Marathon, Maniac Level, Plantar Fasciitis OUCH

I kept meaning to blog and I kept getting caught up in other things. . . and then I was feeling sorry for myself with my Plantar Fasciitis, and that is how neglecting to post about marathons, plantar fasciitis, and becoming a Marathon Maniac/Double Agent happened. 
Marathon 1 of 2018: (7th Marathon)

This April I did a new marathon. I won't name it because I felt it was awful, not well marked, and more elevation change that I was expecting!  The road was open to traffic (not a big deal). We ran WITH traffic (big deal) since it meant that we were on the road and drivers were weaving in and out of us, or riding our heels).  Those are my views.  Yes, we all know that new races are hard. Yes, we all know that elevation is sometimes hard to gauge on info maps. Maybe I'm the only one that gets car sick watching some of those "we drove the course" videos. I was having some problems with my feet already. I didn't know that it was early Plantar Fasciitis. I had slipped out of my Birkenstocks as I backed up from the car earlier in April. My heel hit the ground and it felt like I had landed with the heel on the sharpest possible rock I could have found in a parking lot. I didn't realize then, but that is a classic PF sign. UGH!

Thank you litter runners, for guiding my way!

A few more aid stations, a slower pace with a hurt foot/sore heel, and I had to ****walk past my car in the parking lot*** to get to the finish line area around a couple curves. I actually stopped and stared and my car and asked myself if the last .75 miles was worth it, or if I should just throw in the towel.  I obviously chose to finish, but it was a hard choice to make.  This somehow surprised the people at the finish line when I mentioned it.

 
End of the worst race I’ve ever done. Not quite the worst on time, but the worst on emotions, morale, signage, etc. I got a golf cart ride back to my car, took off the bloody shoes from the heel blisters, stripped off the socks, re-bandaged the blisters, grabbed my Mexican Coca Cola and headed home.  I might come back to volunteer at this race, but I won't be running it again.  Everyone's opinions of a race are their own, but this is why I won't name this race. 

One on each foot, with another marathon in 7 days!

A few days later I was at the running store to buy one of those socks for PF, and to ask for help. The one guy had it last year and gave me several pointers. . . I just wasn’t going to go to the doctor before the next race, for fear of him saying “stop exercising!” No one wants to hear that when they have Marathon Maniacs on the line!  :P 

I also had to research how to cover up blisters to go again, because there was no way these were going to be healed in a week.  Enter Leuko Tape.   
I actually didn't have Leuko tape at home, and was trying to figure out how to order some (a huge roll is EXPENSIVE). I wondered who would have some, and I called on the place I did my wrist Physical Therapy at last year. They had a small roll left, and she gave me the roll for the trip. I didn't want to take the whole roll with me, so I wrapped some around an old gift card in several layers that I could peel off, cut, and use, and then returned the roll to the PT office.  This stuff worked! 

Marathon 2 of 2018 (8th Marathon):  The Flying Pig. Awesome race. I’d do this again. Okay, I would do the half again, not sure about doing another full ;-) 

The worst part of this was getting to the town/hotel room. Indiana: Drive interstate speed for one mile, slow down to fortyfive miles an hour for five miles, repeat across the entire width of the state. UGH. Hotel. High star hotel. I have my luggage, no carts available, so roller bag, food bag, purse, and small cooler. I tell the check in desk that I am checking in, my friend is already in the hotel. He verifies my name, checks my id and gives me room keys. I go up to the room, walk in and wonder when my friend got knew luggage. . .and why she has so many pink feather boas all over the room, and wonder why she has Krispy Kreme, because she flew so she won’t be able to easily take those to her husband. OH! He gave me a key to the wrong room!!!. Pick all my stuff up again, go downstairs, have another person help me—who asked “but was anyone in the room?” “No? Okay” “here’s your key”.
**reason to have your room completely locked down tight when you’re in your hotel room!**
**reason to never leave purses or wallets in a hotel room, even if you’re not in there!** 

YIKES!

Flying Pig expo was smaller than I was expecting, but it was awesome. Swag bag was awesome –this year with a picnic blanket with the logo on it, posters (with a box!) and technical shirts. If/when I come back for this race, I’ll do the ‘three way’, but this year I decided against the 1 mile Fri night, the 5k/10k on Saturday, with the half full on Sunday. When I signed up for the race I still wasn’t running much from the back pain/car collision of a couple years ago. Combined with the unexpected PF issue, I was glad I had not. However, I did go and cheer on my friend at the 5k/10k, and enjoyed the riverfront of Cincinnati. I highly recommend it! Beautiful with swings looking out to the river, a flying pig/play equipment, and a giant piano keyboard with the pipes being reclaimed/repurposed church chime bells!

The flying pig play equipment. It's wings move up and down! 

