1310miles

[1310miles]

Forty Four

For the first time, Eva came with me on a marathon trip, for my race in Oregon. We arranged a long weekend so she wouldn’t miss too much school. We visited the Pacific coast and then drove east to the Columbia River Gorge. The variety of landscapes in Oregon was incredible. I was so happy we drove all of those miles, singing to music and musing about living in such a beautiful place. 

It would have been great to have Eva’s support during the race, but upon arriving and thinking about the logistics, it became clear that she couldn’t be a spectator. Despite the fact that I booked the race recommended hotel, it was in a different city than the race start and finish, about 15 miles away! I was really irritated by this, but I suppose it’s on me to do better research when I make my arrangements. Since Eva is 16, she can’t legally drive a rental car, so unless she wanted to get up with me at 5:30am, see me start, sit at the same place for four hours, and then see me finish, she was going to be stuck at the hotel. She took the disappointing news in stride, happy that she would get to sleep in, finish homework and perhaps visit the hot tub. 

I arrived and parked at the starting area just as the sun was rising. Technically, this was the starting area for the half marathon, but not for my race. My race would start about 1.5 miles up a hill, so we needed to arrive extra early to board a bus for the quick trip. I got on the bus and sat with a woman, getting the last seat, and we took off. Her and I started chatting about the race and she said she was from the area and had a lot of knowledge of the race. I love when I can get insider information. 

She was so kind. Her name is Cindy and once we got to our starting line, she introduced me to her other friends and to her partner CK. We all talked about race experiences, and I got lots of advice about what to expect for the next few hours. CK was spectating this race (though she herself runs ultra-marathons) and planned to drive around taking photos. This gave me the idea to ask if she could get some shots of me if she spotted me. She said “of course!” so we exchanged Facebook information. I was happy to potentially have someone cheering for me along the way. 

This was yet another very small race, and at the starting line I was about three feet behind the actual line. The announcement was made, and we took off. I was surprised to see that we immediately began climbing a hill (in fact, we were mid hill). It made me realize that I don’t think I’ve ever started a race uphill before. That was a struggle. I couldn’t get my breath or my cadence leveled out. It felt disjointed and awkward. 

After about 3 miles of gradual climbing, along a paved trail that was a tunnel through tree and then a real tunnel out of the mountain, the course took a sharp angle downward. At this point I began to relax and let my legs fly. I also needed to seriously adjust my shorts that had inched their way up my legs during the relentless climb. I haven’t chaffed in a while, and I could tell the aftermath wouldn’t be pretty. 

The course would be demanding, and I wanted to take the most advantage of downhills whenever I could. I started telling myself “Don’t make the easy stuff hard.” This meant keep relaxed in my body, let gravity pull me, don’t hold back, and don’t squander the downhill speed. I was doing the downhills at 7-minute pace, and the uphills at 9:30, which was giving me an average of 8:30, which was exactly where I wanted to be. 

We descended for another three miles and hit a fairly flat portion that only lasted a half a mile. At this point, I saw CK! She was parked alongside of the road and shouted out to me. She said, “you undersold yourself…you’re fast!” I loved that…best spectator ever! Then, I passed a man who told me that I was the 5th place woman. Wow! I wasn’t expecting that news, and my mind started getting into the race. 

I was feeling good and started to mentally prepare for the six mile climb ahead of me. I would run uphill to mile 12, and then turn around, run exactly back from whence I came, and then run the final portion through the starting line that the bus drove us. In theory, the rest of the race would be six miles up, six miles down, 3 up, and 4-5 miles down to the finish. 

I pushed up the hill. It was difficult but I kept running. The views were spectacular. It was like I was looking at a forested Grand Canyon. To the north was Washington, and down below was the Columbia River. We were on the Oregon side, going through farms and forests. The fall had been warm, so the leaves were not changing en masse, but the verdant trees were beautiful. I also kept my mind busy by reciting a game Eva and I had played on our hike the day before. We were “going on a picnic” and bringing items A-Z that required us to memorize them all. I tried to remember all the items as I ran along. 

Coming up to the turnaround I began seeing the leaders come back my way. The first woman was far ahead of me and far ahead of the second. Then there was a huge gap. I approached the turnaround, which was literally a roundabout, and saw that I was on the heels of the 3rd and 4th woman. I had them both in my sights as I began the wonderful relief of coming back downhill. 

At this point, it was entertaining to see all the runners behind me coming at me. I was so grateful that long climb was over and again, I was speeding down the hill. Lots of runners shouted “5th woman!” at me, and I kept thinking “I know!!” However, I could swear that I heard one runner shout to me “good job, fat ass.” Maybe I’m wrong. 

I kept up the pursuit and easily caught the 4th place woman, and I think I left her far behind. Now I was focused on catching the 3rd. I was beginning to be greedy with the idea that I could get such a high place in a marathon OVERALL. It was a concept that two years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of. 

I kept gaining on 3rd place and I finally took her over. I was hoping that this would destroy her spirit, but actually I think it inspired her. As I began to drag, she caught back up and held her spot ahead of me, just about 200 yards away. I wanted to catch her, I wanted her to have a bad cramp, I wanted to find the energy, but I was just about to hit the last section of the race that I had been dreading. 

At mile 18.5, the uphill began again. And it was so steep. I had worked so hard for so long that I couldn’t get up the hill. I walked for a mile straight. I needed that mental reset and I needed the physical relief on my legs. Almost everyone around me was walking too. I ran the slight dips downhill, but had to keep stopping on the way up. 

Around mile 20 we ran into the end of the half marathoners. And these folks had unique companions…dogs! The half marathon was for people, but there was also a “Dog Leg” competition for runners with their four-legged running partners. That was a fun distraction to see. Lots of happy dogs, and some not prepared for 13.1 miles. I had been a little worried about the dogs taking up too much of the course, or being threatening, but it wasn’t a problem. 

We passed through the start line, and I was grateful for a decent, but not surprisingly, my legs didn’t really feel like running at a 7 minute pace anymore. I pushed as much as I could, still hoping to catch 3rd place. The very end of the race, through the town of Hood River was flat and I felt like I had barely enough in my legs to go on. I slogged to the finish line. 4th place woman! I was just glad my legs could rest. 

With my medal I walked along to the refreshment tent where I saw Ms. 3rd place. I told her congrats and she gave me a concerned look. She was told that her bib had not registered at the turnaround and that her results might be invalid! For a very brief moment, I had a thrill of getting the spot I wanted, but thought better when realizing how upsetting it would be to run such a great race and not get the credit. I wished her good luck and told her I hoped it would be straightened out, and I sincerely meant it. 

I went over to the results tent just to check on things, and there I was listed as 4th woman, but surprise…1stin my age group! The first and second place women overall had been my age, so I came out on top when they were factored out. I quickly realized I needed to get back to the hotel, clean up and change, grab Eva, check out and make it back for awards!

So yet another race began. No time for luxurious recovery! I got it all done quickly and we made it back in time and in time for Eva to pet some dogs and see them finish their race. The awards ceremony began with overall men and women, and guess who didn’t show up for her award…3rd place!! I was a little annoyed, but I didn’t deserve it like she did. I got my first in age group award (a pint glass) and Eva and I headed into town to spend the rest of our Oregon vacation together. What a wonderful trip and what a wonderful daughter. 

