Miami Marathon 2009 Race Report

Miami Marathon Race Report

Short form: 4:13 Florida…. Check!

Long Form:

I promised my son that I would take the video camera on this run. I figure if Team Hoyt can push a wheel chair through countless marathons and even compete in Ironmans, my carrying a video camera was not going to be much of a hardship.

I got two and a half hours’ sleep last night.

This morning I ended up driving to the start rather than taking the MetroRail, or whatever they call it here in Miami. I had tried to scope out the trains the night before, but I wasn’t confident about the hours posted on the public garage or the instructions in our packet. Would there only be one train at 4:30? What if I missed it? Parking in the garage didn’t start until 5 AM. Nevertheless, I had plenty of time to spare and the signage getting to downtown wasn’t awful.

I decided that I must have OCD bordering on the extreme. People in Miami do not have the same respect for personal space that I require. There was a guy following me through a crowd before the race as I was trying to make my way into the American Airlines Arena (where the Heat play) so I could wash my hands and he kept stepping on my heels and I could feel his body pushing against my back. I turned around and said in the nicest tone I could muster “Please stop pushing me.” He was incensed! “I wasn’t pushing you!!” followed by a stream of obscenities aimed in my direction and telling his friends that I was crazy. But you know what? He did not again step on my heels or touch my back.

In the starting corrals there was a woman behind me talking rapidly to her friends as she was flicking her hair against my neck and leaning against my back. I decided to lean back. Not “back back” but just not to resist her resting against me. It was at this point that I started freaking out. I kept it inside, but I was seriously concerned for my emotional fitness to complete this marathon. I considered running away. I considered hiding out until the thousands of people in the starting corrals had already gone. After all, it’s chip timing. I also considered curling up in a ball, but then I realized I would be trampled to death. I thought about leaving parting words of wisdom to my kids on the video camera in my hand but it would probably be crushed, too.

Although I was lined up at the 4 hour marathon spot, there were hundreds and hundreds of walkers ahead of me and mile 1 included a lot of complex navigation in the dark. Shame on the coaches and mentors with “Southern Florida Team in Training”. You should have known the capabilities of your charges and positioned them in a more appropriate corral. It was going to be a long morning for those athletes.

The cruise ships glistened in the dark. One had a giant screen up on top playing what I think was cartoons. Who would be up watching them at 6:30 on a Sunday morning docked in Miami? I took a few videos for the kids. The birds in the trees sounded fake and I wondered if Disney had wired this boulevard for sound, but I think they really were tropical birds greeting the morning.

Running through Miami Beach was fun. It has it’s own flavor, that’s for sure! The students from Miami Beach High School who were staffing an aid station were terrific! I know there is a long list of things any teenager in their right mind would rather be doing on a Sunday morning, but here they were playing drums, rapidly handing out water and Gatorade and sweeping up the cups. The volunteers really make a race. It can be a lousy job, but there they are. I tried to thank as many as I could all morning. I really meant it.

The police were also having a tough morning. I suspect they were making some welcome overtime pay, but I wonder if it was worth it. Many motorists were terribly upset about being stopped for the marathon. They were not being nice to the police. Or perhaps that is just the communication style in Miami.

I was so jealous when we got to the half way point and the half marathoners turned left and the full marathoners turned right. I wanted to stop. What if I couldn’t run the whole marathon? I would end up with nothing. But if I stopped now, at least I would get some sort of medal. I kept going. I had seen this split earlier in the morning as I was walking to the start. I was glad I knew what to do. At around mile 14, I found a half marathoner pleading “What happened to the half?” I said “Retrace your steps! It’s near the Courtyard Hotel.” I was glad I wasn’t her.

The second half of the marathon was a lot more fun than the first half. There were a reasonable number of runners around me. We ran through some pretty neighborhoods. And I was feeling as good as anyone can on the back half of a marathon. I chatted with a few people and took more videos. I saw a woman running in a thong and running shoes. I thought “Only in Miami.” but I suppose you might see that in Brazil, too. I resisted the urge to take a video. I didn’t want my kids to see it.

