13 - Missoula Marathon, Missoula, Montana

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Arrived in Missoula about 2:30 PM. Joelle met us at the airport. Went to the hotel – Holiday Inn. Joelle and I walked over to the expo and got my number, etc. Small expo outside with about 4 vendors. Walked around Missoula. Back to hotel and then out for dinner – Higgin’s Alley. Had spinach salad and rolintini with tomato veg sauce – delicious. Back to hotel and in bed by 8PM. Left knee hurting? Need to get up at 4 AM! First bus at 4:30 – last bus to start 5:30. Race starts at 6AM. 

Weather forecast: 6AM – Sunny 49 degrees F; wind S 2mph

Notes: 2 hour time difference; elevation 3200 feet

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Up at 4:30 AM. Slept well. Took bus to start at 5AM. Race started at 6AM
Clothes: CWR pants, white tank top, white hat, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7 sneakers
Food: hotel/bus: coffee, apricots, Clariton d, ¼ muffin, apple
Run: At the start- handful of mixed nuts and 2 Acetaminophen – 500mg each, Kashi Chewy Trail Mix bar
After: eggs w/ spinach, English muffin

Back at the hotel: ice bath, ice knees; took nap
Next time: Bring throw away gloves; knee brace

Monday, July 14, 2008

Left arch sore, hamstrings sore, knees not too bad
Breakfast at hotel
Drove to Polson; stopped for Huckelberry Ice Cream; arrived at Hotel in Polson – Best Western Kwataqnuk Resort on Flathead Lake. Dinner at the hotel

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Breakfast across the street from hotel. Dropped Joelle’s car off at Chris’ house. Stopped by her cabin. Drove to Bigfork and walked around. Drove to Whitefish and walked around. There was a farmer’s market. Dinner at a delicious Mexican place – Mama Blanco. Stayed at Aero Inn in Kalispell.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Coffee in room. Breakfast at hotel. Drove into Glacier National Park at West Glacier. Lunch at McDonald Lodge. Walked the trail of the Cedars. Drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. Hiked in the snow to Hidden Lake Overlook ( ~ 1.5 miles each way). Was really slippery; Mark was NOT happy. Left the park at St. Mary and drove to East Glacier. Stayed at Pines hotel. Dinner at a Mexican Place in town.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Beautiful day! Breakfast in East Glacier. Drove back into Glacier National Park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Hiked to Alvalanche Glacier overlook ( ~ 2 mile each way). Drove into Missoula back to Best Western Kwataqnuk Resort on Flathead Lake. Dinner across the street – Ribs. To bed early.

 Friday, July 18, 2008

Karin called at 7AM. Left hotel about 9AM. Stopped to get snack at Safeway. Arrived at airport about 11AM. Flight was delayed b/c of weather in Chicago. Made our connecting flight just in time.

Haiku

Montana running

Start in Frenchtown, early morning

Breathtaking scenery

12 - Grandma's Marathon - Duluth, Minnesota

Why is this marathon called Grandma’s Marathon? The marathon’s first sponsor was Grandma’s Saloon and Grill in Duluth, Minnesota.

I ran this marathon with Bruce, a friend of my husband Mark.  Bruce lives in Hector, Minnesota, where my husband grew up and his mother (Lois) still lives. Mark and I flew into Minneapolis, rented a car, and drove up to Duluth on Thursday.

On our first night in Duluth, Mark and I went to Grandma's Saloon and Grill for dinner (Bruce and Lois had yet to arrive). By total chance, our waitress was Nikki, a cousin of Mark's. Nikki's great-grandfather and Mark's grandfather were brothers.

Lois and Bruce

The next day, Bruce, his family and Lois drove up from Hector to join us— Bruce to run and his family and Lois to help cheer us on! 

Friday afternoon I went to the expo to listen to Dick Beardsley speak.  He is best know for his close finish with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon (that race was detailed in the book Duel in the Sun). Dick also hold the course record for Grandma's Marathon from 1981.   Dick Beardsley didn't speak much about running, but rather about his drug addiction.  It was a thoroughly engaging speech.  In 1989, he had a serious farm accident and then in the early 1990's some auto accidents.  Each time he was prescribed pain medication, eventually became addicted, and ultimately was arrested.  He was able to clean himself up and started a foundation to provide assistance to individuals suffering from chemical dependency who are unable to pay for a 12-step treatment program.  He has been chemical-free since February 12, 1997.

The starting area

Saturday was marathon day!

