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Show Panguitch Mother Runs Well in Dixie Marathon "The best thing I've found for my nerves," says MaryLou Pearson, mother of five and marathon runner who recently competed in the sixth annual Dixie Marathon in St. George. Surprised at her own success in her first marathon, Mary Lou completed the grueling 26 mile run in 3 hours 30 mintues and 34 seconds to finish 12th in her class, the largest among the women's groups. She had previously run 24 miles in practice, and regularly runs in the Panguitch area where she resides with her husband Craig, a trucker, her five children and a foster child. She feels that training at Panguitch's higher altitude was a real plus and paid off for her in actual competition. The Dixie Marathon started at 6:30 a.m. Saturday with 1,740 participants entered from all over the nation. Runners were bussed from St. George City park to the starting point of the race on Utah State Highway 18 at the Central turnoff 26 miles north of St. George. The course follows Highway 18 to Veyo, crosses the Old Spanish Trail from Volcano Mountain one mile south to Veyo, runs through Dammeron Valley, Diamond Valley, past Snow's Canyon State Park to finish in St. George City park. Runners ran the first 2.5 miles in the dark as dawn broke on the cold and crispy clear morning, with the runners huddled around bonfires before the race began. She sa; she may have been the only woman runner from a small southern Utah town and knew of only two women from St. George who participated. Her brother, Steve, paced her the final six miles and she sprinted cross the finish line, unlike many who were totally exhausted as they crossed. She feels her running shorts may have had something to do with her victory sent by a friend in the East, they are made of a confederate flag especially for the "Dixie" Marathon. Her class has the most women entrants, ages 30-34, and she said that competition was very keen. Had she been competing with the next younger group, she would have finished 5th and with the next older group, 9th. The popular Dixie Marathon has drawn more participants each year, with a reputation of being a course where runners can improve their speed records, since much of the course is downhill. Carolyn Ostler, Salt Lake City, took first place among the women setting a record for the Dixie Marathon and for the state of Utah for women: 2 hours 44 minutes and 4 seconds. MaryLou, whose family was on hand to cheer her on, replete with tee shirts emblazoned "MaryLou, Martahon Mama," says she has been running for two and one-half years, seriously for the past two years. She usually runs in the morning during the summer and in the evenings during the winter, with the worst winter problem being the cold wind. She says she has never felt better and recommends running as a way to "feel your best and look your best." She says many runners run 300 to 400 miles a week and average 75 to 90 miles a week. She runs 35 to 50 miles a week and saves her best "broken in" shoes for her marathons and competitive runs. Some runners, she says, will wear out a pair of running shoes in less than a month. Most runners load up on carbohydrates prior to a run and spaghetti was a special in most St. George restaurants just before the race. The annual marathon is becoming so popular that motels were filled for the occasion. She has won four trophies at d several medals for her efforts and says that not only has running built her health, it has also done much to build her self esteem. |