[1310miles]

Columbia Gorge Marathon, Hood River, Oregon

October 22, 2023

3:47:21

[1310miles]

Forty Three

As I’ve written about before, the scheduling of these remaining marathons is getting trickier. I think back to the early days where I had so many to choose from and now, I’ve got to really think about timing to make sure I hit every state. If it were so to happen that my last six states only had marathons in the same month or week, I’d really have an issue! Thankfully, I think I’ve got my plans sorted out well. However, I have less of a preference of where I travel to. The locations within the states are really based on timing rather than where I’d like to go. For instance, in South Dakota, I would have preferred to do a race in the western part of the state and made a trip with the kids to the Badlands and Mount Rushmore. Instead, I needed to check it off the list, so I made my reservations for Sioux Falls. 

It was a snap decision, and I wasn’t through a full training cycle, but if I didn’t run it, I didn’t see any way to get a race in to couple with my planned marathon in Oregon in October. I considered the Sioux Falls race to be a training run for Oregon and went in with the mentality that I shouldn’t (and didn’t need to) push too hard. I pursued this marathon so late that registration was full, and I had to register for their “ultra,” which was the marathon plus a 5k afterward. I contacted race management to confirm that I didn’t have to do both races to be considered a finisher. They said I would be fine just doing the marathon, but it did sit in the back of my head as a concern. 

I was in Sioux Falls a day early to explore, run and relax. I had trouble doing the latter though because my hotel wasn’t making things easy. First, their cable system was out, so my plans to rot in bed all day and watch crime tv were foiled. Second, I couldn’t seem to beg my way into getting a late check out; no matter who I asked, they held the line that there was zero chance.

I needed to be out of the room at 10am on Sunday, and since the race started at 7am, there was simply no way I could get showered. I thought about how I would be on the plane as a disgusting post 26.2-mile mess. I thought about trying to find another hotel and sneak in their fitness facility (this hotel didn’t have one). I thought about all the angles. And then I put two and two together. 

I put on my most pathetic voice and approached the front desk again. I was here to relax in a new city, and not only had housekeeping not cleaned my room on Saturday, the tv was not working. I was feeling so very unwelcome in town, and especially by the Hilton organization. I wanted the clerk to pass on how dissatisfied I was to management. Oh, what’s that? Can you do anything to make my stay any better considering these issues? Sigh. I guess not. Oh wait…maybe there is something. Thus, I got a late check out at noon. 

The morning came and I could see the starting line from my hotel window. I was right across the street so I didn’t have to contend with parking and the finish was at the same spot so getting back would be easy too. I befriended a woman in the lobby, and we walked there together. She’s also doing 50 states but was only around 20 races in. She was also planning on doing the 5k after the marathon, so I started thinking maybe I could as well. It was just an idea. 

At the start were all the standard songs runners are familiar with at races. “Born to Run,” “Back in Black,” “Run this Town,” “Eye of the Tiger,” and the Macklemore classic “Ceiling Can’t Hold Us.” That last one is a real ear worm, and I got it stuck in my head. The field was small, 250 runners. We headed out to tackle the Sioux Falls region. 

The scenery was pleasant. We basically followed the river which loops south and then north around the city. The tourism bureau photo op location is the “Falls” which we arrived at around mile 5. This is a rocky park that the river cascades down. Lots of spectators there, and what’s that? A familiar song…”Ceiling Can’t Hold Us.” Just as I had gotten it out of my head. 

For ten days before the race, Chicago (and Sioux Falls) experienced a heat wave. We were hitting almost 100 for a few days and I was nervous about the conditions for the race. I hydrated better than I ever had prior to a race, and I was practically floating by the time the day arrived. Miraculously, the heat stopped just for us and the temps were in the high 50s. Really tolerable, but I still stopped and walked through the aid stations. Like I mentioned, I planned to run the race easy, and I didn’t want to over stress. 

Since I wasn’t speeding or stressing, the idea of doing that 5k at the end started taking shape. I thought a lot about how amazed everyone would be when I told them that I had done an Ultra! It felt like an interesting way to experience the race and hit another accomplishment. I knew it started at 10:45 and I though perhaps I’d make it to the starting line just in time. 

There were not a lot of spectators in this race, and frankly not a lot of runners. At one point I was so alone for so long that I stopped a family in a park to confirm that I was still on the race route. The spectators I did see were leap frogging the course and they became familiar sights. One man told me as I crested a hill “it’s all downhill from here.” He and I both knew it was a lie, and I told him I was holding him to it. The next time I saw him, he acted afraid of my wrath, and I told him he was a big fat liar, all in good fun. 

Along the way, I heard that damn Macklemore song 2.5 more times!!! I say .5 because I couldn’t tell if I had just absorbed the rhythm of the music into my psyche that all songs sounded like it or that I really had heard it that one additional time. I feel like someone needs to write a new “running inspiration” song ASAP. 

As is my new strategy, I was working on getting in the top three in my age group. It’s a good way to keep occupied and keep going when I feel like dogging it in a race. Pursuing women along the course kept me really engaged. I would pass a woman and then just take notice of the next one up ahead and make a plan to overtake her (if this was being written by a man, it would sound nefarious). Along the way I passed 9 women, and I observed something interesting. I could spot a female runner from far away because only women were wearing colors in the race. Almost all the men were wearing black shorts and black shirts. Most women were wearing bright fun colors. I felt like the black clothes were the wrong choice in the heat. 

Coming up on the end of the race I began reconsidering the next 5k. I felt alright, but I was going to miss the start of the race and I felt sure I would need to walk a good part of it. I was also feeling less confident in my late check out and hoping that the hotel manager wasn’t planning on kicking me out early or taking back the clerk’s promise to me. I decided to just plan on finishing, but if I felt awesome, jump into the 5k late.

The finish line was one of the most frustrating I’ve experience. Although we came upon what looked like the end, we were sent around a stadium, and ran the finish on the track inside the stadium. My watch was already reading 26.2 so each step felt like too much extra effort. Additionally, I had started to sprint to stay ahead of one final woman who looked like she could be in my age group, and the extended finish was really stressing my speed. When I finally crossed the line, my watch read 26.57, and I did beat her soundly. 

I was dead though. Just couldn’t even fathom running 3.1 more miles. I gave up on the ultra and tried to make my way to the hotel. In a sign that I had enough, I tried to step over a barrier and my entire hamstring cramped up. I screamed and then laughed. No way. I was done. 

Back at the hotel, I showered and didn’t overstay my welcome. I did in fact get 3rd in my age group and the “medal” would be mailed to me. On the way out of the lobby, my friend from the morning was walking in. She had just finished the 5k after running the marathon and getting 4th place overall! 

[1310miles]

Sioux Falls Marathon, South Dakota

August 27, 2023

3:56:39

[1310miles]

Forty Two

What do you think of when you see the word Idaho? I bet it’s not “girls’ trip!” but that didn’t stop my three best friends from college joining me on marathon number 42 to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Elissa, Christie and Veronica have been my friends for almost 30 years, and it’s been over 14 years since we traveled together. We planned an adventurous time in Idaho, with my marathon being just a segment of a packed itinerary and four days of laughs and fun.

All three of them got up early on Sunday morning to walk to the starting line with me. We stayed at the host hotel and it was just a short distance to the start. It was a marathon participant only starting line, and there were very few runners. All total, under 300 people ran the race.

The fastest pace group sign was 3:45, and I wanted to stick with him or faster because I had four goals for this race, increasing in difficulty. 1. Finish under 4 hours. 2. Qualify for Boston. 3. Win my age group. 4. Get a personal record. My race goals have definitely changed in the past two years. It was just recently that it was a goal to get ten minute miles, and winning an age group seemed impossible. I think it’s mostly due to getting older, but qualifying for Boston is simple now.

