Kentucky Derby Half Marathon, Louisville KY April 2022

 

I refuse to refer to this race as a mini-marathon, as they call it. I bet they think it sounds cute, but the half marathon distance race has a name. It's called the half marathon. Stop being cute. Yes, it is a pet peeve of mine, and many other runners, ha! In hindsight I'm looking like a genius for choosing the half over the full, but I made that call long before race day. This was not a marathon that spoke to me, at least not in its current configuration. Before COVID the course ran entirely along the streets of Louisville, including a run through Churchill Downs, which made sense, as it is called the Kentucky Derby race, but last year they somehow convinced the fine people of southern Indiana to have the runners cross the Ohio river and run along a pedestrian bike path in Indiana for the majority of the race. Yes, it was probably deemed "COVID safe", but I can't wrap my head around what's in it for Indiana when everyone stays in Louisville and spends their money there...Anyhow, for 2022 the race director moved the first half of the marathon back into Louisville, but decided to run the second half out and back along the Indiana bike path again. For this reason alone I decided I didn't want to have anything to do with the full marathon and signed up for the HALF. 

2022 Course

Jamie needed Kentucky for her 50 state quest, and others joined in, so before too long we had quite the crowd from Dallas going to this one! Toby signed up for the full two days after running the Ventura marathon! After Ventura I kept running long and started thinking that maybe if it was a freaky cold day in Kentucky maybe I'd switch to the full, but I google-earthed the second half TWICE to try to get my head around it. It's a rule of mine; I cannot commit to a race unless I can mentally put myself there. I wasn't feeling it, and the forecast started deteriorating, so that was that. 

LSP, Jamie, and Toby for the full, and Tom and I for the half.

Race day morning was exciting! There were about 8,000 runners total, with all of us starting the race at the same time! It's been a very long time since we've had this experience, so it was really special. I liked that we were with the full marathoners for almost all of our race. We were shoulder to shoulder the whole time. There were spectators out in full force, and the water stops were spot on with tons of volunteers, including kids (I always get a cup from the smallest one and thank them). Mike Murgas found me early on, so we ran together until just before Churchill Downs (around mile 8 or so), but we never saw anyone else, but later others had stories of who they saw or ran with along the way. The run through Churchill Downs was amazing! We ran through the main entrance and ran alongside the race track, where training was taking place. Very cool experience!

After exiting Churchill Downs I started feeling the effects of the weather. It was pretty warm, but the main issue was the humidity. Once the sun popped out it started warming up really quickly. From that point on I had to walk the water stops and slow down, but still stayed within myself to enjoy the last few miles as much as possible--look around at the old buildings and the people all around me. As we split from the marathoners near the end ("mini runners turn right"...grrrr....) I could truly feel it, their pain, and it made me sick with worry.

Tom found me right away, and then the Murgi and the Brinks! Half marathoners all happy and ready to drink the beers! They all had the bourbon shots too!! Yes, our post race finish was lively and fun, which I absolutely knew would not be the case for the marathoners...

Half marathons are fun!

I knew Toby would be ok until after he finished (then he'd need to lie down and die), but I didn't know about the girls. At least they'd see each other on the out and back, so that would help. What I didn't know is that they were running together and both suffered greatly, but at totally different times, so they truly pulled each other through it. Jamie had "stomach" issues very early in the race when LSP was feeling fine, and then once they crossed into Indiana LSP started struggling when Jamie was actually feeling better. Both say they wouldn't have finished without each other and to see them come through the finish chute holding hands was something that still makes me cry. 

Not like us half marathoners at all

It took quite a while before they "came back to life" at the finish, but Tom and I pilfered their beer tickets so we managed ok, ha. On the walk back to our hotel we stopped at a great place for a proper celebration of a great day!

Stats:

Toby ran a 3:24, LSP ran a 4:20, and Jamie a 4:22. Toby placed 3rd in his age group and LSP placed 2nd! To add insult to injury the marathon course was a bit long! Toby's Garmin measured 26.65! Oh, and I ran a 2:12 half and so so grateful I didn't run the full. I had FOMO about not running across the bridge until I saw the steepness of it! No thanks!

ouch!

In summary...the marathoners didn't like the second half of the marathon, as I feared. Maybe they'll go back to the original course, who knows, but if I return to Kentucky to run a marathon I think I'll go elsewhere, however I do recommend the HALF marathon and the trip to Louisville! 

