Marathon #2: Dallas White Rock Marathon 1993

I ran my first marathon (NYC Marathon 1992) without any real consideration of pace or finishing time, which I highly suggest as the time goal for your first marathon. Plan to make all your painful rookie pacing mistakes during your second marathon...

Looking back on my training log (and yes I have it all on record) I can see the rookie mistakes I made in training. First of all, I was still running a lot of local races. I was racing pretty hard on some Saturdays and attempting to run long runs the next day. Secondly, I ran all my long runs way too fast. I didn't get injured by doing these two things, only because I was young. Only. The last mistake I made (for me) was that I only did 3 "long" runs: 18, 20 and 21 mile runs. Today, in my 50's, my goal is to run the following long runs: 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23 miles. And at a much slower pace. Still, not knowing I had made any mistakes, I went into the marathon feeling pretty confident that I could at least break 4 hours, if not run a 3:50 marathon time.

What laid before me was a near perfect day weather wise, and the course itself was not too daunting. The 1993 course started and finished in front of the Convention Center downtown, headed to White Rock lake via Turtle Creek, then onto Mockingbird Lane. From there it ran all the way to Williamson, where the runners approached the lake at West Lawther, looped the lake (including Northwest Highway), then headed back to downtown via Lakewood and Swiss Avenue. My parents were going to be at the finish line, so I told them to look for me to arrive somewhere between 3:50 and 4 hours. If I was to show up after 4 hours I would not be happy. That's what I told them! Oh my gosh that makes me laugh now, but in all seriousness "on paper", based on my current race times for the 10K and half marathon, it was a totally realistic number. Not to mention the fact that I ran all my long runs near that pace...(Projected pace was to be 8:40 minutes per mile. Keep that in mind as you read on).

The race starts. Unlike the NYC marathon, where the masses slowly moved towards the starting line, everyone is screaming by like scalded apes and I feel like I am standing still. At the first mile marker (8:06 pace) I realize I am already blowing it, but I am having a hard time slowing down. People are continually passing me for the next few miles. I'd like to point out that the reason why this happened is because I made the rookie mistake of lining up with the faster runners, a bad habit of running shorter races! My first 5K split pace was 8:27. Uh oh. And 10K split was 8:28. UH OH. And mile 15: 8:30 pace. WHAT THE HELL?

But let me back track to my "nutrition plan". This was before there were gels, or at least before I had bothered to try them. I had gotten into the habit of eating pieces of Power Bars in training. If you aren't familiar with them--they have the consistency of putty and come in a pliable bar. I had a baggie of cut up pieces pinned to my shorts, and the plan was to eat these pieces along the way. Well it was really cold, so when I put a piece into my mouth it was as hard as a rock. As I came to a water stop and unsuccessfully tried to get it down with water I just spit the whole thing out, much to the horror of the volunteers, thinking I was throwing up. So much for that plan. The only thing I took in that day was water and Gatorade. (Today I take in 4-5 gels and/or possibly chews for nutrition).

According to my marathon log book with my splits, mile 15 was to be my last sub 9 minute mile. The damage had been done. Let the learning process begin! Maybe this is why I love the marathon distance. If you don't get it right you will pay! You've made your bed! People are waiting at the finish! Friends will want to hear how you did. You bought the damn jacket. The shame of dropping out would be too much to bear. So here I was, in a very ugly place, with 11.2 miles to go...In the distance, far far away, across the lake,  I could see the buildings of downtown. Oh boy.

And so it went, some running, a little walking, a little whimpering here and there, some anger, and some camaraderie with those in the same boat, as each mile clicked away. My friends Doug Dodge and David Gay were waiting for me at mile 20 to run me in. I cried a little and told them how much I sucked. They flanked me on each side and provided a lot of humor. They would prod me into running here and there. At mile 23 or so my friend Mary Werling (Kerslake) joined us, so now it was a fun little party on the way to downtown. My spirits finally lifted as the end grew closer, and I picked it up to run it in with a finishing time of 4:03. And yes, I was very happy with that finishing time, contrary to what I told my parents, because I had survived my many mistakes and learned some very valuable lessons to carry me to the next marathon, because oh yes, there would definitely be another one. Even though it was an entirely different experience than the NYC marathon, crossing the finish line was yet again a magical moment!

