Blast from the Past: Toby's Quest for a Sub 3 Hour Marathon, Austin Feb 2006

Teresa here. Below is Toby's story, but I will preface it with mine.  I knew I had a job to do that morning, and I took that job seriously. It was more than a job--it was payback for all the times Toby had and continues to do for me. Support crew. If you support a loved one in a race please know that you are a very important person and play a very important role. It may seem trivial that in a 3-4 hour span they see 30 second glimpses of you and you only converse in sound bites. It is not trivial. That's why on race day morning when the hotel valet guy stood paralyzed in the parking lot I shoved him out of my way and grabbed my keys from his counter. Yes, my keys are the ones with a plastic Happy Bunny figure that says, "You Smell like Butt". Easy to find.  As we got close to the starting area the cars started backing up and nobody was moving. I kicked George and Toby out and managed to find a place to park in a residential neighborhood, which was quite a ways away. I wasn't sure I'd find them again, but more importantly I worried I'd miss their start, but at least I had gotten them there. When I arrived at the starting area I was relieved to hear they had delayed the start, so into the building I went to find them. And find them I did! They were sitting on a carpeted floor in some room or hallway. Toby ordered me to go find them a bathroom, since the lines outside were too long. George gave me this puzzling and pitiful look, and I said, "Oh this is payback, BIG TIME. I'm on it."

30 minutes later, the race started! They were off! At about that time there was some screaming further back. A deer had jumped into the starting area! Geez, what a heck of a morning this was turning out to be! I ventured back to my car, driving the icy roads like a maniac, trying to get from one spot to another. I remember I had to pee and didn't have time to stop, not even for coffee, as he was running so freaking fast! The first time I found him I was in between mile markers (miles 8-9?), so I had no idea if he was on pace or not. As the 3 hour pacer and his crowd ran by Toby wasn't in it. My heart sank. Less than a minute later he ran by and yelled out that the pacer was going out too fast. 

The runners looked awful, with frost on their hats and gloves, their red faces, and sometimes an occasional bloody head or knee from those who had slipped on the ice. (It was particularly dangerous at water stops). Nobody looked like they were having fun, so I didn't feel so good about Toby's chances of running a sub 3. It wasn't until I saw him the 3rd time, at mile 22, when he said to me that he had it that I thought it might actually be happening...but then again it was mile 22. So much happens beyond that mile! At any rate I almost slipped and fell on a patch of ice running back to my car to head to the finish. 

I found our peeps at the finish line bleachers. It was a good vantage point; the finish line and clock to the right, and the runners rounding a corner to the left. I remember looking right then left a million times as the clock inched closer and closer to the 3 hour mark. 2:56 to the right, to the left, no Toby, 2:57 to the right, to the left, no Toby. They were maddening minutes that seemed to last forever! Come on Toby, Come on Toby! I started getting that dreaded feeling again. I wanted him to come around that corner so badly! 2:58 to the right, to the left, HERE COMES TOBY!!!!! All of us were screaming, cheering, crying, jumping up and down!!! Kathy and I raced to find him past the finish, in tears, to congratulate him. It's a moment that I will never forget.

Here is Toby's story:

When you last heard from me (Boston 2003) I was freshly released from the medical tent with the cotton ball of courage taped to my arm. I’m back…

After my Boston meltdown, I didn’t even think about attempting another marathon.  That one left a scar which would take a few years to heal.  After Boston there were some changes, starting with matching feet in January 2004.  Going back in November 1993 I had “elective" surgery on my right foot  due to pain in my big toe during / after riding, running, walking, etc., In late 2003 the pain in my left foot was exceeding my threshold and it was causing compensation pain in my right hip, thus another surgery was in the cards.  For you medical types, the official procedure, “Shortening/Plantarflexory first metatarsal osteotomy with internal screw fixation and remodeling of metatarsal head”, there now you know as much as I do. In people speak,  I have limited range of motion in my big toes (inherited from my Dad).  It took 6 weeks to return to cycling and 4 months to run.

Another big change was my "retirement” from the perils and dangers of bike racing in 2005.  I moved to something safer, motorsports!  Initially kart racing, which is slightly safer than racing a bike in spandex (made the switch from karts to cars in 2010).  I had also been fully assimilated into the running collective thanks to numerous running relays (i.e. Texas Road Kill). Basically I was becoming “a runner”, the horror.  For some unforgotten reason I decided it was time to conquer another marathon.  This would be marathon #4, the choice, Austin (Freescale) Marathon in February 2006.  I don’t know why I chose Austin. Probably because back then “everybody” went down for the Austin Marathon as Teresa wrote in her Blog Austin 2004.  This time around it was all about time, under 3 hours was the goal, 6:52 pace, (previous best 3:15 @ Disney, 2003. TnT Blog Disney 2003)

Due to my wonderful feet, yes that’s sarcasm, my body revolts (i.e. gets injured) if my weekly mileage gets above ~35 miles / week (still does to this day).  The solution, Furman! Not to be confused with Furby. First to Furman is an 18 week program based on running 3 days a week with cross-training on another 2 days (cycling and elliptical for me).  While averaging ~28 miles/week for a marathon might sound easy (and maybe crazy) it wasn’t.  When Furman says run, it means RUN!  No sloth runs, no matter how you felt. Average training pace, ~7:05.

