Hey jumpers, our friend Trine Vik wanted to share this story of mind over manner. It's quite impressive and uncommon...who unintentially runs a marathon? Well our friend with quite the manifesting spirit! Check it out. —SheJumps

Back in July, I was asked to fill in for a women’s team relay of the Wasatch Back marathon held in Heber, Utah. My leg was the first 8 miles and I arrived at the start at Soldier Hallow at 7 a.m. as planned.  My teammates, however, were nowhere to be seen. They were late and lost, wandering the streets of Midvale as the shotgun fired and the race began into the morning light. I had a jolly ‘ol time the fist three or four miles. The sunrise was beautifully strewn with pink, purple, and orange clouds in a patchy sky. I created an affirmation: “I run with ease, efficiency and enthusiasm,” which I repeated in my head for miles. Around mile six it changed. “I run MARATHONS with ease, efficiency and enthusiasm!” Suddenly thoughts of completing the whole thing poured into my mind. I imaged calling my friends, telling them that I had just completed the Wasatch back. “No way!” they said, “congratulations!” Pride and joy warmed my belly and a smile settled in on my face. I can’t have those conversations without actually running the marathon, I though to myself, might as well give it a shot. 

Mind you, this decision was made around mile 6 when my legs were fresh and loose, the road was flat, and I was keeping up with the crowd. Then the climbing began. A few hundred feet up and my lungs were burning, calves cramping, and I started making walking/running goals. I was completely oblivious to the 3,000-foot dirt road ascent that lay before me. My affirmation became the mantra that kept one foot moving in front of the other for 6 more miles. 

Then my belly spoke up. I was completely unprepared for a 26-mile run. I had no food, no ibuprofen, no Gu shots. At mile 14, I was begging the volunteers for food until one kind guy handed me a homemade energy bar. I swear he made my race. From there, it was a few more miles up, a few water stations with Gu shots and I was at the top with a magnificent view over Heber Valley. My runners high set in like never before and my aching legs stretched out for long strides down the mountain. “I love my legs, I love my legs, I love my feet, I love my feet,” I said again and again. The wildflowers, the mountains, the trees and the shoes on the guy’s feet in front of me turned vibrant colors. 

I started making friends to pass the time. I ran to people in front of me to chat it up and pace myself to the finish. One friend gave me a sodium tablet, another spoke to me about her career as a nurse and my pursuits toward the medical profession. Finally, 5 hours later (note that I’m not a fast runner;-) I run through the finish, got a medal, and shook hands with my new friends. My teammates were chillin’ at the finish, wondering where I’d gone. 

It was a wonderful accomplishment beside the fact that eating a donut and walking to my car had never been so hard in my life. —Trine Vik