Well, it's been quite the year, marathon-wise, that is. Between the heat in April for the Boston Marathon and now the storm in the northeast just before the New York City Marathon, you could say it's been...unpredictable, at least. And I won't even go into the injury side of the house...
Yesterday morning, on my 2-hour (!!) drive in to work (28 miles
should NOT take 2 hours, but that's another story!), I had plenty of time to think about Hurricane Sandy / Frankenstorm / Superstorm Sandy / Biatch Sandy, or whatever your choice name for her is at the moment. A friend who'd just run the Marine Corps Marathon as Sandy was moving in called to see what the latest on the status of NYC was. As of this writing, NYC is supposedly still a go, but we runners haven't received any official communication from the NYRR, the organization that oversees the race. They've been assessing the situation, so have been markedly quiet.
Both the NYRR and ING New York City Marathon Facebook pages are seeing tons of comments from runners literally from all over the world. Many of them are asking whether the race will still be held (understandable, as they're coming from different countries and have a long travel schedule ahead of them). Many others are commenting on their support for the region during in the aftermath of Sandy, and still others are weighing in on whether the NYRR should cancel or proceed with the race. It's interesting to read the myriad of various postings and opinions, and encouraging to see the support that everyone has for the people of New York.
Having grown up in "hurricane country" (i.e., the Gulf Coast), I experienced some real whoppers (here's one: Hurricane Frederick: http://www.southalabama.edu/meteorology/hurricanefrederic.html.) So, no matter whether I live in an area affected by hurricanes or not, I'm always drawn to follow them because of my experiences.
Now, after watching Superstorm Sandy barrel down on the northeast, comes the speculation about what's going to happen with the New York City Marathon this weekend. Will they still have it? Should they still have it? Will the participants be able to get there, and if we do, will we be able to get around the city (since the officials have stated that it will take at least four days to even pump the water from the subways)? And on and on the questions go...
I've adopted a wait-and-see attitude, because I can't control any of it. Watching the news special last night, however--and having lived through hurricanes myself--I've started to question whether, for me, running the marathon (if it's held) would be the thing to do. I trust the city officials of New York and the NYRR will make the decision they feel is best for the area and its residents during this difficult time.
Stay tuned...We're supposed to hear an official statement today....
Donna
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
October 31, 2012
July 25, 2012
Let the Recovery Begin
If you're a runner, especially a distance runner, what's the second thing that crosses your mind once you cross that finish line? (I ask about the second, because I know for many of us, the first thing is some variation of 'Thank God I'm finished!!!') Whether you realize it or not, the second thing that crosses your mind is probably 'recovery'. Granted, it may be in the form of 'BEER!!!!' or 'FOOD!!!' or 'MUST.SIT.DOWN', but those are still all forms of 'recovery'.
Recovery begins the moment we cross the finish line.
I'm in the midst of my recovery from the Missoula Marathon. When I crossed the finish line on the Higgins Avenue bridge, after the first volunteer put the medal around my sweaty neck, the second volunteer stopped me to remove the timing chip from my shoe. I kept thinking "hurry, hurry, hurry" because I know without a doubt that I HAVE to keep moving after my race. This is what starts my recovery process. I discovered this very important piece of information after the 2011 Boston Marathon when--even after walking for several minutes--I became lightheaded when we stopped to retrieve our gear bags. "Vasodilation", one of my doctor-running-buddy-friends later told me, is what it was, and when we stop running after running so long and so hard, it can easily happen. Basically, as I understand it, the blood vessels dilate which causes an increase in blood flow which then results in a decrease in blood pressure. And, as we all know, too much of a decrease in blood pressure and BAM! Down you go! (I'm obviously not a doc, so this isn't medical advice. Talk to your own doc for more information.) Fortunately no, I didn't faint that day after Boston, but I could have! This is why we, dear distance friends, are made to "keep moving" following our marathons. (Well, that, and we have to get out of the way of the other finishers!)
And so, after Missoula, I knew the best thing for me to do to kick-start my recovery was to walk. And to keep walking. The finish area wasn't huge (like it is in Boston and New York), so I had to walk around the food tent several times after walking over to the gear bag area and back. I think I must have walked for about 30 minutes total before being ready to sit down and put my feet up. It worked, though. No lightheadedness for me.
I also try to eat something--both carbs & protein--right after I finish in order to start replacing the glycogen I've used up and to repair the muscle damage I've inflicted on my legs. This isn't, for me, eating because I'm hungry. Not by a longshot. On the contrary, I really don't want to eat anything right after a race, and it seems to be getting more difficult with each race. It's too bad that I couldn't stomach any of the post-race food they were serving (literally) at Missoula, because it was the best variety I've seen following a marathon. I tried to eat part of a banana (WHY do I keep trying to eat bananas when I hate them??) and also grabbed a bagel slice, but it wasn't happening. The only thing I could stomach, and only after walking around for 30 minutes, was a real fruit strawberry popsicle. (30 minutes, by the way, is the ideal window in which we want to get food into us post-workout in order to reap the most benefit.)
