Duluth, MN Race recap

Duluth Minnesota -- Grandma's Marathon -- Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon

Here is the race recap for Minnesota.  Officially,  Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon, a part of Grandmas Marathon.   It is actually the second half of the full marathon.


Registration:

Registration for this race (for me) was quite a bit different than the other races.  I decided to run for charity.  On the Grandma's Marathon web site, on the registration page was information about how to register for this race with a charity.  This race was a lottery registration which means that you would register and they would choose somehow who was in.  Charities were given several registrations that would allow people to register with their team and the individuals would commit to raising a designated amount of money which would give them the race entry.  If the racer was not able to raise the designated amount of money, then the money would be drafted from their credit card and the racer would give a donation to that charity for at least the amount deficient and then they could receive the race entry.
Because of very kind and generous people like you, I was able to raise nearly $2000 and received entry into this race after the lottery had already happened...  AND we were able to help a wonderful charity and some incredible kids at St. Jude's Children's research hospital.  THANK YOU!!

Fee:

I did not have to pay the fee for this race -- again, THANK YOU!

The Expo:

This expo was at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.  I went and picked up my packet and left.  I did not spend any time there.  I did not look at any of the "stuff".  I simply walked in and walked out.  The truth of the matter is that all of the people were getting on my nerves.  Ya know how there are times when people seem to constantly and forever be in your way.  It is not like they are doing it on purpose, but it sure seems like there is some conspiracy to keep you from having clean air.  Someone is always crowding you and stopping in your path and cutting you off, etc... That is what it was like at the Convention Center.  So, I breezed in and breezed out.  I was not in any hurry.  I just couldn't handle the crowd.  Also, I had a 2.5 mile walk ahead of me to the hotel.

Shirt:
The shirt was a short-sleeved wicking, tech shirt.   

Interestingly, this race did not give out the T-shirt at the Expo.  They only gave out T-shirts to finishers.  I think that is fine, just interesting... unlike the other races.

Race Day:
Saturday -- which was good since Sunday was Father's Day.

Race Start Time:

Race start time was 6:15am for the half.  My hotel was located on the race route, but 9.5 miles from the start of the half and 22.5 miles from the start of the full.  So, we had to take a bus to the start.  My hotel was one of the bus stops, so all I had to do was walk across the street and get on the right bus between 4:45 and 5:15 am.  The Half started at 6:15 and the full started at 7:45.  This would give the slower walkers of the half enough time to clear the way for the faster runners of the full.    The buses were the old style yellow school buses and they were packed to capacity as there were some 9000 runners in the half, but they did the trick.  I sat next to an older gentleman.  He was about 80 years old.  He has run this race 9 times.  I am happy to report that I finished before him... phew!

Course Map:



This race was along Lake Superior and it really was a pretty course.  The roads were in decent condition and the traffic and crowds were well controlled.  This is a major event for the town of Duluth and the entire town appears to happy and supportive of the race.

This was at the start at 5:30am, and this is pretty much what we saw the entire race.

Accommodations:

I stayed at the Days Inn in Duluth.  It was a Days Inn.  There was nothing wrong with it.  It was just like every other Days Inn you have ever stayed in.  Two things I liked about it.  1.  It was right on the course.  After I got back to my hotel after my race, I sat out on the street and waited for the elite runners of the full marathon to come by.  They were cruising.  They were running 5 minute miles... for 26.2 miles.  It was impressive.  2.  They had breakfast for us.  Breakfast was usually at 6:00am, but they started breakfast at 3:30am for the racers.  I thought that was very nice. 

Transportation:

I already told you about the buses to the start.  There were also buses from the finish back to the hotels.  This was a bit crazy.  The finish line was where the checkered circle is on this map.  The buses were on railroad st. right near the 35 sign on this map.... so, the finishers had to cross the race path to get to the buses and then walk down an alley.  It was strange.

So, picture this.  There were thousands of runners finishing the race.  They were tired and not thinking clearly.  There were hundreds of racers that had just finished who were tired and not thinking clearly and who were trying to cross the street full of racers so they could get to the buses.  People were bumping into runners and basic mayhem.  It was crazy.  I finally made it to the return bus and waited 30 min and they took my back to the hotel.

