State #19 Idaho and State #20 Wyoming with Utah thrown in the middle as a duplicate state for good measure!

June 19th, 20th, and 21st 2015

Bear Lake Marathon Series

Last June we flew to Utah for a fun little running adventure at the Bear Lake Marathon Series. My husband has family in Utah and Idaho and we incorporated some visits into the trip. After landing in Salt Lake City, we leave the airport in a little blue rental car in search of food and feast on an enormous burrito from Café Rio. We stop to visit my husband’s cousin, her three adorable children and her husband. It is nice to catch up and spend some time with the kids.

After the visit, it is off to Montpelier Idaho. The pleasant drive through rolling hills is scenic and rural with little mom and pop country stores. The tiny town serves as home for the next three days. We check into the Super 8 Motel, one of the few in the area to begin race weekend. (It is not a glamorous vacation destination more of camping-cabins-nature-type place.) The area attracts boaters to the lake and ATV riders in the summer months and I am sure cold weather activities in the winter.  Packet pickup at the Super 8 involves a long line in the motel hallway with chatty runners. After picking up the bibs and the cotton race shirts for Idaho and Wyoming, we set out in search of something to eat for dinner.  The grocery store seems to be the best option for a light dinner. We buy some snacks, bananas, diet soda and water, what more do you need to put the body in its best form to run three marathons in three days. Entertainment, in the tiny little town consists of going to bed early. The race starts less than half a mile from the motel, but it finishes 26.2 miles down the road. On race morning runners must drive to the finish and are bused back to the start. My kind husband agrees to drive to the finish and get the bus back allowing me extra time to rest and get ready. I walk over ten minutes before the race starts.  The race director points to a parking lot to approximately where the race will begin. It is quite an informal start. He states runners "Go."

We are off and I say out loud where are we going and others laugh, but I have no idea where I am going.  It is not a marked course and there are very few if any spectators or volunteers. I just follow along behind the faster runners. I am running a fairly fast pace (for me) and less than a mile into the race the 3:45 pacer runs by. I am surprised such a small race has pacers and we strike up a conversation. He asks if I am doing all three races to get the extra marathon buckle. I am not, but it gets me thinking. Even though I already have Utah, I like extra bling. The pacer states that the race director is a push over and I should ask. I yell back to my husband, "We should run Utah too."  He says, “Yeah.” He often says that even when he doesn't hear me.

Bald Eagle!

I put the thought out of my mind for a moment and concentrate on running. After a few turns we are out in the country. The race with unmanned aid stations required us to buy waist packs to carry water. The terrain is varied with all types of roads: from paved, dirt, rocky gravel, orange clay and cattle rails to traverse. 

The two guys behind me are from Sacramento and ran the Modesto Marathon~one of my favorites! 

The four hour pacer catches up to me and I settle in with her and another gal. We talk about the course, about running, PR's, Boston and future goals. The pacer and the other gal are both from Utah and they talk about a running group in their area. Running and talking definitely helps make the time pass.  As I stop to fill my bottle I lose the Utah gal.  It takes me a hot minute to figure out how to get the water out.  Sometimes, my skills are equivalent to a toddler in figuring out new things.  Eventually, I continue onward with a filled water bottle.  Pastures, fields, cows and the occasional runner are my sights.  I strike up a conversation with another lady runner.  She talks about her glory days of faster running times before she had two kids.  She is in her thirties so I tell her faster days are still ahead for her.  It seems women peak in their forties not counting the elites of course.  We stick together until mile ten when she sees her husband and pulls ahead of me.  In need of a potty break...I climb the hilliest section of the run with my focus on the outhouses at the top.  Reaching the top rewards me with a little bathroom stop.  As I am come out of the porta potty, the four hour pacer lady runs past and shouts, “Good job.”  She becomes my new focal point. The mountain serving to gloriously shade the course for the first half is long gone. The second half is filled with rolling hills and glaring sun.  I just keep working the downhills to make up ground and keep the four hour pacer in sight. When the pacer stops to use the bathroom, it is my chance to get ahead. In the next few miles she catches up to me again. We run together for awhile longer before she suddenly slows and disappears behind me.

