29 - Tecumseh Trail Marathon - Bloomington, Indiana

The Tecumseh Trail Marathon was a scenic and challenging run in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests with about 700 runners. It was unfortunate that I was battling a cold from the moment I left NYC until the moment I returned.  All I thought about was being in a warm, cozy bed. I tried to make the best of the situation— mind over matter —but it was a battle.

I flew into Indianapolis, rented a car, and drove down to Bloomington on Friday afternoon. I pickup up my registration material on Friday night at the host hotel, A Summerhouse Inn, which was quite intimate, aka very small.  Then I went to dinner at a local place, Bucceto's Smiling Teeth for some delicious lasagna.  While I was waiting for a table, the next two people in line started chatting with me.  They were also running the marathon the next day and asked me to join them for dinner, which I gladly did.  Jeff and Jeff were childhood friends from Chicago and I enjoyed listening to their banter back and forth about running, their families, and life in general.

Fortunately for me, the marathon didn't start until 10 AM on Saturday.  Sleeping in the morning of a marathon was a welcomed change, especially with my cold. About 8:45 AM, I drove to A Summerhouse Inn where there were buses taking the runners to the start line at the Morgan-Monroe State Forest office.  This was a point-to-point course, starting from the Morgan-Monroe State Forest office and finishing at Yellowwood Lake, mostly on the Tecumsah Trail. I found a YouTube video that a couple made when they ran the marathon in 2009, which gives you an accurate idea of what the marathon was like.  Click here to watch the video.

The best part of this marathon was the post-race amenities at the finish line. They had an open, old stone structure with two huge fireplaces, which they had enclosed for post marathon warmth and comfort. So after I finished with the marathon, I got some of the homemade vegetable soup and got cozy in front of a fire.  This was truly ecstasy!!!






Now it's time to catch up on my past marathon blogs and plan my marathon schedule for 2012!