My sister and I went to Springdale, Arkansas the first weekend in April to run the Hogeye Marathon. Springdale is the 4th largest city in Arkansas with a population of around 80,000 people. I knew the city was small considering where I live, the population is over a million people if you include the surrounding suburbs.
I feel like a disclaimer is needed right off the bat. There were lots of things that I think should have been done differently and I feel it is important to share my experiences and not sugar coat things.
The Hogeye Marathon celebrated its 43rd year this year. I was expecting a well oiled machine as you normally don’t get to 40+ years without doing something right. I was expecting a smaller expo and a smaller field of runners due to the size of the city and other factors.
Before leaving, I Google mapped the course with street view just to see what it looked like. One of the maps provided by Hogeye looks really long (I did it up in Strava as well and it was about 1/2 mile long there). Parts of the course looked really pretty and parts of the course looked really sketchy. Around 9 miles of the course ran along the different trail systems they have in northwest Arkansas. I was not really a fan of the course but was willing to give it shot. I realized after the fact, that the course maps were different – the interactive one had a part that the downloadable one didn’t.
We went to the expo on Friday afternoon after driving the 2 hours from our city. We picked up our packets and walked around the expo that fit in a small convention hall at the Jones Center which struck me as a YMCA/YWCA of sorts with lots of different activities available to people. The expo struck me as old school. Those who had pre-registered checked in for their distance and were checked off a printed spreadsheet. We got our bibs which had old school timing devices on them and then got our shirts.
My sister decided to drop to the half after dealing with a cough and congestion over the last few weeks. I entertained the idea as well but decided to give it a shot. I had been struggling with being sick as well and hadn’t really trained very well the last couple of weeks and the longest I had run was 18 miles. According to the information on the website, this was a $10 charge after April 1. My sister wasn’t charged to change races.
After the expo we head to Walmart to get a few things we forgot and then went to check into our hotel. Our hotel was a few miles from the start/finish line but due to the size of the city really didn’t have too many options in Springdale itself.
We then took it easy and tried to stay off our feet as much as possible. We got some dinner at the Waffle House by our hotel and then got ready for the race the next day. I decided what outfit to wear (I always have a couple different variations) and decided on shorts and a long sleeve shirt on top. I knew the weather was going to be cool in the 50s at the start and be in the 70s before I finished.
We read through the information that we were given with our packets and noticed several differences between what the website had said and what their information had said. For instance, the early start was supposed to start at 6:15 but in their info it said 6:00. They had a pasta dinner the night before. The times were different between what the website said and their information. These things and seeing how the expo was handled didn’t really fill me with confidence. We were also supposed to be able to sign up for the early start at the expo. Instead when I asked, they said “I just write your bib number down tomorrow.”
I had some pre-race jitters and did not feel prepared for this race but I normally don’t. I think it is just something that comes with running long distance and the taper madness. I knew that once I started there was going to be no turning back and I either had to finish or take a DNF. (Hogeye is adamant about NOT being able to change distances on race day which totally stinks.)
We drove towards the start line and parked at the Jones Center and then walked to the start/finish line. I had decided to take the early start at 6:15 to give myself 45 extra minutes to finish. The early start is unsupported and you have to dodge traffic. I barely made it in time but did do the early start.
Start-Mile 2: The start of the race was in front of the Apollo on Emma Street. We headed east on Emma and hit mile 1 and close to mile 2 before we turned off Emma. By the time we turned it felt like we were leaving civilization. This section of the course was pretty flat. I knew from looking at the course that hills were coming so at this point I just was biding my time. I had decided not to start my music as I knew I was going to be dodging cars. I decided to hold off until I started to really struggle and could use the distraction.
Miles 2-4: This section turns off Emma onto Butterfield Coach and you are there almost a mile on this stretch. Before reaching Mile 3 you turn off Butterfield Coach and onto Friendship Road. This section gets really sketchy. Houses were run down and boarded up and I felt really uncomfortable in this section. In my opinion this section was not part of the “scenic” course I was promised. Right before mile 4 the course crosses Highway 412 for the first time. By this time the sun had come up as we started when it was dark. The sun rise was really pretty that morning. During this section I also caught up with a couple of older gentlemen who had also taken the early start. It was fun to chit chat a little to make the time go by and hear about their experiences with different races.
Miles 4-7: Mile 4 continued on Friendship Road but felt like we had finally made it out of Ghetto Springdale and headed back towards civilization. Before mile 5 you turn onto Don Tyson Parkway for the first time and are on this stretch for several miles. Here is where were started getting into some of the hills and my legs were not to happy with me. Most of this stretch was “open” to traffic but had one lane closed off for runners. This I guess was their idea of a “closed” course.