Marathon #57: Ventura Marathon, Ojai/Ventura California Feb 2022

Design by local artist who was at expo

Well here I am writing up another marathon race report! I was pretty sure the marathon I ran in December of 2020 was going to be my last, due to the back pain I was dealing with. It's been a long road of recovery, which warrants its own blog whenever I get around to it. As my back started improving I started thinking about running marathons again, dammit! A friend of mine said she was finally done with marathons and was so happy to say that the one she just ran was indeed her last! I was jealous. I wanted that feeling for myself. Maybe I'll just run one more marathon and this time if I decide it's my last it will be on my own terms. I went into the training, a) to see if my back would tolerate it, and b) to see if I could live with the fact that my finishing time AT BEST would be 4:30, but realistically could be as slow as 4:45. This is all me and my ego and my reluctance to accept that being in my 60's has anything to do with it...anyhow, on to the race report itself! 

First of all, the Ventura marathon is not the marathon that runs entirely in Ventura along the coastline. That would be the Seaside marathon. This race starts in Ojai, and finishes in Ventura. Not to be confused with the Mountains 2 Beach marathon, which does the same thing, but actually finishes on the beach. This one sticks around Ojai a little longer, "normally" finishing in downtown Ventura. I say normally, because this year the city of Ventura didn't permit the race to finish downtown, forcing it to finish on the outskirts of town instead. This change forced the race director to add the lost miles on the front end, in Ojai, resulting in not one, not two, but THREE loops back across the starting line. Also, no finish line beer festival, which cut me deep! The added loops/miles in Ojai increased the elevation to close to 500 feet before heading mostly downhill to Ventura. No, this was not the race I had signed up for, but hey, maybe it would seal the deal on that final marathon decision...

My marathon running buddies would be Laura (LSP), and Toby, his first marathon since his accident in 2020. Tom Patterson would be our heroic sherpa and traveling spectator for the day. It was a beautiful crisp cold morning in Ojai for the race start! LSP and I got choked up when they played the National Anthem. I had a lot of gratitude in that moment for many things in my life. 

Forecast was mostly cloudy...

At one point on the course a man with a bullhorn said, "If this is your first pass, turn right". Ojai was pretty so I was enjoying the scenery, but I knew what he was going to say next time around...before we got to that point though, the top runners came screaming by. There were SO MANY sub 3 hour runners, including the top 2 females! This is not the crowd they have had in the past! Anyhow, I came across the bullhorn guy: "If this is your second pass, turn right". UGH. This was truly the lowest point in the race. These loops were hilly and taking their toll. Not to mention passing through the start line yet again. As we encountered the bullhorn guy one last time we were finally told, "If this is your third pass go straight". Whoo hoo we were finally heading west! This was just shy of 11 miles. 

We ran through downtown Ojai before hitting the bike trail, which we stayed on all the way to the finish, so it was a nice, short little lively stretch. It was about here that the 4:30 pace group came along, so I tacked onto them for a bit, but when I hit the trail I could tell my legs were already feeling a bit beat up, so I mentally braced myself for what was to come, let the pace group gap, and settle into whatever pace my legs would allow. The bike trail was gorgeous! It was mostly shaded by pine, eucalyptus, and palm trees! At some points we would be parallel to the road to Ventura, which allowed spectators to repeatedly see their runners. I was staying pretty close to two young girls who had a huge group following them along the way. It broke up the quietness of the trail, but the quietness was quite nice, to be honest. I didn't play much music!

It was somewhere around mile 21 where the unraveling began. My left calf was ever so slightly starting to cramp. I had been diligent about my electrolyte pills and water, so I felt like it was the terrain getting to me. No, I don't care for downhill, indeed, when the trail turned upwards my calves were relieved. Still, the sun was out in full force, as our shade was now gone, so I started walking the water stops, drinking 2 cups each time. The girls were starting to struggle too-as I passed them I came across their caravan and told them this is when they need you the most! I never saw them again, but I'm sure they finished! As badly as my legs felt, my back was fine! Was never an issue-so grateful for that!

