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Carol and her husband Jon ran their first marathon on June 3, 2001. They joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and ran the San Diego Marathon after raising over $6,000.00 for this Society.

Carol shares, "Running my first marathon changed my life. It was definitely a feat I never thought possible in my life. I had always thought of myself as a non-runner and believed I could never run more than a few miles at a time. Not only did I believe I could not run, I had a perception that running was painful and hard, and I did not like it.

That first marathon was a spiritual event for me. I wept as I crossed the finish line and knew I had succeeded in doing something that changed me. Marathon running touched me at a deep level and I was ready for more. I will continue to run marathons as long as they are inspiring and fun for me."

I had committed at the beginning of the year to run 5 marathons to bring my total count to 15. I thought my fifth for 2004 was going to be the Napa Valley, CA marathon. We chose to not go to that race, and stay home and attend the funeral for a close friend's father. So, I had to find another marathon to run before 2004 came to a close. I found Memphis and I am glad I did!!
What a great race! There were a lot of "bests" for me in this race. For example:
My Best time for the year
Best finishing experience of any marathon run yet: You run into their really lovely, new baseball arena, AutoZone Park, where you are greeted by cheering fans while your name is being announced over the stadium's PA system. It was an unexpected addition to an already existing high.
Best course in a city:
The marathon runs you through all the highlights and scenic areas of Memphis. Before you run, you can become familiar with all the points of interest they have outlined nicely on the course map that you receive in your goody bag. You know this is the home of Elvis and the home of the Blues.
Best Goody Bags before the race:
They give you all the regulars, plus a wonderful CD of Christmas Carols that was produced by Country Music stars as a fundraiser for St. Jude’s Hospital. They also give you a lovely calendar that includes the stories and thoughts of the children who have been treated at the hospital and survived.
One of the Best Causes:
The marathon raises funds for the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which I learned A LOT about. I am very impressed with what this great hospital has done and continues to do over the years to find cures for childhood diseases. To learn more go to www.stjude.org

I could say more. I loved it from beginning to end. I always make sure I partake in the unique food of the area and visit any unique landmarks. In the case of Memphis, that would be real southern BBQ, which was delicious, and my trip to Graceland the afternoon after the marathon, which was intriguing!

This was a lot of fun because I had so much company. My daughter Anne (19) ran her first marathon with Jon and me. She had a great first marathon time and was very happy in her achievement. She shared, "my mom and dad have been my inspiration to do this." Jenny (23) was also there with her boyfriend, Tony, who ran his first marathon. I ran with my good friend and marathon mentor, Julie. It was a beautiful Fall day and I still feel Logan is one of the best marathons in the country for beauty.

This was the first year for this marathon. It was the first time I slept in my own bed at home before running a marathon. I enjoyed running on streets I am usually driving on in my car. The locals really supported this race and there was a good feeling about it. The course was pretty flat compared to most Utah marathons and it is the first Utah marathon that I have run that we did not need to be bussed to the starting line!! It was a good first marathon for the year.

This was my 10th marathon in 28 months and my 3rd St. George. Having just run the Top of Utah 2 weeks earlier, I knew I could believe this would be hard and slow, but instead I chose to believe I could run my fastest marathon yet and create my Personal Best time. Well, guess what I did!!! I ran it in 5:14. That is about 8 minutes faster than my last best time. I not only believed it for myself, I believed Jon would run his personal best as well and he did, running it in 4:27. It was another beautiful day and I had 5 hours and 14 minutes to ponder, pray, focus, and create. I have a great life and I am grateful for all that God has shared with me to help me know how to keep creating a great life. Life is AWESOME!! The St. George Marathon is AWESOME!!!

This marathon may have been the prettiest course I have run yet. It is a toss-up between Top of Utah and St. George. Marathon runners are truly missing out if they have never run a Utah marathon. This marathon is run down through a beautiful scenic canyon. The highlight is the time of year we get to run this marathon. All the fall colors were at their peak. It was spectacular. There was also a bubbling creek most of the course that you had the pleasure of hearing and being soothed by. This is a small race with just less than 2,000 entrants. It was as organized and staffed as the "BIG" marathons I have run. It was an awesome way to bring in the Fall Equinox. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MARATHON TO ANYONE THAT IS LOOKING FOR ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RUNS OF THEIR MARATHON CAREER. On to St. George in two weeks!!!!

