Running Sluggish

This week it was just Todd and I. Yesterday Todd wanted to run the hills and I thought, sure why not? Well I soon discovered why not. I was sooo not into it. Maybe it was because I was still suffering from our failed 23 or maybe I just didn't like hills anymore or maybe I just wasn't in the mood. It was a number of things.

He started out at my parents' house and I started from Cami's house. I met him somewhere in the middle and we took off. It was supposed to be 10 miles of a route I have covered many times before. My problem started when my body just wouldn't warm up. I felt stiff, sore and like I was hauling bricks. Todd on the other hand was out to prove something. Probably because he knew it was his fault we didn't do 23 last week. hehe ;)

By the time we reached the Dee Events Center Todd was far ahead and I just didn't want to continue. I called him on his phone and told him I was heading home. But as he continued to go I thought to myself I can't just quit. So I took a short cut and hopped back on the route where I knew Todd would end up. When he caught up to me we continued with our route around McKay Dee hospital and up Glassman Way. Todd was always ahead of me but at least I pushed on. By the time we ended up at my mom and dad's house Todd had done 10 strong miles and I had done 7. I will take it considering how crappy I felt.

Todd made the comment about how funny it is that we all have different weeks where we are on and having a great run and other weeks where we just can't get going.

No pictures or stats of this run.

Attempted 23 & Completed 20

So I had this all planned out. Really well planned. It was going to be great. The weather was going to be perfect. We had a great group of runners. I was mentally ready to attack this beast. But it wasn't meant to be..for some of us.

The plan was that Tom, Todd, Betty & I would meet at the top of 193. We would run along 89 to Mutton Hollow in Kaysville. At the bottom of Mutton Hollow Tom and Betty were to turn off and head on their own route because they were attempting 18 miles. Todd and I were to go in another direction because we were attempting 23.

We started out perfect. We ran along 89 and made it to Mutton Hollow. This is such a great stretch of downhill. A few miles down Mutton Hollow Tom & Betty turned off and headed on their way. Todd and I kept going to Main Street where we followed Main Street all the way to Farmington.  We made a stop at Fresh Market where Todd stripped his pants. We were doing so good on Main Street. I was really loving this new route and was excited to see it all the way. We turned off Main Street onto a frontage road that weaved us to Shepard Lane. We made our way up and over the freeway and kept heading west. This is where Todd started showing signs of slowing. WE WERE ONLY 10 MILES IN TO OUR 23 MILE RUN. NOT EVEN HALF WAY! I tried to stay positive and slowed us down a bit. I kept telling him to just run slower and STOP STOPPING. The next few miles consisted of him running for 45 seconds to a minute and then stopping again. He said he just couldn't get going again. By mile 12 I was really struggling keeping him going. I was trying to talk positive and told him what he should be thinking about but he was just done. I think he was mentally bored. At one point he started running and it was strong. I thought, here we go, he's back. But within 30 seconds he stopped again and yelled UGH! I asked what was the matter and he said his phone just told him what mile we were at and he realized how much further we still had. I laughed and told him he can't think of the distance ahead. He really needed to chunk up the distance. Around mile 13.5 he was saying he couldn't make it and just wanted to stop at my house, which would be about mile 16. I tried telling him that wasn't an option. I even tried calling Merrill to come and pace us hoping that would get Todd going again but Mike wasn't home. The next mile consisted of more stopping and starting with hands flying in the air and frustrated grunts. Around 14.5 I was starting to crack myself. It was starting to get warm and all the starting and stopping was making my body tighten up. Todd was wearing me down mentally. :)
I decided there was no way we could keep going on to 23 so I called our mommy to come and get us. :)  She found Jeremy, who was coming our way for work, and sent him to rescue us. Todd and I walked the remainder of the way to my house (that's being built). We crashed on the floor and had a good laugh about our experience.

We had Jeremy take us down to Jensen's Park where Todd's car was and where Betty & Tom would be ending up. The look on my dad and Betty's face was priceless when they saw us DRIVING into the parking lot. Once we explained that Jeremy was our rescuer they realized what happened. They had originally thought we were so fast that we were already done and Jeremy just happened to be there. Not the case.

Tom & Betty on the other hand did awesome. They shot for 18 and ended up doing 20! My dad felt so good after 18 that he couldn't help but keep going. They had no problems on their run. It sounds like they just chit chatted the entire time. I am so glad he got that great run in because I was worried he was behind because of his nose bleed problems. It looks like he is definitely back in the game!