The scenery on the outskirts of Ventura was dreadful; a water treatment facility, oil rigs, a yard of abandoned trailers, but I don't think it mattered much. I was taking way too many walk breaks. My legs were just giving me fits. I was doing the math....looking like a 4:40 finish...what say you? Are we still having fun? On the last mile before we rounded the corner to the finish my right hamstring cramped up and I was like holy hell I'm going to be hobbling down the barricaded finish, what a sight! Once I turned and heard people cheering I got really choked up and realized that I was finishing yet another marathon and it felt just as exciting and meaningful as the first one. Marathon, I can't quit you!

Never gets old

The finish area, although not in Ventura with a beer festival, was in a nice grassy soccer field, which I thought was fine enough. But we did eventually have to go to where the beer was, of course.

Stats:

Toby ran a 3:16, which is nothing short of amazing, given where he has come from. He texted his surgeon his results, saying, "You gave me hope the moment I arrived in the ER". He was blown away.

Laura ran a 4:02! 

I ran a 4::41. It's a new era. Time to embrace it.

Coeur d'Alene Half Marathon and a Digression (or Two)

 

Which one ran the half? Ask us to stand up...

The reason why I only write about marathons and not half marathons is because with the half marathon I tend to have very little to work with. As much as I enjoy running half marathons, the heart of the matter lies in the struggle, and things get way more interesting beyond 13.1 miles. Even a poorly executed half marathon ends without mortal reflection or a tapping into deep physical or mental reserves. For those that have never ran a marathon, it is NOT simply two half marathons. One may say it's more comparable to three half marathons, but I truly believe it is apples vs. oranges...or apples vs. some kind of fruit that tears you up from the inside out, yet leaves you euphoric and full of yourself. 

I have ran three half marathons so far this year, and I have to say I did not miss the pre-marathon race week stress that accompanies the marathon. My version of taper madness has ranged from mild fretting to full on psychosomatic injury or self sabotage. I have had real afflictions, like a kidney stone that I passed fifteen minutes before race start. Talk about stress! I did not miss the crazy marathon dreams, where I found myself showing up late to the race wearing wooden clogs and carrying my purse. I slept pretty damn good the nights before these races!

The first two half marathons I ran this year were planned half marathons. My next full marathon was supposed to be the Coeur d' Alene marathon in Idaho, but...

Last year, as Covid took over our lives, I started having back troubles. The initial "blame game" was placed on becoming less mobile by Covid (no more job, gym, yoga...), then Toby's bike accident (hours in hospital chairs, etc), and then my sister's sudden death, the crushing final blow. The pain would start out as a general tightness, which would increase until it felt like someone jumped on my back. I finally went to a back doctor who revealed this:

One of these is not like the other

Strangely enough, I have a spine compression between my L1-L2 lumbars. It's a mystery. It could be from an accident in my past or even genetic, but surprisingly enough it is not due to running. In fact, let me brag on my other lumbars, as they look pretty good for someone who's ran 56 marathons. The bad news is the only real fix for this is spinal fusion, which is major back surgery reserved for incapacitation, not so I can continue to run marathons. Enter the rabbit hole of pain management, PT, gym work, stretches, blah blah blah...all I can say to those who fall into this hole is to open your mind. Call me Alice, but I have become a believer in so many therapies, gadgets, and stretches. It's been months of hard work with agonizingly slow progress, but I finally made my way back to my regular weekly runs, and able to run half marathons, which is way beyond where I thought I could ever be! I'm not sure if I will be able to move beyond this point, but I'm still working on it, slowly, so we shall see.

I've had interesting conversations with my pain specialist, and yes, the rabbit hole involves this too. He said he tells his patients to stop running at 60. I was 2 weeks shy of my 60th birthday when he said this. One has to imagine what type of 60 year olds he's used to seeing to make such a statement. As he went on to justify his stance I realized I was somewhat of a unicorn in his world. He needs to take a trip around White Rock Lake on a Saturday morning! We tried a couple of cortisone shots without any success so I've moved on, but I would like to go back and show him my progress and tell him how I got there, if for no other reason just so he'll know that it can be done. 

