36 - Maine Marathon - Portland, Maine

As I mentioned in my last blog — running two marathons back-to-back, 2 days in a row — what was I thinking? 

After I finished running the New Hampshire Marathon on Saturday, I jumped in the car and took off for the 2.5-hour drive to Portland, Maine. I felt tired but not that bad after my shower and massage.

The drive to Portland, Maine on back-country roads was picturesque. However, the rain, which had fortunately stopped for most of the race on Saturday, started again.

My hotel was near the Maine Marathon start/finish area at the University of Southern Maine.  While picking up my number, one of the volunteers recommended a local place, The Great Lost Bear for dinner, so that's where I ended up eating.  Saturday night I slept really well — no surprise! I guess running a marathon that day helped.

Starting line

Sunday morning was a cloudy, cool autumn day. Fortunately, the rain had again stopped, and it looked like it was going to hold out for the run.  There were about 3 times the number of runners (about 900)  at the Maine start compared to the day before in New Hampshire.

Immediately after the starting gun sounded, the rain started and poured on and off during the entire marathon.  This was definitely NOT fun!

Double marathon veterans shared that the first few miles of the second marathon (remember that I did two marathons in one weekend) were tough but after a few miles, you loosen up.  This was NOT the case for me, every step was torture. All I kept thinking was, What are you doing?  WHY are you doing this?  To be honest the answers never came to me.  But after completing the marathon on Sunday, Nancy (my childhood friend from Pompton Plains, NJ who now lives in New Hampshire) made an excellent point, I now had bragging rights — no one could ever say that I was a wimp for not ever running a "double."  Not sure if I every really wanted them, but it sure sounds good now that it's over.

The Portland course was scenic like the day before but not nearly as hilly.  This day I was not holding back, I was going as fast as I could, but felt like I was crawling.  Surprisingly, I actually ran slightly faster than the day before, but it sure as heck did not feel like it.  On Saturday, I ran an 11:19 average mile pace whereas my average mile pace on Sunday was 11:15— yes, a whopping 4 seconds faster per mile.

Almost finished...

Finished!

My finish time on Sunday was 3.5 minutes faster than my time on the day before.  More or less, I finished both marathons in just under 5 hours.

Nancy, Lola, Brian

After the marathon, I took a long hot shower in the University's locker room and then headed back to Nancy and Brian's in New Hampshire.  I collapsed on their comfy couch and watched some Sunday football.  Sorry about those Jets, Brian. We had pizza delivered for dinner and I retired to slumber land early.

Monday I drove back to Pennsylvania where Mark was waiting for me.  He was not able to join me for the "double" weekend; he had just returned from lecturing all weekend at the New York State Veterinary Conference.

35 - New Hampshire Marathon - Bristol, New Hampshire

Running two marathons back-to-back, 2 days in a row — what was I thinking?

In the marathon community, running 2 full marathons in a single weekend is called a double.  In the 50 State Marathon Club, it is not unheard of so I "needed" to experience it.

Nancy, Lola, Brian

Thursday morning, I left Pennsylvania and drove to Nancy and Brian's beautiful new home in Nashua, New Hampshire.  Nancy is a childhood friend from Pompton Plains, New Jersey.  We had a delicious lobster dinner at Surf Restaurant in Nashua and had a great time catching up on life.

Sue and Jim

On Friday afternoon, I left Nancy's house and drove an hour north to Tilton, New Hamphire, where I had a hotel for the night.  It had been pouring rain the whole day so the weather wasn't looking too good for the marathon. For dinner, the hotel recommended a local restaurant called Onions Pub and Restaurant.   As I arrived at Onions for an early dinner, a couple (Sue and Jim) arrived for their wedding with the bride's parents and the justice of the peace.  They were getting married, and I became one of the witnesses. I was also elected wedding photographer!

After dinner, I drove 20 miles further north to check-in and pick up my race number  for the New Hampshire Marathon.  Then I headed back to the hotel for the night.

The Starting Area of the New Hampshire

Newfound Lake

On Saturday morning, the marathon was scheduled to start at 9 AM — a little late, but I was happy to sleep in.  When a group of about 300 marathoners gathered under cloudy autumn skies for the start of the race, the rain had finally stopped.  The course was very scenic, taking us around Newfound Lake.

The fall foliage was at its peak. There were a number of rolling hills, which made the course a bit challenging, but fortunately, most of the uphills were in the first half of the race.

Knowing that I was running a second marathon the next day, I tried to maintain an easy, comfortable pace.  Mentally, "holding back" was a challenge, but physically it was great!  After the race, I took a quick shower in a local school locker room, had a brief massage that the marathon staff offered, and then jumped in the car and took off for the 2.5-hour drive to Portland, Maine. 

Nancy and Lola

 Overall, this was a small-town, no-crowd race. But it was certainly well-organized and a charming marathon, and I would certainly recommend it!