Miles 7-9: Here was the first stretch of trail running. At mile 7 the course turned onto Powell St. and then hit the Lake Fayetteville Trail system. This section was fairly pretty especially after you got past mile 8. There were lots of switchbacks and curves and even some pretty steep hills in this section. Also during this section you left Springdale and went to Fayetteville. Around mile 8, the half split off from the full and went back into Springdale and headed towards Emma to finish. By this point, I was on the struggle bus and really wanted to take the turn and drop to the half but I knew based on everything I had seen previously that that was NOT an option. This is one of the first races that I have seen a once you start you are stuck with that distance or you don’t finish policy. Most races don’t advertise it but will let you drop mid race if you need too. It was getting hot and I felt like the aid stations were not close enough. Some sections were a couple of miles between aid stations. The first relay exchange also happened in this section.
Miles 9-11: This beginning of this section as really pretty as you went around Lake Fayetteville and could see the lake right next to the trail. After getting past the lake, it became pretty boring as it was really nothing but trees and wooded areas with the occasional river crossing. I was so ready to be back on the streets after this.
Miles 11-13: This section was interesting. You get off the trails and back on to city streets – Ball Street in particular- in yet another city – Johnson. This section of the course was NOTclosed off as it was a 2 lane road. So you still had to dodge cars. The race had volunteers directing traffic during this section but I remember looking behind several times as I had started to struggle a lot around this section just to make sure that I wasn’t being caught by the police and the tail end of the race. I was also thinking, I didn’t pay $100 to have to take my life into my own hands once the race was in progress. I was planning on doing it for the first couple of miles but not for the entire race! During this section, some Johnson cops caught me looking at my watch and jokingly said, you’re almost there. I half joking, half frustrated said back I wish – still lots of miles to go. From Ball Street you turn on Hewitt St. and then to Johnson Road. Right before Mile 13 you find Don Tyson Parkway for the second time. During this section I started noticing signs of dehydration and started drinking from my water bottle. I was feeling that the aid stations were not close enough together as I felt like I really needed Gatorade not water.
Miles 13-15: This is were stuff started really falling apart. You continue on Don Tyson Parkway until right before 15. This section was really hilly and my glutes were singing to me. I had really slow down as instead of the roller type hills we had had previously, these were really tall, steep uphills. As I was going down one of the downhills right before mile 15, I heard a pop in my left knee. And then instant pain. I stopped at the aid station which happened to be right there and then tried to walk it out but things were not getting better. After I realized that things probably weren’t going to get any better and that continuing the remaining 11 miles was still a long distance off I decided to drop out of the race.
I headed back to the aid station and told them I was done. They didn’t seem to know what to do. I had only seen one medical tent on the entire course to this point. I had seen a pair of bike EMT’s but left them at mile 12. (In re-reading the information from Hogeye – medical personnel were only at the relay exchanges – every 5-8 miles. They did have the bike EMT’s on the course and could be summoned at the aid stations.) Most races have medical personnel every aid station or at least every other aid station. I didn’t feel like I needed medical personnel I just wanted to drop out and get back to the start finish line where I knew my sister was waiting as she had also dropped out of the half at mile 2 1/2. All I was wanting was a ride back to the start/finish line or to my car. They had just had a gentlemen come and restock the aid station and he took me back to my car. They didn’t ask for my bib number, they didn’t notify anyone, for all I know, the race directors thought I was still on the course even when the race finished.
So before you all start saying about how running is bad on the knees, science has shown that it is not. It helps actually. I had a similar thing happen to me a couple of years ago and come to find out, thanks to a chiropractic genius, my hamstrings are to blame. I knew they had to have been tight with just how much pain my glutes were in, going up and down the hills. I made the decision to stop so I didn’t get a worse injury as I wanted to be able to run Flying Pig and Ogden next month. So I will start adding lots of hill work and hamstring/glute strengthening exercises in the next few weeks as well to try to make up for the difference.
There were several things which I felt should have been done better including:
taking into account how warm race day was going to be and adding a few more aid stations – some were 1-1/2 miles in between and some were 2 or more miles in between.
making sure your information is consistent between all publications – don’t have one thing on your website and another thing on your brochure included in your packet
giving people the option to drop to the half during the race – especially if conditions are less than ideal – hot, cold, rainy, etc. I felt like I had to no options and I either had to take a DNF or I had to finish
letting people sign up for the early start at the expo like you said was needed
better communication with your aid station staff about what to do with people dropping from the race. I am guessing I am not the only one who didn’t make it that day to the finish line.
more medical personnel on the course. Only having medical every 5-8 miles I feel like is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Most races have them at either every aid station or every other aid station which would have been every 3-4 miles.
