...was the response I got from Randy as I was telling him about the St. George Marathon...and why I love it so. Well, they do it...and I've come to love it. Been here watching for a lot of years now.....
...and this is why. They don't even look like they had just run 26+ miles do they? It seems like a really stupid thing to put a body through but about 8,000 people do it on this day here every year and the other umpteen thousands of us that watch wish that we could do the same. These runners become our heroes for a day as we watch them conquer the "nearly impossible".....to me, symbolic of getting out there and conquering other hard things in my life that seem impossible. It's just an awesome, energy filled happy day that I truly have come to love......
I like to watch at about the 24 mile marker on Diagonal Street. Then when my last runner passes, we hurry down to the finish line....Laynee joined Mandy for about the last six miles of the course. They're all lookin' good here....
Here's where we plant ourselves for a few hours.....and I can sense Spencer is wishing he were on the running end. He did it last year and knows full well what these runners are feeling at this point.....
We all gather with the other thousands to rejoice that our loved ones have finished without dying....especially Mandy who runs with a heart condition. Runners have their own reasons for running....some may call it crazy but I call it courageous and wish I really wanted to do it. But I don't, so for now, I'll be a grateful participant each year on the other side of the fence, watching with great admiration for those that do it.
The finish line really is a festive, fun place to be. Vernon Worthen Park is filled, every square inch, with people with smiles on their faces....proof of a truth that the hard things in life really do bring the most happiness. Speaking of happiness, it was awesome to be at another happy place as the runners prepare for this ordeal......
It has become easier for the runners to stay in Pine Valley and head to the starting line at Central at 6 a.m. rather than to board the bus at 4:00 in the morning in St. George so we make a party out of the "carb load" the night before. It was a bit chilly but the leaves were starting to change....and very beautiful.
This is my "Heaven on Earth"....I'm so grateful that day in 1983 when Scott and I went for a ride and saw this "pile of junk" cabin and joined with my mom and dad, stretched our finances, purchased it and turned it into a haven that our family has worked on and enjoyed for the last 30 years....and I'm working on this post as I listen to conference and my heart is so full....there's not one person that ran that marathon that didn't have an obstacle to overcome. I'm so grateful for the gospel that helps me overcome my "obstacles" on my road to happiness. I refuse to let any "obstacle" keep me from being happy here on earth. I'm grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that lets me "conquer" my obstacles placed here by the adversary. I find great joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ....as do my children.
This is a wonderful day....George and Drew finally got to participate in the "Pre-Priesthood Session Chinese Food Feast"....a tradition started by Scott many years ago as he would take his boys out before attending the session together. We're all a little disappointed that the Priesthood Session is broadcast now but I don't think my boys will be doing "take-out" anytime soon on this occasion twice a year. I think it's cool that the marathon falls on Conference Week-end. Both occasions exude happiness....and messages of hope and conquering.....Mandy is conquering. We are all guilty of thinking she shouldn't be running but I have to say how touched I am that she is continuing to do what she loves which keeps her healthy and happy. Laynee, who runs Cross Country for Desert Hills High, joined her for the last 6 miles to get a feel for a race that she will run one day.
The St. George Marathon is filled with stories of triumph......
This one touched my heart. The parallel I draw today as I listen to conference is this. These runners can't just go out and run this course without preparation. They have a goal, they work toward it and they conquer, with the help of friends and family. That scene at the park at the end of the race reminded me of what it might be when we get to heaven. There were over 7,000 runners that entered the confines of those fences yesterday but there to greet them, were probably 20,000 friends and family that had come to cheer them on and rejoice in their success. Our Father in Heaven has given us an awesome support system in the confines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We need each other to help us get home. I'm grateful for my "support system".....and I'm grateful for the Gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Long live the Marathon and Conference Week-end...truly a yearly "fix" for what ails us in this wicked world and in our difficult lives. We need to get our testimonies in shape so we can finish the race of life. "We must become the rock that the river cannot wash away."
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