Last year I ran the Seafair Marathon and while I really wanted to love it, I really didn’t. It was disorganized to the point of being dangerous. It was hot and hilly. It was a fantastic challenge, but it was one of the hardest races I’ve run. So when I heard that Elite Racing had taken over and was going to bring a Rock and Roll race to Seattle, I was thrilled! I registered the day it opened!
I also decided to hold a training for Rock and Roll. I have coached in the past through Seattle Fit, which is a great organization. However, I had to give it up when gas got so expensive it simply wasn’t sensible for me to drive to Seattle every weekend. I was tired of having to go elsewhere to find people to run with, so I decided to focus on my home town and start a program here. In July of last year I became a Certified Personal Trainer and started my first running group; a 5k training program that took us to the AFLAC Irongirl 5k.
So in January I started my first marathon/half marathon training group with a handful of people who were dedicated to running their first full or half marathon. The group grew to ten people, and stopped being a running group and turned into friends within weeks. We ran together every Saturday through rain, snow, more rain, cold cold cold, and in the end intense heat. We shared owies and stories on the run. We had our ever-present support, Roy, who marked the routes and ran water and snack stops. We learned about each other’s kids, childhoods, likes, and dislikes.
Finally it was time! The big day had come! Most of us met at the expo on Friday (some of us even went Thursday too, mainly to take advantage of the $50 registration for next year’s Seattle Rock and Roll). We shopped. We shopped some more. We talked running and gu and chafing and sports bras.
Then we headed to carbo load at Buca de Beppo. Dinner was fantastic, once we got it. It took over 90 minutes for them to serve us from our order being taken! I think next time Spaghetti Factory will be our destination…the food was great, the server was nice (it wasn’t his fault) but we were starting to gnaw on the table linens and we ALL had an early morning the next day!
The next morning dawned bright and early…well, dark and early. Roy and I stayed in a hotel in Seattle and got up WELL before dawn to make our way to Qwest field to catch a shuttle to the start. Not knowing how well organized it would be, we left early. I was VERY impressed with how quickly we were aboard a bus with lots of other runners chatting excitedly…runners of all shapes and sizes, with the same goal. We were all there to meet a personal challenge. I was there to see my runners run their first full or half marathon. Roy was there to prove that knee surgery wasn’t going to stop him from enjoying races. (He had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus 6 weeks prior to the race. Unfortunately it hasn’t helped diminish the pain at all. He also has bad arthritis in his knees, but it is what it is, and he’s still determined to do half marathons.)
Runners Ready to Rumble
I called Erin from the bus and found out she was already to the Athlete’s Village and in Starbucks (makes me feel so OFFICIAL). Once we got there I headed over to the porta potty line…just in case. As John Bingham advises…get in line, use it, then get in line again! It was CHILLY but sunny and I was wishing, aloud, that I’d brought a garbage bag when the lady next to me handed me one without a word. Runners are GREAT people. We all support and cheer each other. 
Erin met up with us and we chatted excitedly. After awhile we headed to our corral. As soon as I got in I started finding people I knew! Joan and Brandy from last year’s half ironman training were there. We talked and high fived and took pictures. It wasn’t long…okay, it WAS long…before we were off. Okay, not OFF so much as we started shuffling and stopping and shuffling and stopping. Music was blaring, John Bingham was calling out well wishes (and warning people not to jump corrals). We were in corral 26, so it was a full 45 minutes before we actually crossed the start line! 
We started out running from Tukwila towards Seattle. There were lots of silly costumes. The bands started right before mile one and every single one of them was fantastic. I was quieter than normal during the first few miles, which I think worried Erin at first. Unfortunately standing for so long just KILLS my back and I was waiting for it to relax and release. It was singing OPERA and I was having a hard time really getting into a running rhythm because of it. After awhile I realized it probably was going to just hurt the entire time, so I said to myself “It is what it is” and decided to stop thinking about it and start enjoying myself. (I have arthritis of the back and running usually helps ease the pain, but every now and again it doesn’t. This was one of those days. Oh well!)
By mile 5 I was feeling pretty good and was enjoying swapping stories with Erin. We were enjoying the bands (grumbling when they were on breaks…how DARE they!). I saw a LOT of people I knew and enjoyed calling out to them. At mile six we were greeted with a magical moment! We were running along Lake Washington, which is beautiful in its own right. Suddenly there was a slight hubbub and all around us runners were jetting to the side, grabbing cell phones and cameras. Why? Was the mountain out? Bigfoot? Nope, it was a beautiful bald eagle. Oh it was amazing…absolutely breathtaking. I stopped and took a picture, and whispered a prayer of thanks to the Lord for blessing us with this beautiful creature. He must have been there for quite some time because race reports I’ve read from people who finished before and after me, mentioned this eagle. 
At mile nine we were treated to a run across the Lake Washington Bridge. I tell you, I never tire of crossing this bridge by bike or by foot. The scenes were fantastic. I also really enjoy the out and back. I was able to cheer on many friends who were faster than I am, and many friends who were behind me (at least at that point). LOTS of Marathon Maniacs were on the course that day!
