A 50 State Quest Update

 

A lot has happened, or should I say NOT happened, since my last update. I've been stuck at 12 states to go since last year. I decided to move forward with half marathons for now, especially since we are on the final stretch of Jamie's quest! 4 more states to go for her! (Michigan, Vermont, and Maine this year, and the grand finale in Hawaii next year). I've had issues with my back off and on, and pulled an adductor muscle last summer training for Alaska. Also, after last summer's training in the heat (a big fail) I have decided I just can't handle the heat anymore. Until next summer rolls around I'm going to keep trying to make it to another marathon though. I'm targeting Nebraska in May, and/or possibly Michigan in June. I have to say, regardless, this has and continues to be a lot of fun, especially now that Toby is on a roll with marathons. I've made a map for him too:

2023 is going to be one crazy year, that's for sure. The "quest", whatever it ends up being, continues...

Big Beach Half Marathon, Gulf Shores, AL, January 2023

I can't remember why we decided to run this race. It wasn't a state Jamie or I needed to run in since we ran a marathon in Mobile back in 2012. I think I became interested in it when Toby's brother ran it as his first marathon last year. That's when I first heard of it at least. In summary, it is a great race! Most of the courses are entirely within the Alabama Gulf State park, on asphalt trails winding through native wetlands, Shelby Lakes, and campgrounds, finishing alongside the Gulf beach in front of "The Hangout" restaurant and bar. It's a fairly new race (this was their 9th year), and appears to be growing in popularity every year. Gulf Shores itself is a great place to visit as well. Ok on to the race report...

At first I thought I'd run the full marathon, but after a couple of long training runs I decided to sign up for the half marathon instead. I felt like I was taking on too much trying to build back my base from my summer injury at the same time. Robin decided to come with us, as she did need to run a marathon in Alabama, and Toby signed up for the full because he's on a roll, so why not? Jedonna and Jamie signed up for the half.  

This race has a really unique challenge aspect. There's a 7K race held on Saturday. If you run the 7K and the half marathon you get a dolphin medal (which hangs from hooks on the half marathon medal), and a shark medal if you run the 7K and the full marathon. Of course Toby and Robin wanted the shark medal, because the shark medal was very cool, and Jamie wanted the dolphin medal. Jedonna and I had zero interest. Now if they had had an octopus medal...At any rate this was a great little race held in the park near the expo/packet pick up area, so it's a great way to get in a shake out run if that's your thing.

The expo and packet pick up was OK. Most days these things are "not what they used to be", with much fewer vendors, but they did have a pet snake from the zoo, which Robin and I adored and petted while the others stared with horror. I was really disappointed to see that they didn't have any race gear for sell. As this race grows I hope they add this. Our race shirts were long sleeved tech tops at least.

The weather on Saturday was near perfect. And you know what that means...Sunday's weather was NOT...It was 61 degrees and humid at 6:00 AM. With the hope of rain or at least cloud cover we thought we'd fare well enough, but as we walked to the start, our friend the sun was there to greet us.

It was a bit of a scramble at the start, since we only gave ourselves enough time to check our bags and line up, but the moment of the National Anthem, beautifully sung, was perfect for the setting of intention and gratitude. Oh how I love these big starts!

The first mile of the race is on a pretty wide road, which is good, since both the half and the full started together. Right off the bat I put on my sunglasses, dammit. It was warm, really warm already. The 2:15 pacer was nearby. She was running the pace I wanted to run, but too chatty to get too close to. We were still a bit too bunched up when we entered the park and hit the trail, but it did spread out over the next few miles. I really liked this park! The asphalt trail was in pristine shape! There were some tiny rollers and a few twists and turns, but overall very pleasant, that is except for the wooden bridges. Sigh....I absolutely HATE wooden bridges. And there were a lot of them! At first, just a few shorter ones, but later into the race they seemed to get longer and longer. They were in pretty good shape though, and since we didn't get the promised rain they weren't slippery wet either. And some said it was to protect us from alligators below, so there's that. No, I won't pet an alligator!

