A Few of My Favorite Things

The other day I had an early morning run through Downtown Minneapolis and took pictures of whatever appealed to me. Unfortunately, I only had the CrapCam, and as usual the pictures are out of focus. Sigh. Here's a visual, albeit blurry, tour of my city.

From my house, I ran through the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. The image above is of Claes Oldenburg's Spoonbridge and Cherry. It's probably one of the most photographed sculptures associated with Minneapolis. The Basilica of St. Mary, the first Basilica west of the Mississippi, is in the background.

From the sculpture garden, I ran across the bridge to Loring Park. Here's a perennial garden in full glory.

As I ran towards the other end of the park, this "dandelion" greeted me. It is my favorite fountain and it always lifts my spirits. Just like the first robin is a sign of spring, I know that summer has arrived when this fountain is running.


Next, I ran up the Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian mall that extends about twelve blocks. If you're a local, you know to pronounce it "Nickel It", (don't cringe, Plods!), named for the Frenchman who mapped the Upper Mississippi basin. On this morning, vendors are setting up for the farmer's market. That enclosed bridge is called a skyway and there's a maze of them that allow you to get to various points without ever venturing outside. Very helpful when the temperature is minus 20F.


Further up the mall is this tribute to the character Mary Richards, played by Mary Tyler Moore in the early 70s. The TV show was set in Minneapolis, and the statue was placed near the spot where she threw her hat up in the air during the opening credits. I felt stoopid taking a picture of the statue, but I'll do anything for you people. :-)


Next stop is the new library, which opened in May. It was designed by Cesar Pelli, who also designed the Wells Fargo Center a few blocks away, one of my favorite buildings.


From the mall, I headed east, through an area that not too long ago was urban blight, but is now full of "lofts" and restaurants, centered around the new Guthrie Theatre. This is the back of the Guthrie; the large blue thrust is a balcony that gives awesome views of the river and Northeast Minneapolis.


The Guthrie used to be by my house, but outgrew its 40-years-old space so moved to the Mill District. This is where Minneapolis got its start--St. Anthony Falls, a waterfall in the Mississippi River, generated power for the sawmills, and later flour mills. Here's a sign leftover from one of those mills, Gold Medal Flour.


From the Guthrie I ran west along the river, back towards downtown, and through this Cancer Survivor's Park, an oasis of calm in the heart of the bustling city. It features sculptures and signs offering encouragement and support to cancer survivors and their families.

Separation Anxiety

It's nice to not be in training this summer. For the last three summers I've trained for the Twin Cities Marathon and it really took up my summertime. On Saturdays, I would get up ridiculously early to run long, then come home and sleep the rest of the day. And on weekday evenings, when the weather was hot and steamy, I'd run hills and do track workouts. I'd run in rain and once even during a tornado (of course, I didn't actually see the tornado, but the sirens were going off and the wind was blowing pretty hard.)

My husband and I are planning to move to another state, and this will be my last summer in Minneapolis. That's why I didn't want to train for the TCM--I wanted to enjoy my last summer here. Summer is my favorite season, even with 90 degree weather. In June and July I worked to get the house market-ready, by repairing small items and cleaning. But mostly I had to remove the detritus of fifteen years. You can accumulate a lot of stuff when you don't move around.

The house is now on the market and there's a big "For Sale" sign blemishing the front yard. I'm excited about my new home, but it's hard to detach from the place I've called home all these years. Life there will be very different than what I've grown accustomed to. I currently live a mile from downtown and all sorts of conveniences--coffee shops, restaurants, theatre--are just a few minutes away. My new home will be on a subdivided ranch and the nearest city will be an hour's drive.

I never expected to feel sad about leaving Minneapolis. We moved here for my husband's job. I was quite happy where I was--I lived in the coolest house and the Pacific Ocean was in my back yard. I cried all the way to the state line when I left. But fifteen years is the longest I've ever lived in one house, even from when I was a kid, and with the various remodeling projects over the years, it reflects me. However, once you put your house on the market, it's no longer your home. You're just a temporary occupant and you'd better not get too comfortable. It's difficult to detach.

It's not just the house though, it's the community. I know a lot of people and they know me, at least superficially. Today I ran along the lakes with the running group, and a local radio station was staffing a booth for people training for the TCM. They had water, Power-ade, and Clif-shots. Because of that, there were a lot of runners out, not just LTF, but other running clubs as well.

After my run, I was hanging out at the water stop and I saw a woman approaching. Her body looked familiar and I asked if she was "Martha." It was her. Last summer I ran a half-marathon and for a little while I was drafting behind this woman, using her as a pacer. I'm a heavy-footed runner and breathe loudly, so she heard me and turned around. I told her what I was doing and we chatted for a little bit, until she took a walking break. I saw her again at the Twin Cities Marathon and she was walking backwards. She explained that it helped reduce fatigue, so I tried it. I don't know if it worked, but I finished the race so what the hey. In both races she had her name on her shirt, which is how I knew her name.

Martha remembered me and gave me her e-mail address. She's a coordinator with another running group and told me she'd let me know when Dick Beardsley is going to address the group. I'm looking forward to that.

Since I'm still recovering from Grandma's Marathon, I've just been taking it easy. The other day I ran through downtown and took pictures all along the way. Talk about taking it easy; it took me an hour to run three miles! I'll post the pictures another time, but it made me realize how many things I like about living here.

Heroes

Here's a link to a video clip for an upcoming movie, "Land of the Gods. Legend of the Marathon." It contains footage of last year's Chicago Marathon, and interviews pro's like Deanna Kastor as well as ordinary people. It's under 5 minutes and worth the visit. Let me know how you like it.