It has been a long road back though, not going to lie. At its worst my back was described as "a piece of rippled cardboard" by one massage therapist who took ten sessions to work out most of the ripples, or knots in my back. My chiropractor was dry needling several muscles surrounding the compression that were more prone to spasms. What little running I was doing involved stopping as soon as the back started tightening up and walking it in. I started working on core strength by returning to the gym twice a week to lift weights, and I became more diligent about doing my "stretch routine", which is mostly moves I pilfered from yoga. Gaining mobility was key. I forced myself to go walking, which I hated with a passion, but I did it anyway.  What's funny is after several months of all this my back started cracking and popping, which is something my back rarely ever did! I have never had this much back movement in my life. 

Before I run. Oh how I miss just running out the door

"Activate the core" before you run

Oh yeah...I did come here to write about the half marathon! Well, there was no drama. I simply got out of the car and ran across the starting line whenever I felt like it, which was 6:15 AM, and proceeded to follow the arrows out of the park onto the course along the lake. I'd be running out and back on what was the second half of the full marathon course, and I timed it so I could catch Kelly and LSP (who were running the full) as they were heading out. (Around miles 11-12 for me). They chose a 5:30 start time, so they got there long before I did. They were supposed to meet me in the lobby so I could come down and wish them luck, but they were freaking out and left before I got down there! So much drama with the full!

The starting line is all mine!

It was a pretty course, but not like level 10 Big Sur pretty. There was a waste water treatment facility and a section of housing construction, but the worst part was a long stretch of no shade on a black asphalt path. The sun was so high, even that early in the morning, that I felt like I was being baked. I told myself this would be the most challenging part of the marathon, especially after it warmed up. I did catch the two of them heading out like I planned, and told them it's all good! (No need to tell them it's going to suck in some parts). The last mile went back into the park, which was madness. People coming every which way, dogs, strollers, just a cluster, and it had one of those circular finishes that goes ALL THE WAY AROUND the finish to the actual line. This is probably one of my top ten pet peeves of a marathon. My back behaved, and I ran just a little bit faster than my last half, but mostly I was, again, just really grateful to be able to run this.

I was saying how unfair it was that the most beautiful stretch of this course was for the full marathon only until I saw how hilly it was! 

Level 10 beauty

It's still interesting to see how all these races have had so many different Covid precautions in place. All of them except for one had bottles instead of cups at the aid stations. All but one of them had rolling starts instead of mass starts. The packet pick ups have been outdoors, except Maryland, which had a drive through packet pick up! None of them had beer at the finish. One race actually checked our temperatures as we entered the corral, and one race made us show proof of vaccination or negative Covid tests before giving us our packets. Some races made us cross the starting line with masks on, and one race wouldn't let us pass through the post race finish "food tent" without a mask. Maddening, yes, but these were assurances of the safety of the race, which were necessary for the race to take place. Approvals were needed. Race directors had to attain certain comfort levels with certain officials. Finding these races was a challenge! 

With the spring season over we look to the fall races. I'm feeling pretty confident that our quest for finding races is over, but what will the fall races look like? What Covid precautions will be in place and in what form? At what point will mass starts resume? When will the beer return? Will it ever be like it was? I'm thinking the answer is no, because we are forever changed.

I will return to write about my next race this fall, but at this point I have no idea if it will be a full or "just a half". Seriously people, stop saying that.

  

Tips for traveling to Races

 

The finish line awaits!

I've been traveling to races for decades and I'm pretty sure I've made every mistake mentioned below. Hopefully you will benefit from my mistakes by heeding my advice...

Packing: Do not rely on the weather forecast and pack everything! Even if rain isn't in the forecast pack for it. This has bitten me more than once. For me, this includes a running hat and a throw away rain poncho to wear to the race start. 

For tops I always pack a tank top, a short sleeved top, and a long sleeved top. Most race day mornings I have found myself deciding which top to wear based on the current temperature and hourly forecast, factoring in wind chill or humidity. Even though I normally run in shorts I throw in a pair of tights just in case.  It helps to lay everything out as if you were about to put it all on, possibly catching something you missed. 

Sometimes I pack "throw away" clothes to wear to the race start, but other times I pack clothes that I bag check for after the race. These decisions are based on the following: Is there a fairly long walk to the race start, will I be standing in a corral for a long period of time, will I be waiting for others to finish or spending a good deal of time outdoors after the finish, will I want to run in two shirts until it warms up and toss my outer shirt along the course. Don't rely on Mylar blankets at the finish line for warmth, as they aren't always there, especially at smaller races.

