(Half) Marathon Woman!!

This is a story on why my wife is SO amazing!

Brenna and I have an annual tradition of officially inaugurating Autumn by attending the “Top of Utah Marathon,” where we take in the brisk air and marvel at the changing leaves in Logan Utah. Whereas I was still basking in the bliss of my newfound sedentary lifestyle (due to my rash post-ironman vow to never physically train again), I wasn’t too shaken up by the prospect of studying all the waking hours on Saturday instead of running 26 miles. But Brenna, ever nostalgic, hunted for a comparable event in Colorado and uncovered the “best kept secret in Colorado,” the Autumn Color Run.

“Hey, Brent, I found a half-marathon for you to do this Saturday,” Brenna informed.

I retort with an epithet in Spanish.

“No really, you could win this one!” she insists.

All that means is that it’s such a small event that nobody fast actually enters the race, and the pressure is on to not loose to the local AARP president nor the Red Hat Lady (who has won the last 58 years in a row—beat that Phelps!). This time the epithet is in English.

“Seriously, Brent, I think I might do it with you!” she proudly announces.

I check to see if I’ve soiled myself. All good. “Are you kidding me?” I ask as I have visions of Chariots of Fire meets Miracle on 34^th Street dancing around in my head.

“Yeah, I can speed walk that far. The course is open for 6 hours, so I figure I can finish in that time,” she confirms.

So after going out back to unbury my running shoes, loading the ipods with angry girl music, and buying film for the video camera (which I left home anyway….) we got up at 4:30 AM on Saturday, September 19^th and headed to beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado.

On the way we stoped in bustling Leadville, where the temperature was 18 degrees at 7:30 AM, and the landscape was frosted. Well, we thought, we are ascending to 11,000 feet to start the race, but maybe it’ll warm up in the next hour. Suprisingly, it did.

We started in a mountain canyon on a dirt road (only 4 miles of the 13 were on paved surfaces). The vistas were truly “Buena.” The aspens were a glowing gold and the scenery was breathtaking! We ran down into town over bridges, around lakes, and through the mountains.

Brenna was planning to finish in around 5 hours, so I broke out my anatomy materials and studied while I waited. A chatty toddler came over to make friends until his dad yanked him away when he saw that I was studying pictures of the anus and scrotum of cadavers (People just can’t relate to the phrase, “I cut dead people.” Well, maybe Macy Fowler could).

Then, less than 3 hours into the race, I spotted Brenna hauling toward the finish line! She came in so fast that I hardly had time to get the camera out. The champ finished her first half-marathon in just under 3 hours when her goal was 5!! I couldn’t have been more proud. She finished strong, walking in at the same pace at which she began! Other than being a little emotional for having finished, she was happy and healthy. How amazing is Brenna, who only took up regularly speed-walking 5K’s recently. (This was the first time she has done an event longer than 3 miles.) To celebrate her victory we went spice shopping at the local organic food store and got Brenna some new Keen mountain sandals.

Congratulations, Brenna, I love you so much and am so proud of you! Just another example of why you are an esposa perfecta!

Brenna's note: Brent failed to mention that he took second in his division and achieved another Personal Record (1:35)! My hubby is a star!