She was running in the snow in pajama bottoms and Grandpa's sweatshirt in Logan in 2000, saw runners competing in the Top of Utah marathon and decided then she needed to run in one.

Thursday was her ninth marathon. Why keep doing them?

"There's just a drive to keep doing it," she said. "I don't know what it is. I ask myself that around mile 20 of every race. There's just nothing like finishing."

Then there's me. Abs of steel. Iron lungs. No, wait, that was the guy who won. Truth is, I'm a composite of my marathoning co-workers. Reporter. Wife, daughter. Average build. Recreational runner.

This was my sixth marathon. I've completed three of the five marathons for this year's Grand Slam. Just barely a sub four-hour marathoner. Rarely run more than 15 miles at a stretch while training.

I see all body types in marathons. Some you wouldn't think capable of such a feat routinely pass me. Others with more lithesome, tone facades get passed by me.

I've tried to explain why I run and what drives me to do marathons. Maybe Swensen said it best. For one day — race day — we average people, we average runners step out of our average world and do something extraordinary. We complete a marathon.

How's that for true?

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com