Thank You

(No pressure to read this whole thing, but I think you will like it)

Friends, family, and fellow aspire-ers, in less than 7 days I will participate in an event which represents a culmination of a lot of stamina-building, sweat-producing, soul-defining work.

When I toe the line in Hopkinton, I'll just be getting ready to take another step in a stream of literal hundreds of miles over the course of many years. One stride through an intersection in Ashland is just another red light I've run. Though admittedly I've never had crowds like I'll see (and hear) in Wellesley, it won't be the first time I've run in front of people. My jaunt up "Heartbreak Hill" will be like scrambling over a little speed bump compared to the granite I've scaled, and my noodle leg sprint towards the finish line will only be reminiscent of the hundreds of times I've done it before.

There's no denying it is the Boston Marathon. But there's also no denying I've done my part.

So will you be surprised to hear me say that in contemplation of this moment, I've realized my part is to the other elements which have brought me here as Heartbreak Hill is to Pikes Peak? Let me explain.

A month ago I stood nervously by a hospital bed, video camera in hand. What the tape actually captured may be shaky and unfocused, because I was too busy looking over the top at real life before me to focus on filming. My sister C.J. was giving birth, and I was witnessing it. SHE GAVE BIRTH! She brought a human being into this world, and before that, she grew it in her own body!!! Through my tears of amazement and near disbelief, one thing was surer than the day CharlyAnn was born-- my sister is a BEAST HOG. You don't just give birth every day. (I recently read on a comment elsewhere that she was planning on running in two weeks. What?! May I repeat- BEAST HOG)

A week ago I received a text from my sister Jamie. Jamie is faster than a speeding bullet and can run like a gazelle, but she suffered some pretty serious back complications in her younger years, and subsequent pregnancies and momhood have prevented her from running for quite some time. However, in the text, Jamie told me with great elation that she had just run a mile for the first time since her junior year in high school-- in 7 minutes and 15 seconds! I don't even run miles that fast, and I've been having no children or degenerative discs! I was listening to the prophets of the Lord speak when I received that news, but her words of accomplishment were easily the most inspiring things I heard that day.

Yesterday I spoke on the phone with my sister Charina. Charina is probably the most feistily athletic of us all, but she tore her ACL, MCL, and miniscus in high school. Devestating, you might say. (I could go on about the amazing example Charina has been because of her optimistic endurance through that experience, but perhaps another time). In our conversation, Charina told me that she ran 8 and a half miles that day! Some people never go that much in their entire lives, and they have perfectly healthy knees! I nearly cried tears of joy when she said she was planning on running a half marathon soon, especially thinking back on the short runs she and I barely used to do around Topaz--now here she is, training to endure 13 times that far!

Today I called my sister Summer and she told me that the day before she had run a 5k. This is not an unusual occurence, as she runs them all the time, but if you told anyone 3 years ago that she would be running a 5k, few would believe you. Beyond that, if you said she would p.r. by TWO MINUTES in said 3 mile race, we would have busted a gut. BUT THAT IS TRUE! Summer is a runner, and she has been working on a training schedule to run her first 10k in 2 months, a feat not many people would have expected from lil Bum. Last year she ran 500 miles! She is dedicated and I have experienced few moments of pride greater than the one I had for Summer with a 2 min pr.

Speaking of prs, my parents ran that same 5k with Summer. (Another crazy moment. My parents are fit and athletic people, but running 5ks? Something they haven't done for some time or ever) My mom sped through the whole thing nearly 4 minutes faster than her last 5k, and her 2 mile split was a personal best. Such improvement! This is all without Doug! CJ may have created a human in herself, but she definitely got that Beast Hogness from Mom.

And Dad! Dad ran a 5k with me about 3 years ago and he did pretty good--but his performance then does not even hold a candle to the race he ran yesterday. He pr'ed by 4 minutes (i think? impressive, whatever it was). He runs almost everyday now, and is rapidly approaching his form from his marathon days. :) Dad called and left me a message that went like this (after the standard, "Hello Kristamo, this is your fath-er, how are you doing, hope you're doing Great!). "I'm just calling to say hello and to tell you to not start out too fast for the Boston Marathon, like take it easy the first 6 or 7 miles even." Dad always has good and inspiring treasures of pure running advise because he is a runner himself!

You see?

Yes, I've pounded the pavement in Provo incessantly. I've climbed the hills and perspired the pools and mended the blisters and devoured the carbs and stretched the IT's and beat the dawn. But I think lots of people probably have. It takes a lot more than moleskin and miles to run marathons. Lucky for me I've got the beast hog, inspiring, enduring, dedicated, improving, and advising examples of those running Roys.

So family, family, and family, thank you for doing your part.

There's no denying it is the Boston Marathon we are running.