I won't go into the topic of stretching, since it's so controversial these days, except to say that personally, I do try to stretch *lightly* after my race.
It goes without saying, I think, that this entire time I'm trying to continue to sip on both a recovery drink and water in order to hydrate. If it's been unusually hot, or you're a very heavy sweater, or you've become dehydrated during the race (and it doesn't take much for this to happen), then this becomes even more important.
So that's the first...hour...after the race. Then what?
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
Recovery begins the moment we cross the finish line.
I'm in the midst of my recovery from the Missoula Marathon. When I crossed the finish line on the Higgins Avenue bridge, after the first volunteer put the medal around my sweaty neck, the second volunteer stopped me to remove the timing chip from my shoe. I kept thinking "hurry, hurry, hurry" because I know without a doubt that I HAVE to keep moving after my race. This is what starts my recovery process. I discovered this very important piece of information after the 2011 Boston Marathon when--even after walking for several minutes--I became lightheaded when we stopped to retrieve our gear bags. "Vasodilation", one of my doctor-running-buddy-friends later told me, is what it was, and when we stop running after running so long and so hard, it can easily happen. Basically, as I understand it, the blood vessels dilate which causes an increase in blood flow which then results in a decrease in blood pressure. And, as we all know, too much of a decrease in blood pressure and BAM! Down you go! (I'm obviously not a doc, so this isn't medical advice. Talk to your own doc for more information.) Fortunately no, I didn't faint that day after Boston, but I could have! This is why we, dear distance friends, are made to "keep moving" following our marathons. (Well, that, and we have to get out of the way of the other finishers!)
And so, after Missoula, I knew the best thing for me to do to kick-start my recovery was to walk. And to keep walking. The finish area wasn't huge (like it is in Boston and New York), so I had to walk around the food tent several times after walking over to the gear bag area and back. I think I must have walked for about 30 minutes total before being ready to sit down and put my feet up. It worked, though. No lightheadedness for me.
I also try to eat something--both carbs & protein--right after I finish in order to start replacing the glycogen I've used up and to repair the muscle damage I've inflicted on my legs. This isn't, for me, eating because I'm hungry. Not by a longshot. On the contrary, I really don't want to eat anything right after a race, and it seems to be getting more difficult with each race. It's too bad that I couldn't stomach any of the post-race food they were serving (literally) at Missoula, because it was the best variety I've seen following a marathon. I tried to eat part of a banana (WHY do I keep trying to eat bananas when I hate them??) and also grabbed a bagel slice, but it wasn't happening. The only thing I could stomach, and only after walking around for 30 minutes, was a real fruit strawberry popsicle. (30 minutes, by the way, is the ideal window in which we want to get food into us post-workout in order to reap the most benefit.)
I won't go into the topic of stretching, since it's so controversial these days, except to say that personally, I do try to stretch *lightly* after my race.
It goes without saying, I think, that this entire time I'm trying to continue to sip on both a recovery drink and water in order to hydrate. If it's been unusually hot, or you're a very heavy sweater, or you've become dehydrated during the race (and it doesn't take much for this to happen), then this becomes even more important.
So that's the first...hour...after the race. Then what?
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
July 18, 2012
Happy Birthday, Dad
Today is my Dad's birthday. He would've been 85 years old.
Since losing him at Christmas, I think about him every day, but wanted to pause and remember him "out loud" on his birthday.
My Dad was one tough guy, in many ways. Yet, in so many ways he was also a big softie. We'd always had dogs (mostly dachsies!), but over the last few years (since Hurricane Katrina), he & my stepmother had adopted not one, not two, but three little dogs who needed homes. All little dogs had my Dad wrapped around their paws.
I was looking through his senior yearbook and found his class picture. (Isn't he handsome?!)
And then I saw it: "Track, 2"! Dad had run track his sophomore year in school! For whatever reason, he didn't continue with it. I'll never know, because Dad never did talk about the past much at all.
My favorite picture of Dad and me as a kid was taken at the Island-- our nickname for Dauphin Island. We were getting ready to surf those waves!
Dad absolutely LOVED to be on the water, even though he went to sea for a living, as Chief Engineer for a steamship corporation. When he was home, we'd usually be out on the boat fishing, shrimping, or crabbing, floundering, or oystering.
(That's a marlin that Dad landed during a billfishing tournament.)
I won't go into what I think Dad instilled in me that's helped my running...Maybe that's for another blog. Or maybe not. But, I will say that he's been an inspiration for me in my races this year, especially at Boston.
Thanks for letting me ramble for a minute and tell you a little about my Dad.
I love you, Dad. Happy Birthday.
"-DL"
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
Since losing him at Christmas, I think about him every day, but wanted to pause and remember him "out loud" on his birthday.
My Dad was one tough guy, in many ways. Yet, in so many ways he was also a big softie. We'd always had dogs (mostly dachsies!), but over the last few years (since Hurricane Katrina), he & my stepmother had adopted not one, not two, but three little dogs who needed homes. All little dogs had my Dad wrapped around their paws.