I am left alone to push myself the best I can during a hot section lacking any shade. Out of nowhere half marathoners come into play and suddenly more people share the road. I try to stay in my zone. In an attempt to lose a few pounds (when am I not) leading up to the challenge my normal stamina is lacking, but I keep pushing. As the road becomes a mixture of dirt and gravel, I pass the first Utah gal. It gives me a boost to keep fighting to get to the finish. With a mile to go, a man who is walking sees me and starts running. He tells me, "You will not be beating me today!  I say, "It is all yours!" We end up running together to the finish pushing each other to run strong. With less than half a mile to go, I pass the other lady from Utah who pulled ahead of me at mile ten.  She turns and sees me with that look we all have when we get passed by someone we passed in an earlier segment. The final turn reveals the finish line as the man accelerates to the finish his competitive playful push helps me finish stronger too!

An overall female winner medal arrives in the mail. What a nice surprise!

A runner's high, propels me to seek out the race director to add the Utah race.  He is pretty frazzled, and pulled in many directions, but gives me a form to fill out and directs me to pay his daughter. Side Note: (Although I paid for Utah...I am not in the official results a big disappoint and reflection of the chaos of the unorganized event. Finish time 4:25 but I use my first race Top of Utah for 50 states verification since the results for Bear Lake Utah are shifty) There is nothing better than endorphins as motivation to run another one the next day.  As I wait under the giant shade trees, my husband tirelessly comes down the final stretch as the strain of the heat radiates from his pink cheeks. The brutal heat in the second half crushes his spirit and he is beyond happy to be done. He is surprised when I tell him I am running Utah tomorrow, claiming he never heard me yell at him about adding another race. He has no desire to repeat a state and happily looks forward to a rest day.  

Day 1  Idaho Marathon complete!

After running a marathon, I am usually starving and today is no exception.  We drive the thirty miles back to the motel to clean up before forging for food. The choices are limited as we head out of town and before we know it we are on the way to the caves.  "Where is my food!"  We try to do as much as we can in each new state, but generally it is a much better experience if I am not HUNGRY.  It is a beautiful area and all, BUT there are priorities...

View from the parking lot

The pretty drive up to Minnetonka Cave

 Once at the caves there is an hour wait (AN HOUR) which means another hour to take the tour and another hour until I get to eat!  My husband has a granola bar from the store stop on the first night and he gladly hands it over to quiet the bear.  I am so desperate I wonder if they have any snacks for sale at the ticket booth. Jackpot, they have chips, cookies and candy bars.  I tell the guy I ran the marathon in the morning and my husband hasn't fed me lunch yet; he helps me decide what will feed my hunger the best. He suggests a Snickers bar and I agree. It is the best candy bar ever. A bottle of water and the candy calms my churning stomach as I gear up hundreds of steps.

Cave entrance..pretty self explanatory right? 

My husband is a knowledgeable guy who loves to learn new things and is fascinated by everything. He retains information like a sponge. Needless to say, he is enthralled with the cave while I focus on walking and managing the endless steps.

I am the last in and the last out grateful for the handrails as the aches and stiffness permeate my muscles and joints. Maybe it not one of the smartest ways to rest up, but it is part of the journey. We must see and do as much as we can while we still can...

The enthralling  insides

Originally, we plan to eat on the Utah side, Garden City, but head straight back to the motel in Idaho after getting stuck waiting for a herd of cows to cross the road.

The cows know when it's time to eat and I wish I DID TOO. Any (food) will do! Now all we want to do is eat and soak in the hot tub. We drive for miles through wide open spaces, farms and wildflowers.

peaceful

The famous "bear" statue greets us on our return to town. He is as big as my appetite!!

Limited options lead to a pizza and sandwich shop for dinner. It is nothing to write home about, but takes care of our calorie intake for the rest of the day. Other runners are chowing down in the little shop too. The indoor pool and spa is just what we need after the day's activities. We meet a family who drove up from Modesto, CA~one of my favorite local marathons back home~for a family vacation, but mainly so the dad can run the Utah Marathon. The mom is not looking forward to getting her kids up at 4:30 am to drive the dad to the start. I offer to drive him in the morning in exchange my husband rides along to the finish area with his family later in the morning. Love when things work out well for everyone. 