I precisely followed the program, which kept me below 35 miles per week, but there were still a few “scares”. Five weeks before the marathon, hamstring problems, no running or cycling for 10 days. I did the elliptical twice to keep my sanity.  Three days before the marathon I was traveling for work and tapering didn’t sound wise, thus I smartly hopped on the hotel elliptical contraption like a rabid runner, made my calves so sore I could barely walk the next morning, much less run, genius move. Even with these small set-backs, I was confident in my training and actually felt prepared to run a marathon, two firsts.

My Boston 2003 meltdown taught me to be aware of the weather and the course. It also taught me that it was wise to train if you plan to run a marathon.  I made my own pace band that accounted for the ups and downs on the course.  Unlike Boston the weather wasn’t going to be too warm.  The forecast called for freezing temperatures with some over-night precipitation.  The forecast turned out correct; the morning temperature was in the 20’s and would stay below freezing for the marathon. Not to mention the ice...

  

As Teresa mentioned, the first challenge of the day was getting our car from the ONE hotel valet among dozens of runners, oops.  Tense scene, Teresa to the rescue, Happy Bunny key ring and all! The drive from the hotel to the start had some icy spots which added to the tension, but as we neared the start area, gridlock!  This was the first time for the event to start at the Freescale campus and their parking / traffic plan (if one existed) was failing.  It didn’t take long for panic to engulf the car as we feared we would be stuck in traffic and miss the start, so George and me abandoned Teresa and began our journey to the start area.

We actually got slightly warmed up by our trot, only to discover the event would wisely be delayed by 30 minutes.  Now we were on the hunt for warmth, so headed inside the Freescale complex with the masses.  Teresa managed to park (ditch) the car and somehow found us, which was good, because I “instructed” her to find us a bathroom as the the porty potties were as poorly planned as the traffic plan.  She obliged.  A good luck hug from the Wifey and off to the start line we go. Not exactly off to a drama free start.

  

George had (wisely) not been part of my sub 3 quest. Common sense prevailed around mile 5 as he found his pace (finished with a 3:19).  It took my feet about 6 miles to thaw out and I was a little behind pace, 6:56's.   Speaking of pace, they did have a 3 hour pace group.  I decided from the start to ignore the bunny-man and run my own run pace.

By the half-way mark the temperature was up to a balmy 30°F and I was back on track, 6:50’s.  Between mile 15 and 16, Alan Bogard joined me to keep me company.  (I had done a similar thing for him at Chicago in 2005 when he qualified for Boston).  Teresa and the Murgi were there too.  I could tell they were still a little concerned as the 3 hour pace bunny was about a minute in front of me.  I told them, "HE'S STILL GOING TOO FAST!”.  I gave Alan a brief update, basically everything is going to plan, keep it on 6:50’s and we’re good!

Alan Bogard pacing Toby

Mile 20, still on track.  We passed the 3 hour pace bunny whose fast pace in the beginning has scattered his bunnies.  Teresa is at mile 22, and I tell her, "It's in the bag", she says, “don't say that!”  Keep in mind she's the experienced marathoner and knows things can turn ugly in the last few miles.  Not today.  The last 5k was the fastest, cruise control mode.  Any guesses who came flying by around mile 25?  Yep Mr. 3 Hour Pace Bunny.  Apparently he feared not making 3 hours and decided to drop it down to a low 6 minute pace for the last mile, which dislodged his last remaining bunnies.  To his credit he did wait after mile 26 to get any bunnies under 3 hours (you can see him in the background in my finish photo).

Unlike my previous marathons, there was no amusing drama, just the cheers and screams from the Wifey and our friends as I crossed the line with a 2:58:26 (6:49 pace).  It appears proper training pays, and being blessed with a good day! Official results have me at 2:57:16.  Besides the ice, the delayed start and the deer, there were timing issues.  It took them several weeks to release official results that used an overly complicated and incorrect method to turned my 2:58 into a 2:57.   Afterwards John & Lisa Tully (who had recently moved from Dallas to Austin) hosted the post marathon gathering at their home as we all got to share our typical war stories, good times!

