Three flights and I touched down in Idaho Falls, about an hour from the race location. I went straight from the airport to get my race packet. I've seen just about every kind of race bag, but this one was perfectly suited for our race. Packets were put in Idaho Potato bags!
Race packet
Packet in hand, I paid $5 for the pre-race pasta dinner that included an Idaho spud for carb loading along with the traditional spaghetti, toast, salad and a variety of deserts. At this point in the year, its quite safe to say I'm sick of pasta, but all the same, I was glad to be having dinner with all the other runners. I got a chance to chat with Terrell Johnson, who was running the half marathon and is also the creator of the website HalfMarathons.Net (the perfect site to find half marathon races and information). He plans to do a write up on me for his website and once it's posted I'll let you know so you can check it out!
With Terrell at packet pickup
Pre-race dinners are always filled with excitement and anticipation. I don't have nerves for my races anymore, and the excitement is not the same as it was when I was running less frequently, but the anticipation is always there. No matter how many marathons I've run, each one is a new experience, each one has new challenges. There is something majestic about running on ground I've never covered before. I enjoy the fact that it's all a surprise. I will check out course maps, but I never drive the course. They say ignorance is bliss, and when it comes to running, I tend to agree!
With our race on Saturday it meant I would get an entire day with my family on Sunday which I was ecstatic about. But it also meant that I was going to miss my 5 and 7 year old's first cheer-leading and flag football game. As much as I really wanted to be there and be a part of their day, my absence was also a quick reminder of why I am running this year. I ran Mesa Falls for Elise, a 2 year old girl orphaned and living in extreme poverty in South Africa. I've missed a lot of moments this year with my kids and from looking at their cheer/football schedule its quite possible that I will not be able to see a single game this season. But the reality of it is, there will be other years. There will be other sports and other games. After this year of marathons I can see every cheer and every touchdown.
Pictures from opening ceremony on Thur night (which I thankfully did get to see). Believe it or not they are 2 years apart and she's older!
For Elise, and the other orphaned children that I've been running for, they have no one. They don't have the chances that my children have and though no fault of their own, they were simply born into a life I wouldn't wish on anyone. The chances for education, proper health care and a prosperous life are low. No child deserves the struggles they have had to face. And just as this year is about so much more than marathon running, I hope what I'm doing will speak to my own children and teach them to have a heart for others. The value of serving others, and using what we've been blessed with to make a difference in our world is something I hope to instill in each of my kids. We all have something to give, and for me, a reason to run.
I was fortunate to have a couple other marathon maniac friends that let me share their hotel room with them. Joyce and Lynne are fantastically fit ladies. I met them when I ran a marathon in Boone, NC earlier this year and it was great to catch up with them. We had an early morning and with the last shuttle leaving for the start line at 5:15 it meant a 3:40am wake up call. I'm not a morning person. At home I roll out of bed and go straight for the coffee. I've managed just fine this year, but week after week it's flat out tiring. The best part of having to get up early is when the race offers a breakfast like Mesa Falls did. We had our choice of cereal, muffins, donuts, fruit, milk and most importantly coffee.
After a short bus ride we got to the start area and I was feeling ready to go. I had opted to just run in my tank top and not bring a jacket. I had felt just fine when walking out to my car that morning, however the bus trip had taken us up another 1,000 feet or so to around 6,000 above sea level. As soon as I exited the bus I was hit with the cold. It was seriously chilly, to the point where I could actually see the guys breath that I was chatting with. Someone was nice enough to give me a mylar wrap to stay warm until we started. Slowly the night faded into morning and the sun came up.
We started out on a gravel road and ran the length of it for the first 9 miles. I talked with several other runners during those early miles including John, a race director from Utah who ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks at age 52. We compared notes for a bit as we ran and it was nice to meet another runner that could really relate firsthand with what I'm working toward. It just encouraged me all the more that I will survive this year. I ran with a couple other different people for short segments, and every time I would stop to take a picture they would carry on and I'd run by myself for a bit until I came across someone else. A lot of people had heard about what I was doing and wanted to ask me questions which was great.
I was concerned that the elevation would make the running more difficult, but I actually felt great. I didn't struggle with getting my air and the cool temps and overcast sky made for perfect running conditions. Around mile 10 we turned onto a paved road. I was surprised we were already into double digits, I hadn't hardly noticed the miles.
Onto the road
Mile 11 brought us to a overlook with amazing views of the falls. I stopped and took pictures, thinking to myself, do I really have to keep running? Can't I just stay here with a cup of coffee and enjoy the world for a bit?! I caught myself feeling that way several times on the course. We were surrounded with such amazingly beautiful views it was easy to want to just get caught up in the beauty.
With the falls behind me
This picture doesn't begin to do justice
As I have a habit of doing things most runners would advise against or avoid, Mesa Falls was no exception. This time it was my shoes. I've worn brand new shoes at a race before (which might I add, I don't advise doing), but I have never worn shoes so old that I can't even remember when I bought them. I have lots of pairs of running shoes (ok I have too many pairs of running shoes). When my shoes wear out I don't toss them. I figure they are still good enough to walk in and use for daily life stuff so as a result I have tons of shoes that I don't run in, but use for everything else. This week I grabbed a pair of my older no longer used for running shoes for my race. I didn't really pay much attention until I was on my flight and it dawned on me that these were not my normal shoes. I sat there trying to figure out just how old my shoes were. I'm still not sure, but the answer is old. They are Asics 2130's - and for you non Asics runners the current model is 2150's, which makes them at least 2 years old. Amazingly, they worked fine and my legs and feet didn't seem to mind them. I get lucky sometimes!
They made it through another 26.2, holes and all!
I hit the halfway point and still felt fresh. We turned off the road, and onto a trail for a good 4 miles. It was beautiful and peaceful. I had to keep reminding myself to keep my eyes on my feet. The views were distracting, but the idea of falling and getting torn up again was ever present. It was a dry trail, flat and dusty with the side brush slightly grown over onto the path. Otherwise it was simple and clear. The last part of the race we ran on roads with some rolling hills, including one decent sized hill at mile 18. I love it when they save hills like that for later in the race! By that point everyone is drained and it makes for even more of a mental battle.
Views from the trail
Storm clouds heading in
We came back into town and ran the last mile through Ashton. I turned the corner for the finish line with the energy to push for the last .10/mile and finished in 4:25, which is the best time I've run since March!
With John at the finish
I didn't spend a lot of time at the finish area. Mesa Falls had a unique wooden finishers medal and our race shirt was a polo, another distinctive touch. All around it was a great race and I highly recommend it others. I talked with a few runners, got some food, and drove over to the little drug store where we had been given a coupon for a free huckleberry shake (which was every bit as good as people had told me). After a quick shower it was off to the airport.
All I can say is YUM!
With founding Marathon Maniac Tony #3 and his girlfriend
Mesa Falls marked the finish of 32 marathons and in these past few weeks I've felt physically renewed. Each week I'm a step closer to the final finish line, and yet I know my work is far from done. I spend a lot of time at my marathons contemplating, calculating and concentrating on how I can continue the work of this year, even when it's long over. I feel like this journey is just one step in my life and the doorway to continue making an impact for others.
As I ran today, the song "So Far Away" by Staind played on my Ipod. I couldn't have summed up how I felt in the moment more perfectly:
"This is my life
It's not what it was before
All these feelings I’ve shared
And these are my dreams
That I’d never lived before
Somebody shake me
Cause I, I must be sleeping"
Final Race Stats:
4:25:57 - final time
103 out of 202 overall
31 out of 100 women
6 out of 13 in my age group (25-29)
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