My first official marathon finish line photo! Final rookie mistake: don't look at your stupid watch!

Not a favorite, but hey, a medal

Marathon #1: New York City Marathon 1992

My journey of marathons began on November 1st, 1992 at the New York City Marathon. It was the year race director Fred Lebow, diagnosed with brain cancer, ran the marathon with 9 nine time race winner Grete Waitz, making headline news at the time. Fred Lebow died two years later.

At that time the New York City marathon was the largest in the country, with the race participant count around 28,000. It was the only marathon with a lottery in place for entry. Besides the Boston Marathon, it was considered the holy grail of running, with the difference being that Boston was a qualifying race and New York City wasn't. (The same is true today, although New York City has added qualifying entries).  Each year the Dallas newspaper would run an article on the local runners who were heading to New York City for the marathon, and afterwards you'd see some of the local runners wearing marathon T shirts or jackets.

Back in the late eighties / early ninetys the idea of  running a marathon was perceived differently than today. They were still seen as ominous events. The marathoners of our community were of the minority, and they were all faster runners. In fact, back then even half marathons were uncommon. At that time Dallas had one annual half marathon held by the local running club CCCD, which is now the Dallas Running Club. The White Rock marathon didn't have a half marathon option back then, nor did Ft.Worth's local marathon, The Cowtown Marathon. But I saw the tides start to change, as more and more runners started gravitating towards longer distances and coming back with marathon T shirts and those highly coveted mylar jackets. They looked like they were fashioned out of paper, and today people use them as throw-aways, but back then they were considered cool.

Eventually, after a few half marathons under my belt I thought maybe I could run a marathon, but the idea scared me. I could visualize running the White Rock marathon because it was familiar territory, so that was the marathon I chose as my first. I could sleep in my own bed, the race size would be manageable, and I even knew the people working the race. I bought Jeff Galloway's book on marathon running, which is not to be confused with his run-walk-run program of today, and followed his program to the letter. The issues I had with following his program were the amount of long runs and that the last long run was 26 miles, leaving me peaked and ready to run a marathon a whole month early! It was at this point that a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to take her place in the NYC marathon because she had to back out at the last minute. I still had a month of training ahead of me for White Rock, but I felt like I was ready to run a marathon right then and there, so I said yes!  Looking back, I can't recall all the thought processes that led me to that decision, but I am pretty sure there was some peer pressure involved--there were six other girls going and we were all single.

So, here I was, flying off to NYC to run my first marathon, which was exciting! All of the others had ran marathons before and they were pretty calm about the whole affair, which helped! I was petrified at the race expo because I had to pick up someone else's race number as my own! The other girls laughed and called me "Debbie", but I was not amused. Luckily, back then it wasn't an issue, but to this day I am ashamed to admit that I ran my first marathon using someone else's number, so in reality the fact that I ran it can never be verified. Still, I have the race booklet, and I do have Debbie's finishing time highlighted. ;) It was Halloween the night before the marathon, so we went down to Greenwich Village to watch the parade, as opposed to resting up in our rooms. It's not like we could sleep anyhow! Even so, before we knew it, it was time to make the early morning trek over to Staten Island for the race start. I don't remember how many hours we sat out there in the grass, all bundled up, waiting for the race to begin. I only remember that it was NOT FUN. I think they have moved the starting time of the race up to where people have to wait less, but I am not sure how long the wait is. I was just thankful that it wasn't raining, because there was no shelter from the elements out there except for those who managed to get to the tents quickly enough to grab spots under there.

Finally, as the masses started moving towards the starting area and the media helicopter was hovering above us I started to panic and cry a little. I grabbed my friend Suzanne's arm and said, "I'm scared!" She just laughed--she had watched me wrap, unwrap, then re-warp my "injured" shin, pin a $20 bill to the inside of my shorts, and basically fret over everything incessantly."We'll run together. It will be ok. You can do this!"

