross. I was keeping a pretty nice pace at this point, and I'm glad this didn't slow me down too much.

MOST AWKWARDEST MOMENT

Running with Nicco, the long-haired, smelly, bearded guy who got way to close for comfort. He had a lot to say. And he might have been slightly crazy, but who wouldn't be after running over 100 marathons?

BEST SCENERY

My family coming into view a few steps from the finish line. I almost cry every time. Okay, sometimes I do cry. Today I was all smiles and waves.

SOMETHING OLD

Broken kneecaps and shredded quads. Someday I hope to finish a marathon and not hobble and limp around for three days afterwards, rendering myself virtually useless as a mother and/or human being. It's getting old.

SOMETHING NEW

I ran the whole thing without my ipod. And I liked it. 

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

Leif made me a root beer float last weekend. And then something magical happened: I made myself a root beer float every night thereafter until marathon day. It became this weird good luck charm. I think this new marathon tradition should stick.

Me 4:10, Kaelee 3:54, Matt 3:28, Casey 3:46, Travis 3:38

 *I need to add more pictures after I get my camera from Aunt LouAnne's house in Central where we stayed the night. We like to take silly pre-race pictures.

And here they are:

The essentials: KT tape, pink nipple tape, petroleum jelly, anti-chafe bar

And a breast pump for me

I was trying to look super awake. Didn't work.

He was going for the "First Day of Kindergarten" pose (it was his first marathon). He also has sleepy face.

Casey also got the bunk bed because he was the rookie. Kaelee and I shared a bed because Matt is a thrashy sleeper. She moved to the tiny couch during the night because everybody else's pee schedules were keeping her awake. I don't know why she expected to get any sleep the night before a marathon anyway.