Weather:

The weather was really pretty nice.  The forecast called for rain and even thunderstorms, but it was clear and sunny.  The temp was high sixties and warmed to low seventies during the race.  It was humid, but it felt much like home to me, so I was comfortable.

Race Morning:

4:30 am was early for a Saturday, but I went to sleep about 10:00pm so it wasn't too bad.   I went down and got some breakfast and walked across the street to the buses.  Easy peezy.  The buses dropped us off on the road to the start.  We walked nearly a mile to the start.... and it was a strange start.  There were no corrals or waves.  They had signs that had numbers that corresponded to your average pace.  Elites, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30... etc...  Using the honor system we were supposed to line up behind the sign that represented our average mile pace.  I lined up at 8:30 because I intended to run fairly slowly at first.  I did not want to push it too hard too fast as my cardio is not back completely were I was.  My goal for this race was 1:50:00 which is 8:39 per mile.  The issue was that there was some 20 yards between each sign, so I was so far back I could not even see the start line and this area between 7:00 and 8:30 was PACKED with people.  I was a little claustrophobic.  We sang the national anthem and were waiting for the start of the race.  Normally they will have a countdown.  All of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, with no warning, people just started running toward the start.  Then a few seconds later a horn sounded.   "Oh!!.... I guess we have started".  It took me almost two minutes to get to the start.  I walked to the start.  I was not about to start running yet.   Not until the starting line.  Why would I run farther for no reason????  But the worst part was because of the confusion of the starting positions, the not so honest people that lined up too far up and the fact that I walked to the start while others ran, there was a huge blockage of people that I had to navigate around.  It was a bit exhausting playing pinball in the race, particularly when you are being used as the ball.  It did not thin out until about mile three.

Race:

The race was well organized.  I did not have any trouble finding where to go.   There was no confusion in the race about where to go.  The roads were in pretty good condition.  The weather was good and the scenery was nice.  For the first six miles I kept a nice 8:15-8:20 pace.  My decreased training prevented me from being able to sustain that, but I was feeling really good for the fist five miles at least... then slowed significantly after mile six.

I don't have any race photos yet, but I will post them here when I get them. -Here is one at the finish :

Water/Food Stations:
Plenty of water and plenty of PowerAid.  I got oranges once and bananas once.  I missed the cliff shot station as someone cut me off.  An unofficial station had pickles, pickle juice, energy drinks, vaseline, and bandaid (or nip guards).  -- I actually could have used those -- but I opted for the pickle juice.  The one thing that slowed me the most on this race was cramps.  I had a recurring cramp in the lower abdomen and one at my collar bone a few times.  I can usually breathe my way out of cramps, but I could not shake these until I stopped and walked.  I walked a total of 7 times.  One was to remove a rock from my shoe.

Scenery:
The scenery was the lake -- actually looks like the ocean.  It is HUGE. -- and the quaint little town of Duluth.  I thought it was pretty.  Much more interesting than my run around my neighborhood.

Race Entertainment:
I had my earbuds in again.  I almost ran without them this time as I have been training without them, but in the end opted to use them.  So, I did not really hear any of the entertainment.  I did see a fire baton twirler.  Interesting... but I did not notice much else, except the usual group of cheerleaders.

Finish:
The finish was in Canal Park.  It was a cool part of town (down at the bottom of this hill) on a little peninsula of the lake.
Very pretty area.  I nice place to run and finish.  Cute little town.  Valerie would have enjoyed walking around and shopping and sightseeing there.


Bling:



The finishers medal was nice and color coded with the shirt etc.


Misc:

This was a nice race.  I enjoyed the course and the scenery.  Had I not had any cramps, I would have met my goal and had a nice run.  I was able to enjoy the scenery and the surroundings because I was not suffering with my calves nor was I breathing too heavily.  It was nice.  Maybe if I get in better shape they will all be like that (without the cramps).