I’m writing this in June 2016, thus more than 10 years have passed and I’ve managed to conquer an additional 9 marathons.  Ironically Austin was the “easiest” marathon I’ve ran. I was actually able to walk “normal” afterwards.  I’ve been known to lay down on a park bench or get hauled off to the medical tent.  I haven’t attempted that pace again, those days are in the past.  If I was faster (like a 2:30 marathoner) then maybe I would claim to be a HazBeen, thus I’ll be content with being an AlmostWuz. 

Note 3 hour pacer in background

For my trip down memory lane I searched the results for Dallas peeps, interesting list (in particular Laura Patterson, we didn’t know each other existed back then, small world)

Melisa Christian 2:48

Dan Ronan 3:15

Mina Pizzini 3:23

Kelli (Murchison) Rothman 3:18

George Brewer 3:19

Jack Becker 3:28

Perry Skidmore 3:33

Cheryl Camin 3:37

Linda Stacie 3:36

Laura Harvey 3:39

William Tichenor 3:51

Laura Steen Patterson 3:56

Dena Timm 3:57

Eunsup Kim 4:04

Toby's team

50 State Club Update

The map is starting to look impressive. With 27 states complete I am over the halfway mark! I still haven't signed up with the 50 state club, as I am still somewhat non-committal. I ran LA earlier this year and will run Boston for the 3rd time next year, neither of which helps the cause. Also, even though I have Missouri in pink as an upcoming marathon for this year I still haven't fully committed to it. I just don't know if I can stomach another summer of marathon training for an  October marathon! This would be the Kansas City Marathon that I signed up for 3 years ago, trained all summer for, and pulled my hamstring 3 weeks out and missed. I am signed up for Delaware in December though (Rehoboth Beach), and I am fully committed to the Freedom Run in West Virginia next year. Once I get to 30 states I may have to sign up!

Marathon #43: Fargo, North Dakota May, 2016

Downtown Fargo

Standing inside the Fargodome with the masses...waiting for the race to start...a woman in a tutu leans into her nervous friend's ear and tells her, "It's just another day ending in Y"...Indeed, after months of training it boils down to this one day, and you get what you get and you make it what you make it. I am in awe of this woman and this advice for her friend who is having a hard time coming to terms with the enormity of the adverseness that awaits her, and in fact all of us, just outside those doors. When Mother Nature throws down a warm sunny day for a marathon you have to look inside yourself and say it. Just another day ending in Y...Deal with it. I want a tutu.

So let me back up. The three of us, me, Mark, and Jamie, coming off the LA marathon, ramped up our training to run faster times on a flatter and supposedly cooler course choice. We each had really strong training sessions going into Fargo. Mark's goal was 3:25, Jamie, around 3:40 to qualify for Boston, and I felt like I could possibly break 4 hours, which I haven't done since 2010. When the forecast started showing warmer temps I was disappointed for all of us. Still, we kept telling each other that maybe without the humidity it would feel cooler, maybe it will be cloudy, blah blah blah...

We met up with Robin (who flew directly to Fargo while we drove in from Minneapolis) at the expo, and convinced Zelda to pick up her half marathon race packet even though she wasn't running it, due to her foot not allowing her to train. When she saw the bib with her name on it her wheels started turning...DO IT DO IT DO IT...We all went out to eat dinner that night at a really good Italian restaurant (thanks Robin!) and then off to bed!

Race morning...Zelda is going for it!

So there we were, race day morning...indoors, trying to gauge what awaited us outside! I have never started a marathon indoors before. It was surreal, especially when the mayor of Winnipeg Canada took to the microphone (I'm not sure why) and started talking. His thick accent made me feel like I was in a Saturday Night Live skit. First they played the Canadian National Anthem (again not sure why), then ours, and off we went, out the doors into the bright, blinding sun!

Initially it felt somewhat cool, even though it was sunny. There was the usual jovial early mile mood among us. Robin and I ran together, sharing stories, but just past mile 6 I could tell I needed to back it down, so I told her I needed to slow down and let her go on, which was painful to do, because the distraction was really nice! I put my music on and started focusing on the fact that it was heating up rather quickly and I'd have to step it up on the water stops and electrolytes. Just after we split from each other we left a neighborhood and entered the first of two bike trails that undulated along a river and park area. Although pretty, it was annoyingly narrow, twisty, and hilly.  Not a fan!

I must say that Fargo really gets into their marathon. The streets and bike paths were lined with spectators, bands, boom boxes, college kids when we ran though the University, water hoses, kids with squirt guns, you name it. Anyhow, by the time the four hour pace group passed me by (mile 13?) I was well aware of the fact that I was already on "survival mode". Each water stop would involve walking and double fisting, getting in as much as possible, and sometimes doubling up on electrolytes. I'd throw everything at it, just to feel "OK", but it wasn't working. After the college campus out and back we got on another annoying bike path. A woman running next to me, a local, yelled out to her spectator friend that it was a beautiful day for a run. What the heck? She sounded a lot like that lady in the Fargo movie when she said it was a beautiful day during the snow storm. Maybe it was a joke and I didn't get it. Her back was sweaty. I was so confused!

