I did get to see WG before the start, so there's that.

 

BTW, whoever decided to advertise this as "fast and flat" needs their head examined.  I am sure there are much hillier ones, but this was the hilliest road marathon I have actually run.

 

Lots of rambling in this post. Anyone with any common sense should skip over it.

I love hilly and hard marathons. My favs that I have done are Pikes Peak, Bataan Death March, Haulin Aspen, Tecumseh, and that joke in Nashvegas. But when you advertise "Flatter Is Better!", I expect flat. Not Chicago flat, but holy shit...this was relentless ups and downs. I've never wanted to kick a RD during a race before, but I did on Sunday. I'm more angry that I spent the money to go out there.

I dropped at the half. I thought about dropping earlier, but I'm trying for a sub-4 in all 50 states, so I figured I'd just knock that out, but then my quad started really hurting from the downhills, and I pulled the plug. I hurt my quad at the end of Feb. It wasn't getting better and I kept running just enough to lose fitness while reinjuring it. I thought it was a strain, but the pain radiated, rolling made it worse, and it REALLY hurt when there was pressure on the back of the leg and when dangling the leg. I looked this stuff up a and everything pointed to a femoral stress fracture. Anyways, it is getting better (took 6 months to improve), and I didn't want to make it worse for another effing medal. So I DNF'd my first marathon. Might as well. I've DNF'd everything else this year.

I did nothing to train for this or Quebec City. I just hoped to get lucky and get a BQ. I don't deserve it, though. People who train for marathons deserve to go to Boston.  I've never ever trained to race a marathon and I'm probably not showing it the respect it deserves. I've been thinking a lot about that lately.

 

Just because you didn't sign up yesterday doesn't mean you can't sign up today or tomorrow or the day after that.  Heck, you're in the free and clear to sign up whenever you want until it closes.

 

I didn't sign up yesterday either.  Going to wait until Thursday as the one that I helped BQ on Saturday doesn't get to sign up on Friday.  BQ -8 better be good enough to get in!

Nevermind.  Signed up last night.  Ken, you still have time!!!

haha... Ken.. tremendous!

 

Ha.  Couldn't wait, couldya?!  and I still have time?  Fuggedaboudit.  I'll just enjoy the race from here, tracking you clowns runners from my couch, I'd drink a beer for ya but it won't even be 10AM here on the left coast by the time you're done.

 

I talked to him right after his race. He was weirdly fresh and peppy looking after pulling that off. His wife came up to me when I was watching for Spaniel.  She asked if I had seen him and was surprised when I told her that he finished. He told her to expect him in around 2:45. Also, it was his first marathon!  There was a ton of grumbling amongst the fast male finishers on the shuttle back to the start. They were all super impressed with his time, though. They said he definitely has an OQ in him on a flat course. By comparison, the first female didn't get in until 3:20.

 

Spaniel, I hung around at the end waiting for you, but also because listening to the announcer was one fantastic train wreck. I couldn't leave. I covered my number when I finished the half. I didn't want to hear my name or rah-rah shit ("take a medal", "have your picture taken?"  "NO!!!").  After I got food and my bag, I heard the guy announce that a female marathoner was finishing. I go look at the clock. 1:59.  Sigh. It had to be someone else who dropped.  I wouldn't have covered my number if I knew that I had a chance of beating Paula's WR.

 

Also, I talked to the winner when absolutely no one greeted him at the finish as the winner. No announcement, no tape, no one there to shake his hand. I was the first person he talked to (poor guy).  "Ummm, hi.  So I guess you just won the marathon".  How anti-climactic.

 

The term "wheelchair runner" was used ever few minutes, and he repeadly told the few spectators how nice and flat the course was. Then he went on some ramble about the size of the daddy long-legs spider near him. It was all very bizarre.

First, sorry to hear about the DNF's.  It all certainly sounds very bizarre.  To not even highlight the overall winner coming in?

Still glad that the small, town WI marathon worked out on Saturday.  The start was at a park with a small campground.  The race organizers brought out all the small town charm to life for the event.  Other than the start/finish area, it was just like being out on a nice, quiet long run.

Wow.  I can't say I'm surprised after how many times he reminded all the runners at the start that they HAD to stay with their pace group.  Sorry I left you hanging at the end, I basically dropped out as close as possible to my car and was just so angry at having wasted my time/money on the race that I wanted to get home and salvage some family time in the afternoon.

 

I talked to him right after his race. He was weirdly fresh and peppy looking after pulling that off. His wife came up to me when I was watching for Spaniel.  She asked if I had seen him and was surprised when I told her that he finished. He told her to expect him in around 2:45. Also, it was his first marathon!  There was a ton of grumbling amongst the fast male finishers on the shuttle back to the start. They were all super impressed with his time, though. They said he definitely has an OQ in him on a flat course. By comparison, the first female didn't get in until 3:20.

 

Spaniel, I hung around at the end waiting for you, but also because listening to the announcer was one fantastic train wreck. I couldn't leave. I covered my number when I finished the half. I didn't want to hear my name or rah-rah shit ("take a medal", "have your picture taken?"  "NO!!!").  After I got food and my bag, I heard the guy announce that a female marathoner was finishing. I go look at the clock. 1:59.  Sigh. It had to be someone else who dropped.  I wouldn't have covered my number if I knew that I had a chance of beating Paula's WR.

 

Also, I talked to the winner when absolutely no one greeted him at the finish as the winner. No announcement, no tape, no one there to shake his hand. I was the first person he talked to (poor guy).  "Ummm, hi.  So I guess you just won the marathon".  How anti-climactic.

 

The term "wheelchair runner" was used ever few minutes, and he repeadly told the few spectators how nice and flat the course was. Then he went on some ramble about the size of the daddy long-legs spider near him. It was all very bizarre.

 

This didn't happen. Finished 3rd, by about 20 seconds. The kid who won works down the hall though, and his reaction to winning was pretty cool - pure disbelieving excitement. So, it's all good. My body just didn't have any juice.

Ahh well, you knew it was going to be tough sell, 20sec off the winner's pretty good.  Way to get out there and give it your all.

Gawd, wouldn't it be great to have that feeling again!  Innocence; kids and young people are so lucky to have it.  Boring story of glory daze:  I've never won a race outright but I do remember the first time I ever hit a ball out of a fenced baseball field.  I was in 6th grade and got ahold of one and out it went.  I was circling the bases jumping up and down and just couldn't believe it - I get to circle the bases just like guys in the Bigs do (normally there's no fence and you have to leg out a homer).  The opposing team's shortstop when I got close to him yelled "Foul Ball".  I swear to god, even though that ball went out over the fence in left-center field I was completely deflated cuz I believed him ... for about 1 second ... then it was back to excitement.  Teammates at the plate to congrat you.  Best feeling I had in sports, ever.

 

This didn't happen. Finished 3rd, by about 20 seconds. The kid who won works down the hall though, and his reaction to winning was pretty cool - pure disbelieving excitement. So, it's all good. My body just didn't have any juice.

Heck you still averaged a 6 mpm pace FOUR DAYS after a sub-3 marathon.  And you say didn't have any juice?  I don't know how you guys can pull that stuff off.

Love the thought of the kid's reaction though.  I'm sure he's walking around the office today with that same disbelieving excitement.

I totally forgot about that marathon!  Yeah, I wouldn't have even been able to run yet ... you have some nice recuperative powers or you have a much better marathon just waiting to be unleashed or probably both!