I'm still alive

I did it! I just finished my half-marathon! The whole experience has been an adventure. I could NOT sleep last night. I was too anxious. I never did fall asleep! This morning, when I got out of bed, I decided not to eat breakfast because I have heard horror stories of major diarrhea problems during long races. I left home at 5:15 AM to hop on Trax - destination : University of Utah. I started the race at 7:00, and felt AWESOME! On Mile 6, the marathoners and half-marathoners split. I was feeling sooo good, I wanted to run the whole marathon. But, I stayed on course, and it's a good thing, because by the time mile 9 came around, I was hatin' it. I got the dreaded upset stomach that is so common. So I enjoyed a few moments in the Portapotty - It was very obvious that I was not the only one who was sick! In fact, this poor man who was running near me, completely loaded his pants. He had diarrhea oozing out of his shorts, running down his legs, and all over the road. He looked very uncomfortable, but kept on running! The whole thing is a huge celebration - it's fun to have so many people cheering for you! Mike, my Mother-In-Law Chris, and my kids came to see me finish. I ran the 13.1 miles in about 2 hours and 20 min. Did I mention that it was soooo hard?! I wished I was dead during miles 12 and 13. As I neared the end, I kept screaming (silently, in my head) "WHERE IN THE HECK IS THE GATEWAY? I SWEAR IF IT'S NOT AROUND THE NEXT CORNER I WILL QUIT!" Honestly, the last 3 miles felt as long as the first 10! All things considered, I am very glad I ran this race. Marathon 2009.....here I come!