Day #2 Utah Marathon

Modesto man and I agree to meet in the lobby at 5 am for the thirty mile drive to the start.  We talk about the Modesto Marathon we both ran back in March and about how we hope to run the Utah marathon. His goal is to run faster than his first marathon and I hope to finish with enough energy for day three. We arrive with plenty of time and wait in the car. It's chilly for a California girl.

Race director's last minute instructions!

There is the pacer (in yellow and blue) that talked me into this!

Well, well well...it hurts!  As the race starts, I immediately feel aches and pains.  It is going to be a long day, but what can I do! I got myself into the race, I will have to run my way out!  It is a matter of finding a comfortable pace and rhythm, concentrating on my steps and distracting myself with scenery and other runners.

The entertainment comes early when some of the runners, who did not listen to the instructions, make a wrong turn. A chunk of runners follow along in the wrong direction and others run straight through. I am near a man from Texas who said, "Do not turn, I looked at the map, that is the wrong way!"  He seems to know what he is talking about so I stick with him.  As time passes, we are quickly caught by the faster runners who took the wrong turn. Although unhappy they press on. Eventually my pacer friend from the day before passes me, he made the wrong turn too!! We talk for a bit before his pace quickens in an attempt to make up time. The beautiful lake is my view as I work to find a comfortable stride.

Making small talk with people helps ease the pain as we struggle along together. Misery does love company!!  Some people did Wyoming on Thursday so they are already on their day three. We collectively endure the pain of tired legs. I talk with a lady who lives in the area and is running her first marathon with her dad although he is up ahead of her.  I tell her I am running all three and staying in Montpelier.  She corrects me on the pronunciation.  I used a french pronunciation, but it is actually "er" rather than "ay" pronunciation is not my thing as my husband can attest. I often  (butcher) words.  

Even though the day is not entirely fun, I am happy to be out there.  There is just something  good and worthwhile about pushing myself even when plagued with stomach issues.  I stop to  use the potties several times...there is nothing like a sour stomach to add to the fun.  Each day provides interesting sights even though the races all start and finish in close proximity.  The Utah race is the most scenic with the lake views and the hills covered in wildflowers. The race course has a few minor climbs to challenge tired legs especially in the final miles. I catch up to the man from Texas who prevented me from taking the wrong turn.

 He tells me to press on...he is giving it all he has to finish.  I am happy to see my husband waiting for me at the finish with Modesto Man's family.  My husband and I partake in my favorite thing "eating." as we wait for results. I grab some red vines and diet soda and other snacks available to runners. Results are supposed to be available from the day before, but they are unorganized and finally announce, "All results will be posted on the last day!"~They did not have results on the last day either!!~

One day closer to earning the buckle!

While on the Utah side we take advantage of the water and get our feet wet in the lake!!

The cold water soothes the ankles and knees!

On the way back to the motel, we find a restaurant (Bear Trapper) in Garden City with delicious burgers and fries. Finally, something tasty to eat and it hits the spot. More importantly some much needed protein for one more day of running!

I think this may be why I never lose weight!!

After two marathons in two days it is straight to the spa and pool again while my husband goes to a pioneer museum. 

 I spend lots of time in the pool stretching and trying to loosen up my legs.  Another runner jumps in the pool (literally straight from the race) still wearing his race shorts.  It turns out he is from Bakersfield, CA (can't believe how many people I meet from my hometown area) and he is not a happy camper.  He tells me he hates the experience and is not feeling good about it. It is easy to sympathize with his struggles, we all have them.  We languish in the pool and spa hopeful the final day brings success!