The things most people forget to pack include: sunscreen, body glide or Vaseline, sunglasses, and race day breakfast, including utensils; a spoon for your oatmeal, a knife for your peanut butter.

No accessory left behind!

Another rule that I never break is: Do NOT put your running shoes or clothes in a checked bag at the airport! Don't put them in a carry-on suitcase either, because sometimes they check your carry-on due to limited space in the overhead compartments, or just because they deem your carry-on is too big. (Even if this is the same carry-on you have had for 20 years; trust me it happens). Carry your race day items in a backpack, and consider wearing your running shoes on the plane. Luggage gets lost, even on direct flights. 

Pre-race planning: Hopefully by race week-end you have a pretty good idea of what works for you in terms of pre-race day lunch or dinner. It would be wise to do some research on the local restaurants and possibly make a reservation. Most people opt for an Italian restaurant, but what I have found is that most Italian restaurants quickly become overwhelmed, especially in smaller towns, so my general rule here is the earlier the better! Even "to go" orders get bogged down. If you have a large party of six or more you will potentially have a more difficult time getting through dinner in a timely manner. You may want to consider splitting up into smaller groups. I have found that a very late lunch works better for me, but then again I eat breakfast before the race, so it's an individual thing. Another thing to consider is eating at other types of restaurants, like Thai for example. (Assuming of course, that you have already tested out Thai food as a pre race meal)!

Going to a local store for "necessary items" is a good idea too

Hotel: There are a few logistical issues to investigate when it comes to choosing a hotel. If it involves your car and a valet driver in the wee hours of the morning this can be an issue. Yes, I've been bitten by this one! It involved a terror-stricken valet guy staring at a mob of twenty plus runners demanding their cars ASAP...make sure you will have access to your car or even better, that you are within walking distance to the race. 

If you are checking out after the race you may want to get a late check-out, so be sure to ask for the late check-out as you check in. The earlier you ask for it the better your odds are of getting it.

If you are staying in a hotel within walking distance to the race, please pay attention to this rule, especially if you are "directionally challenged": On race day morning, as you exit your hotel look around at your surroundings and the street crossings near by. Know what street your hotel is on! It's usually dark when you head out and you're distracted by the upcoming race and blindly following everyone to the race start, so it's very common to get turned around and have no idea how to get back. Yes, I have been bitten by this one, but luckily with today's technology you can find your way back, assuming you have your phone with you...

Race day miscellaneous advice: When mapping out your timeline on when to get up, when to leave the hotel room, when to get to the starting line, etc. factor in extra time for everything. Hotel elevators can be problematic, for example. You may encounter traffic or parking issues if you're driving to the start. If buses are involved, there can be issues there, so it's best to try to get to the buses as early as possible. There have been stories of bus drivers getting lost, eating up a large amount of valuable pre-race time.

 Porta-potty lines can be ridiculously long, even at smaller races, especially if there are way too few of them or half of them are zip-tied shut. (Yes, that really happened). And not that this has anything to do with traveling to a race per-se, but as a rule ALWAYS bring your own toilet paper.

Well it is a stunning backdrop...

General advice: Every time I travel to a new town for a race I do a little research on things to see or do, if time allows. I try to choose local restaurants over chains as well. I'm always pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness or charm of the places I've been that stays with me longer than the memory of the race itself, although I do try to choose races that showcase their town's character as well.

And one last piece of advice: thank the volunteers and let them know how much you appreciate them! 

Enjoy that finish line!

50 State Quest 2020 Update

 

In my last 50 state update I commented that we always plan our races in pencil, as we never know what the future may bring. I said that long before Covid-19!

We did manage to run marathons in 2020, but none of the ones we planned. The one that hurt the most was our big trip planned for Alaska. We did make it to a race in Idaho, but I only ran the half due to injury. Idaho still haunts me! (I broke my foot before the one planned a few years ago). We got creative and went with a trail race in Kansas, since trail races had a better chance of happening than road races. Just before the pandemic hit hard (Feb) Jamie ran Louisiana, and she squeezed in Nebraska just 2 weeks before Kansas! In December it was a Christmas miracle, as my Mississippi marathon was seemingly the only race that didn't get canceled. Completing this one was extra special because I got iced out of Jackson a few years ago!

