A on-site discussion on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of some Oakville endurance runners. Use the "comments" box below the blog to add your feedback.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Oct 28 Washington Marathon
19 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Well, at the end of my half marathon today, all I could think was --- oh, yeah, a marathon is double this distance! I sure hope Washington has some distracting scenery along the way, and that the marine at the end is worth all the effort!
Looking forward to being there with Margaret, Lauri, Cindy and Denise.
Margaret, Norma, Lauri, Cindy and Denise...I know you will kick "major" butt in Washington! You have all trained diligently and I have learned a lot from each of you. All the best for a fantastic marathon experience. And take lots of pictures (especially of the marine...)
Well, a little over a week to go and then it's our turn. Even though we are not running the same race, it is nice to know that I have some marathon sisters out there doing the distance with me. I'll be thinking about both of you while I am running and sending positive vibes your way. Must admit, that I am a little jealous that you'll be finishing an hour earlier than me. All the best for a great marathon and a safe trip.
My best wishes for a great run next week. You have trained hard and I am sure you will do well. Have a safe trip there and back, and look forward to the stories. I hope the weather collaborates and that it is nice and cool.
Hope you have a wonderful time running among the Marines this weekend in Washington. I can't wait to hear all about it as this is a race that I really want to run in the near future. Norma, have a great time shopping at the expo for the jacket! Best wishes for a great race.
Have a great run with the Marines ladies. Looking forward to your stories and the medal presentation at the party. The training is done, have fun. Good luck, Tom
Hey Girls, I hope you all has a wonderful time in Washington. This has a reputation as a pretty exciting marathon with lots of fan support. Enjoy every step on the way and don;t forget...you need to let go of that Marine so the next lady can have her chance!
Well Done Ladies!!Hope you had a great time on the course. I was thinking about all of you while I was doing Niagara. Wish I had been with you guys; I was a little lonely.
(from Margaret) ***************************************************** The weather was great...sunny, mid teens (Celsius) with a good breeze. Norma and I (and Bob who was doing the 10 klm race, and my husband Tim, our curb crew) were staying in Arlington Virginia which was only 2 subway stops away from the start, so Norma, Bob and I left shortly after 6am (race start was at 8am) to walk to the subway. Once we got there, it was very crowded, and we had to wait for a train that wasn't jammed to get on, so this took a bit more time than we thought. When we arrived at Pentagon City, we had a 10 min walk to get to the race compound, a huge expanse of area, then Norma and I hit one of the pot-a-pottie lineups... and delay # 2....it was sooooooo slow! By the time we got in and came out, it was about 5-7 mins before race time! It wasn't all that clear where to go to get into the race corral but we did find it, and got into the corral. We were hoping to see Lauri and Cindy but couldn't find them. So off we started.
My game plan was to have a fun run, with no pressure for a PB, and stay with Norma who wanted to best her Chicago time if possible.
In the first 10 klm, we saw Tim but couldn't get over to talk to him as it was so crowded on the race course. We waved and carried on. Next up were a few hills, with one in particular of substantial proportions! We stopped and walked part way up the hill. By this point in the race, I became aware of my gluts and hamstrings complaining...they were not happy!! And they stayed unhappy for the rest of the race! I didn't say anything to Norma about this until a bit later, since she seemed to be doing well and had good energy. (Sidebar...the reason my gluts/hamstrings were unhappy was because I did the CN Tower Climb the week before...not a good idea.... I had thought if I was doing the marathon a bit slower, without really pushing myself for a PB that I would be OK, but didn't really take into account that they might cause me a lot of discomfort along the way, even at a slower pace....!)
The race course didn't spread out a lot, it continued to be pretty close. Norma remembered Rachel Caron had mentioned this as well when she talked about Washington.
The general plan with Tim was that we would see Tim at about the 2mi mark, then he would see Bob finish his 10 klm race and the two of them would take the subway to pick us up around the halfway point (at the Smithsonian Institute) and then hopefully again in Crystal City around 22 mi, then at the end. He had also signed up for e-mails from the website to advise when we passed the mats at specific check points. We kept looking for them, but because it was so crowded both on and off the race course, we kept thinking we must have missed them. As it turned out, the subway was so jammed with people, they could not get to the places to meet us in time, so they missed us. And the e-mails were 2 hours late in arriving so they weren't sure where we were.
