It is a ten minute drive to the hotel. After an interesting check-in with the hotel clerk, we park and head to the room. I am hoping the room has a microwave to heat up the chicken. What do you know, it has a microwave and we have soda and water left over from our Walmart trip. Thank goodness we do not need to get back in the car to search for dinner. Another optimal pre-marathon meal is ingested in our hotel room. The chicken is pretty good with dipping sauce, and we scarf down the strips and chips. After a short soak in the hot tub, we shower and prepare for the second marathon of the weekend. The race starts at 8 a.m. giving us a slightly longer sleep time. The husband is stressing about getting parking in the morning and we end up getting up early anyway.
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| They make their own spot... |
The logistics of this race is pretty easy. We arrive back at the stadium parking lot. I park at the end of a row of spots, since my husband insists I park there! I essentially create a space that does not exist.
I wonder why he doesn't worry about me getting another ticket, a parking ticket. Anyway, we will worry about that later, I guess. There are school buses waiting right there to shuttle runners over to the start line which is only about a mile away. Before boarding the bus, I run into the packet pick-up area to exchange my shirt. I swear it must have been a child's size shirt. The volunteers happily exchange the shirt and agree that they run super small. There is no way I was going to fit into that small shirt without showing my bellybutton! (
trust me nobody wants to see that) After a short bus ride, we are let out and make our way to the start. I see a hotel and we go in to use the potty. We end up sitting in the lobby for thirty minutes. A nice comfy place to sit and stay warm. When the time comes, we mosey over to the start which is just around the corner. Bag drop is very organized with big white sack bins labeled by bib numbers. There is an energy and excitement in the air. Lots of runners are excited and ready to run. I can't say I am excited or ready to run, but only because my body is fatigued from yesterday's marathon. I try to breathe in the energy of the other runners. As an inaugural event, it has attracted lots of locals and the community spirit is definitely present.
After some announcements, which runners can not really hear, the national anthem is sung exceptional well and the race begins. My legs are heavy after my strong effort the day before. I realize early on that this is going to be a long race for me. My husband is off and running. I watch as runner after runner pass me by and as each pace group zips along. The first mile is a run through the downtown area as we make our way to the outskirts of Chattanooga. I am trying to warm up my legs and get into a flow, but I am having some stomach issues. I think it may be the fried chicken and the Snickers Bar I ate the night before. It probably does not help that I ate two cinnamon rolls at the hotel breakfast. I usually only eat a banana on race morning. Not the best option for running a good race. Just around mile 5, I make my first of four potty stops. I love when the door opens and I don't have to wait for someone to come out. There is an aide station set up with enthusiastic volunteers offering water and power aide as I emerge for the green box. I get back into a stride after adjusting my shirt and waist belt when a local runner strikes up a conversation. This is his first marathon. He tell me about how he lost seventy pounds over the last year. He woke up one day approaching the big 50 and realized he needed to change. He was a fast runner in the army and decided to take it up again. Of course he is much slower now, he tells me. I love his energy and excitement! We reach the only turn around point (
the fateful misplaced turn around) and make our way to the first major hill. I tell him good luck as I slow down, but he slows even more. With my many stops and the numerous hills, I am able to catch up and run with him several more times on the course.
My eyesight is not so good anymore. I pretty much wear glasses all the time now except when running. I haven't made that final transition yet. My poor eyesight makes square things up in the distance appear to be porta potties. (
I spot several potties that don't end up being actual potties) I think I see one, but oops as I get closer it is not. Finally, I find a real potty...I am rethinking my food selections at this point. The body really is like a machine and when you feed it junk it responds in kind. I did not drink at all prior to the race and yet I need to pee a lot...too much information! I am hoping this is the last stop, but there will be two more Porta-John visions and two more actual stops.
I begin seeing a lone spectator approximately every two miles. As we get further and further along it becomes the running joke among runners as they shout out to him, "do you have a twin" "hey you are everywhere" the little things that runners do to pass the time. We pass some industrial areas that have little to no spectators. Mile marker 6 is clearly off. Each marker from there on is about .40 miles short. This is the most difficult section for me from mile 6 to mile 10. It feels like I will never get going.