So now Jamie and I are tied with 12 marathons to go! We both have 9 marathons to run that are the same, and then we each have to run 3 that the other has already ran, so as you can see the planning is quite challenging, even without a pandemic to work with.

Spring 2021 is already iffy, as a lot of races have already canceled or postponed until the fall. We have no idea what we will be running! The fall may be easier to plan, as it appears that "normalcy" may start returning then, but you just never know. Hence, all plans are in pencil...

My Top Most Memorable Runs of 2020

 

Having popsicles 6 feet apart

I've been staring at the screen for what feels like an eternity. At the end of every year this would come easily to me. But today, not so much. I am grateful for all the runs of this year, and am certain they helped my sanity, but I'm not so sure they can overshadow what a horrible year this was. Not to mention all the other awful things that happened in 2020. If someone erased 2020 from my brain I'd be ok with that. But for now it's sitting here in my head, waiting to be poured out in summation, and frankly, I need the closure, so here goes...

The year started off with a bang, January 7, with the death of Neal Peart (of the band Rush), and although totally unrelated to COVID it was a sign. (FYI yes I am a serious Rush fan-one of the few female nerd fans). In February Jamie and I went to New Orleans to run in the Rock and Roll race. It was your typical cluster of a race, followed by a week-end with the masses on the streets of New Orleans, chaotic, crazy, fun, and the last time in 2020 we would have such an experience. In March, specifically March 11, my birthday, the worm turned as the NBA shut down the season. COVID became real. 

For the first few months that followed we all retreated indoors and all runs went solo. They even turned off all the fountains at the lake. We were still naively thinking marathons were going to happen, so we were still running long runs, which were painful to do alone. One of my most memorable runs was a long run in April of 21 miles where we couldn't take it anymore and decided to run together, and it was eerie and empty at the lake. We got some stink eye looks and comments from others that day. In fact, it took awhile before groups started running together again and the fountains were turned back on. 

So Pac trail is normally very busy

Race cancelations started happening one after another, and yet the long runs continued, which was good, because the days grew darker. Toby was hit by a car while out on a bike ride (he ran a red light and didn't see the car). Luckily he survived, but had surgery and intensive recovery to follow. Then later that summer my sister died rather suddenly. She had a bad liver, so we knew this was a possibility, but when it happened it happened quickly. With everything else going on my passing of a 5 mm kidney stone was just a blip, even though it took 3 weeks and finally passed 2 days before surgery. Then came the back troubles, which I attributed to COVID and everything else. Still, even through all of this the runs continued...

Finally, in late August a race did NOT get canceled, so off we went to Mesa Falls Idaho! 

Jamie and Jerod ran the full and Jedonna and I ran the half

It was so fun to run in a real race once again, even though it was pretty small. Great scenery helped!

Back in Dallas we had peeps who were running the virtual Boston marathon, so we collectively put on a "race" at and around the lake. Everybody from our running group and several significant others and family members had a hand in putting this on, which ended up being one of the most amazing events of 2020. 

In the fall we ran a trail race in Kansas, which again was pretty remote, but it felt good to finally run a marathon in 2020. I blogged about it here:

 https://tntlinder.blogspot.com/2020/10/marathon-55-kansas-rails-to-trails.html

As the COVID numbers started rising again late fall I didn't think my next marathon was going to happen, but it did. Blog: 

https://tntlinder.blogspot.com/2020/12/marathon-56-mississippi-gulf-coast.html

Yes, running events did happen, and we had some fun group runs, but there was no White Rock Lake Celebration Run, no Turkey Trot, no local Dallas marathon, no festive hill run, and no NY Eve Loop the Lake, which was beyond depressing. I think it was fitting that my last run of 2020 was alone in the pouring rain. 

As we roll into 2021 it's still the same story, at least for the first few months, with running events canceling or postponing already, but we do have hope that better days will come this year as the vaccine continues to get distributed. I will be curious to see how long it takes for the return to "normalcy" in road races. I'm hoping it happens by Fall...but it might not. The smaller and more remote races have a better chance of happening. We will continue to hunt them down! 

Here's to a better year than 2020, which is a pretty low bar, but hey I'll take it.

Marathon #56: Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon, Biloxi, MS, Dec 2020

 

So many things to say. I encountered the entire rainbow of emotions, which doesn't always happen (Thank God), but it's been one hell of a year, so truth be told it was expected.