Sizing up the crowd I thought I had a good chance to run faster than a lot of women, so I started with that idea in mind. I decided to count how many women passed me and how many I passed along the way. For me, it’s really difficult to estimate how old someone is if they are between 30-50, so I thought I’d just do my best to keep the total of women in my head.

We headed out of the city quickly and began to follow Lake Coeur D’Alene. The race was a route path unlike one I’ve done before. I thought of it as a figure-eight of sorts. We started in the center and ran north, then turned on point and ran directly back to the center. Once there, we ran south and again turned on point and traced our way back to the center. I found this unfortunate because I really limited the amount of scenery we were able to admire. Additionally, despite the beauty of the lake and the surrounding mountains, the race route was along a highway with limited views. It seemed like a missed opportunity. We did get glimpses of the lake, and the trees smelled amazing, but it was also just a lot of exposed asphalt.

The girls were eager to support me in the race, but upon looking at the route, I was concerned that the highway would be closed and accessing the race route would be impossible. We agreed to only two vantage spots, and I could tell they were really disappointed in not seeing me more. I was very frustrated when I got to mile three and realized that the highway was fully open and we were running on the shoulder. The girls could have easily followed me almost the entire way!

In studying the race elevation map, I was concerned about two major hills at miles 5 and 6. I really let this concern get in my head and I felt a lot of doubt in my ability to handle them. I hit the beginning of the first hill and figured I would just run it until I was too slow and then walk. I charged up the base and it wasn’t horrible, so I persevered. I thought it would continue to rise, but at the top I realized that was it! Somehow the elevation chart made the hill out to be much longer and steeper. With a doubtful mind that maybe I was missing something or the worst was to come, I headed to the next hill. Again, it was really manageable and I charged up without too much difficulty. I was so pleased to have conquered the two biggest worries I had in the race.

After the hills, I began to see runners returning on the route from the turnaround. I found this shocking since the turnaround was at mile 9ish and these runners didn’t look especially speedy. Some were really struggling and they didn’t seem enthused to be “winning” the race. I also couldn’t understand how they could have been so fast to have run 5 miles more than me that quickly! Then it occurred to me, there was an earlier start to provide time for those who were concerned on finishing within the 6 hour cut off. These folks had started the race an hour earlier than me! Sure enough, another mile or so later I saw the real winner of the race flying past.

The plan was for the girls to find their way through back roads to mile 9, just before the turnaround, and post up there so they could see me twice. As I got there, I realized that they hadn’t been successful, but then I saw Christie and Veronica shout from their car! They saw me! But where was Elissa?

Upon reaching the turnaround, I had not been passed by any women, and I passed on. I had kept count of the ones I saw returning, and figured there were about 9 of them. Shortly after the turnaround I did get passed by a woman my age, who I could hear approaching for several minutes. Something about her gait or her shoes really irritated my ears. Her running was driving me a little crazy (I don’t think it was because I was angry that she passed me). Unfortunately, we were running at practically the same speed. I would try to pass her, but then she would pass me right back. It was a frustrating irritation and for the first time in all of my running, I had a competitor that I was trying to beat! I thought of my friend Nancy Werner, who is such an incredible athlete and a fierce competitor. I decided to channel my inner Nancy and make it a goal to beat this woman in the race!

I got to see Christie and Veronica again as I came from the turnaround. They had a couple signs and they were shouting me name. But again, no Elissa. I couldn’t figure it out. I thought through the scenarios: did she go back to the hotel and need to sleep? Did she get sick or hurt? Was there an emergency at home that she needed to talk to her family about?

I continued on for a mile or two, going up the back sides of the earlier hills. They were longer and more difficult this direction, and I began to suspect that I had run the first third of the race too fast. I think that the ease of the hills gave me too much confidence and I pushed too hard. I was afraid the next 15 miles were going to be very difficult.

I got a boost by finally seeing all three of the girls along the side of the road. Turns out, they had missed me (because I was running too fast) and Elissa was looking for me at a point I had already passed. They made up for it by being the loudest fans on the race route! They went wild when they saw me, with signs and a cow bell. They shouted my name, and then Christie shouted “she has a blog” which put a huge smile on my face. A runner near me said “you have awesome friends” to which I replied “I sure do!”

We continued on as the day heated up. The race field was very small, so there were very few people around me (probably why I could hear my competitor’s shoes so distinctly). Also, that means very few spectators. Overall, I think this was the quietest race I’ve ever run. The aid stations were very sparse too. One every four to five miles was too little as it got hot. To make the stations worse, they featured individual small bottles of water, not cups, and the bottles weren’t open! It was not good. Upon approaching a station, you had to stop, get the bottle, and wrestle with the cap. Then drinking out that little spout was challenging. I choked the first time and then elected to walk and drink the rest of the stops.  

We came back through downtown Coeur D’Alene, where the race started and where the half marathon was finishing. It was a party for them, but it felt lonely running past and not stopping. At this point we began sharing the route with the half marathon too, and it got crowded. I was feeling really sluggish, knowing that I ran too hard in the first half, and I still had at least 11 miles to go. Additionally, I was so thirsty. I couldn’t remember having water since mile 12.

I began to freak out. This happens sometimes when I don’t know when the water opportunity is going to arrive. I look ahead and if I don’t see it, I start panicking. I was still sweating, which was good, but since I was slowing down, I felt like time was running out for me. And the miles just kept passing without a stop. Finally, I came up on one. It was on the opposite side of the road, where the half marathon was coming from their turn around. I needed that water, but I was told by a volunteer that OUR water stop was coming at the turnaround. I was a bit confused, and I couldn’t figure it out exactly, but I wasn’t worried because the girls were right there to cheer me on!

Yay! I get to see them and I get to drink the water bottle that I had given them at the starting line. It was at least half full and I had passed it off to them, telling them to toss it, but I was sure they kept it.

I was a mess, but I was able to eek out “could you give me my water bottle?” They just smiled and were cheering. I said it a bit louder, and Christie seemed to process it, but no one else. I said it again, and Christie got Elissa’s attention and said “do you have her water?” Elissa, looking very forlorn, said “she told me to throw it away so I did!”

Man. That was a blow. But I told them it was ok and I pushed on. I felt terrible for stressing them out, because I could hear the ensuing conversation as I left. I was scanning everywhere for our turnaround or for another aid station when reality dawned on me. First, that volunteer thought I was with the half marathon and that turnaround was eminent. Second, that aid station was running out of water and they didn’t want the oncoming runners drinking it. And third, I was going to have to wait at least four miles for the next water.

This is the point that I begin my hallucinations. I start thinking about what discarded thing on the side of the road I can drink from. I think about what residences or stores may offer me water. I think about turning around to get the water again. Believe me, I’ve been thirsty like this before and I always have these crazy ideas.

As I was losing hope, I found a savior. A family along the course was hosting a party to watch the marathon from their backyard. They had real cups set up with ice cold water. I was almost brough to tears. I drank two cups and thanked them so much. I’m not sure what I could have done without them. Soon after I saw two kids with offering lemonade to the runners. They were on the opposite side, but I made a mental note to take the lemonade on the way back because they looked sad that they weren’t giving any out.

The girls hurried ahead and saw me at mile 21, apologizing profusely for their lack of water. I think they even had a bottle to offer me! But that was old news, and I needed to keep racing, so I just said I was ok and continued on. I was searching for the final turnaround, which felt like it would never come. I kept doing the math for how far we had to run back and I felt like it should be around every turn. On my right were baseball fields full of teams warming up. I thought about my son at his tournament that weekend. I was sad to be missing it and really wanted to make my absence worthwhile by running a good race. Finally without much fanfare, the turnaround appeared and I had a huge wave of relief. The home stretch was in my sights. And my feet began to fly! Turns out, since mile 15, I had been running a gradual uphill. That’s why I was so sluggish and so exhausted!