We were off the second bike path and back on the streets somewhere around mile 16 or so, which was kind of a relief, although the path did have more shade. When there was no shade it was a beat down. I had turned my music off at some point, but came across a horrendous voice of this guy trying to sing, oh my God! I shoved my plugs in my ears and cranked up my music as loud as I could until I got by him. I was succumbing to brief walk breaks by mile 18, getting high fives by little kids for "power" and interacting with the spectators along the way. A guy said to me, "It's a hot sucky day", and I said, "Is it? I thought it was me." We had our names on our bibs, so sometimes people would call out to me by name and that was nice. I'd whimper out a thank-you. At one water stop someone said something encouraging to me and I whined, "it's soooo hot", like a big baby.  A lady was handing out bottled waters so I took one and downed most of it as I walked around the corner. Seemingly without warning there it was, the glorious 20 mile marker, unceremoniously standing there with a pile of discarded water bottles piled up beneath it. Usually when I encounter mile 20 I make some noise, because to me mile 20 is a big moment in the marathon. It's the starting line of the second race, the race within the race, where all the craziness of marathon running lies. I took my bottle and did an underhanded throw into the pile, saying "fuuuuuck you and your woooood chipperrrrr" and resumed running again in silence. Just another day ending in Y...suck it up, buttercup.

We ran through downtown Fargo around mile 22. The people were lined up gauntlet-like, which was really cool, but after that stretch it grew quieter and bleaker as we headed back to the Fargodome. Those were the toughest miles yet. I had consumed all I could without getting "slosh stomach", but my calves started cramping up regardless, causing me to half stumble on occasion and force me to walk again. I knew that if this thing didn't end soon I would reach a point where I couldn't run anymore. Thankfully, the Fargodome appeared and we began to round it. I thought I saw Robin in front of me, but wasn't sure it was her. My mind loves to play tricks on me, so I didn't believe it was her. We turned into the dome to finish and there she was, just ahead of me past the finish line! If only we knew we were so close to each other! We could have suffered together! Jamie, Mark, and Zelda were waiting for us. Jamie rocked it! She ran a 3:41, qualifying her for Boston! BEAST MODE! Mark went for it, almost knowing it wouldn't work, but he had to try, finishing with a 3:46. Zelda ended up running the half! Robin and I finished with a 4:13 time. I found out later that I finished 3rd in my age group, but what's more interesting is that I went from 6th to 3rd during the last 10K, which is a testament to how ugly that last 10K was for all of us. Thank you, Tutu Lady, because your advice helped me on that last 10K so so much...

Finish inside the Fargodome

Later that day we participated in the 27th mile Pub Crawl, held in downtown Fargo. Thankfully all of the participating pubs were within walking distance of the hotel, so we managed to hit all the pubs and receive our 2nd medal of the day!

And a beer opener to boot

Fun fun fun

Although I wouldn't consider this marathon course one of my favorites, I did enjoy the people of Fargo and getting to hang with Robin for the first time, and also enjoyed the endless laughter that comes with hanging with the Saxtons and sissy Jamie! We missed Toby but he was car racing in New Orleans. His face time with us after the pub crawl was entertaining I'm sure. Best line of the week-end came from Zelda, "What is up with the kids these days and their snatch chat"?

I heard it was 29 degrees in Fargo for last year's race. Now I "betcha" that was a beautiful day!

Marathon #17: The Chicago Marathon, 2005

Chicago view from the "bean"

Below is my race summary, written shortly after running the Chicago marathon. At that time I had no idea that this would end up being the fastest marathon I would ever run, even though I was 44 years old at the time. It was my 3rd marathon in 5 months, so I was tired and had a nagging hamstring. My only goal was to enjoy the ride, so I actually swapped bibs with a friend, giving away my competitive start advantage so she could have a better shot at trying to qualify for Boston, walked back to the general masses and climbed over fencing to join them. They used this marathon in the movie "The Spirit of the Marathon", where they followed a handful of marathoners during their training and the race itself. There's a scene shot from above where the gun goes off and the masses start moving forward. You can't see me, but I am there. I'm not sure why, but every time I see it I get tears in my eyes.

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Just completed my third marathon this year of what has been my own version of  a Triple 

Cripple Crown of marathons, which began with Vancouver Canada in May and then San Francisco 

in July. I figured if the third marathon was significantly different as in not hilly it

would take away from some of the pain of it being the third. Yeah I'm sharp like that.

