three sisters marathon...a great time

At one point after the marathon, my running partner Jodi turned to me and said, "We didn't run a good time."

I looked right back at her and said, "No, we didn't.  We ran a great time!"

Sometimes a race isn't about the race at all.  It is about the journey.  This was one of those.

A couple of fellow marathon maniacs!

I didn't expect much going in to the marathon.  The last two months of my training have pretty much been non-existent.  Battling two lung seizing colds took most of my energy; the last time I ran long was at Lumberjack, and that was only 26 miles over 10 1/2 hours.  Not exactly a run.

I was really hoping just to come through the other side with good spirits and no injuries.

The lead-in to this race was filled with some drama, so by the time race morning came, it was just Jodi and I lining up to toe the line in a very, well, intimate race.  Less than 100 runners were signed up, and I worried that the course would be low on aid and that cars would be buzzing us the entire time.

Needlessly.

By the time we hit the first aid station, we could tell that this was going to be a first class event all the way.  Clean porta-potties every two miles, plenty of water and Gatorade, and Clif bars at every stop; this was the real deal.

And the views!  We were ooing and awing right out of the gate, and by the time the day was done, our oohers were just about broken.

We're already messing around with photos and we aren't even 4 miles in.

 For many of the faster runners, this gravel road was their least favorite part. For the photographers like us, it was the best.

A photo worthy moment.

 We stopped to pet the horses, photograph the unusual art along the way, comment on the prairie dog towns and inspect every porta-potty along the route.

Later on I started asking the horses if they would give me a ride.

We weren't blazing any trails, but we were having the best time just talking and laughing and enjoying the day.  When we were running, we were actually moving right along.  We just didn't keep going very steadily.

This guy was adorable. He even had a "guard"-horse to protect him.

We loved this.

We even got to know the support along the course. She was our cheering buddy.

In the end, it took us 5 hours and 40 minutes to complete the marathon.  Not my fastest time by a long shot, but you know what - it was by far my best time ever :)

If you are interested in running the Three Sisters Marathon next year, I highly recommend it.  The course is stunning, with mountain views nearly the entire way.  We enjoyed comfortable temperatures (better than Newport - though this was probably just a fluke).  The race organization did a first class job, and these folks are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.  The race director took the time to talk to all of the residents living along the course to let them know what was happening; you would not believe how friendly everyone was.  It is an open course, but there was a heavy police presence patrolling to keep everyone safe.  It is not flat, but it is not super hilly either.  For more information, check out their site: http://www.threesistersmarathon.com/