**STATS**

Temperature: ? Chilly at the start but it got warmer

Time of Day: 7:30 a.m.

TODD & ME

Distance: 16.29 miles

Time: 3:01:33

Pace: 11:09 min/mile

TOM & BETTY

Distance: 20 miles

Time:  3:36
Pace: 10:48 min/mile

At the start

Jeremy was mine and Todd's rescuer.

 I'm the one who was GOING to finish strong!

Striders Half Marathon

This morning was the Striders Half Marathon. Let me just start out by saying how COLD it was. Probably the coldest I have ever run in. 15 degrees at the start. I know this because the announcer kept telling us!

I remembered from last year how the temperature is completely different from where we live compared to what it is up in Huntsville. So when I walked outside at 5:45 a.m. I knew I was under dressed. I drove over to my mom and dad's house, where everyone was meeting, and quickly changed into my mom's thicker running clothes. Once everyone was at my dad's house (me, todd, neil, shay, brandi) we drove up the canyon to where the race was.

We all hopped on a bus for the long drive to the starting line. I swear those bus rides seem so much longer than the actual run. That's probably a good thing. Once we stepped off the bus we were all FREEZING. Seriously! I can't stress how cold it was. Finally the race started and we were on our way. The first few miles me and my dad kept saying how cold we were. My face was frozen in place and my toes felt numb. Luckily we started to thaw a few miles in.

I don't know what it is with me lately but I can't stop my bathroom breaks. I constantly have to pee. I am just going to have to blame it on my 3 kids but it is seriously annoying. My dad and I stopped at the first porta potties. I was hoping I would be good for the rest of the race but I swear once I got out I instantly had to pee again. I ran to the next porta potties at mile 6. Unfortunately there was a line but I didn't want to wait until mile 9. My dad continued on. Once out I was determined to catch my dad. I could see him in the distance but it took me until mile 10 to catch him. When I did catch him I was in a zone and just kept going. We all finished strong. Todd said he had a major (if you know what I mean) bathroom stop at mile 11 but still had an awesome run. I would have beat last year's time by a few minutes if it wasn't for that dumb long line at mile 6. Instead I came in just 5 seconds faster. Tom held strong and didn't take that many walk breaks. He said he felt really good. We didn't really do the 5/1. We usually save that for anything further than half's.

The best part of this race? Coming in for a hot breakfast courtesy of Union Grill. Yummy quiche, yogurt, muffins, juice. mmmm

I can't believe there is only one more race in the circuit and it's over. Part of me is relieved if I am being honest. I have been so busy this year to really enjoy it. I wish I could have put more time in training. But luckily I haven't suffered any injuries like last year and I am still finishing strong. That's what's really important.

**STATS**

Distance: Half Marathon
Temperature: 15 DEGREES!

Time of Day: 8:00 a.m.

ME
Time: 2:10:01
Pace: 9:55 min/mile

TOM

Time:  2:15:01
Pace: 10:18 min/mile

TODD

Time: 1:57:03
Pace: 8:56 min/mile

Shay & Brandi

Neil & Todd

Tom & Betty

20 Miles

My poor dad is having such problems this year. He was supposed to hit the road with us this morning but he has had one bloody nose after another. A few days ago he couldn't get his nose to stop bleeding and had to go to the doctor again. Needless to say he wasn't allowed, or in the shape, to run today. So me and Todd went out by ourselves.

The run was pretty fun. I changed up the course a bit. We started at the usual spot but instead of going west we went north on 89 until we hit Mutton Hollow. Oh how fun Mutton Hollow was. About 2 1/2 miles of fun downhill. Then we ended up in west Kaysville and west Layton. We found our way to Syracuse where we ended up at Stacey's.

Todd started struggling around mile 16. Luckily I was feeling great so I gave him a mile long pep talk. He perked up a bit and I knew he would make it. We separated a bit but both finished by dropping on the grass once we hit 20.

We were so tired we again forgot to get pictures. BUT...Todd later sent a picture of the toenail he will probably lose in a few days. :)

**STATS**

ME

Distance: 20 miles
Time: 3:25:25 (Todd came in at 3:26)
Pace: 10:16 min/mile
Temperature: 59 at the start - warmer at the end

Time of Day: 9:00 a.m.