I went back to the hotel and got a shower and sat down on the street and watched the elites from the full.  I clapped for them and sat in amazement. as they FLEW by.  Then I went to a  local restaurant and treated myself to a greasy "breakfast burger".  It was a burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, peanut butter, an egg (over easy) between two pieces of French Toast and a side of syrup and fries. -- sounds disgusting, but it was soooo good!!

When I came home I was able to be back for Father's Day and spent a great day with my family.  Keeley even baked me a cake.
  It was amazing good!

In all, I was able to race for a great cause.  I did not meet my time goal, but I was not too far off.  1:57:44.  Not my best, but not terrible and thanks to YOU, I was able to help some deserving kids.  Thanks again for your help.  Next race Big Sky Montana.  Elevation 8592 ft.  Wonder how that is gonna go.

Feeling good!

  I have run at least 20 miles this week... without pain.  I have run several days in a row without pain.  My times have not been super fast, but not really slow either.  This morning I ran 6 miles and then I played racquetball this afternoon.  I did not feel one twinge of pain.

My next race is June 17th.  in Duluth Minnesota along Lake Superior.  The weather there has been low of 54 F and high of 75 F.  This Saturday is supposed to be high 85F.



I expect the temp to be in the high 60's low 70's at 7:00am - 8:30 am.  Should be good running weather.  Running is so much more enjoyable when one is not in pain and/or injured.

I just wanted to give you all a quick update.  I plan on running another 20 miles or so from tomorrow until next Thursday, tapering next week and resting up for next Saturday.

The down side to all of this running is.... I am so hungry.  I am currently fighting hunger pains -- and I have eaten three times today -- It is only 4:00 pm.  When is dinner??

I am looking forward to Carb Day!!! YAY!

Speaking of which.... I have not weighed myself in months.  After I lost 30 lbs too quickly, I put much of it back on and got injured which prevented me from maintaining a good race weight, but I have been running again and now playing racquetball again, so I expect that I will drop a few around the ole waist line.  Maybe I will check my weight again soon and see where I am.  I'll let ya know what I find.  If I had to guess, I would say I was carrying an extra 15 lbs that I don't need.   If I have no takers here, maybe I will try to sell them on eBay.  Respond here if you want them... first come first served.  LOL

My Doctorate Finally Paid Off

As I sit and sweat over my computer keyboard, I think, "My Doctorate finally paid off."... but then I quickly realize it had very little to do with my doctorate.  More like my stubbornness.  I did however "play doctor" on my own instead of going to a "real doctor".

As you know, I have been whining about my calf for a long while now... since February.  It has been a significant struggle.  Just when I would think it was healed, I would go out and have another problem.  Then I would allow it to "heal" and then yet another problem.  So, utilizing my doctorate, lol, I decided to do nothing about it -- other than ignore it.  I decided to diagnose myself with tendonitis and simply push through the pain and make believe that I was not injuring myself further.  And the truth is, it kind of worked -- for a while.  My last race in Salt Lake, I really did not have any calf problems.  So, this month I figured I would have 6 or so weeks to train and I would be in good shape.
I got a little derailed as I got sick with the stomach flu, the cruise debacle AND a sinus/upper respiratory something.  What a terrible two weeks.  So, then I began to feel a bit better and decided to go run.  At mile ONE, I hurt my calf.  WHAT?!?!?  UGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I went out and bought a new pair of shoes in hopes that would help and I ran with them yesterday. (I also got a massage, thanks Pamela!)  I ran almost three miles.  Just after mile one, my calf started to hurt, so I walked a bit.  Then started running again.  Then before mile two it started hurting again, so I walked a bit.  Then I ran the rest of the way home and felt pretty good... even considered another couple of miles, but decided to not push my luck.  Wuss!

So, I foam rolled and stretched and ignored it.  Using my doctorate again (tongue in cheek), I decided that it would be fine and I would go running again this morning.  Some  minor soreness in both tight calves, but no pain.  No need to walk, or slow or rest.  I ran 3.5 miles @ 8:28 avg/mile.  And I could have gone more.

My next race is in Duluth, MN in two weeks, so I am going to ease into this in hopes that I will stay healthy and have a strong race.  I am pretty excited that I was able to run two days in a row and I was able to run without pain.  Now I need to work on my cardio and distance.  I've got two weeks.