Best cheer of the day from a volunteer at mile 17: “Just take your time!” Really?
Comment that made me run faster at around mile 24: “You’re a Marathon Maniac! How many marathons have you done?” Me: “This is 14.” Her: “Oh. That’s not too many. All the other maniacs run a LOT of marathons!” Uh huh.

I suspect I probably spent a total of 10 minutes taking videos today, what with taking the camera out of the case, setting up the shot, putting the camera away. It was kind of fun to be video blogging as I went. Add that ten minutes to the five minutes I spent in porta potty lines during the first half and I think I had a good run today. I negative split. I picked up 27 cents in change along the way. (We ran through toll booths! Fertile ground for finding change on the ground.) Florida is in the books. And the finisher’s medal is really cool.

Sleepless in Miami

Why can’t I ever get a good night’s sleep before a marathon??

Coping with Tourettes

Last Monday we had one of those “teachable moments” in the car on the way to the rock climbing gym. Direct questions were asked. Direct answers were given. Experience was shared and therefore a glimmer of hope. We are on the same team and we know it. Everyone in our tight family has stepped up to the plate and chipped in. We are like the Three Musketeers plus a few more. I know this feeling of unity and support will be tested. But I am hopeful. It is the sand in the oyster that causes the irritation that produces the pearl. We will get through this all of us stronger and better for having done so. Gosh – am I grateful for this? In this moment, maybe so. It will get different.

FETC

I am at the FETC this week. There is SO much to learn! But one thing is clear: society is changing. The way we communicate is changing as is the way we influence our elected officials. I believe that money still buys access, but it is easier to organize like-minded people on the Internet and have a bigger voice. The sheer quantity of tools and information is overwhelming. I feel like I did standing on the boulder next to the shimmering glacial pool at Glacier National Park. I knew it would be shocking to jump in the frigid water, but I also knew I didn’t want to say I stood on the rock and missed the experience.

This, That, and the Other Thing

Yesterday was the PF Changs Rock n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix. I didn’t run it. I think $125 is an awful lot of money to pay to run a marathon for a state I already have on my list. But Bruce had signed up and if he made it successfully from the start to the finish, he would qualify for Marathon Maniacs. He was somewhat worried about his heart. I worry that my encouraging him to run marathons may ultimately be bad for him, but it seems like such a healthy hobby now and I think it is better than sitting on the couch.

I drove Bruce and a few of my running buddies to the start then went home to watch them pass at mile 10. Bruce was ahead of Susie by a few minutes. It was her first marathon. Both of them looked really good at mile 10.

I drove to the finish, found a parking spot and ran to mile 20 where I would meet Bruce and run him in. I was wearing my fuel belt so I would have drinks for both of us and a few other treats that he liked. I did not want to take any aid from the aid stations since I was not a paying runner. When I finally saw Bruce, he wasn’t looking very good. He was hunched over and said he needed to walk. He thanked me for joining him. It was bittersweet for me. I really wanted to be running the marathon, but I knew if I were that I wouldn’t have wanted to stay with hm. As it was, I had plenty of energy to run around and get him things. There was a woman on the other wide of the course handing out pretzels at mile 22 and he wanted some, but she might as well have been 5 miles away. I said “Keep going. I’ll get you some.” I ran over to her, grabbed some, then ran back to him. I felt very spry and even heard someone say “You have WAY too much energy!” I did not confess that I had only been running about 5 total miles at that point.

Bruce continued with a mixture of walking and running to the finish. Susie passed us at mile 24 and went on to snag a BQ. She is so impressive! Seven kids and she snags a BQ in her first marathon. Bruce finished in yet another PR for him and qualified for Marathon Maniacs. A good time was had by all. This morning when we went for a run, he didn’t even seem terribly sore or slow.

On Friday, Charlie was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. It is somewhat nice to finally have a diagnosis and realize that he isn’t just intentionally being annoying. We have talked about it as a family and are working on taking one day at a time. He has sticker charts, which he hates, and more structure, which he also hates. But at least I feel like we can move from the problem into the solution. We don’t have this nailed yet. Not sure if we ever will. But we can try to support each other and be loving. And grateful for the lessons we will no doubt learn about tolerance.