First of all, this marathon is BIG TIME. The whole city is on board. It's kind of

maddening to deal with all week-end,  starting on Friday. Luckily, everyone was wrapped 

up in the White Sox game on Saturday, which stole a lot of marathon thunder, but I was kind 

of relieved. And the White Sox won, which is good. We didn't want crabby spectators on Sunday!

Pre-race: It was near perfect 52 degrees and partly cloudy. The start was pretty 

organized for such a large crowd. The only issue I had was I had to climb over a chain link 

fence to get into the corral. I knew that skill would come in handy some day. People, you got

to love them, especially when you toe the line with 40,000 of them...And we're off! 

Crazy! wild people screaming from everywhere! Clothes flying--stuff all over the ground for 

at least a mile. The crowds throughout were just SO LOUD. I carried a small bottle of 

Gatorade so I could run past the first few aid stations. This was a good move.

I ran with the 3:45 pace group from about mile 6. It was great. The crowds would cheer 

louder for us as we came through, yelling 3:45, 3:45! Around mile 11 I picked it up to 

catch the 3:40 group. I think I caught them around 13-14, but couldn't really stay with 

them that long. I felt myself slowing down as I got closer to mile 20. My legs were 

feeling tired. Not sure if I liked the total flatness of the course. I was getting 

"scrappy" in the later miles. Getting tired of human contact. Seems like I was running 

into someone or someone was running into me quite a lot. Lots of people just coming 

to a complete stop right in front of me.  The water stops were just a big sticky mess

with slippery cups everywhere. It was hard to look out along the course--you really 

had to watch your footing and the people around you. Even at mile 23 I got boxed 

in and had to weave around.

Somewhere around mile 24 the 3:45 pace bunny comes by so I hook back on. There's no 

longer the big crowd of 3:45 runners with him--just a few. I hung on as hard as I 

could, but when he looked at his watch at mile 25 he got this worried look on his face and 

off he went. I was thinking jackass! I tried SO HARD to go with him but my 

calf would just seize up and I'd do this half stumble and have to slow it down. 

Chicago has a great long finish with bleachers full of screaming spectators on both 

sides. I wanted to sprint it, but the calf was making me look like an idiot every 

time I tried. I finished with a 3:46:33, which is a PR by about a minute.

Finish chute: Thankfully uneventful--got properly "processed" and moved along quickly. 

This marathon has its act together. From the expo-packet pick up to the race itself 

and post race, NO complaints, none. Oh, and later that night I shook the hand of the 

winner, Felix Limo. He was lying on the floor of the lobby with his sock foot in the 

air, trying to get his foot in our way as we were taking a picture of the lobby. 

That's one very fast foot.

Felix...would NOT sit in chair...

The Bottom Feeders: My 10 Least Favorite Marathons

Not one of mine...Odessa marathon...look at that scenery! Sorry LSP!

I'd like to say that every marathon experience has been great in its own special way, and for the most part this is true, but I hate to admit it, I didn't exactly love all of them equally! When making my list of my 10 least favorite marathons I tried to be objective and keep my own personal experiences out of it and judge fairly. So here they are, starting with number 10 and ending with my all time least favorite marathon....

#10. White Rock Marathon, 1993 version.
Technically, the White Rock marathon no longer exists, as it is now called the Dallas marathon. The course has changed considerably since 1993, with the biggest change being that it no longer runs entirely around White Rock lake. As the Dallas marathon continues to make changes to incorporate newer neighborhoods and less of the Lakewood and White Rock Lake areas I will be more inclined to run it once again. To be fair, my main reason for considering this marathon one of my least favorites is mostly subjective. This is where I train! By the time the marathon approaches I am so sick of White Rock Lake and Lakewood! In 1993 I was at the halfway point of the marathon and could see the downtown skyline across the lake. Yes, the finish line was in that horizon. The distance between me and the finish line was all too familiar. I knew exactly where I was and what was around every single corner. Boring! Some people find comfort in familiarity. I guess I don't fall into that category.

 I just ran the Dallas Rock and Roll Half marathon and really enjoyed it, mainly because we ran through the newer neighborhoods of Dallas, including Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. We also ventured into Kessler Park, a neighborhood I hadn't ran in since the good old days of the "Kessler Classic 10K".  These areas would be great to run in a full marathon someday.

#9. San Diego Rock and Roll, 1998, the first ever Rock and Roll...
They were overwhelmed with over 25,000 runners signed up for their inaugural event. Their water stops were a disaster, and most of their live bands didn't even show up on the course. The course itself, which has changed since then, wasn't the greatest that San Diego has to offer, and even included a make-shift plywood bridge late in the race. We had a great time, regardless, but I'm still not convinced this race is the best it could be. I'm from San Diego, so in my opinion it doesn't accurately capture the soul of the city as I know it.