34 - Run with the Horses Marathon - Green River, Wyoming

Who could pass up a marathon called "Run with the Horses?"  Kristen, a friend who I taught with in NYC suggested we make a vacation of the Wyoming Marathon.  We flew into Denver, rented a car, and drove to Wyoming.  Run with the Horses Marathon was in Green River, which is in the south-west part of Wyoming.

We had one night to explore before we needed to be in Green River.  Once we crossed the border into Wyoming we stopped at the local tourist office in Cheyenne, they suggested we spend a night in Saratoga, about a two and a half hour drive away.  Saratoga sits atop an active mineral hot spring.  We took the Scenic Snowy Range Byway to get there, which passed through both the Medicine Bow National Forest's Snowy Mountain Range and Sierra Madre Range.  We spent the night at the Saratoga Resort and Spa that had the added bonus of a Microbrewery (The Snowy Mountain Brewery) on site.

The next day we drove to Green River.  The Run With the Horses Marathon was coordinated with the local River Festival held on August 18 and 19 on Expedition Island in Green River.  Number pick-up and the marathon start & finish was at the festival on Expedition Island.  The race director warned us about the first six miles of the run—all up hill— and recommended that we walk and take it easy at the start. There was also a warning about rattle snakes: "just run around them." That night had dinner at the Krazy Moose Restaurant and hit the hay as early as we could.

We were up before the sun, which is fine since our "clock" was 2 hours ahead, one advantage of running out west.  Not many people gathered at the start at an elevation of 6100' — a total of 42 people had signed up to run this marathon.  The first two miles was getting out of town on paved city streets and the paved Green Belt along the Green River.  I thought the race director had maybe been exaggerating about the intitial part of the race.

Just before mile two, however, we turned onto Wild Horse Canyon Road where the paved road changed to a graded dirt road and a climb up the canyon. We climbed to the top of White Mountain at approximately 7300' elevation. There was NO way I was going to be able to run 26.2 miles if I ran up the canyon.  As I made the decision to walk, I started talking John, a runner from Michigan.  He was also walking so we walked and talked until mile six when he had to turn; he was doing the half-marathon, and I continued on.

This is about when Wild Horse Canyon Road plateaued.  From then on it was rolling hills at elevations of up to 7500' but nothing like the initial 6-mile climb.  Fortunately, there were some wild horses to keep me company.  There were water/food/aid stops every 2 miles, most needed for this race.  This was high plains desert and no shade.

Turn around point at 13.1 miles

Descending the canyon was a welcome relief. The second 13.1 miles were much better than the first half had been!  After the run, we sat in the river for a long time and just relaxed.  Believe me, there is nothing better than a cold soak after running a high plains desert marathon!

Over the next few days, we did another marathon— a marathon drive around most of the State of Wyoming! Leaving Green River, we first drove to Jackson or, as some refer to it, Jackson Hole.  We tried to spend as little time there as possible; it's a huge uppity tourist place.

Hidden Falls

Old Faithful

We then drove up to Grand Teton National Park and got a room at the Jackson Lake Lodge.   The next morning we took a hike around Jenny Lake and up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.  From there we drove up to Yellowstone National Park and spent the night at the Old Faithful Inn.  The "sulfur" smell of the geyser was everywhere.

Proghorn antelope in Grand Tetons

Elk in Grand Tetons

Bison herd in Yellowstone

The next morning we continued driving through the park and exited in the north-east, and briefly drove through Montana.  From there we headed south and spent the night in Thermolopis.  Then it was back to the Denver area.  We spent the last night with a friend of Kristen's in Boulder, Colorado before heading back home.

This was a good trip, we saw a lot.   But I'll go back to see the beautiful scenery and parks at a much more leisurely pace!

33 - South Dakota - Post-marathon

The morning after the marathon, I decided to take it easy and see the sights in South Dakota; I drove to the Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City and looked into renting a motorcycle.  The weather forecast was perfect for a motorcycle excursion.  So I did it— I rented a Ember Red Sunglo Dyna Switchback and hit the open road.  

The Badlands were a bit out of the way, but they had to be seen.  So I blasted out of Rapid City on Interstate 90.  Riding the motorcycle on the interstate wasn't much fun, but there was a lot of sights to be seen and it was the quickest way to the Badlands, my first stop.  

Along the interstate, there were tons of billboards for Wall Drug, which is located in Wall, South Dakota. Wall turned out to also be a good place to exit the interstate since an entrance to the Badlands National Park was just outside the city limits.  I expected Wall Drug to be a small town drug store with a luncheonette.  Not the case, Wall Drug is a tourist metropolis occupying most of downtown Wall. It was a bit overwhelming but still a must see if you ever happen to be in Wall, SD! 

