Park City Half Marathon a Success!

I finished it!  I surprised myself and managed to finish the Park City Half Marathon in 3 hours and 17 minutes.  I figured with my being sick this last week I would be lucky to have finished in under 3 hours and 30 minutes.  In fact, that was really my goal to kind of just take it easy and just try to finish.  I didn't want to set myself up to beat my SLC Half Marathon time(2hrs 50min) and be disappointed.  With that in mind I took it easy during the first half of it and stuck with my friend Diane. (Above photo: Myself and Diane at the start.)

(Above photo: Diane taking a quick stop as I snap-- look at the beautiful scenery!)

It was fun we chatted and "wogged" together for about the first 7 miles.  The time and seemed to pass very quickly.  The hi-lights during our first 7 miles?  Well, there was the girls at the beginning that were saying that they brought their credit cards in case there was any shopping along the way.  The route did go through the New Park area of Park City and we were running through where shopping could have been done.  Diane laughed," Women after my own heart!"  As Diane and I were 3.5 miles out the first half marathon runner was already on his way back.  Not an ounce of fat on this guy and he was a pup!  Boy, did I feel old and slow!At mile 4 there was a guy off to the side of the route that had his guitar and was playing it as runners went by.  I stopped, took a picture, and thanked him.  Then, there was a handsome well formed tanned Greek God running by on his way back about mile 5.  Oh my!  I was about drooling over this specimen!  The REAL sad part is that he wasn't even breaking a sweat!(Below photo: Guy playing guitar along the route.)

It was at mile 6 that we saw something on a moped going by.  Diane asked," What was that?"  I quickly answered," I think it was cousin It on a moped."  We both laughed but it look like a guy totally covered with  long strands of yarn.  Strange!

(Above photo: The Barn in Park City was on the route.  It's like a local landmark in the area.)

By mile 7, Diane and I had kind of ran out of chit chat stuff and we were both in need of some music to motivate us.  So, we both put our head phones and started off doing our own thing.  Well, I got catch into my music and my pace started to pick up.  Diane ended up behind me a little ways.  We saw Paul ( Diane's hubby) coming on his way back.  We were about 1/2 mile from the turn around.  We both said hi and then proceeded on.  By the turn around, I was maybe 1/4 mile ahead of Diane and waved as I went by.  I was off in my world of music and singing along as I went.  I would smile at other runners as I went along.  But I was basically off in my own little world. 

(Photo: Art along the route, this is just one example of many.)

At about mile 8 the first full marathon runner went by and by mile 9 there were more and more full marathon runners passing me like I was standing still.  The real neat thing was that quite a few of them would give me encouragement over their shoulders as they went past.

(Photo: A band that was playing along route at mile #12. )

It was at mile 12 that Diane caught up with me.  She croaked out "Jeanne" from behind me.  I looked over my shoulder to see a purple faced sweating Diane.  I slowed and we started chatting again.  She was complaining the EVERYTHING hurt!  It was just my feet that really hurt at this point and my energy could have used a boost but otherwise I didn't feel too bad.  We went by where I had throw a long sleeve tshirt earlier in the run and I picked it up; amazed that it was still there.  I decided to tie it around my neck like a cape.  I, then, got the strangest idea that I felt like a Super Dog.  Don't ask me why?!  It's strange how the mile works after running 12 miles!

I then proceeded to tell Diane that we were going to dog paddle into the finish line.  "Okay!  Let's dog paddle! Diane!"  My hands out in front of me going up and down like I was dog paddling in a pool.  Diane would play along and laugh at me.  She was wondering where this strange idea and my last surge of energy was coming from; I'm sure.  I would keep this up from time to time as I noticed that Diane would start to lag just a bit and we arrived at the last turn.  The finish line was in sight.  There was a group of people with signs I guess this was the 100th Marathon for some guy named Kevin.  100 full marathons?!!  Wow!  I couldn't imagine.

I did promise myself that I wouldn't get emotionally like I did at the SLC Marathon finish line; that one I was crying like a baby.  I tried to smile as they took a picture as Diane and I crossed the finish line.  It felt wonderful to cross that line with a friend.