Day 3 Cokeville, Wyoming

We wake up before the sun, feeling surprisingly well, ready to take on the challenge of day three. We check out of the motel and drive to the start by 6 am. Slightly unprepared, we struggle to find the start location. Thankfully, it is a small town and by driving around, we find the start just across the railroad tracks with no time for a potty stop.  We run to join the other runners and off we go.  It is a straight thirteen miles out and thirteen miles back.  Nobody will get lost today! The first mile is hard and the pace is slow.  My husband and I usually run separately, but today we stay together through many of the peaks and valleys.  Runners who ran the course on Thursday complained about it being boring and swarming with mosquitoes, but we think it is a nice run. There is something magical about being out on the plains of Wyoming.

I strike up a conversation with a lady from Pennsylvania who is running all three marathons and we share several miles talking about life. It is fascinating to listen to other people's prospective and experiences and share commonalities. 

In no hurry...relish my walk breaks to take it all in. It is nice to share the miles with my husband as well.  A moment frozen in time.

What's the hurry...enjoy it while you can!!!

There are moments when my running is going well and moments when I struggle. It is nice on an out and back course to see runners, we can encourage and support each other as we pass. The mosquitoes are definitely everywhere, but with forewarning we spray ourselves beforehand. It is unsettling to see them swarm around our faces. As long as we keep moving they do not land giving us the motivation to keep going. The annoying insects persist, but we are protected and it is part of the experience. At the turn around there is a table with empty bug spray. Other runners offer me some of their spray, but I am doing okay even with the struggle from Mile 13 to mile 17.  My husband catches up and we walk together before a stop to take a photo.

A second wind hits at mile 18 propelling me to get done and push to finish.! I want to be under five hours. I tell my husband, "lets go!" He just lets me pull away. Everyone has to run their own race. Once I reach mile 23 I  am almost there and yet it is still a long push to the end.  I try to talk to people but conversation is a challenge in the latter miles, my focus is reaching the train tracks. I see a big pickup truck in the final stretch and the pacer from the first day hobbles out of his truck to give me a high-five. He tells me he wanted to wait and see me finish. That is the true spirit of the marathon. It is the little things that make the journey so special.

Final steps to the end...truck in the background (pacer who gives me a high-five)!  The coolest!

I reach the train tracks and a table, but the finish balloon is over in the park. I think I have to run to the park, but the people at the table tell me I am done.  What a relief!  I walk over to the park and get my final medal and belt buckle.  I decide it is worth the walk to the car to get my previous two medals to take a completion picture.

78.6 miles in 3 days!

My husband comes through the finish line and gets his medal. We take some chip bags and head to the car changing into dry clothes as a few Maniacs celebrate their accomplishments with beers. Time to head to Uncle Loren's house.  Initially, we have another burger from Bear Trapper  in mind before it dawns on me it is closed on Sundays. We find a burger shack on the way back to Utah and feast on burgers, fries and boysenberry shakes~surprise surprise!  Even though my husband's uncle is fixing food for us, we eat anyway my husband is unwilling to risk a repeat of DAY ONE...the starvation episode! (must keep the hungry bear fed)

Departing Wyoming

We are so grateful to visit and stay with family as we make our way back to the airport. I mistakenly ~oops~ make our flight home for the wrong day and we have two more nights in Utah. We enjoy the few recovery days in Utah. My husband's Aunt and Uncle have a nice place along the river and we spend a beautiful summer afternoon relaxing on the back patio and even get in the river to soak our legs in the cold water. They BBQ tender marinated chicken for us and we take an evening stroll through their neighborhood. For dessert we have a large scoop of chocolate ice cream with fresh strawberries.

Such a nice visit!

We head back to Salt Lake City after breakfast to meet up with the cousins later in the day, but we spend some time exploring the downtown area and take a guided tour of the Utah State Capitol.

The cousins suggest a picnic dinner at Snowbird Ski Resort.  After a quick tram ride to the top with a few minutes to walk around the mountain we tram back to the bottom for dinner.

Top of the Mt.

Views from Snowbird tram

On the way back to the bottom 

Once we finish dinner, it is time to head back to the hotel. An early flight back to LAX leaves time for a stop at the Getty Center. We finally stop for the first time on the way home. It is fun to travel, but returning home is the sweetest feeling. Tenny is happy to be back inside on the bed, but she is unimpressed with the medal nonsense.

Big whoop...