#8. Vancouver Canada, 2005 version.
This is a beautiful place, but the race organizers get an F for this one. The water stops were few and far between, and in more recent versions of the course they have stopped runners to allow cars to pass at various points, utilizing chip mats to subtract standing times. Seriously? By all means. travel to Vancouver and enjoy its beauty, but don't bother with this race.

#7. Baltimore, Maryland.
If you are running the full marathon be prepared to be ignored and trampled upon by the half marathoners at this event they call a "running festival". The half marathon starts at the exact time the bulk of the full marathoners run by, merging into one another after about 200 yards of fencing. Yeah. It's a pretty course, but the marathon is just an after thought. Be prepared to search for a full marathon medal at the finish, and if you happen to need medical attention you will be out of luck!

At least we were able to find the beer trucks...

#6. San Antonio, 1998 (before Rock and Roll)
It's hard to be objective when your major complaint is that it is almost always too warm and humid in San Antonio for a marathon. The marathon itself wasn't terrible, but there were glitches with mile markers and water stops. It was a pretty small crowd, which isn't the case now, so maybe it's a better experience overall.

#5. Houston
Organizationally, this marathon is top notch. I just didn't find the course interesting and had way too much concrete.

Close my eyes and make it go away!

#4. Santa Barbara
This marathon had a short life, which doesn't surprise me. I ran their inaugural, which was pretty bad, considering what they had to work with. The first half circled remote areas inland around Goleta before heading towards Santa Barbara. The saving grace for the course was the final mile, coming off the ridge; mountains, on the left, ocean on the right, and palm trees lining the street to the finish. They never improved on the course, so it died off I guess.

13 miles and still nowhere near the beach. But saw the goats...TWICE

#3. Tulsa's Route 66 marathon
What I said about Houston applies to this marathon as well. It was one of the most boring courses I have ever ran with way too much concrete. Organizationally it was awesome though.

It wasn't all bad

#2. Eugene Oregon, 2008 version
I was really disappointed in this one. It was one of the smallest marathons I'd run, but I knew it would be small. I expected too much, I think. The year I ran it, the famous Hayward Field was closed off to the runners, and our finish line was in the parking lot of the Autzen Stadium. The course zig zagged through the town of Eugene and along somewhat boring bike paths around town. There was no charm to this one, but Eugene is a fun town.

Seriously, where the hell are my sunglasses?

The last mile into the parking lot. Can you feel the excitement?

...And now for the absolute worst marathon I have ever ran...

#1. The Las Vegas marathon, 1995 version.
I don't think this marathon will ever lose its position as my least favorite marathon EVER. I don't think it can get any worse than being dropped off in the desert and having to run along an abandoned highway for 26 miles, seeing your hotel in the horizon, never moving, forcing you to look down and stare at a yellow line in the road instead. The single turn on the course was about 200 yards from the finish, leaving one half of my body sunburned. At the finish line I had stale popcorn and water from a dixie cup that crumpled in my hand. Over time the crappy finisher's medal has oxidized to where you can't even read what it says. I think it's fitting.

My reminder to do my homework on choosing marathons!

Marathon #16: The San Francisco Marathon, 2005

Favorite bridge in the world

Until I ran the Big Sur marathon two years later the San Francisco marathon was my favorite marathon and is still one of my fondest marathon memories. The funny thing is I signed up for the San Francisco marathon on a whim when I saw the medal at the Vancouver expo. I was already signed up for the Chicago marathon in the fall, so I was really taking a chance, but the medal! Combine that with the opportunity to run across the Golden Gate bridge, my favorite bridge in the world (yes world), whoa. Kristen Smith signed up, and Selma signed up for a half. Back then you could sign up to either run the first half or the second half of the full marathon.She signed up for the first half, which included the bridge. We were going to have a great girl's trip!

Selma, me and Kristin, pre-iPhone camera days!

I have some childhood memories associated with San Francisco. In the early 70's we lived in Oakland and Alameda, but my parents never brought us into  the city. I always assumed it was really far away. One time my uncle visited us and took my sister and I into town and to Fisherman's wharf, where we ate Dungeness crabs and sourdough bread from a sidewalk stand. To me this was "exotic" and wonderful. The city itself was so vastly different from the military housing neighborhood we lived in, or the suburbia of Oakland. So much adventurous potential: Chinatown, Alcatraz, and of course that majestic orange bridge...As an adult I was a bit miffed at my parents when I realized how close to San Francisco we really were, but back then people with kids didn't go places, or at least that's my mother's story...