For an added bonus, click on Films, Land of the Gods, Trailer 1 to view archival footage of Frank Shorter, Deanna Kastor, Steve Prefontaine, and others. Very inspiring.

Second Chance

Last week, I wrote about not signing up for a race that I had wanted to run, because I was too intimidated by the crowd. I had a lot of excuses not to run, but the real reason was I was embarassed to run so slowly in front of people who were there to see the parade, which started after the race. Many of you wrote very supportive comments and I appreciate them.

It seems I had the date wrong! The race was actually today, not last Wednesday, and since I clearly was disappointed that I didn't participate when I thought I had missed it, I had to run it tonight. No excuses.

It's interesting how many people I'm getting to know in this running community as a result of the various clubs I've trained with. I recognized a lot of faces as I wended my way to the sign up area. I registered, got a race number and a free singlet, then went to the downtown fitness club that I belong to. The running club was going to assemble there and then do a warm-up run the one mile back to the starting area.

I saw my coach from the Grandma's marathon training and learned that she qualified for a free entry to the Twin Cities Marathon because she's so fast! I had no idea I was in the presence of an elite athlete. I knew she was fast, but I didn't know she was that fast.

I ran with some other back of the packers to the sign up area, then we all got separated. I drank some water and used the portalet, then walked four blocks to the starting line. I still had a half-hour to go, so I sat down and talked to the woman next to me. Then we began to line up. I headed to what I thought was the back, but it turned out I was pretty close to the starting line. Oops! I felt as if I had inadvertently danced into the mosh pit. It was too hard to navigate to the back, so I stayed there and tried to keep out of the way of people that wanted to pass. But there were plenty of slower runners ahead of me.

Fears never seem to materialize the way we think they will. I had pictured myself running alone on the parade route, far behind all the other runners, my fat legs shaking like Jello as I propelled myself forward. The reality was that I was enveloped by an ocean of runners, and you wouldn't be able to see me if you tried.

This race is called the Torchlight Run and it coincides with the Aquatennial, Minneapolis' summer festival. It runs through Downtown, along some of the same routes as other races I've run, such as the TC Marathon and the Arena 5K, only in a different direction. It seemed like a fun race to run, but for the past three years I've been in marathon training and I didn't want to miss a training run. Now I'm not in training and this will be my last summer here, so that's why I wanted to participate.

My goal is to someday run a 30 minute 5K. I knew I wasn't there yet, but I wanted to see how close I could get. I ran the entire time and when I got too winded I would slow my pace. This wasn't chip timed, but I had my Garmin so I just pressed start as I crossed the starting line. The weather was warm, but not oppressive, and I carried a sport drink. At the 2-mile water stop, I took a cup of water and poured it on me. That felt good.

We ran north on Hennepin Ave., then veered left to run through North Loop, a new residential neighborhood of former warehouses. From there we ran along the river, past the new Guthrie Theatre and then headed towards the Metrodome, which is where the finish and post-race party would be. The "Dome" is where the Twins play baseball and the Vikings play football, but neither team likes the facility anymore. It's also where the Twin Cities Marathon starts.

It wasn't a direct line to the Dome, so I didn't know where the finish was. I didn't want to sprint too soon. Then I could hear the crowds and knew I was close. Just as I was ready to rock, my shoelace came undone. Oh, man! I didn't want to affect my time by stopping to tie it, so I picked up the pace while trying to avoid stepping on my shoelace. Note to self: doubleknot shoelaces before racing. I made it across the finish line in 34:39. Not great, but still an improvement. I'm not sure what my best 5K time is.

Here are the splits:
Mile 1 - 10:43
Mile 2 - 11:03
Mile 3 - 11:00
Mile .13- 1:51

Maybe next time I can do 33 minutes.

Some of you have asked if there's a triathlon in my future. NFW. As I told AmyBee, there's no way I'm running in a bathing suit! But I rode my bike over to the race and then rode it home afterwards. Maybe someday I'll try a bike/run.

Speaking of bikes, while riding home I stopped and watched the parade for a little while. There were clowns, marching bands, and the usual floats with "princesses." Then a bunch of cyclists rode by; they had just participated in the Aids ride. I clapped long and hard for them.

Behind the Scenes

Here are the few triathlon pictures I was able to take before the camera battery zonked.

Checking In

Volunteers Getting Briefed

The lovely Liz Blatchford

Professional athletes warming up

Spectators watching the pro's

Pro and Papparazzi

Breakfast With Champions

Today I volunteered for the LifeTime Fitness Triathlon, and it was a fabulous experience. I had never been to a triathlon before, all I know about triathlons is what I read in your blogs. I checked in at 6:30 a.m. and Chef Vincent came over and said hi. I wished him luck, but I didn't see him again. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take his picture until he was already gone.

Mention you live in Minnesota and people invariably talk about how cold it is here. Well, it is, but we do have four seasons and we are full-steam into summer now. Today's temperature was in the high 90s, making for dangerous racing conditions. The water temperature was 82 degrees, but amazingly, a few people still wore their wet suits. They wanted the buoyancy, but I hope they didn't overheat on the other legs.

My job was to help at the start of the swim. I brought my camera, not the CrapCam but a better one. Although I charged my battery yesterday to prepare for today, it died after the first couple of pictures. Arrrgh! One of the pro's was at the starting area to warm up and she graciously allowed me to take her picture. It was one of the few I was able to take.

Liz Blatchford

While the pro's were warming up, waiting for the start, one of them kissed his wife, then bent over and kissed her pregnant belly. His mother-in-law was standing near me and I told her I wished I got that picture! I asked if he lived here, but she said he lives in Colorado and trains at the Olympic center there. I asked his name and it was Hunter Kemper. He came in first!