Like most marathons scheduled this year I didn't expect this one to happen. Since races were being canceled in the eleventh hour I couldn't fully embrace running it until I was actually at the starting line. Also, I struggled with the idea of wanting to run a marathon during a pandemic, especially when the Covid cases exploded after Halloween and Thanksgiving. I was still struggling with back issues, so the idea of a cancelation would have been met with "it was meant to be". Well apparently running the race was meant to be, as both the BCS marathon and Dallas marathon (on the same weekend as this one) were canceled, but this one wasn't. I wasn't feeling as lucky as I should have, that's for sure!

Toby and I flew out the day before the race, with just enough time to hit the expo (outside at a local restaurant), hit a local brewery, then later dinner to-go from a great Italian restaurant near the hotel. We didn't even see Jedonna and Jamie (running the half) until race morning! We dropped them off at their race start on the way to my race start, with both races starting at 7:00 AM. Both races would run almost entirely along coastal Beach Blvd into Biloxi and finish just outside the MGM Ballpark. Toby said he'd see me around mile 8 or so. I told him to bring my water bottle in case they had aid station issues. I had my doubts that they'd be able to find enough volunteers to help out during a pandemic. Since it was going to be a warm and humid run this would be a big issue for me. He couldn't park at the start, so out of the car I went! I spent most of my time in the super long porta potty line, which was fine, as we all had to wear masks and pretty much keep to ourselves. Hearing the National Anthem brought the reality home to me at last. It was happening!

We all crossed the start in small groups spread out, wearing masks, then I took the mask off and wrapped it around my arm for the finish. Finally, relief, great relief came over me. The sunrise was spectacular, and yes it was warm and yes there was a head wind, but the wind actually helped keep me cool. The water stops were amazing. They were spread out every 1.5 to 2 miles and were always fully functional with enthusiastic volunteers. I liked that you could see the next aid station on the horizon. Those early miles were enjoyable. The scenery never got old. It was just beautiful the entire way. I saw Toby and told him all was good. I wasn't sure when I would see him again, but knew that at some point he'd be running with me. 

Before too long, maybe mile 16 or so, all of them drove by, screaming and cheering out the windows! They asked if I needed anything, but no, I was good. I put on my happy face, which I told myself to do, even though inside I knew I was having a really tough time physically already. I always try to explain the sensation of simultaneously being in extreme discomfort and total joy in these moments. There's nowhere else you'd rather be, but you want it to end as soon as possible. 

Happy face!

Toby was waiting for me at mile 20. Right away I found myself apologizing for the state I was in. At this point my pace had dropped way off, and I had to take walk breaks as well. He tried running in front of me to help block the wind, but I found it annoying. I found myself trying to talk, which wore me out, so I turned my music back on and found a little bit of joy. After all, I was RUNNING WITH TOBY! Ok so it takes him getting hit by a car to run my pace, but still. When I'd do the math and tell him to text the girls waiting at the finish my finishing time he'd tell me to stop it. I was calculating the decline precisely. I was definitely coming in at a personal worst time ever, and I wasn't liking it at all. The final devastating blow was what can only be described as cruel, and that was the course veered onto a highway on ramp, where we ran along highway 110 (I am not kidding). There was a U Turn up ahead, but it was the U Turn for the half! Our U Turn was even further up the freeway! After the U turn we "exited the freeway", and rounded the corner (3 times) to a glorious finish line just outside the ballpark.

priceless pics

Shortly afterwards we all walked to the end of the block and sat on a patio and drank and ate while watching the last finishers get escorted in. A man in an octopus costume greeted the last runner and ran her across the finish line. It was amazing to see.  What a GREAT day for all of us! 

Meeting Anil and Ajay was a highlight for sure

So I ran my slowest marathon ever in 4:44. My ego has been struggling with it, but then again I'm just so happy I had the chance to run this race! It is one of my favorite races. It's very well ran, even during a pandemic, so I can only imagine how much better this race is in "normal" times. Finishing in the Ball Park and partying (with beer) in the ballpark must be a blast. I'm not sure why they insist on running the last 2 miles on the highway though. Maybe they'll change that in the future. Biloxi is a fun town as well. Run this race if you get a chance!