Why to Run
First, I always did well in school, but the one subject I hated and suffered through year after year was PE. In fact, the day we did "the mile run" twice a year from grade school up was, without exception, the most dreaded and miserable day of the school year. (Except the day in 8th grade when I found out that this really tough girl wanted to beat me up, but fortunately, that ended in nothing.)
So physical things have always been my "weakness" and something I wanted to become strong in (Ether 12:27--Book of Mormon, of course). So I began running very small amounts in high school because it didn't require much coordination and there was no team I would make lose. I've never done it a ton or real regularly--just off and on here and there. So, this past spring as I was realizing that Robertson #3 wasn't in any particular hurry to get here and as it seemed like a good time, given my health and considering I'd have some extra kid-watching help in Utah, I felt like I should go for it and put in the hours and effort to do a big race. (James and I had actually began training for the Provo River Half-Marathon in 2003 before we moved to Georgia, but then found out we'd have to begin driving out here before the day of the race, so we never got too far into training.)
Another reason for doing the race is I had a rare opportunity to run it with a lot of my in-laws. Emily, my sister-in-law, had just recently run her first marathon and was on-fire addicted to running. Her husband, Ben, had recently began running with her. Amy and Bec, two more of James's sisters, were getting running again. Jay, the semi-professional soccer player, liked to run too to keep in shape. Jeremy, out of the blue, ran the BYU Run Against Violence and had gotten an amazing time with no previous practice and thought he'd stick with it a bit too. So all SEVEN of us were going to run the race together. It was perfect that James and I would be in Utah at the right time, and also that none of us were expecting or had recently had babies. (Well, really recently--Bec was only about 6 mos. out from having Grace, and Emily was about 10 weeks along with her third by the time we did the half.)
Emily, the marathoner and motivator, who was "running for two" that day and still kicked butt. Way to go, Em!
Jeremy, about to get his amazing time and thinking, "I can't let that old guy beat me! I just can't!"
Amy did an amazing time. With three busy kids, a big move the month before, and Jon's new job, she didn't get a ton of time to train and she still got an excellent time.
Looks like James almost missed getting a picture of Becca finishing. Bec ran this race two years ago when she was dating her current husband, James Clary.
Ben is so funny. The ever supportive husband-of-the-runner now turned runner is obviously very proud of the job he's doing. He did do great.
I'm not sure James got a picture of Jay finishing. Jay got some awesome time, like 1:42 or so. So here instead is a picture of Jay running in a soccer game and you can just use your imagination.
The other person I got to run with the entire way at about half her normal pace was Brigette Maes, one of my best friends growing up. Brigette is a record-holding, expert runner. Her marathon time is 3:24. She was always trying to get me to join cross-country in high school--an inane thought--but it was like a weekly conversation. So when I told her I was going to do the half, she said she would come down from Rock Springs, with her husband and two kids, and run it with me. Can you imagine how awesome that was for me?! It was great to have someone to keep me company and encourage me the whole time. It was really funny because she kept marvelling at how different this race was than any other race she'd done. The people were all running with a friend or two. There was talking and laughing. They'd walk a bit if they needed and then get going again. It was a big social occasion, in addition to being a race. I told her that that's because A) it's Provo, and B) she's used to running at the very front of the race with the people who are all trying to win. I thought it was funny she finally got to see how the other half of us lived.
Brigette is amazing. She's only been running one mile a day since she had her second baby last September, but she still up and ran the 13 miles with no trouble at all. In fact, we had to remember to let me lead when we passed people because otherwise she'd run around them and keep right on going and leave me behind!
I also was trying to decide what personal hobby or interest I really wanted to pursue because with such limited time, I wanted to just pick one thing to really work on and try to get somewhere with it. I asked myself, "What do I really desire to do or long to do?" Running has always fascinated me. I admire runners so much. Running is such an ideal sport in so many ways. I love how it's as much a mental activity as it is a physical one. And I certainly found that to be true. I knew I would not be a fast runner, but I'd always been more interested in being able to go far than to go fast and so that's what I focused on.