Jon and I ran this marathon down beautiful Ogden Canyon. Like all Utah marathons, you get up very early so you can take a bus up to the starting point. We had not run our usual training distances, so we wondered if we would be prepared. We decided we were and that decision proved right. I ran this marathon in as good a time as my others, and it was my third marathon within a 10 week period. I used my energy balancing and stress release techniques all through the marathon. I used EFT on an hourly basis. I am taking the summer off and will be running my next two marathons in September and October of this year.

Catalina Island Marathon
Ran March 15, 2003
Catalina Island, CA

This is an incredible marathon where the course goes from one side of the island to the other. It is the toughest marathon I have run to date. More than 20 miles of the marathon are on trails, and it is very hilly with a wonderful, steep incline the first 3 miles. What made this marathon especially memorable for Jon and me is it RAINED, REALLY RAINED, the entire marathon. We are not talking a little drizzle, it was a downpour! We were told after the race it is the worst weather they have had in the 25 years of the marathon and the biggest rainstorm on the island in 9 years. We were not prepared gear-wise for the rain, but fortunately my marathon angels were looking out for us and we found some large, black, Hefty-type bags that we put over us, and I took my plastic gear bag that is usually used to drop your after-the-marathon gear in, and tied it on my head. (Check out the pictures!). This marathon once again showed me the power of our minds. Right away Jon and I set the intention that this would be an awesome, positive experience, wet or not.....and it was. It showed me I can not only run a marathon, but I can run one sopping wet through the mud for 26.2 miles. At mile 20 I just started cracking up, laughing my guts out. It dawned on me that what we were doing was probably crazy and how many people would hate it, and yet here we were making it a great experience. Both our hands had become extremely puffy and swollen and by mile 20, we could hardly close them..I started laughing and could hardly say this to Jon, "I don't want to stop at mile 26... I want to keep going to see how big our hands can get!" We did it, we loved it and we are now even more grateful for dry marathons!!!!

Myrtle Beach Marathon
Ran February 22, 2003

This was my first marathon without Jon. I traveled to MB by myself where I also had a television appearance and a book signing. I met some other people that were solo marathoners. There was a woman from Houston who power-walked marathons and this was her 17th marathon in 13 months! Another gentleman had run over 65 marathons and was now achieving the goal of running a marathon in each state. He was about half-way there. I ran well and came in about my usual pace. I think while I am running, "Oh, this one is going to be faster, I can feel it!" And it's not! I really don't care, I feel extremely grateful to be able to do this no matter how long it takes me. Thanks, body, for showing up for me one more time. I still teared up at the finish, feeling tremendous appreciation for my health and my life.

St. George Marathon (click for pictures)
Ran October 5, 2002
St. George Utah

Back to St. George. Our 4 children came along for the first time to cheer us in at the finish line. I wept again as I saw my children's faces so proud of their mom and dad, cheering us in. I have told them I will cover all their expenses for any marathon they choose to run. Oldest son took us up on it and will run his first marathon in March 2003. We challenged him to accomplish this before he leaves on his church service mission in August 2003. He rode his bike across country when he was 15, so I know he will succeed at the challenge. I ran this marathon with my good friend Julie Barrett who has ran over 100 marathons. She is 71 years old and started running at age 47.

Salt Lake Marathon (click for pictures)
Ran July 24, 2002
Salt Lake City, UT

Considered one of the most challenging marathons in the country due to its elevation. It peaks at 6,000 feet. Earliest start time: 5:00 a.m. Had to wake up at 3:00 a.m. to get to the start. It follows the last part of the Mormon Pioneer Trail into the valley of Salt Lake. We ran it in honor of all of Jon's pioneer ancestors that walked that trail.

Country Music Marathon
Ran April , 2002
Nashville, TN

Our first time in Nashville and I came home a country music fan!!! There are over 30 country music bands and artists that play and sing along this marathon route. We went to "The Grand Ole Opry" and saw Kenny Chesney perform live. I did not even know who Kenny Chesney was before this trip and came home one of his fans!

Walt Disney World Family Fun Run 5K
Ran January, 2002
Orlando, FL

We ran this race with all our children. It was very cold and early. We spent the week in Disney World where we rode two of our favorite thrill rides, the "Tower of Terror" and the "Rockin Rollercoaster."

St. George Marathon (click for pictures)
Ran October , 2001
St. George, UT

A popular marathon that comes down through spectacular red rock country and Snow Canyon. We ran this in honor of those that were killed in the September 11 tragedy.

Rock and Roll Marathon (click for pictures)
Ran June 3, 2001
San Diego, CA

There are over 40 rock and roll bands playing along the marathon route with 40,000 spectators cheering you on. My favorite moment of the marathon was when a Marine at a water station yelled at my husband, "The pain is the weakness leaving your body."