Just in case anyone is confused, I am aware that although my doctorate has paid off many times over in my life and career, it did not help me in any way here.  -- only the Grace of God!!  He is good.  All the time.  And all the time, He is good!

Also, I want to thank all of you who donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital!  I was able to reach my goal and raised a significant amount of money to benefit these kids.  It will be an honor to run for them in two weeks!  Thank you for your support!!

Calamity

Synonyms: disaster, catastrophe, tragedy, cataclysm, adversity, tribulation, affliction, misfortune, misadventure OK... so, it is not a disaster. Not catastrophic. No tragedy. Definitely not cataclysmic. I agree with adversity. Maybe even a tribulation.-- in the sense that it is a trouble, a difficulty, a problem Appears to be an affliction. Certainly a misfortune. Definitely a misadventure. So, is calamity the right word?  Well, I am not certain, but it was the word that came to mind first when I began to reflect on the ONE MILE that I ran today.  ONE MILE!!!  Actually, it was even worse!! It was 0.78 miles.  I could not run 0.78 miles without injuring my calf AGAIN!  And it was an easy 8:21 per mile pace.  What a calamity. I am not sure what the problem is.  The first time I injured my calf, I attributed it to overuse.  I ran a bunch of hills in Colorado, and I was not accustomed to hills.  Then I would ski all day.  So, as much as I did not like it, I could understand how and why it happened. THIS IS JUST PLAIN CRAZY!  I have not run for 5 days because I was sick.  Prior to that, I only ran a couple of times on the cruise.  And even when I was running, I was only running 3-5 miles.  My point here is that it is DEFINITELY NOT overuse.  Not possible. I have been stretching too.  I stretched this morning.  (It did not seem to help) I am a bit discouraged at the moment.  How is it possible that I cannot even run an easy mile without injury?  How is it possible?  It is not even ONE spot.  One day the pain is here and the next time it is there.  The calf is such a stubborn muscle group.  ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!! My training has been so sparse.  I cannot seem to get well or healthy enough to train.  Terribly frustrating. Allow me to make clear that I completely understand this is entirely a first world problem.  There are certainly MUCH bigger issues in the world.  I am sure this sounds exactly like the whining my children perform when they are not allowed to play the next game on their iPad, or get a belly ache after eating too much candy. Never-the-less, I am simply frustrated with my calf, and if I want to whine on my blog.... well then I will whine on my blog. Thanks for "listening".  You may continue clicking now... You have reached the end of the internet!

Cozumel

Went on a cruise with Levi this past weekend.  He was a blast and we had a good time.

We went on the Carnival Paradise quick and easy out of Tampa to Cozumel -- 4 days.  I won't bother giving you a cruise recap.  Suffice it to say, ya get what ya pay for.

There is a jogging track on the Sports Deck -- Deck 12.  I was determined to put in some miles while on the cruise.  I am, after all training for the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon June 17.  A couple of things happened that are funny and not funny.  Let me start with funny.

I got up early on the first day of the cruise and went up to the Sports Deck with Levi.  Believe it or not, I stretched a little and then set out for a light run.  The track is kinda small.  I was not sure how far around it was, but I figured my Garmin and/or my Strava app would tell me something of value.



Well, the Strava app was of no value as there was no wifi or cell connection anywhere up there, and out in the middle of the ocean.  So, I tried to pay attention to my Garmin and just listen to tunes with the phone.   Well, the Garmin appeared to be calculating km instead of miles, but no big deal... I would just run a 10K.  So, I ran and was running what I thought was a decent pace.  I was not doing the math, but I was running roughly 3:00 or so every time my watch would buzz at me.  So, I figured I was running a nice 10K.  When I was done, I thought it seemed too short.  So, I rested and took a look at the watch which told me that I was running some major NEW PR's.  I was smoking this run.  It was actually calculating miles.  According to my watch, I was running 3 minute miles.  A new PR for a mile.  2 minutes 45 seconds.  New PR for a 5K, and a new PR for 10K.  I was amused.