Race shirt, Swag blanket,  Purchased pig and glass, won the Route 66 neck gaiter thing,
and the Melanoma Know More magnet and suncreen

 Race day was energetic! Back up pair of shoes! Not those bloody ones from the last week, but the same style, same size, and same make. 

Leuko Tape with 2Toms SportShield over it, to prevent the sock from sticking. 

The first part of the race was exciting, and fun. Running across the bridge to Kentucky, and back to the Ohio:   The only reference I saw to the tv show WKRP in Cincinnati. 

It definitely kept one moving along, as well as the many other runners on the course as well! Then we made it up to the conservatory area, with a **Beautiful** look out over the Ohio River, if you went from the road to the sidewalk (obviously I did). 

Overlook, worth the run!

The next half of the race was okay. I was feeling okay, but then energy started to drain, and the Plantar Fasciitis was aching. I can remember the area perfectly where my run attempt was rejected with a “hell no” from my right foot!

I actually got to see a pig on the race course. He was heading home from his walk

Music on the corner. Beautiful music

It was also getting very hot, with no clouds for coverage. I was glad I had a package of sliced pickles with me, and the little bit of juice, but wished I had a couple of them! As I was on the highway, they were taking down the aid stations and I was shocked. I can’t remember how many miles we still had, but I was shocked they’d take down the tents while there were competitors still on the course! Maybe the people I was with were at the cut off point? Then I started worrying about race cutoffs! I walked past the wet towel station. I rejected one of those because I didn’t want to wash off my sunblock! There were a couple sunblock stations on this course, towards the last ten miles or so—this Melanoma Warrior was happy to see that! 

I was walking the course well, and met up with a woman whom I ended up finishing the race with. Either I came upon, or she came upon me, I do not recall. We were on the roadway, and directed to the sidewalk, and then the fire dept in a little golf cart came around with bags of ice for us because it was SO hot. They ran out for the people right behind us, so I took some and put it in my water bottle, and passed on half a bag of ice. A couple people told me not to do that, but I didn’t need a quart of ice! We picked up our pace and kept powerwalking, she told me that her husband finishes ahead of her, always, and that she knows he’s at the finish line for her. We actually saw him, as he came back along part of the way to find her. He directed us to turn at one point, where we would have gone straight because we saw barricades that way.

After finishing, I hobbled to the bus to get my checked bag, and stripped off those shoes and socks! I was DONE with this brand of shoe. They changed their sizing last year and these two pairs of shoes were my shoes after that size change. They were out! I put on my birkenstocks and hobbled back past the finish line to the “finish jacket line”. I chatted with the woman I finished with, and her husband. I was still there when I got a phone call from my friend, who was at the table behind me, having finished shortly after I did.  

My friend's story on the course is that the aid stations were taken down, but they weren’t directed off the course or anything. She took the money she always carries, gave it to a guy on the street, and asked him to go buy some water at the local corner store for other racers to make their day.

Since I finished both marathons in less than 16 days, I am qualified to become a Marathon Maniac, and thereby a Double Agent! 

WOO HOO!

We went back to the hotel to go to the pool and hot tub. .. ohhh, a hot tub feels great against sore muscles.  Imagine our shock when we arrived and it was a pool only. . .  and you could see the hot tub had recently been removed and another seating area was placed there with new tile/grout/ and placement that just didn't flow. 

With the race in the books, I headed home. Driving with flaring Plantar Fasciitis is hard as the flexing of the foot annoys the PF area. It was time, I took myself to the doctor and asked for help on my plantar fasciitis. 

The doctor gave me Ibuprofen cream, as I have contraindications for ingesting it, and exercises. I went to the running store and tried on SO many shoes, and fell in love with a Saucony style, and I have proceeded to rest my foot since then.

No extreme walking/ no competitive events, no running. Just resting, just doing my exercises, and just doing yoga.  In June I went to DC for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Advocacy Day and I limited the walking I did because of my foot!  I had graduation for a family member to attend, and I were "sensible shoes". 

What was I thinking? A marathon. . at this point in my fitness comeback? I don't want to admit this, but. . .

When I started putting things on my calendar for June, they started to snowball.  something this day and that day, then this week and that week.  Of course I didn't want to eliminate anything! Only one was a race, too!  
 I got to see U2 (and the Lumineers) in concert at the start of the month.  

Then on two hours of sleep I had my six month check up for my Melanoma (mine was acral lentiginous, not thought to be sun related).  The nurse said my blood pressure was high, and I said, yes of course. I'm running on two hours of sleep and am dehydrated.  

Elevator Alphabet Soup at the hospital.  

I felt special at the hospital when, for whatever reason, my name tag wrist band had a gem stone on it.  I did manage time to smell the flowers (these are the wildflower Spiderswart).  My neighbor, when we moved in, told me they were weeds. I said they were wildflowers, but he was free to pull them on his side of the fence!  Haha.  