So now what? I am regrouping and making a commitment to myself to get back to consistent training and focus on making the distance happen at Flying Pig in Cincinnati in less than a month.
Do I feel the need to go back to Hogeye next year and finish? No. Normally I would with not finishing a race. I have no regrets and nothing to prove to myself in this race. Unless we decide to go back and run the half, this will probably be our only experience with Hogeye.
If you read my Marine Corps Marathon recap, you know I met one of my running heroes, Kathrine Switzer. I consider her, Bobbi Gibb, Nina Kuscsik and others as the champions of women’s long distance running. These ladies ran back in a time where women were told by the male dominated world that women couldn’t run long distance. They were told that body parts would fall off, that women didn’t have the same stamina as men and therefore anything longer than a half a mile was off limits. These women boldly decided to prove these men wrong as they attempted the elite marathon of the time – the Boston Marathon. By running this marathon, even without an official time (they were considered unofficial finishers as the race director couldn’t allow a woman to have an official time), they proved that women do have the same stamina as men if not more as they were faster than a lot of the male finishers.
Now women make up around half the field at marathon events not to mention the shorter races. There have been some interesting developments in women’s running in the last couple years. For instance:
Ruth Chepngetich, a 24-year-old Kenyan became the third fastest female marathoner in history, clocking in at 2:17:08 at the Dubai Marathon in January 2019. (The other record holders are Mary Keitany with a 2:17:01 finish at the London Marathon in 2017, and Paula Radcliffe with a 2:15:25 finish in London in 2003.)
At the California International Marathon (CIM), 99 women hit Olympic Trials qualifying times by running a marathon faster than 2 hours and 45 minutes. They also saw 265 women break the 3 hour mark. With all this talent, next years Olympic Trials Marathon is going to be an exciting one to watch with lots of other names besides ones you know like Shalene Flanagan, Desi Linden, etc. As of January this year, almost 300 women had qualified to compete in the Olympic Trials (almost double the amount of men).
Why this sudden boom in women’s running? Most think it is because those who are running currently and especially those who are running competitively don’t remember a time when women were not allowed to run in long distance races. The women’s marathon became an Olympic sport in 1984 and since then, they are more likely to race over men and account for around half of all long distance finishers today.
With role models like Shalene, Desi, Kathrine, Paula, Deena and others, the door is always open for new runners. Who can forget Sarah Sellers, the runner up at last year’s Boston Marathon. No one knew who she was until she came in 2nd place. Now she has prize money, an athletic sponsorship and has become a household name.
In a 2015 report put out by Running USA, there were 10.7 million women running that year making up for 57% of all finishers. In the half distance, women made up 61% of all finishers. In another study of runners between the ages of 18 and 34 published by Running USA, 73% were women.
With all this excitement about women’s running, I look forward to watching the trials and the Olympics next year as women push themselves to be the best in the world.
I published my first blog post on February 17, 2017. I started the blog with an idea of documenting races and my journey to become a marathoner and beyond. Like most things, consistency has been a struggle but I hope to do better this year and consistently post on the blog.
Bart Yasso says to never limit where running can take you and I have to agree with his statement. Running has taken me places I never thought I would go. It has given me a new way to see even familiar places as running on foot is different than in a car. Over the last 4 years of running I have expanded what I thought I was capable of several times. When I first started I thought a 5k was far. Then my sister and I decided to run a half marathon. A half marathon became a full marathon. Now we are looking at doing a 50k and a 50 miler this year. I still have no real intentions of ever tackling a 100k or 100 miler but you know what they say, I’m not saying never.
Running has taken us on a journey to plan how to run a half marathon in all 50 states. Now after running a few full marathons, we also have the same intentions to run a full marathon in all 50 states. We want to tackle the World Marathon Majors and receive the 6 star medal (we start in October with Chicago).
We are fundraising for the first time to run a race which is new but gives a deeper meaning to training which will start in June. (BTW, if you are able to donate, I need all the help I can get. My donation page is: https://my.pawschicago.org/TEAMPAWSChicago2019/candaced )
Here is a look back at some of my favorite things to happen in the last couple of years:
Thanks for following me on this journey which I feel is just getting started.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, in Tulsa, Oklahoma has become known as Marathon Sunday. For over 10 years now, thousands of runners from all 50 states and several foreign countries toe the start line of the Route 66 Marathon. It starts and finishes in downtown Tulsa and makes its way through lots of the neat places in Tulsa and is a great showcase to those who are visiting. This is considered my hometown marathon and I have run the 5k once, the half marathon twice and this year marked the 2nd time running the marathon for me.
