"Don't Look Back..."

"...someone might be gaining on you."

That's my paraphrase of one of Satchel Paige's "Rules for Staying Young." I thought about that quote a lot a couple of weeks ago as I did the Spanish Fork Half Marathon.

I wasn't even sure I would run a half marathon that weekend as I was trying to decide between doing the half or a 5k up until a day or two before the race. I ultimately picked the half marathon because I am signed up to run a marathon this coming weekend and I thought that doing a half marathon three weeks before the full marathon would be good practice. (I won't tell you which marathon, since I'm not being paid to endorse it on this blog. But let's just say I'll be in a certain town in Southern Utah this weekend....)

I jokingly told a friend before the race that I would start the Spanish Fork Half Marathon by sprinting at the start so that I might be in the lead for at least the first few moments of the race. Then, the morning of the race, reality set in and I realized it was better to finish the race than to pull a hammy in the first 100 yards!

I got off to a decent start, but I learned not to look back because a lot of people were gaining on me and then did pass me during the race. Fortunately the last half mile or so, I discovered a decent finishing kick and managed to pass a few people as I neared the finish...

I ended up surprising myself with a somewhat decent time and completely surprised myself by not having to walk at all the entire race. I felt like that was quite an accomplishment considering that less than a year ago, I was proud to be able to finish a 5k without walking. (Yes, I realize that that was pathetic, but I mean to make substantial improvement in this year's Dana Point Turkey Trot!)

(is this good running form as I near the finish line? I have no idea!! Frankly, I was just glad to be ambulatory at this point....)

Some of the things I loved about the race: friendly race volunteers, the smell of freshly mown alfalfa during the run, and beautiful views of Utah Valley's mountains!

Some of the things I didn't love about the race: getting passed by a guy wearing Mickey Mouse ears (yes, shamefully that is true), the fresh aroma of the local dairy farms (you know what I mean) during the run, and basically not having any aid stations between miles 2.5 and 7!

The truth is that I really have no idea about how to train for a marathon. I'm sure there are a lot of good books out there about how to prepare for a marathon, I just haven't read any. Nor will I. I had a friend that asked me what I had done for my "long run" to get ready for the S_. G_____ Marathon (I still refuse to name it unless I manage to get some race swag!). My reply: "What's a long run?"

My family has a long, proud tradition of doing marathons. We also have a long, proud tradition of not really training for them ahead of time. One member of my family (who will remain nameless) decided to do the Deseret News Marathon one year. He bought his shoes the night before. He did the race practically from a dead hang. He got beat up running down hill but he did it anyway. I thought it was so cool the way that he just went for it that that's probably the moment that I added "Run a Marathon" to my bucket list. (To be checked off on Saturday...)

Another family member was going to do the Deseret News 10k another year. The line to register for the 10k was too long, so she did the marathon instead. Family lore holds that she finished anyway. (At least that's how I choose to remember it.)

I have tried to train a little bit, but no way am I "prepared." I have way too much going on trying to be a good dad, husband, fulfill my church calling, provide for my family, etc. to even come close to putting in the mileage that I should be doing in preparation for this race. Training for a [not-to-be-named] marathon in Southern Utah is at least fifth on my priority list. And I like it that way.

I think that I probably should be more worried or nervous about this race than I am. I got an email tonight from the race organizers tonight warning us not to cross the finish line with our kids because as soon as we cross the finish line, we have to go to the "recovery tent." I have no idea what that is, but it sounds serious.

When I finished the Spanish Fork Half, I just walked over and collapsed on the grass until my sweet cousin Michelle came over to congratulate me. (She was the only one that came to watch me finish the race and took some of these great pics! Michelle, you're the best!)

At the end of the day, running this race will be a very personal thing for me. I've never run more than 13.1 miles (and that only on 3 occasions--all since April 2011). I probably had no business even entering, much less winning, the race lottery to even get into this [popular Southern Utah] marathon. I have probably trained less than 99% of the other runners. I will probably hurt by the end of the race.

BUT:

I set a goal and I intend to achieve it. I will have to push myself, but I look forward to the challenge. And I won't be looking back. There will be plenty of people gaining on me and passing me throughout the course of the race. I expect that and if I can, I will encourage them and wish them luck as they pass me.

But I will finish the race a stronger person than I was when I started. And I'll have one more item crossed off my bucket list. That's only going to make my next challenge that much easier.