MOAB MARATHON WITH CHERYL AND DOUG

Dear Family,

Had a spontaneous trip this weekend.  Doug and Cheryl signed up for the Moab half marathon.  This is one that Al and Mary did while they were at BYU. Cheryl and Doug rented this lodge for one night and in the last minute, Cheryl invited me to come along 15 minutes before they left.  I hurriedly packed and got into the car with Paul, Cheryl, Emily and Johnnie.  Doug took his entire family with extra friends in two waves.

This marathon is a big deal!  there were 5000 runners.  Cheryl and Mary are preparing for the Boston Marathon at the end of the month so this was good practice for Cheryl and was Doug's first marathon.  Moab is this little place that seems devoted to tourist trade, hiking, four wheeling, biking and rock climbing with special four wheel drive vehicles.  The town was packed and all these skinny kids were lined up in front of restaurants to get their carb overload before the race.  The town smelled like spaghetti sauce!

We all met at the lodge.  I was told that the race was a lower altitude than SLC but what I was not told, you had to climb 4000 feet to get to the lodge.  I survived the night!

Here is a picture of our runners before they left.  They had on their high tech stuff, wrist GPS, heart rate monitor, ear plugs for the iPhone, special belts for the water bottles, energy boasts.  So here is Cheryl, mother of eight, in her little running outfit complete with shamrocks (St, Patrick's Day) and Doug (noted vascular surgeon) looking chipper for the race.

Cheryl did not run for time but hung out with Doug as his running coach.  After two hours, here they are at the finish line.  Cheryl was very chipper and ready for another half.  Doug thought this was different than cross country in High
School.  I watched the runners come in, all these really thin people gasping for breath but looking fit.  I hung out a the EMS place as some of the older ones came in on stretchers and wheel chairs but all had a great time and I was proud of these two.

We drove around the Arches for a while while Cheryl called everyone and recounted the details of the run.  There is a science to this for sure and she seems ready for he big marathon in Boston.

We drove straight home and got ready for the next event of the day.  Madeline was is a dance group presentation at her high school.

Here is mother an daughter after the dance performance, Cheryl still glowing from her run and Madeline after her performance.

Well if we missed our family for three years while were on our mission in Germany, we are certainly making up for it now.

Next event is the visit of friends, missionary reunion and the Fathers and Sons post Priesthood meeting barbecue.

We love you all,

Dad and Mom