This was Bruce's first marathon. Two of Bruce's childhood friends, Weston and his brother Mike also ran. Initially it was Weston. Bruce and I running together.  They were a hoot, joking and busting on each other. Bruce and Weston were noticing and mentioning some pains in various parts of their bodies.  I explained to them that when we experience pain and tightness, it can be considered a blockage of energy, and by focusing our intention to breathe into those places, we can help to release the pain, tightness or blockage.  So I told them to "Breathe into it."  Next thing I see - they are breathing on each other's shoulder.  Obviously they didn't understand the art of yogic breathing...

Mike, Mike's friend, Weston, Bruce and me

After the first half it was just Bruce and me.  Bruce was amazingly upbeat throughout the entire marathon.  Every time I asked him, "How are you feeling?"  He said, "I feel great - why haven't I done this sooner?"  He said this every time I asked! 
 
"Grandma's" was a point-to-point marathon and started 26.2 miles outside of Duluth on Lake Superior, and the entire marathon was run along the lake. (A point-to-point marathon is when you start at one point 26.2 miles away and run to the finish. The Boston Marathon is a point-to-point marathon.) Grandma’s scenery was beautiful, and it was tons of fun to run with a first timer!

The Cheerleaders!

Bruce and I were even written up in the local Hector newspaper after!

11 - KeyBank Vermont City Marathon, Burlington, VT

Dave Edwards, Nichol Hare and I drove to Vermont together.  Dave ran the marathon and Nichol cheered for us. We visited the Vermont Teddy Bear Company while there...

Nichol 

10 - Long Branch, NJ

For the New Jersey Marathon, I volunteered as a four-hour pacer. The race entry fee was free and I thought it would be a good experience.

Romina and me

Saturday, May 3, 2008: 
Drove down to Long Branch.  Arrived at 2:30.  Checked into hotel – Holiday Inn Express on 36 East in West Long Branch.  Great room – actually it’s a suite.  Went to the expo at the start / finish of the marathon.  Helped out at the pacer table for a few hours.  Met the other 4 hour pacer – Romina from Miami.  This is her 19^th marathon.  She was with her friend Jose also from Miami.  We went to the dinner together at about 6PM.  I drove them to their hotel.  Back at the hotel – took bath and am now sitting in bed typing.  I should go to bed it’s 9:10 PM.  Set the alarm for 5 AM. 

My plantar fasciitis is OK.  This is the first time ever that I’m going to run a marathon with an injury, if you can call it that.  I have been going back and forth.  If a runner came to me, as a coach, and said they had plantar fasciitis, I would say don’t run.  Why can I talk the talk but not walk the talk?  The doctor I saw on Monday said it was OK.  Romina says she has it and just runs with it.  I’ll start and see how I feel.  But I seem to feel OK when I’m running.  It’s the next day???  What should I do???  Run / not run???  I really want to be a pacer. 

Weather looks iffy - chance of thunderstorms.  Would they cancel if there were thunderstorms??? 

Sunday, May 4, 2008:
Woke to cloudy skies, but no thunder.  Started out with a big group of runners but by the end, there were only one or two runners with me.  I was able to maintain a four-hour pace for most of the marathon (see mile splits below).  My plantar fasciitis was bearable.

Mile Splits:

1- 9:35; 2- 9:00; 3- 8:54; 4- 8:46; 5- 9:08; 6- 9:03; 7- 9:06; 8- 9:20; 9- 9:02; 10- 9:10; 11- 9:01; 12- 9:04; 13- 9:22; 14- 9:06; 15- 8:52; 16- 9:00; 17- 8:55; 18- 9:00; 19- 8:54; 20- 9:07; 21- 8:51; 22- 9:12; 23- 8:42; 24- 9:14; 25-9:19; 26- 10:33; .2- 1:49 

Email from a runner that I received after the marathon:

PR = Personal Record
BQ = Boston Qualify

9 - Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Virginia Beach, Virginia (March 16, 2008)

Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Virginia Beach, Virginia

Almost finished...

Finished!

Mark and I left NYC on Friday, March 14 and drove to Wilmington, DE for the night.  Saturday we drove down to Virginia Beach for the marathon and stayed two nights. On our way home, we visited Yorktown, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon. 

8 - United Technologies Greater Hartford Marathon, Hartford, Connecticut

I ran the Hartford Marathon with Dave Edwards, who I coached when I worked for Team for Kids.

Kent Bradley, Mark's brother-in-law(married to Mark's youngest sister, Mary), also ran this marathon, but we didn't run together.  Kent ran this Marathon in an attempt to qualify for The Boston Marathon. In order to accomplish his goal, he needed to run really fast— faster than I wanted to run for this race.

Kent needed to finish this marathon with a time at or under 3:30:00 to qualify for the Boston Marathon. He did it, with a finishing time of 3:29:59!