Next we went into the tunnel. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about how loud it was (it was) and how hot it was (it was) but you know…I just go with the flow. Seldom do I find the need to complain about a transient experience because I know that it’s only a blink of time, so I just enjoyed it.
/> I especially enjoyed this guy. Hee hee!
Before you know it we could see the Seattle skyline! Yay! The end was…okay the end wasn’t NEAR, but it was nearER, right? 
This was just before mile 13. Another welcome sight was this guy: 
. I had been worrying a LOT about how he was doing. It was SO nice to see him with only a few miles to go and still a smile on his face. Whew!
Woo hoo! Halfway done!
We made our way along the freeway passing half marathoners with their eyes on the finish when I saw Torie ahead. I ran up to catch her and see how things were going. Sadly she was in a LOT of pain and rather down that she’d had to walk a lot of the race. She’d been having IT band pain for quite awhile and we were hoping that two weeks of rest, ice, and lots of massage/foam rolling would help. You just never CAN tell on race day what will happen! I walked with her for quite awhile until she had to turn off to her finish. Erin graciously went ahead and let me hang with Torie for awhile. I told her that we would have a WAY better experience on the next race! I said goodbye at the turnoff and sent up a quick prayer that she’d feel proud of her performance despite the walking.
It felt like a LONG time before I caught up with Erin again. I ran on my own for awhile and then came upon Joan. We walked and ran and talked quite a bit about how things were in our lives, and our goals to complete an ironman at some point. After a mile or so I ran on. In another mile I came upon Marie. I’d just passed Tim (her husband) who was doing his first full marathon on his 50th birthday. She anxiously asked if I’d seen him and I told her I had, that he was walking but looked good. She was quite relieved! About half mile later I made a quick pitstop and then zipped back out on the street. I saw Tim so slowed to walk with him for awhile. He was having knee pain, but was in good spirits. I really enjoy Tim and Marie (I’ve run a number of marathons with Marie) so it was great to see him! I felt like I needed to keep on moving, hoping to catch up with Erin.
About mile 16 I saw this: 
Yay! Erin! She was in good spirits, although we were on Highway 99 and it was getting H O T! It was a LONG out and back with very little shade. We saw each other on the other side of the street and she slowed to wait for me. I hurried as fast I could to join her so we could finish up together.
As the temperatures climbed our energy waned. We were both feeling it, although by that time I think it was hitting Erin a little harder than it was me, so I tried REALLY hard to keep up the chatter and keep things light and fun. I’ve run some hot marathons before, so I knew that the longer you’re out in the sun, the more it just saps you. We both took a lot of comfort from the shirts of others, like this one. 
We started doing run/walk with more walking than running as the sun beat down harder. We tried to enjoy the beautiful views from the viaduct, and talked about how even though it was hard, we were blessed to have healthy bodies and be able to be out there doing this. 
Erin was starting to really tire and was telling me to go on without her. Of course I had NO desire to do that! After all, I had gotten her into this crazy venture! It was up to me to get her through it, if need be. At mile 24 we were walking and roasting and she started telling me that she was never going to do it again. I warned her to never ever make pronouncements while still on the marathon. Marathons are like childbirth…it’s a wonderful journey to get there, the day of is full of surprises, pain, and anticipation…there are points where you wish you could turn back but it is too late…and two days later you forget the pain and remember only the fun, the images, and are left with a wonderful sense of pride (and a baby, or so I’m told…personally I like being left with a medal). I encourage Erin to take another gu, even with only two miles to go, because I could tell her mood was NOT a happy one. She did so (I think) just to humor me. I think it helped.
Mile 25 was long as we traveled along the railroad tracks with not much to look at, although we did enjoy this graffiti art on a boxcar: 
Erin’s son is named Max, so we declared mile 26 for Max, and ran it in! As we ran down the ramp towards Qwest Field and could hear the music and see the indications that, at any moment, we’d glimpse the finish line, Erin’s Gu kicked in and she gave me a good hard run for my money! No fair! LOL! We ran in the last .2 miles hard and fast (fast being a relative term at the age of 44 after 26 miles in the heat and hills)! Finally we finished! Yay! It was hot, it was hard, but it was DONE! Woot! Woot!
We were spent, though! We grabbed water and a snack and wanted to immediately get to our cars and go HOME! Roy had texted me that he was going to be in the van, so I hadn’t noticed him cheering for me at the finish. (I’m sad I missed it, but I misread his text as I was running and reading it at the same time.) We tried to catch a girl with chocolate chip cookies, but she ran out so we just gave up and hugged and said goodbye.
I saw Linda on the way out and we both agreed that while it was fun, it was a HARD course. It wasn’t horrible, don’t get me wrong. It was hilly and hot, but the course itself wasn’t bad. I would change, if I could, the last six miles on 99. Being on the viaduct was nice, but being on 99 forever and ever and out near the trainyards was NO JOY.