Finally we leave the desolate area and make our way to the river area with the two bridges. I see a fast pacer, on the pedestrian bridge, wave down to the slower runners and realize they are about seven miles ahead of us already! (Oh well) I see a couple more green boxes and pick up my pace to reach one. I grab the door and it is locked just as I go to check the next one a runner flies out and in I go. They have some very cool music blasting at this well stocked aide station. They have food, gels, drinks and lots of volunteers. I try a banana to get some good fuel. My goal is to go GU free on this run. Coming out of the aide station there is another significant hill to climb. I decide to walk all hills at this point. A pacer passes me on the hill, I ask her pace and she tell me 4:45. I ask her if she notices that the mile markers are off and she agrees. She is not sure what to do, I say use your watch they are definitely short. I jigsaw with this pacer until mile 22 with my bathroom breaks and hill walking. All my stops and walking, allow me to see the same runners over and over again. Once we reach the top of the hill we make our way onto the bridge. Running over the car bridge is an enjoyable section with great views. After crossing the bridge there is another climb. This is an out and back section and we get a chance to see faster runners descending quickly down the hill as we are just starting to climb. I ask a course monitor what mile they are on and he tell me about mile 16. I now know I have five miles to go before I am back to this section.
The next five miles is a pretty residential area with lots of climbs and downhill sections. As we approach a police officer he says, "when you make the turn just don't look up!" Wow, as we turn you can't help but be awed by a steep hill. Normally such a hill is demoralizing, but I think to myself good another walk break. Some runners sigh and put their heads down and push themselves up the hill, others walk. I don't think the effort to run is worth it, I can just make it up on the downhill side.
I pass many of those that ran up the hill. I catch up to the man that lost the weight and he starts to tell me his story again! I guess he did not recognize me from earlier or maybe he tells his story so many times he loses track. We talk some more. Around mile 13 or 14 I make my final pit stop. There is an aide station there as well. The volunteers say, "Water, Coke, Gatorade." I say, "did you say Coke?" They hand me a cup of Coke which hits the spot with my Advil. I hear someone say, "She needs Advil already!" Yes, I need Advil already!
This is a fun section, my stomach is finally settling and no further bathroom breaks are necessary. I am enjoying the homes, the trees, the views and even the hills. Before I know it, I am now running down the mile 16 hill making my way to the footbridge.
The wood bridge is an uneven surface, I take caution with my footing. I strike up a conversation with two Maniac ladies who are also doing a double. They ran the Columbia Marathon the day before in South Carolina and they are definitely feeling the run too. We chat while crossing the bridge, but as we leave the bridge, I am beginning to feel better for the first time in the race. The traffic control is great. They are doing so many things right for a first marathon. There are two more climbs before turning and running through the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
This is my favorite section of the entire course. The students are amazing. Their energy is electrifying. For that one moment in time, it feels like running Boston. The high-fives and cheers are loud and empowering. A runner can not help but be inspired and energized through this section. Good job UTC you are awesome! The college kids give me a boost and my pace increases. I catch up to my husband as he stops to get band-aids. In his haste to get to the race, he forget his duct tape and now is paying the price. He also has sock issues. I bought him new socks and they were not quite high enough. My fault! We run together for a few miles. I say lets do this together and he tells me to go. I do pull ahead for awhile before hitting another low as my pace declines. When I reach another climb, I walk and my husband is back with me. Around mile 21 we stop at an aid station. I have a banana and he fuels up too. I tell him, "lets go get this sucker done!" He is not ready to run yet and takes a walk break. I decide to go. Once I reach mile 22 I pass the 4:45 pacer for the final time. I don't know what happened, but I am suddenly ready to bolt. My pace goes from ten to eleven minute miles to nine and eight minute miles. The final three miles are an amazing experience. I pass almost sixty runners. I am running strong and each time I pass someone, I feel stronger and run faster. I am having so much fun. I don't know where my energy is coming from, but I am not going to complain. This is definitely the definition of a "
runner's high" and I am loving the experience. People yell to me, "way to finish strong, good form" which only fuels me even more.
