Best. Run. Ever

Most of you might have already heard about the 20-mile run Jim and I completed this last weekend. But for those of you that haven't heard or just aren't sick of hearing it yet, please allow me to give you the details of the most physically challenging run to date and the special reward I received at the end.

We have now been training for this marathon for 4 months and we're only a few weeks from the race. In keeping with our running schedule, we had a 20-mile run planned this last Sunday.
Jim has been doing an amazing job creating routes that take us up and down just about every hill between the State Capital and Sugarhouse Park. For that reason, I love and hate him at the same time.

Our run started at 6am on Sunday. It was cold and pretty windy from the get-go. We completed our first lap around the Utah State Capital building and started heading toward Memory Grove Park through City Creek Canyon.
Remember when I told you guys that I would tell you everything about my training? Even if it wasn't pretty or very lady-like? I'm keeping my promise.
2  miles into our run....I had to pee. For a while I thought "no biggie. I can hold it." Jim reminded me that there were no spots to stop along our route unless I planned on doing a little squat-and-drop on someone's front lawn. The only other option...go in the bushes. I just want to go on record as saying that I tried to resist doing it! But alas! my tiny bladder was not having any of this running business until I take care of business.
So I squat. In the bushes. At the State Capital.
I'm not proud.

The next few miles were great! Empty bladder, sunshine peeking around the mountains and Jim by my side. Things were looking up just fine.
At least I thought they were.

I wish I could say I dominated that run at all times. But that's just a bold faced lie and no one likes a liar. Although there were some points in the run that I felt really good, I would say 75% of the time, I was pushing really hard. These routes were made to be difficult on purpose. We wanted to push ourselves harder than we thought our actual marathon course would be. Because of that, I struggled quite a bit.
One main problem I was experiencing was lower back pain. I run with a hydration pack on these distance runs and after 16 miles, my back just didn't want that pack anywhere near me anymore. I abandoned the pack in a secret hiding space and took off feeling lighter, but not much faster.

At that point we had already tackled the hills throughout the University / Avenues and the big ass hill behind the Hogle Zoo. We were on our way to the most intimidating part of our course....Virginia.
She's back. And she's not getting easier.
Instead of being a super bad ass like we were last time we ran that hill, we took it easy and slowly climbed to the top. I don't know if I've told you guys this before, but if you make the motions with your arms to give the impression that you're running, it totally counts. So that's pretty much what we did the entire way.
Which was a good idea because we still had about 2 miles left until the sweet sweet finish.

When we started heading back toward Memory Grove, I could definitely feel every mile we put behind us. My feet were killing me. My quads were tired. My head was tired.
I tried to keep focusing on the fact that were almost done. Jim was as supportive as ever and kept encouraging me to keep pushing.
We hit 19 miles as were coming down the trail into Memory Grove Park. I'm sure that most of my exhaustion at this point was mental. But it was still very real. I was fighting with every step to keep my feet in motion. We had to stop temporarily at about 19.7 miles so I could do another small hyperventilation fit. I haven't had one of those since my first half marathon!
After a few moments of walking with my arms above my head, I was ready to go again. I wanted to finish this run as strong as I could. So I pushed. And pushed. And pushed for the longest .3 miles of my life. As we passed the barriers signaling the start of the park, we hit our 20-miles and I was done.

I became completely overwhelmed. I was tired physically and mentally. But I was also so proud of what I had just accomplished. So of course, I started to cry. Not bad tears. Good tears.
The "holy-shit-look-what-I-just-did" tears mixed with a little "holy-shit-my-butt-cheeks-are-killing-me-tears". They were awesome awesome tears.

Jim took me be the arm and told me to keep walking so my legs wouldn't cramp. While were walking into the park I told him that I was a mixed ball of emotions.
For some reason Jim kept walking into the park to the left instead of straight ahead toward the car. I followed but was definitely a little confused.

There is a creek that runs through the park with a pretty bridge just right ahead of where we were standing. As Jim walked toward that bridge, my confusion was building. Until he started to kneel down.

He said to me "I know you are a mixed ball of emotions right now, but I have something I need to ask you."
He reached into the ankle pack that he ran with "to carry our IDs and cash" and pulled something out of a tiny black bag.
And then there he was, on one knee with a beautiful ring in his hand saying "will you marry me?"

My engagement ring! Cornflower blue sapphire in the middle of two diamonds in a white gold setting

It was the happiest moment in my life and I completely lost it! I couldn't keep in anymore tears and I just let them all fall out. I made the head motion that meant "hell yes!" since apparently my hysteria was rendering me temporarily unable to form words.

We cried and hugged and kissed and I completely forgot every ache and pain and grueling mile.
At that moment, I felt like I could run 20 more and not even feel it.

Our friends Ellie and Jason were running the same route and met us in the park with big congrats. I started crying again. I couldn't help it!

Jim told my brother-in-law John that he was planning on asking The Question so he and my sister came to the park and waited for a very long time until we finally made our appearance. My sister ran to me with the biggest grin on her face and I lost it again! More tears!!

Jim said afterward that he wanted to catch me off guard because he knew I was onto his original plan to pop the question at our marathon.
I'm so glad he did. I loved that I had no idea it was coming. It was the most amazing moment I've ever experienced. And even though I looked like death with my hair in complete disarray and sweat dripping down my face, he still looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
I wouldn't take back a single detail of my engagement. It was absolutely perfect.

Best. Run. Ever.