Before the athletes showed up, I raked the beach. Then I was told to keep people off it to keep it clean and free of debris that could hurt the athletes feet. We tied off the area and for the most part, people complied. Then a woman went through and I asked her if she would please keep off the sand. As I was explaining that we were trying to keep the sand clear, she flashed her all-access pass at me. I know, I said, but... Then she told me she was the race director. Well, alrighty then!

My next job was to help line up the athletes by their respective wave. Someone would hold up a sign displaying the next wave and I walked around with a megaphone announcing which group would be next. At first I was shy of the bull horn, but then a woman borrowed it to make an announcement. She moved with authority, so I just emulated her. It's all about attitude, people!

First were the Pro Women, then Pro Men. There was an equalizer formula that gave prize money to the fastest triathlete, regardless of sex. Three years ago a woman won it, then the changed the formula and a man won the past two times. Next came the Elite amateurs, then by age group. This was all for the Olympic course: Swim 1.5K; Bike 40K, Run 10K. After that was done, we repeated it all again for the short course: Swim .4 mile, Bike 15 miles, Run 3 miles.

Because of the heat, the Olympic course was shortened for certain divisions, which changed the starting times for some groups. Although it was announced over the loudspeaker, there was competition from the news helicopters and airplanes flying into the nearby airport, so not everyone heard the announcement. That meant some people missed their wave. But we assured those that were late that it was chip timed and not to worry.

It helped that I've raced before, because I could empathize with the nervousness of some of the competitors. One young woman was about to cry when she learned she missed her wave, but I tried to distract the tears by telling her to hurry to the front of the line and inform the officials what happened. Another girl (she was 14; I can't call her a woman) wanted to go out with a different wave but I told her she had to go out with her wave. She said her Dad was waiting for her at the start of the bike leg. Unfortunately, her wave was the very last (male and female 12-15, short course). I tried to console her by telling her she just needed to worry about herself, her Dad would be OK. I asked her name, then later looked it up in the results. I was happy to see that she finished.

Being at the start let me see people I knew. AmyBee said hi and asked me to hold her extra swim cap. I gave her a hug and wished her luck. Then Emdee and Nee walked up to me. I barely recognized them. They were in the short course and by that time I was slightly delirious. It was late, I was hot, and it was difficult to drink and hold the bull horn at the same time. But I wished them luck too. And I saw Elle, the young woman that I ran with once at Team Salubrious. I knew she was a marathoner, but I didn't know she was a triathlete. I think she said this was her second LTF Triathlon.

Another treat was watching the "60 and over" triathletes line up. My husband is 60, so I don't think of 60 as old. I didn't think it was fair to lump everyone over 60 together, but looking at the results, the age group awards were still every five years. I guess there were so few athletes, that they just started them together in one wave. For the short course, an 88-year-old woman named Mary Stroebe was in the group. Apparently she's done this race before, because the other's in the group knew her and made a point of saying hi. This woman looked like a frail old lady, but she did it! If you read the article, you'll see there's nothing frail about her. It was her 12th triathlon--she started in her early 70s!

Walk around with a bull horn and people think you're important. The mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak, was competing in the short course, and he was concerned about missing his wave because he had to do an interview a few minutes before the wave began. I told him not to worry, we would just get him to the front of the line of the next wave. He kept checking in with me (!), the last time to let me know he was in time for his wave and would just line up. Okey dokey.

After the last wave went out, I helped pick up a little bit then went to find some food. Somehow I got into the hospitality tent, which required a pass that I didn't have, and got some orange juice and a brownie. I wasn't very hungry but felt I should have something. Then I went to the finish chute to watch the runners come in. Some were running strong, some looked whipped, so I don't know if it was the mid-pack or back of the pack. But I just cheered and tried to give encouragement. I didn't know if my friends had already finished or were still cycling. I'm not even sure what time it was, but I think it was around noon.

The woman standing next to me said she was looking for her friend, Mary. She was referring to Mary Stroebe, whom she said inspired her to start running. This woman was nearer my age than Mary's. She told me that her son rides with her and gets penalties because he drafts behind her on the bike to keep others from running into her! She told me that Mary had broken her leg in February and didn't know how long it would take for her to come in.

Then AmyBee ran past! If you've read her blog you know she was nervous about the long course, so I was so proud of her for finishing. She looked strong. I ran over to the food chute and saw her and gave her a hug. She came out and we chatted. I realized I had the CrapCam, so I took her picture before she went to hook up with her husband. Then I left to see if I could find Emdee or Nee. I never did see them run in, but I did see Elle as she was approaching the finish line. I yelled out and waved to her, then saw her again as I was leaving. We chatted for a few minutes, then she left to find her boyfriend and I dragged myself to the car.

It was exciting to be around professional athletes, but honestly, I think everyone who finished, regardless of their time, is a champion.

Giving Back

Baby got back!
Yeah, baby ... when it comes to females,
Cosmo ain't got nothin'
to do with my selection.
36-24-36? Ha ha, only if she's 5'3".

Sir Mix-A-Lot

Minnesota is known for its abundant women. I don't know what it is, but this area does have its share of big butts. I went for an early morning run, and there was a a man and a woman walking about a half-mile ahead of me. At first I was judgmental, looking with disgust at how much people will let themselves go. I'm not proud to admit that; I think it has to do with the way I feel about myself when I gain weight. Anyway, then they started to run and I noticed that the woman was wearing a water belt. I figured she must be training for a race, maybe the Avon 3-day walk that coming up next month. As I caught up with them, I asked her if she was training for a race and she said she's doing the LTF Triathlon this Saturday. I was stunned, but impressed. I wished her luck and went on my way.