Anyhow, like I said, I was overwhelmed. To this day I find big city marathons stressful, so I can see why the entire pre-race madness left me unhinged at the start. But all of that changed once the race started! Suddenly all the magic of running the New York City marathon came to life, and it was nothing short of incredible. My life of marathons began right then and there as I crossed the Verrazano-narrows bridge into Brooklyn.

It's funny to think back to that day and realize that I had no Garmin, no chip for timing, and no gels or sports beans or anything of that sort. No mp-3 player, and no cell phone. Just a watch! I don't have any recorded splits. I only know that my (or Debbie's) official time was just under 4 hours and 30 minutes, but I do remember that it took us 11 minutes to cross the starting line. I have no recollection of our pace being anything crazy. I do know that when Suzanne stopped to use the bathroom at a McDonald's that I actually jogged in place, waiting for her. (Back then I was afraid to stop running for fear of not being able to start up again--how idiotic). What's amazing to me is how little the course has changed over the years. It still runs through all 5 buroughs, finishing in Central Park. I still remember a lot of it. I remember how eerily quiet it was when we ran through the Hasidic Jewish enclave of Willaimsburg, as opposed to the overly interactive spectators of Harlem--some of which were actually yelling out insults. I hope that has changed since then!
I remember how annoyingly crowded the bridges were, particularly because they were steel, with narrow strips of carpeting for us to run on. I hope that has changed also, because that was NOT FUN.
The highlight of the marathon is this: You are coming off the Queensboro bridge at around mile 16, when your legs are starting to really hate you, and you've been on this bridge for about a mile with no spectators, and as you round the corner onto First avenue it opens up to a deafening roar! People are yelling from balconies on both sides of the street, and the street itself is lined with spectators. So loud and crazy!

Suzanne and I stayed together until we hit Central Park, where she felt energized and I was finally confident that I was going to finish (it only took 21 miles). I remember Central Park being so pretty, with the autumn colors, but I also remember it being very hilly! I was experiencing what I now call the "time warp", where the last few miles seem to take an eternity. At times I wasn't sure what mile I was on and that bothered me (now I know this is normal, ha ha). Then suddenly I am there! Crossing the finish line was one of the happiest moments of my life, and that is still true today--it just never gets old! It felt like I was moving in slow motion as they put the medal around my neck. I slowly stared at it in disbelief. I had a hard time believing it was real. They tried to give me a mylar blanket, but like an IDIOT I didn't take it. ALWAYS TAKE THE BLANKET. Then they moved me into the "chute from hell", where I had to inch along for what seemed like miles, with no way of escaping! (It is still done like this today, which is NOT FUN). By the time I got to the end of the chute and dumped into the reunion area I was shivering. I couldn't find any of the other girls, so I proceeded to find my way out of the park, but I could barely move, due to the shivering. I wandered into a medical tent, where they covered me up in a real blanket and gave me something hot to drink--and donuts! I was living the life of a king in there, but saw the really needy start piling in, so I decided to venture out and make my way to our hotel.

Later that night I insisted on wearing my medal out. Amy Keene poked fun at me for wanting to wear it, which is funny because a few days later, on a train to Pennsylvania, she had tucked her medal into a pair of boots in her suitcase, and someone stole those boots. She said the first person she thought of was me when she realized her medal was gone!

In summary, it was a great first marathon, but I would not suggest a big marathon such as this as your first. I went to Central Park this past winter for the first time since the marathon and I still get chills thinking about that finish. There's a statue of Fred Lebow in the park now. I ran by it, and thanked him for the great memories.

The coveted mylar jacket

Debbie got the photo and results, but I got the medal

Suzanne, Shelly, Janet, Christine, and me

Best running partner ever!

Wearing the medals!

Amy Keene marathon morning--as pretty as ever!

Marathon #37: Green Bay Wisconsin, May, 2014

My rationale behind running the Green Bay marathon was to see if I could run two marathons 6 weeks apart successfully, and to knock off another state in the event that I ever decide to commit to the 50 state club. The Green Bay marathon caught my eye because it's primarily centered around Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers. Not that I am a cheesehead, but I really liked the uniqueness of the theme.  The course description read well, with lots of variety in scenery and primarily FLAT, yes! In conclusion, I loved just about everything about this marathon and the trip to Green Bay. I highly recommend this one! Ok, so onward to the nitty gritty, if you are interested...