We split from the full marathoners on our 8th mile. Even though I was still feeling good and running an OK pace at this point I was SO happy to take the half turn! My clothes were soaked and I had already taken 3 electrolyte pills. Oh I want to point out that they had something on the course I have never seen before! At the water stops they had water in these funky pliable rubber cups that are REUSABLE! They get cleaned and used at another local race. What a fantastic idea! The company is called Hiccup.

After mile 9 things started going sideways, as expected. I tried to make the most of it, but was growing tired of being in the park. It was getting hot in there, and the breeze from the upper boardwalk stretches was starting to feel nice. The worst section (and I believe I can say this for the full too) was where we came off a wooden bridge through a campground of large RVs, no trees, sun beating down, then onto this:

The only real hill on the course

When you came off of this you were finally out of the park, onto Beach Blvd, back to the finish line. Although we were running alongside a somewhat busy road it was nice to be out in the open. It was a long stretch though! Somewhere along here the 2:15 pacer came by, silent and lonely. Sorry, I got nothing for you! I was always looking ahead for that left turn, and it doesn't come until you really are "almost there".  This short little stretch next to the beach was a great finish!

I quickly found the "J girls" and we proceeded to partake in the post race festivities until the marathoners would come in. Toby's brother Darius was on the course giving us Toby updates. Strangely enough there were no chip mats on the course, so we had no idea how Robin was doing. I was worried for both of them, but they rocked the marathon! And they got their sharks!!!

Stats:

Jamie: 1:56, 4th in 45-49

Jedonna: 1:59 1st in 60-64, and the only sub 2 in our age group!

Me: 2:17 lost 5th by 20 seconds. Doh!

Toby: 3:20 1st in 55-59!

Robin: 4:13, 2nd in 50-54

All who placed got awards and beach chairs!

The full marathon medal with the shark!

The marathoners liked the course ok enough. Their route was mostly more of the same, zig zagging through the park some more. Toby actually liked the bridges. He said they were springy. We spent hours at the after party. The Hangout was great! They never ran out of food or beer! 

The next morning we woke up to near 70 degrees and dense fog, conditions even more horrendous for running! To top it off we came home to Dallas just in time to get iced in for 2 days! Oh January and your whacky weather. 

Juneau Half Marathon, Juneau Alaska, July 2022

 

Full marathon start

I really wanted to run the full marathon, in fact I've never tried harder, without succeeding, to make it to the starting line of a marathon in my life! I should have pulled the plug way back in June, when the weather was already causing me grief, but back then there was no way of knowing it was going to be one of our hottest summers ever. I had a game plan for battling the heat though! This time around I started using liquid IV instead of water and electrolyte pills, as well as Hammer Nutrition's Liquid Endurance formula. We even traveled to cooler places for some of our long runs. I did an 18 mile run in Oklahoma City, but it ended up being about 2 degrees cooler than Dallas, so that run was pretty ugly, then a 21 mile run in Lubbock, which was cooler, and finally, a planned 22-23 mile run in California. Since Juneau is hilly I ran hills, hills, and more hills. A shout out to Chad Costas for the Loving Hill sets. Those were great! 

I'm not sure what caused it, (duh, every marathoner says this), but I started having a strain in my adductor while running, which I managed with stretching and massage, but it got worse towards the end, so that's that. When I got to California I had to run! I had mapped out one of the prettiest runs along not one, but two beaches! It was 55-60 degrees with a marine layer for cloud cover. I managed to run a painful 16 miles, to cover the ground of the two beaches of course, and sealed my fate. If I had felt confident about my marathon training up until that point I think I would have been more upset about the injury, but to be honest I felt relieved. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I switched to the half marathon, hoping I'd be able to at least run that.

Ok so onward to the race! At least Toby and Jamie survived the training for the full, and Jedonna joined us for the half marathon, her first since her foot injury this spring. We went from record 100 degree heat and no rain to 55-60 degrees and intermittent rain, which was a complete shock! The one word that accurately describes Juneau is wet! 

The packet pick up was in a local store similar to an REI. It's a small race: about 50 people for the full, and about 100 for the half. The shirt is probably one of my favorites, as it's a technical shirt with the Alaska state flag design, and not cluttered with sponsor logos. Once I got that shirt I knew I'd hobble through the half no matter what. Sigh, of course I would.