I met Roy in the van. He was in a LOT of pain, but he did have cotton candy for me! Best husband EVER! We zipped home and straight to the funky Chinese buffet in town where you can get sesame balls, octopus, mashed potatoes, and little smokies wrapped in dough. (Huh???) 
After I got home I emailed everyone and asked them how they did! Unfortunately I only did see Torie on the route, and missed seeing Cindy, Trista, Becky, and Tamie! Everyone had a GREAT time and were so excited. Trista told me she was thinking she wasn’t going to do another one, but found herself poring over flyers for upcoming races the next day. Hahaha! Yup! It’s a strange, sick addiction!
Incidentally, Erin signed up for the Portland Marathon today. She has also agreed to be my right hand gal on our Seattle Marathon training starting in July! Never say never!
We did go to the free Keb Mo and Ryan Shaw concert out at Marymoor that night. Oh my gosh they were both FANTASTIC! Great, mellow music that was just the right touch after a long hot day. While I was almost ready to say I was too tired to go, I thought “When do I get a free ticket to an outdoor concert on an evening when the weather is actually PERFECT?” The answer was never, so we went and I’m glad we did. 
Tags: Journey Fitness, marathon, Races, Rock and Roll Seattle
We got up at 5 a.m. after next to no sleep. At least I had no sleep. I just never can manage to get a decent nights sleep before a big marathon. I had myself a breakfast cookie, but skipped the coffee this morning. Roy and I took the el from Cumberland right to Grant Park. I met Laura and Linda in front of the park and we made our way to the start line. I actually felt really good going into this race. I had tapered pretty well, and had definitely trained enough. In fact I’d run four marathons in the last four months, so I knew I could go the distance.
Course: The course was a circular course through 29 Chicago Neighborhoods. We started in Grant Park and wound it’s way around the sights of Chicago. It was a GREAT course. It was extremely flat, and was (in my opinion) scenic enough so that I always felt like there was something interesting to look at. We started out on Columbus Drive and ran over the Chicago River into the city. One of the first meaningful sights was the Chicago sign on the Chicago Theater. I snapped a picture of it and enjoyed being in familiar territory as Roy and I had walked all through that area on Saturday before we saw the play, “Wicked”. (It was fantastic…just amazing.)
Mile two brought an unexpected treat. Roy and Jim were there cheering us on already! Yay! I love seeing my honey on the route! Right at about mile three we crossed back over the river again. I love the Chicago River and the bridges. It’s so beautiful to have this great waterway running right through the city.
Mile 8 took us to Broadway and OMG they were AWESOME! This was the “gay” part of town and it was colorful and fun! Men in women’s swimsuits served us water, there was a gay gun brigade who had the precision of the most stringent Rifle Corps.
The music helped take my mind off the pain, as did the people on the sidelines.
Miles 14-16 saw us around the downtown “loop” area. It was fun to run through just THRONGS of people screaming and yelling! There were water stops, at this point, about every mile so there was never a time when I felt like I needed more water. It was great. We also had a few sponge stops, and some open fire hydrants to run through. At one spot they had a sponge stop and right past it an open hydrant, so all the dropped sponges were full of water. We had to run over those and it was SUCH a funky feeling to run through and over squishy sponges fat with water, Gatorade, and sweat.
At mile 16 we ran through the UIC and then into Little Italy. Oh man everything smelled SO good in Little Italy! I’d have liked to stop for a spaghetti lunch, but somehow I thought that might be counter productive to the whole “finishing” concept, so I decided to wait for later. Normally I don’t do a lot of counting of miles during the marathon because I usually don’t want it to end until about mile 24…then I start thinking about the finish line. On this one, though, I found myself over focused on the mileage, often hoping I was further than I really was. I’d try to push out even the THOUGHTS of how far I had to go, but couldn’t seem to block that noise.
Mile 21 took us into Chinatown. We were greeted with dragon dancers and then turned the corner and ran through a big Torii Gate. At this point I was TRULY counting down, so it was GREAT to have the curiosities of Chinatown to distract me. It made me think of my friend, Shirley, who told me to look for Chinatown…so my Chinatown pictures are for you, Shirley! I tried to shake things up a bit the last five miles. I stopped doing 5:1 and started doing 11:1 (running through the first walk break) to see if maybe my muscles were tightening more at the walk breaks. It seemed to help a bit, but my knees were still really tight. I found someone I’d started with and chatted with her for awhile in mile 22, but she was SO negative that I let her go ahead. I just didn’t need that at this point.,
Run
He’s so awesome. He met me with Gu and when I told him I needed food (I started to stare down the wall about mile 15 because I hadn’t eaten enough), he ran in and got me a biscotti that was a LIFESAVER! I was able to finish the race feeling great. I think my iron stores are getting low (something I deal with) because my energy took a major dip around mile 10 (two gus brought me back) and then again around 15 (lightheadedness, greying vision…I hate it). Fortunately I was able to pull out of it and finish. Having Marie there really helped because I didn’t want her to be left behind if I dropped, and really…I didn’t need to drop. I just need more iron and some food. (Will call doctor’s office on Tuesday.)
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