Coming up to the halfway point, I knew I was going to have to let Norma go on, I couldn't keep up. In truth, I felt I wasn't my "chatty" self because I was in such discomfort, and I felt badly that I wasn't able to keep up the conversation and make the whole thing more fun for us. So I thought it might be better for me to just run on my own, with my own thoughts and "mantras" to keep me going....I was wishing I had my MP3 with me (although organizers had "banned them from the race course with threats of disqualification there were many people we saw who had them). Just around the half point, Norma wanted to stop because she was developing a blister and wanted to put something on it. I was happy to stop with her, that's for sure!! I did tell her that I was not feeling like I could keep up. At some point Norma also started to feel some cramps in her quads so she shifted into doing 5 / 1s. I kept with her for a while, then let her go, as she seemed to be feeling overall better than I was and I was pleased for her. For the rest of the race we caught up to each other a couple of times. I was still trying to do 10/1s but more slowly and steadily but toward the end of the race, I couldn't continue with that either. So I would run until I felt I had to stop and then I walked for a while, then I would pick up running again. I knew I would finish and I didn't care about the time, so I did what I felt my body could take.
The course had a number of places where it looped back on itself....I so didn't like those, because most often you couldn't see the end of the loop and it seemed to take forever to get there. Coming up to the end of the race, there was one more (long) loop, then a hill and turn, and the finish. This was one of those places that felt like it took sooooo long to get past. I am happy that I mustered the strength to slowly jog up the hill and to the finish line. I saw Tim at the end and he knew by the look on my face that I was not having fun, and I just wanted it to end.
The marines were all lined up to give out medals, and I went to one that I thought was good looking! No hugs tho' !! I guess it's politically incorrect these days....
Next was the task of getting to the family pick up area to meet up with Norma, Bob and Tim. The finishing compound was jammed with runners who didn't seem to know where to go and there weren't any announcements that I could hear or signs that directed people well. Finally asked a marine where to go, and he told me to go over an overpass and down to the left. I got there, and Bob found me, then Norma and then Tim. Norma had finished ahead of me, and done a terrific job to manage her quad cramps and come in just under her Chicago time so I was very happy for her. She was also kind enough to go with Tim back to the finish area to get the commemorative coin for me as I had missed getting it.
We then walked back to our hotel and went out for lunch and Tim made a reservation for dinner at Morton's Steakhouse, for us to celebrate in our usual style with a big steak dinner ! We had a wonderful meal and some good laughs. We tried to hook up with Lauri and Cindy but unfortunately it didn't work out. Lauri has quite a story to tell though, I'm sure....
Overall, and probably because I didn't have "fun", I was disappointed in this marathon to some extent. I have been to New York and Chicago and Disney, so I expected this to be a similar "big marathon" experience, but it didn't meet my expectations. When I was in New York and in Disney, both times I also had a tough time physically during the race, but appreciated and was impressed with how it was organized and run, and I thought Washington could do better. But I am glad I have done it and crossed it off the To Do List!!!! On to marathon # 10 next year....:-)
I just want to say that I am so impressed with Norma, who is an amazing individual!. She had a PB for her marathon, all the while she was still coping with not good news from home. Norma, you never cease to inspire me with your strength and character ! Congratulations again!
OK, yes I finished successfully - in an upright position, very happy to have finished, with a medal in one hand, a marine at my side, and a margarahita on the way! What more could I ask for???
As for the overall experience, I have to say I would give it a 7 out of 10. It started out a little rocky at the Pearson Airport with Air Canada and my luggage. Let's just say, I travelled with a plastic bag for 5 days as my luggage did not arrive in Washington. BUT, no worries, I had my stinky running shoes and matching orthotics to get me thru the 42 km. I have a nice picture of my suitcase with the drawstring.
We arrived on Friday, went to Race Expo and attended the Pasta Dinner at the hotel on the Saturday night. Race day was an early rise - 4:00 a.m. (Everyone in my group knows I complain at 6:00 a.m. so you can only imagine the *&CH!ng that was going on at 4:00 a.m.)
The weather was perfect, following a week of rain. The skies cleared Saturday afternoon and stayed that way until the end of the trip. Getting to the start line was a little challenging as we had to take a subway at 5:00 a.m. and it took about 20 minutes to cross the start line once the race actually started. Then, there were these surprise hills at the beginning -- WHERE did these come from? I knew about the hill at the end, but I was a little surprised about those hills at the beginning. Part of my racing adventure experience though is not knowing - I like to be surprised - I don't want to read the route map ahead of race time because I FREAK OUT. Afterwards, we followed our tradition - Mexican food and a pitcher of margarihtas! OK, I have to admit, I had grandiose plans to go out and celebrate - I think I was asleep by 9:30 p.m.....