I did also manage to get in a walk in the middle of the week.  I did have to beg permission from the old cat.  21 year old felines don't like to move.  Okay, they like to move even less than regular felines. 

I hadn't been on this route in several months and I was happily surprised to see it was repaved and the crown removed from the roadway.  Reminds me of Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream" song.  Or U2's, Where the Streets Have No Name.

Being out in nature is always a good way to recharge.  

Which brings me to the second part of "what was I thinking?". . . a marathon.  I haven't run a marathon since three weeks before my car collision.  That was about eighteen months ago.  I've been walking. I'm actually starting yoga again later this month since the wrist is sort of up to it.
After a long day of convoluted driving, I arrive just before the end of packet pickup.  It's the end of the road for this marathon, so it wasn't like I could wait another year to be in top form. I *had* to do it now!  Small towns love to draw people in with activities, but sometimes it's hard to get people to volunteer for a full day of activities.   

Flat Quirky.  Sunscreen shirt, Waist pack for sunscreen, water, shirt, nutrition, and food. 

Let's do this!   

 End of the Line for the Marathon.  This was it's twenty-second running on the mostly flat course.

This day started out windy, with winds of 20mph and were told they would climb to 30 and possibly 40mph gusts. I could definitely believe it. Thankfully, it was a full southerly wind, and the course stairstepped east and north, so the couple sections of a mile or two west to east were rough.  They got rougher at one point when there was a hog lot right by the road. Pewwwweeeee.  That's the smell of bacon being made though!   It was also hot.  It'd been hot the previous week and we were looking at 70ish at the start and up to 90s by the end.  

So not use to seeing this road in the state. Usually I'm on bicycling road race course where there are the Caution signs. 

The first couple of miles were great and I was chatting with some other walkers, feeling good about being at the back of the pack.  Then they mentioned that some people had asked the race director if they could start early, so even though there were more "back of packers" they weren't actually with us.  It never entered my mind to ask for an early start.  We had a couple slight inclines in the first half.  I say that as someone who has lived in this state, and as someone who currently lives on the river bottom. (I learned after the race that there were some racers who had complained of the hills. I'm not sure what course they were on, but a twenty feet of climbing over a few miles isn't hills!).

I see people!  

This race is well stocked.  Water stops every 2.5 miles with it more frequently at the end.  Volunteers, ambulances, and the sheriff department were out in force going up and down the roads making sure all were okay and well hydrated.   

A sight that drives me nuts.

Not only were there runners littering, but they also did it within approaching sight of the aid station.  Multiple times.  I supppoooose that the stuff could have been there from people not racing this day, but the likelihood of that. . .

I did really well up to mile 15. I was on pace for a 6:30 finish.  Then something happened and I slowed down a bit. I don't know what it was.  I thought I might have been walking a little slower--I was.  Then I was on pace for 7 hours.  I was feeling good. In addition to having packed HUMA and GU to alternate, I had also packed a sunbutter sandwich figuring I'd actually be able to eat real food at some point. I had my flask for water which I refilled at every chance too.

Somewhere around mile 15 I did a squat in the road to stretch, stood up and then pulled on each capri leg fabric just a bit.  WRONG thing to do. . . my left leg capri started coming apart at a seam on the thigh (not a sewn seam, but one of those melted/melded ones). I made sure to put sunscreen on that spot!   I did reapply sunblock three or four times in the duration I was out there. I never did put on my spf/sunshirt. I figured it was too hot to put something like that on against my skin.  I faired pretty well. I was a little pink (hanging my head) along the tank top arm area, I suppose it rubbed off there.

In addition to the people who were suppose to be checking in on us, we also had some random people driving down the road deciding to stop us to chat and ask questions.  Not wanting to be rude but also needing to keep moving. It seemed odd.  I've had this happen in another race as well--one that takes place on a rails to trails course in January.  We have race numbers on--yes, of course we're racing--it's the same course as every year--no we are not nuts--yes, it will take us a while.  Sometimes I wish I gave off the "I'm from NYC" vibes of "leave me alone"!  

Mile 20 my feet were hurting, and not in the "of course they hurt, I've gone twenty miles", but rather in the "uh, I'm getting a blister or four".  By mile 23 I felt like I had a blister on a blister in one spot.  The inside of both heels had blisters, and the inside of the foot below the toes had a blister on each side.  I was definitely walking slower by this point.

Mile 20, 21, and 22 were slower than I'd have liked, but were reasonable.

Miles 23 was my slowest.  How is it possible that I sped up after this mile?   Maybe it's because I had an oasis appear before me?  

