Snow Canyon Half Marathon

So this past Saturday I ran my first half marathon! Yes that is 13.2 miles and I ran every one of them! I have been training for the past few months and had been looking forward to it so much.

I woke up around 6am that morning. I didn't get much sleep the night before because I was so nervous. I had my alarm set for 6:45am but I just couldn't wait so I got up and started getting ready. I made myself a PB&J sandwich, had a vitimain water, and a banana. Then I woke Chase up so that he could drop me off at Snow Canyon High School. Then I made him take my "before" picture.

I was SO nervous as we drove there. I got out and immediately went on the bus that would take us up the canyon to our starting point. I sat in the school bus seat by myself until a girl I recognized from high school came and sat next to me. Her name was Hailey Caplin (I forget what her maiden was). She was so nice and calmed my nerves. She had just ran the St. George Marathon (her second) so I thought it was crazy that she was running a half about a month later! It was nice to talk to her though.

So when the buses dropped us off (a little before Diamond Valley) I stood in line for the potty. It could have been that I was just really nervous since being nervous can make you pee a lot but it wasn't even 15 min after I peed that I needed to pee again. BUT the line was SO long I couldn't because we had to start lining up at the start. I was toward the front probably about 1oo ft from the start. As I had my Goo Goo dolls playing I noticed a girl in front of me that had a shirt that said "Runners Rule". I was like YEEEEAAAH. I was SO pumped. Then all of a sudden it started and I couldn't believe I was FINALLY running in the half marathon! My feet were so cold it felt like they were asleep, but soon that went away.

The weather was perfect. Not too cold not too hot. And the scenery was BEAUTIFUL! They also weren't kidding when they said to train downhill because a lot of it was downhill. I was FLYING in the beginning. My adrenaline was pumping, plus the downhill was pushing me hard. I kept passing people although there was the occasional person I secretly paced myself with. One thing that did hold me back was that I had to PEE! I thought there was going to be pottys along the way but they were lieing! I neared the 4 mile mark which was the first aid station and yup NO pottys. I was pretty upset. As we passed the 6 miles mark I was about to burst so yup.....I found a big bush and peed behind it (plus my shoe was untied). You wouldn't believe it either but about 1/2 a mile later there was 2 porta potties. GRRRR! When I came behind the bush this girl looked at me knowingly and laughed.

At around mile 7 is when I started to really count down the miles and it seemed like each mile took SO long. It really wasnt until mile 10 that I really felt like I was crashing though. At this point my hips and my knees were killing me! But I pressed on. I walked through practically all the aid stations (except the beginning ones) and at mile 7 I had some vanilla gu (which almost made me vomit the texture was so gross but I knew I needed something).

Toward the end of the race I was dying but as we neared the crowds and the little kids cheering us on it helped. I think I really made some of those little kids day when I slapped their hands in a high five. I wasn't moving very fast but I was secretly pacing myself with this girl and I think she was doing the same because she would walk periodically and then I would pass her and that was her cue to start running again. She would sprint (at least it looked that way) past me and then walk again. Yeah.....she ended up beating me. I wasn't moving fast but I had to keep moving no matter what because I knew if I stopped I couldn't keep going.

When I saw the finish I just wanted to collapse but hung in there. In my pics I really look like i am in pain....and I was. But once I hit the finish I felt so accomplished! I finished in 2hr s and 6 min which is averaged a little under 10 min a mile and great for a first half marathon. It was a great experience and I would love to do it again.....once I am able to walk without gimping again. :)