When I looked closer and considered what was happening.  I realized that the boat was traveling and the watch was calculating distance traveled.  How far did I actually run, and at what pace??  WHO KNOWS.  Maybe some of you are math wizards that can calculate this for me, but all I could do is laugh.

The next day I ran again, but the boat was moving slower, so I set no more records.  LOL

The other thing that happened is not so funny.  I spent Saturday night (BTW.  wouldn't it just be easier to say Saturnight instead of Saturday night?  Monday, Monnight, Tuesnight, Wednesnight, etc..)  Either way, I spent that night in the bathroom -- ALL NIGHT.  At least ten trips to the bathroom and needed and took multiple showers.  It was ugly.  I still have not recovered.  I have eaten broth and oatmeal and a banana in three days.  The expulsion has ceased, but I get quite nauseous at every bite.

I am certain I will be fine.  I don't think this will derail my training.... just a minor set-back.  I did not run the rest of the cruise, no matter how fast the boat was moving.

Thought you'd enjoy.

Indianapolis Indiana Race Recap

Here is the race recap for Indianapolis.  Officially,  One America Mini Marathon

Indianapolis, Indiana

Registration:

Registration was through ImAthlete.  I had to create an account and I now have another account for something for which I will never remember my password.

Fee:
The fees were $75 for the half and since Valerie came with me AND ran the 5k, it was another $35 for the 5k
$11.56 processing fee
Total, in case you hate math $121.56

The Expo:

This expo was at the Indiana Convention Center.  It was the same old thing.  I suppose this is what people want and likely what vendors desire too.  I bet they sell all sorts of stuff.  In fact, Valerie bought a water resistant phone carrier for her arm.... sucker!  Truth is, Valerie hates this type of shopping and wandering around the convention hall as much or more than I do.  I had to force her to walk down half of the aisles and point stuff out for her saying, "don't you want one of those?" and "oooh, look at that.  Maybe the kids would like that,"  I was met with a quick and emphatic, "NOPE!"  So, we walked the convention floor for about 4 minutes after getting our race packets and walked to the hotel... which was connected to the convention center.  Finally an easy one.

Shirt:
The shirt was a long-sleeved wicking, tech shirt.   Valerie's shirt was gender specific and short-sleeved.  These pictures show the front and the back of my shirt.

Race Day:
Saturday

Race Start Time:

Race start time was 7:00am for the 5k and 7:33am for the half.  Valerie went off right at 7:00am, but the half started about 90 seconds late.  Actual start time 7:34:30.  I was happy that it started a little behind because I was rushing over from the hotel that was directly adjacent to the start.  It was 40F and raining.  I was cold.  So, after I saw Valerie off, I went into the hotel lobby, in the warmth and waited.  I was not able to stretch or move around much because there was a whole bunch of other folks who had the same idea, but I was able to get a breakfast bar and some water... which was good, because I forgot to get breakfast.  I was more focused on getting Valerie to the starting line on time so I forgot until we were almost there.  Oh well, It all worked out.  

Course Map:


I thought this would be a "cool" race because it ran through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and around the track.  And I was right.  It was pretty cool.  Funny story.  After the race, when we were at a local burger restaurant, the owner asked me if I stopped and kissed the bricks.  I had no idea what she was talking about.  Later, a friend of mine asked me if we ran over the bricks.  I had to ask... OK, I Googled it.  So, the tradition is to kiss the bricks that are laid out on the track after you win the Indy 500.  My friend said, I guess you didn't win.  Far from it.  So, while we were at the airport we saw a friend who had also run this race -- He actually ran it fast!  Super fast!  He finished 30 minutes before me.  Anyway, I was telling him about all of the brick questions.  He said, "Oh yeah, there were signs and reporters, and celebrities and people stopping to kiss the brick and photographers.  I am surprised you didn't see them!"  I saw NONE OF THAT!  Seriously!! I did not notice any part of that.  However, take a look at the photo below.

Nope.  No bricks!!  No idea what they are talking about.  LOL.