The course would start and finish along the Embarcadero, where the famous fisherman's wharf is, along with those outdoor sidewalk stands that still exist today. We would run along the waterfront, through Fort Mason, up and over the Golden Gate Bridge, turn around, cross the bridge again, then head out to Golden Gate Park. The Half marathoners would start or finish in the park, as the full marathoners would continue through the park, exiting onto Haight street. We would run through the famous Haight-Ashbury district, popular from the 60's hippie culture, then head towards the south beach marina and the ballpark for the San Francisco Giants. We would finish along the wharf, just past the ball park. I was very excited about this tour of San Francisco!

Kristen and I were very cool about this race. Mentally, we were 100% determined to enjoy the run no matter our pace, since we were both coming off other marathons (me, Vancouver, her, Boston), and this course would be extremely hilly. We would both be running Chicago in a few months, so this was entirely for fun. It's one thing to say you're going to be cool, but we were there. Even in the morning's chaos, which was a ridiculous 5 minute wave start mess, we were calm. Maybe because we actually started at something like 5:20 AM in the dark! We quickly lost each other and were off on our own, along the Embarcadero, lit up with neon signs. Once we hit Fort Mason and entered the bay area it was noticeably darker, combined with a very thick fog. It was a bit eerie, especially when the occasional fog horn would blow. It grew lighter as we got closer to the bridge, and in the distance I could see the "ants" climbing up the hill to the bridge, our most significant climb of the race. The reality that I was about to climb up to and run on my favorite bridge in the world hit me and I got very emotional. It was one of those moments that I continue to have in other marathons that's hard to describe. It's mostly gratitude, being in the present, being at peace, thanking God that I am there and able to be a part of it. They are fleeting moments, so I take them in as much as I can, then get on to business. And as for reality, well the reality of running along the bridge truly ended up being the thing I liked least about the marathon! They only sectioned off one lane of the road to accommodate both directions of runners, which made for a lot of elbowing and jockeying around slower runners. Every quarter mile or so there were large metal grids that were wet and slick. They were too wide to jump over, and as I cautiously ran over them I could feel my feet slide. The biggest disappointment of all though, was the fact that the bridge was entirely ensconced in fog. All I saw were giant orange cables rising up into the fog! Sadly enough I was very happy to get off that bridge of madness and onward to serene moments once again.

There were glimpses of the Pacific Ocean as we ran along Lincoln Boulevard towards Golden Gate Park, which were stunning. We ran through the Golden Gate Park in its entirety, seeing all of the sights in there, such as the Rose Garden and the Japanese Tea Garden. As we exited the park Ghirardelli chocolate sponsors were handing out chocolate covered raisins. We hit Haight street, which was really cool, but quieter then expected until I realized it was only about 8:00 AM!

As we headed back towards the bay side I found myself picking up the pace, as the last 10K was downhill to flat. It was surreal how good I was feeling, as it was something I had not really experienced before. Later I looked at my splits and noticed it had been my fastest last 10K in a marathon! When I crossed the line Kristin was standing there with a big smile on her face. She had just ran her fastest marathon! My finishing time was 3:51 AGAIN, just like Vancouver!

a happy finish, but aren't they all?

It's actually a coaster, but I wouldn't dare

I compared today's map to the course I ran and it looks almost exactly the same, along with the options to run either the first or second half of the course for a half marathon. Also, there's a picture of runners going across the bridge with a full lane utilized now. I'd love to go back and run a half marathon, but will have a really hard time deciding which half! At any rate, I am always up for going to San Francisco, as it is truly one of my favorite cities.

Marathon #42: LA Marathon, February 2016

Rodeo Drive! I LOVE LA!

Finally, after years of on again off again plans to run the LA marathon I finally did it! This would be the best opportunity to run it, since it would be held one month earlier in order to accommodate the running of the Olympic marathon trials the day prior. This meant we would get to run in cooler weather and get a chance to watch our Dallas women run in the trials. Well, at least one of those two things came to pass! Onward to my race recap...

After landing at LAX and dealing with ridiculous LA traffic, the first order of the day was to get to the expo at the convention center downtown. The expo was a little disappointing for a marathon of this size. Skechers had a lot of LA marathon apparel, but there weren't a lot of vendors there. Later that night we met up with Dean and the Pastre's for dinner within walking distance of our hotel. They tried to entice us to continue onward to a wine bar, but we knew better! (Although it was only Friday, and not the night before our race).

The next day we all headed down to the USC campus to position ourselves on the Olympic Marathon trials course. Since they ran on a looped course we saw them 3 times. Toby got some great photos. It was great watching our local runners run strong races, but it was also painful to watch the suffering in the "blistering heat", as the commentator kept repeating. Indeed, LA was having near record temperatures this week-end, and the trials didn't even start until 10:00 AM. I started getting a dreaded feeling in my gut that my own race was going to be really really painful the following day.