There was a 5K race tonight, that went through downtown. I wanted to participate, but never signed up. What held me back is that the race was before a parade, and so the spectators would be there for the parade, not the runners. I was too embarrassed to run my snail's pace in front of people that aren't "runner friendly." I figured they'd be as judgmental about me as I am about others. Now I regret that I let fear keep me from doing something I'd enjoy. When will I learn?

I'm getting excited about this triathlon, and I'm not even racing. I signed up today to volunteer on Saturday. I don't know what I'll be doing and I've never watched a triathlon, much less participated in one. But it will be fun to be a part of such a prestigious event. And, of course, I have some running buddies that I can cheer for. I was reading the bios of the professional athletes; now I hope I get to be around them. I was told I could take pictures, as long as I was discrete.

How About a Threesome*

The Lifetime Fitness Triathlon is this Saturday. There are two race distances: an Olympic course and a shorter course. AmyBee is racing in the long course. Go AmyBee!

And go Emdee and Nee, running companions and frequent commenters on this blog, who are participating in the shorter distance race.

Also racing is my favorite Frenchman, Vincent Francoual, an awesome chef who has a restaurant downtown. This man knows how to cook escargot! He races to raise money for a local charity and was featured on the LTF website a few months ago. Some people wanted to train with him and they were on the news the other night, waving baguettes as their "weight training." I was told that he was doing lifting of another sort while watching France play in the World Cup at a nearby bar. :-)

I ran six miles last night with Big M from my old running club. We met at her health club and left a few minutes earlier than the rest of her group. They were going to do hills and she didn't want to. She also wanted to avoid seeing her coach so she wouldn't get chastised for not sticking to her marathon routine. We had a nice run and did a lot of catching up, taking a detour from our planned route because a freight train was crossing our path. We actually did some hills, but it wasn't a "hill workout." Big M ran the Twin Cities Marathon last October and is training for it again. Emdee is turning 50 this year and is running Twin Cities to celebrate. Big M, and AmyBee, and a host of others, are running to support her.

When we got back from our run, the others were starting to return. We said our goodbyes and as Big M headed to her car she saw her coach! Then she had some 'splaining to do. :-0


*Saw on a t-shirt worn by my wholesome triathlete friend Emdee.

Go Runners!

Good luck to *Jeanne* the running photographer, racing tomorrow's Calgary Marathon and Dawn the Pink Lady, running the half-M. I can't wait to read the race report and I'm sure *Jeanne* will have some great pictures as well. *Jeanne* is like the Eveready Bunny when it comes to marathons: she just keeps running and running them.

Thank you for the birthday wishes. My husband took me out to a fabulous dinner last night. It was supposed to be 5 courses, but when the chef learned it was my bday, he added a course! Dessert was a rhubarb creme brulee, that didn't quite work. It was topped with a goat cheese ice cream; its texture was very creamy but too tart for that dessert. When it comes to the classics, I say don't mess with them! The check came with freshly baked Madeleine's, so it was like having two desserts. Yum.

I worked off all that carbo loading with a 6 mile run this morning with my new running group. It's still LTF, but a different location, which means different people to run with. I hadn't met anyone yet, but was told there were some "slow" runners in the group. It was a store run, which means we met at a running store, and when we got back the store gave us 30% off. Too bad I didn't need any shoes. I tried on some running skirts, but the only one that fit came about two inches above my knees. Great for around town, but too long to run in. Plus, I could not bring myself to purchase a size 12-14. I'm an 8, dammit! Pass the chocolate.

While waiting for the run to begin, two girls asked me who everyone was. I explained that there were runners from a couple different locations (I read the e-mail). We introduced ourselves and I learned that they were from the same club that I plan to run out of. I told them that I was looking for a group that had some runners more my speed and they say they were slow runners. I looked into their low-20s faces and said, No. You're not. It wasn't until they said 14 minute miles that I believed them. They are new runners but they won't be 14 minute milers for long.

However, there were a couple of women who I think I'll be able to run with. Praise the Lord and pass the body glide! They started out ahead of me, but towards the end we were running together. I'm hoping they'll see the wisdom of Galloway and walk a minute for ever 9 minutes of running. This was my longest run since Grandma's and I felt strong. BTW Jeanne, you're right. I should not put the word only in front of mileage. We will be training for the TC 10 Miler; it's the same day as the Twin Cities Marathon. It's by lottery, so I hope I get in.

53 x 2

Today is my 53 birthday. Inside every old person is a young one wondering what the hell happened. But I'm OK with my age, except when someone (usually younger than me) points it out by calling me "young lady." Or when I gain weight while training for a marathon. And I'm not talking muscle weight. Sigh.

To celebrate, I went for a run! I want to be one of those people who is running strong well into her 80s. Maybe then I won't be last in my age group. :-) This was my 4th run since the marathon and I only went 3.5 miles. For some reason, I've been afraid to go running. I don't understand how I can run 26 miles and then be afraid to run 6, but it's been holding me back. So I made myself go out and of course it was fine. I was a little sore before the run was over, but I definitely took it easy. No hills, no speed, just a jog around the lake. My quads are sore now, though.

For my birthday, my husband got me some personal training sessions for O2 training. It was what I asked for and I'm looking forward to starting. I'm hoping it will increase my metabolic rate and help me to run faster. I didn't even know what metabolic rate was when I was younger!

My good friend Little P called this morning and had her family (husband, daughter 8 and son 6) sing Happy Birthday to me over the phone. She does that every year and if I'm not home they record it on my answering machine. I've saved two renditions and I play them during the year. It always puts a smile on my face.

Tagged. I'm It.

Sister Smile tagged me while I was out of town.