If only every finish can feel so good. I finally make the final turn and see the finish line, kicking as hard as I can. Even though I am running strong, I am relieved to finally stop. I collect my medal and some snacks and head over to bag pick up. The volunteers are so efficient, as they see me coming, they hop up and grab the bag before I reach them. That is just fantastic. I have two jackets ready to put on knowing that I will soon cool down and be freezing. I make my way to the end of the venue where they have food trucks available for free to all the runners. I decide to go with a burger. They are grilling them as you order and it is quite tasty. The bun is a bit much so I take some of that off, but the meat and grilled onions are delicious. I find a place to sit and wait for my husband. He is not too far behind me. He gets tacos and chips as his meal choice and we enjoy our food before getting a beer on the way out. Also free to runners.
They did a great job in so many aspects for this race except one important thing. The race is officially declared short by .28 the following Wednesday. This affects Boston Qualifiers and 50 Staters. Since it is a certified course and the marathon officials admit that the one and only turn around at mile 5 was improperly placed, the marathon does not count as a full marathon for Tennessee. We will have to decide as we get closer to finishing the states if we will do another one for Tennessee. I feel that it is an honest mistake and we all make mistakes. It does not take away from the experience and the effort the community put into making the event a good one.
After cleaning up, we return to downtown to eat a burger at the Terminal restaurant. We talk to a young guy who is celebrating his first marathon with some friends. He is still in his running clothes when he shuffles by us and notices my husband's marathon shirt. He tells us he finished in four hours!
(impressive time for such a hilly course) He asks how we liked the marathon in his city. We tell him we loved the marathon and the people of Chattanooga. After lunch we walk over to a hotel which used to serve as the railroad terminal during the golden age of railroads. South Railway operated the railroad that began in 1909 and was decommissioned in the 1970's. Glen Miller's 1941 song "
Chattanooga Choo Choo" helped make the railroad station famous.
With an early flight home in the morning we use the rest of the late afternoon to drive up to Lookout Mountain. There is a tram that goes to the top, but we elect to drive up.
Supposedly from the lookout, people are able to see seven states. I don't know about that. It is a nice drive and area to explore.
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| Can you find seven states in this picture? |
My husband has that blister from the new socks I bought him and he is happy to just stay in the car. After a few sight seeing stops, we drive back down and make a stop at Clumpies Ice Cream Co. to test it out. It is good ice cream, but I don't really think I am a connoisseur when it comes to food. (
Anyone who is happy to heat up fried chicken from a box before a marathon obviously has little discerning taste.) The next morning we drive back to Atlanta for the flight home. We have our best meal of the trip in the airport at Charley's Philly Steaks. Now it is time to get home and prepare for the next two weekends of pacing, one half and one full.
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| End of the Trail 1/2 Marathon |
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| Modesto Marathon |
After two solid months of training, March is all about running races and ends with two pacing gigs. Now it is time to get back to healthy eating and training for more fun in April. Kitty also wants her people to stay home!
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| That's it you can't go anywhere else... |
I begin seeing a lone spectator approximately every two miles. As we get further and further along it becomes the running joke among runners as they shout out to him, "do you have a twin" "hey you are everywhere" the little things that runners do to pass the time. We pass some industrial areas that have little to no spectators. Mile marker 6 is clearly off. Each marker from there on is about .40 miles short. This is the most difficult section for me from mile 6 to mile 10. It feels like I will never get going.
This is a fun section, my stomach is finally settling and no further bathroom breaks are necessary. I am enjoying the homes, the trees, the views and even the hills. Before I know it, I am now running down the mile 16 hill making my way to the footbridge.
The wood bridge is an uneven surface, I take caution with my footing. I strike up a conversation with two Maniac ladies who are also doing a double. They ran the Columbia Marathon the day before in South Carolina and they are definitely feeling the run too. We chat while crossing the bridge, but as we leave the bridge, I am beginning to feel better for the first time in the race. The traffic control is great. They are doing so many things right for a first marathon. There are two more climbs before turning and running through the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
With an early flight home in the morning we use the rest of the late afternoon to drive up to Lookout Mountain. There is a tram that goes to the top, but we elect to drive up.
Supposedly from the lookout, people are able to see seven states. I don't know about that. It is a nice drive and area to explore.