Goldenwest 5k & an EXTRA 7

This morning we got to participate in the Goldenwest CU 5k. This run benefits local schools and we were there to support my mom's school, TH Bell. It was a pretty good course with some fun hills.

I had my mom sign up Jeremy since he is "training" for the half marathon. I say training very lightly since he only runs maybe one time a week. I like to give him a hard time but I know it is hard to find the time to run because he is so busy with work and building a house. It is fun to do things like this with him so I was excited.

Todd and Tom took off at the starting line, me and Jeremy stuck together pushing the double jogger, and my mom and Ava hung with the back of the pack. My mom is still having knee problems so they walked most of the course.

It was a fun run. Jeremy and I took turns pushing the jogger until about the last half mile when I turned him loose. After finishing we cheered Ava and grandma on as they came in. Ady thought that was fun.

**STATS**

Distance: 5k

Temperature: ? Warm

Time of Day: 8:30 a.m.

ME, ADY & IYLAH
Time: 31:30.9
Pace: 10:08 min/mile

TODD
he wore my mom's running bib but he wore it under his shirt so it didn't pick up his time

TOM
Time: 28:34.2
Pace: 9:11 min/mile

JEREMY
Time: 30:28.3
Pace: 9:48 min/mile

CYD & AVA
Not sure of their time



Cheering for Ava & Grandma
Ava had a hard time at the end but my mom said she did so good.

After we finished the 5k we gathered our gear and headed off again for more miles. We headed towards Weber State via Old Post Road. It got windy so the last few miles were tiring. Coming up Harrison was hard. Tom kept going up Harrison while Todd and I ran around McKay Dee. By the time we were in the last stretch I was mentally done. Todd caught up with Tom and we all headed home. Todd was bouncing off the street like a deer and commented on how it's funny how each week we see a different strong runner. Last week me and Tom ran really well and Todd was soooo done. This week Todd was running like it was nothing and I just couldn't force my feet forward. Hopefully we can ALL have a good run come marathon day.

**STATS OF 2nd RUN**

Tom took a small short cut home & Todd finished about 4 minutes before I did.

ME
Distance: 7.35 miles
Time: 1:19:06
Pace: 10:46 min/mile

At the end of our 2nd run!

18 Miles

On Saturday Tom, Todd and I kicked out 18 MILES. What?! That's right. 18 LONG miles. Well if I'm being honest I was the only one who truly made it to 18. Tom was done around 16 and Todd quit around 17.4. But more of that in a minute.

We took off at our normal 193 starting point and headed on our normal route. But I had to change it up a bit for Todd. He gets bored easily and doesn't like looking at fields and cows. He likes to have a change of scenery that has stuff to look at...like cars. Since Gentile is such a long stretch I decided to change it up a bit right there. So once on Gentile we headed south on Flint over to Kaysville where we turned west on 200 N. We ran on Angel street until we hit my house. That is where we stored some extra food & water. We refueled and then took off again back out to Gentile. This is where Todd and I separated from Tom. He was taking it easy because he hasn't been able to run consistently. He was only planning on doing 15 while Todd and I were shooting for 18. Once me and Todd got to Jensen park Todd started to struggle. We were running on Bluff when he kept asking how much longer....3.5 miles.

Oh let me back up for a minute. It seems like this year of training has been full of wind. I swear every time we go out for a long run it is a really windy day. This day was really bad. We knew the wind was coming up from the south but I swear it was coming at us from all directions. When we turned south on Flint we literally just put our heads down and leaned forward. We were waiting to head north on Angel thinking it would really push us but I swear the wind stopped when we got on that street. No help at all.

OK back on Bluff. Todd and I ran to the roundabout where we turned south on 2000. Of course the wind was unbearable. We tried to run but it was impossible. We had to walk this entire stretch. We circled into Jensen Park where we had about 1 mile to go but Todd was done. We came to an intersection when I told Todd we just needed to go straight for 6 more blocks. Todd didn't even think about it. He took off in the direction of his car yelling he was done. I finished the rest on my own. I was glad to be done.

Tom said he kept going around the park until he found us. He ended up with 16 miles. He said he was feeling really strong and could have kept going but he didn't know the route we took. Overall I think we all did pretty good.

Although I must have been tired because I forgot to insist on pictures at the end.

**STATS**

ME

Distance: 18.00 miles
Time: 3:04:35
Pace: 10:15 min/mile
Temperature: 59 & windy

Time of Day: 9:00 a.m.