My oasis

 Okay, there was actually ice from mile 21 onward at every stop.  By this time on the course, the volunteers at aid stations had been given leave to go home, which is understandable when only a handful of people are left on the course and PROVISIONS are made for them.  (not understandable when they just abandon racers, which I've heard some races do).  Not only ice, but iceees and cold water too!  I may have spent a few minutes here instead of walking right away

Mile 24 and 25 were 3mph miles.  My right hamstring had random twings and pains running up through it which I'd never experienced before. I assumed it may be dehydration,  so I took some salt pills someone had given me. I was able to keep moving.  The ambulance guy came along and asked if we were okay. Yes, but I actually said, "If the race director needs to DNF me, it's okay, but I'll keep going otherwise". I was told "you're fine. keep going. no worries."  That is always a HUGE thought for any racer to consider, and it was a hard sentence for me to say/offer.

The final stretch, sort of.  

 Down this mile, turn the corner, straight ahead.  

Hey, as long as I'm going to be taking a long time, I might as well take this photo!   

Another oasis. . . cold water for us!  

Turn a corner, go straight, turn a corner, and go straight to finish!   

Ice cold water, ice packs, bananas were available for us. I've seriously finished a race in a faster time and had less offered to me at the finish line. These race folks were so kind and welcoming!  

My finish time isn't something I'm proud of, but in ways I should be. I haven't done something like this in eighteen months. I knew I probably shouldn't be doing it on such a hot day, but I was going to do it anyway. I put in a good showing. I have not raced/walked/exercised on such a hot day in seven years. I thought of my second marathon which was in March and had a 90degree day as well.  I thought of one of the Hospital Hill Runs I did in KC, MO on a hot and humid day while The Mike was off racing his bike on the Dirty Kanza adventure.

The ride back to the hotel town was given by a very nice man who shared with us that his son started the race early in the morning with a ruck sack on his back to honor a military friend,  and that his parents are the ones who thought up this event!  It was great to talk to someone from the community and from the race too. Since I'm from a farm background we talked about the local economy, and the turkey and hog farms we saw on the course (a lot more than I'm use to seeing).

My blister on top of a blister
I waited until after the waterpark to pop these

We had checked out of the hotel that morning, but since it was a water park, we had wrist bracelets to get in.  We headed to the hotel water park, showered, sat in the pool for a bit and then we headed out for some food (a cute little local Mexican place), then got on the road to get closer to our destination. 

I still think "What was I thinking".  

One foot in front of another is the best way to keep moving.  

Dedication, perseverance, and a bit of nuttiness help too. 

2015 is in the books and 2016 is off to a slow start. Putting it out there. Keeping it real.

So long 2015. You've been an interesting year.  I had the fewest amount of races in 2015, compared to any year since 2009 when I started running. This was because of that thing called "toe melanoma" I found in January and had surgery for in April (Stage I).
  Really need to think about the longevity of photos. I'll share what I learned: 

"Get a pedicure before having a procedure on your foot/toes, as people will look at that photo for years to come".  

I've learned a lot about Melanoma this year, including that people can get it in their fingernails!  If you have a black streak suddenly appear from your cuticle in your nail, get it checked out! 

Before the surgery, I did the Marine Corps 1775K run at the end of March, as a walk with a friend who was conquering breast cancer. We were guaranteed access to the Marine Corps Marathon in October for finishing this race.  My next race didn't happen until June-- a 5K prediction run where I ran my slowest 5K, I think ever--42 minutes something--but still it was a run, a first race after foot surgery and a race in which I was able to say, "I am coming back."  I didn't do another race until September when I decided I *really* should be doing a half in order to see where I'll be for the MCM in October.  I did the Quad Cities half (Moline Illinois) and finished the second half with an 80 year old gent in PI time 3:14. My slowest half ever, but considering the training this year and that it was my first half back, it was a great time.  I did two 5Ks back to back for breast cancer in October. I actually have never done a breast cancer 5k, as I always had prior commitments that first weekend in October when the local ones are held. I did one in my town for support to a friend in her mid 30s with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. I did one the next day for so many I know who have had this cancer,  was in a city nearby, and had over 25,000 runners and walkers. I've never encountered a 5K with so many people, and so many who were "just" walkers out for the cause!  It was an amazing experience. My final race was the Marine Corps Marathon. It was my slowest marathon ever, but I improved my first half time from September, and ran a second half that was comparable to my other marathon second portions. My toes really started to hurt about mile 21. I was worried about my legs, and my feet in general getting me to the MCM finish line, but my toes were hurting so much. I started shuffle running at the end, knowing I had huge blisters under the nails.  I ended up losing both my big toe nail and index toe nail on both feet. I tried to save the nails by taking a long soak, sterilizing a pin and popping the blisters, but it didn't work.

Six.  6.  S-I-X races this year. Seems like a low number, but it was a tough year.