My legs were back and my spirits were high. I arrived at the lemonade stand ready for an injection of sugar and asked for a glass. The kid said “that will be a dollar…” HAHAHA! I said “oh honey…I don’t have any money!!!” and laughed as I ran away. That’s why they were having such a tough day: no sales.

On the way back through I saw the girls and said “see you at the finish.” I was working to stay ahead of my competitor, and I knew she was slightly behind me from the turn we made. I never ever race anyone, so this was new to me, but from everything I’ve heard anecdotally, you are not supposed to look behind at your competition. It puts you off kilter, and it shows them that you are threatened. I kept my view straight ahead, though I was dying to look. There was one turn that I knew I’d be able to glance to the side and see her, around mile 23. I decided to turn my head, and she was back at least 100 yards…walking! I knew I had the victory!!!

By this point we were incorporated with the half marathon again, and with those who had started the marathon early. We were approaching the finishers’ village, which was just past the resort hotel I was staying in. It was very clogged up and I was keeping my eye out for the first finishers wearing medals which is my sure sign that the finish is close by. I was also having a hard time understanding which direction to run toward the finish because it was poorly marked. I started to panic when I thought about running too far or finishing in the wrong place and having to turn around.

Just then I heard some women cheering my name, but it wasn’t the girls! It was a mother-daughter duo from California with whom we had white water rafted the day before. What perfect timing! The daughter had planned to run the half marathon, so I guess they were just leaving the finishers’ village. It put a huge smile on my face.

My smile quickly faded as I continued to search for signs of the route to the finish line. I felt like I was all alone as there were no runners or spectators along this final segment. I should have been able to see the finish line, but I couldn’t and it felt like I was just running to nowhere. Then I realized that I needed to make a final turn and then another to see the end and I sped up a little through that inspiration.

I came through and looked around, expecting the girls to be along the sidelines. I searched the crowd, and then finally saw them standing near the entrance to the refreshments. They were so excited for me! I was thrilled to be done, and so happy they were there. Within a few moments, my competitor came through the finish. She told me “good job” and I confessed I had been working to beat her! She kind of laughed, and then slinked away.

My time was good enough to beat two of my four goals: under 4 and Boston Qualified. I could not have run a personal best on that course, due to the hill profile. I was happy with my time but a little frustrated that I had trained so hard and the course was just too tough to fly through. The final goal was age group winner, and although I thought I definitely got in the top three, I didn’t figure I did it. Elissa (former journalist) when to investigate and she hurried back with news. I had won my age group! I was stunned. I got tears in my eyes (and so did Veronica). It was so very exciting to be on that podium as the winner, even though I only got a crummy pint glass (not a medal) as my reward.

[1310miles]

Coeur d'Alene Marathon, Idaho

May 28, 2023

3:45:45

[1310miles]

Forty one

My dear mother passed away on December 22nd. It’s no exaggeration to say that my heart was broken that day and that I’m still probably in a state of shock. Proceeding with normal life while you are grieving is an unsettling experience. I have felt off balance, as though I am functioning on two different plains. All this being said, I wasn’t in the mind set to run my next marathon on January 15th.

I arranged this trip back in September with my friend Lisa. Lisa is pursuing the goal of running a half marathon in all 50 states, and since we are both single travelers, she reached out to coordinate at least one trip together in 2023. It was far outside my experience to travel with another runner, but in the spirit of pushing my comfort zone, I jumped in. We were headed for a three day trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana!

Right off the marathon I ran in Maine, I continued my training. My mom’s medical issues became apparent in early December, and despite traveling back and forth to Indiana often that month, I was able to keep up with my long runs and check my workouts off. Everything took a terrible turn the week of Christmas, however, and even though it would have helped my mental state, I wasn’t able to run for several days over a two week stretch.

Coming into January, not only did I not feel enthusiastic about traveling and running a marathon, I was nervous that my training hadn’t been complete. If it wasn’t for Lisa, I would have likely bailed on the marathon and the trip. But I had committed to her, and in my heart I knew it would be good for me to go, so I packed my shoes and lowered my expectations.

Lisa was so easy to travel with, and we had a great time getting to Louisiana. I even got some speed work in while sprinting to our connecting flight in Houston. We arrived late Friday, and on Saturday morning we got out for a nice run along the Mississippi River. It was incredible to see the sun shine after many dark days in the Midwest.

At the expo, we discovered that Lisa Way was not registered for the half marathon! She created quite a queue behind her while she sorted through what must have gone wrong. Through sleuthing, the expo volunteers finally discovered that when she registered, she auto filled her last name as her email address. We had a great laugh as we imagined her results being posted as “Lisa [email protected].”

Downtown Baton Rouge was sleepy and there were no interesting tourist attractions within walking distance, so the rest of our Saturday found us laying in our hotel room, reading and napping. Exactly what we both needed! We talked about our plans for the race, and based on the route map, we saw that we could run together for 11 miles. That’s where the half marathon would break off from the marathon.

Lisa was planning to take the race very easy. She is strong and fast, but she hadn’t trained hard for this race and wasn’t doing much speed work. She thought she’d run about 9:15 miles. I thought about starting and staying with her. But as I laid there, I couldn’t think of a compelling reason as to why I couldn’t run faster. True, my focus was shaken, and my training wasn’t 100% complete, but I had been running strong. Additionally, I find that if I don’t run “my” speed, my body feels uncomfortable and eventually hurts. If I started with Lisa at the speed she planned to go, I might find the race more challenging than if I pushed my pace and ran quicker. I decided my plan would be to start at 8:25 miles and try to keep up that pace.

Sunday morning we walked to the starting line at the state capital building. The sun was just coming up and Lisa and I were in our matching visors. We took off and quickly headed out of downtown Baton Rouge toward the garden district and LSU. For as non-descript as the downtown area was, the residential areas were amazing. I have never run through such unique, diverse residential architecture in any other race. I was so entertained by looking at all the different houses and admiring them. Also, it was refreshing to see leaves on trees and green plants growing.

We headed into the LSU campus, which was enormous. It looked like we were going to go inside Tiger Stadium, but we only ran around the perimeter. I was thinking about how wild and busy games days must be there. The campus was so spread out you would definitely need a car if you went to school there. It was miles from one end to the other.

As we came out of campus and back into a neighborhood, we circled a few lakes that just added to the beautiful ambiance. We rounded one corner and I was preoccupied with reading a spectators sign when I tripped on the ground at the same moment as the man next to me did the same thing! I recovered easily, but he almost fell completely onto his face. It was strange, there must have been a rise in the pavement right there, and it caught us both dragging our feet. Honestly, the roads that we ran in Baton Rouge were in terrible condition. Potholes everywhere. Worse than Chicago! The “falling guy” and I stayed about the same pace the entire race. I would catch up with him or he would catch up with me, but in general we were pretty much matched and laughed about him almost wiping out more than once.

I was cruising along, running around 8:25 miles consistently. My body felt good and the weather and course were basically perfect. The temperature lingered in the low 50s and the sun was out but not too bright. There were no notable hills, but the course wasn’t flat. There were slight ups and downs that kept my muscles engaged. Flat courses just feel tiring because you are using the same muscles the entire time. It was nice to not have to plan for some extreme hill late in the race, but it can be nice to have a great downhill to fly down. None in this race.