Along the route, I mostly enjoyed the water stations being staffed by all the marines. I was sooooo glad to have my friends Cindy and Lori with me for most of the route - it makes a big difference along the way. I am sorry we didn't see Norma and Margaret but it would appear that the 2 Wonder Girls would have been gone like the dust anyway! Congrats to both of you!
Thanks to everyone for helping me get there to Washington. I had a great training season. Would I do it again? The marathon absolutely, but, I have to say New York, the Copa Cabana and all of the crazy crowds (10+++) is calling me again......we'll see.
My race report for this marathon is mixed. I was quite ecstatic to PR (by a huge minute and a half over my time at Chicago 4 years ago). Margaret and I were right on pace (eerily so) for a 4:59:59 until about the 25 to 30K mark. Then the quad cramps set in for me, and Margaret, Queen of the Hills, began to REALLY regret doing the CN Tower climb the weekend before the marathon! At that point we split up and apparently leapfrogged each other without knowing it for the rest of the distance. That’s an indication of how many people run this marathon - the crowds never really thin out. We never did see Lauri, Lori and Cindy in the corrals or on the course.
I had printed off two pace bands (Dave, aren’t you proud?). When the first one definitely went out the window at 30K, I set my sights on my second goal, to beat my Chicago time. I really had to fight for it, walking when my quads went into spasm, and running when they settled down. At the end, I was doing 1/1 intervals, but really pushing it. The finish line is quite cruel, actually. You run past the finish line – with just enough time for your mind to register the FREAKIN’ STEEP HILL at the end – then do the last of about 4 out and backs on the course.
I was soooo happy to cross the finish line. There are many, many Marines lined up just past the finish line – one gives you a medal, one gives you a Mylar sheet. In both cases, I had a LADY Marine step forward towards me. I had to say “Thank you very much, but I didn’t run 26.2 miles for a lady”!!! Then I chose a cute young Marine instead…
I was very emotional after finishing the race. I had received the news the day we arrived in Washington that my best friend’s husband had passed away that morning. He had a massive coronary. We had been friends for 40 years, so this was a great shock and a huge loss. I dedicated the race to Al and filled out and wore on my back one of the inspiration bibs provided at the Expo. One thoughtful runner stopped and walked with me for a few minutes and asked me to tell him about Al. He very kindly said that he would keep Al in his thoughts and prayers while he was running, then carried on with his own race. That meant a lot to me.
While I enjoyed doing this marathon and can’t say enough about the nice people in Washington and the fact that it is a wonderful city to tour, I would rank it below New York and Chicago. The Marines did a magnificent job and the crowd support was terrific, though not consistent. The water stations were incredibly crowded – no choice but to walk through them, and the on-course porta-potty lineups are the same. The “switchbacks” on the route are quite psychologically difficult. Apparently the course was changed this year which added a few more hills at the beginning.
Margaret, Tim, Bob and I really enjoyed our steak dinner at Morton’s after the marathon. That is one FINE restaurant. For me, the “away” marathons are all about travelling and running with very good friends (oh, yes, and the marathon jacket and Marine, in this case), and not much about my marathon time But I was happy to see that I placed 28th out of 87 women in my age group. (It pays to grow older….) and Bob placed 4th out of 48 in his age group in the 10K.
All you girls are amazing! Good for all of you on your fantastic accomplishment...you're very inspiring.
Norma, I'm so sorry about your loss. You are quite a person to be able to dig that deep within yourself to finish such a tough race.
Margaret...I did that CN Tower climb many years ago (before running) and thought I was going to die...I can't even imagine how you managed to pull out a marathon a week later. What's your secret?????
19 comments:
Well, at the end of my half marathon today, all I could think was --- oh, yeah, a marathon is double this distance! I sure hope Washington has some distracting scenery along the way, and that the marine at the end is worth all the effort!
Looking forward to being there with Margaret, Lauri, Cindy and Denise.
Norma
Margaret, Norma, Lauri, Cindy and Denise...I know you will kick "major" butt in Washington! You have all trained diligently and I have learned a lot from each of you. All the best for a fantastic marathon experience. And take lots of pictures (especially of the marine...)
Norma & Margaret,
Well, a little over a week to go and then it's our turn. Even though we are not running the same race, it is nice to know that I have some marathon sisters out there doing the distance with me. I'll be thinking about both of you while I am running and sending positive vibes your way. Must admit, that I am a little jealous that you'll be finishing an hour earlier than me. All the best for a great marathon and a safe trip.