The Route 66 Race Directors – the confetti is something former race director Chris Liberman wanted. I have never seen this at any other race and starts runners on the journey that is also dubbed the biggest party on foot.
Maniac Corner – we didn’t make to take pictures this year but we did take pictures with our Runner’s World Training group. Maniac Corner – otherwise known as a bunch of crazy runners who run long distance – either half marathons or full marathons
Marathons always have a way to test both fitness and stamina. Mental toughness and the body’s ability to go the distance. This race was no different. The weather was a little on the chilly side (in the 20s to low 30s all of the race) and the Oklahoma wind didn’t give us any favors. The wind gusts were pretty chilly. For the first time though, I feel like I nailed my race day outfit. I was chilly waiting to start but by the time I got moving it was perfect. I wore 3 layers on top – a short sleeved tech shirt, my Marine Corps Marathon Mock turtleneck shirt (which is insulated and pretty warm) and another long sleeve shirt. I wore just one layer on bottom. For once I didn’t have to shed layers mid run and deal with the extra clothing for the rest of the race.
Race Start
I did a full recap on the race last year (see https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/124319437/posts/3585) with mile by mile break downs. Not much has changed this year except that the course went through the land tunnels in the massive public park the Gathering Place by the Arkansas River in Tulsa. The Gathering Place has been a massive project which finally opened to the public in September 2018. Route 66 was the first major race to run through it to show it off. This is one of the largest public parks in the country I think and is significant in that no tax payer dollars were used. All the money was donated by generous benefactors. It took 3-4 years to build and the road the land tunnels were on was closed for the duration. Most Tulsans were really excited to see Riverside Drive opened back up.
The Land Tunnels on Riverside DriveThe Gathering Place
Training this year and especially the month between Marine Corps and Route 66 was virtually non-existent. I had hoped to PR at Route 66 but it soon became clear that this Sunday was not going to be the goal I had hoped for. My goal changed several times during the course of the race. I started with hopes of PR’ing which after the first several miles and struggling with both the weather conditions (which were really chilly and which I don’t do really well with) and my lack of running the past month, I had to let go of that goal.
Midway through I just wanted to try to maintain a consistent minute per mile pace which got slower and slower as the miles wore on. As I fought for every step I eventually hit the wall around mile 20. Each marathon is different for me but this one seemed to break me. As I reached the aid station between mile 20 and 21 I broke down in tears but also came to the conclusion that I was too far along to quit and then fought for every step, every mile after that. My goal at that time became finishing the race under the 7:30 mark so I would have an official finish time. (Finishers are allowed after this time but don’t have an official finish time.)
Route 66 has an ultra option with about a half mile from the finish. It is considered the world’s shortest ultra. You go up and over the Center of the Universe and see Santa and get a really neat coin for completing the detour. Since my race was going so poorly and since I still had a little cushion to become an official finisher, I decided to do the detour this year. Last year I just wanted to be done and didn’t make the turn. I met Santa, got beer and jello shots and then headed to the finish.
As I came to the finish, I started crying like I do most every marathon I have finished. I was an ultra marathoner and I had barely finished this race.
Finishing as one of the very back of the pack runners is not fun. By the time I got to the finish line, the majority of the signage was down, there were very few spectators, the finisher food was all but put up, the place was deserted. I met up with my sister and we left as soon as I found her. I found out later that the final finishers finished about an hour behind me.
Headed to the finish line
When friends asked how it went, all I could really say is that I finished. It took a while to process what happened. I decided I needed a break from the distance. (We were trying to qualify for Marathon Maniacs and had 2 more races on tap which we wound up not signing up for.)
We have decided to give qualifying for Maniacs a chance this spring and will do our first one in March at Little Rock. So training has already begun slowly but surely.
I am looking forward to a new year, new challenges, new PRs, new opportunities to grow and change and most of all getting back to enjoying running and all that it has allowed me to accomplish.
As you have probably noticed, 2018 didn’t really go according to plan. This year I am readjusting my goals and am still dreaming big but giving myself the opportunity to grow and change through reaching these goals.
What are my goals for 2019? Seeing how last’s years “epic” goals fell flat, I am adjusting my goals to more realistic ones. Here are some of the things I hope to accomplish in 2019.
