Top of Utah Marathon

"The mircale isn't that I finished.  The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham

Here are some of the pictures from the Top of Utah Marathon I ran in Logan on Saturday.  It was a full marathon, 26.2 miles and I'm just so happy that I finished it!

I was more exhausted than I ever thought I would be.  I actually finished in 4 hours 49 minutes, even though the clock on the finish reads differently.  I used my garmin to time myself and I didn't start the timer until I crossed the start line.

I trained with Mandi and she really helped motivate me this summer.  I'm so glad she did this with me!

The last few miles were really hard on me.  My body just wanted to quit and I couldn't run anymore.  I ended up having to walk for about 2 miles until I got close to the finish then I jogged my way slowly in.  When I saw Luke and I the girls I couldn't hold back the tears anymore.  Luke gave me a hug and I broke down, it was a mixture of relief, happiness, and exhaustion.  I've never pushed myself so far before and I proved to myself that I could do it.  That feels good. 

Now, for some of my favorite running quotes:

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.” – George Sheehan

“Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage.” -George Patton

“We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.” – Emil Zatopek

"It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure." - Mary Kay Ash

It's supposed to be hard.  If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it.  The hard...is what makes it great!" - Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own

Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right." - Henry Ford