I was looking through his senior yearbook and found his class picture. (Isn't he handsome?!)
And then I saw it: "Track, 2"! Dad had run track his sophomore year in school! For whatever reason, he didn't continue with it. I'll never know, because Dad never did talk about the past much at all.
My favorite picture of Dad and me as a kid was taken at the Island-- our nickname for Dauphin Island. We were getting ready to surf those waves!
Dad absolutely LOVED to be on the water, even though he went to sea for a living, as Chief Engineer for a steamship corporation. When he was home, we'd usually be out on the boat fishing, shrimping, or crabbing, floundering, or oystering.
(That's a marlin that Dad landed during a billfishing tournament.)
I won't go into what I think Dad instilled in me that's helped my running...Maybe that's for another blog. Or maybe not. But, I will say that he's been an inspiration for me in my races this year, especially at Boston.
Thanks for letting me ramble for a minute and tell you a little about my Dad.
I love you, Dad. Happy Birthday.
"-DL"
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
July 16, 2012
Magnificent Missoula: the 2012 Missoula Marathon, Part 2--Photos
Packet pickup in Caras Park:
The expo is held under this huge tent structure in Caras Park:
This is the area where the awards ceremony is held after the race. On the day of the expo, however, there were many vendors set up in this area. I wasn't sure if it was part of the race weekend festivities or connected to a local farmer's market which was also taking place.
View of the river from Caras Park:
The race poster that I saw at many businesses:
This cow was at mile 16.7. I, however, managed not to see it at all. We piled in the Clown Car on Sunday afternoon to find it.
You get a nice tech shirt and a gear bag:
The Bling. This is one of the most unique medals I've seen.
Runners Edge of the Rockies does Missoula!
Me, post-race
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
The expo is held under this huge tent structure in Caras Park:
This is the area where the awards ceremony is held after the race. On the day of the expo, however, there were many vendors set up in this area. I wasn't sure if it was part of the race weekend festivities or connected to a local farmer's market which was also taking place.
View of the river from Caras Park:
The race poster that I saw at many businesses:
This cow was at mile 16.7. I, however, managed not to see it at all. We piled in the Clown Car on Sunday afternoon to find it.
You get a nice tech shirt and a gear bag:
The Bling. This is one of the most unique medals I've seen.
Runners Edge of the Rockies does Missoula!
Me, post-race
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
Location:Missoula, MT
July 15, 2012
Magnificent Missoula: the 2012 Missoula Marathon
By the time my head hit the pillow, I'd been up for 21 hours straight. It had been a long day (even longer, considering I was lucky to get 5 hours of sleep the night before), but ultimately a good one. Earlier that morning, I'd run the 6th Annual Missoula Marathon, in Missoula, Montana.
I have several partially written blogs that I just haven't finished, but am determined to finish this one because this is one good race. As is typical after a race, friends ask about it, specifically wanting to hear about how your race went, but also eager to hear about the race itself if they haven't run it. I don't know of anyone in our running group who has run the Missoula Marathon (I don't know anyone period who's run it), so wanted to provide a race review for you.
This is an excellent race that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I highly recommend it. The experience here is not a Boston or a New York City in terms of size, but in terms of quality, I have to say that I think it's a contender. Here's why.
Organization
This race is put on by the local running club, Run Wild Missoula. When you have runners putting on races (versus big corporate entities that are far-removed from being part of the running community), it makes an enormous difference in everything. This race is well-organized, from the pre-race expo all the way through to the finish area and awards ceremony.
The expo is held outside in Caras Park under a big tent structure the day before the race. There, as usual, you pick up your race packet, gear bag (which is nice bag with an outside zippered pocket, by the way), and timing chip. Right there, they have computers set up where you scan your chip to verify that it works and that the information is correct.
The morning of the race, everyone catches a bus that takes you to the start from the parking garage downtown. Missoula does it just like Boston: you get on a big, yellow school bus and are shuttled to the starting area. I caught the bus at 5am (the race start is 6am), and noticed that not only were there plenty of volunteers, but they were very cheerful and knew exactly where to point runners if there were questions about which bus to board. That was pretty clear, though, because they had signs pointing out the buses for the half marathon (on one side of the street) and the full marathon (on the opposite side of the street).
Before they dropped us off at the starting area, one of the friendly race officials boarded our bus, described the starting area, and reminded us NOT to step over the timing mats (but to walk to the side) as they were already activated. The starting area was well-equipped with plenty of porta-potties and the gear bag check. One snafu that did happen was that not all of us got the number stickers (matching our bibs) that were to go on the outside of our gear bags for the transport back to the finish area. Kudos to whoever realized this, because the volunteers were ready with masking tape and sharpies to mark our bib numbers on our gear bags.