The expo was held in the atrium of Lambeau Field. A modest expo, but being in and around Lambeau was huge. Even though it's a grand stadium that seats over 80,000 people it feels intimate. Even the neighboring houses are really close, as if it was a high school stadium. This would be the start/finish location of the marathon.

Race day morning was sunny and cool, in the low 50's, and a bit breezy. They are behind us seasonally by a couple of months, with tulips blooming and the trees just starting to bud. The marathon started at 7, an hour earlier than the half, which I prefer, although we did have the relay runners in with us, which was good. A lot of energy to be had at their relay exchange zones! Anyhow, I just want to mention that we had a man beautifully sing the National Anthem before we took off, which was so meaningful and so nice to hear after the horrendous butcher job we experienced at Yakima!

the look of excitement

 I waved to Toby as we took off, knowing I'd see him several times during the run. I told him to go hang out and have some fun, but no, he popped up everywhere. It was funny. One time I didn't expect to see him and was in the zone and he suddenly popped out at me and said, "Boo". Anyhow, he took all these pictures posted in this blog!

I know it's strange, but my least favorite miles are usually the first 10 miles or so. This marathon was no exception. The first 10 miles were actually the least interesting, with a jaunt into a fairly new, concrete dense suburb. I saw Toby somewhere here, said something negative, and he said not to worry, the bike path was just ahead. The bike path portion of this course was AWESOME! For about 6 miles or so we ran along the Fox river on a narrow, tree lined bike path. We were shielded by the wind and best of all, all asphalt. (I need to mention that there was a lot of concrete on this course--my only real negative).

Crossing Fox river early on

De Pere Downtown area

Fox River Trail

Fox River Trail

About halfway I was starting to get really hot, so I let a couple of kids shoot me with their water guns. That felt incredible! I didn't panic--just made sure to drink more and take more electrolyte pills, but I knew it was going to get ugly later on! Somewhere after mile 16 we got off the path and ventured into east Green Bay. These neighborhoods were more mature, with more historic architecture and grown trees. Also, there were a lot of neighbors out cheering for us.

We ran through a small park on yet another asphalt bike trail, then we actually ran to the City Stadium, where the Green Bay packers used to play, went inside, and ran a lap around the inside track! They were playing old music, and while I was in there "Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding was finishing up, and then the song, "Stuck in the Middle With You" came on. "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am. Stuck in the middle with you!" Kind of appropriate!

After that little adventure we headed back to the Fox River Trail and ran through this tunnel where they had this interactive artwork display lining the tunnel. They were metal fish sculptures that lit up with various colors as we ran through. It was really really cool!

During the day the overhead lights are off

We emerged from the tunnel to a lively area where they had a fabricated wall for us to run through. They were blasting "Jump Around" on the promenade as we crossed over the Fox river to return to the stadium. We were on our 21st mile at that point. We ran through downtown Green Bay, which was cool, but from here on out details are a little sketchy. I'm remembering mostly neighborhoods and what seemed like a lot of turns, but looking at the map now I only see a few turns, ha ha. It got rough, not going to lie. I had been feeling pretty decent until we crossed that river. I had to take a few walk breaks and walk the water stops at that point. My calves were starting to cramp up a little too, so I just took it easy. At around mile 24 I could see the stadium--oh so close--and there was a "Parrothead" water stop with MARGARITAS! The salt on the rims of the glasses looked tasty to me! We approached Lambeau Field and they ran us onto the field where we took a lap!! SO COOL! We came out of there and around to the finish line!

Coming onto the field--FUN!

Finish line at last

My only emotional moment where I had to choke back tears was when they handed me this medal. Oh how I love medals, especially this beauty!

