State #4 Rachel, Nevada

August 5th 2012

Thanks Dave Mari...for all the great photos and your enthusiastic spirit!

It is hard to believe how fast...time slips through our fingers. Can it be true that I ran state #4 five years ago...really? Thinking back to that time in my life, the ET marathon reminders me of a painful period. Looking back I wish I could have enjoyed it more. "This too shall pass"...and something else will take its place.  It is the beauty of life...you never know what each day and phase of life will bestow. I try now that I am even older, to have more gratitude for every day that I am given. The simple joys are enough and there is always something to be thankful for.

To say that the Extraterrestrial Marathon is a unique experience is an understatement. It is one crazy desert run in the middle of the night with lots of other crazy runners from all over the country. 

It is a wild ride to nowhere, a desolate stretch of the Nevada Desert near Area 51. Our first running event as official Marathon Maniacs! I became a member at the end of 2011 and my husband joined in May of 2012. Boy, what insanity, two hours on a bus with other "maniacal maniacs" in the darkest hours of the night. 

We didn't get the memo...that it is supposed to be fun

We are dumped on a lonely highway just before midnight, but only after the bus driver gets lost and has to turn around before figuring out where to take us.  We also pull over to check on the bus in front of us. A strange object barreled through the front window shattering the glass. It is definitely the spookiest and the craziest marathon I have done to date. 

Who wants to start running a marathon at twelve a.m...especially after drinking a yard full of liquor at the pool in the hot Las Vegas sun? Just because they offer a "Free Long Island Iced Tea" as part of your stay in a huge container~doesn't mean you have to accept it or drink the whole thing!  It seemed like a fine idea at two p.m. while basking by the pool in the hot summer heat. 

Now as I wait to start running in a gigantic orange and yellow safety vest that my husband makes me wear, the dread sets in. I am screwed, if there was a way back to the hotel I would have taken it. With little fanfare, the race begins and so does my whining. "I can't wear this vest it's too hot and heavy!"  I last about a mile before my husband takes the vest from me.  He normally overheats like an "old Ford truck out of coolant" but he wore both of those vests for the entire marathon. 

There I am glimmering to the right with that darn vest...

Even vestless, it is the hardest marathon of my life.  Being hung-over, overweight and exhausted are not the best variables, definitely not conducive to a successful marathon finish. Unfortunately, my husband is feeling really good and normally I would tell him to go ahead, 

Check Please...I am done!

 but I don't want to be left out in the pitch darkness with the rattlesnakes and other critters. He is stuck with me! I wish I could say I am a good sport about it, but I am an utter pathetic complaining wimp! It is not one of my better moments. 

I can see how this can be a fun race.  People dress up in alien theme attire. I would definitely do the race again just for redemption sake, if it wasn't for the brutal four hour bus ride to and from the event.  I also wish we stayed around for the free breakfast. Why are we in a hurry to get on the bus and get going? What a big mistake, not stuffing our faces for once. The entire bus falls asleep including the driver. He keeps nodding off and hitting the rumble strips. He has me freaked out and I feel it is my duty to stay awake to make noise to keep him awake. It is a miserable ride back to the hotel. It feels like the longest two hours of my life. My neurotic personality forces me to be alert to help out the bus driver. I can't wait to get back to the hotel to finally get some rest.

Even with all the pitfalls during marathon State #4, I have to admit, the sunrise is super spectacular as I cross the finish line.  The desert landscape as the sun peaks out over the mountain is peaceful, priceless and beautiful. To really enjoy the race...I recommend taking an afternoon nap before the race, refrain from drinking until after the run and definitely come to the race physically fit and mentally strong! Of course that's easier said than done. When not in the best running shape...I pay the price with physical and mental anguish! It is a battle I am determined to one day win. Maybe, I will start my diet on Monday or the following Monday or maybe Monday some time in 2020...Life occasionally gets in the way and we can't always be at our running best. We fight our way through it anyway because not running is just not an option! At least not yet...

In fact, in six days we are off to run another marathon in Colorado at the Mt. Sneffels Marathon with 8000 feet elevation! Oh joy that should be fun! Get ready for more whining...