The middle of November is when I was thinking, "I need to get back to running, it's been two weeks since the marathon." I didn't and a couple days later I literally hit the gluten-mobile. . . . . pizza delivery driver. He ran the stop sign,  I hit his vehicle.  25 to 0 in seconds gave me a concussion, neck, mid back and low back pain, as well as pain in my right wrist because I went from 10/2 hand positions to 10/slamming on the horn.  I'm really thankful it was about 5pm and slightly sprinkling which meant that there were not any college students out walking to their cars on the street. I am amazed he didn't hit any pedestrians or cyclists.

One might not think the wrist would be much of an issue, but taking off a sports bra/top is painful. Using a mouse/laptop for more than 30 minutes is painful, makes the wrist make weird cracking/popping sounds. A highlight from the accident is the neck xrays which showed my neck was fine, no broken bones. However, from the jaw pain/neck issue I had in April/May/June, I had seen a chiropractor who did xrays.  That showed my neck was not curved as it should be. My xrays from November show my neck is curved as it should be :-)  My chiropractor is awesome and his cracking my C5 for the jaw issue really helped. . . .the car accident was causing issues with C7. As a result of the accident, I really didn't do much for the next 6 weeks.  I did fly for Thanksgiving, and had to hustle through the airport --in extreme pain--to make my connection. Popped Tylenol as soon as I got on the connecting flight (only med I can really take for pain because of my gut conditions).  I walked just over 4 miles on Thanksgiving day with one of my sisters, at a pace of about 2.2mph. While she could have walked faster, I really couldn't. Any faster and my lower back hurt from the twisting of my hips. Really, the *fun* part is asking people to slow down their walking. I really hate having to do this, especially with tore employees who show me where something is in the store. Thanks pizza delivery gluten man. :-( 

A few years ago a friend told me that she puts a dollar in a jar for every day she runs/exercises. I thought this was a fabulous idea. I did it last year with the proviso that I'd put a $1 coin in for any exercise I did in which I had to change clothes. So if I ran and then did yoga it was $1, but if I ran in the morning and biked or did yoga in the afternoon, then that was two changes of clothes and that meant two dollars into the jar.  I basically figured it was one long workout if it didn't involve a change of clothes.  This year I stuck with that same thought, but with the changes this year brought I didn't put as much in the jar as I had hoped.  $134 was in the jar on 31 December 2015.  I thought it was good, considering that many times I wasn't able to exercise. Except, I realized after the 4 weeks of "sit on the couch and do nothing" orders from the general surgeon that I could have probably laid down on the floor and done the Pilates 100 stomach exercises and such. At the time I had been struggling with "I'm sitting here and what can I do other than arm curls". 

Reward money jar

What did I do with the money?  From the 2014 reward jar I had a sterling silver ring made with an amethyst stone, which is The Mike's birthstone.  From the 2015 jar, I took in some pearls I had from The Mike's and my 2009 trip to Hawai'i, plus a couple freshwater pearls I had from which I had to restring a necklace. The jeweler made drop earrings with the three sets of pearls (two round whites, two round chocolate and the two white freshwater).  They're pretty. While they did cost more than the money jar had, I felt it was worth it to make something I will wear instead of having sit in a drawer :-) 

I'm putting it out there, and keeping it real. 

Most of the time in the past I haven't posted my times from workouts. I feel it's not about the times of a workout, but about the workout itself, as everyone is different and has different goals and times. I should only push myself against myself, and not push myself against someone who has a much faster pace and is unrealistic and unattainable for me. I think that pretty much just sets a person up to get knocked down. I want to be about building UP!  Therefore, I'm putting this out there:  

My workout for 1 January 2016. 

2 mile walk. 

2.7mph (I did walk a little slower at the start)

48 minutes. 

My lower back hurt, but not as much as I thought it would. 

 I had to change how I occasionally held onto the treadmill bar because of the wrist. 

I watched the Rose Bowl Parade at the time. 

The Mike was tinkering in the basement, so we kept each other company. 

I could put out there in the Quirky world that, "I walked today" or "I did two miles today". Instead, I'm putting it out there in the universe, to keep this recovery real, that I walked at a 24minute mile pace. ARGH. I use to run double that. I use to walk at 3.7mph (I could walk over 4mph in high school, but that was a while ago).  

This is about where I am NOW and I want, *need* to get back to where I was and more.

Afterwards I did some stretching. Open leg stretching side to side which pulled the lower back area. I did dolphin pose (modified downward dog on forearms) to protect the wrist which hurts. 

Happy new year 2016. Where the only resolution is a "simple" resolution to improve.

Here is to all of US for a better 2016!

THE Marine Corps Marathon!

I couldn't believe I was running this race!  With all that had  happened this year, it just seemed surreal to be here, in D.C., to run the Peoples Marathon as it's nicknamed.  Wow. 

My ride dropped me off at the shuttle stop around 6am. While there was a line of people to load buses, there were plenty of buses, and the line moved quickly.   