Running at such a consistent pace had me lingering around the 3:40 pace group. I never stuck with the group tightly, but they kept passing me and I kept passing them. The group was led by one male runner for the first half, and then he was joined by his friend for the second half. The new assistant leader seemed to simply provide relief from holding the “3:40” sign and to add some energy. They were both nice guys and seemed to know everyone along the course.

Around mile 20, the leader shouted “is anyone here doing their first marathon?” and some runners from the group said they were. Then he shouted “is anyone here doing the 50 states challenge?” to which I said I was. They were all boisterous when I said it would be my 41st state. A woman next to me said “have you heard of the sub 4 club? Because you are running a great pace!” and of course I told her about the people I met in New Hampshire, and that I’d have to run about 30 of my marathons over again to qualify!

I had engaged with this same woman a little earlier in the race. She was running in front of me, and I was looking at the back of her t-shirt. It had a picture of a chicken head and underneath, it said “teaching chickens how to read.” I became lost in thought…teaching chickens how to read!?!? How is this possible. What a very, very strange thing to put on a t-shirt. Looking up again, I realized that my exhausted running brain had completely interpreted it wrong. The shirt said “teaching chickens how to run.” Ok, yes, that’s still very strange. So I told her I thought she was teaching chickens how to read and how silly that was. She laughed, and then told me that she has a chicken sanctuary and saves chickens from slaughter and lets them live out their lives on her farm. I told her that perhaps she could try to teach them how to read in her free time.

The miles continued to add up, and my pace was holding strong. Spectators were really great during this race. Most of the course was through residential areas, so lots of neighbors had their lawns set up to cheer for us. Pretty much everyone was drinking heavily. One of the best lawns advertised a “Corona shot and a Kleenex” and they featured small cups of Corona beer. They were all having a good time, as I think people in Baton Rouge do almost every chance they get.

The finish line was back in downtown Baton Rouge, so as I came out of the final neighborhood, I could see the capital building and knew I just needed to make it there. My energy stayed high and when we were at 1.25 miles left to go, a runner said “only five laps around the track.” I liked that because that’s how I think a lot. I was glad to hear that other people do the same thing. About a quarter mile from the finish I saw Lisa, who had run the half marathon, gone back to shower, and had a coffee in hand. She cheered me on as I came through the finish line. I commiserated with the 3:40 group, the falling guy and the chicken lady, all of us congratulating each other. 

Another 2nd place win in my age group resulted in another awesome medal! It could have been a big celebration, because all of the finishers were given SIX drink tickets to enjoy at the after race party. But Lisa and I needed to head for the airport and return home. We did celebrate with chicken and waffles though. I hope that chicken that I ate didn’t know how to read.

[1310miles]

Louisiana Marathon, Baton Rouge

January 15, 2023

3:39:35

[1310miles]

Forty

Hot on the heels of New Hampshire, and just days since leading the volunteers at aid station 13 at the Chicago Marathon, I was headed to Maine. I had been trying to run this race since 2020 so I could barely believe the time had finally come. In 2020, the Mount Desert Island Marathon promised it would not be intimidated by a silly pandemic, only to cancel in mid-July. They offered money back or deferral, so I got my money back. In the spring of 2021, I thought I’d give it another chance and this time take the kids for a vacation. Had the whole thing booked (with whale watching!), only to have the race cancel with six weeks’ notice. Thankfully everything was refunded…except the race! This time they said “do it next year or make an involuntary donation of your registration fee.” So I found myself signed up for this race for the third time and ready to run it.

Over the summer, training for this and the New Hampshire race, I was with my beloved Friday morning running group. A member I hadn’t seen was there and I asked where he had been. He said “we spend the summer in Maine” and of course I was ready to ask him all my travel questions. I asked “where in Maine?” and he said “Mount Desert Island.” Wonderful! He said that another of our friends was running the race and he and his wife would like to offer to host all of us in his cabin. Incredible! I felt so grateful to know Paul and to be invited to his home.

With all the running I had been doing, and being tired out by the aid station, I didn’t come into this race with high performance expectations. The MDI course is daunting and that’s well known. It’s a net uphill with some very steep hills, mostly near the end. I was feeling slightly defeated before I left on the trip. Traveling is exhausting and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to do this one.

Paul and Helen welcomed me to Maine and their fantastic family compound and all my worries went away. They were gracious hosts, plying us with chili and wine (with cloth napkins!), and they had all the local information to make our visit incredible. We had a great group with the Weavers, my friend Jared and his wife, and their friends from Minnesota.

On the day before the race we ran together to the harbor and admired what Paul gets to see all season. The leaves were changing and it was magical. The runners (and wives) headed into town to get our race packets, then we attempted to visit Acadia National Park. The tricky part is, the park is so well-used that you must make reservations and we were out of luck for the day. Instead, we visited other gardens and drove the race route.

I hadn’t done a route preview in many years. It was so nice to have running travel companions to talk about strategy and what we were going to experience. We made mental notes on where the worst hills were and when the worst would be over. Indeed, the route was going to be a challenge.

Again I was so lucky, because in the morning I had a private car to take me to the starting line. Jared and Ken were the other from our group running. They are both speedy men! Jared is consistently far ahead of me on Friday mornings and Ken was aiming to win his age group! I had real concerns about how long they were going to have to wait for me at the finish. I didn’t want to be too far behind, but I also wanted that ride home!

At the start it was very foggy, and it stayed that way for at least 40 minutes. You couldn’t even see the hills in front of you (a good thing). My body felt good, and I was running strong. I kept reminding myself that the hard part was coming. There would be a set of hills at mile 7, then a break. I just went with what felt good and waited for the tough part.

The scenery was just amazing. The trees, the rolling hills, and glimpses of bays and the ocean. One of the prettiest I’ve run. It’s the perfect time of year to be there. The beauty did help distract me from the race. Around every turn was something different and inspiring.

As the hills began to come, none of them seemed too bad. I do hill training here in Illinois, but our hills are just bumps compared to other places. Nonetheless, my legs were strong, and I was making each hill look easy.

Since we had spectators from our group, I was looking forward to the outposts they would be at. The first was mile 10. I told them though, if they saw the guys and they were too worried about making it to the next spot before seeing me, they should leave. They were there for their husbands, and I didn’t want to make them miss them.

As I came up to mile 10, I see Kim and Jane running across the street toward their car. I guessed that they waited just as long as they could. I shouted out to them, and they turned and waved. It was fun to have some fans!

We continued on and I began to see that Jared and Ken were not too far ahead of me. In fact, I was gaining on them! We approached a water station, and they stopped for a photo op. I ran past them, not wanting to stop for fear I wouldn’t restart, and I couldn’t believe I had passed them. Of course, they quickly caught up, and we ran together for about four miles. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt great! So strong and so ready to keep up my pace. I kept doing the math, and soon I realized I could get another Boston Qualifier. As long as the hills didn’t destroy me, I could do it!

I’ve mentioned it before, but my hill strategy is that if I am running up a hill and it’s just as slow as walking, I stop and walk. I never regret it because I conserve my energy and use it later. A few times the guys and I traded places because of this strategy. They would beat me up the hill, but I could beat them going down and then on the flats. Finally, we hit a monster hill and we all decided to walk. The top of that hill was the last time I saw them, because once I hit the top, I flew down and never looked back.

I continued pushing ahead as the day got hotter. I was now leading Jared and Ken so the wives would be cheering for me each time they saw me. So fun!! Paul and Helen were out on the course a few times too. I was focused and I was feeling confident about hitting that BQ and they could tell I was running well. I think they were all impressed.

I pulled into the finish line town but the last quarter mile felt really long. It had gotten hot and the hills had taken their toll. I crossed the line and was so thrilled that I finished number 40! I got my medal and had to wait 10 whole minutes for Ken and Jared. Of course, I gave them a really hard time about that!

