STG 26.2

Ryan had been looking forward to and training for the St. George Marathon for a LONG time!  A few weeks before the race, he started getting a sore hip and worried about whether he could run as well as he hoped.  Not only did the injury not bother him, he didn't even notice it on the 26.2-mile course.  

This marathon isn't very spectator-friendly, so Patti (who came down with us), the kids, and I could only see Ryan at Mile 8 and the finish line.  That was definitely a bummer for us, and it meant that Ryan didn't have anyone to cheer him on.  

Here are some awesome pictures a photographer took during the course:

Ryan missed his goal by a little bit but was still got his PR of 2:45:45.  AMAZING!!!  

Here are the only pictures I was able to get.  We almost missed seeing him at Mile 8, but through some miracle (just like his hip!), we caught him.  He was excited to see us and looked strong.

The finish line!!!

Ryan started getting blisters at mile 4 but kept running.  This is what happens when you run 22 miles with blisters:

"I'm smiling, but my feet really hurt, and my legs really hurt, and I'm tired, and I'm thirsty, and I'm hungry . . . and I don't think I can walk."

 

Ryan shared his chocolate milk with Bennett at the finish line, so he was a happy boy.

Eden did great, too! 

Warning: the following picture is not for sensitive viewers.

THE blisters

I thought Ryan would take a break after the St. George Marathon, but as soon as he finished, he started talking about which one he was going to do next.  Sheesh!