I think it’s so incredible to what the power of the human will can do. I mean, you can stand there at the finish line of a marathon and you can almost SEE that will. People pushing beyond the very edge of their capacity to do something really, really hard. Something that pushes them beyond their limit. Some crawling. Some dazed. Some cheering with jazz hands. You see it all. And I just think it’s so beautiful.
It always makes me wonder, what am I doing to push my limit? I don’t know that a marathon is in my dreams list, even after all the adrenaline pumping power watching at the finish line. But there are so many other things that can push a human will. Whether it be “75 hard” or being diligent enough to create new habits, to take a new class, to learn a new skill, there is always something that can push us to be better and do better.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand for this post:
This last weekend, right alongside general conference, the St. George Marathon took place.
And because Claire was running the half with her friends, AND my sisters and niece were running the full, Dave and I got to go cheer them on. I was reminded how teary things like this make me.
AND how teary things like this make me:
I mean come on, St. George was showing off all her red rock beauty in true form. Snow Canyon is pretty incredible.
The Beginning
But let’s start at the beginning. Because we started off in Northern Utah with this fun reunion:
Oh gosh, we sure love these grandbabies and daughter-in-law.
Love that Abby lets us drop by any time and that Murphy is always good for a good show, and Ada is 100% on top of it for flashing us the best smiles in all the land.
Drive to St. George
After some quick hugs we made the drive to St. George. Our plan was to make some big posters for our runners, but I think everyone had the same idea (left below)…so Dave came up with his own (right below):
And then it was on.
The Half Marathon
At 3:30am these friends made their way in the dark to the start line, had “so much fun” watching the drones in the dark and getting hyped up, and then started their long trek. They don’t look too sad about it…
We went in search of cheering them on along the sidelines with our trusty whiteboard. Ha!
LOVED finding them along the route and running alongside them for just a little bit.
They were so hyped up and happy!
There were five of them, but one was too quick and we didn’t catch her.
We did catch this girl once again near the end though, and it was so happy.
So fun to be with them all as well as their support crew at the end of that half marathon.
Love these girls so very much!
A little extra kudos from mom and dad.
…And big sissy who did her own half not too long ago…
The Full Marathon
THEN the full marathoners started to arrive.
YOU GUYS! My niece!
She ran that whole thing in THREE HOURS AND THREE MINUTES!!
I am so incredibly amazed by that girl. It was her first marathon and she came in fourth in her age category and 25th in all the women in that whole race.
Incredible!!!
My sisters rocked the marathon as well, SO PROUD OF THEM!! One of them came in with jazz hands and the other with arms up getting the crowd going and it made me teary to watch all of them do this extremely stretching thing with such grace and beauty and grit.
“My” runners:
A pretty big Eyre support contingency:
Phew!
Yes, the power of the human will is pretty phenomenal and I’m inspired to kick my own into a different gear.
Somehow. TBD.
Snow Canyon Biking
Dave and I had some time in the afternoon so we took advantage of that and did something I’ve dreamed about for a long time. We rode eBikes up Snow Canyon.
We’ve spent some time in St. George over the years, even built a house there with my brother at one point a hundred years ago. And we’ve spent some beautiful summer nights with kids in tow at Tuacahn Amphitheater watching their outdoor plays enveloped in those red rocks.
I’ve always been mesmerized with Snow Canyon. It is SO BEAUTIFUL.
So I was giddy heading up this bike trail off into all that red rock:
Someone was very smart to wear her helmet…ha!
We biked all the way up through that glory to the white cliffs at the top:
And small world of all small worlds, happened to run into my cousin and her family pulling out as we were pulling in to the little parking lot for the petrified sand dunes:
I mean seriously, how crazy is that?
These views…
I obviously couldn’t get enough.
And this guy was patient with all my jaw-dropping…and even joined me in it.
The After-Party
We got back to meet up with everyone at the Eyre after-party with sauna and hot tub…and pizza.
(Grace and Claire were doing their own thing with the masses of college kids who descended on St. George for this weekend.)
Sure love all these people and their human wills that have inspired mine through all my years.
Not just in marathon running. But in life, and how they live it.
Love them forever.
It was a perfect wrap-up to get to listen to conference on the long drive home, Dave and I both weeping together at one point when President Eyring answered our daughter’s text in his talk. And all those other inspiring words. I loved Elder Oaks talk about family as well. So much to think about and push ourselves to strive to work on. Mostly loving our neighbors, and loving God.
That’s what it’s all about.
Sending love on out to the blog world today, and every day!
XOXO
Murphy and Ada are adorable! It looks like they have Coach wrapped around their finger! I am sure they have Grandma wrapped around their finger too! Utah is beautiful!
3h3m and 25th place is incredible! That’s good enough to qualify for the Boston marathon. congrats to your niece.
(apologies if this posts twice – something weird happened and I clicked on post comment twice)
I know you have an enormous extended family and lots of people you know through your church but I love how you always seem to run into someone you know. I hide if I see someone I know at Target and you run into people all over the world LOL
DAVE WEAR A HELMET. I used to never wear helmets on smooth roads/rides but was on a casual ride in Italy (thankfully wearing a helmet this time) and crashed out going down a simple curve because I hit a rock that appeared out of nowhere. I didn’t hit my head but boy oh boy did that put things into perspective for me. Never again will I go without a helmet and I’ve become somewhat of an evangelist about it!
I just love that picture of Dave holding both girls, and Murphys little tummy sticking out! That is just too adorable! And I imagine grandma and grandpa blow a lot of raspberry kisses on that little tummy! LOL!