I'm very grateful for the experience I had today. The race, the people, and the support from family and friends was awesome. Before the race I got to get ready with some of the fastest runners in the world--they were focused and dialed in, but there was a noticeable feeling of respect. I was definitely out of my element and like a kid in a candy store. I met Meb Kefezighi (winner of the marathon in 2014) and Shalane Flanagan (top U.S. female runner in 2014) among others, which was cool.
It was fun to warm up with the elite men knowing that after the gun went off they would be cranking out miles more than a minute faster than me.
I didn't know what to expect with this race, so I decided to do something different--I decided to run a mile with 26 people who have loved and supported me most along the way--there have certainly been more than 26, but the race was only 26 miles long:) These are people I trusted would inspire me to run listening to my heart.
Mile 2: My mom Jolene - I heard her say, "Just have fun!" "Run your happy pace!". I remembered her hard work to run this race three times before and enjoyed this mile.
Mile 3: My dad, Jeff - I could hear him cheering for me the same way he has my whole life. I could always pick his voice out of the crowd when I was running around the track. I always wanted to make him proud.
Mile 4: My brother Tyler - He has always been so supportive. If you know Tyler, you know that he is a joyful guy. He's also the luckiest guy I know--from sinking 40-foot puts, to hitting crazy horse shots with the basketball.
Mile 5: My sister Kristin - She is tough as nails and very courageous. Kristin has run the Boston marathon twice and it was fun to connect with her determination and joy, which she manages to bring together as well as anybody I know.
Mile 6: My sister Kimberly - She has always been so supportive and accepting of me. Kim knows what it's like to run a marathon as well and I enjoyed running with her.
Mile 7: My brother Cory - He is one of the most authentic guys I know. I actually focused on the times I have been inspired by his singing. The mile flew by.
Mile 8: My brother Justin - I connected with Justin's carefree attitude and felt gratitude for the way he has shown up for my kids as a loving and accepting uncle.
Mile 9: My aunt Julie - Her life ended early after a bout with cancer. I felt her presence so strongly. It felt like she loved to run with me. I swear I felt her pushing me up the hills.
Mile 10: My cousin Teri - She has dealt with her fair share of trials--she's working through some challenging times even now. I found myself alone for much of this mile and the wind was blowing strong in my face. I felt a strong desire to press on and be strong with her.
Mile 11: My cousin Kristy - She meets life head-on. She's got a fiery, beautiful spirit and has been an important part of my life these last several years. I ran with confidence this mile.
Mile 12: My cousin Kurt - He was my childhood hero. Incredibly fun and creative. Kurt was an early inspiration to me and someone I admire a great deal today. I smiled remembering late-night snowmobile rides with Kurt--this mile flew by.
Mile 13: My brother-in-law Darrin - He is a great support to me and someone with whom I can talk about anything. He's a fierce competitor and very dialed in to his body--something that has come from years of exercise through some tough physical conditions.
Mile 14: My friend Dane - He has been a best friend since Jounior High and was a co-captain of our High School XC team with me. I loved running with him again.
Mile 15: My friend Matt - He is one of the guys who has had the biggest influence on my running. He is confident and fearless. He has planted ideas in my head about possibilities that I didn't believe were possible. There would be no slowing down this mile.
Mile 16: My friend Mike - He is a strong, humble runner. He won the SLC marathon on Saturday, and I didn't have any excuse to slow down with Mike.
Mile 17: My friend Reed - He was running the race today as well. He's been a big part of my training. Reed frequently makes the group laugh with a snarky comment and keeps running fun.
Mile 18: My friend Toni - We call him the Tongan Tornado. He is the fastest Tongan marathoner in the world. Toni runs hard and has an amazing life story. I enjoyed running with Toni.
Mile 19: My friend Dan - It's been a while since Dan has been healthy enough to run with our crew. He is a great friend. I saw him blasting down the hills as he spread his arms out yelling "Varoooom, Varooom!"
Mile 20: My friend Brandon - He has awesome energy and an amazing life and running story. I chose to run up Heartbreak Hill with Brandon. I could feel his intense energy while he coached me to be patient and and save some energy for the finish.
Mile 21: My son Jackson - I could see his carefree running style. I heard him say "I love you!" and really enjoyed this time. People around me started to struggle with the wind and distance. I felt to run hard when running with Jackson and felt great.
Mile 22: My son Conner - I felt a powerful feeling of love from Conner. He's so quick to say "I love you!" and those words just kept echoing in my head. I was emotionally overcome and believe I ran passed Boston College here. I looked at the crowd and waved my arms in the air and they exploded--they could probably feel my emotion.
Mile 23: My daughter Makayla - I heard her say, "I love you, Daddy!" as she so frequently does. I heard her sharing her pomes. I saw her diving for a frisbee. I was passing people and still feeling strong.
Mile 24: My son Jacob - I had fun connecting with Jacob's fun-loving energy. I felt so grateful for his friendship. I felt full of energy still and was still holding a strong pace even though the wind had grown stronger.
Mile 25: My wife Melanie - I chose to run with her near the end of the race and during a mile that is often the most difficult for me. I really leaned into a relationship that has been so supportive for nearly 20 years. I felt so much love for her. The crowds were screaming and I loved sharing this time with Mel.
Mile 26: I ran for me. I tuned in to the reason I run. I tuned in to what I'm passionate about. And I allowed myself to feel the support from an awesome group of people who were cheering for me in the wind and rain. I thought of the many people who were supporting me from home. I felt strong and ended the race accelerating.
The race flew by (reading this might make it seem long . If you ever decided to take on a race, I recommend running the race with people you love. 
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