Waiting for my shuttle.  

We were shuttled to the Pentagon parking area, oops, I mean the entrance to security for the Runners Village. Read what I read: The Runners Village.  

This was the surreal line for the Runners Village. Way up ahead, by the yellow street sign (the one that is actually facing the camera) are the metal detectors.  Let's say this line was crazy, it was HUGE, it was sprinkling a little, but people were very courteous and kind.

Strangely, there were friends and family in this huge sea of people. Really, friends and family coming to see their loved ones off on their marathon adventure (or 10K). It's the line to the RUNNERS VILLAGE.  Yes, I realize I'm kind of screaming that in this write up.  It just boggled my mind. Sure, I love when The Mike or other family can be at the start of a race with me, It really never entered my mind to ask my family to be at the Village with me while I waited two hours for the event to start. Because isn't that the bonding time for my 30,000 best racing friends on this day?

Any way, I thought check in went smoothly.  It took me about 45 minutes from drop off at the shuttle to getting through security.  This is why they ask you to be there early.  Race Directors know what they're talking about!  

While waiting in line for security, I snapped a quick pic of the Washington Monument.

The UPS trucks for clear gear bags to check.

First, I love the big brown truck! They deliver my Amazon goodies :-)
Second, in our area at least, they wash out their trucks every evening or at least once a week. This means you get a clean package. The other company delivers dusty packages. yuck.
I think this picture is pretty neat.  30 UPS trucks lined up in a row.  

Where are all the pacers?  

I saw this guy's shirt while we were milling around the starting area.  Thought it was hilarious.  Thought it was great that I caught up to him about mile 23 :-)   

The start of this race is something truly spectacular. One can only see so much when you're in the middle of the crowd, but if you had a front row seat to the starting line, you'd see so much.  There were about five parachute jumpers with the flags, then we had a color guard (which I didn't see), as well as the Osprey helicopters (below) and another set of helicopters fly by as well. 

They're loud and awesome to see. 

In looking around at the start line, I saw a couple people in tank tops with no throw-away shirts or long shirts, and I saw this woman in the next row over. . . double walking boots on her legs and crutches.  I actually saw her at the expo but figured she was a local who was still going to pick up her packet even if she couldn't participate. Um, guess she did participate!  GO YOU!  

This was the first pic I took as I approached the starting line, the second pic was blurry.  Two start line areas, I don't understand why.  I also don't understand why they don't have a wave start of fifteen or thirty seconds.  We're off to a fabulous race with some hills in the first couple of miles.  

Heading down a street to a turn around point. This road was just completely full of people. The nice thing is that people were staying on "their side" of the yellow line!  That doesn't happen in races of 1000 people, but in a race of 30,000 it sure did!  So nice to see happen.  

I thought this was a neat bridge.  Another out and back section (or is the same one as above?).  About miles 6-9 The scary thing for me is that by the time I was coming back on this road, there was a line of buses on the other side following the last runners I thought. I was freaking out a bit, but remembered to run my run and not worry about those buses. If I had to ride one at mile 20, then I had to ride one at mile 20, but I really wanted to "beat the bridge".  Mile 10 or so, along the Potomac, I heard a helicopter and looked up to see "The United States of America" on its side, about ten minutes later it came back by again. I surmise this is the President's from having seen the news, but  I have no idea if the pilot was training or actually escorting the President himself. 

Somewhere along in here, on some steps near a bridge which I think was near the Kennedy Center, the Marine Corps Band was playing for the runners.  :-)  

Mile 12 brings us to the Blue Mile. Wear Blue To Remember group. I dare you to find any runner who was not tearing up in this mile. The first half or so we run past names of those fallen in combat.  

The second half of the race, we run past family members holding up the stars and stripes as we run beneath.  I hold these families in high regard.

Several of the members holding flags were cheering for me in my "This is my fighting cancer shirt". I was running for my mom who died of pancreatic cancer, for my sister who was with me and fighting breast cancer, and me who had melanoma earlier this year.  I could only think that those holding the flags are the ones who deserve the cheering and honoring, they stand for those who have fallen. 

Miles, 13 and 14 were on Haines Point which I use to love to visit for "The Awakening" sculpture which has since been relocated to Prince George's County, Maryland.  It is such a great piece of art to visit if you are ever in the area. I was starting to falter in this area and knowing my energy was waning, but still very determined. We came on the lower part of the mall as I call it, and went by this monument which many people over look or never see as they're more preoccupied with the popular mall area.  Do you know what this is?  

The only monument to Washingtonians who fought during WW1.

I came upon it several years ago with a group of friends.  

As we passed by the Washington Monument, I was running with a man with the RWB (red white blue) group who was carrying a US flag.  How does anyone carry the flag for 13.1 miles, let alone 26.2! These folks should get an extra medal!  