Qualifying for Marathon Maniacs and becoming a Double Agent. Our plan for now is running Little Rock Marathon in March, Hogeye Marathon in April and Flying Pig in May. If something happens here we do have another good opportunity in the fall.
Setting a PR in all distances (35 minute 5k, a 1:10-15 10k, a sub-2 15k, a 2:50-2:55 half marathon, a 6:00-6:15 full marathon).
Running at least 1500 miles in 2019
Running the Chicago Marathon this year and hopefully set a significant PR.
Drinking enough water to equal at least half my body weight in ounces
Writing and posting a blog post at least once a week
What is on tap as far as races for this year? All of these are tentative and will most likely change as the year progresses:
My sister and I went to Washington D.C. the last weekend in October to run the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). MCM was started over 40 years ago and is the largest marathon that doesn’t award prize money. As a result it has been dubbed the “People’s Marathon” as it doesn’t attract elite runners due to the lack of prize money. A large portion of the field are 1st time marathoners.
We arrived in DC on Thursday and made it our Airbnb and took it easy the rest of the day as we had an early morning flight.
On Friday we visited the monuments and then headed to the expo where we participated in a Runner’s Conference session with the MCM Race Director. He let us in on some secrets about the race and answered people’s questions about the race. For instance, why are there 3 different places that you have to make it to by a certain time. We found out one of those was set by the police and couldn’t be changed (the Beat the Bridge at mile 20). The other two were to help people out who were having a bad race and to help make sure that they could finish or get as far as they could (one at mile 18 and one at mile 22). We picked up our packets and walked around the expo before heading back to our Airbnb for the night.
The Smithsonian Castle, the Capitol and the Washington Monument
On Saturday, it was back to the expo for day 2. Saturday was mainly to pick up things that we needed and participating in the Runner’s Conference. The Runner’s Conference at MCM is free but you do have to sign up for sessions in advance to be guaranteed a seat. We went to several sessions including the Wear Blue Mile, Kathrine Switzer and a podcast recording.
Wear Blue: Run to Remember was a group that I had heard about before but still wasn’t too familiar with them. They have a mile of the MCM course honoring the memory of lost service men and women. I knew it was going to be one of the most emotional parts of the course. Hearing these members talk about the ones they had lost and were running in memory of made most people in attendance teary eyed.
I too have a Wear Blue story. One of my brother’s good friends was killed in Iraq. Cpl. Jaron Holliday and two others were killed in Iraq due to a IED explosion. My family attended his funeral and were moved when he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and another medal for his bravery. I knew I was going to be thinking of Jaron as I ran through this mile.
Listening to Kathrine Switzer and her husband Roger talk was truly inspiring. I consider Kathrine and Bobbi Gibb and other women who were running around that time to be able to run long distance myself. Kathrine started running 1 mile a day at her dad’s suggestion. She was trying out for the only sports team that she could in the 1960’s. Her dad told her that by running a mile a day throughout the summer would put her in great shape for the fall tryouts. She hated running but soon began to love it. She went to college and ran track. One of the coaches ran with her and eventually they were running 10 miles with no problems.
This coach told her all about the Boston Marathon which he had run several times and eventually Kathrine told the coach that she wanted to run Boston. Her coach said you can’t. Women are not allowed to do so. She eventually talked this coach in to helping her train to run Boston. They started training and eventually she was able to run 26 miles with no issues. She signed up for Boston using her initials K.V. Switzer. No one knew she was a woman until the race was underway. There is a famous picture of a race official trying to rip her bib off her. The men who were running with her stepped up and her boyfriend hit the official. She was permitted to continue to run. After this she knew she had to finish Boston to prove that women could run long distance. She finished in around 4 1/2 hours.
During this time, there was a misconception that women running longer than 880 meters (a little over 1/2 mile) would cause body parts to fall off. Kathrine then set out to start opening the doors for women to run long distance. She worked with Avon to set up women’s only running events across the globe. She was instrumental in getting the women’s marathon in the Olympic Games. (The first time was the 1984 Olympics in LA.) This year American Joan Benoit Samuelson won. Since then she has started her 261 Fearless charity which goes around the world helps women discover running.
We got to meet Kathrine and I was star struck to say the least. All I could muster was a Thank You for being brave enough to do what you did so I can run long distance. I consider Kathrine, Bobbi Gibb and others to be founders of the women’s running movement which now has around half the field in most half and full marathons.