After 41 marathons I don't get that nervous, but this one was rattling my cage the night before. I really had to work to get my head wrapped around it. Even so, come race day morning I was ready to face whatever the day was going to bring. Mark, Jamie, and I boarded the bus to the Dodger Stadium, leaving Toby and Zelda with the immense challenge of trying to navigate LA traffic to spot us on the course and make their way to the finish in Santa Monica.

Ready for battle

It was crazy at the stadium with the long lines and the searches for everything like where to check our bags or find our corral. Jamie and I handed our bags off at a UPS truck and asked, "Is this right"? We couldn't tell. There were several trucks, but the kid said yes, so that was that. Good-bye stuff. By the time we got to our corral (we were in a timed corral ahead of the masses) I had to go pee again, but they were going to close off the corral entrance in 5 minutes, so I decided it would be better to suffer than end up starting further back. (We're talking over 20,000 runners). We had another 30 minutes to wait, so it was not comfortable, but at least I was pretty confident that I was well hydrated. I made Jamie and Mark move up further ahead, as I stayed near the 4:00 hour pacer. We started just before 7:00 AM with Randy Newman's "I Love LA" blaring from the speakers. Seriously.

The first 6 miles were probably the hilliest, with really steep declines that my quads hate with a passion. Luckily I had been training for them, so I got my feet under me and leaned into them, saving my quads. We were all packed together as we wound around the stadium and then through Chinatown. By the time we started heading west my tank top was already soaked. "It's going to be one of those days" I thought, as I hit every water stop and started breaking into the electrolyte pills earlier than planned. This is about when Toby and Zelda showed up for the first time, and it was really great to see and hear (Zelda) them! Shortly after that I flew into an open porta potty, finally!

Mile 6, when smiling is easy

I couldn't believe we were actually running on Sunset Boulevard! Off in the distance you would see the Hollywood sign on the hillside. It gave me chills. We ran by so many interesting sights, Echo Park Lake, the Hollywood Walk of fame, Grauman's chinese theater, and Chateau Marmont. Not only that, but the course was alive with diverse groups of people out cheering, playing music, or handing us water. I didn't turn on my music, in fact, when I saw Toby and Zelda again around mile 16 I tossed my mp-3 player to them. After that sighting they were off to Santa Monica.

Mile 16, Mark looking strong

She looks strong, but said she was dying

I got a lot going on at this point, hands full

Even though I could feel it warming up I think I was distracted by more sights, like the Troubadour and Whiskey A Go Go. This was the real deal! Hollywood! We even ran along Rodeo drive in Beverley Hills! All of a sudden there was Jamie at a water stop, somewhere around mile 19. What the heck? She was having a really bad day, said she felt like she was going to throw up and had been walking. It was obvious to me that she was dehydrated, so I gave her one of my electrolytes and tried to get her to drink more. She had her bottle with her and was able to get fluids down, which was good. We ran together for a couple of miles, but she said she had to walk again and told me to go on. I hated that! I knew once we got closer to Santa Monica we would start feeling the ocean breezes and she'd start feeling better and finish ok. We only had a few miles to go, but in the marathon those miles seem to go on forever.

The image I had in my mind of the last 5K is what carried me forward. I was imagining the wide open, palm-tree lined Santa Monica boulevard with the ocean in the distance and the cool ocean breeze blowing in my face...well it wasn't like that at all in reality. The sun was baking us, as there was no shade, with no sign of an ocean nearby. It was pretty much all downhill though, which helped. Suddenly, with about a mile to go we went from full sun into a thick fog, and the temperature felt like it dropped over 10 degrees. As we turned onto Ocean boulevard I could hear the ocean, but the fog was too thick to see it. A bit disappointing, but it did feel good! I couldn't even see the finish clearly in the distance. I could hear it, but couldn't quite see it, very eerie! And suddenly, there it was! The glorious finish! Shortly after Jamie finished too! She was NOT happy, but a finish is a finish, and from what I can tell our medals look exactly the same.

We tried to find our UPS truck, but quickly realized we had no idea which truck our bags were in. There were 10 trucks with letters on them, which were supposed to be for your last name. What? We couldn't remember a letter on our truck and we don't have the same last name, so OOPS. After what seemed like an eternity of trying to find our bags I figured we better find Toby first. I found a phone and called him and he came over in the cluster and managed to find our bags! Toby always takes care of us! He is one amazing man!

In the meantime it turned out that their illustrious beer garden was a total bust, which was fine with us, since Dean and the Pastres were at a really cool patio bar nearby. We joined them there, then later to the pier and beach. Priceless afternoon!

Stats: Mark ran a 3:38 PR! I ran my usual 4:08, and Jamie ran a 4:19. I really loved the course, but I am not sure I love the big marathons and the cluster effect they seem to have on everything from trying to get fluids at stations to getting your belongings back at the finish or even a damn beer. Still, it was a wonderful week-end of fun in LA, even if they were having a heat wave!