15th annual with a spinner football

Toby found me in the madness. When I tried to sit down my left calf went into complete spasms, with me screaming until he sat me down without bending that leg. I had visions of Jamie and an IV in my future, oh no! But after a beer and brats I was ok. The band turned out to be really good. At one point all of us were singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" end to end. I must say that it was a really great day to be in Green Bay!

Post race awesomeness

Thank you Toby for everything!!

Marathon #36: Yakima River Canyon, Yakima Washington April, 2014

When we told Brent Childers, who's from Washington state, that we were running this marathon he busted out laughing, asking us why in the hell we'd want to do that. When people would ask us what marathon we were training for, "Boston, Big D, Cowtown?". "No, Yakima Canyon"....vacant stare...I grew tired of repeating myself, "The run is in a canyon along the Yakima river in Washington state, home to the largest nesting ground of eagles, falcons, and hawks. It's remote. It's located approximately 2 hours east of Seattle. There are approximately 400 marathoners". And that look I'd continue to get, begging why???

Shortly after arriving in Yakima we began to ask ourselves why. We quickly grew bored, as there was not a whole lot going on in town, so we decided to drive the course. Usually we prefer to be surprised, but like I said we were bored, and also, a tad concerned about the terrain, since we knew there were at least 2 "hills" to contend with. We were so glad we drove the course, as it was surprisingly majestic and beautiful! Pictures do not do it justice, but even so, sadly, we did not stop and take many pictures! I think we were too concerned with trying to study the course and the placement of the "hills" during the race. After seeing what was before us we were excited about the race, which was good, because the pre-marathon packet pick-up and pasta dinner turned out to be quite disappointing.

We drove over to the Selah Civic Center, picked up our packets (no expo, as expected), and had our picture taken with Kathrine Switzer, our idol, who was to speak at our pasta dinner, along with her husband, Roger Robinson. She signed our books and gave us hugs! The dinner itself was fine, considering there was probably nothing better in town anyhow, and it was nice to be sitting among other runners, however, it quickly became obvious to us that we were younger than most of the other runners there! I'm still not sure if some of the folks there were for the marathon or just a good meal. There were members from the 100 Marathon club and Marathon Maniacs, as well as the 50 staters. Not a lot of first timers! Lenore Dolphin, the race director who is in her 80's, takes the stage first, and consumes close to an hour of handing out "You're Nuts awards" to certain runners or organizers within the crowd. This was all well and good, but then they had a bit of a memorial service to a runner from last year's race that was killed in an avalanche, which left less than an hour for Katherine to speak. Then not Katherine, but her husband got up to speak, which involved a bit of a marathon trivia contest with the audience. With 15 minutes remaining and no sign of the trivia ending soon, we decided to leave, so we never did get to hear Katherine speak. Very disappointing, but we had to get back and get prepared, since we had to be back in Selah for the bus ride to the starting line at 6:00 AM!

Race day morning finally came, and FINALLY, at 8:00 AM the race was underway! It seemed like we had waited for an eternity for this moment to come. (Boredom kills!) Another disappointment worth mentioning; the woman singing the National Anthem decides to "hurry it up" for whatever reason, and sings it as fast as she can. So wrong! At least we are off and running at last, into a beautiful sunny morning of peace and quiet into the canyon.

Per usual, Jamie, Laura and I split off right away and say "see you at the finish" as we each settle into whatever pace we need to be.  I have my headphones in, but don't turn my music on right away, as I am enjoying the quiet and occasional conversations going on around me.  The course, as promised by the drive, was just spectacular. I'd try to look around and take it in as much as possible, and at many times I had those moments where I thought about what Katherine's husband had said about marathons being a celebration of life and really found a lot of gratitude for the opportunity to be in this beautiful place on this beautiful day. There was a breeze, and it did pick up and blow us around a little bit late into the run, but for the most part we couldn't have asked for better weather.