Hearing Kathrine and Roger Robinson (her husband) speak at the Runner’s ConferenceMeeting Kathrine Switzer
After getting all we needed we headed back to our Airbnb and then took the rest of the day off our feet and got ready for the next day.
Race morning started early. We were using public transit and were at the Metro station at 6am to get on the train towards the Pentagon. MCM starts and finishes near the Pentagon. We got off at the Pentagon stop and then headed en masse to the start. We saw the parachutes come in, saw the airplane overhead, heard the singing Marine sing the National Anthem and then were headed out at the sound of Howitzer.
Parachuters coming in at the startThe Osprey flying overhead at the startThe Osprey at the startMarines waiting for the start of the raceAttentionThe race startThe race startThe honorary Grand Marshall – a WWII vet who got to start the raceThe color guard
Miles 1-3: I started the race with the Beat the Bridge Marathon pace group. The race crosses the 14th Street Bridge at mile 20. (This takes you from Washington D.C. to Virginia across the Potomac). The police have a hard and fast you have to reach this point by a certain time or else your day is over. My goal was to try to beat the bridge and then finish. I was ahead of them during this stretch. I started walking towards the start with them but then got ahead of them. The course goes through Rosslyn along Lee Highway and eventually turns onto Spout Run and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. One of the worst climbs on the course is on the Lee Highway in this stretch, but it also features a downhill stretch as well.
Towards the start of the race – Marine Corps Marathon DriveHeaded out from the startMichael Wardian – one of my current running heroes – he has some epic accomplishments under his belt – including the record for running a marathon in an Elvis costume, running and winning the 7 Continent Marathon Challenge (7 Marathons in 7 Continents in 7 Days) among other things. Headed towards Georgetown
Miles 4-5: For reasons I am still trying to figure out my pace was off. I was able to hang with the Beat the Bridge group for several miles but then fell off pace during this stretch. In these miles, you cross the Key Bridge into Georgetown and get to run along M Street and through parts of Georgetown.
Georgetown
Miles 6-9: From M Street you end up running under the Whitehurst Freeway and eventually make it to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, heading north. This stretch is one of 2 out and backs on the course (you run out to a certain point and then turn around and run back). This stretch was beautiful. You could tell you were in Rock Creek Park and it was beautifully tree-lined and featured historic stone-covered bridges. You run past the impressive Kennedy Center and under the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.
Rock Creek ParkThe out and back through Rock Creek ParkMr. and Mrs. Incredible made appearances on the course several times.Michael Wardian (bib 11) running with some other men
Miles 10-11: During this stretch, you run parallel to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and run under the Arlington Memorial Bridge and then enter West Potomac Park. This stretch was pretty as you were right along the Potomac River.
Mile 12: The Wear Blue: Run to Remember mile didn’t disappoint. It was exactly how I pictured it would go. I saw it coming and as I was running I was looking at the faces of the men and women who died to give me my freedom which I take for granted so much. The neat part of this mile was at the end. There were volunteers with flags. Each flag pole had the name of one of the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice. These volunteers where cheering for the runners as they came through. This mile left me with lots of tears in my eyes and even now a couple months later I am still emotional thinking about that mile. I thought of my friend Jaron and his family. This mile caused me to stop thinking about the pain I was experiencing and caused me to remember why I wanted to run this race.
Oct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 27, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember shakeout run blue mile at the Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson/wear blue: run to rememberOct 28, 2018; Washington D.C., USA; wear blue: run to remember Marine Corps Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Nicholson/wear blue: run to remember
Mile 13-14: This mile led you to the very end of Hains Point and then you rounded the corner and ran past the East Potomac Golf Course. During this stretch there were lots of funny signs which you had to laugh at.
Mile 15-16: This stretch had you run along the scenic Tidal Basin with views of the Jefferson Memorial. You also run by the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial and the FDR Memorial, the National Mall and the Korean and WWII Memorials and the Washington Monument.
The Martin Luther King Jr. MemorialThe Korean MemorialThe Washington MonumentThe World War II MemorialThe Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Mile 17-20: There are 2 Gauntlet’s which also have time limits on them. One at mile 17 and one at mile 22. If you miss these time limits you are turned to the finish line and can still finish (assuming you beat the bridge) but are considered an unofficial finisher. I missed the gauntlet at mile 17 so wound up being diverted to mile 20 and the beat the bridge section of the course. I made the bridge cut off by about 12 minutes. I was struggling so much at this point I had made peace if my day happened to end at mile 20. Thankfully I didn’t have to get on the struggle bus at mile 20. If I would have made the Gauntlet in time, I would have run along the National Mall and past the National Museum of African American History and Culture; the National Museum of American History; National Museum of Natural History, the National Art Gallery, the U.S. Capitol, the Air and Space Museum, the historic carousel, the Smithsonian Castle, the Freer Gallery of Art and the Holocaust Museum. Mile 20 also features the Beat the Bridge which I barely made with the diversion.
