Couldn't have done it without YOU!

Abbreviated Version:
Ran the St. George Marathon. Great experience. Had the greatest training partner, Dayna. Have the most supportive and wonderful family (Parents, Husband, Kids, Sister, Brother-in-law, Neice and Nephew) in the world! Couldn't have done it without them!
Journal Version:
I don't really know where to begin... maybe 12 years ago when Russ and I were told that we would not be having children of our own... that we would be adopting. It was this time in my life I decided it might be fun to train for a marathon. I, luckily, was just a couple of weeks into my training when I discovered that doctors can be wrong. I was pregnant with Garrett. My marathon training was put on hold.
When Garrett was 9 months old, I began training for a marathon again. I trained very faithfully for 9 months. The St. George Marathon was less than a month away when I became very nauseated and unable to get over it. To our surprise, we were pregnant once again. I asked my doctor if I could still run the marathon. I had been running that distance for some time. To which he replied, "This is no longer about you".
I decided to hang up my MARATHON running shoes forever.

Earlier this year I had run a couple of relay races with my friend Dayna. Meet Dayna-

After we ran the Ragnar, Dayna asked me if I would train with her for the St. George Marathon. I replied that I would love to do the long runs with her, but I was not going to actually RUN in the marathon... I just can't have any more kids!!! And so the adventure began.
We did our best to coordinate our schedules. You see, we both work a ton of hours, we are both in grad school, we both have kids that come first, we both have callings that demand extra time. This meant our long runs were going to be Friday mornings at 4 a.m., getting up at 3:30 a.m. to prepare Camelbaks, Gatorade, and drive to our meeting point. I could not have had a better training partner. I don't know too many people that could be as happy and fun as Dayna at 4 in the morning, running. She always saved her good stories for our long runs. I loved those cold, dark mornings, running in our headlamps, trying not to get killed by hunters racing up the highway in search of deer.
Well, by the end of August we were running 20 miles and I was feeling great. I decided if I could run 20 miles, what's 26.2! I took a chance, signed up, and I told Russ to stay far away from me for a couple of weeks.
My sister, Kami, is the race director for the St. George marathon. This was the third year she has done all of the planning on her own. It is a HUGE production. There were 7,500 runners that were allowed into the race this year. She stresses for several weeks prior to the race, and doesn't sleep for the last three days before race day. Each year there are a couple of things she stresses about most. This year it was the buses and shirts. They were afraid that they would not have enough runners load the early buses, which would allow the buses to drop off a first load of runners and have time to pick up a second load. I decided to round up as many people as I could to load the early buses. This meant getting to the park at 4 and being dropped off in 38 degree temperatures for 2 hours before the race even began. Kami was going to be at the starting line and would have a truck, so my friends and I took up our big sleeping bags, blankets, big coats, heavy sweat pants, etc. I got some funny looks from other runners who were only is shorts and a long sleeved shirt. I had one man ask me how I planned on getting my sleeping bag down the course. I told him I was just going to strap it to my back and run, hoping the weight of it would push me down the hills.
We got on the bus and made the 26.2 mile drive up to Central where the race would begin. It was FREEZING when we got off of the bus. We were greeted by Kami and her husband Brent who were waiting for us with gloves and camera. They took our picture and sent us over to the bon fires.We gathered around a pile of wood that had not yet been lit, pulled out our sleeping bags/blankets and awaited the firemen who would light our fire. And waited and waited and waited. While we were waiting, a group of people came up and asked if they could share our fire that was still not lit. They crowded around and I realized that I knew a couple of them from when we lived in Las Vegas, George Davis and Jenn Richards. Crazy small world. Anyway, as we were gathered around the wood pile, the DJ announces, "We'd like to give a special shout out to Kori Hyde who is running the marathon for the first time!" It was so fun. The Vegas crew asked why I got a shout out. "Because I am awesome!!!! and because I am the sister of the race director". THANKS KAMI! That was one of my favorite moments of the race. Our fire was finally lit, we put our goods in Kami's truck, went to the bathroom, and the race began.
Dayna and I ran together the majority of the race, about 17 miles. I hit a wall on the last little up hill. I regained a little energy and began to push forward once again. I had needed to use the bathroom for about seven miles but just continued to run. Once I hit the downhill though, and began bouncing, I was in trouble. So, at mile marker 21 I stopped for a potty break. I felt like my legs were getting a little crampy and decided to eat a very small piece of a banana. BAD IDEA! My ears and throat began to itch and I was instantly sick to my stomach. I walked for a few minutes until I was sure I wasn't having a severe allergic reaction, and then began to run again. My momentum was gone! I never did regain it. I struggled the last three miles of the course. However, I finished!!! I finished with a time of 4:11:03. I was thrilled.

I was met at the finish line by my parents, Kami, Brent, Gavin and Savanna. They gave me flowers, took several pictures, helped me to the finishers area, got me water, bread, a popsicle, and escorted me to the ice massage area (mmmm, felt so good after that run). It was SO great to have my family there. Russ and the kids were at Garrett's football game which was at the same time I would be finishing. Russ had my mom call him as soon as I finished and I was able to talk to him on the phone. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family.
My dad drove me home after the race. When we pulled into the driveway, I noticed my lawn was cover with hearts. It was a "heart attack". My family had spent the night before cutting out hearts, writing messages on them, and gluing them to sticks. Then while I was running, they put them all over my front lawn. It was SOOOO CUTE! There were 50 colored hearts in all. Thanks for the CUTE idea mom. Another one of my favorite race memories.

Finally, the next day, my parents had us all over for dinner to celebrate the Marathon being over for Kami and I. I was given a St. George Marathon poster and shirt that my family had all signed. How cool is that?!
I have crossed something off of my bucket list. It was tough. It was fun. And I know I could not have done any of it without such a wonderful family and a great running partner supporting me the entire way. I need to give a HUGE shout out to Dayna who finished in 4:00:27. Amazing!