From Wall, I headed into Badlands National Park and rode along the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway. This approximately 30-mile drive on SD 240 cuts through the middle of breathtaking formations of Badlands National Park.  It follows the "natural contours of the Badlands escarpment, weaving  in and out of the native grasslands."  Scenic overlooks, with names like Seabed Jungle, Pinnacles, and Prairie Wind, all offered amazing vistas. 

Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse were next up, but I had to go back through Rapid City to get there.  I found a less crowded, smaller 2-lane state road to take me back to Rapid City.  Fortunately I stopped for gas just before I left for  Rapid City because there was NOTHING along this road.  It was a nice crusin' rode but no where to stop for anything.  

Actually, there was one sight to see (picture of dinosaur on the right). I have NO idea what it was doing in the middle of nowhere.


 



Crazy Horse Memorial was my next brief stop.  The Crazy Horse Memorial is only half finished.  They say it will take another 50 years to complete.

Below, on the left is what has been completed as of June 4, 2012 (not much!).  On the right is a model of what the completed Memorial will look like.

Monday, June 4, 2012

There was still a few more hours of light, so I took the "scenic" round-about-way to Mount Rushmore, more Scenic Byways—Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway and the Wildlife Loop Sate Scenic Byway.  

Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway
This 70-mile drive offers breathtaking views of some of the Black Hills' most stunning scenery. The popular Needles Highway (SD Highway 87) and Iron Mountain Road (US Highway 16A) are both part of the byway. Needles Highway features tunnels, hairpin curves and slender granite pinnacles.
Three granite tunnels on Iron Mountain Road perfectly frame the faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the distance. Also on the route are three pigtail bridges, built in the 1930s, which have a corkscrew shape.

Byway Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway  
The Wildlife Loop Road (SD Highways 87 and 16A) in Custer State Park is pure nature at its best. There are open grasslands and rolling hills speckled with pine. Many of the park's wildlife species occupy this area and are commonly seen. They include bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, deer, elk, coyote, prairie dog and numerous birds. Also, some of the park's wild "begging" burros live at the southernmost end of this road. This 18-mile route follows the diverse landscape offering views of mountain foothills, prairie meadows and lush stream beds. The park is home to one of the world's largest publicly-owned bison herds.

The ride was absolutely AMAZING!  Finished in Keystone just as it was getting dark and got a room there.

Next morning my plan was to go see Mount Rushmore. But it was yet another gorgeous day for riding, so I did a "drive-by" of Mount Rushmore and rode the scenic byways again before I had to return the motorcycle to Rapid City.




Am I ever glad I did!  As I was driving part of the Wildlife Loop,  I came upon a bison on the side of the road.




Further along, there was a burro smack dab in the middle of the road.  I'm not familiar with burros, so I wasn't even sure what it was.  I yelled at it, honked at it, flashed the high beams, but it was not budging.  Finally I took my chances and slowly went around it.
No reaction whatsoever.

It was getting close to the time that I had to return the motorcycle, so I had to change pace and high tail it back to the Harley dealership.  I returned the motorcycle, got back in the rental car, stopped in Rapid City for lunch, AND then went back to Mount Rushmore.

I spent the afternoon there taking in the beauty and symbolism of the four presidents.  I then had dinner in Keystone and decided to spend the night there again.  At just before 9 PM, I went back to Mount Rushmore for the Evening Lightening Ceremony.







This South Dakota marathon experience was above and beyond my expectations. I NEVER imagined South Dakota being so fascinating! If you have the opportunity, South Dakota is a must see.

33 - Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon - Deadwood, South Dakota

On the Sunday morning, there were 347 plus people in the town of Rochford for the start of the

 Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon,  "26.2 Miles of Breathtaking Black Hills Beauty."



The marathon course was point-to-point; we were bused out to the start in Rochford, a tiny old Western town with a population of only 25 inhabitants,  just after 6 AM for an 8 AM start.



Here I am passing the Moonshine Gulch Saloon during the beginning of the marathon.  I'm on the right wearing black sweatshirt and pants and white hat; it was cold waiting for the start.  The sweatshirt and gloves got tossed soon after this picture was taken.  The temperature rose quickly.



 
The majority of the race is on the George S. Mickelson Trail, an old railroad bed named in honor of a late South Dakota governor.   The "Mick," as it is called, is a wide trail of crushed gravel —not a "gnarly" single-track trail—thank goodness.  The marathon climbs for the first 14 miles to an elevation close to a mile up, before dropping again over the final 12 miles.  Both incline and decline are extremely gradual, but it STILL takes a toll. 

For the first half, I took it REALLY easy; then I enjoyed the decline the second half.  It seemed that all the runners settled into a pace and held it for the entire marathon.  My strategy of "picking off" runners toward the end didn't happen.  There was no one to pass! 


Final Results:
Overall place: 132 out of 347
Division place: 4 out of 32
Gender place: 29 out of 161
Time: 4:31:35
Pace: 10:22
13.1 split: 2:18:16
Gun time: 4:32:04