One of the Gauntlet signs
Mile 20-21: This is the Beat the Bridge section of the course as you cross the 14th Street Bridge and the scenic Potomac River as they head back into Virginia for the last 10K of the course running along Army-Navy Drive.
Mile 22-24: This stretch has you back in the state of Virginia and headed towards Crystal City. This also features the second Gauntlet of the course which I made with flying colors. This also features the Crystal City Family Festival. After hitting mile 24 you head back towards the Pentagon. The Crystal City Family Festival was neat – course spectators had been on point during several parts of the course but this section was hyped. There were lots of people out with jello shots, beer, cowbells, food and enthusiasm. After the day I had it was nice to be finally in the home stretch.
Crystal City Family Fun Fest
Mile 24-26: During this stretch you run back on Highway 110 and run past the Pentagon. This was the second time to go by the Pentagon for me that day. The Pentagon is magnificent. You then head to Arlington National Cemetery where you head for the finish line. This stretch had a bad case of the how much longer to the finish line. After all the sights of the course this stretch is pretty boring. Lots of high walls and obstructed views. But then you make the turn and head back by the pentagon and actually go through the start line again. The people I was running with at this time made the joke about how this was the second time we had seen it and were just there like 6 hours prior.
The Pentagon
Mile 26-26.2: This stretch is uphill. You round the last corner and head up an incline and finish in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial which was really special. I was then able to finish the race but had being 24.2 on my watch instead of 26.2.
The Iwo Jima MemorialThe Finish Line
Finish: After finishing you walk for what feels like an eternity. You receive your medal from a Marine. (I’m not going to lie, I was looking for the cutest one to put the medal around my neck.) I then got my food box, some water and Gatorade and went to the Family Meet Up to catch up with my sister. Due to the nature of this race and how big it was, we had discussed a head of time where we would meet up. We then got on the Metro and headed back to the Airbnb where I looked forward to putting my feet up and taking a shower.
Medals from the MarinesThe Marine Corps Marathon MedalThere is a removal coin inside the medalOne of the jackets that you receive at the finish line
There were lots of interesting people running the race including a guy jump roping, a guy juggling miniature hockey sticks, and a guy singing and playing a ukulele. Some I saw on the course, others I saw in pictures.
This is Jose Sanchez. I first came across his story after he finished the Boston Marathon in 2017. He lost his leg in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2011, two week before his deployment was over. He ran MCM in 2015 as well. The flag he runs with is inscribed with messages and was sent to him the hospital while he was recovering from the explosion. Ukulele singing manMr. IncredibleFireman in gearRoxie who ran MCMI found WaldoSoldiers in full gear Corn anyone?
The next day was our last day in Washington D.C. We decided to go hit a couple Smithsonian Museums. We started at the Holocaust Museum which was new since the last time we had been to D.C. I had been reading a lot of books about the Holocaust and World War II at the time and that was my request. I left that Museum saddened and stunned that someone could hate their fellow men and women so much to want to exterminate them from the world.
We then headed across the Mall to the American History Museum. We had visited this Museum before but remembered how great of a museum it was. We had lunch in the cafeteria there and then spent the next couple of hours hobbling around the museum. We then headed back to the Airbnb and packed and got ready to go to the airport the next morning.
MCM was our first experience with a big city race. It was very well organized and we didn’t have very many problems at all with the race. The lottery was easy to get into and has one of the biggest percentages of actually getting in (around 80%). If you fail to get chosen in the lottery there are always charities you can run with.
I enjoyed our trip to Washington D.C. The race didn’t go as I had hoped but was glad to be able to at least complete some of the distance. I will most likely be back next year to complete the distance.
I realize I have been missing in action and that it has been months since I have posted anything. I have been struggling with motivation to run this year. Trying to fit a training schedule into my work schedule has proved itself difficult.
We joined a training program at one of the local running stores in hopes that it would help us be more intentional and make sure that training runs were logged. This helped some but I still found myself being forced into doing runs and logging some of the longest runs on the marathon schedule on my own. And I still found myself not able to do any of the weekday runs with them due to my work schedule.
I did run 2 marathons this fall but struggled majorly with them. One of them I was diverted and wound up being 2 miles short of a marathon and the other one was my slowest marathon to date. (I will be posting recaps of these on the blog soon.)
