By the Shores of Gitche Gumee

By the shining big sea water

The rain that was predicted for Saturday didn't materialize. There was some light drizzling but that only lasted a few minutes. The temperature was supposed to be low 40s, and cloudy, instead it was sunny and warm. I planned to wear a long sleeved top and tights, but fortunately I had a pair of shorts and short-sleeved top as a backup, because that's what I ran in, along with a new vest that I bought on Friday for half-price at the Running Room.

This running retreat included all the LTF clubs, so there was a lot of diversity among the runners. And yet, I still ran alone because EVERYBODY was faster than me. And younger. Where are all the 50+ female maratoners? Oh well. The good thing about running alone is that I focus on my running, which is good practice for the race. The bad part, besides the loneliness, is that I don't push myself. Well, this was long, slow, distance and I ran/walked for 9/1.

We were shuttled from our hotel to the starting line, 22 miles north of the inn. Some people were running 22 miles, but those of us running 20 were dropped off at the two mile mark. The course runs along the old Highway 61, of Bob Dylan fame. It's heavily canted, so we were cautioned to run on the right side of the road for about a half-mile every so often, to give our left legs a break. The road wasn't heavily traveled, so that was easy to do.

The highway hugs the shore of Lake Superior and the view was spectacular. Very rustic and wooded. The bad part is that there aren't a lot of businesses open at that hour, which means of course, no bathrooms. Not even any satellites. I certainly couldn't hold it for five hours, so I did what the animals do--I peed in the woods. That was a first for me. My mother would be so proud--not!

Peeing in the woods is kind of interesting. As I squatted on pine needles, I noticed the scent of the pine trees. The second time, I could hear the soothing sound of the lake lapping against the shore. As I wandered into the trees I worried about poison oak because I don't have a clue what it looks like. Fortunately, I didn't encounter any. But my headphones got tangled in the tree branches.

The group had a water stop every three miles, which was nice. I carried my own water bottle, but it only holds 20 ounces, so I was able to refill at the stops. And I brought Ultima packets, so that I could mix my own sport drink. This run was a dress rehearsal for the marathon, so I wanted to emulate the race as much as possible.

Normally, I don't listen to my iPod when I'm on the road, but five hours of running alone is too much. I made a playlist of high-energy songs that would stimulate me to run, and it was a pretty eclectic list. There was 60s rock, some Motown, and 70s pop. I never expected to be running to the Pointer Sisters, but you can really move to the "Neutron Dance." I'll have to burn some Oingo Boingo--I think "Sweat" would be a great song to run to.

Occasionally a running coach from the club would drive by and check on me. The final water stop was at a park just off the highway. It seemed like forever between the time the coach told me to look for it to when I actually got there. I was afraid the water stop person would get tired of waiting and leave, but as I turned in, there she was. I was so grateful! And there was an honest-to-goodness port-a-potty! Yay! No more squatting in the trees.

The Grandma's course is pretty flat, but at mile 22 (the last mile for my Saturday run) is Lemon Drop Hill, named for the defunct Lemon Drop motel that used to be there. I was pretty spent as I was approaching it. In fact, the alarm signalling the end of my walking break went off and I couldn't bring myself to start running. Right then Springsteen's "Born to Run" started to play. What else could I do? I ran up the hill and "through it" to the flat part. It wasn't even that hard. Final mileage: 20.79. So close to 21, but I didn't care. I was ready to stop. Final time was 4:57:41, average pace 14:19 per mile. Not fast enough to finish in 6 hours. Hopefully, I'll be faster come race day.