My biggest issue with the course was the camber in the road. My left leg was getting beat up, in particular my IT Band and noisy hamstring, so I kept having to cross the road to find flat ground. It was a twisting turning road, so finding a groove proved difficult. A lot of us kept zig zagging across the road, so this was how it went. Another issue was the water stops. Our first one wasn't until over 3 miles, and they were few and far between after that, so I'd have to drink down a lot at once, causing some stomach issues late in the race. I was taking my electrolyte pills regularly though, so no dehydration issues. I did have issues timing my gel intakes, but it was all good. Time-wise, I was happy to see that at mile 13 I was at 2 hours, and at mile 20 I was just over 3 hours, so a sub 4:10 was do-able. (My new benchmark).  I had already tackled the first big hill without walking, but the second one was looming just past mile 21, and it was a doozy. Fist of all, this "hill" was a MOUNTAIN PASS. Over a mile long, up and up and up! I found myself walking before I knew it, and tried to get moving again, only to find myself walking again. I had no control over my legs saying time to walk. Ok, so I enjoyed the walk, took in big long breaths, looked around and took it all in. Thank you God. The view from there was wow, so worth it. After the summit I realized I had eaten up too much time and was cutting it too close, so I tried to focus on getting under 4:10, but my stomach was acting up, so I backed off and came into the finish at 4:10:51. I'll take it!

When I saw Jamie and Laura at the finish I played poker face, not saying I thought the course was brutal before I heard what they had to say, because honestly, I wasn't sure if it was me or the course. (My training was good, but I had the injury recovery and quality had been an issue). Immediately they started saying how hard it was, which made me feel better! They even said it was harder than Big Sur, which they did last year. Maybe my Big Sur memory is flawed, but I thought Big Sur was harder. Even so, it didn't have a MOUNTAIN PASS in it, so maybe they're right. Or maybe it's apples and oranges. Anyhow, trust me, it was hard. But it was also beautiful, and as Laura said, spiritual.

Ok so the finish line was a tad lack luster, off on the side of the road just outside the canyon, which was fine by us, as we had no intentions of lingering around. We were going to high tail it to Seattle and get our party on! Well....not so fast...Jamie's not feeling so good. She's shivering uncontrollably and suddenly can't move AT ALL. Her left hip seizes up entirely, so they have to carry her to the medical tent. Another disappointment, which is HUGE, is that they have absolutely no IV's, and not even Ibuprofin! Pathetic! So they have to CALL AN AMBULANCE (keep in mind there are already 3 parked ambulances right there), to come get her and take her to a hospital! Ridiculous! Old Lenore Dolphin race director rolls herself over in the wheel chair to check it all out, while the local EMTs stand around eating their chili hot dogs. (We didn't have anything like that there for us, by the way).  It took forever for that ambulance to come, which begs me to question what if something more serious had happened. Finally, after Jamie is on her way, Laura and I proceed to take the bus back to the car, then hotel, then hospital, and then, with 7-11 snacks loaded up we are FINALLY on our way to Seattle, through the torrential downpour with Jamie in the back, feeling much better! Poor girl didn't get a shower as we had to check out and pack up her stuff for her.

We pull up to the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle, let Jamie get cleaned up while Laura and I head to the bar, finally, for that post marathon beer! We just looked at each other with tired but happy faces, "Cheers".
The remaining trip in Seattle was filled with great food and fun and lots and lots of laughter.

As for this marathon....it really needs a face-lift. A changing of the guards. The only redeeming quality is the course itself. They have their act together with the buses and a few other things, but for the most part everything else is just flat out sub-standard or out-dated. Cheap tin and plastic medals, cotton T shirts instead of tech tops, hand drawn rudimentary maps on an outdated web page, no frills start and finish lines, etc. etc. For anyone wanting to run this course, and I say YES, run this course, but possibly stay in Seattle and pick up your packet race morning. And whatever you do, do not end up in the "medical tent".

Laura S-P, Jamie, and myself

Elevation Chart!

50 State Club? Maybe...maybe not!!

I love playing with this map tool. When I color in the states that I have ran marathon(s) in I feel like completing the 50 states is a realizable goal, but actually only 20 states are colored blue. When you consider that this map reflects 22 years of marathon running and that I am 53 years old, well...Also, when you factor in my success rate at making it to the starting line due to injury, or my desire to keep running marathons in California...well let's just say it will probably never happen. But it's still fun to play with.