Once the race was underway, the aid stations were consistent in the order in which the fluids were handed out (gatorade first, followed by water), and the volunteers were plentiful at each one, as well as enthusiastic. At several (two, I think) of the aid stations, there were gels being handed out (Clif Shots), both caffeinated and non-caffeinated.
After you finished, the finish line area flowed well. Once you received your medal and had your timing chip removed, you could either get your photo taken by one of the two photographers or go immediately into the food tent (and then come back, if you wanted to). The food provided was plentiful and more than the typical post-marathon fare, and there were tables and chairs just past it in case you wanted to sit in the shade after your race. After you walked through the food tent, just around the corner was the gear bag area, and they had the bags organized by bib numbers. As I walked up to get my bag, the volunteer already had it in her hand ready for me!
I should note that I was able to walk around (and around and around) the food tent and back and forth freely in the finish area (versus being made to walk only in one direction). Obviously, that has a lot to do with the size of the race (1111 marathon finishers this year), but it was great because I can't eat immediately following my race, and I always try to keep walking for quite a while before I sit down. Being able to walk around and around that tent kept me in the shade, I could see folks after they finished, and I was also able to get a *real fruit!* popsicle when I was able to eat something. Recovery starts once you cross that finish line, and the set-up at Missoula was helping tremendously with mine!
Course
Simply put, the course is beautiful! It's a long, gradual uphill (though not significant) with a big "bump" of a hill at mile 14. You start the marathon in Frenchtown, which is northwest of Missoula, in the Montana countryside. As we got into the first few miles on Mullen Road, I could hear cows moo-ing in the distance, as if they were cheering us runners on. A little farther down the road, I looked up to see four gorgeous horses in a field on the left side of the road/course, who had gotten curious and run over to the fence closest to us to watch us run past. I made a point to snap that photo in my mind's eye!
At mile 9.4, we turned onto Kona Ranch Road and ran across the river. Still in the countryside, the views were stunning and I had to look around to take them in. Throughout Kona Ranch Road, to Big Flat Road and up the hill at mile 14, across the river at about mile 17, the course meanders the Montana countryside just outside Missoula, and the scenery is all the same: gorgeous. You are, of course, making your way closer and closer into Missoula proper, and it becomes decidedly more residential after you cross the river around mile 17. Be aware that this first part of the course, with few exceptions, is mostly exposed, so you'll want to be prepared with a good hydration strategy and sunscreen. There is some shade part of the way up Big Flat Road, and the hill at mile 14, thankfully, is primarily shaded. I thought the hill was steep, and because it has a false summit then keeps going up, it took a bit more out of me than I would have liked.
Once you hit about mile 17, you're getting into Missoula and it becomes more residential. From there, the course has quite a bit more shade as well as quite a few more turns (someone counted 19+ in the last 10k). There are several round-abouts to deal with, and this was probably the only thing that I really didn't care for about this race course. They weren't huge, but just enough that you couldn't keep that straight line going. As we know, too, a race course will be faster if it doesn't have a lot of turns in it, so that last 10k could be a little frustrating, but I do understand why it is the way it is: because of the finish location. The finish line is at the end of the bridge on Higgins Avenue, where you once again--and one final time--cross the river. The finish line and finish area is on the "upper level" above the riverwalk and Caras Park, and provides a scenic end to a very scenic marathon course.
Volunteers and Spectators
The volunteers and spectators for the Missoula Marathon were simply wonderful. This race has fantastic community support! Volunteers were knowledgeable and enthusiastic from the minute I entered the bus-boarding area that morning, all throughout the race and to the post-race area. It's a long day for the volunteers, too, and yet each one I spoke to (and thanked!) was friendly, encouraging, and truly seemed to be enjoying what they were doing.
You would think that there wouldn't be any spectators at all for the first half of the course, given where you're running. Wrong. While there weren't tons of spectators, there were sporadic groups--sometimes a couple, sometimes a small group--along the way. And they cheered! Of course, the closer you got into town, the more spectators there were, but even at several junctions there were a good number of enthusiastic spectators cheering us on! Because it was warmer than usual, folks all along the course had set out their sprinklers for us to run under. There were a couple of places were they were handing out ice, and I even saw someone set out an ice chest full of ice for us to get if we needed to cool off. I remember a lady playing a ukulele and singing as we ran by (on Big Flat Road, I think), and there seemed to be just enough boom boxes or music of some sort playing at different points. Perhaps the most interesting spectator-provided-music was the gentleman who was playing his baby grand piano on a platform under a small tent, in a tux, in his front yard! I know that Big Sur has that, but this is Missoula, Montana, and this fella probably wasn't contracted to do it, I'm guessing.
The spectators got more and more numerous, and stayed enthusiastic, the closer we got to the finish, and as we turned the corner and started across the bridge on Higgins, they seemed to be lined up all the way across the bridge and cheering us on!
Fabulous volunteers and spectators also make this marathon outstanding!