Since I had run so well, and gotten my second best time ever (beating New Hampshire by 19 seconds), I figured I’d ask how I did in my age group. You wouldn’t believe my shock when they told me that I won my age group and would get a first-place medal. How exciting! I was so very proud of myself. A really challenging race and I rose to the challenge, exceeding all of my expectations.

[1310miles]

Mount Desert Island Marathon, Maine

October 16, 2022

3:41:01

[1310miles]

Thirty nine

My recovery from Boston was difficult. I came home from the trip injured, depressed and concerned about my running future. My leg continued to hurt for several weeks and I tried to be optimistic but even resting and not running was not making it better. Of course, for me not running added to my sadness and I struggled mentally through most of April and May.

Once the weather started getting pleasant though, I decided it was time to emerge and try to build up miles. I bought a whole new shoe wardrobe to inspire myself. I have found that often times, when I’m “injured,” it turns out that my shoes were just old and completely depleted. I also find that when I invest money into running, I feel obligated to get my money’s worth.

I was already registered for a marathon in October (Mount Desert Island, Maine), which was a commitment based on deferring from 2021. I wanted to find another race that I could tack onto that one and get a training two-for-one. I found the Clarence DeMar Marathon in Keene, New Hampshire. It was three weeks before Maine, which is my ideal spacing, so I signed up and got to training.

While planning my trip to Keene, I couldn’t find very much to do in the area. I arranged a short three night stay. I flew into Hartford, Connecticut, and then drove through Massachusetts to New Hampshire and my destination. Keene is a working-class town in the south of the state. It’s not the typical “New England” style place one imagines. My hotel was surrounded by a Home Depot and McDonalds. The downtown had character though. I shopped and picked up my race materials at the local college. Incredibly, this was race number 39 for me, and my bib number was also number 39! It was a great omen.

I couldn’t recognize that omen right away however, because I was dealing with a running emergency. I’ve always worried about arriving for a marathon and having one of two irreplaceable things missing or damaged: my shoes and my watch. Shoes are irreplaceable because they are worn in and I wear special inserts. My watch is irreplaceable because I don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars to buy a new one. And I really need my watch when I’m running. I consider it a training partner, and it keeps my brain occupied.

I was experiencing a watch failure though. I tried to charge it and discovered that the charger was broken. I thought of so many solutions: buy a new charger (Amazon could deliver by Tuesday), buy a cheap watch, run with my phone, or not care about time at all. I slept on the problem and awoke with the answer!

I went to Facebook and searched for the race page. The public couldn’t make comments, so I had to think of something else. I searched for the page for Keene, New Hampshire. I posted “I’m a runner from out of town and I need access to a Garmin Forerunner charger. I will pay you if I can borrow it for three hours.” Within five minutes, I had an offer from a local woman, and within two hours my watch was fully charged! What a nice solution and a good use of social media.

With my fully charged watch, dressed head to toe in lululemon with matching fingernails, I headed to the buses on race morning. It was an A to B course so we were to be driven to the top of the mountain to start. The race profile almost mirrored Boston. A general descent the entire way with a few big hills in the latter half. I really had no idea how well I would perform, based on my Boston results. I wanted to finish, and I didn’t want to get injured. Those were the goals.

At the starting area we gathered in a elementary school gymnasium until sunrise, and then headed to the line. The entire race had approximately 300 people in it, one of the smallest I’ve ever done. Despite this, they still didn’t provide enough porto-potties.

The race began with significant downhills. I was flying. I kept telling myself not to make the mistake I did in Boston, where my gait was off from the downhill and I went out too fast. The issue is, sometimes going slow downhills hurts more! I just kept a comfortable pace and told myself that I could slow down at any time.

The route was taking us down a road along a creek with a forest on the other side. It was very pretty and also very cold. I had a sweatshirt that I intended to leave at the start but I kept it on for four miles. When I finally decided to ditch it, I put it near a road sign so it would perhaps be easier to find for the garbage.

I had been sticking behind two women my age, and they invited me into their conversation. They were friends through their club of people who are running marathons in all 50 states under 4 hours each. I just shook my head. This club concept is very stressful to me. Imagine planning a whole trip to Hawaii and paying for the whole damn thing, and running the race in 4 hours and one minute. Then you have to do it all over again another year?!?! Imagine needed to return to Arkansas after you dragged your family there! I just wouldn’t be able to handle that as a goal.

It was really interesting to talk to these women. The one, who I stuck with the longest, runs two or three marathons a month! She’s single and just travels every weekend to run. Sometimes she hits the goal, sometimes she doesn’t. She was the 30th woman ever to complete the 50 under 4 hours.

Her and I ran together until mile 10. We had dropped her friend who was dealing with an injury. We had caught up to her other friends who were a couple doing this goal together! They had just done a race where they failed to hit four hours, so they were working hard not to have that happen again.

I was feeling really good with my pace and the lively conversation was definitely helping. My newly found friend cautioned me a couple times when she could hear me gasping to try to talk. I usually ignore those cautions, but I did take the advice, and it really helped even me out.

Around mile 11, we ran across a dam and it was very beautiful in the river valley. The dam was really long and we had heard there could be bald eagles in the area, but we didn’t see any. After we were back on course, my friends took a potty stop and I kept going. I was feeling like I could be on pace for a Boston qualifying time!

As I continued one thing that was fun was how much people loved my outfit! I liked being in such a bright color and being so coordinated. Several women shouted to me that they loved my shorts! That put a huge smile on my face. I pledged going forward that I will always wear something fun that I can be proud of on race day!

Another note, had I not had my watch, I would have been a wreck. Through the entire course, there was not one clock. There were lots of aid stations and the signage and volunteers were great, but there was no way to see your time or pace. With the watch I was seeing that I was definitely going to qualify for Boston! By turning 45, I gained ten minutes on my qualifying time! All I needed was a 3:45, and I was surely going to hit that. I began to think about the finish line!

I pulled back onto the college campus and I was still feeling fresh and running strong. I finished in 3:41:20, which is my second best time ever! I came in 61st overall, and the 11th woman. They had a “Boston Qualifier” sign set up, so I asked someone to take my picture and text it to me. Bib number 39 for my 39thrace was really lucky.

About the bibs: there was also a half marathon race and those runners were wearing orange bibs while ours were green. At the finish line, the volunteer hands me a medal with an orange ribbon rather than the green one he had in his other hand. If you know what happened in Pittsburgh, you know I’m paranoid about getting the wrong medal, so I quickly corrected him. He said, it’s been a problem all day, but despite the colors of the bibs, the colors of the medal ribbons are opposite! I bet that was such a pain to tell every single finisher.

As I walked back to my car with a huge smile, I noticed a pile of clothes. This race was so small that a volunteer had driven his car along the route and stopped to pick up all of the discarded clothing. It took me just a moment to find my sweatshirt and grab it right back up. It lived to die in another race!

[1310miles]

Clarence DeMar Marathon, Keene, New Hampshire

September 25, 2022

3:41:20

[1310miles]

Thirty Eight

Of all the races I’ve run, the Boston Marathon has been written about the most, by a huge measure. There’s nothing I can add about the race that hasn’t been said already, and I’m sure my experience with the race was not utterly unique. But for me, Boston was completely new, and it was a marathon like no other.

As soon as I arrived in Boston, at the airport, I began to sense the marathon excitement. Practically half my flight was filled with runners and their families (I know this from their race shirts, running shoes, and generally gaunt body type). As I got into the city, more and more runners joined me on the trains. I went directly to the marathon expo, and on my walk there, it was as though everyone in town was there to run.