Accommodations:

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Indy.  It was attached to the convention center and it was the old Union Station train station.  There were actual train tracks inside the hotel and trains on them.  They converted them into rooms, so you could stay in the train.  We did not, but it was really cool either way.  Also, it is a working station, so real live working trains pass by your room several times each day and night.  They give you ear plugs for each person in your room.  It did not actually bother us... and it was pretty cool.

Transportation:
We took a Lyft to the convention center from the airport and then we walked to the hotel and everywhere else.  Indianapolis is a really nice and pretty city.  Interesting architecture and old buildings and it was clean and just nice.  There were a bunch of electric cars around called BlueIndy.  You can rent them for the day or hour or week or whatever.  I considered renting one of those as they were right outside of our hotel and I saw a place at the airport also, but the Lyft ride was only $11, so I decided to save that type of thing for a time when I needed to go more places.

Weather:

The weather was cold.... AGAIN. It was 40F at the start... AGAIN... only this time it was raining.  It rained from 7:00am to 7:45 or so. Valerie tried to get me to buy some gloves at the Expo, but I declined.  My hands were not really cold this time.  In fact, because I spent the 30 min before the race in the hotel lobby, I was not really cold at all.  It was chilly, but not terrible.  I prayed that God would hold off the rain and He did!  It was cloudy and moist for most of the race, but the sun came out after a while and it felt really nice.  

Race Morning:

We walked through the convention center to get to the start of the 5k... on purpose,  It was cold and windy and neither of us wanted to be outside.  Good thing there was a way to to get there through the convention center in doors.  Valerie told me that there were Indy cars that separated the waves.  Since I was closer to the front, we did not have any cars separating anything, but she said it was pretty cool.  

Race:

The race was well organized.  I did not have any trouble finding where to go.   There was no confusion.  And based on what I have already told you, you may understand that it is important to me for there to be no confusion as I get confused easily and miss most everything.  The roads were not as bad as New Orleans, but could use some work around town.  There was one part where we were entering into the Speedway that I stepped into a hole and twisted my ankle.  It did not hurt too badly and I do not think it hampered my "performance" much, if at all.  It was nice to have the draw of the lap around the Speedway to look forward to.  Knowing that was coming up kept me from running too fast (so that I would have some energy left to make it a mile around the track), and kept me motivated to keep going.  It was also nice that it was in the "middle" of the race, because as you left the track it felt like you had accomplished something and the finish was within reach.
I really needed a couple or a few more weeks to train for this race.  The leg is all good, but my cardio was just not there completely.  I walked for a very short 10 seconds after mile two.  I thought this was going to be a melt down race for me, but I was able to recover quickly.  I was just going too fast.  I was only running 7:55-8:00, but I just could not sustain it.  After that short walk, I slowed to 8:30-8:40 and did just fine.  This is significantly slower than I had been running prior to hurting the calf, but I just did not have the lungs for it.  Good news is I have 5 full weeks before Minnesota.

Water/Food Stations:
There were water stations every1.5 and some were even closer than that.  Once again,  all I saw was water and Gatorade and MOST of the stations were water only.  I did not get any Gatorade until after I left the Speedway.  I would have liked to have had something other than water at least once during the first 8 miles.  There was a Cliff Shot station at mile 9 and that was nice as I was in need of some energy at that point. I saw no bananas or other food at any of the stations.  (but, I think we have already established that I do not see everything).  

Scenery:
The scenery was downtown Indy and the Indy 500 Motor Speedway.  Indy is a nice city and the Speedway was just cool to run on.  I thought it was a rather enjoyable race.

Race Entertainment:
There were several smaller acts, but not necessarily music.  There were a few bands, but I found it fun that there were several cheerleaders - little ones, and even a group of cloggers.  I have no idea how they clogged for several hours, but presumably they did.  One entertainment station was at a bus stop, one guy with three large speakers playing loud music.  It kinda made me chuckle.

Finish:
The finish was Just a couple of blocks from the start.  It was one of the more organized finish areas that I have encountered so far.  I think the reason I felt this way is because it was LOOOONG.  It went down one street and then turned and went down another.  This sounds like a bad thing, but I liked it because it meant that there were not hoards of people all vying for the same space.  It may not be apparent, but I do not really like crowds of people.  Especially when they are all bunched up into an area.  There was bananas, granola bars, water, gatorade, fruit cups and a few other little things.  I ate them as I walked back to the hotel where Valerie was waiting.