Awards Ceremony
They have one! The awards ceremony is held in Caras Park, which is just a short walk downstairs from the finish area on Higgins Avenue. There are a bunch of vendors (for lack of a better word) in the tent where the expo was, and you can go to an area where there are computers for you to enter your bib number and get a printout of your official finish time, the split for each half, and your placement (age group, sex, overall). It's a nice touch, since the clock time will be your gun time, but what we all care about is our net time. The one thing that I'd like to see is a printout posted with the age group and overall results for us to check out. That's a minor detail, though. One thing that's different that you need to be aware of is that Missoula allows double-dipping when it comes to awards. I was 4th in my age group, but the gal who won my age group also placed in the overall female masters division. Normally, this would have bumped me up to receive the 3rd place in my age group, but the Missola Marathon awarded her both the overall masters female placement award as well as the age group award.
Bling
The medals for the Missoula Marathon are probably the coolest ones I've seen.
Other
Start time for the race is 6am! Nice and cool, and you get to watch the sunrise. Before the start, there are fireworks, which can really get you pumped up and ready to run.
The photos that were taken (if you wanted them) after you finished? Not only were they high quality (the best post-race photo I've had), but they're provided for free! The photographers hand you a slip of paper with a number on it, and when you walk down to Caras Park, you can go to an area where they'll pull them up and print them for you, also providing a temporary frame card for you to store it. I had my photo taken alone, then after my other friends from my group finished, we got together for a group photo as well. They printed out one for each of us! This meant alot to me, for two reasons: one, because of one my friends was moving to Maui soon and this was probably the last race that we'd run together for a while, if not for good, and two, it's a group photo of friends I run with every week after a race that we all loved!
In addition to those photos, by mid-week after the race, we'd already received an email notification that our on-course photos were ready and--are you ready for this--they're provided for free! These are incredibly nice touches for runners!
The tech shirt is nice. There were different colors for the full marathon, half marathon, and (I'm assuming, though I didn't see it) the marathon relay. It fits well, too.
The post-race food wasn't your typical bagels, fruit, and yogurt. I can't remember everything they served (although I do remember there being pasta), but there was a very good variety there, including the bagels, fruit, and yogurt. I have to make myself eat immediately after a marathon, but that day the only thing I could stomach (and that after walking for quite a while) was the real fruit popsicle. Strawberry popsicles never tasted so good!
Finally, this race is inexpensive, and an amazing "bang for your buck"! In a day when big-city marathons like New York cost $ 255 to register (and don't get me wrong: I love those races... I've run Boston twice and plan to run NYC a second time in November), and not-so-big-city marathons run by another big corporation cost close to $ 200, the Missoula Marathon only cost $ 75 for me to register.
I just really liked this marathon. It was # 7 for me, and I would seriously consider doing it again! With a finishing field of 1111 marathoners this year, it's sure to continue to grow if they keep doing such a fantastic job. The few minor "suggestions for improvement" in the review I wrote on Marathonguide.com are just that--minor, and I wouldn't let that stop me from doing it again, or YOU from doing it the first time.
Good job, Run Wild Missoula! Keep it up!
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
I have several partially written blogs that I just haven't finished, but am determined to finish this one because this is one good race. As is typical after a race, friends ask about it, specifically wanting to hear about how your race went, but also eager to hear about the race itself if they haven't run it. I don't know of anyone in our running group who has run the Missoula Marathon (I don't know anyone period who's run it), so wanted to provide a race review for you.
This is an excellent race that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I highly recommend it. The experience here is not a Boston or a New York City in terms of size, but in terms of quality, I have to say that I think it's a contender. Here's why.
Organization
This race is put on by the local running club, Run Wild Missoula. When you have runners putting on races (versus big corporate entities that are far-removed from being part of the running community), it makes an enormous difference in everything. This race is well-organized, from the pre-race expo all the way through to the finish area and awards ceremony.
The expo is held outside in Caras Park under a big tent structure the day before the race. There, as usual, you pick up your race packet, gear bag (which is nice bag with an outside zippered pocket, by the way), and timing chip. Right there, they have computers set up where you scan your chip to verify that it works and that the information is correct.
The morning of the race, everyone catches a bus that takes you to the start from the parking garage downtown. Missoula does it just like Boston: you get on a big, yellow school bus and are shuttled to the starting area. I caught the bus at 5am (the race start is 6am), and noticed that not only were there plenty of volunteers, but they were very cheerful and knew exactly where to point runners if there were questions about which bus to board. That was pretty clear, though, because they had signs pointing out the buses for the half marathon (on one side of the street) and the full marathon (on the opposite side of the street).
Before they dropped us off at the starting area, one of the friendly race officials boarded our bus, described the starting area, and reminded us NOT to step over the timing mats (but to walk to the side) as they were already activated. The starting area was well-equipped with plenty of porta-potties and the gear bag check. One snafu that did happen was that not all of us got the number stickers (matching our bibs) that were to go on the outside of our gear bags for the transport back to the finish area. Kudos to whoever realized this, because the volunteers were ready with masking tape and sharpies to mark our bib numbers on our gear bags.
