My weekend

First, my roommates helped me celebrate my 20th birthday, and they did such a wonderful job of making me feel loved :)

They took me to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and it was more than I could have ever asked for.

Then, I ran a marathon. My first marathon ever.

I want to tell you that it came naturally to me, that I was pretty much born for endurance running, that it was a little challenging but I had it in the bag.

I can't tell you any of that. It was hard. So hard. I practically walked the last five miles. I wanted to cry. Breathing was more like dry heaving. My knee was shooting pains and my ankles were competing with it for attention. I felt weak. I felt maybe more than a little slightly pathetic. I looked like a corpse crossing the finish line.

But. I can tell you this. The course was beautiful. It started at Antelope Island, and as the sun came up it cut through the fog and lit the water and it was kind of perfect.

I can also tell you that Katie Zimmerman is the best best friend anyone could ever hope to have. She drove an hour to kaysville after a long day of work in post-byu-football-game traffic to spend the night before with me when I was a sack of nerves and an emotional wreck. She got up with me at 4 am to see me off.

We've decided it's a tradition for me to wear her jacket/sweater before the race while she wears my race shirt

She refused to let me get my parents to come pick me up at mile 22 cause I felt like I had had enough. She ran the last mile with me barefoot and cheered me on. She carried my aching body to the car.

She is the perfect woman and I love her so ridiculously much. I will never be able to repay the kindness she has always shown to me :)

Im also so grateful to my family who came to support me. My dad ran the last mile with me too, even though he may or may not have been breathing heavier than I was.

 My sister-in law ran with us for a couple minutes carrying her infant and dragging her dog on the leash behind her. My brothers made dorky signs. My mom massaged my poor joints and made sure I got to the race in the first place. I'm blessed. I'm so grateful I didn't have to do this alone.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my life and have helped me to become who I am. My entire life is a credit to each one of you, because I have developed none of my talents or positive character traits without the influence of each of you. I am nothing if not a compilation of the lessons you have taught me and the examples you have set for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.