Striders 10 Miler

Yesterday was the much talked about Striders 10 miler. It is much talked about because it is pretty brutal. The hardest 10 miles I will ever do. It has uphill stretches that just seem to go on forever. You will see a turn at the top and think that that has to be the end of the hill but just as you get to the corner you realize the climb isn't over. It's kinda crazy. But with the uphill there are some fun downhills too. Overall, I feel pretty accomplished having done this run.

The weather was perfect. The sun was shining. There was no wind. We were ready to tackle this run. The only thing missing was Tom. Poor guy. He has had a cold for the past two weeks and has had numerous nosebleeds. So he sat this one out.

The run for me was actually somewhat "fun". I ran by myself and just tried to concentrate on getting through it. I have not been running consistently at all and was worried how hard this was going to be. The worst part of this run was the first 3 miles when I desperately needed to pee. I was praying that if there wasn't a porta potty at the first aid station that Ogden High's swimming pool was open so I could go in there. If there was neither option I was preparing myself to just walk back to the starting line. Yup, I had to pee that bad. Luckily there was a porta potty at the aid station. Quick stop and I was off again. The rest of the run went pretty well. The only disappointing thing was that my time was better last year. I was hoping to improve or at least stay the same. Oh well. Not bad for not running much.

Todd said the run was brutal. He ran with Neil, who is one of those people who is just made for running. Neil hasn't ran at all but can run a race like it's nothing. Todd kept telling Neil to go on but he wouldn't leave Todd. On the steepest, longest hill of the run Todd said he stopped 3 or 4 times and told Neil over and over to go on ahead. He was getting pissed because Neil wouldn't leave. This of course made Todd feel like he had to run faster than he probably should have. So at the finish line Todd was spent. He felt good but he was done. Neil was busy talking on his phone while Todd was ready to leave. I was laughing. I also found out he slept for 3 hours after the race. haha

**STATS**

Distance: 10 miles
Temperature: low 30s
Time of Day: 8:00 a.m.

ME

Time: 1:37:54
Pace: 9:46 min/mile

TODD

Time: 1:28:04
Pace: 8:48 min/mile

TOM

No Show


Shay, girl I don't know, Me

Me and the girl I met at the last race. She has a cool accent. Wonder where she's from.Todd, Neil & Me

Todd's the Man!

Well Todd is the only one who has done any running lately. Jeremy and I have been so busy with house building that I haven't had any time to go out. Tom has been busy with work and busy with being sick. We really need to get it together. I feel like we are falling further and further behind.

Todd set out to run by himself. He said he pretty much did the same route me and him did a few weeks ago. Way to stay on track bro!

**STATS**

TODD

Distance: 10.03 miles
Time: 1:35
Pace: 9:29 min/mile
Temperature:?
Time of Day: mid morning

Striders 10K

A few days ago we tackled the Striders 10K. It was just as brutal as I remember. That dang last hill will get you every time! I was fortunate to meet a girl on the way up who refused to let me walk. She encouraged me up the entire way, which I was really grateful for. I ended up finishing strong.

Todd and Tom both ran well. It's funny to hear what everyone thinks about the hills and what their strategy is to get up them.

My sis-in-law Shay said she ran well too. I didn't get to talk to her much because just as we all finished the wind kicked up and it was REALLY cold. We bolted home.

Two weeks to go and we will hit the hardest run of the series: The 10 Miler!

**STATS**

Distance: 10K
Time of Day: 8:00 a.m.
Temperature: Cold and windy

ME
Time: 57:17
Pace: 9:13 min/mile

TODD
Time: 56:04
Pace: 9:02 min/mile

TOM
Time: 1:01:56
Pace: 9:58 min/mile



A girl I met at the starting line. Her name is Nelly and she is from Salt Lake. She motivated me up 36th street. I started to walk when she ran by me and told me not to stop. She told me to just take baby steps. And that is what I did. She kept encouraging me up that last hill. I felt really strong following her lead. I love making new friends.Betty Yamashita, cousin Meghan Manning, Tom, Neil Manning, Todd, Me
(my sis-in-law Shay and her friend Mandy ran as well) The wind picked up right after this pic. It got really cold!