Once the race was underway, the aid stations were consistent in the order in which the fluids were handed out (gatorade first, followed by water), and the volunteers were plentiful at each one, as well as enthusiastic. At several (two, I think) of the aid stations, there were gels being handed out (Clif Shots), both caffeinated and non-caffeinated.
After you finished, the finish line area flowed well. Once you received your medal and had your timing chip removed, you could either get your photo taken by one of the two photographers or go immediately into the food tent (and then come back, if you wanted to). The food provided was plentiful and more than the typical post-marathon fare, and there were tables and chairs just past it in case you wanted to sit in the shade after your race. After you walked through the food tent, just around the corner was the gear bag area, and they had the bags organized by bib numbers. As I walked up to get my bag, the volunteer already had it in her hand ready for me!
I should note that I was able to walk around (and around and around) the food tent and back and forth freely in the finish area (versus being made to walk only in one direction). Obviously, that has a lot to do with the size of the race (1111 marathon finishers this year), but it was great because I can't eat immediately following my race, and I always try to keep walking for quite a while before I sit down. Being able to walk around and around that tent kept me in the shade, I could see folks after they finished, and I was also able to get a *real fruit!* popsicle when I was able to eat something. Recovery starts once you cross that finish line, and the set-up at Missoula was helping tremendously with mine!
Course
Simply put, the course is beautiful! It's a long, gradual uphill (though not significant) with a big "bump" of a hill at mile 14. You start the marathon in Frenchtown, which is northwest of Missoula, in the Montana countryside. As we got into the first few miles on Mullen Road, I could hear cows moo-ing in the distance, as if they were cheering us runners on. A little farther down the road, I looked up to see four gorgeous horses in a field on the left side of the road/course, who had gotten curious and run over to the fence closest to us to watch us run past. I made a point to snap that photo in my mind's eye!
At mile 9.4, we turned onto Kona Ranch Road and ran across the river. Still in the countryside, the views were stunning and I had to look around to take them in. Throughout Kona Ranch Road, to Big Flat Road and up the hill at mile 14, across the river at about mile 17, the course meanders the Montana countryside just outside Missoula, and the scenery is all the same: gorgeous. You are, of course, making your way closer and closer into Missoula proper, and it becomes decidedly more residential after you cross the river around mile 17. Be aware that this first part of the course, with few exceptions, is mostly exposed, so you'll want to be prepared with a good hydration strategy and sunscreen. There is some shade part of the way up Big Flat Road, and the hill at mile 14, thankfully, is primarily shaded. I thought the hill was steep, and because it has a false summit then keeps going up, it took a bit more out of me than I would have liked.
Once you hit about mile 17, you're getting into Missoula and it becomes more residential. From there, the course has quite a bit more shade as well as quite a few more turns (someone counted 19+ in the last 10k). There are several round-abouts to deal with, and this was probably the only thing that I really didn't care for about this race course. They weren't huge, but just enough that you couldn't keep that straight line going. As we know, too, a race course will be faster if it doesn't have a lot of turns in it, so that last 10k could be a little frustrating, but I do understand why it is the way it is: because of the finish location. The finish line is at the end of the bridge on Higgins Avenue, where you once again--and one final time--cross the river. The finish line and finish area is on the "upper level" above the riverwalk and Caras Park, and provides a scenic end to a very scenic marathon course.
Volunteers and Spectators
The volunteers and spectators for the Missoula Marathon were simply wonderful. This race has fantastic community support! Volunteers were knowledgeable and enthusiastic from the minute I entered the bus-boarding area that morning, all throughout the race and to the post-race area. It's a long day for the volunteers, too, and yet each one I spoke to (and thanked!) was friendly, encouraging, and truly seemed to be enjoying what they were doing.
You would think that there wouldn't be any spectators at all for the first half of the course, given where you're running. Wrong. While there weren't tons of spectators, there were sporadic groups--sometimes a couple, sometimes a small group--along the way. And they cheered! Of course, the closer you got into town, the more spectators there were, but even at several junctions there were a good number of enthusiastic spectators cheering us on! Because it was warmer than usual, folks all along the course had set out their sprinklers for us to run under. There were a couple of places were they were handing out ice, and I even saw someone set out an ice chest full of ice for us to get if we needed to cool off. I remember a lady playing a ukulele and singing as we ran by (on Big Flat Road, I think), and there seemed to be just enough boom boxes or music of some sort playing at different points. Perhaps the most interesting spectator-provided-music was the gentleman who was playing his baby grand piano on a platform under a small tent, in a tux, in his front yard! I know that Big Sur has that, but this is Missoula, Montana, and this fella probably wasn't contracted to do it, I'm guessing.
The spectators got more and more numerous, and stayed enthusiastic, the closer we got to the finish, and as we turned the corner and started across the bridge on Higgins, they seemed to be lined up all the way across the bridge and cheering us on!
Fabulous volunteers and spectators also make this marathon outstanding!