4 Jobs I’ve had:
Dishwasher, Hotel Maid, Applications Programmer, Software Sales

4 Movies I watch over and over: No movies, but I've read the following books at least three times: Noble House, Gone with the Wind, Atlas Shrugged

4 Places I have lived: NYC, L.A., Santa Clara, Newport, Oregon

4 TV shows I watch: Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal; 10 P.M. news

4 Places I’ve been on vacation: Kyoto, Japan; Paris, France; Guadalajara, Mexico; Vancouver, Canada

4 Websites I visit every day: Hotmail, Yahoo, Blogger; I only obsess on email on a daily basis.

4 Favorite Foods: Dark Chocolate truffles, Gnocchi, Quiche, Escargot

4 Places I'd rather be right now: On my sailboat; Saint Peters Square in Rome; On a beach in Hawaii; At a sidewalk table at Cafe Einstein on Unter den Linden in Berlin

4 Favorite Bands/Singers: Rolling Stones, Oingo Boingo, The Cure, Eric Clapton

Amy B:Tag--You're it!

First Run

Hal Higdon, in his Marathon book, suggests resting for 7-10 days after a marathon. I rode a bike during the week following the race and felt it, so decided to wait 10 days before I ran. I'm visiting the Golden State and stayed overnight near the San Francisco airport, so my run this morning was along the bay.

The weather was in the low 60s and slightly overcast. I didn't bring anything with long sleeves, since it's the end of June, but as soon as I started running I warmed right up. There's a nice path that goes along the water and I enjoyed looking at the sea birds and the earthtones of the surrounding hills. I followed the path until it got to a marina. I love being around boats. I have a small sailboat and being at the marina reminded me that my boat has been in the water for at least a month and I have yet to sail. I must remedy that--soon!

I've run along this path before, but never enjoyed it more than this morning. It just felt so good to be out running! I ran light--no water belt, no CrapCam, no GPS. It was an absolutely perfect way to be back on the road.

Race Pictures

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments. Words can't express how much they mean to me. The misery of the marathon has faded and is replaced by pride in finishing. Yeah! Here are some pictures of Grandma's Marathon that my husband took. They capture the spirit of the race. Juls, let me know if you want any and I'll e-mail the files to you.

Buses brought runners to the starting line in Two Harbors

Heading to the starting line

Spectators eagerly anticipate the start of the race

Road Signs

Middle of the pack

Runnin' Grannies

Avoiding the port-a-potty line

Men in Skirts. Blogfather Mark would feel right at home.

Mile 26 to...

...and fro

Almost #&@*$ there

Finish Line

Mission Accomplished!

Why We Run

Chris Carr, from the local paper, ran his first marathon, Grandma's, last Saturday and kept a blog on the paper's web site. On one of his posts he asked people their reasons for running. He got a lot of comments and compiled some of his favorites into a photo-essay, using images from the Star Tribune archives. It's well-done and worth viewing. There's no music, but you can play the theme from Chariots of Fire in your head. :-)

If you're inspired, feel free to add your own reasons!

Determined

First, thanks to all your well-wishes and support. The good news is I finished the marathon. The bad news is that it took so long—6:44:39—that it doesn’t feel like much of an accomplishment.

Is there anyone as optimistic as a marathoner? We say things like, “I’m going to achieve a personal record,” “I’m going to qualify for Boston,” or “It’s going to be so much FUN!”

The reality of a marathon is another story.

The alarm went off Saturday morning at 4:30. I had bathed and laid out everything I needed the night before and was eating breakfast by 5 a.m. The starting line was in Two Harbors and I was staying about a half-hour north of there. I wasn’t sure how bad the traffic would be, so I wanted to get to Two Harbors early. Buses would take the runners to the starting line, which was on Scenic Highway 61, closed that morning to traffic.

My husband dropped me off at the motel where buses would pick up. I waited in the lobby and chatted with some other runners. Someone noticed my water belt and asked if I was planning to wear it for the race. I explained that I was a slow runner and how in past races the water stops would close before I got to them, so I wanted to make sure I was able to stay hydrated. “What keeps you going,” one woman asked. I didn’t understand the question--what keeps any marathoner going? “Determination,” I replied.

It seemed to take forever before the bus dropped us off at the starting area. I called Juls and we arranged to meet. As I was approaching the area, there was a beautiful young woman with a big, bright smile. It took me a moment to realize it was Juls! We walked together toward the start and my husband happened to be walking towards us with his camera, so he took our picture.


We chatted as I looked for my running group, then she assumed I’d want to stand in the port-a-potty line before the race began. This woman knows me; she reads my blog! We wished each other luck, then I went to queue up and Juls went off to find someone else she was planning to meet.

In the port-a-potty line I heard someone call out to some guy named Chris, who was standing a few people in front of me. He turned sideways and I realized it was the marathon blogger from our local paper, Chris Carr. I introduced myself to him and met his running partner Troy. I should have taken his picture, since I had the CrapCam, but I didn’t think about it until he was almost to the front of the line. And I certainly wasn't going to get between the man and an available toilet.

I never did find the running club, but encountered a couple of women from there, and we wished each other luck. Then I lined up and searched for KT from my old running club, who was running her first marathon. I never did find her, but some other people I know found me and we chatted until the gun went off.

Dree, a young woman I know who was running her first Grandma’s and second marathon, wanted to run with me. Her dad was running too, but he is much faster and an experienced marathoner. She was feeling under-trained and wanted to stay with me for moral support. I was afraid I’d be too slow for her, but we ran together for the first 12 miles. It was nice to have the company and we dedicated each mile to someone going through some adversity, including Back of the Pack dealing with a bad ticker, and Juls, trying to fulfill her dream of a BQ. After mile 12, Dree wanted to try to catch the 5:30 pace group. Eventually she did and their pace felt too slow so she ran ahead of them and finished in good time. I'm proud of her and more than a little envious.