The Race Itself
We got up at 4:30 that morning to catch one of the jillions of schoolbusses at the Riverwoods to ride up to the trailhead. They'd recently changed the course because of some fires around Bridal Veil Falls, so we ran 4 miles down South Fork Canyon, 2.5 miles on the highway (including a long 1+ mile hill). Then we ran about 4.5 on the regular Provo River trail, staring just after Bridal Veil Falls, and then about 2.5 miles around the Riverwoods shopping area before hitting the finish line.
It was so funny when we got to the start because there were over a thousand runners up there, many of whom needed to use a bathroom but they only had about 20 port-a-potties. The lines were huge and the race was about to start, so people were not-so-subtlely wandering off into the bushes and trees all over the place, and you had to be careful what secluded spot you chose because there were often a few other people who had also chosen that same area and were all currently doing their business. Unfortunately, I had to join my fellow runners in the trees but at least I didn't have to just jump off the trail at some point halfway down in desperation like some I was running with did. :)
So, the race started and it was a few minutes after the gun went off before our part of the cattle herd reached the starting line, so we based our times off our watches instead of the race clock. (I have to mention by the way that even though I loved it, this race isn't very well organized. Everyone who's been in it knows that. I think they're lucky it's such a popular course or else I think they'd be losing all their runners. There are so many basic things they could do to make it better, but I digress.) The first few miles were fairly steep downhill, enough to make it harder running than level if you weren't remembering to lean into it and not slap your feet and stop yourself on every step. The part on the highway was fun. There was a huge, slow, single line of traffic moving in the lane next to us in the opposite direction and they were all having a good time watching us. At Bridal Veil, about 6.5 miles into it, I had my first Gu of my life, non-caffienated, and it was, well, tolerable I guess. It was like a strawberry fruit roll-up with the flavor magnified about 10x. I just swallowed it whole and got it off my tongue as quickly as possible.
The portion that was actually on the trail was so beautiful and was an area I had practiced in and that was nice because getting up to about 9-10 miles, I was starting to feel it a little bit more. It was taking a little more commitment to stick with my pace. Basically, I was passed by a ton of people the first 2 miles of the race and then after that we were mostly slowly passing people and that kind of helped keep me focused on still going. That and all the endless things Brigette and I got to talk about and running with Emily and Ben during a portion of this latter segment.
The last 2.5 miles around the Riverwoods shopping area was not fun. We were running a bit and saw the 11 mile mark and thought, "OK, not too much farther now." Then, after awhile, it became apparent that the 12 mi. mark was missing but we had no idea how long ago we would have passed it. So it felt like we should be very close to finished when really we weren't quite as close as we thought. We didn't know exactly where the finish line was and every where we kept winding around, we kept seeing the line of runners still going somewhere far off in a different direction. Then at the end we were running up a windy sidewalk by a hedge and you couldn't see too far ahead. By this point, I was dying and just picking out landmarks and thinking, "OK, just to that bend up there. I can only do that." And we'd hear groups of people shouting and cheering up ahead and they'd finally come into sight and it wouldn't be the finish line, just a random group of people. That happened several times--you kept thinking you were just like 200 ft from the finishing area and then there'd be nothing. Aghhhh! It was maddening.
So finally, finally the crowds were getting larger and I saw the most welcome, wonderful sight in the world--my husband's beautiful, loving face smiling at me, cheering, and taking my picture. It was SO. GOOD. TO. SEE. HIM! I had thought more about how it would be good for my kids to see their mother running this great race, but, not surprisingly, I was only about as interesting as rolling down the hill or eating their bags of cereal. But I was OK with that. I was just so happy to see James there supporting me. He supports me in every one of my crazy ideas, and it felt so good to have him there at this really difficult but important end. So I ran as fast as I could the last bit and felt like puking but saw what was a beautiful sight for me...