Awards Ceremony
They have one! The awards ceremony is held in Caras Park, which is just a short walk downstairs from the finish area on Higgins Avenue. There are a bunch of vendors (for lack of a better word) in the tent where the expo was, and you can go to an area where there are computers for you to enter your bib number and get a printout of your official finish time, the split for each half, and your placement (age group, sex, overall). It's a nice touch, since the clock time will be your gun time, but what we all care about is our net time. The one thing that I'd like to see is a printout posted with the age group and overall results for us to check out. That's a minor detail, though. One thing that's different that you need to be aware of is that Missoula allows double-dipping when it comes to awards. I was 4th in my age group, but the gal who won my age group also placed in the overall female masters division. Normally, this would have bumped me up to receive the 3rd place in my age group, but the Missola Marathon awarded her both the overall masters female placement award as well as the age group award.
Bling
The medals for the Missoula Marathon are probably the coolest ones I've seen.
Other
Start time for the race is 6am! Nice and cool, and you get to watch the sunrise. Before the start, there are fireworks, which can really get you pumped up and ready to run.
The photos that were taken (if you wanted them) after you finished? Not only were they high quality (the best post-race photo I've had), but they're provided for free! The photographers hand you a slip of paper with a number on it, and when you walk down to Caras Park, you can go to an area where they'll pull them up and print them for you, also providing a temporary frame card for you to store it. I had my photo taken alone, then after my other friends from my group finished, we got together for a group photo as well. They printed out one for each of us! This meant alot to me, for two reasons: one, because of one my friends was moving to Maui soon and this was probably the last race that we'd run together for a while, if not for good, and two, it's a group photo of friends I run with every week after a race that we all loved!
In addition to those photos, by mid-week after the race, we'd already received an email notification that our on-course photos were ready and--are you ready for this--they're provided for free! These are incredibly nice touches for runners!
The tech shirt is nice. There were different colors for the full marathon, half marathon, and (I'm assuming, though I didn't see it) the marathon relay. It fits well, too.
The post-race food wasn't your typical bagels, fruit, and yogurt. I can't remember everything they served (although I do remember there being pasta), but there was a very good variety there, including the bagels, fruit, and yogurt. I have to make myself eat immediately after a marathon, but that day the only thing I could stomach (and that after walking for quite a while) was the real fruit popsicle. Strawberry popsicles never tasted so good!
Finally, this race is inexpensive, and an amazing "bang for your buck"! In a day when big-city marathons like New York cost $ 255 to register (and don't get me wrong: I love those races... I've run Boston twice and plan to run NYC a second time in November), and not-so-big-city marathons run by another big corporation cost close to $ 200, the Missoula Marathon only cost $ 75 for me to register.
I just really liked this marathon. It was # 7 for me, and I would seriously consider doing it again! With a finishing field of 1111 marathoners this year, it's sure to continue to grow if they keep doing such a fantastic job. The few minor "suggestions for improvement" in the review I wrote on Marathonguide.com are just that--minor, and I wouldn't let that stop me from doing it again, or YOU from doing it the first time.
Good job, Run Wild Missoula! Keep it up!
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
February 8, 2012
Bug vs. Windshield
"Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug."
Have you ever had a moment where you felt like the bug? Well, I did this weekend on my long run, so you're not alone.
But I do want to be the windshield and not the bug!
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
We don't truly have bugs here in Colorado, like we did where I grew up. When I was a kid, we'd be driving along just fine, then all of the sudden *SPLAT*, and there was the evidence on our windshield that--when it comes to the battle between the windshield and the bug--the bug was always the one getting the ugly end of the deal. And it was ugly. U.G.L.Y.
I've been recovering from plantar fasciitis, and just this past week was able to run daily, as is my typical training routine, for the first time in a month. My physical therapist allowed me to start running the week prior, but only twice before the previous weekend's long run, and in bouts of running/walking for 12 minutes, then 2 minutes. He did allow me to run last weekend for two hours, and I did and it went well. This week, he told me to cut down the walking recovery time to 1 minute, and was fine with me running daily, as long as my foot wasn't bothering me. In all of this, my foot hasn't hurt me to run, and I've stuck to his plan. I'm now running 14 minutes followed by a 1 minute walk. Today's plan was to cover just 12 miles, due to the possibly icy conditions and the need to avoid any more aggravation to my foot because of that. I should also add that my pace is slower right now, partially because I don't want to pound my feet prematurely and have a setback, and partially because I was off from running for a month. So, I'm not out there pushing the pace at all.
The first part of the run went well enough...Run 14, walk 1...Run 14, walk 1...and so on. It was a cold but beautiful morning, and I was glad to be out there with my friends and training group, Runners Edge of the Rockies. We ran the Cherry Creek Path from the REI Flagship store, and (with the exception of a few icy patches) it was clear and dry. At the turnaround, a few of us were talking about where to go for post-long-run-refueling (breakfast!!), and enjoying the sunshine that is so typical of Colorado. After a short break, I found my groove again for a bit, then it happened. After the final aid station, my run seemed to take on a life of its own. Or, maybe I should say, a death of its own. I felt like it was a struggle. For the last two miles, I found myself thinking "What if I feel like this during my next race? What will I do?", followed by my answer "Just keep running...Just keep going..." I don't know if it actually WAS ugly, but it FELT ugly. Like the bug. On the windshield. U.G.L.Y.