UGH

Yesterday Todd and I ran a really hard 10 miles. I let him be the navigator and he took me all over. We ran Glassman Way across 89 into the neighborhoods, back across 89 towards Harrison where we crossed and ran Old Post Road and then up and over Weber State. We cut through Weber State and back out again and ran up Harrison to 40th where we went west and turned on Monroe. Monroe killed me. It was our last mile or so and it was a gradual uphill until we hit Glassman again where it was a steep uphill. Once we hit 10.5 I stopped us. We still had a block or so to home but I was done and wanted to have some walking cool down time.

It was a good route with a lot of hills. Seemed to take forever though. Todd did really well and only stopped a few times to stretch his legs. I felt stiff the entire time like I was carrying bricks in my legs. I need to have an attitude adjustment. My mind and body are just not into it. Last year I used to get excited about long runs. I would look forward to the challenge. This year I think I just have too much going on so it isn't as exciting. I need to change that because attitude makes all the difference in the world how you feel while running.

**STATS**

Distance: 10.5 miles
Time: 1:52
Pace: 10:39/min/mile
Temperature: Not too bad
Time of Day: 12:30 p.m.

Striders 5K

This past weekend started the Striders Winter Racing Circuit. Funny how you forget about all those steep hills. I did beat last year's time though, so I was happy. Even though I was bent over at the finish line just trying to breath. :)

It was fun to hear what everyone thought about the course. Todd thought it was brutal. He was laughing saying he thought he was cardio strong but now he wasn't so sure.

**STATS**

Distance: 5K
Temperature: Low 30s
Time of Day: 8:00 a.m.

TOM
Time: 30:09
Pace: 9:42/min/mile

TODD
Time: 27:09
Pace: 8:44/min/mile

BRANDY
Time: 27:15
Pace: 8:46/min/mile

After the race. Cousin-in-law Neil Manning, Todd, Tom

Neil, Todd, Tom, Me, friend Mandy & sis-in-law Shay

Our cheering section, Shay's family. Porter, Kallie, Myleigh and Mike (who was trying hard not to look at me)

15 Miles

Starting Line

Yesterday the three of us headed out for 15 miles. It has been awhile since the three of us have ran together.

I was excited about the new route my dad came up with. We started at his house and headed down Harrison Blvd to 21st street. Then headed west on 21st until we hit the WalMart (where we stopped for a quick bathroom and stretching break). From there we hopped on the parkway heading further west. I can't remember the mile we were at when we decided to turn around and head back east. By the time we hit Washington the wind was really hitting us so we got off the parkway and went down Washington a few blocks before crossing over into some neighborhoods. We weaved around until hitting into the parkway again. We ran a few miles east on the parkway and then turned around heading west again on the parkway ending at the botanical gardens. Whew!

Up until WalMart it went really fast. After WalMart it seemed to drag. I wasn't feeling tired or anything...more bored than anything. Running is such a mental game! Todd, on the other hand, had more issues during this run. His IT band is really giving him a hard time. When we turned down 21st street we told him to cut over and go straight to the botanical gardens where his car was. He said he didn't want to and ended up suffering the entire run. It was like watching me last year. I was feeling for him cuz I know the pain he is in. To ease the pain he compensated his running form which was really painful to watch.

Aside from Todd's issues, it was a good run. I liked the route. I just wish my mind was more in the game. Tom looked strong the entire way.

**STATS**

(Todd & Tom finished a few seconds after me)

Distance: 15.01 miles
Time: 2:39:05
Pace: 10:36/min/mile
Temperature: Can't remember but it was really windy on the parkway
Time of Day: 9:00 a.m.

Finish Line

Tinker Bell Half Marathon

This past weekend I got the exciting opportunity to run a Disney race. I have seen advertisements for various Disney races each month in the Runner's World magazine and I would think how fun it would be to get to do one. Months ago I noticed the date of a new Disney race. Tinker Bell Half Marathon - Jan. 29th. It was a date around the same time we were planning a family Disneyland vacation. I talked to various family members and we decided to plan our vacation around this run. I also called my friend in California, who is a runner, and recruited her and her dad down as well. Hey, everyone likes a Disney vacation right?

When it came time to register me and my sister Stacey were right on it. My friend and her dad were right on it. My dad however, well he wasn't right on it. He was busy with work and just didn't commit. The race filled up quickly and within days it was closed. My dad actually missing the deadline turned out to be a good thing because a work commitment ended up being on the same weekend as the race.