Terri
Dear Margaret, Lauri, Cindy and Denise:
My best wishes for a great run next week. You have trained hard and I am sure you will do well. Have a safe trip there and back, and look forward to the stories. I hope the weather collaborates and that it is nice and cool.
Best regards,
Mario
Lauri, Cindy, Margaret and Norma,
Best wishes for a great marathon and good weather!
Terri
Dear Norma, Margaret, Lauri, Cindy and Denise,
Hope you have a wonderful time running among the Marines this weekend in Washington. I can't wait to hear all about it as this is a race that I really want to run in the near future. Norma, have a great time shopping at the expo for the jacket! Best wishes for a great race.
Take Care,
Kathy
Have a great run with the Marines ladies.
Looking forward to your stories and the medal presentation at the party.
The training is done, have fun.
Good luck,
Tom
For those of you who might want to follow us in the Washington Marine Corps marathon on Sunday, Oct 28, my bib number is 8268.
You can set up remote tracking through the marathon website so that you can get e-mails sent to your e-mail account as various checkpoints are passed.
Here's the website home page:
http://www.marinemarathon.com/Marine_Corps_Marathon.htm
The race starts at 8:00 am Eastern Time…same time zone as Toronto.
Bring on the Marines!
Cheers
Margaret
Hey Girls, I hope you all has a wonderful time in Washington. This has a reputation as a pretty exciting marathon with lots of fan support. Enjoy every step on the way and don;t forget...you need to let go of that Marine so the next lady can have her chance!
See you and your medals at the party!
OK Ladies, your race is just around the corner. This race is suppose to be just awesome. Enjoy!! I can't wait to hear all about it.
B'Ann
You gals must be getting so excited! You will totally ROCK this course...have a great time! We'll be thinking of you the entire 42.2 way!
Hey Ladies - how was the marathon? I checked out your results on the website. Congratulations! Did you bring a few sweaty marines home with you?
Great job in Washington ladies! You should all be very proud...hopefully the marine at the end was worth the 42.2km!
Looking forward to hearing all about and seeing the bling on Nov 9th!
Well Done Ladies!!Hope you had a great time on the course. I was thinking about all of you while I was doing Niagara. Wish I had been with you guys; I was a little lonely.
Congratulations!!
Terri
(from Margaret) *****************************************************
The weather was great...sunny, mid teens (Celsius) with a good breeze. Norma and I (and Bob who was doing the 10 klm race, and my husband Tim, our curb crew) were staying in Arlington Virginia which was only 2 subway stops away from the start, so Norma, Bob and I left shortly after 6am (race start was at 8am) to walk to the subway. Once we got there, it was very crowded, and we had to wait for a train that wasn't jammed to get on, so this took a bit more time than we thought. When we arrived at Pentagon City, we had a 10 min walk to get to the race compound, a huge expanse of area, then Norma and I hit one of the pot-a-pottie lineups... and delay # 2....it was sooooooo slow! By the time we got in and came out, it was about 5-7 mins before race time! It wasn't all that clear where to go to get into the race corral but we did find it, and got into the corral. We were hoping to see Lauri and Cindy but couldn't find them. So off we started.
My game plan was to have a fun run, with no pressure for a PB, and stay with Norma who wanted to best her Chicago time if possible.
In the first 10 klm, we saw Tim but couldn't get over to talk to him as it was so crowded on the race course. We waved and carried on. Next up were a few hills, with one in particular of substantial proportions! We stopped and walked part way up the hill. By this point in the race, I became aware of my gluts and hamstrings complaining...they were not happy!! And they stayed unhappy for the rest of the race! I didn't say anything to Norma about this until a bit later, since she seemed to be doing well and had good energy. (Sidebar...the reason my gluts/hamstrings were unhappy was because I did the CN Tower Climb the week before...not a good idea.... I had thought if I was doing the marathon a bit slower, without really pushing myself for a PB that I would be OK, but didn't really take into account that they might cause me a lot of discomfort along the way, even at a slower pace....!)
The race course didn't spread out a lot, it continued to be pretty close. Norma remembered Rachel Caron had mentioned this as well when she talked about Washington.
The general plan with Tim was that we would see Tim at about the 2mi mark, then he would see Bob finish his 10 klm race and the two of them would take the subway to pick us up around the halfway point (at the Smithsonian Institute) and then hopefully again in Crystal City around 22 mi, then at the end. He had also signed up for e-mails from the website to advise when we passed the mats at specific check points. We kept looking for them, but because it was so crowded both on and off the race course, we kept thinking we must have missed them. As it turned out, the subway was so jammed with people, they could not get to the places to meet us in time, so they missed us. And the e-mails were 2 hours late in arriving so they weren't sure where we were.