“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” as the saying goes. The weather was already warm at 6 a.m. and I didn’t even need the sweatshirt I had brought to stay warm at the starting area. The isolated thunderstorms that were predicted kept the air humid, and when the sun came out, it became downright oppressive. At the water stops, they were handing out ice cubes, which I would put under my cap and in my sports bra. The heat sapped the strength of many runners and I was doing my best to stay hydrated and keep my electrolyte levels up. Thanks to Hal Higdon’s marathon book, I learned to pinch the water cups, which made it easier to drink as I walked. And my dear husband kept popping up along the way to hand me a fresh water bottle or some gels. He kept trying to pass off a banana on me, but I couldn’t stomach that!

I know a girl who told me that Grandma’s was the most boring marathon she ever ran. I couldn’t imagine how someone could be bored during a marathon, but now I understand. As scenic as Hwy. 61 is, it got tedious. There were few spectators for the back of the pack and everyone was quiet. I think around mile 19 I called out to no one in particular, “Are we ever going to get off this highway!” A man said we were almost to London Road. Good.

There were more spectators once we got into town. The water stops were out of ice—it had all melted—so I begged some from the spectators who had coolers! Looking at my Garmin times, mile 20 is where I really started to hurt. The Mile 19 split was 15:42, and Mile 20 was 19:46. It was just around noon when I began Mile 21, and it took me over two hours to go the next 6.2 miles. Both legs ached, from my hips to my ankles. That’s probably where I started walking more than running. My husband called to find out where I was and I told him I was approaching Lemon Drop Hill. Well, I could see it, which was just beyond Mile 22, and to me that meant it was approaching.

At the top of the hill I stopped in the medical tent for some Tylenol. I don’t usually take painkillers while running, but I didn’t think I’d finish without it. I asked for some Biofreeze, but they only had ice, so I sat down and iced my legs. Yes, that was stupid to sit down. My Mile 23 split was 26:26! But I got up to finish the race. I never considered not finishing. Knowing how important a positive attitude is during a marathon, I would not let myself think any negative thoughts. Quitting was not an option! Whatever it took, I would cross the finish line. Turns out, it took a lot.

I hobbled along the next few miles, and was singing that stupid 25 Miles song. (My iPod battery died several miles back.) I counted the streets, until I finally reached Downtown Duluth. The streets were brick and I had no intention of trying to run on brick—I ached enough! The sky was turning dark over the lake and I wondered if it would hold until I finished. One official advised me that severe weather would arrive in a half-hour. Thanks, I can see that. A police patrol drove by and told me to get on the sidewalk (Grandma’s permit has a 6-hour limit.) So I got on the sidewalk, dodging pedestrians and using the wheelchair curbs so I wouldn’t have to use my knees to climb up and down. "Fifteen minutes until severe weather approaches," another official warned. Great.

And then the skies opened up. Right around Mile 25. Well, I had run in the rain plenty of times, so I knew I wouldn’t melt. I was just glad there wasn’t any hail or lightning. But water gushed down the street and my shoes were soaked. Although I was still walking, the Tylenol had kicked in and I was able to pick up the pace. A man and a woman passed me and I asked where they came from. I thought I was the only one left. They assured me there were others behind me, but I didn’t look back.

Lucky for me they were there so I could follow them. The route wasn’t clearly marked any more and I saw them ask for directions. As I passed the back of the Convention Center, a crowd of people were huddled under the roof, trying to stay dry. I assume they were runners that had already finished their race. They let out of a roar as I passed by. I was too focused to acknowledge them, but I heard them and it went straight to my heart.

I had continued with my mile dedications, for the troops, for my husband, for the volunteers, and at Mile 24, for Team Hoyt. That’s when I remembered the quote from Dick Hoyt about it takes courage to finish. It spurred me on. I was really close now. I dedicated the final mile to me. Not exactly the right spirit, but screw everyone else, this one’s for Team Dorine! Now I was almost to Canal Street, where I would turn right and head straight to the finish line. My phone rang, but I ignored it. I was sure it was my husband and I knew he’d see me soon enough. I didn’t want to take the time to mess with my phone. I just wanted to be done.

I turned down Canal Street and there was my husband, ready with his camera. The race photographer was gone and the clock was down. The chip mats were still there, though, and they chirped as I crossed. No cheering crowds. No glory. But my sweet, loyal husband stood by and waited for me. I just wanted to cry, not because I was disappointed over the time, although I was, but because I was so tired. It didn’t feel like much of a victory; it just felt empty. We walked down the deserted finish chute and someone came over and handed me a medal. Then another volunteer came and took my chip off, and directed me to where I could get my finisher’s shirt.

I picked up my gear bag and went into the changing tent. My running clothes were so drenched from the downpour, I literally had to wring them out. When I came out of the tent, I gave all my gear to my husband then he went to get the car. I tried to find some food. There was a food area, but it required tickets. I thought it was for the athletes, and I kept asking where I get my food ticket. But it was a commercial party and my money was being carried to the car. I was getting frustrated. And I’m afraid, bitchy. I wailed to a volunteer that I needed some effing food! Then I apologized for swearing. I don't like to abuse volunteers--they don't get paid enough! He pointed out a tent (no sign) where the food used to be. They were packing it up. I went over and asked if they had any bananas left. A woman reached into one of the boxes and handed me three bananas, an apple, two boxes of raisins, and a couple of Cliff Builder’s Bars. Paydirt! I thanked her and told her I’d share it with the other runners, but the only people I saw were not interested. So I ate while I waited for my husband to pick me up.

