And it's a....

The Timp Half

This is my 8th half marathon since 2013 and it has been my favorite course so far! We started at Tibblefork up American Fork canyon (at 6:00 in the morning which means we had to be up by 3:30 to get on the buses in time to head up there... that wasn't my favorite start time so far). 

Do we look like zombies or what?

The course took us down the canyon for seven miles then on a pretty running trail for the next 6. It was beautiful! And all downhill (except for three little uphill spurts). It was so much fun to run in my childhood valley and to be part of an event there. My friend Kenzie was the biggest trooper! I texted her at the beginning of July and asked if she would train and run the race with me to which she agreed. A nicer friend would have given her more time to prepare for her first ever race, but since my last half was something of a disaster I didn't know if I would be up to this one. Our training went great however and we started the day feeling ready (if not all the way awake). She kept me going around mile 5 when I started to get a stitch in my side and I kept her going after mile 10 when she ran further than she had ever run before. I could not have done this race without her help. Around mile 9 I started to get a runner's high which for me normally only lasts a few minutes then fades. This one, however, lasted the rest of the run. I would think about running, how beautiful it all was, crossing the finish line, etc. and get goosebumps and tingles with excitement. I felt great the last few miles which is something quite uncommon because normally by mile 9 I'm asking myself, "Why did I think this was a good idea?!" The last mile was getting really rough for Kenzie and she was feeling exhausted, but as a true nazi friend I wouldn't let her stop. When we came to the high school we had to run around the back to get to the finish line, but we couldn't see it and it felt like it would still be forever away. I told Kenzie, "You have to push as hard as you can around this corner. You will hate yourself for a minute, but you will love yourself forever." Man was this girl a trooper!! She gave it everything she had and we sprinted with all our might across that finish line. I had never felt so good crossing before and I was bouncing off the walls with energy and I could not be more proud of her for everything she put into it.

We wanted to beat 2:30 for our goal and considering that it was her first half and I was 19 weeks pregnant, we did great and ran 13.1 miles in 2:27! 

Both of our amazing and supportive hubbies came to cheer us on and were great fans. Thanks guys!

18 weeks

I've been feeling tubby and not really like a cute pregnant lady, so I'll admit that sometimes I try to push my belly out further than it actually rests to give the appearance that I am with child. However! In order to be a true representation I refrained from doing so for the sake of this picture. I'm 18 weeks pregnant, the baby is about as long as a bell pepper form head to rump and weighs about 7 ounces. Man the little tyke is getting big!!