Corporate America

Faithful readers of my blog may recall a year ago when I was so excited because I was bumped twice in one day and had TWO free round trips any where US Air flies! What a great day. What a great feeling. Kind of like that blush of infatuation and the feeling of joy after HE suggested a date.

Now reality has set in and my prince charming picks his nose. It appears that these round trip vouchers have so many restrictions that they are practically worthless to me. I hate to give up, but I am spending so much time on this and seem to be getting absolutely no where. I feel like I did when I was trying to get out of my sentence with Sprint because the equipment didn’t work any more. They just wanted me to buy new equipment. They wouldn’t let me out of the contract. <>

Nevada!

Running from an Angel Marathon, 1/3/09, Race Report

Short Form: There isn’t one. A marathon is a long distance. This race report is long, too.

Long Form: I was born in a sleepy little town by the sea 46 years ago…

On Friday we dropped the kids at my mother-in-laws with Charlie clinging to my leg and looking at me with a touch of worry in his eyes begging me not to go. I was not sure what that was about, but I assured him that he would have fun and I would see him in a few days. We drove to Boulder City but had to take a few detours to avoid traffic. Hoover Dam was an amazing sight (still). To think about how much work it must have taken. They have already been working on the bypass bridge for longer than it took to build the entire dam and it doesn’t look as though they are any further along than they were last time we were at Hoover Dam, the day after my first marathon in St George, Utah in 2006.

When we got there, we checked into the smokey, seedy hotel with plentiful slots and gambling opportunities. I wanted to drop a coin into a slot machine, but they only took dollar bills. Driving into town, we found the street where my mother-in-law lived while her father worked as a timekeeper on the dam project during the depression. We found some over-priced antique shops and a quaint historic hotel.

At packet pick up I met Bart Yasso and bought his book. I stayed up late reading it and laughing out loud about some of his running exploits. It was very windy and Bruce kept looking out the window to check how far the trees were bending over.

Saturday morning was not quite as windy… Or so we thought. We got to the start in plenty of time to chat with the other Marathon Maniacs who were there. One had a number in the low 100s, all the others seemed to be in the 600s. Bruce was amazed to see me reach out my hand and say “Hi. I’m 466.” He really wants to be a Maniac.

The first .2 was uphill. Really uphill. But after that, I thought we would enjoy some gently rolling hills for the remainder of the race. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I know it isn’t possible that the out and back course was uphill into a head wind both ways, but it sure felt like it at times. I enjoyed the downhill and tried not to put the brakes on.

I allowed Bruce to go out faster than I did. I had already planned to run my own race. For awhile I ran with Jill and Julie who are from Illinois and convinced me to try to get to Champaign-Urbana for the Illinois Marathon in April. But they weren’t going as fast as I wanted to, so I started running with John from New Mexico. When I asked him what he did, I could have sworn he said “Professor of Forest Psychology” which sounded really weird, but it turns out it was “Professor of Forest Ecology.” He complimented my ability to attack the hills. I didn’t realize I had an ability to attack the hills, so I just said “Thank you. We really don’t have much opportunity for hill training in Phoenix.”

After about 9 miles, he backed off and I kept going. Mile 10 was a delicious downhill, but I was not relishing the idea of running up it later. Going downhill, I could see the uphill on the other side and thought that the turn around was half way up the other side. I was wrong. We had to go over the next hill to get to the turn around. Going up the next hill, the guy in bike shorts in front of me stopped to pee. Right there on the course. In the wind. I was behind him by about 10 yards and had to slow down lest I get sprayed. I was mad. I thought I should catch up to him and give him a piece of my mind.

I saw Bruce near the turn around and said “Looking good!” He was maintaining a steady lead on me and it looked like he had found some buddies to run with – the guy in white and the guy in dark blue. I hoped he wouldn’t blow up. John had asked me if I was trying to catch him and I said “No. I really hope I don’t.” But if you want to know the truth, I was thinking that I might in the later miles.

