One medal for me, and one for the baby. 
Receiving two medals at the finish line of the Utah Valley Marathon was a first for me. Some volunteers at the finish line decided it would be fitting since I was running for two. I love that I can tell this sweet little girl the story some day of when she ran her first race.
Pre-Race Jitters
Up until three weeks before the race, training had gone really well and smoothly. I was able to run through the first three months of sickness.. (for some reason the running made me feel better), I ran through our trip to Europe (and walked about a million miles:) ), –the hardest part of the training came the last three weeks before the half marathon.
“Polishing off the last of the gelato wishing I was still in Europe, exhausted from a day of packing, and trying to shore up strength as I come to grips with leaving my Texas family behind.” #life #imissmyfriendsalready
“Woke up early to beat the heat and become acquainted with my new Arizona running scene. It’s been a stressful few days, packing, moving, driving away from my home for the last four years and leaving behind my Texas family. We are not in Arizona looking for a place to call home. The same home we will bring our fourth little bundle.
It’s an exciting new adventure but I have felt a little overwhelmed… one thing is certain, these early morning runs keep me going, they help me reconnect with God and remind me that I’m strong.” #20weeks
Packing, moving, house hunting, living out of suitcases, traveling with the family, and having no substance of normal life threw my training for a loop! I wasn’t as consistent and lost a bit of confidence that I could run this race 22 weeks pregnant.
With my husband and doctor’s blessing and encouragement, and of course the fact that the baby was perfectly healthy, I decided I could totally do it! I knew I could finish even if I walked the whole way!
Half Marathon Eve
With life having been so crazy, I knew it was important for me to really take it easy before race day. A good rule of thumb is that you never run more miles than there are days before your race. So, Monday I ran 6 miles, Wednesday 4, and Thursday 2. These were all at an easy pace.
Friday came and I tried to lay low as much as possible. Of course the Utah Valley Marathon Race Expo was on my list of to-do’s where I picked up my race bib # and goodie bag. It’s always fun to look at the different booths and of course I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sign up for the 2016 Phoenix Marathon at the expo too! (More on that later. )
I had the privilege of meeting up with my new friend @a_allred who is also an ambassador for Every Mother Counts.
And of course I had to meet up with Heather, who paced the marathon and rocked it!
It is always fun to meet up with running buddies and talk race strategy and motivation.
I also made sure to get some carb loading in with some of this yummy pizza from Oak Wood Fire Kitchen.
And then off to an early bed time. 3:30 am wake up times are my least favorite part.
Race Day!!!
To be brutally honest, my expectations were pretty low after all the stress and busyness that I had been through in past weeks. The whole bus ride up Provo Canyon, I was thinking to myself, “I just need to finish my half before my little sister finishes her full marathon.” (Yes, my little sister ran her first full marathon!) I was exaggerating to myself of course, but finishing was my goal. Time didn’t matter like it usually does.
As I prepped myself with the idea that I might have to walk the whole thing, I didn’t see any sense in pushing myself past limits. The sweet baby girl growing inside is always my priority– races will come and go.
The Starting Line
I LOVE the starting line of any race! Runners of every age, size, and shape wake up before the crack of dawn, stand out in freezing cold, wear next to nothing but spandex, and have to use port-o-potty’s…AND they are happy and excited about the whole thing! It is one big party. The starting line is MAGICAL!
This is no exaggeration, if you haven’t tried an official race before, start training now!
These are my kind of people.
I began the race at a slow jog. Surprised at how great I felt up through mile 4, I picked up the pace more and more. I honestly felt AMAZING the whole entire race! It was like my body just knew what to do. It was on auto pilot. Even with the spotty training of the past weeks, my muscles were ready and strong.
My only complaint would be having to go to the bathroom three times during the race! — And those port-o-potty lines can get loooong!!! But I guess that comes with the territory when you have a baby sitting on your bladder!
I happily finished a fantastic race with a leisurely 2:20.
Some highlights from the race…
Incredibly beautiful views!
My rockstar of a sister made it across the finish line of her marathon!
I had the cutest cheering section around..
And the best part was, shortly after I crossed the finish line and was talking to the family, my little Annie pulled me down to whisper in my ear, “My prayer worked last night, you made it safe.”
“You’re right baby girl, your prayer worked!”
The best.
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