He drove me back to our hotel, which was probably 40 miles north of Duluth. I slept for about an hour, then dressed and we went out to dinner. I wore my medal like it was a pearl necklace! There were other diners wearing medals, but I was the only woman with one. A lady came by my table and congratulated me. I didn’t enlighten her on how badly I ran; I just said thank you. Then ate my chocolate dessert. :-)

Oh, the Insanity

Before I start talking about ME, I want to say Good Luck to Juls. She's also running Grandma's this weekend and is hoping to qualify for Boston with this race. We're going to have a mini-RBF meetup in Duluth. I'm looking forward to meeting her.

Also, here is the picture I wasn't able to upload in my previous post. I switched to Mozilla (thanks for the tip, Back of the Pack!)



Now about me...I'm an emotional wreck! In addition to preparing for Grandma's Marathon, I'm in the process of getting my house ready to put on the market, build a house in another state, and just be a perfect wife and homemaker. On top of that "my friend" (as they used to say) came to visit. I'm stressing over the fact that I'm supposed to be relaxing this week. I have to de-clutter my house but I'd rather be swinging in a hammock.

Here's my secret confession: I want to be like Bree from Desperate Housewives. Everything in its place, perfect clothes, capable of whipping up an intimate dinner party without breaking a sweat. OK, so she turned to drinking to cope and dumped her teenage son at a gas station. But still. Instead I'm more like Lynette (only as a housewife, she's a capable executive which I never was.) Here's another confession; I once took a "which desperate housewife are you" quiz and it turned out to be Gabrielle! Not because I'm sexy, but because of the "I'll pay you to do the work for me" attitude.

Well, this has nothing to do with running. But I've been feeling overwhelmed and emotional this week. Tonight my running club had our pasta dinner and as I was saying goodnight, wishing people luck on their race, I suddenly got all choked up. I've been running with this group for three months, and even though I didn't know most of their names, I knew their faces. Plus, I probably won't be training with them after this; I'm going to run with a different group that I heard has some slower runners. I drove home along the River Road, a route that I did many of my training runs on. I guess it hit home how final this was and that I have a race in, OMG, 3 days!

I take some comfort in the fact that other marathoners are going insane this week too. It makes me feel normal. :-)

Sin-full

Yesterday I did my final long run before Grandma's. The schedule called for 8-10, so we compromised with 9 miles. I ran with friends Emdi and Nee, and they kindly let me set the pace. The weather was cool, which was fine with me (I never thought I'd be saying that!) But I find it's easier to run in cooler weather rather than hot, humid climate. I originally put on long sleeves and leggings, but it wasn't that cool, so I changed into shorts and short sleeve, with a vest. I didn't need the vest.

We met at 9 a.m. at the Lake Harriet Pavillion. It's a nice bandshell overlooking the lake, with the ever important bathrooms nearby. On Sunday's in the summer they have church services, and on weeknights they have concerts. It's right by a little marina of day-sailors. No motors are allowed on the lake. In the winter there's an ice skating rink. This is also the meeting place for various 5-Ks, including the Reindeer Run in December and the Valentine's 5K in you know what month.

I got there a little early and warmed up. Then I saw my friends and we discussed what we were going to do. I debated using the bathroom for the third time in a half-hour, then decided against it. I should have known better! Oh, well.

We ran along the eastern shore of the lake, taking a short detour into the Rose Garden. Emdi's son proposed to his wife there. I've driven past the Rose Garden many times, but in the fifteen years I've lived here, have never been in them. It was a nice diversion. Then we headed south along Minnehaha Parkway. I've done lots of training runs there and enjoy this route a lot. There are trees and the paved trail hugs Minnehaha Creek. Plus it's not as crowded with runners as Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet are. We ran a little past 4 miles, then turned around.

It was really nice to have company on a run for a change. I've trained with Emdi before and like her alot. She's the kind of person who will stay with you, even though she's capable of running faster. And she's full of interesting conversation, which makes the time go by. Nee is Emdi's co-worker and she's very nice, but young enough to be my daughter. She didn't rub it in, though. Both Emdi and Nee are triathletes and are running the Grandma's Half-Marathon on Saturday. I have a really cute picture of them, but stupid Blogger won't let me upload it. I've been trying for two days now!

As we were heading back, I was looking forward to reaching the community center. There are bathrooms there and water to refill out empty bottles. But the center is closed on Sunday. Oh no! Lucky for us, there was a park across the street which had a decent bathroom and a water fountain. Whew!

Back at the Lake Harriet parkway, we "closed the loop" by continuing clockwise. Emdi didn't like that idea, because she thought it would add more distance. But we were halfway around the lake, so it didn't really add much. Towards the end, I did some pickups. Coach Dan said we should do sprints for about 100 meters at the end of the run. I'm not sure why, but who am I to argue. I did two pickups and called it quits at 9 miles.

Afterwards, we went out for breakfast. Gosh, just like a real running group. We were in our sweaty running clothes and walked into a restaurant filled with conservative elderly people, wearing their Sunday best. They seated us in an obscure spot, but they seated us, and we had a hearty breakfast. Carbo-loading to the max. I felt compelled to explain to the teenage girl waiting on us that we were runners. After all, it was Sunday and gluttony is a sin. :-)

Almost a Marathon

There's a song from the sixties that goes through my head on my long runs. I just Googled it to find the name of the song. The singer has been walking for three days and two nights to get home to his woman. This man knows tired! It was a hit by Edwin Starr and the name of the song is "25 Miles". Besides the motivational lyrics, it has a good beat.