Running was being celebrated in Boston. Signs everywhere, locals asking me if I was running, smiles on other runners faces in greeting. I’ve been to races in towns in which the hotel staff didn’t even know there is a marathon that day. In Boston, you couldn’t miss it.

I took my shake out run once I checked into my hotel. I headed to Boston Common and then to the Charles River. The town is really charming. Clearly, it’s a great place to go to university. The weather on my run was unusual. It started off misting, then it turned to snow (!) for about five minutes, then the sun came out brightly. I was inspired and feeling great about the race.

That afternoon I was able to buy a Boston Jacket from my friend Iris. This jacket is an annual tradition, and I knew I wanted one to commemorate my achievement. They were all out of my size everywhere I looked and I was feeling sad about missing out. Then I got a text from Iris saying that she bought the jacket and had buyer’s remorse. How fortuitous! We made a swap and I was so happy to have it.

I slept fine and got up in the morning very early. I was given the opportunity to ride a plush bus to the starting line with the Chicago Area Runners Association. My friend Nancy originally had the spot on the bus, but she was unable to run the race due to Covid, so she offered me the place. I was very grateful. The race begins 26 miles out of Boston so everyone must be bused to the starting line. Most runners ride on school buses, and then unload into the athletes village upon arrival. With the CARA bus, I had a nice seat, a bathroom, a place to leave my things, and access to the bus until the race started.

It was a long morning wait because unique to the Boston Marathon, runners don’t start until 9am, and that’s the elites. Regular runners go in waves after the elites, and my start time wasn’t until almost 11am. It’s a controlled system where you have a certain color on your bib and you are not allowed out of the athletes village until your color is called. There were so many people and so many portopotties! The weather was perfect, but I heard from others that when it rains, waiting is just miserable.  

It was finally time for me to move toward the starting line, so I began the walk. There was yet another waiting area, and then I was released to my corral. I was excited and emotional while standing there. There was so much anticipation of running the Boston Marathon. Excitement about traveling there. Excitement about experiencing everything. Excitement about finishing. However, I hadn’t put much thought into the mindset of actually running the race.

I had been training for months, of course. I had done all the miles properly. I had the right equipment and my body was prepared. But I hadn’t really been thinking about the running and motivation part of the race. It’s difficult to describe, but to run 26.2 miles, I need to be in a place mentally that is very focused. I need to fully grasp the distance and begin telling myself that it can be done. It’s not like creating a strategy (because I had that). It’s more like accepting the distance and digesting it. It’s shutting everything else out and zoning in on what your body needs to do for four hours.

And I was not in that place. It was like I had not paid any attention to the in between being at the start line and being at the finish. I had gotten the advice from every race veteran not to go too fast in the first several miles of downhill. I had watched the race course video. I had studied the hills. But I hadn’t applied my body’s capabilities to it. And I was about to pay the price.

We start. I feel thrilled. There are so many people around me. I haven’t run a race with this many other runners in quite a while. It was very crowded but with the excellent corralling system, and the fact that everyone has run at least one other marathon, everyone was moving correctly and at a good pace. The trouble with crowding though is that you can’t get into your rhythm. That, paired with steep downhills, made the first couple miles very choppy and I didn’t feel like myself yet.

In the first few miles I saw a sign that said “Spencer the Dog coming up soon!” Spencer is a dog who watches the race and has been for years. He recently went through cancer treatment but he was back on the side lines ready to cheer everyone on. I had to stop and get his pic. I had my camera out and ready. And mile after mile went by! False advertising! It was about three miles from the “warning” sign when I saw Spencer. And there was a line of people waiting to take a pic with him. I had to keep running, but I did snag this picture of him with someone else!

As I continued on my way, I started to feel like something was wrong. We were still going downhill, but I was having a terrible feeling of pulling in my right hamstring with each step. I thought I would be gliding down the hills but I was wincing instead. In hindsight, I think I had been heel striking down the hills for about six miles. This caused me to put way too much strain on my hamstring and caused a ton of pain. My regular gait isn’t heel striking, it’s forefoot. But the hills were steep for a long time, and I think I was “putting on the brakes” by leading with my heel.

I was in pain, and it was distracting. I couldn’t get into a rhythm. I could see my pace getting slower and slower. By mile 10 I developed another problem. I think I was compensating for my hamstring pain and overused my calf muscle and began to overpronate. I started to feel a shooting pain surrounding my right inside ankle, like I was breaking my ankle with each step. It was horrible, really agonizing. The worst injury I’ve ever felt in a marathon.

But as I hobbled along, I was peering into the medical tents. The poor runners in the tents had their heads hung low. They were finished. I couldn’t face that idea. I had never DNF’d before, and I couldn’t do it at the Boston Marathon. I told myself to get mile to mile, water stop to water stop, and gut it out.

And the other thing I had to tell myself was to reimagine my experience. I was not going to be BQ’ing at Boston this year. But I was RUNNING Boston and I was going to love every minute of it. So I started concentrating on the atmosphere.

It was incredible. There were barely any sections along 26 miles without loads of spectators. I would be running along and I’d hear a huge crowd shouting and cheering. I’d look behind me and wouldn’t see anything special…those people were cheering for me and EVERYONE! It was wild. Sometimes it was so loud that it was disorienting. I was smiling so much that often I had to tell myself to stop smiling because my cheeks hurt! There were many times I had happy tears in my eyes. I’d realize “I’m running the Boston Marathon” and it would actually take my breath away for a moment.

Physically I was still struggling though. And I was looking for relief, so I made the mistake everyone warns you not to make. I tried something different on race day.

A lovely team of people were shouting along the sidelines about their “shot” that would relieve cramping. At the time, that’s what I thought was happening in my hamstring. And I figured “what’s the worst that could happen?” So I grabbed a little bottle of their liquid and I shot it back into my throat.

It was cinnamon flavored, like Fireball. It burned all the way down into my stomach and then it just sat in my stomach, burning. I’ve never felt nauseated in a race until that moment. I thought sure I’d throw up and have to drop out. I ran another mile in total distress, walking some of it. And then, sure enough, my legs started to feel better. My stomach still felt really bad, but I started to feel slightly better overall. I’m not sure the shot did anything other than distract me, but I now understand not to try anything new ever again. How foolish.

Landmarks were ticking by. I ran through the scream tunnel at Wellesley (tears in my eyes), I counted down through the towns we ran through (8), I summitted Heartbreak Hill (not a bad hill at all, I was actuallyprepared for uphill running!), I ran through an exciting zone where running clubs were cheering from their tents. In a blur I was coming near the end of the race!

Upon entering Boston, I could see the famous Citgo sign and watched it get closer. There I was at Fenway and the crowds were thick with spectators. Although I was physically hurting, I had a moment in my head where I thought “I don’t want this to be over. I want to run another hour.” I have never in all my races felt that way. The experience over all of those miles was so uplifting, transcending my injury, and I didn’t want it to end.

In the final mile, down Boylston Street I had a moment to consider the fear and the confusion that runners and spectators faced in 2013. The street is so closed in along there, and everything is really tight. I cannot imagine what a horrific experience it was.

I could see the finish and again I’m crying. I’m about to be a Boston Marathon finisher. Unreal. I crossed the line and felt relieved to give my body a rest. Lots of tears when I got my medal. I looked up on a big screen and I had messages from Elissa and John and other friends. I texted Brett and the kids. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Undoubtedly, if I ever qualify again, I will run Boston again, even if I’m not done with my 50 states. I won’t say that about any other race I’ve done.

