There's an old Bon Jovi song that has some lyrics like "Oh, we're halfway there! Whoa ho, livin' on a prayer!" This is me, halfway there... Certainly running with a prayer.

This is the finish line photo from the Provo City Half Marathon on May 1, 2010.

"What?!?" you gasp in disbelief. This must be a doctored photo, like the one of the shark attacking a coast guard helicopter that promises you 1 million dollars if you can tell if it's real or fake. No, my friends, this is no doctored photo. Nor is this the finish line of the Mayor's Mile fun walk. I really did it! I ran a half marathon! Ran until my IT Band snapped around mile 12, dragged my unbending leg behind me for about 1/2 a mile until the 1,000 mill. of Ibuprofen kicked in, then ran the rest of the way. My cute brother Doug came to jog the last little bit with me which meant so much to me since I was in such wretched pain.

But I, the un-running, piano playing fatty of the family, mother of 5 (the youngest of which is still nursing) ran a half marathon. Through the rain, sleet, snow and icy wind (no joke), I ran until the end. Which is a true testament to the whole mind-over-matter deal. And I have the shirt to prove it!


So (you might ask after you have been revived from your Post Traumatic Stress Coma which was brought on by this shocking news), what was the whole Bon Jovi thing about at the beginning of the post? Was it a red herring? Is Susie suddenly into 1980's butt rock? No, no, it has a purpose. This race was but HALF of what I'm really working toward. (You might want to call the paramedics now so that you can be revived when you fall off your seat from shock.) I'm training for the Utah Valley Marathon on June 12, 2010. I do still have ITBS (Illiotibial Band Syndrome) which is a painful inflammation of the ITBand (the tendon that runs from your hip, down the side of the leg & wraps around the knee) to deal with so my training has been setback a little. But as long as I can do so safely, I will be running 26.2 miles on June 12th. If I can do 13.1, I can do 26.2. And I'll have the shirt to prove it!