Back up the mile 10 hill, which was now the mile 16 hill, Pee Man decided it was time to go again. Why couldn’t this guy just step to the side? There was plenty of desert if he chose not to use the porta potties stationed at every other aid station and only a quarter mile down the course from where he was now peeing. Again I had to slow down. I was really mad now. I rehearsed the vile things I would say to him at the finish. I caught him before mile 17, but I was so mad, I didn’t say anything at all. We ran over a mile side by side in silence.

Then I caught Bruce at an aid station. He was struggling. I had been on pace for a BQ, but it was going to be close. My miles were averaging just under 9:05. We chatted briefly and he encouraged me to keep running. I thought about it for a minute and said “No. It will be more fun to stay with you.” He was doing a combination of walking and jogging which was tiring me out. It was fun to talk to him, but this was going to take forever. John caught us and offered Bruce gummy bears, antacids, and other things I forget. He was very nice. I love the comraderie of runners!

After three miles, a woman came up behind us. I said “Honey, I gotta go. I am the fourth woman right now and I don’t want to be fifth.” He encouraged me to go. After 20 miles, I always have the toughest time in a marathon and this was no different. A few times I thought I must be dizzy because I was having trouble with my footing, but then I realized it was the wind knocking me off my feet. The cross wind was the worst. Bruce hated the head wind, but I felt most unstable in the cross wind.

At mile 23, I started to worry that Bruce was really having trouble and he hadn’t been honest with me. What if he were having heart trouble and needed someone to perform chest compressions? On this course with no spectators, it was likely he could be down for a while. I remembered hearing him say he was taking his last Gu. Was this the last one he wanted or the last one he had? I stopped at the aid station. “Please do me a favor.” I asked the volunteer. “My husband is 3 to 4 minutes behind me and he is tall in a long sleeve maroon shirt. Please give him this Gu. He is struggling and he needs it.” She agreed. As I left the aid station, I shouted “His name is Bruce!”

At mile 24 or so, there was a photographer. I stopped to chat with him. “I am worried about my husband. I don’t know if I should stay and wait for him or if I should go on.” We chatted for a few minutes and he said “I will cheer for him!” So I left, seeing the woman and a bunch of other runners, whose genders I could not determine, cresting the hill behind me.

The last two miles took forever, but not really. I was tired, but was still feeling pretty good. I was envisioning finishing, then running back out to get Bruce. I finished in 4:08. Grabbed a water bottle and a wet wash cloth and headed back up the hill to get Bruce. He was just rounding the corner. He didn’t want water or the wash cloth. He said “After I finish.” and we ran in together. He finished in 4:14.

The finish area was well stocked with delicious food of all types, including hot soup. There was even a toaster for bagels and english muffins! The finish set up showed how well Calico Racing and Race Director Joyce can put on a race. Everything was handled with apparent ease and professionalism. We wandered over to the awards table to look at the awards. They were beautiful slate plaques in the shape of Nevada. Hand painted. But they only went one deep in each 10 year age category. I was disappointed because I thought the women ahead of me looked like they were in their 40s. At least two of them did.

Turns out, I was wrong. In this wind, with these hills, my 4:08 was good enough for first place in my age group! And Nevada can be checked off the list. Only 40 states left to go.

Bruce has reconsidered his marathon goals and instead of going for a specific time goal, he has decided that he wants to try to run a marathon and have fun. I like that idea. I think that is always a good goal.

Take Me As I Am

Happy New Year. The other day I decided that I was going to quit blogging for fun. Still blog professionally, but quit blogging here. I suppose if I decide to follow through with that, there just won’t be any more posts here.

My New Years Resolutions probably look like everyone elses in America. Except I don’t smoke, so I can’t give it up. I want to lose weight, save money, eat right. And be nicer. I am not sure how to measure “be nicer” so I am not sure how to turn this into a goal.

Crap. I already messed up on the “be nicer” resolution.