My sister and I are still trying to qualify for Marathon Maniacs and have a plan to qualify by May next year. Our plan is to run the Little Rock Marathon in March, the Hogeye Marathon in April and the Flying Pig Marathon in May. Training for Little Rock has already started and I am hopeful to try to accomplish this goal finally in 2019. (This will be try 4 for Marathon Maniacs). We are going to train again with our local running store as they are training for another local race in April.
Here’s to motivation. I’ve been doing lots of reading over this past year and have gotten back to reading running books and have found myself wanting to run which has been a change. One of the books I recently finished is Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer. She is one of the courageous women who proved that women can run distances longer than 800 meters (1/2 mile) and ran the Boston Marathon in 1967 as the first official woman (although women would not be recognized as official finishers until the early 70’s) to run the marathon. She realized as she was accosted by the race director that she had to finish the race or else she was going to prove the men correct. She finished under 4 1/2 hours. I had a chance to meet her earlier this fall and told her thank you.
Source: Pinterest
Source: Pinterest
Source: Pinterest
Source: Pinterest
Consider yourself motivated and go accomplish great things today. As for me, I’m going to attempt to stick to my training schedule, run with my training group when I’m able to and hold myself accountable for getting my runs in even if it means lots of early morning runs.
My sister and I have decided to try to take on the World Majors and are starting next year at the Chicago Marathon. We decided to skip the lottery and fund raise for one of the many charities which they have for Chicago. We are raising money for Paws Chicago.
Paws Chicago is the Midwest’s largest no kill animal shelter. They were founded in 1997 in response to a high euthanasia rate among cats and dogs. Since then the rate has dropped over 80%. They have a broad approach to the problem of homeless animals. They have a top notch medical clinic which takes the sickest animals and nurses them back to health. They have spay and neuter clinics and even offer low cost programs in poorer areas of Chicago. They have adopted over 5,000 animals each year for the last few years.
We have our own rescue dog story. Our dog Precious was adopted from the Tulsa Humane Society. She was 6 months old when my brother adopted her. We were out of town running a half marathon in Dallas, TX. Our brother told us he had a new fishing buddy and we fully expected it to be new human friend. To our surprise, he sent the first pictures we have of Precious. We came back and fell in love with her instantly and can’t imagine life without her. Precious would like for you to help her mommies run for the other dogs in Chicago.
Please consider helping me reach my goal of raising $1250 for Paws Chicago. You can use the link below to go to my fundraising page. And all donations are tax deductible.
What are my goals for 2018? Epic. I’m a fan of going big or going home. Here are some of the things on tap for 2018.
Qualifying for Marathon Maniacs and becoming a Double Agent. Our plan for now is running the Cowtown Marathon in February, Hogeye Marathon in April and Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in April.
Setting a PR in all distances (35 minute 5k, a 1:10-15 10k, a sub-2 15k, a 2:50-2:55 half marathon, a 6:00-6:15 full marathon).
Running 2018 miles in 2018 (epic I know – I already feel like I am behind the 8 ball on this one and I am only 2 weeks into the new year).
Running Marine Corps Marathon this year and hopefully set a significant PR.
What is my race calendar? This is very tentative and is subject to change due to work schedule and other factors.
February 17 – Sweetheart Run 5k and 10k Double
February 25 – Cowtown Full Marathon
March 4 – Trail Madness 32k
March 17 – St. Patricks Day 5k
March 18 – Tatur Snake Run 6 Hour
March 31 – T-town Half Marathon
April 8 – Aquarium Half Marathon
April 14 – Hogeye Full Marathon
April 29 – Oklahoma City Memorial Full Marathon
May 6 – One America 500 Mini Half Marathon
May 7 – Flying Pig Half Marathon
May 12 – Running with the Cows Half Marathon
May 19 – Joplin Half Marathon
June 3 – Scorcher Half Marathon
June 9 – Hatfield and Mccoy Double Half
June 17 – Armadillo Ultra 25k or 50k
July 4 – Firecracker 5k (our anniversary race)
July 21 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago 5k
July 22 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon
September 15 – The Q 5k and Quarter Marathon
September 23 – Red Dirt Shuffle Half Marathon
October 6 – Zoo Run 10k
October 7 – Grand County Half Marathon
October 28 – Marine Corps Full
November 4 – Jenks Half Marathon
November 18 – Route 66 Full Marathon
December – St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon
December 9 – BMW Dallas or RunnersWorld Tulsa Half ‘n’ Half
Running on Second 