Utah Valley Half and Todd's Full Marathon with a Broken Toe

This is bright and early before the start. I had to be there at 4:30 am!!!! YUCK!
I think this is like mile 9 or something, still smiling, but pretty soon after this I had the CRAZIEST thing happen. A bird attacked my head. I was running along, and out of the corner of my eye I could see birds flying pretty close, which I thought was weird. Then all of the sudden I felt something smack into the back of my head and then start pulling at my hair, and it was flapping around. It kind of hurt and I started screaming and waving my arms, realizing it was a bird. It flew away and I looked back at the people behind me, they were wide eyed and laughing. Then I looked up and realized the bird was diving in again ready to attack AGAIN!!! It got pretty close and I started waving my arms around and yelling "GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" and luckily it flew away, but my heart was pounding and you can bet that made me run a lot faster. I talked to the guy behind me and asked him if he saw it, and he said "Yeah I saw it! It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen!!" Not funny for me!!! :)
My dad followed me from about mile 6 to the end. He is awesome. It totally motivated me to see him on the corners waiting. I came out of provo canyon and was soooo hoping someone would be there to cheer me on. I saw his car and thought "Oh please let it be dad!" and it was!!! He was the picture taker.
The finish. My time was 1:42. I was SHOCKED!!! I was hoping for an 8 minute average and ended up with 7:50 average pace. But now my legs are letting me know that I pushed them pretty good. I am so so so sore. I ended up 8th place out of 150 women in the 30-34 category and 18th overall women out of 592 and my overall place was 72 out of 900 people. I have never ever run that fast in my whole life. It was thrilling. Ok so the final results are in here http://www.utahvalleymarathon.com/provo-utah-half-marathon-race-results.php
Happy to be done. I don't know how my body is going to handle 13 more in September.
But WAIT, Todd is on his way. And oh no. He is in wicked pain. He is at mile 20 with a broken toe, he has had an average 6:30 pace so far, and he time is around 2:20 at this point, but he is in excruciating pain. I felt soooo bad for him because he had worked so hard to get a 2:50, which he was on his way to do that, but his toe was sending shooting pains up his leg that were making him cry. I got out of the car and went to talk to him and could tell he was so frustrated and sad and I could tell how much he hurt. I told him he could quit and be done and no one would think less of him. But he is crazy and wanted to finish. So we ran the last 6 together, and let me tell ya that was a serious mountain for him to climb. Especially to see all the people pass him. He would run, and then pretty much scream in pain. And then walk a little. And then we would say "ok, let's make it to the next light". I was so amazed, because I know I would have just been done.

Here is me worried sick about Todd. And Todd's face is showing the pain.
Home stretch, he sprinted ahead of me
Me running the home stretch for the 2nd time. Now at like mile 19, heck I should have run a marathon!!! :)
YAY Todd! Still has a time I am jealous of even with pretty much jogging the last 6 1/2 miles.
Todd at the medic center. Ouch.
So much fun. But when I got home I was pretty much sick the whole day, I had the runner stomach issues. Every time I push it hard at all running, I pay dearly later. I need to learn to just take immodium with me to drink at the finish line!!! For some reason that doesn't happen to me when I bike, don't know why. I was so proud of my brother Todd. It was awesome. I am excited for more races to come.