I was already in the beginning stages of training for the Ogden Marathon but Stacey was just beginning to train when she realized she had some unusual back pain. After various doctor visits it was decided she couldn't run the half. But instead of giving up the large registration fee, her husband Mike decided to run it for her. Mike is a much faster runner than I am and I didn't know if I would be running with my friend and her dad because I didn't know if our pace was similar. I thought I would be running this fun run solo but then Mike said he didn't want to run it fast and offered to pace me. So I set out for a sub 2:00 goal.

RACE DAY:

The race was set to begin at 5:45am. My earliest race ever! My alarm went off at 3:00am. Luckily our hotel was directly across the street from Disneyland so we didn't have far to go. I was in the hotel lobby at 3:30 eating a yogurt and by 4:15 we were over in the staging area. At 5:00 we made a long walk to the corrals.

Bright and early in the staging area

Announcers getting everyone pumped

Ava made me good luck wings so I could fly! Luv her!

That sub 2:00 goal lasted until we got to the starting line. I was assigned to corral A but my sister was assigned to corral B. You can go back but not forwards so I was going to go back to B. But then they announced that all guys had to be in at least corral C (it went to corral E)(this was a women's focused event). We were told that there were 22,000 registrations but I read in articles that there were 17,000 runners. I'm not sure of the real numbers but it was a ton of people. After talking to a few seasoned Disney runners we realized that it was going to be tough keeping our goal pace at the beginning because of the number of people and also that they have a lot of entertainment along the course so people will stop and take photos. At that moment I knew I didn't really want to go for a PR. I wanted to enjoy this race and have fun. So instead of packing my camera in a belt I decided to carry it on my wrist and have fun along the way.

While in the corrals they had huge jumbotrons to watch and the announcers announced two celebrity runners in our midst. Megyn Price from Rules of Engagement (jer and i love that show) and Sean Astin from Goonies, Rudy & Lord of the Rings. Jer actually watched Megyn Price give an interview the day before. But anyways...I thought that was pretty cool.

In our corral passing the time

Walking forward as they release each corral

Finally the start time came and went and they released corral A. Then corral B. Then it was our turn.

Tinker Bell made an appearance to send everyone on their way

And then she was gone

And we were off!

Now remember some of the pics are going to be blurry. It is a race you know!

They had a ton of things to look at along the way. In the parks they had characters and parade floats where you could stop and have a professional actually take your picture. I never waited in any lines for a picture but did snap a few as I ran by. This is the Tangled float.

Making our way up Main Street in Disneyland.

At the medical tent (mile 9ish). I desperately needed Vaseline for my underarms. Dang Tinker Bell outfit.

Running on the streets of Anaheim. Making our way back to California Adventure. The streets were lined with tons of spectators, cheerleaders and bands from various high schools, a military band and other dance groups. It definitely helped to keep you moving.

I'm all smiles now, but after mile 9 I started to feel fatigue. At the start of the race we were running about a 11 to 12 minute pace because of all the people. Plus I kept stopping for pictures. And a few bathroom breaks. But by midway Mike realizes we might be able to make up time if I pick up the pace. Uh OK. A few times I realized we were running in the 7's but he mostly kept me at 8:35. At one point Mike said, "If we go all out for the last few miles we might have a shot of getting close to your goal." I laughed and said, "I'm already going all out!" After mile 10 I just couldn't do that pace much longer. Plus I knew it would be really hard to get under 2 and I didn't want to kill over. So you will see my smile disappear.

Running the streets of California Adventure. I don't really remember much of it. :) I was tired.

Looking for that finish

Mike easily ran ahead of me to get his picture taken. He ran this run like he was sleeping. UGH! I wanted to slap him at times. He was a great pacer keeping me motivated and taking care of me.

Look at that crowd! It was amazing to see so many spectators that far back from the finish line.

Goofy and Pluto were cheering me on at the finish line!

Ahhh I did it. Looks like I'm gonna say the F word, but I didn't. :)

I don't even think Mike broke a sweat

Even though I didn't make my initial goal....hey with 17,000 runners to zig zag around, 2 bathroom breaks, 1 medical tent stop, I think my time was pretty darn good. Oh and having Mike around was great. Not only was he a great pacer, he was my own personal photographer along the way. Thanks Mike for all the great pics!

Oh and my friend and her dad that I recruited from my old town in California? I didn't see them at all. They did really good though. Their finish time was just a minute after ours.