Bling:




The finishers medal was pretty cool and went with he whole Indy race theme.

Misc:

This was a nice race.  If I had my lungs and had been able to keep a good pace, I think this would have been my favorite race so far.  There were lots of people.  I think there were 20,000 in this race and there was no marathon, only the half.  I never was able to get "out in the open".  Usually the crowd thins out and you have some breathing/running room.  Not this time.  In fact, while we were making our way around the track, I was passing two guys (yes, I passed a few people), one of them was passing the other, so I drafted him to make the pass... well, he decided this would be a fine time to take off his jacket and put it around his waist.  Of course he had to slow down to do it which put me in a pickle.  I tried to split the middle sideways, but I ended up bumping both of them.  I yelled, "excuse me!  Sorry!" but, I doubt they cared.  Probably just mad that I bumped into them.

Post Race:

I walked back to the hotel and got a shower and laid down for an hour and then Valerie and I packed up and found a local hamburger joint.  It was a good burger and much needed.  I actually did not eat the whole thing... but someone that I know DID eat their entire thing.

As I mentioned, I have 5 weeks until Minnesota.  I plan on getting my cardio back in that time frame.  I start back tomorrow.  Honk if you see me on the road.  BTW... I am running this next race for St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  Please consider donating to this great cause.  Simply click here:
http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes?px=4464319&pg=personal&fr_id=64831

$35.00

Thirty five dollars is simply not a lot of money.  I remember when I was a kid and every thing that I wanted was about 5 bucks.  I even remember in high school when everything I wanted was ~ 20 dollars, and even when in college it seemed everything I wanted was about $100.  Either way, $35 is just simply not a lot of money.  In fact, it is a very small amount of money.  35 is a small number.  35 shingles will not cover your roof.  35 leaves will not fill a tree.  35 minutes do not make up a significant part of your day.  35 is small.  So, how is it that 35 years seems such a vast divide between my 47 years and my son's 12 years?  I figured that when he was 20 or so he would be stronger and faster and bigger than me (muscle wise... I'm sure my mid section will still be bigger), but not at age 12.

We ran home today from church.  We have run home from church several times together.  It is only 3 miles.  A straight shot East on Hwy 60.  When we first started running from church, I would have to double back to make sure he did not get too far behind on Hwy 60 and get into trouble.  I would stop at the cross streets and allow him to catch up.  After a while, I no longer had to double back for him as he made a good effort to keep pace.  Every so often he would suggest that he had a cramp or something, a stitch maybe, but he would still keep pace.

Today, he kept pace the entire time, and then decided he wanted to go faster on mile 3, so he picked up the pace.  He went from running 8 minute miles to a 7:30 mile.  I did not want to go faster, I wanted to slow it up.  He went faster.... so, I went faster... but HE WAS PUSHING ME!

In my mind I made all sorts of excuses.  One time a few weeks ago, I was nursing a calf injury.  We ran home from church and I felt pretty good.  After 2.5 miles, my calf "tweeked up" and I had to walk.  He kept going.  It was a legitimate and convenient excuse.  I was injured.  Today I was not injured, so I had to come up with another excuse.  I have been off from my injury for a while and I just don't have the cardio that I normally have.  That was one.  I ran yesterday.  That was another. I am still recovering from a half marathon one week ago.  Yet another.  I have another half marathon in one week, so I did not want to over do it.  All true.  All valid excuses!  -- But at the end of the day, they are simply excuses.  I am having to make excuses for why my son can run faster and probably farther than I can.  UGH!!!!  HE IS ONLY 12 years old.  He does not even have all of his teeth.

I am going to have to make a revision in my earlier statement(s).

$35 is a LOT of money!
Oh the things I could purchase with $35.
I hope I have $35 more dollars to be able to spend.  Maybe when he is 47 and I am 82 I will push him again.

BTW.  I am NOT going to let this go lightly.  He will have to work at it if he intends to stay up with me.  I just wanted to have that on the record.