What this man and I talked about were the people on Segway tours while we were running. . . they don't even want to *walk* their tour and we're running a marathon.

Then we ran the mall for miles 17,18, 19.  I was run/walking in here, doing more walking than the first part of the race, but still pushing on.  I remember taking this picture, which I think was out front of the Air and Space Museum, but I'm not positive on that now.  

I don't recall seeing this sculpture before, but I think it's beautiful. 

So there I was in mile 19 and worried still about the bridge. I suppose everyone may have a niggle of fear in the back of their mind about the Bridge we have to beat by a specific time so they can reopen it to traffic.  I never thought much of the bridge other than knowing I had to beat it.  What I've learned on Facebook is that apparently at about mile 19.5 where I turned from the Mall onto 14th, there was a white miniature horse out there. Totally did not see it.  On the other hand, I was tucked in close to the curb area, so if the horse was in the street area I sure wouldn't have seen it. 

Now, I can't tell you the miles, but there were several spots where we had fresh orange slices out on the course. There was a Cliff gel station. I always take one of the free ones in a race not knowing a) if I'll end up needing it and b) I will try it on a training run to see if I'd like it.  I did run with GU (Chocolate Outrage, Espresso Love (which I think tastes caramel-ly), and Jet Blackberry), and HUMA gels (strawberry and apple). I like to switch them up to get a different flavor in the mouth. I also like the Huma as it's not as straight "sugar" tasting. On the last half of this course, I also started drinking the Gatorade. Normally I don't drink it in races (I usually have Cytomax with me).  However, not every water stop in the last half had Gatorade, so I definitely took it while I could, and had a Marine or volunteer fill up my water bottle I carried as well.  

Nice even view of TJ and GW monuments, but I seem to have managed to not get myself in that. 

Let's try it again.

Oh, look, now it's crooked.  :-) 

The Bridge. The Bridge is LONG. It's not just a bridge over a river or over a grassy area or whatnot. No, it's a long elevated bridge area. No wonder they have to have a deadline for runners to get to the bridge. Even on the map, which I've looked at since then, it doesn't seem like the bridge is as long as it is.  It starts as a small elevated area about mile 19.75 and then mile 20 comes when you're 'over the bridge'. Except,  that's just the end of the first bridge, then you get onto an interstate bridge across the Potomac.  You're on this bridge until you get to Crystal City, mile 21.75 or thereabouts. It's a long bridge run. What i thought was interesting was how moral may have dropped on here. . . or at least people's *need* to run dropped here. I was on the bridge with hundreds of others and at one point I wondered if someone was filming us for a zombie movie. We were all just walking along. About the time I had this thought, I was like "not me, I am going to move! Hustle Hustle.  Move Move". I started running and then walked and when I walked I had to keep kicking myself mentally to run, run, run! Move, move, move.  By mile 20 it's such a brain game, with the biggest organ trying to get you to stop. About Mile 21  was also where my toes on my left foot went a little numb. Which was a weird sensation. I worked on doing a long stride so I could stretch my muscles. The sensation came back.   Miles 22-24 were about the same. It was walk, walk, hustle, hustle, run, run. Rinse and repeat.   Along Mile 22 I had someone cross over from the other side to congratulate me for my 'fighting cancer shirt'.  Which reminded me that when I got this shirt it acquired in purple for pancreatic cancer. One of my friends said, "aren't you worried people will think you have cancer when you wear that?"  "No," I said, I can wear a fight cancer shirt and not have cancer.  Forward almost three years later and I am a cancer fighter in the form of kicking melanoma.  Wow, how time can change in the blink of an eye!   Mile 23 my toes started hurting, and I thought "this is not good". It wasn't my toes so much as my toe *nails* that were hurting.  I just knew my nails would be falling off. I've never had that happen since 2009 when I started running. Even then it was only my index toe nail that came off. This time it would be my big toe nails. UGH.  Run, run, run, hustle, hustle, hustle, walk, walk, walk, repeat, repeat, repeat!  On this bridge I was passing a couple of guys, one lamenting he was out of fuel and just needed to get across the bridge. Remember where I said I always take a gel if they're on the course being handed out?  I gave my Cliff one to this man and then continued on my way.  :-)  Good deed done for the race.  

About Mile 24 or so, I'm not really sure where, I had a Marathon Maniac come up to me in the race and ask if I was a Maniac. I said I'm officially a half maniac, but not a full. He pretty much said I should 'go over to the other side' of the maniacs  and become a double agent.  

I didn't know this part, but he said just to find an ultra running group and when they put on runs/training runs, if you log a run of over 8 hours then that can be considered one of your 'marathons' for running three marathons in 90 days. I forgot about that 90 day rule, I was thinking of the two in 14 or 16 days would get you in the club as well.  Not that I'm going to be in the Marathon Maniac club, or at least not any time soon!