2:08:25!!!
Wow, baby! I was realistically expecting and hoping for something between 2:15 and 2:25. The farthest I had run before was 11.15 miles in 1:58. That did quite a bit to relieve my rough ending. It was worth it. I finished and could say I was very happy with my time, as opposed to most races when I finish and think, "I know I could have done better than that." So at the end, I was glad to see James, I was glad about my time, but beyond that all I could think was THANK GOODNESS IT'S DONE!
The runners. Whoo hoo, we are awesome. I love the Robertsons. Have I mentioned that?
I love this picture for two reasons. One, because three of us four girls had identical Saucony Trigon 5 running shoes, which I think is really funny. Becca's were different Saucony so I guess that's why she didn't put her foot in. Second, because Jay's, um...accidental catching of his shorts on his bib. Whoops! Maybe that wasn't an accident. That's OK. If I were a guy and my thighs looked like that, they'd probably sneak a peak out once in a while too. (By the way, ladies, he's single. Attractive, spiritual, athletic, pre-med--check my facebook.)
Why I Love Running/Why Anyone With an Inkling of Desire Should Run a Half
It was a great summer doing all that running. Some of my best memories are of very early, chilly mornings running up Provo Canyon, usually with Emily, thinking, "Eight? Do I really think I'm going to run eight M-I-L-E-S!?!" And doing a long run with Brigette in Rock Springs and thinking, "I just ran around all the major parts of my hometown. I circled the whole thing on foot." A far cry from who I was when I lived there. Running with my brothers was fun and something new.
One thing I liked the most about running is that it made me feel so strong and it felt good to feel strong--to have the ability to finish the run, no matter how long it was or intimidating it sounded. I remember my first long run--4.75 miles at Herman C. Michael Park. It took a long time, but I was so proud of myself for running that far--farther than I had ever run before. By the end, 5 miles was my regular weekday workout, nothing to think twice about. It felt good to see some real progress. And I think that feeling of strength bled over into other areas of my life and increased my confidence in my capacity to do things.
Em and I are tough. I have to put in a plug for skirtsports by the way. This is not only the best running skirt for many reasons, but when the pocket tore a bit on this race, they sent me a new one to replace it and even sent pink, since that's what I'd originally wanted. They're great!
The other thing I loved the most about running was some of these rare, beautiful moments that would come when I felt so...alive in a really wonderful way. I really can't think of any better way to put it. Especially when I did a final push at the end of the run, every single one of my senses would be on overload. My legs would be burning but working so well and so hard, and I could feel my heart pumping blood all through me and each breath of oxygen relieving me. I was surrounded by overwhelmingly beautiful, majestic mountains and trees and the river with the brilliant sun lighting up the whole canyon. And I knew my Heavenly Father was proud of me for what I was trying to do. He knew what it meant for me to try and do it and He was with me. In those moments I felt the joy of all these gifts and the joy of what it means to be healthy and living. I certainly have known before what it means to not be healthy and I'm so grateful to be at this point now. I guess another way of putting it is that, having always been trying to be active spiritually but not very much physically, I think I experienced new level of joy--where both my body and spirit were simultaneously fulfilling the measure of their creation. It made me very happy to have spent some of my time this summer pursuing those kinds of experiences.
I'm really glad I ran the race. Like I said, there is nothing spectacular about what I did in terms of time or given the fact that anyone who really wants to can do it. But is was spectacular for me in what it represented as far as what I had overcome personally to do it. My inadequacy in and fear of physical, atheletic things and fear of failure, both in the race or of giving up in process of training.
Our lives definitely have seasons and I'm learning that if you don't take advantage of certain opportunities when they are there, sometimes you miss on the chance to do them forever, or to reach an even higher goal in the future. I'm glad I conquered some personal fears and overcame procrastination and finally accomplished this goal that was important to me. And even though I'm not always able to keep up with doing quite that much running, I'm looking forward to the time when I can find another race and do it again!!