I finished the run and joined my friends for breakfast, where they asked about my run and I briefly filled them in. They were, of course, encouraging me that I'd get "it" back and pointed out things about the day that are well worth remembering going forward. (Ah, how thankful I am for the running friends around me--folks who'll encourage me through a rough patch, but who won't just "blow smoke" at me!) I know that it's part of the cycle of training and recovery, where some days will be better than others, so I have to take it in context to every other training run I'll do from now until my race in less than 70 days.
But I do want to be the windshield and not the bug!
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
January 21, 2012
Patience, Grasshoppah, Patience...
"Good things come to those who wait. Be patient."
I noticed those words, again, amidst the managed chaos of things on my fridge, from the fortune cookie that I never ate. Timely, given what's going on right now.
The year 2011 was a good one for me from a running perspective, but it ended terribly when my Dad died on Christmas Eve. Although his health had been failing over the last few years, I truly thought Dad would make it well into 2012 and possibly even longer. I was wrong, though, and so spent Christmas day unexpectedly flying back to my hometown to make final arrangements for him. "Love the people God gave you, because He will need them back one day."
Dad & me, Christmas 2010
Last run of 2011: December 24.
Enter 2012, and with it, a lack of excitement about anything, really. I didn't expect it to be any different for a good long while, so just tried to settle in and take one day at a time. Knowing that I was due to begin training for Boston, round 2, again at the end of January, I set out the first week of January on my scheduled runs (although completely off schedule from my typical daily routine). The day after the third run of the year, a speedwork session that I completed solo by way of headlamp in the darkness of Wash Park, I experienced more tenderness in my left foot than I ever had--even after any marathon--and knew that it was time to get it checked out. The nagging, intermittent soreness had come and gone, and it hadn't bothered me during or after my last marathon, but I didn't want it to continue. After a visit to Dr. Michelle Wolcott at CU Sports Med Center, and a subsequent MRI, I was told that it wasn't, thankfully, a stress fracture, but that it was a stress reaction & chronic plantar fasciitis. Michelle, herself a marathoner and running friend, recommended that I cut my running considerably and cross-train, as well as start physical therapy. (Advice that I needed to hear, because I wondered if I should run on it at all or take some time off now, versus later.) Without hesitating, I started PT and immediately switched primarily to the spin bike (solo, and staying seated) and some walking. My thought was that if I could replicate my heart rate training that I'd do on my training runs on the bike or the 'mill instead, I might not be as far behind when I was able to resume running. (I discovered that if I cranked that treadmill up to a 9% incline and set the speed at a minimum of 4 mph, swinging my arms a la running, I could indeed get my heart rate up into my zone 2. Any higher of an incline, though, and you have to hold on to the handles!)
Last run, so far, of 2012: January 4.
My second visit to my PT, Jeff Coverly, yielded the encouragement that he thought I'd only be off running for two more weeks, and that I should be able to run Boston (depending, of course, on how well I responded to treatment). He works on my foot, tapes it up, and then I see him two days later. In just a couple of visits, my foot has made some progress. I'm feeling like I'm ready to test it out as soon as I get the ok from the experts. The next day, however, my back had other ideas.
I'd done a relatively easy core workout that morning, and was getting ready for work when suddenly I tweaked my back while I was--of all things--drying my hair. Had this never happened before, I might be tempted to think it was the core workout, but I know better. It's happened every so often through the years, and hasn't been a result of any type of exercise I've done. It just happens, and when it does, it just takes time to work the kinks out. In the meantime, though, I'm walking like Mr. Tudball from the old Carol Burnette show--slow and hunched over. Sometimes I try not to hunch over so much by trying to scooch my hiney forward to align with my shoulders, but I think that probably looks just as funny.
So here I am, having been given the ok to run in short bouts, with walks in-between, for a max of 30 minutes today, and I can't because of my back. With a marathon in 86 days--that's 72 training days plus a 14-day taper--it can be a little un-nerving to be missing any training, but I don't just believe in training and training hard. I believe in training smart. I want to run long distance (and hopefully run it well) far into my old, old, old age, even until I take my last breath on this earth.
(An aside: Runners are such great people, and especially my running family at Runners Edge. All the runners I know have been concerned, offered encouragement, and commiserated. At some point, they've been there in some form or fashion.)
And so, for the most immediate future, my training will be done on the spin bike and a high-incline treadmill, with the goal of reproducing the heart rate training that I do during my runs. At least, that is, just as soon as I stop channeling my inner Mr. Tudball...
Dad taught me about being able to wait on things that you want...
"Good things come to those who wait. Be patient." I'm counting on it.
Relentless Forward Motion, Ya'll...
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