State 31# Newport, Rhode Island Marathon

April 15th 2017

We crank out a high volume of  marathons last year 14 fulls and 2 halves, 10 were new states. Our 2017 plan is a minimal marathon year. It is nice to be home for an extended period of time.  As  spring blooms all around us, training for my fifth Boston Marathon is going quite well until it isn't. Two weeks prior to the east coast trip, my training and eating starts to falter. The left side of my body starts to hurts forcing me to take days off and cancel hill runs. We are supposed to run the Newport Marathon before making our way back to Boston... After four months of great preparation, the wheels of the bus begin to loosen.

 My husband goes out of town for four nights leaving me to unravel while he's gone, choosing not to eat right.  Running is minimal at best with my left knee, quad and ankle refusing to cooperate.  When he finally returns home SICK, he kindly shares his illness with me. The goal of completing Boston in under four hours crumbles and shifts to just getting to the finish line. Travel day begins with a sore throat and fever and a lack of enthusiasm. I am still excited, but my body is broken down before even making it to the airport for our night flight. Night flights are the best...everyone sleeps great or do they? At some point, I give up on sleep and anticipate a nice nap at the hotel.

Sunrise in Boston

The drive out of Boston isn't too bad as we make our way to Newport, RI until an electronic sign reads...hour delay ahead all lanes closed on a stretch of highway 24. Darn, we quickly exit and stop for a snack while we look for an alternative route. We find a back way around the blocked road and find the hotel where we are told we can't check in yet! 

One of the sights

Being too sick and beyond tired my husband drives around and checks out touristy spots while I recline in the seat and try to nap. The only thing I see is the 16 mile marker on  a long hot stretch of road. The barrenness of the terrain is my only glimpse of the course~conjuring an image of a long run in the Sahara Desert!~Hyperbole's must intensify while sick.

Struggling and in need of sleep, somehow eating pizza is still manageable after packet pickup and before going back to the hotel. Almost never too sick to eat!

 

As we lie down for a nap the bed sinks into the middle which is the least of my troubles. The hotel key machine is broken and every guest must be escorted to their rooms while loud voices reverberate through the thin walls. Please Not the room next to the elevator! Yes, that absolutely is the elevator making that obnoxious noise every thirty seconds!  It is the most disturbed sleep in a long time. Even with the ocean just steps away, we are done for the day. Exhaustion wins. After prepping for marathon morning the battle with sleep begins. As the hours toil away and the morning inches closer bargains are made with GOD for just a few hours of sleep.  At 2 a.m. Advil is ingested to fight the fever. Drenched in sweat and thankful for a few hours of sleep, my husband suggests  skipping the marathon to be ready for Boston. As tempting as it sounds an elevator and illness isn't going to beat me. More Advil is taken on the way to the start line. The only good thing about the hotel is the two minute walk to the start.    

It is one of the worst hotels for noise. My craziness leaves me questioning my sanity. Am I really going to run with a pounding headache and fever. The last time (2014) running with the flu during my first pacing gig resulted in a secondary ear infection requiring a month's worth of recovery. Now, I am about to run two marathons in three days.  

The start line enthusiasm and the moment of silence for the victims of the Boston bombings on the 4th anniversary gives me the boost needed to begin marathon #67. The first three miles are slow, but gradually things get better. A fellow runner asks about my Cowtown shirt and we chat for several miles. It is a beautiful first half with a cool breeze and ocean vistas. Once he pulls ahead at an aid station a few Maniacs appear. 

Maniac from New Jersey

One Maniac is from New Jersey and the other is Maniac Matt from Indiana. Mile 16 is better than imagined. Running and talking always makes the run easier and less daunting. As Matt slows down, I continue on with a steady pace. The course is hilly, but not too bad. Each climb is followed by nice downhills. The course has two out and back sections and on the second out and back catching the four hour pacer is the goal. The Advil is working making me feel much better. I catch the pacer on one of the downhills, but at the next climb he pulls away. My waning energy evaporates and Rhode Island is complete with a 4:04. God definitely gave me the strength.

After the race there is pizza and beer shockingly~I skip the post race food. The priority is a shower and packing up. My husband has a nice run too and we both depart Rhode Island with a runner's high. On the way back into Boston we stop in Fall River for some Patti's Pierogis a Polish place my husband wants to try after seeing the place showcased on Diner's Drive-In's and Dive's. It is a first for me, I have no idea how a pierogi will taste. The waitress brings us a sampler platter and it's definitely better than anticipated It's nice to  try something different.

After lunch a stop in Hopkinton to see the start line and the famous "It all starts here" sign  seems necessary before driving the actual course. I think it's faster on foot!  It takes forever in the car, but we finally find our OVERPRICED HOTEL and settle in after two exhausting days and nights with very little sleep.  At least the room is as far from the elevator as possible.

Sunday is a relax and wander through Boston day. At packet pick-up we run into a fellow pacer from California and show her around. She wants to see "Cheers" and "Boston Commons." It is an amazingly warm day. We pack for cold weather but it is unusually hot. She decides to walk the "Freedom Trail" while we sit in the park.

Having done many touristy things in Boston over the years we take the day to just relax. The Newport marathon has somehow managed to run the illness right out of my body. Sleep really helps too. 

After a cursory finish line photo, it's back to the Coolidge Corner area where we finally have some good tasting pizza before ~Runday Monday.

How can anyone ever complain about the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon. Regardless of circumstances and only one sub four hour finish in 2011 the experience is a thrill of a lifetime. There is something magical about the town, the course and the people. Every bus ride includes a wonderful conversation with a random runner. The walk to the start is electric excitement and anticipation. The journey no matter how difficult is forever imprinted into the memory banks. Boston number five is run on tired legs with a body depleted of energy and sleep. Why is sleep so difficult lately?  By mile six it is obvious, it will be a run just to finish. At mile ten I text my husband and tell him "The wheels have officially fallen off the bus." Who cares that walk breaks are frequent, it is the iconic Boston Marathon and it's impossible not to enjoy the energy and excitement of everyone around me. After reaching the summit of "heartbreak hill" the momentum builds and with three miles to go I lock in a slow consistent pace and relish my"right on Hereford and left on Boylston!" With no plans to run Boston again...I relish the last .2 enjoying the crowd and the fun.  It is a great day.

I can't thank my husband enough for being my biggest supporter and my life and running partner. I could not experience so many great places without him by my side! Thank you Craig...you are awesome!