Let me tell you ya'll
I, I, I, I, I'm so tired
but I just can't lose my stride

Come on feet don't fail me now
I got ten more miles to go
I got nine, eight, seven, six
I got a five more miles to go
Now over the hill just around the bend
Huh although my feet are tired I can't lose my stride

I got to keep on walkin'
I got to walk on oh ho ho

It Takes Courage

Well, I guess the San Diego Marathon kicked a lot of RBF butts. Some, sadly, before they were even able to get to the starting line. But I learned something from each of you and will carry it with me to Grandma's. So a big, fat, CONGRATULATIONS to all of you. You trained, you ran, you rocked!

Last night was motivation night at our group. The National Running Director for LTF (we just call him Dan) joined us and we ran around the track -- three miles marathon pace with a shag in between miles. He had us play mind games. The first mile was the beginning of the race, where you feel great and you run too fast. The second was the middle of the race and he had us run too fast, then practice slowing down by shortening our stride rather than putting on the brakes. I guess that's to keep us from hurting ourselves. The final mile was Mile25 and he wanted us to GO FASTER. As if! Dan ran the final lap with me and told me when I run in a group to keep my eye on the hip of the person just ahead of me. I practiced with him and felt like a race horse being put through its paces. But it was COOL! We stayed in step the whole lap.

Back at the club, Dan gave tips and inspiration. He's full of great stories. He told us about Tony Schiller, who was racing the Ironman in Hawaii and how he had dislocated his shoulder during the bike race, then in the running segment realized that he wasn't going to win and he had gone there to WIN. Sitting down at the side of the road, he decided to just wait for the EMTs to come give him a ride to the finish. As he sat there, a man and his son came by. They were still biking. The son had Cystic Fibrosis and the Dad had to push his son in the water for 2.4 miles, then pick him up and put him on the bike (I'm not sure how), ride for 112 miles, then run a marathon while pushing the son in a carriage. This was their second Ironman attempt; they DNF the previous year because they missed the deadline in one of the segments by something like 30 seconds. They were biking and still had the marathon to run. As they passed Tony, the Dad looked at him and said, "It takes courage to finish." Tony thought about that and got up and finished the race.

This is a true story, but Dan told it better than I just did. I was trying to condense it. He said the father and son's name, but I don't remember them. I had to wipe away tears.

Before we went out to run, I expressed my nervousness about the upcoming marathon to Coach Jan. With two DNFs under my water belt, it's hard not to worry. As I was running to the track, slow and stiff, I started to question why I was even trying to run a marathon. Then I reminded myself that I better have an answer by marathon day or I'm toast. But the track workout went so well that I left feeling that a 5:30 finish was do-able. I gotta hang on to that!

Bridge to Bridge

Saturday's run was "only" 12 miles. Heh. I love being able to say that. Just a few short months ago, I was afraid of 12 miles. It feels good to see progress in my running.

We started out at 7 a.m. to beat the heat. No getting lost this time; I knew this route! Just tell me where the water stop will be. I ran up the east side of the River Road and it was joyful. As I ran north, other groups were heading south on the same road. One group was the MDRA--I don't know if they were training for Grandma's or kicking off the Twin Cities Marathon training, but there were a lot of people.

After that came another herd of runners--the Team In Training group. "Go TNT" I said as I passed them. "Whoo-Hoo" they replied. They're training for the Nike Women's Marathon and I felt envious. Marathon Envy--who knew? Maybe I can sign up for that next year.

The weather was beautiful--clear skies, 70 degrees. Rowers were slicing through the water, their coach shouting out motivation. I wondered if I would run better if I had a coach that yelled at me. Probably, but I don't really want to be yelled at.

My iPod battery was dead but that was fine. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to hear the Canada geese as they passed overhead in V formation, calling out as they flew. People who live near water dislike the geese but since I don't have to deal with goose-poop, I like them. Especially the babies, which I haven't been able to photograph yet.

We ran along the River road, from the Ford bridge to the Washington Ave. bridge, which is by the University of Minnesota campus. When I got to Washington Ave. I stopped to take a picture of the Weisman Museum. It's a modern art museum designed by Frank Gehry and built in 1993.



I ran around on the campus, trying to find a bathroom. I didn't really have to "go", but I figured I'd take advantage of the proximity to modern plumbing. Unfortunately, everything was closed! The student union didn't open until 9 a.m., and it was only 8:45. Waiting around for 15 minutes wasn't something I was willing to do, so I left.

I headed south along the East River Road, crossed at the Franklin Ave. bridge, and continued down the West River Road, which was shadier. There were a lot of bicycle riders and many of them were wearing numbers. But it didn't seem like much of a race. Later, I found out that it was a bicycle equivalent of the Race for the Cure.

Normally I eat gels for energy. But I got a sample of Shot Bloks from the nice people at Cliff Bar, so I tried it on this run. It was really good; like eating gummy candy. I'm definitely going to have some of those on the marathon. I can handle about three gels, but after that it's hard to choke them down. So it will be good to have an alternative.

The water stop was under the Lake Street bridge. My water bottle was empty but I knew I was close. I was so happy to see the familiar container! I filled the water bottle with sport drink and chomped on a few Starburst candies. But I didn't linger. I'm trying to emulate the race, where there is no resting except for the walking breaks.

As I approached the Lock and Dam, I passed some other runners going the opposite direction. It was the LTF running club from Bloomington, a nearby suburb. They ran on their own, even though they left from our club. They started later. We exchanged "Good Job" and I wondered how far they were going. By the time I realized I should have told them about the water stop, they had already passed. Turned out their coach knew about it, but they didn't run that far.

While I was running across the Ford Bridge, the Bloomington running group passed by, heading back to the club, like I was. When I arrived, they were milling around stretching and I asked the coach if they were going out for breakfast. He said yes and I met them there after showering and changing into street clothes. Next Saturday we're scheduled for 8-10 miles. And the one after that is Grandma's!