Coming up to the halfway point, I knew I was going to have to let Norma go on, I couldn't keep up. In truth, I felt I wasn't my "chatty" self because I was in such discomfort, and I felt badly that I wasn't able to keep up the conversation and make the whole thing more fun for us. So I thought it might be better for me to just run on my own, with my own thoughts and "mantras" to keep me going....I was wishing I had my MP3 with me (although organizers had "banned them from the race course with threats of disqualification there were many people we saw who had them). Just around the half point, Norma wanted to stop because she was developing a blister and wanted to put something on it. I was happy to stop with her, that's for sure!! I did tell her that I was not feeling like I could keep up. At some point Norma also started to feel some cramps in her quads so she shifted into doing 5 / 1s. I kept with her for a while, then let her go, as she seemed to be feeling overall better than I was and I was pleased for her. For the rest of the race we caught up to each other a couple of times. I was still trying to do 10/1s but more slowly and steadily but toward the end of the race, I couldn't continue with that either. So I would run until I felt I had to stop and then I walked for a while, then I would pick up running again. I knew I would finish and I didn't care about the time, so I did what I felt my body could take.
The course had a number of places where it looped back on itself....I so didn't like those, because most often you couldn't see the end of the loop and it seemed to take forever to get there. Coming up to the end of the race, there was one more (long) loop, then a hill and turn, and the finish. This was one of those places that felt like it took sooooo long to get past. I am happy that I mustered the strength to slowly jog up the hill and to the finish line. I saw Tim at the end and he knew by the look on my face that I was not having fun, and I just wanted it to end.
The marines were all lined up to give out medals, and I went to one that I thought was good looking! No hugs tho' !! I guess it's politically incorrect these days....
Next was the task of getting to the family pick up area to meet up with Norma, Bob and Tim. The finishing compound was jammed with runners who didn't seem to know where to go and there weren't any announcements that I could hear or signs that directed people well. Finally asked a marine where to go, and he told me to go over an overpass and down to the left. I got there, and Bob found me, then Norma and then Tim. Norma had finished ahead of me, and done a terrific job to manage her quad cramps and come in just under her Chicago time so I was very happy for her. She was also kind enough to go with Tim back to the finish area to get the commemorative coin for me as I had missed getting it.
We then walked back to our hotel and went out for lunch and Tim made a reservation for dinner at Morton's Steakhouse, for us to celebrate in our usual style with a big steak dinner ! We had a wonderful meal and some good laughs. We tried to hook up with Lauri and Cindy but unfortunately it didn't work out. Lauri has quite a story to tell though, I'm sure....
Overall, and probably because I didn't have "fun", I was disappointed in this marathon to some extent. I have been to New York and Chicago and Disney, so I expected this to be a similar "big marathon" experience, but it didn't meet my expectations. When I was in New York and in Disney, both times I also had a tough time physically during the race, but appreciated and was impressed with how it was organized and run, and I thought Washington could do better. But I am glad I have done it and crossed it off the To Do List!!!! On to marathon # 10 next year....:-)
I just want to say that I am so impressed with Norma, who is an amazing individual!. She had a PB for her marathon, all the while she was still coping with not good news from home. Norma, you never cease to inspire me with your strength and character ! Congratulations again!
(from Lauri)
OK, yes I finished successfully - in an upright position, very happy to have finished, with a medal in one hand, a marine at my side, and a margarahita on the way! What more could I ask for???
As for the overall experience, I have to say I would give it a 7 out of 10. It started out a little rocky at the Pearson Airport with Air Canada and my luggage. Let's just say, I travelled with a plastic bag for 5 days as my luggage did not arrive in Washington. BUT, no worries, I had my stinky running shoes and matching orthotics to get me thru the 42 km. I have a nice picture of my suitcase with the drawstring.
We arrived on Friday, went to Race Expo and attended the Pasta Dinner at the hotel on the Saturday night. Race day was an early rise - 4:00 a.m. (Everyone in my group knows I complain at 6:00 a.m. so you can only imagine the *&CH!ng that was going on at 4:00 a.m.)