My first marathon was New York City, but I ran it using someone else's bib, so officially I never ran it! Also, I DNF'd at the Mount Rushmore marathon in South Dakota, DOH! I ran the Marine Corps marathon, but officially it doesn't count for DC, which I think is rotten. There are some states that I will probably never travel to, due to lack of interest in running a marathon there, such as Hawaii (heat), Wyoming (altitude), or Georgia (Deliverance).

It's been fun traveling with Kathy Murgas on her quest to complete a marathon in every state. It has been my motivation in researching marathons across the nation for the past several years. I didn't make it to a lot of them with her, but I did manage to make it to New Orleans, Walt Disney World, Boston, Cape May NJ, Steamtown PA, Kiawah Island SC, Fort Collins CO, Hartford CT, Baltimore, and this October, God willing, her 50th state marathon in Newport, Rhode Island.

My alternate goal is to complete 50 states TOTAL, which is a bit more realistic, since my count is at 35 and my marathon wish list has roughly 15 marathons on it. But then again the wish list always has at least 15 marathons on it. I keep adding marathons! Just recently I added Tokyo, Platte Valley Nebraska, and Ventura California. I have yet to make it to Twin Cities, Napa, or Richmond, none of which will offer me the opportunity to color a state in blue. Sigh. Just fun to play with...

Blast from the Past: Photo of Club Run-On! 1997

Circa 1997 with Club Run-On! See any faces you recognize? Good times! Thanks to Bob Wallace and Run On! I believe this was taken just before the Azalea 5K/10K at Lee Park.

Wrapping up 2013

I'd like to finish off the year by writing about my top ten runs, like I did last year, but truth be told, 2013 was not exactly one of my best years, running-wise. Plagued with injuries and burn out, there were only a few shining moments of 2013 worth mentioning. Of course the greatest run of the year was my one and only marathon, the Newport Oregon marathon. My second favorite was not just one single run, but the weekly tempo runs Ginna and I ran on the Luke's Locker Wednesday morning runs in the summer. I really miss those and can't wait to get back to them! Running in Central Park was special. I ran past the Fred Lebow statue, which is especially meaningful to me because when I ran the NYC marathon in 1992 it was the year he also ran it with Grete Waitz. (He was the founder and race director of the marathon and died of brain cancer 2 years after finally running his race). I'm excited about being injury free and able to run in the upcoming Loop the Lake on the last day of this year! I am always grateful for every single run, good or bad--even my DNF at a half-marathon this year was somewhat of a fun "adventure" trying to get back to the finish line via multiple car rides of sorts. I was originally with the police escort, but he had to stay back and check on the "banana", a runner in a banana costume seemed to garner a lot of concern, so I hobbled out along an abandoned side street until a volunteer truck came by and let me hop in the back. That injury ended up being a dreaded "long term" injury with my marathon training coming to an abrupt end. Gels, electrolyte pills, bottle carrier, all of it left untouched as the marathon came and went. Even when I look back on the beginning of the year I recall that I started off with an injury, and then another! I was dragging my marathon training out further and further. My April marathon plans were foiled by family matters, so once again, the marathon training was extended until I finally ran Newport in June. The problem with burn out is it is not as easy to pick up on as a nagging potential injury. It's especially hard to pick up on in the summer, when quality running is hard to come by as it is. Well, looking back I can clearly see that I didn't have enough recovery between Newport and the ramp up for the next marathon. The long term injury was waiting to happen, and when it did happen, for the first two weeks my body didn't seem to mind the break at all. Most unusual. I must say that it is really hard to have a DNF in a race, and even harder to watch your friends run the marathon without you 3 weeks later, but gratitude grows. Some people have commented that it has to do with my age until I remind them that I have been straddling the injury/peak line for over 20 years now. The problem is as you get older the line moves. It's harder to tell what you can get away with. The short answer is, a lot less. I'd like to say I'm going to run "smarter" next year and continue to do my new stretching routine after every run (so far so good), but I struggle with playing it safe, so we shall see. As a matter of fact I am into week 1 of marathon training...here we go again! Here's to 2014 and I will see you on the road!