On race morning the four of us drove over to the starting line to drop off Jamie and Toby. Jedonna and I would have to wait 2 hours before we started. Admittedly, although beautiful, the course did indeed appear to be quite hilly as we drove over. Jedonna said to Jamie, "It will all be over soon. It will all be over soon", as if she was going in for a colonoscopy or something! The bathrooms at the park were still locked, so we had to do a quick detour to the porta potties on the course, making for a bit of a scramble. There were no chips, so the runners had to "check in", where a guy manually wrote the numbers down in a notebook and marked the bibs. What year is this?

Can you feel the excitement?

There was no national anthem or music-just some rambling about indigenous people and then a bullhorn. Jedonna and I went back to the hotel to chill out before our race. Of course I had been ready to run since before dawn, so I was a restless mess. I made more coffee that I didn't need and tried to educate myself on Alaska by watching their local cartoon, "Molly of Denali", who, along with her culturally diverse friends and her Siberian Husky dog Suki, get themselves out of Alaskan themed adventuresome jams. 

So FINALLY, Jedonna and I make our way to the starting line to check in, listen to the indigenous people speech, and we are off! The course is laid out as an out and back for both the half and the full, with the full marathoners turning around at mile 13.1, and the half marathoners turning around at 6.55 miles. Having the full marathoners start 2 hours before us allowed us all to finish closer together, which was cool. 

Our turn!

It didn't take long for me to thank God that I didn't run the full marathon after all. The hills were no joke! We never ran flat! It was gorgeous though; a pine tree lined road with occasional water falls and little river crossings. There were a few glimpses of  downtown Juneau and the cruise ships across the water. It never rained heavily, just a constant, cooling drizzle. The temperature hovered at about 55 degrees the entire morning. And of course not a hint of sunshine. In short, it was perfect running weather! 

Of course the first person I saw from our group was Toby, running really strong, with our exchange centered around where the car was parked, then Jedonna with Jamie right behind her! I figured I had a good 6-7 miles in me, and I was right. After the turn around I had to take walk breaks here and there, and even though I knew I wasn't doing my injury any favors I couldn't help but enjoy where I was and what I was experiencing. I looked up and saw my first eagle! We later realized they were everywhere. After I finished we all headed over to the food, which I was excited about, because in the past they had grilled salmon. I had been thinking about that salmon on the run. They had a great spread of sandwiches and pasta, but no salmon! It still hurts to think about it.

Toby caught these pics of us girls finishing:

Stats: Toby ran a 3:21, and got 2nd place in the Senior category.

Jamie ran a 4:03, 1st place masters and declared the RRCA Master's State Champion (we weren't sure what that was all about, but hey).

Jedonna ran a 2:01 and placed 1st in the GrandMaster category.

I ran a 2:27, probably my worst time since I stupidly ran the DRC Half 6 days after the Marine Corps marathon, but they insisted I go ask how I placed. I encountered a guy with a lap top and a woman holding about a hundred tiny scraps of paper in her hand and said "never mind". Gee if only we had the technology...It turns out I came in 4th.

I was lamenting how I didn't get a chance to run the run part of the course that rounded the bend, giving a viewpoint of the Mendenhall glacier across the water, but Toby and Jamie said I didn't miss much, as it was somewhat foggy and most of the course was just more of the same-constantly rolling hills, with the steepest climb at the 13.1 mile turnaround. It was a beautiful course for sure, but could be considered boring at times I guess. No turns, no real change in scenery, an out and back can be mentally draining, no spectators except for a few family members, not many runners, and a bit of traffic whizzing by on the way back.

 I'd recommend this marathon primarily based on it being in Juneau, which was nothing short of a fabulous place to visit! Our remaining trip was over the top, clearly eclipsing the marathon event. Even if you don't run you must go to Juneau! Go whale watching, go out to the Tracy Arm Fjord to see the Sawyer glacier, go see the Mendenhall glacier either in town or along a hiking trail nearby! Eat the salmon. Eat the halibut fish and chips! Juneau Alaska is truly a bucket list place to visit.

Sandy beach at finish line park area

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!