The weather was perfect, following a week of rain. The skies cleared Saturday afternoon and stayed that way until the end of the trip. Getting to the start line was a little challenging as we had to take a subway at 5:00 a.m. and it took about 20 minutes to cross the start line once the race actually started. Then, there were these surprise hills at the beginning -- WHERE did these come from? I knew about the hill at the end, but I was a little surprised about those hills at the beginning. Part of my racing adventure experience though is not knowing - I like to be surprised - I don't want to read the route map ahead of race time because I FREAK OUT. Afterwards, we followed our tradition - Mexican food and a pitcher of margarihtas! OK, I have to admit, I had grandiose plans to go out and celebrate - I think I was asleep by 9:30 p.m.....
Along the route, I mostly enjoyed the water stations being staffed by all the marines. I was sooooo glad to have my friends Cindy and Lori with me for most of the route - it makes a big difference along the way. I am sorry we didn't see Norma and Margaret but it would appear that the 2 Wonder Girls would have been gone like the dust anyway! Congrats to both of you!
Thanks to everyone for helping me get there to Washington. I had a great training season. Would I do it again? The marathon absolutely, but, I have to say New York, the Copa Cabana and all of the crazy crowds (10+++) is calling me again......we'll see.
My race report for this marathon is mixed. I was quite ecstatic to PR (by a huge minute and a half over my time at Chicago 4 years ago). Margaret and I were right on pace (eerily so) for a 4:59:59 until about the 25 to 30K mark. Then the quad cramps set in for me, and Margaret, Queen of the Hills, began to REALLY regret doing the CN Tower climb the weekend before the marathon! At that point we split up and apparently leapfrogged each other without knowing it for the rest of the distance. That’s an indication of how many people run this marathon - the crowds never really thin out. We never did see Lauri, Lori and Cindy in the corrals or on the course.
I had printed off two pace bands (Dave, aren’t you proud?). When the first one definitely went out the window at 30K, I set my sights on my second goal, to beat my Chicago time. I really had to fight for it, walking when my quads went into spasm, and running when they settled down. At the end, I was doing 1/1 intervals, but really pushing it. The finish line is quite cruel, actually. You run past the finish line – with just enough time for your mind to register the FREAKIN’ STEEP HILL at the end – then do the last of about 4 out and backs on the course.
I was soooo happy to cross the finish line. There are many, many Marines lined up just past the finish line – one gives you a medal, one gives you a Mylar sheet. In both cases, I had a LADY Marine step forward towards me. I had to say “Thank you very much, but I didn’t run 26.2 miles for a lady”!!! Then I chose a cute young Marine instead…
I was very emotional after finishing the race. I had received the news the day we arrived in Washington that my best friend’s husband had passed away that morning. He had a massive coronary. We had been friends for 40 years, so this was a great shock and a huge loss. I dedicated the race to Al and filled out and wore on my back one of the inspiration bibs provided at the Expo. One thoughtful runner stopped and walked with me for a few minutes and asked me to tell him about Al. He very kindly said that he would keep Al in his thoughts and prayers while he was running, then carried on with his own race. That meant a lot to me.
While I enjoyed doing this marathon and can’t say enough about the nice people in Washington and the fact that it is a wonderful city to tour, I would rank it below New York and Chicago. The Marines did a magnificent job and the crowd support was terrific, though not consistent. The water stations were incredibly crowded – no choice but to walk through them, and the on-course porta-potty lineups are the same. The “switchbacks” on the route are quite psychologically difficult. Apparently the course was changed this year which added a few more hills at the beginning.
Margaret, Tim, Bob and I really enjoyed our steak dinner at Morton’s after the marathon. That is one FINE restaurant. For me, the “away” marathons are all about travelling and running with very good friends (oh, yes, and the marathon jacket and Marine, in this case), and not much about my marathon time But I was happy to see that I placed 28th out of 87 women in my age group. (It pays to grow older….) and Bob placed 4th out of 48 in his age group in the 10K.
See you all on the 16th.
Norma
Hi Ladies - your stories are inspirational - both tear jerking and funny at the same time.
Congratulations Norma on running a PB at such an emotionally difficult time. I'm glad you finally got that male marine at the finish!
Margaret , if I have learned one thing from your tale it is not to do the CN tower stair climb the week before a marathon!
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Jo
Well I thought I had a rough time in New York!
All you girls are amazing! Good for all of you on your fantastic accomplishment...you're very inspiring.
Norma, I'm so sorry about your loss. You are quite a person to be able to dig that deep within yourself to finish such a tough race.
Margaret...I did that CN Tower climb many years ago (before running) and thought I was going to die...I can't even imagine how you managed to pull out a marathon a week later. What's your secret?????
Nice job ladies...see you on the 16th!
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