Part of mile 24 and 25 skirt the Runners Village we started in this morning, and then we ran about a mile of course we'd already run.  Then it's a quick left, a straight up for 50 yards or so (which I walked). Just as I turned to the right, I heard my name and saw my family there and gave my nephew the stinkiest kiss he's ever had :-D . He's 6 so he's okay with it!  Then I ran off the final distance to the finish (passing some people who passed me on that incline) and then this:

The REWARD LINE   

Several corrals of Marines lined up to give us medals. 

Not only did they place it around our necks, but before that, they saluted ME!  ME! I earned a salute from one of our Marines! Who then said, "We are proud of you". WHAT? 

(Cue flood of tears).  

Then a walk through the corral to: 

Iwa Jima, The Marine Corps War Memorial. 

(Cue more tears. For the Fallen. For the heroes. For the witnesses. For the freedom we enjoy). 

More tears. I couldn't stop crying. I have never cried at the finish before that I can remember, but WHOA, so powerful a place, so emotional a race, knowing that we are running free because of wonderful Marines (and other military) who have been guarding our backs since 1775. Yes, the Marines were formed before we were officially a free country!   

Four foreign military men (UK & USA) came up behind me while I was awaiting my official picture in front of this monument.  I was still crying.  The older one gave me a hug, then another hug because I was just a mess. Seriously, I would not hug a stranger, but running does this to a person.  Turns out he was one of the few who carries "The Baton" in the marathon.  He gave me a brochure of it, which I read back at my sister's place. WOW.    

Then I wondered around looking for my finish stuff.

No, not looking for finish stuff. looking for food! FOOOD!  I wanted FOOOOOD!  Even knowing I couldn't eat everything in the box, I just wanted something other than a GU or HUMA. A banana would have been nice. None were available.

Turns out the Marines/finish line area for runners ran out of the food boxes which were boxed up for the 30,000 marathoners and the 10,000 10Kers.  They also ran out of the red finish line jackets. This is what they looked like.  

I finally got a Marine to say "huh, we must not have any" instead of what I'd like have heard was "here they are" or "Sorry we're out".  Trying to translate "huh we must not have any" into "we're out" after six plus hours of running is not easy to do!  

Anyway, I went down and got in line (um, I may have actually cut in line) for the Brooks Running tent to buy a finisher shirt. YEAH I was able to get one of these!   The woman in front of me said she saw 10Kers with the red jacket.  People on Facebook said people saw whole families with them, not just the runner.  This is just completely poor sportsmanship!  I don't even know why a 10Ker would want the red jacket. It says *26.2* on it, not 6.2.  Poor sportsmanship to take more than what you need (1 food box, 1 jacket per runner).  Thankfully, I knew I had a Tera's Whey protein packet in my runners bag at the UPS truck . Unfortunately the truck mine was in was at the bottttoooooom of the hill.  

First though, I had to finish walking the street to the UPS trucks and in doing so I passed a truck with watermelon and grabbed ONE of those and loved the fresh fruit sugar.   

Then I went to the next place that still had food: ICE CREAM!

I figured it was okay to eat this as I was walking to my UPS truck. I couldn't take it home with me since my nephew has nut allergies, but I could partake of it before I saw them again!

Okay, this is not my UPS truck, but I thought it was a good way to break up a long day. 

At my UPS gear check truck I took off my shoes and socks, and had trouble getting my big toe into my Birkenstocks Mayari sandals.

I then had to walk back UP the hill to the Brooks Running area to catch up to my ride.

A shower to remove the stench, and an epsom salt bath to help the muscles and feet worked wonders for me.  I was able to move around, although stiffly. I felt a bit like a tinman.  As long as I was moving I was fine, but if I stopped moving, the first few steps were awkward.

Recovery dinner:  brown rice pasta with homemade alfredo sauce, sauteed spinach, and garlic shrimp A very delicious and tasty meal!   

I managed to find two quarters during the race :-)  50¢ richer, I'll take that!  59,069 steps. I think I am done.  Ready for bed ¢and it's only 8pm!   

Recap:  Felt good at the start. I had a ham and cream cheese sandwich on Trader Joe's bread while waiting in line at the security checkpoint, then had part of a Chobani yogurt before the race.  Was feeling good about running and pacing for the first hour. Second hour I was wearing a bit, but enjoyed seeing the President's helicopter. Third hour, I was like "I am doing this faster than the Quad City half (though still slower than my normal pace), I can do this!". Huma and GU!   Fourth hour, OMG, what was I thinking. I didn't train for a marathon!  Wait--ORANGES!  Fifth hour surgery toe feels fine, other toes feel numb. Oh, wait feeling is back. Blisters on toes. Eeek.  On to the sixth hour:  You've got this, keep run/walking, keep moving, don't stop, don't stop.