A few favorite moments from the marathon circuit

AMY:

My decision to run the Grand Slam began as a way to celebrate turning 40 years old. It ended up changing my life in many ways, but maybe most importantly, I am living healthier and happier than ever.

To complete the Grand Slam, one must run four of five designated marathons — Ogden, Deseret News, Park City, Top of Utah (Logan) and St. George. Before this year, I had run a single marathon. After I finished, I assumed that was it. The itch had been scratched.

But as I continued to run, I decided I'd like to try again. I'd like to try and beat my first time — which I did. And I'd like to see if I could sustain marathon training — which I did with some irregularity.

The reasons for starting the journey, however, became almost completely irrelevant after I ran the first race.

In this column, Deseret News photographer Brian Nicholson, a veteran runner, and I chronicle a few of our favorite (or not so favorite) moments from the 2008 Utah Grand Slam.

BRIAN:

About five years ago, I decided that it was time to get in shape. At 6-feet-1, I found myself weighing in at 210 pounds, feeling like a slug, eating like a manatee and I had had enough. So, on Thanksgiving Day, it began with me covering three miles in what seemed like an hour.

A year later, I ran my first marathon in Richmond, Va., and to keep me on track, I already had my eyes on the Ogden Marathon six months later.

Since that time, I have accomplished several goals regarding running, the first of which was to qualify and run the Boston Marathon, a common goal shared by many runners.

The second was to complete in the Utah Grand Slam. After qualifying for Boston in October 2007 and completing it last April, I figured I was ready for the Slam. Little did I know what I was in for.

OGDEN

AMY:

This was my favorite race — and not just because there were portable toilets every mile.

I ran this race with my baby sister, Dani. Well, actually she ran ahead of me, and, occasionally, she'd check in with me. Training for that race changed our relationship. We are 21 years apart and I have always been more like a mother to her than a sister. This allowed us to become friends, to trade training information, and to just share the experience of how running regularly can transform your life.

This was a gorgeous course, not too hard or too easy, although it did get a little warm for us slower athletes.

BRIAN:

I have always had a soft place in my heart for the Ogden Marathon. The first time I experienced it, I was on a bicycle with a camera bag on my back as I covered it, start to finish, for the Standard-Examiner.