[1310miles]

Boston Marathon, Massachusetts

April 18, 2022

4:07:25

[1310miles]

Thirty seven

Running in New Jersey was not in the plan for 2021. But what was, honestly?! In 2020, like Fargo, I had registered for a marathon in Maine. And just like Fargo, they cancelled it with about six weeks notice. Coming into 2021, it was back on the calendar.

The kids and I had a great trip planned. About five days in Bar Harbor in the fall- enjoying the changing leaves, whale watching, Acadia National Park. And then boom- another cancelled race. Maine decided they didn’t want a bunch of outsiders invading. Eva was relieved because she admitted she didn’t want to miss school, so we cancelled the whole trip. The kids don’t know yet, but I’m holding them to it next year.

As you have learned from this blog, I like to train for two marathons at once. It seems silly to waste my fitness on just one race. I like to run the first marathon as a “long run” for the second race, and then taper again. So I started looking for another race to follow up on Fargo, and it just so happened that Atlantic City, NJ was perfectly timed.

I had never planned on making my trip to New Jersey a real “vacation” so I quickly booked a flight in on a Saturday and out on Sunday. It would be my first time traveling alone since before I was married and I had never run a marathon without any support. Nonetheless, the timing was right and it was easy, so I jumped in.

I arrived in Atlantic City and sure enough, the streets were named like Monopoly. I stayed at the Hard Rock Casino, which was expensive. The problem with Atlantic City was, either you stay at a reasonable place and the reviews say you’ll get bed bugs, or you stay at an expensive place and you can sleep easy. The Hard Rock was really, really nice. They allowed me a late check out and it was a beautiful room.

I ran to the packet pick up, which was at a bar on the beach. It was probably the longest line I’ve ever been in for packet pick up, and I got my first clue about the weather in Atlantic City. The wind was brutal and whipping to the east. After at least an hour of queuing, I was finally done and ran back to the hotel.

In the morning I again walked to the starting line. I hung out a little in the casino to stay warm, and drew a lot of attention from a some folks who had clearly been up all night gambling. They were AMAZED by what I was about to do.

We started on the boardwalk and went north and then turned off to the west into the off ocean properties of Atlantic City. It reminded me a lot of Las Vegas, and the race in Las Vegas, running through parking lots of huge casinos. Around mile six we came back to the boardwalk and ran south.

Due south was a challenge because the wind was coming straight from the west toward the ocean. It was brutal right away. I knew we were running along the boardwalk until almost half way, so all I could think of was the wind never changing.

The boardwalk is pretty run down. I tried to keep occupied by reading the signs of the shops, very reminiscent of Myrtle Beach or even Navy Pier. The homeless epidemic is also rampant in Atlantic City, so that was not uplifting or encouraging.

We moved out of the commercial boardwalk and into residential properties, and then finally off the ocean front at mile 11. We continued to run south though, and the wind never stopped. It started to get to me. My mile times just kept slowing and slowing. I overheard one volunteer explain that there is a bay on the west and the ocean on the east and that causes the wind to really blow hard in the fall.

At mile 14 we turned around and headed north and although the wind didn’t cease, at least I knew I was on the back half of it. I tried to keep a good attitude, but I really just staggered to each aid station. I’ve learned from the past that wind takes a lot of fluid out of you, and I knew I needed to hydrate more than a regular race.

There was one brief moment when we ran east, and then we went back to the boardwalk to finish the race. Without a doubt, it was one of the most mentally challenging races I’ve ever contended with. I pulled through the finish line just so happy to be done, but clocking a time slower than in years.

I reminded myself that this race just fell into my lap and that it was good to just get it done. A huge bonus was the medal, which actually runs on a battery and the lighthouse light flashes! I was happy to get back on the airplane and return home having completed number 37.

[1310miles]

Atlantic City Marathon, New Jersey

October 17, 2021

4:06:55

[1310miles]

Thirty six

It feels as though a whole lifetime has passed since I was writing about a marathon. Perhaps that is actually true. It definitely seemed that way as a I stood at the starting line for this marathon number 36. This was the longest time between marathons (17+ months) since my kids were born.

Back in 2020, in a state of optimism and denial, I registered for the Fargo Marathon. It is typically on Mother’s Day weekend, but due to the pandemic, they moved it to September and assured runners that it was “100% guaranteed” to happen. I jumped on it and began training. Who am I kidding? In the first few months of the pandemic I was running more than any time in my life. Sometimes twice a day. I was desperately clinging to normalcy, escape from home and social connection. Training for a marathon was an excellent distraction.

I remember the feeling very clearly when I got the email from Fargo telling me that it was cancelled for 2020. Air being let out of the balloon. Reality setting in. Not even my marathon pursuit could skirt being affected by the pandemic.

Dusting myself off, 2021 arrived and registration reopened, again for a September Fargo race. Determined to check this one off the list, I made the plan and ran through the summer. With the ERC, I did the marathon training program and really enjoyed long runs with companions.

The trip for this marathon was unique. It would be the first marathon I would run without Brett as my spectator. Since my mom has been sick, my dad hadn’t done any travelling, and I am so grateful her health is improving. I asked my dad if he thought he could do a four-day trip away from her. With my mom’s encouragement, he agreed! It was a huge step in her recovery for both of them to feel confident in this trip.

My dad arrived to see my new house and meet the new puppy. Then the next morning we drove through Wisconsin to Minneapolis. It was a scenic ride and my dear dad didn’t fuss too much about my speeding or driving. Our hotel in Minneapolis was very interesting; a refurbished factory. I had a wonderful shake out run along and across the river.

The next day we moved into the boring and flat terrain to North Dakota. Arriving in Fargo we discovered that it was barely a city. We hit the FargoDome for the expo and checked into the hotel. Without anything else to do, we drove the race course- something I haven’t done for many races. I was really proud of the two of us for staying calm with directions and wrong turns. Maybe we could do the Amazing Race together after all!

The morning of the race I drove to the FargoDome and parked the car. My dad would be able to see me in the race by just walking from the hotel. It was nice to wait for the race to start from indoors. I laid on the floor, rested my feet, and watched the crowd.

They called us to start and we took off up the ramp to outdoors. The temperature change was shocking. I was dressed for the warmer parts of the day, so it was chilly to start.

The first eight miles were through residential streets. Lots of winding around, and we even did a figure eight through a subdivision. I felt good but just wanted to keep consistent and finish the race. At mile eight, we began running along the river, and we were in fact, in Minnesota.

My dad planned to see me at mile 11. As I arrived to that spot, we were accompanied by a band of bagpipes! It was really touching to see my dad, what a great guy, cheering me on. At the halfway point we ran through an area with a lot of small college campuses. The most interesting encounter I had that day was with one college mascot- an ear of corn!

The next milestone would be finishing the river path and seeing my dad again at mile 18. It was the only uphill to speak of, and I actually looked forward to it. The race was so flat that my muscles were spent. Having a little variety in a race goes a long way, as I have learned.

After we left the river, back in North Dakota, we went through residences again, and then back toward the city. I was working hard to be done, and the weather was warming. The entire race to this point had been under overcast skies, thus keeping the temps down. There was a tiny moment of rain, and then the skies cleared. Without many trees, it got warm quickly. I was glad to be finishing soon.

I saw my dad again as I left downtown, around mile 23. I remember saying “I’m pretty tired” and he just laughed! I dug my way to the finish, again inside the FargoDome. I grabbed my stuff and drove back to the hotel, which was kind of anti-climactic, but it was good to be done. I was covered in salt, like I was in Wyoming, and couldn’t wait to get a nice bath. And of course, get in the car with my dad again to head home.