summer vacation part one - marathon

Monet watching and waiting with Grandpa.
Holly and Me!!!! I seriously could not have done this without Holly. She is my personal motivator. Thank you Holly. :) We ran side by side in the freezing cold rain talking and laughing for 4 hours and 54 minutes. It was so great! We literally run the exact same pace.

The race started at 5:30 am way up in Provo Canyon. It was around 40 degrees outside and pouring rain. We all wore trash bags to start the race off with and within a few miles we had all tossed them to the side. It was actually sort of fun running in the freezing rain. The clouds were really low over the mountain tops so it looked like we were running really high in the mountains. It was right in the middle of summer so all the trees and vegetation was emerald green and just so beautiful.

Miles 1 through 5 were through a quaint mini country mountain town. They were nice. Miles 6 through 20 were awesome. Really fun, lot of energy, gorgeous scenery and the rain died down towards the end. I knew my family would be waiting for me at mile 21 so I was really looking forward to that.
Holly's husband Tod.
My cousin Dewy. Her first race ever and she was FAST!
Clay! He did so good.
My mom, brother in law Ryan, cousin Spencer and cousin Natalie with her darling little baby Zoey.

Mile 21! It was so great to see my family! I had been looking forward to seeing them for hours! I got all emotional and started to cry. I gave Monet and Scarlett a hug and kiss and kept running. Miles 21 through 23 were ok. Really flat so there was no downgrade helping me run. I was getting pretty tired. Holly was whispering sweet motivational nothings into my ear. Ha ha. Miles 24 through 26 were rough. I seriously had my eyes closed the whole time. I would open them every few steps to check how far we had run then close them again. I was digging deep. Telling myself, you can do it Megan! I was doing this bizarre open/close hand movement. I don't know why. I just thought it helped me run better.
Finish line! Hell ya! 26.2 miles later. We were so happy!

Holly and I came around the corner towards the finish line and saw all our friends and family. Again I got all emotional! It was just so neat to see your loved ones all there cheering you on and supporting your accomplishment.

I have to say this was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I really loved setting this big goal and accomplishing it. I really think it has changed my life for the better and helped my become a healthier person. The race itself was also just so fun. All the people cheering each other on, all the spectators holding up signs, the cool t-shirt and medal. I liked it so much Mallory talked me into running the Houston Marathon January 30th! Sixteen weeks to go....